Chapter 82

“There’s one A-Rank. Han Kangyoon, who was promoted this time.”

“Then the rest shouldn’t be much. But according to Sora, they’re not an easy opponent, and they did quite well in class too.”

They were Lee Yoonhyeop and Baek Yujeong, who, among the sixteen A-Rank cadets, were in charge of the lower ranks along with me.

These two didn’t appear much in the original story, but that doesn’t mean they’re opponents to be taken lightly.

“You take Kangyoon. Since he mainly uses Shikigami Art, you’ll probably have an advantage in terms of compatibility.”

“Well, that’s better. I’ll go ahead then.”

Baek Yujeong, like Baek Eunseo, is from the Baek Family, one of the Three Great Noble Families.

However, the difference is that unlike Baek Eunseo, who is from the main lineage, she belongs to a branch family.

‘Being from the Martial Faction, it’s definitely an unpleasant style.’

The surprise encounter caused a momentary panic, but soon, as planned, one of the C-Rank cadets, who had the lowest rank in the team, stepped forward to deploy an Art Formula to buy time.

“Poison Dagger Hail!”

And taking advantage of that gap, the rest of the team members began to leave their positions all at once.

I too, following the instructions of Yoon Ihwa, who was watching us from outside the Barrier, chased after the team members.

[…The encounter was faster than expected, but there’s no helping it. Everyone, hide and regroup for a moment.]

However, after briefly glancing back, I immediately sent a message through the Communicator.

“No good. At this speed, we won’t be able to shake them off.”

[What? That can’t be…….]

Yoon Ihwa, being a B-Rank himself, was aware of how exceptional A-Rank cadets’ abilities were, but unfortunately, that estimate wasn’t accurate.

Especially Baek Yujeong, from the Baek Family, famous even among noble families for being a Martial Faction, was not an opponent our team members could handle at their speed.

Thud!

“Damn it…….”

“Huh, even if they’re A-Rank, how can they be this fast?”

Thwack!

Thump!

“What’s this? You threw in a sacrificial lamb, and you still haven’t gotten further than this?”

Baek Yujeong, who moved by kicking off the surrounding trees as if flying through the sky, spun once in mid-air in an instant, landed, and blocked our path.

“With that speed, you could run for a hundred days and still not escape. Right?”

“…….”

The faces of the team members, who had been confident in their escape, stiffened, and Yoon Ihwa on the other side of the Communicator was also flustered and couldn’t continue giving instructions.

Baek Yujeong took out several Baek Family special Talismans from her pocket, attached them to her own body, and continued speaking.

“Well, step forward if you’re confident. Since the others are coming from behind, if you’re going to fight, it’s better to do it quickly.”

[No! If we start fighting seriously, our forces will collapse before we can even properly take the exam!]

Yoon Ihwa managed to stay calm and maintain his usual stance, but the situation was far from ideal for that.

In response, I subtly raised the corner of my mouth and retorted to Baek Yujeong.

“Will you be okay?”

“Why? Are you coming out first?”

“No, your team members. They’re probably being targeted by another team looking for an opportunity right about now.”

“What did you say?”

At my words, Baek Yujeong looked skeptical and glanced behind her.

Indeed, her team members, who should have been spotted by now even from a distance, were nowhere to be seen. Baek Yujeong seemed to guess my words weren’t a bluff and let out a sigh.

“Ah, seriously. They were practically caught…….”

“You’re the one who should leave quickly if you’re going. The team that attacked your side is Gilford’s team.”

Gilford, who boasts the fifth-highest grades among second-year cadets. If she doesn’t stop him, Baek Yujeong’s team members will suffer near-devastating damage.

In the end, Baek Yujeong clicked her tongue and immediately left the spot, and we were able to avoid combat safely.

Once the situation was roughly resolved, Yoon Ihwa sent me a communication with a voice full of doubt.

[…What exactly happened?]

“Nothing difficult. I was already aware of the surrounding situation through my Shikigami. I deliberately drew attention to make Gilford and her team members encounter each other.”

[You had the leeway to do that in the meantime?]

Yoon Ihwa’s doubt was valid.

Usually, handling Shikigami and scouting the surroundings causes much higher fatigue than one might think.

[…It wasn’t visible at all in the Commander’s dedicated view? Don’t tell me you can perceive a wider range than that?]

Humans are creatures busy enough just grasping the scene unfolding before their eyes. Adding the information captured by Shikigami on top of that goes without saying.

However, for me, it was nothing special.

Because that’s exactly what I did day in and day out in the game.

‘If you can’t even do that much while using a Shikigami Sorcerer build, you can’t become a Ranker.’

The five surviving team members looked at me and let out small exclamations of admiration.

“As expected, an A-Rank is an A-Rank…….”

“With this level, we’ll have a significant advantage in moving forward, won’t we?”

In the relieved atmosphere, Yoon Ihwa, feeling puzzled, asked a question.

[Then, could we have avoided encountering Baek Yujeong’s team earlier?]

“On the contrary, there was a risk of being detected by other teams’ radars. I spread the Shikigami right after the combat started.”

That’s actually a lie. I deliberately didn’t say it because I wanted to first observe the judgments Yoon Ihwa would make.

[…Well, I see. How long can you maintain it?]

“If I properly control the pace, a day shouldn’t be a problem.”

[Then keep up the reconnaissance for now. If there are enemies who might get tangled up, we can guide them elsewhere.]

And so, we achieved our initial goal of the distance movement mission and additionally completed the 50-point tree fruit collection mission.

【14th Place: 2-B Rank Yoon Ihwa Team】

▶150P

14th place out of a total of twenty teams.

It could be seen as a decent performance, but to be honest, it wasn’t a particularly good score.

Especially, the gap with the top-ranking teams was gradually widening.

【1st Place: 2-A Rank Grace Team】

▶500P

【2nd Place: 2-B Rank Koo Beomjun Team】

▶370P

【3rd Place: 2-C Rank Gong Minji Team】

▶300P

“Wow, Grace’s team is where Sophia is, right? They already have 500 points?”

Sophia probably cleared the 400-point first team hunt mission.

Even though not much time has passed since the exam started, her overwhelming prowess was evident.

“…Will we earn enough points if we keep moving defensively like this?”

“I’d like to aim for at least within the top 10, but this might be really tough.”

Lee Yoomin and Han Chaewon, both B-Ranks like Yoon Ihwa, voiced their concerns with somewhat worried tones.

Most of the team members seemed to agree with that sentiment.

[…Indeed, with Han Kangyoon’s Shikigami Art, it seems we could move a bit more aggressively.]

After hesitating for a moment, Yoon Ihwa asked for my advice in a slightly awkward voice.

[What’s your judgment? Are there any missions worth aiming for?]

In response, I also seriously pondered repeatedly.

Soon, having made a decision, I pointed to the 350-point treasure search mission in the northern cave area.

[…You want to do that? Surely many formidable teams will be gathered there.]

“It’s literally a high-risk mission, so there won’t be as many as you think. And in a space like that, I can maximize the utility of my Shikigami.”

We can minimize encounters with enemies and also use Shikigami to aid in the treasure search.

If we move carefully, it’s a mission worth attempting.

At my words, Yoon Ihwa checked everyone’s opinions and then made a decision.

[Alright. Then let’s start searching for the treasure hidden in the cave.]

And so, we headed north once again.

Swoosh!

Crash!

“Sorry~ I didn’t want to be so harsh, but the Commander keeps getting angry.”

“Ugh…….”

Ding!*

[2-B Rank Baek Jongbeom eliminated]

[With the disqualification of the last team member, 2-D Rank Ko Seungyun Team has been finally eliminated.]

Beautiful blonde hair, a smile without a hint of pretense.

Sophia, who ended another battle in the blink of an eye, fiddled with her Communicator and let out a subtle complaint.

“Grace, really. I told you the strategy is too aggressive. The kids must be desperate too, wouldn’t it be okay to give them some time to gather points?”

[Hey, Soph. I’ve said it repeatedly, but that’s just deception. And originally, the more miserably people are crushed, the more they can grow, or so they say.]

Sophia Charlotte, the top of the grade, and her close friend Grace.

Although they used all their points to bring just Sophia, they were currently in the lead and widening the gap with other teams.

[Hehe. Anyway, it’s as expected. With just Soph, most things get resolved.]

“Tsk. You shouldn’t think that way. We haven’t even met the A-Rank kids yet.”

[So, your real thoughts?]

“Hmm. Well, first of all, no matter who comes, we won’t lose, so as long as we don’t let our guard down, there might not be any particular need to worry~”

It wasn’t exactly arrogance. In reality, Sophia possessed that level of ability.

For her, taking first place in the exam was simply too obvious a fact.

As Sophia moved to find a new mission, her Spiritual Sense detected one flying-type Shikigami secretly drifting through the air.

“The control is skillful~ And the Spiritual Power is hidden so well it’s barely noticeable.”

[I can’t see it well from here, is there a Shikigami?]

“Yeah, yeah. At this level, it’s definitely Kangyoon.”

Since there weren’t many cadets specializing in Shikigami Art to begin with, Sophia could immediately guess its owner.

[Han Kangyoon? Then it must be Yoon Ihwa’s B-Rank team. Let’s go get them, Soph.]

However, in response to Grace’s communication, Sophia answered with a meaningful expression, pondering.

“Hmm. I think it’s better to give up.”

[…For Soph to say that, it must be something. Why is that?]

“Kangyoon is skilled in actual combat, so I think chasing him would only result in a loss.”

Sophia recalled the first mission of the comprehensive exam that took place on Yeongwoldo before.

Han Kangyoon, who boldly came to target an A-Rank’s Barrier Stone with just one first-year cadet in tow.

But Sophia had the memory of ultimately having her camp captured by that Han Kangyoon.

[That’s because Soph held back. You couldn’t even use your strength properly from the start, worried the Barrier Stone might break.]

“That may be true, but separately, I was genuinely impressed, you know? If you fight him once, you’ll understand. Kangyoon’s fighting style is… unique.”

[Unique?]

“Yeah. Really. I’m not just talking about the Art Formulas he uses, it’s incredibly tricky. It feels like no matter what move you make, he has a countermeasure prepared, should I say?”

[…Eh? Is Han Kangyoon really that good?]

It’s rare for Sophia Charlotte to evaluate an opponent this highly.

While fundamentally very kind, her perspective on ability itself was rather cold and objective.

“Ah. There’s someone else nearby too. Probably from Gilford’s side.”

[Gilford? Is he targeting Han Kangyoon’s team?]

“Hmm. Was the last time that kid lost in a fight when he faced me?”

[Yeah. That’s right. It was definitely during the first semester comprehensive exam in first year.]

At those words, Sophia, who had been silent for a moment, momentarily pulled up the corner of her mouth.

“Then, this might be his second defeat.”

Sophia, who smiled faintly, turned her body and began moving to another location. In her hand was one of Han Kangyoon’s Black Birds, its entire body already tightly bound.