Jeongtam
A trap that causes one to soar in the direction of movement, exploding the moment you leap into the air to increase your speed.
In that way, I shortened the remaining distance in an instant and flew to the summit of Mist Mountain.
It was a reckless method, but thanks to it, Yeon Haneul and I were able to reach the summit in time.
The moment I set foot on the ground, the Gate Watch that had automatically stopped displayed the time taken from the start of the exam to reaching the summit.
04:00:00
It had taken exactly 4 hours.
If we had been even 1 second late, we would have received a Grade 2 instead of Grade 1.
After checking the time, I relaxed and flopped down onto the ground.
*I couldn't do that twice....*
Feeling like I had to fly through the fog like a missile without any means of controlling it, without knowing what might be there, once was enough.
I didn't want to be a missile anymore.
Yeon Haneul seemed to be in a similar state.
"I-I'm never doing that again.... No, I can't. I don't want to...."
"Me too...."
"I thought I was going to die of fear. Do you know how hard it was to time the deceleration and landing?"
"Yeah, you worked hard."
Somehow, Yeon Haneul had ended up laying her head on my stomach and spoke in a voice close to tears.
I accepted her complaints and patted her head.
We lay like that for a moment before getting up.
The evaluators who determined the grade rankings were waiting near the gate.
"Examinee 1532, Examinee 5784. Both examinees have received Grade 1."
"Then can we leave now?"
"Yes. You may leave your Gate Watch and Screen Choker over there when you exit. The assistant officers waiting outside the gate will explain the third exam to you."
I was hungry and wanted to get out quickly and rest properly.
Yeon Haneul and I listened to the evaluator and exited the gate.
"…."
The blinding light disappeared.
When I came to my senses, we were already standing in front of the artificial gate.
An assistant officer approached.
"You've worked hard today. The third practical exam is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Please arrive at the designated location on time."
The assistant officer handed us printouts.
The printouts had the schedule and location of the third practical exam written on them.
9 AM, Chawon Hall Room 206.
"Haneul, where's yours?"
"I'm in Chawon Hall Room 206. What about you?"
"Me too. That's great."
It looked like we could take the exam together tomorrow as well.
After confirming the exam location, we soon decided to leave.
"The exam is over, let's go back to the hotel. I want to wash up quickly."
"Didn't you wash with purification magic?"
"Still, washing directly is different. It's uncomfortable to only wash with magic."
"Well, that's true. But it's evening.... Haneul, aren't you hungry?"
"Hungry? Now that you mention it, it's been quite a while since we ate lunch.... I'm hungry."
"Then shall we grab a bite on the way back to the hotel? Washing up can wait."
"Mm... It's a hassle to wash and go back out, so let's do that. I want to eat something other than hotel food too."
"Anything you want to eat?"
"I'm fine with anything."
"That's the hardest answer, you know?"
"Mm... Then something delicious!"
"Si-eun noona said there's a good gukbap place near the main gate, how about there? Especially the seolleongtang is supposed to be good."
"Seolleongtang? Hm... It's not bad, but isn't there anything else?"
"Then there's a good sundae-gukbap place...."
"Do you want to eat gukbap? Or do you only know gukbap?"
"Koreans run on rice. What's wrong with gukbap? It's hot and delicious."
"Sigh... Fine, let's go eat gukbap. If you want to eat it, we should go."
"Wait, let me ask Si-eun noona if there's anywhere else besides that."
She should be working as an assistant officer right now, so I didn't know if she could check her messages.
Still, I decided to send Do Si-eun a message just in case.
"Oh? She read it."
"What did she say?"
"Mm...."
Fortunately, Do Si-eun checked my message not long after I sent it.
I read the reply she sent.
[Do Si-eun]: Want to eat together if you have time? (cat wiggling tail holding fish emoticon)
"...She wants to eat together? What do you think? I'll introduce you to Si-eun noona this time."
"What? Mm... Okay, sounds good."
* * *
Brilliant Cafe, located within the grounds of Geumgang Academy, sharing its history.
In the game, this cafe had provided players with various information.
*Like which dungeon certain monsters were appearing in, or when specific items went up for auction....*
Besides that, if you stayed in the cafe, you could meet unexpected characters, or receive quests from characters in the cafe.
*There was even a request board where you could undertake quests at any time.*
In a way, Brilliant Cafe could be said to be content that helped the player grow the protagonist Gang Han-byeol and his party members outside of the main game story.
We were in that cafe now.
*It looks like a high-end restaurant rather than a cafe. As expected, it deserves to be called the old social gathering place of the elites.*
A three-story cafe with a classic atmosphere.
The cafe, surrounded by ivy and vegetation climbing its outer walls, had a garden inside that was no different from the outside.
Do Si-eun, who had promised to have dinner together, was waiting there.
She welcomed us.
"Welcome. The exam must have been tough?"
"It's been a while, noona. We said we'd eat together if we came to Academy City, and now we finally are."
"Right. Sorry, I've been so busy lately it was hard to make time."
"No need to apologize. I know you're busy as the student council president. I was also busy preparing for the qualification exam."
Five years had passed since I became close with Do Si-eun.
Compared to back then, she had grown much taller.
*I'm a bit taller now though.*
Not only that, but her atmosphere had changed as well.
No, I should say it had been refined.
The her who used to remind one of a dignified knight now exuded a much calmer and more mature atmosphere.
She now looked almost identical to her illustration in the game.
"Thanks for understanding."
Then Do Si-eun smiled.
Was it because I was her cousin?
Unlike her in the game, the Do Si-eun I had known for 5 years often showed a smile.
Soon her blue eyes turned toward Yeon Haneul, who was beside me.
"You're Haneul, right? The disciple of the Witch of Seven Colors. I heard about you from Gyeon-u often."
"Hello, unnie. I'm Yeon Haneul. I've heard a lot about you too."
"Feel free to speak comfortably. Gyeon-u does too. I prefer it that way."
"Okay... If you're okay with that, unnie."
It was the first meeting between Do Si-eun and Yeon Haneul.
The two, who had known about each other through me, greeted each other amicably.
*I was worried Haneul might be shy around strangers, but I'm glad.*
Perhaps because I had occasionally told her about Do Si-eun,
Contrary to my expectations, Yeon Haneul showed no particular wariness toward her.
Rather, she called her unnie without hesitation and treated her familiarly.
Her gaze toward Do Si-eun was extremely favorable.
I felt pleased for no reason.
"Come to think of it, we haven't ordered. You must be hungry. Order whatever you want. It's on me."
"Wow! I'll eat well, unnie!"
"What's good here?"
"Everything they sell here is good, but... I eat this often."
"...Cheese pork cutlet?"
"Yeah. It's good here."
Brilliant Cafe provided meals as well as beverages.
We looked over the menu.
"I'll have the cheese pork cutlet."
"Haneul?"
"I'll have the same as unnie."
"Then I'll go with this."
"Hamburg steak?"
"Ah, that's good too."
"Then I'll have this."
"Pick drinks too, kids."
After deciding our orders like that,
We chatted until the food arrived.
"So noona, during the first exam, were you the one glaring from behind telling the examinees not to laugh?"
"Ah, yeah.... I couldn't let people working hard become a laughingstock."
"Many must have fainted."
"Not many... I think?"
"Did you count?"
"About... 14 or so?"
"That's a lot of fainted people."
"Ah, I see."
"Hey, I don't think that's a lot? Unnie, in our exam hall there were more than that...."
"Haneul, that's a lie...."
"Hm? What did you say?"
"That you're right."
Since Yeon Haneul and I were examinees and Do Si-eun was an assistant officer, our conversation was inevitably dominated by exam-related topics.
Then our ordered food came out.
"Wow, the cheese stretches really long?"
"That's why students who come here post on social media showing how much the cheese stretches. It seems to stretch all the way to the ceiling."
"To the ceiling? Really?"
"I'll show you pictures next time. Ah, your number...."
"Tell me your number, unnie. I'll save it."
While eating dinner, Yeon Haneul and Do Si-eun exchanged phone numbers.
I silently put hamburg steak in my mouth, being the one who already had their numbers.
*It's delicious.*
I could see why Gang Han-byeol liked this cafe's hamburg steak in the game.
If I passed, I thought I'd come here often.
That aside.
*Cheese pork cutlet with Si-eun noona....*
I felt bad for Do Si-eun, but it didn't match her image at all.
Watching her cut the cheese pork cutlet formally made me feel like laughing.
Then, my eyes met hers.
"Want to try one?"
Without knowing how I felt,
Do Si-eun tilted her head.
Soon she held out the cheese pork cutlet she had just cut to me.
I held back a laugh and said,
"Then I'll give you one of mine too. Here."
"Ah, trade with me too."
One for Do Si-eun, one for Yeon Haneul.
I handed each of them a piece of my share and took the cheese pork cutlet.
*This is delicious too.*
When I bit into the pork cutlet, the cheese inside stretched long without breaking.
I felt like it would get sickening if I ate too much, but the rich cheese flavor was good.
"It was delicious. I think I'll come here often."
"Me too."
"I'm glad you found it tasty. When you come here, it's best to avoid lunch and dinner hours if possible. It's hard to get a seat then."
Due to the exam, Yeon Haneul, Do Si-eun, and I couldn't stay long.
So without moving seats, we decided to spend time drinking beverages.
Then a thought struck me.
"Noona."
"Yeah."
"As an assistant officer, don't you know anything about tomorrow's exam?"
"We don't host the exam, so we don't know anything about it. We only hear about it right before the exam. Even if we knew, we couldn't tell you."
"Tch."
"But since I don't know anything."
"...?"
"I think I can give you advice about the exam."
"What kind of advice?"
"Considering the format of today's first and second exams, for the third exam...."
"…."
Do Si-eun drew the Suyeon Sword at her waist.
Our faces reflected on its pure white blade.
"I think they'll ask about this."
Do Si-eun manifested mana within her body.
Mana imbued the Suyeon Sword.
"...Water droplets?"
Water droplets formed around the blade.
Blue water droplets, red water droplets.
The differently colored water droplets floated around us.
* * *
January nights are long.
Examinee number 3452.
By the time the examinee finished the second practical exam and left Geumgang Academy, the day had already set and pitch-black night had fallen.
"To think there's another exam tomorrow...."
The examinee sighed.
Geumgang Academy's entrance practical exam went up to the 5th round.
Having received the lowest grade in the second exam, they couldn't be confident they would last until then.
Worries only grew.
"Isn't this too hard...."
Tired. Hungry. Don't know.
For now, let's return to the lodging and rest well in preparation for tomorrow's exam.
Passing under the lights of the high-rise buildings.
The examinee headed straight to the lodging in the most underdeveloped area of District 23.
If asked why they chose lodging far from Geumgang Academy, in a place with poor security and that was underdeveloped, there were largely two reasons.
Because the prices were damn expensive.
Because they had no money.
Examinees who couldn't receive much sponsorship had no choice but to secure lodging here.
"Why are there so many cockroaches? What kind of academy city is this...."
Starting from the point of passing a certain road, the surroundings changed.
Passing under extinguished streetlights.
There was no one walking around besides themselves.
The surroundings were so dark.
Someone seemed to be watching.
Someone seemed to be following.
Click.
No.
It wasn't just a feeling.
The examinee clearly heard the sound.
"…."
Someone was watching.
Someone was following.
The examinee quickly turned their head.
There was nothing.
"...Let's hurry back."
For some reason, the feeling wasn't good.
Instinct rang an alarm.
The examinee began to run faster than before, without looking back.
They hoped it was their imagination.
Click-clack.
But the footsteps continued to follow.
The sound of heeled shoes stepping echoed in the maze-like alley.
Click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack.
Click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack-click-clack....
When those sounds abruptly cut off.
"…."
Half-panicked and fleeing, the examinee had entered a dead end.
Then, a sound was heard from behind.
Click.
That sound again.
In the end, it had chased them all the way here.
With a face filled with fear, the examinee slowly turned around.
"…."
There was a woman.
A woman in revealing clothes giggled at the examinee.
"W-who are you...?"
"Me? A villain who'll devour you."
The woman ran her tongue up her finger.
Immediately after.
Countless threads unfolded around the examinee.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss