Ti passed quickly.
If you thought the atmosphere would be grim and subdued because of the upcoming test, you’d be wrong.
On the contrary, both the Blue Team and the White Team were busy buzzing around in their own groups, discussing strategies and exchanging information.
And to prove it, today, Gaon’s café was packed to the brim.
What stood out the most was how one side of the café was clearly occupied by the Blue Team, and the other by the White Team.
No one had drawn lines or put up signs. There weren’t any dividers or guides.
Yet sohow, the seating naturally split that way—without anyone saying a word.
“Sorry I’m a little late. Had to compile a file.”
I arrived slightly past the agreed ti.
As I moved toward the area that looked like the White Team’s section, Cheon Yeoul and Yoon Chaeha looked up from their seats.
For the duration of the exam period, the three of us—Cheon Yeoul, Yoon Chaeha, and I—had moved around like a team.
I tapped my watch and gestured to them.
“Take a look at this.”
Monts later, a ssage arrived simultaneously on both their watches.
It was the boss monster list for the upcoming Bell Capture practical exam.
From instructors to current pro heroes.
I had filtered the list to include not just those high-ranking targets that would be tough to face head-on, but also those we could feasibly beat—complete with data.
Stamina, special abilities, combat patterns, weaknesses.
Even parts that should have been confidential hero intel were in there.
The information was neatly organized in a table, easy to understand at a glance.
Did I make it?
‘No way.’
I’d pulled it from Vanquisher’s internal database.
Technically, it was Park Gwangcheol’s work.
All I did was extract the useful parts and organize them nicely.
“Is this... for real?” Yoon Chaeha asked, looking shocked.
“Mostly.”
Assuming Park Gwangcheol did his job thoroughly, it should all be accurate.
I sat down and gave them a mont to scan through the data.
The rules of Bell Capture were simple.
Up to five offense-defense swaps, starting with three.
During offense, the goal was to tag other students as quickly as possible.
Once on defense, the objective was to defeat bosses and collect Giant Bells.
Just then, while scrolling through the screen, Cheon Yeoul asked a question.
“Why isn’t this person listed?”
“Who?”
She turned her watch toward .
The na she pointed to was Yu Serin. Next to her na was only one chilling descriptor: [Specialty: Kill].
No weakness, no stamina, no combat patterns. The columns that were filled out for every other boss were completely blank for her.
“Ah... that one.”
I slowly set down my bag and thought for a mont.
“She’s not even soone to consider.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t go near her.”
That was my firm conviction.
Sure, the current instructors and active heroes were all excellent and powerful.
Far beyond the level of students.
But Yu Serin was... sothing else entirely.
Simply put, she was on another level.
“Honestly, I don’t even know why she’s here.”
She never showed up during the finals in the original story.
By now, she should’ve been buried in Lotus’s internal power struggles, far too entangled to get involved in anything outside.
She shouldn’t have the ti or reason to physically be at the exam site.
So this was truly unexpected.
Originally, she only appeared much later.
Usually found as a bloodied corpse—or soone who opposed the protagonist to the very end.
“...Can’t we confiscate her bell too?”
“She gives a ton of points.”
Cheon Yeoul and Yoon Chaeha chid in.
Sure enough, unlike the other bosses, her bell was a different color altogether.
They called them Giant Bells, but the ones held by instructors and heroes at the test site varied in color—starting from copper, then silver, then gold.
The color represented the level of threat.
Not based on actual combat power, but rather the imposed limits placed on the instructors.
Copper-level restrictions, silver-level restrictions, and so on.
But Yu Serin’s was black.
Pitch black, as if soaked in ink.
As if it were a warning in itself.
And you’re telling to fight her?
Count out.
There’s always a reason sothing’s ranked that high.
Sure, they’ve probably put so restrictions in place... but how much protection that offers us is a big unknown.
I’m not about to gamble with that.
“I won’t stop you,” I said calmly.
It’s more efficient to move as a team, but ultimately, it’s an individual test.
Everyone has to make their own judgnt, and move on their own.
If you want to go, I won’t stop you.
If you get eliminated, I’ll just bring you back with a revival—it might even be a good learning experience.
They didn’t respond.
Both of them lowered their heads slightly, biting their lips.
“...Alright.”
In the end, they accepted it.
Only then °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° did I notice their drink glasses were empty.
“I’ll get us sothing. Wait here.”
Their expressions made feel a little guilty again.
Since I’d just knocked the wind out of their sails, sothing sweet like a drink and so cake seed like appropriate compensation.
I went to the counter and ordered an iced chocolate, a strawberry latte, and a slice of cheesecake.
Plus an Aricano for myself.
With my hands full of drinks and dessert, I returned to the table.
But the table was already crowded with unfamiliar faces.
“So if you two join us, we’re guaranteed to make the top ranks.”
Two guys and one girl.
They were standing confidently in front of Cheon Yeoul and Yoon Chaeha, trying to pitch sothing.
A common occurrence.
The finals, while technically individual, were structured to encourage cooperation.
It was hard to survive solo.
Who you tead up with determined your score.
This, too, was part of Gaon’s design.
Right now, the biggest faction in the White Team was likely Johan’s.
A gathering of those Crusader wannabes centered around Johan.
I turned slightly and scanned the café.
Just as I expected.
In the corner seat, a massive figure ca into view.
Likely a scout sent to confirm sothing.
The picture was becoming clear.
‘Bring over Cheon Yeoul and Yoon Chaeha, and we’ll take you in.’
That’s probably what they said.
But I already knew whether the girls would go or not.
The data I had sent them earlier on their watches...
Cheon Yeoul and Yoon Chaeha were hiding it under the table, palms covering their screens.
Tucking it away like a secret.
“Good girls.”
I quietly set down the dessert plates and looked at them.
Cheon Yeoul bead with pride as she took her drink, while Yoon Chaeha silently nodded.
Watching them, I looked up and fixed my eyes on the guy across the table.
“Tell him to co himself.”
I sipped through my straw and continued calmly.
“No reason for teammates to sneak around like this, right?”
The guy couldn’t hide his embarrassnt, awkwardly glancing around before giving a sheepish grin.
“Uh... yeah. Got it.”
Then he quickly left with his companions.
As I looked down again, both girls were staring at .
With strangely shimring eyes.
Staring holes into like baby birds looking up at their mother.
I scratched my cheek and asked awkwardly.
“You like cheesecake?”
Of course I knew they did.
I asked just to cover up my embarrassnt.
“Love it,” Cheon Yeoul said with a smirk.
“... too,” Yoon Chaeha added quietly.
“Good.”
I murmured as I gently sliced the cake and handed it out.
The supplentary lesson that followed continued until the sun went down.
***
While sorting everything out and scrambling to prep for the practical exam, the written exams had sohow already ended.
Two days in total.
And today was the last.
The day for exams in major subjects and personal specialties.
Despite being the exam period, Gaon’s branch campus was oddly quiet.
No floating excitent like during the midterms.
Which made sense.
Finals weren’t a festival.
That kind of sentint didn’t exist here.
Unlike midterms, there were no outside visitors, no parents cheering from the sidelines.
But.
Every practical exam was broadcast globally.
It had always been that way—and this year was no different.
With slogans like “This is humanity’s future,” they proudly aired the students’ combat live.
And the first-years always got the most spotlight.
New faces drew the most attention.
This year, dubbed the "Golden Generation," the attention was hotter than ever.
Of course, the final written exam had to co first.
“How’d it go?” I asked, waiting for Cheon Yeoul to stumble out of the sacred formation exam hall.
The exam required you to draw the entire sacred formation from start to finish—so it naturally took the longest.
“I crushed it!”
She announced confidently.
But no matter what she said, I knew how hard she’d studied for this.
I’d watched her.
Quietly, without giving up, she kept picking up that pen.
So I just said,
“You worked hard.”
Yoon Chaeha had also finished her exam, of course...
But she didn’t treat exams like exams.
To her, it was just a fun puzzle-solving session.
So her expression was the sa as always.
As for ?
I’ve said it before—I can’t do badly.
That’s what happens when early education ets inherited insight.
“Tomorrow’s the real start,” Yoon Chaeha said while stretching.
This was her first exam at Gaon.
She couldn’t completely hide the excited look on her face.
But just then—
The central display board at Gaon lit up.
One by one, the nearby first-years raised their heads to look.
[PRACTICAL EXAM NOTICE]
All examinees are to gather at the central auditorium by 9 a.m. tomorrow.
Simple, but powerful.
Once they gathered, they’d likely be randomly teleported to different locations.
That ssage stayed plastered across display boards all over Gaon.
“See you tomorrow.”
I said, walking in the opposite direction.
And with that—
The true exam had finally begun.
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