NOVEL WEB Chapter 94
Each group was glued to the screen, seemingly trying to learn something from their previous teams and find some improvement, not making a sound.
But no group managed to present any noteworthy improvements.
Group 3, consisting of Seolhwa and Maria, who exchanged ability information among themselves and chose to focus on rescue rather than fighting, ended up attracting monsters instead of evading them.
Group 4, with Im Changwon, started off like a one-man show from Changwon, only to meet a ridiculous fate by long-range laser sniping, leaving him to slowly wither away afterward.
Group 5, featuring Ageha, Fukukin, and Katyann, appeared to be performing well at first.
However, it became clear that they were overexerting their abilities to the point of magic exhaustion.
On the screen, Katyann, who had completely drained her magic, fainted, and one by one, everyone in the group started to collapse.
What about group 2? They just dove headfirst with no plan and ended up cracking their heads open. They might even be worse off than group 1.
Despite watching, the test concluded not due to the passage of time but total annihilation.
I wasn’t sure if it was a sense of defeat, but at least their expressions were entertaining.
Our group, however, had an atmosphere that felt like a collective funeral. It was so solemn that it felt like we were sinking into the ground.
Minho, Jinhyeon, and Lucia were all struggling to comprehend the complexity of the simulation’s content, which seemed malicious in nature.
Minho was losing his mind, muttering about what in the world they were supposed to do with this situation.
“In the first place, are there even clear conditions…? It doesn’t seem like it’s designed to be solvable…”
Just then, Lucia brought up a rather plausible point that helped Minho regain some of his composure.
“Lucia has a point. Sadly, the Gate Break incident in ’96 was only suppressed after several S-rank Hunters showed up.”
Jinhyeon chimed in with Lucia’s reasoning, suggesting to Minho that we didn’t necessarily need to clear the gate.
I had no clue about this practical test either, so rather than rebutting Jinhyeon, I supported his claim.
“Jinhyeon is right. It took around ten S-ranks to resolve this issue; how could we, mere students, possibly handle it?”
Even if it was easy to adjust the situation, it was the worst-case scenario, so I told Minho not to expect much from us.
“And… this might be pushing it a bit, but since it’s just a simulation, right? It’s already unfolded. So, you can afford to relax a little.”
I encouraged him as best as I could, trying to ease his burden.
I wasn’t sure if this was proper encouragement since I hadn’t done much of it before, but seeing Minho’s expression lighten up a bit made me feel like I did okay.
“I’m grateful for your words, Blanca.”
Wait, was it not that effective? Yet, Minho seemed to understand a bit and gathered us, proposing a few guidelines.
“For now… let’s survive. Dying isn’t the best option. And… let’s rescue where we can and fight where we can. Flexibly. Got it?”
His words sounded grand, but there wasn’t anything too profound about it.
“Let’s not overdo it, just do well enough. You all get it.”
Let’s do it moderately well, was really all he was suggesting. I had expected something a bit smarter or more magical to emerge, but…
It was a bit disappointing. Yet given the absurd level of chaos, maybe it was better to keep it simple.
“Group 5, test concluded due to annihilation. Thank you for your efforts. Next, group 6.”
Since Lucia and Jinhyeon had no objections, we headed into the set with a relaxed yet certain guideline.
Some strange feeling washed over me as we headed into the gate, piercing through the darkness.
Soon enough, I found myself standing in what seemed to be the middle of a city that was almost in ruins.
Since everything would naturally be restored once this was over, I tossed aside my coat and concentrated on my hearing, trying to detect anything around us.
“It doesn’t seem like there’s anything too remarkable around here. And over there, I hear people from that collapsed house.”
My sense of smell wasn’t really helping. A foul odor so pungent it made my tail bristle, mixed with the stench of blood and dust, filled the air.
Minho rushed straight to where I pointed, easily lifting debris to rescue a mother and daughter trapped beneath.
“Blanca.”
“It’s too late for the mother. We need to bring someone like Maria.”
“I see.”
It wasn’t split in half, but with a side missing as if someone took a big bite out of it, it was impossible to save her.
After providing some pain relief with narcotic medication, I executed every possible immediate action with the daughter.
“So, what’s the plan? Even if we want to save, we can’t build a temporary shelter like group 3.”
While it was great that we rescued them, the next step was uncertain, so I turned to Minho.
“If it’s what Seolhwa did, I think I can manage to follow along to some extent.”
Jinhyeon jumped in, seemingly wanting to help with the conversation.
“And think about what that led to. Every monster in the vicinity was attracted to it.”
“That’s… true.”
I objected to Jinhyeon’s opinion and asked Minho for his thoughts.
He pondered while looking around and suddenly stared up with a look like he had figured something out.
“How about we use that high-rise building as a shelter?”
“We have no idea what’s inside!”
I didn’t want to agree blindly, so I opposed it, and Darużej said she would guard the inside if that’s the case.
“I’ll handle it. I’m not that fast, and I shine brightest in close combat. I’d be perfect as security.”
She said this while sharpening her senses.
Minho seemed grateful for her help, flying up with the girl and Darużej, quickly disappearing from sight.
Leaving only the silent ones behind, everyone was just glancing at each other, so I initiated the conversation.
“What are we waiting for? We need to rescue or fight. Even if Minho returns soon, we have to use every second we have.”
I encouraged them to take action, leading us towards the source of the voices.
I brushed off any worry about Minho not finding us, thinking there was nothing to worry about, survival was priority.
Whether Lucia shot lights into the sky or Jinhyeon made firework displays, he surely wouldn’t miss us.
Pumping adrenaline, I dispatched the low-ranking monsters that wandered the streets and rescued a handful of citizens.
The success rate wasn’t great. If we were lucky, it might be a fifty-fifty.
“Whether it’s Jinhyeon or Lucia, shoot something bright into the sky to call Minho.”
“I’ll do it,” Lucia said, shooting a small beam of light into the sky to summon Minho.
Minho, weakly reprimanding, asked where we had been, then looked at the three laying beside us and was surprised to see we rescued them in the meantime.
“Minho, regardless of the plan, let’s reconsider our roles. You carry them, we’ll rescue.”
“Isn’t that a bit… risky? Are you sure it’ll be okay?”
“You’ve got Jinhyeon and Lucia with you. You’ll be fine. And if you feel it’s not working, just retreat.”
Minho looked hesitant but ultimately agreed, landing to gather all the citizens before taking off again.
“Don’t overdo it! And if it gets dangerous, just call out; I’ll fly back quick!”
With Minho disappearing from view in an instant, we continued our search and battle.
So far, we hadn’t encountered any significant threats. Whether they spawned far from the gate or for some other reason, it was unclear.
From what I could see, there were quite a few people, suggesting logically that we were in the outskirts.
But does logic even apply in a place like this?
I kicked and jabbed my way through minor doubts as I took out the monsters. It’s just a simulation, after all. For now, all that matters is giving it my all.
My best as a student… oh, got it. That’s it!
The further I went, the stronger the monsters felt, but once Lucia and Jinhyeon started using their abilities, things weren’t too tough.
Being monsters and a simulation, seeing them unleash their full power truly made me feel the difference in talent.
“Poor Changwon. Long-range laser sniping, I mean, you have to be reasonably malicious with your setups.”
“But it was a real event, right?”
“That’s… what makes it malicious…”
Seeing Jinhyeon and Lucia struggling a bit, I suggested we take a minute to rest.
They agreed, and just then, Minho appeared around the corner.
“You’re really fast. I’ve been non-stop rescuing, yet you still caught up to me.”
I waved at Minho, but he just smiled without saying much back.
What’s this? Am I somehow being judged as a real heroine? Why is he acting like that? If it’s real, it gives me the creeps.
No, wait. If he sees me as a heroine, I’d definitely have exposed all my materials by now. Is him suspecting me because of that as we got closer?
Suddenly, my trembling hands went stiff with a chilling thought.
No, no.
My stiffening wasn’t because of that. It was something unfamiliar, something strange… a presence.
From Minho, I could sense it.
Has he ever smiled like that?
But before I had time to react, he dashed over and ripped off the control device on my neck.