Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Survival Test (18)
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Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
The familiar sensation of battle coursed through my entire body for the first time in ages.
Maybe it was because I hadn't faced any strong opponents during the survival test, but I felt even more on edge.
This was an uninhabited island with zero safety measures.
Without safeguards like in that last one-on-one duel, I couldn't go all out. Nam Da-eun might get seriously hurt.
Ziiing-
But Nam Da-eun didn't seem to care about any of that as she activated [Space Domination].
A brilliant purple mana enveloped her sword.
"Hey... you're not trying to kill me, right?"
"It's fine. I can control it."
She assumed a stance and glared at me as if to say not to worry, but she looked terrifying.
'Shit...'
They say people like it when the ones they fancy lose, but was this about making the target lose?
Fortunately, she didn't seem planning to use the artifacts hanging from her waist.
In that case, I had a shot.
I didn't need to take her down—just target her smartwatch.
Snatch the smartwatch or forcibly burn off the sticker on it, and I'd win.
Tat-
Nam Da-eun charged at me first, brimming with confidence.
Thump.
My senses sharpened even further, and I could read every one of her movements.
'Clairvoyance.'
I activated Clairvoyance and deployed the Rune Barrier as well.
To shake off Space Domination. If the Rune Barrier could block her spatial slashes, her sword would just be a sharp blade.
Kwaduk.
I caught the mana concentrating in her legs.
At the same moment, I triggered Acceleration and braced for the attack.
Kaang-!
I blocked Nam Da-eun's sword strike, which closed the distance in an instant via spatial acceleration, with Cotton Guard, then pulled back to create space.
"...You're tough."
"I've improved a bit since last time, right?"
"Yeah. Looks like you've been training hard."
I scraped the ground with my foot while chatting with Nam Da-eun.
To think her growth was noticeable after just a week of training—she was a ridiculous talent.
"Here I go again."
Nam Da-eun raised her sword, her lips curling up slightly.
Someone was going to suffer, but she looked like she was having the time of her life.
I swallowed a sigh and widened the distance from Nam Da-eun.
*
The eighty cadets surrounding Nam Da-eun and Lee Ho-yeon couldn't utter a word.
Both of them had shattered our complacent assumption that we were all on the same academy cadet level.
"Boss, if those two team up, even all of us rushing them would be tough."
"It's not that bad."
While everyone else marveled at their absurd movements, Kim Young-han judged calmly.
Fifteen cadets per person should be enough to take them down.
Of course, he didn't voice just how ridiculous that level of combat power was.
"Those guys are real monsters..."
"Gotta stop hitting dislike from now on... Might get killed if they find out."
"But it's a bit different from that last one-on-one duel? Nam Da-eun's faster, and Lee Ho-yeon looks harder to handle."
The cadets watching the spar with wide eyes had no intention of jumping in.
There was no obligation to give Nam Da-eun a fair one-on-one.
They were probably just scared of what might happen if they interrupted first.
Kim Young-han agreed with that last bit.
Except Lee Ho-yeon didn't look hard to handle.
If anything, Nam Da-eun was going all out, while Lee Ho-yeon was holding back?
"Can't figure out what our Ho-yeon's thinking."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Tell me too. Always acting like you know something, then it's nothing."
Ignoring the chatter from the cadet next to him, Kim Young-han continued analyzing the duel.
*
Taang! Kwaang!
Nam Da-eun and I traded blows repeatedly, shifting positions all over the place.
Usually, I'd deflect or block her attacks and pull back to maintain distance.
"Haa... haa..."
I rubbed my foot against the ground, breathing raggedly.
Having used so much mana, I was starting to get dangerous.
"Why do you keep running away?"
Nam Da-eun looked at me with her sword lowered under her arm.
Having noticed my barrier, she'd stopped using Space Domination, so the light on her sword had faded.
A prolonged fight favored her.
"...Can't win head-on, so I dodge."
"You did last time."
"No, you're the weird one charging like that with no safety nets."
"I can hold back enough not to kill you."
She pouted her lips, looking genuinely upset.
I didn't know what kind of duel she'd hoped for, but I was doing my part to secure victory.
While dragging things out and scanning the surroundings, I realized the other cadets had no intention of interfering.
Even the wildcard Kim Young-han was just quietly watching my duel.
Honestly, my preparations were complete.
While circling inside this clearing ringed by cadets' bodies, I'd secretly set up a magic formation.
Drawing it with my feet was new and tricky at first, but I got the hang of it after a few tries.
The target: Nam Da-eun's smartwatch.
To subdue her without injury, that was the only way.
With the anxiety of other cadets jumping in gone, it was time to play my trump card.
I gathered my mana and prepared to meet Nam Da-eun.
Tat-
I watched her rush me slowly, dodged her sword, and slipped inside.
Then I formed a Spiral in my hand.
If it hit properly, even Nam Da-eun would be in danger, but using it so openly should let her dodge.
As expected, she leaped back, and I triggered the prepped magic formations.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
The formations embedded in the ground erupted simultaneously, pillars of fire bursting up through the earth.
I quickly fired fireballs to restrict her movements.
Keeping my eyes on Nam Da-eun dodging the pillars and fireballs, I attached a single ember to her clothes.
'Got it.'
The tiny ember carefully crawled across Nam Da-eun's body.
A technique I'd picked up massaging Ellis.
Before she noticed, the ember reached her smartwatch, and I ramped up the heat to incinerate it in a flash.
Fwoosh-!
Nam Da-eun panicked at the sudden flames from her hand, but the smartwatch was already ash.
"Haa..."
Good thing the ambush worked.
It was a mana-heavy trap—if it failed, things would've gotten messy.
Now, with my remaining mana, I just needed to break through this cadet wall, and it was over.
Nam Da-eun was out.
"Huh?"
But why no forced teleport? She should've been zapped out immediately upon elimination.
"...Lost again."
A new smartwatch was already on Nam Da-eun's wrist.
"What? How are you still alive?"
"Got a one-life save. They gave it after I took down about thirty boss monsters."
"..."
Damn academy bastards... How were we supposed to deal with crap like that?
The original game was based on an adult title, so boss monsters were daily limited.
No chance to farm thirty.
Didn't know about this hidden piece.
"Haa... Fine. You win."
No helping it. Time to cut losses.
The survival test would hit day seven in a few hours.
As long as Ellis, Lucy, and Lumi survived till then, they'd all rank high.
Kim Young-han's team would be wiped except him and Nam Da-eun.
Should boost the heroines' rankings decently.
Sucks missing the final boss hidden piece, but I'd make do.
Click. Click.
Then Nam Da-eun, standing in front of me, fiddled with her smartwatch and tossed the one off her arm to me.
"Huh?"
I caught the smartwatch reflexively and looked at her.
What was this? What was happening?
"Meant to give it from the start. Payment for the practical exam."
"...?"
Nam Da-eun stared at me expressionlessly.
I glanced at the smartwatch to figure it out, then let out an incredulous chuckle.
"If that's the case, you could've given it sooner."
"Wanted a duel."
"Just call if you want a spar. I'll oblige anytime."
I would've sparred any way she asked.
Was it because she had no social experience? Communicating with cadets was tough.
"Hey! Nam Da-eun! What the hell!"
Kim Young-han, who'd been watching us, yelled at Nam Da-eun for tossing me her smartwatch.
"I lost, so I'm done."
"That's not how it works!"
"Did I ever promise you anything?"
"..."
She shut her mouth, clearly having taken him in on a trial basis and kept watching her back even after.
Wouldn't have happened if she'd just talked straight.
"Thanks. I'll put it to good use."
I scanned Nam Da-eun's smartwatch with mine.
"Yeah."
She gave a curt reply and vanished via teleport magic.
Didn't expect this. Guess that's why she stuck around instead of quitting the survival test.
Should get her a gift later.
"Well then... time to go."
The cadets were still eyeing me.
But the initial hostility was gone.
Most besides Kim Young-han were clueless.
Sudden pillars of fire everywhere, then Nam Da-eun hands me her watch and poofs.
Even if they got it, seeing my combat power would deter easy attacks.
Those final dozen pillars on Nam Da-eun looked badass even to me.
The surrounding ground was a scorched mess like an earthquake hit—enough to kill their will to fight.
Now was my chance.
'Escape before they notice my remaining mana.'
Mana was razor-thin. If a few snapped out of it and charged, I could be eliminated.
Three hours till day seven.
Only chance to flee was now.
I squeezed out mana and charged the sparsest spot I'd eyed during the duel.
"Move or get hurt!"
Kwaang!
I detonated the final prepped magic formation for escape.
A massive pillar of fire dwarfing the last erupted.
As the panicked cadets flailed, I slipped through the gap and broke free.
"You idiots! How could you fall for that!"
The formation was all noise and flash—no real damage.
Kim Young-han noticed first, but too late.
Ignoring the shouts behind, I bolted toward where the heroines were.
*
"Haa... Annoying."
Five minutes till day seven.
Kim Young-han barely rallied his team to corner me.
Too low on mana to break their encirclement now.
"Too late, man."
Five minutes till the survival test's final boss spawned.
The Ellis-Lumi twins had grouped with Lucy about an hour ago.
Probably saw the cadets around me and stayed back.
Smart move. Following my instructions perfectly.
The encirclement tightened, but I just watched my smartwatch.
58 seconds. 59 seconds. Noon sharp.
Day seven hit.
A beam of light pierced the dark night sky, brightening the heavens around it.
"Whoa... Didn't notice in the game, but that's insane."
Seeing it for real, you could imagine how many magic professors got wrecked.
Probably Im Sol's grand magic at the center.
Something emerged from the beam piercing the giant central tree.
Ding-
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [The final day of the Survival Test has dawned.] [A High Elf Hunter has appeared on the island. The High Elf prioritizes cadets with 200 points or less.] Finally, the final boss was here.