The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"It's in the way!"

Tatia, however, shook off Jasmine's hand and pushed her away.

"Who asked you to help me! I could handle this kind of trash by myself in no time!"

"What did you say?"

Her teammates lent a hand simply to ensure she could complete the assessment. No one expected Tatia's gratitude. But her ungrateful attitude, turning on them after receiving help, only infuriated them. The warrior walked up to Tatia, sizing her up by her small frame and shabby weapon, yet her air of superiority over everyone else. He couldn't help but laugh.

"You think you can handle them all by yourself? You? With that thing you're holding that's barely better than a broken stick? Kid, why don't you just stick your nose in and follow the Saintess around? Stop spouting nonsense. Even Oz isn't as arrogant as you. By the way, I heard you got a beating from Oz last week, didn't you? You're clearly not very skilled, so where do you get the confidence to spout such nonsense?"

"Don't compare me to that guy!"

Oz had finally disappeared from her sight, losing his chance to team up with Naka. Tatia didn't want to hear his name mentioned again, much less the humiliation of losing to him. In a fit of rage, Tatia punched the warrior in the chest.

After all, he was an advanced-level hero who could rival Oz. His strength was not to be underestimated. The warrior hadn't expected the impact of that punch to be so powerful. He was forced back three steps. When he regained his footing, he was no longer the composed and sarcastic person he once was towards Tatia.

"You little brat... I've lived all these years and I've never seen a young man dare to be so disrespectful to me! You want to fight, huh? Fine, I'll take you on!"

"Hey! Stop this! Don't do this!"

Although everyone disapproved of Tatia's words and actions, fighting within the group was forbidden. Especially since both of them were now wielding potentially lethal weapons, a fight could easily result in death. The other three had no choice but to immediately intervene. The martial artist and the mage restrained the warrior, while Jasmine restrained Tatia.

"Kid! What's wrong with you?! You're not usually like this!"

Jasmine initially thought that Tatia's bad mood was understandable because she had lost to Oz and been confined for a week. She had tolerated her frequent rudeness. But no matter what, Tatia's attitude now was really too much.

The Tatya before her was no longer the innocent, naive little tagalong of Naka. Nor was she the somewhat timid and introverted boy who was gentle and friendly to himself and everyone else. She wasn't like this when she first entered school; after only a few months, Jasmine only felt unfamiliar and fearful towards her.

It wouldn't have mattered if Jasmine hadn't pulled her. Jasmine's pulling only angered Tatsia. Instead of taunting the warrior, Tatsia turned and stared at her with a strange look Jasmine had never seen before. This time, she no longer ignored Jasmine and finally spoke to her.

However, the content of her words was entirely sarcastic and incomprehensible. Tatia poured out all her grievances against Jasmine.

"Jasmine, you're so lucky. I'm so envious of you... Hey, these past few months with Naka must have been amazing. So comfortable. Being able to share a room with Naka every day and night, chatting with her, and having some physical contact with her... Ahh, I wish I could have that too..."

"Huh? What does this have to do with Naka?"

"It's not fair. This world is so unfair. Don't you think so, Jasmine? Why can you be with Naka every day, but I can't? Why, Jasmine, do you know why?"

"No...you're a guy, how could you possibly live with her? It's not my fault. You'll see her again after graduation, won't you?"

"Boys... huh? Hahaha, so naive Jasmine still thinks that way?"

Jasmine had always mistaken her for a man. Tatia had had enough of that. She wasn't a man. The excuse that "because I'm a boy, I can only live in the boys' dormitory, so I can't live with Naka" simply didn't convince her. This secret, which should have been kept from everyone, was now being revealed to one more person by Tatia, who had lost her temper. She grabbed Jasmine's hand and placed it on her chest.

The distinctly non-masculine bulge of the pectoral muscles, combined with their soft texture, reached Jasmine's hands. The meaning of this information quickly reached her brain. She froze.

"Huh...? You..."

"Do you understand, Jasmine? It has nothing to do with gender or anything like that. This world is just so unfair..."

Having said that, Tatia released Jasmine's hand. Without asking her teammates' opinions, she silently took another step forward, sword in hand.

"that..."

"Ignore him! Let him go!"

In that brief moment, Jasmine had so many questions she wanted to ask her. But just as Jasmine was about to follow, the warrior stopped her.

"I absolutely refuse to work with that jerk! Let him try if he thinks he can solve the problem himself! I don't care about the team's ranking; I'll report his actions to the teachers after we reach the finish line. At least let others know that the responsibility doesn't lie with us!"

"But, but..."

"If you insist on going to see him, then go ahead! But if anything happens, you'll have to bear the consequences yourself. Think it through!"

"..."

Jasmine wanted to say something more. She wanted to ask Tatia about her true gender and the reason for concealing it. But now wasn't the right time. Even if she followed, she would probably be verbally abused and attacked for "getting in her way." It would also only cause trouble for her teammates who had lost the Saintess, a healer. After much consideration, Jasmine finally gave up the idea.

"Okay, I understand... Let him go, the four of us will go together."

"That's the wise choice, little girl."

Jasmine turned and walked back to where her teammates were. The distance between her and Tatia grew increasingly greater...

Even so, no remorse would surface in Tatsia's cold heart. Letting Jasmine know her gender was merely her way of declaring war on Jasmine on an "equal" scale. It was about telling her that she was a woman and wanted to take Naka, who had always been by Jasmine's side, away.

Unbeknownst to her, none of the "rivals" she considered thorns in her side actually intended to compete with her for Naka. Jasmine had been silently supporting her ever since she assumed Naka was a man. She had even told Tatya, "Don't let Naka down," words that were practically entrusting Naka to her. However, Tatya had long forgotten all of this.

She dragged her sword, muttering incoherent words like a mantra. Naka, the holy sword, the enemy, eliminate... dangerous words flew from her lips one after another. Only by completely destroying everything she perceived as an obstacle could she truly comprehend anything.

But how? Tatia didn't know. How could the rotten sword in her hand be transformed back into a holy sword? She didn't know either.

In the journey that followed, she encountered several more battles and tried different methods to activate her sword. However, each attempt ended in failure. Even though she eventually defeated the monster alone, her attempts to prolong the battles through various methods left her covered in wounds.

"Why...why can't it still change...if that's the case, what's the point of me participating in this assessment..."

Tatsia had tried every method she could think of. What else could she do? Tatsia was at her wit's end. She had always treasured the sword her mother had left her. But now, this thing that would never answer her wishes was so hateful in her eyes. It was as if the whole world was against her. Tatsia picked up her mother's keepsake and smashed it heavily to the ground.

"Bang!"

It looked like a broken, rotten sword was clanging against the ground with a grating metallic sound. But it remained unchanged. This still couldn't vent Tatsia's anger. She even lifted her foot and stomped on the very thing that had once saved her life.

"You piece of junk...you piece of junk! If you're useless, what use are you to me! How am I supposed to defeat Oz..."

"I said, isn't it a bit too shameful to shift the blame for your immaturity and incompetence onto the weapons, and to take your anger out on your travel companions who should be your most trusted people?"

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang in Tatsia's ears.

Thanks to their excellent teamwork and the exceptional skills of each member, Naka's team made rapid progress, overcoming numerous obstacles. Before long, they had covered about a third of the distance.

The already powerful physical enhancement magic, honed over the past few months, has now evolved into an intermediate-level physical enhancement magic, providing even greater boosts to her teammates. Their bodies feel reborn, light and strong. As a result, Naka has earned unanimous praise from her teammates.

"You're really something, Naka. I bet you'll be the top scorer in the Saintess Class graduation exam this time!"

That's what they all said. Naka simply responded calmly.

"No, the Saintess Class has many other very talented friends. No one can draw a conclusion without a final comparison."

So her teammates began to praise Naka's humility. Little did they know that Naka had never actually intended to be the top draft pick in the first place.

As they walked, they seemed to enter a dark area. Despite it being daytime, it was pitch black. They could only talk to each other, relying on sound to determine their teammates' locations. Prepared for battle at any moment, they proceeded cautiously. But no monsters appeared in the darkness to ambush them. After safely emerging from there, the teammates all breathed a sigh of relief.

But at this moment, the soldiers in the team seemed to have noticed something unusual.

"Huh? Where's Letty?"

There were five people when they entered the dark area. But when they emerged from the forest, their hero, Raiti, was missing. The four looked at each other, none of them knowing where he had gone.

"Is he still stuck in that dark forest? Hey! Letty!"

The warrior called his name into the forest behind him. But soon only his own echo returned.

"Hey! Is that guy alright? We weren't attacked by the dolls, but he might be... Should we go back and check on him?"

"Okay, let's do it that way!"

Even if one person is missing from the team, their arrival time at the finish line won't be counted. Finding teammates to continue together is the most important condition. Therefore, the four of them turned back into the dark forest. Of course, Naka wasn't too worried about him. She could probably understand that Reti... no, Nuburang was probably using this opportunity to carry out the secret mission that Fan had given him.

Naka's guess was correct. Absolutely correct. Because the missing Nubrán had now found his target and begun his mission.

Tatia asked the person in front of her in a puzzled voice.

"What are you doing here..., Raeti?"

As she vented her anger with her sword, an unwelcome guest, who shouldn't have been in the mountainous region, suddenly interrupted. It was none other than Rai, the middle-aged hero in Tatia's class.

The assessment has already begun, and Retti should be fighting the puppets in his assigned area. Why is he here instead? Retti simply smiles at Tatsia, offering no reply. Tatsia doesn't bother to inquire either. Annoyed, she picks up her sword and shoos him away.

"Get away from me. I have things to do."

"That's quite unfortunate, Tagia. I only came to you because I had something to do."

Retti responded calmly, while reaching for the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist.

His action alerted Tatsia to hostility and murderous intent. She immediately distanced herself from Retti and prepared her weapon.

"What are you going to do?"

"Me? I didn't do anything. I have no grudge against you. I was just doing someone a favor. So please don't hate me."

Then he drew his sword and pointed the tip at Tatia.

"Hero... no, survivor of the elven race: Tatia. I have been ordered by the Demon King's army to take your life!"

Assessment Begins (Part 2)

"First published on 705u.com - Book Club"

Devil

干部

Tatsia would never forget those two titles. One was the culprit who ordered the destruction of her homeland; the other was the executioner who personally slaughtered her compatriots, friends, teachers, neighbors, and the beloved royal family. For a time, Tatsia hadn't thought about these things. But now she realized she still understood: her ultimate dream remained to avenge these despicable murderers the blood feud that even countless deaths wouldn't be enough to quell.

"Demon King's Army... Officers"

"Takia said through gritted teeth, gripping her sword tightly. She no longer cared about when or how her identity had been exposed to the Demon King's army. Now, her eyes were filled only with a burning rage that wanted to tear the man before her to shreds. In all these years, she had never encountered any of the Demon King's army's monsters. Even her desire for revenge had been hampered by various reasons. Now, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had finally arrived."

"You are... a member of the Demon King's army...!"

"Yes, my direct supervisor ordered me..."

Before Retti could finish speaking, Tatsia had already swiftly closed in on him, thrusting her sword straight at his throat. Retti quickly shut his mouth, and in the nick of time, he swung his own sword horizontally, deflecting Tatsia's attack. Taking advantage of Tatsia's body shifting to the side, he grabbed her right wrist, which was holding the sword, with his left hand.

"What an impatient fellow. Don't you want to hear which officer is behind this and why they want you dead?"

"Shut up!"

Such questions were utterly unimportant to Tatsia. Regardless of which executive gave the order, or the reason given, Tatsia only wanted to send all the executives, along with the Demon Lord himself, to hell. Even if their identities were exposed, or they were attacked by assassins, it didn't matter; she could simply kill the assassins as well. For Tatsia, it was that simple.

But Rhaeti's strength was greater than Tatia had anticipated. Her right hand, gripped tightly, was completely immobilized. Tatia simply released her grip on the sword, transferring it to her left hand. With her free left hand, she thrust at Rhaeti again. But this move was also anticipated by Rhaeti. In the brief instant that Tatia switched hands, he twisted his body, moving behind her and dodging the second attack.

"Quick reaction indeed. No wonder our boss has high hopes for Miss Tatia."

"Tch!"

His praise didn't make Tatsia feel honored; on the contrary, it made her feel extremely nauseous. With nowhere to vent her anger, Tatsia said nothing and attacked him again. Retti, however, was prepared and parried Tatsia's attacks time and time again.

She swung her sword at Rhett's neck, which Rhett ducked to avoid, then delivered a powerful punch to Tatsia's stomach. When Tatsia tried to kick, Rhett blocked with the hilt of her sword and then kicked her other supporting leg, sending her sprawling to the ground. Although Tatsia wasn't in a calm fighting state, she was even more helpless against Rhett than when she fought Oz.

Even if she lost to Oz, Tatia could have at least fought him to a draw at the start of the battle. But Rhett dominated from the very beginning. Tatia couldn't even parry or dodge. She knew Rhett was strong, but based on past lessons, he was definitely not this powerful. Right now, not only Tatia, but even Oz was no match for him.

"snort!"

Raiti, who had been using only the side of her sword and her fists to deflect and counterattack Tatsia's attacks, suddenly twisted her wrist and swept her sword across Tatsia's right shoulder. A long, deep gash instantly appeared on Tatsia's right shoulder. Blood flowed from her sleeve down to her palm.

"You dodged it? Not bad, I thought I'd take your arm this time."

"hateful!"

Rhett spoke casually, as if it were nothing. The fact that he was only now getting serious suggested he had been more at ease in the previous battle. He could kill Tatsia at any time if he wanted to. Tatsia, realizing this, watched him nervously. But her dominant right hand had been severely injured. Holding her sword in her left hand, Tatsia slowly retreated as Rhett closed in.

"If you're thinking of waiting for your companions to arrive, you should give up that idea now. Look at that..."

Rhaeti pointed his sword at a black, spherical object on the floor beside him. There were four such objects around them, each forming a corner, creating a quadrilateral that encircled the two men in the center.

"This thing is the masterpiece of our Demon King's army. It can create a barrier that outsiders can't see or detect. So, your teammates won't bother us."

Although Tatia had never intended to do so, given the current dire situation, she began to hope that Jasmine and her other teammates would find her. This would at least scare Retti away and allow them to escape danger. But this only hope was completely shattered by Retti.

Rhaetie picked up the longsword and licked off the blood of Tatsia that stained it with her tongue. A dangerous, wicked smile appeared on her face.

"Hmm, elven blood is indeed delicious. No wonder His Majesty the Demon King likes it so much."

"you...!"

"Don't worry, little sister Tatia, I won't send you on your way so soon."

As Tatsia retreated to the position of the black sphere, an invisible wall completely blocked her escape. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't escape from this cube. Before her, the now terrifying Retti was only half a step away. He grinned, reached out and grabbed Tatsia by the neck, pulling her close. In Tatsia's ear, whose face was already filled with fear, he whispered words that would once again plunge her into an abyss of terror.

"Let's play a little longer!"

"Did you have any luck over there?"

"No! Where did that guy Retti go?"

Even after Naka and her team searched the dark forest repeatedly, scouring almost every corner, they couldn't find Reti. The team members left the area, exchanging information about their lack of progress. The soldier, looking at the darkening sky outside the skylight, anxiously sought advice from his teammates.

"What do we do? We've already wasted a lot of time here. Should we just leave him and let him keep going?"

"No, it's pointless to be the first to reach the finish line if not everyone is here!"

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Go back and look for him! He was definitely following us before we entered the forest, no doubt about it! He must still be in that forest!"

"We've searched so many times, but we still haven't found him, have we?"