Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Surviving the Rabbit Monster (1)
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Na Youngho eyed the note Dokgo Hyun handed him with suspicion.
As he started to unfold it, Dokgo Hyun stopped him.
"Plan B is written here. Open it later, not now."
"Won't it work if I open it right now?"
"The effect might be a bit weaker."
"What are the odds of this Plan B working?"
"Honestly, I don't know either. But when you're in a real pinch with no other options, that's when you open it."
"Tch, better than nothing, I suppose."
Na Youngho crumpled the note and shoved it into his pocket.
"Alright, everyone! Follow me!"
Na Youngho led the other players dashing off somewhere.
Now, the only ones left in front of the rabbit monster were Baek Seonghui and Dokgo Hyun.
"What about you?"
Baek Seonghui asked Dokgo Hyun, who pulled out his Venom Knife.
He lightly shadowboxed the air to loosen up.
"I'm thinking of sticking around and fighting."
"What? Are you insane?!"
"Not even a little."
"How do you plan to fight it alone?!"
"If you're not helping, then get lost."
For Dokgo Hyun, fighting solo was the most comfortable option.
Clank!!!
Clank!!!
Every time the rabbit monster thrashed, the iron chains twisted.
Sparks flew with each twist of the chains.
"Grrr...!"
Crunch!
Crunch!
At first, it had just a massive head on a tiny body. But now, its muscles were swelling rapidly, pushing its size to 3.5 meters.
A rabbit head covered in blood-soaked white fur.
A muscular male torso ripping through its school uniform.
That grotesque fusion was the rabbit monster.
"Hmm."
As the rabbit monster suddenly bulked up, even Dokgo Hyun felt a twinge of unease.
'Its size jumped like that... making me nervous. Should I bail first?'
Seeing the message indicating just over 10 seconds left, Dokgo Hyun changed his mind.
"Hmm... On second thought, maybe running is the smarter call?"
"You idiot! You should've thought of that sooner!"
Ta-at!
Dokgo Hyun and Baek Seonghui bolted.
Na Youngho led his group of five to the school annex.
The annex stood apart from the main building. Its first floor housed a small gymnasium, while the upper floors were self-study rooms.
The top floor—the fourth—was marked with the peculiar nameplate "SKY Class," a segregated self-study space for the school's top students from all three grades.
Na Youngho had chosen this spot for two reasons.
First, it was the annex's rooftop level, putting a good distance between them and the cafeteria.
Second, it had only one entrance, making it ideal for defense.
'Time limit's 30 minutes.'
Na Youngho checked the mission window again.
'Just gotta hold out another 27 minutes or so.'
Victory came from slaying the rabbit monster or surviving the full time limit.
But.
'Can we really just hide and outlast it without fighting?'
The school grounds were fairly confined.
If the rabbit monster came charging with intent, a pure evasion strategy would just get them picked off one by one.
'Hide as quietly as possible to buy time, but prep a battle plan too.'
As Na Youngho steeled his resolve, the others caught their breath and glanced around.
"First time up in SKY Class."
"How many AC units?"
"Marble floors? Spotless."
As something of a landmark at Hanshin High School for top scholars, they couldn't help but gawk even now.
"No time for sightseeing. Everyone, state your skills."
Na Youngho commanded.
"Our skills?"
A second-year piped up.
Na Youngho masked his frustration and explained briskly.
"You all saw that rabbit monster, right? It's no ordinary beast—the Total Administrator cooked it up. Hiding or fighting, we have to pool our strengths. It's not optional. Agreed?"
"A-agreed."
"High schoolers can't overpower it physically, so skills it is. Can't strategize without knowing everyone's abilities. Spill 'em."
"What about you, sunbae?"
"Mine's a tool-creation skill: [Air Bow]."
[Air Bow]
Tool Creation Skill
Paat!
A sleek, translucent gray recurve bow materialized.
"Pull the string, it condenses air into an arrow. Then fire. I can handle ranged DPS."
After demoing, he tapped the second-year's arm.
"You, second-year. Yours?"
"Mine's a tool-creation skill: [Barrier Creation]. Wanna see?"
"Show me."
"Alright, then... right at the door. [Barrier Creation]!"
[Barrier Creation]
Tool Creation Skill
Paat!
Crack...!
A cement wall sprang up.
"Whoa."
"That settles it, right?"
"Awesome."
Praise all around.
Then.
Crack.
Crash...!
The wall crumbled.
"...You punk."
"Huh?"
"'Huh' my ass. Why'd the wall collapse?"
"Skill focus ended."
"Why end the focus?"
"Too hard to maintain."
"..."
"..."
Smack!
Na Youngho smacked the second-year's head.
The kid rubbed his skull; Na Youngho shook out his hand.
"You're Stone Head from now on."
He learned the rest's skills too, memorizing via nicknames. Roughly:
- Lee Woo-hyung:
The second-year Na Youngho dubbed Stone Head.
Skill: tool-creation [Barrier Creation].
Makes stone walls, but drains mana or stamina nonstop while up.
Still, few skills beat it for quick barricades.
- Han Se-kyung:
First-year girl muttering "Kill... kill..." in dark vibes.
But she followed Na Youngho, so not suicidal.
Skill:異 skill-manifestation [Space Tear].
Tears space for teleports or close-range kills.
- Jeong Jinyoung:
Third-year with short hair that suits her.
Skill: body-mutation [Super Regeneration].
Baseline fast healing; focus to regrow limbs.
Tank material, but she hates pain.
- Jang Jihoon:
Quiet third-year from the school paper.
Skill:異 [Instant Ignition].
Easily summons torch-sized flames; can lob fireballs like in games.
Weak/long-range still iffy on power.
Mid-range? Nigh-perfect accuracy.
- Oh Sua:
Second-year from the mystery club.
Skill:異 [If You Listen to Me, Luck +10%].
Boosts her persuasion; if target buys in, both get +10% Luck.
Vague and iffy.
"That's the rundown."
Na Youngho nodded, skills sorted.
"Roles now."
[Air Bow] Na Youngho: ranged attacks, overall command.
[Space Tear] Han Se-kyung: utility—evac team, reposition foes.
[Barrier Creation] Lee Woo-hyung: frontline walls, block/protect allies.
[Super Regeneration] Jeong Jinyoung: front-tank duty.
[Instant Ignition] Jang Jihoon: mid-range fire DPS.
Finally, Oh Sua's [If You Listen to Me, Luck +10%]...
"Oh Sua? How the hell do you even use that skill? Test it—hit me."
"Ah, my skill?"
"Yeah, the wordy one. Right now."
"Mm, everything'll go great! We'll all make it out alive!"
"...You just used it on me?"
"Yep."
"...So our Luck's up 10% now?"
"Probably?"
"You don't even know?"
"Nope..."
"Sigh. Hang back."
Her skill looked utterly useless no matter how he sliced it.
"Even I think so..."
Oh Sua stepped aside.
Na Youngho clapped sharply at the group.
"Good. Move desks and chairs."
"Hyung, dragging 'em'll make noise. Rabbit ears were huge—won't it hear?"
Stone Head Lee Woo-hyung had a solid point.
"Right. Everyone, super quiet."
They lifted desks and chairs silently, stacking by the door into a narrow chute.
Forcing the monster straight in—no flanking.
Prep done, Na Youngho spoke.
"Listen up. We're murderers."
All flinched.
"Situation forced our hands, sure. But we're killers now. Not normal kids anymore."
He clenched his fist.
"So drop the 'high schoolers vs. monster? Impossible' crap. We're skill-wielding monsters too. Get me?"
His words cut deep—but rang true.
"When it comes through that door, no chickening out. Attack per plan. We left a gap on purpose to lure it in. And most importantly...!"
Sniff! Sniff!
"Huh?"
Rabbit monster sniffing—close. Not from the front entrance.
Sound from outside the building.
"Ov-over there... the window..."
Jeong Jinyoung, with [Super Regeneration], pointed to the rear window.
Ta-at!!
The rabbit monster leaped from the first floor straight to the fourth in one bound.
The players locked eyes with it through the glass.
"Eek?!"
The red-eyed rabbit monster grinned ear-to-ear.
Hovering mid-air, it twisted, seized the window frame with both hands.
"Kyaha!!"
Crash!!
Shattered the window and burst in.
"What?!"
Na Youngho cursed his oversight.
Rabbit monster—should've factored in the jump.
'Even a fourth-floor leap in one go?!'
"Everyone, run...!!!"
Jeong Jinyoung started to yell.
Kwajik!!
The rabbit monster's hand blade snapped her neck.
"Kuooh!!"
Whoosh!
It hurled her corpse out the window.
Thud!
Crack!!
Horrific sounds echoed from outside.
[Super Regeneration] was potent, but neck-snapped unconscious plus follow-up fatal trauma? Dead.
"U, uwaaa!!"
Jang Jihoon conjured fireballs in both hands and charged.
Mid-range was his wheelhouse; from his spot, the rabbit's back was turned, peering out.
"Die, you monster bastard!!"
Rabbit ears perked.
Ta-at!
It leaped backward without turning.
Ppak!!
Blasted a rear kick blindly.
Bang!!
Gurgle...!!
Jihoon flew back, internals ruptured, vomiting blood.
"Ugh...!"
Thud!
Down for good.
"You fool!"
Han Se-kyung screamed at him.
"Backstab means silent rush, not yelling...!"
Kwajik!!
Rabbit monster offed her in a flash.
"Eek, eek...!"
Oh Sua trembled amid the corpses.
The rabbit advanced, eyeing her as next.
"Eek."
Its crimson gaze pinned her.
Slurp...
Licking its chops like prime grub.
"Kyaa! Don't eat me! I taste awful!! No lie!!! Don't kill me!!"
Oh Sua instinctively channeled her skill into the plea.
Pause.
Incredibly, the rabbit monster held off.
Sniff!
Sniffed her a few times, then turned away in disgust.
Oh Sua scrambled to a corner.
"Th-that's some insane luck...!"
Onlooking Lee Woo-hyung muttered.
The rabbit whirled on him.
That instant.
Shwik!!
Na Youngho's potent air arrow rocketed toward its flank.
Pow!!
Its side burst open.
Slip!
Crash!
It skidded across the blood-slick floor.
But fatal wound? Hard to say.
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