Chapter 94: Final Exam (4)

At the end of Rachel’s pointing finger, there was a door.

A simple white wooden door, standing alone in the middle of the desolate plain. Beyond it, the landscape stretched out unchanged.

‘Is that thing… the checkpoint?’

It was a strangely surreal sight. Its fragile and ordinary appearance gave it an almost unreal aura.

As I watched it in confusion, Choi Seol-ah, who had approached without me noticing, spoke.

“Kang Geom-Ma-nim, even though it looks like that, the magical energy emanating from it is incredible. It’s just a door, but it distorts the space around it.”

“…Is it really that powerful?”

“Yes, yes. This is my first time entering the special area, so I’m not entirely sure, but this doesn’t seem like an ordinary checkpoint.”

Choi Seol-ah’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Since instructors rarely had a reason to enter the special area, it seemed like even for her, this was a new sight.

“As the leader, I’ll go inspect it first!”

Before I could say anything, Rachel shot forward, kicking up a cloud of dust behind her.

The ten-minute rest must have done her good, as her steps were quick and full of energy.

Senior Ha-na glanced at me and gestured in the same direction.

I nodded and started moving again.

We gathered in front of the door. Rachel stared at it for a moment before turning her gaze to me.

It was a look asking for permission.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes!”

The moment I finished speaking, Rachel gripped the handle tightly.

The sound of metal creaking under her grasp echoed in the air.

Immediately after, she shouted enthusiastically.

“Here we go!”

And with a sharp push, she slammed the door open as if trying to break it down.

“Huh?”

“Careful!”

Losing her balance from the momentum, Rachel nearly fell backward.

Senior Ha-na reacted quickly, grabbing her by the sleeve of her jacket and preventing her from falling.

Rachel gave her a small nod of thanks.

Senior Ha-na returned a faint smile without saying a word.

Then, all of us turned our gaze toward what lay beyond the half-open door.

‘…How can something like this exist without prior warning?’

The first thing we saw was a suspension bridge stretching far into the distance.

The wooden planks were held together by old, worn-out ropes, barely secured.

Below the bridge, instead of the arid plain, there was a murky green lake.

The water bubbled irregularly, as if it were breathing.

Even though it was called a lake, its thick consistency made it look more like a swamp.

I had no idea what that liquid was, but one thing was clear—if my skin touched it, I wouldn’t come out unscathed.

I lifted my gaze again.

At the far end of the bridge, I could make out what seemed to be a rocky formation or some kind of structure.

At first glance, the distance looked manageable—about a twenty-minute walk if we hurried.

But each time the bridge swayed with the breeze, it creaked with an unsettling sound.

As if warning us: “Do not cross this river.”

“…….”

A long silence fell over the group.

No one wanted to be the first to cross.

I stared at the bridge.

Could those weak planks really support my weight?

If I stepped wrong and one of them broke, I would fall into that disgusting lake.

‘Should I just give up here?’

For a moment, I seriously considered it.

Ever since my past life, I had always been afraid of heights.

My body was different now, stronger, but my mind remained the same.

To be honest, that bridge was scarier to me than facing a demon.

“Huff.”

I let out a long sigh and shook my head. After everything we had gone through to get here, I couldn’t back down now.

When I faced Agor, the commander of the Demon Army, I didn’t hesitate.

I couldn’t allow myself to tremble now just because of a bridge.

My dignity as a man was on the line.

‘But I don’t want to go in recklessly without thinking either…’

I remained silent, evaluating the situation.

It didn’t take me long to find a solution.

I turned and looked at Choi Seol-ah.

She was staring at the lake, shading her eyes with her hand, mumbling to herself.

“Ohh, so the source of all this magical energy comes from the lake. No wonder it feels so unusual.”

She nodded to herself, as if she had just confirmed something important.

I called out to her by her title.

“Instructor.”

“Yes…?! Ah, I mean, what?”

Choi Seol-ah stammered, switching between speaking formally and casually.

It seemed she had already gotten used to using honorifics with me, which only made her more confused.

“Wh-what is it, Cadet Kang Geom-Ma?”

“I have a favor to ask.”

Rachel and Senior Ha-na glanced at me for a moment before turning their attention to Choi Seol-ah.

With a meaningful smile, I said,

“Instructor, you should cross first.”

“…Huh?”

“Before the exam started, the senior instructor explained something, remember? He said, ‘the instructors will accompany you to prevent any incidents with the cadets.’ In this case, I think it would be appropriate for you to take the lead.”

“B-but… this is also part of the exam, isn’t it? If I interfere as an instructor and cause you a disadvantage, what will you do then?”

“There are no surveillance cameras in the special area, and we’re outside the jurisdiction of any spatial authority. If we all agree, no one will know. And even if we get caught, we’ll take responsibility.”

I exchanged a look with my teammates to see their opinions.

Both nodded firmly, showing their agreement.

“I’m with Geom-Ma!”

“Me too.”

“…Ah.”

Seeing their reactions, Choi Seol-ah’s eyes spun like a windmill.

If it had been someone else, she might have tried to resist, but I was the one who had spoken.

She had no choice. Of course, I knew this was cheating.

But we had already used Choi Seol-ah’s magical detection in the first trial, so why not do it again?

I understood that this second test was meant to measure the cadets’ courage, but beyond education, there was a hint of madness from Balor Joaquin.

This place had been designed by the academy’s founder himself—a fanatic of real combat trials.

If we had to risk falling into that disgusting lake and getting crippled, it was better to prevent any potential disaster.

Choi Seol-ah was as tall as a model, with long legs like one too.

If the fragile bridge could support her weight, then Senior Ha-na and I could also cross it safely.

‘…Rachel, on the other hand, is an unknown variable.’

There’s an old saying: “Even on a stone bridge, you should tap it before crossing.”

In this case, we were simply making Choi Seol-ah tap it for us.

Flash—

[You have demonstrated ingenuity. Your Spirit Level has increased.]

It seemed we were all in agreement.

Meanwhile, Choi Seol-ah looked at me with teary eyes, on the verge of crying.

If there had been no witnesses, she probably would have clung to my leg, begging.

“I-I… I can’t do it! I’m afraid of heights!”

‘What a load of nonsense.’

I watched her in silence, and a lot of thoughts ran through my mind.

I couldn’t forget that she had once tried to kill me.

That was a fact.

If I wanted revenge, stabbing her multiple times wouldn’t be enough.

But instead, I had chosen to treat her like a dog. And she, as if trying to prove her worth, obeyed without complaint.

I took a step forward, slowly approaching her.

As soon as I did, Choi Seol-ah backed away, tripped, and fell on her back.

“Argh, that hurts.”

I looked down at her and crouched.

She avoided my gaze, shifting her eyes from side to side.

In the end, she lowered her head completely, surrendering.

I spoke in a quiet voice.

“If you cross first, I’ll grant you a favor.”

“…Really?”

“Except for the stallion emblem.”

“……”

I immediately crushed any hope. Choi Seol-ah puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

“…Hmm.”

She fell into thought, arms crossed.

After a while, she seemed to come up with an idea.

She dusted off her clothes and stood up.

“You promised!”

To be honest, I had no intention of keeping it.

But I nodded anyway.

Choi Seol-ah walked firmly toward the bridge.

Her long legs and posture made her look like a runway model.

When she reached the edge, she tested the wood with the tip of her foot.

The suspension bridge swayed like a writhing snake.

She swallowed hard and glanced at me from the corner of her eye.

Unmoved, I gestured toward the bridge with my chin.

“F-follow me closely! Your safety is in my hands!”

“Wow~, amazing~, let’s give her a round of applause.”

With a completely emotionless voice, Senior Ha-na responded.

Choi Seol-ah pounded her chest a few times, trying to gather courage, and took a big step forward.

Then, all of us, including myself, were left speechless.

“Guys, it’s safer than it looks!”

Without turning around, Choi Seol-ah waved her hand. Then she continued moving forward.

“……”

We fell silent, watching her.

No matter how brave she tried to appear…

Choi Seol-ah was crossing the bridge on all fours.

***

“Haah… haah…”

Saki Ryozo was breathing heavily.

There wasn’t a single muscle in her body that wasn’t numb from the damn magical energy.

She lifted her gaze slightly and looked ahead.

‘Leon… that damn lunatic.’

The curses rose to her throat, but she swallowed them back down.

She didn’t even have the strength to speak. Just staying on her feet was already a burden.

She shifted her gaze slightly.

Senior Erio Pine’s complexion was so pale she looked like she would faint at any moment.

She, too, had reached her physical limit.

Saki frowned and looked forward again.

‘If we keep up with that idiot Leon’s pace, we’ll die here.’

They had been walking nonstop for hours.

Thanks to that, they had quickly cleared the second trial and were nearing the end of the exam.

At this rate, it was obvious they would be the first to finish.

But Saki and Erio were completely wrecked. Their bodies were at their limit, and their legs no longer responded.

And to make matters worse, the third trial…

In front of them, a spiral staircase twisted along the wall, climbing up to a ceiling that was impossible to see with the naked eye.

A building so tall that each floor required climbing approximately a thousand steps.

A massive structure known as the Magic Tower, home to the demons of Gehenna.

Balor Joaquin, the academy’s founder, had recreated something similar in both size and structure.

Despite her exhaustion, Saki counted the steps in her head.

So far, they had climbed 4,897 steps without resting.

The tower itself pulsed as if it were alive, like a beating organism.

Every time they touched the walls, a sticky liquid oozed from them.

Saki had accidentally felt it on her own skin, and a shiver ran down her spine.

On top of that, the magical energy was even more intense than in the previous two trials.

Her endurance was quickly fading, like snow melting under the sun.

It was as if the tower was draining their vitality, feeding on them.

And yet, Leon, unfazed, continued climbing without hesitation. He didn’t care about the condition of his team, nor did he seem to have any intention of stopping.

Seeing that, Saki’s patience finally reached its limit.

“Hey, you…!”

Saki’s pale lips let out a furious growl.

Leon slowly turned his head back.

Erio Pine, panting heavily, glanced back and forth between Saki and Leon.

“What is it now?”

His voice was chillingly cold.

Leon’s eyes flickered with an icy glow, and an unsettling shiver ran through Saki’s veins, invading her entire body.

Cold sweat dripped down her cheek.

Then, suddenly, Leon averted his gaze, shook his head firmly, and his expression changed.

“Sorry, Saki. I think I’m too exhausted and got a little irritable.”

Leon added with an awkward smile.

“If we climb just a few more steps, we’ll reach the fifth floor. We can rest there.”

“……”

Saki didn’t respond.

She simply held his gaze in silence.

Her eyes, locked onto Leon’s, became as sharp as blades.

“Anyway, let’s give it one last push, guys. I’ll go up first to check the fifth floor. Take your time.”

With that, Leon climbed the stairs with light steps.

Saki watched him for a moment before turning away.

Erio Pine, completely drained, leaned against the sticky wall.

With her stomach churning, she kept gagging while the instructor anxiously tried to comfort her.

“We’re almost there. Please, just a little more effort.”

“…Haah, haah… Instructor, I really… I can’t walk anymore.”

Despite his words of encouragement, Erio shook her head, tears and saliva dripping down her face.

The instructor, with an awkward expression, didn’t know what to do.

That entire scene reflected in Saki’s eyes.

Step, step.

Saki slowly walked toward Erio.

She stopped right in front of her, then crouched down and turned her back to her.

“Get on my back, Senior.”

“Huh? But…”

“I’m the only one who can still move. Stop hesitating and get on before I change my mind. Just bending my knees is already killing me.”

After hesitating for a moment, Erio gave in and leaned her body onto Saki.

“Ugh… Ah…!”

The pain from the magical energy surged through Saki’s body, and now, with the added weight of another person, her suffering doubled.

On top of that, although Erio looked thin, her body felt as heavy as a block of iron.

“…Sorry. I must be really heavy.”

“Senior, when this exam is over, lose some weight… How can someone with just bones be this heavy?”

Biting her lower lip, Saki moved forward.

Sacrificing herself for someone else. She had never imagined doing something like this.

Suddenly, a face appeared in her mind. Someone who never hesitated to put their body on the line in the face of danger.

Saki smiled bitterly and tried to steady her shaky steps.

It was at that moment that Erio’s voice reached her ears in a low, whispering tone.

“…Hey, Saki.”

“Senior, if you say one more word, I’m going to drop dead. Let’s talk when w⎯”

—Thud.

A dagger plunged into Saki’s collarbone.

The blade sank deep, grazing her lung.

“Ugh…!”

Saki’s eyes shot open, trembling, as a muffled groan of pain escaped her lips.

And then, she collapsed forward.

Her forehead hit the steps, splitting open a wound. Blood trickled down in thin streams, painting her vision red.

With great effort, she moved her eyes back.

Through her blurry, crimson-tinted sight, she saw Erio Pine wearing a slow, malicious smile, while the instructor watched with his arms crossed.

Both of their eyes gleamed with a sinister light.

Moments later, Erio spoke in a calm voice.

“I was worried the whole way, afraid that Leon or you would catch on. But thanks to you making a fuss, everything went smoother than expected. Thanks~.”

“…Haah, haah…”

“Oh, and by the way, the dagger was coated with poison. Don’t even think about trying to move. That’ll only make you die faster.”

Erio patted Saki’s cheek.

Then, humming a tune, she turned to the instructor.

“Oh, right. Take her too. We wouldn’t want the little ones coming up behind us to get scared and run away at the sight of a corpse on the stairs.”

“Understood.”

The instructor grabbed Saki’s ankle and began dragging her up the stairs.

Blood soaked into the walls and steps as Saki’s vision grew darker and darker.

In the midst of her fading consciousness, one last image flashed through her mind.

‘…Geom-Ma…’

Her eyelashes trembled, and slowly, she closed her eyes.