Day 12: Rock Lions and the Bitter Selection

On the morning of day 12, a heavy surge of mana began emanating from the forest at the base of the mountain. It was the harbinger of a new magical beast.

The creature ascended the mountain very slowly, ambling along leisurely. It was a massive lion made of rock. Its skin, hard as solid stone and infused with mana, boasted tremendous durability. Even colliding with the spinning turtle left only minor cracks. This was an opponent I couldn't possibly stand against. It surpassed every defense I'd prepared in both raw power and mana. I had no means to reliably inflict damage on it.

But the others were different. Even Siger, who had already decided to drop out, handled it with ease. The professor's words ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had been spot on a hundred times over. I had zero talent for offense. If it had charged like the other beasts in a horde, no amount of defense would have mattered.

Fortunately, though, their numbers were extremely low. That meant I didn't need to confront them head-on. Every time the rock lion passed through the maze, shaking the ground, I felt my heart pounding in sync. If I'd tried to block their path, the entire maze would have exploded.

So I had no intention of stopping them. Instead, I opened a path to let them exit the maze naturally. Stronger forces awaited them above to deal with them. Why else had I allied with Hongryeong the moment we reached the mountain? This was exactly for situations like this.

The rock lions passed through my maze just like that. They followed the wide-open passage upward. Soon, they arrived below the wind-swept cliff. Hongryeong looked down at them from atop the cliff. Even though protecting up to Siger's territory meant defending a massive combined area for three people, a relaxed smile played on his face.

I stepped into view so he could see me clearly and offered an apology.

"You've been working hard all this time, Ebron. I'll handle this."

Hongryeong said softly. He lightly raised his hand. At that moment, the wind barrier parted, and a massive flow of wind began to form. The wind grew fiercer, swirling around the cliff. Following the mana from his fingertips, the magic circle etched into the cliff shifted endlessly. The wind reacted to Hongryeong's commands like a living being. It intensified into a storm. And at his will, it surged toward the rock lions.

The rock lions' stone-hard skin cracked and shattered to pieces in the storm in an instant. Their incredibly tough bodies turned to dust in the blink of an eye. I swallowed hard. It was brutal. He cast such enormous magic without a hint of strain, wearing a refreshed smile.

The storm reduced all the approaching rock lions to dust. Once it had devoured them all, it calmed and reformed into the barrier sealing the cliff once more. The situation resolved surprisingly easily.

From day 12 to day 14, I blocked the beasts' waves without any major issues. The maze took some minor damage from the rock lions' unexpected movements, but it was well within manageable limits. Having paid dearly for my earlier complacency, I stayed on high alert, handling everything meticulously.

I turned the blade wolves into dolls to keep by my side and steadied my mind whenever I had a moment. And so, the night of day 14 faded. The endless beast hordes began to thin, and by sunrise, not a single one appeared. The fourth task was over.

Tension drained from me all at once, and I collapsed where I stood. I recalled thinking it was such a kind task when preparing the fortress at first. I must have been insane. That mindset led to my complacency. It was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the toughest, most grueling task of my eleven years of exams.

Confirming no more beasts were coming, we gathered in front of the hourglass. Everyone else looked pretty fine. I was the only one covered in wounds. I gave a bitter smile. No matter how hard I struggled, talent had its limits.

But talent and passing were separate matters. I'd learned that from the professor. In front of the hourglass, I quietly watched the last grains fall. This nail-biting time was finally over. And with it, the hourglass shattered.

The sand inside slowly floated into the air, gradually transforming into five sheets of paper. The papers fluttered on the wind and landed before us. Each bore a single sentence.

This was the final task. The easiest of all ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so far, but considering what came after the exam, also the hardest. What if you wrote someone else's name and they harbored resentment and attacked you later? Still, it was time to choose. We each wrote names on our papers. I wrote mine too.

Once all the names were written, the papers naturally turned back to sand and gathered into the shattered hourglass. I glanced at Hongryeong. Sensing my gaze, he looked back with a sly smile. I dipped my head slightly in response.

As all the sand reformed, it hardened into a single stele. Words slowly engraved themselves on it.

It was the result everyone had foreseen. Hongryeong just smiled quietly. No one could deny his abilities. Without him, we'd have hit countless limits in this exam. Of course, more importantly, I'd secured three votes in advance during the test.

The stele didn't stop there. The exam selected two, not one. Soon, another line appeared. A piercing scream erupted as the result emerged.

"Why my name?!"

Shaking Rope's perpetually downcast face twisted like a demon's in an instant. She shot to her feet.

"Why did you write my name? Siger already gave up on the exam!"

Her voice dripped with bewilderment. Her finger pointing at Siger trembled violently with agitation. She turned her eyes to him. Siger gave a wry smile and looked away.

"Sorry about that. I owe the young master a debt, so I had no choice."

His voice carried deep regret.

"Same for me."

I said curtly. Shaking Rope glared at Siger and me. Murderous intent exploded from her eyes. Black mana leaked viciously from her fingertips, enveloping the area. Then her gaze shifted to Eiley.

Eiley wore her usual light smile.

"Wasn't me."

She shrugged. Shaking Rope's eyes turned bloodshot, madness creeping in. The glasses hiding her eyes cracked and shattered instantly. Without them, the previous innocence vanished, revealing the witch's grotesque nature. I was shocked. Those glasses must have been a magic tool. So there were ways to alter one's expression like that.

Her gaze swept over Siger and me before landing on Hongryeong, thick with killing intent. I breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, her rage wasn't directed at me. I subtly distanced myself from the group.

"A perfectly fitting decision."

Hongryeong said in a calm voice.

"There are several reasons. First, I don't abandon those who cooperate with me. That's my family's creed."

His gaze lingered on Siger and me.

"In that regard, Siger and Ebron provided ample compensation and exceeded my expectations in service. Considering their worth, I wrote their names."

Hongryeong's words were composed, but the will within was cold and resolute. Shaking Rope's breathing grew ragged. Her mana churned accordingly. The air soured with a fishy stench, and the grass around her blackened, emitting an eerie glow.

"Then why not Eiley? Why her and not me?"

Shaking Rope demanded. Hongryeong flashed a sly smile.

"Because she's stronger than you."

Shaking Rope ground her teeth and said no more. But her madness-glinting eyes betrayed her feelings completely. Amid the verbal clash, the stele crumbled, forming a dimensional gate. Like when we first arrived at the exam, a black rift opened.

Shaking Rope, still radiating mana, crossed it quickly, as if she couldn't stand to stay another moment. She shot one last glare at Hongryeong. He just smiled softly, letting it slide off him. We watched her go in silence.

Siger then bowed politely to Hongryeong and slowly crossed. He sighed shortly, clearly unhappy with the situation, and vanished.

"Boring. Situations like this are no fun. What's the point without a fight?"

Eiley grumbled as she crossed.

"Ah, see you at the entrance ceremony later, Ebron."

She poked her head back through the rift and waved.

"Yes, of course. I'll greet you first."

I smiled and bowed. She disappeared beyond the rift. Now only Hongryeong and I remained.

Hongryeong looked at me with a quiet laugh.

"Curious why I chose her?"

A chill ran down my spine. I gave a puzzled look and countered.

"Didn't you just explain?"

The smile deepened on his lips. He shook his head.

"Just didn't like her."

The words were so simple and honest that I froze for a moment. Hongryeong noted my reaction and raised his hand. Four fingers extended.

"I'm very honest with my feelings. Siger's a soldier. He devotes his life to protecting the empire. How could I, staying in the empire, dislike him?"

He folded one finger.

"You were a bit ambiguous at first, Ebron. As you know, you were the weakest here. But I liked how you knew your place and acted accordingly after that."

Another finger folded.

"And Eiley. You probably didn't know, but she's from a great house too. Next time you meet, show a bit more formality."

Another folded. Only one remained. He paused, exhaling deeply. For the first time in the exam, the smile vanished from Hongryeong's face. He grimaced.

"And I hate witches."

His cracked voice oozed sticky ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠disgust and contempt.

"Those low, repulsive spells they use, and yet they dare lift their heads high and meet my eyes when they should be on their knees begging submission."

Endless malice toward witches saturated his words. He vented his hatred for a long while, baring his emotions. Seeing the always composed and perfect Hongryeong so agitated left me speechless, just listening blankly. I couldn't fathom why he hated witches so much or why he was telling me this.

After pouring it all out, he smiled again, as if nothing happened. He looked at me laughing.

"There, curiosity satisfied?"

An inexplicable sense of crisis gripped me. I realized in that instant: my answer here could decide my life. I bowed my head with a puzzled expression.

"As I said earlier, didn't you explain it all? We have an agreement, and Eiley was stronger, so you chose Shaking Rope. And whoa, Eiley from a great house? Shocking!"

I pretended I hadn't heard a thing, repeating it innocently. Hongryeong smiled in satisfaction.

"Haha, that's why I like you, Ebron."

He waved and walked toward the rift, crossing and vanishing.

I collapsed on the spot. Strength fled my body. It had been a brutally tense atmosphere. Hongryeong's bizarre words, expressions, and outpouring emotions—I still didn't fully grasp it. But I'd survived the crisis. Truly a great house scion. From a completely different world than me. In this vast magical world, I was just a speck.

Mulling his words, I calmed my racing heart. Anyway, the exam was over. Scary stuff happened at the end, but that was for later. Right now, it was about whether I'd passed.

I stared at the shimmering rift. Exhaling deeply, I walked toward it. As I crossed, black currents enveloped me. In them, I sorted through what I'd felt in this exam. It was done. The results would shape my future life.

The professor's words echoed: Fail and I'll kill you. I'd given my all. If I failed now, no complaints if I died.

The surroundings brightened. Opening my eyes, a paper fluttered before me. I snatched it and read quickly.

My chest swelled. All the suppressed emotions over so long burst forth at once. Tears flowed before I realized. I'd passed. After eleven years starting the exam, on my eleventh try.