Chapter 8: Central position.
The hunters said it was like a football midfielder.
By the way…
Why did he put me in the middle?
What’s the reason for assigning me to such an important place?
I haven’t shown anything yet. I was out of luck during my first training session.
[Isn’t it possible that he recognized your talents in advance?]
“… I will.”
I wasn’t given a chance, and he couldn’t figure out talents by just looking at my face.
I put my hand on my chin and closed my eyes.
If I was an instructor, why would I center me?
The answer came to my mind not long after.
I awakened, so is he trying to test it?
It wasn’t clear to him whether or not I had actually awakened.
However, it wasn’t bad that the instructor gave me a prominent position.
I could make an excellent appearance with my newly awakened characteristics.
If it was a lie, any cadet would tell as soon as he’s given a prominent position.
Hwayeon Choin Academy is one of the world’s leading awakening educational institutions.
There would have been no cadets who would want to be kicked out.
“…”
Okay. That’s why you assigned me here.
Then it doesn’t matter.’
He looked at the instructor and smiled a little.
[If you show your perfect figure, you can get attention properly.]
The traveler looked dubious.
I wanted to ask him about that look …
“Hey, because we’re a group … I think we should start now …”
Someone pulled me from my collar.
Okay. I had other things to think about.
The young Yoo Ji-Yeon was in a hurry.
No matter how I thought about it, she looked so different from the person in my memory.
But I wasn’t mistaken.
The use of magic, the light purple eyes, and the same name; no two people could be so alike.
The important thing right now was the actual evaluation.
I didn’t intend to drop out of the academy again. I was going to graduate smoothly.
For that, it was imperative to have a good grade in the first evaluation.
I said with a smile on my face.
“Yes, let’s go.”
* * *
With every step, the sticky thing stuck to my shoe sole and fell.
Located in the basement of Hwayeon Academy, this space was created solely for ‘actual evaluation’.
I was now inside one of those numerous spaces, the Black Swamp.
“What we do is simple. Walk through the black swamp with the motif inside the real crack, and kill the monster at the end.”
Kim Hyun-cheol was the first to speak.
Notwithstanding his wealth, he was a cadet who was recognized for his talents.
“Unfortunately, the instructor didn’t hand over any information about the Black Swamp structures or the monsters that we should kill … Fortunately, though I don’t know the monster, I know this place roughly.”
“You know the way?”
“Uh. I heard something from a senior.”
In response, Lee Hak-soo, who continued to be depressed about receiving an assistant role, brightened up.
“So, I think you only need to worry about attacking monsters. Well, even if it’s a monster, they were created by the wizards of the academy. It’s not the crazy bastards that come out of the crack.”
Kim Hyun-cheol continued talking.
Lee Hak-soo and even Yoo Ji-Yeon seemed relaxed by his speech.
‘You don’t have to worry about it.’
Of course, my face didn’t change from the blunt look.
It was foolish to take things easy just because the monster was created by wizards.
They only make one rule for the monsters they created.
-Do not kill the cadet.
In other words, it could do anything ‘without killing’ a cadet.
It meant that it didn’t matter if the cadet was half-bottled, if his limbs were torn, or if he was just barely breathing.
“Jung Si Woo.”
I was lost in thought when Kim Hyun-cheol suddenly called my name.
He seemed dissatisfied.
“Why are you looking at me like a dumb baby? If you don’t want to say anything, at least open your eyes.”
I understood precisely what he had in mind.
“It’s so annoying that you’re in a central position, but try to bear it. Please.”
“Right.”
He swore and grumbled as I stood there without a reaction.
Then he got back to what he was saying.
He explained the structure of the black swamp, pouring out speculations about which monsters would appear.
“Wow… Really Hyun-Cheol, what would we have done without you?”
Lee Hak-soo nodded his head admiringly. Yu Ji-Yeon’s eyes glowed as she focused on his words.
The words he was spitting out were like a ray of hope for a bunch of nervous students.
No, since it’s a swamp, it’s too low for a monster like that to come out.
It simply sighed.
[That ugly guy keeps ignoring you.]
I was fine, but the traveler was angry.
[How about throwing away those useless guys and then killing the monsters? I think hunting alone won’t be too difficult if you use the things I’ve told you properly. … .]
“Well, I was thinking the same thing.”
If I abandoned Kim Hyun-Cheol and Lee Hak-soo, who were still chatting, and defeated the monster, I could definitely finish the test faster and show my abilities.
However, the actual evaluation was a ‘team-by-team’ test.
No matter how excellent the individual’s ability was, if he acted alone, he could not get a good score.
So, I was thinking of another way.
“What… Wait a minute. There’s a way to get a good score and not get fucked by that annoying guy.”
* * *
The conversation that Kim Hyun-cheol led and ended after about 10 minutes later.
Yoo Ji-Yeon and Lee Hak-soo were looking at Kim Hyun-Cheol with trustful eyes, and the guy who knew the structure of the black swamp took the lead.
“Going to the left here is a little more convenient…”
“The mossy side is close to where the monster is…”
Mook, Pook.
“Oh, Mr. Why is my foot so deep … Hak-soo, please help me …”
And as time passed, the faces of the trillions gradually became darker.
“Are you confused, Hyun-cheol? The swamp is getting deeper. It’s hard to walk.”
“Hey, what’s confusing! Naturally, the swamp is getting deeper because we’re almost near the monster!”
The terrain of the swamp that was at first slippery was now so changed that it was ankle-deep sticky.
As I walked silently, I laughed bitterly.
‘If it wasn’t a test, it was a real situation.
I went through the notification window that appeared in front of him.
[Name: Black Swamp Test Site]
[The labyrinth created by a magician from the Hwayeon Choin Academy. It was designed with the motif of a real crack, a black swamp. It is the placenta that even adequately trained cadets could get lost because of the sticky terrain grabbing the ankle and the demanding structure. The monster at the endpoint … ]
A description of the Black Swamp Test Site floated up.
A map of the structure of this place came up, complete with detailed information.
I compared the information that Kim Hyeon-Cheol gave with confidence with this.
He lied to be a boss to get a little more points as expected. He doesn’t know about this place. ‘
I knew immediately that Kim Hyun-cheol lied.
“I can’t. Haksoo Lee, take the lead!”
“uh? I’m in the secondary position …”
“Position is only picked up in front of the monsters, baby, you don’t have heavy personal equipment. I’ll tell you the way, so go first.”
“…”
Kim Hyun-Cheol’s attitude completely changed when the situation wasn’t turning out as he expected. It seemed that the other noticed that something wasn’t right.
‘Position is only in front of monsters? If professors and instructors heard that, they would be frantic. ‘
It was uncertain when a monster will appear in the real crack.
That’s why you must stay in position.
Kim Hyun-Cheol’s words were not enough to split out the cadets.
“Oh, yes… You’re getting started from the first performance evaluation in the second grade …”
Lee Hak-soo sighed as he slowly took the lead.
I looked around the ceiling and the wall once more.
There was a lens from a camera that shimmered in a tiny gap in the wall.
CCTV to monitor the students who were taking the actual evaluation test.
On the other side, many people will be watching this sight enthralled.
This would be enough for the instructors to determine how inefficient and stupid Kim Hyun-Cheol was since it would have caused much damage if this was a real situation.
Of course, he will not lose much because this was the ‘first test’, and he was still a ‘cadet’.
Anyway, if he kept talking like that, he’d get fucked before long.
I had no intention of ending Kim Hyun-Cheol’s troubles to a ‘minor deduction’.
There was not on good terms with him because of the insults, but more than that was the idea that he was going to be a waste when he became a hunter.
In the past, he became a hunter with his family background and some decent talent, but he will never be a hunter this time as long as I had my eyes open.
No, he won’t even graduate from the academy.
I turned my head back.
“The name… You’re Yoo Ji-Yeon, right?”
“Oh, eh? uh… Why?”
She was a cadet at the Department of Magic. Even though it was difficult to walk, she was following us without hesitation.
“I think we have walked a lot. Aren’t we going to encounter a monster soon?”
“Well… Probably? We have already walked for over an hour …”
“So how about taking a break? It’s hard to keep walking, and it’s harder to use magic properly if you’re not in good shape. The dealer is the most important …”
Nothing I said was wrong.
Yu Ji-Yeon was clearly tired, and the most crucial thing in the magical cast was the condition.
There was no doubt about what I said. The only thing to note would be that I’d get extra points for caring for the team.
“Okay. Then let’s sit down and rest.”
What would an instructor or cadet think while looking at this?
Deliberately keeping a distance from the front, I suggested taking a break as we entered a fork, making the gap wider.
“… Where are they? “
There was no response from the others after we were completely hidden inside the fork.
Who can notice?
No, who thinks of such an idea in the first place?
“Huh? What, what … Where are all the others…”
“Anyway… I think they walked on and didn’t see us?”
It created a perfect situation without any doubt.
From the perspective of the instructors, Kim Hyun-Cheol got lost and delayed us. Lee Hak-soo moved forward, breaking the position.
The first two could be understood.
But does that allow the rear and go first?
Perhaps Kim Hyun-cheol won’t play any role in the front until he graduates.
The instructor would be the first to notice such an absurd situation.
Actually, it was a little outrageous.
Although I deliberately induced it, Kim Hyun-cheol actually walked ahead and never back.
Yoo Ji-Yeon, who sat down to take a break, opened her eyes and looked at me.
“What is Going on?”
She didn’t seem to understand either.
“… Yeah. Even I don’t know. Let’s get up first. I think it’s better to keep track of the situation as we move. If we keep walking, we can join again …”
I got up slowly while keeping an eye on Yoo Ji-Yeon, who seemed to be struggling.
She took a deep breath and stood up.
Then she said in a shaky voice, arranging her disorganized hem.
“Aren’t we going to get lost? He said that he knew the way … What if we just walked, arrived at the end, and faced a monster? What if the two of us bump into a monster…!”
Staring at her, I thought of what to say for a moment.
“Then we have to catch it.”
“… Huh?”
It sounded impulsive but decided that after countless calculations.
I didn’t know any other cadets from the magic department, but I thought that Yoo Ji-Yeon would be enough.
“They’ve left us, so if we come across a monster, let’s just catch them together.”
“…”
“If just the two of us catch a monster, we will get the best performance evaluation. So there is no need to go round and round. Save time, get points. Aren’t you really good?”
“What is that, what… This is not a joke now …”
“I’m not kidding.”
The answer gushed out because I was confident that we would be unconditionally successful.
“I think the two of us are enough.”
It was the confidence of the best human analyst, an analyst who has never failed.
[Choose only amusing words, yes.]
The traveler who floated behind me muttered.
He was floating around me like a spectator watching an exciting scene in a movie.
“How the hell are we two? ….”
Yoo Ji-Yeon shook her head, looking tired out. Looking at her like that, I remembered the past and had to hold back a laugh.
Only
-Magic is divided into before and after Yujiyeon.
In the study of magic, there was a great being that shone brighter than anyone, one who showed how strong a magician could be.
With one gesture, the world was stirred, and the waves of monsters that swarmed like worms were torn and crushed.
In the past, it was called ‘Five Heroes’.
A human being who has the power to count among the five fingers of humanity.
Storm, Yu Ji-Yeon.
Her figure, which wiped out tens of thousands of monsters with only one magic, was still carved in my memory.
“Let’s move. As we go along, I’ll explain what I’m thinking of …”