novelraw Chapter 116 : Chapter 116
Chapter 116 : Chapter 116
Chapter 116: Midterm Evaluation (3)
Commotion was spreading through the air.
A whistling sound cut across the mountainside and echoed.
“They must have met.”
Judging by that, they must have encountered a pretty large group of guardians.
There is a reason why the Zero side didn’t strictly block teaming.
Because it isn’t necessarily advantageous.
In the end, it was a matter of how much one understood the system of this Hallasan.
Basically, what one had to know was that each guardian is not an independent entity.
There was something Kang Mooseong said before the exam started.
— The mountain protects itself. These are not simple wooden dolls.
This was not a simple metaphor.
The guardians are ‘the mountain itself.’
They are pure magic power entities that the mountain directly molds and operates.
The purpose of their existence was singular.
To prevent intruders from climbing to the core at the summit, Baengnokdam.
In other words, the guardians are like an immune system that the mountain activates to protect its core.
The more intruders there are, the stronger the response.
They are perceived as enemies that need to be dealt with more carefully.
This isn’t unique to this place.
Gates and dungeons also possess a similar mechanism.
The bosses dominating the gates and dungeons sense the existence of intruders; the stronger the enemy, and the more they are grouped together, the faster they respond.
This evaluation, which the instructor personally called ‘simply a hike,’ is actually a test that comprehensively evaluates knowledge, judgment, combat power, and stamina, assuming a situation where one enters a gate or dungeon.
Forming a team with the vague hope that sticking together would be good, while overlooking that point, was no different from a suicidal act.
That is why I refused the proposal of the guy with glasses to go up as a team and slipped away.
It would be troublesome if I ended up facing a massive number of guardians just because I stayed with them.
Of course, I am not completely safe either.
I had already cut down one guardian before leaving the group.
‘It should be coming soon.’
That’s right, I killed a Guardian of the Mountain.
Thanks to that, although the danger level is lower than a large group, I was clearly recognized as an intruder of Hallasan.
Since I didn’t leave the group of glasses-guy to catch the guardian, but rather caught the guardian first and then separated.
Did I catch the guardian instead because I was worried about the group with glasses?
No way.
‘Come quickly, compass.’
I only did it to obtain a compass exclusive to Hallasan.
Hallasan is a demonic realm.
Spatial distortion is a basic passive.
Its length and degree vary as well.
Some points that are actually 1 meter might swell up to 100 times that size.
If one climbs in a straight line without much thought, they might not reach the summit even if they sprint at full power all day long.
Then what should be done?
A compass is meaningless.
GPS? Of course, meaningless.
It’s not like there is a map either.
Although ‘my coordinate value’ appears on the watch, this is strictly an absolute value measured by magic-optical methods from the outside.
It doesn’t tell you which zone is distorted and by how much.
Walk relying on intuition?
If one is an outstanding mage, they could scatter magic power throughout the space to grasp even the degree of distortion.
However, that doesn't apply to my case.
‘Every time something like this happens, having no magic power is annoying.’
I’m confident I could use it well if I had it.
But even for me, there is one solution.
I am in the middle of executing that right now.
WHEEE-
A whistling sound was heard beyond the thick fog.
It was from the diagonal left direction.
The whistling sound became increasingly loud and distinct.
‘It’s here.’
Pushing through the fog from the exact direction the sound came from, a guardian revealed itself.
SWISH-!
The wooden spear held in the guy’s hand cut through the air.
After twisting my body to dodge the thrusting attack, I lightly drew my sword.
SLICE-!
The guy’s arm part, the block of wood entangled like vines, was cut off smoothly.
The moment my gaze turned toward the guy’s left arm and wooden spear that fell on the ground.
I continued the sword trajectory without missing the opening.
SLASH-
The center of the guardian’s waist was cut cleanly.
The hard tree bark tore open, and sticky body fluid scattered.
Soon, the body split in two melted like liquid and seeped into the ground.
‘Still doable.’
Shall I keep going?
I shook off the fluid on the sword and moved my feet.
The direction I chose was the diagonal left, the path from which the guy appeared.
About 10 minutes must have passed since I started walking again.
WHEEE-!
The whistling sound rang out again.
This time, it was a different direction.
Right side, about a 30-degree point.
I stopped walking immediately.
I turned my head and stared in the direction where the whistle was coming from.
Strength entered the hand gripping the sword.
Once again, a guardian appeared, pushing through the fog.
The appearance isn’t much different.
A grotesque figure made of wood with a wooden spear in hand.
However, it was subtly different from before.
Should I say movement variables were added and it became more agile?
The guy thrust the spear in a straight line, and the moment I dodged, it embedded the spear into the ground.
Then, using the embedded spear as a pivot, it threw its body to rotate.
A kick loaded with heavy weight flew in just like that.
Variables mixed into simple movements.
WHOOSH-!
After ducking my head to dodge the guy’s kick, I finished the guy off with the exact same sword strike as before.
‘How will they come next?’
I moved once again in the direction the guy had revealed itself and checked the coordinates.
Elevation rose 150 meters in 30 minutes.
5 meters per minute; by normal standards, it is quite slow.
But this was the fastest way.
Considering it is a distorted space, that is.
As the instructor explained, when guardians sustain damage close to destruction, they transform into a magic power form, are recalled to Hallasan’s core, and automatically repair the damaged parts.
Then, they choose the shortest route to approach the target that killed them.
In other words, the guy was a stalker chasing to kill me, and at the same time, a signpost telling me the shortest distance to climb the mountain.
And I had quickly destroyed just one guardian and left the glasses group to obtain that signpost and maintain a suitable line.
WHEEE-
Not long after checking the coordinates, the sound was heard again.
The direction the sound came from this time was the front.
There was one difference from before.
The fact that there wasn't just one whistling sound.
‘Isn’t this a bit early?’
I only climbed 150m from the starting point, yet already two of them.
That must mean the mountain has started to be wary of me.
Soon, two silhouettes rushed in, cutting through the fog.
Two wooden humans holding long spears.
SWISH-!
There was no testing the waters this time either.
Two spear tips rushed at me as if crossing each other.
I immediately kicked off the ground and threw myself into the air.
Landing on the head of the left guy, I thrust my sword vertically.
THWACK-!
The sword dug in, piercing through the hard wood grain.
As I twisted my hand, with a rattling sensation, the guy’s neck fell to the ground.
‘One is down.’
I threw my body backward to land and stared at the remaining one.
Perhaps because oxygen wasn’t abundant, my breath became rough quickly.
Finish it fast.
I cut across the ground and approached the remaining one.
The sword moved forward, drawing a fierce arc.
CLANG-!
Along with a heavy resonance, a thrilling vibration was transmitted to my wrist.
The guy had blocked the sword.
“So you figured it out.”
The guy’s hollowed-out eyes turned toward me.
At that moment when the contest of strength continued.
BEEP-
Something floated up next to the guy.
[Guardian of the Mountain]
[Destruction: 197]
‘Huh?’
My gaze slid to the side.
The guardian’s label was floating there.
‘This, it’s Mimicry.’
I don’t think I saw this on the previous entities.
It appeared on the guy I’m dealing with this time.
‘Did I not see it because I caught them too quickly earlier?’
Even in normal cases, the condition for Mimicry appeared only after staring for quite a while.
More than that, I didn’t know this would appear even on a ‘magic power entity’ close to a doll, rather than a demonic beast.
‘Anyway, Destruction?’
Usually, the condition required to mimic the target, such as how many times to touch, appeared.
For these guys, ‘Destruction’ was written.
The guy thrust the spear again.
I set my sword obliquely to parry it while twisting my body following the grain of the force.
As the spear tip was brushed aside, the guy’s waist was exposed.
THWACK-!
The sharp blade tore through the guy’s abdomen.
The guardian’s body began to collapse with a rattle.
A moment later, the label blinked.
[Guardian of the Mountain]
[Destruction: 195]
‘It really is destruction.’
Does it mean that for magic power entities driven by magic power, the condition is destruction, not touch?
‘If so.’
I suddenly thought of a possibility.
Hallasan, and one miracle hidden within it.
‘That, might be possible?’
I have no intention of just skimming through the exam.
An opportunity to secure large SP.
Furthermore, the Bremen side is continuously checking whether I can become a top-tier hero.
I have to constantly prove myself, and academy grades were the basic among them.
But there is one thing in this Hallasan that cannot be missed.
An artifact that will give me completely new possibilities the moment I obtain it.
Normally, I could absolutely not get my hands on it at this point.
Because no one can approach it and it is completely blocked off.
But right now, a ‘method possible because it is me’ came to mind.
WHEEE-
A whistling sound.
This time it was from the direction below.
It’s not a guy targeting me.
Thinking about the exam, there is no reason to catch it.
Because it’s foolish to needlessly increase enemies while climbing the mountain.
But I chased the sound.
As I pushed through the fog and approached, the guardian that was quietly keeping its position turned its head.
The guy, having discovered me, raised its spear high.
[Cross Slash]
SLASH-!
Two lines overlapped, and the guy’s torso was split in an instant.
[Guardian of the Mountain]
[Destruction: 194]
The goal had changed.
From hiking to hunting.
***
The middle of Hallasan.
A blizzard was raging.
Biting wind rose over the white-covered terrain.
However, the surroundings of Lily alone were silent.
Power was rippling as if swirling around her.
As if a small barrier was created, the snowflakes scattered before reaching her.
Lily checked her watch.
Light spread on the screen.
A moment later, a list appeared.
Rankings were listed based on current coordinate values.
Altitude and location coordinates were displayed next to each name.
Scanning from the top, Lily’s own name was nowhere to be seen.
‘Ha.’
Lily bit her lip.
She moved her finger quickly to flip the screen.
From the top of the list, familiar names were visible.
Seol Hayun, Ryu Jinwoo, Lee Junhyeok, and Do Haru.
TAP- Her finger stopped.
‘Wait, Do Haru?’
The woman who always just plays around next to Ryu Jinwoo and Seol Hayun.
‘To fall behind even this person? This cannot be.’
Lily chewed on her fingernail.
A minute tremor occurred near her eyes.
It was then.
“Lily! They’re coming again!”
An urgent shout was heard.
Turning her head, several cadets were running towards her, stumbling through the blizzard.
They were the ones who had followed Lily.
WHEEE-
The surrounding area was filled with whistling sounds.
Wooden shapes revealed themselves between the fog and blizzard.
It was the Guardian of the Mountain.
Their sizes and appearances varied.
While there were the basic wooden human forms seen at first, there were also guys whose bodies had swollen up like golems.
Those guys rushed towards this group without delay.
“Watch out!”
“They’re coming from the back too!”
“Aaargh!”
Instant chaos unfolded.
Someone was knocked away by a guardian’s headbutt, and someone got hit in the chest by a guardian’s fist.
All kinds of spells and spear tips flashed, and blood and screams were rampant.
‘Pathetic.’
They had only just climbed 300m.
Every time the guardians reappeared, they were getting stronger and increasing in number.
In other words, it meant now was the time they were most manageable enemies.
Yet they are struggling like that.
Her head shook from side to side on its own.
In the midst of the chaos, Lily lightly waved her hand.
CRUNCH-!
CRACK-!
Telekinesis applied one after another.
The guardians were crushed one by one in an instant and turned into liquid.
“Ooh!”
“As expected of Lily.”
Cheers erupted from the surroundings.
Sparkling gazes poured towards Lily.
However, most of them were injured.
One had a bandage wrapped around their leg, someone had blood flowing on their forehead, and there was a cadet frowning as if their arm wouldn’t move.
Lily approached them.
“Are you okay?”
Her voice was warm.
“I think I’m okay. Thanks for the concern.”
“We survived thanks to Lily.”
Praises continued, but Lily’s inner thoughts were different.
‘I am not okay at all.’
While smiling, Lily thought.
Because of these people, her speed was slowing down.
Leading the injured and moving was that much of a loss.
But she couldn’t just abandon them here either.
‘Because I am a model student who takes good care of those around me and has a warm heart......’
Lily swallowed a sigh inwardly.
“By the way, they’re coming like crazy suddenly. It’s Sudden Gate level.”
“Don’t you think they keep increasing since a while ago?”
“Right. Plus, they are getting stronger. Did you see just now? That guy looking like a golem, what is that?”
Listening to the continuing conversation, Lily furrowed her brows.
Then suddenly, she realized.
‘Wait, I can use this.’
Lily opened her mouth immediately.
“Everyone? Please listen for a moment.”
People’s gazes gathered on her.
Lily deliberately continued speaking in a low voice.
“Usually, the reason guardians are flocking in such large numbers, I think it’s my fault.”
The surroundings buzzed.
“I destroyed a lot of guardians, right? So, stronger enemies are coming seeking me out. In other words, it’s dangerous because of me.”
Her voice was cautious and her expression was gloomy.
“......So I will move separately. You all will be safer without me.”
Lily bowed her head.
She spoke as if she was regretful, but pleasure rose in her heart.
‘Good. With this, I can separate cleanly.’
However, that was only for a moment.
“That’s not true! There is no need for you to feel burdened, Lily!”
Unexpected shouts burst out.
“Right! We are going up all together!”
“That’s right! We are aspiring heroes in name, we can’t abandon a comrade!”
In an instant, the entire group burned with passion.
Will and determination spread like fire.
‘What is it, these crazy people?’
Lily’s lips twitched slightly.
She couldn’t understand.
‘No, I’m saying don’t follow me.’
But it was already too late.
Gazes filled with expectation gathered.
If she coldly refused in this situation, the situation would only become strange.
“Everyone, thank you.”
Lily said, making a touched expression.
“Then, let’s go up to the summit together!”
In the mind of Lily who shouted brightly, only a single word floated up.
‘......Shit.’