The forest went quiet.
Not the normal kind of quiet—
but the kind where even insects stop moving.
Every candidate felt it.
The pressure.
My Despair Sense screamed.
"Extreme hostility detected."
"Warning: threat level exceeds current exam parameters."
"…So even you know," I muttered.
The ground trembled.
Trees bent unnaturally as something massive pushed its way through the fog. Branches snapped like twigs. A deep, guttural breathing echoed between the ruins—slow, heavy, patient.
Then it appeared.
A creature shaped like a bear—but far larger. Its body was covered in dark, stone-like plates etched with glowing red veins. One eye was missing, replaced by a swirling black core that pulsed like a living abyss.
Candidates froze in horror.
"What… is that…?"
"That's not a feral beast—!"
Someone tried to run.
The monster moved.
In an instant, it crossed the distance and slammed a massive claw into the ground where the boy had been standing moments before. The shockwave sent bodies flying.
Screams erupted.
Groups collapsed instantly. Formation didn't matter. Strength didn't matter.
This thing was on a different level.
I clenched my teeth.
"That's a Corrupted Guardian," I said quietly.
My voice shook—not from fear, but disbelief.
In my past life, monsters like this were sealed deep within ancient ruins. Releasing one required rituals… sacrifices… disasters.
Not an academy exam.
So why was it here?
The monster roared.
The sound alone crushed weaker candidates to their knees.
"Despair surge detected."
"Synchronization increased: 15%."
The blade trembled violently in my hand.
It wanted this.
I jumped down from the ruins, landing hard but steady.
A group of candidates were cornered against a fallen pillar, eyes wide, shaking.
"Please—someone help—!"
The Guardian turned toward them.
I stepped forward.
"HEY."
My voice cut through the chaos.
The monster's single eye snapped to me.
The pressure doubled.
My bones screamed.
This body—
was not ready.
"Warning: current vessel at risk of collapse."
I smiled grimly.
"Yeah. I know."
Black mist poured from the blade, thicker than before. The cracked chains burned red-hot, rattling wildly as if ready to snap.
The Guardian charged.
The ground shattered under its weight.
I met it head-on.
Shadow Reinforcement surged to its limit. I ducked under the first swing, barely avoiding being crushed, and drove the blade into a weak gap between its armor plates.
The impact sent pain tearing through my arm.
But the monster roared.
It felt it.
Good.
I was thrown back, crashing into a tree. My vision blurred, blood filling my mouth.
The candidates stared in shock.
"He… hurt it?"
I pushed myself up, breathing hard.
"This exam," I said coldly, staring at the towering monster,
"was never meant to include you."
The blade pulsed—hungry, furious.
"Emergency condition met."
"Temporary release available."
"Cost: severe backlash."
I laughed softly.
"Figures."
I raised the sword.
"If I'm going to survive this," I whispered,
"then I'll break the rules too."
The chains began to crack—
for real this time.
And high above the Survival Zone, the instructors finally realized—
Something had gone terribly wrong.