I took away the arm of a peak intermediate rank monster with an arrow that cost 3 streaks of stigma. It caused a decent explosion, but I didn’t have the energy to watch the outcome. Drowsiness flooded my brain as I fell from the tree.

“Ah.”

I looked at the battlefield and saw a sword of magic power shooting up. Chae Nayun’s greatsword extended to half the length of the black ogre’s arm. The ogre staggered as countless attacks from every cadet poured in.

The recoil from stigma seemed to increase as I gained more streaks. My body couldn’t withstand the magic power.

“Argh.”

I felt dizzy and closed my eyes. Boom, boom, boom. The battle grew fiercer, but the sounds slowly faded. I eventually gave in to the drowsiness.

***

Chae Nayun stood right in front of me when I opened my eyes. I could see her soft skin and curious expression. Her otherworldly beauty surprised me.

“Ah.”

She flinched and took a step back.

“What.”

“Y-You, You’re awake?”

Why is she so surprised?

“Did you do something to me?” I asked as I rubbed my face.

“W-What do you mean? You slept so peacefully while everyone else fought!” Chae Nayun sat next to me and nervously yelled.

“Oh, sorry. I just felt tired.”

“Cough. Well, what you did was quite awesome. Was that your finishing move? You know, like an ultimate ability.”

I nodded. Using it made me fall asleep for an hour or two, so it could only be called a finishing move.

“What happened to the black ogre?”

“We killed it. Thanks to you.”

“That’s good to hear.”

A hologram suddenly popped up in front of us.

[You have cleared the stage!] [Contribution points will now be awarded. The top three contributors are as follows.] [Chae Nayun: 68 points] [Kim Hajin: 39 points] [Yi Jiyoon: 33 points] [The bottom 30% will immediately move to a lower stage.] [The top 30% will move to a higher stage after 2 hours of rest.] [The remaining 40% will be given a chance to try again.]

I finally understood this tower after seeing the alerts. Cadets would either go up, down, or stay on the same level after completing stages. Grades would be given out accordingly once the exam ended.

“Ah, so this is how it works.”

Chae Nayun also understood as she clapped her hands. Then she poked my shoulder. “Hey, team up with me.”

“Team up?”

“Yeah, there’s a party function. Look.”

She showed me her smartwatch. They gave us exam watches like the last final exam. I thought it could only tell time at first, but it now had this party function.

“The heck.”

“Let’s team up.”

I looked at Chae Nayun and dodged her sparkling gaze. She grabbed my sleeve. “I want to team up with you.”

“Let me go.”

“Come on. Let’s team up. Please?”

She tried to act cute by pulling my sleeve back and forth. I could feel my brain shaking.

“Hey, wait. Let go. I’m going to puke.”

“I’ll let you go if you agree. Hurry up.” She shook me with enough force to rip my shirt. I nodded without a choice.

“Okay, okay.”

Chae Nayun didn’t stop until we officially partied up.

***

I went through two more stages with Chae Nayun. We protected an NPC from monsters in a forest and fought against other cadets or giant monsters in a colosseum. Honestly, Chae Nayun carried me with her overwhelming skill.

She specialized in prolonged fights. Not even Kim Suho could match her recovery with her immense magic power capacity. Naturally, she shined in stamina tasks like climbing a tower.

Of course, our grades would be decided individually even though she carried me. I racked up points whenever I could and constantly stayed in the top 30% of every stage.

[This is the final stage.]

Eventually, we reached the final stage in a cave. Only the top cadets made it. Chae Nayun nudged my shoulder.

“Hey, this must be the boss stage. Can you see anything in front of us?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

I widened my eyes and focused. My vision flew past until I caught sight of someone.

— Yaawn.

A girl squatted in front of a stone wall. I smiled as I spotted Rachel.

“There’s someone there.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it looks like you can’t proceed alone. Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Chae Nayun and I ran forward. Rachel shot up as she heard our footsteps. Then she took out her rapier and stood on guard.

“Rachel!” I greeted her with a shout.

“What? Rachel?”

Chae Nayun stopped running. Rachel sheathed her rapier and ran towards us.

“Hajin…?” Rachel called my name with a bright expression until she saw Chae Nayun next to me.

“Chae Nayun?”

“What, why is the princess here?”

They looked displeased at each other. I reached out and shook Rachel’s hand. Then they resumed glaring at each other like true rivals. The press would constantly compare and encourage them to fight for the next 5 years. They had the same gender, age, and also both used swords now. Naturally, hero reporters acted even more extreme than typical celebrity reporters and picked on them.

“So um, Rachel, why are you alone?”

“Huh? Ah, it said I couldn’t enter alone, so I waited for someone else.”

This final exam could pose serious harm to Rachel. Monsters above high-intermediate rank wouldn’t pop out since Lancaster didn’t have enough influence, but Rachel certainly faced more danger than any other cadet.

“That’s good to hear. Then let’s enter together.”

“Yes, follow me.”

The stone wall blocking the path suddenly revealed a corridor when Rachel touched it. She led us in as we followed along. Chae Nayun glared at us from behind. After walking for about three minutes…

“Oi, Princess.” Chae Nayun finally opened her mouth.

“You didn’t team up with anyone?”

“Yes, I was alone the whole time,” Rachel briefly replied.

“Oh, really? Teamwork should be part of the exam’s grading criteria. You’ll probably get a zero for that.”

Chae Nayun snickered to provoke her, but Rachel remained silent. Then Chae Nayun placed a hand on my shoulder.

“But we should get a perfect score.”

“What do you mean.”

“We teamed up since the first stage. Plus, I’m a warrior and you’re a sharpshooter. It’s the perfect combonation.”

“Oh… well, sure.”

Rachel glanced at Chae Nayun. “It’s combination, not combonation.”

“Same difference.”

Rachel suddenly clapped her hands after we walked for another 3 minutes as though she recalled something.

“Oh right, Hajin! Would you like to come to England over winter break with some of the other team members? Clancy Islet has a huge festival.”

“On Clancy Islet? Sure, that sounds great.”

I’ve been wanting to return, but couldn’t without an invitation. I felt a bit sorry for Rachel, but I wanted to make more money until the casino blacklisted me.

“Great! You can come with Hoseung, Bokgyu, and Jamer.”

Rachel smiled. Jamer. I suddenly grew curious about how Tomer was doing. Chae Nayun muttered from the side, “You’ll fall behind if you only play around.”

“…”

Rachel’s eyes narrowed for a moment. Chae Nayun enjoyed such reactions and smiled triumphantly.

“Have you heard of Yoo Sihyuk, Princess? What about the Yoo Sihyuk Camp? The heirs of hero clans pay billions of won to get in. That’s where I’ll be going over winter break. I’ll surpass you in swordsmanship soon.”

“Hajin, stupid people can’t comprehend what they’re taught, so it’s just not as efficient,” Rachel retorted while pretending to talk to me.

“What? Did you just—”

“In that sense, I am a very efficient learner.”

Rachel was obviously not talking to me.

“Recently, I’ve gotten quite close to elementals, elementals.”

Rachel emphasized the word. She said it twice like how Evandel called me Hajin, Hajin.

“Elementals?”

“Yes, elementals. Elementals.”

“What? What does she mean?” Chae Nayun furrowed her brows. I could see her burning with a sense of rivalry.

“Ah, my bad. That was supposed to be a secret.”

Rachel proudly placed her hand over her mouth. Her cheeks puffed up like she held back from laughing. She usually didn’t act like this. I guess Chae Nayun tended to make people act just as childish.

“Did a hamster enter your mouth?”

Chae Nayun mockingly murmured as we arrived at another stone wall. It opened by itself as we walked up to it.

“This is it?”

It led to a large circular room.

“Wait.”

I held up my arms to stop them since I spotted someone in the distance. He couldn’t look more suspicious with a black robe covering his body.

“There’s someone there.”

“Hello, cadets.”

The man approached us.

“I am Heuk Jeon, the exam overseer in charge of the final stage.”

His black pupils squirmed and his ghastly aura didn’t match an overseer’s. I could smell the scent of blood. Chae Nayun and Rachel also shared the same suspicion.

“Are you really an exam overseer?”

“Of course. However, I will have to pick someone to stay behind for this stage. Only two can participate at a time.”

The self-proclaimed exam overseer took out a die.

“1 and 4 for the male cadet, 2 and 5 for the short-haired cadet, and… 3 and 6 for the blonde cadet.”

Tok. The die rolled on the ground.

“You won’t be able to participate if your number appears.”

It rolled a 5 as expected. Chae Nayun frowned as the overseer spoke.

“Short-haired cadet.”

“What.”

The overseer flicked his finger. Then a cage suddenly fell from above and trapped Chae Nayun.

“Ah! What’s this?”

“Stay there for now. It’ll end soon.”

“Ah! Wait! Ah, uaaaaah…”

The overseer flicked his finger again and the cage quickly shot up. Rachel nervously muttered after seeing this.

“Hajin, that person…”

“Yes, I also think he’s a djinn.”

Rachel shook her head and corrected me. “He’s from Dark Moon Society.”

“Dark Moon?”

“Yes, look at the symbol on his robe.”

It had a black goblet and a faint moon above it. Rachel clenched her teeth.

“Sorry, it’s because of me.”

“What? Ah, no…”

Was Dark Moon Society that amazing? I felt like I wrote a setting about them, but couldn’t put my finger on it.

“Now then, shall we begin?”

My thoughts didn’t continue for long. Heuk Jeon unleashed his magic power as he stared at us. Koooong—! The ground rumbled as crevices appeared and slowly grew bigger.

“The test is simple.”

Dozens of daggers shot up from behind him as he emitted real killing intent.

“There is a dueling arena below.”

Heuk Jeon jumped down as the ground continued to break. His voice rang out from below.

— You will clear the stage if you last 10 minutes there.

A heavy pressure fell on me. The ground beneath me sunk as I lost my footing.

“Ak!”

Rachel jumped and grabbed my hand. “Hajin, are you okay!”

“This…”

“It’s a gravity field. Come… up… uk.”

Rachel tried to pull me up, but my body grew heavy. The pressure was undoubtedly immense since even Rachel struggled. I could hardly breathe.

— If one of you falls…

Heuk Jeon’s voice echoed.

— I will kill that person.

He seriously meant it. Fear spread across Rachel’s face.

— Ah, but don’t worry. The gravity field will disappear once someone falls. For the record, the chance of both of you surviving for 10 minutes in that field is 0%. The gravity field will only grow stronger until even I can’t withstand it, so one of you should just give up.

Indeed, it grew stronger as more of the ground broke.

“…”

“…”

Rachel and I exchanged glances. I finally understood his intentions. He wanted us to fight each other to survive or sacrifice ourselves. Rachel’s expression turned serious.

“Hajin, don’t have strange thoughts.”

“… What strange thoughts.”

Rachel held onto me with both hands. “Don’t let go. Put some strength into your hand. Hurry!”

“… No.”

Unlike you, I can’t let go of my own volition. I inwardly laughed as the gravity field grew unbearably strong. It pressed down on us with tens of times our weight. I found it difficult to keep my eyes open.

“Ah, ah, Hajin! Don’t have any strange thoughts and come up—!”

“…”

Rachel desperately screamed, but I felt like I would die if I stayed any longer. I let go of her hand.

“Ah, aah, no!”

I fell, but I felt liberated rather than heading towards death.

“Kim Hajin!”

Rachel screamed and also jumped. However, a transparent barrier appeared out of nowhere and blocked her. She slammed her fists against the barrier as she stared at me falling.

***

Thud.

“Argh.”

My back hit the ground. It felt like déjà vu. I didn’t suffer any injuries thanks to aether. However, the situation changed this time. I quickly shot up after spotting the self-proclaimed overseer.

“You came as expected.”

He should be from Dark Moon Society according to Rachel. I couldn’t remember much about this organization, but he was on the same level as an intermediate rank hero. I felt my heart beating. My bad feeling at the beginning of this exam turned out to be correct.

“So I have to fight you now?”

I was confident in not losing even if I couldn’t defeat him. He didn’t know about the ghost wolf. A surprise attack would give me the advantage. The ghost wolf would bite off his neck as soon as he approached.

“Are you confident?”

Heuk Jeon asked. I fired the cadet handgun without answering. Tang, tang, tang, tang, tang. I emptied the clip in less than a second. However, not a single bullet reached him. The daggers hovering behind him cut them all down.

“Unfortunately, I will kill you.”

He spoke quite a lot, which benefitted me. I threw the cadet handgun at him. One of his daggers flew forward and cut it in half.

“You’re abandoning your weapon? It’s too quick to surrender, don’t you think?”

“No.”

I stretched out my arm. Magic power shot out and formed another handgun.

“You see, I’m the type that’s overgeared.”

I transformed the Desert Eagle into an assault rifle. He didn’t show any signs of approaching, so I had to make him. Heuk Jeon kept smiling, so I smiled back.

“Don’t hold anything back. You might regret it.”

“…”

His smile stiffened as he threw off his robe and unleashed his magic power. However, the strange tattoo on his upper arm caught my attention. A black goblet with a faint moon. I felt like I recognized it after seeing it again.

“Dark Moon Society…”

“Oh? Looks like you’re quite knowledgeable for a brat.”

The man proudly smiled. He seemed happy about his famous organization. What role did they fill in the original story? It was on the tip of my tongue.

“AH!”

A light bulb suddenly went off in my head. They served as one of the Chameleon Troupe’s many lackeys!