Chapter 38

“Kya.”

This is life.

I muttered while checking the crystal ball.

A full load of swept-up points, and my name firmly planted in 1st place.

It was a situation where I was leading the 2nd place team by 1500 points.

‘Sweet, so sweet.’

A score inflated by nearly three times.

This was all thanks to the kids from Class C.

Their kind hearts, sharing generously with an underprivileged friend.

Also, their delivery service of coming directly to me, considering their friend might be short on time.

‘I'm telling you, they're all nice.’

It felt like receiving a surprise gift.

I also did my best to respond to their feelings.

Perhaps that sincerity was conveyed, because they were all screaming with joy.

A corner of my heart felt proud.

‘From today on, you guys are my besties.’

From now on, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠all attacks against Class C are not considered attacks against me.

We are not one body, and we will become a relationship that does not think of each other at all times.

I ended up smiling sillily at my newly acquired toys.

Next time we meet, we should play more fun games.

‘Next time, we'll play Topblade, Sonic, and Reverse Sprinting...’

I should invite Shariel too.

Unfortunately she was absent this time, but next time we will definitely be together.

I thought it might not be a bad idea to just turn the entirety of Class C into Bread Shuttles 2.

‘I'm looking forward to it.’

A situation where a hum comes out naturally.

I hummed a melody and brushed off the dust on my sleeves.

Beside me, my team members were walking in bewilderment.

“Viktor-nim...?”

“You look like you're in a good mood!”

“Fufu, does it seem so?”

I couldn't help it.

Because I was on the verge of reaching a whopping 6000 points.

I manipulated the screen of the crystal ball here and there.

‘Lin Glacia.’

The current 1st-year top student.

Did she also discover the anomaly in the rankings?

The speed at which her points were rising had become terrifyingly fast.

In just the short time we exchanged a few words, her score jumped by 100 points.

Regardless, I leisurely savored the 1400-point gap.

‘If this keeps up, she'll catch up.’

But it's fine.

Because the exam was scheduled to be interrupted soon.

I stroked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my mask and looked up above my head.

‘It should be about time.’

The sky.

Sunny weather, and a romantically blue sky.

In the center of that blue sky, a single dot was marked.

Should I call it a shade.

A faint, but clearly pooling shadow.

It gradually swarmed and lowered its brightness.

‘Come.’

The First Ruin.

“Huh...?”

“Excuse me, Sir Viktor? There's some strange pattern in the sky...”

*Bbeeeeek—! Bbeeeeek—!*

Before the team members could even finish questioning, each of our crystal balls started ringing in unison.

An ear-piercing notification.

It was an ominous, unpleasant noise.

Bright red letters were written on the screen.

“Uh...?”

Someone's dumbfounded sound.

Student hunting ground Zone A.

The center of the forest.

It was the location we were currently standing in.

“Wait, what happened...”

However, before the situation could even be grasped, the notification turned off.

The crystal ball's screen flickered with static as if the signal had been cut.

Instead of the alarm sound, only a noise-filled stuttering was heard.

*Chijik, chijijik—.*

““......””

No one could speak up hastily.

Because everyone's gaze was fixed on the sky.

A chilling silence settled.

‘The First Disaster, Pitch-black Night.’

The sky, which had turned pitch-black before we knew it.

That shadow spread creepily, then soon became a hemispherical barrier.

The forest was obscured. The sunlight disappeared, and night descended upon the hunting ground.

Before long, the situation became as if Zone A was trapped in a black barrier.

*Ting—!*

The status window bringing up the quest just in time.

I looked up at the ceiling with sunken eyes.

In the center of the pitch-black curtain, a bizarre pattern was engraved.

An eye.

An eye opened amidst tentacles.

“What is this, suddenly...!”

“Uh, uhh...?”

The agitated team members.

They were checking their footing.

Because night had fallen, visibility was dark.

*Saaaaa—.*

The ground where fog laid faintly.

The lush bushes had all withered away, taking on an ugly appearance.

The green shade faded, and only the blackened, contaminated earth remained.

A scenery that had changed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠180 degrees in just a few seconds.

“......”

A chilly temperature.

Sticky, goosebump-inducing humidity.

Lanne, who had drawn her spear in the meantime, spoke.

“Sir Viktor. Miss Alice.”

Cold sweat.

A rare, tense look in her eyes.

“Something... is spread out everywhere.”

Presences.

Presences that hadn't been there until just before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could be felt from all over.

‘Monsters.’

Something swarming grotesquely.

The monsters raised their heads, but they didn't look normal at all.

More bizarre and hideously fused appearances than anything encountered so far.

—Kiryeuk-gwyeok-nyem-nang-gwelk-gwelk-gwelk-gwelk-gwelk-gwelk?

—Kkyul-reuk-koe-reuk-gik-gik-gik-gik-gik-gik?

—Ki-twulb-bap-jit-seulb-geulk-ttulh-bweulb?

At the very least.

The monsters in this hunting ground mostly resembled animals.

Like wolves, or bears, or monkeys...

But the things in front of our eyes were not.

The minimum form for life to be life, that boundary seemed to have collapsed entirely.

Several monsters melted down, and fused together messily, wriggling.

—Gaelb-gwulh-gwirk? Gaelb-gwulh-gwirk? Gaelb-gwulh-gwirk? Gaelb-gwulh-gwirk?

—Wals-wals-wals-wals-wals-wals-wals-wals-wals-wals-wals-wals-wals-wals

—Hilh-hwalp-hwils-hwult-hyeolm-hwap-hwap-hwap-hwap

Wolves, bears, monkeys...

All sorts of monsters were mixed up in a jumble.

Also between the joints, sticky tentacles swarmed.

Internal organs spilled out messily, brains were shattered, and eyeballs dangled precariously.

There were at least dozens of such things.

It's dizzying.

The stench unique to demonic energy made my mind spin.

“Ugh...”

“Oh my God, such a terrible demonic energy...”

Alice turning pale.

Lanne's eyes wavering.

Among those team members, the only one unagitated was me.

I took a step forward as if saying, 'Come if you dare.'

“Now, everyone.”

Mutants swarming with tentacles.

I smiled brightly and spoke to my team members.

“The main game begins.”

***

Meanwhile, outside the barrier.

Student hunting ground Zone B, located closest to Zone A.

There, several faculty members were moving busily, trying to grasp the situation.

“Move! Check the personnel trapped inside right now!”

“Move the other cadets outside the hunting ground!”

“Call the Disaster Sorcery Team immediately!”

In that scene, Javert stood in front of the barrier.

The curtain covered in pitch-black.

The woman clenched her fist tightly.

A fist emitting brilliant rays of light, containing divine power.

Subsequently, a sharp flash struck the barrier.

*Kwaaaaang—!*

An ear-splitting rupturing sound.

However, not even a crack appeared on the barrier.

Instead, only Javert's fist was crushed.

“Tsk...”

Javert clicking her tongue.

She blooms divine power to heal her own fist.

Beside her, a few faculty members had gathered and were analyzing the barrier.

The Disaster Sorcery Team.

Those in charge of accidents related to sorcery within the academy.

As the Head Investigator, a higher rank than them, Javert asks.

“What is the situation with the barrier.”

“Head Investigator. We are currently dismantling the barrier. Exactly speaking, we are attempting to. Even for us who have rolled in the field for quite a long time, it is a form of barrier we are seeing for the first time. Therefore, we are experiencing difficulties in the dismantling process. It seems to be a structure complexly weaving ancient barrier arts, forbidden sorcery, dark magic, etc...”

“What is the estimated time required for dismantling?”

“It will be at least an hour.”

“Damn it.”

Lips bitten tightly.

Uncharacteristically, anxiety is evident in the woman's eyes.

“Would it not be possible to break through with force. If we borrow the strength of other professors, it wouldn't be impossible.”

“No. In the case of such a structure, we must approach it as safely as possible. Because we cannot know what kind of recoil will return when forcibly piercing the barrier. It is a curtain woven solely with all kinds of negative energies. Surely, if the balance is broken, a reaction will occur. We could forcibly break the barrier, but the problem is...”

“The students inside...”

“That is correct. There is a high probability they will be massacred.”

A bleak situation.

There was no way to even know what was happening inside the barrier.

Because all signals connected to the crystal balls were cut off as soon as the curtain spread.

"How many personnel are isolated inside."

"A total of 9 people. Exactly Teams 17, 31, and 49. Among them, the one that was in the very center of Zone A was Team 31. One is from Class A, and the remaining two are Class E cadets whom the Investigator is in charge of."

"It's Student Viktor and Alice..."

"If there is any relief, it is that they are with the Class A runner-up. The student named Viktor was also a hot topic for overwhelming the Class C top student in the last Freshmen Welcome Exam. Since they are skilled students, they should be able to hold out."

"Since we don't know what is happening inside, it is an area we cannot judge hastily. Even if the other teams were on the outskirts of Zone A, it is the same dangerous situation."

Javert furrowed her brow.

“Let's hurry as much as possible. It might be a situation inside where every moment is urgent.”