Chapter 47: Midterms (2)
As they passed through the mechanical door, the scenery changed instantly as if they had entered a different world.
A terrain filled with a hot sun and rocks.
The artificially created sunlight felt crisp like the real thing.
“It’s fascinating no matter how many times I come.”
“Exactly. Dungeons must be the same, I guess.”
Kang Tae-wook’s shadow-like existences.
Simply put, his lackeys.
Chan-sol and Min-jun muttered while looking around.
The sixth team of Class A finished entering the Artificial Dungeon.
[Vital signs confirmed.]
[Activating system.]
As the cold mechanical voice flowed out, a faint presence spread from somewhere.
[Recording function ON.]
[Starting the practical exam for Year 2 Class A, Team 6.]
After the final voice of the Artificial Dungeon management system was heard.
Thud.
Thud.
“Let’s finish quickly and get out.”
“You guys just watch from the back.”
Chan-sol and Min-jun, who had the highest ranks in the same team, started to move forward.
Even at their mockery, the female student at the back could not make any resistance.
She just followed behind them with her head bowed.
However…….
“…….”
One person who was filling his eyes with their backs from further behind than the female student.
An expression more serious than anyone else was formed on Jin-ho’s face.
‘Don’t worry, because you guys have changed.’
Yes.
It is believing.
Not in myself, but in the teacher.
Jin-ho clenched his fist tightly and started to move forward.
And…….
“Uh……?”
“What the, you!”
Jin-ho’s steps passed Chan-sol and Min-jun who were going ahead.
Naturally, he passed even the female student who was discouraged.
Jin-ho, who was moving forward quickly, did not stop his steps at the children’s voices and just took strides.
Because he was scared.
Because he was weak.
Because he was D-Rank.
For countless reasons, Jin-ho always stood at the very back.
“I can do it…….”
An existence that cannot step forward.
An existence that should not step forward.
That was Jin-ho.
So…….
Boom!!
The ground he was stepping on fluctuated, and shadows soared up from underground.
Not the current Jin-ho.
But the Jin-ho until now, that is.
“I can do it…….”
Six Nagis that pierced through the ground and appeared.
Jin-ho stood at the closest place to them.
“I can do it.”
***
“Wasn’t Min-jun the Dealer…….”
“Yeah…….”
The large screen prepared in the sparring room.
The mouths of the Class A students who were capturing that scene could not close.
“But the Dealer isn’t the problem….”
“Is that really Jin-ho?”
Every student there was thinking the same thing.
“Dealer, Tanker. Jin-ho is doing it all.”
Blue flames bloomed filling the large screen.
Not the red flames that are commonly seen, but flames shining in blue that anyone could see filled the screen.
And Jin-ho stood in the center of it.
The snake-shaped Testnagis could not withstand the temperature of the blue fire and collapsed to the floor.
One, two, three.
“Now, the finale.”
When all the Testnagis in that place had met their end, Yoo jin’s lips, which were capturing the screen, parted.
“Kuoooo!”
“Kwaaaaa!”
A roar that shook the earth rang through the dungeon.
One snake that exploded in anger at the death of its children appeared on the screen.
To be precise, it was one, but an entity with three heads.
It was the Testdragi, the boss monster of this Artificial Dungeon.
No matter if it was a monster in an artificially created dungeon.
That boss monster, at least, was to the extent that even Hunters active in actual combat wouldn't notice it was a doll unless told beforehand.
“I don’t know about the other entities, but the boss monster won't be easy.”
A voice flowed from the mouth of Teacher Kang Hye-rin, whose gaze was fixed on the screen.
That is right.
She was a teacher before she was a judge of this exam.
Although she had already written down the highest score next to Jin-ho’s name for the performance of the D-Rank Jin-ho, seeing the child she had watched over the past time, she was unknowingly concluding the future situation.
It was the same for the children.
They were surprised by the performance that was enough to change their thoughts about the Jin-ho they had known until now.
But just up to there.
There are unchangeable truths in the world.
Through effort.
Through skill.
Heights that cannot be reached by luck.
Just as a C-Rank cannot beat an A-Rank.
And an A-Rank cannot beat an S-Rank.
There was a ‘degree’ in the world that could not be reached even in the name of a miracle.
No matter how much one polishes their skills, grinds in time, and accumulates experience.
Something that can never be crossed.
The wall of status called Awakening Rank…….
“This is as far as it goes.”
“Still, doing this much is doing well.”
“There’s no way a D-Rank can beat a B-Rank boss monster.”
The perception of a D-Rank Awakened one and a B-Rank boss monster.
That was something like common sense that had settled deep in the unconscious for a long time since the era of Awakening arrived.
Expectation was erased from the faces of the children looking at Jin-ho’s face that filled the screen.
He did well.
He did a good job.
Everyone would applaud him just for his performance so far.
Because he had already shown an appearance far exceeding expectations…….
However.
The corners of Yoo jin’s mouth went up.
Just one person.
Only Yoo jin did not put down the emotion named expectation from his eyes.
Creep.
Orange energy blooming around Jin-ho’s body.
It was partly because only Yoo jin could see the wavering of demonic energy, not general mana, but the bigger reason was.
‘It’s okay. I can do it.’
‘Let’s go one more time.’
‘Please take care of me tomorrow as well.’
‘I can still do it.’
Because he watched from closer than anyone else the appearance of him not fearing entering the Gourd, which is real hell, not a dungeon judged by these kinds of English ranks.
“Show them, Jin-ho.”
Yoo jin’s low voice rang out.
Whoosh!
The screen was devoured by light.
And for the first time since attending this school, Kang Tae-wook’s expression crumbled.
“Uh…….”
“Uh, uh…….”
The explosion of blue flames filling the screen.
The children’s thinking stopped at the flames that bloomed without a single spot of empty space.
Teacher Kang Hye-rin, who was right next to Yoo jin, was the same.
The color of the screen that did not change even after time passed.
In the center of the screen where blue flames devoured everything, a D-Rank child straightening his back more upright than anyone else could be seen.
The figure of Jin-ho keeping the three-headed boss monster under his feet.
***
Who wouldn't be surprised.
The child dismissed as the weakest in the class.
And a D-Rank at that.
A child of the rank evaluated as the weakest among Awakened ones.
Defeated a B-Rank boss monster.
It was a story that would set the community on fire just by writing one line and endlessly generate related videos on Nutube.
So, although it was through a screen, it was perhaps natural for the thinking of the children watching it in real-time to stop.
However.
There were people more surprised than them separately.
“What is this…….”
“Why on earth…….”
“It’s not hot…?”
The sixth team that entered the dungeon with Jin-ho.
Surprise that could not even be compared to the children outside was being engraved on the faces of the children who were in the same place.
***
“This makes no sense…….”
That was the first word that came out of Kang Tae-wook’s tightly closed mouth.
Words spat out implying everything.
Kang Tae-wook’s eyes, filling with Jin-ho seen through the screen, sank into darkness.
There were a few times to be surprised since the exam started.
A female student who had never shown prominence displayed an attack that sent chills down the spine and monopolized the class's attention.
A child who showed off talent right behind him when entering school, but for some reason lived like the bottom-tier guys for nearly a year, showed tremendous talent as if he had re-awakened.
But things like that.
Are within the expected range anyway.
No, in fact, even if he hadn't expected it, he wouldn't have felt any particular inspiration.
Just as an earthworm is an earthworm even if it squirms.
Because it is just the outcry of the weak anyway.
Yes, he thought so.
Until just a moment ago.
Through Kang Tae-wook’s gaze, Jin-ho’s face filling the screen was seen.
A face he had never seen before.
An expression full of confidence.
However, the most unfamiliar thing was.
That there was a boss monster under that guy’s feet.
It was strange.
The guy he thought was an earthworm.
The vermin guy who couldn't even squirm.
Was making a stronger expression than anyone else.
Making an expression he had never shown until now, he was exceeding expectations by far, no, precisely, he was accomplishing something no one could do.
A D-Rank won against a B-Rank monster.
Something that breaks common sense.
But if it was just up to there.
If it was only that much, he wouldn't have felt this kind of feeling.
The children, the teachers in charge of exam management.
The reason they are surprised is probably because the common sense that lay at the base of any Awakened one, that a D-Rank defeated a B-Rank monster, was broken.
However, it wasn't just because of that that Kang Tae-wook was surprised.
Tremble.
His fist shook.
He couldn't control his emotions.
Emotions he didn't even know he had until now.
Why on earth he cares about a guy like that.
Why he cares about an earthworm just because one teacher got attached.
Why his father, who didn't look at him, makes the expression he used to make when looking at his older brother toward a mere teacher like that.
Kang Tae-wook came to know the reason exactly now.
The act of a D-Rank beating a B-Rank monster which defied common sense.
The act that surprised other children and even the teachers.
However…….
What stole Kang Tae-wook’s gaze more than that act defying common sense was.
It was because of his lackeys and the female student from the same class making stupid expressions behind Jin-ho.
That is why.
He became even more certain.
‘That is…….’
Kang Tae-wook, who bit his trembling lip, lowered his head.
Even though he manifested the highest point of his Unique Skill.
The team members around him were not feeling even the heat.
‘That is…….’
Let alone himself, it was the number one person in handling fire in the Republic of Korea.
It was control that even Cho Sang-geun, the Guild Master of the Ignis Guild, could not do.
***
“Seems the training results came out well.”
Yoo jin, who was filling his eyes with Kang Tae-wook who had lowered his head, smiled small.
At the same time, Jin-ho’s exam ended.
As the team exited the Artificial Dungeon.
“Wow!!”
“What the, you!”
“Is it really Jin-ho?”
“Is it Humanity’s Weakest Weapon Jin-ho?!”
The Class A children flocked to Jin-ho.
Jin-ho made a bewildered expression at the children’s interest he was experiencing for the first time.
He didn't know how to react.
Because this kind of interest was a first.
But soon.
“I, I trained hard.”
At Jin-ho’s one word, the children wrapped around Jin-ho’s shoulders and patted him.
“Hey! I see you differently now.”
“I shouldn't ignore you just because you are D-Rank.”
“Did your rank rise by any chance? I didn't feel like you were D-Rank at all!”
“You protected us during the terror incident too. What, were you hiding your ability?”
“Hahahaha.”
Flowers of laughter bloomed widely on the faces of Jin-ho and the children gathered around.
And the dark brown eyes watching such Jin-ho and the children shook faintly.
‘Eun-ho, are you watching…….’
He wasn't speaking directly, but that sound rang out louder than anything.
Enough to reach the sky.
It was Yoo jin feeling his heart becoming hot.
It is changing gradually.
The children and Jin-ho too.
‘Watch closely. Because this is just the start.’
Writing a letter he didn't know would reach the student in the sky or not, Yoo jin shifted his gaze.
“Then now…… how will you come out, you.”
Yoo jin’s gaze headed toward Kang Tae-wook again.
‘My other sore finger.’
Kang Tae-wook, who was trembling, headed to the entrance of the Artificial Dungeon even though his name hadn't been called.
“Then the rest move too.”
The last team’s exam began.