I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 238 : Caligo (3)

After returning to his dormitory, Jo Jin-myeong took out a small briefcase that had been sleeping safely in his drawer, worried about making even the slightest sound.

"Whew."

Whether from sighing or tension, his fingertips trembled slightly.

Inside the case was a small radio device reminiscent of the 999k, once a military radio used by the Korean army.

It was an item with the strongest security capabilities at the present time, provided by the Sword of Belphegor.

'No one but me can open it.'

It contained a device that would automatically damage itself if someone tried to open it by force without entering the password.

'Even if I suddenly die, it means no one will know that I was a spy.'

Jo Jin-myeong, muttering to himself as if giving himself a suggestion, took out paper and began writing a sentence for his report, converting it into an encrypted message.

'There's no time.'

To avoid suspicion, he had to complete the task within 5 minutes at the latest.

'Damn it, this nerve-wracking tightrope walk will soon end.'

When Nastrond opens and the civilization built by humanity is destroyed.

Hwang Won-jae will finally take me in, make me a Ma-in, and give me credit for my work.......

Just as Jo Jin-myeong, who couldn't endure without believing this, finished writing the encrypted message and was about to operate the machine.

Thud!

An invisible hand grabbed Jo Jin-myeong.

'!?'

Startled, he reflexively tried to move his body.

Kugugugugu.

Before the invisible force squeezing him from all directions, he could only move his limbs slowly like a sloth.

'This power is perhaps!'

As the image of Seo Jun-seong flashed through his mind, along with a simultaneous denial that it couldn't be possible.

Crack!

The invasion of cold that started from the ends of his limbs began to erode his heart and brain.

"This is!"

Jo Jin-myeong, recognizing it as Hwang Ji-su's ability, tried to turn around in shock.

But even turning around was not allowed for him now.

"That's far enough, Assistant Jo Jin-myeong."

Seo Jun-seong's cold voice came from behind him.

"......No, I should call you Mr. Jo Jin-myeong."

'Damn it!'

In that moment, he instinctively realized that everything had gone wrong.

"You are completely surrounded. Meaningless resistance is......"

Seo Jun-seong's words continued after a deliberately slow pause.

"Welcome."

"!?"

Cold anger mixed into Seo Jun-seong's icy voice.

"Because additional charges will be added."

"Ha."

The harmless, good-natured smile was gone, replaced by a sneer mixed with resignation and anger on Jo Jin-myeong's face.

"Amazing. You really did figure it out."

"Not going to make excuses? That makes things easier."

Jo Jin-myeong smirked at Hwang Ji-su's words.

"Do you find your own situation amusing?"

At Seo Jun-seong's question, Jo Jin-myeong sighed.

"Of course it's funny. Being in this situation with you cadets, not instructors or Execution Force members, it's only natural."

No answer came.

He continued speaking.

"How long have you known?"

"You want to extract information even in this situation? You're truly a born spy."

When Su-hyeon's mockery was heard.

'Jeong Su-hyeon! So it was you!'

Only then did Jo Jin-myeong's face fill with anger as he realized the true mastermind.

"Yes. Jeong Su-hyeon, you make sense. You've been an irritating bastard for a very long time."

"Hmm. I didn't expect to sympathize with your words."

"You bastard."

Jo Jin-myeong gritted his teeth.

"Aren't you underestimating me too much? Just a bunch of seventeen-year-old brats."

"You want respect based on age? More of an old fart than I thought."

"Hahaha."

Jo Jin-myeong laughed.

'They're off guard. I might be able to escape now.'

To him with his extremely narrowed vision, that slim possibility felt like the light of a massive sun.

"Hup!"

Flash!

Jo Jin-myeong used his characteristic, 'Flash,' to create a massive flash of light.

"Ugh!"

While it didn't have the physical destructive power like Koo Hyeong-min's Light Bullet.

It was quite useful for surprise attacks, or to make enemies close their eyes and lead the fight advantageously.

"Ugh!"

"Damn it!"

As he heard Seo Jun-seong and Hwang Ji-su's voices in confusion, he drew up the mana in his body.

Crack!

Jo Jin-myeong, who broke the ice and shook off the telekinetic force that had grabbed him, ran toward the window.

Crash!

Jo Jin-myeong, who broke the window and fell from the fifth floor, laughed.

"That's another charge added."

But Su-hyeon was already waiting for him below.

"Shit!"

'You idiot. Did you think I wouldn't know?'

Su-hyeon knew very well that all of this was a build-up for a last desperate struggle.

Thanks to that, at the moment the light burst, he closed his eyes, then used Chukji to predict where he would try to escape to and moved there in advance.

"Damn it!"

Flash!

The flash burst once more, but Su-hyeon covered his eyes with his left hand to endure the light with double protection.

"Are you advertising your presence here?"

"You fucking bastard! Shut up!"

Su-hyeon, who caught the falling energy-filled fist with his eyes closed, struck Jo Jin-myeong with a left jab wrapped in a hardening shield.

Beouk!

Kruk!

Jo Jin-myeong, whose forehead was cracked with a single punch, stumbled backward.

And then.

Babagak!

Su-hyeon's left low kick fractured Jo Jin-myeong's femur in one blow.

Kraaaaak!

Jo Jin-myeong sat down on the ground, unable to bear the pain.

Kwajik!

In the meantime, Seo Jun-seong, who had confirmed Jo Jin-myeong's position through his spiritual sense, pinned him down with telekinesis.

Crack.

Finally, Hwang Ji-su's ability made Jo Jin-myeong freeze solid, ending the situation.

"Thank you for voluntarily bringing us the evidence and testimony."

Su-hyeon looked down at him and mocked.

"It's a bit absurd. Were we being played by such an idiot?"

Hwang Ji-su muttered with a sense of self-loathing.

"No. His anxiety consumed him."

"You mean he was afraid of being caught at any time?"

"He probably knew best that he had no way to excuse himself or means to be safe. Yet he couldn't betray the Sword of Belphegor either."

"You mean he was prepared for the end the moment he was caught. Who on earth planted this guy?"

Su-hyeon gave a bitter smile at Hwang Ji-su's question.

'It's your uncle.'

She was still unaware, a subject of a harsh fate.

How shocked would she be when she learned the truth?

Su-hyeon couldn't hide his bitter feelings when he thought of that predetermined future.

"Alright. Let's begin."

Su-hyeon, after handing over Jo Jin-myeong's identity to the instructors, sat in front of the radio device, crossed out the sentences written on the paper, and wrote new ones.

[The Execution Force is planning to sweep up the recently increased illegal entries from outside in one fell swoop.]

[After identifying all illegal entry routes in the East Sea, West Sea, and South Sea, they plan to raid and clear them at once.]

[The Execution Force has noticed that the illegal-entry Ma-in and underworld organizations are connected to the Sword of Belphegor. After tracking the trail through interrogation, they plan to launch a major clean-up operation with mobilized forces.]

Hwang Ji-su, who was watching the sentences beside him, twisted her hair.

"...Uh, that would have been pretty interesting if it had actually happened."

"Pretty convincing, right?"

Su-hyeon smiled with a "huh."

"They must know that we're preparing something, that something is suspicious. If we report that nothing is wrong, they'll just become more suspicious."

And if they report that there's no confirmed information?

They might think it's strange or ominous that information is being controlled to this extent, and the enemy might hide even deeper.

"To hunt a beast hidden in the jungle, rather than searching every corner and making it hide more, it's best to make it come out on its own by letting it lower its guard."

After transmitting the encrypted message and closing the briefcase without regret, Su-hyeon spoke to Instructor Kim Cheol-han who was watching.

"Success."

"Good work."

Kim Cheol-han gave him a thumbs up.

"With this, even the last variable has been eliminated."

Only one thing remained.

"Prepare to move out from the current time."

"Understood!"

"...It will be a big, very harsh battle."

Kim Cheol-han spoke in an unusually serious and solemn voice.

"I have only one thing to say. Gentlemen, I wish you all the best."

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

"Hmm."

Hwang Won-jae was deep in thought after receiving the information from Jo Jin-myeong.

'Why do I still feel uneasy? Am I missing something?'

"Why are you acting unlike yourself, Hwang Won-jae?"

'Battle Maniac' Jang Su-il said.

"You're just being oversensitive. Let's proceed as planned."

"...You're right. Maybe I'm being too cautious."

"Don't be so nervous. It diminishes your dignity."

'Asura' Seong Ji-cheol chimed in.

"What will happen will happen. We've prepared this much, so just trust and proceed with the work."

"...Fine."

Hwang Won-jae shook off his remaining concerns and regained his usual composure.

"...After the Spear Devil Lim Se-jin was defeated, and as the fight between the two major forces intensified, a sense of crisis has emerged among the Ma-in."

-While they act in unison, aren't we playing too separately?

-With dispersed forces, we'll just be defeated one by one.

-Until now it might have been okay, but now it's time to unite around a single focal point.

The remaining question was who would be that focal point.

And there was no organization more suitable for that position than the Sword of Belphegor.

They were the only ones who actively took the offensive against the Execution Force and achieved several good results.

Legendary Ma-in like Asura, Vampire Queen, and Battle Maniac were also members.

Due to the skills of Hwang Won-jae, who handled the brains, the organization's system and efficiency were different.

Therefore, Hwang Won-jae tried to utilize their sense of crisis, gathering executives from major organizations to demonstrate their power and arrange a place to join forces.

'Running around like rats lacks dignity.'

Once a place and meeting had been determined.

If they didn't boldly carry out that schedule, it would look like a mess from the start.

"Let's decide now."

Hwang Won-jae nodded at Vampire Queen Song Yeonhui's words.

"Two days later, at 19:30. We will hold the meeting on the outskirts of Buyeo City. We will go there with full preparations."

"Good."

Jang Su-il clenched his fist and smiled.

"The strongest Ma-in alliance in history will be formed."

"Everything is for 'Him.'"

Hwang Won-jae closed his eyes and spoke with reverence.

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

Hwang Won-jae's decision was propagated to Ma-in groups through Caligo.

"Good."

The Chief of Staff, who received the information while sitting, smiled.

Ulleungdo and Buyeo.

The Sword of Belphegor side had been coordinating between these two candidates.

At this moment, Buyeo was finally decided as the gathering place.

"What are you doing! Bring the map!"

"Yes, sir!"

The Chief of Staff and his staff members discussed how to deploy their forces while making a list of the enemy's expected forces and roster.

"How about assigning Captain Ma Seunggeon to wait and track from the rear?"

"No, I think Captain Lee Cheong-myeong should instead......"

Routes of advance and ambush positions for creating a perfect encirclement were created and erased on the map as they were coordinated.

"Hey, you bastards!"

Kwang!

Jo Sujin, excited to the fullest, snorted and slammed the table.

"Do you see this operation map?"

"Yes!"

The teams to be deployed in this operation, code-named 'Caligo,' were largely divided into three.

[Sword of Belphegor Encirclement and Annihilation Team]

[Major Facilities Guard, Public Security Maintenance Team]

[Illegal Entry Route Raid Team (flanking to sweep up nearby criminal organizations and Ma-in organizations)]

"Of course, we're going to the Sword of Belphegor bastards encirclement annihilation team!"

"Oh!"

"And you guys, this time, this time this time this time!"

Jo Sujin snorted and got excited.

"Captain Gong I-an is taking the lead as the overall commander!"

"Whoa!"

"Let's completely crush those Ma-in bastards!"

The members excitedly shouted.

"Of course!"

Jo Sujin raised her fist.

"Shout, you bastards!"

"Woohoo!"

"Louder!"

"Kieeeeek!"

All of them were more or less people who had seen Captain Gong I-an.

Being deployed in this major operation to sweep up the hateful Sword of Belphegor with him was truly the greatest joy.

"This is all thanks to you, Su-hyeon, you pretty boy!"

Jo Sujin, who put her arm around Su-hyeon's shoulder in commendation, raised her middle finger toward the sky.

"You bastards, you've been planting spies and sucking information sweetly all this time, haven't you?"

"Fucking bastards!"

"Now it's time to make you pay for it with interest, you fuckers."

"Fuckers!"

"......"

Su-hyeon quietly thought as he watched his seniors getting pumped up like ancient berserkers.

Fuckers, huh.

Isn't that too old-fashioned an insult?