Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Midterm Survival Exam
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Sipping coffee at my desk for quite some time.
The lacework begun with threads of heavenly silk suspended in midair formed bizarre patterns, and just as even that grew tedious enough to bring on yawns.
[Notice] A Class midterm exam now begins. Assemble at the 9th Parade Ground by 10 p.m. Latecomers will be disqualified.
The message I'd been waiting for finally arrived.
“Thought I was gonna die of boredom.”
I stood up leisurely, took one last swig of coffee, then reached out toward the flower bud.
“Come on, let's go. I'll be away for a while.”
I carefully explained the situation so as not to startle it, wrapped it in some clothes, and tucked it into my subspace pouch.
With that, all my preparations were complete.
Dressed in comfortable training clothes with a cap pulled low over my eyes, I left the dorm.
With thirty minutes until assembly, I strolled along at a relaxed pace.
It wasn't long before familiar faces began to appear.
“What the hell.”
But their states were a sight to behold.
Kang Cheol-min looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, wearing running shorts and a tank top.
Lee Dong-wook, in slippers and a bathrobe fresh from the shower, was sprinting along with wet hair whipping in the wind.
And that one.
“Eek! Don't look, don't look, don't look!”
Lee Min-ha, clad in penguin pajamas and glasses, frantically covered her face and vanished like the wind.
“We still have ten minutes left.”
Why the rush?
Chuckling to myself, I sauntered into the parade ground.
What greeted me was a thoroughly unfamiliar scene.
In the center of the vast field stood five portals illuminating the bustling night, while Professor Lee Taek-jin in his suit glanced at the watch on his wrist to check the time.
And lined up behind him were people clad in black robes.
“......Huh?”
It was the Assassin Squad.
But why would the Assassin Squad be here? I'd expect the academy security team, sure, but.
Just as the natural question arose.
Someone who looked like the leader.
A striking beauty with blazing red hair winked at me.
I'd crossed paths with her a few times, and as a fairly named character, there was no mistaking her.
It was So Yi-hyun.
I must've made a dumb face without realizing it, because So Yi-hyun smirked.
Only then did I bow my head in greeting.
And I made a guess.
She was probably here for overall midterm operations and safety management.
Likely due to the Han Su-hyuk incident.
With incidents targeting the academy one after another, they'd apparently requested a separate dispatch.
Well, this level of change wasn't a big deal, so I decided to just roll with it.
Meanwhile, Joo A-rin, Seol Yun-gi, and Reina.
The seed players appeared one by one.
All three were neatly dressed in their uniforms as if by prior agreement, but they didn't look particularly prepared.
Thinking of spending a week eating and sleeping in that state made even me feel grimy.
I glanced at Joo A-rin and Reina.
Both seemed to be in decent condition.
“......”
“...Hoo.”
However, Reina was surprisingly nonchalant for someone who'd just arrived, while Joo A-rin looked burdened by considerable pressure.
Maybe she'd met Joo Seol-hwa over the weekend—her resolve seemed different.
Anyway, time flew by until only one minute remained.
“Where are Baek Sa-young and Cheon Seo-yoon?”
“If they drop out like this, do they redraw the seeds?”
Everyone was chiming in with grim assumptions.
Kwang—
At that moment, the parade ground doors burst open as if about to shatter, and the guests of honor made their entrance.
“All here.”
“Keep running. Only seconds left.”
The three jostled competitively, kicking up a wind laced with the smell of meat and booze as they charged.
They arrived by the skin of their teeth and shot up their hands.
Professor Lee Taek-jin, eyes leaving his watch, stepped forward.
“First mission: all pass. Now commencing the second mission.”
Without a moment to catch their breath, he moved straight to the next phase and pointed to the portals behind him.
“The portals lead to Geumgang Mountain. You must survive there for one week.”
Pandemonium naturally ensued.
Students full of questions shot up their hands one after another.
“No questions.”
But he ignored them completely.
Introducing the five standing Assassin Squad members, he rattled off only what he had to say.
With special support on hand, safety was a given—so roll like dogs, you bastards. That was the gist.
“Remember that strong humans are forged in trials and suffering.”
He wrapped it up with a lofty phrase, and Kim Mi-young directed mana toward the screen.
With a heavy thud, the parade ground doors sealed shut as text appeared on the front screen.
[A Class All Midterm Exam First Mission 'Emergency Assembly' Cleared]
[Second Mission 'Survival' now begins.]
[Details will be transmitted to your Live Watches after portal entry.]
[The Live Watch is a magitech device for use during the midterm, featuring GPS, point acquisition and exchange, and more.]
[Backpacks with two days' rations, basic survival gear, and Live Watches are provided on the right side of the parade ground.]
[Collect yours individually, confirm your assigned portal, and enter within 1 minute.]
[60]
[59]
.
.
The students, who'd been standing around blankly, finally grasped reality as the countdown began.
They bolted toward the backpacks.
“What the—?”
“Hey, hurry up.”
I grabbed just a Live Watch and checked my assigned portal.
Labeled A through E in sequence: east, west, south, north, center.
Since teleportation was possible, it didn't matter much where I went.
Still, since Joo A-rin was priority one for this episode, being assigned to the same C zone as her or the central E position would be advantageous, so I hoped for that.
[Park Ha-yul: E]
Luckily, I'd been assigned to a versatile central zone.
I headed to the portal first.
As I approached in my light gear, Lee Taek-jin gave me a puzzled look.
“I announced you need to grab a backpack.”
“This is plenty. You gave us hints in class, after all.”
I pointed to the subspace pouch at my waist and grinned.
Lee Taek-jin's right eyebrow twitched before settling into an ambiguous expression, like a smile twisted into a grimace.
A reaction not in the original work.
A few had caught his signal, but no one else had prepared so openly.
I gave a brief nod of respect and stepped into the portal.
* * *
Tszzt—
The sucking sensation prickling my whole body faded, replaced by open spaciousness and crisp air.
The chirping of insects assaulted my ears, confirming I'd arrived at Geumgang Mountain.
Using the pitch darkness as cover, I plopped down anywhere and checked my Live Watch.
[Second Mission: Survival]
1. 10 points granted by default.
2. Additional points earned by hunting demonic beasts; awarded differentially by rank.
3. Points can be traded by mutual agreement; from Day 3, no-attack clause lifts—you may steal points from other cadets.
4. Steal points from a seed-assigned cadet for bonus: 20 to 10 points from A to E rank.
5. Exam lasts one week; rankings based on points at end time, determining grades.
6. Midterm quitters or those exhausting all points auto-eliminated and transferred to command center.
.
.
There were other clauses too, but they matched the original, so I skimmed them.
Survival gear? I had more than enough—overflowing, even.
The key was from Day 3 onward.
With PvP starting, unscheduled 'things' would appear.
Plus, don't miss the big finale on the last day.
For Joo A-rin's stalled growth...
My action plan was simple.
Observe until Day 3, hunt moderately.
Secure mid-tier scores, then track Joo A-rin.
Protect her from the bizarre 'things,' ensure she reaches the final event safely—back her up.
If chance allows, meet Reina too.
Needed to find out why she'd come to the academy so early...
“But yeah.”
As always, it wouldn't be easy.
No telling what 4885, quiet lately, might pull next.
“No quest message?”
I glared into empty space hoping for a response, but it stayed silent—like it was testing my guts.
Nothing to do but scout a tent spot.
“Where the hell is this?”
I activated the Live Watch map function.
GPS signal blinked, marking my approximate position with a red dot on black-and-white contour lines.
Most would panic seeing this.
In this world, Geumgang Mountain—like Surisan or Chiaksan—was a treacherous peak nearing 8,000 meters elevation.
Vast enough that every ridge looked the same.
But not me.
I'd memorized the terrain in detail beforehand.
Thus, I realized the midterm field was the northeastern edge of Ogeumgang—one of Geumgang's two famed divisions, where five ranges intertwined.
To my planned high ground.
Yeongnang Peak in C Zone was about 10 km of mountain trekking away.
Too far to head out now.
So I found a flat spot and opened my subspace pouch.
Pulled out the one-touch tent, set it down, and pressed the button.
A blue flash erupted as the black lump began inflating.
As advertised for 3-4 people, it was the size of two stacked cargo containers, pentagon-shaped like a general's command tent, made of rigid material instead of fabric—seemed incredibly sturdy.
I inspected it with satisfied eyes before stepping inside.
And the interior was just as impressive.
Spacious double beds, dining table, chairs were standard; a furnace-like heater in the center made it cozy and clean.
No different from the academy dorms.
“This is practically glamping.”
Felt a bit overkill and awkward, but whatever—might as well enjoy it.
This was skill, after all.
I unpacked simple cookware and water, organized one side, and lit the fire.
Time for some late-night ramen.
Thinking of everyone else's frantic, grueling night made my heart race with a tune on my lips.