Episode 35: Midterm Exams (5)
Finally, the midterm exams had begun.
The first two days were for written tests.
All subjects were crammed into those two days and taken in one go.
And just now, I had finished the last exam.
“Ugh, my neck hurts.”
Maybe it was because I had spent too long hunched over, staring at the test papers, but my whole body felt stiff.
I stretched my neck a few times to loosen it up and lightly stretched my arms before stepping outside the building.
Gaon Academy was bustling with activity, busy with both exams and preparations for the upcoming event.
Starting tomorrow, external guests would begin arriving in earnest.
“Where does the professor live?”
“At least give us something… Why the hell does a hero even need to take written tests?”
Students who had just finished their exams were crossing the plaza, grumbling and venting their frustrations.
Amidst the noise, I sat on a bench and gazed at the large floating monitor in the center of the plaza.
The screen was displaying the names of students who had been selected for one-on-one combat matches in real time.
[Duel Selection Notice]
[Rank 2: Yohan] → [Unknown: Jung Haein]
[Duel Selection Notice]
[Rank 42: Sung Siwoo] → [Unknown: Jung Haein]
And among them, my name appeared as well.
“…What should I do?”
Honestly, I didn’t care either way.
I had already sensed it yesterday at the café—Yohan’s challenge was expected.
Yohan? Well, that made sense.
But Sung Siwoo…
What the hell is up with this guy?
He’s ignored me like I was invisible all this time, and now he suddenly wants to challenge me to a duel?
Did he go off somewhere for some secret training or something?
‘…Yeah, right.’
But more importantly, I had already made up my mind.
I had no intention of participating in all the duels anyway.
I planned to fight only in the first round, then forfeit the second and third rounds, taking an automatic disqualification.
Because by then, I’d have to leave to stop the upcoming demonic Humans attack.
That was far more important than some test scores.
So now, I had to decide—who would I fight?
Sung Siwoo or Yohan?
The screen cycled through the names again, and mine reappeared.
“Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue and pulled out my watch.
Then, I used the ‘Duel Rejection Ticket’—each student was given only one.
[Duel Rejection Ticket] used on ‘Rank 42: Sung Siwoo.’
To be honest, my reasoning was simple.
I had already fought Sung Siwoo in a weapons match before.
He was weak back then. And since then, he hadn’t received any kind of guidance from me, and it hadn’t even been a full month yet.
Expecting any significant improvement in such a short time was unrealistic.
This world was far crueler when it came to talent.
You couldn’t just have a few practice sessions and suddenly gain enlightenment like a protagonist.
In other words—
You’re just too weak.
I wasn’t about to waste my one and only duel on Sung Siwoo.
It wouldn’t even be fun.
So in the end, my choice was clear.
[Due to the use of the Duel Rejection Ticket, the duel with ‘Rank 2: Yohan’ has been confirmed.]
Yohan it was.
Yesterday, I Thought There Were a Lot of People…
I was wrong.
Today, the plaza was on a whole different level. The highlight of the midterms—one-on-one combat duels.
Banners and flags fluttered in the air, and the murmuring crowd was so loud it echoed like a low hum.
It felt more like a festival.
…But I have to compete in this.
Letting out a sigh, I squeezed my way through the dense crowd.
There were three arenas—A, B, and C.
Since duels were happening simultaneously, people moved between them to watch the students they supported.
I was assigned to Arena A.
So, I had to head there, but…
There were too many people.
Rank 2, Yohan.
And Rank 1, Kang Arin.
Both were competing here, so of course, the crowd was overwhelming.
Barely managing to push my way through, I climbed up to the spectator stands.
—WAAAAAAAH!!
The roar of the crowd shook the arena. I flinched.
A massive stadium. The battle was already in full swing.
Kang Arin vs. an unfamiliar female student.
It seemed like the girl had chosen Arin without knowing any better. Probably just pride.
“So, you’re that strong?” kind of attitude.
I found an empty seat and sat down to watch.
It was one-sided. The fight was unfolding exactly as expected. Kang Arin was overwhelmingly strong.
A long-range archer had let a close-combat martial artist close the distance.
The fight was already decided.
I had seen this exact scenario three times now.
But—
Kang Arin wasn’t finishing the match.
She kept glancing around, scanning the audience.
As if she was looking for someone.
And then, finally, her gaze landed on me.
Her eyes widened.
In that instant, her figure vanished.
And then—
—BOOM!!
Her fist slammed straight into the archer’s abdomen.
One hit. Just one single blow. That was all it took.
The female student collapsed without even screaming, gasping for breath as she clutched her stomach.
“The winner—Kang Arin!!!”
The announcer’s voice rang out, and cheers erupted.
—WAAAAAH!!
Kang Arin raised her hand in response to the roaring crowd.
But her gaze remained locked on me.
‘She’s good.’
That was my evaluation.
For some reason, she had been holding back. If she had wanted to, she could have ended it much earlier.
Her opponent seemed to realize this as well. She sat on the ground, clutching her stomach with a deeply frustrated expression.
The digital scoreboard displayed the next match.
My turn was next.
At that moment, I heard my name from different parts of the crowd.
“Jung Haein? Who’s that?”
“Ah, another one-sided match. Let’s start paying attention from Yohan’s fight in round two.”
Conversations echoed throughout the stands.
Most of them came from guild scouts.
Understandable.
Guild scouts want to see real potential from promising students.
If the opponent is too weak, that never happens.
They hate that.
I quietly stood up.
‘Time to go.’
There was still time for the arena to be cleaned up.
If I left now, I’d arrive at just the right moment.
I made my way out of the stands and into the tunnel for competitors.
As I walked, the deafening cheers faded into the distance.
Now, only the sound of my steady, heavy footsteps echoed through the tunnel.
After Completing the Identity Verification, I Waited at the Entrance.
“Please wait for three minutes before entering.”
“Alright.”
Following the staff’s instructions, I waited a few more minutes.
Then, I slowly made my way up to the arena.
—WAAAAAH!!
As soon as I stepped out of the tunnel, a deafening roar pierced my ears.
Even louder than before.
Well, most of it was probably for Yohan, standing ahead of me.
He soaked in the cheers, waving with a bright smile, as if this entire stage belonged to him alone.
Now, it was just the two of us.
“So, you accepted?”
He spoke with a smile.
No matter how loudly we talked here, our voices wouldn’t reach the spectators.
“I thought you’d back out in fear.”
I didn’t bother answering.
There was no need.
I simply rolled my wrists, loosening up as I waited for the countdown.
For a split second, I saw a tiny crack in Yohan’s expression.
Of course, he quickly covered it up with his usual warm smile.
“You’ve been going into dungeons with her lately.”
He continued.
“And lately, you’ve been hanging around with the Saintess. I know everything.”
So, he even investigated Cheon Yeoul.
Still, I remained silent.
Yohan’s lips curled slightly. He stepped even closer.
“Let me ask you just one thing.”
His smile deepened.
“The Saintess….”
He took a short breath before casually throwing out his question.
“Did you sleep with her?”
“Hah….”
I let out a sigh.
All the lukewarm emotions that had been lingering inside me since I walked through the tunnel vanished in an instant.
Like a thick, clinging fog being swept away, all unnecessary feelings disappeared.
This wasn’t even worth a laugh. My expression turned cold.
“You’re more pathetic than I thought.”
Yohan, the Hero.
If the world knew the real nature of the man behind his friendly, gentle image, I wonder how they’d react.
—3! 2! 1!
The countdown echoed through the arena.
I slowly raised my spear.
One last glance at Yohan.
He was still smiling.
But behind that smile, I could see it—a twisted obsession.
“Get a grip.”
***
Unlike Normal Guilds…
Most guilds observed student duels from the stands and made their evaluations.
But things were different here.
Gaon Academy had three arenas—A, B, and C.
And in the center, overlooking all of them, was a special VIP viewing room.
A space where the key figures of the so-called ‘Major’ organizations could observe any match they wanted at any time.
—Click.
A Quiet Clink on the Luxurious Wooden Table.
The sound of a glass being set down echoed softly.
“I watched Lady Arin’s match closely.”
Officially recognized as Gaon’s Rank #1, her battles were naturally the first topic of discussion.
As a result, Kang Yoon-hyuk, the Guild Master of Glory’s Guild, started drawing attention.
“Guild Master Kang, Lady Arin’s growth rate is truly astounding.”
“At this rate, she might reach S-rank as soon as she graduates.”
Kang Yoon-hyuk nodded with a composed smile.
This reaction was well within his expectations.
Kang Arin.
His niece, and the strongest talent nurtured by Glory.
After the death of his legitimate successor, Kang Yoo-seong, it seemed like the guild was facing a crisis.
But Glory had proudly cultivated another prodigy.
His gaze briefly shifted to the electronic display.
The next match lineup had just appeared.
“Hmm….”
A duel was about to take place in Arena A.
Since Yohan was participating, the Church and other major factions naturally gravitated toward his viewing area.
“Hahaha, Bishop, Sir Yohan’s match is about to begin. This Hero… is truly remarkable.”
A group of people gathered around an elderly man dressed in pristine white priestly robes.
They were eager to curry favor with him.
“That child… will become the new light of the Church.”
“Haha, no doubt about it.”
Excitement for Yohan’s battle was at its peak.
Even in the VIP room, many had come specifically to watch him fight.
Most of the conversations revolved around Yohan.
However, Kang Yoon-hyuk’s interest lay elsewhere.
“Uncle, I’m putting this guy into Glory.”
One day, Kang Arin had suddenly decided to recommend someone for Glory’s elite vanguard team.
More than a recommendation, she had outright tried to register him.
Using his authority as Guild Master, Kang Yoon-hyuk had temporarily blocked the request.
The name she had submitted—Jung Haein.
A name he had never heard before.
But upon investigation, he discovered this person bore the alias “Silent Ghost.”
A young hero with a decent track record.
But Glory was not a place where just any competent hero could waltz in.
Thus, instead of watching Yohan, Kang Yoon-hyuk made his way to Jung Haein’s viewing section to observe the match.
He wanted to understand why his niece had been so insistent.
However, when he arrived, Kang Yoon-hyuk furrowed his brows in confusion.
‘What the…?’
He had assumed that with most spectators flocking to Yohan’s side, Jung Haein’s area would be nearly empty.
Yet, there was a surprisingly large crowd seated there as well.
Arcadia. Lotus. And… Vanquisher?
‘Vanquisher…?’
It had already been odd when they decided to join this selection bid, but now their choice seemed even more unpredictable.
Shifting his attention, Kang Yoon-hyuk turned toward Arcadia, the only faction he was somewhat familiar with.
Quietly, he addressed someone.
“Bishop Luke, are you here to watch Yohan’s match?”
But Luke shook his head.
“No. The Saintess personally recommended Jung Haein. She was adamant about it.”
“As someone who follows her will, I came to fulfill that request.”
Kang Yoon-hyuk’s expression stiffened slightly.
‘…The Saintess, too?’
Something felt off.
Now that he looked closely, the composition of the audience watching Jung Haein’s fight was unusual.
A bodyguard from the Yu family. The Lotus Guild. Arcadia Church. Vanquisher.
‘…And now, even me?’
Initially, he had sat down out of mere curiosity.
But now, Kang Yoon-hyuk decided to watch the match more closely.
At the center of the observers’ section,
-Crunch.
“Haein sure is popular~”
A man nonchalantly chewing on snacks spoke leisurely.
It was Park Gwang-chul.
Despite the charged atmosphere, he sat there utterly relaxed.
“Oh, shit. Haein’s pissed.”
-Crunch.
“He's so screwed~”
Taking another bite of his snack, Park Gwang-chul grinned as the match began.