Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Ambush (1)
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Academy Monitoring Room.
Lee Yeon-ji, the instructor on duty today, had been watching the countless monitors.
She let out a deep sigh at the scene playing out on the screens and spoke up.
"Senior, is this really okay for the midterm evaluation?"
"Hm..."
In response to her question, Kang Cheol-su, who was monitoring alongside her, scratched the scar on his forehead instead of answering.
Seeing him like that, Lee Yeon-ji sighed deeply once more.
She then gazed at the stack of evaluation forms piled high like a tower on the table in front of her, her face gloomy, and said,
"Senior, what are we supposed to write on the kids' evaluations...?"
Originally, the students were supposed to act in line with the 'survival' theme.
For example, staying on high alert, nerves on edge, vigilant against potential ambushes at any time, anywhere.
And to combat hunger, either live off the land using the survival skills they'd learned so far or fight over the daily airdropped supply crates.
But everything had gone off the rails.
All because of one person: Lee Yoo-jin.
"Other than that fight on day one and the brief monster hunt on day four, there's nothing to evaluate..."
The kids from Class B and Class C, who had barely survived Class A—no, more precisely, Lee Yoo-jin—were surviving just as the instructors had hoped.
But Class A, gathered around Lee Yoo-jin, wasn't surviving. They were camping.
Sleeping not in trees or on the bare ground, but in top-of-the-line tents crafted by the academy's production department.
No need for self-sufficiency; they quenched their hunger with gourmet meals prepared in the academy cafeteria.
In short, Class A had zero evaluable material, all thanks to Lee Yoo-jin.
Of course, the students hadn't done anything wrong.
If anyone was at fault, it was the instructors for not clearly specifying the rules in the guidelines.
That's why Lee Yeon-ji, Kang Cheol-su, and all the other instructors were racking their brains.
"...We still have to write something, right?"
"Yeah... I suppose we do."
Lee Yeon-ji and Kang Cheol-su pulled out the evaluation forms with Class A's names and picked up their pens.
And as Lee Yeon-ji wrote 'The top student is thoroughly prepared,' Kang Cheol-su spotted something odd on the monitor.
"...Hold on, who's that woman?"
Standing among the Class B and C students camping on the beach was a woman.
"She definitely wasn't there a second ago."
Kang Cheol-su nudged Lee Yeon-ji, who was grumbling over her evaluation form, wondering if it was just his eyes playing tricks.
"Ow, Senior, I'm busy writing these evaluations here..."
Her handwriting had gone all wonky from the sudden poke, and she looked up with a complaining expression.
But that complaint was short-lived.
"Lee Yeon-ji, can you see that woman on the monitor?"
"...Yes, I see her."
Realizing a problem had arisen, Lee Yeon-ji's face turned serious.
"So it's not just my eyes."
Hearing her confirmation, Kang Cheol-su lifted the radio from the table with a grave expression.
And just as he was about to contact one of the students' bracelets on the monitor...
Rumble...
The building suddenly began to shake.
The monitoring instructors stood up from their seats, looking baffled.
"Earthquake...?"
"...Doesn't seem like it. No disaster alert."
"Then what the hell is this shaking?"
The instructors were in a state of confusion.
Shaking her head at the sight, Lee Yeon-ji rose from her seat.
"Senior, I'll go check it out."
"Yeah, go ahead."
No sooner had Kang Cheol-su spoken than Lee Yeon-ji vanished.
True to her specialty in spatial magic, she'd cast it in an instant.
Kang Cheol-su turned his gaze back to the monitor.
And just as he was about to retry the communication...
Flash!
Lee Yeon-ji reappeared, having gone to check outside.
"S-Senior! Big trouble, huge trouble!"
Her face was extremely grave.
"Lee Yeon-ji, calm down."
She was someone who rarely panicked.
What on earth had she seen?
"Hoo, haa..."
At Kang Cheol-su's command to stay calm, Lee Yeon-ji took a deep breath.
She continued in a somewhat steadier voice.
"A massive group of Fallen has appeared outside the academy's main gate!"
"What?!"
Kang Cheol-su shot up from his seat in shock.
He rushed out of the monitoring room.
Peering through the window at the main gate...
Thud, thud, thud!
An enormous horde of Fallen was pounding on the magic barrier inscribed at the gate.
"Those crazy bastards!"
"Have those fuckers lost their minds as a group?"
"Damn Fallen scum, daring to invade the academy?"
The instructors following Kang Cheol-su exploded in fury at the sight through the windows.
They leaped out the windows and charged toward the gate.
Kang Cheol-su was about to jump too when...
"Senior! Grab my hand!"
Lee Yeon-ji reached out to him.
He immediately took her hand.
Flash.
In an instant, Kang Cheol-su and Lee Yeon-ji were at the main gate.
The guards, tense at the front, greeted them with relieved faces.
Kang Cheol-su quickly ordered the guards to evacuate, then approached the gate.
His eyes fixed on a Fallen amid those banging on the gate, one doing nothing but smirking.
"...Pride. Looks like you've finally gone mad wanting to die."
The Named Fallen, Pride, tilted his head at Kang Cheol-su.
As if he couldn't quite remember who he was.
But that lasted only a moment.
Clap!
"Ah! You're Crusher!"
Pride clapped as if it had just clicked, uttering Kang Cheol-su's moniker.
Then, smirking just as before, he continued.
"You... aren't you way weaker now? I didn't even recognize you at first."
"......"
Kang Cheol-su ground his teeth at Pride's words but couldn't retort.
The bastard was right; he was weakened by the 'Fragment of Plague' embedded in his body.
Unable to exert more than upper-mid-tier power, fighting Pride now would be a guaranteed loss.
But that didn't mean he planned to flee.
With no Transcendents in Korea right now, if the academy's main gate fell, catastrophe would follow.
He had to defend this place no matter what.
"Pride, if you don't want to die, get out of here."
"All talk from a weakling."
Pride cackled.
"...Forgot the academy has two Transcendents?"
"What, the Archmage and the War God?"
Pride tilted his head.
"The Archmage isn't here, and the War God's busy blocking an Apostle."
Damn, they knew everything.
They'd come prepared.
"...Even without them, this place is crawling with upper-tier heroes. Back off if you value your life."
He said it, but he knew they wouldn't.
So Kang Cheol-su operated his Smart Watch as he spoke.
"If you're set on fighting..."
He pressed the 'Emergency Message Transmit' button on his Smart Watch, glaring at Pride with murderous eyes.
"I'll make damn sure you die."
Even if it kills me.
"......"
The smirk vanished from Pride's lips.
"You arrogant prick."
Immense demonic energy poured from Pride's body.
"If you're weak, act like it and crawl. How dare you strut before me?"
Pride stepped forward.
The Fallen pounding the gate hurriedly cleared a path.
"Plague said you tasted good, so I was gonna spare you. But no."
Standing before the gate, Pride glared at Kang Cheol-su with bloodthirsty eyes.
"Just die."
As Pride raised his fist...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Instructor! Emergency! Named Fallen, Seduction, has appeared on the island! Lee Yoo-jin's urgent voice blared from the radio in Kang Cheol-su's pants pocket.
Pride clapped as if remembering something. "Oh yeah."
"Seduction said there's someone in your academy's first-years she really wants to eat."
Pride continued with a sinister grin.
"Name was... Lee Yoo-jin, right?"
"You fucking—!"
Kang Cheol-su flew into a rage.
He couldn't hold back at the bastard targeting his student.
"How dare you target my student—!"
"Eek, scary."
Pride mock-shrunk back in mock fear.
Then, straightening up, he sneered vilely.
"So what're you gonna do about it? How's a guy stuck here gonna stop Seduction?"
"......"
Kang Cheol-su's clenched fist trembled at the mockery.
But only for a moment.
"Hoo."
With a deep breath to quell his anger and regain composure, he turned to the fidgeting Lee Yeon-ji behind him.
"Go."
"Wh-What about you, Senior?"
"We'll hold here. You go to the kids."
As he spoke, Kang Cheol-su drew up his magic power.
Pretending to check his watch, he discreetly operated his Smart Watch.
Bzzz.
Lee Yeon-ji's Smart Watch vibrated.
She checked it to see:
- Head to the Association. The Subjugation Units will be on standby there.
"...Senior, don't die."
"Kids these days call that a death flag. Can't answer that."
She let out a small "Pfft."
"See you after work, then."
"Hey, that's a flag too..."
But before he could finish, she vanished.
Spatial magic.
"Hoo."
With Lee Yeon-ji gone too...
Kang Cheol-su exhaled deeply, pulling the radio from his pocket.
He tuned it to Lee Yoo-jin's bracelet frequency and activated it.
"Lee Yoo-jin, we've got a Named Fallen here too. But reinforcements will head your way soon. Hold out just a bit."
After the transmission, he pocketed the radio.
From his subspace ring, he drew a pair of gauntlets and equipped them.
"You won't enter the academy unless you kill us all."
At his resolve, Pride grinned and raised his fist.
Demonic energy surging from his body gathered into the raised fist.
Once enough had amassed...
"Yeah? Fine, I'll kill you all then."
Pride thrust his fist forward.
Boom!
A massive shockwave echoed.
Screeech... Crash!
The magic barrier shattered along with the main gate, collapsing into the academy grounds.
Kang Cheol-su assumed combat stance and shouted.
"Everyone, battle ready—!"
The instructors raised their weapons and took positions.
Pride, watching them, spoke in an arrogant tone.
"Kill them all."
With those words...
"I'll kill you all!"
"Become our food willingly!"
"I won't make it hurt! No, I will!"
"We'll slaughter you all!"
"You won't break through us!"
"This is your grave!"
Bang! Boom! Kaboom!
The battle between the instructors and the Fallen began.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ &
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A Named Fallen appearing during midterm evaluations—not even duel season.
A special danger-level rift swallowing the uninhabited island, disasters piling up one after another.
But I didn't despair.
I'd prepared for times like this.
"Top student! Barrier setup complete!"
We'd built an outpost centered on the lighthouse.
"Top student! Awakening potion crates deployed!"
To resist Seduction's charm, I'd made awakening potions.
"Top student! Holy grenades crates deployed!"
To handle monsters corrupted by the rift's demonic energy, Noah and I made bombs.
So we'd hold out here at the outpost until reinforcements arrived.
"Top student! Deployment here..."
"Top student! Done here too..."
Reports came from all directions.
Soon, they all finished.
I thanked everyone for their hard work, told them to rest even briefly, and climbed to the top of the lighthouse.
I lit the lighthouse beacon, pushing back the surrounding darkness to a certain radius.
Seeing that, I nodded to Noah, who was already up there.
"The Lord will protect us."
Noah knelt reverently and began to pray.
"Immanuel."
"Immanuel." Whoosh!
With his prayer, immense holy power poured from Noah's body.
Moments later...
A defensive barrier of holy power enveloped the outpost.
"I won't be able to move from here."
I patted Noah's shoulder.
"That's more than enough."
Just repelling the rift's demonic energy was plenty—overflowing, even—for her role.
"If anything happens, fire the signal flare right away. You can do that, right?"
"Yes, that I can."
I nodded at her response and descended the lighthouse.
Climbing atop the installed barrier, I activated Farsight.
Whoosh.
My vision expanded, overlooking the uninhabited island.
The island, clearly visible hours ago, was now consumed by darkness, invisible.
But Farsight let me see through the dark to pinpoint enemy positions.
As the island was shrouded, making it hard to see...
Seduction, toying with me, approached leisurely as a white dot.
Class B and C kids charmed by her: orange dots.
Monsters: red dots.
Colors changed for easy enemy identification.
'...The monsters are almost here.'
Red dots closing in fast.
Minutes away from the outpost.
I deactivated Farsight and shouted to the others.
"Monsters are nearly upon us! Everyone, prepare!"
At my call, they drew weapons from their subspace items and climbed the barriers.
I too pulled a weapon from my inventory.
None other than...
⚔ ITEM ⚔ 【Death's Angel (A-)】 A minigun crafted by a master artisan. Per the client's request, it has extremely high durability. But proportionally, its weight is extremely high. - On fire: Applies 'Armor-Piercing (B-)'. - On fire: Applies 'Explosion (B-)'. - Agility -12 「Armor-Piercing (B-)」 Grants 'Armor-Piercing' to bullets. Deals bonus damage to armored 'enemies'. 「Explosion (B-)」 Grants 'Explosion' to bullets. Bullets explode, dealing fire damage. ...a minigun.
Thud.
"...Definitely heavy."
But thanks to OPG's 'Superhuman Strength (B)' effect, I could manage.
I then slung the ammo box onto my back.
Inside were 'Holy Rounds (7.62×51mm)' made specially for the minigun.
Clank.
Connecting the ammo to the minigun, I took a deep breath and looked ahead.
"Hoo, hoo..."
"...We can do this, we can."
"Just hold out, that's all we gotta do..."
My classmates' tense breaths and resolves reached my ears.
And at the same time...
- Screeech!
Eerie monster cries echoed from the darkness.
Soon after...
- Keeeeek!
- Roooar!
- Kigigigik!
The monsters came into view.
I gripped my weapon tighter and squeezed the minigun's trigger hard.
Whirr!
The minigun spun up.
Followed by...
Kaboom!