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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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No matter how advantageous the situation, letting one’s guard down was never a good idea.
“Keep firing.”
[Understood, Master.]
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-BOOM!
Lee Seok-hyun continued planting explosives until Pephais, exhausted, returned to the spirit realm. The spirit’s bomb-like appearance made for a strange contrast. Such destructive power emanating from such a cute form—the dissonance was striking.
“Seok-hyun, isn’t this a bit… excessive?”
“They outnumber us three to one. There’s no such thing as overkill.”
The relentless barrage of explosions worried Meiri. Lee Seok-hyun, however, remained unfazed.
After all, the students were teleported back to the coliseum before they could suffer any serious injuries. He could unleash his full power without fear of accidental fatalities. He had a free pass for wanton destruction. That knowledge was deeply ingrained in his mind.
“Wow… Seok-hyun is really…”
“…Even the Iron Legion of Mudanad isn’t this brutal.”
Woo Do-hyun, Mijuran, and the other Mirinae students watched in stunned silence, but Lee Seok-hyun dismissed their reactions as simple inexperience.
They’ve lived such sheltered lives. To be so shocked by this level of violence… they clearly needed more real-world experience.
[I must return now, Master.]
“Good work, Pephais. Thank you.”
[It was my duty.]
As he leisurely observed the explosions and the ensuing chaos, Pephais, its energy depleted, returned to the spirit realm.
–Fizzle.
With the explosions ceasing, the smoke gradually cleared, revealing the state of the Tanteroi students.
“…Lee Seok-hyun, you have no concept of knightly honor.”
“Wow, you actually survived that? Incredible.”
While most of the Tanteroi students had been eliminated, screaming in terror, Arak and his close associates remained, relatively unscathed.
They had somehow managed to minimize the damage by forming a shield wall, deflecting the blasts. They’d also deployed some kind of barrier beneath their feet, maintaining their balance despite the uneven, cratered terrain.
The elite of the elite.
This was Tanteroi’s S-Class.
“You’ll never be a knight, Lee Seok-hyun.”
“I have no intention of becoming one.”
‘Knights are just glorified soldiers, anyway.’
‘I’ve already served my time in the army. Who in their right mind would want to re-enlist?’
That retort almost slipped out, but he swallowed it.
To casually bring up the possibility of re-enlistment… Arak was the real demon here.
–Clank, clank.
Arak, observing the battlefield, noted the cessation of explosions and lowered his shield, signaling his forces to advance.
He redeployed his troops, breaking the shield wall formation.
“You want to fight us? We outnumber you three to one now.”
His words sounded increasingly villainous, but Lee Seok-hyun simply dismissed them as empty bravado.
“A true knight never gives up, even when outnumbered.”
“No, that’s just foolish and stubborn. If the commander charges into battle with an enemy triple their number, without any plan, what happens to the rest of your forces? Shouldn’t you be focusing on hiding your flag? They’ll be completely isolated! You’re just trying to end this quickly by provoking a one-on-one fight with me, abandoning your responsibilities. That’s your idea of knightly honor? It’s nothing but shirking your duty.”
“…Don’t you dare insult the concept of knighthood. And you’re no different! If you fall here, what happens to your team?”
“No, that’s different.”
‘You and I are completely different. You don’t understand.’
He took a step forward, unleashing his suppressed aura.
The ferocious presence he’d acquired from defeating Ungbak no longer intimidated the Mirinae Academy students.
Having faced high-rank demons, their resistance to killing intent had increased significantly.
However, for students from other academies, it was a different story.
How could those who’d only trained in the safety of their academies withstand the aura of a field boss?
“Ugh…”
Half of Tanteroi’s S-Class trembled, fear taking root in their eyes.
“I came here with one goal, one hundred percent certainty. To completely crush you. And…”
“Seok-hyun, put me down.”
“…I’ll finish what I was saying after I put her down.”
He couldn’t ignore Meiri’s request, even in the midst of a tense standoff.
With battle imminent, he’d been walking towards Arak when he abruptly turned and hurried towards his teammates.
–Hop.
As he bent down, Meiri hopped off his shoulders and landed gracefully.
Her expressionless face betrayed a hint of smug satisfaction, and he couldn’t help but smile at her childish antics. He ruffled her hair affectionately.
“Now, where was I? Ah, yes, crushing you…”
“How much further do you intend to insult me?!”
The sudden shift in his demeanor startled Arak.
He’d interpreted Lee Seok-hyun turning his back as a deliberate insult, and, forgetting all strategy, he charged, blinded by rage.
“I will defeat you here and now! I will prove who is superior!”
At first glance, it seemed like a childish outburst, but it was a calculated move.
Breaking the momentum of Lee Seok-hyun’s psychological warfare and forcing a one-on-one confrontation was a clever tactic, a desperate attempt to overcome their numerical disadvantage.
‘Normally, I’d send Hyun-su to handle this, a duel between aspiring knights, but…’
Sometimes, a leader needed to demonstrate their strength, to solidify their team’s faith in them.
And this was the perfect opportunity for a showdown between representatives.
“Fine, I’ll play along.”
Lee Seok-hyun accepted the challenge and charged towards Arak.
“Now! Activate the Shield Wall!”
As soon as they were within striking distance, Arak grinned and barked a command.
Instantly, shields materialized around them, forming a small, enclosed arena.
There was no escape; they were trapped in a one-on-one duel.
“I’ve done my research. You’re not a mage or a martial artist, but an Other Studies student! Which means you rely on explosives and clever schemes! Am I right?!”
“…Uh?”
Lee Seok-hyun looked at him, a flicker of confusion in his eyes, but Arak, fueled by a surge of confidence, continued his monologue.
“The Shield Wall isn’t just for defense; it can also be used to trap my opponents. Do you really think you can defeat me in a one-on-one fight, without your explosives? This is what they call turning the tables.”
“…”
Lee Seok-hyun finally understood why Arak had been so confident despite being outnumbered three to one.
Any group, no matter how large, would lose morale and effectiveness if their leader fell.
Arak had underestimated him, dismissing him as a weakling easily defeated in single combat. He’d planned to take Lee Seok-hyun down, then mop up the remaining, demoralized Mirinae students.
‘He’s been looking down on me this whole time? Talking about honor and knighthood while completely dismissing me?’
He’d severely underestimated Lee Seok-hyun’s abilities.
To be judged so poorly based on a single tactical decision…
It was insulting.
“You might have startled me with your little display earlier, but I see through your bluff. Look at you, standing there frozen. And your teammates? They’re terrified!”
Arak, emboldened by his perceived advantage, continued to taunt him.
Lee Seok-hyun glanced behind him. Admittedly, to an outside observer, they might have looked worried. Huddled together, whispering amongst themselves, their expressions could be interpreted as fear.
“That’s not what’s happening.”
“Oh? And what is happening?”
“They’re worried about how badly I’m going to beat you.”
–Whirrrrrr.
That was all he said.
No more pointless chatter. It was time for action.
He activated Infinite Track.
‘Time for overdrive.’
Thought Acceleration.
He focused his mind, visualizing the most efficient, most devastating movements, pushing Infinite Track beyond its normal limits.
Normally, a warning message would have flashed, alerting him to the potential dangers of overexertion. But with the Cooler equipped, he could push himself a little further, for a little longer.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
‘So long.’
Arak tried to react to the sudden shift in Lee Seok-hyun’s aura, but it was too late.
‘Why don’t villains ever use their finishing moves from the start?’
It was a question he’d often pondered while watching Power Rangers as a child.
If they’d just unleashed their full power from the beginning, they could have easily crushed their opponents without giving them a chance to fight back.
And now, he was about to put that theory into practice.
“Gasp…!”
As Lee Seok-hyun charged, Arak instinctively raised his sword in a defensive stance. But that reflexive action proved to be his downfall.
[Arak’s solar plexus and right flank designated as weak points.]
Lee Seok-hyun exploited the opening, targeting the exposed areas. He refrained from using Flash of Insight.
‘I don’t want him flying away just yet.’
He wanted the other Tanteroi students to witness their leader’s humiliation, to see their commander’s defeat firsthand.
–Thump!
“Oof…!”
One strike.
His fist, amplified by the Manaplate Armor, smashed through Arak’s armor and connected with his liver.
A liver shot.
Arak gasped, struggling to breathe. A direct hit to the liver usually resulted in instant incapacitation, but he somehow managed to stay on his feet. He was tougher than he looked.
–BAM!
Lee Seok-hyun followed up with a blow to Arak’s solar plexus, driving the air from his lungs.
Arak’s heavy armor restricted his movements, and Lee Seok-hyun’s speed was overwhelming. He couldn’t react, couldn’t defend.
The single swing of his sword had been his first and last attempt at resistance.
He could have activated a skill, but he lacked the experience to do so effectively in the midst of such a relentless assault.
–Thump! BAM! Thump! BAM!
Solar plexus, flank, solar plexus, flank, solar plexus, flank.
He relentlessly targeted the designated weak points, pummeling Arak without mercy. Eventually, he resorted to grabbing Arak’s hair with one hand to keep him from falling, continuing the brutal assault with the other.
–Thump! BAM! Thump! BAM!
The first battle between Mirinae and Tanteroi Academy was ending, punctuated by the rhythmic thud of Arak’s battered body.
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Thanks for the chapter
Hot damn that’s brutal