Episode 108: Final Exams (4)
Time passed quickly.
If you thought the atmosphere would be subdued before the exam, you’d be mistaken.
Both the Blue and White Teams were busier than ever—huddling in groups, strategizing, and exchanging information.
Proof of this was the packed café at Gaon today.
What stood out most was how one side was entirely Blue Team, the other entirely White Team.
No one had assigned seats. There were no dividers or signs. Yet the seating arrangement had naturally divided itself.
“Sorry I’m late. Was finalizing some files.”
I arrived slightly behind schedule.
As I stepped into the White Team’s unofficial zone, Cheon Yeoul and Yoon Chae-ha looked up from their seats.
During the exam period, the three of us had moved almost as a single unit.
I tapped my watch and gestured.
“Take a look at this.”
A moment later, a message arrived on both their devices—a list of boss mobs for the upcoming “Bubble Hunt” practical exam.
From instructors to active heroes.
I’d compiled data on opponents ranging from those we couldn’t possibly defeat to those within our reach.
Health, skills, combat patterns, weaknesses—everything.
Even classified hero information was included.
The neatly organized spreadsheet was a thing of beauty.
Did I create it?
“Not a chance.”
I’d raided Vanquisher’s internal database.
Credit where it’s due—this was Park Kwangchul’s handiwork.
All I’d done was extract the relevant bits and pretty them up.
“Is this… real?” Yoon Chaeha asked, stunned.
“Mostly.”
Assuming Park Kwangchul had done his job properly.
I sat down, giving them time to scan through.
The rules of Bubble Hunt were simple:
Attack and defense would alternate 3 to 5 times.
During offense, speed was key—capturing opponents swiftly.
During defense, the focus shifted to defeating bosses and collecting their “bubbles.”
But then Cheon Yeoul, scrolling through the list, suddenly asked:
“Why isn’t this person here?”
“Who?”
She pointed at her screen.
Yu Serin.
Next to her name, aside from the chilling note [Skill: Elimination], the fields were blank.
No weaknesses, no health stats, no combat patterns—where other bosses had exhaustive data, hers was conspicuously empty.
“Ah… that.”
I set my bag down slowly, choosing my words carefully.
“Because she’s not a viable target to begin with.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t even go near her.”
This was absolute certainty.
The current instructors and active heroes were all exceptional—far beyond student level.
But Yu Serin was different.
She operated on an entirely separate tier.
“Frankly, I don’t even know why she’s here.”
In the original story, she didn’t appear in the finals at all.
By now, she should’ve been embroiled in Lotus’s internal power struggles, with no bandwidth for external affairs.
Her presence was genuinely unexpected.
She wasn’t supposed to emerge until much later—
Often as a bloodied corpse, or as a final antagonist for the protagonist.
“…We can’t take her bubble either?”
“She’s worth a lot of points.”
Cheon Yeoul and Yoon Chae-ha pointed out.
True enough, unlike other bosses, her bubble was a stark black—
A color so dark it felt like a warning in itself.
“Fight someone like that?”
I was firmly against it.
High rewards came with high risks.
While constraints would be placed on her, how much protection they’d actually offer was unknown.
A gamble I had no interest in taking.
“I won’t stop you.”
My tone was neutral.
Though teamwork was efficient, this was fundamentally an individual competition.
Everyone had to make their own calls.
If they wanted to try, I wouldn’t interfere.
Worst case, I could always revive them later.
At my words, both fell silent.
Their expressions dimmed.
Biting their lips slightly, they lowered their heads.
“…Okay.”
Reluctant acceptance.
Noticing their empty drink cups, I stood.
“I’ll get refills. Wait here.”
Guilt nudged at me for dampening their spirits.
Sweet drinks and cake seemed like fair compensation.
At the counter, I ordered an iced chocolate, strawberry latte, and a cheesecake to share.
An americano for myself as an afterthought.
Balancing the drinks and dessert, I returned—
Only to find unfamiliar faces at our table.
“With you two joining, we’re guaranteed top ranks.”
Two boys and a girl were explaining something to Cheon Yeoul and Yoon Chae-ha with confident smiles.
A common scene.
The finals were, after all, an individual competition disguised as a collaborative effort.
Survival alone was nearly impossible in this structure.
Who you teamed up with would determine your results.
This too was part of Gaon’s design.
Within the White Team, Yohan likely commanded the largest faction now—
A group centered around Yohan, forming a fake “Crusader”-like alliance.
I glanced around the café.
As expected.
In a corner sofa seat, a hulking figure came into view—probably a scout sent to assess the situation.
The picture was clear.
‘If you bring Yoon Chae-ha and Cheon Yeoul, we’ll take you in too.’
That was likely the offer.
But whether they’d accept was already obvious.
The data I’d sent to their watches earlier—
Both Cheon Yeoul and Yoon Chae-ha had hidden them under the table, palms covering the screens.
Hiding them completely.
“Good girls.”
I set down the dessert plates quietly, watching them.
At my words, Cheon Yeoul smiled proudly as she accepted her drink, while Yoon Chae-ha nodded silently.
Looking up, I met the gaze of the male student from the other group.
“Tell him to come himself.”
I sipped my drink through the straw, tone indifferent.
“We’re on the same team. No need for secret negotiations.”
The boy failed to hide his fluster, glancing around before forcing an awkward laugh.
“Uh… yeah. Got it.”
With that, he and his companions hurried off.
When I looked back, both girls were staring at me.
Eyes oddly sparkling—
Like fledglings gazing at their mother bird.
I laughed awkwardly.
“You like cheesecake?”
I already knew the answer.
Asking was just my way of deflecting the moment.
“Love it.”
Cheon Yeoul was the first to grin.
“…Me too.”
Yoon Chae-ha’s quiet agreement followed.
“Good.”
Muttering to myself, I carefully divided the cake slices.
The supplementary study session that followed lasted until sunset.
***
Between organizing strategies and frantic practical exam prep, the written exams passed in a blur.
The written portion spanned two days.
Today was the final day—
Specialized subject exams.
Despite being exam period, Gaon’s branches were oddly quiet.
None of the buoyant atmosphere from midterms remained.
Finals weren’t a festival.
The very concept didn’t exist here.
Unlike midterms, no outsiders came to spectate. No parents arrived to cheer.
With one exception:
Every practical exam was broadcast worldwide.
As it had been every year.
Under the slogan “This is humanity’s future,” their battles were proudly livestreamed.
And the brightest spotlight always fell on first-years.
Each new generation drew the most attention—
And this year’s so-called “Golden Generation” burned hotter than most.
But first, the last written exam awaited.
“How’d it go?”
I met Cheon Yeoul as she staggered out of the divine arts exam hall.
Drawing complete sigils from scratch was time-consuming by nature.
“Nailed it!”
She declared it boldly.
But I knew better than anyone how hard she’d prepared.
I’d watched her—
Pen in hand, working silently without surrender.
So I simply said:
“You did well.”
Yoon Chae-ha had finished her exam too, but…
She didn’t treat tests as tests.
To her, they were just puzzles—frustrating, or fun.
Her expression hadn’t changed at all.
As for me?
Like I always say—failure wasn’t an option.
This was the result of early education combining foundational knowledge and instinct.
“Tomorrow’s the real start.”
Yoon Chae-ha stretched as she spoke.
For her, this was her first Gaon exam.
A hint of excitement slipped through.
Then—
Gaon’s central display screens lit up.
First-years passing below gradually raised their heads.
[Practical Exam Notice]
All examinees report to Central Hall tomorrow at 9 AM.
A simple but striking message.
Likely, after gathering, everyone would be teleported to random locations simultaneously.
The words remained etched across every screen on campus.
“See you tomorrow.”
With that, I turned the other way.
And at last—
The real test was about to begin.