final exams (2)

Helios’ final exams are an important event that ends a semester, and it is also a time when it is crowded with outsiders.

The goals of external observers are diverse, but the ultimate goal is one.

Searching for future talent.

So, in front of the screen in the auditorium, in addition to students and professors, numerous outsiders were forming a buzz.

“To the Magic Tower, to the Veritas Journal, to the Battle League… is that the military? It’s splendid, it’s splendid.”

Skadi, who was biting into a snack, let out a sigh.

Originally, it was a final exam with many outsiders, but this time the selection was particularly splendid.

The purpose itself may have been to find talented people, but there was only one test that their attention was focused on.

Great Mathematics.

The eyes of the people who visited the auditorium were focused on Yujin Kang’s test taking place in the border area.

“Connecting to the sympathetic nervous system of real demons in the border area full of demons…”

At that time, a person sat in the empty seat next to Skadi.

A woman with well-textured purple hair and large sunglasses.

It was Inspector Claire of the Guard.

“Isn’t that too dangerous?”

“Hmph. Well?”

Claire’s concerns are not in vain.

In fact, the border area is a place where demonia dwells, at least a little, and if you connect to the sympathetic nervous system of the demoniac in that state, mental contamination by demonia may occur.

It’s true that it’s dangerous, but Skadi snorted.

This is because she already knows what curriculum Kang Yu-jin’s Great Mathematics goes around and what it teaches.

“They have already mastered the magical power management of the demonic communication and the control of the mental power through mind control.”

“Ooh. What do you mean?”

“That means there’s no chance of mind contamination.”

Looking back at the screen, Claire was genuinely amazed.

I was concerned about using the sympathetic nervous system, but I’ve already learned how to deal with it.

It was definitely different from what I’ve seen so far.

“How did you implement the sympathetic nervous system? It wouldn’t have been easy.”

“Using the head of a wyvern as a base, he recruited a witch named Karina from the outside… Why do you keep asking me?”

Skadi, who suddenly became an answer vending machine, was furious, but Claire laughed slyly.

The corner of his mouth smiling under the sunglasses is somewhat sarcastic.

“Wyvern is a high-level beast, but you caught it? I guess it’s because you’re in charge of the same core subjects as Professor Skadi?”

“Hmm. What~ I’m a bit strong~?”

“hahahaha. That’s right. By the way, recruiting a Witchbeast? Is that possible?”

The subordinates shed half admiration and half sighs as they watched the remarks made by boiling Skadi in an instant.

The subordinate who had been arguing with the ‘dark rhetoric…’ fell down with his shin cut.

“It’s a witch who has turned to humans.”

“aha···.”

I was quickly convinced by the word ‘repentance’.

There are often such eccentric witches, and managing them is the military’s job.

Claire didn’t know too much about it, but she did know that there was such a demon.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen it in person.”

The number of Demonic Beasts that have turned to humans barely exceeds tens.

It wouldn’t have been easy to meet, let alone recruit.

Admiring Kang Yoo-jin’s public relations skills once again, Claire watched the screen along with the other observers.

A new era of information warfare in which each infiltrates the sympathetic nervous system, searches for enemies, and hides their presence.

Kang Yoo-jin’s Mathematics stood out for its creativity that differentiated it from other final exams.

“Oh. That kid has already made it to the boss.”

Seeing Estelle confront Karina, admiration flowed from everywhere.

Also Altair.

The eyes of the observers move busily as they see her wearing the torch and going into battle.

Even if it wasn’t as good as Estelle, the other students who majored in Mathematics were equally outstanding.

When Scouting begins in the future, they will surely become the talents that agencies from all over the world will scramble to take.

‘But that can’t be the end.’

The level of students Kang Yoo-jin taught is high, as expected.

After all, it was Skadi who saw his ability the closest.

Something remains.

Skadi cast her gaze to the screen, waiting for something that might not have been revealed yet.

*

The final exams in the border area continued through the night until dawn approached.

In addition to the full day of forced marches, the ‘wanderers’ roaming the border area limited the students’ time to focus.

It is not easy to detect the wanderer’s presence because of the magic mixed in the air.

Dusty Cynthia and Encia were struggling to find the 6th mark.

“Encia. By subdividing the tracking range…”

“Ugh… Iroke…?”

Cynthia’s magi scanned her nervous system, and Encia’s holy power took care of Cynthia more precisely.

You don’t know when Yujin Kang will come.

In an atmosphere like a plate of thin ice, the two delicately scanned the nervous system as if looking through a microscope.

“Sinny…? I’m at my limit…”

“Just a little bit. A little more…”

The complexity of the nervous system with the addition of five markers was beyond imagination.

Should I say that it feels like looking at a map that shows all the roads and sidewalks, houses and alleys, and even the trees and junk in between?

Cynthia was already drenched in sweat as she checked each of those small and thin streets.

“Ah…”

My nosebleeds trickled down, probably because I was too focused.

Cynthia didn’t care even though the blood was leaking like a broken faucet.

Because she was currently in a state of complete ‘immersion’.

It took a few minutes for Ensia to wipe away the blood.

Cynthia, who was wandering through the synapses of the nervous system, suddenly felt strange in her eyes.

between synapses and synapses.

After finding and digging into the minute gaps in the flow of magic, she finally succeeded in reaching the small and delicate information lurking within.

“Dyongta…!”

Cynthia, who stopped her nosebleed, cheered.

“Let’s go Ensia!”

“Uh, uh uh! Let’s go!”

Based on the information they obtained, the two of them crept across the forest and eventually found two marks in a crack in a pile of rocks and in the top of a tall tree.

“I feel like I’m being carried too much…?”

“hehehe. Aninya. It’s possible because Ensia wrote it!”

Unlike Ansia, who felt guilty about something, Cynthia’s expression was only bright.

Since Cynthia was scanning the sympathetic nervous system alone, Encia could have felt remorse, but without her holy power, Cynthia couldn’t handle the demon so precisely and for so long.

This operation was only possible because the cooperation between the two was perfectly balanced.

“Ayu~ We are Shinee~ Why are you so kind~”

“Hee hee… I’m strong.”

After chatting for a while, Cynthia reduced her words to a sudden thought.

“what’s the matter?”

“No, just···.”

Cynthia said while looking at a map of the sympathetic nervous system with six markers added.

“You’re a professor… How can you know something like this? Hae-seong…”

“Well···.”

They are in a position to be taught, but Kang Yu-jin must have figured out all of this from the ground up.

How could that be possible?

If he had a passion for learning to some extent, did he establish such brilliant knowledge despite the danger of demoniacs and mental contamination?

Cynthia became a little curious about his life.

“Then let’s go ask later!”

“Where are you going?”

“Yes~ Our professor, even though he looks like that, he’s secretly kind, right? Who knows if he’ll answer if I ask him?”

I ask.

I didn’t think so.

Kang Yoo-jin, who is always blunt and doesn’t talk much, exudes an aura that is difficult to approach.

However, it was also true that he was being kind without knowing it, so Cynthia could only nod her head.

“Yeah. Let’s go see something.”

“Yeah~”

To do so, the first step is to complete the exam.

The two set out to find the final ‘boss’ through the nervous system with 6 marks interlocked.

“… Chajata.”

“Yeah. You can see this right away.”

The boss wasn’t really hiding.

As if cheering for those who gathered 6 marks, the location of the boss was exposed as soon as the chase began.

Unlike other marks, the boss zone was surrounded by a small barrier, and those who collected all the marks were allowed entry.

The two quickly crossed the forest and headed towards the center of the forest where the boss was.

And the moment I reached the small vacant lot there, my face became stunned.

“Is that… Estelle Aninga…?”

“Wow… he’s really bad too.”

There, Estelle, who arrived a long time ago, was fighting a boss.

How smart they were, how could the two of them accomplish what took half a day by themselves?

In front of that shining genius, both of them stuck out their tongues.

The only good thing was that Estelle couldn’t even eat the boss?

The two decided to rush into battle before Estelle monopolized the 7th mark.

By the way-

“···what?”

In front of the two who were about to move on, a small phrase popped up in my mind.

A neat and tasteless handwriting written with magical powers, as if representing someone’s personality.

“message?”

That was the message Estelle left.

*

Hwareuk-

The torch burns and the revolver fires.

Lean movement and sharp aim.

Karina couldn’t hide her admiration at the harmony of attack and evasion that continued like flowing water.

‘Wow… that’s amazing, really?’

I wouldn’t have been so surprised if I just had good fighting skills.

Even while moving like that, Estelle even used mind control, and was even responding to Karina’s attack by recognizing it in advance.

Should I say it feels like watching an immature Yujin Kang?

Estelle’s fighting style and the way she led the war situation were quite similar to Kang Yu-jin’s fighting style, seen from a distance in the old Earth War.

“I’m still a student, though.”

The connection between movements was sloppy and there were many loopholes.

His aiming skills are excellent, but the output of the holy power contained in the revolver is still weak.

It’s great for a student, but it wasn’t enough to overwhelm Karina, who played active duty.

Kwaaa-

The demonic storm that raged from Karina’s fingertips blew away Estelle’s torch.

Bang! Quaang!

Demonic energy collides with the spewed holy power and cancels it out.

Roughly, it was an aspect of inducing Karina to use magic, but Karina did not lose her composure.

“If I run out of magic, you’ll get tired as well.”

“·······.”

The speed at which Karina’s magic was depleted was roughly the same as Estelle’s.

At this rate, a draw would be inevitable, but it was difficult for Estelle to beat Karina.

“I know your skills are good, but it was irrational to come alone!”

“·······.”

The torch blocked the demonic energy pouring in from all directions.

After breaking the rolling jet-black waves with a bullet, Estelle’s eyes shone under the reverberation of the fluttering flames.

“The professor did.”

“yes?”

“I don’t have to lead alone anymore.”

After reloading, Estelle looked across Karina.

Seeing the small sway in the bushes, Estelle smiled faintly.

“So, I don’t go alone anymore.”

“But are you alone now?”

“I do not know.”

The torch burned fiercely in Estelle’s hand.

“I’m not alone.”

In an instant, the ground around the boss zone glowed, and the chain of the holy fire stretched out and strangled Karina.

“Eh!?”

Karina, who quickly pulled out the demonic energy, tried to break the chain, but the strength of the chain was so strong that even Karina’s demonic energy could not break it.

Obviously, it is a burdensome output for one person to unfold.

But Estelle’s expression was absolutely calm.

No wonder. This magic was prepared by Estelle, but it was not she who used it.

“It’ll be all I can do to hold on. To get out, there’s not enough Magi.”

“Could it be… ugh… from the beginning?”

“Yeah.”

What a ‘boss’.

Estelle didn’t even think that she would be able to defeat Karina by herself from the beginning.

Even though it was the final exam, I was allowed to form a team.

So I made a new board.

Not by one’s own power, but by borrowing the power of others.

She raised her gaze and saw Cynthia and Encia on the other side of the forest.

“The second one, I knew those kids were coming.”

“·······.”

“So I calculated the time they would arrive here and secretly drew a magic circle.”

It was like a casual exchange of workshops, but Estelle walked all over the boss zone and drew a magic circle on the floor with the heat of the torch.

And so that she could not escape from the activated magic, Karina consumed a large amount of magic energy.

Half a day later, while waiting for the two children to arrive here.

“I’ve been a team from the beginning.”

Although I never asked for permission from either of them.

The moment Kang Yoo-jin affirmed the team.

Estelle finished all of her current calculations.

Estelle’s test was over the moment it had already begun.

“You···.”

Inside the chain of flames that entangled her, Carina saw Estelle approaching.

“Really, you are the disciple of the ‘preparing god of death’.”

“·······.”

Estelle’s magical power changes and transforms into ‘sacred power’ that shines brightly.

The torch raised by the power of the stars nestled in the revolver and aimed at Karina.

“I’m a student of ‘Professor Yujin Kang’.”

Taang-!

The trigger was pulled toward Karina’s head.

A fatal blow that can never be avoided or blocked.

That bullet, ‘Pak!’ It hit Karina’s forehead with a noise.

“Aww!”

Puss-

The torch that formed the chain faded.

The restraints disappeared and Karina sat down and touched her sore forehead.

“Yeah. Surrender. Congratulations?”

“It’s a natural result.”

“Ahahahaha. You really resemble that professor in personality too…?”

He resembles Kang Yujin.

Estelle’s eyes lit up when she heard those words.

The way he stretched his chest triumphantly and put the revolver in his holster in a stylish way seemed to be in a good mood.

“Sini~ you did well, you did well.”

“Give me…”

Encia was taking care of the exhausted Cynthia.

It was only natural that he was exhausted from using his magical powers, as he was exhausted from using magic.

“·······.”

“·······.”

Cynthia and Karina’s gazes crossed.

The two are family, but for now, they were students and test officials.

The two didn’t talk further, instead greeting each other with a nod.

“Now. It’s the 7th mark. Take it!”

Estelle accepted the purple glowing mark.

Estelle, who was holding it in her hand and staring at it, suddenly looked back at Cynthia and Encia.

“Baepsae. Magpie.”

“Uh?”

“uh···?”

To those who answered, I held out a sign.

“Come on.”

It was an expression of the will to share the results.

Both of their faces were stained with emotion.

“Eh, s-“

“Esteel~!!”

Ensia opened her arms wide and ran.

The day will come when that budding gourd will be considerate like this!

Ensia ran to hug that shy girl right away.

Fuck!

“Kkeuk!”

It was hit overnight and sank.

“Don’t hit me.”

“Heeing… it hurts…”

Estelle gathered the three marks together and put the last mark there.

And, the rainbow light flickered.

A radiant glow lit up the dark border forest, and it blended with the bursting light of dawn, illuminating the interstices of the thick brush.

“Wow…”

in the light of dawn

The light of the completed sympathetic nervous system lit up everywhere.

A world in which countless ‘connections’ are melted into the intertwined strands of light.

The beautiful harmony of synapses and consciousness that twinkles like stars.

It gave me an ecstatic impression as if I were looking at a single universe.

“That is the sympathetic nervous system of ‘Dragonia’.”

And, without realizing it, there was Kang Yu-jin in front of them.

“And it’s also the first map you guys ever made.”

“·······.”

“Congratulations. You three are A+.”

speed of finding the marker.

Proficiency in handling the sympathetic nervous system.

Clarity for predicting the war situation.

And, the talent that encompasses all of this and the teamwork that made it happen.

Although it was teamwork that lacked a bit of consensus, Kang Yoo-jin didn’t point that out.

in the light that illuminates all directions.

The three children reveled in the success they had created.

“···excuse me.”

Karina, who was watching the scene, spoke in spite of her fear.

“This is Dragonia’s sympathetic nervous system…?”

“yes.”

Yujin Kang said without looking back.

“Your ‘finished’ sympathetic nervous system.”

“·······.”

When the prediction came true, Karina sighed quietly.

The completed sympathetic nervous system.

In other words, it means that it is a map that embodies ‘all connections’ of a race.

Dragonia, the power to put all the behaviors and chain of command of the dragons under their feet, and to coordinate everything they create.

Yujin Kang created and realized it with her own power.

“···Incredible.”

I thought it was lost when the king died.

Before his death, Yujin Kang had completed a map of the sympathetic nervous system of a race.

In terms of biology, it is a 100% discovery of the genome map, and in terms of mathematics, it is the unification of the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics.

Kang Yu-jin, who killed the dragon king, created the power to rule the dragons with his own hands.

“I didn’t expect you to finish this…”

“I finished it right before I died. Now I’m coordinating the time to reveal it.”

He glanced at Karina and said.

“Don’t worry. I don’t have any intention of revealing it to the public yet. The camera isn’t even looking at this side.”

Karina lowered her head in a position where she couldn’t help but smile for some reason.

“If this is true, you must be the new King of Dragonia.”

“·······.”

“Even if you don’t like it.”

A being that controls all of the dragon race.

Now that Diablo is dead, Kang Yu-jin was the only one who had it in his hand.

“no.”

However, he shook his head.

“I do not reign over the Witchbeast.”

“·······.”

“Magic Beasts, just kill them all.”

He turned and walked to the other side of the dark woods.

Looking at his back as he receded, Karina thought.

The monsters are mainly composed of four huge races.

Diablo dragons.

Balthazar’s ghosts.

Arachne’s spiders.

The snakes of Ouroboros.

If Diablo died and he obtained the Balaur’s sympathetic nervous system, he would one day complete the map of the other three races.

And when that day comes

If the day comes when you put all races under your feet and touch their god, the ‘Emperor’.

The Witchbeast will meet its time of destruction.