Ch.3939. Raid

The Solo Record Test is still a subject of debate regarding its continuation.

The main reason is that it’s rare for someone to enter a gate alone, and there are few fools who would venture out by themselves when their lives are at stake.

Of course, there are people around the world who go alone, like those who enjoy extreme sports, but they’re literally a minority.

Most people hunt efficiently by banding together, whether in guilds or like-minded groups.

That’s why there’s one common assessment of this Solo Test subject: ‘A subject for showing off and setting records.’

However, opposition is equally strong because there’s nothing better than a solo record for ‘testing yourself’ in ‘any situation, any crisis.’

Anyway, Min Kangsu and I are going to compete in this subject.

Because of this, we were naturally pushed to the back of the line.

This test requires no outside interference.

We waited for the students testing ahead of us. The top group was indeed the top group. Koo Sangheon tied for first place with Aerial, followed by Keum Dohyun in second, and Seol Yuhwa and Han Minwoo in third. After them were Yoo Jina and a foreigner named Jake.

The first-place record was an impressive 12 minutes and 30 seconds.

It was close to the best record of 12 minutes and 20 seconds.

They’re growing. Clearly, they are too.

So I need to grow as well. Shouldn’t I be able to handle at least a D-rank monster alone, which is said to be the limit for reinforced suits?

I have all the monsters that appear in the gate simulation memorized in my head.

Oh Juhwan explained the rules to us.

“D-rank is absolutely forbidden. Even though it’s a simulation, there have been deaths from psychological shock. You’re first-year students in the lower class. For your safety, you cannot exceed E-rank.”

Even for a gate simulation, D-rank, which is the limit for reinforced suits, is absolutely prohibited for safety reasons.

“The first ones to appear will be a group of goblins. Then flying butterflies. Around the middle, there’s a goblin warrior…”

The strongest F-rank monster is Puss in Boots, three cats. There are E-rank monsters like goblin mages and goblin knights.

Not just one.

The goal is to get a good score against these.

Plus, the field is simple, befitting an E-rank.

A very common mountainous area.

Memories from that time were coming back to me. It wasn’t a Solo Record Test that I had taken.

It was just a match between lower class students… At that time, I was part of Keum Dohyun’s family, so I didn’t fight with Min Kangsu.

Right. It was Yoo Deokmin.

Min Kangsu wanted to humiliate him, so he made Yoo Deokmin participate in the Solo Record Test and fought him.

The result was Min Kangsu’s overwhelming victory. Yoo Deokmin, humiliated like this, suffered until winter break.

I got angry and reported it to Oh Juhwan, and the bullying stopped after that.

But ironically, now I’m fighting Min Kangsu with our situations reversed.

Me with composure, and Min Kangsu in desperation.

With everyone waiting, our final match began.

We both entered the gate and didn’t speak to each other. We could only see the goal ahead.

Wearing my reinforced suit, I made my final checks and took a step forward.

I calculated thoroughly in my head how to do this.

I know the method, but it’s a question of whether my strength can keep up.

I trust myself.

[The Solo Record Test will now begin. Everyone get ready.]

Oh Juhwan’s voice echoed through the outdoor simulation field, and the field was set.

[Start!]

As soon as we heard the voice, Min Kangsu and I sprinted off in opposite directions.

***

I’ll win. No matter what, I’ll win.

Min Kangsu had prepared more diligently than ever before.

He was literally putting everything on the line for this match.

As soon as he saw the goblin, his fist charged with magical power exploded forward.

One hit. His power, more formidable than usual, could easily finish off a single goblin.

‘Faster! Even faster!’

He needed to defeat more monsters and gain more points. Min Kangsu was desperate, and accordingly, he was fast.

[Min Kangsu 1st place]

The simulation device always called Min Kangsu’s name first.

‘I’ll show them again. To Keum Dohyun!’

To be acknowledged, this was the only way. To prove he was superior to his opponent.

Beyond the goblins and through the swarm of butterflies, he was unstoppable.

He reached the final boss in record time.

Up to this point, he had maintained his first-place position.

All he needed to do was defeat it quickly. Whether it was a comprehensive evaluation or whatever, they ultimately valued monster kills highly.

Other factors only mattered when scores were similar; if there was a clear difference, he would definitely be on top.

‘Keum Dohyun. I’m more useful than that guy.’

Although Keum Dohyun wasn’t actually watching him at that moment, Min Kangsu didn’t know that.

He was about to charge at the three Puss in Boots cats.

Belatedly, he heard a signal that Do Jonghyun’s record was catching up to his.

‘But with three agile cats, it’ll take him forever.’

Min Kangsu was momentarily startled by the three cats’ nimble movements but quickly regained his composure.

He knew their weakness.

‘I can do this too!’

He too was growing, just as he had learned.

He was a different person now compared to when he enrolled or when he lost to Do Jonghyun.

“You’re nothing to me!”

He could see the nimble movements of the Puss in Boots cats.

For lower class students, subduing these cats before the end of the first semester was considered an achievement.

Min Kangsu rose admirably to the challenge.

He grabbed one cat by the neck faster than it could move, then slammed it to the ground.

“You’re nothing to me!”

He couldn’t hesitate here. As the cats began to evade, Min Kangsu grew angry.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

They cleverly retreated, provoking his anger before attacking.

The cats’ tactics were excellent, but the problem was the difference in skill.

Through brute force, the second cat was thrown to the ground.

Its body burst from the impact, followed by Min Kangsu’s terrifying stomping.

Standing over the crushed corpse, he looked at the remaining cat.

“You’re no match for me!”

As the cat moved nimbly again to create distance, he kicked up dirt to block its vision and took it down.

“Is that the end of F-rank.”

Now for E-rank. From here on, he needed to be cautious.

While he could win one-on-one with his strength, multiple enemies grouped together would be dangerous.

As he was moving up the mountain, suddenly:

[Do Jonghyun forfeits]

“What?”

Min Kangsu could only blink in surprise at the sudden announcement of Do Jonghyun’s forfeit.

*

Something’s strange.

“As far as I know, there shouldn’t be a monster like that in E-rank?”

After dealing with the Puss in Boots cats, I reached the E-rank area.

I was hoping to progress smoothly, but suddenly the ground shook, and a monster emerged from beneath.

Up to this point, there was no problem.

There are worm types and giant mole-like burrowing monsters.

But what appeared was a C-rank Brate Saurus. It’s not something that should be in an E-rank zone.

Its claws, larger than its face and capable of easily piercing the ground, moved menacingly.

Overall, it resembled an armored dinosaur like an Ankylosaurus—later, a new species with actual metal-like mechanical attachments would appear, but this wasn’t it.

Anyway, a C-rank monster appeared now?

I quickly turned around.

Is this an anomaly, or did Oh Juhwan deliberately put it here?

If it’s an anomaly, I should obviously give up; if it was deliberately placed, I can’t win normally, so I should analyze and avoid it.

I shouted toward Oh Juhwan, who should be listening:

“Instructor Oh, is this monster real?”

No response. So it’s not an anomaly? As the creature began to move, I climbed up a tree.

I need to analyze it… but my heart keeps pounding with fear.

True to its C-rank status, it instantly came to where I had fled and was turning the surroundings into chaos.

Then it burrowed back underground.

But I knew that if I relaxed and dropped to the ground, it would time its attack precisely.

The evasion method was simple: just escape using the surrounding trees.

I didn’t have confidence that my reinforced suit could block its attacks.

I was crushed by needless anxiety.

So I forfeited.

“Damn. Is this right?”

While I felt various forms of self-loathing, rushing recklessly into uncertain danger was no longer an option.

I could catch it if I transformed into a monster, but how could I transform when drones were filming from above?

As I was giving up and leaving, I ran into Min Kangsu.

“I heard you forfeited? Are you an idiot?”

“You should be careful. It’s C-rank, so you can’t just take it down recklessly.”

“Bullshit.”

Min Kangsu ignored my words and went up. It’s not my business anyway.

I watched the drone moving in the sky.

Right, there’s no reason to film someone who’s forfeited.

As I was heading down, I heard Min Kangsu’s scream in my ears.

“A scream?”

He’s screaming because of a monster created in a simulation?

This is ominous.

I immediately ran in that direction.

*

Aerial was watching this footage while most of the advanced class students were returning to their classroom.

“Hahaha! Do Jonghyun. Look at that fool. He just gives up at the sight of a simulation monster.”

“Aerial. Don’t laugh so indecently.”

Seol Yuhwa gave Aerial a warning look as she mocked from the side.

“Seol Yuhwa? Why? He is a fool. It’s just a simulation; it’s not like he’ll actually die.”

“Do Jonghyun has already been attacked before. He’s probably vulnerable to unexpected variables.”

“Hmm, you seem strangely sympathetic to Do Jonghyun?”

Normally, Aerial would have maintained her usual playful attitude here.

But through several incidents, Aerial had grown to dislike Seol Yuhwa’s favorable attitude toward Do Jonghyun.

“But you don’t have any connection to Do Jonghyun, do you? Why did you stay?”

“I’m observing. I want to see how much Do Jonghyun has grown.”

“Why? Have you developed an interest in him?”

“And why did you stay? We’re both equally unrelated.”

Aerial was upset by this remark.

“It’s different. I’ve suffered because of that idiot Do Jonghyun. Being falsely linked as lovers? My mama called me in shock!”

“Then all the more reason not to watch. If you dislike him, why are you watching? Have you developed an interest?”

“Not at all. Seol Yuhwa? Your tongue has loosened lately. Feeling comfortable? Are you proud of getting first place riding on Do Jonghyun’s coattails?”

“If you’re upset, then beat me. You only cause harm when you can’t even collaborate properly with Do Jonghyun.”

At this moment, a chill unlike before emanated between these two advanced class students.

Both glared at each other silently, creating an atmosphere no one dared to interrupt.

What ended this tension was Keum Dohyun.

“Good grief, all this fuss over one lower class student. Well, since it’s related to grades, I suppose it’s natural. Stop it. It’s unsightly.”

At his words, the two turned their glares away from each other.

Keum Dohyun showed an interested look while observing the empty instructor’s seat.

“Where is Instructor Oh? He went to the bathroom, but when is he coming back? Someone has forfeited. Just end the match. The struggles of the lower class are only good for ‘funny videos.'”

But even as Do Jonghyun came down after forfeiting and Min Kangsu went up, Oh Juhwan was nowhere to be seen.

As they vaguely sensed something was wrong, an incident occurred.

[Aaaaargh!]

Min Kangsu’s scream could be heard through the screen.

As everyone turned their attention to the screen, they saw Min Kangsu collapsing in a spray of blood.

In that instant, Keum Dohyun, Seol Yuhwa, and Aerial sprinted toward the outdoor gate simulation site.

“Someone contact the faculty office! Tell them it’s an emergency!”

Everyone ran toward the mountain, but time was critical. In the meantime, a C-rank monster could easily crush a lower class student.

Anxiety grew in their hearts.

Aerial ran faster than anyone, climbing trees at full speed.

“Things have been too strange lately!”

Neither Keum Dohyun nor Seol Yuhwa responded to Aerial’s outcry, but they all agreed with the content.

Things had been too strange lately.

They had assumed Min Kangsu might be dead.

But when they reached where the monster had been, they witnessed an astonishing sight.

Do Jonghyun, who supposedly couldn’t do anything, was now fighting the monster face to face.

Even more surprising was the appearance of the Brate Saurus. It wasn’t the C-rank monster they knew.