The current safe zone in South Korea extends up to South Pyongan Province.
The northern part of Kaesong, where the exam was being held, was within the safe zone.
Thanks to its proximity to the capital, Seoul, it had not succumbed to slumification but had instead developed into a significantly advanced city.
And on the outskirts of that city, a bus carrying Class 5 came to a stop in a spacious open area.
"We've arrived. Everyone, disembark."
The place where the bus had stopped was surrounded by barbed wire and fences, resembling a military base.
The Y-7 Gate was located within a massive concrete structure at the center of this vast site.
This approximately 3,000-pyeong (about 9,900 square meters) area was managed by the Kaesong branch of Sungmuiga.
"This is a stabilized gate, yet it's being guarded quite thoroughly. Is all this security really necessary?"
Kim Han asked casually.
"It's probably to reassure the public. Besides, various experiments and investigations take place here, so they might be taking precautions just in case."
"I see. You really do seem to know everything, sir."
The cadets of Class 5 entered the massive building.
Kim Han swallowed dryly and stared straight ahead.
An oval-shaped black hole in midair.
There was no better way to describe the gate.
Light bent around the edges of the black hole, distorting the scenery behind it.
As the first- and second-year cadets gradually arrived in front of the gate, they shifted their gazes from the gate to each other.
'Are there fewer than I expected?'
Even so, no one was reckless enough to openly exude killing intent in the presence of the instructors, but I did notice a few cadets blatantly eyeing Class 5.
'Do they think we won't notice, or is this just the standard level of cadets? Even if I hadn't known about the ambush, I would've figured it out.'
I let out a quiet chuckle.
Soon, all first- and second-year cadets who had volunteered for the promotion battle gathered in front of the gate.
The cadet leader stepped onto a temporary platform.
There was no cliché speech or words of encouragement—he got straight to the point.
"The entry order will be determined fairly, starting with the first-year cadets. The sequence will go from Class 5 to Class 1. Each class will enter at 15-minute intervals. The promotion battle begins now. Good luck."
Bzzzz—
As the cadet leader finished his final instructions, I immediately turned to Class 5 cadets.
"Let's go."
It was just a simple phrase meant for the tense cadets, yet they all grinned and began raising their morale.
The promotion battle had begun.
***
Y-7 Gate. Also Known as "Rock Mountain."
The interior of the gate was a vast canyon area spanning approximately 40 square kilometers.
A dry, barren land where not a single blade of grass grew, resembling the Grand Canyon in the western United States.
Once teeming with countless monsters, the Y-7 Gate had become an endless expanse of red rocks and soil after its stabilization.
And in that very place, Baek Jin, the second-year Class 1 leader, observed the cadets following him as he moved along a high ridge.
"Is everyone ready?"
"Well, yeah. What's there to prepare? We just do it."
"They're just first-years. And Class 5 at that."
All the cadets had indifferent expressions.
Baek Jin silently nodded, recalling a meeting from a few weeks ago.
—It's a simple deal. Eliminate the first-year Class 5 cadets. Just don't kill them, but do whatever else you need to.
Those were the words of Lee Seol-ah, the sixth child of the Sungmuiga family, who had sought him out.
Baek Jin's family secretly supported Lee Seol-ah. Naturally, he couldn't refuse the order.
Even if he had a choice, he wouldn't have refused anyway.
'The root of the Everlasting Herb… If I can get my hands on that, I might be able to break through my limits and gain aura before graduating from the cadet corps.'
—And if you take care of that illegitimate brat, I'll give you an even bigger reward. So do your best.
Baek Jin fiddled with his sword sheath.
If the target had been the first-year Class 1 cadets, he might have hesitated, but their target was Class 5—the infamous dumping ground for failures.
It seemed they had been improving since that illegitimate kid joined, but from what he'd heard, several others had also joined in on this operation, so there was no reason to refuse.
'First-year cadets, and Class 5 at that… Do they really need to gather this many people just to take them down? I don't get it…'
But it wasn't his place to question it.
Baek Jin pushed the thought aside and focused on the situation.
At that moment, three cadets who had gone ahead as scouts returned to the group.
"We found them. About 300 meters north from here. As expected, they're sticking together."
"How many?"
"Five in total."
"A manageable number. What's the situation?"
"Still, it seems like the rumors going around these days aren't entirely false. They're erasing their footprints, moving with stealth, and following concealment techniques well. They're strictly adhering to the manual, huh?"
"But they didn't think about covering up the traces of erasing their footprints."
Baek Jin nodded as he watched the scouts smirk.
Their group had six members.
Given the difference in skill levels, even if a trap had been set, it wouldn't be difficult to deal with.
"Let's take care of them right away. We were told not to kill them, so let's just break their arms and legs."
"Jackpot. We get to clean up a piece of trash from the junkyard and earn an elixir for it. Heh heh."
The cadets under Lee Seol-ah's orders gleamed with greed as they began moving.
All of them moved swiftly and silently.
As second-year cadets of the Soongmuiga Academy, they were already at a level where they could perform in real-world missions.
Whizz—!
Just then, from a spot slightly away from Baek Jin's position, a signal arrow shot into the sky.
"If they fired a signal arrow, that means there's another squad over there, right?"
"Let's hurry up and take care of these guys so we can move over to that side!"
Soon, Baek Jin's group spotted the cadets from Class 5.
"They noticed us."
The Class 5 cadets flinched in surprise and immediately began moving away quickly.
'Idiots. They're just running away blindly.'
Baek Jin and his group quickly gave chase.
"Huff, huff. Damn trash, they're fast as hell at running away!"
One of the cadets spat out curses, panting heavily.
"There's a fork ahead that leads to a dead end. We'll catch them there!"
Baek Jin infused mana into his feet and kicked off the ground.
As the top students of Class 1 and the leader of his group, his speed was incredible. The gap between them and the Class 5 cadets quickly shrank.
'Once we get past this fork, there's nothing but a dead-end ahead! Idiots!'
Baek Jin smirked.
He could almost see the elixir right in front of him.
The fork appeared, and the Class 5 cadets slowed down to change direction.
At that moment—
"Huh?"
"Who the hell are you guys?!"
Strangers appeared within the canyon.
Baek Jin recognized them immediately.
They were cadets from another class, also assigned to hunt down Class 5.
'Why are they here?'
Baek Jin's mind rapidly processed the situation.
Cliffs on both sides.
A dead-end up ahead.
Cadets unexpectedly converging.
"A trap—"
—It is!
Baek Jin's shout was cut off by the sharp sound of something slicing through the air.
Swish—! Thud!
"Arghhh!"
A long-range snipe.
A mana-infused arrow had lodged itself deep into Baek Jin's shoulder.
'An ambush? Was this a trap all along?'
Could it be that the Class 5 cadets who revealed themselves were bait?
Did they anticipate our attack?
"Second-year, Class 1 leader, Baek Jin."
A boy stepped forward from the other side of the canyon. Behind him, three or four more Class 5 cadets emerged.
Groaning in pain, Baek Jin recognized the boy's face.
The youngest illegitimate son of the Soongmuiga family—Lee Cheol.
He held a steel sword in one hand as he walked forward at a steady pace.
One by one, more familiar Class 5 cadets appeared around him.
"First-year, Class 2—Yoo Jae-ho. Second-year, Class 2—Cadet Lee Myung-jun…"
The numbers hadn't reversed.
One of the observing cadets shouted,
"They're just first-years! Get them!"
Lee Cheol smirked.
"Of course, since this is an advancement match, we won't kill you. But you'll have to drop out here."
"As long as you don't kill them, do whatever you see fit. I don't care."
Baek Jin felt an unpleasant sense of déjà vu, as if he were receiving back the very words he had once spoken to Lee Seol-ah.
'D-Damn it.'
As Lee Cheol swung his sword, the air itself was torn apart.
***
The total number of cadets targeting us, including those from Class 5 and those I anticipated would be after us, was 42.
I estimated that around 12 first-year cadets and about 30 second-year cadets had accepted the offer.
From the beginning, we laid traps and devised a strategy.
Divide and conquer.
That was the essence of our plan.
I turned to look at Choi In-ha.
"If you're done, move immediately. We haven't dealt with all the ones who might still come after us."
"Yes. I'll regroup with Kim Han. What about you?"
"As planned, I'll move alone. Make sure to take care of everyone on the assigned list. The real test begins once we finish cleaning up."
"You're heading out right now?"
"Of course. The more dangerous ones are already taken care of, so the rest are just small fry."
With that, I immediately left.
Choi In-ha, pressing down on a wound sustained in battle, silently watched Lee Cheol disappear into the distance.
A cadet approached.
"As expected, the Young Master is incredible. Don't you think so, In-ha?"
Choi In-ha blankly asked,
"How many did he take down on his own?"
"I'm not sure… Eight? Maybe nine?"
"We took down one per pair."
Choi In-ha brushed the hilt of his sword.
"Their numbers were greater than ours, and among them were some of the most promising cadets in the corps. But not a single one lasted more than three exchanges against the Young Master."
He pressed his lips together.
For a year, he had struggled to close the gap. But it had only widened.
"I need to hurry."
A Class 5 cadet tilted his head but then grabbed Choi In-ha's arm and pulled him forward.
"I don't get what you're talking about, but if you're done, let's move."
"Yeah."
Choi In-ha's team began moving.
***
Outside the gate where the promotion battle was taking place, things weren't exactly peaceful either.
The instructors of the cadet corps were busy setting up a temporary medical station and establishing communications with headquarters.
The greatest concern was, of course, the medical station. Though it was labeled "temporary," it was equipped with emergency treatment facilities comparable to a full-fledged hospital.
Even though the rules prohibited killing techniques, no one could predict what might happen in real combat.
—Young Master. As of 12:03, all second-year cadets have entered.
Instructor Kim Gyu-taek of Class 2 pulled out his smartphone and sent a message to the seventh son, Lee Jae-hak.
He was one of those who supported Lee Jae-hak.
It was also Kim Gyu-taek who had trained the cadets acting under Lee Jae-hak and Lee Seol-ah's orders to take down Class 5.
—Keep me updated on the progress.
—Understood.
To him, this mission seemed simple.
From the outset, the difference in numbers was significant. No matter how much the bastard-born cadets and Class 5 had recently gained recognition, there was nothing they could do.
To ensure success, Kim Gyu-taek had even studied Class 5's training materials and secretly observed their training to teach his cadets appropriate countermeasures.
Unless a natural disaster occurred, there was no way they could fail.
'If I pull this off well, I'll prove my worth to the seventh son. Since he rewards and punishes fairly, that arrogant brat will surely give me a proper reward.'
Kim Gyu-taek let his mind drift toward dreams of the future.
'I'll secure my gains from the seventh son, then move up and align myself with someone stronger. As long as I succeed in this mission and escape the cadet corps…'
At that moment—
"Huh? Already?"
A commotion stirred near the gate.
Kim Gyu-taek turned his head and saw a cadet staggering out. His arm was splinted, and he dragged his injured leg behind him.
'It's begun.'
Kim Gyu-taek smirked and stepped forward.
But as soon as he saw the cadet's face, his expression twisted.
'Lee Hwa?'
The leader of Class 3's second-years. A skilled archer.
And one of those who had targeted Class 5.
"Wh-Why are you—?"
Why wasn't it a Class 5 cadet coming out first? Why was it one of their own?
"Instructor Kim! Get him transported quickly! He's seriously injured!"
"Ah, yes! Right away!"
But that wasn't the end of it.
After Lee Hwa, more cadets began pouring out, one after another.
"Heh, heh… It's barely been any time since this started, and already so many cadets are incapacitated."
Kim Gyu-taek bit his lip as he saw the head instructor chuckling.
'What the hell happened?!'
It had only been about an hour since the second-year cadets entered.
Yet already, 13 cadets had been carried out with severe injuries.
And of those, 10 had been part of the group targeting Class 5.
Wooooong—
The gate trembled again, and more cadets stumbled out.
Kim Gyu-taek checked the time.
It had almost been two hours since all the cadets entered.
Yet—
"Get another bed ready!"
"Hurry up with the dressing! What are you standing around for?!"
Doctors and nurses from the Sungmu family ran frantically around the medical station.
Over 25 cadets had already been eliminated.
And 21 of them had been involved in the plan against Class 5.
Every single one of them had sustained severe injuries that forced them to forfeit the exam.
"This is strange. I thought this would be brutal for the first-years, but why are most of the injured second-years?"
The instructors beside Kim Gyu-taek wore bewildered expressions as they watched the gate.
Wooooong—!
The gate trembled again.
And, as expected, another cadet staggered out—his arm grotesquely twisted.
Once again, it wasn't a Class 5 cadet.
It was yet another cadet who had targeted them.
Kim Gyu-taek rushed over and grabbed the cadet by the shoulders.
"What the hell happened? Why are you guys the ones coming out first? What's going on in there?"
His voice was tense and demanding.
The cadet bit his lip hard before answering.
"We… we were wrong."
His voice trembled—not with anger or frustration, but with despair and defeat.
"I thought I was the hunter… but I wasn't."
A shiver ran through Kim Gyu-taek's eyes.
"We were the ones being hunted."
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