Awkward Encounter (3)
A massive, terrifying presence in filthy, ragged clothing. What had captured Yu Hae-rin's gaze was none other than the Scarecrow Ogre. Her face went pale.
"Eek!"
The scarecrow wore the flayed face of a starving ogre, just as it had looked in life. The creature's sheer bulk felt larger than a giant. Only then did Professor Seong Ji-eun's earlier warning come rushing back to her.
"Th-that thing... Then this place is...?"
Yu Hae-rin finally realized she was standing in Zone 2, but it was already too late. The Scarecrow Ogre's eyes were glowing red. An algorithm had been implanted in it: kill any human who entered Zone 2. Not even students were exempt.
The Scarecrow Ogre began stomping straight toward her.
Thud! Thud!
It was too late to run. Yu Hae-rin frantically raised her bow and fired mana arrows before the ogre could close the distance.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Thwack! Her arrows struck true, burying themselves in the Scarecrow Ogre's forehead.
"Did I get it?"
The thought lasted only a moment. The ogre merely staggered before standing upright again, completely unharmed. Academy scarecrows were designed to mimic the movements of real monsters as closely as possible. That was what made them such effective training tools. Real ogres, for example, could slam the ground to trigger earthquakes—and the Scarecrow Ogre had learned the same technique.
It raised both arms high.
BOOM!
A powerful quake erupted, and Yu Hae-rin was hurled backward by the shockwave.
"Kyaaah!"
The Scarecrow Ogre's strength was nearly equal to that of a real ogre. Ogres were simple-minded, but their raw power ranked among the highest of all monsters. Even Yu Hae-rin couldn't withstand it.
"Hah!"
She slammed into a nearby boulder. The impact knocked the bow from her hands.
"Ugh..."
When she came to and opened her eyes, the Scarecrow Ogre's silhouette was drawing closer. The fear of death crept toward her.
Someone—anyone!
She tried to call for help, but before the words could leave her mouth, the ogre thrust its face right in front of hers. A grotesque robot wearing a dead ogre's skin. It raised its hand high, and Yu Hae-rin squeezed her eyes shut.
CRASH!
She braced for death.
"......"
Yet no pain came, even after several seconds. What had happened? Curiosity got the better of her, so she cracked one eye open.
Thankfully, the terrifying ogre face was gone. Instead, right in front of her...
...was the back of a boy wearing a white school uniform.
Fighting Spirit — Increases Strength by +3 for 5 minutes.
"Ha Yeonjun?"
Yu Hae-rin's voice came from behind him. Blocking the Scarecrow Ogre's attack with both arms, he shouted back at her.
"Stop staring and help me already!"
"R-right!"
He was already at his limit. He'd invested in Strength, but the Scarecrow Ogre's power far exceeded his own. That was why even Yu Hae-rin hadn't been able to put up a fight—this thing wasn't a normal student training robot to begin with.
Was it finally time to use his trump card?
「Fighting Spirit: Ignites your competitive spirit against stronger opponents. (Cooldown: 3 days)」
A simple description: it only activated against opponents stronger than himself. It was the Blessing the Master of Beating had given him.
Blessing 'Fighting Spirit' activated.
Strength increased by +3 for 5 minutes.
Though it had the strict condition of only working against stronger foes, it gave him just enough power to withstand the Scarecrow Ogre's strength. Even if only for a short while... it was enough.
Just then, Yu Hae-rin called out.
"Ha Yeonjun!"
She had slipped out from behind him and was already aiming her bow at the ogre. An archer could display overwhelming power if they knew their target's exact weakness—and he could see it.
Insight — Mana flow detected at the target's nape!
The Scarecrow Ogre's nape began glowing yellow, and his gaze locked onto it like a hawk.
"Aim for the nape! That's the weak point!"
"The nape?"
Yu Hae-rin hesitated for a moment before drawing her bowstring toward the ogre's nape. Mana condensed at her fingertips, forming six arrows. When she released the string, they flew in a beautiful arc—her Rapid Fire skill.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
All six mana arrows pierced the ogre's nape in perfect succession. Thick smoke billowed out, obscuring everything. But the fight wasn't over yet.
Ha Yeonjun dashed through the smoke and leapt right in front of the Scarecrow Ogre's face.
Flash!
The ogre staggered from the direct hits. Ha Yeonjun drove his fist straight into its face.
CRASH!
Mana erupted from the creature like a storm.
Whooooosh—
When the smoke finally cleared and he opened his eyes, the Scarecrow Ogre lay on the ground, its jaw twisted 180 degrees.
Ha Yeonjun exhaled heavily.
"Hah..."
Yu Hae-rin opened her eyes and met his gaze. She looked completely lost as to what had just happened.
That was when a message appeared.
The Constellation 'Master of Beating' is pleased with your flawless victory.
500 Points have been sponsored.
One downside was that daily missions didn't trigger against machines, but...
Something on the ground was glowing yellow.
He bent down and reached for it.
...What is this?
◈ A broken auxiliary core.
◈ Can be sold at the Celestial Shop for a decent number of Points.
◈ Durability: —
Not bad. Between the sponsorship and the item, this was a pretty good reward.
Yu Hae-rin called out to him.
"Ha Yeonjun?"
"Yeah?"
"Your arm... it's bleeding..."
Only then did he notice the wound on his right arm had reopened. It was from yesterday's fight with the tattooed man, not from the Scarecrow Ogre. Still, since she seemed to be misunderstanding, he figured he should clarify.
"It's fine. This isn't because of you."
"......"
Yu Hae-rin bit her lip, looking uneasy.
That was when voices rang out.
"Hey, students!"
"Wh-what's going on here?!"
Professor Seong Ji-eun and the forest keeper came running. The Zone 2 alarm must have gone off.
"Yu Hae-rin! Ha Yeonjun!"
Professor Seong Ji-eun looked back and forth between them. When her eyes landed on the fallen Scarecrow Ogre, they widened in shock.
"You two... took down the Scarecrow Ogre?"
Yu Hae-rin spoke up.
"I'm sorry, Professor. This is my fault. I got lost and..."
"Enough! I'll hear the details later. Both of you, head to the infirmary right now. This incident will be reflected in your evaluations—both of you!"
The professor would probably give them failing marks. Ha Yeonjun glanced sideways. Yu Hae-rin was hanging her head dejectedly.
Nothing they could do about it now...
That aside, he still hadn't completed today's daily mission. If the tattooed man was serious about not letting him off the hook, then he and his "hyung" were probably waiting for him. In that case, Ha Yeonjun was more than happy to oblige. After what he'd just experienced, he knew he still needed to grow stronger.
*
Inside the faculty office, the professors were holding a meeting to deal with the recent incidents. Amid the chaotic atmosphere, the first agenda item was rejected.
"That proposal is denied..."
The idea of stationing police officers inside the academy had been discussed, but the attendees decided against it. Instead, they would hire more security guards.
They moved on to the next item.
"Today, two first-year students entered Zone 2 of the Shadow Forest and encountered the Scarecrow Ogre. Fortunately, both students are unharmed, and the Scarecrow Ogre has been disabled after sustaining direct damage to the mana core in its posterior head."
Principal Kim Chong-jae and the other professors all looked surprised. It was hard to believe first-years could have accomplished something like this. The faculty knew better than anyone how powerful the Scarecrow Ogre was...
In short, this wasn't the work of ordinary students.
Professor Jang Ji-seok stroked his mustache and said, "Well, she is the daughter of the Storm Guild's guildmaster..."
Most of the faculty agreed with him, assuming it had been Yu Hae-rin's doing. Principal Kim Chong-jae felt the same. Yu Hae-rin had inherited the blood of his old colleague Yu Jong-yun—she might very well be capable of it.
At that moment, Professor Seong Ji-eun, who had witnessed the scene, stood up.
"Ha Yeonjun was there as well."
"It couldn't have been Ha Yeonjun."
"Why are you so certain?"
"Because he's... a Citizen Hall student. His skill levels are only at 1, and his physical exam results have always been at the bottom."
"Ha Yeonjun did?"
"If you still don't believe it, here's the report..."
Professor Kang Dong-geun handed over the report.
"You're right..."
Professor Seong Ji-eun couldn't help but be shocked. At that level, he was practically a civilian. But she remembered the fiery, hunter-like glint in Ha Yeonjun's eyes.
"Well, there are plenty of talented students among this year's freshmen, so it's not that surprising."
Principal Kim Chong-jae spoke up then.
"There's a saying: 'A hidden gem will eventually shine.' Talented people stand out even if they try to stay hidden... Something like that. Let's move on to the next agenda. Professor Kim, is your report ready?"
"Yes, Principal!"
Seong Ji-eun felt frustrated that they were simply moving on. What if Ha Yeonjun was an uncut gem they hadn't properly assessed? To just wait for him to polish himself on his own... That was something she couldn't accept.
Ha Yeonjun, was it? If I raise that kid properly, he might become a real treasure...
A spark lit up in Seong Ji-eun's eyes. She began quietly formulating a special plan.