Chapter 65
Chapter 65
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Emergency Ascent
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At first, the escort instructors and cadets moved together.
However, the moment they left Dodong Port, they got caught up in a battle with monsters.
They were Caution-level monsters, ones the cadets could handle on their own.
The cadets, who won without much difficulty, gained more confidence.
They thought they could take on as many of these as came.
But it didn't take long for them to realize that was a mistake.
"Ughaaack!"
"Aaaack! Aaaack!"
"Fall back! Hurry!"
The next wave of monsters that appeared were stronger and faster.
Alert-level monsters, the main prey for B-Rank heroes.
From here on, the cadets alone couldn't fight them off.
So the instructors took the front line, while the cadets provided backup.
Yeah. Up to this point, they could still push forward somehow.
All the escort instructors were A-Rank heroes. Solid firepower.
In that way, they managed to reach Jeodong Port.
"My God...."
The port was already a total mess. Flames and smoke rose from all directions.
Proof that civilians had been exposed defenselessly to monster attacks.
Fortunately, heroes who had been trying to evacuate through here were fighting back.
Thanks to them, the worst-case scenario of a civilian massacre was prevented.
"Let's go, everyone!"
The escort instructors and cadets split up to wherever help was needed.
Heroes they'd never seen before. Some were even foreigners they couldn't communicate with.
But the will to protect civilians. The resolve to exterminate the monsters.
With that alone, they quickly found their rhythm together.
"Survivors, gather here right now! We can't stay long!"
"Drop anything that's a burden! Vehicles won't work! We have to go on foot, so pack only the bare minimum of portable essentials!"
On the mainland, they could just fall back and wait for support.
But this was an island. And not a large one at that.
Fall back too far, and they'd end up with their backs to the sea.
Ulleungdo was mostly mountains, given its island nature.
Mountain paths were tough even with full preparation.
In this extreme situation, ordinary people wouldn't last long.
There was only one way: head to a port that hadn't been overrun yet.
They had to reach a safe zone before the monsters blocked the path.
"We can't delay any longer! We have to move!"
"We haven't found all the cadets yet!"
"Cadet Jin Seo-ah! Take the rescued civilians and go! If we drag this out, we'll be cut off! Hurry!"
Monsters had a knack for tracking human scent and traces.
Linger at the port too long, and they'd end up surrounded.
That's why the instructors tried to send the cadets out first.
But the monsters appeared even faster than that.
"I-Instructor! Monsters on the escape route!"
"Already?!"
Fast. Too fast. They knew it was a Wave, but this was ridiculous.
An Apocalypse-Class monster must have driven all the others here.
The exhausted fleeing monsters were surely homing in on humans.
Ulleungdo's layout funneled them toward the ports.
This could turn into a real disaster. They had to get everyone out.
"Then maybe heading upward would be..."
The instructor was about to continue when he suddenly activated his Ability.
Right then, a massive monster bit him and vanished in an instant.
"Grk!"
"I-Instructor!!"
"Don't worry about me! Everyone, move! Hurry!!"
If these were monsters driven by an Apocalypse-Class, there might even be Fierce-level ones among them.
Rescue plans were scrapped. Now it was all about escape and survival.
Not everyone could get out. Someone had to stay and fight the monsters.
"Hurry! Go!"
The instructors stayed behind first, drawing as much monster attention as possible.
The other heroes seemed to think holding ground was better and kept fighting.
Meanwhile, the cadets moved as far away as possible with the rescued civilians.
The direction didn't matter anymore. Just focus on breaking out.
For the heroes' sake, get the civilians to safety first.
This wasn't running away. It was so they could fight without worry.
"Cadet Jin Seo-ah! Behind you!"
But the monsters had no intention of letting them go easily.
Louise's freshly reloaded gun spat flames once more.
Caution-level monsters were manageable to some extent.
But the Alert-level ones instantly spotted Louise's weakness.
Grrrrr!-
If the bullets tracked the target, the shooter's body was defenseless.
She couldn't handle multiple shots at once. Easy prey!
"Louise!"
Jin Seo-ah, realizing the monsters' aim, rushed to protect her.
But with monsters targeting the evacuating civilians, she couldn't move freely.
"We'll handle this!"
Kang Yuna, sword in hand unexpectedly, filled Jin Seo-ah's spot.
Alone she'd struggle, but Seo Ha-eun was fighting alongside her.
Leave it to them for the moment—Jin Seo-ah blocked the monsters in front of Louise.
She barely stopped the fangs of a monster lunging at her.
"Nngh! Save your Ability, Louise!"
"But everyone's fighting...!"
"I'm not saying hold back. There are bound to be ranged-type monsters among them. Everyone except you is vulnerable to ranged attacks, so you have to take them out!"
Louise nodded at the logical explanation.
Then she realized something and called Jin Seo-ah's name.
"You're calling me casually?"
"Huh?"
"No 'Cadet' attached."
"Oh. Well, the situation's urgent. I learned it's best to shorten titles or drop them in times like this. Does it bother you?"
Louise checked her ammo, saying it didn't bother her at all.
In fact, being called without "Cadet" made her feel like a real hero.
"Can I call you Seo-ah too?"
"Do whatever! Hya!"
She swung her sword again at a monster targeting civilians.
The swordsman's resolve: no one harms people without getting past her.
Meanwhile, Louise scanned everywhere and finally found her target.
'One down first!'
Bang!-
Flames burst from the muzzle as the bullet fired.
It headed straight for the head of a monster about to snatch a civilian.
Kreee!-
The monster sensed something off and hurriedly protected its head.
If it were a normal gun or shooter, it'd be time to grit teeth.
But Louise twisted the bullet's trajectory with her Ability.
Kreek?!-
The moment it thought it dodged was its most vulnerable.
Monsters were no different. It focused on the straight-line attack.
Thanks to that, it collapsed with a hole right in the center of its forehead.
That's how the 'Bullet' family became Britain's top Ability lineage.
And Louise was their heir.
She could fight monsters stronger than her.
'Problem is, there are way too many monsters!'
Shooting was routine practice. Ability training was daily.
Nothing hard. Just shoot faster, aim truer.
The issue was handling the gun, using her Ability, and checking surroundings.
Her brain felt overloaded. Vision spinning, mind foggy.
"I'll watch for you! Just shoot, Louise!"
At that moment, Jeong Ye-bin ran up after ushering civilians into a relatively safe building.
Her subspace Ability made her unsuited for combat, truth be told.
But Jeong Ye-bin had another skill.
"Louise, 7 o'clock from you! About 40 meters! It'll target civilians if we let it!"
"Now 1 o'clock! Roughly 60 meters! Fast one, take it out first!"
Her eyesight was sharp. And her judgment in assessing foes was top-notch.
At first, she'd honed it for spotting objects.
But after becoming a hero, she used it to gauge enemies.
Not as good as a detection Ability that read enemy levels.
But in moments like this, it shone brightly.
"Ha-eun! More people coming from behind!"
Meanwhile, Kang Yuna tried to secure an escape route.
She trusted the instructors. Heroes never lose.
What remained was protecting the civilians they'd been entrusted with.
Here, they were no longer Academy cadets, they're just heroes.
They had to fulfill their duty. This was a vow to uphold even in death.
"No! Yuna! Too many monsters! And they're getting stronger!"
Alert-level monsters were mixing in more and more.
Not many yet, but if it kept up, they'd be in real trouble.
They needed to escape the port, but they kept getting held up.
Seo Ha-eun hesitated briefly, then maxed out her mana.
Her Ability activated. Power surged to its peak in an instant.
One use meant neural shutdown as a side effect.
Never use unless an escape was secured.
But they were past that point.
"Yuna. I'll handle this."
"You're using your Ability?! But then..."
"Get the civilians to safety first. Then come help."
Like her parents had. She too would be a proper hero.
Seo Ha-eun steeled herself and activated her Ability.
Her body entered overdrive, unleashing its full potential.
"Haaap!"
One punch pierced a monster's gut.
One kick crushed a monster's body.
She handled Alert-level monsters with ease.
Impressive, considering she was still a cadet.
"Hurry! Hurry!"
Kang Yuna successfully pulled the civilians back in the meantime.
Now, join Seo Ha-eun before she tires and take on the monsters.
'No need for flair. Plain is fine! Just think: cut them down no matter what!'
Swinging her sword just as Jin Seo-ah had once advised.
With body enhancement Ability added, the power surged.
"Hah! Hak!"
"Heok, h-heuk!"
Everyone fought fiercely. Nearly 30 minutes of nonstop combat.
Normally, the end would be in sight by now.
But this was a Wave. The monsters were still plentiful.
Worse, now they were all Alert-level.
No more easy Caution-level fodder.
Thwack!-
"Ack!"
Kang Yuna, taking a hit, limped back.
Unclear if it was just muscle or bone damage.
Seo Ha-eun rushed to cover, but couldn't for the second one.
'Time's... up...!'
No more Ability use. Extreme exhaustion set in.
To not hinder the fight, she had to fall back now.
But Seo Ha-eun clung to the monster instead.
If her muscles were stiffening anyway, at least like this.
She wanted to buy Kang Yuna even a moment's opening.
"Uwaaaah!"
Kang Yuna didn't miss the chance her comrade made.
Raising her sword, she thrust with all her might, carving a long slash.
Kraaa!-
But it didn't kill the monster.
It only enraged it further.
Thwack!-
"Kyak!"
"Yuna!!"
Kang Yuna rolled limply across the ground.
"Out of ammo! Ye-bin! Fall back!"
Louise wedged in with her gun as a club, barely saving Kang Yuna.
But that was it. Little by little, everyone was pushed back.
It was absurd to expect cadets to hold this wave.
"Heuk, huk!"
Jin Seo-ah's side was a mess too.
Her left arm already broken, dangling limply.
Blood dripped from her sword-grip right hand.
Exhaustion hit. Then another thought rose.
Just give up. Quit, run away.
She'd sworn to face any situation honorably.
She hated herself for such cowardly thoughts.
Chasing an impossible dream.
Yeah. Victory was practically impossible.
But even hallucinations...?
Defeating these invincible foes.
Enduring the unbearable pain.
'Not... a hallucination?'
No. Hallucination or not.
She couldn't fall like this.
Dying for her noble ideals.
Strength returned to Jin Seo-ah's sword hand.
Kang Yuna rose, opening her weary eyes.
Seo Ha-eun endured past her limits.
Ammo gone, but Louise burned with resolve to fight on.
With faith,
because we stand here by our will.
We,
reaching for the stars.
Are heroes.