Five days later — elsewhere, in the administrative wing of the testing grounds.
Steam rose in lazy spirals from a porcelain teacup. Lero Ro stood at the edge of a round table, brow furrowed as he scanned the documents laid before him.
"What is this, Test Director?" he asked sharply, lifting the top page. "Are you seriously proposing this?"
Across from him, Hansung Yu sat cross-legged on a cushion, smiling peacefully as he stirred his tea.
"The plans for the joint position test," he replied, nonchalant. "An elegant solution, wouldn't you say?"
Lero Ro's eyes twitched. "Elegant? You want to test them by playing tag?"
Just then, the door slammed open with dramatic flair.
A red-haired man in a high-collared jacket stepped inside, hands in his pockets, and a cocky smirk on his face.
"Super serious," Quant declared.
Lero Ro turned slowly. "...What do you want, Quant?"
Quant gave a mock salute. "Just volunteering as the examiner for your precious joint test."
Lero Ro's head snapped back toward Hansung Yu. "Director!"
Hansung Yu set down his cup with a clink, eyes still half-lidded in a serene gaze. "I think it's a great idea."
Lero Ro's internal alarm bells rang loud and clear. Quant, the most impulsive and hot-headed Ranker on the team—handling a multi-position strategic test?
He shot a skeptical look at the grinning man-child standing in the doorway.
"This is a disaster waiting to happen," Lero Ro muttered under his breath.
Quant, meanwhile, gave a thumbs-up with unwavering confidence. "Trust me, I'll make it fun."
---
Back at the training dormitories — the final day of preparation.
Baam exhaled slowly, sitting cross-legged on the floor of his room as twilight streamed through the window. His breathing was controlled, his focus sharp. All week, he'd thrown himself into training with an intensity that surprised even him.
Each day had been a rhythm of lessons and repetition—early morning Shinsu control drills, brief sparring matches with Khun and Shibisu, and quiet solo practice at night.
His body was sore. His hands were calloused. But his control had sharpened, and his awareness had deepened.
He raised a hand, summoning the translucent screen with a thought. It appeared with a soft chime, casting a faint blue glow across the room.
> System Status:
> Basic Sword Wielding Efficiency: 40%
> Basic Combat Efficiency: 72%
> Basic Shinsu Control Efficiency: 50%
Baam blinked. The numbers told the story. His martial arts proficiency was nearing its foundational limit, and his ability to wield Shinsu had reached a new threshold.
He could now intuitively adjust the volume and shape of the Shinsu he gathered—whether forming it into spheres, cones, or compressed waves—and manipulate its density to amplify its force. Where once it had felt like trying to hold water in his hands, now it moved with intent.
The blade resting beside him gleamed faintly.
The Black March.
Anaak had returned it a few days ago, tossing it to him with an unreadable look. "Doesn't suit me," she had muttered. "Maybe you'll get more use out of it."
He hadn't said anything in return, but he'd felt the shift—both in their dynamic and in himself. With the Black March in hand, he'd been able to expand his swordsmanship, learning to balance his movements like the martial forms Hatz had shown him.
He stood now and gripped the hilt, letting its weight settle into his palm.
---
The next morning, all the Regulars who hadn't passed were summoned early to a room.
Lero-Ro stood before them and began the briefing.
"The subject of the joint test is tag. The 28 of you who haven't passed yet will participate."
"You'll be split into two teams—Team A and Team B. Each team will have an equal number of positions, except for one extra Spear Bearer on Team A and one extra Light Bearer on Team B."
"Your performance will be scored individually, and points will be awarded accordingly."
Khun turned to Baam. "You're on Team B?"
Baam nodded. "Yeah. It's too bad we're on opposite sides."
Lero-Ro continued, "Details of the test will be explained by the test director."
Someone asked, "So it's a match of tag between the two teams?"
Hansung Yu stepped forward and answered, "Not exactly. Think of it more like hide-and-seek. However, this isn't a team-versus-team competition. You won't be fighting each other."
"In this version of tag, each team has one player designated as 'it.' One will be selected by us, and the other will be chosen from each team's Fisherman."
He held up a small badge. "Each 'it' will wear one of these."
He gestured to the window. "The test will be held in that domed structure outside."
Everyone turned to look.
It was a vast circular facility with three major zones. At its center lay the smallest and lowest area—the Safe Zone—divided into two concentric circles, one higher than the other and connected by stairs. Surrounding it was a wide chasm that separated the center from the final zone. A narrow bridge and a diagonal staircase were the only ways across.
Hansung Yu continued, "The goal is to help your team's 'it' reach the destination—or to steal the badge from our 'it.'"
"If your team succeeds, each member will earn 10,000 points. If someone manages to steal the badge from our 'it,' they'll receive 20,000 points."
"However, if our 'it' takes your team's badge, your team automatically loses."
Shibisu raised a hand. "Uh, so... who's your 'it'?"
A booming voice answered, "That would be me!"
Quant leapt into the air, landing dramatically in front of them.
"Who is that guy?" someone muttered.
Quant grinned. "Surprised?"
Murmurs rippled through the room.
"Wait... isn't that one of the examiners?"
"He's a Ranker! How are we supposed to deal with that?"
Quant laughed confidently. "Relax. I'll go easy on you!"
---
Moments after the test announcement…
The tower's upper levels buzzed with tension as both teams gathered in their designated zones on opposite ends of the sprawling test arena.
Team A's Safety Zone — Eastern Wing.
The room was shrouded in darkness. Only faint glimmers of light trickled in through the high, barred windows. The atmosphere felt heavy, laced with the faint pressure of Shinsu lingering in the air.
Shibisu squinted into the gloom, arms crossed. "They can't be serious… A Ranker as 'it' in a game of tag?"
"It's real," Khun replied coolly, adjusting his Lighthouse interface with a few taps. "But his Shinsu usage is restricted. According to the test rules, he's only allowed to use a limited amount."
He glanced at the projected map on his screen. "Given the constraints, it's not a bad deal."
Rozeal, gripping a wand that flickered with weak light, raised an eyebrow. "You sound confident. Got a plan?"
Khun didn't look up. "Make me your team leader, and I'll share it."
Rozeal blinked. "What?"
A murmur spread through the group. "What's with this guy?" "Is he joking?"
Shibisu gave a lopsided grin. "Honestly, I don't see the issue. Light Bearers are supposed to lead the team anyway."
Rozeal narrowed her eyes. "Don't act so high and mighty. If you've got something, spill it."
Khun finally turned, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Simple. First—we set the bait."
There was a beat of silence.
Shibisu groaned, already anticipating the next line. "Let me guess. I'm the bait?"
Khun didn't miss a beat. "That's the Scout's role."
"This position sucks," Shibisu muttered under his breath. "Fine. I'm counting on you, Leeron-3."
"Yeah," came the reply from above. A distant Lighthouse pulsed faintly in the dark ceiling corner, its pilot barely visible behind the control interface.
Shibisu looked up, tapping into the comm line. "You sure this'll work? Won't he get suspicious if we're too obvious?"
"He'll come," Khun said firmly, eyes gleaming under the dim light. "Quant's a Ranker, yes—but more than that, he's a sore loser. He'll see an easy target and bite without thinking."
He smiled slightly, voice steady and low.
"He has to prove he's better. That's exactly the kind of mindset we can exploit."
---
Moments later…
A mocking voice echoed from the darkness beyond the corridor.
"You're strolling through shadows with a beacon on your back," it drawled. "Using yourself as bait? How utterly predictable…"
A blur streaked from the gloom—Quant appeared without warning, grinning like a devil let loose.
"He really came!" Shibisu hissed, bolting in the opposite direction.
Quant gave chase immediately, a blur of speed in the darkened space. A spear whistled through the air from one of the corners—an ambush attempt.
He stopped mid-step, tilting his body with uncanny reflexes. The spear skimmed past his side harmlessly.
"Trying to buy time for your 'it' to escape?" Quant said, glancing at the shadowed corners. His voice carried a smug certainty. "You Light Bearers really should study harder…"
His eyes gleamed. "A Ranker uses Shinsu to fly—like this."
In a flash, he vanished and reappeared inside one of the team's floating Lighthouses.
"If the Light Bearer falls unconscious," he said coldly, "your team loses its eyes."
One strike. The pilot of the Lighthouse crumpled, knocked out before they could react. The glowing cube flickered and dropped to the ground beside Shibisu with a dull thud.
"Which means," Quant said, stepping back into view, "your other Light Bearer is with your it, isn't he?"
"Damn it!" Shibisu cursed, scanning the dim corridor around him. "Where the hell is he?"
Suddenly, Quant was behind him.
"A first-rate Scout," he whispered, "doesn't need light to see."
Then—a beam of light cut across the ceiling. Quant glanced up, startled.
A Lighthouse hovered high above, casting a spotlight down.
"What the—? Why is a Lighthouse here—?"
From atop the glowing cube, Anaak's voice rang out.
"Sorry to disappoint you," she said, eyes gleaming. "But our it is right here."
Without waiting for a reaction, she lunged, slashing down with the Green April in its whip form.
Quant twisted, evading the strike by inches. His hand shot out, seizing the Green April mid-swing.
Anaak's eyes widened as the momentum dragged her from above—slammed toward the ground as he yanked the whip downward.
She landed hard, gritting her teeth as she rolled, but Quant was already beside her, whip still in hand.
He narrowed his eyes. "So that was the plan. Bait me with the it and trap me."
Dragging her across the stone floor, he snarled, "You think a Ranker is that easy to corner?"
His grip tightened on the Green April.
"You're all still too green."