Chapter 45: 45

Sakha region located in the Far East of Russia.

 

In this extreme land, where the lowest temperature can reach -70 degrees Celsius during winter, two people dressed in ill-clad attires could be seen.

 

A man whose entire body was covered in cold metal armor and a woman in a clergy uniform whose thighs were clearly exposed.

 

It was Pamir and Samaria.

 

“Do we have to do this when it’s cold?”

 

Samaria frowned as she adjusted her collar against the wind. Pamir, who was silently walking on the snowy field in front of her, replied.

 

“This is an isolated space to prevent cheating. Don’t you know best that it’s hard to observe things from the outside?”

 

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying! We just have to wait in Pyongyang and check the results in a few days. Why did we come all the way here in this weather?”

 

“There can be no half-measures when carrying out God’s will. As expected of a heretic. You’re so insincere.”

 

“Wh-what did you say?!”

 

To identify the Warrior, the two had entered inside the boundary where the 4th test was currently underway.

 

Normally, it would be considered a misconduct, but for Pamir who had the power of the world government behind him, it was nothing but a light issue once he gave a reasonable excuse.

 

Samaria sighed deeply while looking at Pamir.

 

“Huu…I understand how you feel. But are we really going to stay in this snowy field for three days and two nights?”

 

“We don’t have to wait three days. If something is really going to happen here, there will be signs of it before then.”

 

“Ah gosh. Where is that confidence coming from? Oracle’s prophecy predicted it would take place during the hero exam, but it didn’t exactly say Pyongyang. Do you know how many exams are taking place in the world right now?”

 

“The Hero Association also thought that as well, but once I came here, I felt that my guess was right. I could tell just by looking at what the boy showed yesterday. Events always follow where there are Irregulars.”

 

“Are you still hung up on that idea? The boy is just a little talented, but I don’t think he’s a Warrior or an Irregular. So, let’s stop this meaningless plan and go back.”

 

“Well. That’s something we’ll know once we observe him. Let’s speed up a little bit. It’s been about 4 hours, so we’d better hurry up.”

 

Pamir ran forward, exuding divine power. Samaria looked at Pamir’s back and bit her lips.

 

Fucking religious fanatic!

 

She had tried to persuade him to head back, but that didn’t work either.

 

Her original plan was to deal with him after the exam, but he had blocked all of her predictions with his decisive action.

 

Now that it’s like this…I have no choice but to hope that the test ends safely without anything happening.

 

No excuses will work if the demon race really causes an incident and Noah was involved.

 

Pamir would immediately arrest Noah and lead him to ‘that place.’ Even with his status as a noble, he won’t be able to go against the ‘great case’ that had been set by the Noble Council.

 

The Noble Council was such a place.

 

Samaria spread her wings and closely followed after Pamir who had run ahead first.

 

Pamir, who had been running for a long time, suddenly stopped.

 

And then he confidently spoke to Samaria.

 

“Haha, it seems my intuition was right.”

 

He smiled, revealing his white teeth.

 

At the end of his gaze was a red portal that was swaying ominously.

 

“…”

 

The identity of the portal wasn’t known, but at a glance, they could feel an unusual energy from it.

 

And Samaria could affirm that such a thing wasn’t prepared for the test.

 

“Haha, as expected, the prediction was right.”

 

“Th-then wouldn’t it be better to stop the test now?”

 

She spoke to Pamir as if she was making a last ditch effort, but unfortunately, he shook his head with a determined look.

 

“It’s useless. Oracle’s prophecy has already confirmed the future. It’s a fate that can’t be changed without a Warrior.”

 

“A-are you saying you’re just going to watch people fall into harm like this?”

 

“Hmm? Haven’t I said this all the time? In order to practice God’s love, a small sacrifice is natural, and more than that, all we have to do is determine whether there really is a Warrior here or not.”

 

“…”

 

As she had expected, Pamir was going to watch the situation play out. If so, he was waiting for only one of two results.

 

If Noah was a Warrior and fends off this incident, he’ll be arrested and taken immediately by Pamir. On the other hand, if he wasn’t a Warrior, he was destined to die here after being involved in the incident.

 

Damn it!

 

There was no means left. It was truly a dilemma.

 

The only possibility was if someone other than Noah turns out to be the Warrior. 

 

For her, she had no choice but to bet everything on that fact.

 

Things will get messy.

 

It had been decades since she had found a toy that she liked. The months of hard work were slipping out of her hands more and more.

 

But to just give up and let go, it was like having another toy taken by Pamir.

 

If I can’t have it…I won’t let you guys have it either.

 

While she was organizing her thoughts, Pamir suddenly moved his body.

 

“Then let’s split up and find the Warrior.”

 

“W-wait a minute!”

 

She turned around and grabbed Pamir who was in a hurry to leave.

 

It wasn’t yet clear, but she knew she couldn’t let him meet Noah.

 

“Hmm? What’s the matter?”

 

“You’re not planning on walking around the snow for 3 days and 2 nights, are you? Please leave this place to me.”

 

“You have a way?”

 

“Huu…Hold on a second.”

 

Samaria summoned her familiars. Then, baby angels, similar to those used in the 2nd test, appeared one after another.

 

“Ooh, did you call us? Saintess-nim.”

 

After ordering the baby angels to survey the snowy field, they began to fly in all directions.

 

As if taken by a drone, vivid snow scenes began to be conveyed in her mind.

 

“I’ll do the searching, so let’s save our stamina until we find any abnormal signs.”

 

“Oho, it’s been a long time since I liked what the heretic said. Okay. I’ll examine this portal a little bit more in the meantime. It was bothering me anyway.”

 

“…Go ahead.”

 

Samaria gritted her teeth and controlled her anger.

 

Anyway…I can stall for some time with this.

 

Unless Pamir directly witnessed the situation, he won’t be sure whether it was a Warrior or not. If so, it may be possible to scapegoat another person as the Warrior.

 

As soon as she thought as such, just in time, Noah was reflected in her mind. He was seen running somewhere urgently.

 

Where the hell is he going?

 

Samaria moved another angel to illuminate the direction he was heading. And then she breathed in a short breath without realizing it.

 

Th-this…?

 

The scenery of the snowy field was colored with red blood.

 

Reflected in her mind were images of the candidates being brutally murdered by robots.

 

Noah seemed to be running to save such candidates.

 

Samaria glanced at Pamir. Fortunately, as his attention was on the portal, he seemed to have not noticed anything unusual.

 

Noah can’t get caught doing this.

 

So she hid her expression and pretended not to have seen anything.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

“I-I surrender.”

 

In front of a robot warrior with its sword raised, a man raised both arms.

 

To get this far was good.

 

As soon as he had turned 20, along with his girlfriend, they had decided to take the hero exam for the first time.

 

They participated with the heart of gaining experience, but luckily, they were able to reach the last stage.

 

If only I had passed this last test…

 

It would be a lie if he said that there was no regret, but he could say that it was fortunate that he was able to save his girlfriend.

 

And seeing the possibility this time, he definitely felt confident that he would pass the next exam.

 

“Huu, I’ll have to improve my skills and take the exam again next year. Thank you for the trouble.”

 

He took off the bracelet on his arm and held it out to the supervisor.

 

At that moment,

 

Swish–

 

The robot’s hot blade cut through the man’s arm. The severed arm writhed like a bug in the snow. 

 

“…Huh?”

 

What was going on? It was hard to understand the situation.

 

Soon, pain came one step slower when he finally understood the situation.

 

“Kuaaak!”

 

He collapsed on the ground holding his cut wrist. The orange blade fell again toward him.

 

Swish–

 

A red flower bloomed on the white snowy field. Then there was silence.

 

Soon after, a woman’s scream rang, followed by screams from all sides.

 

“Aahh! N-no! Honey!”

 

“Th-the supervisor has gone crazy!”

 

“There’s another one over there! E-everyone, run…Keuk!”

 

Hot lump of metals dug into the fragile human bodies.

 

Red blood scattered over the white snowfield, and the acrid smell of burning flesh rose everywhere.

 

It was the start of the sudden attack by the robot army.

 

At first, they had thought the supervisor’s aim was their watch, but what he was aiming for was none other than their lives.

 

Hope and competitive spirit for passing the exam turned into irreversible despair and fear.

 

“S-someone, please help…”

 

A person groaned while looking at his missing legs.

 

“Th-this is all illusion magic, right? Right?”

 

And Another who denied reality as he approached one of the robots.

 

“Aahh…aahh!”

 

There were even those who simply gave up as they sat on the ground.

 

In such a hellish landscape, No. 04589, Saki, shouted with her eyes closed.

 

“N-no! Don’t die!”

 

Looking at the lives disappearing in real time, the nightmares of the past were revived.

 

12th birthday. A ray of destruction that burst out of her body, and the scene of the village that had disappeared without even a trace when she opened her eyes.

 

Rumble–

 

Again, the bomb-like force inside her began to become unstable as it fluctuated.

 

N-no. I need to calm down.

 

In order to not hear the screams around her, Saki covered her ears.

 

Everyone here would surely die if she became more emotional now.

 

Like usual, she laughed as to not provoke the bomb. Tears kept flowing down as she forced the corners of her mouth up.

 

“H-hehe. I-it’s okay! It’s going to be okay!” 

 

Someone will certainly solve this.

 

There was such a big problem with the test, surely, real heroes will come save them. Just like when she had turned her village into ashes.

 

But…

 

Contrary to her wish, the reality didn’t improve at all.

 

An army of robots constantly poured out, and even their movements became very strategic.

 

***

Reaper Scans

[ Translator – Yasi ]

[ Proofreader – Karane ]

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***

 

As a result, at one point, when Saki, who had come to her senses, found that the candidates had been backed into a corner like rabbits.

 

“N-no! The path is blocked!”

 

“Fuck! It’s the boundary!”

 

A translucent barrier blocked them in front. There was no more room to run away.

 

The robots surrounded the candidates in a half-circle formation. Then, they began to fire indiscriminately at them.

 

Boom–Boom–!

 

“Keuk! H-hold on!”

 

“Shield ability! Or someone with the ability to nullify!”

 

The candidates desperately tried to hold on. 

 

Nevertheless, they were capable people who were taking the high-rank exam. And as they worked together, they were able to endure some of the damage.

 

“G-good! Everyone, hang in there!”

 

“We just have to hold on until this situation is known!”

 

Little by little, they came to have hope that they could survive.

 

But…

 

Clunk–Clunk–

 

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Suddenly, the robots connected their bodies and a new form was created.

 

The result was a giant oriental dragon’s head.

 

“Th-that’s…” 

 

The exact identity of it wasn’t known, but all the candidates could feel it.

 

That this time, an attack that will completely end them will come.

 

As they had predicted, the dragon’s mouth opened wide and a high density energy began to compress.

 

A blinding, pure white sphere was formed. The appearance was as if a dragon was biting a magic pearl.

 

“Ahah…It’s over.”

 

Sigh of despair leaked out all around. And Saki, who was watching this, also sighed.

 

Her emotions were agitated to the point where it was no longer possible to control the internal bomb.

 

I-if it just explodes like this…

 

If that happened, all other candidates would die, but at least she would be able to save her own life.

 

But she didn’t want to kill people with her own power again.

 

If I had the power to protect and not destroy…

 

Her eyes trembled. It was hard to endure the pain anymore. She felt her body becoming hotter and hotter and her mind losing focus.

 

She tried to hold onto her distant consciousness as she shouted in desperation.

 

“Please! Someone please! Help us!!”

 

Her desperate voice resonated on the battlefield.

 

Boom–!

 

And in time, the dragon robot fired the magic pearl. High density energy aimed at the candidates.

 

It’s…over.

 

As soon as Saki gave up everything and was about to self-destruct, a wisp like a red meteor suddenly fell.

 

Boom–!

 

A young boy with black hair entered her eyes.

 

It was the boy who had caused more disturbances in this exam than anyone else. No. 13579. 

 

The boy flew straight at the energy bomb.

 

“H-Huh?”

 

The high density energy directly collided with the body of the small and soft child.

 

A deafening roar beyond the limit of hearing rang out in the snowy field.

 

Boom–!

 

Snowstorms soared everywhere, and a strong backlash came at the candidates like a tsunami.

 

The direct attack was avoided, but the backlash in front of them also had enough power to threaten their lives.

 

Having the ability to cause a nuclear explosion, Saki was more aware of the backlash that followed an explosion than anyone else.

 

“N-no!”

 

As such, she closed her eyes tightly. But…

 

The pain didn’t come no matter how long she waited.

 

So she slowly opened her eyes.

 

There, she saw a gigantic shield emitting light protecting them.

 

“Wh-what the hell is this…?”

 

Only the area where they stood in this wide snowy field had retained its original appearance.

 

The areas that the shield didn’t cover were melting down as if the ground had turned into magma.

 

And in front of them stood a boy who was in tatters.

 

“Keuk!”

 

The gigantic shield in front of them disappeared, and at the same time, the boy staggered, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

 

He slowly turned his head and checked the candidates.

 

“…It’s a relief everyone is safe.”

 

The boy said and smiled brightly. The moment Saki saw it, the bomb inside her, which was running like crazy, sank quietly.

 

“Aahh…”

 

From the little boy, they could feel the noble spirit of self-sacrifice. Saki was sure.

 

And perhaps not only herself but also everyone here was feeling the same way.

 

Soon, the boy pulled out his sword as if it wasn’t over yet and turned toward the enemy.

 

And with staggering steps, he ran toward the vicious mechanical dragon.

 

I can’t believe he’s not backing down with a body in tatters…

 

Fortunately, the robot army, which had poured out all its energy, couldn’t readily move again. A ray of red light like a comet flew toward the robots.

 

Boom–!

 

The boy’s sword exploded with red mana.

 

How could he still have that kind of energy? The candidates were sure he was squeezing out energy beyond his limits to protect them.

 

Candidates who were watching the boy’s dedication pulled out their weapons one by one.

 

“Let’s move too!”

 

“We have to help him!”

 

“Oraaah!”

 

But even in such a desperate moment, the boy instead shouted at them.

 

“Don’t come! Just stay still there!”

 

“?!”

 

A firm shout. In that piercing voice, it contained an iron will that had already decided to take the risk alone.

 

And eventually, Saki couldn’t hold it anymore and shed tears.

 

Ah…He’s a true hero…

 

With the dream of becoming a hero, numerous candidates standing here clearly captured the image of the boy in their eyes.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

[ Level has risen. ]

[ Level has risen. ]

[ Level has risen. ]

.

.

.

 

[ You’ve reached level 42. ]

[ Level 40 Skill Selection forfeited due to the previous Special Selection. ]

 

“Huu…”

 

Checking the messages in front of me, I exhaled a long breath.

 

I had barely made it.

 

On top of that, the people next to me kept trying to steal my experience, so I had to overwork myself to speed up a bit.

 

I looked down at myself who had become tattered.

 

The wolf sportswear was torn to the point where it was hard to recognize its shape, and the watch on my wrist was completely destroyed.

 

I’ll have to wear different clothes for a while.

 

While the wolf sportswear was regenerating, I thought I should get new clothes to wear.

 

These days, Elizabeth had been constantly filling my closet with clothes, so it was one less concern for me.

 

In any case, that really was a powerful attack.

 

I recalled the first attack I had blocked with Absolute Defense. High density energy released from the mouth of a giant robot.

 

Even though I had stopped it with my body, my reward had almost flown away due to the violent backlash.

 

As a result, my mana and spirit were quickly depleted to block it with my shield. But even with that, I still coughed up blood.

 

Sure enough, it was no longer in the realm of human understanding starting from A-Rank.

 

Certainly…That dwarf deserved to be A-Rank.

 

I put the ripped clothes in my inventory and stepped down from the corpse of a robot.

 

Soon after, I looked at the survivors.

 

It didn’t decrease further after my arrival, but I couldn’t tell how many were alive because my watch had broken.

 

I asked a nearby candidate.

 

“Excuse me, can you tell me how many candidates are still alive?”

 

“P-please wait a moment.”

 

Not only the person I asked, but everyone else looked at their watch.

 

“E-exactly 100 people are still alive.”

 

“…”

 

100 people. As many as half had died.

 

Looking around, I could see traces of the bodies that had already melted into the snow.

 

I was unable to contain my anger after hearing that there were only 100 survivors.

 

“Auaaak! Damn it! If only I had come a little faster!”

 

Boom–! Boom–!

 

I swung my sword frantically at the already destroyed robots. How dare it screw with my reward! My perfect record!

 

After venting my anger, I was suddenly overcome with shame.

 

As someone who had always exceeded the Challenges, I couldn’t believe only half were saved in this beginner zone.

 

“Haa…”

 

At my own pathetic result, tears came out unknowingly.

 

And then,

 

Pa–

 

Something soft covered my naked shoulders. It was someone’s jacket.

 

Looking back, a woman with colorful hair was smiling with tears in her eyes.

 

“…You don’t have to blame yourself.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Don’t make such a face. There are more people alive because of you. You’re already…our hero.”

 

What the hell was she talking about?

 

As I was looking at the woman like that, I suddenly heard a clap from somewhere.

 

Clap–!

 

A short echo. But…

 

Like a drop of rain just before a shower. Soon the sound began to spread rapidly to the other people nearby.

 

Clap, clap, clap–!

 

A snowy field of silence where no one spoke. There was a thunderous applause.

 

“Huh?”

 

I watched the sight for a moment. Soon, many messages appeared and covered my eyes.

 

Ding–!

 

[ Favorability has increased. ]

[ Favorability has increased. ]

[ Favorability has increased. ]

.

.

.

 

Along with the sound of applause, the notifications of an increase in favorability continued to pour endlessly. People who were clapping started running to me and handing me things.

 

“It’s a coat with a temperature regulating magic. It’s very cold, so hurry up and wear it.”

 

“Th-this…It’s a recovery medicine that has been handed down in my family from generation to generation, so please eat it…” 

 

After the chaotic gift attack that lasted for a while, at some point, a small garden full of items had been created in front of me.

 

And…

 

Ding–!

 

Another message came to mind.

 

[ Gained achievement title ‘Noble Guardian.’ ]

 

< Noble Guardian >

Tendency: Good Karma

Description: You who risked your life to protect others is the true hero of this generation.

 

A pleasant message that I had gained a new achievement. In addition, the message didn’t end there.

 

[ You’ve eliminated an existence that meets the standard of ‘evil.’ ]

[ You’ve saved those who were in despair. ] 

[ Warrior’s Journey grade has increased. ]

[ A new effect has been added. ]

 

Oh?

 

The Warrior’s Journey skill, which had been stagnant for a while, had improved.

 

Now that it was B-Grade, wouldn’t a Warrior’s holy sword or a Warrior’s lethal move come out?

 

Since it was a skill that hasn’t let me down so far, I confirmed the effect with anticipation.

 

And there…

 

Instead of the attack I expected, a new headache was shown.

 

[Grade B: < Reputation of a Warrior > – The higher your reputation, the stronger you become. * New *]

 

[ Reputation function unlocked. ]

[ Reputation value is recorded in the system. ]

 

“Haa…”

 

Anyhow, it seemed ‘reputation work’ was a must from now on

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