Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 69
>Chapter Title: First Test (4)
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Half a shichen earlier.
I rose to my feet and said,
"First, let's head to a spot hiding a token we haven't collected yet."
"They've probably already been taken, haven't they?"
"That's why we're going. If someone's been there, there'll be traces left behind, right?"
"Ah!"
Once the team members seemed to understand, I checked the map and took the lead.
Among the team, Jeong-hyeon was also skilled at reading maps, but he wasn't the type to take the front.
We trekked through the forest path for about an hour.
"As expected, someone's been here."
Based on the traces left at the site, we began our pursuit.
"Th-this way, Y-Young Master."
And in tracking those traces, Jeong-hyeon proved the most capable.
'Hahaha. After we fleece this team, we're solidly in the upper ranks.'
Thinking that after this one fight, I'd just hide out and rest for the rest of the time, we followed the trail for a bit.
"......"
At some point, there was no need for Jeong-hyeon to take the lead in scouting the traces.
There were just too many of them left behind.
Amidst chuckling at the traces practically screaming 'Come catch me if you can,' Jeong-hyeon, who was about a zhang ahead, piped up in his ant-crawling voice with his opinion.
"It, it looks like they've pr-prepared a m-meal."
The trashed forest path, bloodstains and fur scattered everywhere like they'd hunted some animal—it was a perfectly reasonable deduction.
"This is our chance."
Nodding, I gave concise instructions for the plan.
"Jeong Cadet, follow the traces and pinpoint their location. Then secure a spot good for sniping. Meanwhile, I'll use stealth arts to get as close as possible. Once I'm in position, you two baits—no, Choi Cadet and Joo Cadet—make some noise to draw their attention."
Having fought similar battles before, the team nodded and sprang into action.
Approaching the spot Jeong-hyeon had found with stealth arts, I spotted faint smoke rising above the trees. It looked like smoke from a fire they'd lit to grill meat.
Truth be told, even charging in without a detailed plan, ambushing them mid-meal would've let us take them down easily.
Hell, I could've handled two or three alone. Even more so in a surprise attack during dinner.
The reason I was playing it cautious like this was to give the team members a chance to shine...
'No, not even close.'
I didn't feel like breaking a sweat, and I wasn't ready to show my full strength yet.
Harboring such thoughts, I closed in on the group eating their meal and got a good look at them.
The first one I recognized was, naturally, Dokgo Pae.
The guy, who had just grabbed a freshly grilled piece of meat to eat, whipped his gaze toward the direction where the two baits were making noise as they approached.
In the midst of everyone's panic, one sharp-looking guy suddenly shouted,
"We're four strong, and only two are charging in? That's suspicious!"
The moment they all started questioning it at his cry—
'Now!'
I didn't hesitate, dropping stealth and charging straight at Dokgo Pae.
At the same moment, an arrow from Jeong-hyeon took down one startled cadet.
Clang!
"You sneaky bitches are all the same!!"
Dokgo Pae, clashing swords with me, spouted some nonsense.
Of course, none of my business.
Whoosh.
As Dokgo Pae, face red with rage, tried to overpower me with his signature heavy sword, I—having anticipated it—used his force against him, twisting my sword path.
Naturally, his stance crumbled.
Thwack!
I didn't miss the opening, swinging my hand to strike his acupoint.
While I subdued Dokgo Pae, Choi Woong and Joo Seo-yeon, who had joined by then, were pushing back one each.
"Choi Woong! Since when did you get so damn treacherous!?"
Looking closely at the guy grilling Choi Woong with an aggrieved expression, I recognized him as one of the punks who'd picked a fight with Choi Woong on the second day and gotten beaten.
Seemed he felt doubly betrayed by a supposed friend stabbing him in the back.
Of course, none of my business.
Thwack!
I sidled up next to the guy fighting Choi Woong, smashed him with the flat of my blade, then struck his acupoint as he fell.
"Guh...."
At the same time, the somewhat clever-looking one took a spear thrust from Joo Seo-yeon and collapsed.
It wasn't just Joo Seo-yeon's skill. Jeong-hyeon had been covering her from afar with arrows, keeping that strategist type pinned, so even though she was slightly outmatched, she'd subdued him without much trouble.
'Still, she's improved some, like she said she'd been training hard lately.'
Back when those nasty rumors were flying, Joo Seo-yeon had been the undisputed dead last, no matter what anyone said.
In just twenty days or so, she'd grown a bit.
"Young Master! I took down one! Pretty useful, right?"
Her eyes gleamed with madness as she barked like a puppy begging for praise.
'Is that the power of obsession?'
For some reason, I felt a pang of pity for Jin Ha-yeon.
'Well, third place is still out of reach.'
Wrapping up such thoughts, I gave orders to Choi Woong and Joo Seo-yeon.
"Now we loot the spoils."
Understanding, the two immediately began thoroughly searching the four subdued bodies.
Choi Woong being a fellow guy was one thing, but Joo Seo-yeon rummaged through strange men's bodies without a hint of hesitation.
'Well, to Joo Seo-yeon, they're no different from logs anyway.'
By then, Jeong-hyeon, who'd been providing support from afar, returned.
"Young Master! Dokgo Cadet had all three!"
Choi Woong, searching Dokgo Pae's body, waved three wooden tags with a face about to burst from joy.
A smile naturally crept onto my lips as well.
"That makes six."
Six out of ten. First place was locked in. So there was only one thing left to do.
'Now I can just hole up somewhere and slack off till the test ends.'
That's what I thought.
Somehow, the test felt easier than attending lectures.
* * *
Around the time Dokgo Pae's group was getting ambushed.
Bang Mi-hwa and her team were in the middle of enjoying their meal.
Then, one cadet clutching a piece of meat he couldn't quite bring himself to eat glanced around nervously and asked Bang Mi-hwa,
"Y-you'll really honor the deal?"
At the question, Bang Mi-hwa flashed her signature confident smile and replied,
"Of course. If we gather ten tokens, what's one? I can give it back anytime."
Having answered, she swept her gaze over the team members. Strangely, there were five cadets there, including herself.
The reason was simple.
Just as Dokgo Pae had hunted down the two stragglers from that group to claim their tokens, Bang Mi-hwa's group had spotted the remaining two from that team.
But instead of subduing both, Bang Mi-hwa made one of them an offer.
- If you cooperate with us until the test ends, I'll return one wooden tag. With five of us taking down other teams, you could snag second place with just that one anyway, right?
A tempting proposal: not outright betraying his team, but surviving solo to drag them down to second.
In the end, that cadet had no choice but to accept Bang Mi-hwa's offer.
The reason she'd singled out just one of the two was straightforward: to minimize betrayal risk.
If she brought both along and ran into the other two from his team, dealing with a double-cross would be tough.
Unaware that Dokgo Pae's group had already taken out those remaining two and their tags, she had no choice but to judge it that way.
Then, Ha Yeong, who'd been quietly listening to Bang Mi-hwa, posed a question.
"We're five now, so Dokgo Pae's team should be easy pickings, but what about the Youngest Young Master's group?"
Truth be told, recruiting that one from another team had happened after encountering Dokgo Pae's group.
If they'd already had five, they wouldn't have let Dokgo Pae's team go.
"You said earlier you had a plan in mind, right?"
At Ha Yeong's question, the rest of the team turned to Bang Mi-hwa as well.
Having entered as commoners, facing off against the undisputed top talent of this intake, the Youngest Young Master—it was bound to pique their curiosity.
As all eyes focused on her again, Bang Mi-hwa, feeling pleased, flashed a confident smile.
"Heh heh heh. Simple. Il-mok Young Master pines for me, so he won't attack easily. While I keep him tied up, you all clean up the rest."
"As expected of Mi-hwa!"
Ha Yeong, her friend, exclaimed in admiration at Bang Mi-hwa's bold nonsense.
"......"
The other three just stared at them in utter disbelief.
But no one stepped up to call out her bullshit.
Partly to avoid discord in the group.
'And we're five anyway, so it'll work out somehow?'
Mostly because they figured they held the advantage regardless.
* * *
Somewhere remote on the peak where the test was underway, Mount Tae-cheon.
Il-mok and his team were leisurely relaxing.
With six out of ten tokens already secured, first place was a lock.
'Hahaha. If I team up with the Youngest Young Master next time too, I can keep racking up good scores?'
Choi Woong, who had initially trembled in fear at grouping with Il-mok, now realized the honey dripping from it and was grinning ear to ear.
'This is it straight to third place! Gotta impress the Young Master too! Just wait a bit longer, Ha-yeon!'
Joo Seo-yeon, thrilled with the test results, kept picturing Jin Ha-yeon nonstop, sporting a creepy, mad grin.
Regardless of those two, Il-mok lounged peacefully a short distance away.
"......"
Jeong-hyeon, too, was enjoying some solitude off by himself.
"Um, uh...."
No, he'd muster the courage to try getting closer during this peaceful moment, only to mumble in his ant-crawling voice and sink back into himself alone.
Then, Jeong-hyeon—who'd been too terrified to speak up till now—bolted to his feet and said.
It wasn't courage. It was official business.
"S-someone's ap-approaching."
Still in that tiny ant-crawling voice, but since he'd suddenly jumped up, everyone focused on him.
Though they were resting, they weren't goofing off carelessly.
They'd set minimal precautions against ambushes.
Like simple traps that made noise if someone approached. They couldn't make dangerous ones since injuring others was forbidden.
Jeong-hyeon, with his sharp senses, caught that noise and announced the enemies' approach before carefully shifting position.
In case of combat, he was securing a spot ideal for archery.
The other three, including Il-mok, readied themselves while she moved.
Il-mok, spotting the enemies approaching through the brush, tilted his head.
'Five?'
A bizarre sight in a test done in groups of four. But Il-mok roughly grasped the situation.
'They formed a temporary alliance?'
He didn't know the details or the reason.
What mattered now was the choice: fight or flee.
Il-mok pondered.
'Only one weakling... but the test has about an hour left....'
Go all out now and end it? Or run around for an hour?
The deliberation was brief. Il-mok decided.
Clang.
Annoyance winning out, he opted to fight.
And soon after, as the group emerged fully from the brush—
Il-mok realized he'd forgotten one crucial fact.
"Il-mok Young Master!"
The moment one woman stepped forward from the five and called his name.
Il-mok froze solid, like a man in Western myth locking eyes with some cursed siren.