It was only the first day of the Azure Dragon Academy's school trip, yet already the students had created countless embarrassing memories thanks to the Principal's meticulously planned Test of Courage.
He grinned mischievously before concluding, "Okay kids, we've had our fun for today, so let's head down now."
"I'll open a path from the front! Uoooooh!"
Geo Sangwoong charged boldly into the enemy's camp, only to end up tangled in over ten nets before being hung upside down from a tree.
"Kuaaaargh!"
"NYAAAAH!"
Ya Suhyeok and Silver Tiger summoned the beasts of the mountain, turning the test site into a chaotic mess.
"...I'll kill them all."
Wiji Cheon giggled maniacally as he unleashed the chilling killing intent of the Killing Sword. Unable to watch any longer, Noh Goonsang grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and knocked him out.
Faced with the extreme situation, many students either left solemn last words before rushing at the men in black or simply fled for their lives while their disguised friends desperately held back their laughter.
Of course, some students doubted the situation or weren't fooled to begin with.
Tang Soso immediately realized that the situation was fabricated, embarrassing the instructors and students hiding in the bushes. "Goodness! Only an idiot would fall for such a lame ruse!"
"Then what does that make us, who were fooled..."
"Wait a minute. If this setup is the real Test of Courage..." Tang Soso muttered to herself, her complexion growing increasingly pallid.
"Soso, what's wrong?" Dokgo Jun asked.
Tang Soso explained, "My group consists of three people, but occasionally, when I looked back, I saw an extra set of footprints that I didn't recognize."
"What?"
"I immediately assumed that one of the teachers was playing a prank on us as part of the Test of Courage, but..."
Noh Goonsang tilted his head. "The teachers aren't allowed to leave their designated areas, so no one should have been tailing you."
"It wasn't us either." Sama Yeong also shook her head. None of the Vermilion Phoenix Academy instructors would pull such a stunt.
"...Then who in the world could it be?"
A sudden chill ran down the students' spines. Murmurs of "Isn't it a ghost?" could be heard here and there.
Moreover, Tang Soso's story wasn't over.
"What's even stranger is... there was a smell of food following the footprints... like the smell of meatbuns..."
Dokgo Jun asked skeptically, "Vice President, are you saying a ghost was eating meatbuns while stalking you?"
Tang Soso responded with equal confusion, "I know it's hard to believe, but I saw it clearly! Why else would there be four sets of footprints?"
"Hmm..."
While Tang Soso and Dokgo Jun seriously pondered the ghost's identity, the Five Young Azure Dragons whispered amongst themselves.
"It was Meatbun-hyung, wasn't it?"
"I'm sure of it."
"Why did that guy follow us all the way to the Test of Courage?"
"Isn't it a bit too late to be questioning that now?"
"Shh! Let's keep this a secret between us."
The meatbun-eating ghost commotion quickly subsided. Only three students had witnessed the footprints, and no harm had been done.
Despite the various commotions, the Test of Courage concluded safely without any major issues.
"The Azure Dragon Academy is... strong," Sama Yeong admitted candidly as she took off her mask.
The Vermilion Phoenix Academy instructors, including Namgung Hak, nodded solemnly. They had willingly taken on the role of the men in black for a simple reason—they wanted to see for themselves how far the Azure Dragon Academy had come.
Until the test began, they had assumed the Azure Dragon Academy students were slightly inferior to their own. Although they recognized the prodigy Wiji Cheon, they considered him an exception, much like their own academy's prodigy, Yeon Soha.
Now, however, the Vermilion Phoenix Academy instructors sported peculiar expressions as they shared their impressions.
"Their martial arts skills are impressive, but I was even more impressed by their mental fortitude."
"We created a situation where they could have easily crumbled under pressure... but not a single one gave in."
"Some of them are so skilled that it's not enough to simply call them prodigies."
"We were almost embarrassed by the students."
The instructors were genuinely impressed by the Azure Dragon Academy students' skills and talent.
They were instructors from the Vermilion Phoenix Academy, said to be second only to the Heavenly Martial Academy. As such, they were prideful and rarely acknowledged their opponents. Nevertheless, the Azure Dragon Academy had shown them something truly impressive today.
Sama Yeong nodded as she listened to the instructors' discussion. "The Azure Dragon Academy will be a real threat to our Vermilion Phoenix Academy at the upcoming Heavenly Martial Festival."
""......"" No one from the Vermilion Phoenix Academy could refute her words.
Sama Yeong felt a slight impatience and tension, but also a greater sense of anticipation and competitiveness. Her lips curved into a smile. "I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's joint class. It will surely be a good stimulus for both sides."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The Vermilion Phoenix Academy instructors started cleaning up the area. Sama Yeong approached Noh Goonsang to say her farewells before returning to her lodgings.
Noh Goonsang greeted her with a satisfied smile. "Thank you for assisting us and for ensuring the safety of our students."
"Not at all. We were the ones who learned a great deal."
"Please tell Hyung-nim that I will visit him tomorrow."
"Definitely. Unfortunately, our Principal couldn't be here with us..." Sama Yeong sighed regretfully.
The Fire King, the Vermilion Phoenix Academy Principal and her grandfather, had not joined them. He was currently back at the Vermilion Phoenix lodgings, training their students.
Like the Fire King, Kwak Duyong had also opted out of this Test of Courage.
Noh Goonsang smiled bitterly. "Hohoho! This might have been difficult for Hyung-nim to watch."
The senior instructors among the Vermilion Phoenix Academy staff nodded stiffly.