Whopper!
Whopper!
Lying back in the capsule and closing my eyes—about five seconds later. Tweet tweet! A clear bird chirp rang in my ears, snapping my eyes open. Somehow, I was plopped right in the middle of a dense forest.
The exam will start in 90 seconds.
A mechanical voice echoed in my ears, and only then did I notice the four other students around me. One dwarf, two beastkin, and one elf. No familiar faces. Probably extras from the game.
Of course, now that the in-game world had become reality, calling them "extras" would be pretty rude. But it was a fact that their power levels were weaker than the characters you could pull from the in-game gacha. This fight—I had to take the lead.
"...Even if we fight, we'll lose anyway. Wouldn't it be better to just give up cleanly?"
The moment I steeled myself with that thought, the elf girl standing across from me pouted and sighed.
"Yeah, tell me about it. They've got that Eldrain over there. Even if all of us dogpiled her, we'd get wrecked."
The dog-eared guy to my left nodded in agreement. The mood deflated right from the start. It was the reaction I'd half-expected. Everyone knew about Serena Eldrain's terrifying talent. Facing a monster like that head-on would scare anyone.
But we couldn't do that.
"Isn't it a bit much to give up without even trying?"
I tossed out a line to shift the atmosphere, and all eyes turned to me.
"In the end, Eldrain's the problem, right? The rest we can handle."
"Exactly, that's why we're saying it. There's no way to deal with her."
"I'll take her out somehow. Problem solved, yeah?"
I wanted to explain my plan, but there wasn't time.
"...."
The elf girl glared at me for a moment before speaking in a low tone.
"...The celebrity. You tangled with an erosion entity once and think you're hot stuff now? Eldrain's on another level. She's beyond anything we could touch."
She seemed especially afraid of Serena. Maybe because they were both elves?
"Swinging a few punches and blocking a hit won't scratch Eldrain. Get it? So put that overconfidence away—"
"You're right. I don't know exactly what kind of existence Eldrain is."
"Yeah, so... "
"But here's the thing."
I met her eyes head-on and asked,
"Neither Eldrain nor you know what I am, do you? You don't seriously think that one-minute internet clip explains everything about me, right?"
"...That's."
Her eyes wavered.
"You'll know your own strength best, so I get why you're giving up before we even start. But."
I patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"Judging others carelessly? That's a really bad habit. Better fix it quick."
The image of a fellow hunter from my past life flashed in my mind—one who'd underestimated an erosion entity and lost his life. Bad luck, sure, but he was someone I could trust my back to. I still couldn't forget the sight of his arm being torn off.
"...."
The elf girl stared at my hand on her trembling shoulder with wide eyes. Her face flushed slightly as she bowed her head and clamped her mouth shut. Probably reflecting on her own words and feeling embarrassed. Fine by me. That's how kids grow.
I didn't want to be too harsh on someone who wasn't even an adult yet.
"And think about it. If we just give up without doing anything, what will the professors think? 'No willpower, no grit'—they'll dock our scores for sure. Win or lose, we have to give it our all."
"...Makes sense when you put it like that."
The dwarf boy, who'd been listening quietly, nodded.
"Plus, I've got a surefire strategy ready. Follow my lead, and our team's victory is a done deal."
"Then spit it out already."
The rabbit-eared girl said, arms crossed and foot tapping.
"No time to explain."
I refused.
"What?"
"Just remember this. When the exam starts, I'll bolt straight for the capture point. You four follow behind me walking as slowly as possible. Got it? Walking. Said it twice 'cause it's important."
"What kinda bullshit is that? Capture doesn't even start till five minutes in—why burn stamina rushing? We can just advance slowly, staying alert...."
The exam will start in 10 seconds.
I frowned at the yapping rabbit-eared girl.
"True. Your way is safe and efficient. That's why everyone does it without thinking."
Then, synchronizing with the fisherman's consciousness, I said,
Consciousness Synchronization: Time-Fishing Fisherman, Park Jeonghyeon
My outfit instantly shifted to the fisherman's garb.
"And conventions are always the easiest weakness to exploit, aye."
Exam Start
With that, the exam-start chime rang in my ears.
"Then I'll be off first. Don't forget what I said."
I bolted toward the empty capture point.
Serena and her teammates advanced toward the capture point slowly, staying vigilant. Her team was on high alert, nerves taut, but Serena yawned softly one step behind.
There were hardly any among her Providence classmates who could match her anyway.
Hmm... Wanna wrap this up quick and rest.
Serena fiddled with the dagger in her hand, shuffling along lackadaisically.
No long-range attackers on the team... but it'll work out somehow.
She'd only entered Providence due to family pressure. High rank or low—it didn't matter to her, as long as she didn't drag others down. Do her best, but moderately. That was her motto.
About two minutes into pushing through the forest path,
"It's coming into view now."
The dense woods thinned out, revealing a barren plain. In the center was a huge circular hole. And hovering above it, a chunk of land—like a fairy-tale sky island—connected to the ground by a wooden bridge.
That had to be the capture point.
But an unexpected guest had arrived first.
Wearing a cozy straw hat. Dressed in a worn short-sleeved tee and sleeveless vest. The boy sat dangling his legs off the sky island's edge, doggrass stem in his mouth, casually gripping a fishing rod. He looked every bit the seasoned angler waiting for a bite.
"What the...?"
"No idea. Not even in uniform. He a student?"
As Serena's teammate grumbled,
That face... feels familiar.
She recalled the human boy she'd spoken to alone an hour ago. Park Jeonghyeon, right?
"Jeonghyeon-ssi, that's quite the unique outfit."
Calling his name amiably, Serena stepped forward a few paces.
"Eldrain, you know that guy?"
"It's him. The new rising star in the holographic musical scene."
"...That Park Jeonghyeon?"
Drawing closer to the sky island revealed more: a treacherous chasm between it and the ground. Without that wooden bridge, reaching it would be near impossible.
Hmm.
She didn't know why Park Jeonghyeon was suddenly playing fisherman, but one thing was clear.
He's probably tampered with that bridge.
Lower your guard because he's alone, step on it, and you'd plummet into the gorge for some reason. She'd thought he was just a fun-loving celebrity, but he had more brains than expected.
"Heh heh, what do you think of this look, Miss Serena? Hope it doesn't seem too rough."
"Not at all—it's dashing as hell. That rustic speech makes it even more so."
Her teammates gathered around.
"Practicing for your next role? So dedicated. Timing's a bit off right now, though."
"Afraid not. Just felt like fishing for some time, is all."
"Fishing for time... Hmm...."
Serena glanced down at the chasm. No water, let alone fish.
"Not sure about time, but you won't catch any fish here."
"Heh heh heh, that's how it looks? My eyes see a sea of 'em."
The dragging conversation bored Serena more by the second.
"Let's not tire each other out—make it quick?"
She gripped her dagger tighter.
Watching her, Park Jeonghyeon smirked briefly.
"Whopper!"
Suddenly, he yanked the fishing rod with all his might.