Just as we were bracing ourselves for another round of battle, particles of light descended upon Yeon-ha-neul and me from above.
Shimmering blue motes melted softly into my skin, coursing through my mana circuits with a refreshing clarity. Vitality surged through my limbs as if every cell had been awakened. I could feel the mana flowing faster from my heart. It was a buff spell.
Turning back, I sought the caster.
There stood Lisa Grace, gripping her staff and gasping for breath.
“H-Ha-neul…! Y-You can’t just rush off alone like that! Do you know how panicked I was when you bolted?!”
“I’m really sorry for leaving you behind… I was so out of it that I didn’t even think straight…”
“I know your heart, Ha-neul. I want to help Gyeon-woo too. Just… please be more careful next time.”
“I will, I promise.”
Lisa’s voice had been heavy with reproach, and Yeon-ha-neul responded with a timid apology.
From their exchange, it was clear they had been traveling together.
‘So Ha-neul must’ve spotted the flare and rushed here, forgetting all about Lisa in her hurry.’
Even without having seen it, I could easily imagine her fretting over me, so vividly that it almost made me laugh.
I glanced sideways at her.
“You were that worried about me?”
“Ugh… Of course I was!”
She turned her head sharply, avoiding my gaze. Her muttered answer was enough to show just how much she’d been concerned.
Meanwhile, Lisa, having caught her breath, turned a wary eye on I Ga-hyeon and asked,
“By the way… what is that thing? It looks like an Arachne. Don’t tell me…”
“It’s a demon.”
“A demon?! But why would a demon be here…?”
“Why else? It’s here to scout us.”
“…I suppose that makes sense.”
Perhaps she had already suspected it—Lisa nodded solemnly and accepted the situation without argument.
She tapped the ground with her staff.
“Leave the healing and buffs to me. I’ll support the both of you.”
“We’re counting on you.”
With her staff as a conduit, Lisa cast her healing magic. The wounds I’d sustained in the battle against I Ga-hyeon closed cleanly. Even the long gash on my cheek faded away.
She didn’t stop there—various buffs followed, enhancing both Yeon-ha-neul’s and my capabilities.
“Well, look at that. I’m all patched up and my mana’s almost fully recovered.”
“You think those pathetic buffs are going to help you stand against a demon? This body is nothing like the one you fought earlier.”
Lisa’s unexpected arrival as a support had been a pleasant surprise.
I smirked and addressed I Ga-hyeon, taunting her.
She sneered in reply, unimpressed.
But Lisa wasn’t the only surprise.
“I’m here, Do-gyeon-woo! Looks like you’ve been fighting something tough!”
“Yong Hae-rang?”
Two monsters were flung out of the forest and onto the field. Striding in after them was Yong Hae-rang, clad in a black martial arts uniform, his face lit up with excitement.
From another direction—
“Oooh, Gyeon-woo, Gyeon-woo! We meet again! I felt a powerful aura and followed it here, and of course it was you fighting it. Huh? Wait—this isn’t a monster… Oh! A demon, huh? I don’t know what’s going on, but this is getting interesting. Being around you never gets boring.”
Nam Yu-ri of the South River family appeared, her white dress soaked in monster blood. Her bright, cheerful smile looked nothing short of deranged under the circumstances.
Finally, from a third direction—
Rustle.
The bushes parted and another figure stepped into the clearing.
A female test candidate with blazing red hair that looked ready to ignite.
“…Arachne? That’s not supposed to appear in this gate… And you—”
Min A-rin of the Arcane Folk family.
For reasons unknown, she too had arrived.
Her golden eyes widened as they fell on Yeon-ha-neul and me.
She suddenly shouted,
“You…!”
“…”
She knows me?
Well, considering she’s part of one of the Twelve Great Families, she’s likely heard of her peers.
Min A-rin, proud and perfectionist to the core, likely researched her competition in advance.
‘Still, her reaction makes it look like she’s seen her mortal enemy…’
I found her reaction odd, but I had no time to dwell on it. We were still locked in confrontation with I Ga-hyeon.
No room for distractions.
Regardless.
‘We’re lucky.’
Not only did I have Yeon-ha-neul and Lisa, but now Yong Hae-rang, Nam Yu-ri, and Min A-rin had joined the fray as well.
If I classified I Ga-hyeon’s demonic duplicate as a monster, it would rank about a 3rd class.
I could take it down alone, but with allies, our chances skyrocketed.
I imbued my voice with mana and addressed everyone gathered.
“Some of you may have guessed already, but our opponent is a demon from the Demon Society. You’ve probably heard of one of the Six Fiends—Doll Sorceress I Ga-hyeon. That demon is her duplicate.”
“…!”
“Don’t let your guard down.”
The mood shifted.
They were disciples of masters, imperial princesses, and scions of prestigious families. Of course they knew the name Doll Sorceress.
Far from frightened, they displayed a hunter’s resolve. To them, a demon was the enemy.
“A demon from the Society—and it’s her? You really don’t do things by halves…”
“Everyone, be careful.”
“Oh-ho! So she’s the Doll Sorceress, huh?”
“One of the Six Fiends, huh? Sounds fun!”
“Couldn’t even finish collecting exam tokens, and now I have to fight a demon? What kind of luck is this…”
It was an opportunity to prove themselves. To build their reputations.
No one was backing down.
Defeating I Ga-hyeon.
That had become our shared goal.
Towering beside the petite frame of Nam Yu-ri was an enormous hand—something between a lizard’s and a dragon’s. Its black, hooked claws shimmered red as though dipped in fire.
From the tips of her claws, flames erupted.
With a fierce swipe, Nam Yu-ri slashed toward the demon.
The creature flinched and sprang back, narrowly dodging the blaze.
And then—
On either side of the retreating demon, Yeon-ha-neul and Yong Hae-rang charged forward.
They struck almost simultaneously.
Yeon-ha-neul swung her iron hammer with the force of the wind behind her, while Yong Hae-rang unleashed a punch packed with compressed mana.
“Gyaaaaaaaah!”
Their attacks landed squarely. From one side came the crunch of something snapping, and from the other, a thunderous explosion.
The demon screamed—more from outrage than pain.
“You little pests!”
It swept an arm through the air.
Webbing burst outward, expanding from its body to ensnare the area.
But then—
Fwoooosh!
Min A-rin summoned a blaze into the air.
The fire licked through the webbing like oil on a wick, revealing the intricate network of threads.
Within seconds, the threads caught fully aflame and dissolved into the night like burning silk.
Do Gyeon-woo seized the opportunity.
Dashing across the demon’s body, he slashed with his blade, his movements swift and relentless.
Nam Yu-ri followed close behind, and once again, Yeon-ha-neul and Yong Hae-rang struck from both flanks.
Lisa, safely shielded by Min A-rin, continually cast support spells. Min A-rin, meanwhile, stood further back, muttering incantations as she readied her next barrage.
Despite this being their first time fighting as a group, their coordination was fluid—remarkably so.
And as they pressed the demon, pushing it back—
Go Eun-bi waited, breath held, searching for her moment to strike.
There would only be one.
The moment the demon sensed her presence, she’d lose her edge—and her only contribution to the battle would vanish.
She could not afford to fail.
Arrow notched and bowstring fully drawn, she focused her aim.
‘Even a brief distraction… just enough to break its focus…’
She trusted Do Gyeon-woo to seize that instant.
The demon, bombarded by attacks from all sides, was clearly distracted—but it had fixed its attention squarely on Gyeon-woo.
‘Now!’
Eun-bi loosed the arrow.
It sliced through the night, straight and silent.
A realization flickered across her mind—but she had no time to reflect on it. Her entire being was focused on that single arrow.
Yet her body recognized it instinctively.
[Skill Acquired: Sharpshooter’s Eye Lv 1]
[Sharpshooter’s Eye Lv 1]
◆ Passive Skill
◆ Effect: Increases hit accuracy by 5%.
The transformed I Ga-hyeon had cast webs mid-air, conjuring silken traps from nothing.
Troublesome as they were, they had not inflicted real harm.
Nam Yu-ri severed them with her scythe; Min A-rin incinerated them.
‘With the threads neutralized, we can fight more freely now.’
I Ga-hyeon’s greatest weapon was sealed away.
And since this was only a duplicate—not even her real body—there was little left to fear.
We pressed the attack.
I engaged her head-on, drawing her attention.
Yeon-ha-neul and Yong Hae-rang struck from the flanks, keeping her disoriented.
Whenever I retreated for breath, Nam Yu-ri stepped in to fill the gap, and from afar, Min A-rin fired spell after spell. Lisa managed our wounds and stamina.
“You think you’ll all walk away from this unscathed?!”
I Ga-hyeon, overwhelmed and unable to rest, began to falter.
Where once she had smiled with confidence, now fatigue was plain on her face.
She tried a new tactic: fear.
“My soul is linked to my true self. If I die here, all my memories—how I died, who killed me—will be sent to my main body.”
“…”
“That would make you the Demon Society’s next target. You sure you want that? You think you’re ready for what comes next? Let me go now, and I’ll forget everything.”
She swung her threads at Nam Yu-ri, weaving herself into a cocoon as she threatened us.
I scoffed.
“Sure, your soul is linked. But that only works if you walk out of the gate alive, right?”
“…”
She was bluffing.
Everyone knew the gates were sealed systems. No interference in or out.
That included spiritual connections.
No matter her threats, if we killed this duplicate, the original I Ga-hyeon wouldn’t know.
‘And that’s exactly why I have to kill her now.’
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I Ga-hyeon grimaced, realizing her lie had failed.
“…So you knew.”
“Give up. There’s no escape.”
“Kh…!”
I gave her no more time.
I sliced the cocoon apart.
Inside, she glared daggers at me.
“Who says I need to escape alive? You think I can’t break through your little circle? I don’t need to kill you—just run.”
“Then try it.”
She was cornered.
If she died here, her soul wouldn’t return to her main body—it’d pass to me.
She was desperate to prevent that.
Determination flared in her eyes.
Then she lunged.
“Out of my way!”
Silken threads whipped toward me like razors.
I met them with my sword, slicing a path forward.
She fought like mad, doing everything she could to shake me off.
Crack!
But I had no intention of letting her escape.
Even though I knew charging closer would mean a flurry of threads attacking from all sides, I didn’t flinch.
If I moved aside now, she’d vanish into the field—and everything we’d done would be wasted.
I had to end it here.
I shut out every instinct telling me to retreat and pressed forward.
Cutting and dodging threads, I charged into her guard.
Yeon-ha-neul, Yong Hae-rang, Nam Yu-ri, and Min A-rin—whether by intuition or plan—each created an opening for me.
From behind, Lisa healed the wounds I received as the threads grazed my skin.
Step by step, I closed the distance.
Then—
‘…Huh?’
Something shot through the sky behind I Ga-hyeon.
An arrow.
Too much noise. No mana signature. I registered it too late.
‘Was that Eun-bi?’
I couldn’t be sure. I’d confirm later.
What mattered was the arrow struck true—hitting I Ga-hyeon where she didn’t expect.
“…What!?”
She had dodged my blade—only to notice the arrow far too late.
It screamed toward her face.
Panicked, she twisted her body to evade.
That was all the opening I needed.
I unleashed the thunder stored within my blade.
Bolts of cobalt lightning surged from the weapon, crackling wildly.
The air exploded as the electric surge expanded violently.
A column of lightning roared skyward, illuminating the battlefield in dazzling blue.
“KYAAAAAAAAAA!!”
I Ga-hyeon screamed within the thunderous maelstrom.
Her voice soon drowned beneath the sound of raging lightning.
[Your body has surpassed its limit.]
[Agility +1]
[Magic Power +1]
[Skill Level Up: Instinct Control Lv 5 → Lv 6]
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