Chapter 229: Change of Seasons (5)

After losing its head, the minotaur collapsed. The body could no longer move once its spinal cords were blown away. Its lower body were stiff as if they were under a paralysis.

However, it had been running at a speed faster than a car and the body denser than rocks was also heavier than a car. The lower body rolled forward after collapsing on the ground while sprinkling drops of blood everywhere.

Right when it was in front of her, Kaeul startledly used blink and avoided it at the last second. The large body of the monster collided with the fragments of light that covered where Kaeul had been, and travelled through it until it crashed into a rocky wall in the distance.

That much would have been perfect.

However, perhaps because her legs were trembling, Kaeul stepped on a rock after leaving a pool of light elsewhere and fell on her bum.

After falling on the ground, she seemed surprised from what she herself had done.

"...? ......??"

With circular eyes, she looked at her hand and looked back at the remaining body of the minotaur. When her eyes caught sight of the cut-off mountain in the distance, her body flinched visibly to the point that people could see it from the other side of the screen.

She looked frightened.

Yu Jitae looked at the hands of the child. She was unable to control her power at all. The electric mana unique to the gold race was still flickering and drawing tails around her palm.

Her hand would probably be hot and her wrist and elbow were probably still shaking.

Just as he expected, Kaeul remained there blankly hugging her right hand.

However, she didn't have a lot of time.

Kaeul stood up.

She dusted her bum, and carried the weapons that had fallen on the ground. She headed into the ruined village and met the child, the only survivor.

All that had taken just a minute and 20 seconds.

Meanwhile, the waiting room was literally in chaos.

***

Seeing a situation which immensely deviated from their common sense, people were shocked.

Whether it be normal superhumans or guardians that were inside the waiting room, most of their lives had been spent living inside a basket of normal superhumans.

Awakening at around 15 years of age, entering an academy in their teens and getting trained until early 20's. After graduation, they desired to be well-treated by their country's military organisations, guilds and their households. That's how the superhumans started their social life after becoming young adults.

Strong superhumans can be seen anywhere but they were like the moon. They gathered the eyes of others and could be seen commonly wherever but were in fact uncommon. In the night sky, they were especially brighter than countless other stars.

Those that couldn't tell the difference when they had been staring at it from a distance realises it only once they become a star themselves. It penetrates deeply into their mind.

That the 'moon' is different from them.

Just then in front of their eyes,

A star that seemed slightly brighter than other stars.

Had revealed itself just then as a bright shiny moon.

"Uwahhhhh—!!"

"Wah, wah! Insane. Seriously!"

"What happened?!"

The cadets showed coarse, undisguised reactions. The cadets of RIL covered their foreheads with their hands in shock as other cadets showed similarly frightened reactions.

The elements that cadets of Lair referred to themselves with; namely affiliation, organisation, ethnicity and nationality. All those elements crumbled before an overwhelming element exceeding the norms.

Superhumans lived to become stronger.

It didn't make sense for anyone to stay still after watching that. A superhuman sane after seeing that? How?

A young cadet specialising in magic whose heart had been tingling from the moment she saw Kaeul's blink couldn't hold it in after seeing that offensive spell and screamed out loud.

"Kieeeeekkkk!"

"Kuuaaahh! It's crazy! Crazy!"

In the midst of the chaotic waiting room, the guardians that had been quietly shocked and rolling their tongues opened their mouths.

"......What was that thing just then?"

"I have no idea. It's the first time I'm seeing it. From the speed, it doesn't look like a light-attribute spell."

"It did draw a parabola at the end. From the trajectory alone, it looked just like a magic arrow right?"

"Aye. It can't possibly be a magic arrow right."

The sight of a worm as big as a snake made the veterans confused. However, that spell was indeed a [Magic Arrow (C)]. While the guardians were trying to ascertain what the spell was, one of the guardians raised a question.

"So Cadet Kaeul recently learned magic right? Who in the world did she learn it from?"

Gyeoul, who had been carefully listening to their words, tapped on Bom's arm.

"Nn?"

Bom turned around and Gyeoul showed her two big thumbs.

Seeing that, Bom also showed an arrogant expression, before laughing it off and stamping her thumbs with her own. After receiving a stamp on her thumbs, Gyeoul turned around and looked at Yeorum.

Yeorum's gaze was fixed on the screen. Seemingly surprised a fair bit, her expression was slightly crumpled while her mouth was slightly open.

Gyeoul was wearing a bright smile, thinking it was a great thing all around but it was then.

'Wahh... isn't she just stronger than Yu Yeorum?'

'I think she's a lot stronger by far.'

Someone's voice was heard from the crowd.

"...?"

Gyeoul turned around. However, there were too many people chatting to each other and a lot of them were on their feet so it was hard to tell who the speaker was.

The issue was that Yeorum-unni could hear anything that Yu Gyeoul herself could hear. Gyeoul turned around to look at Yeorum and she became slightly surprised.

Yeorum was looking in the same direction she herself had been looking in.

"...Why?"

When Gyeoul carefully asked a question, Yeorum who had been obstinately turning her gaze in search of something turned around.

"What?"

"...Why? Are you, looking for something?"

"No. It's nothing."

Yeorum once again turned back towards the screen. She then crookedly tilted her head and slowly crossed her legs.

"Please calm down. It's not the end yet is it?"

Saying that from the back, Mihailov took out an emergency fire axe and swung it around. The look on Kitty Brzenk's face had exceeded shock and was even nearing fear.

In the midst of the bustle, Yu Jitae was silent.

Soon, the noise died down.

Kaeul's test was not yet over.

***

In the middle of the village, Kaeul stabbed the weapons of the rescue squad that had died in the field. Since they died trying to protect this place, she thought it was right to place the weapons here. Finally, they had returned to their rightful places.

Kaeul moved her feet and found a young child who had injured her legs inside the rubbles.

"I, I have secured the superhuman survivor. Copy that."

- This is ATT headquarters. Copy. Return as soon as possible.

After the report, Kaeul looked at the child who was on the ground. Her legs were bleeding while her face was covered by dust. The child was smaller than her, and was perhaps a little bigger than Gyeoul.

Following the given procedures, Kaeul spoke to her.

"A, are you alright?"

The fallen child gazed up at her.

"Don't be scared. I'm here to save you. You just have to follow me."

The child nodded. It was a normal reaction, naturally because this was a virtual man-made dungeon. This child too was a fake.

"My leg hurts..."

Normally, people simply had to carry this human which was nothing but a mass of polygons on their shoulders and go back, because they were short on time. Kaeul was 2 years into her life at Lair and also knew it.

'I can't do it...'

But despite knowing that it was a test, Kaeul just couldn't do so. Wasn't there someone resembling a human in pain? How could she just ignore it?

It was an irrational judgement born from a trivial emotion.

Despite that, Kaeul decided to follow her own judgement. It didn't matter whether she was doing well in the test or not.

"I have medication. I'll put it on for you. After that, let's run away with unni."

Kaeul hurriedly took the medical box from the emergency kit. Then, whilst reflecting back on the first aid course she learned during class, she wiped the wound, disinfected it and applied medication on top.

"M, my mum is o, on the other side."

It was then.

The child's eyes suddenly turned vacant, as she murmured.

"Huh? Nn?"

"My mum. My mum is there... A monster stepped on her and she's hurt. Please save her."

The child pointed at the mountain that was even further away from the village. If Kaeul was to go into the mountain and save someone and come back, it would go over the given time limit.

Although Kaeul was unaware, this was also an element of the test.

A place invaded by monsters was like the manifestation of hell on earth. Survivors in that place are those that saw their family members and friends get ripped to pieces in front of their eyes.

It was unlikely for them to be in their right minds.

Despite seeing the corpses of their families, they believe they are still alive and ask for help.

Was it just survivors in battlefields that lost their minds?

No. Young superhumans inexperienced in wars also tended to lose their minds. Especially the superhumans who had the mindset that they were here to save people were easily carried by their emotions.

Even though they doubt it might be a false request, they still listen. The rescue then inevitably takes longer and ultimately everything gets messed up.

"Please help my mum..."

Since this was just a test, Lair did not make the child too desperate. It was to avoid giving traumatic experiences for the cadets.

The remaining time was [03:27].

Looking at the numbers above her head, Kaeul pondered.

There were people on the other side of the screen lamenting and screaming as they saw her vacant self, but Kaeul was uninterested in all that.

Until now, Kaeul had been doing everything Yu Jitae told her to do, and didn't attempt anything that he told her not to do.

However, that disappeared as she started learning magic. Yu Jitae did not command or restrict her. He simply told her that she could build power first and earn conviction one day.

Kaeul wanted to help the child. She thought it was her duty to do so.

Was this the conviction ahjussi was talking about?

She had no idea.

A difficult word like that was not for her.

However...

Although it was a test for now, something similar to this might happen in real life one day. It might be alright this time because there aren't any actual victims inside the mountain, but if it does happen, the child's mother could truly be in the mountain right? Should she ignore the cries of the child and return despite that in order to save time?

Kaeul did not want to do that.

She thought that a person wishing to live as a guardian and a guardian deity should not do such a thing.

She couldn't tell whether her judgement was right or wrong.

Kaeul was young.

She simply did as her heart told her to.

Hiding the child behind a strong wall of the village, Kaeul asked her.

"What's your name?"

"Moon..."

"Alright. Moon. You have to hide here and not move until unni comes back, okay?"

"What about you unni...?"

If Kaeul had considered this a simple time-attack test for even a second, she would have ignored the request of the child.

However, she did not do so.

"I will go save your mum."

However, Kaeul couldn't find the child's mother for over 3 minutes. It was because she wasn't there in the first place.

At that point, she only had 20 seconds remaining on the clock. Blink or whatever she could use would not allow her to return on time.

The moment the audience was certain about the exam failing, someone inside the room laughed like crazy. Then, that person snatched the axe away from Mihailov's hand.

However, what marked the end of the chaotic mess was when Kaeul hugged the child and jumped through the distant dimensions.

[Teleportation (S)]

People outside the screen once again screamed out loud as Kaeul returned to the designated place for the rescue team.

[00:17]

The timer stopped.

"I have successfully saved the survivor... copy that."

- This is ATT headquarters. Copy!

- Congratulations on the successful rescue.

She passed the test.

Despite wasting 3 minutes, Kaeul succeeded in rescuing the child.

The child gave off her programmed expression. Saying thanks, she hugged Kaeul with a bright smile and Kaeul hugged her back.

For the first time after she started learning magic, Kaeul felt something twitch inside her heart.

Her mind that had been muddled and hazy was being cleared up.

Like magic.

***

"What was that? You only have 20 seconds so kneel and ask for forgiveness, was it?"

The axe was back in the hands of Mihailov. Kitty Brzenk could dare vow that she had never felt this irritated in her entire life so far.

"Can you read the numbers there?"

"..."

"Read it out loud please. Look. The one at the front is a 1, and the one at the back is a 7, but I can't tell what it is when you put them together."

"..."

"Please understand. I have a disease where I can't read any numbers under 20."

He swung the fire axe in circles and smiled like a bear. The startled guards came running up and asked what was going on. However, they couldn't directly interfere with the situation unless the actual violence occurred - that was just the way superhuman societies worked.

Kitty Brzenk thought to herself.

She couldn't escape. There were too many eyes in the surroundings.

It would hurt when her wrist is cut off. Superhumans were the same. Although it was possible to stick it back again, that was after all the pain subsided.

However, what would hurt a bit more than the wrist was her pride.

Me losing my wrist for something this meagre?

"Kneel. I will take a finger instead of a wrist."

She felt extremely irritated and did not want to act subserviently.

Kitty Brzenk inwardly raised her mana and inserted them into her skin. She then went through 7 different formulae in a row.

[Inner Shield (A+)]

Right underneath the skin, she created a small barrier to block the axe. The physical protection spell used by a mage in the 100's was something that cannot be dealt with with the power of a mere retired soldier.

She could then scoff and walk away.

The fake identity could be discarded and she could create another one with the name of the Brzenk Family. Although there would be less entertainment for the time being and it would be boring, she could act based on the things that had happened today to have a more fun time later.

"Go on. Try swinging it down."

Saying that, Kitty Brzenk nonchalantly showed her wrist. With no questions asked, Mihailov immediately swung the axe down.

Kaang-!

The skin near the wrist was slightly cut but the axe bounced off as if it had struck a piece of metal.

"...!"

Mihailov was surprised by the mana that immediately invaded his body through his hand. Due to the reaction of the inner shield spell, sharp lines of mana entered his body and wreaked havoc. Quickly, he raised his mana and blocked it but his insides had been damaged already. "Mhmm..." he quietly muttered.

"What's wrong? Come on."

Was that violence? No. There weren't any victims yet. Since the situation was flowing in a strange manner, the guardians and guards that were watching the situation didn't know what to do. It was then.

"Do you mind if I do that?"

"Hmm?"

A man began walking towards them in large strides. The man was tall and had wide developed shoulders and a hazy gaze that was difficult to look back at.

Surprise spread across the crowd like a wave.

"Ah. Of course."

Mihailov nonchalantly handed him the axe while inwardly giving a smile.

*

He wasn't going to care much about it, but the dog he was seeing often in the town got bit by a bug and was about to get bitten even more.

A dog he knew crying in pain wasn't a welcome sight so Yu Jitae decided to crush the bug and kill it.

Standing in front of Kitty Brzenk, he raised the axe.

Guardian of the Yu household.

The superhuman that overwhelmed Sillardo Leo.

Kitty Brzenk was visibly surprised as she pulled her hand back. Then, she shouted at Mihailov.

"Oi! You can't make someone else do...!"

Yu Jitae raised his shoulder. Right when people thought he was about to swing the axe, his arm turned hazy.

Bamm—

A sound resembling the chopping of firewood resonated. The axe fell down and so did Kitty Brzenk's wrist.

"Ahhhkkk!!"