A Month of Hell (5)
A Month of Hell (5)
Rustle.
A sound unlike the crinkle of luxurious wrapping paper they'd grown thoroughly sick of reached the ears of the students in the waiting room.
Gulp.
Everyone held their breath so still that a single swallow echoed like thunder.
Sliiide.
The queen's pale hand emerged from the envelope she'd been rifling through, her gaze filled with an emotion none dared to decipher.
And then.
"C-cola...!"
"Is that real, real cola?"
The moment they spotted the demonic black liquid filling the shapely plastic bottle, the students' eyes clouded halfway with madness.
'Think I could get a sip...?'
'Hell no, would you share if it were you?'
'They'd throw a punch before I finished asking.'
The frenzy that had seemed ready to erupt deflated just as quickly.
That was because, after everything they'd witnessed and experienced firsthand, they'd long since realized the freshman in front of them wasn't someone they could handle.
But despite what everyone expected, Baek Ha-na's attention was elsewhere.
'Chocolate...!'
Ever since Baek Woo-jin had rescued her, the chocolate he'd first bought her as a child filled the envelope to the brim.
Rustle, rustle.
In a flash, the chocolate came out of the envelope, its wrapper stripped away, and vanished into Baek Ha-na's mouth.
"Mmm~"
And a face that melted into bliss.
"Wow..."
"My heart, suddenly it's..."
"...That's a symptom of heart failure."
Classmates and upperclassmen alike.
Everyone, regardless of gender, was watching Baek Ha-na eat chocolate with a look of pure happiness when—
Woom-
With a brief vibration, Yoon I-seul materialized beside Baek Ha-na, her long black hair cascading down.
"Hurk—"
"W-well, guess I should head out."
"Let's go limber up, you bastard..."
Despite the plain expression she wore when she appeared, Yoon I-seul's gaze swept the surroundings with the sharpness of a serpent's eyes. The students who met her stare scrambled up from their seats and fled outside as if running for their lives.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Once all the unnecessary nuisances had cleared out, Yoon I-seul stared openly at Baek Ha-na's face as the girl nibbled at her chocolate like a small animal, seemingly oblivious even to her entrance.
Rustle.
She then checked the envelope in her own hand to confirm it held chocolate too.
'Quite a bit in here.'
Yoon I-seul left the waiting room before Baek Ha-na could come to her senses.
Crinkle, crinkle.
Left alone, Baek Ha-na's hands never stopped moving in and out of the envelope.
·
·
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-You think you're hot shit just 'cause your rank is high?!
-You're not gonna pass anyway, stop wasting time and get the hell out!!
-Woooo!!
"..."
"..."
Jaden and Cheon Ji-ho blinked vacantly at the students spewing vicious curses and jeers at the comrades rolling around in the arena below.
"This isn't a mental attack, is it?"
"It's not... Probably, well..."
Jaden couldn't answer Cheon Ji-ho's question.
Because he recognized that the Baek Woo-jin he knew was more than capable of pulling something like this.
"Don't worry too much."
"Ah, Miss I-seul."
Jaden turned toward the clear voice from behind him.
His gaze naturally drifted to the small envelope in Yoon I-seul's hand.
"...So that's what it was."
"Yes. It seemed to be given out when you clear the 10th stage."
"What about Miss Ha-na?"
"Resting inside. I took a quick look and the contents appeared identical."
A small bar of chocolate and a cola, plus a cool bottle of water and a snack bag.
Along with those, there was the standard protein bar and a drink.
"Hmm... I can't believe something so minor made them change that much."
Cheon Ji-ho, who had been listening quietly, murmured under his breath.
"We're fine because we went through it until we were sick of it during our active years, but for those kids who've grown up eating nothing but good food at the academy, this whole situation must be torture."
Jaden replied with an expression of full understanding.
"...I see. Still, don't we need to calm things down a little?"
-Whew, finally croaked.
-Next!! Who's up next?! Get out there!!
Cheon Ji-ho was worried about the atmosphere, which felt more overheated than necessary.
Jaden wore a slightly troubled look as well.
"Well, they seem motivated for now, so let's watch them for a few days. We can also use this chance to teach them that problems don't get solved just because you're all fired up."
"Hmm... Understood."
Cheon Ji-ho nodded.
Because he thought, as Jaden had said, this was a good opportunity to make them realize that motivation alone couldn't overcome hardship.
More than anything.
'They'll quiet down once they've been tossed around a bit.'
Being able to shout like that was only possible when you still had the stamina.
So as soon as their turn came and they went rolling across the arena's dirt floor, they'd settle right down.
...That was what he'd thought.
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-Sigh, if my ankle hadn't twisted back there, I'd have hit Stage 6.
-Fuck. Why won't it save for me?
-Hooo... I feel like I could manage it if I could just stick with it a little longer.
-The real issue is my body won't move the way I want it to.
After all the day's tasks had ended.
The students gathered in their own groups and began reviewing the day's events.
All except one team.
"Ha-na, just you wait. Tomorrow I'll clear Stage 10 and bring you the chocolate for sure."
"Hmph, I'll be faster than you."
"Shut it, mana minute-woman."
"Mi... what?!"
Nam Seo-hee and Na Ju-hee were in the middle of a battle of wills with Baek Ha-na caught between them when—
"Do you have a moment?"
"...?"
A shadow fell, and Baek Ha-na lifted her head.
As if she had just finished showering, Yoon I-seul stood there with a towel draped over her damp hair, holding a small envelope.
"Would you like to have this?"
Yoon I-seul set the envelope down between Baek Ha-na's knees.
"This...?"
After checking the contents, Baek Ha-na's eyes flew wide open and she looked up.
The reaction was so utterly honest that Yoon I-seul smiled as she answered.
"I don't really care for sweets. But I noticed earlier that you seemed to enjoy them a lot."
"Ah, er, um..."
"If you don't want them, feel free to share with the other friends. Anyway."
Yoon I-seul gave a soft smile and returned to her spot.
Baek Ha-na stared at her retreating back for a moment, then murmured quietly.
"...She's a good person."
"'...!'"
Nam Seo-hee and Na Ju-hee, right beside her, both widened their eyes as if on cue and glared at the departing Yoon I-seul.
'As expected of the next Student Council President...!'
'...Snake of a woman.'
While the two were silently glaring at Yoon I-seul settling into her seat, Baek Ha-na's hand had already unwrapped the chocolate from the envelope and popped it into her mouth.
Crunch, crunch.
Along with the sound of munching, an abrupt silence fell over the previously buzzing waiting room.
"...It's good."
Accompanied by a faint smile, Baek Ha-na's voice as she ate the chocolate happily and preciously wafted softly through the now-silent waiting room.
Shoot!
Nam Seo-hee, who had been watching Baek Ha-na eat the chocolate Yoon I-seul had given her like a squirrel, shot up from her seat.
"Huh? Miss Seo-hee?"
"Do you need something?"
Bathed in the moonlight filtering down, the two professors—who were using the stage-by-stage data Baek Ha-na had helped them obtain to build a strategy guide—called out to Nam Seo-hee as she strode toward them.
But Nam Seo-hee didn't answer their call. She simply vaulted down into the arena.
"M-Miss Nam Seo-hee?"
Before her supervising professor Cheon Ji-ho could even think to stop her, Nam Seo-hee reached the center in an instant and stepped onto the pressure plate.
And so the night duel began.
-Urgh...
Her mana exhausted, Nam Seo-hee knelt before England's 3rd rank.
Woom-
A brief vibration, and the arena was cleanly restored.
And then.
"...Miss Seo-hee?"
Nam Seo-hee, who had vanished moments ago, came back out and leaped down into the arena again.
-Bzzzzt!!
The duel began once more.
But unlike her first run, which had started at rank 30, this time it started from rank 26.
Neither the professors nor the students had figured out the save condition yet, but what was certain was that this gave Nam Seo-hee a slightly better setup.
-Keuh-heuk...!
She surpassed rank 3, but the rank 2 sword slashed her chest and forced her to her knees.
Woom-
Once again, the arena was tidied.
"No, Miss Seo-hee...!"
And as if she never tired, Nam Seo-hee immediately dashed back out and headed straight for the arena's center.
-Tch!
Struck down by rank 2's sword once again.
-Haaahk!
Felled by rank 2's sword yet again.
Shunk!!
Over and over, she was pierced, slashed, and brought down by rank 2's sword.
Cheon Ji-ho and Jaden, who had initially tried to stop her, watched Nam Seo-hee's challenges.
"Miss Nam Seo-hee."
And when Nam Seo-hee emerged into the spectator stands for her 30th attempt, Cheon Ji-ho rose from his seat and blocked her path.
"Frankly, if you aren't in peak condition, it's impossible to fully block Prince Jossi's sword. So offer up one arm and aim for the neck. Of course, you won't be able to overcome rank 1 with a lost arm, but... you look like you want to land at least one hit right now, so I'm telling you."
"...Thank you for the advice."
Nam Seo-hee bowed to Cheon Ji-ho, then ran back out into the arena.
And then.
Fwooosh—!!
Nam Seo-hee's sword beheaded the summoned Prince Jossi.
It was the result of deliberately offering her left arm, just as Cheon Ji-ho had advised, and exploiting the opening that created.
"...She's incredible."
"She really is."
The two professors expressed their genuine admiration toward the vanishing Nam Seo-hee.
Even if the wounds healed, the pain experienced in that moment was absolutely genuine.
In other words, even knowing she wouldn't actually lose the arm, the pain etched into her mind should have naturally made her body refuse that action—but Nam Seo-hee had just overcome it.
"Shall we call it a...?"
"..."
Jaden and Cheon Ji-ho's faces hardened.
Because Nam Seo-hee had emerged into the stands again.
And before anyone could stop her, she leaped down into the arena and stepped on the plate.
"Huh?"
"No, what is this..."
The summoned opponent that appeared before Nam Seo-hee was Prince Jossi—the very one whose neck she had beheaded moments before.
Her save had been overwritten from rank 26 to rank 2.
"Professor Jaden."
"...It seems you and I are thinking along the same lines."
Just as the two began to vaguely grasp the save condition—
Booooom!!
The colosseum, dark only moments before, lit up as bright as midday with a massive tremor.
———!!
A deafening roar followed a beat later, and darkness reclaimed the colosseum.
"The destructive power already exceeds student level."
"I'll seriously have to recommend she transfer to the Magic Department."
"...If you're serious about that, I'll request a duel."
"Let's have a match sometime."
The two exchanged pointless banter(?), unable to tear their eyes away from Nam Seo-hee, who had just erased the rank 1, Prince Arthur, with a bolt of lightning.
Wooooom—!!
With a small tremor, Nam Seo-hee vanished.
At the same time, the deep gouge filled in, and the arena returned to its original state.
"Phew, starting tomorrow we'll be able to pick up the pace."
"Yes. If our theory is correct, I think we'll have enough time left to fully clear the rift."
The two tidied their spot and turned around.
But they stopped after only a few steps.
"Hundredth try!!"
"Everyone move!! I go first!!"
"Everyone below rank 8 get lo— hurk?!"
"Beneath the Queen, all are equal."
"Last bastard standing gets first crack at it, you sons of bitches!!"
The sudden stampede of students was baffling enough, but then they abruptly started throwing punches at each other.
Thwack!!
Among them, the physically weaker ability-type students even mercilessly beat their comrades' heads in with their staves.
-Die!!
-Who cares, you'll recover once they dump you on the plate!!
The students clashed more fiercely against one another than they had against any summon.
"...I think it really is a mental attack."
"...So it seems."