Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Enchantress (1)
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...Beeeep.
A shrill ringing in my ears.
My vision shaking.
The smell of dirt rushing up my nose.
I realized I was sprawled out on the ground.
"Ugh..."
My head felt numb.
My whole body throbbed.
'Ah, I just want to rest like this.'
But I had to get up.
I needed to figure out what was going on.
The moment that thought hit me, I planted both hands on the ground and pushed myself up.
As soon as I was down on one knee, I pulled a Yeongneungdan from my inventory and swallowed it.
"Huu."
My churning stomach settled.
My shaky vision steadied.
My foggy head cleared.
I immediately scanned my surroundings.
"...Aaaah!"
"My legs, my legs...!"
"Hey, man! Snap out of it!"
I saw classmates with broken arms and twisted legs.
Classmates just like me, collapsed and unconscious on the ground moments ago.
From the looks of it, Park Garam's defensive spell had been just a beat too slow.
Still, all things considered, we were lucky.
- Kieeek! Kieeeek!
Sssk, ssaak!
『Damn this barrier!』
『Break! Break! Break already!』
『Aaaah! First a barrier, now this wall!』
Bang! Bang bang!
The monsters and fallen were blocked by the barrier, unable to get in.
The second I saw that, I forced my trembling legs to stand and shouted.
"Everyone, gather at Park Garam!"
The moment I yelled, they all bolted toward Park Garam.
Of course, no one forgot to grab the injured lying nearby.
I scooped up an unconscious injured classmate nearby and headed her way too.
Park Garam, watching us, started pulling her outstretched arms inward.
The mana barrier at the barrier's position began to shrink.
Once it had narrowed to about a 20-meter radius.
Clap!
Park Garam smacked her hands together to lock the barrier's size, then flopped down onto her butt.
She let out a long breath, her face finally easing up a bit.
"Hii, that was tough..."
Even as the Gray Witch's disciple, maintaining a wide-area defense spell without a chant had clearly taken its toll.
Her face was pale, sweat pouring down.
"Park Garam, good work."
"Yeah..., hehe..."
Park Garam smiled weakly and nodded.
I handed her a Yeongneungdan and told her to rest for a bit.
Of course, since she'd already consumed one, she wouldn't get the mental boost or spirit vessel expansion again.
But the elixir's pure spiritual energy didn't just vanish.
And that energy restored 'mana'.
In other words, Yeongneungdan was both a 'full-body cleanse' and a 'mana potion'.
"Th-thanks."
Knowing that, Park Garam didn't refuse the Yeongneungdan.
I watched her down it right away, then pulled out a box stuffed full of elixirs.
I set it down on the ground with a thud and said.
"Anyone low on mana or with mental issues, take one of these."
My classmates stared at me in shock.
"Wait, isn't this stuff only for the main cast or the top practicers?"
One classmate was right—I'd only handed out elixirs to the leads and the best performers during practice.
But clinging to that rule now? The situation was way too dire.
Besides, I had infinite items as my cheat.
Sure, in a comfy practice scenario, maybe hoard them.
But hold back in a crisis like this?
'That'd be idiotic.'
It'd be like sticking my head out and begging the enemy to kill me.
"Not during practice."
But this wasn't practice anymore. This was the real deal, right?
"No way I'm skimping on elixirs when we need every ounce of power we can get."
"...They won't chew us out later?"
"What, need a contract or something?"
These guys wouldn't even eat if I begged them.
I sighed and pulled one elixir from the box.
Stepping up to the classmate in front, I said.
"Open your mouth."
"...Huh?"
"I said open it."
"Uh, okay..., ahhh..."
Intimidated by my vibe, the classmate cracked his mouth open just a bit.
Man, this dense guy.
"Not like that."
Wide open! Wide!
"A-ahhh!"
"There you go."
Hold it wide.
Elixir incoming!
I shouted and shoved the elixir into the gaping maw of my classmate, mouth agape like a baby bird.
Then I snapped his jaw shut.
Gulp.
The elixir melted like liquid and went down. His eyes went wide.
Mana surged from his body.
First time eating one, so the full effects were kicking in.
Not spewing massive mana like the leads, but still a solid, fierce burst worthy of Class A.
"Still not gonna eat?"
This was their chance to expand their spirit vessel, raise their tier?
Harder to get later if not now?
The moment I said that.
"I-I'll eat!"
"Move aside! I'm out of mana right now!"
"I've got mental issues, so me first!"
They all scrambled for the elixir box.
I nodded at the sight, then pulled three more boxes from my inventory and set them down.
"After those, take these too."
But they were all savoring the elixir effects—no replies.
I shook my head and opened the boxes.
The Che-neungdan inside wafted the same elixir scent as the Yeongneungdan.
"...They'll figure it out."
Boxes open, they'll know these are elixirs too.
So what I needed to do now was.
"Guys, help me out."
"Yes!"
"Sure, what do you need?"
"Use the meds in these two boxes?"
Treat the injured.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Meanwhile, at Arena Academy.
Bang, kwang! Bang!
Clang, chaeang!
"...Damn it, why hasn't the Association shown up yet?!"
"Hey, Instructor Park! Didn't you say their guys left already? Why aren't they here!"
"I don't know..., ugh! Either! They definitely said they departed just a bit ago!"
Instructors covered in wounds.
They'd started with 50 at the initial clash.
Now, barely 20 were left fighting the fallen.
"Contact them again!"
"...No connection! Looks like they're under attack too!"
"Fuck! Have the fallen all gone insane as a group?! Pulling shit they never did before!"
The instructors spat curses with furious faces, swinging their weapons harder.
Each swing mowed down lower-to-mid-tier fallen with sword auras and spells.
Even retired, the instructors were upper-tier.
No match for lesser fallen.
But the fallen were too damn numerous.
So even with superior tiers.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
"Instructor Seo! Instructor Seo─!"
Sheer numbers had limits.
"Too many! Too many! We need to retreat!"
"Shut it! Not on our watch!"
"Then why aren't we retreating!"
The oldest-looking instructor swung his weapon and bellowed at that.
"There are kids behind us!"
Other fighting instructors chimed in.
"Paperwork sticklers who roast us for bad forms!"
"Cafeteria chefs and aunties who always feed us well!"
"The gardener uncle who keeps the flower beds pretty!"
The old instructor chuckled and continued.
"How could we retreat?!"
Something clicked at his words.
The retreat advocate clamped his mouth shut.
Then swung his weapon more ferociously.
Senior instructors laughed and shouted.
"Young blood's got energy!"
"Catch 'em all for us, yeah?"
"Getting old sucks, so tiring!"
But their eyes burned fiercer, their weapons hit harder than anyone's.
Kwaang─! Kwaaaang─!
Same for Kang Cheol-su battling Pride.
His momentum matched, but his power was definitely waning.
"Kuh..."
Kang Cheol-su groaned in pain.
Even limiting to upper-tier strength, the plague fragment in his body tormented him.
『Aw, Crusher, aren't you way too weak now?』
Pride sneered.
Kang Cheol-su ground his teeth and swung a fist packed with crushing power.
『Whoa, that looks painful. Gotta dodge.』
Pride hopped aside.
Kang Cheol-su's fist smashed Pride's spot.
Kuuuung─!
A heavy thud like a massive weight crashing.
Kwadudududuk─!
Space warped and crushed in its wake.
『...Kaaaaah!』
『Pride, you crazy bas..., kaaah!』
『Dodging means we get..., guk!』
Dozens of fallen behind Pride were pulverized to dust.
『Whew, still got it?』
But Pride's smirk didn't fade.
Kang Cheol-su swung relentlessly.
『Hmm, maybe not?』
Pride tilted his head.
『Ah, screw it.』
Shaking his head like he genuinely didn't know, Pride suddenly grinned wickedly.
Then thrust his fist at Kang Cheol-su's incoming one.
Kwaaaaaang─!
Everything in a 30-meter radius around them exploded.
A monstrous shockwave swept outward.
"Uwaaaah!"
"What kind of shockwave─!"
『Pride, you bas..., uwaah!』
『If we're your minions, look after us, Pride asshole!』
Instructors and fallen in fierce combat were flung rolling across the ground.
Kang Cheol-su had no time for them, Pride didn't care—they just kept clashing fists.
Kwaang─!
『Weak!』
Kwaaaang─!
『Weaaaak─!』
Kwaaaaang─!
『WEEEAK─!!』
Pride bellowed, bursting into gleeful puhaha laughter.
In contrast, Kang Cheol-su bled from eyes, nose, mouth—every hole—while blocking the fists.
But as time dragged.
Chiiik, chiik...
Kang Cheol-su got pushed back more and more.
Pride pressed harder.
And finally.
Kwaaaang─, kwajik─!
"...Kuhak!"
Pride's fist shattered Kang Cheol-su's gauntlet.
That started it.
『Crusher─!!』
Pride's fists hammered into Kang Cheol-su's body.
Pupupupupuk!
『Our nightmare!』
Right arm snapped.
『Our terror!』
Left shoulder caved.
『Our death!』
Kwajijik!
…His Chest caved in.
Thud.
Kang Cheol-su's knees hit the dirt.
『Uahaha, uahahaha! Crusher's kneeling! The Crusher is on his knees!』
Pride roared with laughter, grabbing his head.
『Plague, you wrecked Crusher good, uahahaha!』
Vision gone.
But the bastard was right there.
Kang Cheol-su swung his broken right arm.
Thuk...
『...Huh?』
Pride, mid-laugh, looked down at whatever touched his leg.
『...You bastard.』
The laughter vanished from Pride's face.
A swing with zero power.
But Pride knew from it: Crusher hadn't given up.
『Why haven't you broken yet?』
How?
Smashed this pathetically, and still?
Couldn't comprehend.
No, didn't want to.
『...Just die already.』
Pride raised his fist.
The instant he swung for the head.
Bang─!
『...Aak!』
A gunshot, something burrowed into Pride's arm.
Pride grimaced at the pain, yanked it out.
『What is this..., a bullet?』
Holy power-infused bullet.
『Who shot this crap?! Show yourself!』
The moment Pride yelled.
"Oh? As you wish."
With a gust of wind, Gray appeared before Pride.
And simultaneously.
"Sister, you have to take me with you."
A priestess in white robes materialized behind Pride amid light.
"No, I said it's just a shitty bullet, annoying."
"But we're a team, right, Sister?"
The closed-eyed priestess cracked one eye.
Gray averted her gaze and nodded.
"...Yeah, we are."
"Then you can go alone, right?"
"...No."
"Exactly. You can't."
At Gray's affirmation, the priestess smiled and closed her eyes again.
"No going alone next time, even if mad, got it?"
"Yeah..."
Gray nodded sullenly at the gentle scolding.
That's when.
『...You messing around right now?』
Pride trembled with a savage glare.
『Joking in front of me?!』
Pride roared in rage, swinging at Gray.
Or tried to.
"You're awfully arrogant."
『......!』
...Until intangible force crushed him.
Kugugugugu─!
"I'm talking, and you dare speak?"
The priestess's closed eyes slowly opened.
Pride's body sank lower and lower.
"A mere fallen?"
They fully opened, revealing red pupils.
『...Cardinal Remilia?!』
Pride, knees buckling to the ground, cried out her name in horror.
The priestess—no, Cardinal Remilia—gazed down impassively and reached into empty air.
Kiiiiing...
Light gathered in her hand.
Formed into shape.
A spear etched with the grand cathedral's mark.
『...N-no!』
Pride screamed at the sight.
Remilia raised it regardless.
"God is with us."
She slammed it down with a thud.
"Immanuel."
Flutter!
The spear's flag flared like wings.
Light flashed from the tip, shooting skyward.
Moments later.
Wuuuuuuung─!
A massive trumpet blast from the heavens.
Hwaaaaaak─!
Immense light rained down.
『...Kaaaaaaaah!』
Pride writhed in the light.
Other fallen vanished without a scream.
The light healed the instructors' wounds clean.
Kang Cheol-su, fully mended, bowed to Remilia.
She smiled and nodded back.
"Gray."
"Yeah."
She met his eyes at his call.
"Your being here means the Subjugation Unit commander went to the kids?"
She nodded with a smile.
Kang Cheol-su slumped, sighing in relief.
"That's..., good."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ We treated the injured with my special recovery potions and awakening potions.
Re-erected the barrier and took out monsters and fallen.
We didn't dismantle Park Garam's mana barrier.
Couldn't, really.
『Shuwaaaaaam─!』
『...Shuwaaaaaam─!』
Kwaaaaaang─, kwaaaaaaang─!
Fallen kept pulling Shubamkwang for suicide bombs now and then.
And true to her bold claim, even point-blank blasts left her barrier unscathed.
It consumed mana on impacts, but with a Yeongneungdan box right beside her, no shortages.
After tens of minutes, hours of siege.
Something entered my vision.
An incredibly beautiful woman.
The kind that sucked your mind right in.
She beckoned me.
That seductive gesture made me feel like I had to go to her.
The instant my foot touched the barrier top.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ ['Resilient Mind (A)' derivative skill 'Calm Heart' activation conditions met.] [Shall we activate 'Calm Heart'?] "...Shit!"
I snapped to and yanked an awakening potion from my inventory, chugging it.
My clouding mind cleared in a flash.
I channeled mana into my voice and bellowed.
"Enchantress appeared! Everyone, drink awakening potions─!"
The moment I shouted, a sultry voice purred in my ear.
- Haaa..., even your voice is sweet.
Looking at her source.
- Come to me, darling?
The Enchantress licked her lips and continued.
- I'll show you supreme pleasure, hmm?
I set down the minigun.
Her eyes lit with expectation as she beckoned.
I flashed her a grin.
Then drew 'Thunderbolt' from my tactical vest holster, aimed, and said.
"Fuck off."
Rumble bang─!
Thunderbolt fired lightning.