Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Repaying the Favor
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[Chapter 71]
“That nosy old hag, always sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. Sigh~”
Harsh words, but she’s the one person I truly respect—someone I consider a real adult.
About five years ago, Academia was run even more like a madhouse than it is now, and the staff’s rights and treatment were abysmal.
Staff dorms were out of the question from the start, and with every student being an awakener who surpassed ordinary humans, they were brimming with elitism back then, treating staff even worse. Academia didn’t care one bit.
‘I thought that was just how it was.’
‘From today onward, I guarantee the safety of all staff. Join my status window party to see for yourselves and rest easy. We’ll also be making sweeping improvements to your treatment to build a proper foundation for Academia.’
But President Baek Gayeon was different.
Right from the start, she guaranteed our safety with her skills, even revised the school rules to make it ironclad.
It was an overhaul for us complete underdogs, sparking massive backlash internally, but she pushed it through.
‘Shut up! This is an educational institution. Money games are fine as long as they don’t strain operations! What kind of idiots hoard billions in an academy? Research funds are for research facilities. Plus, nurturing top staff here will naturally raise guild quality, which bolsters national defense. Warriors matter, but don’t ignore the efforts of those who support them!’
‘It was a real shock.’
I’d always figured lofty phrases like ‘grand vision, the future, for everyone, for the people!’ were just excuses the higher-ups used to justify their thuggery.
But that old hag worked for the absolute weakest—us staff—and actually made it happen.
‘I doubted her at first.’
I figured she had some ulterior motive or was chasing her own gain, but she didn’t benefit a single bit.
No one cared about staff rights; it only ramped up complaints from faculty and students, plus massive pressure from the guilds.
‘…She took the heat for others. What for?’
Even so, she faced off against faculty, guilds, and students alike with unwavering conviction, like it was simply her duty, pushing Academia’s reforms.
We staff were grateful, but as ordinary folks, all we could do was cheer her on.
But I’m different now.
“…I can’t just sit this out.”
Decision made, I shot to my feet and started gearing up to head out.
To curse this rotten world with a clear conscience, I have to repay the favors I’ve received—at least mine.
Otherwise, how could I badmouth those who ditch duty and power for personal gain?
It’d be the pot calling the kettle black.
“Thanks to her, life as an Academia staffer was bearable…….”
And because of that old hag, I didn’t completely lose faith in humanity.
The difference between knowing there’s a tiny, rare spark of hope and not is huge.
Which is why I can’t let her die.
***
Sin-Gangnam, southern front.
The all-out assault to hit the monsters’ rear worked.
They’d completely split the monsters inside Sin-Gangnam from incoming reinforcements, successfully isolating those within.
“Damn it! We keep firing, so why aren’t their numbers dropping! Didn’t the plan succeed?”
“Idiot! D-rank and up don’t go down to magic stone rounds or gear! That’s why. Our job’s done. Hunters handle the rest.”
Magic stone tech let non-awakeners take down monsters, but limits were real.
Missiles and bullets could handle F- and E-ranks at best. D-ranks needed overwhelming barrages ignoring exchange rates to kill, and true mid-to-large threats like C-ranks required hunters.
Without that limit, reliance on constellations and awakeners would’ve dropped big time.
Of course, those constellations created this mess, so they’d never undermine their own influence.
“A-rank Girmark and D-ranks-plus around the A-rank dungeon total about 1,000. And as you see, they’re all direct subordinates of Constellation Scavenger—the Plunderers!”
“Constellation Scavenger’s going all-in. We take them down methodically. No more reinforcements, so start with the weak ones!”
In the city center’s ruins, Constellation Scavenger’s direct monsters gathered—mixed races, but armed with guns and blades straight out of the Age of Sail.
If Slaughter King’s minions were starving beast-devils, Scavenger’s were bandit, pirate, thief packs unbound by race.
“Damn! These humans resist like crazy. Girmark! What now? Rear support’s cut, front lines too thick to push!”
“No worries. This raid’s under His command. And we brought brains this time. Well? Scavenger human?”
“Y-yes. Everything’s on plan. These fools still haven’t figured why only Girmark’s here… heh heh heh!”
The sly human beside Girmark pulled out a phone and made a call.
Scavenger’s forces pretended an all-in on Sin-Gangnam, but the real aim was plundering nearby territories.
At the staffer’s signal, Scavenger’s other apostles—already waiting—bolted like unleashed dogs to surrounding areas.
“Urgent! Monster hordes from Scavenger’s mountain base splitting into three… no, four groups. Girmark aside: Gakouze, Cheonuou, etc.—all direct apostle monsters!”
“Constellation Scavenger… sane? That abandons their sanctuary!”
Called sanctuaries, temples, whatever—these were critical for constellations leading armies directly, not just tempting humans as apostles.
Lose or clear it, and that constellation can’t return to Earth with forces.
“Man, they’re all-in for real.”
“Gonna flip it with this gamble. Worst case, just banished from the game…….”
Losing a central dungeon sanctuary or temple means banishment.
Common defeat for conquest constellations abandoning their forces.
Conversely, constellations awakening and apostle-izing Earthlings lose if Earth falls, vanishing as it becomes the victor’s.
“Bet being Sin-Gangnam’s magic stone ATM pissed them off big time.”
“Plus resentment at being seen as a stable hunting ground.”
“Not the time! Contact Suwon and surrounds! National Defense for alert! Guilds there for urgent city defense! Lots to do!”
Sin-Gangnam command scrambled against the enemy pivot. But they hit a wall.
F- and E-ranks: military.
D-, C-, B-ranks: hunters somehow.
A-ranks and up: off-spec, needed real firepower.
“And one of the four—Bohaku—is Scavenger’s sole direct S-rank! Heading to Suwon.”
“Didn’t expect them to commit a core sanctuary guardian. Whew~ First time in my life for this.”
“Unprecedented, huh.”
“Yeah. Constellations are immortal, so they usually play wait-and-see, not gamble like this. The risky ones stand out.”
Even Baek Gayeon, 40+ years hunting, found Scavenger’s gambit shocking.
Makes sense for a constellation, but countermeasures needed again.
Calling Seoul Guild’s Oh Kyung-hoon, she seeks S-rank blockers.
“Why’d you call?”
“A-ranks we can cover with guild forces! But S-rank’s different. I’ll head to Suwon—lend me some A-rank buddies?”
“…Sorry, but post-incident, we’re short healthy ones too. Ma’am.”
‘Even now, no change. Sigh~ Olympus’d be the same?’
She’d rallied support, eased suppression with her ace move, but Oh Kyung-hoon refused coldly.
Olympus might drag too.
But after aid, snubbing others drew sour looks.
‘These bastards, hopeless.’
‘We’re suckers for helping?’
‘Special city flies if S-rank hits?’
Defense, association, other guilds glared, but he stood firm, business as usual.
Only gov rep looked troubled, pondering.
Baek Gayeon knew time wasted.
“Fine. I’ll go to Suwon—you handle here.”
“Do that.”
No fuss, so Oh Kyung-hoon smirked, waving.
Baek Gayeon swallowed urge to slap that smug grin, left command, boarded her trailer.
‘Damn brat! Acts like it’s not his fire once out!’
“President? Straight to Suwon?”
“Yes. Time’s critical. I’ll gear up—Knight Kim, you drive.”
Decision set, she changed in the trailer’s dressing room for S-rank combat.
Notified Defense; air force magic stone missiles should thin numbers pre-engagement.
S-rank the issue, but block plundering intent and holdable, trailer sped to Suwon.
“President? She just left! Phone busy on emergency. Urgent message… Where to?”
“Suwon. Scavenger used brains—sent detachments raiding surrounds, including an S-rank. She’s blocking it.”
“S-rank? Ah… Got it. Suwon.”
Yoo Seongwon, arriving on-site, posed as ‘Academia staff’ with a message to locate her.
If here, ‘wait till op ends’ and dip; elsewhere, go there.
‘Suwon for S-rank… Sigh~ Why do I always tangle with the tough ones?’
Recalling Legohorn fight for Ayoung, he sighed, opened map, pinned Suwon, and ran.
Here to repay debt—no fleeing an S-rank. Plus, with S-rank hunter President, better than solo, he thought. Even rotten fish’s decent.