I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 290 : After the End (4)

"Jeong Su-hyeon!"

"Su-hyeon!"

"You bastard!"

"Hey!"

"Hiiiiing!"

The first to run toward Su-hyeon as he landed were the former cadets who had become new Captains, Deputy Captains, and Squad Leaders.

Among them, the fastest was.

Pitter-patter!

Finding strength from somewhere, Lee Yu-jin ran with light, swift footwork as if flying.

Wham!

Lee Yu-jin, who threw herself directly at him, interlocked her fingers around Su-hyeon's waist tightly as if she would never let go.

Hwang Ji-su, who had flown in on an ice bear, took his back.

"...Eih!"

Kwon Seung-yeon and Kim A-yun tactfully embraced them from the left and right.

Shortly after, Seo Jun-seong, Hong In-hyeon, Choi Min-a, and the rest of the cadets surrounded the five people like penguins.

"Kak kak!"

Kim A-yun, who was suffocating, coughed.

"...!"

"......"

Everyone was too overwhelmed with emotion to easily speak.

"...First."

Lee Yu-jin, who was the first to regulate her breathing, said.

"I'm glad you're back."

"Though you're way too late."

Hwang Ji-su added.

"We believed in Su-hyeon."

At Kim A-yun's words, Su-hyeon, whose face was the only part visible among his friends, closed his eyes.

"...I'm sorry, everyone."

But.

"Now this will never happen again."

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Su-hyeon, who arrived at the moment when everyone was thinking about death.

He annihilated the demons with overwhelming power.

When the Great Overlord of the demons, whom they could never defeat with their own power, became a lump of meat before Su-hyeon's sword.

People came to feel emotions closer to faith beyond hope and joy.

"Do you see their expressions?"

Commander 'Divine Spear' Gong I-an, who was watching the cleanup in progress from the rooftop of a tall building that overlooked the entire fortress, said.

"I don't know how long it's been since I've seen such bright faces on the members. It's all thanks to Su-hyeon."

"It seems like today we can release the alcohol and meat we've been saving."

At Chief of Staff Heo Sung-gyeom's words, Gong I-an burst into laughter.

"Of course. I myself am desperate for a drink right now."

"Chief of Staff Heo, don't we have a few oak barrels that haven't been destroyed?"

Captain Seol Ji-yun licked her lips.

"Indeed we do. Honestly, I thought we'd never open those barrels again, but it's a blessing."

"...May we drink too?"

The Captains burst into laughter at Su-hyeon's casual question.

"To worry about such things at a time like this!"

"Being away for a year, I might be a bit out of touch with how things are going."

The gathering of figures who were all influential, whether by age or experience, had an inevitable pressure despite the warm atmosphere.

The young Captains were stubbornly staying put to be with Su-hyeon, despite the uncomfortable atmosphere.

'I want to talk to him.'

'If I speak up now, will I seem tactless?'

Glance, glance.

Lee Yu-jin, Hwang Ji-su, and Seo Jun-seong exchanged glances, waiting for the right moment.

Questions they wanted to ask and things they wanted to say had piled up like mountains.

"What are you thinking?"

Su-hyeon, who was taking in the sight of the half-destroyed outer walls, the bodies yet to be collected, and the painstakingly constructed facilities reduced to ruins, answered with a heavy face.

"It's tragic."

"Is that so?"

"But it's truly a blessing that a fortress of this scale with this much military power remains."

"It would have been impossible without Su-hyeon's foresight."

Chief of Staff Heo Sung-gyeom said.

"This place was humanity's last bastion, and today you miraculously saved everyone."

"I'm glad."

Su-hyeon, confirming that their efforts had not been in vain, turned to him and asked.

"Chief of Staff Heo."

"Speak."

"Was Commander Ju Taeyang's sacrifice worthwhile?"

"Without the victory created by his and your hands, I can guarantee that half of us wouldn't be here."

Though Heo Sung-gyeom's face had aged ten years compared to a year ago.

His eyes, which had encountered new hope, sparkled like stars.

"I see."

"And all of us feel the reward of having endured a year in despair."

"......"

While receiving everyone's gazes, Su-hyeon had become strong enough not to be weighed down by burden or responsibility.

"I think so too."

"Shall we now share the stories that have accumulated?"

Commander Gong I-an looked around at everyone and said.

"Let's move to another place. The preparations for the banquet should be ready by now."

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"Do you know what we were most grateful for among Su-hyeon's preparations?"

Heo Sung-gyeom, flushed with alcohol, burst into a playful laugh.

"It was the abundant food preparation that allowed for self-sufficiency for ten or twenty years!"

"Indeed."

The food supply officers and cooks were busy running around, generously releasing the saved food to feed people abundantly for once.

And Su-hyeon was enjoying the meal among them, moderately hiding his presence.

However.

There was a face that surprised even Su-hyeon.

"...Nam Tae-hoon?"

"Yo, our savior. Long time no see?"

Nam Tae-hoon, who had approached swaggering, doubled over from Su-hyeon's body blow to his waist.

"Kak!"

"Don't exaggerate."

"Hehehe. It was a punch I couldn't even sense coming. No wonder those demon bastards were cut down without a chance."

Nam Tae-hoon, grinning, bumped fists with Su-hyeon.

"So you were alive."

"Did you think I would die?"

"No."

"It's not just me. Park Min-cheol hyung and Old Man Jang are here too."

"...That's good."

"They're working with me now."

"Life's connections are mysterious."

"You know what? I was the one who found the catacomb."

"...!"

"I was planning to surprise you, but you disappeared completely. I was surprised too."

Nam Tae-hoon grinned slyly, saying he somehow felt you would still be alive.

"Liar. You drank and cried saying you felt so sorry and grateful to Su-hyeon."

"Ahem."

Unable to refute Choi Min-a's words, Nam Tae-hoon cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"Without Chairman Hwang and Old Man Jang, the chaos would have been greater. If they hadn't used their rich experience and excellent skills to lead to agreements with political and business figures."

"...It's essentially a temporary government space. There must have been tremendous ups and downs."

Su-hyeon nodded knowingly.

'Internal strife and rebellion, power defections and conspiracies. With this many people and facilities, it was unavoidable.'

"So, could you tell me what happened during this time?"

"It's going to be a heavy story."

Seo Jun-seong warned in advance to Su-hyeon's question.

"In these times, it's hard to talk about anything that isn't heavy."

"Yeah. That's true."

Seo Jun-seong began his story.

"You said you've already heard the rough story?"

"That's right. I came by way of a shelter."

Seo Jun-seong, who had heard that Su-hyeon heard a brief account in the process of bringing the father and daughter, Kim Sang-jin and Kim So-eun, nodded.

"Commander Gong I-an and all the Execution Force members tried to save as many people as possible."

"But I heard they fought a battle and suffered great losses?"

"That's right. Because it was confirmed through you that nuclear force could kill a Great Overlord-level being."

"......"

The U.S. sent personnel, and combined with existing technology, they prepared nuclear bombs. They thought there was a possibility if they deployed a defense line and used tactical nukes for pinpoint strikes.

"But the second Great Overlord didn't repeat the same mistake. Neither our nuclear weapons nor our forces worked. In the end, we had to retreat to the fortress, bleeding heavily."

In the process, there were those who refused to return to the fortress to protect citizens or key facilities.

And the outcome for all of them was death.

"So many people died. ...Let me put it this way for easier understanding. A total of 7 units lost their Captains: the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 12th, and 14th Units, up to the 15th."

Hwang Ji-su supplemented the explanation.

"Among them, the 15th Unit, specialized in naval warfare, and the 16th Unit, specialized in mobile warfare, lost nearly 80% of their personnel including their Captains. Virtual annihilation."

"In other words, only 7 units didn't lose their Captains: the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, and 13th Units. Exactly half the units lost their heads."

"...I see."

Su-hyeon nodded.

"And you guys filled those vacancies?"

"It wasn't that long ago. There's a time difference, but about two or three months?"

Lee Yu-jin answered.

"The first to rise to Captain positions were Hae-na-sunbae and Jun-seong. They took over as Captains of the 4th and 2nd Units respectively."

"Then came Lee Yu-jin and me. I was assisting Captain Seol Ji-yun in the 3rd Unit before moving to become the 6th Unit Captain, and Lee Yu-jin served as the 4th Unit Deputy Captain before moving to become the 11th Unit Captain."

"......"

Lee Cheong-myeong, 'Sword Warrior,' who had fallen to Hwang Won-jae's plot, become a Ma-in, and ultimately met his death at Su-hyeon's hands.

His niece, Lee Yu-jin, had risen to take his place as Captain.

"Those are the four who rose to Captain positions. Min-a in the 4th Unit, A-yun in the 6th Unit, Tae-hoon in the 7th Unit, and In-hyeon in the 8th Unit are serving as Deputy Captains."

"That's impressive."

Su-hyeon expressed amazement at Lee Yu-jin's words.

'Two S-rank, two S- rank. And four Deputy Captain level who've reached the extreme of A+ with barriers remaining.'

An unbelievable rate of growth.

"In addition, Instructor Jang Jin-won took the Captain position in the 16th Unit, and Yu-ha and Eun-seo-sunbae were each promoted to Squad Leaders specializing in healer and blacksmith duties."

"In other words."

Hwang Ji-su said.

"The current Execution Force is the organization with the lowest average age and the largest generation gap in history."

"I guess the instructors' role is to bridge that gap?"

"You know without being told."

Min Hae-na, who let out a small gasp of admiration, gave Su-hyeon a thumbs up.

"Vice Principal Gong Gi-jeong and Instructor Kim Cheol-han are serving in key staff positions, while Instructors Oh Chang-seong, Seok Hong-jae, Lim Yeong-jin, and Koo Hyeong-min are serving in key positions in field units."

They were all top talents with A-rank or higher power and even more outstanding experience.

They were serving as bridges, leading the young but strong cadets and connecting the gap with the existing Captains who had a significant age difference.

"Even so, Captain and Deputy Captain at 19 years old. You've all made remarkable advancements."

"That's how it is in war. Even in the Korean War, division commanders were in their 30s."

Hong In-hyeon shrugged.

"This is even more extreme. Imagine military academy cadets becoming division or corps commanders without even getting their diplomas."

"True, when you put it that way, it really is an absurd promotion."

Hong In-hyeon snickered.

But.

"Everyone deserves it. You all have that level of strength, right?"

"That doesn't sound right coming from someone who was already S+ class a year ago."

Nam Tae-hoon tapped Su-hyeon's arm.

"Anyway, now let's hear your story."

"Yeah, that's right."

"Stop building suspense and tell us."

"How much stronger have you gotten?"

"How did you survive?"

"...I should first talk about how I survived."

Su-hyeon, who received countless questions, chose the order in which to answer.

"Did you escape using Chukji?"

"We thought that if you were alive, that would have been the only way."

"No. I was right in the middle of that explosion."

"...My goodness."

Su-hyeon calmly unfolded the story of the Body Transformation and Bone Replacement through which he went through hundreds of deaths and rebirths, the resulting transcendence, and his conversation with Belphegor.

However, Su-hyeon appropriately concealed only his true identity.

"It's really hard to believe."

Seo Jun-seong murmured after the story.

"But it must all be true."

"That's right."

"Really... it must have been hard."

Lee Yu-jin, who was trying to gauge Su-hyeon's pain, suddenly gripped his arm firmly.

"It's okay. None of us have been spared difficult times."

Su-hyeon said.

"By the way, according to what you said, it means there's no being among the demons who can defeat you, right?"

Hong In-hyeon asked.

"That's right. Quasi-transcendents like the Great Overlords can never defeat a transcendent. In other words, except for Belphegor, I have no match."

"...Somehow it doesn't feel real."

Kim A-yun muttered, looking at Su-hyeon.

"Until just yesterday, we had no hope left. Now it feels like everything will be fine."

"It will be."

Su-hyeon said.

"From now on, we'll firmly protect this fortress while defeating the enemies one by one."

Jeong Su-hyeon, who had killed two of the ten Great Overlords alone.

He was humanity's strongest sword.

"Before all ten fingers are cut off."

Su-hyeon said with certainty.

"He will have no choice but to reveal himself."