Chapter 38: Mine (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 38: Mine (2)
In the center of a deep forest.
Moonlight was their only guide.
People were there, yet they made no sound.
"You've arrived."
A voice emerged from the forest's shadows.
The darkness stirred, and one, two, three figures—appeared in succession.
One wore a mask, another a hood, and the last was a man of immense build.
The man in the mask stood at the center.
His presence was distinct, even in the darkness.
Even the air around him seemed to shimmer subtly.
The Mine in the hood spoke cautiously.
"Is the plan proceeding smoothly?"
Moras.
Few among the Mines did not know his name.
He held a mid-tier rank among them.
Specializing in temptation, he was one of the most difficult foes to face.
The hooded Mine looked at the masked man, his voice tense.
"For us… it is an honor just to have you with us, Lord Moras, but… Medusa was a difficult one to secure."
A soft chuckle echoed.
The masked man tilted his head slightly and replied.
"So?"
His tone was languid.
"You proposed the plan, and I prepared the best possible version of it. To ask about its chances now… what exactly do you mean by that?"
The large Mine carefully interjected.
Wringing his massive hands, he continued as if making an excuse.
"…That's not it, Lord Moras. We just wanted some certainty…"
"Certainty?"
The masked man let out a low, amused laugh.
Then, he began to walk slowly.
"Certainty…"
As his fingertips brushed the air, a faint trace of mana shimmered.
"As long as you all simply keep them busy, everything will be resolved with ease."
A brief silence followed his words.
The hooded Mine whispered softly.
"Will the students… really be swayed?"
At that moment, the masked man laughed.
His expression was hidden, but the sound of his subtly twisted smile was clear.
"As long as they have desire, they won't be able to refuse."
He stretched out a hand.
The lingering traces of mana spreading through the air pulsed ominously.
"They will."
"Trapped in the delusion that they made the choice themselves."
"In the end, they will turn."
At his words, the two Mines nodded.
The large Mine clenched his fists, swallowing his excitement.
"So, please. Just summon Medusa properly."
Moras's voice was quiet, but the command within it was absolute.
The leaves of the forest rustled gently. The Mine's plan was already in motion.
*
I was sitting on top of the VIP room building, the highest point at Gaon Academy.
From here, I could see the entire Gaon campus at a glance.
The reason I was here was simple.
"Because I can see everything."
I looked down below.
The crowds of students, viewed from a dizzying height.
The flow of people moving everywhere, the faint sound of cheers reaching my ears.
First off, there was no way to pinpoint the exact location where the Mines would summon Medusa.
There were four possible candidates.
A Plaza, B Plaza, C Plaza, and the Central Plaza.
Medusa would be summoned at one of those four locations, chosen at random.
Therefore, since I didn't know where she would appear, I had come up here, where I could see everything at once.
The arduous climb since dawn had been worth it.
Speed would be of the essence for this operation. Medusa was, at the end of the day, nothing more than a distraction. The real threat was something else.
‘Moras.’
He wasn't an executive, nor was he exceptionally skilled in combat, but he was an incredibly tricky Mine to deal with.
Temptation and clones.
Those were his core abilities.
While every hero on campus was focused on Medusa, he would approach students who were either outstanding or, conversely, lacking something.
He would see through their unfulfilled desires, tempting them as if their goals were within reach, and urge them to defect.
Among the students he would target, the main characters were Cheon Yeo-wool and Yu Hana.
To Cheon Yeo-wool, he would offer the highest position in the Cult as the object of her desire. To Yu Hana, he would stimulate her desire for overwhelming martial power.
Besides them, several other students would become his targets.
But I couldn't stop him everywhere at once. Therefore, I had to defeat Medusa quickly, disrupt the situation, and stop him.
That was why I had obtained Harpe.
From a distance, I could faintly hear the announcer's commentary. By now, battles must be unfolding in each arena.
I slowly crossed my arms, narrowed my eyes, and watched the plazas.
From now on, I had to watch how things played out.
*
"What… what in the world have you done."
In the lounge located inside the VIP room.
Present were Bishop Seong Young-il of the Arcadia Cult's Hero Faction, and the Crusader, Jaden.
Several documents lay scattered messily on the table.
One was a petition from within the Cult to strip 'Crusader Jaden' of his position.
Another was an official letter of protest and a demand for disciplinary action sent from Gaon Academy.
The official seals stamped across the documents signified formal pressure.
Jaden stood silently before the Bishop, his hands clasped behind his back.
One of his cheeks was already red and swollen.
Smack!
The Bishop's palm cracked across Jaden's face again.
A bead of blood formed and spread from the corner of his lip.
"You pulled a stunt like that in front of so many people?"
"If you were going to do it, you should have handled it quietly."
That was the point of the Bishop's fury.
Not the act itself, but the fact that it had happened in front of far too many people.
He was berating Jaden for the stupidity of not foreseeing that it would lead to an attack on the Cult.
Jaden simply stood there and took it.
This time, however, he opened his mouth.
"…I am a Crusader. I acted only for Sir Yohan."
His gaze did not waver.
"My opponent went too far, and I judged that the Cult's prestige would fall if he was not stopped. I had no intention of killing him."
The Bishop gritted his teeth.
He, too, had not expected Yohan to be beaten so badly. It was the first time he had seen such a thing. But he soon calmed himself.
The problem was Jaden.
He had taken in and raised an ignorant brute. He had known. This man, blindly devoted to the Cult and the Hero, was an easy-to-wield sword, but also a ticking time bomb.
But he never thought Jaden would act so recklessly on his own.
On top of that, there was that fox, Cheon Yeo-wool.
His standing within the Cult had been shaky lately because of her.
And now Jaden had to go and add fuel to the fire—
Smack!
An even stronger blow landed.
Jaden's head rocked slightly.
But he still stood without flinching.
"How long do you think that kind of logic is going to protect you?"
The Bishop's fingertips turned white as he leaned on the desk.
"We're surrounded by wolves."
"Even within the Cult, they're already demanding your suspension. A petition for your removal has even been submitted. Gaon is the same. The very act you claim was for the Cult is now tarnishing its name."
He bitterly picked up a document, shook it, and threw it at Jaden's feet.
"I've pulled what strings I could to block it, but now that Gaon has sent an official document, we can't avoid it any longer. …You will have to take responsibility."
But Jaden didn't move.
He calmly met the Bishop's gaze and uttered a single phrase.
"I understand."
The Bishop let out a hollow laugh.
Then, looking weary, he pressed a hand to his forehead and muttered.
"What rotten luck… of all people, it had to be the Vanquisher's kid."
The air grew heavy.
The Bishop collapsed onto the sofa.
WEEEE-OOOOO-WEEEE-OOOOO!
Just then.
A siren blared, shaking the entire lounge.
The Bishop instinctively ran to the window.
He then pulled out his vibrating watch and answered the call.
"…Yeah, yeah. I see. Got it."
He answered curtly and ended the call.
Then, he turned from the window and strode quickly toward Jaden.
"Grab your weapon and get to A Plaza. Now."
Jaden lifted his head.
"Sir…?"
The Bishop roughly grabbed the remote and turned on the large TV mounted on the wall.
Breaking news was being broadcast, reporting an emergency situation inside Gaon Academy.
"…Medusa."
Jaden muttered. The Bishop bit his lip.
"This is your last chance."
He stared directly at Jaden.
"Your actions have disgraced the Cult's honor. So you will raise it back up with your own hands. Even if it's just a little."
"…"
"Go now, right now!"
*
By the time Jaden arrived at the plaza, the grounds had already turned into a battlefield.
The academy's vast plaza was filled with stone pillars and cracks. The fallen forms of faculty members and heroes were scattered about.
Hair like a mass of giant snakes.
Beneath her shadowed face, serpentine eyes glowed coldly.
Medusa.
Jaden instinctively froze.
Just feeling her aura from a distance sent a chill down his neck.
"Don't make eye contact! You'll turn to stone!"
An unknown hero's shout rang out.
If you couldn't look at her directly—your combat options were extremely limited.
Medusa slowly turned her head where she stood. Her long tongue flicked out, and sharp fangs glinted in the sunlight.
She raised one hand.
FWOOOSH!
In that instant, a wave of petrification shot from her eyes. With a metallic hum that cut through the air, those nearby screamed and scrambled backward.
"…Tch."
Jaden averted his gaze slightly.
In the distance, he saw heroes from the Cult carrying something toward him.
What they were holding was—
"We've brought the shield!"
The Cult's greatest holy artifact.
A shield forged with sacred power, capable of blocking any attack.
[Aegis (Αἰγίς)].
Jaden gripped Aegis and raised his mace from behind the shield.
He advanced slowly.
He had made his decision.
He would use this shield to reclaim the Cult's tarnished honor.
At that moment.
Tat-tat-tat-tak.
The presence of someone approaching rapidly from behind.
Not a person, but something with the nimble speed of a beast.
Thud.
And then, a heavy pressure pressed down on his head.
Jaden reflexively looked up.
A silhouette had stepped on his head and launched itself into the air.
"Thanks."
A voice drifted down.
It was Jung Hae-in.
With a light leap, he soared high into the air.
A figure, silhouetted against the sun, plummeting mercilessly toward Medusa.
Medusa didn't seem to have grasped the situation yet.
But—
Jung Hae-in, already holding Harpe in mid-air, was aiming for a precise spot.
He held Harpe close.
‘Catenaccio.’
Jung Hae-in twisted his body in the air.
Defying gravity, he descended, spewing ashen mana.
Perhaps the highest he'd ever been. But failure was not an option.
Jung Hae-in recalled the first day he used this technique. And he had practiced it countless times every day since.
It wasn't a spear, but Harpe this time—but the principle was the same.
He squeezed out and unleashed every last bit of mana in his body.
And four clones, modeled after his own form, materialized in the air.
One more than last time. Jung Hae-in was satisfied.
Sensing the killing intent, Medusa finally snapped her head up. Before her eyes, five figures were hurtling down.
Medusa thrashed about, her gaze darting everywhere. But she didn't know where to look.
"Take a guess."
Jung Hae-in gripped Harpe tightly.
Medusa finally had to make a choice. The light of petrification erupted from her eyes once more.
One of the figures hardened like stone.
But then,
Crumble….
It disintegrated. It was a clone.
In that instant, a voice whispered low in Medusa's ear.
"Wrong."
Medusa shrieked and whipped her head around.
But it was already too late.
—SCHWING!
Following an ashen arc, Harpe sliced across her neck.
Medusa's head spun once in the air before falling. The snakes in her severed hair writhed as if screaming.
Her body stiffened as red blood sprayed into the air.
"You were wrong."
He flicked Harpe.
The blood-stained blade gleamed coldly.
This time, it wasn't a clone.
It was the real Jung Hae-in.
Jaden stared blankly up at the sky.
Aegis was in his hands, but—
The star of this battlefield was not the Cult, nor was it Jaden.