The Declined Invitation
Right after the first gate ended, Seong Ha-yeon tore up her note and exited the illusion. The students swept away by Yeo Min-seo's landslide and eliminated early had already left the Ark, boarding buses back to school. The Ark felt utterly empty as a result. Only Yeo Min-seo and Han Su-ryeon—who hadn't woken yet—along with Gu Jun-hyeok and Do Seon-woo remained.
"Ugh... Ah, my head hurts. Fuck."
"Oh! You really made it out? Epic."
Soon, Yeo Min-seo and Han Su-ryeon woke from the illusion, following Seong Ha-yeon. Yeo Min-seo tidied her disheveled hair, while Han Su-ryeon didn't even brush off the dust on her head, and the two stepped out of the Ark side by side.
"What? You not coming?"
Yeo Min-seo glanced back as she headed out, her eyes on Seong Ha-yeon. Seong Ha-yeon hadn't left the Ark; she was crouched beside the illusion-entranced Do Seon-woo, showing no intention of going anywhere.
"I have something to ask him. You go ahead."
"Ah, sure. Take your time."
Yeo Min-seo mimicked Seong Ha-yeon's formal tone with a mocking sneer.
"Whoa, doing impressions now?"
Han Su-ryeon gawked at Yeo Min-seo, making a fuss. With that, the two exited the Ark. Silence fell over the Ark, leaving just three: Gu Jun-hyeok, Do Seon-woo, and Seong Ha-yeon.
Seong Ha-yeon compared the peaceful face of the entranced Do Seon-woo with the image of him covered head to toe in blood, climbing the waterfall. They felt like completely different people.
"......"
But what surprised Seong Ha-yeon most was Do Seon-woo's blessing mastery. His build wasn't particularly large. His dedicated training showed faint muscle outlines through his clothes, but he didn't look like someone with the raw power to scale a waterfall barehanded. Yet he'd reversed the falls, climbed the mountain, and cleared the first gate.
He must have exponentially boosted his physical abilities with blessings. But even that left questions.
...No blessing light was visible.
No divine glow enveloped Do Seon-woo's body. That left two hypotheses.
First: Do Seon-woo used no blessings and climbed the waterfall on pure physical strength alone.
"Impossible."
Seong Ha-yeon shook her head during verification, letting out a hollow chuckle. No one could defy such a raging torrent barehanded without blessings. The odds were absurdly low.
Second hypothesis: Do Seon-woo had mastered Adonai's Blessing.
Adonai's Blessing was a concept her father, Seong Yu-da, had devised—combining miracle recreation with blessings. Mastering it let one recreate biblical figures like Samson's strength, embody it as a blessing, and wield superhuman power. Unlike regular blessings, it produced no visible glow.
The second seemed more plausible. But how had Do Seon-woo learned Adonai's Blessing? What method allowed him such advanced technique?
Seong Ha-yeon burned with curiosity.
"Hey, when are you waking up?"
She poked Do Seon-woo's head with her fingertips. No response. No sign of stirring.
Like a puppy, Seong Ha-yeon crouched there, waiting endlessly for him to wake. She dozed off or fiddled with his hair, enduring a full three hours. She usually avoided physical contact, but oddly, Do Seon-woo felt fine. Probably because he shared her Purifying Blood.
Finally, someone groaned and sat up.
"...Ah, this sucks. Shit..."
It wasn't Do Seon-woo—it was Gu Jun-hyeok. Cursing, he ignored Seong Ha-yeon entirely and stormed out. He looked a bit pissed.
"......"
What was going on in the Ark? She felt a twinge of curiosity, but it wasn't priority. With Gu Jun-hyeok up, Do Seon-woo would follow soon. Optimistic, Seong Ha-yeon endured silently.
Do Seon-woo woke soon after. He dazedly looked around from his seat, staring into empty space with a vacant, foolish expression—like he wasn't fully there.
Tap, tap.
"I've got a proposal."
Seong Ha-yeon tapped his shoulder. Do Seon-woo startled and whipped around, grimacing upon seeing her.
Without a word, he stormed out angrily. Stunned for a moment, she stared blankly at his back before hurriedly chasing after.
"Wait—proposal. Haah, ha, hu, um. Just one proposal. Don't ignore me."
Gasping for breath, she pursued him. Do Seon-woo glared at her with clear displeasure—his eyes hollow and chilling. He always looked at her with that cold, icy gaze.
His attitude irked her a bit, but she swallowed her pride one last time.
"Don't you want to become a high-ranking cleric?"
"...What?"
"How about joining the International Theological Society?"
Two goals. First: Steal Do Seon-woo's technique, Adonai's Blessing—a skill even she, a certified divine power genius, hadn't mastered. She couldn't accept some nobody outshining her. Recruit him and take it.
Second: As a Society member with high status—chaired by her father, Seong Yu-da—she needed to get close to Do Seon-woo anyway, per her father's orders. Better a clear superior-subordinate dynamic than equals. Joining made her firmly "above," him "below." Two birds, one stone.
"What do you think?"
Seong Ha-yeon flashed a confident smile, pressing again. Do Seon-woo tilted his head, staring blankly into space—pondering. She felt no urgency; she knew he'd cave.
The International Theological Society was unparalleled among theological groups. Joining granted unmatched prestige. No student would kick away such a chance.
Finally, Do Seon-woo spoke slowly.
"No thanks. Move. Let me pass."
"Then it's settled... Huh? No?"
"Yeah."
He brushed past casually. Stunned, Seong Ha-yeon stared before snapping to and blocking his path.
Do Seon-woo scowled fiercely.
"What now?"
"Why're you always rushing? At least hear the terms. Really good ones—"
"Not joining anyway. Why bother with terms?"
His incomprehensible attitude tilted her head. A chance to join the Society as a cleric was pure fortune. Yet he was kicking it away.
Why?
"...Aha."
The puzzle clicked. She nodded, understanding. Haggling. Pretending disinterest to demand better terms. Not dumb—cunning. Impressed by his savvy amid this, she began.
"Waive initiation and membership fees, and I'll ensure you can't quit easily even if inactive—"
"Hey."
"...Y-yes?"
Do Seon-woo cut her off. A chill ran down her spine; she stepped back. His eyes were their usual cold void. Facing that gaze made her feel like a mouse before a cat.
He stared blankly, growling.
"Can't you get it? I'm not interested. Scram."
"Ah..."
"Tch."
With a contemptuous glance and tongue-click, he strode off, returned his receipt to the teacher, and boarded the bus. Gone was his usual sharpness; Seong Ha-yeon watched his retreating back with shaken eyes, uncomprehending.
Not haggling—he really meant no. Or was that act part of it? No way. But the tongue-click? Annoying. Some ace up his sleeve? Questions flashed through her mind in seconds. No answers.
Then, a realization hit.
"......"
Eyes, tone, attitude—everything screamed it: Do Seon-woo hated her. Despised her. Reviled her.
She grasped it now.
...But why hate me?
No clue, despite racking her brain. Irked and baffled, she staggered to the bus.
*
"Results will be discussed and announced at the upcoming Charity Holy Mark appointment ceremony—"
After disembarking, the teacher collecting receipts announced. Most students—who'd waited for us—didn't listen, shuffling home dazed. Some even teared up.
Simple reason: Everyone except me and Gu Jun-hyeok failed the first gate. No way they'd get the Charity Holy Mark.
"—That's the announcement. Thank you all for taking the exam."
By the end, students had gone. Left: me, Gu Jun-hyeok, Seong Ha-yeon. She looked deflated—shocked by my rejection.
Honestly, I'd considered her offer seriously. Joining boosted high-cleric odds hugely. But I didn't want her help. It'd shatter everything I'd built.
Leaving Seong Ha-yeon staring blankly skyward, I headed home.
"Hey!"
In the alley home, Gu Jun-hyeok called. Grinning, he fell in step beside me—mood sky-high. Natural; he'd won the second gate, the exam overall.
We walked silently awhile. Too deep for "Jeong In-ah's absent."
"Hey, sorry about earlier, though."
Gu Jun-hyeok broke the quiet with an abrupt apology.
"Sorry for what? What even."
"Y'know, the end—felt like I betrayed you, right? Kinda backstabby."
He scratched his nape sheepishly—his habit in awkward spots.
I looked up wordlessly. Night sky. Half-moon shrouded in clouds cast eerie light. More stars than usual.
"Exam's an exam. And it's not your first 'betrayal' anyway."
"Huh? Watch your mouth. When'd I betray you?"
"You always bail alone when shit hits."
Gu Jun-hyeok shut up, hit spot-on. Frown creased his brow.
"...Dude, that's not betrayal. Uh, rational choice. Yeah."
"Betrayal based on rational choice?"
"If I hadn't fetched Teacher So Do-jin, we'd all be dead. Ungrateful ass calls me traitor."
Banter flowed. Streetlights flickered on as night deepened. Stars vanished, drowned by the glow.
"Anyway, Charity Holy Mark's mine in the end. Sorry, dude."
"What? Don't they factor daily conduct?"
"Pfft. Exam results matter more."
Hard to deny. Florence valued skill over personality. Purely on tests, my odds were slim. Variables: conduct review, my secret first-gate condition.
Best hope now: those sparked an upset.
"Sigh... Honestly, no guarantees. Results pending."
Gu Jun-hyeok cradled his interlocked hands behind his head, gazing vaguely skyward. Face shadowed under lamplight. He lacked certainty too.
"Gotta snag Charity Holy Mark. Fail this, I'm screwed."
He muttered to himself. I nodded. Same boat.
*
Next day after re-election exam, post-classes. Teachers gathered in the conference room. Principal and chairman absent as usual; vice-principal led.
One agenda: Charity Holy Mark re-election.
"Candidates narrowed to two: Charity Class's Do Seon-woo and Gu Jun-hyeok."
Vice-principal held Noah's documents. Times cleared, peculiarities noted. Others flunked first gate early—irrelevant.
Copies distributed. Teachers tilted heads, puzzled.
"Hard to judge from records alone..."
"Gu Jun-hyeok edges out on paper."
"Ark illusions can be recorded, right? No footage from Noah?"
Opinions buzzed around the round table. Vice-principal tapped the desk twice, silencing them.
"Records are inconclusive, yes. Noah sent footage, but..."
He hesitated, sighed.
"Watch and decide. Won't help much."
At his cue, a waiting teacher played video via laptop, projected on screen.
First: second gate. Poor quality. Do Seon-woo climbed Tower of Babel, then descended immediately—construction already halted. No "how." Then ambushed by Gu Jun-hyeok, died, out. Second gate alone screamed Gu Jun-hyeok.
"Uh, why second gate before first...?"
A teacher raised hand post-video. Divine Studies instructor for four classes including Charity.
"Noah insisted second then first. No idea why. Next."
Vice-principal cut off, played next.
Second video: first gate. Gu Jun-hyeok entered first, then Do Seon-woo—blood-painted, carrying a girl on back. Entry triggered mystery voice: secret condition met.
Gu: 1:02:32.72. Do: 1:09:12.67. Gu seven minutes ahead.
"Gu faster in both."
"Per results, appoint Gu—"
"Conduct favors Do Seon-woo, no?"
"Do's no angel either. Needs discussion."
Opinions split. Gu or Do. Results favored Gu, so his side led.
"...What's the secret condition?"
A new hire—Bible Comprehension—piped up innocently. Room hushed; others wondered too.
"Didn't Teacher So do that once?"
Ha Ye-jin asked So Do-jin in the silence. He frowned, recalling, then nodded wide-eyed.
"Yeah, for knight order entry test... Climb mountain, enter Ark."
He slipped to casual, corrected for meeting.
Seong Yu-da's Ark tested students, knights, paladins. So Do-jin took it for Trinita Crusaders.
"Secret condition: man-woman pair entering together? Tests scripture knowledge, camaraderie? Comradeship?"
"Affects time?"
Ha Ye-jin pressed. So Do-jin tilted head.
"Dunno... Sorry, fuzzy. No notes in peculiarities?"
"Peculiarities... Nothing special..."
Vice-principal rescanned docs, face stiffening. First time so rattled. Grimaced long, regained composure.
"Noah's peculiarity note first, then discuss. My opinion."
What could fluster him so? Teachers focused.
(To be continued next chapter)