Chapter 92: Final Exams (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92: Final Exams (2)
Choi Seol-ah’s pupils dilated with sheer terror. It wasn’t a metaphor—her heart literally sank into her stomach. Her face turned deathly pale as she stammered, stumbling over her words.
“…H-Ha, haha. Hello, kids! I’m Instructor Kim, and I’ll be in charge of your team for this final exam! It’s only for a day, but I look forward to working with you.”
At Joaquin Academy, Choi Seol-ah went by Instructor Kim. Not that Choi Seol-ah was her real name either.
When one contracts with a Corps Commander, they surrender their humanity. The name from their human life is included in that price.
“……”
A piercing gaze pricked the side of Choi Seol-ah’s face. Kang Geomma was staring at her quietly.
Noticing that blunt stare, hostility blazed in Rachel’s eyes. She interpreted Kang Geomma’s gaze quite differently.
A fantasy about older women.
The woman was tall as a totem pole, without a single curve to be seen anywhere. Yet Kang Geomma couldn’t take his eyes off her. There was even a strange swirling emotion in his pupils.
Born of misunderstanding, the atmosphere grew icy cold as the moments passed. It felt as though a scene from a soap opera was being broadcast live.
Choi Seol-ah tried her best to ignore the glares, but her body and voice stiffened up.
‘Why, of all people, did I have to be assigned to this crazy bastard—no, crazy person’s team?!’
Choi Seol-ah cursed inwardly, carefully refraining from swearing out loud.
Fearing her inner thoughts might be exposed.
Kang Geomma’s eyes were cold and quiet, as if reading her mind. Dark pupils completely devoid of emotion. Merely locking eyes with him for a moment made fear surge within her.
‘Sigh, but I still have a job to do.’
Hiding her anxiety, Choi Seol-ah spoke up once more.
“Ayy, I know I’m a beauty, but staring so intently makes a girl blush, kids!”
“Beauty, my ass. You look like a purple pumpkin.”
Rachel snorted. A vein throbbed on Choi Seol-ah’s smiling temple.
Just because she was a spoiled rich girl didn’t give her the right to treat an instructor with such disrespect.
“Hmm~ Just because your chest is packed with fat doesn't make you pretty, pickled-radish head!”
“Why, you beanpole bitch!”
As Rachel glared with fire in her eyes, Choi Seol-ah smirked.
“Is that any way to speak to your exalted instructor, huh?!”
“Ha! Exalted, my ass. Your chest is as flat as a stone pavement!”
“Whew, no matter how stupid you are, did you forget why I’m accompanying you? I’m the instructor in charge of your team. I don’t just handle safety—I handle the grading. Don’t throw a needless tantrum and dock points for the whole team; let’s keep quiet, okay? They say silence is golden.”
“……”
She had eaten the Academy’s bread for five years. She had long learned how to break the spirit of such proud, high-born cadets.
Joint responsibility.
Rachel glared up at Choi Seol-ah, grinding her molars as if chewing back curses.
Regardless, Choi Seol-ah grinned brightly as she collected their armaments. She was tasting the power that had vanished with her lord’s death, even if only in a small way like this.
Clang— Clang—
The tolling of a bell echoed far and wide. It came from the iron bell hanging at the pinnacle of the Special Pavilion.
Soon after, the towering, imposing doors opened with an ominous screech. Beyond the threshold lay a pitch-black expanse.
As the resonance of magic power spilled through the crack in the doors, the cadets groaned softly. Anxiety filled their eyes.
Yet a deep nostalgia washed over Choi Seol-ah’s face. It was the visceral feeling of a married woman visiting her maiden home. The corners of her lips curled upward naturally.
“Alright, shall we go?!”
Choi Seol-ah led the way in high spirits.
Kang Geomma followed with his hands shoved in his pockets, while Rachel and San Hana flanked him like wings.
* * *
“Wow, this is the real deal.”
“Ah, damn it! Slow down a bit! Aren’t you here just to monitor us from behind?! What kind of instructor walks at the very front?!”
Choi Seol-ah, walking in the lead, gasped in admiration, to which Rachel yelled back furiously. Her steps looked heavy as she stumbled along.
“Pfft, running wild outside, but inside you can’t even hold it together? Talk about all bark and no bite!”
“Haa… haa… You… you’re dead once we get out, seriously.”
Ignoring Rachel’s huffing and puffing, Choi Seol-ah’s eyes sparkled like a child on a picnic.
As a villain, this profoundly insidious environment must feel like home to her.
As a half-human, half-demon, her magic affinity would be far superior to an ordinary human’s. But now, perhaps only dregs of magic remained?
When Choi Seol-ah was assigned as our instructor, I wondered if there was some scheme at play. Half-baked or not, a villain was still a villain.
But her eyes held only an attachment to life; as for suspicious motives… well, she didn’t seem to be pondering much else.
‘Does selling your humanity make you simple-minded?’
Well, even if she harbored foul intentions, Choi Seol-ah alone posed no real threat. And if I sensed anything off, I could just teach her another sharp lesson with my blade. I shifted my gaze away from Choi Seol-ah and surveyed our surroundings.
‘It’s definitely no ordinary place.’
Right after passing through the dark barrier, what met our eyes was the Vast Forest.
A landscape interspersed with trees, rocks, and streams.
Yet it was a forest comprised entirely of ash-gray, where the color of lush greenery had completely faded away. Stepping on it made the gravel carpeting the ground crunch and crumble underfoot. If the world were to end, it would probably look exactly like this.
‘If a miniature version of the Demon Realm is like this, what must Gehenna be like?’
The air was acrid, making my chest feel heavy and choked. Likely the lingering trace of magic power.
It wasn’t as severe as when I encountered Agor or the Majin, but the atmospheric current was violent enough to make my hair stand on end.
In fact, Rachel had grown quiet ever since entering the Special Pavilion. Her pale, sickly complexion showed just how foul the air was. You can train your body, but you can’t train your internal organs.
On the other hand, Senior Hana walked on silently. I asked her:
“How are you holding up?”
“I can manage for now, but it’s definitely tough… Geomma, you seem perfectly fine.”
“Not completely fine. My skin stings a bit.”
“I feel like throwing up any second, but you just get a bit of stinging, haha…”
Senior Hana let out a faint laugh. Judging by her slightly trembling knees, she was reaching her limit.
‘…Senior Hana doesn’t seem to have much magic affinity.’
She was a suspicious presence among our club members. While I hadn’t ruled out the possibility that she was an infiltrated villain like Choi Seol-ah, her reaction didn’t seem entirely acted.
‘Let's watch a bit more.’
I glanced briefly at Senior, then looked forward again. The ash-gray forest stretched out endlessly without a single signpost. I couldn’t even guess where the first check point might be.
On top of that, the magic power scattered through the air seemed to disrupt our sense of direction, making us walk in circles. As proof, footprints—likely ours—were stamped into the crumbled gravel path.
I hadn’t expected time to be generous, but at this rate, I worried even an hour wouldn’t be enough.
Neither direction, location, nor geography could be gauged.
‘At this rate, we’ll be disqualified.’
Would putting our heads together yield a proper solution? Rachel, like a wild horse, was sweating buckets as she walked, and Senior Hana looked barely any better.
I was the only one in my right mind among the team members. Did I develop tolerance to magic power because of everything that happened? Either way, it wasn’t the most important thing right now, so I decided not to dwell on it.
With Rachel, the team leader, unable to function properly, I had somehow become the acting leader. Being the travel club president was annoying enough, but taking over during the final exam too…
Still, slacking off through this gave me pause when I thought about the exam reward. Generous rewards for harsh ordeals—that was the Academy’s way.
“…Hmm.”
Attempting to use the resonance of the Blessing of the Sword God was tough; without my sashimi knife on me, my sensory range was heavily restricted. So I considered threatening Choi Seol-ah to reclaim my sashimi knife.
However, that was clear grounds for disqualification. If I were alone, I wouldn’t hesitate, but there were two witnesses. I swallowed down the regret surging from the root of my tongue.
Still, walking in circles wasn’t in my nature either. As a born Korean, "palli-palli" was deeply ingrained in me. I kept walking, lost in thought.
Was there no clever trick?
A convenient, fast, efficient method.
‘If only I could sense magic power, I could figure something out…’
I muttered the two words—magic power and sensing—over and over.
Feeling like I was on the verge of getting a clue.
…!
Right at that moment, an electric shock surged from my left temple through to the other side.
I raised my head. My eyes met Choi Seol-ah’s, who was humming with a cheerful expression.
Choi Seol-ah flinched visibly, then scratched the back of her head with a silly giggle.
‘Found it.’
A scene I had watched on the news flashed through my mind.
Sniffer dogs detecting drugs at the airport.
I smiled back at Choi Seol-ah. Her shoulders trembled violently. As if she intuitively sensed her immediate future.
* * *
At the same time.
Step, step.
The team led by Leon was traversing the wilderness. Walking behind him with exhausted expressions were two women: Saki Ryozo and Elio Pine, a 2nd-year in the Lang Class. A male instructor with a benevolent impression trailed behind them like a tail.
“Looks like we’re roughly near the first check point, right?”
Leon, walking at the front, turned around and waved his hand lazily.
A bright smile rested on his lips, contrasting sharply with his pale, drained teammates. Ryozo caught her breath with difficulty and stared at Leon.
‘…Is he not even tired?’
It was an environment where merely inhaling air made one’s lungs sting and ache. Yet somehow, Leon’s face glowed with energy.
She knew he was a chosen Hero Candidate, but even in the Special Pavilion, which was infinitely close to the Demon Realm, he was completely fine. As if he were in his own home.
“Umm, team leader, can’t we take a short break~?”
Elio Pine spoke while resting her hands on her knees. Her pink hair swept across her shoulders. Her breathing was ragged and uneven.
Leon blinked once, then answered with a refreshing smile.
“We’re almost there, so please push through just a bit more, Senior Elio.”
“…Ah.”
Elio let out a faint sigh, then lowered her head deep and nodded. Seeing this, Ryozo creased her brow sharply.
“Hey, Leon.”
“Huh? What’s up?”
Leon tilted his head, asking back. His eyes were hollow, completely devoid of any awareness that there was a problem. Saki’s eyebrow twitched once before she snapped fiercely:
“What do you think you’re doing right now? Senior Elio is struggling just trying to keep up with your pace!”
“Yeah, so what?”
“Ha! So what?! Do you really not realize how self-centered you’re being right now?”
Leon stared back at Saki blankly as he spoke. In a voice as dry as a mechanical device.
“It’s not that I want to ignore Senior’s opinion. But as team leader, I have a goal to accomplish and a responsibility to carry.”
“Responsibility? In my eyes, it just looks like you’re playing boss just because you got a team leader armband!”
“Ryozo, you’re free to take my words however you want. But I have no intention of dragging along teammates who can’t trust and follow me.”
“…What?”
“I don’t know much about the atmosphere in that travel club of yours. But you’d better not expect me to act like Geomma.”
Saki’s face darkened, and she let out a furious shout. It was only for a split second, but the sharp eyes of an archer didn’t miss it.
The moment Kang Geomma was mentioned, a chill settled in Leon’s gaze. In his eyes, she saw explicit hostility toward Kang Geomma.
“Why are you bringing up Geomma’s name here?!”
“No special meaning. I just meant I’m not as considerate as Geomma.”
“Hey—!”
Leon took another step without the slightest change in expression. Saki’s sharp voice struck his back, but he continued walking without turning around once.
“What kind of bastard is he?!”
Saki glared at Leon’s back with fierce eyes.
Elio, her face pale, offered a faint smile as if saying she was fine, and stepped forward.
As the anger in Saki’s eyes refused to subside, the male instructor following in the rear spoke gently:
“Now, now. Young people grow up through squabbles, after all. Given the location, the pressure on him as team leader must be immense. Let’s hang in there a bit more.”
“……”
Though displeased, Saki soon let out a long sigh.
‘It’s hard enough as it is. Wasting energy here would be foolish.’
Saki gave a small nod. The male instructor replied with a bright smile.
She resumed her stopped steps. Step, step. The footsteps of the three seeped into the ash-gray gravel field. The male instructor stared at their backs for a long time.
“Hmm.”
As he murmured mysteriously, a chilling light flashed in his eyes.
“…A Hero who can sense magic power, huh?”
The instructor opened his dark, ringed eyes.