Chapter 143: This is Dangerous.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 143: This is Dangerous.
Ding!
============================
[Emergency Quest] 'Maybe I Was Just an EXP Event for the Protagonist?!' has begun.
Originally, Kim Min-su was the protagonist of <Academy Pure Love Diary>, a man destined to succeed without any obstacles.
No matter how difficult the situation, he is the Hero who ultimately wins a refreshing victory, overcoming all hardships and adversity!
He possesses a mysterious charm that makes women flock to him even if he does absolutely nothing!
He was destined to seize all wealth, fame, and women, firmly establishing his position as the Hero.
However, now that much has changed due to your intervention in the novel!
The rewards and powers that should have flowed to Kim Min-su but were never granted are now beginning to surge toward him!
Completely crush his scheme to use you as a stepping stone to re-establish his position as the protagonist!
P.S.) It has been determined that the current equipment is unfair, so support will arrive shortly.
Furthermore, no one can intervene until the quest is cleared!
Smash Kim Min-su thoroughly!
During the quest, neither you nor Kim Min-su will die.
Clear Condition :: Victory (0/1)
Time Limit :: Right now
Reward :: [Licking Eyes] Penalty Removal
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'It’s been a while.'
When was the last time I received an emergency quest?
I remember it being quite a long time ago.
In the past, they appeared frequently but the rewards were pathetic; today was different.
To think it would bring such a massive reward as the removal of the [Licking Eyes] penalty.
As much as it was a broken ability that allowed me to see others' information, the penalty was equally significant.
'I was planning on winning anyway, but now I’m getting a bit more serious.'
If that greasy way of staring at people disappeared, I could keep [Licking Eyes] active all the time without any issues.
"Baek Tae-yang, if you don't focus on me, you'll be down in no time!"
"What are you even talking about?"
You’ve never beaten me once.
Spitting those words out, I tilted my body slightly to the side, dodging the Brush Sword he swung.
"Min-su, isn't this a bit too savage? Are you trying to kill me?"
"I'll just cook you until you're on the verge of death! It doesn't matter anyway, since the Saintess can just heal you!"
This guy is a total psychopath.
A hollow laugh escaped me at his incredibly bold answer.
He had certainly grown since the Gladire incident; his sword strikes were much sharper than before.
In my last memory of him, he was just swinging that Brush Sword around shouting things like "Dragon! Tiger!"
'It really is tough without a weapon, though.'
No matter how much my body was reinforced, it was still just flesh and skin.
It would be better if Kim Min-su showed an opening, but perhaps because he had memories of being beaten by me countless times, his movements were extremely cautious.
His skill in immediately backing away two steps the moment I took one step forward was no joke.
"Hehe... Baek Tae-yang, as far as I know, you haven't trained even once recently. Even if you did, it wouldn't be as much as me. I've researched how to defeat you through image training. I looked up the Gladire footage... and all the past records!"
I’m definitely going to win!
The moment Kim Min-su lunged forward to thrust his Brush Sword—
================
Support is arriving!
================
The Club of Greed flew right into my hand.
'Good timing.'
Clang!
The sound of a baseball being hit cleanly by a bat echoed through the research lab hallway.
"Min-su, at least say something that makes sense. How are you going to beat me?"
You've never done it before.
The moment the Club of Greed entered my hand, the situation began to shift rapidly.
How could a guy who couldn't gain a proper advantage even when I was unarmed expect to win now that I held a weapon?
That was never going to happen.
[Demonization Activated! The Demon of the Corrupt Official descends upon the mortal world!]
I couldn't keep dealing with Min-su bit by bit forever, so I activated Demonization immediately.
Gold and silver treasures draped over my body.
Horns, golden blood flowing like veins of ore, and black skin.
And finally, the weapon transforming into a pickaxe.
'Did the flavor text change a bit?'
I decided to look into the minor details later and charged straight at him.
There were no flashy techniques or glittering skills.
I simply repeated the cycle of swinging the pickaxe and bashing him.
However, since the novel's plot might stall if Kim Min-su was too heavily injured, I didn't use the blade of the pickaxe.
"Gue... egh... huff... You're certainly... not easy...!"
If there was anyone in the world more suited to the phrase "all bark and no bite" than Kim Min-su, I’d like to meet them.
Even while being unilaterally pummeled, he was the only person capable of saying things like, "But I haven't shown everything yet," or "You're weaker than I thought!"
"Min-su, if you don't have anything hidden, let's just end this."
"Not yet... I can still go on!"
Since the quest conditions stated he wouldn't die, there was no longer any need to hold back.
Saving a finishing move until the very end was something only protagonists did, anyway.
"It's because I'm getting bored."
Breaking Min-su's mental state was fun, but beating him up wasn't particularly enjoyable.
Why bother listening to him squeal like a stuck pig when the result was already obvious?
"Don't ignore me! One-Strike Sword!!!"
Losing his temper, Min-su took a drawing stance and swung his sword in an instant.
Utilizing the recoil, the sword drew a large semi-circle, attempting to cleave me with a massive shockwave.
'This is dangerous.'
If there had been some distance, it might have been fine, but the large motion Kim Min-su was making now was very lethal to me.
To avoid the strike aimed precisely at my waist, I rolled backward.
As soon as I secured enough space, I swung my pickaxe to neutralize the attack.
It was a touch-and-go situation.
I couldn't let my guard down for even a second.
'I almost got hit by Kim Min-su's snot.'
To think he could make such a big move while blubbering with tears and snot.
Thanks to that, a long string of snot almost touched my face.
The reason he was most terrifying right now wasn't because he had trained a lot or anything like that.
It was because every time he made a big movement, tears, snot, and saliva came flying at me.
'I want to tell him to at least wash his face.'
But he'd probably just get triggered and charge at me again.
"Let's really finish this now."
First, I lightly kicked him in the stomach and then threw the pickaxe.
When I kicked his abdomen, I pulled my body back slightly just in case, preventing any saliva from splashing onto my clothes.
Min-su was so busy frantically blocking the pickaxe that he didn't notice me approaching.
"Gueeeeeeeeeek!"
With the usual familiar finale, he was slammed into the far wall.
'What? Why isn't the quest completion popping up?'
Usually, by this point, Kim Min-su should have fainted and the situation should have ended.
Just as I was getting flustered because the quest completion message wasn't appearing as promptly as usual—
========================================
It has been determined that Kim Min-su can no longer be allowed to suffer defeat.
The Author breathes Authority into Kim Min-su!
========================================
A vast light erupted from where Kim Min-su was embedded, soon filling my entire field of vision.
To think I’d see the kind of direction you only see in manga or anime in real life.
The light gradually diminished and began to be absorbed into Kim Min-su.
It was truly the moment of awakening!
"Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
Min-su pumped himself up, and his momentum actually began to skyrocket!
If this were a scene in a novel, Min-su might have successfully completed his awakening.
'If this were a novel, that is.'
I wasn't a stupid villain who would just wait around while he transformed.
Thwack!
I grabbed the collar of the transforming Min-su and immediately punched him in the face.
I didn't forget to aim for the area near his cheekbones to ensure as little saliva as possible got on my fist.
Cheekbones, ribs, liver, lungs, solar plexus, and abdomen—I hammered them in sequence.
Looking closely, a single white horn was emerging from Min-su's forehead the more I hit him; he looked just like a unicorn.
'Considering he's a virgin and obsessed with virgins... a unicorn does suit him.'
Was he really undergoing some kind of Unicorn Awakening?
"G... gua... ugh... uh..."
"Look, the quest won't end for me either, so I have no choice."
Sorry, Min-su.
And so, for about ten minutes, I "unavoidably" disciplined Min-su with my fists.
Ding!
=============================
[Emergency Quest] 'Maybe I Was Just an EXP Event for the Protagonist?!' - Cleared!
As a reward...
==============================
The moment I saw the message that the quest was complete, I let go of Min-su.
"Well, at least it ended before lunchtime."
As expected, there was nothing quite like Min-su for some pre-meal exercise.
+++++++++++++++++++
Meanwhile.
"...Perkus."
"Yes, Saintess."
"I have received a divine revelation."
"Whatever it may be...!"
Perkus knelt reverently with a truly serious expression.
A divine revelation.
'A divine revelation!'
Was the deity trying to warn them of some great disaster during the joint training?
Was the deity telling them how to prevent such a calamity in advance!
Perkus was full of anticipation.
A holy word and revelation from the Saintess's mouth.
That was the only thing Perkus desired.
"The deity says that I've lost half my life because of you... How are you going to compensate me?"
"...It's almost lunchtime, so I'll be going now."
"Perkus!"
Having grown accustomed to the Saintess's tantrums, he stood up without lingering.
'A Saintess who plays around with divine revelations...'
They weren't like this in novels or manga.
Even in the anime she was currently watching, the Saintess was something very grand, noble, and divine...
No, let's stop.
'Thinking about this will only raise my blood pressure.'
Perkus gave the Saintess a polite bow and left the room.
"No, but it's true..."
The Saintess felt wronged, however.
Because the divine revelation was actually real.
"It's not fair."
She was very disappointed.