Midterm Exam (7)
Just a moment ago, my stomach had been twisting with nerves, making it hard to speak. But as soon as the presence of the “Divine One” spread through the air, all those feelings were shoved out of my mind.
They shouldn’t be able to move in this state…
While studying for the exam, I’d come across passages in the history books about demons and gods. I stayed up all night rereading those parts.
It wasn’t because the content was hard to understand — it was because I just couldn’t believe it.
At first, I was annoyed that gods were described in the same way as demons or self-proclaimed deities. But once I learned about what had happened to them, that irritation faded away.
Since there was no way to kill a god, they were either shattered into fragments imbued with divine power to be transformed into spirits, or they were weakened to their absolute limit and then sealed beneath churches or “sacred grounds” with extreme care.
If I hadn’t been here as a student, I’d have called in the military right away.
…Anyway, once I learned about all that, I deeply regretted ever calling upon a god.
—A god? Are you truly a god?
Just existing must already be a burden on them after going through all that. Yet now, they were active enough to spread their magic power faintly through the atmosphere.
I was worried.
—Oh? I wondered who it might be, and it turns out to be the daughter of Byeolbi. I didn’t know you were here. Why are you in such a dangerous place, child?
Strangely, their voices were even clearer than before. Did something good happen to them, or had they regained a bit of their strength?
—I’m currently taking an exam.
No matter the reason, it was definitely a good sign. Since the Divine One had asked, I answered their question.
But “dangerous place”? What were they talking about?
—An exam, you say. What a cruel contractor you must have. To release monsters and beasts in a place like that… Such a wicked woman she is, second to none in her malice.
Based on their words, it seemed that some “contractor” had ordered them to release monsters and beasts into this forest.
I couldn’t help but wonder who that contractor was.
—Divine One, may I ask who that contractor is?
“…Yeon…”
—…Regrettably, I cannot say. A clause in the contract forbids it. The contract was already established by that wench before you arrived, so there’s nothing I can do. My apologies, child.
Whoever it was, they had to be a terrible person. To enter into a contract on their own without permission — it was the height of recklessness.
—No, please don’t apologize to me. All the blame lies with that so-called contractor.
—Ah, if only that woman had even a fraction of your decency, little one. Very well. I will send a beast that follows my will to where you are. Ride it and get as far from there as possible. A storm of blood is coming.
—Wait, could my friends ride it as well?
—Your friends, you say… It’s not impossible. However, if any of them wield divine power, I won’t tolerate it. Would that be acceptable?
“…Ho…a!”
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who found divine power unpleasant. Fortunately, none of my group members were users of divine power.
—Yes, none of them wield divine power.
—Then it’s settled. It will arrive shortly. Don’t be startled when you see its form.
Even with monsters and beasts running wild in the forest, I wasn’t particularly scared. After all, they wouldn’t attack me.
But now that the Divine One had promised to send a beast we could ride, I felt even more reassured.
That said, Dogeon had been pestering me for a while now.
It wasn’t as if he was getting in the way. Even if thunder and lightning were crashing down around me, I was confident I wouldn’t flinch.
In fact, I should probably thank him. It helped me return to reality.
Normally, after speaking with the Divine One, I’d be dazed for three to five minutes, but since Dogeon had gone as far as to place a hand on my shoulder, I snapped out of it quickly.
“Dogeon, do you trust me?”
As soon as I regained my senses, I asked Dogeon the question. Do you trust me?
I knew that the beast the Divine One had promised would arrive soon, but Dogeon and the others had no way of knowing that.
“Huh…? O-of course I do. But, Hoyeon, now’s not the time to be kneeling like that—”
His answer was a little hesitant, but that was enough for me.
“Then stay right next to me. Bring Anya and Iris over too.”
For some reason, Anya’s clothes were stained with blood, and Iris was completely out of it.
We could think about that later after riding the beast.
For now, keeping everyone safe and uninjured was my top priority. They were my precious friends, after all.
Despite his doubts, Dogeon followed my instructions and brought Anya and Iris next to me.
I decided to let it slide that he was carrying Iris in a princess carry. Given the urgency of the situation, I couldn’t exactly blame him.
The presence of the Divine One grew noticeably stronger. It was clear that they were nearby. That was fast.
“Alright, here. Everyone is right next to you now, Hoyeon. Can you get up? If we stay here, the monsters will chase us down. We need to move.”
As expected, Dogeon was focused on finding a solution, even in this situation.
But this time, it wasn’t necessary.
“No. We don’t need to.”
After all, the “bus” to take us to safety was already here.
“…What do you mean, we don’t need to?”
The ground trembled with a heavy thud, and soon, the beast sent by the Divine One revealed itself. No, since the Divine One had sent it personally, perhaps it was more fitting to call it a “divine beast.”
Though, for something sent by a god, it looked quite ferocious.
It looked like a bear, but larger — the size of an elephant. Its jaws and claws were stained with traces of blood, carrying the faint remnants of divine power.
“…Guys, break your bracelets.”
As expected, Dogeon was thinking of running away.
I mean, if I were in his position and saw this creature without any context, I’d probably panic and try to run away too. It looked like something straight out of a dark fantasy game.
So I wasn’t planning to blame him too harshly. Trusting me 100% couldn’t be easy.
But… I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt us.”
I knew my words wouldn’t convince anyone in this situation, but since it was a fact, I said it anyway.
“…Anya. Break Iris’s bracelet, then break yours. I’ll break Hoyeon’s, and then mine.”
Looks like Dogeon didn’t believe me after all.
It looked like Dogeon was planning to use the system where breaking the bracelet would result in automatic disqualification and teleportation.
Classic Dogeon move. But seriously, trust your friends a little more, will you?
“Alright.”
Anya tore off both Iris’s and her own bracelet, and the two of them vanished into a swirling vortex of mana.
Seeing that, Dogeon quickly grabbed both my bracelet and his own, tearing them apart with force.
But unlike with Anya and Iris, no vortex appeared for us.
Ah, of course. It’s a classic trope in academy stories — the protagonist’s safety device is broken.
I had no idea why mine was broken too, but it wasn’t uncommon for the heroine’s device to be busted right alongside the protagonist’s in these situations.
Wait, me? The heroine?
…Hmm. I might have to think about that one for a bit.
“…”
Dogeon stared blankly at the two broken bracelets in his hands, completely at a loss.
But soon, he seemed to come up with an idea. He stepped in front of me.
“…Hoyeon, run.”
Oh? A man stepping up to protect a woman? Maybe I should reconsider my opinion of him. At the very least, he has a sense of responsibility.
He stood in front of me, his back to me, with several magic circles forming around him. The sight of him like that… yeah, it had a certain charm to it.
Not that it made my heart pound or anything.
No, seriously, my stomach hurts because I’m imagining myself standing in his place. I’d look way cooler in that spot.
Not because Dogeon looks cool or anything. Definitely not that.
“…Huff… I-it’s fine. There’s no need to run.”
“Anya, run. I’ll hold it off somehow and catch up with you. Go, now!”
Look at this guy, putting on a brave front while his legs are shaking. You’re gonna give me a stomachache, I swear.
But contrary to his trembling voice, his intent to attack was clearly real.
The magic circles spun fiercely as he prepared to launch a spell.
If he actually attacked the beast like that, it wouldn’t end well for him. That thing would fold him up like paper.
And besides, the beast looked like it was getting a little annoyed too.
Time to clear up this misunderstanding.
Also, my stomach ache was getting worse.
I got up from where I was sitting and slowly approached the beast.
“Hoyeon! It’s dangerous!”
The beast seemed to understand my intent. It moved slowly toward me as well.
We approached each other step by step. The moment Dogeon couldn’t hold back anymore and started running toward me—
-Lick!
The beast licked my cheek.
Of course, since it was a beast with blood still dripping from its mouth, it was pretty much the same as getting coated in blood.
Given its large size, its tongue was equally huge, soaking my entire school uniform in blood.
“…I get that you’re happy to see me, but please don’t lick me. The blood gets everywhere.”
-Grooowl.
When I firmly told it not to lick me, it let out a cute groan and plopped down on the ground.
“…What… is this…?”
Dogeon, who had been charging toward me like he was ready to grab me and run, froze on the spot, unable to believe what he was seeing.
“See? I told you it wouldn’t hurt us.”
I spoke with a hint of disappointment in my voice.
Dogeon kept glancing back and forth between me and the beast, unable to approach.
Guess I’ll have to show him how it’s done.
“Lie down.”
The beast, which had been sitting upright, lay down on its side as if it understood me.
It was too large to ride on while it was sitting, so I needed it to lie down to climb onto its back.
“…Heave-ho. Dogeon, get on. It’s safe.”
“…Ah. Got it…”
Finally, he was starting to believe me.
Though he still hesitated with each step, Dogeon eventually climbed onto the bear’s back the same way I had.
“Alright, bear, let’s go. Dogeon, grab onto something. It’s gonna be bumpy.”
“Y-yeah.”
Hearing that, Dogeon wrapped his arms tightly around my waist.
…Out of all the places you could’ve held onto, why my waist?!
My stomach ache worsened.
The bear didn’t care about any of that, of course. It started moving forward at a slow, steady pace.
I spent the entire ride on its back, struggling to stay calm as the dull ache in my stomach wouldn’t go away.
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