Chapter 230
Chapter 230
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 231
Chapter Title: Giant Whale Organ Conquest
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A chaotic day had passed, and morning arrived.
Before I could even mull over my conversation with the Apostle of Observation, the day of Seongmuje's fourth exam arrived.
The Apostle of Observation and I had returned to our ordinary roles as exam proctor and student, as if nothing had happened.
Early in the morning, the Apostle gathered all the students together and announced the results of yesterday's "Wizard's Aptitude" exam.
As expected, thanks to the "Outsider's Privilege," I scored a perfect mark.
I solidly maintained first place in individual points, widening the gap with second-place Lee Seojun.
The Apostle then explained the next exam.
When the setting for the next exam was revealed, everyone's faces showed surprise.
The background for this exam wasn't land.
And so, we boarded a ship to head to the next exam site.
Woooong...
We arrived at the center of a vast ocean where no land was in sight.
The Apostle looked around at us and began explaining the rules of the main exam.
"As announced in the notice, Seongmuje's fourth exam will be a team battle."
The name of this exam was "Giant Whale Organ Conquest."
Just as the name implied, teams would enter the body of a [Giant Monster Whale] and win by destroying as many organs as possible.
Dungeons explored inside such living creatures were called "bio dungeons," and since they differed from regular dungeons, the entry and攻略 methods were unique.
"The rules are simple. Each team divides into an attack squad and a search squad to enter the whale's body."
Attack squad and search squad.
The attack squad was a role assigned to only one member per team—the one targeting the "whale's heart," which granted the most points.
Since only one person per team could take it, it was usually the team's ace who handled it.
On our side, it went to the ever-reliable ally, Lee Seojun.
The search squad's role was to destroy organs other than the heart.
They split into pairs or trios to target the whale's liver, blood vessels, stomach, pancreas, flesh, and so on.
Since points varied by organ, it was better to aim for high-value ones like the liver, pancreas, or brain rather than low-point "flesh."
It might seem gruesome and cruel at first glance, but since it was called a "bio dungeon," it differed greatly from a real whale's body.
It was a living creature, but closer to a "dungeon"?
"You all just need to destroy as many organs inside the whale's body as possible to earn points. Rankings will be determined by total points acquired."
Woooooong!
At that moment, a eerie cry echoed, and a massive black shadow emerged from beneath the sea.
It looked at least seven times larger than the ship we were on.
Like staring at a small island?
"Isn't that the whale?"
"Looks like it."
Some students gazed at the whale's shadow with excited faces.
In that instant, a massive wave surged, and the giant whale hidden in the depths leaped out to greet us.
"Whoa! Awesome!"
"It's huge."
"Wow, that's the bio dungeon?"
The whale dove back into the water. The waves rocked the ship violently.
Even though it was a virtual world, the rare sight filled everyone's eyes with anticipation.
Lee Seojun, Eun Seola, and even Yoo Ara were no exceptions.
They leaned on the ship's railing, watching the whale's water show like excited kids.
We had to take it down ourselves anyway—felt a bit silly getting attached.
"...Ugh."
Then, a groan came from beside me. I turned my head.
"You okay?"
"...No. I feel awful."
Choi Seoyoon's face was pale. She was suffering from seasickness again.
At least she seemed to have built some tolerance now—she wasn't vomiting up her guts.
She just leaned miserably against the railing.
"Sigh."
Watching her made me feel bad for no reason.
...Wonder if she'll be able to handle the exam properly like this.
Then, a brilliant idea struck me.
Right, that method.
I opened the point shop and entered a keyword.
[Special Seasickness Pill (F)]
Category: Medicine
Description: A special pill that frees you from seasickness for 8 hours.
Price: 300
There it was.
300 points.
Earning points wasn't easy, but I could afford 300.
I quietly bought the seasickness pill in a blind spot out of sight of the others.
A small light flickered in my palm, and a blue pill appeared. I held it out to her.
"Here, take it."
"...?"
Choi Seoyoon looked at my palm with a puzzled expression.
"What's this?"
"Seasickness pill. It's not your average one—should work great."
"A seasickness pill? When did you buy it?"
Her sudden question left me momentarily dazed.
When did I buy it?
"I've had it."
"You said you didn't have any on the way to Wigen."
Oh, right. That's what happened.
She'd asked on the first day of Seongmuje if I had any seasickness pills.
"...Actually, I bought it during free time on the first day in Wigen."
Choi Seoyoon blinked her big eyes and stared at my face.
I couldn't read her thoughts, but red flushes crept onto her cheeks, like she was misunderstanding something.
She bowed her head slightly and smiled brightly.
"Thank you."
She took the pill and swallowed it.
The effect kicked in immediately—her complexion brightened in an instant.
['Point Item Gift' achievement unlocked.]
[Reward: 3,000 points acquired.]
Oh.
An unexpected achievement.
Invested 300 points, got 3,000 back.
A tenfold return.
I was basking in the point gain when—
Splash——
The giant whale's tail slammed into the sea, sending massive waves crashing.
The ship rocked so hard it nearly capsized.
"Whoa?!"
In that moment, Choi Seoyoon flailed her arms in the air and clung tightly to me like she was falling into my arms.
"...!"
Choi Seoyoon, gripping my clothes tightly, looked up at me with panicked eyes.
She startled and pulled away from me.
Then another wave hit.
I grabbed the arm of Choi Seoyoon, who had lost her balance again.
"Ah. Thank you..."
As the brief chaos unfolded, the Apostle's loud voice rang out.
"Alright, then! 'Giant Whale Organ Conquest' begins now!"
Everyone leaped into the sea at once.
Boom!
Magic exploded, tearing off chunks of the whale's flesh.
A fishy smell assaulted my nose as a wide passage came into view.
I swam into the whale's body.
Soon, the hole made by magic sealed with "regeneration," allowing me to stand on solid ground.
"Hoo."
I took a slow breath and looked around the whale's interior.
As expected of a dungeon, it was starkly different from a normal creature's body.
The floor, ceiling, and walls were all made of fleshy masses, structured like a complex maze—exactly like a dungeon layout.
"Phew. Finally inside."
Choi Seoyoon trudged in, muttering.
Having swum together, she was soaked head to toe. Beside her, Yoo Ara shook water from her long hair.
I handed out towels I'd packed in my bag to everyone.
"Oh, thanks. You're so prepared."
"Thank you!"
"I'll use it well."
Once our clothes and hair were mostly dry, Lee Seojun addressed the group.
"I'll handle the heart. We need two pairs due to numbers—how should we split?"
Before I could answer, Yoo Ara stood up.
"I'll team with her."
Yoo Ara pointed at Eun Seola. Eun Seola flinched, shoulders tensing.
No real connection between them, so it felt awkward.
Lee Seojun turned to Eun Seola.
"You okay with that?"
"Ah, yes! I'm good."
Eun Seola glanced at me, then nodded.
A hint of anticipation on her face—maybe she wanted to get close to Yoo Ara.
Naturally, Choi Seoyoon and I ended up as a pair.
Choi Seoyoon didn't react much, but her lighter steps suggested she was pleased deep down.
We split into three pairs and set off.
Lee Seojun toward the "heart" in the whale's central torso.
Yoo Ara, specialized in wide-area magic, toward the "stomach" in the tail section.
Choi Seoyoon and I headed for the "brain" in the head.
The directions weren't random.
The voluminous "stomach" suited Yoo Ara's AoE magic best.
The "brain" area was riddled with complex magic traps, so I took it.
"Sunbae, this way, I think."
Choi Seoyoon, walking beside me, took the lead and pointed down a passage.
I nodded lightly and followed.
"But flesh gives points too—why not destroy the flesh?"
Choi Seoyoon pointed at the fleshy wall with her finger.
"Flesh covers so much area, points per hit are tiny. Better to target other organs in that time."
"Hmm. Really? Let me check how many points it gives."
Choi Seoyoon cast a spell.
Cold mist gathered in her palm, forming a long ice spear.
I was impressed inwardly.
Not just the detail in manifestation—the spear was much longer and sharper than before.
Not quite at Lee Seojun or Yoo Ara's level, but her talent was so exceptional her growth was insane.
"Haat!"
With a short kiai, Choi Seoyoon hurled the spear.
It whistled through the air toward the wall.
Kwaak!
Flesh tore, blood sprayed.
Ice magic lacked "explosive power," so it didn't deal massive damage.
['Choi Seoyoon' destroyed 0.004% of the giant whale's flesh.]
[Team points +1.]
"...Just 1 point?"
Choi Seoyoon looked deflated.
"See? Flesh is worthless. Brain's 1,000 points, heart 3,000. Destroy flesh all day, it means nothing."
"True..."
"Anyway, let's hurry. We're falling behind other teams."
This exam was a "conquest"—first to destroy an organ got the points, so speed mattered.
...As we moved through the passage.
"Huh? There's a barrier up ahead!"
Choi Seoyoon pointed at a narrow passage in the distance.
Sure enough, a blue barrier shimmered there.
I stopped.
"Hang on. Wait."
"Yes?"
Choi Seoyoon halted beside me.
I manifested a small magic orb—different from usual, with minimal mana.
"Sunbae?"
She questioned my sudden action.
Instead of answering, I fired the orb at the floor before the barrier.
Boom!
A small explosion erupted, flesh splattering.
Not just the floor—I'd triggered a hidden "trap magic circle" there.
The circle activated, and the floor writhed like a living thing.
Kuwak!
The flesh bulged upward.
It tore open, revealing an arm with sharp claws.
—Kraaaak!
A massive monster with a shark-like face emerged.
The "guardian" protecting the entrance to the brain.
Its mana alone screamed at least A-Rank. No, bordering on S-Grade.
If ranking it, A++ maybe?
"...What the."
I'd only seen it from Lee Seojun's POV in the original, never dreamed such a strong guardian appeared.
Even I couldn't handle something that level easily.
Choi Seoyoon gulped, sensing its power.
"...Its mana feels insane, not matching its looks."
"Don't attack. Stay still for now."
Even nearing S-Grade, it was A-Rank. The gap between A and S was clear.
And it was a monster.
Not as intelligent as humans—if I planned right, we could manage.
...As I pondered how to deal with it.
Faint voices echoed from somewhere.
—S-Sunbae, I sense mana over there?
—Yeah, I felt it too. Follow me!
Urgent voices from the passage behind us.
Choi Seoyoon and I turned from the guardian.
"Russian?"
Choi Seoyoon whispered.
I nodded silently.
Soon, two familiar faces appeared behind us. They spotted us and stopped.
"...Kim Sunwoo?"
The woman was none other than Daria from the Russian Magic Academy.
Her eyes widened—she hadn't expected to see me.
Beside her was a younger-looking girl; appraisal showed a first-year named "Mira."
From memory, Russia's top first-year.
Choi Seoyoon's expression hardened rigidly.
"...Daria."
At Choi Seoyoon's call, Daria turned to her.
Daria's face stiffened briefly—she recognized her.
Then Daria glanced at the guardian roaring ferociously behind us.
"...A guardian?"
Grasping the situation, she smirked faintly.
Choi Seoyoon alternated anxious glances between front and back, then said to me.
"Sunbae, looks like we're surrounded..."