Week 16 PvP (1)

The Principal remained standing where he was for a long while after Kim Ho departed.

Eventually, he caught sight of the Vice Principal approaching and asked, "Satisfied?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Oh, please. Your face is practically glowing with pure satisfaction."

In truth, the two went back to the days when the Principal had been active as the continent's Hero. There was no way he would miss even the faintest shift in her expression, and compared to her usual stoic reserve, her face was bright enough to practically radiate a glossy sheen.

Keeping her expression perfectly blank, she replied, "To be entirely candid, I find myself rather disappointed."

"Disappointed? About what?"

"He only struck you three times."

She had wanted to see all ten blows land.

The Principal dragged a palm down his face, letting out an involuntary chuckle before casting his gaze back toward the doorway. "Well, what could I do? The boy wanted to stop. I could hardly force him to stick around and finish the full ten."

He shared her regret, but at the exact same time, a sense of relief washed over him. Even if this whole farce had taken place at Kim Ho's behest, taking a beating from a student while serving as the academy's principal had been more than a little humiliating.

He still had a mountain of questions left to ask, but did he really need to have them answered today while functioning as a punching bag? Besides, even if their conversation had skirted the edges, he had gained a rough read on Kim Ho through their brief exchange and the boy's conduct.

For now, that was enough.

The Principal checked in with the Vice Principal. "I think it's fine to leave him be for the moment. What do you think?"

"I concur."

At present, Kim Ho had mastered both Inferno Fist and a finger art strongly presumed to be the Mystic Yin Jade Demonic Finger. Both sat comfortably near the very top of the academy's prohibited registry. Yet rather than imposing disciplinary sanctions or hauling the matter before the faculty council, the Principal and Vice Principal had chosen to stay their hands.

"He seems to know where the line is drawn."

"Indeed. He is clever."

The primary reason Dragonslaying Academy prohibited specific items and skills came down to their penalties. Even if one gained immense immediate power, such methods inevitably led to stagnation or regression in the long ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠run. Achieving results through self-destructive shortcuts flew directly in the face of the school's founding philosophy of cultivating true heroes. A moment might come one day when they had to burn their very life force in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠battle, but that was something to consider after graduation, not before.

Kim Ho, on the other hand, had suffered minimal backlash even after unleashing consecutive bursts of Inferno Fist—he seemed to have prepared a buffer well in advance. Moreover, by displaying the self-restraint to pull back before overextending himself, the risk of serious issues arising was remarkably ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠low.

The goals Kim Ho had stated aligned with this as well.

Because a Monarch was immune to mental interference, there was no way to definitively verify the truth of his words. Still, having looked him dead in the eye during their conversation, the Principal sensed no falsehood. His claim aligned neatly with his track record so far. According to surveillance reports, Kim Ho had constantly been exchanging help, both large and small, with those around him.

"If that's the truth, then it's cause for celebration."

Did it not mean they could secure a mighty Monarch as an ally in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the future? Viewed in that light, Dragonslaying Academy was in a position where it ought to actively foster the growth of Kim Ho and his circle. Naturally, given their official posts, the Principal and Vice Principal could not intervene too overtly—setting aside occasional backroom dealings like today's.

Even so, there was one thing they could firmly guarantee.

"We can at least serve as a fence."

A protective barrier so the next generation of heroes could flourish unhindered. After all, that was the very purpose for which this academy had been founded.

Something crossed the Principal's mind, prompting him to ask: "What about the Blood Cult?"

"It was confirmed just a few days ago that they vacated Dungeon Island."

"Hmph. Their instincts for danger never fail them, do they?"

The Blood Cult had infiltrated two elder-grade operatives onto Dungeon Island under the cover of the mentoring program, but one had been absurdly apprehended in the Downtown Commercial District during the Black Market raid in the final week of mentoring. On top of that, their meticulously resourced Blood Bomb plot had been suppressed without yielding any meaningful gains, severely breaking their momentum. Keeping their heads low in the aftermath, the news that their collaborator—the Witch of Rot—had been eliminated must have spurred their decision to pull out completely.

They would have been next on the chopping block, and getting captured without accomplishing anything amounted to a meaningless dog's death.

"Still, knowing how tenacious those bastards are, they won't give up."

"They will return. Without question."

Whether by plotting during summer break or infiltrating high-ranking experts onto Dungeon Island once the second semester began, they would make another move. Of course, Dragonslaying Academy had no intention of backing down either. Whatever schemes the enemy devised, they would protect their students at all costs.

"Let's focus on the final exams first. We can't afford to get caught flat-footed twice."

"I shall ensure every preparation is flawless."

Monday morning.

As usual, I called Seo Ye-in out. After killing a bit of time at our rendezvous point, a mop of ash-gray hair caught my eye in the distance.

"..."

Spotting me, Seo Ye-in closed the distance at a relatively brisk pace—for her, at least. Then, staring up at me unblinkingly, she spoke.

"Missed you."

"It's been almost a week, hasn't it?"

I had skipped an entire week of dungeon raids and classes, after all. Seven days wasn't an eternity, but it wasn't a fleeting blink of an eye either.

"Did you train hard?"

Seo Ye-in nodded slowly, bobbing her head up and down. "Slept less."

"Really? How many hours a day?"

"Ten hours."

"...You really gave it your all, huh."

A human sloth sleeping a mere ten hours a day. If Ahn Jungmi heard that, her eyes would undoubtedly glisten with tears of sheer pride.

I was just about to ask how the dungeon raid went when—

"Brother Kim! Miss Seo!"

Ko Hyun-woo approached from afar, waving his hand. Once he had drawn close enough, he inquired in his classic polite tone: "What became of the Witch of Rot?"

"She won't be threatening Dragonslaying Academy ever again."

"I see."

Taking that to mean she had been vanquished, Ko Hyun-woo offered a bright smile.

Seo Ye-in, on the other hand, had begun shuffling quietly in the opposite direction the instant Ko Hyun-woo appeared, ducking behind my back. Poking just her eyes out over my shoulder, she seemed even more distant from him than usual.

Looking back and forth between the two, I remarked, "Looks like something went down during the raid."

"Haha, nothing escapes your discerning eye, Brother Kim." Ko Hyun-woo let out a wry chuckle. In truth, the only interaction they could possibly have had was during that dungeon raid.

I pressed further. "Was last week's rule a boss raid? Under hostile environmental conditions?"

"Indeed."

"Let me guess. Your teamwork fell out of sync, the raid dragged on, and you spent the whole time cheering her on with relentless enthusiasm. Something like: 'Miss Seo! Let us muster our strength! Just a bit further! Let us press on with all our might!'"

"Word for word! Did you review the recording, Brother Kim?"

"Nope. Just looking at the two of you gives me the whole picture."

Ko Hyun-woo looked genuinely amazed. To deduce precisely what transpired without having witnessed it firsthand!

To be fair, it's not his fault.

Objectively speaking, Ko Hyun-woo had simply done his best. As a teammate, his conduct was beyond reproach. However, since I was unreservedly on the side of my little lucky charm, I was compelled to hand down a shamelessly biased verdict.

"This is mostly your fault, Hyun-woo."

"Mmm... Might I inquire as to the reasoning?"

"You failed to match the sloth tempo."

With their combined prowess, handling an F-Rank boss was child's play. In that case, prioritizing energy conservation and approaching it at a leisurely pace would have been far wiser.

Seo Ye-in poked her head out from behind my shoulder and chimed in: "Butler test: failed."

"A sloth's tempo, you say... Indeed, I failed to account for such nuances. As expected, Brother Kim is the only one truly suited to guide Miss Seo."

I had thrown out that excuse half-jokingly, yet Ko Hyun-woo nodded along in serious contemplation, fully convinced.

Seo Ye-in then stared up at me intently and murmured, "Butler test: passed."

"I already told you, I'm not becoming your butler."

She really was persistent about the strangest things.

PvP Combat Class.

Lee Soo-dok surveyed the assembled students before tossing out a single phrase.

"Final exams."

"...!"

"...!"

A heavy tension descended upon the room. Everyone had anticipated that the announcement was due soon, yet the sheer weight carried by the words "final exams" still sucked the air out of the lecture hall.

Unfazed, Lee Soo-dok continued in his dry, even tone.

"In two weeks, starting from Week 18, final examinations will commence. The format will be similar to the midterms. Everything you have learned and experienced up to this point will make an appearance. Of course..."

The corner of Lee Soo-dok's mouth curled upward, causing the scars etched across his face to writhe.

"...hostile environments will also be awaiting you during the finals. Those of you who have yet to adapt had best look forward to it."

Not a single student looked pleased to hear that.

Lee Soo-dok's gaze swept over the class as if savoring their dismay, lingering on me for a noticeable beat. It was only natural for him to take special notice of me—after all, had I not returned completely unscathed from an A-rank dungeon? Since my only sin was being an absurdly seasoned veteran, I nonchalantly weathered his stare, prompting Lee Soo-dok to look away and resume the lecture.

"This week is no exception. While some hostile environments are natural, others are entirely man-made."

With a sharp snap of his fingers, a single word materialized upon the blackboard.

The students' reactions split down the middle. Most wore expressions of unvarnished disgust, while a select few beamed with unmistakable glee.

That tiny minority, naturally, consisted of members of the Thief Club, including Shin Byungchul. After all, what was thievery if not the installation and disarming of mechanisms? Traps were their bread and butter.

Next, Lee Soo-dok projected the rules and environment onto the board.

"I will not elaborate at length regarding the environment. Experience it for yourselves."

It was, quite literally, a 'maze rigged with traps.' Naturally, there was no exit; students were doomed to wander its corridors endlessly until victory and defeat were settled. Having a map would make things substantially easier, but...

Even I don't know the layout.

The terrain was randomized, and so were the trap placements. What was worse, more traps would continuously spawn as time elapsed. The only viable approach was to stumble through and power through them firsthand. That was likely the chief reason Lee Soo-dok hadn't bothered to offer detailed explanations.

"You have all experienced the [2-Player] rule and the [Three-Way Battle] before. Consider this a combination of the two."

In short: a 2v2v2 format.

Rankings would be determined purely by who lasted the longest. The crucial takeaway here was that even if one teammate was incapacitated, as long as the other survived to the bitter end, they still had a fighting chance to finish in first or second place.

"Lastly, no information will be displayed this week."

The [Blind] rule.

Previously, the system had graciously provided the names and health bars of opponents on the scoreboard. This time, however, there was no scoreboard whatsoever. You wouldn't know whom you were facing or how much health they had left until you crossed paths.

Because in real combat, you don't get a UI overlay.

PvP and dungeon raids weren't sports. They were rehearsals for real-life combat to come. In that sense, it was only natural for PvP classes to inch progressively closer to true battle conditions.

To sum it up: an all-inclusive gift basket of inconvenience and hostility.

I nodded slowly, thoroughly satisfied.

My favorite kind of week.