Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: Multiplied Guardians
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“......Huh?”
I turned my gaze in surprise.
Kwoong!
From another direction, once more.
Footsteps continued to echo.
“......What the?”
In shock at the situation diverging from the original work, I scanned our surroundings.
The guardians, which numbered only two in the original, had increased to four.
How did this happen?
Did it multiply because our group size grew?
Tsk.
An unexpected variable had arisen.
I’d thought conquering the ruins would be easier with more people, but nothing ever went smoothly.
Of course, we had four more people while the guardians only increased by two, so it wasn’t a huge problem.
Plus, everyone here was among the top students in the academy.
But these statues were strong enough that even in the original, Lee Seojun barely managed to take down one alone.
Lee Seojun and Yu Ara might handle theirs, but the others would struggle against one on their own.
Kwooung!
I shouted urgently.
“Lee Seojun, Yu Ara, and I will each take one! The rest of you handle the last one together!”
“Got it!”
At my words, everyone quickly found their opponents. I charged toward the nearest guardian.
It spotted me and swung its spear.
Whoosh!
Its massive, heavy body should have been slow, but its attack was swift and sharp.
I barely dodged using mana.
At the same time, Outsider’s Benefit activated, illuminating the weak points between its body segments.
Between body and armor. Between creases. Tiny gaps visible whenever it moved.
I rapidly compressed and manifested a spell above my hand.
Whoooosh……!
Whirling mana. The instant its spear thrust toward me, I extended my hand and unleashed it.
Pang-!
The magic orb sliced through the air, striking its neck precisely.
A loud boom rang out as its body tilted sharply.
Its defense was so tough that I failed to decapitate it.
But damage wasn’t zero—rock fragments crumbled from its neck.
With it exposed now.
I activated ‘Heart of Great Nature’ to seize the chance.
Thump!
An enormous amount of mana began recovering rapidly.
Thanks to the Blessing of Great Nature recently rising to S-grade, its duration had extended to a full three minutes.
And three minutes was plenty to finish it off.
I unleashed multiple spells as I rushed toward it.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwaaang-!
The guardian’s body tilted backward once more.
I didn’t miss the opening, using Air Walk to leap.
Paat!
I landed atop its head. Then manifested a new spell.
The gaps in its statue body, its weak point. And the crevice between neck and armor.
Kwang!
The spell detonated, and its reaction was markedly different from before. Its body tilted even more dramatically, then it dropped to one knee.
I followed up by blasting its neck.
Kwang! Kwang!
After a few more blasts, its neck shattered completely, and its head tumbled to the ground.
[You have achieved the ‘Guardian Slayer’ accomplishment.]
[You acquire 3,000 points as a reward.]
[You have soloed a ‘Guardian’!]
[You acquire an additional 2,000 points.]
“Whew.”
Finally, it was down. Even targeting weak points, its sturdy defense had taken time.
Glancing aside, I saw Lee Seojun still locked in fierce combat with his guardian.
He seemed to be struggling, though.
“Lee Seojun! Its weak points are the gaps between its body segments! Target those!”
At my shout, everyone looked my way.
“What? You already took yours down?”
Lee Seojun stared at me in astonishment. Just then, the guardian swung its spear at him. He barely dodged.
“Hey! Eyes on the fight!”
“Y-Yeah!”
Then a boom echoed from elsewhere—the sound of the guardian facing Choi Soyun, Song Seungah, and Lee Hyunjoo slamming its spear into the ground.
“......This is chaos.”
What a mess.
Still, the three were coordinating decently, holding their own against it. Given time, they’d figure it out and take it down.
I turned my gaze to Yu Ara.
A flame mage lacking utility struggled against golems—bad matchup.
As expected, Yu Ara was having a tough time.
......Time to put out the most pressing fire.
[You have successfully conquered the ‘Boundary Ruins’.]
[You acquire 3,000 points as a reward.]
[The ‘Boundary Ruins’ bestows blessings upon all.]
[You acquire the adaptive trait, ‘Grace of Life (C)’.]
“Whew!”
Thanks to everyone scrambling hard, we cleared all the guardians faster than expected.
And as in the original, we obtained the common ruin reward: the ‘Grace of Life’ trait.
Feeling the new power within them, the mood lifted.
I checked the trait’s details.
[Grace of Life (C)]
Classification: Trait
Description: Blessing of the ‘Boundary Ruins’
［Continuous Effect］
►Robust Vitality
Greatly reduces the chance of contracting various diseases.
Provides moderate immunity to various diseases.
It might seem simple, but for mages who couldn’t fully train their bodies no matter what, immunity to illness was highly satisfying.
“Good work, everyone.”
“You too.”
As we exchanged greetings, Lee Seojun approached me.
“Damn, didn’t you solo three guardians this time?”
Close enough.
Of course, spotting and exploiting weak points quickly had given me better results than the others.
“That’s why I told you the weak points.”
“How am I supposed to get it from something that vague?”
“This guy’s smart, but his comprehension sucks in clutch moments.”
At my words, Lee Seojun narrowed his eyes.
“What’d you say.”
We were just starting to savor the post-battle calm when.
Song Seungah checked her smart student notebook and paled in shock.
“Sunbae! It’s 5 p.m.!”
“What?”
The hunting event ended at 6 p.m.
Only an hour left. Late to the start point meant disqualification, so we had to hurry back without detours.
I’d collected 58 magic stones this run.
Getting DQ’d now would keep me up at night.
“Damn it...... Run!”
Choi Ilhyeon was watching the Taehwi Festival coverage from the mage academy’s staff lounge via TV.
The massive screen showed the awards ceremony for today’s main event: the ‘Ghost Island’ hunt.
Island-wide mana disasters prevented filming inside, so he had no idea what went down.
But from the ceremony footage, he could tell Kim Sunwoo took first place.
“No real teaching on my part, and my student’s already making me proud.”
Choi Ilhyeon muttered to himself.
Then a memory surfaced: visiting Ghost Island during his own academy days. A pang of melancholy hit his chest.
He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
He snapped his fingers lightly—fwoosh, the tip ignited.
“Whew.”
A sudden thought struck him.
What if Lee Seojun saw illusions of us on Ghost Island?
And got lured by them into tackling the ruins?
Back then, they hadn’t met the entry requirements and gave up.
But this Lee Seojun might qualify now.
Pure speculation, of course.
“Eh, doesn’t matter anymore.”
Immortality clues or whatever—pointless now.
That guy was already......
“Cough! Cough! Damn it! Whose cigarette is this!”
Startled by the irritated voice, Choi Ilhyeon jumped to his feet.
“......Huh? Professor Choi?”
The voice belonged to manifestation magic instructor Lee Hiyeong.
She blinked, staring at his face, then said curtly.
“No smoking here......”
“Haha. Yes, sir. I’ll put it out right away.”
Before extinguishing it, Choi Ilhyeon took one last deep drag.
Might as well enjoy the final puff since he was caught anyway.
“Whew. Haha. Sorry, I’ll put it out......”
“Professor. What exactly are you doing right now?”
“Huh?”
Lee Hiyeong glared at him with murderous intent.
She hated two things most: anyone stealing her prized students, and cigarettes.
And Choi Ilhyeon was hitting both.
Sure, Kim Sunwoo had chosen to go on his own, but resentment still simmered.
Sensing danger instinctively, Choi Ilhyeon bowed deeply.
“I’m sorry.”
Flash!
A portal flared, revealing the familiar mage academy scenery.
Noisy music, laughing crowds, sweet food aromas, vibrant colorful lights illuminating everything.
After a day of life-or-death battles, the Taehwi Festival remained peacefully festive.
“After seeing ghosts all day, this feels surreal.”
“Yeah. Kinda awkward.”
Just eight hours, but the otherworldly events left everyone visibly drained.
The awards ceremony had also been delayed by the host’s mistake.
I felt a touch of fatigue myself.
Physical recovery traits helped, but mental exhaustion lingered.
Then Lee Seojun looked around and commented.
“But today’s crowd is way bigger than yesterday.”
“Fireworks festival later. Forgot?”
“Oh. Right.”
The true highlight of Taehwi Festival’s second night: the ‘Mana Fireworks Festival’.
Hyped worldwide, it promised massive scale.
Drawing spectators from everywhere.
“What? Lee Seojun, you didn’t forget, right? We’re watching together.”
Lee Hyunjoo shot him a glare.
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll go watch.”
“Heh. Then let’s grab spots quick. I scouted a good one. Oh, you guys wanna join?”
Lee Hyunjoo turned to us.
“Nah. Tired.”
Yu Ara declined.
“Me too. Gonna rest.”
Song Seungah shook her head.
“I......”
Choi Soyun trailed off, lips pursed.
Then her gaze shifted to me.
“Sunbae, wanna watch together?”
Amid the blaring music and chatter, Choi Soyun’s voice rang clear.
Quietly watching, Lee Hyunjoo approached and grabbed our arms firmly.
“You two have no say.”
“What?”
“Come on.”
Thus, Choi Soyun and I got dragged off by Lee Hyunjoo.
Song Seungah gave us an ambiguous smile and a wave before vanishing. Yu Ara wished us fun.
Lee Hyunjoo led us to a hill in the school park.
“Great view from here. Nice vibe too.”
She plopped down.
“What’re you waiting for? Sit.”
I stood blankly before nodding lightly.
Sure, a night of cultural fun wouldn’t hurt.
I sat on a suitable spot on the hill. Choi Soyun naturally settled beside me.
Lee Seojun and Lee Hyunjoo took a higher spot.
Better view, apparently.
An awkward silence fell. Felt like we should chat, but no topics came to mind.
Behind us, Lee Seojun and Lee Hyunjoo discussed the ghost from today.
The one identical to Lee Seojun, ‘Lee Yunkyoung’—maybe investigate her?
That probe would stir doubts about his origins.
And he’d unravel the mysteries around him one by one.
“Sunbae.”
Lost in thought, Choi Soyun called me.
“Yeah.”