I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 303 : Honing the Blade (4)

Several days passed like that.

During that time, the surveillance directed at Furcas, disguised as Grandmother Kwon, became increasingly blatant.

'How persistent. They're 100% suspicious of me.'

An assassin hidden in the shadows.

And the familiars of some amateur magician.

They were openly showing that she was being followed.

From within the shadows.

Sometimes from rats.

From birds perched on windowsills.

She felt sticky and persistent gazes.

But since only she could feel these gazes, if she mentioned it to others, she would only look like an old woman spouting nonsense in her old age.

However, if she tried to shake them off or subdue them, Jeong Su-hyeon would immediately rush in.

Moreover, it was difficult to do anything suspicious while they were watching.

'I'm caught between a rock and a hard place.'

It was truly maddening.

Perhaps due to the stress of things not going her way, she was becoming increasingly sensitive.

'This bastard...'

Furcas recalled Su-hyeon's gaze that had swept over her from behind his mask.

'As I heard, he's a cunning and irritating fellow.'

She hadn't expected him to drain her like this without doing anything.

'They said that human Hwang Won-jae repeatedly had his plans foiled despite receiving guidance from Lord Belphegor.'

Transcendent Jeong Su-hyeon.

He was a problematic individual from the beginning, and that aspect seemed to remain even now that he had obtained immense power.

'Not just a type with strong power. Not just a type with developed intuition. He's experienced, quick-witted, and inscrutable.'

Facing him directly only increased her wariness of Jeong Su-hyeon.

The only clear fact was.

'...He's definitely suspicious of me.'

Anyway, at this rate, there would be no operation or anything else.

'I need some other method.'

Furcas, acting as a frail old woman, covered herself with a thin, bony blanket.

Then, with her eyes closed, she traced back through knowledge learned long ago, considering an appropriate solution.

By then, even the gaze watching her from within the shadows had disappeared.

"...Still no reaction."

Nam Tae-hoon, having finished his surveillance shift, gulped down the cold water Su-hyeon handed him.

"Hmm."

Su-hyeon stroked his chin, saying she was more composed than expected, considering the stress she must be under and her lack of viable solutions.

"Then should we poke her side a bit more?"

"How?"

"Well..."

After Su-hyeon's explanation, Lee Yu-jin, Hwang Ji-su, and Min Hae-na, who were enjoying snacks in the office, all exclaimed in admiration.

"As expected of Su-hyeon."

Min Hae-na nodded, mmm-hmm.

"No one can match his vicious schemes. First, he made Ma-in eat shit, and now demons?"

"...Indeed."

"No one can match him in that field."

Among his admiring friends, Su-hyeon cleared his throat.

"...Vicious schemes? Don't slander me."

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

The next day.

Su-hyeon conspicuously had Special Operations members patrol the quarantined area in shifts, taking good care of the people.

Min Hae-na, Lee Yu-jin, Hwang Ji-su, Seo Jun-seong...

Even Nam Tae-hoon, who had been watching Furcas.

They reassured people that mass production of vaccines and treatments for the black plague was in full swing, and that even critical patients would soon be able to return safely.

Additionally.

With each shift change, the Special Operations members took turns visiting Furcas, showing attentive care by asking if she was okay despite being unwell, telling her to be careful, and asking her to let them know if she needed anything.

"My goodness. They're such good people."

"I heard they're not even twenty years old, yet they've risen to captain or unit commander positions?"

"And yet they're so humble and warm."

"I heard from an Execution Force member on patrol that Special Operations Captain Jeong Su-hyeon specifically asked them to take care of her."

"My goodness. That person is truly a hero, a hero."

"He's a god to me."

"How impressive."

"I wonder if he'll come patrol too?"

"How busy must he be? Just sending these young captains is already showing tremendous care."

"......"

Behind a benevolent smile.

'He's openly taunting me.'

Furcas was about to go mad with irritation.

But regardless of how she felt inside, to others, it was just a heartwarming story.

Therefore, even more so.

To Furcas, these seemed like intense messages sent by Su-hyeon.

'How long will you hide? I know everything.'

As if he were saying that, her chest grew cold.

And yet, he was visibly gaining people's favor.

She felt like her insides were turning upside down with irritation.

'He's really playing it cool. That damn bastard.'

That feeling somewhat reminded her of the fear she had when she had to be careful even with her breathing before Belphegor.

Furcas felt extremely foul-tempered.

'At this point, I have no choice but to push forward with a blitz attack, even if it's risky.'

Enough time had passed for the waiting Great Overlords to become agitated, wondering why there was no contact yet.

Furcas grew anxious.

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

"What's happening with that old hag?"

The two waiting Great Overlords, Allocer and Nebirhos, were endlessly waiting for Furcas, from whom there was no news.

"The scheduled time has long passed. No news at all. Something has definitely gone wrong."

"Definitely!"

Nebirhos's right head cawed.

"Damn, she acted so high and mighty, but now she's completely useless!"

Allocer sneered.

"It seems something unexpected has occurred."

Nebirhos's left head said seriously.

"So? Are we just going to sit here sucking our thumbs?"

"Not quite."

Nebirhos's middle head answered.

"I had my subordinate check around that area, and they said not a single human was visible outside the fortress."

"Hmm. Then that means she successfully entered the fortress, doesn't it?"

Allocer scratched his caterpillar-like beard vigorously.

"That old hag, was her identity discovered?"

"If that were the case, a fight would have broken out. It wouldn't be this quiet."

"That's impossible!"

The left head followed the middle head's words.

"Damn it, then what are we supposed to do?"

"Let's wait a few more days regardless."

Nebirhos's left head suggested.

"That old woman is quite knowledgeable about ancient magic."

"More than you?"

"I'm specialized in necromancy."

"Necromancy!"

The right head cawed loudly.

"...Fine, but make that right head shut up."

"I told you that's not possible."

"Not possible, he says!"

Allocer frowned heavily and stood up from his seat.

"Damn it, call me if something happens. I'm going to take a nap."

"That's a lie."

Nebirhos's middle head wiggled its beak.

"Aren't you going to rip out the innards of a few of Furcas's subordinates?"

"Hehehe. Pretend you don't know."

Allocer grinned.

"When a powerful master is away, isn't it inevitable that her servants suffer?"

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

Two days passed from then.

Finally, Furcas remembered a secret technique buried in her old memories.

'Impertinent fools. Do you think you've completely tied up my hands and feet?'

If so, it was a grave miscalculation.

'Do you think you can recognize all demonic secret arts? Do you think you can monitor everything?'

Furcas, who had been sharpening her knives in her heart, waited for the night to deepen.

Relying on a weak fire, she appeared to be an old pharmacist grinding herbs and writing combinations in a notebook, making medicine for wounds.

Of course, for Great Demon Furcas, who had lived for over a thousand years and possessed extensive knowledge in all fields, this basic herbalism was child's play.

Her skillful grinding and mixing of herbs looked rather pastoral and even peaceful.

'This is the second day in a row I've repeated the same actions every night.'

On the first day, the watchers were noticeably alert to the sudden pattern change.

But not today, the second day.

'They must be bored. Human persistence only goes so far.'

The time was about to reach 11 PM.

'It's time for the gaze of the one hiding in the shadows to disappear.'

Furcas knew well that at this time, Nam Tae-hoon would conceal his presence and not return until morning.

'He's probably going to sleep.'

With his gaze gone, deceiving the rat familiars was much easier.

10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes.

After confirming the time had passed 11:30, Furcas suddenly opened a blank page in her notebook.

Stab!

She stabbed her finger with a pen and smeared it with blood.

Scratch scratch.

The ink mixed with demon blood drew demonic symbols on the blank page.

Soon, it became a magic circle.

"Phew."

Furcas exhaled deeply.

And for just one moment.

Furcas, releasing her magical energy, sent a telepathic message to the waiting Great Overlord Nebirhos.

-Attack immediately with your forces.

"Haha."

Furcas, having cut off her magical energy as soon as she felt the telepathy was successfully transmitted and returned to her original powerless old woman form, laughed.

"You're finished."

And at that same moment.

"Finally."

Su-hyeon also laughed.

Su-hyeon, who had been waiting only for the single moment when Furcas would release her magical energy, signaled to Seo Jun-seong with his eyes.

"Now!"

Seo Jun-seong, with his eyes closed, located Furcas who had returned to being an ordinary old woman with her magical energy concealed.

"Throw her out!"

Before she could react to anything, he used telekinesis to fling her outside the fortress in an instant.

"Huk!"

It happened so suddenly.

By the time Furcas released her magical energy to resist the telekinesis, she was already flying outside the fortress walls.

'What is this!'

Astonishment, disbelief, anger.

Leaving all those emotions behind, Furcas released her power, rejected the telekinesis, and stopped in mid-air.

"...Jeong Su-hyeon?"

Su-hyeon was already standing behind her.

"Yes."

"You bastard!"

How in the world?

Su-hyeon, guessing her unspoken question, said.

"I thought it would be around today."

"You anticipated all this? Are you some kind of prophet?"

"Well, my nickname was actually the Prophet of the End."

Of course, it wasn't prophecy but just intuition, Su-hyeon said, shrugging his shoulders.

'It's not like I've only fallen for your infiltration tactics once or twice.'

From the 400th iteration to the 420th.

Su-hyeon had been well-versed in her methods, having suffered great damage or even died countless times due to Furcas's infiltration.

"Now your comrades will come here. Two? Three? Not more than that, I assume."

"...!"

"I've waited a long time. But fortunately. I will kill you here and then go to greet the rest."

"You fucking bastard!"

Furcas's irritation finally exploded as she realized all her plans had been read by Su-hyeon.

"Actually, this is better! No matter how strong you are, while I hold you down, they'll tear apart your comrades and your fortress!"

"There's a bit of a problem with that assumption."

"What?"

"Just how long can you hold out?"

"Bullshit!"

Furcas fully released her power.

The 3rd-ranked great demon.

Normally, Furcas was a being so powerful that even decent humans would go mad with fear just by looking into her eyes.

Aaaah!

Kiyaaaa!

Along with ear-splitting, sharp, and horrible cries, gigantic revenants surrounded Furcas.

If a human were caught in those revenants, their mind would collapse instantly.

But.

"...!"

Step by step.

Even the revenants, with their crushed faces dripping with pus, dared not approach Su-hyeon.

"Even in that state, it seems survival instinct remains."

Su-hyeon said.

"A wise choice. The moment you approach, even your meager existence will wither like a candle flame."

"Hahaha."

Furcas laughed.

"It doesn't matter. Only you can withstand my revenants."

In other words.

"It's a meaningless assumption. You cannot pass behind me."

Without answering, Furcas extended her hand into the air.

Woong!

A giant scythe, with a handle longer than a person and a blade as large as a person, was summoned and held in her bony hand.

"Bad taste."

Su-hyeon, looking at the scythe decorated in skeletal form, drew his new sword, the Sain Sword.

Woong!

The scythe and sword crossed in mid-air.

Clang!

The legendary weapon that had taken countless demon heads was hopelessly broken.

"...!?"

Furcas's eyes were colored with disbelief and shock.

'Impossible. What kind of weapon is this?'

"The sword is sturdy."

Su-hyeon, satisfactorily stroking the blade of the Sain Sword, looked at Furcas and said.

"You're amateurish. Your strategy, your skills, everything."

"......"

"Having reigned as a strong one for too long, your wisdom has dulled."

Grind.

Furcas, feeling even frustration, gritted her teeth.

"Wisdom tends to bloom greater when cornered."

Su-hyeon said.

"Rather than you lot, Hwang Won-jae was a far more troublesome and cunning enemy."