The Courage Test
Late that evening, under the supervision of our homeroom professor, a crowd of students had gathered in the clearing before the gloomy forest. It was time for the courage test. Some might wonder why we were doing a courage test in early May, but if you came all the way to training camp and didn't even get to do one, it would feel strangely empty.
"Ugh... what am I going to do? I hate ghosts!"
"Come on, it's all just illusion magic anyway. Don't be such a baby."
"But sometimes real ghosts show up, don't they? I heard people even go missing."
The whispering students' faces were filled with a mix of fear, anticipation, and curiosity. I wondered how those expressions would change once the courage test was over.
While I was looking around, the explanation about the test ended. Sara clapped her hands sharply to gather everyone's attention.
Clap!
"Explanation's over. Now come forward in order and each draw one slip from the box. You'll be paired with whoever gets the same number, so choose carefully. Front row, start!"
At her instruction, the students began drawing papers one by one. The line shrank quickly, and soon it was my turn.
Is there even a point to this?
Nobody would want to be paired with me. Yas or Abel would be fine, but they were in different classes so they weren't even an option. I figured it would be better to just fake feeling sick before the test and sit it out.
I stuck my hand in the box and, without hesitation, pulled out the first slip I touched.
14
It was a completely average number. With zero excitement, I stuffed the slip into my pocket and returned to my spot.
Before long, the drawing was over.
"Good. Now check your numbers. Line up in pairs with your partner and form two lines!"
Everyone immediately started comparing numbers with the people around them. I was the only one who didn't move. Time passed, and eventually almost every student had found their partner. Only I and one girl standing off to the side with a miserable expression remained unpaired.
Sara brought the girl over to me.
"Luan. What's your number?"
"Fourteen."
"Perfect match. Mary, stand with Luan."
"...Yeeees."
With a thoroughly disgusted look that screamed how much she hated this, Mary still couldn't disobey Sara. She obediently came and stood with me at the very back of the line. She overreacted dramatically to even the slightest movement, as if terrified of accidentally touching me. She was treating me like some kind of plague.
I should just splash her with cum and be done with it.
The vicious thought flashed through my mind for a second, but I quickly regained my composure and ignored it. Worrying about it would only ruin my own mental health.
However, something happened later that I couldn't just ignore no matter how much I wanted to. As the line grew shorter, her expression worsened. Right before it was our turn, she clutched her stomach and complained.
"P-Professor! M-my stomach hurts!"
"What? Your stomach? Right now?"
"Yes! My head hurts too, and I'm dizzy, and I feel like I'm going to throw up. Anyway, I don't feel good at all! Can I please sit this one out?"
"Hmm... what should we do?"
Sara already knew Mary was faking it. But as the supervising professor, she could never openly doubt her own student. Besides, it wasn't that serious of an issue, so there was no need to embarrass Mary. She could have just let it slide.
The only problem was that her partner—me—felt extremely annoyed.
If you hate me, just say so. 'My stomach hurts'? What is she, a kid?
I hadn't been expecting anything from a stupid courage test in the first place, but being rejected like this really left a bad taste in my mouth.
While I stared at Mary with a blank expression, Sara finally finished deliberating and nodded.
"Alright. Mary, you go rest over there. If you feel worse, tell another professor."
"Yes! Thank you, Professor!"
Mary quickly expressed her gratitude, clearly afraid Sara might change her mind, then turned and hurried away. What a sneaky little brat.
In the meantime, Sara, now standing beside me, patted my shoulder.
"Don't take it too badly."
"I know. It's just that her excuse was so ridiculous it pissed me off. She could've just said she hated me to my face."
"Puhaha! How could she say that in front of everyone? Anyway, I'll be your partner instead, so cheer up, okay?"
Sara laughed heartily and whispered as she slung an arm around my shoulders. Her soft chest pressed firmly against my arm.
"...You're really going to do the courage test with me, Professor?"
"That's right. Why, are you too excited to stay calm?"
As if showing off her mature charm, Sara narrowed her eyes and poked my cheek repeatedly with her index finger.
Did she think I'd shrink away from something like this? I decided to gladly take the bait from this eternally single professor.
"In that case, how about we start dating? I'd be fine with you, Sara."
I lowered my voice deliberately and slid my hand around her waist. I could feel her smooth side with no excess fat and her straight spine.
Sara quickly pulled away from me.
"Are you crazy? Where do you think you're touching? And you're using casual speech? You want to die?"
"You started the provocation first. If you didn't want this, you shouldn't have done it. Setting a young man's heart on fire like that..."
"Setting what on fire? Stop talking nonsense and let's go. The people ahead have already left a while ago."
Realizing that continuing the conversation would only put her at a disadvantage, Sara quickly changed the subject, picked up one of the candles placed at the entrance, and took the lead.
I noticed her earlobes had turned red.
She's secretly cute no matter what she does.
She was usually so reliable, but the moment the topic turned in this direction, she completely lost her edge. I chuckled and hurried after Sara.
"Wait for me! It's dark out here!"
"Then stop dawdling and hurry up! We need to finish quickly and clean up afterward!"
We bickered back and forth like that as we headed toward our destination. All we had to do was climb to the top of the mountain, stick the numbered slip we'd drawn onto a rock there, and come back down.
While climbing, I suddenly felt a sense of freedom.
Finally, I can breathe again.
When I'd been surrounded by kids from my own class earlier, it felt like I was wearing clothes that didn't fit. But being with Sara made me feel strangely at ease. Naturally, my playful side came out, and Sara got angry at my teasing.
How much time had passed like that?
Uwoooo—
As we reached the middle of the mountain, an eerie cry echoed from somewhere. I pricked up my ears.
About time.
From what I remembered, Abel and Yuni had drawn number 10. Considering they left gaps between groups to maintain spacing, it was about time for them to reach the summit. In the game, a virgin ghost had appeared here and caused quite a commotion.
Kyaaaaah!
Right on cue, a sharp scream echoed from the mountaintop. Sara, who had been pushing through the forest, met my eyes.
"You heard that too, right?"
"Yes. It was a scream."
"Damn it. Did something happen? I'll go ahead. You go down and bring people. Got it?"
She handed me the candle and turned to dash off.
I grabbed her.
"No. Let's go together. You never know."
"What? Stop talking and go. Why would you come with me when something might be dangerous?"
"What about you, Professor? It's dangerous."
It wasn't dangerous at all, actually. Even if it was a virgin ghost, it had no special attack methods. It just pounced on men, had sex with them, and drained their yang energy. Of course, from Sara's perspective, not knowing that, my behavior must have seemed incredibly frustrating.
"That's exactly why you can't come. I'm sorry to say this, but if it's dangerous for me, having you there won't change anything. Understand?"
"What does that have to do with anything? When one person worries about another..."
"You..."
"And what if a ghost attacks me on the way back? You have to protect me."
Sara's lips twitched as if she was a little touched, but then she burst out laughing at the joke at the end and shook her head.
"Sigh... Seriously. I can't win with you. Fine, follow me closely and don't get in the way. You've been training with Kain for a while now, right? Let's see what you've learned."
"As much as you want."
"Good. Then—"
Right before she could shout 'Let's go!', I stopped her.
"Ah, wait a second. Let me take this off."
I quickly removed my wrist guards and stored them in my subspace. With those on, no matter how much Sara held back, I wouldn't be able to keep up with even her toes.
She hesitated for a moment before snapping at me.
"Ugh! Say that sooner!"
"I did say it quickly. I'm done now. Let's go!"
"Huu... This time I'm really going."
With a burst of energy, Sara kicked off the ground and shot forward like a bullet. I followed a beat later, pushing through the whirlwind of her aftershock.
I chased with all my strength, but the distance between us kept growing.
I'm still far behind after all.
Sara's current level was probably close to 270 now, a bit higher than when she started. I was still below 70, so there was nearly a fourfold difference.
She kept looking back to maintain distance, but eventually gave up and shouted loudly.
"I'll go on ahead! I'll leave traces, so follow those!"
Bang!
The moment she finished speaking, a sonic boom erupted from Sara's body. She left a long afterimage as if stretching out, then vanished beyond the bushes in an instant.
I let out a small sigh of defeat, then followed the footprints she'd left at regular intervals up to the mountain summit.
A short while later, I arrived at the direction where the scream had come from. A small group was there: the people involved in the incident—Abel and Yuni—and Sara, who had arrived first.
Yuni was even using hand gestures to explain.
"Then it suddenly disappeared down there. I was so surprised I couldn't follow it."
"I see. Thank goodness you're safe. I'll handle the ghost, so you two head down. And take this baggage with you."
Huff... huff!
Baggage? That's harsh. Leaning against a tree and gasping for breath, I grumbled internally at Sara's treatment. I couldn't say it out loud—if I stopped breathing even for a moment, I felt like I'd die. Above all, I couldn't show that side of myself in front of Abel and Yuni.
In the end, Sara left alone again, and Abel and Yuni approached me.
"Luan, are you okay?"
"Look at all that sweat! Use this to wipe it. It's brand new, so it should be fine."
Abel supported me while Yuni offered a handkerchief. These two were so excessively kind it was almost a problem. Especially Yuni. I had no idea what she was thinking, giving a handkerchief to someone like me who was the subject of all kinds of nasty rumors. What if it raised some weird flag?
Or perhaps it was exactly because of this personality that the original Luan Priulri had targeted her later?
I calmly caught my breath, firmly refused the handkerchief, and stood up straight.
"I'm fine now. Let's head down slowly."
"Really? Your breathing still sounds unsteady."
"Yeah! You're still sweating a lot. At least wipe it with this!"
"I said I'm fine. Let's hurry. The ghost might come back."
I turned toward the entrance without listening to their protests. Abel and Yuni had no choice but to walk alongside me.
"By the way, Abel, wasn't that ghost pretty?"
"Uh, yeah? I didn't really see. Her hair was all over the place so it was hard to tell."
"Really? It seemed like she was only staring at you the whole time. Was it just my imagination?"
The two of them chatted peacefully. It seemed they hadn't even considered the possibility that they would encounter the ghost again.
The reason I had stubbornly followed Sara was obviously because these two were the ones who were supposed to meet the virgin ghost. The catfight between the virgin ghost, who persistently targeted Abel, and Yuni was the highlight that marked the first day of this rather lukewarm training camp episode.
Since there was no real danger, I could just watch slowly from the side.
When is it coming out?
Just as I was starting to feel bored—
Huuuuu— So scaaary—
With an eerie sound, the ghost suddenly burst out from the ground. I had no idea what a ghost had to be afraid of. Anyway, the virgin ghost scanned the area with bloodshot red eyes.
"Huh?"
Yoooou— baaastaaard— giiiive— baaack—!!
Spitting out crude words, it charged straight at me.
Now I understood. It wasn't a virgin ghost at all.
It was a virgin bitch ghost.