Predator (8)
The words of the female student drained the color from Ha Yena and Shin Muyeong's faces. "Hic... We were attacked by three Akrates too... We only managed to escape after blinding them with flashes..."
The girl trembled violently. Akrates were Rank 2 monsters whose developed fields rendered firearms useless, much like mages. They were in an entirely different league from the Rank 3 monsters in the northern sector. In a forest like this, without proper particle equipment, students stood no chance against them.
"Sera, calm down... First—"
—Boom! Boom-boom!
Just as Ha Yena tried to soothe the girl, a loud noise erupted and the surroundings were suddenly bathed in red. Dozens of rescue flare spells shot into the sky from every direction and exploded. The distant murmurs grew steadily closer.
"...Something really did happen, didn't it...?" Shin Muyeong muttered in a frightened voice. Screams, the sound of magic detonating, and low growls could now be clearly distinguished.
Lee Hyun felt as though he had been dropped into the middle of a battlefield. —Kwaaaah!!
"Kyaaah!"
A tremendous gust of wind swept over them in an instant. Ha Yena staggered, barely able to stay on her feet. The tingling sensation throughout her body told her this was no natural wind.
"Hyun, let's head back first... At this rate—"
"...No. You two go back. I have to keep going."
"...Hyun?"
Ha Yena's eyes widened at Lee Hyun's unbelievable words while she was still trying to steady herself.
***
If the girl's testimony was correct, the breach in the dividing wall was at the end of the central path. That meant the monsters hadn't reached the route they had taken yet, so the others could retreat to the safe zone without difficulty even without him. He didn't know how many more Akrates there might be, but they weren't beyond his ability to handle.
"In a situation like this, protecting all of you while fighting will be difficult anyway. The monsters on the path we came from are all dead, so it shouldn't be dangerous. So hurry—"
Though his words came from careful calculation, Ha Yena spread her arms and blocked his way.
"No! Absolutely not!! You heard what she said! Who knows what'll happen if you go alone...!"
"It's fine. Nothing will happen. This is actually the perfect chance to take first place—"
"You idiot! What good is first place right now! The exam might not even proceed normally—"
"We don't know that. This situation could be part of the test. And I need a good score in this exam no matter what. I can't afford to miss even the slightest possibility."
"Class leader. You're more out of your mind than I thought..." Shin Muyeong muttered, staring at Lee Hyun.
"...Why do you need such a good score?"
"It's a long story. I'll tell you later."
Ha Yena looked momentarily hurt, but Lee Hyun had no time to worry about that. If the retreat route was blocked, they would be trapped here. That would also eliminate his own freedom of movement.
"Sorry. Muyeong. Take the others and head back to the safe zone. You remember the way we came, right?"
"Huh? Uh..."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Lee Hyun finished speaking and immediately set off toward his destination. He channeled ether into the particle array device, inscribed the Predictive Eye magic formula, and activated it. The moment the formula took effect, the surrounding flow seemed to slow slightly, while only he maintained normal speed. The group behind him quickly faded from view.
The Predictive Eye was named for its ability to predict and respond to an opponent's movements in advance. While ordinary circulation-type magic only enhanced muscle strength, reaction speed, or eyesight in limited ways, the multi-array formula of the Predictive Eye allowed explosive reinforcement across the entire body. It was the strongest circulation-type unique magic of the Black Lotus Sa family, but the cost was equally immense. The seven intertwined three-dimensional formulas consumed an enormous amount of particles. The user's body also had to be sturdy enough to withstand the strain of the enhancement.
However, no matter how much physical training one underwent, it could never match mages whose bodies had been mutated through their Springs to be suited for magic. It was even more impossible to catch up to the optimization of the Black Lotus Sa family, who had accumulated sensitivity across generations. Therefore, even if he could endlessly draw ether from the atmosphere, Lee Hyun was forced to use the Predictive Eye only in limited capacity due to his innate limitations. Opening up to the third path could last an hour or two at most, the fourth path thirty minutes, the fifth path fifteen minutes, the sixth path five minutes, and all seven paths less than that. Using the magic beyond that in a single day would cause severe overload that could shave years off his lifespan—that was why Sa Jaehyuk had imposed strict restrictions on Lee Hyun's magic use.
But this wasn't a situation where he needed to push that far. Opening up to the third path alone was more than enough to deal with Rank 2 monsters. His plan was to quickly reach the center, stamp his identification tag, and return within the time limit.
—Whish!
Suddenly, something lunged at him from a nearby puddle. Lee Hyun twisted his body, and sharp claws and hooks slammed into the spot where he had been standing. A massive arthropod with shaggy fur and the size of a bull appeared before him. A Lasidoras. A Rank 2 monster that hid in trees and injected venom into its prey. Its venom was highly sought after by pharmaceutical companies for research, but he had no time to think about that now.
Lee Hyun leaped over the charging monster's head. He drove his blade into its chest and dragged it across. The monster's belly split in half, green bodily fluids gushing out as it convulsed. Its nerve clusters were still alive, but death would come soon. Lee Hyun opened the cartridge of his now-dulled blade and replaced the edge. Supply-issue blades were clearly inadequate for the thick hides of high-ranking monsters. He hoped to achieve his goal before running out of spare edges.
Lee Hyun continued toward his destination. Once he arrived, first place would be guaranteed. The long-forgotten joy of accomplishing something himself urged his steps forward.
But the further he advanced, the more something felt wrong. There were too many of them. Lasidoras, Tigrinus, Mustela, Hiros, Scropa. All of them were Rank 2 monsters known to be troublesome. He had already encountered five different species in a short time, and the numbers were even higher. No matter what their original species had been before mutating into monsters, high-ranking monsters ultimately converged into territorial animals in their evolution. They intensely disliked interference from the wavelengths emitted by other nearby creatures. Thus, they spent most of their lives within their own territory and rarely ventured outside once it was established.
If such monsters left their territories, there were usually two reasons. The first was when all prey within their territory had been depleted. But the behavior of the monsters he had encountered so far didn't fit the pattern of predators searching for food. They had been hasty, reckless, and aggressive.
"..."
As Lee Hyun moved toward the center, an even stranger sight unfolded around him. Ancient trees were broken or pushed aside as if something enormous had passed through, creating paths between the forest. He could also easily find monsters that had tangled and killed each other while fighting among themselves.
Carrying these questions, Lee Hyun finally reached his destination—the center of the northern sector. However, one final obstacle remained between him and the identification device. Even though it was a clearing spread between the trees, shadows and darkness seemed to fill the area around Lee Hyun. He soon realized the reason.
Venom dripped from fangs grotesquely protruding between multiple compound eyes, hissing and corroding the ground wherever it fell. Four massive antennae ceaselessly scanned the surroundings, their tips flickering with small sparks at every movement. Dozens of legs were attached in pairs to each joint of its segmented exoskeleton. From this appearance, Lee Hyun identified the creature. An Aiteranus. A monster classified as a Rank 1 threat due to its developed field and ability to use primitive magic by manipulating particles. It seemed he had found the source of that unidentified gust of wind earlier.
But this one was even larger than a normal Aiteranus. Traces of grotesque evolution were also easy to find throughout its body. It was clearly a mutant that had evolved further through particle hypersensitivity, a special-grade monster granted an identification name.
Why was something like this in the students' examination grounds?
"..."
Lee Hyun then noticed something this monster shared with the previous ones. Fear—the manifestation of survival instinct. It was excessively wary of its surroundings and reacted hypersensitively to even Lee Hyun's slightest movements. But Lee Hyun couldn't guess the circumstances at all. The Rank 2 monsters might have felt fear at the Aiteranus's appearance, but Rank 1 monsters sat at the very top of the ecosystem's food chain. There was practically nothing that could make them tremble with fear. Even veteran hunters could become their next meal with a single mistake.
"..."
He had once seen the commander and his sisters subjugate an Aiteranus in the northeastern mountain range. Its particle-resistant exoskeleton simply deflected most emission-type magic. Because it fired lightning in all directions, close combat wasn't feasible either. Only after his sisters severed all four of the lightning-producing antennae could the commander finish it with a single strike.
Lee Hyun thought for a moment. At this point, he could clearly tell this wasn't a test but an actual incident. Yet he had already entered the monster's range. Even if he turned back now, it wouldn't leave him alone. But even they had to go through a considerable hassle to hunt such monsters. The one before him had even undergone additional individual mutation.
Was it possible to face this kind of monster alone?
The deliberation didn't take long. The answer was obvious. Lee Hyun decided to eliminate it. And since he had come this far, he might as well stamp his identification tag and secure a high ranking while he was at it.
He drew his blade and assumed his stance.