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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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“Arak! Where are you?! I, Lee Seok-hyun, am here! Slaughtering your comrades!”
“…”
Arak clamped his mouth shut at the sound of Lee Seok-hyun’s voice echoing from the distance. While he longed to retaliate, to unleash a furious counter-attack, he couldn’t. He wasn’t alone.
‘What should I do? They already have their commander on the field… That means I should target their leader. I should go myself. But what about the flag? What if this isn’t a single raid, but a larger attack? What if the fire reaches us here? Our seniors’ records didn’t mention anything about this kind of situation…’
He had meticulously planned his strategy based on accumulated data, confident that everything was proceeding according to plan. But that confidence had blinded him to the possibility of unforeseen circumstances.
The unexpected variable, arising not from an anticipated point of weakness but from a completely unforeseen angle, had struck like a bullet, shattering Arak’s carefully constructed plans.
“What should we do, Arak? Should we engage? Some of our students have gone to reinforce the burning area, but who knows how long it will take them to arrive…”
“But there aren’t that many attackers! The fire makes it look worse than it is! Their numbers are actually quite small!”
“Arak! They’re advancing! They’re just a small group! Let’s attack!”
“What?! But what about the flag?! Arak needs to stay here and guard the flag!”
“No, Arak should stay and protect the flag… and defend the base… Arak! Say something!”
“…”
The lack of a clear command structure, coupled with their reliance on a single leader, was proving disastrous. With Arak paralyzed by indecision, the Tanteroi forces were crumbling.
The mages had already rushed off to extinguish the flames, and the knights, bound by their oaths to follow Arak’s commands, stood idly by, unable to act. The knights, who should have been at the forefront of the defense, were now frozen in place, and the situation rapidly deteriorated.
‘There has to be a way… What’s the most efficient way to deploy over a thousand soldiers? What should I do…?’
A commander burdened by overthinking in the midst of a rapidly evolving battle was a liability.
Arak, lost in his own internal struggle, failed to realize that his indecision was driving Tanteroi towards the brink of defeat.
“Arak! Give us orders! What are we supposed to do?!”
His comrades, sensing the impending disaster, urged him to act.
“Charge! Attack! There are about three hundred of them, and we have six hundred! No, we’ll send triple that number! Nine hundred of our top-ranked students, follow me!”
Finally, pushed to the breaking point by their pleas, Arak issued a command.
He disregarded the careful planning and meticulous preparations he’d emphasized earlier, abandoning all caution and opting for a full-frontal assault.
While decisive, it was a reckless gamble, a command issued without regard for the potential consequences.
“Every man for himself! All nine hundred of you, engage Mirinae Academy! Total annihilation!”
It could be seen as a bold move, breaking free from the constraints of rigid military doctrine, a potential catalyst for growth. However…
“What? You’re only here now?”
…that growth would have to wait. The situation was far too dire.
By the time Arak arrived at the front lines, his strongest knights lay defeated.
The forest, once their sanctuary, was now a smoldering ruin, the ground littered with discarded armor.
The stench of defeat hung heavy in the air.
“Arak… you finally came…”
“Why… did you take so… long…”
One by one, his students vanished, teleported back to the coliseum as they were eliminated. Their expressions reflected a mixture of relief at escaping the carnage and the lingering terror of the battlefield.
‘What should I do?’
Despair threatened to consume him, but a voice cut through the chaos, reminding him that it wasn’t over yet.
“This is making me look like the bad guy.”
A red cap and dark sunglasses.
A small girl perched on his shoulders.
A figure Arak recognized instantly, despite their brief encounter.
“Lee Seok-hyun.”
He was smiling.
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An hour and fifteen minutes into the invasion.
As I gleefully decimated the Tanteroi students, Meiri spoke.
I paused my spider web-slinging and turned towards her.
“Seok-hyun, piggyback ride.”
“Now?”
“My stomach still hurts from when you hit me, and I’m running low on mana.”
“…”
She had a point.
‘This whole operation hinges on Meiri, anyway.’
Meiri Meribell, the second-ranked first-year student, possessed extraordinary magical abilities.
Her specialty was illusion magic, or more accurately, Shinbi magic—a unique form of illusion magic exclusive to Shinmibi.
‘It’s certainly… special. ‘
The reason Velutos and Ruamos hadn’t reacted to the ongoing chaos was entirely due to Meiri.
She had used her Shinbi magic to make the forest fire appear as a harmless campfire, a mere flicker in the distance. And even if they saw through the illusion, she’d create a new one, trapping them in a cycle of deception.
All of this, accomplished by a single student.
Of course, she had several mages supporting her, constantly channeling mana to fuel her spells, but it was still a remarkable feat.
Bellos had blocked their reconnaissance magic, and Meiri had used illusions to distort their perceptions, hiding the truth.
This powerful combination had given them a significant advantage.
I scooped up Meiri, who’d been trailing behind me, and hoisted her onto my shoulders. She shifted slightly, settling into a comfortable position, as if this was a common occurrence.
“Mmm, comfortable.”
She snuggled against my head like melting cheese, completely at ease despite the chaos unfolding around us—screams echoing, flames raging. She was enjoying her own personal healing camp amidst the carnage.
‘This is actually the ideal situation.’
Lee Seok-hyun’s body, unable to utilize mana except for Natural Mana, always required a skilled mage nearby.
To detect subtle shifts in mana flow, to sense the presence of hidden enemies, to anticipate magical attacks—
Meiri was essential for compensating for his weaknesses.
“Seok-hyun, I sense a large group approaching from the distance. Around nine hundred, and one of them is incredibly strong.”
“Oh, really?”
‘They’re finally here.’
An hour and fifteen minutes into the invasion.
It took them that long to react after most of their outer defenses had been annihilated? They were slow.
Knowing that Arak’s arrival would significantly change the dynamics of the battle, I reorganized my forces.
Even as I issued commands, I continued to deploy spider webs, preparing for the next stage of the attack.
“Those who are injured, return to the plains. Set up a base camp according to the instructions I gave you earlier.”
“But won’t that leave us with too few people here?”
“It’s fine. It’s almost over.”
“Huh? But there are so many of them.”
“It’s fine.”
Mijuran, her voice laced with concern, questioned my assessment, but I reassured her and sent her back to the front lines. She looked uneasy but trusted my judgment.
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
Meiri, echoing Mijuran’s concern, voiced her doubts as soon as Mijuran was out of earshot.
“It’s fine. Or rather, it doesn’t matter.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re disorganized.”
First-year students were still at a stage where they were more focused on the idea of being a knight than on practical combat experience.
Or rather, it was more accurate to say they were still figuring out how to develop their abilities.
And how much could they possibly have grown in just six months?
“We’re different.”
While they’d been safely practicing in the training grounds, oblivious to the threat of death, we had faced the Death Meteor.
We’d watched our classmates die, our friends vanish, our dreams crumble.
We’d trained relentlessly, driven by the need to survive, pushing our bodies to their limits. The minor injuries we sustained during training were nothing compared to the trauma we’d endured.
Mirinae Academy’s first-years had experienced a different kind of growth, a different intensity of life and death.
“They don’t know what it’s like to fight for their lives. They can’t possibly defeat us.”
Compared to the day we fought against the high-rank demons, the Tanteroi students were like newborns, stumbling and falling at the slightest challenge.
They were completely unprepared for the realities of a true life-or-death struggle.
“Seok-hyun, Arak is close.”
Meiri, sensing his approach, updated me, and I initiated the next phase of my plan.
[Activating General’s Shout. Be mindful of aggro.]
“Don’t think of them as fellow students! Don’t think of them as human! They are the enemy! And the enemy is not human!”
Everything was proceeding as planned. Having lured them into a trap by exploiting their predictable choice of terrain, they had emerged from the burning forest, disorganized and vulnerable. Now, with General’s Shout active, his team’s morale surged.
‘Battles aren’t won by numbers alone.’
Strategic planning, efficient deployment of forces, and maintaining morale were the keys to victory.
Fear is contagious.
As the Tanteroi reinforcements finally arrived, they were greeted by the sight of their terrified comrades, their faces etched with fear.
“This is making me look like the bad guy.”
I calmly walked towards Arak, my small frame almost comical against the backdrop of the chaotic battlefield.
The difference in numbers was stark—roughly three to one in their favor. If they’d had any sense, they would have surrounded and overwhelmed us.
But instead, they stood in a single line before me, like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. They were practically begging to be eliminated.
“Why… us?”
“What?”
“Why us?! You could have attacked anyone else!”
As the situation grew increasingly dire, Arak finally unleashed his pent-up frustration.
Essentially, he was crying out, “Why us? Why this unfair treatment?” He felt targeted, singled out for an attack when Lee Seok-hyun could have easily chosen another academy.
“You could have hit anyone else… why attack us first?” He was looking for a reason, a justification for this seemingly random act of aggression.
Lee Seok-hyun, looking into Arak’s desperate eyes, offered a simple, chilling response.
“Because it’s fun.”
“What?”
Arak stared at him, dumbfounded.
The clueless expression on the face of a commander leading hundreds of soldiers was almost comical.
“Seok-hyun, you’re a real demon.”
Meiri’s comment went in one ear and out the other. Lee Seok-hyun continued, pressing his advantage.
“I did it for fun. Just… because I felt like it. Just a little experiment.”
“…You’re telling me there was no grand plan? You just… set fire to the forest and attacked us? Just like that?”
“That’s right. I did it for fun. And you know what the funniest part is?”
“…?”
Arak and his fellow students stared at Lee Seok-hyun, completely baffled.
If it were him, he would have charged into battle without hesitation. He couldn’t comprehend their fear, their hesitation.
“You’re standing right on top of the landmines I planted.”
[Master, shall I detonate?]
At the signal, Pephais acted instantly.
The fuses, attached to the spider silk he’d woven across the battlefield, snaked their way towards their destination.
Arak stood directly in their path.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A series of deafening explosions ripped through the Tanteroi ranks. No attempt had been made to control the blasts; they were raw, uncontrolled bursts of destructive force.
As the saying goes, life is a comedy from afar, a tragedy up close. But for Lee Seok-hyun, observing the carnage from a safe distance, it was pure comedy.
“Beautiful.”
He clapped, admiring the explosions.
‘So long, Tanteroi Academy.’
He watched intently, eager to see who, if anyone, had survived the blasts.
“…Seok-hyun, you really are a demon.”
“…”
He ignored Meiri’s comment, choosing to remain silent.
‘What’s wrong with enjoying a little spectacle?’
He glanced around and saw his own teammates staring at him with the same horrified expressions as Meiri.
He felt a pang of annoyance. He’d done a good deed, eliminating the enemy, yet they looked at him like he was a monster. It felt unfair.
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Thanks for the chapter
Dude fr unhinged