I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 123 : Hostage Rescue (3)

Around the time Su-hyeon's team found itself in a difficult situation due to Jeremy McGarr's defection.

The other teams were also dealing with their own crises in similar situations through their respective responses.

"Damn! What an annoying trick!"

Seo Jun-seong barely held Kwak Mu-jin in place with his telekinesis.

'If it's this hard just to restrain him...'

Though his precision had improved significantly since the beginning of the semester and his output had increased, it was still not easy to interfere with Kwak Mu-jin's movements.

Yet even in such circumstances, he had enough capacity to fire asphalt chunks like artillery shells at Kwak Dong-ho, who had fallen victim to Han Pyeong-gang's disruption.

Boom! Crash!

Kwak Dong-ho's bones twisted as he was crushed and hit by the asphalt, but his body, having awakened "Healing Factor," was quickly returning to normal as if it had never been injured.

'Meeting him as an enemy makes his ability much trickier.'

Beads of sweat formed on Seo Jun-seong's forehead as he poured nearly 80% of his telekinesis just into temporarily binding Kwak Mu-jin's movements.

"Kwon Seung-yeon! Not yet?"

[No! It's all done!]

While Seo Jun-seong effectively restrained two Ma-in.

Kwon Seung-yeon, who had been engaging in an out-fighting strategy against 'Maniac' Choi Min-jun looking for an opening, suddenly leaped and cleanly landed an aerial kick with maximum weight on the Ma-in's chin.

Crack!

"Gurk!"

A single strike.

The Ma-in's eyes rolled back at the perfectly timed and executed kick.

Thud!

"Nice!"

Kwon Seung-yeon clenched her fist and cheered at what she recognized as a perfect kick.

[Now we're good, right? I'll leave Dong-ho to you!]

"Yeah, thanks! I'll leave the leader to you!"

[Got it.]

Kwon Seung-yeon cracked her fingers and ran toward the unrestrained Kwak Dong-ho.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Having reduced her weight, Kwon Seung-yeon parkoured between buildings, taking the shortest route, and met eyes with Kwak Dong-ho, who was glaring at her with bloodshot eyes.

"Sorry, Dong-ho, but I can't hold back."

[Don't let your guard down. He seems much stronger than usual.]

"Hmph, I can see that much."

Kwon Seung-yeon said.

"Still, I've already thought of some counter-tactics."

This was natural preparation as both a comrade and a competitor.

Meanwhile, Hwang Ji-su's Team 3 appeared to be controlling the situation very smoothly until they managed to extract the hostage, thanks to Nam Tae-hoon's performance.

"Damn, this has gotten messy!"

The problem was that, of all people, Nam Tae-hoon had fallen victim to the disruption.

"Argh!"

Seong Do-kyeong screamed as he was stabbed by Nam Tae-hoon, who had sprung out from behind.

"His knife work is brutally vicious!"

He urgently inflated his body fat to avoid a fatal wound.

"Get back!"

An ice wall created by Hwang Ji-su encased Seong Do-kyeong, while Nam Tae-hoon disappeared without hesitation into the shadows of another building.

'I thought things were going too well!'

The strange nameless cloth that the Ma-in wielded, erasing everything it touched like an eraser, was already giving her enough of a headache.

And of all people, Nam Tae-hoon, the most important combat force besides herself, suddenly turned against them, putting Hwang Ji-su in the worst possible situation.

'Without Nam Tae-hoon, this becomes too difficult.'

The troubled Hwang Ji-su looked toward where Han Pyeong-gang was hiding.

'If that person uses their ability just one more time, we'll have no way to counter it. So why is she just standing there?'

One possibility occurred to her.

'This kind of tricky ability usually has limitations. What if that ability can only be applied to one person at a time?'

If so, the situation changes a bit.

'First, I'll subdue Nam Tae-hoon with my ability, then take down that Ma-in, which might break the disruption.'

Having made her decision, Hwang Ji-su created an ice wall beneath her feet to climb to a higher position, drawing everyone's attention.

"Stab me if you can, Nam Tae-hoon!"

"...I'll kill you."

Nam Tae-hoon, whose reason had been clouded and aggression increased by the disruption, instinctively moved into Hwang Ji-su's shadow.

'He came!'

Feeling the cold chill from behind her, Hwang Ji-su immediately spread cold air around herself.

"Haaah!"

Crackle!

Several meters around her froze instantly.

Stop!

Just before the dagger touched Hwang Ji-su's nape, Nam Tae-hoon, completely frozen, stopped moving.

"Ji-su!"

"...Phew."

Even the usually composed Hwang Ji-su had to clutch her chest, feeling a chill down her spine at this scene.

'That was close.'

It was a surprise attack that wasn't easy to counter, but the training she had sharpened since her near-defeat by Chu Jinhong, honing her sense for danger, shone in this moment.

'I can't lose to that Jeong Su-hyeon.'

"Take a rest, idiot."

Hwang Ji-su sighed lightly at the ice-statue Nam Tae-hoon and suddenly unleashed a barrage of ice picks and ice lances at the panicking Han Pyeong-gang in the rear.

"Let's capture that one first!"

"Okay!"

Lee Yu-jin's team also showed a very smooth progression until the hostage rescue stage, just like the other teams.

The series of processes—isolating the hostage with asphalt using deputy leader Oh Min-seon's ability and then changing the terrain to evacuate—was particularly seamless.

Immediately after that, they faced a crisis when Hwang Gyeong-su, who had the "Magnet" ability, fell victim to the Ma-in's disruption and tried to snatch Lee Yu-jin's sword, but here, Lee Yu-jin's quick improvisation shone.

Instead of resisting Hwang Gyeong-su's ability as he tried to take her sword, she allowed herself to be pulled along and surrendered her sword.

At the same time, she executed a picture-perfect martial arts technique, slamming Hwang Gyeong-su to the ground and creating a temporary stunned state.

Afterward, Oh Min-seon easily subdued him by manipulating asphalt to bind Hwang Gyeong-su in an exquisite manner that left him completely unable to use his strength.

'Everything went well up to that point.'

The problem was that her compatibility with the enemy leader Kwak Mu-jin was the worst among the six team leaders.

'My sword energy dissipates every time it touches it.'

After touching the nameless cloth, in just about 0.3 seconds.

It was impossible even for her sword energy to last longer than that.

Since her internal mana was drained each time her sword energy dissipated, she was overwhelmingly at a disadvantage with every exchange.

Without any ranged attack means yet, she couldn't fight like Seo Jun-seong or Hwang Ji-su, checking the enemy from a safe distance without giving up the gap.

"Min-seon!"

[Leave it to me!]

So while they were buying time with Oh Min-seon's volume offensive.

'I have to do it.'

In the end, Lee Yu-jin knew well that her role was crucial to winning this fight.

'The compatibility is unfavorable.'

Her greatest advantage—being able to damage opponents just by having her attacks connect—was ironically turned against her in this inverse compatibility match.

It was bound to be a difficult fight, unable to utilize her specialty.

However.

'Am I such a weak swordsman that I can't fight properly without my ability?'

Lee Yu-jin gritted her teeth with an indignant face.

This was something that the pride of swordsman Lee Yu-jin, who had grown up swinging a sword until her hands were covered in calluses and she'd felt nauseated countless times, even before coming of age, would not allow.

'No. I'm not the kind of swordsman who relies only on my ability.'

Rather, what she admired were her uncle and grandfather, who had overwhelmed numerous powerful enemies with sword energy alone.

And...

Su-hyeon, who had gained remarkable strength through endless training and effort, not relying on his ability.

'I need to take another step forward.'

Firm resolve rose in the swordsman's eyes.

Tap.

Lee Yu-jin took a powerful step toward the Ma-in.

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Jeremy McGarr's flame spear is quite an annoying ability.

'Just having it wreathed in flames changes the effective range.'

Moreover, if one engaged with him as if facing a normal weapon, there was a character who could be instantly engulfed in flames or suffer damage over time as the fire spread.

'His spear technique is also top-notch.'

Furthermore, now under Han Pyeong-gang's control, he was in a temporary berserker state, drawing out his full potential to exhibit faster and stronger power temporarily.

Swish!

A triple thrust from the flame-wrapped spear came flying.

'The flickering flames also create a slight visual disorientation effect.'

But this wasn't a major problem for me with Eye Power activated.

Clang clang clang!

I deflected the thrusts with minimal movement and stepped back.

'His technical precision has decreased, but his determination not to give up close range is evident. The problem is that his strength and reaction speed have greatly increased.'

A middle state—without the precision of the Execution Force or hunters, but not solely reliant on instinct like demonic beasts.

The typical appearance of a Ma-in.

'Just the improved specs have eliminated so many openings. Indeed, Jeremy McGarr is a character with potential.'

If he were to awaken Aura Spear someday, he would become a formidable opponent several times harder to deal with than now.

'But not yet.'

Clang!

I deflected the subsequent thrust at an angle with my hwando wrapped in sword energy, letting the spear slide away, then.

I grabbed the burning spear shaft with my left hand, which was covered with a Mana Shield.

"!?"

The hot heat was transmitted to some extent, but at a level I could endure for a moment.

From that position, pulling Jeremy McGarr with just one hand, he was dragged toward me, unable to resist my strength.

"Eek!"

His attempt to let go of the spear and switch to fistfighting was quite agile.

'If his opponent wasn't me, that is.'

A poor move that the normal Jeremy McGarr wouldn't have made determined the outcome of this fight.

Whoosh!

It was a fairly fast and sharp punch, but I wasn't going to be hit by an attack thrown without any setup.

Whack!

I easily sidestepped, letting the punch slide by, then precisely struck Jeremy McGarr's chin with the handle of my hwando.

"Gurk."

"Take a rest for a while."

I caught the collapsing Jeremy McGarr with one hand and laid him on the ground.

'I've overcome one hurdle for now.'

But now the real challenge awaited.

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

Zzzzzzzzzap!

"Ugh!"

Kim A-yun exhaled roughly as Kwak Mu-jin leisurely absorbed all the lightning attacks she fired while slowly closing the distance.

'At this rate, my mana will...'

"What's wrong, have you run out of strength?"

Kwak Mu-jin smiled sinisterly.

"Then die now."

Gone was his previous leisure as Kwak Mu-jin suddenly rushed forward.

"Hup!"

Kim A-yun squeezed out her remaining strength to unleash lightning attacks from four directions—north, south, east, and west—to simultaneously envelop Kwak Mu-jin.

But.

"It won't work, it just won't work!"

Kwak Mu-jin, who had covered himself in the nameless cloth shaped into a circle, took no damage at all.

'It's no use...!'

Just as Kim A-yun squeezed her eyes shut.

Whack!

Su-hyeon, who had deflected the nameless cloth with his sword, immediately evacuated from the spot with Kim A-yun in one arm.

"That bastard!"

The Ma-in burst out in irritation.

"Su-hyeon!"

"You worked hard."

Su-hyeon said as he put Kim A-yun down.

"I'm sorry, but could you help Yoon Garam? He must be at his limit too."

"I will."

"I'll handle this Ma-in."

"Kid! What did you just do?!"

Kwak Mu-jin bared his teeth, having seen his nameless cloth deflected by Su-hyeon's sword.

"You know how to use sword energy?"

Sword energy, a highly compressed, precise concentration of mana, possessed resistance that could momentarily counter Kwak Mu-jin's nameless cloth, which instantly absorbed anything it touched.

'Even so, it's just a fleeting moment that doesn't even last a second.'

However, in this place, only Su-hyeon could exchange such blows with Kwak Mu-jin.

'But if I make the slightest mistake, I'll be the one who gets taken down.'

Su-hyeon's palm holding the hwando became slippery with cold sweat.

'It's been a while since I felt such tension.'

The pressure of knowing that a momentary mistake or hesitation could erase his very existence.

In front of Kwak Mu-jin, who emitted such pressure, Su-hyeon didn't think of this as virtual.

What existed was just raw, unfiltered danger.

'I can't resist.'

Yet Su-hyeon smiled.

'I'll face him with maximum power.'

This was a choice he had rarely made throughout all the iterations when he didn't possess his current strength.

'It's much easier to fight together combining our strength, and this trial was originally designed for that.'

Therefore, what Su-hyeon was about to do was extremely reckless and uncharacteristic of him.

'If I lose here, it's our team's defeat. Then it would be a victory for Seo Jun-seong, Lee Yu-jin, and Hwang Ji-su.'

But.

Wasn't a different challenge, a different hardship, exactly what he had been thirsting for?

The odds were sufficient.

Su-hyeon sent a message to Go Do-il, Yoon Garam, and Kim A-yun through the communication system.

"I'm sorry, but I'll leave the remaining Ma-in to you. Subdue them as quickly as possible and join me."

That was all the instruction he could give.

"Arrogant bastard! You think you can face me alone?"

The Ma-in laughed.

"Is that such a difficult task?"

Su-hyeon also took a step forward.

'Eye Power, Tachypsychia Mode.'

Keeeeeeeeeng!

And then.

'Liberation.'

Thump!

Having activated all the power-ups he could currently use at once, Su-hyeon shouted.

"Let's give it a try."