novelraw Chapter 19 : Exam (2)
Chapter 19 : Exam (2)
Chapter 19: Exam (2)
Thud.
Cheon Bigang pushed Gu Pyo aside with his hand.
Ting!
Two spinning throwing blades struck the ground and bounced away.
A precise ambush aimed at Gu Pyo’s thigh and calf.
When Gu Pyo turned around, he saw unlucky examinees clutching their legs and collapsing.
“Th-this is insane!”
Sa Yerin burst into laughter at his terrified reaction.
“Old man, you’re pale. You really didn’t know? This exam is about competing against each other too.”
“Even so, throwing blades—ugh!”
Whoosh!
More blades sliced through the air.
They were targeting the slowest member of each group—including Gu Pyo.
Quick-witted examinees immediately used footwork techniques.
Papapap!
“Urgh!”
“Ahh!”
Blood splattered as weaker examinees fell.
Cheon Bigang looked back.
Five suspicious figures wearing motorcycle helmets were throwing blades relentlessly.
Their helmets had devil horns attached.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
“Those lunatics!”
“Should we just crush them?”
“Don’t waste energy. Just endure until they run out of blades.”
The first test required all team members to finish.
In other words—
If even one member failed, the entire team was disqualified.
The helmet group targeted the weakest to eliminate teams early.
Gu Pyo approached Cheon Bigang.
“Should I… withdraw? I’m going to get hit!”
“No. You’re part of the team.”
“But—!”
“Don’t worry. You won’t die or be crippled. They’re holding back.”
“…What?”
Sa Yerin lightly kicked off the ground.
“Didn’t you notice? Look at those who fell—none were hit in vital points.”
“…Really?”
Gu Pyo looked again.
All injuries were on legs.
If they intended to kill, they would have targeted arteries or vital points.
Instead, they only incapacitated.
“…You’re right.”
“So run.”
“…!”
Gu Pyo stared in disbelief.
Even if he got hit, it wouldn’t kill him?
He wanted to protest—but endured.
This was his job.
Still—
He vowed to demand extra pay later.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
As the helmet group intensified their attacks, examinees changed strategies—either pushing forward or diverting into the forest.
No one dared confront all five.
Meanwhile—
The Wind Blood Twin Dogs exchanged glances.
“Now.”
Boom! Boom!
They leapt.
One toward Cheon Bigang.
One toward Sa Yerin.
“I’ll wipe that smug face clean!”
“Die!”
They swung their spiked maces.
Boom!
The ground exploded.
Cheon Bigang and Sa Yerin dodged.
The two charged again.
“Die!”
The maces roared through the air.
“Today is your funeral!”
“Your words are excessive.”
One attacked Cheon Bigang.
The mace grazed a tree—
Boom!
It exploded.
“Stop running!”
“Leave now, and I’ll spare you.”
“No!”
The mace surged with energy—
Splitting into three afterimages.
『Triple Soul Crushing Strike』
A killing technique aimed to crush ribs and organs.
At that moment—
Thud!
Cheon Bigang kicked a stone.
It struck the man’s jaw.
Crack!
His neck twisted.
His attack collapsed.
Cheon Bigang stepped in calmly.
“Your movements are too large.”
Smack!
His palm struck the jaw.
Crunch!
The man dropped instantly.
Meanwhile—
Sa Yerin finished her opponent.
Boom!
The enemy’s own mace crushed his head.
“Idiot.”
Kick.
She sent him rolling.
She had seen through the illusion instantly.
Cheon Bigang glanced at her.
“Not bad.”
“Hey, you finished faster than me?”
“Nothing special. Let’s go.”
“What about them?”
“Leave them.”
They caught up to Gu Pyo.
“Any trouble?”
“I almost died! Look!”
A blade was stuck in his shoulder.
“Looks painful,” Sa Yerin said.
“It is!”
“Still alive though.”
“I pretended to be dead!”
He had figured it out—
The attackers ignored fallen targets.
“Smart.”
“…This is not funny!”
Time: 20 minutes.
Examinees littered the path.
Injured. Fighting. Withdrawn.
Then—
“Wait.”
A fallen examiner.
Dead.
“No pulse.”
“No pass token.”
“Taken… along with his life.”
“Wh-what?!”
Murder.
And no interruption.
Sa Yerin pointed.
“See that stain?”
“Poison?”
“Idiot. Who marks poison like that?”
They moved on.
Soon—
Three more bodies.
Same black marks.
“Someone’s hunting them all,” Sa Yerin said.
“…Yes.”
“All tokens… monopolized.”
“…That’s impossible!”
“It’s happening.”
Their plan—
Take tokens near the end.
But someone had already cleared them all.
“What now?” Sa Yerin asked.
Gu Pyo panicked.
“We’re doomed!”
Sa Yerin tapped her temple.
“We wait. Steal from someone else.”
Cheon Bigang nodded.
“Yes. We take one.”
“Time?”
“6 minutes.”
“Good. Gu Pyo—come here.”
“…Why—AAAH!”
Cheon Bigang hoisted him over his shoulder—
And sprinted.
---
3 minutes remaining.
As expected—
No examiners remained.
At the finish line—
Many teams had already arrived.
Among them—
The helmet group.
But—
“They’re not the ones.”
Cheon Bigang spotted them.
One man.
Two women.
Arrogant.
The man held multiple tokens.
2 minutes remaining.
As Cheon Bigang approached—
The women stepped forward.
“Stop!”
“Who are you!”
The man smiled.
“And you are?”
“No need to know. I want that.”
“…What?”
“The token. Give me one.”
“…Without compensation?”
“Yes. That’s the only way you keep your pride.”
1 minute remaining.
His smile twisted.
“And if I refuse?”
“I’ll take it.”
“…Confident, aren’t you?”
Boom!
Both moved at once.
The air exploded.