Chapter 396
Chapter 396
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 397
Chapter Title: Mountaintop Lodge
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The exam began, and the examinees started forming teams for exploration.
To avoid diluting the most crucial aspect of exploration—the rarity of information—most groups stuck to three to five people.
I approached Lee Seo-jun first and suggested we team up.
Naturally, he accepted without hesitation.
Since we'd be in the same group for the fifth exam, the Competitive Trial, there was no reason to split up for the Exploration Trial either.
"Looks like everyone else has formed their teams too."
After settling our duo, I followed Lee Seo-jun's gaze as he looked somewhere off in the distance.
At the end of his stare were Shin Young-jun and Lee Hyun-joo deep in serious conversation, along with Yoon Ha-young and Yoo Ah-ra.
They had apparently paired up into twos as well.
My involvement had slightly altered the team compositions from the original story.
...And then.
—Yawn...
Yoo Sung-jin let out a massive yawn as he stood alone in the corner.
Rejected by me for a team-up, he seemed content to go solo.
A very Yoo Sung-jin-like decision.
His mind was probably set solely on "stealing" information from others.
Just then, Yang Ji-tae's voice rang out.
"This is the final announcement. Somewhere in this area, accommodations have been prepared for your comfortable stay."
Voices erupted from the surroundings at the same time.
—Oh, what? There's a lodge too?
—I thought we'd be roughing it in the wild.
"The lodge is at the peak of that mountain over there."
Yang Ji-tae pointed in a direction where a tall mountain loomed, with what looked like a tiny lodge perched on top like a speck.
Groans rose up from all around immediately.
—What? The lodge is all the way up there?
—No way we're climbing that anytime soon.
It's way too high.
Yang Ji-tae continued impassively amid the complaints.
"That concludes all explanations. The schedule for the next trial will be provided through the 'Exploration Note' just handed out to you. Exploration Trial starts now."
No sooner had the examiner finished than the examinees scattered to begin their explorations.
The paths split into two main routes.
One was the massive forest right beside them, emanating a mysterious aura.
The other was the base of the towering cliff looming directly ahead.
—Hey, let's check the cliff first. Looks super suspicious.
—Cliff first, then forest?
—Okay.
Lee Seo-jun watched them blankly for a moment before turning to me.
"We should start exploring too. Everyone seems headed for the cliff. Want to check there first?"
I shook my head at his suggestion.
"Nah, skip it."
There was nothing at the base of the cliff—just a small hint that this place was an 'island.'
Lee Seo-jun blinked at my response.
"Then where do we start?"
I stretched out my arm and pointed at the mountain.
"Skip exploring. I'm beat—let's hit the lodge and crash."
"...Huh?"
8:00 PM.
The sky, once dyed red, had now been swallowed by pitch-black darkness.
Wild monsters stirred awake, and an eerie chill swept through the area.
Lee Seo-jun and I climbed the mountain without a care.
No matter what monster appeared, we were confident we could take it down easily.
Before long, we reached the summit.
"Whew. Finally made it."
Atop the mountain stood a grand villa with an extravagant exterior.
That was the lodge the examiner had mentioned.
"Guess we're the first ones here."
"Probably."
On the first day, the other students would be too busy scouting the surroundings.
No one desperate for a top score would prioritize the lodge.
But there was no need on day one anyway.
No matter how much they searched, they wouldn't uncover high-rarity info—and the most vital intel here came during the fourth and fifth trials.
"...But is this really okay?"
Lee Seo-jun, unaware of that, muttered uneasily.
"Don't worry. Starting tomorrow won't be too late. Plus, there's info here too."
I pointed down at the ground from the mountaintop.
"See how the sea surrounds every side?"
Lee Seo-jun followed my gaze and nodded.
"Yeah."
"It's an island."
"Oh, you're right?"
Lee Seo-jun looked amazed. I chuckled and pulled the 'Exploration Note' from my pocket.
It resembled a smart student handbook—a trial tool issued to everyone for logging exploration data.
I raised the camera as high as possible to capture every side and snapped a photo.
An alert popped up on the Exploration Note immediately.
[Island Discovered: Exploration Score +3 points]
[First Discovery +1 point]
[Additional rarity points to be calculated on the final day.]
Four points earned. Not a huge score, but snagging the first-discovery bonus was key.
Lee Seo-jun watched me, then copied exactly.
He reacted with wonder once he got the points.
"Whoa, so that's how it works. Now I get it."
I pocketed the Exploration Note and scanned the surroundings again.
I was searching for the starting point of tomorrow's second trial.
As I looked around, I spotted a small cave hidden somewhere in the central forest of the island.
'There it is.'
A small rock hidden somewhere in the island's central forest.
You needed a reward from tomorrow's cave exploration trial to access it.
"Looks like we've seen everything. Let's head to the villa."
"Huh? Already? Can't we look around a bit more?"
"Like I said, tomorrow's fine."
Lee Seo-jun looked dubious but nodded.
"Alright, whatever."
The villa's grand hall greeted us upon arrival.
A single unfamiliar examiner waited inside.
An S-Rank Wizard from the Association's Intelligence Team named 'Jin Min-ho.'
I gave him a light nod, and he spoke.
"Never thought anyone would show up this early. You came right after the trial started, huh? No exploration?"
"Figured tomorrow's soon enough."
The examiner eyed me thoughtfully.
"...Hmm. I see. How you tackle the trial is your call."
With that, he gestured to the staircase behind him.
"Climb those stairs, and you'll find the room matching your number."
...Not far from the villa was a secret space for the examiners.
Inside, countless screens displayed the examinees taking the trials.
The examiners sat before them, observing.
"This year's batch is stacked overall."
Head examiner Yang Ji-tae spoke first.
The others nodded in agreement.
Unlike other years, this trial had drawn a horde of monsters—top talents.
Lee Seo-jun, hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius, was a given. Then Yoo Ah-ra, who received the next highest praise, and the comet-like rising star Yoo Sung-jin—all in one place.
Above all, Kim Sun-woo—the subject of the Association's keenest interest and public whispers of sudden mutation—was participating too.
"Yeah, this trial's got plenty of entertainment value. Heh."
Lee Seo-jun and Yoo Ah-ra were active in their own ways, as were Yoo Sung-jin.
Yoo Ah-ra moved with Yoon Ha-young, tracing mana flows for exploration.
Yoo Sung-jin grabbed exploring examinees and forced info shares.
...And Lee Seo-jun and Kim Sun-woo were...
"...What the hell are they doing?"
One examiner's question prompted another.
"Sleeping, looks like."
On the screen, Kim Sun-woo lay sprawled on his dorm bed, blissfully asleep.
Exploration trial? Not even on his radar. Utterly relaxed.
The examiners felt a brief bafflement but had no retort.
Kim Sun-woo's approach wasn't wrong.
The first day of the Exploration Trial was a trap yielding zero info.
"The Special Task Force hyped him up so much, I was curious... Definitely an odd one."
Yang Ji-tae's Intelligence Team shared a subtle rivalry with the Association's Special Task Force.
Hence their intrigue about Kim Sun-woo, the object of the Task Force's fixation.
He was worth the attention. His current display was anything but ordinary.
Rumor had it he was scary smart with killer insight...
"...No way he figured out day two is the real start?"
One examiner's remark drew frowns.
"Nah, how could he know?"
"Who knows? Kim Sun-woo's got all sorts of weird rumors. Sharp instincts."
"...Still. Looks to me like he's just sleeping without a thought. Unless info leaked."
"...Hmm."
Yang Ji-tae stroked his chin, staring at Kim Sun-woo on the screen.
The guy was magnetic, no doubt.
If it were any other examinee, he'd dismiss it outright—but this was the famed Kim Sun-woo, so suspicions of hidden motives lingered.
"...Interesting."
Definitely not average.
Sleep or no sleep, Kim Sun-woo led the Exploration Trial.
They'd need to monitor him closely this trial.
And if he truly grasped the trial's intent and chose to sleep...
It would prove he was essential talent for the Intelligence Team—not to be surrendered to the Special Task Force.
The next morning.
As scheduled, the fourth trial, 'Cave Exploration,' commenced.
Cave Exploration was exactly what it sounded: swiftly escaping a cave's interior.
Think dungeon crawl for an easy grasp.
But it differed from standard cave delves.
Hints to the island's secrets lay hidden inside.
"A massive cave divided into multiple entrances awaits. Enter now and escape as fast as possible—by any means necessary."
The examiner continued.
The surrounding examinees looked hollow-eyed, sleepless from all-night scouting.
Lee Seo-jun and I, by contrast, were in peak condition from solid rest.
"Ugh, Sun-woo. Did you scout at all yesterday? We pulled an all-nighter and found zilch..."
Yoon Ha-young sidled up beside me, pouting. I gave her a small smile.
Normal to get nothing from yesterday's search.
"Don't sweat it. I crashed right at the lodge too—no info for me either."
"...Huh?"
Yoon Ha-young blinked.
"You didn't scout at all?"
"Nope. Was wiped, so I slept to hit it hard today."
Her jaw dropped in disbelief.
Yoo Ah-ra and Shin Young-jun alternated stunned glances between Lee Seo-jun and me.
"No wonder you two look so refreshed."
Lee Seo-jun flashed an awkward smile.
"Sun-woo said starting today wouldn't be late."
"...We saw everyone got zero yesterday. Kim Sun-woo, you know something again, don't you?"
I shrugged instead of answering.
The examiner's voice cut in again.
"Entry by number now. Time starts the moment you enter via your Exploration Note."
I'd been half-listening when I glanced at Lee Seo-jun.
"See you later."
Others could meet in this Cave Exploration Trial.
Unaware, he nodded as if we'd reunite post-trial.
"Yeah, good luck."
I nodded and dispersed with the others by number.
Examinees entered one by one, and I stepped into the cave in turn.
Pitch darkness, nothing visible.
An icy breeze tousled my hair.
The Exploration Note chimed simultaneously.
[Cave entered. Time measuring.]
[00:01]
"Here we go."
I activated Outsider's Benefit first and peered at the floor ahead.
Countless runes etched the ground.
The Association had labored over traps, but they were all visible to me—I couldn't help a smirk.
I slowly read the info embedded in the runes.
Spatial transfer runes.
Designed to trigger automatically on impact.
I strode boldly to the rune and stepped on it.
Then.
A brilliant light burst from the rune. The space around me warped.
I slowly surveyed my surroundings.
Pitch darkness again, nothing visible.
I conjured mana orbs, illuminating everything.
A massive building half-buried in the ground.
The island's secret hid inside that structure.
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