Rachel offered to team up after the awkward incident with Evandel’s seed. She brought up the task sharing that Kim Suho and Chae Nayun also came up with in the original story. I couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re saying the same thing as Chae Nayun.”

“Ah, did Chae Nayun make the same offer?”

“No, it’s not that. Anyways, I like the idea.”

I didn’t see a reason to refuse. After all, it was Rachel. However, she looked like something was on her mind.

“Oh right… um, I somewhat formed a team with someone else.”

“Who?”

I already knew since I kept an eye on her.

“Do you know Joo Yeohoon?”

“Don’t mind him.”

I didn’t explain, but I had already taken care of him. To be more precise, I sent an even stronger psycho to deal with him.

“Yes?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just team up with me.”

I smiled. Even the powerful djinns who contracted with devils couldn’t touch a few cadets. Shin Jonghak was most definitely one of them.

***

After offering Rachel to Lancaster’s djinns, Joo Yeohoon hunted some monsters before returning to his base.

However, his cozy base had turned into a complete disaster. The grass hut collapsed, and dead animals littered the ground. He briefly worried that he had come to the wrong place.

“What.”

However, another cadet arrogantly sat in the center as if to pronounce that he was the culprit. He fiddled with the smartwatches he had taken like an emperor on his throne.

Joo Yeohoon blankly stared at him.

“You’re here.”

The cadet spoke first with a deep imposing voice. He placed the smartwatches aside and threw a tree branch at Joo Yeohoon. It shot past Joo Yeohoon’s face like an arrow and dug into the tree behind him. Joo Yeohoon swallowed hard. His voice trembled as he spoke the cadet’s name.

“Shin Jonghak.”

Joo Yeohoon had a bad relationship with Shin Jonghak since Military Agent Academy. Shin Jonghak was one of the reasons why he contracted a devil. However, the current situation made him powerless. He still couldn’t win against Shin Jonghak. In addition, some of the strongest cadets stood behind Shin Jonghak. The martial arts star Kim Horak, the wave breaker swordsman Jin Hanjun, archer Oh Jihoon…

“Looks like the trash can talk.”

Shin Jonghak sneered as he held up his spear. His expression contorted into a fearsome frown.

“If you got held back, you should’ve stayed in the trashcan where you belong. Why overstep?”

Joo Yeohoon didn’t understand. He glanced at the tree branch Shin Jonghak threw at him. Someone had written the coordinates of his base on the side along with a provocative sentence. Joo Yeohoon clicked his tongue.

“I’m not the one who sent this.”

“I know.”

“What?”

Shin Jonghak had already concluded that someone with a grudge against Joo Yeohoon threw the tree branch to him. However, Shin Jonghak felt displeased that he was being bothered because such trash had provoked someone.

“I don’t care.”

His lackeys slowly approached Joo Yeohoon.

“I just don’t like trash like you. Damn snakes who only flicker their tongues in the shadows.”

Shin Jonghak held up his spear. Joo Yeohoon didn’t stand a chance against all five of them. He turned and ran as Shin Jonghak’s spear flew at him.

***

The Overseer Tower stood on high ground slightly north of the island’s center. Exam overseers and eliminated cadets rested there. Overseers examined not only the cadets’ abilities, but also their characters. Cadets fought other cadets to simulate fighting djinns, but they could be penalized for stealing points dishonestly.

“Hmm…”

Yun Seung-Ah, who acted as an overseer, looked out of a window from the Overseer Tower.

“Are eight drones not enough? You’re looking out the window too?”

A Latino man named Vieri approached her.

“Who are you thinking about?”

His Korean accent indicated that he had lived in Korea for a long time. Yun Seung-Ah glanced at him and spoke, “Kim Hajin.”

“Mm? Who’s that? Weren’t you a fan of Kim Suho?”

Yun Seung-Ah smiled. She still prioritized him, that was an undeniable fact. She had only watched Kim Suho until now and even revealed herself to him. However, information that everyone knew couldn’t be considered information. For now, she focused on finding hidden talents.

“I received an interesting piece of information.”

“Information? What is it?”

“How can I tell you? It’s top secret.”

Korea was a small country with numerous guilds. To surpass each other, a fierce battle of information and politics always took place. The same applied to individual guilds like Essence of the Strait with divided factions. Yun Seung-Ah took advantage of their internal power struggle and managed to steal some interesting information.

“That makes me more curious. Can’t you just tell me? We’re in the same guild after all.”

“Who can trust your big mouth?”

Two days ago, Yun Seung-Ah obtained a top secret document called Yoo Yeonha’s Report that evaluated Kim Hajin even higher than Kim Suho. Of course, she would have treated it as nonsense if it came from an average person. However, it was Yoo Yeonha. She was young, but more clever than a fox and one of the closest to Kim Hajin. Yoo Yeonha might lack experience, but wouldn’t have said that without thorough research.

“So? Are you going to go check him out?”

“Mmm… I will later when I have time.”

Of course, this information could be fake. However, Yun Seung-Ah had already discovered something strange about Kim Hajin, the magic power of light. She was willing to risk her time.

“So, what are you going to do?”

Vieri asked. Yun Seung-Ah pointed at the nametag on her chest.

[Rank 307 Yun Seung-Ah]

That rank represented her world rank. However, it didn’t include her accomplishments from the past year. She predicted it would rise about 50 ranks once the rankings updated in July.

“This is worth 200 points, right?”

“You’re going to use that as bait? I doubt anyone will fall for it. They’ll just run.”

“Really? I guess I’ll just hide and watch.”

Yun Seung-Ah smirked.

***

The perpetual darkness made it difficult to distinguish day from night. Rachel had volunteered for night watch and glanced at the huge tent beside her. She couldn’t see inside, which meant the person inside couldn’t see her too.

She rummaged through her pocket and took out a bullet. It sparkled in the moonlight and she couldn’t believe such a tiny object had protected her. She placed it back into her pocket and felt convinced that Kim Hajin had saved her. After all, he was the only cadet who used a gun. She wondered why he denied it and how he knew she was in trouble.

Was it because of the cold wind or the pale moonlight? Rachel recalled a memory from long ago. The image of a man smiling when she still lived in England.

— I will protect you no matter what Princess. Of course, I’m sure many more wish to protect you.

However, the man returned as her most fearsome assassin. Her heart ached every time she thought about Lancaster. He must’ve been behind today’s ambush as well.

“…”

Rachel buried her face between her knees. Should I have died with them back then? Sorrow filled her heart.

***

I woke up in my tent. No sunlight shone through, and outside remained just as dark as before. Was it going to be like this all five days? I yawned as I exited the tent. Rachel sat modestly by the table. Was it because I was half-asleep? She looked like an elf as I stared at her. Rachel tilted her head at my strange gaze.

“… What’s today’s menu?”

I snapped back to reality at her question. What was I just thinking about towards a character I created?

“Ah, um, let me wash my face first.”

I trudged to the river to wash my face and dried myself with a towel. I had overprepared for the exam with plenty of food. I decided on beef since we would hunt monsters today. I turned to Rachel for her approval, but found her staring at me. No, to be more exact, she stared at my magic pouch with all the food. She looked famished.

“How’s beef?”

“Great.”

She instantly replied. I took out two marinated sirloin steaks and placed them on a hot pan. As I said before, my aunt used to own a barbecue place. I also lived by myself for four years and worked as a cook in the army. In other words, I was quite experienced. After adding some sliced onions and paprika, I added a special sauce with a delicious fragrance.

“Perfect.”

I plated the steak and handed it to Rachel. She stared at it with sparkling eyes.

“Would you like some rice as well?”

Rachel smiled brightly and nodded. I put some rice on her plate before handing it back to her. She waited for me to eat first with a knife and fork in each hand.

“I’m eating.”

We ate as I sliced my steak. It tasted especially good because of the circumstances. Not only was it juicy, it practically melted in my mouth. I bought the steaks out of curiosity because the packaging said, Grade 1 magic power beef raised in a highly dense mana environment. It was definitely worth the price.

We finished breakfast after 10 minutes. I rinsed my mouth with some water and checked my smartwatch.

“What’s this?”

For some reason, I had 4 more points than yesterday.

“A monster came while I kept watch. I know I said we should separate tasks and take points for ourselves, but I thought I should split it since you were asleep.”

“Ah, thank you.”

I obtained more free points thanks to her.

“Then let’s split up for now. We should hunt.”

I spoke as we stood up.

***

The third day of the exam went smoothly. Thanks to my gift's increased grade, I could hunt monsters even without the Desert Eagle. Aether also adhered to the training handgun and strengthened it. Of course, I still avoided monsters above low-intermediate rank, grade 6. However, I could proceed through the forest and comfortably hunt from a distance

“A lake.”

I discovered a dimly lit lake that looked like a gold mine. The alligator monsters should give bonus points as ambush monsters. I could easily lure them out with a bright light that covered the entire lake. I happened to learn how not too long ago. Strictly speaking, I couldn’t say I learned it.

Light Sphere.

The magic Yoo Yeonha said no one else could perform. I created a brilliant sphere of light with stigma’s magic power. The white ball floated up and lit the surroundings. However, I felt a faint movement behind me as I sent it above the lake.

“Who is it!”

I shouted as the presence disappeared. They must’ve been quite skilled to escape my attention, but they couldn’t avoid my eyes. I peered through the tall grass and caught sight of Chae Nayun. She slowly backed off, then stopped. She planned on tailing me again once the situation died down.

Tang. I shot a bullet at the ground in front of her. Chae Nayun’s scream echoed throughout the forest.