Crack—!
“Insane….”
With a monstrous sound, twenty stone slabs shattered into powder all at once and scattered through the air.
For an instant, silence fell over the entire testing ground.
The jeers and snickering from moments ago vanished as if they had been a lie.
Everyone’s gaze fixed on one place.
On the remains of the stone slabs I had just destroyed.
No, to be precise, on the惨 ruin left where the slabs had been.
The platform itself had split in half and was hanging loose, and even the floor beneath it had been gouged deep, spiderweb cracks spreading out in every direction.
Dust billowed up thickly and obscured the view, but the overwhelming destructive power was clear to anyone’s eyes.
“Wh-what is that?”
“That’s impossible….”
“He didn’t just break the slabs, did he? Even the platform….”
The murmuring that burst from the audience was on an entirely different level from before.
I clenched and unclenched my trembling fist as I caught my breath.
‘Phew….’
The back of my hand throbbed, but the exhilaration was even greater.
To think this was my strength.
I was no longer the man called a loser in the octagon.
At least in this moment, I was stronger than anyone.
“Taesan-nim!”
Yustia ran over and grabbed my arm.
Her eyes were blazing with excitement.
“Did you see that? Their faces!”
She whispered.
“Now no one will be able to look down on us.”
Even the proctor stood there blankly, unable to close his mouth.
With trembling hands, he lifted the score sheet and stammered.
“Number 91… Yustia Rosenhart’s summoned beast… de-destructive power measurement… full marks.”
His voice shook violently.
At those words, the testing ground stirred.
“Full marks?”
“Is that even possible for a human? Isn’t a perfect score something only a dragon can get?”
“If you got hit once with that kind of strength….”
I heard someone gulp.
I slowly turned my head and looked at Yustia.
She was smiling brightly.
That smile held certainty and pride beyond mere joy.
“Let’s go, Taesan-nim.”
She led me by the hand.
We walked out of the testing ground with confidence.
The gazes pouring into our backs were no longer ridicule.
They were awe, and fear.
I clenched my fist tightly.
This is only the beginning.
With this power, I will survive and return home no matter what.
And Yustia, I’ll make sure to put you at the very top.
“You worked hard.”
Yustia said softly.
“Thanks to you.”
I grinned.
***
“It looks like I have to leave my summoned beast here before I go, Taesan-nim.”
“Excuse me?”
“The intelligence test is only taken by the summoner herself, so there’s no helping it. I’ll be right back!”
“Wait, hold on….”
Before I could finish speaking, she trotted off without even looking back.
“……Huh.”
The heavy sound of the iron-barred door shutting firmly rang in my ears.
I stared blankly after her for a while, then slowly turned my head and looked around.
It was, quite literally, an animal kingdom.
To my right, an enormous brown bear lay sprawled belly-down on the floor, snoring, and to my left, some shaggy wolf was scratching violently at the bars and howling.
Across from me, a three-eyed monkey was peeling a banana and throwing the peel in my direction.
“Kiiik! Kik!”
The monkey bared its teeth at me and mocked me.
“Haha….”
A hollow laugh escaped me on its own.
Where the hell am I right now?
A waiting room for summoned beasts?
No, this is just a zoo cage.
There was even a thick layer of straw spread across the floor, and in the corner sat an enormous sandbox labeled “For Excretion.”
‘Is this really right?’
I plopped down and raked my hand through the straw.
Even back when I was a fighter, I’d complained that the waiting room was cramped.
But I never dreamed I’d end up sharing a room with a bear and a wolf.
That was when it happened.
“Grrrr….”
The brown bear beside me suddenly opened its eyes and lumbered toward me with its massive body.
Its nose poked through the bars and began sniffing at my scent.
“Why…?”
I instinctively backed away.
But the bear tapped the water bowl outside the bars with its front paw and pushed it toward me.
“Gwoooong.”
“…Thanks, man.”
I let out a dumbfounded chuckle.
As if it understood me, the bear nodded, then flopped back down and went to sleep again.
The monkey on the other side was now getting ready to throw not a banana peel, but poop.
“Hey, don’t throw that. I’m serious, you’ll die.”
I threatened the monkey and raised my fist.
The monkey flinched, then quietly hid the poop behind its back and pretended not to know anything.
‘Haa….’
I leaned my back against the wall and let out a deep sigh.
A former mixed martial artist and current summoned beast.
And now, reduced to a zoo monkey.
My life sure is spectacular.
I hugged my knees and stared blankly at the water bowl the bear had pushed over.
From beyond the bars came the clomp, clomp of military boots.
It was the security guard on patrol.
Wearing an old uniform and sporting a bushy beard, he casually scanned the inside of the cage, then locked eyes with me, crouched on the pile of straw.
“……?”
The man’s eyes went wide.
He shone the lantern he was holding on my face and rubbed his eyes.
“Hey! Student! What are you doing in there!”
He banged on the bars.
The brown bear sleeping beside me startled and flinched.
“The exam has started, hasn’t it? Why are you crouching in there all alone? Hurry up and get out!”
“Ah… no, I’m supposed to be here.”
I waved weakly.
“What are you talking about? Ah, is that it? A summoned-beast trainer hired by some noble young masters? Even so, it’s against the rules. It’s dangerous in here. There are summoned beasts everywhere. Do you have no fear?”
The man clicked his tongue and pulled a ring of keys from his waist.
Clack, clack.
“We’re keeping watch, so it’s fine. Hurry up and come out before we feed the beasts.”
“No. That’s not it….”
I let out a deep sigh and lightly kicked the water bowl the bear had pushed toward me.
“I’m a summoned beast.”
“What?”
The man’s hand stopped in midair.
“I mean… I’m the summoned beast.”
“What…?”
He stared at me blankly with his mouth open.
I shrugged and patted the back of the brown bear lying beside me.
“He and I are classmates.”
“Gwoooong.”
The brown bear yawned widely, as if annoyed.
The man looked back and forth between the bear and me, then stepped backward as though he had witnessed the laws of the world collapse.
“Well, damn…. They say the world’s gone mad these days. Guess you’re a student who’s not quite right in the head. Then just sit quietly in there. Don’t go provoking the summoned beasts and getting hurt.”
The man looked at me once more with pity in his eyes, then trudged away.
At the look on his face, as if he were dealing with an incurable patient, I lost even the strength to respond.
“…Thank you.”
I stared blankly at the single ray of sunlight coming through the bars.
Beside me, the brown bear started snoring again.
Its fur brushed against my shoulder and tickled.
‘Haa….’
I leaned my back against the wall and let out a deep sigh.
How much time had passed in that place?
One by one, shadows began to lengthen beyond the bars.
Students who had finished their exams started streaming into the summoned-beast holding area.
“Oh, my Ppoppi! Did you eat?”
“Good boy, good boy. You waited a long time, didn’t you?”
Students called to their summoned beasts in front of the cages and rejoiced at their reunions.
Dogs, cats, wolves, eagles, bears…. All sorts of beast-type summoned creatures cried out to welcome their masters.
‘I have an owner too….’
I hugged my knees and sat crouched, waiting only for Yustia to come.
That was when it happened.
“Taesan-nim!”
I heard a familiar voice.
I snapped my head up.
In the distance, Yustia was running toward me, waving her hand.
Her face was flushed, and her eyes were sparkling.
“Taesan-nim! I’m here!”
She stopped in front of the bars and panted for breath.
“How was the exam? Did you do well?”
When I asked, she grinned and gave me a thumbs-up.
“Of course! It was perfect!”
“That’s a relief.”
I let out a sigh of relief and stood up.
But the iron-barred door was firmly locked.
“Um… could you open the door?”
I said, pointing at the bars.
Then Yustia stood on tiptoe and tried to pat my head.
“Oh, there, there, our Taesan-nim. Were you very bored? What a good boy.”
“…….”
I stared at her in disbelief.
“Excuse me. I’m not a dog.”
“Ah, right. I’m sorry. It’s become a habit.”
Yustia smiled awkwardly and took out the key.
Clack.
The heavy iron-barred door opened.
I said farewell to the bear, the wolf, and the monkey, then stepped outside.
“Take care, friends.”
“Grrrr.”
The brown bear growled as if reluctant to see me go.
“Let’s go, Taesan-nim. Only the results announcement is left now.”
Yustia led me by the hand.
We walked through the crowd of students and summoned beasts.
The surrounding gazes turned toward us.
“Look at that. It’s that human summoned beast from earlier.”
“It really is him. Was he in there with the bear?”
“Crazy, is he seriously being treated like an animal?”
I heard the whispers, but I forced myself to ignore them.
It was about time I got used to it anyway.
“Don’t mind them, Taesan-nim. The results will say everything. For one thing, I think I got full marks on the exam too.”
At the announcement that rang out through the loudspeaker, the eyes of the murmuring students all turned toward the electronic board.
“The list of successful applicants has been posted!”
Names rapidly scrolled across the large screen.
[First Place: Ailex - Overall A+]
[Second Place: Vejina Ballard - Overall A+] ...
Every time the names at the very top were called, cheers and sighs crossed over one another.
Yustia clasped her hands tightly together and stared intently at the screen.
“Please… please….”
Her lips trembled faintly.
Before I knew it, strength had entered my fists.
Zero points in mana, and speed below expectations. But in destructive power, we had hit an immeasurable level.
On top of that, Yustia had been confident about the written exam, so I believed we were more than safely within the passing range.
The scroll moved lower and lower.
A rank…
B+ rank….
Yustia’s expression gradually stiffened.
And finally.
[No. 91 Yustia Rosenhart - Overall B-]
[Failed]