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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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…Beep, beep, beep.
There was a ringing in my ears and my vision was blurry.
The pungent smell of dirt filled my nostrils.
I realized I was lying sprawled on the ground.
“Ugh…”
My head throbbed, my whole body ached.
‘Ah, I just want to lie here and rest.’
But I had to get up.
I needed to figure out what was going on.
With that thought, I pushed myself up with both hands.
As soon as I was on one knee, I pulled out a Spirit Energy Pill from my inventory and swallowed it.
“Phew…”
The churning in my stomach subsided.
My vision sharpened, and the fog in my brain lifted.
I immediately looked around.
“…Aack!”
“My leg, my leg…!”
“Hey, man! Snap out of it!”
I saw classmates with broken arms and twisted legs.
Like me moments ago, some lay unconscious on the ground.
Seeing this, it seemed Park Ga-ram’s defensive magic had come a beat too late.
But thankfully…
– Kieeeeeeek! Kieeeeeeek!
Slash, slash!
“Damn barrier!”
“Break, break! Break, I say!”
“Aaaaaack! Another damn barrier after another!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Monsters and Fallen alike were blocked by the barrier, unable to get through.
As soon as I saw this, I pushed myself up on trembling legs and yelled,
“Everyone gather at Park Ga-ram’s position!”
As soon as I shouted, everyone started rushing towards Park Ga-ram, remembering to help the wounded along the way.
I also assisted an unconscious classmate nearby before heading towards Park Ga-ram.
Seeing us, Park Ga-ram started bringing together her outstretched arms.
The mana barrier that served as our stronghold began to shrink inwards.
When it had contracted to a radius of about 20 meters…
Clap!
Park Ga-ram clapped her hands together, fixing the barrier’s size.
Then, she collapsed to the ground, exhaling deeply with a relieved expression.
“Haa… that was tough…”
Even for a disciple of the Gray Witch, casting a wide-area defensive spell without incantations must have taken a toll on her.
Her face was pale, and beads of sweat trickled down her skin.
“Good work, Park Ga-ram.”
“Y-yeah… hehe…”
Park Ga-ram chuckled weakly and nodded.
I handed her a Spirit Energy Pill and told her to rest for a bit.
Of course, even if she consumed another Spirit Energy Pill, she wouldn’t experience its full effects again, like an increased spirit capacity or expansion of her soul vessel.
However, the spiritual energy contained within the pill wouldn’t disappear and that spiritual energy would restore her mana.
In other words, the Spirit Energy Pill was a “full-body cleanser” and a “mana potion” all in one.
“Th-thank you.”
Park Ga-ram knew this, so she didn’t refuse the pill.
I watched as she swallowed it immediately, then pulled out a box filled with pills from my inventory.
I dropped it to the ground with a thud and said,
“If anyone’s low on mana or having trouble focusing, take one of these.”
My classmates looked at me with astonishment.
“What? I thought those were only for the good students?”
As one of them pointed out, I had only given the pills to the supporting characters or those who excelled in training.
But the current situation was too dire to maintain that rule.
Moreover, I had the “Infinite Items” cheat.
To conserve pills in this situation, when I could get more whenever I wanted…
‘That’d be idiotic.’
It would be no different than sticking our heads out for the enemy to kill.
“That’s for training.”
But right now, this was actual combat, not training.
“I’m not going to hold back on pills when we need every bit of strength we can get.”
“…You’re not going to ask for anything in return later, are you?”
“Should I make you sign a contract or something?”
These guys wouldn’t even take the pills comfortably when offered.
I let out a sigh and took out a pill from the box.
I approached the classmate standing in front and said,
“Open your mouth.”
“…Huh?”
“I said, open your mouth.”
“U-uh… aaah…”
Intimidated by my fierce aura, the student hesitantly opened their mouth.
Honestly, what a pain this guy was.
“Not like that.”
Open wide! Wide!
“Aah! Aaah!”
“Yes, like that.”
Now keep it open.
Here comes the pill!
With that, I shoved the pill into the classmate’s open mouth, like a baby bird waiting to be fed.
Then I closed their mouth shut.
Gulp.
The classmate swallowed, the pill melted into liquid as it went down.
Then, their eyes widened.
I could feel their mana surging.
It seemed the pill was working, enhancing their abilities for the first time.
Of course, they didn’t radiate the same immense mana as the supporting characters, but as expected of Class A, they possessed a considerable amount of power.
“Still going to refuse?”
This was their chance to expand their soul vessel and raise their potential.
Did they think they’d get another chance like this?
As I was about to say this…
“I-I’ll take one!”
“Hey, move over! I’m completely drained!”
“I’m having trouble concentrating, give me one first!”
Everyone scrambled for the box of pills.
Seeing this, I shook my head and pulled out three more boxes from my inventory, setting them down.
“After you’ve all taken one of those pills, eat one of these too.”
No one answered, perhaps still savoring the effects of the first pill.
I shrugged and opened one of the boxes.
The Physical Enhancement Pills inside emitted a unique fragrance, similar to the Spirit Energy Pills.
“They’ll figure it out.”
They’d realize these were also pills once they got a whiff.
So right now, what I had to do was…
“Guys, I need your help.”
“Yes!”
“Sure, what do you need?”
“Use the potions in these two boxes, got it?”
…We needed to tend to the wounded.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Meanwhile, at Arena Academy…
Bang, boom! Bang!
Clang, clang!
“…Damn it, why aren’t the Association bastards here yet?!”
“Hey, Instructor Park! Didn’t they say the Association backup had left already? Where are they?!”
“I-I don’t know… Ugh! They definitely said they had left earlier!”
The instructors were battered and bruised.
They had started with 50 when the fight began.
Now, only about 20 instructors remained standing against the Fallen.
“Try contacting them again!”
“…I can’t get through! I think they’re under attack as well!”
“Damn it! Have all the Fallen gone insane?! Why are they suddenly acting like this?!”
The instructors cursed in anger, swinging their weapons with renewed vigor.
With each swing, low to mid-ranking Fallen were swept away by their sword energy and magic.
Although retired, the instructors were still high-ranking Awakened.
The Fallen at their level couldn’t even hope to stand against them.
However, the sheer number of Fallen was overwhelming.
“…Uwaaaagh!”
“Instructor Seo! Instructor Seo—!”
Even with their superior strength, the instructors were reaching their limit.
“There are too many! We need to retreat!”
“Shut up! We know!”
“Then why aren’t we retreating?!”
One of the older instructors, his face etched with exhaustion, swung his weapon and yelled,
“Don’t we have kids behind us?!”
His words seemed to resonate with the other instructors.
“And the staff who always nag us about paperwork!”
“And the cafeteria chefs who always make delicious food!”
“And the gardener who takes such good care of the grounds!”
The old instructor chuckled.
“How can we retreat with them all counting on us?”
The instructor who had suggested retreat seemed to understand.
He shut his mouth and began swinging his weapon with renewed ferocity.
Seeing this, the senior instructors laughed.
“As expected of our youth! Full of energy!”
“Why don’t you take care of them all for us, then?”
“Getting old is tough, I tell you!”
But despite their lighthearted words, their eyes burned with a fierce will to fight, their weapons imbued with power that surpassed even the instructors in the thick of battle.
Boom! Boom!
And the same went for Kang Cheol-su, who was fighting against Pride.
However, despite his imposing aura, Kang Cheol-su’s strength was waning.
“Kuh…”
Even while using only high-ranking strength, the Plague shard embedded in his body inflicted excruciating pain.
‘My, my, isn’t our Crusher a bit too weak now?’
Pride taunted.
Kang Cheol-su gritted his teeth and threw a punch imbued with the power of Crushing.
‘Oh dear, I better dodge that. It looks like it hurts.’
Pride leaped back, easily avoiding the blow.
Kang Cheol-su’s fist smashed into the ground where Pride had been standing.
Boooom!
A heavy thud echoed, as if a giant object had fallen.
The space around the impact point warped and crumpled.
‘Kyaaaagh!’
‘Pride, you crazy bas— kyagh!’
‘If you’re going to take us as your underlings, at least look after us, you damn traitor!’
Several Fallen standing behind Pride were caught in the attack, their bodies pulverized into dust.
‘Whew, looks like you’ve still got it.’
But Pride’s tone was still mocking, a smirk plastered on his face.
Kang Cheol-su, ignoring the pain, threw another punch.
‘Well, aren’t you full of beans?’
Pride tilted his head, feigning curiosity.
‘Ah, I don’t get it.’
He shook his head as if genuinely confused, then burst into laughter.
He met Kang Cheol-su’s incoming fist with his own.
Boooom!
‘Weak!’
Boooom!
‘Weak—!’
Boooom!
‘You’re so weak—!’
Pride roared with laughter.
In contrast, blood streamed from Kang Cheol-su’s eyes, nose, and mouth – every orifice on his face.
Still, he continued to meet Pride’s attacks head-on.
But as time went on…
Crackle, crackle…
Kang Cheol-su was slowly pushed back.
Pride pressed his attack.
And finally…
Boooom, crackle!
“…Kyagh!”
Pride’s fist shattered Kang Cheol-su’s gauntlet and that was just the beginning.
‘Crusher—!!’
Pride’s fists began to land on Kang Cheol-su’s body.
Thud, thud, thud!
‘Our nightmare!’
Kang Cheol-su’s right arm twisted at an unnatural angle.
‘Our fear!’
His left shoulder sagged.
‘Our death!’
Crackle!
…Pride’s fist caved in Kang Cheol-su’s chest.
Thud.
Finally, Kang Cheol-su’s knees hit the ground.
‘Uwahaha, uwahahaha! The Crusher is on his knees! That Crusher is on his knees!’
Pride roared with laughter, grabbing Kang Cheol-su’s head.
‘That damn Plague really did a number on you, uwahahaha!’
Kang Cheol-su couldn’t see.
But he knew the bastard was right there.
He swung his broken right arm.
Thud.
‘…Huh?’
Pride, who had been laughing hysterically, stopped and looked down at his leg.
‘…You bastard…’
The smile vanished from his face.
It had been a feeble attack, with no strength behind it.
But Pride saw in that swing that Kang Cheol-su still hadn’t given up.
‘Why won’t you break?’
How? How could he still fight after being beaten so badly?
He couldn’t understand.
No, he didn’t want to understand.
‘Just die.’
Pride raised his fist, aiming for Kang Cheol-su’s head.
But just as he was about to strike…
Bang!
‘Agh!’
A gunshot rang out.
Something pierced Pride’s arm.
He winced, pulling out whatever it was.
‘What the… a bullet?’
It was a bullet, pulsing with holy power.
‘Which bastard shot this?! Show yourself!’
“As you wish.”
A gust of wind heralded Grey’s arrival.
She stood before Pride.
And at the same time…
“Sister, shouldn’t you come along?”
A priestess clad in white robes materialized behind Pride, bathed in light.
“This jerk is calling my holy bullets ‘this thing’! How infuriating!”
“But we’re a team, aren’t we, Sister?”
The priestess, who had been standing with her eyes closed, opened one eye slightly.
Grey averted her gaze and nodded.
“…Yes, you’re right.”
“Then it’s not okay to go alone, is it?”
“…No, it’s not.”
“Exactly. It’s not.”
The priestess smiled gently at Grey’s response and closed her eyes again.
“From now on, you can’t go alone either, okay?”
“Okay…”
As Grey nodded dejectedly, Pride’s voice boomed, laced with fury.
‘Are you kidding me right now?’
His body trembled with rage.
‘You dare play games in front of me?!’
He roared and lunged at Grey.
Or rather, he tried to.
“How dare you?”
‘…!’
…An invisible force pressed down on him, pinning him in place.
“I was talking! Who said you could speak?”
The priestess’s eyes slowly opened.
As they did, Pride’s body was forced lower and lower until he was on his knees.
“You dare, Fallen scum?”
Her eyes opened fully, revealing crimson irises.
‘…Cardinal Remilia?!’
Pride gasped, his face contorting in fear as he recognized the priestess.
Remilia, her expression impassive, looked down at the kneeling Fallen and raised her hand.
Kiiiiiing…!
Light gathered in her hand, forming a shape.
It was a spear, emblazoned with the emblem of the Grand Temple.
‘…N-no! Not that!’
Pride screamed at the sight of the spear.
Unfazed, Remilia raised the spear high.
“God is with us.”
And with those words, she brought it down.
“Immanuel.”
Flash!
The banner attached to the spear unfurled like a wing.
A beam of light shot upwards from the spear’s tip.
And a moment later…
Woooooooooooong!
The sound of a deafening horn echoed from the heavens.
Fwooosh!
A blinding light descended from the sky.
‘Kyaaaaagh!’
Pride screamed in agony as the light engulfed him.
The other Fallen, unable to even let out a whimper, were obliterated, leaving no trace behind.
The light washed over the instructors, healing their wounds.
Kang Cheol-su, fully healed, bowed his head to Remilia.
She smiled and nodded.
“Grey.”
“Yes.”
Grey’s eyes met hers.
“You being here means the Strike Team leader has reached the students, right?” Kang Cheol-su asked.
Grey smiled faintly and nodded.
Kang Cheol-su let out a sigh of relief, collapsing onto the ground.
“That’s… good to hear.”
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I treated the injured with the special healing potions and awakening potions I had made.
Then, as we set up new barriers, we continued to fight off the waves of monsters and Fallen.
We couldn’t deactivate Park Ga-ram’s mana barrier. Or rather, we couldn’t afford to.
‘Shuba—aaam—!’
‘…Shuba—aaam—!’
Boooom! Booooooom!
The Fallen would occasionally detonate themselves with Shubamkwangs.
And true to her word, Park Ga-ram’s barrier remained intact, even with a Shubamkwang exploding right in front of it.
Of course, each impact drained her mana, but with a box of Spirit Energy Pills by her side, she could maintain it indefinitely.
We had been fighting for what felt like hours when something caught my eye.
It was a woman.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman.
Her gaze seemed to pull me in.
She beckoned to me, and I felt an almost irresistible urge to go to her.
But as I was about to step over the barrier…
A message window popped up before my eyes.
“…Shit!”
I snapped out of my daze and hurriedly pulled out an awakening potion from my inventory and drank it.
The cloudiness in my mind cleared instantly.
I shouted, channeling mana into my voice.
“Bewitchment detected! Everyone drink an awakening potion—!”
As soon as I finished speaking, a seductive voice whispered in my ear.
I turned to face the source of the voice.
Enchantress licked her lips, her eyes locked on me.
I lowered the minigun.
Enchantress beckoned to me, her eyes filled with anticipation.
I smiled.
Then, I drew my Thunderbolt pistol from its holster and aimed it at her.
“Go fuck yourself.”
Crackle! Boom!
Thunderbolt unleashed its lightning.
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[bro fr just said BYE]
Bro’s a menace
I would have gone 🗿
What do you mean gone 😭 you are already long gone