Chapter 87

“I don’t really understand what you’re saying. Anyway, there’s almost no time left now.”

“…Three minutes is more than enough. If it ends like this, I won’t be satisfied.”

Sophia, perhaps frustrated by the situation, puffed out her cheeks so slightly it was barely noticeable.

Then, soon after, she regained her composure and began drawing up the immense power she had been holding back.

Whoosh…

Grrrrr…

“Sorry. I really can’t hold back today after all. If you don’t want to do it, I’ll just have to force you.”

The cavern interior shook under the nearly unbearable Spiritual Power, and pressure bore down on my body.

In that situation, Han Kangyoon let out a sigh and took out his own Identification Tag, crushing it.

Crunch!

Ding!

【2-A Rank Han Kangyoon: Eliminated】

At that absurd sight, Sophia, with a dumbfounded expression, extinguished the Spiritual Power she had been drawing up.

“W-what are you doing right now?”

“I said I’m stopping. I’m tired now.”

“Huh, wait a second… That’s not it! I was really looking forward to this, and I even took care not to collapse the cave!”

However, that was Sophia’s circumstance, and from Han Kangyoon’s perspective, there was no longer any need to engage in combat.

And rightfully so, because the outcome had already been decided long ago.

“There’s one minute left now.”

“Ah, seriously… That’s too much. Really.”

Sophia, puffing out her cheeks and stamping her feet, suddenly stiffened her expression for some reason and tilted her head.

“Huh?”

Something was definitely off.

With the voluntary withdrawal just now, Han Kangyoon’s entire team should have been eliminated, yet the message that appeared on the Terminal only announced Han Kangyoon’s elimination.

That meant there was still a surviving team member from Yoon Ihwa’s team, which Han Kangyoon belonged to.

“Huh? But all three of them, from the start…”

Sophia, extending her fingers and tracing back her memory, finally noticed the faint smile lingering at the corner of Han Kangyoon’s mouth.

“N-no way.”

“Sorry about that. From the beginning, it wasn’t four people who survived, but five.”

Originally, it was decided that Han Kangyoon, the most outstanding in the team, would hold the treasure as the representative, but Han Kangyoon himself opposed it.

And even before Sophia’s group arrived at the cavern, he had used the enlarged Sorisoe to sneak one team member out of the cave.

Namely, Go Eunchan, the last remaining D-Rank student.

“Huh? But even if you did that, if the treasure actually gets taken…”

As Sophia continued speaking, she looked at the wooden plaque placed on one side of the cavern with an expression of disbelief.

And, right on cue, it began to melt away as if dissolving, returning to remnants of Spiritual Power.

It was the Art Formula of the copycat Holland, which Han Kangyoon had also used some time ago in Spain.

“…….”

Sophia was at a loss for words. Han Kangyoon’s team members, who had been hiding and were fully in Combat Posture, and the treasure thrown into the air as if to taunt her. Because of that, she naturally let her guard down.

“…No wonder. It was all intentional.”

“I thought we wouldn’t be able to win in a head-on fight no matter what.”

“Ahh, reeeally…”

Sophia sighed deeply with a lament.

Although she knew his tendencies to some extent, he was more cunning than she thought. Since the situation was practically irreversible, Sophia only muttered one low remark.

“…That’s cheap.”

Ding!

【The exam has concluded entirely. Announcing the final results.】

【1st Place: 2-B Rank Yoon Ihwa Team】

▶1600P

【2nd Place: 2-A Rank Grace Team】

▶1130P

【3rd Place: 2-B Rank Gu Yongchan Team】

▶850P

.

.

.

【20th Place: 2-C Rank Andy Team】

▶130P

And so, the 2nd Semester Comprehensive Exam ended with the perfect victory of Yoon Ihwa’s team, to which Han Kangyoon belonged.

Since the Comprehensive Exam was completely over, a few days later, changes occurred in the students’ rankings as well.

【1. Sophia Charlotte】

【2. Hwang Jihak】

【3. Shin Sora】

【4. Jeong Hansol】

There was no change in the top two spots, but Shin Sora and Jeong Hansol, who had originally maintained similar grades, ended up swapping ranks due to this exam.

And I, who received the highest score, also underwent a drastic change.

【5. Han Kangyoon】

Pushing out Gilford, who originally held 5th place, I firmly settled into the upper ranks, and as a result, all 2nd-year students regardless of class expressed their surprise.

“To think I’d live to see the day that changes…”

“The top 5 rankings have never been broken before.”

“And I heard the person in question was only D-Rank at the beginning of this year?”

Wherever I walked, news about me was frequently heard, and now, compared to before, far more students recognized my face.

This phenomenon was the same even within A-Rank.

“Congratulations. To hold back that Sophia is not something just anyone can do. Truly an amazing performance.”

Hwang Jihak, who led his team to 3rd place in this exam, came to find me just one day after the results were announced and expressed joy as if it were his own achievement.

By the way, for some reason, he said he couldn’t face me, but it seemed that during the exam, after struggling fiercely with Seo Jian, he ran out of strength and purposely avoided heading to the intense battlefield, finishing the exam that way.

“…What did it feel like?”

“It was my first time facing her, but she was incredibly skilled. Thanks to that, it was a learning experience.”

At those words, I couldn’t help but be slightly surprised. Of course, Seo Jian also possessed great talent, but I thought she still couldn’t keep up with the growth of Hwang Jihak, who was at the top of the grade.

Having overcome many difficulties, including the battle with Hectail, it seemed Seo Jian had achieved much faster growth compared to the original work.

“Well, I’ll be. What does that make us?”

“…If we had stuck with it, we probably would’ve been embarrassingly wiped out.”

“Ah, I totally told them to surrender obediently with overflowing confidence or something like that.”

Lee Yoonhyeop and Baek Yujeong, who had targeted our team right after the exam started, approached me awkwardly and told me what happened afterward.

“When we went as you said, Gilford was there. He and the other team members were already smashed, so we couldn’t do anything alone.”

“I already said I’m sorry. Stop nagging me. How was I supposed to deal with Gilford in the first place?”

Even though they were the same A-Rank, since there was no higher class, the reality was that the gap in ability within the class was severe.

Anyway, with the exam over, a period of leisure arrived for the time being.

Accordingly, I returned to my usual routine, planned for future matters, and continued training repeatedly.

‘…Now that the exam is over, is that side next?’

Probably until the next vacation arrives again, aside from minor incidents, there won’t be such a major turning point in the story.

But the problem was after that.

The section in the original work where the difficulty sharply began to rise, and the episode where the protagonist Yoo Haon and his party officially became entangled with external forces of the Academy.

A split would begin from within the Cheong Family, one of the Three Great Noble Families.

‘From now on, I need to be tense.’

Since it’s basically matters outside the Academy, encounters with powerful or dangerous individuals I can’t contend with at my current level will also become frequent.

In the game, of course, such characters didn’t directly engage in combat, but this is reality.

It meant that if things went wrong, any kind of incident could possibly occur.

‘…….’

I had also been greatly concerned about such aspects since before, so I had thought of a few countermeasures in my own way.

But no matter how much I prepare, it won’t be enough. Because the place I’m standing now is none other than the world within Hell Difficulty.

‘Worrying won’t change anything. I have no choice but to face it head-on.’

So I will start fastening that first button from now on.

‘There’s no need to hesitate.’

Recalling the Divine Beast of the family sleeping in the Cheong Family’s shrine and one of the Cheong Family Elders who would be desperate to obtain it, I looked up at the sky with a straight gaze.

“So, you don’t want to train with me?”

“That’s not it. It’s that I have somewhere to go, so I can’t.”

“Tch, last time you didn’t even bring back a souvenir in the end.”

Looking at Cheong Joohwa clinging to my side and grumbling, I let out a faint sigh.

Well, at the time in Spain, I was so busy I didn’t remember at all. Still, since I was the one who made the promise, there’s no real way to make excuses.

“I heard you’re specially teaching Haon a Cursed Technique.”

“…….”

“You said it was absolutely necessary or that it was a team for life. What’s this, a notorious playboy has nothing on you? So you were just saying it after all?”

It’s true that lately I haven’t been able to pay much attention to Cheong Joohwa. So it’s not that I don’t understand her feeling hurt.

“It’s because you do well on your own anyway. If you want, I can teach you the same.”

“…You’re not lying, right? If you go back on your word this time too, I’ll really act like we don’t know each other from now on.”

Since I was already conveying future Cursed Techniques to Yoo Haon anyway, there was no particular reason not to teach her.

Well, perhaps the one who could use that knowledge more usefully might be Cheong Joohwa, not Yoo Haon.

No matter what anyone says, she was the genius with the only EX-Rank Art Formula stat in Exorcism Academy Part 1.

‘Once the Cheong Family’s split begins, there will be plenty of occasions to be involved together for a while anyway.’

The current Cheong Joohwa, unlike in the original, is staying in a position closer to me than to Yoo Haon’s party. So the episode itself will likely proceed in a considerably different form from the original.

If I can prepare for that to some extent, there’s no particular need to hold back the knowledge I have.

“Yes. Then I’ll consider the souvenir as never happened. So where are you going this weekend?”

“Hanam.”

“…Why there all of a sudden?”

Cheong Joohwa tilted her head with a slightly surprised expression.

When I sent her a questioning look, she answered with an expression that said ‘what a coincidence.’

“Because the house I lived in with my grandmother is in Hanam.”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, that’s right. Hanam is where Cheong Joohwa’s home is.

My purpose was to meet another person there, but perhaps Cheong Joohwa might also know that person.

‘Whatever the case, they’re both people who broke away from the Cheong Family.’

As I stared blankly ahead at the situation I hadn’t even considered, Cheong Joohwa pondered something for a moment, then hesitantly spoke to me.

“…Then, would you like to stop by my house sometime when you have time?”

“Me? Your house?”

“Yes. My grandmother also said she’d like to see your face at least once after hearing about you.”

“Well, it’s not like I can’t…”

And so, hastily, without even giving a chance to refuse, a sudden visit promise was made.

“Then I’ll come over to your place Saturday morning. Eat on your own.”

“…….”

Well, I too wasn’t uninterested in Cheong Joohwa’s home, which was mentioned several times in the story. It wouldn’t be bad to go at least once.

Watching Cheong Joohwa’s retreating back as she leisurely walked away after finishing her words, I slowly stored the promise we just made in my mind.