“Wow, I wonder if I gained some sort of insight. Who knew I could win against a thousand-mile horse so easily?”

I looked at my laptop in boredom when I heard Chae Nayun bragging.

“Really, what happened Nayun?”

Yoo Yeonha chimed in. She was genuinely curious. Chae Nayun’s battle probably looked flawless since Yoo Yeonha didn’t know anything about bows. It looked like an amazing fight, but one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

“I learned from failure, something like that, hahaha.”

Chae Nayun heartily laughed. She must be feeling great since she even brought up her loss yesterday. Meanwhile, Kim Suho smiled at her. I felt a chill down my back as I imagined Chae Nayun reading my report. Should I submit it anonymously?

“Group 10. Rachel, Kim Hajin, Skid, Lee Wei.”

Jin Joohwa announced my group. I glanced at Rachel next to me, and we made eye contact. She stood up, and I followed.

“Come this way.”

Rachel and I followed a staff with the rest. We arrived at a waiting room, and the staff opened a giant door on the right.

“Please enter.”

We walked into a long hallway behind the giant door. Soon, the hallway ended, and multiple doors stood side by side.

“Stand in front of the door.”

The staff guided each of us to a door. I was next to Rachel.

“Good luck on your exam!”

I cheered her on, and she nodded.

“You have one minute to confirm your monster and terrain.”

I could see a chrome wolf in some flatlands through the door’s window.

Chrome wolves ranged from low-intermediate rank, grade 4 to grade 2. Other cadets had faced much stronger monsters. However, it would be difficult since bullets would just bounce off their skin.

[Trait – its skin can reflect metallic objects] [Weakness – inside its mouth] [Strength – tough skin]

I had designed the chrome wolves.

“30 seconds left.”

They had dual metal and earth attributes, and their vital point was inside the mouth. Their dual attributes could be problematic, but I knew their weakness. I simply needed extreme heat that could melt metal and earth. I could use stigma’s magic power to heat the dagger in my pocket.

“A minute has passed. Please enter.”

We walked onto the examination grounds.

The room measured about 130 square meters. Dirt and rocks filled the ground while a wolf crunched on something. I didn’t have much time to plan since chrome wolves could attack from long range. I quickly held up my gun. Ptu. The wolf spat something out. A metallic fragment hurled towards me. I aimed at the object and fired. It clashed with my bullet, and they destroyed each other.

The chrome wolf charged at me. I activated Bullet Time and saw its movements in slow motion, but didn’t dodge. I fearlessly waited for it to open its mouth. The chrome wolf opened its jaws towards my neck. I jabbed my gun into its mouth and fired consecutively. I had already jumped back by several meters by the time it shut its mouth.

My sense of time returned, and the Chrome Wolf convulsed in pain. Unfortunately, it didn’t die yet and spat out ten crushed bullets after retching a few times. Then it growled and glared at me.

“Tough, aren’t you?”

The chrome wolf’s bulletproof trait put me at a disadvantage. I took out my dagger with no other options. With a gun in one hand and a dagger in the other, I slightly lowered my body and glared at the wolf. My lips felt dry, although my body sweated profusely. Close ranged combat still scared me. Right when the fight almost broke out…

KWANG—!

A huge explosion occurred, and the lights went out. The room turned completely dark, but I didn’t let my guard down because of the savage beast.

— A problem has occurred. All monsters will be reverse summoned. Cadets must leave the examination grounds immedi— Tzzzk.

The speaker cut off into static. I stared at the wolf. It grew more ferocious instead of being reverse summoned.

“Um, is that thing going to be reverse summoned?”

One or more of the dispatched magicians must have been a djinn. I already checked my laptop that Jin Joohwa wasn’t a djinn. The laptop never detected any setting changes. This could only mean I didn’t know the djinn. That sounded plausible since many existed and it wouldn’t be strange if an extra appeared.

“Haa… I knew this would happen eventually.”

An event that I didn’t know about. My heart rate suddenly went up at the uncertainty, but I forced myself to calm down. After a deep breath, I looked through the wall to the room next door. Rachel seemed to be in a similar situation as she glared at her opponent silently. But her opponent was… a person.

— Kuwalwal!

The chrome wolf charged at me with a howl. I took out my personal weapon from stigma. The Desert Eagle materialized, and aether quickly fused with it. The grip felt snug in my hand as I fired, and the wolf fell with a whimper.

“Know your place.”

The Desert Eagle had grown more powerful than before, but I didn’t have time to admire it. I didn’t even have time to check my laptop. Rachel was in danger.

One of the story's antagonists wanted to conquer England, but it shouldn’t be time yet. They should have only attacked after their forces grew more.

— Krrrr…

I turned towards the growling. The chrome wolf had multiplied into three, but I wasn’t worried.

“Hm.”

I transformed the Desert Eagle into its shotgun mode. The three wolves flew towards me. I simply pointed and shot.

KWANG—!

Thunderous gunshots rang out.

***

In a dark room, a man coldly murmured with killing intent.

“I knew this day would come.”

The familiar language surprised Rachel. She glared at the man who appeared from the darkness. Although he wore a cape and covered his face, Rachel felt like she knew him. She called his name.

“… Sir Lancaster.”

The previous captain of the royal guards and Rachel’s former master, Alex Lancaster. He disappeared a few years ago after his family died in the infamous London Incident, but now he appeared again with murderous intent.

“I’m honored you remember me.”

Rachel felt great malice from his sinister smile. She could see the path he had chosen.

“… You sold your soul.”

Lancaster shook his head and denied the claim.

“I lived my life for my country, but my country took everything from me. I didn’t sell my soul. My master took me in after my country abandoned me.”

For a moment, deep sadness emerged on Rachel’s face. What happened had been a painful memory for her as well.

“… Is that why you came to me?”

“Princess, does it look like I came here?”

Rachel furrowed her brows. Then she stabbed with her rapier, but it simply passed through his body.

“I am somewhere, but not here.”

“…”

Rachel turned around. The door was tightly shut. No help seemed to be coming.

Lancaster spoke with a smile.

“It’s quite chaotic outside right now. Of course, if this was England, Princess’ safety would be the top priority. Tens, hundreds, thousands of lives wouldn’t compare…”

Lancaster paused and smiled viciously.

“The entire country would not hesitate to throw away their lives to save Princess. After all, you are England’s hope.”

Lancaster looked smugly at Rachel.

“But that isn’t the case here. You are only one of many cadets.”

Rachel stared at him with sadness. His resentment and anger made her feel guilty. However, Lancaster clenched his teeth.

“So you still won’t remove that hypocritical mask of pretense…”

Rachel took a courageous step towards him.

“Sir Lancaster…”

“I would like to talk a bit longer, but we are out of time.”

Lancaster rejected her and bowed.

“Farewell Princess.”

He turned into black fog and disappeared.

“Wait…!”

Suddenly, an assassin jumped out of the fog and swung a sword. Rachel managed to defend against the abrupt attack, but it destroyed a chunk of her sword qi. The weight behind the magic power astonished her.

The assassin was also quite agile. His attacks focused on her left flank and shoulder, two of her weak points. The swords clashed and resounded. Hot sparks ignited, and fresh blood burst into the air.

Rachel could only defend. As the fight continued, more scratches appeared on her body. Admittedly, she couldn’t defeat this assassin with normal tactics, so she decided to gamble.

“Uk!”

The assassin didn’t miss the opening she purposely left and stabbed her wrist. Rachel dropped her rapier. Feeling victorious, the assassin stabbed forward once again. Rachel’s rapier also reacted, still connected to her by magic power. The assassin proceeded to pierce Rachel’s heart as her rapier shot up towards his neck.

KWANG—!

However, a terrifying explosion interrupted them. Rachel lost her balance along with the assassin. He couldn’t reach her heart, and she couldn’t pierce his neck.

KOONG!

The room rumbled with another quake. They both turned to the right at the wall that shook.

KOONG!

Another shockwave shook the wall. The assassin held up his sword, and Rachel grabbed her rapier with her left hand.

KOONG!

After the second shockwave, the assassin charged at Rachel as she rolled to the side.

KOONG!

A third and final shockwave blew up the wall and sent the assassin flying.

“Geez, so much dust. Ptui.”

Rachel saw Kim Hajin walking out of the cloud of smoke.

“…!”

The assassin ran towards him.

“Who the hell are you?”

Kim Hajin simply fired his gun.

“Kuak!”

The shotgun displayed terrifying power as it sent the assassin flying to the other end of the room.

Kim Hajin walked up to the assassin stuck against the wall. Click click clack— He finished reloading.

Rachel stared at the white magic power flowing around his arm, but now wasn’t the time to ask. Kim Hajin aimed at the assassin and didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. A radiant light lit up the dark room.