Chapter 94: Final Exams (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 94: Final Exams (4)
At the tip of Rachel's pointing finger stood a single door.
A white wooden door standing quietly in an utterly desolate field. Beyond it, the wilderness simply stretched on.
That thing... is a checkpoint?
It was a truly bizarre sight. Its flimsy appearance actually lent it a surreal vibe.
As I stood there dazed, Choi Seol-ah, who had slipped up beside me, spoke.
"Geomma-nim, it might look like that, but the magic power it's emitting is no joke. It's just a single door, but it's warping the surrounding space."
"...It's that intense?"
"Yes, yes. I've never been to the Special Pavilion either, so I don't know for sure, but it doesn't seem like an ordinary checkpoint."
Choi Seol-ah's eyes sparkled. Since instructors rarely had any reason to enter the Special Pavilion, this was likely a novel sight for her as well.
"I'm the team leader, so I'll go take a look first!"
Meanwhile, Rachel dashed forward, kicking up a cloud of dust. Perhaps the ten-minute rest had worked wonders, as her footsteps were quick and energetic.
Senior Hana also gestured toward her with a look. I nodded and started walking again.
We gathered in front of the door. Rachel stared blankly at it before turning her gaze to me. Her eyes seemed to ask for my consent to open it.
"Let's go in."
"Okay!"
The moment the words left my mouth, Rachel grabbed the doorknob. The metal screeched, warping under her monstrous grip. Immediately, she yelled, "Heave-ho!" and shoved the door open with enough force to smash it.
"Huh?"
"Watch out!"
Senior Hana grabbed the sleeve of Rachel, who was stumbling from the recoil of her kick.
Rachel nodded her head in thanks. Senior Hana offered a faint, silent smile.
In the next instant, everyone's eyes turned to the view through the crack in the door.
...They're throwing this at us without even a warning?
The first thing that came into view was a long, single-log bridge. Planks crudely bound together with frayed ropes.
Beneath the bridge, instead of the dry wilderness, stretched a lake filled with murky green water.
The lake seemed to breathe, sticky bubbles expanding and contracting repeatedly. Calling it a lake was generous; its viscous, gooey texture made it look more like a swamp.
I didn't know for sure, but if skin touched that lake, it wouldn't end well. That much seemed absolutely certain.
I looked up again. At the far end of the bridge, a landmass shimmered faintly. Though it was long, we could probably reach it in twenty minutes if we hurried.
Even now, the bridge creaked and groaned every time it swayed.
As if warning, 'Dear, do not cross that river.'
"“““…….”””"
A long, heavy silence ensued.
No one was willing to take the lead.
Could this flimsy assembly of planks even support my weight? If I took a wrong step, I would plunge into that disgusting lake.
Should I just forfeit here?
I seriously considered it. Ever since my past life, I had a fear of heights. Even if my physical body was Kang Geomma and might react differently, my mind was still mine. Honestly, that bridge felt more repulsive to me than a Majin.
"Haa."
In the end, I let out a long sigh and shook my head. Having barely made it this far, I couldn't just turn back now.
I had been bold even when facing Corps Commander Agor. I couldn't chicken out over a mere bridge. My pride as a real man would be ruined.
But blindly stepping forward is also a bit...
Once again, I fell into contemplation.
But my thoughts didn't linger for long.
I turned my head to look at Choi Seol-ah. Saluting her brow with the edge of her hand, she stared intently at the lake and muttered.
"Oh, so the source of the leaking magic power was that lake~ No wonder it felt so unusual."
Choi Seol-ah nodded to herself knowingly. I addressed her by her title.
"Instructor."
"Yes...?! I mean, huh?"
Choi Seol-ah stammered, mixing formal and informal speech. Since honorifics had become second nature when dealing with me, she seemed flustered.
"W-What is it, Cadet Kang Geomma?"
"I have a favor to ask."
Rachel and Senior Hana glanced at me, then immediately focused their attention on Choi Seol-ah. I spoke with a meaningful smile.
"You should go first, Instructor."
"...Eh?"
"The middle-aged instructor explained it before the exam started, didn't he? 'The reason instructors accompany you is to prevent any unforeseen accidents.' Wouldn't taking the initiative in times like this align perfectly with that purpose?"
"B-B-But this is also part of the exam. What if my intervention as an instructor ends up penalizing you guys?"
"It's the Special Pavilion anyway, so there's no way there are surveillance cameras, and it's outside the scope of subspace intervention. As long as we coordinate our stories, nothing will leak. And even if we do get caught, we'll just take the hit."
I gauged my teammates' opinions with a mere glance. The two of them nodded vigorously, strongly signaling their agreement.
"I agree with Geomma!"
"Me too."
"...Ah."
At their responses, Choi Seol-ah's pupils spun like pinwheels. If it were anyone else, it might be different, but these were my words. She was forced into a single choice.
Honestly, I knew I was being unreasonable. It was clearly cheating.
However, since we had already utilized Choi Seol-ah's magic detection in the first trial, there was no reason we couldn't do it a second time.
I understood that the intent of this second trial was to test the cadets' courage, but educational purposes aside, it was undoubtedly packed with Balor Joaquin's mad devotion.
This was a place personally designed by the Academy's founder, a man obsessed with real combat. I decided it was better to prepare for any potential mishaps rather than fall into that lake and end up crippled.
Choi Seol-ah was quite tall, like a model. If that fragile bridge could support her weight, then Senior Hana and I would have no problem.
...Though I'm not so sure about Rachel.
Isn't there an old saying about tapping a stone bridge before crossing? The only difference here was that Choi Seol-ah would be doing the tapping for us.
Flash—
[By demonstrating resourcefulness, your Mental Rank has increased.]
The team's consensus was reached.
On the other hand, Choi Seol-ah stared at me with tearful eyes. If there were no onlookers, she looked desperate enough to grab me by the pant legs.
"I-I-I can't...! I have a fear of heights!"
Bullshit.
Looking at Choi Seol-ah, all sorts of thoughts crossed my mind. She was an enemy who had tried to sabotage and kill me.
That was an undeniable fact. If I wanted to hold a grudge, stabbing her multiple times wouldn't even begin to settle the score. But I hadn't sought retribution.
Instead, I worked her like a dog, and she complied quite faithfully. Almost as if she were trying to prove her worth.
I took a slow, deliberate step toward Choi Seol-ah.
At that, she stumbled backward and fell flat on her butt.
"Ah, damn it, that hurts."
I stared down at her silently, then crouched. Choi Seol-ah rolled her eyes frantically to avoid my gaze, eventually hanging her head low. I spoke in a quiet voice.
"If you cross this first, I'll grant you one thing you want."
"...Really?"
"Excluding the Mark of the Thrall."
"……."
I firmly shut down her hopes. Choi Seol-ah immediately pouted.
"...Hmm."
She pondered for a long while with her arms crossed. Soon, as if something had occurred to her, her face brightened. She dusted off her backside and stood up.
"You promised!"
Honestly, I had no great intention of keeping it.
But I nodded anyway.
Choi Seol-ah strode forward. With her long legs, her strides were confident and sweeping, like a model's runway walk.
Approaching the edge of the bridge, Choi Seol-ah tapped it with the tip of her toe. The single-log bridge swayed like a slithering snake.
She swallowed hard and glanced back at me. Anxiety flickered in her eyes. I casually gestured toward the bridge with my chin.
"E-Everyone, just trust me and follow! This instructor will take responsibility for your safety!"
"Wow~ So cool~ Clap, clap!"
Choi Seol-ah spoke in a trembling voice.
Senior Hana chimed in with a completely soulless voice.
Choi Seol-ah thumped her chest as if summoning courage, then took a giant step forward.
What followed left everyone, including myself, utterly speechless.
"Guys, I think it's safer than it looks!"
Choi Seol-ah waved her hand without looking back. Then, she began to waddle forward.
"““…….””"
We silently stared at her backside.
Putting her brave front to shame, Choi Seol-ah was crawling on all fours.
* * *
"Haa, haa."
Saki Ryozo took short, ragged breaths.
Because of the damn magic power, every single part of her arms and legs was numb. She barely raised her eyes to glare straight ahead.
Leon, that crazy bastard.
Curses welled up to the back of her throat but sank right back down. She didn't even have the strength to tighten her vocal cords to make a sound. Just managing her stiffened body was overwhelming.
Saki shifted her gaze slightly. Senior Elio's face was deathly pale, looking as if she might faint at any moment. She, too, had reached the absolute limit of her physical endurance.
Saki furrowed her brow and looked forward again.
If we keep dancing to Leon's tune, we're going to drop dead right here.
They had been walking without a single moment of rest for over an hour. Thanks to that, they had quickly bypassed the second trial and were nearing the end of the exam. At this rate, they would undoubtedly take first place.
But Saki and Elio were in terrible shape. Their stamina was completely depleted, and their legs refused to move.
To make matters worse, this third location was a towering structure where a spiral staircase clinging to the walls stretched up to a ceiling of immeasurable height. It was designed so that climbing about a thousand steps would bring you to a new floor.
A tower that served as the home of the Majin in the Demon Realm Gehenna. The so-called Magic Tower.
The founder, Balor Joaquin, had replicated even this on a roughly similar scale.
Even in her state, Saki's mind unconsciously counted the steps she took. So far, they had climbed a total of 4,897 steps without a single break.
The Magic Tower itself pulsed like living flesh. If one happened to touch the wall, sticky slime would ooze out. Saki had accidentally touched it earlier, sending a shiver straight down her spine.
Furthermore, because the magic power was even denser than in the first and second trials, their stamina was melting away like snow. It felt as if the Magic Tower itself was gnawing away at human life force to feed itself.
Yet, as if he had neither the luxury nor the need to check on his teammates, Leon forged ahead without hesitation. At that sight, the last of Saki's patience evaporated.
"Hey—!"
A furious shout burst from Saki's pale lips. Leon slowly turned his head back. Elio Pine, also panting heavily, looked back and forth between Saki and Leon.
"What is it now?"
His voice was chillingly cold. A freezing light seemed to flow from Leon's eyes. A bleak dizziness coursed through Saki's veins, piercing her entire body.
Cold sweat trickled down Saki's cheek. Then, Leon suddenly reined in his gaze and shook his head vigorously.
"Sorry, Saki. I guess I'm tired too, so I was being overly sensitive."
Leon added with an awkward smile.
"Just a few more steps and we'll reach the fifth floor. Let's take a break there."
"……."
Saki didn't reply. She silently locked eyes with him for a long moment. As she stared directly into Leon's eyes, her pupils narrowed sharply.
"Anyway, let's hang in there a bit longer, everyone. I'll go ahead and check out the fifth floor. Take your time coming up."
With those words, Leon climbed the stairs with brisk steps. Saki watched his retreating back before turning her head.
Elio Pine was clutching the slimy wall, looking completely drained. As she repeatedly dry-heaved from nausea, the male instructor patted her back with concern.
"We're almost there. Just hang in there a little longer."
"...Haa, haa. Instructor, I really can't walk anymore. I really can't."
Despite the instructor's encouragement, Elio shook her head, tears and drool spilling down. The instructor stood there awkwardly, caught in a dilemma.
Saki took in the scene.
Step, step.
Saki walked over to the lagging Elio. Standing at Elio's feet, she turned her back and crouched down.
"Get on my back, Senior."
"...Huh? But..."
"The one who can still hold out should carry the other. Get on quickly, before I change my mind. Just bending my knees like this is exhausting."
Elio hesitated for a moment before leaning her limp body onto Saki's back.
"Ugh...!"
With the magic power already racking her body, having another person piled on top felt like death. On top of that, despite her scrawny build, Senior Elio felt as heavy as an equivalent mass of iron.
"...Sorry. I'm really heavy, aren't I?"
"Senior, after this exam is over, lose some weight... How can someone who's nothing but skin and bones be this heavy?"
Saki bit her lower lip and stepped forward.
Sacrificing herself for someone else. It was an action unimaginable to her in the past.
Suddenly, a face flashed in her mind. A person who never spared his own body, no matter the danger.
Just as Saki let out a dry laugh and tried to steady her trembling knees, Elio suddenly whispered in a low voice.
"...Hey, Saki."
"Senior, if I say even one more word right now, I feel like I'm actually going to die. Let's talk after we get u—"
Shlick—
A dagger plunged into Saki's collarbone. The blade sank deep, stopping close to her lungs.
"Kegh."
Saki's pupils shook violently as she let out a groan of agony. Then, she collapsed forward.
Her forehead split open as it slammed against the stairs. Her vision began to dye red as blood spread like a spiderweb.
Saki barely managed to turn her eyes to look behind her.
Through her reddish vision, she saw Elio Pine, her lips slowly curling upward, and the instructor looking down at her with his hands clasped behind his back. A sinister light gleamed in their eyes.
Soon, Elio Pine spoke.
"I was worried we'd get caught by Leon or you on the way here. But thanks to you stirring up trouble, Saki, the plan went much smoother than expected. Thank you~."
"...Haa, haa."
"Oh, and since the dagger was poisoned, you'd better not think about getting up. It'll only make you die faster."
Elio patted Saki's cheek. Then, humming a tune, she spoke to the instructor.
"Oh, right. Bring her up too. We can't have the babies following us see a corpse sprawled on the stairs and run away."
"Yes."
The instructor grabbed Saki by the ankle and dragged her up the stairs.
As her fresh blood seeped into the walls and stairs, her eyes grew increasingly dim. Within her fading consciousness, Saki called out a single name.
Geomma...
Her eyelashes slowly fluttered shut.