WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Surviving in the Magic Academy

Chapter 200

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200.

“Left side, watch out!”

I shouted to Gang. Gang swung their sword at empty air. Just as the blade was about to cut through nothing, a shadow suddenly formed like a dot and blocked it.

The shadow revealed itself in an instant, as if infecting the space itself, and began spilling out the mass of tentacles contained within it. The moment it realized it had been found, it attacked. Gang blocked it with a frown.

Gang’s already pale face grew even more bloodless as they spent magical power. Their internal injuries were clearly spreading little by little. But right now, we had no choice but to keep moving.

I fixed the scene in my eyes and swept my gaze over the surroundings. Where was the next path? Everything around me was filled with an ominous feeling that stabbed into my chest. Countless shadows were clearly waiting for us, just like the one that had attacked Gang a moment ago.

Even among those traps, there were small gaps. We had to go that way. I signaled the others with my eyes and quickly kicked off the ground.

At the same time, shadows poured down toward me, but I ignored them and focused on finding the path. We had already divided our roles. Right now, I had no choice but to trust the others.

Just as the tentacles were about to reach me, the corpses Jaun controlled, which had been following behind me, blocked them instead. They were sucked into the shadows in my place.

Since Jaun was making sacrifices like this, we had to get out of here even faster. I bit my lip hard. To think the escape route had been blocked this thoroughly.

Just as Emery had predicted, the way out was already packed with traps. And in the middle of those vicious traps, everyone ended up taking serious wounds. All of it was to protect me, just like now.

I was the only one who could get us out of here. So I had to keep going. I gathered myself and continued along the constantly shifting escape route.

The process continued after that. We were caught in traps, injured, and forced to advance little by little. I quietly closed my eyes. Then I could feel my exhausted body groaning in pain.

Even through that pain, there was one thing I could feel clearly. A faint path that let us move forward. It was something I had begun to see while escaping these traps.

I wanted a path that could carry all of us. Perhaps because of that desperate wish, the pattern blooming from my tree grew even darker.

Along with it, the escape route I had only vaguely sensed began to take a clearer form little by little, and the sense that recognized danger became sharper too. After all that training, my unique magic had finally bloomed.

Should I call it the Path of Survival? Of course, it was not especially impressive magic. It simply let me see the sense I had only been feeling on the surface.

As unique magic went, it was probably pathetic. But in this situation, nothing could be more useful. Being able to see it directly meant I could move a little faster.

If I could move even one step faster, our chances of escaping the traps would rise. I guided the others along the path and pushed through the traps.

Not long after, I felt the intensity of the traps weaken. We had put enough distance between us that the shadows were starting to fail to keep up.

That was only natural. The one in charge of controlling the traps had not been able to chase us. I glanced back.

Then I saw a haze of flame. It had the shape of a giant serpent and was spewing out magical power. It was magic Emery had created.

That serpent was swallowing the man who was trying to float into the air. The man tried to repel it with magical power, but he failed to overcome the serpent’s strength and was dragged back down to the ground.

His attempt to control the traps had failed again. The reason the Black Mage man did not want to let us go was obvious. As he had said, he meant to use us as sacrifices in place of the survivors.

In that sense, we had made it this far partly because my senses guided us, but also because Emery was holding back the Black Mage. So we had to flee quickly while Emery could still hold out.

“Let’s go this way. I’ll pick up the pace a little more.”

I touched my eyes, which had begun to heat up from the magical power, and kicked off the ground. Then I pulled the crossbow from my chest and shot an arrow toward the direction where I sensed danger. A shadow that had just begun to rise was pierced by my arrow and collapsed.

Seeing that, I nodded. As expected, the traps were getting weaker as we went. That meant this direction was right. We advanced while clearing the traps, and our speed kept rising.

Of course, in the process, everyone took a few more wounds. The faster we moved, the less stable things became. Even so, no one dropped out.

A little sacrifice did not matter. The only important thing was to move quickly through this path. Somehow, I felt like I understood a little of what Emery had said. Fight and die. Maybe that meant I should grow like this.

Lost in those thoughts, I pushed forward frantically. And at the end of it, at some point, I felt that I was safe. We had finally escaped their traps.

I slowly came back to myself and looked around. Then I spotted a collapsed building and a small sign. The escape route my unique magic guided me toward led inside it. I pushed my way into the building.

Then I felt traces of magic concealing my presence. We had reached the outpost where we had stayed before. This was also an area where the shadows could not recognize us.

Just as my instincts had led me here, this place was clearly the safest place for us right now. I looked back at the people following me into the outpost.

They were in terrible shape. Gang had several holes pierced through their body, and Jaun kept coughing up blood, probably because their magical power had twisted. They were clearly in no state to keep going.

“This place should be all right.”

“You saved us. I’ll repay this debt next time.”

Jaun lightly tapped my shoulder and headed deeper into the outpost. Gang did the same. Everyone seemed to be trying to rest.

They had noticed that this place was safe too. The magic that formed this outpost was still functioning properly.

I examined the flow of magic maintaining the area. This strange magic, which twisted the surrounding perception and hid our presence, was difficult for even me to understand properly. Naturally, the shadows would have a hard time finding it too.

I quietly clicked my tongue. Magic usually became unstable the moment the master who created it disappeared. Yet this was still holding firm.

What that meant was clear. Emery was still alive. This magic had been installed by her.

I glanced toward the direction where she would be. Was she still holding out even now? At that thought, I felt something like guilt trickle into my chest.

Then Evron brushed past me. He rubbed the back of the turtle puppet he was holding in his arms. The turtle puppet let out a meeeh and began retching.

Not long after, survivors poured out of the turtle’s mouth. It was hard to believe that many had fit inside such a tiny puppet. Then Evron lightly waved his hand, and other puppets began moving the survivors.

I narrowed my eyes as I watched. Unlike the others, he looked fairly fine. Since he had been carrying the survivors, we had protected him as much as possible.

After dealing with the survivors, Evron soon came over to me. Then he looked at the magic surrounding the outpost and nodded.

“It seems Emery is still alive. Well, of course she is. A guardian would not fall that easily.”

A guardian? I stared at Evron, not knowing what he meant. Perhaps he felt my gaze, because he gave a small laugh and looked toward the direction where Emery would be.

“Ah, Ivrio wouldn’t know. It isn’t a widely known story. I only happened to glimpse it from Professor... ahem, from books. Since we have some breathing room, shall we talk for a bit? Do you know the story of the Warden of the Border?”

“...Yes, I do.”

I nodded. The Warden of the Border. I knew that story well too. I had heard it a few times on the island. It was a fairy tale about people who received new lives after death and fought solely to protect the Empire.

“If you know it, this will be easier to explain. Emery is probably the protagonist of that story. A being granted a new life through human sacrifice.”

Evron smiled brightly. Human sacrifice. I fell into thought and recalled what the Black Mage man had said. He had said Emery must have received human sacrifices. It seemed Evron had guessed her identity based on that.

“Well, I don’t know the details either. I only know they are beings who stand at the very front to protect the Empire. Along with this mark.”

Just as he had done before leaving, Evron overlapped both hands in front of his heart. It seemed to be a gesture of respect toward the guardians. As I watched him, I somehow felt the sensation in my chest spit out a warning.

It was much clearer than when I had first seen him. The new unique magic settled in my chest was wary of him. I looked at him with narrowed eyes.

Thinking about it, he was suspicious. No matter how I looked at him, he had the air of a wandering mage like me. How did someone like that know these things? Maybe he was not just a wanderer.

Despite my suspicion, he only smiled brightly. He met my eyes and nodded.

“So if it’s Emery, she should be able to last a long time. And at the end of it, this story should come to an end too.”

The end of the story. I flinched at those words. Then I looked toward the castle. The sight of the city lord and the girl fighting appeared clearly before my eyes.

The sword strikes seemed to split the sky, and the magical power contaminated the mind. It was terrifying. Even without relying on my instincts, I could tell I must not approach that place.

And that fight was gradually shifting in the city lord’s favor. Because on the other side, Emery was holding out longer than expected. She had helped us escape, and even now, she was keeping the Black Mage man in place.

What they had originally planned was probably for the man to devour all of us, then join the girl in facing the city lord. That plan had already been completely broken.

Even if Emery collapsed now, their ritual would never be completed. We had succeeded in blocking the ritual’s progress itself. So if things continued like this, the end of the story would definitely arrive.

It was fair to say we had played a major role in resolving the story. Of course, Emery, who had told us about it, was facing the greatest danger.

“Shall we rest now? Please come this way. I’ll prepare a place for you.”

Evron gestured toward me. Toward the inside of the outpost. For some reason, though, my feet refused to move. I wondered if it was really right to go in there.

When I quietly placed a hand on my chest, I felt something poking at me. I could not tell whether it was guilt, or my instincts trying to tell me something.

Seeing my hesitation, Evron tilted his head slightly. Then he clapped his hands and laughed.

“Ah, is it because you regret leaving Emery? That makes sense. If Emery were here, you would have benefited a great deal in this exam. But for things to turn out like this.... If she drops out now, you’ll even take a penalty, so it will be harder from here on.”

Evron was already speaking under the assumption that Emery was gone. I blinked. For him to be this cold. It was hard to believe those words had come from someone who had done his best to serve her until now.

Evron laughed lightly at me, then jerked his chin slightly toward my chest. Following his signal, I checked and saw that the scroll had slipped out a little. It seemed the seal had loosened while we were fleeing.

“Sixth Maxim. Always calmly weigh the possibilities. I’m simply following that.”

At Evron’s words, I touched the scroll. He knew the scroll’s maxims. As expected, had he seen this before too? While I was thinking that, Evron began looking strangely pleased.

“It has been a long time since I saw that. It brings back memories. To think someone still had it. This really is moving.”

Evron fell into thought. Soon, he nodded and stopped the puppet that was setting up a table.

“Hmm. It seems you don’t want to go inside, so shall we talk here for a moment? I was curious about something anyway. About the sense Ivrio has shown.”

“My sense?”

“Yes. I wondered if it was just intuition. But during this escape, I could tell. That is not simply intuition. It’s connected to magic too.”

Evron’s eyes sparkled as he smiled lightly at me. In those eyes, I could feel a bit of goodwill toward me. I blinked. Did having this scroll make him show that much familiarity?

“How does it work? Does it simply tell you the way forward? Or does it warn you of danger?”

At his probing question, I leaned back slightly. He gave an awkward smile and waved his hand.

“Ah, you don’t need to be wary. It’s just that if we want to pass this exam, we will have to cooperate from now on too. If it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to tell me.”

I frowned a little. Then I sighed and nodded. In any case, they had all already noticed my sense.

Without Emery, we needed to share more information if we wanted to pass the exam.

“...It’s magic that was newly engraved this time. Originally, it was just a sense, but now it appears like a path.”

“Aha, a path.”

I glanced behind me. The faint path this magic created was still there. It led toward the direction where Emery was. Perhaps Evron noticed my gaze, because he stroked his chin.

“It seems the path is still there.”

I nodded. I still did not fully understand how this magic worked. Why was it telling me to go down that dangerous path? I could not tell.

“That is strange. Unique magic tends to contain its master’s intent.”

Evron tilted his head slightly. Suspiciously knowledgeable as he was, he seemed to know quite a lot about unique magic too. He blinked and continued.

“If the path remains, perhaps that means it is the direction Ivrio wants to go.”

At his words, I stared again at the faintly rippling path. That path had been created because I wanted it. I shook my head slightly. That could not be. Why would I want to return down the path I had just come from?

Then I froze for a moment. Something had caught in my mind. I remembered what Emery had said. She had told us to fight and die. That was the law of the world.

And just like the words she had spoken, she was facing the Black Mage alone. Her attitude was the opposite of ours, who had only run and hidden.

Perhaps I had been drawn to that side of her. The moment I had that thought, I realized I was hesitating.

I looked down at the faint path. The story we had entered had presented us with many branching points. In that sense, this path might be one of those branches too.

Another possibility, leading to a different path from the one I had walked until now. Evron shrugged at me.

“How about trusting your own magic?”

I looked at Evron. His eyes sparkled with a deep smile. He continued.

“Unique magic is the crystallization of one’s soul. It contains the path of life a person has built. So trusting it and following it can also be a method.”

I quietly focused on the sensation in my chest. It was screaming at me that the outside was full of danger. But the single flow created from that gathered sensation, my unique magic, was telling me that this was the escape route.

I fell into thought. If this was my instincts speaking, as Evron said, then trusting and following it was also an option. I felt certain of that.

I quietly nodded. Somehow, listening to him made me feel as though I was receiving advice from a senior mage, not a teammate.

“I would like to follow too, but someone has to guard this place. So please go without worry. I will protect the others.”

As Evron continued speaking, he gently sent me outside. Guided by him, I naturally turned around.

Then I left the outpost and stepped forward. A strange tension soaked through my whole body. I swallowed hard.

Damn it. I had been caught while standing there blankly. When I glanced back, I saw Evron waving at me.

Should I go back for now? I hesitated for a moment. But soon, I shook my head. Since I had come out, I needed to follow my sense.

I could not believe I was making this choice. Running away had always come first for me.

But now, I had to move forward. I felt this was the direction where I could grow.

I squeezed my eyes shut and poured magical power into the Sapling dwelling in my chest. Then it drew a strange pattern and showed me the path forward. The safest path toward my destination.

It was also the path I had taken back here, retraced in reverse. I pushed myself onto the road my sense was warning me about. Then tentacles burst out from the shadows and attacked me.

I quickly ducked and avoided them. Now I only needed to take care of myself without worrying about the others. So there was no need to move as carefully as before.

I kicked off the ground. I ran and ran, leaping over the traps one after another. A few traps carved wounds into me, but they were minor. This magic was showing me the safest path.

At the end of that path, I sensed blazing flames. They flowed like a storm, surrounding the area. They were keeping whatever was inside from escaping recklessly.

It was clearly Emery’s magic. But compared to when we had left, its firepower had visibly weakened. Seeing that made my chest scream a fierce warning.

This was the most dangerous place. At the same time, the escape route my magic drew led inside. Feeling those conflicting senses, I squeezed my eyes shut.

There was no point hesitating after coming this far. I followed the path my magic had drawn and stepped into the storm. Flames wrapped around me, and at some point, I felt my body sink into strange magical power.

The magical power felt hot and cold, scattering like shards as it naturally guided me inside. At the end of it, I found Emery covered in blood and panting.

I slowly approached her to let her know I had returned. But then I felt an intense sensation above her head, as if something were about to stab down. Danger would soon arrive there.

Emery did not seem to notice. She only waved her fan and made the flame storm grow even larger. Without thinking, I instinctively reached out to her.

Then I wrapped Emery in a tight hug from behind. Only then did she seem to notice my approach, because she flinched in shock and swung her fan. At the same time, I felt a warning stab into my chest.

I quickly lowered my head, and a terrifying wind swept over it. If it had hit me properly, I might have died. Cold sweat broke out as I lifted her up.

“What are you doing to this lady...!”

“Excuse me for a moment!”

I cut off whatever Emery was trying to say, filled my body with magical power, and kicked off the ground. Perhaps because my hand was covering her mouth, I could see a flustered look on her face.

It was a side I had never seen from the always confident Emery. Somehow, it felt a little new. But I only had a moment to feel that.

First, I had to get out of this place. I ran wildly to avoid the sensation ringing in my chest. Then, at some point, I felt powerful magical power sweep past us.

Holding Emery in my arms, I rolled across the ground. Then magical power began crushing the place where we had been a moment ago. It tore through even space itself and crushed everything.

If we had been there, we would have died. Emery clicked her tongue as she watched from within my arms. Then she tapped the hand wrapped around her body. She wanted me to let go.

I quickly released her and stepped back. Emery glared at me, then quietly rose. She looked displeased as she straightened herself.

“So he was staying quiet all this time to gather that kind of power. If not for you, even this lady would have been badly hit. I shall thank you for your help.”

To think I would be praised. I bowed slightly. When I raised my head again, Emery met my eyes and tilted her head. Her eyes were full of deep doubt.

“So why did you come back? This lady went through the trouble of allowing you to flee.”

“Uh, um. If Emery isn’t here, the next exam would be difficult, wouldn’t it? So I came to help you.”

I shifted my eyes slightly. Even as I stammered out the words, I could tell I was making a pretty weak excuse. But telling the truth felt far too awkward.

I could not exactly say I had been moved by her, could I? At my excuse, Emery let out a small laugh. Then she lightly hit my head with her fan. It was an extremely gentle action.

“It is unsightly to see a grown man act embarrassed, so say no more. This lady understands your heart well enough. It is all this lady’s original sin. To think I have bewitched another person like this because I am far too beautiful.”

She seemed to have misunderstood something. Flustered, I tried to say she had it wrong, but Emery covered my mouth with her fan. She shook her head and looked beyond the flames.

“I shall hear the story later. For now, focus on that man.”

Since Emery had left her position, the flame storm was gradually scattering. Beyond the storm, the Black Mage man was approaching us while scattering magical power. He looked at me and twisted his face.

“A small fry crawled in here. Were you the one who interfered?”

The man shot magical power at me. But it did not feel like a threat. As if proving that, Emery waved her fan, and flames rose to block the magical power.

Seeing that, the man’s face crumpled even more. Somehow, he looked extremely anxious. It was probably because none of his plans had gone the way he wanted.

That was how long Emery had held out, beyond everyone’s expectations. Of course, even she seemed almost at her limit now. I glanced over her body, which was covered in wounds.

It seemed I had come at the right time. Then, at some point, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. The moment I felt it, I quickly grabbed Emery and rolled away.

At the same time, the place where we had been was crushed again. That strange power, whose law I could not understand, seemed to come from the man. I had no idea what it was.

But I knew one thing. It was extremely threatening to me, just like now. And that also meant I could avoid it. Emery saw that from within my arms, and her eyes sparkled.

“Hooh. You can feel that?”

I quietly nodded. The greater the danger, the louder the warning ringing in my chest. Besides, I had experienced the sensation of the Black Mage’s power before.

It was the same magical power that had caused explosions among the survivors. The power he was using now gave me a similar feeling. Part of the reason I had returned was because I was certain I could avoid it.

Unlike when I had run away and left Emery behind, this time I had come to help her. Emery waved her fan, then settled comfortably in my arms.

“Now, this lady shall permit you to hold her in your arms. Lift me at once.”

She held both arms out to me. I could not help feeling a little flustered by her attitude. Then Emery looked up at me and let out a small laugh.

“This lady cannot perceive that, so I shall make use of your senses. You focus on dodging. This lady will deal with that man.”

“We aren’t running away?”

I blinked. I had been planning to run away like this. This time too, she seemed to be thinking a little differently from me. A fight. I faltered at the unexpected burden.

Then Emery gave me a pitiful look and lightly struck my head with her fan. After that, she took out a small pouch and shook it.

Seeing it, my eyes sparkled. The pouch had a very familiar shape. It was the one she had used to give me mana stones.

“Thinking of running away again. Tsk, I suppose it cannot be helped. If you handle this properly, this lady shall give you a reward you will be satisfied with.”

She had rewarded me before when I worked as the scout. So if I helped her deal with that man this time, she would surely give me something even bigger. Somehow, I felt courage fill my chest.

I quickly lifted her into my arms. In my embrace, she fluttered her fan and smiled. Then a pleasant scent drifted toward me.

Somehow, she felt extremely light. Unlike the powerful air she gave off, I could clearly feel that she was a woman.

“Now, focus. This lady shall only permit you to appraise her up to this point.”

Emery lightly hit my head. I gave a small cough and wrapped magical power around my body. Then I faced the man approaching us while tearing through the flame storm.

“You bastards, I’ll tear you to death.”

The man ground his teeth and kicked off the ground. At the same time, Emery waved her fan from within my arms. The flames that had been like a storm gathered again and shot toward the man.

They had the same serpent-like shape I had seen before. It collided with the man and scattered magical power into the air.

At the same time, I kicked off the ground. My sense had sent another warning. As if that sense had not been wrong, the space where we had been twisted and began spewing bizarre magical power.

“Now, that way this time. Move.”

Emery tapped my head and pointed out the direction. She was trying to put distance between us now that the man had approached. Emery changed the shape of the scattered serpent and trapped the man in the storm once again.

As I moved quickly, I observed Emery’s magic. Perhaps because she had gained my mobility, she ignored defense and poured all her strength into offense alone.

The giant mass of magical power made of fire kept changing shape and pressing the man. I was amazed by Emery’s power. It was excellent magic that overcame the difference in realm between them.

Just seeing it from this close felt eye-opening. But unlike me, Emery looked dissatisfied. She clicked her tongue at the man and scattered magical power.

“That man still refuses to stop acting, even after coming this far. What remarkable restraint. Though this lady did expect as much.”

I glanced at the man. He looked more desperate than anyone, as though he was pouring out all his strength. Was there still more power left inside him?

“Then this lady must respect him as well.”

Emery waved her fan. The fire serpent coiled and swelled its chest toward the man. Not long after, it poured a horrifying flame of magical power over him.

But the man quickly broke through it and charged toward us. At the same time, I felt an ominous sensation stab into my chest again. So I charged straight toward the man.

This time, danger was coming from every direction. When the man faced us, he filled both hands with magical power and scattered it as if clawing through the air.

I closed my eyes and pushed my body between that magical power. That was the very Path of Survival my unique magic had shown me. And that sense was not wrong.

The power surrounding us collided with the man’s magical power and revealed a slight gap. I slipped through that gap and escaped from beside the man. Cold sweat ran down my body as I looked at him. Was that really only part of his strength?

It was unbelievable. Emery patted my head and laughed.

“Yes, just like that. This lady will handle the rest.”

I nodded. Now was the time to trust her. Besides, had she not said she would give me a large reward? I needed to obey my employer’s words. I kicked off the ground again, dodged the man’s power, and smiled.

Like that, I became her feet and moved. Of course, avoiding everything was difficult. But even as wounds were carved into me, magical power flowed backward, and I coughed up blood, I did not stop moving.

I moved along the faint path my magic drew. And after moving frantically like that, the end finally arrived. The man stopped scattering magical power and looked up at the sky.

“Damn it, already.”

I followed his gaze and looked at the sky. The cracks in the dark barrier were gradually widening. The ritual had begun collapsing even further.

And perhaps because the ritual had become even more unstable, I could feel enormous magical power rising from the direction of the castle. The ring of light the girl was moving also shook slightly under the ritual’s influence.

The city lord did not miss that opening. Along with a sensation like the sky splitting apart, a giant sword strike pierced straight through the ring of light. At the same time, I saw the man cough up a handful of blood.

As the ritual collapsed, he was affected too. The man looked at us and ground his teeth. Then he coughed up blood again and staggered.

Now he looked like someone we could handle. The man seemed to know that too, because he spat up dead blood and hurriedly retreated. He was heading toward the direction where the ring of light had fallen.

He was clearly trying to stabilize the ritual again. We needed to stop him. I filled my legs with magical power to chase after him, but Emery stopped me.

“This is as far as we go. They must have another move hidden too. There is no need to follow him and give the ritual room to proceed. If they cannot use us as sacrifices, the ritual will collapse anyway.”

She was right. I nodded blankly. Had she been thinking that far ahead? Emery fluttered her fan and continued.

“The story ends here. Since we have set the table this well, the city lord will clean up the rest. So put this lady down now.”

Emery lightly tapped my shoulder. Ah, I had forgotten I was holding her. I carefully lowered her to the ground.

Emery slipped free from my hands and lightly brushed over her body. Then I saw her body, which had been covered in wounds, restore itself in an instant. Her face, which had been full of exhaustion, quickly returned to normal too.

I could not help feeling completely flustered. Had she not been injured? Even when I held her, the movement of her magical power had been extremely unstable.

Perhaps Emery sensed my confusion, because she let out a light laugh. Then she fluttered her fan and shook her head.

“Did you think this lady would simply be eliminated? How amusing. This lady does not step into uncertain matters. The reason this lady stayed here was because I had calculated that I could endure long enough.”

Emery narrowed her eyes. Then she glanced toward the direction of the outpost.

“That is why this lady gave you all a chance. But you ran away. Even so, this story structure is rather satisfying too. Thanks to you running away, this lady, who remained here, must have received a higher score.”

I stared blankly at her. I had thought she was sacrificing herself for us. To think she was this sly. It was a moment that reminded me she was a mage too.

She threw a pouch at me. It was the one she had offered as a reward before fighting the man. I slowly opened it. Then I had no choice but to blink.

The pouch was empty. Seeing my flustered look, Emery smiled with her eyes.

“In that sense, the good score you will gain in this exam shall be your reward. The others will not receive such a high score, after all.”

“To come back like this, how commendable.”

Muttering that, she tapped my head. Somehow, I felt a sense of satisfaction toward me from her.

Facing her like that, I felt I understood at least a little why my unique magic had led me here. It was not simply guilt.

The reason it kept sending me signals was because being by her side was the most suitable path for my survival from now on. Not only for this exam, but for everything ahead.

As I stared blankly at her, I felt the world gradually collapse. Just as Emery had said, there was nothing more we could do, so the story was clearly wrapping up quickly.

And inside that collapsing world, at some point, bustling noise filled the surroundings. I sniffed slightly. All kinds of scents passed through my nose and soaked into my body.

When I looked around, I saw people moving here and there amid fairly pleasant music. Just like the survivors we had saved until now, they were all definitely puppets.

They were holding each other, dancing, and talking. Before I knew it, we had fallen into the middle of the Ballroom.

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