On the morning of the 12th day, a heavy magical presence began to emanate from the forest at the base of the mountain.
It was a sign of a new monster.
The creature slowly, lazily climbed the mountain.
It was a giant lion made of stone.
Its skin, as hard as rock, contained immense magical energy, making it extraordinarily resilient.
Even if it collided with a spinning Turtle, only a slight crack would form.
This was an opponent I could not possibly defeat.
It surpassed both my physical defenses and my magical defenses in terms of both power and magic.
I had no means of inflicting any significant damage on it.
But others were different.
Even Sigyeo, who had already decided to withdraw, was calmly facing it.
The professor’s words were a hundred times correct.
I had no talent for attacking.
If this creature had attacked in a swarm like other monsters, defense would have meant nothing.
But fortunately, their numbers were quite small.
This meant I didn’t need to face them head-on.
As the stone lion passed through the maze, its steps shook the ground, and I felt my heart tremble in response.
If I had blocked their path, the entire maze would have collapsed.
Therefore, I had no intention of stopping them.
Instead, I opened a path to let them exit the maze naturally.
A stronger force was waiting above to deal with them.
That was why I had allied with Hong Ryeong as soon as I arrived at the mountain.
It was for moments like this.
The stone lions passed through my maze.
They followed the open path upwards.
Soon, they reached the cliff, which was swept by wind.
Hong Ryeong looked down on them from above the cliff.
Despite now having to protect Sigyeo’s territory, along with the area of three others, his face was adorned with a relaxed smile.
I revealed myself so he could see me and offered my apologies.
“Evron, you’ve worked hard until now. Let me handle this.”
Hong Ryeong said quietly.
He lightly raised his hand.
In that moment, the wind barrier split, and a massive current of wind began to form.
The wind grew fiercer, swirling around the cliff.
The magic circle drawn on the cliff changed relentlessly as his magic flowed through it.
The wind responded to his command, as if it were a living creature.
The wind grew stronger, transforming into a violent storm.
Then, at Hong Ryeong’s will, it charged toward the stone lions.
The stone lions, with their rock-hard skin, began to crack and shatter instantly in the storm.
Their once-indestructible bodies were reduced to dust in the blink of an eye.
I swallowed.
It was a terrifying result.
Despite casting such a massive spell, Hong Ryeong wore a refreshing smile, as if it were nothing.
The storm wiped out the stone lions, turning them to dust.
The storm, having devoured them all, died down and reformed into the same barrier, once again blocking the cliff.
The situation was resolved surprisingly easily.
From the 12th to the 14th day, I was able to repel the waves of monsters without much difficulty.
Though the unexpected movements of the stone lions caused minor damage to the maze, it was within manageable limits.
Having already paid the price for my earlier complacency, I kept my focus sharp and executed everything without a hitch.
I made the blade wolves into my puppets, placing them beside me and using any spare moments to calm myself.
And so, the night of the 14th passed.
***
The endless number of monsters began to decrease, and by the time the sun rose again, no monsters came.
The fourth task was over.
At that moment, all tension left me, and I sank into my seat.
I remembered how I had once thought this task would be a kind one when I first prepared for the fortress.
How foolish I was.
Thinking back, it had been the hardest and most difficult task in all my eleven years of exams.
Once I confirmed no more monsters were coming, we all gathered before the hourglass.
Everyone looked relatively unharmed.
I was the only one covered in wounds.
I smiled bitterly.
No matter how hard I struggled, there were limits to my talents.
But talent and success are two separate things.
That’s what I learned from the professor.
As I stood before the hourglass, I quietly watched the last grains of sand fall.
This tense moment was coming to an end.
And with it, the hourglass shattered.
The sand slowly rose into the air and gradually turned into five pieces of paper.
The paper fluttered in the wind and landed in front of us.
Each piece had only one sentence written on it.
[Select the 1st and 5th contributors.]
This was the final task.
It was the easiest task we had yet, but thinking about what would happen after the exam, it was also the hardest.
‘What if I wrote someone else’s name, and they held a grudge and attacked me later?’
Even so, it was time to choose.
Everyone wrote names on their paper.
I wrote mine too.
Once all the names were written, the paper naturally turned back into sand and gathered into the shattered hourglass.
I looked at Hong Ryeong.
He glanced at me as if he sensed my gaze and smiled.
I slightly lowered my head in response to his smile.
Once all the sand had gathered, it solidified into a single stone tablet.
Then, words slowly began to carve themselves into it.
The 1st contributor, Hong Ryeong.
This was the result everyone had expected.
Hong Ryeong simply smiled and remained still.
His abilities were undeniable, and everyone had to admit it.
If it weren’t for him in this test, we would have surely hit many more limits.
Of course, the more important matter was that he had already secured three votes during the exam.
The stone tablet didn’t stop there.
The test would pick two names, not just one.
Another set of words began to be written.
When the result appeared, a scream tore through the air.
“Why is my name here?”
The 5th contributor, the Shaking rope.
Her face, which had always been lowered, twisted into a demonic expression.
She sprang to her feet.
“Why did you write my name? Sigyeo has already given up on the test!”
Her voice was filled with confusion.
Her finger, pointing at Sigyeo, trembled with agitation.
She turned her gaze to Sigyeo.
Sigyeo, with a bitter smile, avoided her gaze.
“I’m sorry, I owe him a debt,” Sigyeo said, his voice filled with regret.
“I feel the same way,” I said briefly.
The Shaking rope glared at Sigyeo.
A murderous aura burst from her eyes.
Black magical energy leaked from her fingertips, beginning to wrap around the area.
Her gaze turned to Aileen.
Aileen, with her characteristic light smile, said, “It wasn’t me.”
She shrugged her shoulders.
The Shaking rope’s eyes turned blood-red and began to show signs of madness.
Her glasses cracked and instantly shattered.
Without her glasses, her face lost its previous gentleness and revealed the eerie features of a witch.
I was stunned.
So, glasses were magic tools that could change one’s expression like that?
She scanned me and Sigyeo, and her gaze soon turned to Hong Ryeong.
There was a clear murderous intent in her eyes as she looked at him.
I sighed in relief.
At least her rage wasn’t directed at me.
I subtly stepped away from their side.
“That was a very fair decision,” Hong Ryeong said in a calm voice.
“There are many reasons. First, I do not abandon those who cooperate with me. That is the belief of my family.”
His gaze lingered on me and Sigyeo.
“In that sense, Sigyeo and Evron have provided enough compensation and service, exceeding my expectations. I did not write their names.”
Hong Ryeong’s words were calm, but there was a cold and resolute determination behind them.
The Shaking rope’s breathing grew ragged.
With it, her magic began to stir.
The air around her turned foul, and a sharp, acrid scent filled the atmosphere.
The grass near her turned black, emitting a sinister glow.
“Then why didn’t you write about Aileen?”
The shaking rope asked.
For a moment, Hong Ryeong gave a wry smile.
“Because she is stronger than you.”
The shaking rope gritted its teeth and didn’t say another word.
But its eyes, gleaming with madness, couldn’t hide its emotions.
Amidst that verbal exchange, a tombstone collapsed, forming a dimensional gate.
Just like when they first reached the test, a black crack opened.
The shaking rope, which had been releasing mana for some time, quickly passed through the crack, as if it didn’t want to stay in this place any longer.
She shot Hong Ryeong one last glare.
He simply smiled and let the gaze slide off him.
Everyone silently watched as she crossed the crack.
Then, Sigyeo respectfully bowed to Hong Ryeong and slowly crossed through the crack.
He seemed to dislike the situation, sighing briefly before disappearing.
“How boring. This situation is boring. What are we doing without even fighting?”
Aileen grumbled as she passed through the crack.
“Ah, see you at the entrance ceremony later, Evron.”
She poked her head through the crack and waved her hand.
“Yes, of course. I’ll greet you first.”
I bowed and greeted her with a smile.
She disappeared beyond the crack.
Now, only Hong Ryeong and I remained in this place.
Hong Ryeong quietly looked at me and smiled.
“Are you curious why I chose her?”
Hong Ryeong asked.
A chill ran down my spine.
I looked at him with a confused expression and asked back.
“Didn’t you just explain everything?”
The smile on Hong Ryeong’s lips deepened.
He shook his head.
“I just didn’t like you.”
The simplicity and honesty of his words caught me off guard for a moment.
Hong Ryeong noticed my reaction and raised his hand.
Four fingers spread out.
“I am very honest with my feelings. Sigyeo is a soldier. He dedicates his life to protecting the Empire. How could I dislike him when I live in the Empire?”
He folded one of his fingers.
“Evron was a bit unclear at first. As you know, you were the weakest here, right? But later, I liked how you acted once you knew your position.”
He folded another finger.
“And Aileen. You probably didn’t know this, but she is from a prestigious family. You should show more respect when you meet her next time.”
He folded another finger.
Only one finger remained.
He paused for a moment, exhaling deeply.
For the first time, the smile left Hong Ryeong’s face during the test.
He contorted his face.
“And I hate witches.”
His voice turned raspy as he spoke.
There was a lingering hatred and contempt in his tone.
“Using those lowly and disgusting spells, and yet daring to raise their heads and look me in the eye without bowing and submitting.”
Endless malice toward witches saturated his words. After that, he spent a long time cursing witches, exposing his feelings.
I was left speechless, only able to listen in silence to Hong Ryeong’s agitated state.
I didn’t understand why he hated witches so much, nor why he was telling me this.
After pouring out his emotions for a long time, Hong Ryeong smiled again.
As if nothing had happened.
He looked at me with a smile.
“Well, is your curiosity satisfied now?”
Hong Ryeong asked.
A sense of impending danger stirred within me.
I suddenly realized that how I answered here would determine whether I lived or died.
I lowered my head, giving a confused look.
“As I said earlier, didn’t you explain everything, Hong Ryeong? We made a pact, and Aileen is strong, so she chose the Shaking Rope. But to think, Aileen is from a prestigious family… That’s surprising!”
I pretended not to hear anything and tried to act unaware.
Upon hearing that, Hong Ryeong smiled, seeming satisfied.
“Haha, this is why I like you, Evron.”
He waved his hand and walked toward the crack.
Then he disappeared beyond it.
I collapsed to the ground in that spot.
My strength drained away.
The atmosphere had been so intense.
The strange words and expressions from Hong Ryeong, and the emotions he had unleashed.
I still didn’t quite understand what had happened.
But I had certainly survived the crisis.
Indeed, someone from a prestigious family.
They belonged to a completely different world than I did.
In this vast magical world, I was just a small existence.
Reflecting on Hong Ryeong’s words, I tried to calm my pounding heart.
Anyway, the test was over.
There had been many terrifying events towards the end, but that was something to think about later.
Right now, the only thing on my mind was whether I passed or not.
I stared intently at the shimmering crack.
Taking a deep breath, I walked toward it.
***
The moment I passed through the crack, black waves wrapped around my body.
Within it, I began to process everything I had felt during the test.
It was over.
The test had ended.
The result of this test would determine the course of my life.
I remembered the professor’s words.
If I failed, I’d be killed.
I had done my best.
If I failed here, I had no complaints.
The surroundings slowly started to brighten.
When I opened my eyes, a piece of paper fluttered in front of me.
I quickly grabbed it and read it.
Grading Results –
Solve five tasks. (100 points total, 60 points required to pass.)
[Use the provided magic to escape from the bell within 30 minutes. (10 points) Obtained Score: 7 points.
Evaluation: The creativity and focus in the process of forming magic were interesting, but the magic’s design and completion were inefficient. The time spent was excessive compared to the magic’s completion, resulting in a deduction.]
[Form a group of five, assigned randomly, and reach the destination within 24 hours. (20 points) Obtained Score: 14 points
Evaluation: The use of dolls to define and fulfill your role was positively evaluated. However, a lapse in concentration and mistakes created a disadvantage for the entire team, leading to a deduction.]
[Build a fort at the destination of Task 2. (20 points) Obtained Score: 11 points
Evaluation: The basic structure and design of the fort were reasonable, but magical defenses and countermeasures were limited. As a result, the fort’s defense capabilities were insufficient, and there were no viable solutions to strengthen it, leading to a deduction.]
[Use the fort from Task 3 to protect important items and survive for two weeks. (30 points) Obtained Score: 19 points
Evaluation: Using various strategies and methods to compensate for the fort’s weaknesses was impressive. Successfully surviving for two weeks, but there was a risk of the fort collapsing in the middle. A deduction was made due to the fort’s instability.]
[Select the first and fifth contributors to Task 4. (20 points) Obtained Score: 10 points
Evaluation: As you were not selected as a contributor, the basic score was given.]
I slowly added up the scores.
My hands began to shake.
‘Was my addition correct?’
I continued to add the numbers, repeating it dozens of times, but the result didn’t change.
The words at the bottom of the paper caught my eye.
Total Score: 61, Passed.
Rank: 12,952 (12,952 / 13,246)
My heart started to swell.
All the emotions I had been suppressing for so long burst out all at once.
I didn’t even realize it, but tears began to fall.
I passed.
It had taken 11 years, 11 attempts.