Chapter 95: Final Exam (5)

“…What is this?”

Unconsciously, I rubbed the back of my neck.

The hairs on my body stood on end for no apparent reason.

An unknown and ominous sensation ran through me before fading away.

‘Is this magical power?’

But it felt different.

It was as if someone were calling me from far away.

Like the faint ripple on the surface of water after a sudden disturbance.

As I ran my hand along my arm to shake off the goosebumps, Rachel spoke to me.

“Is something wrong? Why do you have that look on your face? Did you drop something while we crossed the bridge?”

“…No, it’s not that. I felt like I heard a voice. Rachel, didn’t you hear it?”

Rachel tilted her head and replied,

“A voice? I didn’t hear anything. Maybe it was just the sound of those bubbles popping in that crazy lake? Now that I think about it, I bet more than a few people have died in there… It’s like those internet horror stories, you know? ‘I heard the voice of a little girl who died in the third stall of the bathroom…’ Something like that. Hehe. Oh wow, Geom-Ma, don’t tell me you’re a scaredy-cat? If you’re afraid, just say the word and this noona will protect you.”

“……”

Rachel teased, pointing below the bridge we had crossed. I sighed.

‘Did I hear wrong?’

I shook off the unnecessary thoughts and looked ahead.

Rachel seemed to have recovered, only wiping away sweat.

Senior Ha-na, on the other hand, calmly adjusted her glasses and cleaned the lenses.

Only Instructor Choi Seol-ah was sprawled out on the ground, arms and legs spread out like a star, gasping for air.

“Ugh… ugh… I can’t go on anymore!”

Choi Seol-ah whined with a long groan before throwing a full-blown tantrum.

She seemed to have completely forgotten she was surrounded by cadets, flailing her arms and legs without a care for her dignity.

She reminded me of those cartoon scenes where the crybaby kid screams.

“I don’t wanna go, waaah!”

Rachel looked at Choi Seol-ah with pure disgust.

“Is this really an instructor? The way she talks and acts is like a little kid.”

Internally, I agreed with Rachel, but I didn’t say it out loud.

As pathetic as her behavior was, Choi Seol-ah had mustered the courage to cross the bridge, allowing us to arrive within the time limit.

That didn’t mean she was free from responsibility for everything she had done.

Nor did I believe she felt any real remorse.

She had no conscience or shame, so regretting her actions was impossible.

I would continue treating her like a dog.

The only thing keeping her obedient was her fear of what I might do to her.

That single thought had made her crawl across the bridge.

Even so, I felt like I should say something.

I was slowly learning that people (or dogs?) move when given the right motivation.

I approached Choi Seol-ah and spoke in a low voice.

“Good job.”

“…Huh?”

Choi Seol-ah stared at me in silence for a long time. Her violet pupils were wide open.

“Did you go deaf? I said good job.”

“……”

Hearing me, Choi Seol-ah’s lips and eyes started to tremble.

A slight wetness appeared in her eyes, as if one more word might make the tears spill over.

‘…What’s with her?’

“Huuup!”

Choi Seol-ah shut her eyes tightly and suddenly jumped to her feet with an energetic shout.

She shook her body as if to shake off a shiver before dusting off her clothes.

“Leave it to me, Geom-Ma-nim!”

With that, she strode past me and took the lead of the group.

In an instant, she was already twenty meters ahead, waving at us to hurry up.

Rachel, confused, turned to me with a puzzled look.

“Geom-Ma, what did you say to make her suddenly take off like that? I saw her shaking every time you spoke to her before. Don’t tell me you bribed her or something.”

“…Do I look like I have money to be handing out bribes?”

“Hehe, well, you’ve got a point.”

“……”

Rachel gave me a mocking smile, like she had caught me off guard.

Words without malicious intent tend to sting the most.

Watching her laugh, I shot her a glare.

She just shrugged and ran off, her golden hair fluttering in the wind.

When she reached Choi Seol-ah’s side, she also started waving her arms.

Choi Seol-ah narrowed her eyes at her.

Rachel stared right back.

Between the two of them, small blue sparks seemed to crackle in the air.

Then, at the same time, both scoffed and turned their heads in opposite directions.

“They get along well after all.”

It was then that Senior Ha-na casually commented as she walked up beside me.

I nodded.

“Well, deep down, it’s all Geom-Ma’s fault. You’re a man with many sins.”

“……?”

Just as I was about to ask what she meant, Senior Ha-na calmly kept walking.

A mysterious smile played on her lips.

I blinked, watching her back as she walked away.

The words “many sins” echoed in my mind, but I stopped thinking about it and kept moving forward.

We had already cleared two trials.

Only the last one remained.

“Damn it… Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”

Though a sense of excitement and anticipation was growing in my chest, I couldn’t shake off this unsettling feeling.

***

At that moment.

Outside the special area, the cadets were scattered, their faces pale and gaunt.

Some managed to remain seated, which was already an achievement, while most lay collapsed, trying to catch their breath however they could.

Among them, a cadet with two-toned hair was breathing heavily, trying to settle his churning stomach.

He was a sturdy guy but had little tolerance for things like this. Speedweapon.

His cheeks puffed out, and in an instant, his tightly closed lips burst open like a broken dam.

“Uuweeuweuweuweueeugh.”

Seeing him vomit, the surrounding cadets grimaced in disgust before following his example.

Thus, the vomit festival spread like an epidemic.

It was the typical reaction of those without resistance to magical energy.

“Haah… haah…”

After emptying his stomach completely, Speedweapon collapsed onto the ground with a sigh.

Annoyed, he yanked his tie loose with a sharp tug.

“Damn it.”

He had just thrown up the equivalent of an entire pizza, so now his stomach was empty.

As he massaged his abdomen and looked around, a familiar voice called out to him.

“Speedweapon-nim!”

“Huh? What is it? Did your team already come out, Chloe?”

“…Yeah, we ran out of time at the first checkpoint.”

“Well, that’s still impressive. Our team got eliminated just wandering in circles in that damn forest. Just thinking about it makes me dizzy again.”

Speedweapon pinched his nose in frustration. The fresh air only made his nausea worse.

It was the dizziness caused by the extreme difference between the inside and outside of the special area.

Meanwhile, Chloe turned her head from side to side before speaking.

“It looks like Kang Geom-Ma and Saki-ssi are still inside.”

“Yeah, the first thing I did when I came to was look for them, but they weren’t here. I don’t know about Saki, but the club leader has black hair—he’s easy to spot. If I didn’t see him, it means they haven’t come out yet.”

Speedweapon shrugged as he spoke. Hearing that, a mix of emotions crossed Chloe’s face.

“…Geom-Ma, will he be okay?”

“Chloe, you’ve spent more time with him than anyone else, and you’re asking that? You know worrying about him is pointless. Geom-Ma will manage. What worries me is…”

Speedweapon trailed off.

For someone who always had something to say, it was rare for him to fall silent.

Of course, he had no doubts about Kang Geom-Ma.

But when he thought about Saki Ryozo, who had been assigned to the team of the hero candidate Leon, an unfamiliar sense of unease crept into his mind.

Leon had always been regarded as a reliable leader.

But for some reason, that idea unsettled him even more.

Speedweapon reflected on Leon.

The prodigy who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Even from another man’s perspective, he was undeniably handsome, with an impeccable personality and an ever-polite demeanor.

If he had to describe him in one word, it would be:

A blank sheet of paper.

He didn’t belong to anything, wasn’t tainted by anything.

Depending on how he was colored, he could tilt toward the light or the dark.

Speedweapon lifted his gaze.

Dong… dong…

As the bell of the Blue Tower rang, the massive stone door creaked open, spitting out cadets.

The ones who had just returned to reality staggered before vomiting, just as he had earlier.

Speedweapon wrinkled his nose at the sight.

He wanted to look away, but reconsidering, he stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes.

After spending two months with Kang Geom-Ma, he had learned something.

Instead of worrying needlessly, it was better to clear the mind and take action.

And right now, he had something to do.

“Chloe, let’s go.”

“Huh? Where to?”

“We need to hunt villains. We got out early, yeah, but that means we have free time. Let’s do what we can.”

Speedweapon grinned.

Chloe stared at him for a moment before breaking into a small smile.

“Speed-nim, you’re starting to sound more and more like Geom-Ma.”

Feeling oddly embarrassed, Speedweapon scratched the back of his head.

Then Chloe, her expression lighting up, suddenly exclaimed,

“There are only 30 minutes left before the professors’ office closes! I’m going ahead, so hurry up, Speed-nim!”

Before he could even finish processing her words, Chloe was already leaping swiftly from branch to branch.

Within seconds, she had become nothing more than a speck in his vision.

Speedweapon muttered bitterly.

“…Chloe, when are you going to learn my name correctly…?”

***

Thirty minutes of climbing the endless staircase of the third trial.

It seemed like we were close to the end, but looking at the steps stretching up to the tower’s peak, I could only sigh.

‘Damn it, why did this turn into mountain climbing at the very end?’

I turned my head back.

“Haah… haah… This place is insane.”

“Just a little more, Rachel. Hang in there a bit longer.”

Rachel, staggering as if her soul were about to leave her body, barely remained standing as Senior Ha-na held onto her shoulder, trying to console her.

However, Senior Ha-na wasn’t in much better shape either.

Both of them, their faces pale and drained of color, could barely drag their feet.

And for good reason.

Just when it seemed like we had adjusted to this hellish environment, a wave of magical energy hit us like a tsunami the moment we stepped inside.

Even Choi Seol-ah, who had held out until now, let out a weak groan from the intensity.

‘Tch.’

Balor Joaquin truly had a twisted personality.

This wasn’t just a replica of the Magic Tower in Gehenna—it seemed like he had literally dug up the damn thing and planted it here.

This wasn’t dedication. This was pure insanity.

Even so, I was the only one still relatively fine.

Though the dry air parched my lips, I just needed to run my tongue over them.

I didn’t know what was up with my body, but it was definitely not normal.

Step, step.

We climbed the tower at a steady pace.

Each time we reached a new floor, we took a five-minute break before continuing.

Before entering the tower, I had noticed only four sets of footprints at the entrance.

That meant our team was in second place.

Even if we weren’t the first, making it this far was already an achievement.

Besides, my teammates weren’t in the best condition.

Pushing them further would be pointless.

I was willing to accept second place.

Impatience only led to trouble. If I were alone, it would be different, but there was no point in exhausting the entire team.

As I emptied my mind and focused solely on moving my legs, I recalled the endless marches from my army days.

With all our combat gear weighing us down, we sang at the top of our lungs as we marched.

‘Compared to that, this is just a stroll.’

Just as my thoughts cleared completely and my muscles moved almost automatically, a wet, unpleasant sound snapped me out of my focus.

My steps halted as a sticky sensation spread beneath my foot.

That slimy, revolting texture wasn’t unfamiliar.

I slowly lifted my foot off the ground, and something caught my attention.

A thick, dark red string stretched from the sole of my shoe to the step.

…Blood?

The slight relief I had been feeling instantly turned into overwhelming tension.

My eyes instinctively darted upward.

Crash crunch—!

As if responding to my suspicion, the sound of flesh tearing echoed from above, reverberating through the tower’s hollow interior.

My instincts reacted before my mind.

I sprinted forward on reflex.

“¡G-Geom-Ma-nim!”

Choi Seol-ah’s confused voice called out from behind me.

She hesitated for a moment before saying something quickly to Rachel and Senior Ha-na, then dashed after me.

I leapt up the stairs four at a time, ignoring the risks.

One misstep would mean falling into the void, but I didn’t have time to calculate.

The pounding of my heart thundered in my ears.

Tap.

A new floor came into view.

I launched myself forward with all my strength, reaching the next level in less than thirty seconds after climbing over a hundred steps.

Breathing heavily, I lifted my gaze. And at that moment, my pupils widened. Even my racing heartbeat froze.

A cadet with pink hair and an instructor with narrowed eyes stood oddly in the middle of the scene.

“Oh, well, looks like we have a guest already.”

The pink-haired girl slowly turned her head toward me while firmly gripping Leon’s right arm.

As our eyes met, a lazy smile spread across her face.

“Give me a moment, I just need to finish this first.”

Crack!

With a firm squeeze, she crushed Leon’s arm, the sound of tearing flesh echoing through the air.

Leon let out a scream of pain before his head slumped forward, his body limp.

Blood splattered onto the girl’s cheek. She wiped it off with her finger and licked it.

My gaze involuntarily shifted to the edge of my vision.

A girl with light blue hair was looking at me with half-lidded eyes.

“…Geom… Ma…”

My pupils, trembling as if shaken by an earthquake, lowered slightly.

A knife was buried to the hilt in Ryozo’s collarbone.

Her trembling voice carried a palpable desperation.

“…Save… me…”

Those were her last words before her head slumped forward.