Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Part 17. Great Demon War Simulation (4)
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“Hey, you two. Come here.”
So Ji-ro and Kim Ji-in, who had been quietly observing until then, squatted down in front of Yoo Yeoreum.
The room was covered in relatively damp soil. Yoo Yeoreum began drawing something on the floor with a stick.
Their eyes widened. All the rooms and passages that Team 50 had passed through up to that point were being simplified into a map.
About twenty hours had passed since the simulation began, so the number of 'rooms' and 'passages' had already reached the hundreds. Even so, Yoo Yeoreum calmly sketched them out stroke by stroke.
Unaware of a dragon's exceptional memory, the two marveled at the map forming in real time.
“From what I can see, the 1st place team and the 3rd and 4th place teams are leaving marks for each other.”
“Leaving marks for each other?”
“Yeah. Like, 'We passed through this room. This is where we're heading next.' Stuff like that.”
“How?”
“If you can't figure it out even when it's obvious, just shut up and listen.”
“......”
At Yoo Yeoreum's words, the two closed their mouths. The irritation they had felt earlier when she spoke was no longer visible. They had come to accept it as just how she was.
In the meantime, Yoo Yeoreum drew their movement path in a long stroke. Three large circles appeared in the massive dungeon.
“The three teams are probably moving like this.”
“So their paths don't overlap with each other?”
“Exactly.”
Kim Ji-in let out a frustrated groan.
“I overheard their club seniors giving advice before. They said the practical class prof is a veteran from the Great War, so the rules are pretty loose anyway...”
“Gasp, really...?”
“Yeah. But I didn't think they'd exploit it this much...”
“Sigh, seriously...”
So Ji-ro cautiously asked Yoo Yeoreum.
“So what do we do? Sh-should we get revenge?”
“What?”
“You know, if we use their paths cleverly, we could hit them from behind, right? W-we're pretty strong now...”
Yoo Yeoreum snorted derisively.
“Are you an idiot?”
“Uh, yeah?”
“Have they ever slapped you? Why bother with pointless revenge when we have this golden opportunity?”
“What?”
“They're all top-rankers anyway. If we run into them, win or lose, we'll just drag out a fight and wear ourselves down. Why fight like morons?”
“Then? What are you planning?”
Yoo Yeoreum chuckled slyly as she drew a small circle between the larger ones.
“Good things are meant to be shared.”
So Ji-ro looked stunned, as if hit by a cultural shock. Kim Ji-in shook her head in disbelief.
If they followed Yoo Yeoreum's plan, they would slip out of the other top teams' paths. In other words, they would secretly join the alliance of the other teams.
“...You're smarter than I thought. I figured you were just a foul-tempered bitch.”
“You use what you can use.”
Finishing her words, Yoo Yeoreum looked at Yoo Ji-tae. Then she tilted her head, as if asking, Yeah? Right?
What.
“What do you think?”
“About what.”
“No, like, is my judgment right? ...You're better at this stuff than me, right?”
She asked him.
He nodded. In places where lives were at stake, pointless pride always invited death. Yoo Yeoreum's judgment was suited for survival.
Once Yoo Ji-tae acknowledged it, Yoo Yeoreum nonchalantly turned her body sideways and replied.
“I just asked once. I already knew.”
At the same time, she fidgeted with the hand gripping her weapon.
Now he somewhat understood.
That's what she did when she was in a good mood.
After that, Team 50 followed their newly plotted path, ambushing every team they encountered.
Even so, their rank didn't rise above 2nd place.
Detailed records showed the score gap with the 1st place team wasn't that wide. It was frustrating for Yoo Yeoreum.
In the midst of it, she spotted some who looked exhausted and wanted to rest.
Yoo Yeoreum felt the need to motivate them.
“Get up, you pigs! Can't you see we're still in 2nd place?”
“Uwaaaah...!”
Though they were all superhumans, the two couldn't keep up with Yoo Yeoreum's stamina at all.
It was already approaching the second night. Nearly 40 hours of non-stop marching without proper sleep or meals—even superhuman cadets were bound to tire.
“J-just a little rest...”
“I feel like I'm gonna die...”
Yoo Yeoreum yelled.
“Don't make me laugh. Who gets to rest? While we're slacking, other teams are pushing forward.”
“2nd... 2nd is still a good score...”
“I!”
Yoo Yeoreum shrieked piercingly. The two, who had been slumping, snapped their gazes to her.
“Am the kind of person who hates losing to someone I can beat more than dying. If it were someone I gave up on, or a class I skipped, fine. But we're here giving it our all—falling behind now...!”
Yoo Yeoreum's face twisted ferociously.
“You're pigs!”
“E-eh, me?!”
“Didn't you say on the first day you'd give your all so you wouldn't drag us down? But right now, you're the one dragging me down. What do you think about that?”
“Th-that's... But it's too hard right now...”
“Oh, so if it's tough for you, it's okay to break your word, lie down, and rest, regardless of dragging others down?”
“N-no, that's not...”
“Why do you think kids never pick you and you end up as losers till the end? You fight decently, so why the trash treatment? Isn't it because of moments like this, when you could stand and move but choose to sit and rest? Never thought of that?”
A torrent of scolding poured out. 'Hiiing...' So Ji-ro stood up on trembling legs. He was on the verge of tears.
Yoo Yeoreum growled, snapping her teeth at the air as if biting him.
So Ji-ro jolted into attention stance.
“And you! Dullard!”
The next target was Kim Ji-in.
Already cowed, Kim Ji-in wore a gloomy expression.
“Wh-what... What.”
“With your bangs covering half your face, how can you even see ahead properly? What's the point of good eyesight if your hair blocks your view every moment in a fight and you fumble? Fine. Since it's come to this, I can't just watch anymore.”
“Wh-what?”
“Come here.”
“D-don't touch me. My hair...”
“Not coming? Should I come get you?”
“I hate people touching my hair... Kyaa!”
Yoo Yeoreum approached and grabbed a fistful of Kim Ji-in's sweat-matted hair.
Ow! It felt like it was being yanked out...! As the startled Kim Ji-in covered her face with her hands,
She opened her eyes again to find Yoo Yeoreum's face right in front of her nose. Yoo Yeoreum was tying her hair back with a rubber band.
“So this is what you look like?”
“......”
“You look like a sea cucumber.”
The final remark shattered any budding emotion.
“There. Keep it like this until the class ends. Otherwise, I'll rip out your shitty hair and turn you into a boiled egghead. Got it?”
“Y-yeah...”
“If you got it, get up now and start gear checks! You bastards!”
It was tremendous force of will.
The two had no choice but to follow her, swallowing their resentment like mustard.
The situation was dissatisfying, but no one seemed to resent Yoo Yeoreum. She had been moving at least twice as hard as they had.
Nice job, Yoo Yeoreum.
Yoo Ji-tae smiled faintly as he watched her.
As their guardian, he hadn't stopped searching for 'marking traces.' Whenever he did, Yoo Yeoreum would glance slyly and add fake marks on top. She was tampering with the messages exchanged between top teams.
The purpose was obvious without looking. To tangle their paths and force fights.
He asked.
“Want me to let you know if a bigger clash happens elsewhere?”
“Yeah. Do it.”
Yoo Yeoreum grinned mischievously.
Yoo Yeoreum's grand plan gradually became reality as time passed.
The allied top teams grew puzzled by the altered 'markings.'
What? Are they heading that way? That's different from the earlier message...
Well, they must have a reason to announce a change like that. We should adjust accordingly.
Conversations exchanged not through words or writing, but agreed-upon markings.
Thus, despite their doubts, they trusted their 'agreement' implicitly.
Unaware it had been manipulated.
And so, on the morning of the third day, exactly three hours before class end, the problem erupted.
“Wh-what are you guys doing here...”
“Haa......”
The moment they entered the room from the passage, both teams' members scowled in unison.
1st place and 3rd place had run into each other.
1st and 2nd were in a tight race.
3rd and 4th were the same.
With class ending in three hours, dying now meant they couldn't do anything until it finished.
But one unbreakable rule: they must fight any encountered 'virtual demon.' No cheating possible.
“Hey, you guys seriously...!”
“Way.”
As the 1st place girl cadet tried to say something, her guardian covered her mouth.
Open negotiation wasn't just a penalty—it was disqualification.
“......Damn it.”
Thus, 1st and 3rd had no choice but to draw weapons on each other.
“Ugh, idiots. Can't even handle that simple shit properly...”
3rd place felt wronged.
The two teams clashed.
And around then.
From the far end of the passage connected to the room where the battle raged, watchers observed.
It was 'Team 50.'
Lucky. A fight broke out just as they passed nearby, and Yoo Ji-tae had led them here.
“They're really going at it.”
Hahaha! Yoo Yeoreum laughed. So Ji-ro and Kim Ji-in timidly giggled while watching.
The losing side was still 4th-level club cadets—not weaklings. Both teams' HP bars plummeted in real time.
She watched silently until then.
Yoo Yeoreum ambushed right after the fight ended. The opponent's guardian noticed and warned, but fresh off battle, 1st place was panting heavily.
“Kuhuk!”
In that state, Yoo Yeoreum charged, instantly dropping 1st place's sharp shooter.
“You guys, that's cowardly...!”
“What?”
“You waited for us to fight and ambushed now!”
“You talk weird. Would you complain it's 'cowardly' even when dying to a demon?”
Yoo Yeoreum smashed the cadet's head, dropping her.
Even so, she grimaced.
1st place was indeed on another level. Each member matched her own skill without exaggeration.
If their HP had been full, she might not win even 3:1. Or even 1:1 in her polymorphed state?
It was a fresh shock for Yoo Yeoreum.
She'd heard 5th-level club cadets were strong, but this was her first time trading blows.
Part of her wanted to challenge them 1:1 one by one.
Anyway. Later.
Outmaneuvered strategically, they crumbled under Yoo Yeoreum's fists and So Ji-ro and Kim Ji-in's covering fire.
Soon, 1st place was eliminated via death.
And over the next three hours of their exit, Yoo Yeoreum's team notched three more victories.
The close race flipped their ranking.
In the end, Team 50 finished class having conquered 1st place.
The professor's voice echoed through their ear devices.
“We diiiiid iiiit──!”
Yoo Yeoreum clenched her fists and roared.
Her genuine shout carried draconic intimidation, resounding thunderously through the underground dungeon for a good while.
After the Great Demon War Simulation ended.
So Ji-ro and Kim Ji-in, utterly drained, returned their gear.
Three hellish days, but seeing 1st place made all the hardship melt away.
“Good work. Both of you.”
At Yoo Ji-tae's words, they bowed their heads.
“Thank you so much, Guardian.”
“...You worked hard these three days.”
The man just nodded without further reply.
Despite days together, he felt unapproachable. Yet the reliable feeling during that time wouldn't fade easily. Yoo Yeoreum left with her guardian without a goodbye.
“Ah, fuck, that pisses me off.”
After the team disbanded, grumbling voices reached their ears.
4th-level club cadets.
Turning, their eyes met. The cadets frowned.
“Must feel great, huh?”
“Uh...?”
“Bet the bus ride was smooth.”
“......”
So Ji-ro smiled awkwardly, while Kim Ji-in glared before turning away.
It was undeniable fact—they owed 1st to Yoo Yeoreum. Nothing to say.
“Hey. They must've worked hard too.”
“Huh?”
“Try spending three days with that personality wreck.”
“Oh. Hell. Pure hell.”
“I couldn't. She'd bitch nonstop to show off.”
Giggling voices.
Kim Ji-in's hair was still as Yoo Yeoreum had roughly tied it. 'Hey, you guys...' As offended Kim Ji-in reflexively started to call out,
“Y-Yeoreum was actually nice...!”
So Ji-ro shouted emotionally.
Then, as other cadets' gazes turned, he belatedly bowed his head in realization.
Perhaps from the shared hardship, a strange camaraderie had formed. 'What?' 'What's his deal?' As the cadets shot looks, an inexplicable courage welled in Kim Ji-in too.
“Who are they to worry about personality...”
Her mana-infused mutter carried weight, crumpling the cadets' faces.
Kim Ji-in grabbed her bag, feeling refreshed.
She'd probably feel good for days.