Saved a Heroine From the Brink of Death

97. Practical 3rd, Gate Strategy (1)

#97. Practical 3rd, Gate Strategy (1)

The two days passed by in a flash.

Cynthia took some time to rest and study the overall content of the gate strategy, and with Illien’s help, she was able to learn quite a bit.

‘At this level, I might be able to get a master’s degree in gate monster science?’

As a vast amount of knowledge entered her head, Cynthia’s confidence soared for some reason.

It’s like I can answer whatever anyone asks me.

‘Was I actually smart? Maybe it’s because I’ve been studying fields that didn’t suit my aptitude!’

-I have nothing to say… Really. Stop barking and change your clothes.

Illien looked at Cynthia, who had been spouting nonsense since the morning breeze, with a sharp gaze and urged her on.

‘No… Illien. Honestly, what? If I didn’t have a talent for studying, would I have been able to do this even if you taught me? It’s all because I’m actually smart!’

-… … .

For two days, Illien racked his brain over how to teach Cynthia, and after much thought, he came up with a way to teach her.

But I felt sick to my stomach when I saw that Cynthia misunderstood it as ‘her being smart’.

-Sia, when you say nice things, keep your mouth shut and be quiet.

‘Um… Okay.’

Cynthia was about to say something more, but then realized that Illien’s gaze was unusual, so she quietly closed her mouth and changed her clothes.

Cynthia, who had neatly changed into her academy uniform, headed straight to the testing room.

“By the way, where is the gate for the practical test this time~”

At the end of the second semester of the first year, I took the test at a place called [F-Class Serka’s Secret Cave]. As the name suggests, it was a [cave-shaped gate]. Since it was designed for the first year level, it wasn’t a very difficult gate to conquer.

However, it was difficult to understand because there were hidden details.

‘The key to conquering the gate is to conquer this difficult point.’

I didn’t know it last year, but I can say it confidently now. Because… I studied a lot about gate strategy.

Cynthia was confident that she would do better than anyone else in this practical test.

***

“Oh, yes. You don’t see anything strange? Did you check both the inside and outside of the gate?”

I called someone early in the morning.

-Security is perfect, and the inside of the gate has been inspected. There is absolutely no room for problems.

“That’s great, Mr. Chairman.”

The person calling was the chairman of the Academy’s practical skills examination committee.

It was the association’s current top-tier hero, Park Jin-moo.

The nickname is Iron Fist.

He was the most famous of the Kwon Sa who was not from the Kwon Seong-shin family.

-But… I wonder if you could tell me why you wanted to look into these things.

“Ah… . I just wanted to confirm. Something hasn’t been going well for me lately.” I don’t feel good.

I’m saying that I just felt like doing it, without any basis.

But this is a world where ‘intuition’ is a reality.

There are people living with various abilities, and in addition to magical powers and special abilities, there are also people with superhuman senses.

And intuition exists even in people who lack traits and magic.

-I see. Hmm… Well, I can’t just ignore Representative Han’s feelings.

And the head judge acknowledged it too.

This was the world.

A feeling can convince someone without any clear evidence.

It might have had an impact if he knew what kind of person I was before that, but anyway.

‘You’re saying there’s nothing?’

It was so weird, it was too weird.

At the same time, anxiety also grew.

It was only natural that my anxiety would increase as the alarm bells kept ringing in my head but I found nothing.

“Then, could you please just contact me once you find out something?”

-Oh, yes. Okay, let’s do that. Well… the test will start soon, so I’ll hang up now.

The chairman of the jury politely ended the call, saying he was going to hang up.

“There’s no way this could happen… There’s no way nothing could happen during a big event like the final exams.”

The basis of the anxiety was that ‘it seemed as if nothing would happen.’

Of course, in the original work, no major incident occurred during this time.

Simply put, the final exam event is nothing more than a strong connection between the heroine Ha Seon-ah and Lee Soo-hyuk. Of course, some kind of accident happens during the process.

“Yoon-ga, these guys are quiet, and the Joo-soo guys aren’t the type to stay still like this. So… should we assume that the head judge didn’t notice it?”

No matter how much I thought about it, that was the only possibility.

There’s no way these guys could be this quiet.

This was not simply a feeling as an investor, but an intuition that a ‘blind person’ had.

“However, if there is no evidence to this extent, I can’t just ask the Academy or the Association for help, so I have to prepare myself…”

My thoughts have become longer.

There were so many things involved that there were more than one or two things to calculate. It was complicated and difficult.

That’s what it’s like to resolve conflicts of interest.

[Secretary Cha]: The third round of the Academy’s practical training has just begun. Currently, the groups and gates to be conquered have been announced, and Miss Cynthia is in Group 23 and is scheduled to enter in the afternoon.

I got a text from Cha Seo-yeon.

Cynthia said she had a test in the afternoon.

Then I don’t have to go see it right now.

“Huh… Let me think about it. Think about it… Is there really no problem? Or is it just something I can’t see?”

Shin Dong-baek is recuperating, and the other members of the Shin family are staying in the house to prepare for Yoon’s attack. The rest are guarding me and Cynthia.

‘Wait a minute, can’t we just predict where problems might occur?’

I turned off my phone and went back to thinking.

Cynthia’s guard cannot stand inside the gate. In short, if Cynthia enters the gate, the probability of her being exposed to danger increases exponentially.

I focused on this part.

This seemed to be the key point that could become the core of the problem I had been struggling with.

‘Ah! Then is there a problem inside the gate?’

I suddenly realized.

For a problem to arise, such an environment must be created. But right now, there is no way a problem can arise.

then…

Will there be any problems while Cynthia enters the gate and takes the test?

That’s what I thought.

No? Or is it a good thing?

What if problems arise elsewhere?

What… Do you understand? As long as Cynthia doesn’t get hurt, that’s fine.

***

《 [ E ] Grade Gate, Citadel of Regret 》

▷[ Type ] : Relic type

▷[ Time limit for strategy ] : 60 minutes

▷[ Appearing Monsters ] : Regretful Knight, Lamenting Knight, Despairing Knight, Angry Knight Commander.

Along with the formation of the group, the gate that will be the practical stage for the second-year Academy students has been revealed.

If you simply call it an E-class gate, it may seem like a shit gate that can be easily cleared, but that’s not the case.

There’s no way the practical test site provided by the academy could be an easy place.

Of course, it is not an ordinary E-class gate.

A mutant gate that can be so easy that it can be considered an F-class at times, and so difficult that it surpasses a D-class or C-class.

The ‘E-Class Citadel of Regret’ is a replica of another gate created by a hero called [Gate Manufacturer].

From noble mtl dot com

The original gate is ‘S-class Gate: Path of Regret’

About 10 years ago, a gate was conquered, and about 10 top-tier heroes and 30 upper-tier heroes were deployed to conquer this gate.

Records of this gate are so famous that they are even in textbooks.

– 10 top-tier heroes and 30 advanced heroes were deployed, and only 5 advanced heroes survived and escaped.

Top-tier heroes wiped out.

This is because it is a gate that left a strange record of 5 out of 30 upper-level heroes surviving.

There was a reason for these records.

Because this gate is a special series gate whose difficulty is adjusted according to the target’s level.

In other words, it was a strong-weak-weak-strong gate.

The trials and monsters that appear are determined based on the level of the player.

There was only one reason why the Academy chose this gate as the testing site this time.

-Because I want to properly understand the power of Cynthia and Lee Soo-hyuk.

Because if you choose a general gate, they won’t be able to generate power.

And because it was impossible to determine which of the two would win first place.

Of course, it would be a simple matter if both were given full marks… but the judges didn’t want to handle things so lukewarmly.

Ultimately, the difficulty of the test increased due to the overflowing enthusiasm.

At least for Lee Soo-hyuk and Cynthia.

Lee Soo-hyuk distorted his face as if he was uncomfortable after understanding the judges’ intentions.

And Cynthia was grinning as if she didn’t know what was going on but thought it was funny.

As everyone was figuring out which gate would be the testing location and making their own plans, the examiner’s voice echoed throughout the testing room.

“Okay, now we will begin the test. Groups 1 to 5, please enter the gates set up in front!”

The exam has begun.