Suhan was nowhere to be seen at breakfast. Wondering if he was still asleep, Hayun opened his door, but Suhan was not in his room.
“Teacher, did Suhan go somewhere?”
When Hayun asked, the teacher replied that he had gone out to exercise in preparation for the test.
The other kids were surprised to hear that sleepyhead Lee Suhan was exercising first thing in the morning.
“What kind of test is it that he’s preparing from this early?”
At that, the teacher answered that it was because of the ability user selection test held by the Tigers, and said that with only about a week left until the test, he was hurrying to prepare.
‘Step, step.’
“It’s been a while since I came out this early in the morning.”
The test is divided into three parts.
First: ability measurement.
Second: physical fitness examination.
Third: practical combat test.
The cutoff line is 200 points in total, but even if you fall short, you can make up points through an additional test.
But since Team Leader Kang Suhyeok said he was expecting things from me, I have to pass in one go without failing.
“Whew... Let’s begin.”
First, I’ll warm up by walking briskly around the park running course fifty times,
then run another fifty laps at full sprint to build up my stamina.
‘Tat-tat-tat-tat!’
I’ve grown somewhat used to my abilities while fighting monsters,
and since I only need to use one during the test, there shouldn’t be any major problem with the ability evaluation.
“This is the first time I’ve run this early in the morning.”
Normally, I’d still be wrapped up in my blanket, sleeping soundly,
but coming outside like this to exercise made me feel that my life was gradually changing.
“The kids must be on their way to school by now.”
Then I saw students in the distance heading to school.
“.........”
Normally, I would also be wearing a school uniform right now, going to school together with the others,
but after what happened in middle school, I decided not to attend school anymore.
“Whew... In ten minutes, I’ll run at full sprint.”
After hydrating, I kept stretching and loosening up,
and when the time passed, I began running fifty laps at full sprint.
***
A ruined building without even a single ant in sight.
Fer glared at Ars, who was wearing a white cloak, and spoke.
“You... what did you just say?”
When he spoke with killing intent in his eyes, Ars answered.
“I said I don’t want to be together with a bug like you.”
“Get out of my territory this instant.”
When Ars spoke without even meeting his eyes, Fer drew his weapon.
‘Shing—’
“Well, that works out perfectly.”
“I didn’t want to be with someone like you either, so I’ll kill you right here and now.”
‘Clack.’
“You should still have days left to live, yet you’re inviting death upon yourself.”
‘Whoooooosh.’
In an instant, the inside of the building was filled with white fog, making it impossible to see ahead.
But the two men’s gazes flashed within the mist, and just as they slowly aimed their weapons—
‘Clack.’
‘Creeeeak......’
The door opened, and the fog that had filled the room vanished in an instant.
‘Tap... tap...’
“Oh my, oh my... Have I interrupted your time together?”
A man dressed as a butler stroked his mustache and spoke.
The two men, who had been facing off as if they would kill each other just moments ago, put away their weapons, and Fer spoke first.
“What brings you here, Lord Ryuke?”
Ryuke delivered the message to the two of them.
“The higher-ups have assigned a mission to you both.”
“In two months, you are to take the completed specimen and the Void and retrieve the Etheride on Jigyeongsan.”
At those words, Fer asked if that meant he had to go together with Ars.
“The Tiger may come as well, so that would be best.”
“The two of you work well together, after all.”
But Ars politely refused.
“I apologize, Lord Ryuke.”
“I do not wish to go together with this one.”
“If anything, I believe it would be better for me to go alone.”
Then Fer sneered that if he went alone, he would only become food for the Tiger,
and Ars once again released killing intent, saying it would be no different for him.
As they continued glaring at each other as if they would kill one another, Ryuke persuaded them with a proposal.
“Then how about this?”
“The two of you start from different points and compete to see who retrieves it first.”
At the word “compete,” Fer asked whether there were any rules, and Ryuke said it did not matter what method they used; the one who brought it back first would be the winner.
“Now that I think about it, there should be a prize for the winner, shouldn’t there?”
When Ryuke said he would give the winner ten percent of the power extracted from the Etheride,
Fer raised a smile and said that power would be his.
“Then I shall look forward to it.”
After he bowed politely and left, Fer slowly turned his head and spoke to Ars.
“This works out well. Now we’ll know for certain which of us stands above the other.”
At those words, Ars glared at him without saying a word, then vanished along with the fog.
***
D-4 until the selection test.
“Huff...! Huff......!”
“The last lap...!”
Even for an ability user, one hundred laps isn’t easy.
My stamina is a little lacking too, but if I get into the Tigers,
I’ll have to endure training even harsher than this.
“I need to build up my stamina more....”
After finishing all one hundred laps, I was sitting down to rest when an old man on the bench beside me smiled and spoke to me.
“You’ve got stamina like an ox, you do.”
“You’ve been runnin’ nonstop for a while now. Are you trainin’ to be an athlete?”
At that question, I answered that I was preparing for a test.
When he asked what kind of test it was that had me running so hard,
I answered that I was preparing for the ability user selection test taking place next month.
“Huh?? Ability user selection test??”
“The one that Tiger place does?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ll be. So you were an ability user?”
“No wonder you kept on runnin’ all by yourself while everyone else got tired and rested. I didn’t even realize.”
“I can’t fall behind once I get in.”
“So I’m running hard now.”
“That’s right. If you work hard at anything, it’ll all work out.”
With his cheerful way of speaking, the old man told me about
all sorts of big and small incidents from when he was young. He said those days had been truly difficult,
but because the Tigers existed, the present existed as well,
and added that he had always respected the Tigers deep in his heart.
“Oh, look at the time already.”
“I’ll be heading off first, student.”
“I’ll be cheering for you to pass that test.”
Having learned what sorts of things had happened in the past, I got up and returned home.
“Will I be able to do well on the test....”
They said it wasn’t that difficult, but that was something I’d only know after experiencing it myself.
***
“Team Leader, here is this week’s incident and accident report.”
“Good work.”
“Yes, then I’ll be heading out first.”
‘Clack.’
As soon as the employee left, Choi Minsu came inside and greeted Kang Suhyeok.
“Team Leader, aren’t you going home?”
“I’ll go after I finish handling these.”
Choi Minsu looked at the stacks of documents piled on the desk and said,
“These...... can you finish them today?”
“I don’t think you could even with overtime.”
“I’ll just do as much as I can.”
“If you have nothing to do, you help too.”
“Yes, yes.”
Choi Minsu slowly sat down in a chair and helped organize the documents.
“How many do you think will be selected this time?”
When he asked how many people Kang Suhyeok thought would pass the ability user selection test,
Kang Suhyeok answered calmly.
“Who knows. I imagine it’ll be about the same as last time.”
“I see.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of talented people come in this time too.”
And so, with two cups of coffee, the work continued, the sky darkened, and evening arrived.
“Hmm? Isn’t this friend the one you scouted, Team Leader?”
When Choi Minsu showed him a document, Kang Suhyeok nodded and answered.
“That’s right. If he passes this test, I’m thinking of bringing him into my unit.”
“He’s young, but he’s an extremely good prospect.”
“Wow~ A seventeen-year-old taking the selection test... Will that be all right?”
“I did hear that the General Team Leader and the Chairman gave their permission.”
Kang Suhyeok answered that he already had experience,
so his skills should be at a certain level.
“If Team Leader Kang says so,”
“then there’s no need to worry.”
Before long, the document sorting was finished, and Choi Minsu told him to go home first.
“I’m on duty today, so I have to stay here.”
“All right. Thanks for helping.”
“Then I’ll be heading out first.”
“Yes~ Get home safely.”
After Kang Suhyeok left the office, Choi Minsu checked the test roster again.
“Hmm... It’s a shame, a real shame. It would’ve been nice if I’d found him first.”
Choi Minsu smiled as he looked at Lee Suhan’s image in the documents.
-
***
‘Beep beep beep.’
‘Beep beep beep.’
“Mm... What time is it....”
Jiyoung moved her hand around, grabbed her phone, and checked the time.
AM 07:50
“Huh?......”
“I’m late!!”
Realizing she had overslept, Jiyoung hurriedly opened her door, rushed out, and went into the bathroom.
‘Swaaaaa.’
“Hurry! Hurry!”
Whenever she overslept, the teacher would sometimes wake her up,
but Jiyoung had forgotten that the teacher was leaving early this morning.
‘Whirrrrr.’
She quickly washed, dried her hair, and changed into her school uniform,
but it was already eight o’clock.
“Even if I take the bus, it’ll take twenty minutes...”
“I’m totally late;;;”
‘Clack.’
“Haaahm... Hm? Choi Jiyoung?”
“Huh? You didn’t go exercise, Suhan?”
“I was about to head out soon.”
“But are you just going to school now?”
“Haah... I overslept....”
“I’ll be late even if I go now...”
I thought for a moment, told her to wait, then went into my room, got dressed, and said to Jiyoung,
“What time do you have to be there?”
“I have to be through the main gate by 8:15.”
“Got it.”
“Let’s go together.”
“Huh?”
“Just come out for now if you don’t want to be late.”
At my words, Jiyoung put on her shoes and came outside. Then, after facing the direction of the school she attended, I lowered my stance and told her to get on my back.
“This is a little embarrassing....”
“It’s better than being late.”
Jiyoung put her phone and wallet into her bag, then slowly climbed onto my back.
“I’m going to go fast, so hold on tight.”
I put strength into my feet, kicked off the ground, and in an instant began crossing from rooftop to rooftop faster than usual.
‘Ta-at!’
‘Ta-at!’
‘Ta-at!’
Jiyoung tightly shut her eyes and gripped my shoulders firmly,
and after about ten minutes, we arrived at the school, where I let Jiyoung down.
“We’re here.”
The gazes of the students coming to school gathered on us a little, but Jiyoung paid them no mind, thanked me, waved,
and went inside the school.
“I should go back, wash up quickly, and go exercise.”