I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 100 : Guerrilla (1)

Before Edge of Gate was subjected to a massive burning ceremony.

Several effective ideas were proposed among gamers as methods to counter MK-1's guerrilla warfare.

'The simplest approach would be to just roleplay as a fortune-telling shaman and prepare them.'

But this trick only works once or twice; if continued, gameplay would likely derail as you'd be treated as a clairvoyant medium.

'There was a playthrough where I got prematurely graduated and kidnapped to the Execution Force headquarters, only to end up failing while playing shaman.'

The fact that even after dozens or hundreds of repetitions the game couldn't be cleared means the causal relationships constituting this Edge of Gate scenario are that complex.

'If I intervene too obviously and change things, the butterfly effect becomes unmanageable.'

Therefore, the optimal solution discovered after much research is this:

'First, we need to alert the entire island of the surprise attack when it happens.'

Just reducing the effectiveness of their surprise attack makes it a much more manageable fight.

'Of course, we're at a disadvantage in terms of raw power.'

However.

Given that there are several characters who can be game-changers and alter the flow of battle, if we ensure they don't retire pathetically in the early stages, the story changes.

'That's where my role becomes important.'

First, eliminate one of the enemy's core combatants before Chu Jinhong intervenes.

Second, prevent the intervention of leader Chu Jinhong, whose destructive power can change the battlefield at once, and not let him attack from behind.

And what needs to be done at this stage is, so to speak, setting up booby traps.

'This is it.'

After quietly climbing the back mountain, I found the entrance to a well-camouflaged tunnel.

Though it was disguised with such precision that non-experts couldn't distinguish it.

For me, it was an easy game of spot-the-difference.

'There are 5 tunnels hidden in the back mountain.'

The operation involved 5 teams of 2 people each attacking student groups of 6.

The tunnels where the assistant instructor attack team and instructor attack team were hiding were a bit far from here, but there was no need to intervene there.

'The important thing is to alert everyone about the surprise attack in time anyway.'

My thoughts had been lengthy.

I skillfully installed booby traps near the entrance that would trigger a flash and loud explosion immediately upon being touched, using wires so thin they were completely invisible.

'This is conveniently good.'

Old man Jang, as expected.

Every item that old man supplies proves its worth.

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

Knock knock knock.

The sound of knocking on the door came just after Su-hyeon had returned to his room and caught his breath after installing six traps in 30 minutes.

'If I hadn't hurried, this would have been complicated.'

Click.

Su-hyeon opened the door with an inward sigh of relief.

"Hey, what are you doing! Let's go!"

Click.

Nam Tae-hoon, already changed into a rashguard, was standing at the door.

"What, you haven't changed yet?"

"I was sleeping a bit."

"That's unusual. Couldn't sleep because of the field trip excitement?"

Nam Tae-hoon's expression, which had been grinning, changed completely when he saw the room behind Su-hyeon.

"Hey! Why is this room so big?"

Nam Tae-hoon made a fuss, saying it looked twice the size of his room.

"Wow, and the balcony extends out like that? Crazy. What's with this ocean view?"

"Just lucky."

"This guy! Why are you always so lucky?"

Nam Tae-hoon felt aggrieved, wondering what kind of backing Su-hyeon had to gain advantages even in such trivial matters.

When Su-hyeon came out to the beach wearing blue shorts and no top, the cadets' gazes all turned toward him.

"Woaah!"

"The protagonist has arrived."

"Is he entering some competition?"

"Doesn't his body look even better than when he was boxing?"

"Look at those lats. Insane."

"Handsome even from another man's perspective."

"I heard Instructor Jang Jin-won and Senior Park Gangjeong are drooling to get him ready for competitions."

"By the way, how can someone's name be Park Gangjeong?"

"I know, right."

Kwon Seung-yeon looked pleased watching the cadets' reactions.

"Hmm, as expected of Su-hyeon."

"Why are you looking pleased?"

"Well, you know~"

"You see him all the time, don't you?"

"Hehehe."

Though Hwang Ji-su and Kwon Seung-yeon always stuck together, the cadets' admiration continued for the two in swimsuits.

"Ji-su looks really cool."

"Seung-yeon is... well, she inspires awe..."

Female cadets' reactions were close to admiration.

"Ahem ahem."

"Cough cough cough."

Male cadets kept clearing their throats as if they'd caught an unseasonable early summer cold.

"Su-hyeon!"

When Lee Yu-jin and Kim A-yun came out shortly after, the male cadets' throat-clearing intensified.

"Cough cough cough cough!"

"Boys, you'll catch pneumonia."

"Instructor Lee!"

Instructor Lee Ho-seung wore large sunglasses, a Hawaiian shirt, and shorts, dragging his flip-flops along.

"Youth, youth indeed."

"Instructor Lee seems to be enjoying himself the most."

Instructor Kim Cheol-han, who said that, had a similar style, almost like a couple outfit with Instructor Lee Ho-seung.

"Is that shirt like a uniform for middle-aged men?"

Kwon Seung-yeon mumbled.

"Over there, I can hear everything."

"Oh, sorry."

After enjoying themselves in the seawater, the cadets each found a spot to rest.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Hmm, I'll go with Ji-su's recommendation on this."

"Then how about a Shirley Temple?"

"Oh, sounds good."

Hwang Ji-su ordered three different cocktails.

"Oh what's this? Who's the third one for?"

"Hmph. I owe him something, so I'm just showing a small token of gratitude."

Hwang Ji-su approached Su-hyeon, who was sitting next to Lee Yu-jin, talking, with a displeased expression.

"?"

Su-hyeon was surprised to see the cocktail suddenly appear before him and turned around.

"Have one."

"Me?"

"Yes."

Su-hyeon blinked with a slightly surprised face, then smiled brightly.

"Thanks. I'll enjoy it."

"Hmph, I'm just giving it to you because I owe you one way or another."

"Right, I'll keep that in mind."

"I'm going now."

Hong In-hyeon, who spotted Hwang Ji-su coolly turning away from a distance, stopped in his tracks.

'That guy.'

For some reason, he didn't feel good.

"Hmm."

Seo Jun-seong also had a darkly peculiar expression as he watched Su-hyeon and Yu-jin sitting side by side.

While such a youth drama was unfolding at the center of the beach.

"Um, I'd like to apply some oil."

"S-should we?"

In a secluded corner of the beach, two cadets were exchanging somewhat more gloomy glances.

"You there! No funny business!"

"Eek!"

But Kim Ho-su, a member of the angry solo squad, wasn't about to tolerate this.

"You two! Romance between cadets is forbidden by principle! Have you forgotten?"

"W-who says so?"

"Oh my! You ignorant and misguided person!"

Kim Ho-su pulled out a thick rulebook he was carrying and pointed to an underlined section.

"Excessive displays of affection between cadets, especially indecent behaviors that undermine dignity, are prohibited! It's clearly written! I could report your behavior to the instructor right now!"

"N-no way!"

"If you understand, move apart now!"

"Tsk!"

"...What is he doing?"

Nam Tae-hoon, who was watching Kim Ho-su, let out a hollow laugh.

"Don't know. Maybe he's gone mad from frustration?"

"No matter how lonely one is, one shouldn't end up like that."

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

Pang!

When Han Soyul drove a spike serve into the corner of the court using her superhuman jumping ability, Lee Yu-jin, waiting in the back, dove to the right and barely managed to receive the ball.

"It's up!"

"Set it, set it!"

Nam Tae-hoon, who ran toward the landing point while sinking into the sand, arched his back and set a high open toss.

"It's Jeong Su-hyeon!"

"Block!"

Tap, tadak.

Su-hyeon took a concise two-step approach, jumped high, and drove a powerful spike over the opponent's block.

Paang!

"Kuk!"

Seo Jun-seong barely stretched his arm, but the ball flew far away to an impossible spot.

"Nice!"

"Wow!"

As Su-hyeon high-fived his teammates, cadets from other groups watching expressed admiration.

"Wow, I thought the ball was going to burst."

"His spike is like a cannonball."

"His jump is no joke, and his form is perfect."

"Kim Ho-su is surprisingly good too."

"I know. He's left-handed, and with his speed, his success rate is high."

"Ji-su, Seung-yeon, and Yu-jin are all good too."

"Is there anything these guys can't do?"

Go Do-il and Kang Geon-woo were also showing decent play as centers, raising the quality of the game.

"Kyak!"

"Ouch."

But whenever the ball went to Kim A-yun or Choi Mina, the genre switched to comedy, bringing laughter to the cadets.

"A-yun and Mina are the odd ones out."

"Cute."

But since Su-hyeon was covering for Kim A-yun with his characteristically wide reach whenever serves went to her, Group 1 was slightly ahead in the game.

And so, with a set score of 2-1, Group 1 was now at 24-21, one point away from the final score.

"Match point!"

"Just one more point!"

"Group 1 fighting!"

"Ji-su, we're counting on you!"

"If you can just get a good serve to A-yun's side, we have a chance!"

Peeeeee!

With Jeremy McGore's whistle, who had volunteered as referee, Hwang Ji-su hit a non-rotating serve reminiscent of a knuckleball toward Kim A-yun.

Pang!

"Good serve!"

"Eek."

Kim A-yun gulped and lowered her stance at the ball that was wobbling in an ominous trajectory.

"My ball!"

Su-hyeon, who had anticipated the course, scooped up the serve a step ahead and immediately ran toward the front.

"Nam Tae-hoon!"

"Okay!"

The toss leaving Nam Tae-hoon's fingertips was set low and fast toward the center of the court.

"Damn it!"

While one blocker was baited by Go Do-il's quick attack attempt.

Paaaang!

Su-hyeon drove a picture-perfect center time-differential back attack into the opponent's court, ending the game.

Peeeeee!

"Game over!"

"Yaaay!"

Group 1 members who had won, along with Hong In-hyeon who had joined as a rotation member, put their arms around each other's shoulders and jumped up and down.

"Well done, Su-hyeon!"

"Su-hyeon did everything today."

"In-hyeon, you worked hard too!"

"Hmph, this level is just ordinary for me."

"Hehehe. Then the losers must perform the penalty, right?"

"Tch."

Kwon Seung-yeon and Nam Tae-hoon pointed to the barbecue area and said.

"We're counting on you for the meat."

"Yes, grill it diligently without burning it."

"Damn it."

As the evening sun began to set, the cadets enjoyed a barbecue party against the backdrop of the sea and beach turning red.

"Wow, what's with these juices? Who grilled this?"

Kwon Seung-yeon snatched up a piece of meat that Group 2 had grilled and served, and burst into admiration.

"Ji-su grilled it, they say."

"Wow, as expected. I guess you know how to grill meat from eating delicious steaks all the time."

"Hey, I heard the meat is the most delicious here? Let me have a bite too."

"Instructor Lee Ho-seung!"

"Oh really!"

"Kahahaha!"

Even Lee Ho-seung, who had been close to an object of fear and avoidance for the cadets, was today mingling with them freely like Oh Chang-seong.

"You're pretty good at volleyball, aren't you?"

"Thank you."

Instructor Lee Ho-seung tapped Su-hyeon's shoulder as he was quietly focusing on protein intake.

"Loosen up a bit. You're good in every way, but you're always too serious."

"......"

Of course, the biggest reason was the tension about the big event that would come in a few hours.

But there was actually one more reason.

"Instructor Lee."

"What?"

"About tonight."

"Oh, the courage test? That's just kid-level play. It's an event we included just to do something."

"Is it possible for me to skip that?"

"...Huh?"

Jeong Su-hyeon.

A 17-year-old boy who fears ghosts, though he fears neither Ma-in nor demonic beasts.

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

[Has Group 3 all departed?]

"Yes!"

[Good. Group 1 will move in 3 minutes.]

At Kim Cheol-han's words, Su-hyeon's complexion turned sickly green.

"Aaaah!"

"Kyaaaah!"

The screams of cadets who were startlingly frightened by whatever they saw came from beyond the pitch-black darkness.

"Ugh, scary."

"I-I really hate ghosts."

"Come on, they're all probably just assistant instructors, right?"

"Tae-hoon, you're not afraid of ghosts?"

"Of course not! People are scarier than ghosts."

Unlike the cadets who showed a mixture of excitement and concern like going to a haunted house.

'I'd rather fight Ma-in quickly at this point.'

Su-hyeon truly had a face like he'd eaten something terrible.

'It's fortunate that I at least got Clear as a Mirror.'

At this moment.

To him, its effect of somewhat diluting his fear of ghosts was several times more welcome than blocking Hwang Won-jae's ability.

'Damn it. When the hell are those guys going to start?'

Just as he was inwardly praying for the Ma-in to begin their operation quickly.

Peoong!

Along with the sound of something exploding.

A bright flash rose from the middle of the mountain.

[A main quest has appeared!]

[Main Quest: MK-1's Invasion]

[MK-1 is a guerrilla group composed of young and belligerent Ma-in.]

[Save as many comrades as possible from their attack!]

"What? What's happening?"

"Is this part of the event too?"

"Isn't it too random for that?"

'Has it begun.'

Among the confused cadets, Su-hyeon looked at the darkness of the mountain with calm eyes as if he had never been otherwise.

The long night was just about to begin.

But.

For whom it would be a night of nightmares remained to be seen.