Main Episode Quest Evaluation Begins (7)
“Ah, ugh, ugh…!”
“Haa… haa…”
“Damn it, you monkey brat… ugh!”
It was, if there was any justice in the world, an utterly inevitable outcome.
After all, that long-armed monkey was a monster so overwhelmingly powerful that it defied any simple label like “decent opponent.”
Guess I can’t do this head-on.
Tactics? Strategy? They were just jokes.
When levels are close, it can work. But compare it to an RPG, and a level-five NPC had zero chance of taking down a thirty-five-level monster.
Everyone’s in bad shape.
The kids who’d taken hits from the monkey looked barely alive—clothes half-torn, shields cracked and shattered, every one of them battered and breathless.
This had all happened in mere minutes.
So far the black-handed long-armed monkey had been slacking, but now it let out puffs of white steam from every pore, its fur turning a deep reddish hue. The children could barely stand.
Yes. The second phase had begun.
The so-called Red-Fury Monkey state.
Most stats jump when it goes like that.
Physical attack and defense, magic defense—all two tiers higher. Its personality turns vicious. It stops ending prey quickly and starts playing with them.
And there it was.
“Grrk… ggggh…”
The long-armed monkey stretched its huge hand, clamped it around Yu Seol-hyeon’s neck, and slowly forced its filthy maw open.
“Kiiiiee! Ee! Ee!”
Its jaw split into four jagged edges, revealing countless razor-sharp teeth that looked just like a shark’s.
They advanced toward Yu Seol-hyeon, slow and deliberate—perfectly designed to strangle and swallow.
“Ugh, ugh! Let go, aaah!”
Yu Seol-hyeon’s face had gone deathly pale. She thrashed with both legs and arms, but it was as helpless as a butterfly caught in spider silk.
“Kiii, iii, iii…”
Instead, the red-furred monkey savored her terrified face, inching its maw closer and closer, taking its sweet time.
Hong Dae-ye… she’s too busy fighting that minotaur to help.
Hong Dae-ye, locked in combat with the minotaur, had no spare energy to intervene.
Her anomaly abilities were almost depleted; she was relying on sword technique alone.
She was even too focused on the fight to realize the situation was already critical.
“Cough, cough. Seol-hyeon… Seol-hyeon!”
“Haa, haa… ugh… hah…”
Seo Nari wiped blood from her face and Jin Soyeon gripped her sword tightly, both charging with everything they had.
“Kiri? Kiiiie!”
The red-furred monkey laughed mockingly and waved one hand, casually blocking their attacks while slamming its shoulder and flank into them.
BOOM!
“Ugh!”
“Ugh…”
With short cries, both girls tumbled across the training ground.
Once it entered red-fury mode, almost every attack bounced off. The monkey let out a hearty cackle, tongue flicking lazily as if daring anyone to try again.
After watching their desperate struggles, Jinhyuk muttered to himself.
That’s about it.
They’d fought well. They’d given it everything.
It wasn’t the kind of monster you could beat with normal moves, and they’d lasted this long—that was already impressive.
It was a losing battle where victory was nearly impossible anyway.
Time was running out. More casualties would come if he waited.
He couldn’t afford more victims, so it was time to end this.
…
Jinhyuk fished the lid off his water bottle, poured the liquid onto his arrow’s tip, and nocked it.
The sticky fluid soaked the shaft.
It even carried a sweet scent.
Perfect. Done.
What he’d just smeared on the arrow wasn’t dangerous chemicals or deadly poison.
In fact, it was nothing but super-pure ninety-nine-percent apple juice—something you could buy anywhere in the academy.
…Wait. No.
Not a joke. Really.
This was genuine apple juice.
If it had been dangerous, the academy wouldn’t have allowed it on campus, and he certainly couldn’t have bought it on the market.
I still can’t believe I did that.
He hadn’t gone crazy. This apple juice was the actual key to killing the monster.
Just what kind of setting is this?
Do you know the game StarCraft?
It used to sweep across Korea as a massive strategy simulation.
In the esports version, a terrifying monster called the Zergling—nicknamed “the swarm’s hunting dog”—ruled the battlefield.
It could rip through thick steel like paper. But it had one ridiculous weakness.
What was it?
Lemon juice.
Not a joke. Official lore said the Zergling had a genetic allergy to lemons.
It sounded like something you’d only see in fanfiction, yet it was canon.
…And.
Romance Hero Academy had taken that ridiculous lore and turned it into a full homage.
They even went further.
They gave the black-handed long-armed monkey a fatal apple-juice allergy, and once it drank the juice, all stats dropped sharply while it suffered continuous damage.
In-game terms, the ape became addicted and its attack and defense tanked, taking dot damage the whole time.
Apple juice was basically poison to that monkey.
Of course you can’t get apples in-game…
But this isn’t a game. This is real life.
You can bring apples onto campus as much as you want.
…Hah. Now it makes sense.
Jinhyuk drew the bowstring back and aimed at the monkey.
It chuckled lazily, as if he didn’t even need to bother with some kid’s arrow.
Yu Seol-hyeon hung from its grip, eyes squeezed shut.
Seeing her like that stirred a faint pang of guilt.
Those kids already suffered enough because of me.
If he’d just used the apple juice earlier, the monkey would have fallen much faster and more cleanly.
The girls wouldn’t have gotten hurt at all.
But he held back. He wanted them to experience the full weight of fighting a real monster.
Some might feel powerless. Others despair. Yet these children wouldn’t break.
They’d come out of this battle stronger, more determined to survive the dangers that would come with life at Union Academy.
Heroines, male leads, villainess heirs, named NPCs—they’d all walk into dangerous events sooner or later.
It was better to let them gain experience now, while they could still help him later.
Because he was still weak… and he’d need their help in the future.
With that thought, Jinhyuk released the arrow.
The shaft streaked forward at blinding speed and slammed straight into the monkey’s split jaw.
THUNK!
Yu Seol-hyeon bit her lower lip in fury.
“Ugh… ggh!”
At first it had been a fair fight, but the moment its body turned red, the monkey slaughtered the kids with impossible speed and power.
She and the others had never stood a chance.
“Kiiiiiiii! Kiiiie!”
“Ugh…”
The monkey was toying with them.
Was it arrogance? Or just confidence? It dangled Yu Seol-hyeon in the air by the neck, ready to eat her at any moment.
“Kiii, kiii…”
As if daring anyone to save her faster.
It laughed cruelly at the fallen children, intelligence making it especially vicious.
The kids tried everything to save her, but it was useless.
These training tools couldn’t deliver a real hit.
“Ugh… ugh… damn it…”
Yu Seol-hyeon gasped, struggling for air.
Her oxygen was cut off. The monkey’s sharp claws were slowly slicing into her pale, delicate skin.
“Ugh, ack! Ugh!”
She thrashed wildly.
She grabbed the monkey’s wrist, punched its chest. Her hands hurt even more—the skin was too tough. Her face turned blue. Oxygen wasn’t reaching her brain. The monkey laughed at her.
It tightened its grip on her neck.
Is this it? Time’s up?
…So this is how I die?
There was still so much she hadn’t done.
She hadn’t gained her grandfather’s approval. She hadn’t proven herself to her brothers and sisters.
There were dreams and duties piled higher than mountains, yet her life ended here?
She knew a hero lived with death at his side, but she hadn’t even become one yet.
To die like this… without accomplishing anything…?
Mine?
“…Ah.”
Jinhyuk’s eyes slowly closed.
His once-bright gaze dimmed until the heavy eyelids finally shut.
“…Save… me…”
Please… please save me…
Yu Seol-hyeon begged silently.
Whip—
THUNK.
An arrow slammed into the monkey’s open mouth.
“Kii? Kiiiii…?”
…Jinhyuk?
But it was useless.
An arrow like that couldn’t hurt a monster this strong…?
“Ki? Kiiruk?! Kiiiiiiiiie, eeeek!”
The once-calm red long-armed monkey suddenly screamed, blood spraying from its mouth.
What the hell?
Why was this monster…?
“Kii?! Keeeek! Keeeeek!”
It vomited blood in agony and hurled Yu Seol-hyeon far away.
“Aaaah!”
She rose several meters in the air, brain starved of oxygen, and fell toward the ground without even being able to roll.
“Ugh!”
“Hah… Seol-hyeon, are you okay?”
“Cough, cough, cough… haa… Jin… hyuk?”
Jinhyuk caught her in his arms and barely managed to keep her from hitting the floor.
“Snap out of it, Seol-hyeon!”
“Haa, haa, ugh…”
After sucking in air repeatedly, her vision cleared enough to stare at the distant monster still screaming.
Whatever had happened, it was acting like someone poisoned.
…I’m conscious now. I’m… fine… cough, cough… I’m okay.
With clearer thoughts, Yu Seol-hyeon clenched her fist and stood.
“Kiiiie!”
“Haa, haa!”
Far away, Lee Siwoo was still fighting the monkey.
Its movements had slowed considerably, giving them a real chance.
Did Jinhyuk’s arrow hit a vital point?
She didn’t know the details, but if this was a chance, she’d take it. No more hesitation.
“Now!”
“Kiiiie?!”
THUNK.
A magically infused blade sank into the monkey’s split jaw.
Good. Lee Siwoo felt his blood surge.
The blade had gone in smoother than he expected. Durability dropped? In this mess, hope was all he needed.
Yeah, he could do this.
“…Seol-hyeon!”
“I got it!”
Yu Seol-hyeon gripped the arrowhead that had fallen and hurled it with all her strength.
Magic Lance.
The purple spear pierced the monkey’s belly. It didn’t go all the way through, but the damage was significant.
“Aaaah, aaah! You’re dead, you monkey brat!”
Seo Nari charged, roaring, one arm useless but unwilling to miss this opening.
“Die! Die!”
“Kiiik, kiiik?! Kiiiiiiie!”
WHAM! WHAM! BOOM! WHAM!
She poured every ounce of strength she had into smashing the monkey. Flesh flew, blood sprayed.
She didn’t stop.
She couldn’t give it time to heal.
“Hah!”
“Ugh, ugh, hah…”
Soon every child who could move rushed in and attacked the monkey.
The long-armed ape could barely fight back, vomiting blood nonstop.
“It’s really tough…!”
“Hah.”
After what felt like forever,
“Is that thing… dead?”
“…Probably.”
Suddenly the monkey collapsed, body limp, finally at rest.
“Ugh, ugh. Hah. Everyone alive?”
“Instructor…!”
BOOM. The minotaur’s massive body stirred up dust.
A sword blade was buried deep in its chest.
Hong Dae-ye scanned the children without even catching her breath. No deaths, she hoped. They were all injured, but they were alive. Truly fortunate.
“…You kids defeated that monkey yourselves?”
“Haa, haa… we were lucky.”
Lucky? It wasn’t a monster you could beat so easily.
Honestly, even active heroes couldn’t have taken it down.
…How did that even happen?
Just then,
“Second Guard Squad! There! Rescue the students! Medical team!”
“Leave the monsters to Team One!”
“That’s a minotaur? Did Hong Dae-ye Sensei actually kill it?”
Far away, the guard squad came sprinting into view.
Special monster hunters, all of them.
“…They really came fast, huh.”
Jin Soyeon collapsed with a bitter smile.
Even the police in movies didn’t move that quickly.
Why did they always show up after everything was already over?