After hunting for a little while, Hajin, Rachel and Cristopher went back to their camp, where they prepared dinner and went to bed not that much later.

“You can take the tent’s bed.” Cristopher said to Rachel while sipping at his beer.

“No. I can’t. That’s yours.”

“Relax, it isn’t that much of a problem for me to sleep outside. Really.” He smirked at her, urging her to take the bed.

“But-”

“No buts. Take it. Or we both are passing the night outside.”

“…” She didn’t answer, but her silence was enough for him.

“Why are you so stubborn? *sigh…* Just go inside the tent and rest. I’ll take the night watch.” He rolled his eyes before looking at her sternly.

“Fine…” With a pout. Rachel finally accepted and went into the tent, while Hajin looked at all of this happen from inside his own.

“Really… Just how can someone change so much…?” He couldn’t understand the critical change that Rachel had in front of Cristopher, compared to when she was in front of other people.

“*sigh…*” Once alone outside of the tents, Cristopher stretched. “Finally, now time to relax for a little.” He said while walking towards the river, taking out his chair, his fishing rod, and putting the table at his side with the portable cooler filled with beers.

***

It was well past 3:00 AM, and Cristopher had already put his fishing gear inside his backpack, leaving a few fishes inside the portable fridge Hajin brought for food.

 

“Are they going to keep this polar night all the goddamn exam?” I muttered while looking at the sky. Doesn’t matter how many hours passed, the sky was still darkened. “*sigh…*”

Drinking the remaining of my beer I put it inside the cooler while taking out my cadet uniform upper part, staying only in pants. I put them over the table and also took my shoes and socks off.

{Time for a night swim.} With a shrug I entered the river’s cold waters. I rested underwater for a few minutes, at least until someone got closer to the river, making me swim up and get closer to the bank sitting in a rock that was on the shallow parts of the river. “So? What are you doing awake?”

“I couldn’t sleep…” Rachel answered while looking at me.

“Mm, is that so? Wish to talk about it?” I asked while sweeping my hair back, it has been growing since coming here, and I haven’t cut it down, making it reach almost to my chin.

“…” Rachel looked down, for a while.

I didn’t push her to talk, I just looked at the sky. While it seems stupid to keep this polar night during all the duration of the exam, it at least gave quite the beautiful sight.

“I…” Rachel started to speak. “The guilt doesn’t let me sleep…”

“Mm?” Turning to her I lift my eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“…” Once again, she stayed quiet.

The silence extended for a bit, but I wasn’t going to force her to talk.

“Mm… I guess there’s something difficult going on with you.” I muttered, just loud enough for her to listen to me, making her look up at me. “Well, I’m not quite the wise man. But you know? A few years ago, when something was stuck in my head, I trained until I fell on the ground exhausted. It wasn’t a solution, but at least, it would help me move forwards one day at a time.”

“…” Her eyes went wide.

“So, what I want to ask is, do you want to train?” I smirked at her.

“Un…” She nodded with a little smile after a few moments of silence. She then went to look for her rapier, but I stopped her.

“No. You’re not going to use your rapier this time.”

“Huh? Then?”

“I’ll teach you something else, I’m not quite sure you’ll be able to do it fast, but it will be something that would help you greatly later.” I smiled at her while putting one foot over the water, and starting to walk on it towards the ground.

“What…?” Rachel’s mouth and eyes opened wide.

“Haha… Well, don’t get excited yet. This is advanced. You won’t be able to walk on water right now.” With a smirk, I went close to her. “Come, it’ll be easier to train there.”

I then led her towards a more open space, where the ground was straighter and there weren’t that many trees or rocks around.

“Look.” I lifted my index finger in front of me. “Whatever you do. Don’t tell Olivia that I taught you this here. Or she would start pestering me for who knows how long.”

“*chuckles*” She just chuckled, before nodding.

“Well, what I’m about to teach you is, in some ways, a movement technique, but also an offensive technique. It’s quite hard to learn, and it requires great magic power control, and great physical control, and also speed. The more speed you have. The better. But all in all, what’s important is your magic power control. Understood?”

“…” She only nodded.

“Okay. We’ll go by parts. But to show you the final result, it is this.” I turned around and made a quick-step, disappearing and reappearing twenty meters away from my original spot.

“Wow…” Rachel’s eyes went wide open, and even her mouth didn’t close. “How… How are you that fast!?”

“That’s the thing. It’s not entirely about speed. It’s more like a spring effect you create with your magic power and body, which allows you to turn only one step into a few meters.”

“…” She tilted her head and furrowed her brows. “I’m not quite sure how I could do that…”

“*chuckles* I wouldn’t be teaching you if you already knew.” While rolling my eyes at her, I went back to my initial spot. “Look, the first step is fixing yourself on the ground with magic power.”

“…” She just looked at me, tilting her head in confusion.

“This is a tricky part, but a simple way to describe it would be to suck the ground towards your feet with magic power, letting the suction fix you on the ground.”

“…” She just looked at me with her big eyes.

“Okay… This may take some more time than I initially thought… *sigh…*” With that last sigh, I started to explain to her the first step to master quick-step.

Our training went all the way through the night, and only at 6:00 AM did she finally managed to fix herself on the ground, not moving by an inch.

“I did it!” She shouted, and it seems she tried to jump while still stuck on the ground, because she almost fell forwards. But I was there so I just caught her head, and stabilized her.

“Be careful. Or you would end up face first in the ground.” I chuckled, and she went red.

At that moment, a loud yawn sounded close, and Kim Hajin was currently getting out of his tent with a sleepy face.

“It seems it’s breakfast time.” I smiled at Rachel, she nodded, and we both went towards the tables, sitting down.

“Um…?” Hajin just noticed us. “Why are you two awake so early?” He said before yawning.

“Training.” I shrugged.

“*sigh…* You should rest when you can.” He rolled his eyes, before turning on the portal grill. “So… Fancy some meat for breakfast?” He asked us.

“It’s not like there’s something else.” I smirked at him.

“That’s true.” He smirked and went to cook.

“…” Meanwhile, Rachel was quiet, focusing on something, and it seems that something is her magic power fixing herself in the ground.

“Pfft…” I almost laughed at her.

“What…?”

“Are you that excited to learn that trick?” I asked her while lifting my eyebrow.

“…” She went red and shyly nodded.

“Haha… Okay…” I just shook my head.

We all had breakfast together, and once it was over, it was finally the moment to separate once again, to go hunt. This time, we went our separate ways, unlike yesterday when I helped Hajin hunt for a bit.

***

“Mm?” I was currently walking through the forest, at least half an hour after I separated from Hajin and Rachel when someone suddenly appeared in front of me. It was Seo Ijin if we checked the name tag that every cadet had on their chest, but her true face was that of Boss from Chameleon Troupe. “Do you need something?”

“…” She didn’t answer and merely took out her sword.

“…” I frowned.

“Take out your weapon.” She spoke after I didn’t take my sword.

{Oh, right… She must be testing promising cadets.}

“*snort* Get lost.” I said and started walking to the other side.

“…” She frowned, and once I took one step to leave, she lunged at me with her sword.

“*sigh…*” I put my sheathed sword in front, stopping her cut. “I don’t want to fight. Leave.” I said to her.

“You have no choice.” She said with an unemotional face.

“…” I frowned. But before I could speak someone came shouting.

“Seo Ijin! What are you doing!?” It was Yoo Yeonha, who came running behind Boss, before stopping suddenly, with her eyes wide open and sweat coming down from her forehead.

“What are you doing here?” I asked her. “Does this girl have something to do with you?”

“Um… N-No… I-I mean…” She started stuttering. “S-Seo I-Ijin! Stop! Let’s go back.” She tried to call for her, but Boss only frowned, putting more strength on her sword to try and move my sword away, which didn’t happen.

“*sigh…* Yoo Yeonha.” I spoke while looking at her. {It’s not like it is her fault, but I can use this to get out of this girl’s sight for the moments.}

“Y-Yes!” She flinched.

“Take her away. Now.” I growled while glaring at Boss.

“…” She frowned at me, and her magic power started to show up unconsciously.

“Yes!” Yeonha came running and grabbed Boss’s shoulder, but Boss didn’t want to be pulled, so shocked Yeonha’s hand.

“W-What!? Seo Ijin!” Yeonha was surprised and quite angry.

“We’ll fight.” She said, retiring her sword and cutting at me again.

“*sigh…*” I let the sword past in front of me and then kicked Boss with a quick burst of speed.

“Urgh.” She went away and smashed against a tree.

“I’m leaving.” With those words, I used quick-step to leave the place faster.

Far behind me, I could hear Yoo Yeonha shouting at Seo Ijin, saying how she almost made me eliminate the entire team.

{Pfft… I wouldn’t do tha… Oh, yes, I would.} I thought while moving away. Until I found a lake that looked quite interesting.

“Mm?” While feeling what was into the lake, I saw that there were some alligators in there, waiting to ambush whoever went into the lake or close to it. “Hehe… Time for subaquatic fishing!” With that last words, I went inside the lake.

***

Meanwhile, minutes after Cristopher entered the lake to fight with the alligators, Kim Hajin also found the place.

“Mm? Hoh… This is a gold mine.”

He’s been hunting from far away, thanks to his gun, he’s been able to shot a lot of monsters to death even before he got close enough for them to injure him. And that was even without him using his Desert Eagle.

And now, he’s in a place where the monsters gave bonus points, as they were alligators that specialized in ambushing. What’s best, was that he didn’t have to enter the lake, he just had to bait them outside.

“And I know how.” With a smirk, Kim Hajin, created a Light Sphere, one shining enough light to light up the entire lake. And just as the brilliant sphere of light floated over the lake, a sound alerted Kim Hajin.

*Pst*

“Huh?” He turned around, towards the forest, where the sound came from. “Who is it!?”

The presence he suddenly felt disappeared all of a sudden, but that wasn’t a problem for him. He just had to look deep into the grass thanks to his eyes.

And just as he did so. He found out Chae Nayun walking back slightly before stopping. As if waiting for him to look away before resuming her tailing.

“Hiik!” Chae Nayun screamed when Kim Hajin shot a bullet right towards the ground in front of her.

After noticing that he already saw her, she reluctantly jumped out of the tall grass, walking slowly towards Kim Hajin with a sour expression.

“Why were you following me?” Hajin asked, still with his gun pointed at her.

“Don’t misunderstand…” She scratched her face. “I wasn’t following you…”

“Then?”

“…” Nayun just averted her eyes.

“So I was right?” Hajin put the finger on the trigger.

“Hey, how did you do that?” But as if not afraid, Chae Nayun just asked about the Light Sphere.

“Tell me why you were following me first.”

“I wasn’t following you. I was following Seung-Ah Unni…” Chae Nayun confessed.

“Huh? Yun Seung-Ah? The same one that I know?” Hajin muttered surprised and turned to look at his laptop, searching through the footage of the drones, and from one of them, he could see Yun Seung-Ah right in one of the trees, over a branch, looking at them while crouching like a cat over the branch.

“Yes, but you shouldn’t call her like that.” Chae Nayun frowned at the informal use of Seung-Ah’s name.

“Yun Seung-Ah…” Not listening to Chae Nayun, he wondered why would she be watching at him, when she should be looking over Kim Suho instead.

“I’m telling you, stop addressing her with only her name.” Chae Nayun’s frown deepened. “Now, tell me, how did you make that Light Sphere?”

“Yeah, I made it. Now that you’re here, help me hunt these together.” He said to her.

“No~ I know that you made it! But how-” Right before she could finish, something in the lake started to move. “What…?”

The surface of the lake started to shake quite strongly as if something was happening inside.

“What did you say you were going to hunt…?” Chae Nayun asked Kim Hajin.

“Alligators…?” But Kim Hajin was also surprised while looking at the lake.

At least until something went out from it, falling right on the bank.

“Hiik!” Both Chae Nayun and Kim Hajin were startled. It was a dead alligator. It went flying out of the lake and close to them as if catapulted out of the water.

“…” Hajin took out his gun and pointed towards the lake, but then put it down while his mouth went open.

“Huh? Hey! What’s happening?” Chae Nayun asked him, but he didn’t answer. And right before she could ask again, something came out of the lake, slowly.

It was a man, carrying an alligator on his back, while also dragging one more in each hand.

“Mm? Oh, so it was you who turned on the lights? I thought this goddamn polar night was finally dispelled.” Cristopher said while walking towards the other dead alligator, dropping the ones on his arms before also putting the one on his back down.

He then turned towards Chae Nayun.

“Mm? What’s she doing here? Is she stalking you or something?” He tilted his head.

“I’m not!” While Chae Nayun retorted.

“Pfft… Whatever.” Cristopher shrugged, before turning to Kim Hajin. “Take care of these, I still have a few more to take out. Don’t let her scan them! Or I swear I’ll eliminate her from this exam.” He said before going back into the water.

Leaving the two cadets with an open mouth.

Minutes later, after Cristopher went and came a few times from the lake. A small mountain of 15 alligators rested dead in the ground outside the lake.

“Fwee… That was exhausting.” Cristopher said while looking at the mountain of alligators.

“Did you… Fought them inside the lake?” Hajin asked.

“Mm? Yeah, why?”

“…” Hajin didn’t answer, just looked at him.

“You fought those things in the water!? How!?” Chae Nayun asked.

“Well, that’s pretty easy, really.” He shrugged. “Just go in the lake, and fight them. Easy, right?”

“… But they are stronger in there! And there were so much!”

“So?”

“…” She didn’t know what to say.

“Forget it… Don’t try to find a sense of what he does.” Hajin just shook his head. “I guess you got a few points here, huh?”

“Yeah, this is what? Let’s say like 70 points? Putting it down?” With a shrug, he scanned the first alligator. “That’s 6 points for this one.” He then started scanning every alligator, until at last, he got around 83 points.

“I guess this leaves me quite high on the position, huh…” He said while rubbing his chin. “Oh well, good to see you guys, I’ll be leaving.” With a shrug, he left.

“He’s… Not well in the head, right?” Chae Nayun asked while looking at the place where Cristopher disappeared.

“I don’t know…” Kim Hajin answered while looking at the alligators.

“Hey.”

“Mm?” He turned after she called him.

“Are you not going to tell me how you made that Light Sphere?”

“…” Hajin looked at her, before smiling. “You’ll get hurt if you find out.”

“What nonsense is that?” She retorted.

“Just go. I came here first, so you go that way.” He pointed towards one side of the forest before going the other way.

“What…?” She looked at him dumbfounded, then glared and started stomping away towards where he pointed her.

***

After moving away from the lake, Cristopher went around killing every monster that he found on his way, scanning them. Two hours have passed, and he already amassed quite the number of points.

 

“Mm… With this I now have…” I muttered while scanning the monster. “133. Mm? That’s good. I guess I’ll be able to have the penthouse next year. It’s better that way since Shina’s quite big.”

I started walking somewhere else to look for more monsters or cadets when I had to stop.

Right in front of me, what I assumed was an exam overseer was standing there.

“Hello, cadet Cristopher.” He smirked at me.

“Mm? The fuck you want?”

“…” He frowned for a moment, but then smiled again. “I just want to play a game with you.”

“*sigh…* You have to be fucking kidding me…” after a sigh, I started to walk away.

“Don’t you want the chance to win 200 points?” The guy called at me.

Turning back to him, I saw that he had a mocking grin on him, crossing his arms as if he knew I was going to be interested.

“You see…” He tapped the nametag on his chest. “If you win my game, I’ll let you have this. It will grant you 200pts.” He said with the same mocking smile.

“…” I frowned at him.

***

Meanwhile, at the same time in another place. Kim Hajin was standing right in front of Yun Seung-Ah

“Hello.” She approached him with a bright smile. “This is the first time since you turned me down, right?”

“Right…” Hajin nodded. “But what is it so suddenly?”

“Ah, I’m sorry.” Seung-Ah put her hand over her mouth. “It really is a bit sudden, isn’t it?”

“…” Hajin frowned at her.

“Haha.” With a smile, she started to explain. “You see, I’ve been going around different cadets, giving them a special event, you know? Just to test their skills.”

“A special event…?” Hajin tilted his head.

“Yes.” She nodded with a smile, before tapping on the nametag on her chest. “Would you like to try taking it?”

“Yes…?”

“It’s quite easy. I’ll stay here, only using my left hand. If you can make me move even a single step, or if you land an attack other than on my left hand, I’ll give you this name tag.” She smiled.

“Nametag…?”

“Yes. I’ll also bet my guild on this promise.” She nodded.

It was quite an important offer, as the name tag had a value of 200 points, which would put him on top of all the other cadets, including Kim Suho.

“I’ll stay here. Make your decision. You can challenge me, or you can turn back.” She said, while Hajin deeply pondered.

It was at that moment that he received a message.

[Cristopher: How many points did you say I had to get for first place?]

“Huh? What’s he asking all of a sudden?” Hajin muttered with a frown while looking at his smartwatch.

“Is there a problem?” Seung-Ah asked him.

“Mm? Not really. It’s just that this is quite the unexpected event, right?” Hajin said while shooting at her without a warning.

But as if showing why she was the vice leader of the first guild in Korea, she struck the bullets down with her left hand.

“That was pretty prickly…” She said while looking at her hand. “Far more powerful than what a training handgun should be capable of. Looks like your gift is really related to guns.”

“…” Looking for a little while, he turned back to his smartwatch.

[Kim Hajin: I’m quite on a dilemma right now, but it’s 135pts at least, I guess.]

[Cristopher: Mm? Dilemma? Which one? By the way. You’re talking with the first cadet on the exam hahaha!]

“What…?” Hajin muttered.

“Mm? Why did you stop?” Yun Seung-Ah asked, but right then Hajin fired once again towards her while using bullet time.

But once again, she managed to stop the bullets.

“Wow… That was quite fast. I had to really move there.” She said with a smile. “What else are you keeping hidden from me?” She asked with a smirk.

“…” Hajin looked at her for a moment before turning back to his smartwatch.

[Kim Hajin: What do you mean? What happened?]

“Hey. Stop looking at your smartwatch and look at me.” She said with a frown.

[Cristopher: I got a nametag from one idiot that appeared in front of me. It was an Exam Overseer, his name is Vieri, that’s 200 points, right? And I even had 133 points before! ( $ _ $ ) That penthouse is mine!]

“…” Without noticing, Hajin had his mouth open.

“Mm? Something happened?” Yun Seung-Ah was really curious now.

“No… It’s just… Do you happen to know someone called Vieri?”

“Huh…? Vieri…? What about him…?” She was now really confused.

“Well… It seems Cristopher took his name tag…”

“What!?” Yun Seung-Ah ran confused towards Hajin, and right then, Hajin shot at her. In the middle of her confusion, she used her right arm to stop the bullet, while taking a step forward and stopping.

“You lose.” Hajin said

“What…?” Yun Seung-Ah asked.

Kim Hajin pointed towards her arm and her left foot. Before typing something quickly.

[Kim Hajin: Need help with something?]

[Cristopher: On my way.]

“You said you wouldn’t move, and that you would only use your left arm.” Hajin smiled. “It’s my win, isn’t it?”

“You…” Yun Seung-Ah frowned at him, with a cold glare.

“…” Hajin didn’t say anything. But deep inside, he was worried about what she would do to him if he keeps pushing that he won. “After all, I did make you move.” Though, right now, it didn’t matter. Help was on the way, and he pretty much knows that Yun Seung-Ah wouldn’t do something against him with someone else here.

“…” Her glare was getting colder.

***

A few moments ago, in another part of the forest not that far from where Kim Hajin and Yun Seung-Ah were.

 

“So? What do you say? Do you dare play my game? It’s just one valid hit!” Vieri said, still with his arms spread.

{Idiot.} I thought to myself while using quick-step to the fullest. Appearing right in front of him and hitting his chest.

“What…!?” He couldn’t react in his surprise and was hit, being sent away towards one tree behind him. “Urgh…” He clutched his chest while glaring at me. “That was cheating! It doesn’t count!”

“Pfft.” I just smirked. “And who said I was playing your game, idiot?”

“What…? If you didn’t want the tag, why would you do that…?” Vieri was looking at me dumbfounded.

“Mm? Who says I didn’t want it?” I tilted my head, smirking deeper while pointing my smartwatch towards the code that was in the nametag, which I took from him during that hit. “That’s it. 200 points. Thanks for the gift.”

“What…?” His mouth hanged low, totally opened, while looking at the tag I was putting inside my pocket. “When…!?” He looked at his chest and didn’t saw the tag with his name.

Taking advantage of his surprise, I just went away, not wanting to stay another second close to that idiot. While also sending Hajin a text.

[Cristopher: How many points did you say I had to get for first place?]