Chapter 123
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Midterms (5)
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While I was deep in thought, Cheon Seo-yun came over and asked what I planned to do.
"What're you gonna do?"
"Good question. We have to push forward like this, though."
If another giant mosquito showed up, we'd probably panic and it'd end with me taking it down.
"...Come to think of it, don't almost all insects have wings?"
Wingless insects seemed pretty rare among bugs.
At my words, the team's faces paled slightly before they immediately scanned their surroundings.
"They're still just bugs, though. Jeong Yu-mi, you take the front. Cheon Seo-yun and Oh Ye-rin, cover her flanks."
For now, we'd stick to the formation we'd practiced all week.
Jeong Yu-mi stepped forward, with Cheon Seo-yun and Oh Ye-rin positioning themselves diagonally behind her.
"Park So-yul, harass them from the rear with arrows."
"I don't have that many arrows. Just brought a hundred."
"It's fine. I'll provide support fire too, and we'll recover them."
Thankfully, once we formed up and I steadied their nerves, everyone calmed down a bit.
But this was just a stopgap—it didn't solve the root problem.
Eeeeng!—
"Giant mosquito!"
"Hold your positions. It's not too late to strike when it gets close."
For reference, Park Ji-mok—who'd guided us this far—was hanging back, filming everything with a video camera.
Word was he was sending the full gate raid footage to Hero Officer Academy, so we had to move sharp.
'We've shown enough flailing around at the start.'
If we put on a smooth performance from here, we might pull this off.
Pachichik!—
Jeong Yu-mi thrust her shield forward, unleashing a jolt of electricity the moment the giant mosquito made contact.
As an E-rank monster, it dropped to the ground with a thud even from her relatively weak shock.
'At least the monsters are weak. Small mercies.'
The second the giant mosquito hit the deck, Jeong Yu-mi finished it off by stabbing its head with her sword.
That showed we could handle one no problem—but unfortunately, these things were mosquitoes.
Eeeeng!!—
No sooner had we downed the first than at least twenty more swarmed in from all directions, eyeing us hungrily.
Their size made the buzzing deafening, and those proboscises looked ready to skewer us at the first opening.
"Th-there's too many, isn't there?"
Oh Ye-rin said it with a trembling voice as she eyed the giant mosquitoes circling us.
The moment they all charged, our formation would crumble in seconds—I could feel it.
"Stay calm. I'll back you up with my swords."
Eeeeng!!—
No sooner had I spoken than four or five bloodthirsty mosquitoes dove in.
'Damn mosquito bastards.'
I maneuvered the swords already floating via Warlord's Weapon, slicing off their proboscises and wings.
Sek!—
"Eek! It's falling this way!"
Oh Ye-rin somehow dodged without breaking position, swinging her short dagger at the mosquito.
Cheon Seo-yun, meanwhile, kept her usual calm face—but I could tell she was quietly repulsed as she swung her blade.
"Park So-yul. Fire."
"Got it."
Park So-yul loosed arrows from her shortbow at the incoming mosquitoes.
At the same time, the rest saw their chance and surged forward.
"The others are coming too!"
The mosquitoes swarmed, but with my precise support from Warlord's Weapon, we managed to drop them one by one.
This might as well have been our first real fight, yet looking at the team, sweat was pouring off them like waterfalls.
'Nerves got 'em?'
No, nerves aside, this environment was doing its part.
'We won't last long like this.'
The academy had supplied food and water, but in this heat, endurance would be an issue.
"All down? Let's move. We need to clear this fast to get out."
The team clearly wanted out too—they nodded and pressed on.
An hour into the gate. Two hours. Now three.
"......"
"......"
Everyone's chatter had dwindled, and now we were silent.
We were worn out, too exhausted to talk—but only three hours in, so resting felt off.
'Rest while walking, like now.'
No time to sit and chill.
Doubt we'd recover anyway in this environment.
-Lee Seongmin. How about using a spirit to cool us down?
'Spirit?'
I glanced back at Lee Seojun, and he explained how to use one.
-Summon a wind spirit for some cool breeze. It'll make this way easier.
Obviously, I was sweating buckets like the rest.
With all physical enhancements sealed, even this heat had me dripping.
'Might actually help.'
Plus, I'd set my online game class to [Spirit User], so I could sustain it awhile.
Everyone was beat, so it seemed like a winner—I summoned a wind spirit to whip up some cool air.
"Wind Spirit, come forth."
Whoooosh!—
The wind spirit gathered in a swirl before manifesting.
The lime-green spirit had a ponytail and a lively vibe, greeting me warmly the instant she appeared.
[You called?]
"Yeah. Whip up some cool wind."
[Cool wind? Gotcha.]
A cool breeze swept around us, chasing away the sticky heat.
Like turning on a fan during a heatwave—refreshing. The team's faces lit up with relief.
"Whoa... If you could do that, why not sooner?"
"I'm doing it now, aren't I?"
Too bad it wasn't AC-chilled air.
'Could summon an ice spirit too, but...'
Unfortunately, my current spirits were limited to fire, water, wind, and earth.
'Gotta ask Joo Ha-yeon later to contract the rest.'
Then Park Ji-mok piped up from behind, sounding shocked.
"What? You just commanded a spirit?"
I recalled spirits weren't easy to communicate with normally.
"Innate Ability."
"Innate Ability? Makes sense. Nothing else explains it. That's some killer power."
Innate Abilities were indeed OP.
'Whatever I show off, slap 'Innate Ability' on it and they buy it.'
Not unreasonable, though.
The Villain Alliance's boss could stop time, after all.
'Spirit chat's cute compared to time stop.'
Anyway, the spirit made things bearable as we hunted for the boss monster.
"Phew. Where the hell's this boss?"
Gates cleared by downing the boss monster.
Usually lurking deepest inside.
"Keep straight. Monsters popping up more, so we're heading inward."
"How do you know? If it's a dead end, we gotta backtrack."
I'd already spread Space Power to map the terrain and monsters.
Knew the boss was at the end of this path, but no need to spill.
'Not 100% sure it's the boss, though.'
Space Power scan pegged it as most likely.
If not, we'd hunt again—but I doubted it. Onward we went.
"Phew. That's why they always bring map types."
Oh Ye-rin said it, and Lee Seojun nodded.
-Yeah. U Yun-hak's [Zone Observation] is top-tier mapping.
Destroyer body let me leap around and boss-hunt with zero thrill.
But plodding on foot like normals? Map skills felt essential.
"Map skills sound clutch for gates."
"Totally. They call 'em [Mappers]—cuts clear time big-time, I hear."
"No Skill Stone for that?"
"Skill Stone? Hmm, think I've heard of one."
Oh Ye-rin shrugged uncertainly, so Lee Seojun filled in.
-There's Map Creation, but it only reveals surroundings gradually.
Didn't sound super useful anyway.
'Space Power scan covers it.'
Then monsters ahead again.
Tsutsutsutsu!—
"Giant centipede!"
Two meters long, dozens of legs, pitch-black.
Grotesque enough to make everyone grimace, but no one backed off.
"Cheon Seo-yun!"
Just called her name.
Jeong Yu-mi thrust her sparking shield as she called, and Cheon Seo-yun dashed in, blade flashing.
Sek!—
Cheon Seo-yun's skill might rival B-rank now.
E-rank gate centipede? Sliced clean.
'Good they're all adapting fine.'
Worried at first what to do, but needless.
These were the top 300 cadets nationwide.
'Even if lacking, they pull their weight.'
Though to me, only Cheon Seo-yun measured up—the other three lagged hard.
"Huh? Oh? The centipede's vanishing?"
The slain giant centipede dissolved into light, leaving a stone.
"Skill Stone!"
Oh Ye-rin and Jeong Yu-mi shouted it on sight.
Gates dropped them sometimes, but low odds.
'First loot already.'
Checked it out anyway.
【E-Rank (Lv1) Skill Stone】
【Using it grants the E-Rank skill 'Light Body'.】
'Trash tier.'
E-rank gate gonna E-rank gate—nobody'd want this.
"Skill Stone. What now?"
-If it's junk, hand it to the academy. They trade for points.
I relayed it.
"Appraise it later. If useless, academy swap for points."
"Points? Oh, right—they convert 'em."
Oh Ye-rin pocketed it, clearly knowing it wasn't hot stuff.
'Anyway.'
One more hour, and we'd hit the boss spot.
Space Power ID'd it, but no spoilers—I urged everyone on.
"Let's go. Not much farther now."