Chapter 75
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Role (4)
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Night had fallen.
The first-year cadets had spent the day busily working their bodies to set up simple shelters and stockpile a bit of food.
The Top Student and Runner-up were monsters, sure, but these cadets were members of Ridge Crossing Academy too.
They were talents renowned not just across the nation but the world.
...Of course, their pride had been gradually worn down lately by those two who operated on an entirely different level.
Still, this was their chance to prove their own abilities and regain some self-esteem!
"Where should we stack the dry firewood?"
"Just pile it over there by the side. We'll need to keep the fire going all night anyway."
"Man! Even though it's a makeshift camp, we built a pretty solid base."
As they said, the cadets had formed parties with all sorts of members and set up their base camps.
Some chose caves backed by rivers, others beaches with ocean views, and still others the tops of massive trees deep in the thickets.
Having built their own strongholds, they all thought the same thing.
'Huh? This is easier than I thought?'
And they weren't wrong.
Everyone was at least Hierarchy Rank 2, with the standouts even reaching Rank 3.
They could exorcise most low-grade yokai by pooling their strength.
Their confidence showed no signs of waning, and they were certain they'd score high on the regular exam.
Click.
Until "night" truly arrived.
Whooooosh...
A bizarre wind blew.
It sounded almost like a cat's wail.
The moment that wind swept through, their carefully constructed base camps were torn to shreds and vanished.
"What the hell!?"
"...Everyone, check your gear. See if anything else got damaged!"
"The talismans, weapons, and clothes we brought in are fine..."
"...Wait a sec."
A panicked voice rang out.
"The purified water and jerky from earlier are gone! We've got no drinking water or food left at all!"
"...What about what we brought in?"
"That's all rotted to mush too!"
This was bad.
The food rotting was shocking enough, like a bolt from the blue,
but losing their drinking water was the real killer.
'...This is yokai territory. Of course there's no water here.'
Even summoning water with water arts would waste spiritual power.
Who knew what else might happen? They'd have to endure thirst for the next two weeks as best they could.
Even so, they calmed themselves down.
They were Ridge Crossing Academy entrants, aspiring exorcists.
They couldn't afford to look pathetic over something like this.
"Looks like it was that wind from just now."
"Anyone felt a wind like that before?"
"Nope. If it had blown during the day, our food would've vanished then too."
"So we need to be careful at night."
They calmly assessed the situation.
"Then let's only make enough food to eat right away, no leftovers. Eat before night falls."
"Got it."
With the situation sorted, they stood watch in shifts.
But one fact they overlooked.
It was still only day one.
"Gaaahhh!"
The scream jolted those asleep wide awake.
"W-What!?"
"That scream... wasn't that Tae-jun?"
Tae-jun was the classmate on watch duty.
He was skilled in alchemy and detection, perfect for the first shift.
Even after he slept, the spells he'd set would automatically scan and alert.
All eyes turned to where Tae-jun had been.
His spells were still working fine.
Yet one person had vanished with a scream.
They'd barely slept, thrust into this sudden mystery.
Clear panic flickered in the cadets' eyes.
"...We should go look for him, right?"
Even aspiring exorcists were uttering such words.
Still, they steadied themselves and headed toward the scream.
"...How far did this guy go?"
"More importantly, why'd the guy on watch come all the way out here?"
They'd walked quite a distance from their base, but Tae-jun was nowhere.
"...What the heck is going on."
"Yeah... Hey, everyone, hold up a sec!"
Someone's voice halted them all.
Heads turned, and the cadet pointed to one spot.
"That tree over there. Doesn't its shape look weird?"
"...You screaming about that?"
"No way! I mean it looks familiar."
"...Familiar?"
"Yeah. See how the thick branches split exactly into two on each side? Like a signpost. I saw one just like it earlier."
"I'm getting some bad vibes now. Am I the only one?"
"...Me too."
"Maybe Tae-jun didn't go far—we're just looping in circles?"
"That makes the most sense... but let's check."
"Back to base."
They turned and retraced their steps.
Crunch, crunch.
It was still spring, the time when summer began creeping in weather-wise.
Yet the mountain's fallen leaves were eerily dry, shrieking underfoot.
Crackle...
As the sound grated more on their ears and the lead cadet's brow furrowed,
"...!"
Gasp!
His breath caught.
The tree ahead.
Thick branches extending to both sides.
Back where they started.
Night hadn't ended yet.
"...What now?"
"There must be rules. Like illusions making us loop the same path."
"Right. It wouldn't just trap us here forever. What phenomena feel like this?"
"The 'Maze' from England?"
"The 'Fog Forest' from America fits better."
"...Hansel and Gretel."
Someone's words drew puzzled looks.
"Isn't that a fairy tale?"
"...No, wait. I've heard of it. There was a phenomenon in France like that. Not the official name, but..."
"Then yeah... sounds a lot like our situation. Can you explain more?"
"People got trapped in a forest, couldn't escape. Hunger and thirst built up until... they started eating each other."
"...Hunger and thirst. Just like us."
"How'd they beat it?"
"Someone noticed no animals in the woods and dropped bread crumbs to mark the path. But they lined up weirdly."
"And then?"
"That's all I remember..."
The cadet scratched his head sheepishly.
But it was a hundred times better than nothing.
"Alright. Let's mark our path like that."
They immediately gathered nearby stones and dropped them as they moved, learning from past records.
It was miraculous.
Fog suddenly rolled in, clearing one path to guide them.
At first, they thought they'd found the way.
Excitement bubbled up.
But it didn't take long to realize how naive that hope was.
Far off, against the mountain ridge, a black silhouette stood.
At its feet lay a cadet—one of their own party members, Tae-jun.
The cadets moved to cast spells in response.
But.
"...!"
In a blink, the black silhouette was before them, its indifferent eyes freezing them.
Terror slithered up their spines like a snake.
They couldn't win.
No, before that...
'...Who the hell is that?'
It was chillingly terrifying, like suicide was the only escape.
The fear shattered their calm, clouding their minds.
Teeth chattered, nails clawed convulsing skin.
Burning pain and hot blood welled from their arms, but fear still ruled their heads.
And so.
Grrr...
They chose to deny reality.
Night still hadn't ended.
"Oh. What's this?"
Returning to the professors' area, Professor Shin-hu greeted them.
Bi-hyeong lined up the cadets he'd brought before him.
"They were clumsily trying to copy the Hansel and Gretel strategy."
"If you'd left them, they'd have ended up numb, lost track of time, debuffed to hell. They should've met the witch too."
"Seemed like it'd drag on, so I stepped in midway."
"Yeah. Whatever..."
Shin-hu turned his head.
Seeing the cadets foaming at the mouth, still twitching, he thought,
"You didn't have to go that hard..."
"You said instill fear."
Bi-hyeong's deadpan expression drew a chuckle from Shin-hu.
"Kidding, kidding. Honestly, good job. They need this much to think, 'Yokai aren't something to take lightly.'"
It might leave PTSD, but those who couldn't handle it shouldn't be exorcists.
One wrong call, one lazy effort, and teammates or civilians died.
Shin-hu approved of Bi-hyeong's force.
"Great. Go get 'em, Top Student! Spread the fear of yokai!"
Bi-hyeong stared incredulously at Shin-hu's oddly excited grin,
but trudged off without a word.
'Sigh...'
A sigh escaped him.
Still,
night was long.