I Deserve Extra Credit!
"Kwahahaha—!"
A moment later, the Thunder Tiger let out a roar that sounded more like a scream of pure, unadulterated fury. But soon, that roar twisted into a bizarre, high-pitched shriek. The magnificent beast, standing nearly thirty feet tall when it reared on its hind legs, began to thrash wildly inside its cage. Its massive frame slammed against the ceiling of the enclosure, creating a series of deafening booms that echoed through the hall. The Thunder Tiger was struggling as if its very soul were on fire.
The spectators watched in absolute horror. Even Bukjin was taken aback.
That reaction... Bukjin thought. It was happening much faster than he had anticipated. However, the beast didn't pass out immediately. Instead, it entered a state of extreme, frantic arousal. Realizing there was no time to waste, Bukjin surged his Mystic Energy, activating the Fish-Dragon Transformation cultivation method. He continued to blow the Dokaeyiljochae—the "One-Day Love Poison"—through the metal tube and into the iron bars.
Under Bukjin's precise control, the Dokaeyiljochae, now a thick, swirling purple mist, seemed to take on a life of its own. It snaked through the air, being sucked greedily into the Thunder Tiger's nose and mouth. The cage was far too cramped for a beast of its size, and as the undisputed lord of the North Hwang Mountains, the Thunder Tiger had nowhere to hide. After inhaling a massive dose of the drug, the great beast fell into a total berserk state within a mere five breaths. It had completely lost its mind.
The Thunder Tiger threw itself against the iron bars with reckless abandon. Its eyes, once sharp and predatory, were now glowing with a feral, bloodshot madness. Suddenly, its gaze shifted to the cage right next to it—the one containing the Ice Wolf. The moment their eyes met, the Ice Wolf’s expression froze in pure, instinctual terror.
CRASH—! BOOM—! CRACK—!
The Thunder Tiger’s thick forepaws hammered against the iron bars. Under its monstrous strength, the reinforced metal began to buckle and bend. The tiger forced its way through the widening gap, squeezing its massive body into the Ice Wolf’s enclosure. The wolf, completely overwhelmed by the crushing pressure radiating from the King of Beasts, had already lost the will to resist. In an instant, the Thunder Tiger mounted the Ice Wolf.
At that moment, every single person in the Great Hall froze as if they had been struck by a bolt of lightning.
What in the world am I looking at?
What did Im Bukjin do to that tiger?!
Even the Chief Proctor, Mae Ji-won, stood with a face as stiff as stone. When the Thunder Tiger first started acting up, Mae Ji-won had held back, worried about interfering with the exam results. But he never, in his wildest dreams, imagined that such a... scandalous scene would be performed in the middle of the prestigious Academic & Martial Arts Competition.
Simultaneously, the citizens of Unmong City, watching the exam through the crystal screens, were staring with dropped jaws and vacant expressions.
Oh... oh my god! Bukjin thought, his own face flushing with panic. This was unfolding in a way that was completely different from what he had envisioned. What do I do now? Should I keep going?
As Bukjin agonized over his next move, the supply of medicine in the metal tube finally ran out. And while everyone remained paralyzed in shock...
"KRAAAA-OOOOH!"
A cry erupted from the Thunder Tiger atop the Ice Wolf. It was impossible to tell if it was a roar of ecstasy or a scream of agony. After letting out that final, thunderous howl, the tiger’s entire body shuddered violently. It began to foam at the mouth and promptly collapsed, unconscious.
Huh?! Bukjin’s eyes widened. It’s down? Did I actually succeed?!
He let out a long, shaky sigh of relief. The Thunder Tiger had fainted with foam bubbling at its lips. Beneath its massive weight, the Ice Wolf lay pinned, whimpering piteously and unable to move.
"It's done! Quickly, check the time!" Bukjin shouted at the top of his lungs.
Only then did Chief Proctor Mae Ji-won snap out of his trance. The assistant proctors followed suit, scurrying to record the time. Mae Ji-won’s face was twisted into a terrifying scowl. He could practically feel the eyes of countless citizens focused on him through the crystal screens.
Aphrodisiac!
The word screamed in his mind. One would have to be a complete fool not to realize what kind of drug the Thunder Tiger had been poisoned with. What Bukjin had dispersed was an aphrodisiac—and an incredibly potent one at that. This was Bukjin’s answer to the exam.
In truth, even Mae Ji-won found it hard to comprehend how Bukjin had managed to concoct such a ridiculous aphrodisiac using only the ten herbs provided in the kit. How... how am I supposed to grade this? he wondered, caught in a deep internal conflict. Meanwhile, the other students and teachers in the hall were slowly regaining their senses.
What the hell just happened...?
In the teachers' viewing area, a strange, knowing smile played on Cho Heun’s lips. Ban Oe-min was staring up at the ceiling with a flushed face, looking as if he were admiring a mural of a bathing goddess. Ryu Gye-hae pulled out a handkerchief and began frantically mopping the sweat from his brow. Old Man Hae was stroking his chin, his lips twitching as he fought back a grin.
Ak Hong-hyang had buried her face in her hands, her head bowed low in shame. Only Baek Geum-un was cheering excitedly.
"Senior Brother Im is amazing! He actually challenged the Thunder Tiger and won! Wow, the medicine he made is so strong! Even the King of Beasts couldn't handle the potency! Senior Brother! When the exam is over, please give me some of that! It would be great for self-defense!"
The people around her began to stare at Baek Geum-un with very strange looks. Feeling the weight of their judgment, Baek Geum-un finally realized something was wrong. She turned to Ak Hong-hyang and the others.
"Sister Hong-hyang, why is everyone looking at me like that...?"
Ak Hong-hyang didn't answer. She simply reached out, pushed Baek Geum-un’s head down, and pulled the girl’s face into her embrace. She was doing her best to stop Baek Geum-un from embarrassing herself any further.
In the waiting area for students who had finished their exams, Mi Yeo-yeon, Chang San-seol, and Ju Ga-a sat with blank stares. Their expressions were a mess. The young women were looking at Bukjin with wide, shocked eyes, thinking to themselves that this was exactly the kind of idea a legendary lecher would come up with.
Ya Mi-ang was fidgeting, touching her hair and then her face repeatedly, her eyes filled with utter bewilderment. Im Jin sat with her thumb supporting her chin and her fingers pressing against her lips, looking as if she were lost in deep thought.
Interesting... truly interesting. As expected...
Bukjin waited nervously for his results. However, an awkward, heavy atmosphere lingered in the hall for a long time. Chief Proctor Mae Ji-won stood with a dark expression, brooding over his decision. Then, it happened.
"Huh?" Bukjin let out a cry of admiration, as if he had just discovered a new continent. "Look over here, Proctor! You have to see this! The Ice Wolf fainted too! Hahaha! I really am a genius of herbalism! My medicine didn't just knock out the Thunder Tiger; it took down the Ice Wolf as well! Hahahaha!"
Bukjin placed his hands on his hips and laughed boisterously toward the sky. Everyone turned to look, and sure enough, the Ice Wolf, which had been whimpering just moments ago, was indeed unconscious. Looking at that scene, an odd question popped into everyone's mind, though they couldn't say why.
Wait... was that Ice Wolf a male or a female?
After agonizing for twenty full breaths, Chief Proctor Mae Ji-won finally made his decision. He shouted in a booming voice:
"Im Bukjin! Target Thunder Tiger: Unconscious! Elapsed time: 16 breaths! Herbalism Grade: Super-Grade A (Lower)! Mystic Energy Intensity: Super-Grade A (Upper)!"
In the end, Bukjin’s results were officially recognized. An aphrodisiac, after all, confuses the target's ego and reason, making them lose control of their actions. Furthermore, the undeniable result was that the Thunder Tiger was unconscious. Therefore, Bukjin had completed the task within the allotted time. From any objective standpoint, he had concocted a medicine and knocked out the tiger; he hadn't broken a single rule.
Even if Mae Ji-won desperately wanted to disqualify Bukjin in his heart, he didn't have the courage to override the regulations. There was already the precedent of O Bong-gok, who had been allowed to proceed despite unconventional methods. In a serious setting like the Academic & Martial Arts Competition, with all the citizens of Unmong City watching, distorting the facts or altering the results would carry a heavy price. He had no intention of throwing away his stable, lifelong career as a government official.
"Wait, no! I knocked out the Ice Wolf too! I took down two beasts at once...!" Bukjin shouted, clearly dissatisfied with his grade. "I deserve extra credit!"
Hearing this, Mae Ji-won’s face hardened into a mask of severity. "Drag him out!"
Two assistant proctors, looking as if they had been waiting for this command for a long time, leaped onto the platform. they restrained Bukjin, muffled his mouth, and dragged him away. The events Bukjin had just caused would undoubtedly go down as a legendary scene in the history of the competition. And everyone present was forced to be the backdrop for that 'legendary scene.'
The thought that their faces would be forever associated with such a shameful moment made their blood boil. The proctors looked as if they wanted to lock the delinquent Bukjin inside the very cage the Thunder Tiger had just occupied. The unconscious tiger was eventually hauled away by trainers. As the two beasts were dragged out, the spectators felt an unexpected surge of pity.
They figured that if the Thunder Tiger had any shred of intelligence, it would want to crawl into a hole and die once it woke up and realized it had performed such a primal act in front of a massive audience. The trainers who took the tiger away returned to check on the Ice Wolf.
Phew, turns out it was a female. But wait... what if she gets pregnant? Will she give birth to wolves, or tigers?
A truly bizarre question lingered in their minds.