.｡.:✧ Chapter 38 ✧:.｡.

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Ares?”

How on earth is he here?

‘Did Daniel use some trick?’

Despite various thoughts, her instinct was to get away from this man. She tried to kick Zavalanco in the abdomen, but…

“These fools really underestimate me!”

Zavalanco didn’t flinch; instead, he threw Sen against the wall and then picked up his cutlass and stepped outside.

“Ugh, ah.”

Sen, struggling to maintain consciousness amidst the ringing in her head, put a pill in her mouth.

The pain subsided and she felt her body heat up.

One of the numerous secret medicines used in the Chokugen Faction.

‘Why did they hide information about Zavalanco from me?’

When the Chokugen Faction assigned this mission, she wasn’t told Zavalanco was an officer of the Pirate Lord.

It’s impossible they didn’t know. The Pirate Lord was an S-class high-risk figure for the Chokugen Faction, and his officers were designated as A-class.

The squad deliberately hid information about Zavalanco from her.

Sen, unable to see it any other way, tried to wipe the saliva from her lips but then realized it was blood on her hand.

‘Phew.’

It was just being thrown against the wall, but the internal injuries were deeper than she thought.

Yet, Sen coldly suppressed her emotions and picked up a dagger.

Even if the Chokugen Faction had deceived her, she couldn’t escape them. She knew the fate of those who betrayed or opposed them.

After all, she had nowhere to go if she left the faction, and couldn’t even imagine a life without them.

Therefore, despite the faint sense of betrayal, Sen silently left the room to complete her mission.

On the first floor, third-year delinquents, along with Ares, Arni Duratan, Hayun, and Adriana, were gathered.

Ares, the strongest student, was taking on Zavalanco.

“Ugh!”

“Damn brats have really lost it!”

Ares grimaced, clashing swords with Zavalanco. He was holding his own in terms of strength as Zavalanco was only using one hand.

Boom.

“Cough!”

This wasn’t a sparring match; it was a fight.

Ares, struck by Zavalanco’s kick, spat blood and rolled backward.

Ares Helias, the top duelist in the third-year 1:1 duels, was defeated without a chance.

However, the other women behind him immediately rushed in to fill the gap left by Ares.

Arni Duratan, with her flaming red hair, intercepted Zavalanco with her greatsword, but…

“You’re just too predictable, kid.”

Zavalanco chuckled mockingly.

“What?”

Confused by his words, Arni was suddenly struck by an arrow in her side.

One of Zavalanco’s men, hidden behind an oak barrel, had fired a crossbow.

“Despicable!”

Arni, the eldest daughter of the kingdom’s foremost swordsmanship family, the Duratans, known for her red dragon-like hair.

Until Ares arrived, she had never lost a practical match, but now she stopped in her tracks, frowning at the crossbow bolt.

As another bolt was fired, she closed her eyes, but Adriana, the mage, was there to protect her.

“Arni! Snap out of it!”

Adriana managed to shield her with a protective spell, but it was only temporary.

As Zavalanco laughed and swung his cutlass, the protective spell shattered like paper.

“You’re really pushing it!”

Although Zavalanco raised his cutlass high, before he could swing, a long sword blocked his path.

Hayun, leaping through the air, pressed down with her weight.

For the first time, Zavalanco wiped the smile off his face and hastily retreated, scanning his surroundings.

“……?”

Instead, Hayun seemed a bit taken aback by his overly dramatic reaction.

As if he was looking for someone…

‘This is my chance.’

Not missing the opportunity, Hayun thrust forward with her sword, but Zavalanco, regaining his senses, twisted his body to counterattack.

Thud.

Sen, leaping down the stairs, landed a knee kick squarely on Zavalanco’s face.

‘It hit!’

This one definitely hit.

Even if Zavalanco was a former high-ranking pirate, he was still human. To take a direct knee kick to the jaw and still…

“It tickles!”

Zavalanco, effortlessly throwing Sen into the ground with his sword, then swiftly pushed Hayun away.

“Ugh!”

“Argh!”

Sen rolled on the ground, coughing up blood, while Hayun, though managing to block, was pushed back and sent flying.

Ares Helias, who appeared like a comet to claim the top spot in his grade.

Arni Duratan, the eldest daughter of the kingdom’s foremost swordsmanship family, the Duratan clan.

Hayun, using Eastern swordsmanship and considered Arni’s rival.

Sen, unmatched in agility and speed among the third-year students.

And Adriana, the top in the third year’s magic division.

Despite such talented students, they couldn’t overcome Zavalanco, a mere gang leader.

Even more, Zavalanco was not at his best, having his left hand in a cast and only using his right.

“This is unbelievable…”

“He’s a monster.”

“We, we have to run!”

The other students who had rushed in together trembled with fear, looking to escape, but Zavalanco scoffed.

“Lock the door.”

His subordinates quickly ran to the entrance and locked it, fear rising in the students’ eyes.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his left hand, Zavalanco smiled, finally seeing the fear he expected.

“Yeah, got it.”

Hayun’s voice rang out quietly.

She was holding a square artifact, speaking into what Zavalanco recognized as a ‘walkie-talkie’, used only by the royal special investigative agency, utilizing mana.

How could a mere student possess such a valuable item?

Zavalanco was puzzled, but then a male student’s voice came through the walkie-talkie.

“We’re here.”

Though the sound quality wasn’t great, the message was clear.

That voice, which he couldn’t forget even in his dreams, constantly echoing.

The one he had vowed to tear apart someday.

Bang!

The locked door shook violently with a loud noise. The thugs were startled, but Zavalanco quickly shouted.

“Block it! Bring desks and chairs, make sure they can’t get in!”

His breathing turned rough.

Zavalanco, paying no heed to the other students, focused solely on the door.

Sweat trickled down.

His hand gripping the cutlass felt slippery as his heartbeat quickened.

The pain in his left hand intensified with every kick heard from outside the door.

“Whew, whew.”

It’s a fight to the death.

He was once among the top ten commanders under the Pirate Lord. Though now fallen and leading a gang in such a place.

Still, losing to a mere academy student was unacceptable.

“I was just caught off-guard last time.”

Fine.

Let’s go and kill him.

The moment he enters, he’ll thrust the cutlass right into his neck.

With that thought, as he braced himself, the door finally burst open, and a black-haired male student entered, radiating a dominating aura.

“Aaargh!”

Zavalanco immediately twisted his body, smashing the window, and started his escape.

***

Thanks to Hayun’s radio signal and Rin’s magic signaling from outside, we quickly located the new hideout of those guys.

If you ask how I found it without Sen telling me, it wasn’t that hard.

To be precise, it wasn’t hard for me. I didn’t have to struggle..

Her gang, desperate to find May, had released all the third-year delinquents to comb the city thoroughly.

Not just them, but with the dean’s support, the guidance team and professors from the senior years patrolled the city.

Eventually, we found it before 8 o’clock this evening.

Of course, that’s all they had to do.

The students who launched the attack were only May’s close friends and those from Ares’ aquarium who came to save Sen at Hayun’s request.

Grateful to those who followed the dean’s orders without understanding why, I kicked the door Rin pointed to.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

With a crash, the door broke, and I burst in, scattering a murderous intent.

Zavalanco.

Catching him would end everything.

Illegal drugs, kidnapping, assault, bribery, and even the forbidden slave trade of kingdom citizens.

If he goes to prison this time, he’ll probably come out right away.

Because he’ll be heading to the execution ground.

He couldn’t bribe his way out or make the charges disappear like before.

Because we had a very persistent inspector on our side.

‘I won’t let go until you’re on the execution ground.’

A tenacious type that never lets go once they’ve bitten, I felt pity from my own experience.

Of course, not just him, but also the guards who took bribes and ignored crimes would be held accountable.

Anyway, my job was to catch Zavalanco.

“Arghh!”

Unexpectedly, instead of reacting as I anticipated, Zavalanco saw me and immediately broke the window and fled.

I chuckled, asked Rin to take care of the injured, and followed Zavalanco out the window.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

“Do, don’t follow me! Damn it!”

“Let’s do this nicely! You’re already done!”

“Shut up! Do you know who I am? You don’t understand!”

“You’re Zavalanco! One-eyed, with a broken arm.”

“I was a commander under the Pirate Lord! All pirates knelt before me!”

Of course, he was a former commander.

“Then I’m a bandit! From the Demon Forest!”

“Nonsense! You think I’m lying!”

But even as he said this, he didn’t slow down and kept fleeing.

It wasn’t too late, so there were many people around as the pubs were open.

As such, our chase, attracting everyone’s attention, ended with me catching him by the nape of his neck.

Thud!

After pulling him down, I drew my sword, but as he fell, he rolled backward and grabbed his cutlass.

“Fine, I’ll kill you!”

“You just ran away, and now what…”

“Shut up! I was just caught off guard before!”

“Really?”

Ever since I killed that Tudog, it seemed like my old habits from living in the Demon Forest were coming back.

Usually, I’m Daniel McLean, an 18-year-old academy student.

But in battle, I became a 28-year-old Sherpa from the Demon Forest.

Even now, as my demeanor changed drastically, Zavalanco, trembling, still gripped his sword and swung it.

With a single strike, his sword broke, and he was crushed by deep despair, kneeling down.

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