Chapter 12
Sehyun dodged to the side, and the giant club crashed down where she had been standing. The sound was so loud that she thought her body would explode if she got hit.
But…
As expected!
Sehyun’s eyes gleamed. Her gaze was fixed on the floor where the monster had struck.
Despite the deafening sound, there was no damage to the floor. It could be that the floor was exceptionally durable, able to withstand the monster’s attacks, but even then, there should be some trace of the impact.
But… there was nothing?!
Whoosh!
The monster’s club swung towards Sehyun again. She ducked just in time to avoid it and moved closer to the monster.
‘Jump!’
Sehyun twisted her body sideways, changing direction right in front of the monster, and aimed a punch at its forehead. It was an attack she could pull off because their heights weren’t that different.
Thump!
But it was like hitting a rock with an egg.
Despite getting punched in the forehead, the monster didn’t even flinch. It just turned its eyes to glare at Sehyun.
Whoosh!
The club flew towards her again, tracing an arc in the air. The club crashed into the wall.
Shatter!
The transparent wall shattered and crumbled down. As Sehyun instinctively moved towards the opening, a thought flashed through her mind.
Don’t tell me…!
No!
Sehyun abruptly changed direction, her body stumbling and falling to the floor.
At that moment, the monster’s club was about to strike her head.
Beep-!
Everything stopped at the sound of a whistle. The monster, which had been about to strike her, disappeared with a swooshing sound.
“Wh, what!”
“VR?”
“What? Was that really the test?”
Exclamations of shock erupted from all directions.
“Gasp, gasp, gasp.”
Sehyun, breathing heavily, slowly raised her head.
Most of the trainees were lying on the floor, except for a few. Some had even fainted.
Those who regained consciousness slowly turned their gazes towards Jungwook. Their expressions were varied.
Bewilderment, anger, confusion, embarrassment…
“So suddenly…”
“What was that, without any warning?”
A few people whispered softly.
However, their whispers echoed throughout the silent auditorium.
Some nodded in agreement, as if responding to those whispers.
Those who had regained consciousness slowly looked around. No one was bleeding from being bitten or hit by the monsters.
People let out sighs of relief as they realized that the sounds of breaking and flesh being torn apart at the beginning were just part of the setup to create a sense of fear.
They felt like they had survived by sheer luck.
“Sigh.”
As people were sighing in relief,
“This is it.”
Jungwook spoke bluntly, his expression indifferent to how people were looking at him.
“This is the life you will live as Guards.”
His voice was calm, but the meaning behind his words was far from light. The faces of those who understood his meaning turned pale, while those who hadn’t yet regained their composure stared blankly at Jungwook.
“The life you have chosen as Guards means encountering these things unexpectedly and frequently. Yes, you could say that. Holes are predictable these days, so you can prepare yourselves mentally before encountering monsters. That’s right, it’s not wrong. But while you can prepare for Holes, you can’t prepare for the monsters you’ll encounter there.”
“…”
“These things will jump out at you from behind, fall from the sky, and you might even make eye contact with a monster that’s chewing on a human head while you’re searching for civilians.”
Jungwook’s voice remained calm throughout his speech. That’s why it was clear.
That his words weren’t meant to threaten, warn, or instill discipline.
They were his own experiences. He was asking them through his experiences.
Whether they were willing to walk this path, stained with blood, instead of the golden red carpet leading to glory.
“This is your last chance. It’s not a bad idea to give up now, rather than quit after going through all the hardship. No, it’s actually better. It’s a wiser choice to give up now than to be tormented by trauma for the rest of your life.”
“…”
“So, those who are not confident, leave now. This is your last chance.”
A chilling silence descended upon the auditorium as soon as Jungwook finished speaking.
Guards.
Those who stood against the monstrous filth that poured out of the Holes.
The golden position, honorable and glorious, of saving the world and its people.
Jungwook had told them that this reality always lurked beneath the surface.
“I’ll give you three seconds.”
At Jungwook’s words, some people glanced around nervously.
“Three.”
Jungwook started counting.
“Two, one, time’s up.”
No one left, even after Jungwook finished counting.
Even those who had fainted and regained consciousness after receiving emergency treatment.
Jungwook nodded slightly.
Yes, he had expected this.
They knew it would be tough, but they couldn’t give up. This was the greatest opportunity to change their lives.
“Alright. I applaud your will and determination. Let me briefly explain. From now on, within the training center, you will be divided into grades A, B, C, D, E, and F, just like the Guard ranks. The criteria will change with each test, and your final Guard rank will be determined through the final test. Your Guard rank can be changed or challenged through an annual renewal test. I’ll explain this in detail when you leave…”
Jungwook stepped down from the podium and slowly walked towards the person standing in the front row.
“Number of attacks: 0. Number of defenses: 0. Number of dodges: 0. Damage taken: 6. Grade F.”
He then moved on to the next person and spoke in a flat voice.
“Number of attacks: 0. Number of defenses: 0. Number of dodges: 0. Damage taken: 3. Grade F.”
Jungwook’s voice continued to echo.
“Number of attacks: 1. Number of defenses: 0. Number of dodges: 0. Damage taken: 3. Grade D.”
And he moved on to the next person. He stopped in front of Sehyun and glanced down at her.
“Number of attacks: 1. Number of defenses: 0. Number of dodges: 3. Damage taken: 0.”
“…”
“Grade F.”
The trainees around her stirred at Jungwook’s words.
“Huh?”
“F?”
“What?”
They seemed to be questioning why she received an F grade despite attacking and dodging.
It was a stark contrast to the person who had received a D grade despite taking 3 hits with only one attack.
People looked at each other, seeking an answer, but no one could give a clear explanation.
However, Sehyun, who had gotten up from her position, nodded as if she understood.
Jungwook’s brows furrowed slightly at her composure.
“Would you like to challenge the result?”
Sehyun shook her head at Jungwook’s unexpected question.
“No, I accept the result. I failed to follow the rules of the test.”
Sehyun raised her left hand, which had touched the ground outside the square frame when she fell.
“I stepped out of the square frame.”
Jungwook’s eyebrows twitched at her calm words.
Could it be that she had figured out the hidden test condition?
The monster’s action of swinging its club and striking the wall was another test.
The test was whether they would run away through the broken wall or not.
The instructor’s order was, “Do not step out of the square frame drawn on the floor,” so leaving that space was a violation of the order.
It might seem like a trivial order, but in a real battle situation, a Guard had to listen carefully and follow even the smallest of orders.
The purpose of this test was to make them realize all of this through experience, in addition to evaluating their ability level.
Sehyun seemed to understand all of this.
Jungwook stared at Sehyun with an intrigued expression and spoke slowly.
“Alright.”
He moved on to the next person.
“Number of attacks: 1. Number of defenses: 1. Number of dodges: 1. Grade C.”
Jungwook continued to announce the test results of all 42 trainees as he walked.
Out of 42 trainees, 7 were Grade A. 7 were Grade B. 9 were Grade C. 11 were Grade E. And Grade F…
Jungwook glanced at Sehyun, who was standing still in the middle of the square frame.
Her eyes were moving rapidly, as if replaying the battle in her mind.
‘8 Grade F. Including one judgment-based Grade F, which is beyond the scope of the grading system.’
Jungwook averted his gaze.
The sky was painted red by the setting sun.
Jungwook sat on a bench by the lake at the easternmost edge of the training center, watching the sunset. The sunset from here was exceptionally beautiful. Sometimes, watching this sunset, he forgot all about Holes, monsters, and everything else.
It was pure serenity.
“As expected, you were here.”
However, a familiar voice shattered his peace.
“What is it?”
He had sensed Dohyun’s presence early on, but he had hoped he would leave him alone. His junior, however, had no sense of tact.
Jungwook frowned and asked Dohyun curtly.
“I got a call from headquarters. They said they couldn’t reach you and asked you to call back when you have time.”
“Why should I answer their calls when they’re just going to make me work?”
“I think it’s probably about the recent Hole incidents.”
The Hole that had appeared in the Small Safe Zone had caused significant damage because it had appeared earlier than predicted.
The problem was that similar situations had occurred a couple more times since then. Fortunately, they had dispatched Guards in advance, so the incidents were resolved without much damage, but it wasn’t something to be taken lightly.
The fact that they couldn’t predict Holes in advance meant that problems could arise anytime, anywhere.
“Why are they asking me about Holes suddenly popping up everywhere? They must think I’m the one creating them.”
“…”
“I came to the training center to avoid that kind of stuff, and they’re still trying to make me work.”
“It’s because you’re you, Senior. They probably want to gather as many people as possible to discuss the situation.”
Although Jungwook was working at the training center, away from the field, no Guard could ignore him. Even the headquarters called him whenever an urgent situation arose.
“That’s ridiculous.”
Jungwook replied nonchalantly, but his expression wasn’t good either.
The sudden increase in Hole occurrences. The unpredictable timing of Hole appearances.
A series of unfortunate events had occurred simultaneously.
Hmm