Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Leech Swarm Onslaught
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"Rolling around and falling flat again. If you want to swim, go to the sea or a pool—why flail about in a swamp? Is that fun? Does the muck taste good? I just can't wrap my head around the psychology of it."
*That bastard.*
They say camaraderie sprouts amid hardship.
The freshmen in Class B glared at Jae-hyeok in perfect unison.
With the terrain adaptation training extended by two hours from last week, groans were already echoing everywhere—and then he had to go and rile them up.
"Aigoo, doing great. Really great. That's why you keep tumbling—with your backs bent like that. Did the whole class get certified as negative examples or something?"
"Aw, shut it! You're stomping on our backs all the time, so we can't even straighten up, you jerk! You think we'd be doing this for no reason?"
Lee Jin-seong finally snapped, unable to take it anymore. The price was brutal. His wild movement threw off the fragile balance he'd barely maintained, and he pitched forward.
In an instant, Jin-seong was submerged in the swamp, only his butt sticking out.
Jae-hyeok, who had mounted it, marveled in genuine surprise.
"Is this punk's first skill [Chair Creation] or something?"
"Ugh! Urrrrghhh!!"
Even acting flippant, he made it look good. Perched on Lee Jin-seong's butt like a chair, Jae-hyeok shone alone amid the hellish muck-covered landscape. They could've slapped that pose on a magazine cover without a hint of incongruity.
"He looks perfectly fine, which pisses me off even more."
"Why'd God give a face like that to a guy like him..."
"Aaagh! I can't take it anymore! Don't hate me too much, Kang Jae-hyeok! Don't you think it's about time you experienced shit water pouring out of your ears in the shower too?"
All hell broke loose.
While everyone else was caked in mud and filth, Jae-hyeok was spotless. The sight drove the students mad with rage, sparking a frenzy.
They didn't hesitate to cooperate, all for the chance to shove him into the swamp just once.
...
Kim Jin-myeong simply watched the students.
He refrained from interfering rashly, given the impressive achievements Class B had made on their own over the past week.
In his teaching career, he'd never seen students grow this fast.
Behold. Their disciplined teamwork in the swamp. They looked ready to play soccer there soon... no, seeing all the pratfalls, maybe that was going too far.
In any case, at the center of this astonishing growth was Kang Jae-hyeok.
The speed at which he'd adapted to the swamp was awe-inspiring, no matter how many times he replayed it.
It was possible only thanks to the noble(?) sacrifices of his classmates, who had served as stepping stones throughout the training...
*From just the third day, he grasped the swamp's traits and fine-tuned his movements to minimize resistance.*
A living textbook, you might say.
The other students were absorbing Jae-hyeok's influence in real time.
Since he relentlessly teased and tormented them, they naturally observed him closely, desperately trying to mimic his movements.
They couldn't match his mana operation ability, so the gap only widened.
*Smart, perfect control over his own body, and mana operation on par with advanced players.*
The more the kids lunged at him, the more thrilled Jae-hyeok got.
Kim Jin-myeong's expression darkened as he watched him intently.
No matter how many times he reconsidered, Jae-hyeok's mana measurement results gnawed at him.
*Why on earth did heaven bestow such a beggar-tier skill on a genius like that?*
Not content with giving him a dogshit personality...
"...Alright, alright. Everyone calm down and gather up."
Checking the time, Kim Jin-myeong called the students to assemble.
Most had passed out, and even those still conscious crawled over sluggishly to stand before him.
Only Jae-hyeok remained perfectly composed, not a single breath out of place... but no one questioned it.
"Tomorrow, we'll release monsters into the swamp."
"Y-You're serious?"
"We can't even run properly in the swamp yet, and you're bringing monsters already..."
Isn't the pacing too fast?
As the terrified students pulled long faces, Kim Jin-myeong reassured them.
"...It'd be weirder if they were running around in the swamp. Anyway, we'll be doing joint training with Class C, so no need to worry about danger. Even if something goes wrong, the teachers will ensure your safety."
"Yes..."
Unlike the students, who weren't reassured at all, Jae-hyeok's eyes had been sparkling since earlier. He was practically wagging an imaginary tail from excitement.
Kim Jin-myeong chuckled unwittingly and dismissed the students.
***
-Provoke Kang Jae-hyeok during this joint training.
-That's your answer? You think one stunt like that earns 20 credits?
-Indeed. Why would I lie to you, someone debuting straight to Assault Team 3 at the Association after graduation? I know petty errands aren't your style, but trust me just this once. The higher-ups won't forget your cooperation either.
1st Year Class C, Park Si-woo.
A promising talent slapped with a red evaluation.
Both teachers and students were fond of him.
But what Park Si-woo needed wasn't mere fondness—it was tangible rewards.
Like credits, for instance.
The more credits, the better. They were currency exchangeable for elixirs or items.
*Kang Jae-hyeok... Seems like he's on the outs with Association alumni teachers, just like the rumors.*
The brother of Kang Dae-seong, who crippled the Association Chairman and fled abroad.
It was only natural that Association teachers despised Jae-hyeok.
The moment he provoked him, something bad was bound to happen to Jae-hyeok.
But what could he do?
*What happens to others is none of my business. I've got my own life to live.*
Park Si-woo was twenty-eight.
Young for someone who'd awakened with a top-tier first skill.
His level was low only because he'd just awakened, but in terms of luck and talent alone, he stacked up well against Class A students.
Thus, he naturally harbored ambitions.
To become the Association's ace, rake in hundreds of billions in annual salary, and live cushy forever.
To achieve that dream, he needed to grow as strong as possible before graduation.
Even if it meant crushing a young boy.
"Please take care of us during today's training."
"Haha, sure."
Class B and Class C gathered in the swamp zone.
First, Kim Jin-myeong exchanged greetings with the Class C advisor. It seemed cordial at a glance, but the C Class advisor was arrogant. While Kim Jin-myeong bowed politely, the man merely nodded curtly.
*Younger than our advisor, but no manners.*
*He's Association alumni. Heard they band together through connections and bully guild出身 teachers.*
*Acting like that in front of students? Must be a sight behind closed doors.*
*...But is that really rude? Compared to Kang Jae-hyeok, he's a saint.*
*Anyone looks angelic next to that bastard.*
Blood is thicker than water—or in this case, class loyalty—so Class B students shot sidelong glares at the C Class advisor.
Meanwhile, Jae-hyeok was glaring at Kim Jin-myeong.
*Typical Kim Jin-myeong. No wonder he gets treated like that—his conduct's always crap. Tsk tsk.*
*...*
As students shifted from glaring at the C Class advisor to Jae-hyeok...
"As you all know, this swamp zone is artificially created for training. Real swamps are deeper in the Black Forest. Soon, instructors will head into the forest to lure monsters here."
Kim Jin-myeong explained the training.
"Keep this in mind. The goal isn't hunting monsters—it's adapting to a swamp where monsters are active and mastering safe passage. No need to risk fighting them head-on. Focus solely on escaping the swamp however you can."
"Yes!"
*Judging by the vibe, they're probably releasing just five or six monsters at most.*
Jae-hyeok frowned.
He'd fully adapted to the swamp terrain.
Unless monsters seriously interfered, he could swim laps, grill some meat, and nap there.
In other words, it was time to step up the challenge.
He wanted to experience a swamp teeming with hordes of rampaging monsters.
But the atmosphere suggested a peaceful lesson, leaving him disappointed.
*...Well, most Awakeners stay at level 1 their whole lives. I get the safety obsession.*
Awakening to become a Player was easy.
Leveling up? Not so much.
Gates were dangerous places, monsters overwhelmingly strong.
Plenty of Awakeners never set foot near a Gate their entire lives.
Countless more bravely challenged one, only to end up crippled or dead.
World nations didn't run Player training institutions for nothing.
"They're coming!"
The on-edge students shouted in unison.
Three monsters were chasing the instructors bursting from the forest.
Swamp Leeches.
The most common E-rank monsters in swamp zones.
"Ew, gross."
"They say once one latches on, it drains you dry until you're a mummy."
Amid the pale-faced students.
"Three?"
Jae-hyeok clicked his tongue.
"What're you gonna do with just three measly monsters? They won't even make a ripple in the swamp."
"Pretty confident, huh? Swamp Leeches are among the fastest E-rank monsters. They're crawling on land now, not at full speed, but in the swamp? They'll move on a whole other level. Underestimate them, and you'll regret it."
Park Si-woo, who'd been watching Jae-hyeok, chimed in slyly.
The leeches arrived right then, plunging into the swamp.
The students buzzed.
They freaked out seeing the leeches rocket away at insane speeds the moment they hit the water.
"See? Fast, right?"
Park Si-woo had quickly sized up Jae-hyeok's personality in that short time.
No patience, no manners—a type who ignited at the slightest prod.
He understood perfectly why his role was to provoke Jae-hyeok.
Park Si-woo figured Jae-hyeok would charge straight into the swamp.
The C Class advisor thought the same.
He anticipated Jae-hyeok blundering in without prior knowledge, getting humiliated, then lashing out at Park Si-woo.
*Then I'll slap him with penalty points immediately.*
Penalty points in the second week of enrollment? Thirty of them?
Grounds enough to suggest expulsion.
A thick smile crept across the C Class advisor's lips.
"Nervous? You've been yapping nonstop about how fast the leeches are."
Contrary to expectations, Jae-hyeok flipped the script, provoking Park Si-woo instead.
"Looked like you crammed all night out of fear. Think you can even try challenging them now?"
And as a red-evaluated prospect, Park Si-woo had sky-high pride.
*...No way I'm scared of mere E-rank monsters. I'll go first—watch and learn.*
*He was supposed to provoke, but he got owned instead.*
With things going awry from the start, the C Class advisor felt a bad premonition.
Meanwhile, deep in the Black Forest.
*Oh... shit.*
Several Class A students, butchering rampaging monsters while advancing through the swamp, turned pale.
Too late, they realized they'd misread the map and entered the [Swamp Leech King]'s territory.
Kyaaoooo!!
Realization came too late.
With the king's roar, hundreds of leeches flooded out. They began a massive migration, tracking the swamp's presence.
The biggest problem here...
Wriggle wriggle!
A portion of the leech swarm had sensed the swamp beyond the forest.
Where Class B and Class C were conducting joint training.