Chapter 144
Chapter 144
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: Raped by the Girl I Trusted as My Childhood Friend's Friend (4)
They're not being deployed to the island one by one, but all at once. To prevent bloodshed breaking out near the uninhabited island's pier, combat was delayed until later.
The one-hour combat restriction was a grace period meant for exactly that purpose.
Thanks to it, the cadets entered the uninhabited island in a relatively relaxed atmosphere. Each team left the pier and headed to their preferred spot.
We gathered together as well. From now on, Class President Mi didn't need to handle class president duties—she stuck right by our side.
"We're charging hard from the start, right?"
Park A-young asked Class President Mi, her face etched with obvious tension. Class President Mi, who craved top scores, basically held full command authority over our team.
Park A-young was dead weight, and I had zero interest in grades anyway.
'Gotta follow the one putting in the effort.'
It was like a trip. When traveling with friends, the fun comes from actively going along with the guy who's hustled on prep and planning.
Whining without lifting a finger? That's asshole territory.
I wasn't that much of an asshole. So I geared up to really listen to Class President Mi.
"For now, let's watch from the pier and chase down the side with fewer enemies."
"Mi's got the whole plan figured out. Sounds good."
The cadets scattered every which way. We kept eyes on the teams and moved accordingly.
Of course, some teams were sneaking peeks at us too.
"Pretty much all of them."
"We're probably priority target number one, huh?"
Class President Mi. A cadet who'd shone in the Hero Tournament.
She was famous inside the Infinite Hero Cultivation Academy, but her popularity outside was insane. Rumors swirled that she'd snag offers right after Han-seol.
And me. I wielded lightning-attribute mana. That alone was plenty to pull aggro.
Objectively speaking, Park A-young was a liability. No other team would bother targeting her.
"That's exactly why A-young's role is key."
A dagger hidden in your sleeve threatens more than a spear waved in the open.
You spot the idiot brandishing a sword and steer clear—but the guy with a blade tucked in his bag? Good luck.
We'd use Park A-young as our hidden dagger. No clue if it'd pan out, but...
We'd drilled her on maximum efficiency.
So Park A-young trailed Class President Mi with a face stiff as stone, her sword-grip hand quivering.
"No need to tense up that bad. If we flop, we flop. Whatever."
"......"
Meant to loosen her up, but it backfired. Made her tenser.
Felt like she figured a cadet like me had to care about scores.
The pier had cleared out too. Hardly any cadets left behind.
Uninhabited island. All the cadets already knew the layout for the final exam practical.
The teachers had shared it.
They'd gotten fair time to analyze. Everyone built strategies around it.
"It's not a flat island."
Terrain-wise, closer to mountains. Not your typical deserted isle with palm trees.
Dig in and hide for real, and searching gets a nightmare.
"Ambushes are the way to go, then."
"Info everyone's got."
"Hit 'em where they least expect?"
"Yeah. 'Cause they'll all be thinking the same."
The final wasn't some quick morning test. Long haul.
Real-combat format where alliances and backstabs mattered big-time.
"Bet no one's itching to fight early on."
Flash your fangs upfront? Worst move. Everyone piles on that team.
"We slip into that gap."
Judgment they could make with faith in their skills.
"Let's hunt some second-years."
Class President Mi took point. Time to unleash all that honed skill.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Drones blanketed the uninhabited island. Filming from overhead, compiling data.
Cadet intel streamed real-time to the situation control room.
Class teachers and staff posted there busted their asses for a safe exam.
Eum Ji-hye waited, gnawing her nails to stubs. Teacher duty pinned her to the control room—no leaving.
"......"
Any second now. One report from Juyeon-woo, and her life was toast.
Her own baby in her belly—would he snitch? No way in hell.
She clung to that certainty, but not 100%. Anxiety gnawed.
Eum Ji-hye's leg jittered nonstop. Looked straight-up off to anyone watching.
But nobody approached or chatted her up.
She'd never been the social type. Only perked up lately after scoring the Hypnosis App.
"Eum Ji-hye doing her Eum Ji-hye thing." Teachers and staff shrugged it off.
They glued eyes to the screens. Combat had just popped off.
"Geum Tae-yeon's on the move."
Right as Class President Mi's team went hunting, Geum Tae-yeon struck. Gliding skyward like she owned it, she zeroed in on a first-year squad and attacked.
— "S-Senior! Please, just spare us once!"
Psychokinesis rained down like carpet bombing. First-years begged Geum Tae-yeon for mercy.
— "Senior doesn't need to tag us! You're gonna win anyway!"
— "Just this once! Points matter to us!"
Cadets had a point. Geum Tae-yeon had zero reason to grind.
Zero her out on practicals? Nobody'd bat an eye. "Threw it again."
She'd proven herself already—any score worked.
Her rep wouldn't tank. First-years banked on that rep.
"Will Geum Tae-yeon go easy?"
Teachers watching the exam murmured. The new Geum Tae-yeon—might cut first-years loose?
"Nah. This version swore to try hard. Old her might've for kicks... But today's all-in."
"Still Geum Tae-yeon. Could flip on a whim—who knows? I say she lets 'em slide."
Opinions split. No bets placed before it wrapped.
Geum Tae-yeon wiped the first-years.
Kwaaang-! Kbang-!
— "Kyaaack!"
Psychokinesis hammered around them. Embedded systems in first-years' training gear gauged impact, relayed to control.
Damage threshold hit? Eliminated.
— "Ahh! Just once!"
— "That's too harsh!"
Safety fields bloomed around the eliminated. Dawning they were out, they belatedly screamed at Geum Tae-yeon.
She jetted off coolly amid the curses.
"She's changed."
"Taking it dead serious."
Academy teachers were all ex-heroes. Stepped back from the field for personal reasons to teach, but battle scars aplenty.
Cadet faces told all. Whether they truly hungered for hero life.
To teachers, Geum Tae-yeon rang true. Sudden saint act, barreling toward top-tier hero.
2nd-year A Class homeroom especially teared up. The hell she'd endured wrangling Geum Tae-yeon.
Dunno the turnaround trigger, but improvement? Pure joy.
Mass first-year elims. Teachers still let Geum Tae-yeon roll.
How to handle superior foes? Cadets' job to figure it.
Can't? Bye.
Real ops, no hand-holding. Field crammed with protect-ees—bad calls kill.
Lose points, gain lesson? Bargain.
Geum Tae-yeon mopping cadets left and right. Savage.
Picture that test zone downtown. Straight massacre.
Cadets' responses mattered. Teachers scanned screens for watchlist kids.
Han-seol and top-ranks.
Han-seol soloed stealth mode. Scouting the sitch.
Wonder what Juyeon-woo was up to.
Juyeon-woo's crew clocked Geum Tae-yeon's rampage too. Psychokinesis thrashing loud—no missing it.
Most cadets rallied to merge forces.
Rally point. Juyeon-woo became it.
"Juyeon-woo won't stab us in the back"—that vibe glued them.
First-years lagged second-years, but numbers win wars. Even Geum Tae-yeon couldn't solo every first-year.
No Han-seol or other elites? Still.
Expectations? Smashed. First-years powerless vs. Geum Tae-yeon.
"Heroes can't kill villains. Force authorized doesn't mean murder. Field heroes fight hobbled vs. baddies."
"...Practical exam's the exception, though."
Teachers muttered like they'd called it.
No deaths. Just dropouts.
Geum Tae-yeon? Dial power, trigger exit calls. Way easier than live ops.
Juyeon-woo's muster hit ~30 including his crew. All but his team? Gone.
"So how'd Yeon-woo's team pull through?"