Chapter 723
Chapter 723
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 723
Chapter Title: Academy's Savior
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I raised my right hand and slapped Ryu Hana across the face.
Smack!
Ryu Hana collapsed to the ground, staring up at me with trembling eyes. Blood trickled from her nose.
'Damn it. I hit her too hard.'
I masked my embarrassment and recited an entire dialogue option from the original game's player choices.
"Ryu Hana! Snap out of it! This isn't you!"
"……."
Things had gotten messy.
Ryu Hana's dark blue eyes glared at me with murderous intent. I could practically feel the killing intent radiating from her.
Favorability of 5.
Ryu Hana clearly saw me as an enemy. Blood continued to drip from her nose.
What was done was done.
There was no salvaging this situation now. Any excuses I made would fall on deaf ears. On top of that, Kang Ji-young, pretending to be the Orc Lord, was heading this way.
'In a case like this...'
I racked my brain frantically.
Fortunately, an answer came to me. I could claim it was an unavoidable moment of urgency and apologize later. Once time passed and her anger subsided, my excuse might actually land. Besides, Ryu Hana wasn't entirely in the right here either.
I grabbed the shoulders of the slumped Ryu Hana and hurled her toward Oh Yu-mi before she could open her mouth.
"Urk... You...!"
"Wh-what?!"
Oh Yu-mi caught Ryu Hana as if embracing her suddenly flung body.
"Oh Yu-mi! Take the downed Bae Hyun-seong and run!"
Oh Yu-mi was a mage, so her physical abilities were lacking compared to other Awakeners, but she could still easily carry two people.
"O-okay. What about you, Sung Yu-jin?"
"Someone has to stop the Orc Lord. If we leave it alone, it'll chase after us and wipe everyone out."
Fortunately, Kang Ji-young was approaching slowly. She was deliberately giving me time. A real Orc Lord wouldn't have allowed for such leisurely conversation. Not that we'd have reached this point against a genuine one anyway.
Oh Yu-mi hurriedly grabbed Bae Hyun-seong by one arm and dragged him along. It was a far cry from how carefully she cradled Ryu Hana in her arms.
"Let me go! I can still fight!"
Ryu Hana shouted, but reality was that she was too exhausted to even shake off Oh Yu-mi's grip.
"Yu-jin! You escape after holding it off a bit too!"
"Just buy three minutes. The proctors should arrive after that."
Oh Yu-mi descended the stairs below the building.
I gripped my sword and aimed it at the Orc Lord. Hum... The blade trembled as a blue aura enveloped it. Sword aura—a technique Ryu Hana couldn't use at this point in the story.
The Orc Lord halted and stared at me intently. It raised its axe.
'I hadn't planned on revealing sword aura... but against Kang Ji-young, it's a different story. This is a great chance to leave an impression on her.'
I kicked off the ground and charged.
'Moka!'
Moka, who had been watching from the sky, materialized and unleashed lightning on the Orc Lord. Seizing the moment as it staggered from the bolt, I closed in.
Shadow Heaven Style: Thunder Light
Extreme speed cleaves through the Orc Lord's upper body.
The ultimate swift sword sliced across the Orc Lord's torso. It reacted—no, Kang Ji-young reacted. A real Orc Lord wouldn't have even managed that.
Still, my blade connected. The fabric over her ample, protruding chest tore, revealing part of her breast and a wine-red bra. A single drop of blood welled from the wound on her chest. It healed in one second—the effect of her Natural Regeneration (S) skill.
The Orc Lord swung its axe. I tilted my sword to evade and punched toward its abs. It blocked with its palm.
Riding the momentum, I pressed the attack relentlessly. Every clash of sword and axe, fist and palm sent shockwaves cracking the ground. I pushed even harder.
"Hah... Hah! Hah!"
Oh Yu-mi panted heavily as she rushed down the stairs. As a magic specialist, her physical prowess lagged behind other Awakeners, and carrying two people had already drained her stamina sharply.
A sharp pain stabbed her waist.
"Ah!"
She let out a short cry and instinctively loosened her right arm. Ryu Hana seized the chance to slip free and climb back up the stairs.
"Ryu Hana! We have to run now! Don't let Sung Yu-jin's sacrifice be in vain!"
"……I never asked for that bastard's sacrifice. You go down."
With a brief rest restoring some stamina, Ryu Hana ascended the stairs.
"Hey! Ryu Hana!"
Oh Yu-mi yelled after her, but Ryu Hana ignored it. After a moment's hesitation, Oh Yu-mi gave up chasing.
'We've only just met today—what do I care what happens to her? I don't want to get hurt. Escaping is the right call here.'
Oh Yu-mi dragged Bae Hyun-seong down the stairs.
Ryu Hana dragged her heavy legs upward. She knew her decision was foolish. But she couldn't accept this method. Sacrificing someone to escape? Better to fight and die. It was at least honorable.
'I don't like that guy, but I can't just let him die.'
That Orc Lord was no ordinary one. Attacks barely fazed it—like battling a mountain. If she couldn't handle it, Sung Yu-jin had no chance. Stall for time? She doubted he could last thirty seconds.
'Maybe it's already too late, and the worst has...'
She reached the rooftop.
Ryu Hana's eyes widened. The scene before her was nothing like she'd feared.
Sung Yu-jin was fighting the Orc Lord on equal footing. Her eyes shook violently trying to track his movements.
'...Sword aura. He's already using sword aura...?'
And his movements were insane. She didn't know the sword style, but it was hard to follow.
'He's really a Spiritist?!'
Incredible as it was, Sung Yu-jin was a Spiritist. He fought alongside the Thunder Owl. Even knowing that, his swordsmanship and agility were unbelievable.
'This can't be... He's on another level...'
Ryu Hana clenched her fists. She'd thought herself the best among her peers. It wasn't arrogance—everyone around her said so, and she truly was.
But now, she realized she was a frog in a well.
'Sung Yu-jin using sword aura is one thing... but what the hell is that Orc Lord that's matching him?'
Her head spun from the incomprehensible scene. But only for a moment. Ryu Hana cleared her mind and focused on the battle.
'I see. He's using his lower body to redirect the Orc Lord's power.'
Her talent shone through.
'Even movements like that are possible... Why did the sword speed up suddenly...? Ah, a feint to mislead the opponent.'
Boom!
Sword and axe collided, unleashing a deafening shockwave. Ryu Hana gripped the doorframe against the blasting wind.
The rooftop floor, at its limit, shattered like a broken plate and began collapsing downward.
Sung Yu-jin's foot slipped. His body flew not toward the lower floor, but outside the building. There was no footing for him to recover. The spirit Thunder Owl was far away.
"Sung Yu-jin!!"
Ryu Hana shouted his name. It was all she could do.
The Orc Lord leaped from the crumbling floor, reaching for Sung Yu-jin. Ryu Hana doubted her eyes. It looked like it was trying to save him.
Just before the Orc Lord grabbed his ankle, Sung Yu-jin stopped midair. A transparent barrier beneath his feet shimmered in the sunlight. From there, he swung his sword. The Orc Lord's upper body was slashed, red blood spraying.
The Orc Lord wrapped its arms around Sung Yu-jin and plummeted downward.
"No...!"
Ryu Hana dashed down the stairs but her legs gave out, collapsing her. Her exhausted legs refused to obey.
"Krrk. Krr."
The Thunder Owl landed before her, flapping its wings. As if telling her not to worry.
S-rank Hero Kang Ji-young was strong.
Even going all out, I couldn't draw her full power and lost. Had she unleashed everything, the fight would've ended in my defeat within ten seconds.
The final blow as we fell succeeded because Kang Ji-young worried for my safety. And now, I was falling cradled in her arms. At the edge of my vision, I saw Ryu Hana's shocked face.
'The situation isn't bad.'
I buried my face in Kang Ji-young's chest. The soft sensation of her ample breasts pressed against my cheek. Earlier, my sword had torn her top. Surprisingly, the wound had already healed. Though bloodstained, giving off a metallic scent.
'Her nipples are a deep pink.'
I quickly latched onto a nipple. Feeling the descent, I suckled greedily. I couldn't miss this chance.
Crack. We crashed into a large tree below, branches snapping. Safe in Kang Ji-young's embrace, I was unharmed. The magic disguising her as the Orc Lord wore off.
Thud!
We finally hit the ground. The impact was there, but less than expected. I kept my eyes closed, pretending to be badly hurt while savoring her nipple.
"Ngh... I know you're not unconscious. Get up."
Kang Ji-young shoved me away. Her tone was firm, so I scrambled back, bowing my head.
"S-sorry! I wasn't thinking straight! Aunt, are you okay?!"
"……."
Kang Ji-young rose silently, covering her torn clothes over her chest with one hand. A shame her breasts were hidden now.
I glanced at her head. Dark brown wolf ears, matching her hair color, perked up briefly before vanishing. The activation effect of her trait, Wolf of the Earth (S).
"No injuries?"
"None. You?"
"Just the torn clothes; otherwise fine."
"Sorry for no reason."
I removed my coat and handed it to her. She accepted wordlessly and draped it over herself, fastening it.
"When did you figure out my identity? Spirit Eye shouldn't pierce through magic."
I'd once thought seeing through magic was a Spirit Eye ability. But deeper research showed it wasn't.
'After facing Gumok Church's god, my Spirit Eye enhanced. Probably why mine's special.'
No intention of explaining to Kang Ji-young. I hadn't even told Sung Ha-ri.
"Midway. Just a hunch. The Orc Lord's movements felt off. And way too strong for one."
"...True."
"Why'd you step in personally, Aunt?"
"To lend a hand, and I had things I wanted to check."
Kang Ji-young stared at me intently. Seemed her involvement was because of me.
"When did you start learning swordsmanship?"
"A while back."
"Does Ha-ri know?"
"Yeah. Mom said sword suits me better. Still, spear-throwing's fun, so no plans to quit."
"...Hard to say."
"What do you mean?"
"You. From what I've seen and judged, you have no talent outside Spirit Arts. Even that is due to Spirit Eye."
"True, no talent in Spirit Arts. Great-grandpa said the same. But my spirit affinity is top-notch."
"...What exactly are you hiding?"
I smiled quietly, lips curving up. Meaning I wouldn't tell. Kang Ji-young watched me, then turned and walked into the forest. I hurried after her.
"Aunt. Let's go together."
"...Just to the entrance. If someone sees us exiting together, it'll raise fairness issues."
"Gonna leave wearing that coat?"
"I'll use magic to conceal myself. Worry about yourself—keep your mouth shut."
"My lips are sealed, Aunt."
I subtly raised my hand, placing it on Kang Ji-young's shoulder—she was still taller than me. She frowned at me.
"What?"
"Nothing much. It's been a while. How about dinner tonight?"
"Hand off; it's uncomfortable. No time for dinner. I'm busy."