Shattered Stone, Shattered Hopes
"You can't possibly be a summon—crunch!" "Crazy…."
A roar erupted as twenty stone slabs shattered into dust at once. In that instant, the entire exam hall fell silent. The jeers and snickers from moments ago vanished like a lie. Every gaze locked onto one spot—on the remains of the slabs I had just destroyed. Or more precisely, on the horrific traces left where the slabs had stood. The platform itself was split clean in two, dangling precariously, while the floor beneath it was deeply gouged, spiderweb cracks radiating outward in every direction. Dust billowed thickly, obscuring the view, yet the sheer destructive force was unmistakable to every eye.
"Wh-what was that?"
"No way…."
"He didn't just break the slabs. The platform too…."
The murmurs that burst from the stands carried a completely different weight than before. I clenched and unclenched my trembling fists, steadying my breath. Hoo… The back of my hand throbbed, but the exhilaration outweighed the pain. So this was my strength. I was no longer the loser they called me in the Octagon. In this moment, I was stronger than anyone else.
"Lord Taesan!" Yustia rushed over and grabbed my arm. Her eyes burned with excitement. "Did you see their faces? Now no one will dare look down on us."
Even the proctor stood frozen, mouth agape. With shaking hands he raised the scoring sheet and stammered, "Number 91… Yustia Rosenhart's summon… D-destructive power… full marks."
His voice trembled. The moment the words left his lips, the exam hall erupted.
"Full marks?"
"A human can do that? Full marks is dragon territory!"
"If that power hit you once…."
Someone audibly swallowed. I slowly turned my head toward Yustia. She was beaming, her smile filled with more than joy—certainty and pride.
"Let us go, Lord Taesan." She took my hand and led me out of the exam hall with our heads held high. The stares that followed were no longer mocking. They were filled with awe—and fear.
I clenched my fist tightly. This was only the beginning. With this power, I would survive and return home. And I would place Yustia at the very top.
"Well done," she said softly.
"Thanks to you." I grinned.
"It seems we must leave our summon here, Lord Taesan."
"What?"
"The intelligence test is for summoners only, so it cannot be helped. I will be right back!"
"Hey, wait a—" Before I could finish, she hurried off without a backward glance.
"……Hah."
The heavy clang of the iron gate closing echoed in my ears. I stared blankly after her, then slowly turned to survey my surroundings. It was, quite literally, a kingdom of animals. To my right, a massive brown bear lay sprawled on its belly, snoring. To my left, a shaggy wolf scratched furiously at the bars while howling. Across from me, a three-eyed monkey peeled a banana and hurled the skin in my direction.
"Kiiik! Kkik!" The monkey bared its teeth at me in a sneer.
"Haha…."
A hollow laugh escaped me. Where exactly was I? A summon waiting room? No—this was just a zoo cage. Straw was piled thick on the floor, and in one corner sat a giant sandbox labeled "For Excrement."
Is this really how it works? I plopped down and idly sifted through the straw with my fingers. Even back in my athlete days I had complained about cramped waiting rooms, but I had never dreamed I would end up sharing one with a bear and a wolf.
That was when it happened.
"Grr…."
The bear beside me snapped its eyes open and heaved its massive body upright, lumbering toward me. Its nose poked through the bars and began sniffing me curiously.
"Why…?" I instinctively stepped back. But the bear simply swatted the water bowl outside the cage with its paw and pushed it toward me.
"Kwoong."
"…Thanks, buddy." I let out a disbelieving chuckle. The bear nodded as if it understood and flopped back down to sleep. The monkey across the way was no longer throwing banana peels—it was winding up to throw something far worse.
"Hey, don't you dare throw that. Seriously, I'll kill you." I raised my fist in warning. The monkey flinched, then quickly hid the offending object behind its back and looked away innocently.
Haa… I leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh. Former MMA fighter, current summon—and now zoo monkey. Life really was spectacular.
I hugged my knees and stared blankly at the water bowl the bear had offered. Outside the bars came the steady sound of military boots. A guard on patrol, an older man with a bushy beard and a worn uniform, casually glanced inside the cage. His eyes met mine as I crouched among the straw.
"……?"
The man's eyes widened. He raised his lantern to my face and rubbed his eyes.
"Hey! Student! What are you doing in there!" He banged on the bars. The sleeping bear jolted awake.
"The exam's already started! Why are you sitting there alone? Get out here!"
"Ah… No, I'm supposed to be here."
I waved him off weakly.
"What are you talking about? Ah, I see. You're one of those summon trainers the noble brats hire? Still against regulations. This place is dangerous. Full of summons and you have no fear."
The guard clicked his tongue and pulled a ring of keys from his belt. Clink, clink.
"We're all safe. The beasts are being fed. Come out before that happens."
"No, that's not it…."
I sighed deeply and nudged the water bowl the bear had given me.
"I'm the summon."
"What?" The guard's hand froze in midair.
"I said, I'm the summon."
"What…?"
He gaped at me, dumbfounded. I shrugged and patted the bear lying beside me.
"We're classmates."
"Kwoong." The bear yawned loudly, looking thoroughly bored.
The guard looked between the bear and me, then stumbled backward as if witnessing the collapse of the natural order.
"Good grief… They say the world's gone mad these days. Must be some poor student who's lost his mind. Just sit there quietly. Don't go provoking the summons and getting hurt."
He gave me one last pitying glance before trudging away. Faced with that expression—like he was looking at a terminal patient—I had no strength left to reply.
"…Thank you."
I stared blankly at the single ray of sunlight slanting through the bars. Beside me, the bear began snoring again. Its fur brushed my shoulder, tickling.
Haa… I leaned back against the wall and exhaled a long sigh. How much time had passed? Shadows outside the bars gradually multiplied as students whose exams had finished began trickling into the summon storage area.
"Aigoo, our Poppy! Did you eat?"
"Good boy, good boy. You waited a long time, didn't you?"
Students called to their summons at the bars, overjoyed at the reunion. Dogs, cats, wolves, eagles, bears—every manner of beast-type summon greeted their masters with cries.
I have a master too… I hugged my knees and waited for Yustia to come.
That was when I heard it.
"Lord Taesan!"
I jerked my head up. In the distance, Yustia was waving and running toward me, her face flushed and eyes sparkling.
"Lord Taesan! I'm here!"
She stopped in front of the bars, panting.
"How was the test? Did it go well?" I asked.
She grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
"Of course! Perfect!"
"That's a relief." I sighed and stood up—only to remember the gate was still locked. "Um… Could you open the door?"
Yustia rose onto her tiptoes and reached out to pat my head.
"There, there, our Lord Taesan. You must have been so bored. Such a good boy."
"……"
I stared at her incredulously.
"Hey. I'm not a dog."
"Oh, right. Sorry. Force of habit."
She laughed awkwardly and produced a key. Click. The heavy gate swung open. I bid farewell to the bear, wolf, and monkey before stepping out.
"Stay well, friends."
"Grr." The bear rumbled regretfully.
"Let us go, Lord Taesan. Only the results remain." Yustia took my hand and led me through the crowd of students and summons. Eyes turned toward us.
"Look, that's that human summon from earlier."
"For real? He was with the bear?"
"Insane, he's actually being treated like an animal?"
Whispers followed, but I forced myself to ignore them. I was getting used to it by now.
"Don't mind them, Lord Taesan. The results will speak for themselves. I believe I scored full marks as well?"
The students' murmurs shifted as an announcement blared over the speakers, and all eyes turned to the large screen.
"The list of successful applicants has been posted!"
Names flashed rapidly across the display.
[Top: Ailex — Overall A+]
[Runner-up: Bejina Ballard — Overall A+]
…
Cheers and sighs rose with each high-ranking name. Yustia clasped her hands tightly, staring at the screen.
"Please… Please…"
Her lips trembled. I found myself clenching my fists as well. Mana: zero. Speed: below expectations. But destructive power had been rated unmeasurable. Combined with the written exam Yustia had been confident about, I believed we were safely in the passing range.
The scroll continued downward. A rank… B+ rank… Yustia's expression grew increasingly stiff. And finally—
[Number 91, Yustia Rosenhart — Overall B-]
[Failed]