Chapter 164: The Last Nemesis Before Summer Vacation (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 164: The Last Nemesis Before Summer Vacation (6)
With her clean surprise attack, I lost two of the subordinates I’d managed to coax into following me.
Of all things, she took out the shield and the debuffer. Whether it was a calculated move or just luck, she got the ones I needed most.
This is exactly why I can’t help but like Ha-ni.
She’s different from Cheon Yu-hak, who still cares about appearances despite having mellowed out, and Lilac, who avoids things like ambushes or poison on principle.
If she recognizes a necessity, Ha-ni has shown she’ll fight using whatever means available.
Whether it’s a surprise attack aimed at a vital point using a quick-draw or relying on superior tools to get stronger, she doesn’t hesitate.
Of course, her pride in the sword is so immense that she’s obsessed with swordsmanship, but she’s still far better than those other two.
Now then, I need to decide how to respond based on what she’s aiming for by approaching us. Though, no matter how I look at it, I don’t think she’s here to rescue Lilac and Cheon Yu-hak.
“So-hyun, this is an exam, so no hard feelings if you fail, okay?”
Wait, what? Is she really just going to fight? Without any other objective?
Unlike me, who was taken aback, a glint of interest flashed in the eyes of Cheon Yu-hak and Lilac.
It was a natural reaction; if I were retired from the exam, it would naturally lead to an opportunity for them to escape.
But guys… Ha-ni isn’t even going easy on me. Do you really think she’ll go easy on you?
“Of course, I’m not a monster. I might be willing to negotiate for a friend’s sake. Oh, you, the archer over there—don’t move. I can cut you down even from this distance.”
Fortunately, it didn’t seem like she actually wanted to trade blows. It looked like she wanted to use the threat to gain the upper hand in negotiations. Let’s hear her terms before I decide.
“First, So-hyun, leave your current team and join mine.”
…That’s more moderate than I expected.
“And we’ll split the points from Lilac and Cheon Yu-hak between the two of us. How about it?”
Ah, so she just wants to be on the same team as me? I’d love to do that, but unfortunately, I still need our friends here to pass this exam smoothly.
Beep.
Ah.
Right on cue, the bracelet began to chime.
I suppose it is about time for the first raid to begin.
“Huh?”
“What’s this? What’s going on?”
[Special Rule Announcement: For the next 30 minutes, raids by ‘NPCs’ and ‘Villains’ will begin. If you defeat a Villain and seize their bracelet, you will immediately pass the exam with the highest score. However, Villains are extremely powerful, so we recommend you do not challenge them carelessly.]
“What is this? Weren’t the NPCs supposed to be the professors?”
“So they aren’t friendly entities.”
It seemed no one quite realized how terrifying those words were yet.
Well, it’s still a bit lacking, but I’ve instilled a sense of crisis in them, so they won’t be letting their guard down anymore.
“Looks like we won’t be able to split Lilac and Cheon Yu-hak’s points.”
“Eh? Why? Are you actually planning to catch the professors?”
“Isn’t it obvious? They said it’s a direct ticket out with the highest score.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just catch a few more students and hold out? With the two of us, we should be able to handle most other students’ attacks, right?”
“True. If it’s just cadets attacking, we can block most of them as long as it’s not those two.”
“Then why?”
“That’s only if it’s just cadets attacking.”
It’s fine for now since it’s the first day.
The professors will seek out those with a lot of points—the ones who have been actively fighting others.
But what happens after all those people are eliminated?
This exam is different from the Ranking Tournament.
The professors are intent on catching the cadets, so the number of students will drop drastically with each raid. Once everyone’s points start to even out, the indiscriminate raids will begin.
“Aha. Come to think of it, it did say raids by Villains. If they were just going to stay still until we attacked, they wouldn’t have called it a raid.”
“Exactly. So, rather than fighting among ourselves, it might be better to hunt a professor before we get exhausted.”
“…Which means it’s better for the four of us to join forces.”
Cheon Yu-hak, who had been listening quietly, nodded and said something stupid.
“What are you talking about? Four of us?”
“Hmm?”
“…Do you really think the four of us can do anything against the professors?”
Maybe they think the professors are pushovers because I’m acting as a reliable ally, but becoming an A-rank Hero isn’t that simple.
“Let’s stay quiet until tonight and try to gather more allies.”
“Hmm, I see. That makes sense. If we’re going to do it, it’s best to catch them off guard during the first battle, when they won’t expect the cadets to counterattack.”
“Mmm, then for now, So-hyun, could you please get rid of this? I promise I won’t betray you!”
“Ah, I’m glad I didn’t throw away those rations and brought them all. Then help me sort these out for now. We’re resting for today, right?”
I looked at them as if to ask if they were okay with that, and it felt a bit strange because they all acted as if following my lead was the natural thing to do.
…Did these guys already forget we were fighting just a moment ago?
As I returned Ruyi to its original form, Lilac walked over with a smile and began sorting through the edible food among the rations Ha-ni had brought.
— Don’t you have even a shred of suspicion? Toward someone like me?
Oh, shut up. What do you mean, “someone like me”?
He does this every time things are going well.
My job isn’t to wallow in self-reproach, but to live up to their trust.
While I was preparing the campfire, Cheon Yu-hak naturally approached and leaned against a tree to talk to me.
“Have you already decided on candidates to recruit?”
“I wonder. For now, I want to bring in Lee Yu-na and Ju Ri-ra.”
“True. Under these conditions, Ju Ri-ra’s search skills would be quite helpful. And Lee Yu-na is well-balanced, so she can move flexibly.”
To be honest, since I want to move Lilac to a dealer position, I think we’ll need a pure tanker as well. And since Lee Yu-na can’t handle the rear alone, a good mage would be nice too, but I honestly don’t know if there are any good candidates.
Oh, and honestly, I think Cheon Yu-hak might oppose this, but I should at least mention it.
“…And if possible, Ga-eul too.”
“If I’m being honest, I don’t think she’ll be of much help. Is this a personal bias?”
“Honestly, yeah. Why, you got a problem with that?”
“Yes, I do. If we’re forming a party based solely on ability, Kim Ga-eul should be excluded.”
He’s not wrong, so I can’t really say anything back.
“But perhaps ability isn’t everything.”
…Huh?
“Whoa, who are you? You don’t seem like the Cheon Yu-hak I know.”
“…Is it really that surprising?”
Of course it is, you jerk. The “I am the only one who matters under heaven” guy. The cold city man who would tolerate even Woo Jae-hee if he had ability, but would ruthlessly discard anyone without it.
Wasn’t that Cheon Yu-hak?
But then he suddenly says something like that—how could I not be shocked?
“I simply thought that while she lacks immediate combat ability, she might have her own talents. During the recent drug… no, the Devil incident, she did manage to gather some quite useful information.”
Aha, so that’s it. Come to think of it, I heard Ga-eul collected quite a bit of decent information this time.
So our Ga-eul wasn’t a combatant, but an intelligence officer.
“And well, my own thoughts have changed a little.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve realized that visible ability might not be everything. Lately, I feel like I’m finally starting to understand the meaning of those words you said to me before.”
…Is this guy really not Cheon Yu-hak?
“Hey! Guys! Sorting’s finished! Let’s save the provided rations for now and eat this first!”
“Should we try hunting some animals tomorrow?”
“It’ll take forever to drain the blood, though.”
It felt more like we were on a camping trip than an exam. Well, tomorrow will be busy, so let’s rest well on the first day.
“…elp me…!”
Huh? I think I heard something just now.
“Hey, did you guys hear something?”
“Yeah, I think so. It sounds like someone’s calling for help. Like, ‘Save me!’”
Well, someone screaming for help only five minutes after the raids were announced…
“Should we run?”
They’re undoubtedly being chased by one of the professors. Unless it’s a manageable opponent, I can’t be sure of victory with our current strength.
So, normally, running away would be the right answer.
“Save me…!”
…But why does that voice sound so familiar?
No way, right? How could Ga-eul have already messed with the others?
“SAVE! ME! PLEASE!”
The voice that had been far off was gradually getting closer.
“…So-hyun, that sounds like Ga-eul.”
“What should we do? Are we going to save her?”
Rationally speaking, it would be right to abandon her.
No, that’s not it. The moment I started debating it, it was already too late.
If I’m going to do it, it’s better to do it quickly. Instead of wasting time agonizing like a loser, it was right to think about how to take down the enemy.
“Let’s do it. If we fight here, the base camp we just prepared will be trashed. Let’s head toward her.”
I wondered if this choice was too honest to my desires, but I had actually done some mental math.
Right now, Ga-eul hadn’t been eliminated and was running this way.
That meant the opponent was either a mediocre professor whose skill was low enough for Ga-eul to escape, or a professor with a nasty personality who was tormenting Ga-eul for fun.
If it was the former, great. Even if it was the latter, that carelessness would provide an opening for us to exploit.
If we’re lucky, we might even be able to finish the exam sooner than expected.
* * *
Park A-ram liked the freshmen’s final evaluation.
Seeing a cadet occasionally show a truly surprising performance was one thing, but teasing the cadets who thought they were lucky and were mindlessly racking up points was also quite enjoyable.
“Haha, sorry~ I’m not usually the type to enjoy bullying students, but I’m playing the Villain today!”
A Mana Arrow narrowly grazed the fleeing Kim Ga-eul.
“Hieek!? Please, someone save me!”
“Ah, Cadet! Don’t you know you shouldn’t scream when you have to flee from a Villain in an emergency?! You should hide your presence as much as possible!”
“Isn’t there a hero anywhere?!”
“There is one right here, but I’m a Villain today! You have to find a way to escape on your own, Cadet!”
Cadet Kim Ga-eul.
Her movements during class had been strangely good for a while now, but she was a cadet whose lack of professional combat talent was a bit disappointing.
Even if she was a passing acquaintance and a former student, isn’t it the duty of a true educator to lead such a person?
“So, try your best to dodge, okay?! Are you tired? If I double the number of arrows, you won’t have the breath to say you’re tired!”
“You devil…!”
“Ah, I’m not a devil, I’m a witch~! And seeing as you’re still screaming, I guess three arrows would be fine too?!”
“Uwaaaaaagh…!”
“Haha…? Huh? Hmm? What’s this?”
She felt a presence. Four? Ah, no. Judging by how the sensed presences felt strangely artificial, this was a fake.
It seemed they had used a talent to hide their real location, but it was obvious because they were still inexperienced.
She had been happily—no, while swallowing her tears—continuing the lesson with her student. I wonder which cute little friends are interfering?
It would be possible to trace the talent back to find their real location, but that would be no fun.
It wouldn’t do to rudely tear open the gift her cute disciples had prepared.
She had to act as if she were being fooled, as delicately and carefully as possible.
Wouldn’t a cool adult be someone who could gallantly counter with, “Your best effort hasn’t reached me yet!”?
They probably think I’ll be fooled because I’m chasing the cadet, but that’s not going to happen.
For a perfect performance, she slowly approached the fake presence, pretending to be deceived.
“I know you’re all there, you know~? I am a professor, after all. If you come out now, I might go easy on you~?”
Now, where will they come from? The rear? The sides? Or maybe from the sky or underground?
After manifesting transparent Mana Arrows to handle all those directions, she continued her playful acting.
“Haha, so you’re not coming out? I’m starting to get really hurt!”
She felt a presence waver.
‘Are they finally coming?’
‘Their timing is so simple. It’s fresh and nice.’
One.
Two.
Three.
She was about to boldly fire the pre-prepared Mana Arrows, but at the same time, she was quite surprised.
“Huh?”
Kang Ha-ni.
The cadet, who had already drawn her pure white blade, was launching a quick-draw strike toward her neck.
From where? From the front.
In other words, the place she had dismissed first, thinking it was a fake, was the correct answer.
They had “pretended” to fake the information using a talent.
She didn’t hold back her frown.
This… needed a bit of a scolding.
One could say they caught her off guard, and she was indeed surprised, but in a real battle, wasn’t that an absurdly dangerous gamble?
At the very least, it wasn’t the way a hero should act.
“I didn’t expect that from you.”
The quick-draw strike was deflected, unable to perfectly pierce her shield.
The moment she tried to fire a Mana Arrow with the intent of giving a light scolding—
“Next…!”
A swarm of cadets appeared.
Some matched the messy location information, while others popped out from completely unexpected places.
“…Aha, I wondered whose work this was. Just like a top student. Giving me a surprise gift like this.”
In the midst of it all, her eyes accurately found and locked onto one cadet.
“Doing something so dangerous… you’re in for a scolding, Kang So-hyun…!”
A massive amount of Mana Arrows swept through the surroundings.