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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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All eyes were on me the moment the match began.
I could sense their intent: Take down the top student first.
‘Classic free-for-all strategy.’
Everyone but yourself is the enemy? Not if there’s a clear powerhouse in the mix.
The weaker students wouldn’t bother fighting amongst themselves when a stronger opponent was guaranteed to defeat them.
Their thought process was likely along the lines of,
‘Even if I defeat the others, I’ll just lose to him. Why bother fighting and risk injury when he’s going to win anyway? I don’t care about last place, but I can’t stand the thought of him getting first.’
‘This is less of a free-for-all and more of a boss raid.’
My classmates were the players, and I was the boss monster.
Silence descended upon the arena.
Even the spectator stands were hushed, creating an eerie stillness, as if all sound had been extinguished from the world.
The quiet was broken by a shaky exhale.
Someone couldn’t contain their nerves. That small sound seemed to be the trigger.
My classmates, who had been staring at me like statues, raised their weapons.
I acted before they could attack.
I launched myself into the air with a powerful push, leaving a footprint in the arena floor.
My classmates stared up at me in surprise, their mana-charged attacks interrupted.
They hastily raised their weapons, but my non-lethal grenades were already arcing through the air towards them.
“Oh, sh…”
Before anyone could finish their curse, Thunderbolt roared in my hand, followed by the deafening explosions of the grenades.
The shockwave sent my classmates flying out of the arena.
Most of the casualties were from Class B and C. Class A, accustomed to my combat style, remained firmly on the ground.
‘They’re adapting well.’
My rigorous villain response training was paying off.
I nodded in satisfaction and activated Atlas Armor.
“I can increase the training intensity even further.”
The remaining Class A students, who had avoided the grenades, paled.
“What?!”
“No, why?!”
Why? Because they were doing well, of course.
“Look forward to it after the Duel Season ends.”
I’d make sure to push them even harder.
“Damn it!”
“Well, if that’s the case, we’ll make sure you don’t get first place!”
“Take down the top student!”
Attacks flew towards me the moment I finished speaking.
I drew Aegis from my inventory, transforming it into a shield and deflecting the incoming sword energy, magic, arrows, and other projectiles.
“Such passionate responses make me want to push you even harder.”
As I descended from the air…
“No! Your training is already brutal enough!”
“How much more do you want to torture us?!”
“Take down the top student! Take down the top student!”
…everyone in Class A, except for the main characters, charged towards me.
I sighed.
“Who told you to attack like that?”
Neither the instructor nor I had taught them to attack so recklessly.
I shook my head and retrieved thirty-three Thunderbolts, lifting them with telekinesis.
“Haven’t I emphasized this every time during villain response training? Remain calm in any situation.”
Maintaining composure even against a powerful opponent was fundamental for a hero, as I, or rather, Villain Crow, had taught them.
I loaded each Thunderbolt with rubber bullets and aimed at my blindly charging classmates.
“This won’t do. I’ll have to talk to the instructor after the Duel Season.”
The first lesson of the second semester would be villain response training.
I pulled the triggers with telekinesis.
A thunderous roar filled the arena, followed by a storm of lightning. Just as the lightning was about to strike my classmates…
“N-Now’s my chance!”
…Park Ga-ram shouted, and gray shields materialized around my classmates.
Simultaneously, countless gray vines erupted from the ground, ensnaring my hands, feet, and Thunderbolts.
Impressive, Park Ga-ram. Excellent support.
I was impressed by her well-timed assistance. But at the same time, I felt a twinge of disappointment.
She used support magic effectively, but… she should have used offensive magic.
Circe’s gray magic was more effective for offense than support.
She should have attacked me instead of shielding the others. Not that I would have let her hit me.
And she thinks restraining my limbs and weapons will stop me? What a grave miscalculation.
She clearly didn’t know about the upgraded Transfer, which could now transfer any item I owned, not just those I was holding.
“Transfer.”
“Huh?”
Park Ga-ram stared blankly at the Thunderbolts that materialized around me.
“What?!”
My classmates, who had been confidently approaching, looked equally confused.
I chuckled and, as a wake-up call, unleashed the Thunderbolts’ lightning barrage.
The shields shattered, and the rubber bullets struck their bodies.
“Argh!”
My charging classmates collapsed, screaming.
The rubber bullets wouldn’t pierce their bodies, but the impact would likely break bones. And the added lightning would certainly be… shocking.
I ripped apart the vines binding my limbs.
“H-Huh?”
Park Ga-ram, who had been preparing to throw a fireball, stared at me in bewilderment.
“Why so surprised? Never seen anyone tear apart vines before?”
Park Ga-ram nodded slowly.
“I see.”
It was understandable for her to be surprised if she had never seen it before.
I nodded and fired the training pistol I had transferred to my hand.
“Gah!”
Park Ga-ram clutched her forehead where the rubber bullet had struck and collapsed.
I surveyed the remaining students.
Lee Seo-yeon, Arthur, Asuka, Noah—all the main characters were still standing.
Park Sung-woo and two other supporting characters. And… Im Da-hee.
“Im Da-hee, you’ve improved.”
I was genuinely impressed.
“Well… you taught me well. In many ways.”
Im Da-hee blushed slightly.
Wait a minute. That sounded… suggestive.
“Many ways?”
“Did you just say ‘many ways’?”
“What was that? ‘Many ways’?”
The three girls reacted instantly.
“W-What? Why? What’s wrong?”
Im Da-hee looked bewildered as the three girls surrounded her.
Ignoring her confusion, Lee Seo-yeon, Arthur, and Asuka glared at Im Da-hee with murderous intent.
“What ‘many ways’?”
“Explain yourself immediately.”
“If you don’t tell us right now, I’ll stain this ironwood sword with your blood.”
“Um, well… that is…”
Without her usual electric aura, Im Da-hee shrunk under their pressure, unable to form a coherent sentence.
I sighed at the pitiful sight and addressed the three interrogators.
“I don’t know what misunderstanding you have, but the ‘many ways’ Im Da-hee learned from me are skill usage and combat techniques. And isn’t this a bad time for this?”
Weren’t they aware that the entire audience was watching?
“Oh.”
The three girls spoke in unison, their faces flushing as they quickly backed away from Im Da-hee. They seemed to have momentarily forgotten their surroundings.
I sighed and shook my head.
I drew two miniguns from my inventory, one for each hand.
“Since you all seem to lack a sense of urgency, I’ll kindly provide it for you.”
I spun the barrels.
“No, no! I’m plenty tense!”
“Hey! We’re about to explode from tension! What more urgency do you want?!”
“It’s okay! We don’t need any more urgency!”
Everyone except the main characters shook their heads frantically, their faces pale with fear.
I ignored their pleas. I wasn’t about to put the miniguns away.
“These are rubber bullets, but… they’ll hurt. A lot.”
At least they wouldn’t pierce their bodies.
“That’s not reassuring!”
“They won’t pierce us, but they’ll shatter our bones!”
“This is bad! Everyone, run out of the arena!”
Trying to escape?
“Don’t run! Fight back!”
I shouted and fired the miniguns.
“Argh!”
“Gah!”
“Wind Bar… Argh!”
The 7.62×51mm rubber bullets struck the supporting characters as they attempted to flee the arena.
I didn’t see Im Da-hee among them.
“I… I’m alive…”
I spotted her outside the arena.
She must have left as soon as I drew the miniguns.
I chuckled and ceased fire.
The supporting characters, who had been relentlessly pelted with rubber bullets, collapsed. They looked dead, but they weren’t.
I had avoided their heads, hearts, and vital points, and the HP bracelets absorbed some of the damage.
Their bones, however, were likely another story. It was fine. The Academy had plenty of skilled healers. They would recover quickly after the match.
“Now it’s just us, isn’t it?”
Five remained in the arena.
Me, Lee Seo-yeon, Arthur, Asuka, and Noah—all main characters.
“Haha, it had to come to this.”
Noah chuckled, igniting holy flames in his hands.
“Lee Yu-jin, this is a duel. Don’t hate me if I cut you down.”
Arthur drew Excalibur with a serious expression, unleashing golden sword energy.
“Lee Yu-jin, I’ll fight my best.”
Lee Seo-yeon’s eyes, usually warm, were now cold and sharp. She was serious.
“Um, Mr. Top Student, should I go easy on you?”
Asuka asked.
Seriously, Asuka?
Everyone else was preparing for a serious fight.
The other three glared at her.
“See? They’re glaring at you.”
“Ha… haha. Just kidding.”
Asuka chuckled awkwardly, drawing her two ironwood swords and assuming a combat stance, her blades radiating red sword energy.
The four of them stared at me with fighting spirit.
A four-versus-one situation.
Moments ago, I felt like a boss monster. Now, I felt like a villain facing a group of heroes.
I chuckled and lifted the discarded Thunderbolts with telekinesis, aiming them, along with the miniguns in my hands, at the four.
The minigun barrels whirred, and the Thunderbolts crackled with lightning.
“Let’s see how much stronger you’ve all become.”
As soon as I spoke, the four of them launched themselves towards me.
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[Hes literally a menace at this point like i feel bad for everyone else lmao]
Who is Im Da-Hee again?
I think she the Lightning Spear girl