The Broker's Trap
Son In-hyeok watched in silence as a man emerged from the dungeon. “Just as I expected.” A satisfied smile spread across his face.
He pulled out his scoring sheet.
[‘Kane’ - 16 minutes 20 seconds]
At that moment, Kane was the only person who had found the exit door inside the dungeon and come out. Son In-hyeok began walking toward him. Soon he stood before Kane.
He glanced around, confirming no one else was nearby, then spoke.
“Ahem. How was the information I gave you?”
“Ah—I used it perfectly.” Kane grinned. “Just like you said, Teacher Son In-hyeok, there really was a trap set up exactly where you told me.”
“Of course. I’m the one who installed it.”
“I’ll be sure to put in a good word with my parents.”
“Good. That’s exactly what you should do.”
“If I get accepted into Elphon Academy this time, my parents will give you a truly generous gift, Teacher Son In-hyeok.”
“I didn’t do it expecting anything like that, but if they offer, I suppose I should accept gratefully.”
Son In-hyeok smirked.
Elphon Academy only accepted a handful of transfer students each year. It was basically the same as university transfers. The academy’s annual transfer quota was around ten spots. Yet in reality, maybe one transfer student actually succeeded per year—if that. The insane difficulty of the transfer exam was to blame.
Students who applied for the transfer test had to take the midterm or final exam alongside current Elphon Academy students. Only the one who placed first among them could transfer in. Even then, a tie for first place often meant no one transferred. Only by taking sole first place could a transfer student be guaranteed acceptance.
Elphon Academy gathered the world’s most talented individuals. Achieving undisputed first place there was practically impossible. That was why brokers existed.
These brokers leaked the questions that would appear on the transfer exam in advance, allowing students to prepare. In return, they received enormous sums of money or valuable items. Their main clients were the upper echelons of society—people willing to pour vast fortunes into getting their children into Elphon Academy.
Son In-hyeok was one such broker.
He smiled at Kane. This kid would easily take first. He had already received several hundred million won from Kane’s family. On top of that, there were the massive artifacts he would receive upon success. Just imagining it filled him with delight.
Son In-hyeok turned his gaze back to the dungeon entrance. No one else had come out yet.
“Whew. Thank goodness.” He let out a sigh of relief.
It had been a huge surprise when Nam Doyun prepared a potion that extended the duration of a gargoyle’s petrification magic.
How the hell did that guy know? There’s no way the information leaked.
There were countless types of potions that could prolong petrification magic—tens of thousands, easily. Yet that kid had brought the exact one that delayed a gargoyle’s petrification. It was as if he had predicted that Son In-hyeok would use a petrified gargoyle as a trap.
“Well, I don’t know how he found out, but it doesn’t matter.”
Son In-hyeok stared at the dungeon entrance. Nam Doyun still hadn’t emerged.
Obviously.
Even if someone got past the gargoyle trap, the path to the exit door was twisted into an absurdly complicated maze. Unless they had memorized the entire thing, finding the door was impossible.
Especially on the seventh basement floor.
The ones he had gathered on B7 were the students who had offended him. That was why he had made the route to the door far more convoluted than on the other floors. Escaping would be absolutely impossible.
He checked his watch.
[‘Exam’ Start + 21 minutes 10 seconds]
“Good. Just ten more seconds and we’re done.”
Kane, who had entered first, had come out at 16 minutes 20 seconds. That alone confirmed first place. It was practically guaranteed that he would be admitted to Elphon Academy.
Yet Son In-hyeok still hadn’t written Kane down as first place. There was only one reason.
Students who escaped from the seventh basement floor received bonus points—five minutes subtracted from their time.
I wanted to get rid of bonus points altogether, but…
B7 was where he had gathered the ones who dared defy him. That was why he had given it a far more vicious difficulty than the other floors.
That way I’ll have an excuse later.
When the fairness of the exam was questioned later, he wouldn’t be at a loss for words. It was simply a device to prevent any backlash.
[‘Exam’ Start + 21 minutes 15 seconds.]
“Now I can safely give him first place.”
Son In-hyeok lifted his scoring sheet, about to write down first place—
Woooong—
A flow of mana rippled from the dungeon gate. Son In-hyeok whipped his head toward it.
Step. Step.
A man was walking out. It was Nam Doyun.
Step. Step.
But he wasn’t alone. Another set of footsteps followed behind him. Soon the second figure appeared.
It was Radeon.
“Wh… what the hell is this?”
Son In-hyeok’s face twisted in shock. He looked at his watch.
[‘Exam’ Start + 21 minutes 20 seconds]
With the bonus applied, that became 16 minutes 20 seconds. In other words, Nam Doyun was now tied for first place with Kane.
Son In-hyeok pulled out the map he kept in his pocket. It showed the layout of the seventh basement floor. The paths were so intricately tangled that even if he had taken the map inside himself, he wasn’t confident he could have found the door. He had designed the place to make escape impossible from the start.
Yet these two had actually escaped? In just 21 minutes and 20 seconds?
This can’t happen.
This went far beyond simply ranking the exam. Kane had to take sole first place no matter what. Son In-hyeok had already received a massive sum from his family. If he failed to get Kane into Elphon Academy now, his reputation as a broker would be completely ruined. Not only that, he would have to pay several times the amount he received as a penalty.
Son In-hyeok ground his teeth.
I have to find some kind of flaw.
If they had committed even the slightest cheating during the exam, he could use that as grounds to give them zero points. For example, if they had broken through the dungeon walls to move around.
Yes. Otherwise, there was no way they could have come out this fast. They must have done exactly that.
Son In-hyeok smiled.
“Students, please wait here for a moment.”
With those words, he hurriedly entered the CCTV room.
“What brings you here?” A teaching assistant was inside.
“Ah, it’s nothing major. I need to check a video urgently.”
“What video?”
“It’s footage of ‘Radeon’ and ‘Nam Doyun’ escaping the maze inside the dungeon. Could you play it for me?”
“Of course. I’ll play it right away.”
The screen soon began showing footage of Nam Doyun and Radeon trapped in the labyrinth. Son In-hyeok watched intently. The video started from the moment they left the room with the gargoyle statue. They were standing in front of the maze entrance.
“Um, Teacher.” The teaching assistant looked at Son In-hyeok.
“Yes?”
“Could I take a look at the B7 map as well?”
“Of course.”
Son In-hyeok handed her the map. After studying it, the assistant let out a gasp.
“The path from the gargoyle room all the way to the dungeon door is incredibly complicated. Are you sure it’s even possible to find the correct route?”
“....”
“Even if they never got lost once from where Nam Doyun and Radeon are right now and took only the optimal route, it would still take at least fifteen minutes.”
“Exactly. That’s what’s strange.”
“Pardon? Strange how?”
“Right now, Radeon and Nam Doyun have already opened the door inside the dungeon and come outside.”
“...R-really?”
The teaching assistant looked utterly incredulous.
“Yes. I just saw it myself.”
“...How is that even possible?”
“....”
Son In-hyeok stared at the timestamp on the footage of Radeon and Nam Doyun. The moment they stood in front of the maze was at the six-minute mark. From there, taking the optimal route without getting lost even once would allow them to reach the exit at exactly twenty-one minutes.
There’s no way that’s possible.
Even if he had the map and fell inside, it would take him a full thirty minutes. Yet these two had done it without a map, without getting lost once, following only the optimal route? Impossible. They must have broken through the maze walls.
“Assistant.”
“Yes.”
“If you see them committing any cheating, please tell me immediately.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll be watching closely too, but I might miss something.”
One minute passed. They were moving along one side of the maze wall. Nam Doyun was in the lead. Radeon was simply following behind him.
Well, the maze isn’t that complicated yet.
So far they hadn’t broken any walls. But soon they would reach a fork with about a hundred paths. The correct one was the third path on the left. Every other path eventually led to a dead end.
There’s no way they’ll pick that one.
The odds were only one percent. No matter how lucky they were, they couldn’t possibly choose it.
Radeon and Nam Doyun soon arrived at the fork. Radeon began walking toward the fifth path on the left. Seeing that, Son In-hyeok smirked.
As expected.
If they entered the fifth path on the left, they would eventually reach a dead end. And instead of turning back, they would choose to break through the dungeon wall. That was the only way they could have recorded twenty-one minutes.
Just as I thought.
Son In-hyeok nodded. All he had to do now was give them zero points. Then they would both be held back a year.
The moment Radeon tried to enter the fifth path on the left, Nam Doyun grabbed his shoulder.
“Not that one.”
“Huh?”
“I told you I’d guide you to the door, didn’t I?”
“Well, yes, but…?”
“Then just trust me this once and follow. I have solid evidence.”
“Alright. Got it.”
Son In-hyeok let out a scoff.
What nonsense.
There was no evidence that could tell them which of a hundred paths led to the door. It was pure randomness.
“....”
But then Son In-hyeok’s face filled with shock. Because the path Nam Doyun guided Radeon down was the third one on the left—the exact route to the dungeon door.
Cold sweat ran down Son In-hyeok’s back.
Okay. They got lucky once.
It was possible to get lucky once. But it won’t happen again.
If they continued straight from the third path on the left, they would reach another fork with a hundred paths. The correct answer this time was the forty-ninth path on the left.
There’s no way they’ll get it right again.
No matter how much the goddess of luck favored him, succeeding at one-percent odds twice in a row was absurd.
But Nam Doyun chose correctly again. His steps headed straight for the forty-ninth path on the left.
“...What the hell is this guy?”
After that, Nam Doyun encountered countless more forks, yet he picked the correct path every single time. It was as if he already knew all the answers.
“I-is this even possible?”
Son In-hyeok’s face was a mask of pure horror.