NOVEL WEB Chapter 19
On the morning of day 12, a heavy magic began to stir in the woods below the mountain. It was the sign of a new monster. It sauntered slowly up the mountain, a colossal lion made of rock.
Its skin, as hard as stone, boasted immense strength, absorbing power like a sponge. Even a collision with a spinning turtle would only cause a few cracks. This was an opponent I could not hope to stop.
In terms of both strength and magic, it surpassed any defense I had prepared. I was utterly devoid of any means to inflict real damage on it.
But others were different. Even Siggeo, who had decided to back out, faced it with ease.
Professor Ilian was a hundred percent right. I had no talent for fighting whatsoever.
If that thing had charged at us like other monsters, defense would have been pointless. Luckily, their numbers were quite small. This meant I didn’t need to confront them directly.
With every step the rock lion took through the maze, the ground tremored, syncing with my heartbeat. If I had tried to block their path, the entire maze would have burst apart.
Thus, I had no intention of stopping them. Instead, I opened a way for them to exit the maze naturally. A stronger force was waiting above to deal with them.
Why do you think I teamed up with Hongryeong as soon as I arrived at the mountain? It was for situations like this.
The rock lions passed through my maze, heading upward through the wide-open path. They soon reached the cliffs, swept by the wind. Hongryeong looked down at them from above.
Even though he had to defend a huge area combining Siggeo’s and my domains, a relaxed smile spread across his face. I revealed myself so he could see and offered my apologies.
“Since Mr. Ebron has suffered up to now, I’ll handle this.”
Hongryeong said softly. He raised his hand lightly. In that moment, the wind barrier split, and a huge current of wind began to form. The wind roared increasingly fierce, swirling around the cliffs.
According to the magic flowing from his fingertips, the magical circle drawn on the cliffs changed shape incessantly. The wind, like a living creature, responded to Hongryeong’s commands.
The wind grew stronger, turning into a storm. And guided by Hongryeong’s will, it crashed towards the rock lions.
Their stone-like skin shattered instantly in the storm, pieces flying apart in a heartbeat. What had been so solid crumbled into dust in the blink of an eye.
I swallowed hard. The result was chilling.
Despite unleashing such tremendous magic, Hongryeong’s expression remained light, as if it posed no burden. The storm engulfed every approaching rock lion, and then it quieted down, solidifying into the wall once again to block the cliffs.
Surprisingly, the situation had been resolved quite easily.
From day 12 to day 14, I managed to fend off the waves of monsters without any major troubles. There were minor damages to the maze from the unexpected moves of the rock lions, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
Having paid the price for my complacency, I focused intently and carried out everything flawlessly, using the blade wolves as dolls by my side and grounding myself whenever I could.
And so, the night of day 14 wore on.
The endless number of monsters began to dwindle, and by the time the sun rose, not a single monster had approached.
The fourth task was finally over. In that moment, all the tension slipped away, and I collapsed onto my seat.
I recalled how I thought it was a very kind assignment when I initially prepared for the fortress. What was I thinking? Realizing that made it clear I had been too complacent. This had been the toughest task in the past 11 years of testing.
After confirming that no more monsters were coming, we all gathered before the hourglass.
Everyone looked relatively intact. I was the only one covered in wounds. I managed a bittersweet smile. No matter how hard I struggled, there were limits to talent.
Yet talent and passing were two separate matters. I learned that from Professor Ilian.
Before the hourglass, I quietly watched the last grains of sand slip away.
This tense moment came to an end just like that. And, at the same time, the hourglass shattered.
The sand inside slowly rose into the air, gradually transforming into five sheets of paper. The paper fluttered in the breeze and landed before us. Only one sentence existed on the paper.
‘Select the first contributor and the fifth contributor.’
This was the final task.
Although it was the easiest task so far, considering what would happen afterward, it felt incredibly difficult. What if I wrote someone else’s name and they harbored ill feelings and attacked me later?
But still, it was time to make a choice. Everyone wrote down names. I wrote mine too. Once all the names were written, the paper naturally transformed back into sand and gathered into the broken hourglass.
I looked at Hongryeong. As if sensing my gaze, he glanced at me and smiled. I slightly nodded in return, matching his smile.
As all the sand reassembled, it hardened into a single tombstone.
Slowly, words began to etch themselves upon it.
First Contributor, Hongryeong.
This was a result everyone had foreseen.
Hongryeong simply stood there, smiling. His abilities were undeniable. Without him, we would have surely faced many obstacles during this test.
Of course, what was even more important was that he had preemptively secured three votes during the test.
The tombstone did not stop there; the test demanded not one, but two names.
Eventually, another phrase began to be inscribed. Upon seeing the result, a scream of disbelief tore through the air.
“Why is my name!”
Fifth Contributor, Shaking Rope.
The face she had been hiding suddenly twisted like a demon. She leaped from her seat.
“Why did you write my name? Siggeo has already backed out!”
Shock filled her voice, her finger pointing at Siggeo trembling in excitement. She turned her gaze to him. Siggeo averted his eyes with a wry smile.
“I’m sorry; I owed the young master a debt I couldn’t ignore.”
There was a tone of deep apology in his voice.
“Same here.”
I spoke briefly too. Shaking Rope glared intensely at Siggeo and me.
A massive killing intent burst from her eyes. Dark magic crept from her fingertips, beginning to envelop the area.
Then her gaze shifted to Aili. Aili, wearing her usual light smile, said,
“It wasn’t me.”
With that, Aili shrugged her shoulders.
Shaking Rope’s eyes turned blood-red, gradually tinged with madness. Cracks appeared in her glasses that were covering her eyes, which shattered in an instant.
With her glasses gone, the innocence in her face vanished, revealing a witch-like grotesqueness. I was taken aback. Apparently, the glasses had been a magical tool. Was this a method to alter one’s appearance?
Her gaze, which had swept over me and Siggeo, soon focused on Hongryeong. A thick aura of killing intent radiated from that look.
I sighed in relief. Thankfully, her rage wasn’t directed at me. I subtly distanced myself from them.
“That was a very fair decision.”
Hongryeong said calmly.
As he spoke, Hongryeong’s gaze lingered on Siggeo and me.
“In that regard, Siggeo and Ebron provided ample compensation and offered services that exceeded my expectations. Considering that value, I didn’t write down their names.”
Hongryeong’s words were calm, but the resolve within them was chillingly firm. Shaking Rope’s breathing grew increasingly ragged.
As a result, her magic began to fluctuate. The air began to rot, emanating a rancid stench, and the grass around her turned pitch black, taking on a sinister hue.
Shaking Rope asked. In that moment, Hongryeong grinned wickedly.
Shaking Rope clenched her jaw, saying nothing more. But her crazed, glimmering eyes utterly betrayed her emotions.
In the midst of that verbal exchange, the tombstone shattered, forming a dimensional rift. Like when we first arrived at the test, a black crack opened.
Spouting magic intensely, Shaking Rope quickly passed through the crack as if she no longer wanted to remain there. She shot one last glare at Hongryeong, who merely smiled and let her gaze pass.
Everyone silently watched her cross through the rift. Then Siggeo bowed politely to Hongryeong and slowly stepped through. Perhaps he was not quite comfortable with the situation, as he sighed softly before disappearing.
“This is boring; this kind of scenario is just dull. What’s the point of not fighting?”
Aili grumbled as she also crossed into the rift.
“Oh, I’ll see you at the entrance ceremony, Mr. Ebron.”
She peeked her head through the crack and waved her hand.
“Yes, definitely! I’ll be sure to greet you first.”
Smiling, I bowed my head in salutation. She vanished beyond the crack just like that. With that, everyone had disappeared, leaving only Hongryeong and me behind.
Hongryeong looked at me with a quiet smile.
“Are you curious why I chose her?”
Hongryeong asked. A chill surged through me. I was momentarily taken aback by his question.
“Didn’t you already explain that?”
Hongryeong’s smile deepened. He shook his head.
“I just didn’t like her.”
Such a simple, honest statement caught me off guard for a moment. Seeing my reaction, Hongryeong raised his hand. Four fingers were extended.
“I am very truthful about my feelings. Siggeo is a soldier. He dedicates his life to protecting the Empire. There’s no way I could hate someone who is in the Empire like me.”
As he said this, he folded one finger down.
“Ebron was a bit ambiguous at first. As you know, he was the weakest here, right? But I found it admirable how he understood his position and acted accordingly afterward.”
Another finger folded down.
“Then there’s Aili. You might not know, but she’s also from a prestigious family. Next time, you’d best show a bit more respect.”
He folded another finger. Only one finger remained.
He paused for a moment and let out a deep sigh. For the first time, the smile faded from Hongryeong’s face during the test.
He grimaced.
“And I simply dislike witches.”
He said in a fragmented voice. There was a palpable hatred and disdain woven into his words.
“With their lowly, disgusting magic, they should be groveling and obedient, yet they dare to hold their heads high and lock eyes with me.”
Endless malice toward witches deeply stained his words. For a long time afterward, he unleashed a tirade of vileness toward witches, exposing his feelings.
Having only seen the calm, perfect side of Hongryeong, I could only sit in speechless awe and listen.
I couldn’t understand why he harbored such hatred towards witches or why he unleashed it upon me.
After he vented his emotions for a while, Hongryeong once more wore a smile on his face, as if nothing had ever happened.
He chuckled as he looked at me.
Hongryeong asked. A vague sense of unease set in. I suddenly realized that how I answered could determine my life.
I lowered my head in confusion.
“As I mentioned earlier, didn’t you explain it all? We made an agreement, and Aili chose Shaking Rope because she was strong. But who would have thought, Aili belonged to a prestigious family! What a surprise!”
I acted as if I hadn’t heard a thing. Reflecting on this, I ignored the reality. Hearing my words, Hongryeong smiled in satisfaction.
“Haha, that’s why I like you, Ebron.”
Hongryeong waved goodbye and walked toward the rift. He then seamlessly disappeared through it.
I slumped to the ground. My body felt heavy. The atmosphere was ominous, filled with his bizarre remarks and expressions, along with the emotions he had unleashed. I still struggled to comprehend what had just happened.
But one thing was certain: I had overcome a crisis. Truly a person from a prestigious family. He belonged to an entirely different world. In this immense realm of magic, I was merely a tiny speck. Pondering over Hongryeong’s words, I steadied my racing heart.
Anyway, the test was over.
As it ended, a slew of terrifying events unfolded, but that was something to think about later. At present, the real concern was whether I’d pass or not. I stared intently at the flickering rift.
Taking a deep breath, I approached it. The moment I crossed through, a black current enveloped my body. Inside, I slowly began to sort through what I had felt during this test.
The test was concluded. The outcome would dictate the course of my future life.
Professor Ilian’s words echoed in my mind. Did he not say that if I failed, I’d be killed? I had done my utmost. If I were to fail now, I’d have nothing to say for myself.
The surroundings gradually brightened.
As I opened my eyes, a sheet of paper fluttered before my face. I grabbed it and quickly read through.
-Grading Results-
Complete five tasks. (Out of 100 points, 60 points or more are passing.)
1. Use the specified magic to escape from the bell within 30 minutes. (10 points)
Obtained Score: 7 points.
Evaluation: Your creativity and focus during the magic formation process were intriguing, but the plan and execution lacked efficiency. Due to excessive time consumption compared to the level of maturity of the magic, points were deducted.
2. In a randomly assigned group of 5, reach the destination within 24 hours. (20 points)
Obtained Score: 14 points.
Evaluation: Clearly defining and fulfilling your role by utilizing dolls throughout the journey was positively noted. However, your complacency and mistakes led to unfavorable situations for the entire team. Points were deducted due to these issues.
3. Build a fortress at the destination of Task 2. (20 points)
Obtained Score: 11 points.
Evaluation: The basic structure and design of the fortress were reasonable, but magical defensive means and countermeasures were limited. Ultimately, the fortress’s defense limitations were exposed, and there was a lack of measures to address this. Points were deducted for this reason.
4. Using the fortress from Task 3, protect important supplies and endure for two weeks. (30 points)
Obtained Score: 19 points.
Evaluation: Impressively implementing various strategies and means to compensate for the fortress’s limitations was noteworthy. However, it was successful in enduring for two weeks without stability issues; there was a crisis where the fortress might collapse in between. Thus, points were deducted for stability concerns.
5. Select the first contributor and the fifth contributor from Task 4. (20 points)
Obtained Score: 10 points.
Evaluation: A basic score was awarded as you were not selected as a contributor.
—
I slowly calculated the points from each task.
My hands began to tremble. Did I add them up correctly?
I continued to tally the scores. Even after dozens of repetitions, the totals remained unchanged. My eyes landed on the very bottom of the paper.
—
Total Score: 61 points, pass.
Rank: 12,952 (12,952 / 13,246)
—
Joy began to swell in my chest. All the pent-up emotions that had been suppressed for so long erupted all at once. Unbeknownst to me, tears streamed down my face.
I had passed.
It had been 11 years since I started taking tests, a tale of 11 tries.