Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: 17. Great Demon War Simulation (3)
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[No. 50]
Rank: 6
Team 50's ranking popped up.
Was it because they'd cleared the first fight so quickly?
Out of the 50 teams, Team Summer's starting rank was 6th.
"S-Sixth place...?"
So Ji-ro's eyes sparkled.
It was a rank he'd never seen while living in the Lair.
"...?"
Kim Ji-in was just as stunned, staring at the number on her device.
The teams that got the death penalty grumbled as they followed their guardians out. One of those guardians gave Yoo Ji-tae a light bow. He returned it. They'd now endure three hours of death time before respawning at a different spot.
"Why are you two so happy about it?"
Someone dumped ice water on them.
It was Summer.
"Uh, um?"
"Who cares about some rank? We could drop anytime."
"Ah..."
"No, seriously, what were you two doing? As a sharp shooter, you should take initiative first. You need to find cover and get ready to snipe, right?"
Summer vented her irritation.
So Ji-ro glanced at her nervously before bowing his head.
"Sorry..."
"I don't need apologies. Answer me. Why'd you just stand there?"
"W-Well..."
"Sorry about that."
Kim Ji-in raised her voice then.
But realizing it came out louder than intended, she glanced at Summer and Yoo Ji-tae before biting her lip.
The next moment, excuses poured out in a meek tone.
"But we hadn't assigned positions yet, right? Normally, the guard takes point and the sharp shooter supports..."
"What?"
Summer scowled, then closed her eyes.
She was probably reviewing what she'd learned. Checking facts instead of just snapping.
Kim Ji-in was technically right about basic three-man comps. But that was for open fields.
In underground dungeons with cover everywhere, Summer's call was closer to correct.
"Anyway, sorry about that. I mean it."
"Um, so... how about we adjust our three-man positions like this?"
So Ji-ro cautiously chimed in. He placed stones on the ground to show positions and roles. Sharp shooter up front.
After explaining, he sneakily glanced at Yoo Ji-tae.
"Hm. You've got a brain after all."
Summer—not Yoo Ji-tae—approved, and So Ji-ro brightened up.
"Nah. If both of us go frontline, no one's covering Yoo Yeoreum."
"Oh, r-right."
"Front guard dies, we're done. Three hours apart means total wipe..."
Kim Ji-in carefully rearranged the stones into a 1-1-1 formation. One supporting Summer.
The issue: who was the front sharp shooter? Critical, exposed spot. As So Ji-ro's eyes darted around...
"...Not to brag, but my eyes are pretty sharp. My awakened blessing is Archer's Eye."
Kim Ji-in finished carefully, glancing at Yoo Ji-tae.
He stayed silent.
"Eyes that good?"
"...Yeah."
"See that?"
Summer pointed down the dim passage. Nothing but darkness to So Ji-ro. Kim Ji-in answered cautiously.
"Stone pillars... three...?"
"Four. Tsk."
"......"
Summer clicked her tongue.
"At least you've got eyes."
Having sized up Summer, Kim Ji-in realized that was Yoo Yeoreum-style praise.
"Problem is, they're slow eyes."
...Was it praise? Kim Ji-in wondered briefly.
"Fine! Your ideas aren't total garbage. We'll see if it works. So, what do you think?"
This time, Summer turned to Yoo Ji-tae.
To him, it seemed inefficient.
The cadets hadn't realized they were in 'ambush-only' mode. They wouldn't get ambushed, no fair fights. Better a guerrilla-focused formation than versatile one.
But he decided to humor their kid games. He wouldn't operate next time. They needed 'normal' positions now.
"Looks good."
So Ji-ro and Kim Ji-in finally relaxed, beaming with confidence.
Truth was, they harbored a little fantasy watching Yoo Ji-tae.
'...Ex-operator, maybe?'
Just one pointer.
Yet it broke norms, created ideal outcome.
Cadets whispered: top operators confuse superhumans. Impossible tactics flip bad odds.
'Is this guardian one of them?'
They eyed Yoo Ji-tae suspiciously.
"Moving out."
"Yes!"
*
About 20 minutes later.
Yoo Ji-tae signaled: 5-5-5-5, 4, 1. Forward 20m, 4 foes, ultra-ambush bait.
Kim Ji-in marveled again. Even her eyes couldn't pierce that dark.
Still, they were Lair cadets. One scolding from Summer sharpened their moves.
"...!"
The instant Summer stomped—shockwave hitting—the mana gun fired.
20m close-range snipe: dead-on.
-55 HP
[HP: 100 → 45]
"Argh! Ambush!"
Sparks flew into the enemy cadet's face. Vision shook for one second—not short at all.
Summer charged in, swinging full force.
"Uwaaah!"
The quick one parried. Bad call. Didn't expect the power gap.
Bam—! Shock flung the sword. Cadet dropped it, fell.
Summer's barrage followed.
Pow pow pow!
-35 HP
[HP: 40 → 5]
The recovered spearman counterattacked. Mana-charged thrust was sharp. Blade grazed Summer's head.
-15 HP
[HP: 100 → 85]
"What the fuck, it didn't hit?"
Frustrated voice. Mana core wasn't precise enough.
Then So Ji-ro's angled arrow sniped the spearman. Off-balance, he got smashed by Summer.
"Die, you fucker!"
"Agh! Uwaaa...!"
Enemy targeted So Ji-ro mid-fight, but he kited and sniped back. Kim Ji-in's cover fire crumbled them fast.
Over in seconds.
Much smoother than before.
"Move."
Yoo Ji-tae stepped off as they cleaned up.
Team 50 took down eight more before nightfall.
[No. 50]
Rank: 2
They shot to 2nd in a flash.
-Team 42 out.
"Okay. Exit until separate insertion orders after 3-hour death timer."
Dungeon control room.
Spot to overview virtual dungeon.
Professors and TAs watched with interest.
-Team 15 out.
-Team 9 out.
-Team 33 out.
Tons eliminated live. No HP recovery meant no eternal winners. Even victors lost HP in fights.
Some outliers, though.
"Team 48. Check their cheese strat?"
Practical Combat prof chuckled.
Team 48 holed up in an ant-nest corner 'room', ambushing passersby.
Only 3 wins by day's end.
Zero deaths, though.
"Rank?"
"28th. No death penalties, doing decent."
"Survival time counts too. Always some brainiacs cheesing yearly."
Prof turned.
"Who ya got for 1st?"
"Team 1 and 50 neck-and-neck."
"50? That level 4 club? Same shit every year."
"Nah. Level 4 'Martial Arts Club' is Team 3."
"Huh?"
Prof's eyes lit up.
"Then 50's..."
"Yoo Yeoreum's team."
Yoo Yeoreum.
Fiery red-haired girl cadet. Azure Dragon House incident was prof legend.
Made sense for her. Strong beyond years. But her two teammates? Last picks, unmatched till end.
With them, necking Team 1?
"Pull both teams' data."
Team 1: three level 5 club cadets.
No surprise. Yearly top dogs. Pro superhumans eat dust. Expected.
Team 50: unexpected.
Practical prof sobered.
'...'
Team 50 screamed Yoo Yeoreum carry.
Yet win count too high for that.
Lucky streaks? Weak foes everywhere?
"Travel time vs opponents?"
"1.5x Team 1's. Paths hyper-efficient, but team slow. Opponents:"
Not just weaklings.
Mystery deepened.
Prof thought of operator.
'That guardian...'
Yoo Yeoreum, declaration's Yoo Gaeul.
Spring, mana profs raved.
That clan's guardian. Dangerous vibe.
Paths insanely efficient. Even prof doubted his own.
Guy was cheating somehow.
"Paths nuts, right? Ping comms?"
"Then what?"
TA shut up.
Yeah, asking operators how they scout? Dumb. That's their job.
"Uh, prof..."
Newbie TA grimly spoke.
"Team 1 marking maybe."
"Marking?"
"Yeah. Team 1, 3, 4 paths avoid each other weirdly. Top cadets signaling suspicions."
Newbie dead serious.
Signaling? In sacred practicals? That's the vibe.
Prof matched gravity.
"R-Really...?"
Then snicker... prof laughed. Others joined.
Newbie awkwardly chuckled. Why?
"TA, you a sports ref?"
"Pardon? Ah..."
"This is Practical Combat."
Prof dismissed.
No gadgets, artifacts. Coordinating sans? Praised in real combat.
Newbie still saw unfairness.
Pre-planned teams too advantaged?
Yoo Ji-tae eyed dungeon 'room' corner dimly.
Artificial three claw marks.
Mana traces thick.
Guardians can't use mana, so cadet-made. Quality high. Density varied distinctly.
Might've overlooked once. Repeated? Suspicious.
What meant?
Letter... to him.
Backdoor schemers.
"Fuck, why only 2nd?!"
Summer scowled, stomped craters with dainty but strong legs.
"Why? 2nd's still a-amazing, right?"
"Shut it!"
"S-Sorry..."
As So Ji-ro shrank...
Yoo Ji-tae called Summer, explained.
"What? Knew it."
Summer checked marks, face twisted ugly.
"This. Yep. Fucking dogshit humans... knew it'd happen. Dirty bastards."
She fumed, asked Yoo Ji-tae.
"Can ya track the mark-makers?"
He shook head.
Could, inefficient. Cadets like ants to him. Strong/weak ants.
Hours standing here. Rank drops.
"Knew it. Asshole fuckers."
Summer boiled. 50 solo teams, but secret 'alliance'.
So Ji-ro, Kim Ji-in paled, piecing it.
"Hm?"
Summer paused cursing, eyes wide.
"What's up, Summer?"
Kim Ji-in puzzled.
Blank-faced, Summer approached marks.
Sniffed.
"Kinda familiar."
"Huh? What?"
"Wait. On way here, saw similar few times."
Summer closed eyes, recalled.
Perfect memory: mana structures glimpsed flashed vivid.
Recalled dozen markings, analyzed patterns.
Took a bit, under 30 min.
"Got it. You fuckers..."
Cracked, Summer low-laughed.
Heh heh. Heh heh heung...
Teammates chilled despite alliance.