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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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After the Death Meteor fell, Ki Ju-seon immediately assessed the situation.
‘This level of dark mana and demons… this is an invasion.’
The lack of any warning before the demons appeared and the professors’ delayed response…
These two factors led Ki Ju-seon to conclude that they were isolated and immediately fortified the laboratory.
The fortification consisted of little more than barricading the door with desks and moving the researchers to a safer location while he stood guard.
Still, it was better than nothing.
‘We can’t get out.’
He’d attempted to use a reconnaissance spell to contact the outside world, but the results were disastrous.
It wasn’t simply a communication blackout—it seemed the very space around them had been severed, making escape impossible.
Five Death Meteors had fallen, suggesting at least five isolated zones unable to communicate with each other.
“…Please continue working. There’s nothing else we can do right now.”
“Understood.”
Ki Ju-seon decided that completing the Manaplate Armor was more important than rushing out blindly and getting overwhelmed.
The researchers and professors in the laboratory were non-combatants, making fighting incredibly inefficient.
They might be able to hold out for a while, but it would only be a matter of time.
If the demons decided to attack in earnest, they’d be slaughtered.
It was far better to complete the Manaplate Armor quickly and give themselves a fighting chance.
Baktor and the researchers, acutely aware of this, immediately returned to their work.
With every second precious, their only option was to complete the Manaplate Armor.
It was their lifeline, and there was no time to waste.
‘We still have time… let’s take it slow…’
Ki Ju-seon, still unaware of the situation at the training grounds, clung to a sliver of hope.
“Professor! Professor! Help us! Help us!”
A few seconds later, that hope was shattered.
Seeing the bloodied students stumble into the laboratory, Ki Ju-seon instantly understood why it had been so quiet.
‘The students were their target.’
That explained why the laboratory hadn’t been attacked despite the demons detecting them. It explained the eerie silence.
He finally grasped the situation.
The demons had silenced the area, masked their presence, and systematically eliminated the students at the training grounds.
That was their objective.
As if to confirm his realization, he sensed the faint but unmistakable presence of a high-rank demon approaching.
His plan to buy time and wait for reinforcements crumbled.
“Everyone, inside…”
“No, Professor! Seok-hyun! Seok-hyun is still out there!”
“What?”
As he ushered the students into the laboratory, Meiri’s desperate cry delivered the worst possible news.
While the deaths of other students were heartbreaking, Lee Seok-hyun held a special place in his heart—the student who had reignited his dream.
The thought of him being trapped in that carnage was devastating.
‘What should I do?’
Should he abandon the laboratory and go to Lee Seok-hyun?
Or should he stay and try to hold off the approaching high-rank demon?
He felt guilty for hesitating while the students looked to him for guidance, but he couldn’t calm his racing mind.
He’d never encountered a situation like this before.
Ki Ju-seon was overwhelmed by the unprecedented crisis. And then…
The Class S students snapped him out of his panic.
“Professor, even if we run, there’s nowhere left to go.”
“And even if we all went inside, the injured would have to be prioritized…”
Contrary to his expectations, the students weren’t completely overwhelmed by panic.
They were prioritizing the injured, moving desks together to create makeshift beds, and administering first aid.
They moved with surprising efficiency, as if someone had instructed them beforehand.
“Professor, do you have any swords in the lab? I only brought a training sword.”
One student checked his weapon, looking for something better.
“Everyone, form up according to the formation the commoner taught us! Reinforcements will arrive!”
“Remember the class president’s feedback? If we follow his instructions, we might be able to hold out.”
Another tried to boost morale, recalling their mentor’s advice.
It was an impressive display of composure and resilience, far beyond what he’d expect from 17-year-olds in this desperate situation.
Six students remained by Ki Ju-seon’s side.
As if preordained, they were the top seven first-year students, excluding Lee Seok-hyun.
The others had retreated to the lab, judged to be safer there for various reasons.
Having too many people in the hallway would only restrict their movements. In this situation, a smaller, more focused group was the better option.
Though currently, they were just a small group, not exactly elite.
Thump, thump.
“…”
The high-rank demon approached silently.
While his expression remained neutral, the blood dripping from his sleeves clearly revealed his intentions.
“Professor! Almost done! We’re almost finished!”
With the Manaplate Armor nearing completion inside, and despair closing in outside…
‘Malena…’
Give me courage.
Ki Ju-seon repeated those words, steadying himself and gathering his mana.
Facing what might be his final moments…
He desperately longed for his first love.
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My body was slammed into the ground, then kicked like a football, sending me flying into a wall.
Screeeech. Bang!
It didn’t end there. My face scraped against the wall as I slid along it, then my head snapped back from a blow to the back of my skull.
If it weren’t for Mind and Body Training reaching the advanced level, I would have been dead.
“Don’t resist. I don’t make this offer often.”
Even enduring this beating proves you have talent.
So just become a demon, accept the dark mana.
Garan continued his sales pitch while pummeling me relentlessly. He was using torture as persuasion, constantly reminding me that he could kill me at any moment.
‘He’s surprisingly petty.’
Like a squirrel throwing a tantrum and attacking after being startled.
I’d never considered becoming a demon, but seeing this, I wouldn’t want to even in my dreams.
‘Gainard seems to be gaining the upper hand.’
Even as I served as a living punching bag, I kept track of the fight between Gainard and Roomlau.
My plan was to wait for Gainard to defeat Roomlau, then join forces against Garan, and finally confront Chaitus.
For this to work, Gainard needed to defeat Roomlau before I died.
“You’re quite capable. Even in this situation, you’re analyzing the battlefield… and that command earlier was particularly impressive.”
“Then you must know what I’m planning.”
“Still using short sentences, I see.”
Garan looked at me, seemingly unconcerned about my schemes.
He seemed to have dismissed my attempts to appear cunning and resourceful as childish antics, believing they wouldn’t work. But his arrogance was his downfall.
“Pephais, detonate.”
[Understood.]
At that moment, Pephais unleashed a powerful explosion behind Roomlau, momentarily disrupting her balance.
If Gainard could capitalize on this opening and strike…
“We’re not that easily fooled.”
Clang!
Gainard’s attack, a desperate strike fueled by all his remaining strength, stopped inches from Roomlau’s neck.
Even mana-infused steel couldn’t pierce her skin.
‘I didn’t expect much anyway.’
I examined Roomlau’s skin and saw it covered in fine scales.
“Those tactics might work against the low-level opponents you’re used to… but not against us.”
Bang!
‘It was worth a shot.’
My head slammed into the ground again.
‘The Death Meteor is an unavoidable bad luck pattern, designed to be impossible for students to handle alone.’
It was one of the worst early-game scenarios—a guaranteed team wipe.
The only way to survive was to hold out until reinforcements arrived.
I tried drawing aggro, creating openings for Roomlau, but it was all futile.
Unless I came up with something drastic, escape seemed impossible.
“I’ve been waiting for a demon like you. That unwavering will to survive, that relentless determination… ‘He’ would have wanted someone like you.”
“Actually, so do I.”
“Really?”
“Just kidding.”
I could play that game too.
Using Weaving, I severed the fabric of my shirt, escaping Garan’s grasp.
Then, I immediately designated my own abdomen as a weak point and activated Flash of Insight.
[Increased damage will result in significant knockback!]
The sudden distance created was my opportunity.
Zzzzip.
I yanked on the spider silk attached to Garan’s legs, tearing his pants.
Something dangled between his legs, his pale skin exposed.
“Nice underwear. Teddy bears. I like those too.”
Garan’s face flushed crimson.
Whirr.
[Unwavering will demonstrated against a powerful opponent.]
[Infinite Track activated.]
This time, it would be different.
‘Let’s do this.’
Time to show him a veteran’s moves.
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