Chapter 25: Partial examination (5)

Abel and her team arrived at the pond, their expressions marked by astonishment. Their gazes shifted forward, trembling, with no one daring to break the silence first.

The place that was once a forest had been transformed into a desolate plain, trees chaotically felled all around. Leon and his team lay exhausted on the ground, utterly depleted. What on earth had happened here? They wondered how something like this could have occurred.

They had come in response to the plea for help from a young student who had begged her team for assistance, and now, although the situation seemed to have been resolved, there was no longer any sign of demonic creatures.

“If you came to help, don’t just stand there—do it!” Speed Weapon shouted in frustration, noticing that the others were simply staring at the scene, stunned. Abel snapped out of her daze and moved toward the pond, her team following her in silence.

Abel approached Speed Weapon, who was lying in the mud, and asked:

“What happened here?”

Instead of answering, Speed Weapon pointed toward the pond. As they looked in that direction, the eyes of everyone on Abel’s team widened in shock.

“What…is that?” murmured one of her teammates, their voice trembling.

There lay the headless body of a creature covered in scales, floating in the pond with only its shoulders visible, making it clear that this was the corpse of a demon.

In front of it, Rachel held Kang Geom-Ma, who was breathing laboriously and drenched in blood. At the sight, Abel felt a slight wave of nausea.

When she first saw him, Kang Geom-Ma had no visible wounds, but he was gasping and coughing up blood mixed with saliva.

He was on the verge of losing consciousness, his eyes unfocused and growing dim.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Abel shouted to one of the girls on her team, her tone more commanding than usual.

“Apply a healing spell immediately!”

Her teammate with green hair jolted, then quickly extended her staff, invoking a healing ability. Something fluorescent, like a cotton-candy glow, began to envelop Kang Geom-Ma like a blanket.

Gradually, the light in his eyes began to return.

Rachel, sobbing and sniffling, hugged Kang Geom-Ma tightly, pressing her face against his chest. After this, Leon and Speed Weapon also began to slowly pull themselves up.

Abel glanced back and forth between Kang Geom-Ma and Rachel, frowning. This was not the moment to focus on such details, but a faint feeling of jealousy stirred within her.

‘Do they really need to be that close?’

Sighing deeply, Abel pressed her temples, unsure how to process what she was seeing.

Shaking off her thoughts, Abel turned her gaze toward Leon. She noticed he seemed exhausted, though not as severely as Kang Geom-Ma.

Despite his condition, he had managed some form of healing on his wounds, as the broken skin beneath his sleeves was beginning to heal, forming new tissue. In a cold tone, Abel addressed Leon.

“What… is that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s a demon,” Speed Weapon replied, shrugging with sarcasm.

His face clearly showed exhaustion, but he seemed to have plenty to say.

“Do you think I don’t know it’s a demon? That’s not what I asked.”

“Even if I explain, I doubt you’d believe me,” Speed Weapon replied, a faintly mocking smile on his face. It was clear he had been waiting to respond.

Leon, behind him, merely scratched his cheek with a casual smile, though he was far from in perfect shape. Abel felt her stomach churn with frustration as she observed Leon, who remained irritatingly calm despite his companion’s critical condition.

When she saw the wound on Leon’s side, Abel deduced that he, too, had narrowly escaped death several times in a short span. Still, it didn’t ease the anger she felt toward him.

‘He irritates me.’

Not wanting to waste time on nonsense, Abel frowned and directed her questions to Speed Weapon.

“I’ve already informed the Academy. The instructors should arrive in an hour at most.”

“Those damn instructors… Didn’t they say they had explored this island before? Then how does a demon siren suddenly appear here?”

Speed Weapon muttered, frowning.

“That’s not important right now. Explain what happened.”

Abel demanded, crossing her arms.

“Are you giving orders?”

“Why do you always have to twist everything? I’m asking as a favor.”

Speed Weapon let out a sarcastic laugh, his faint smile showing as he prepared to explain.

“Fine, I’ll tell you.”

* * *

“So, as you’re saying, a siren suddenly appeared, and Kang Geom-Ma defeated it on his own?”

“That’s right,” Speed Weapon replied, smiling with satisfaction at his explanation.

Abel and her team looked in silence at Kang Geom-Ma and then at the siren’s corpse. Kang Geom-Ma’s dark blue hair fell gently over his shoulders.

It was such an incredible story it seemed unreal, but all the evidence suggested Speed Weapon was telling the truth. They had no reason to lie.

Even so, it was hard to accept, as if it were some kind of myth. A first-year student of the academy defeating a demon that had appeared without warning? It was easier to believe the stories her grandfather had told her before bed when she was a child.

The sight of the ruined forest, turned into a barren wasteland, was proof of the fierce battle that had taken place here.

If she had only heard about it, she probably would have laughed it off as a lie, but she was witnessing the scene with her own eyes.

Abel had always been considered a prodigy since she was a child. As a descendant of Aaron Nibelung, a disciple of the founding hero Balor Joaquín, she had reached this point through exhaustive dedication, pushing her talent to its limits. At that moment, Abel muttered to herself with a touch of bitterness.

‘If it’s him…’

If it was Kang Geom-Ma, and not someone else… It pained her to admit the vast difference between their abilities. She couldn’t help but wonder if, after all, she had always been ordinary. Kang Geom-Ma had defeated a demon at a young age, despite being left battered. He was alive; the demon, dead.

With that bitter feeling, she couldn’t help but frown, but she also felt a certain respect. It was a mix of complex emotions.

Abel felt an involuntary shiver, not from fear, but from a mix of awe and admiration. She sighed deeply, covering her face with her hands.

A brief silence fell, and Speed Weapon, noticing Abel’s somber expression, spoke indifferently.

“You said you already contacted the academy, right?”

“…Yes.”

Abel nodded with a grimace. Speed Weapon, rubbing his chin, paused to think before continuing with a serious expression.

“It might be best not to give too many details about what happened here.”

“Why?”

“Didn’t the instructors say they had inspected the island beforehand?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Isn’t it strange? No matter how big Scopuli Island is, this pond isn’t hard for students to find, and yet a demon appeared here. The story doesn’t add up.”

Abel didn’t respond immediately, but Speed Weapon continued.

“It’s just a theory, but…”

“Speed Weapon, are you suggesting there might be a demon spy in the academy?”

Leon interrupted with a serious expression.

Although Speed Weapon had tried to be subtle, Leon instantly understood his implication. Seeing his accuracy, Speed Weapon showed a moment of surprise but replied calmly.

“I’m not saying it’s certain, but we can’t rule out the possibility.”

Abel found herself in total confusion, her mind racing with various thoughts.

It was true that this area was neither hidden nor isolated and was accessible to students during the exam.

On reflection, just as Speed Weapon said, if it hadn’t been for Kang Geom-Ma, all of Leon’s team members would have perished in this first exam. Still, she couldn’t shake the question: “Why?”

Though there had been minor conflicts during the 700-year truce between demons and humans, demons had never directly attacked an academy student. Moreover, the non-aggression pact stated that harming a student could trigger a war.

‘Could it be…?’

Abel’s slender fingers, covering her lips, began to tremble. If she dismissed absurd possibilities, only the worst imaginable option remained. It was likely this had been an impulsive reaction from the siren, but for some reason, the worst-case scenario lingered in her mind.

Speed Weapon observed her face, noting how she struggled to mask various emotions with a pale expression.

“Abel, I understand what you’re thinking, but taking it that far is too much. My point is simply that we should be cautious about a potential demon spy in the academy, nothing more. It’s too early to draw conclusions just from this.”

Saying this, Speed Weapon looked at Leon, trying to gauge his opinion. Leon, his expression unreadable, nodded and commented.

“Then, I think we should coordinate our story. If there’s a spy in the academy, knowing that Kang Geom-Ma defeated a demon might make him a target.”

“That’s true. But it wouldn’t be right to stay silent after he did all this for us,” Speed Weapon replied, scratching his head awkwardly. Abel interjected.

“How about we consult my grandfather?”

“The Swordmaster?”

Speed Weapon asked.

“That might be best. My grandfather has a close relationship with Director Media, and after the entrance exam, he already knows Kang Geom-Ma.”

Indeed, Swordmaster Siegfried wasn’t part of the academy, and his reserved nature limited his personal connections to Director Media.

Above all, he had been one of the Seven Star Heroes who defeated Commander Basmon half a century ago and was considered the strongest human alive.

There was no one more trustworthy at the academy than him or Media herself.

If Abel mentioned it to Siegfried, the director would certainly find out, too.

Students had to go through a lengthy process to speak with her, but by approaching Siegfried, they could bypass those procedures. Abel felt this was the best option to help Kang Geom-Ma.

After considering it, Speed Weapon slowly nodded in agreement.

“It’s probably the best plan. What do you think, Leon?”

“Given everything that’s happened, I agree. However…”

“However?”

“That can wait. There’s something more important right now, don’t you think?”

The sudden question surprised Abel and Speed Weapon. Then Leon, with a smile, pointed to Chloe, who lay sleeping peacefully, utterly exhausted.

“It looks like one healer won’t be enough.”

“Oh…”

A moment later, Speed Weapon understood the hint. He dusted off his clothes and pulled out his flute. At last, his pale face began to regain color.

“It seems it’s time for Speed Weapon to take action.”

He finally got to say the words he had been waiting for.

“Healing is my specialty.”