I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 32 : Public Training Exercise (2)

"The enemies you'll face today are virtual Ma-in implemented based on data from those who actually existed in the past."

Instructor Kim Cheol-han explained the public practical training to the Class 1 cadets who had changed into their gym uniforms after lunch.

"Each of them was a dangerous Ma-in who caused numerous casualties. You could say they're powerful enemies that would be difficult to confront with the strength of individual freshman cadets."

The cadets' expressions darkened at his words.

"This isn't just about today. Among the Ma-in you'll face in the future, many will be far stronger than you."

Instructor Kim spoke with a stern expression.

"However, there's no need to be too afraid. If you form teams based on appropriate tactics, you can sufficiently subdue much stronger enemies. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

'That's the core concept of EoG.'

Su-hyeon inwardly agreed.

"There are many ways to compose and operate a team. The most basic and standard approach is distributing roles such as tanking, dealing, supporting, and healing."

Going deeper, there's further specialization into categories like DPS tank, tank DPS, melee DPS, ranged DPS, healers, and so on.

"Currently, Class 1 doesn't have many cadets who can take on support or healer roles. Conversely, Class 3 will struggle with a shortage of personnel who can engage directly in combat. However, in actual combat, such power leaks, deviations, or unexpected situations occur frequently."

'In other words, he's saying don't whine about it.'

While everyone else looked serious, only Su-hyeon remained composed.

"Therefore, you don't necessarily need to cling to such formulas. For instance, Go Do-il's characteristic is perfectly suited for a tank role. But what about Seo Jun-seong or Hwang Ji-su? Cadets of this type can be AOE dealers, close-range dealers, or even perform support roles depending on the situation."

Instructor Kim Cheol-han looked around at the cadets absorbed in their own thoughts and continued.

"On the first day, I emphasized the importance of flexible thinking and imagination. Understanding well-structured frameworks and standards is important, but what's even more important is going one step beyond or boldly deviating from them."

Therefore.

"Today's class will starkly reveal whether you've understood this theme and are implementing it to any degree. Do your best."

"Yes, sir!"

After sharpening the cadets' focus as always, he opened the roster inserted in the attendance book.

"Now I'll assign the teams. For this class, we've created six teams of five people each. I've selected Seo Jun-seong, Hwang Ji-su, Lee Yu-jin, Hong In-hyeon, Kim Ho-su, and Jeong Su-hyeon as team leaders."

Instructor Kim added that the selection criteria considered not only skill but also factors like leadership.

'That means Park Chang-jun ranked higher than Kim Ho-su in the entrance exam, but scored lower in leadership and character points.'

Only Su-hyeon, who grasped the true meaning, smirked.

In terms of skill alone, Kwon Seung-yeon or Choi Min-a might be better than Kim Ho-su, but the reason Kim Ho-su was specifically assigned as a leader was due to his leadership abilities.

"Does anyone object to this selection?"

Obviously, no cadet would raise their hand and say yes here.

"Good."

Instructor Kim nodded with satisfaction.

"An objection would be insubordination against the commanding authority. It should not be carelessly raised without valid grounds, persuasive logic, and determination."

"......"

At those words, Park Chang-jun needlessly let out a sigh of relief.

'Well, he's developed some awareness in just a week.'

Su-hyeon thought.

"Now, team leaders, come forward."

Six cadets stepped up to the front of the podium.

"Team 1. Seo Jun-seong, Kwon Seung-yeon, Hwang Gyeong-su, Ahn Jun-tae, and Han So-yul."

A soft exclamation erupted at Instructor Kim's announcement.

"Seo Jun-seong and Kwon Seung-yeon? They put all the strong ones together."

The combination of Seo Jun-seong, the unconventional psychokinetic, and Kwon Seung-yeon, who possessed the characteristic of "weight control" along with excellent martial arts skills, definitely carried weight.

"Hwang Gyeong-su is good too. He's the magnet man."

He was a tricky awakened who fought by turning his entire body into a magnet, taking away Ma-in weapons or subduing them.

"And Ahn Jun-tae's flame ability is no slouch either."

Of course, there was a clear difference in output compared to top-tier elemental awakened like Hwang Ji-su.

But he was a cadet who could create great synergy depending on the combination.

'If Ahn Jun-tae had been paired with Hong In-hyeon, it would have been an incredible combination.'

Su-hyeon thought.

"And So-yul is a good fighter too."

"She's as good as Seung-yeon."

Han So-yul, a lycanthrope-type awakened like Kang Geon-woo, was uniquely a were-gazelle.

'Gazelles are gentle herbivores, but Han So-yul is the complete opposite.'

She was a fighter skilled in kick-based combat utilizing explosive leg strength.

'She uses everything from Taekwondo and Muay Thai to even Capoeira kicks.'

One well-placed hit could be fatal.

"Moving on to Team 2."

Normally he would have cut them off for talking, but Instructor Kim Cheol-han remained silent now to avoid disrupting the cadets' free brainstorming as he announced the next team.

"Hwang Ji-su, Kang Geon-woo, Gwak Dong-ho, Yoon Ga-ram, Choi Min-a."

This combination stirred the cadets even more than the previous one.

"The Hwang Ji-su and Kang Geon-woo combo is no joke either?"

Hwang Ji-su's destructive power and versatility with her cheat-level ice abilities were beyond words.

Tough and powerful, Kang Geon-woo, a were-ape who utilized judo throws and once even threw Instructor Oh Chang-seong with his one-hit, one-kill destructive power, also made the cadets feel wary.

"But if Gwak Dong-ho takes the main tanking role, it would be really scary."

Gwak Dong-ho, who awakened with a healing factor, was a self-healing tank and an extremely aggressive powerhouse.

Wielding heavy weapons like iron chains, hammers, and axes, Gwak Dong-ho fought in a mad dog style of "sacrificing bone to gain flesh."

Even a Ma-in would flinch before him.

'He must feel all the pain, but seeing him fight like that makes him seem a bit perverted.'

Su-hyeon thought.

'But the most interesting one is Choi Min-a.'

Choi Min-a was a rare mage-type awakened in EoG.

In Edge of Gate, magic was a phenomenon that could only be manifested through complex processes like incantations and magic circles, as well as calculations impossible for most intellects.

The problem was that in the urgency of the field, it was difficult to perform these calculations while fighting.

'She's like artillery. She shines only when protected from the rear, guaranteeing precise calculations and preparation processes.'

Of course, many ranged dealers are of this type.

But the issue was that despite being so difficult to create, the output of magic often falls short compared to that of other awakened.

'The fireball of a mage and the fire breathed out by a flame-type awakened have completely different firepower.'

Moreover, the activation speed wasn't even comparable.

Therefore, most mages are treated somewhat like a double-edged sword in reality.

'But Choi Min-a is free from such weaknesses.'

Not only did she have genius-level talent and computational ability.

Thanks to her characteristic, High-Speed Incantation, she could implement magic at a different dimension of speed compared to other mages.

'Her output may be lacking, but her versatility is very high.'

Capable of ranged dealing as well as various support functions, Choi Min-a could pull her weight in any team combination.

'Everyone will soon recognize her true value.'

Su-hyeon turned his gaze toward Choi Min-a.

Standing just over 150cm with a small frame, metal-framed glasses that half-covered her face.

Her appearance might make her look like a middle school student, but inside was full of a mage's typical distortion and darkness.

'Choi Min-a is also a bit of a landmine character.'

"This might mean Team 2 could actually have better balance than Team 1."

Kim Ho-su's muttering penetrated the truth.

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

"Finally, Team 6."

It was now my turn.

"Those who haven't been called yet, please stand."

Nam Tae-hoon, Jeremy McGarr, Oh Min-seon, and Kim A-yun rose from their seats.

'This is an interesting combination.'

They were all intriguing individuals.

Not only Nam Tae-hoon, who freely moved between shadows to deliver fatal ambushes.

Jeremy McGarr, who handled a flame-wrapped spear like his own body, was also an excellent warrior.

'Moreover, he's tall with long limbs, maximizing his effectiveness.'

Jeremy McGarr employed a fighting style where he impaled enemies with his fiery spear without letting them enter his perimeter.

'In Class 1, besides Lee Yu-jin, there's not really anyone who could beat this guy in a weapon fight.'

Of course, excluding myself.

Furthermore, a flame-wrapped spear is a trickier weapon than one might think.

'It's a clever choice.'

Jeremy McGarr transformed his limitation of not having the blessed destructive power like Hwang Ji-su into an advantage through his spear.

He was quite a popular character among gamers too.

'Oh Min-seon is also highly utilizable.'

She was an awakened who fought by manipulating earth to change terrain or unleash physical attacks.

'Her ability is especially excellent in urban warfare.'

Oh Min-seon particularly depends on the map environment, becoming a far more powerful character in urban settings with durable materials like asphalt and pavement blocks forming the ground, rather than ordinary soil.

Although she focuses more on attack, Oh Min-seon unexpectedly shines in supporting roles like defense and movement.

'At a low level of proficiency, her attacks are too slow, so opponents don't really get hit.'

But the reason Su-hyeon smiled at this combination was definitely because of Kim A-yun.

'With Kim A-yun, we can turn the tables with one hit.'

Kim A-yun was an awakened who controlled lightning, considered especially destructive and powerful among the elements.

'There are no weak characters who use lightning.'

In fact, in terms of maximum output, Kim A-yun was hardly inferior even to Hwang Ji-su.

The problem was:

Due to the nature of lightning being difficult to control, she had developed a rather timid personality through her growth process.

'Right now, she's a double-edged sword.'

As a result, she recorded one of the lower entrance exam scores in Class 1 and was being whispered about: "It seems A-yun's ability is a bit of a waste."

'With a build only slightly larger than Choi Min-a, she's even more timid and easy to look down upon.'

Sure enough.

Other cadets whispered while looking at our team's composition.

"Looking at it, Team 6 seems a bit weak, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. It's like they don't have someone with overwhelming influence like Team 1 or Team 2......"

"Even in this situation, Jeong Su-hyeon hasn't shown any aspects that could dominate the battlefield."

"Yeah. It feels like there's no one who can deliver a proper blow."

"There's Kim A-yun, isn't there?"

"She doesn't seem to have good control yet. Her entrance exam score wasn't that high either."

While Nam Tae-hoon, Jeremy McGarr, and Oh Min-seon responded to such whispers with sneers or expressions saying "just wait and see,"

Kim A-yun was actually shrinking her shoulders.

'I need to help build her confidence first.'

"Good. Now that everyone has confirmed their team members, team leaders can return to their seats."

"Yes, sir."

As I returned to my seat, I approached Kim A-yun.

"Kim A-yun."

"Uh, huh?"

She looked up at me, startled.

"The outcome of today's battle depends on you."

"Sorry....... I won't hold you back."

"No."

I shook my head firmly.

"I mean we can't win without you."

"!?"

Kim A-yun's eyes widened to the size of ping-pong balls.

"Now I'll give you some information about the Ma-in you'll be facing."

Instructor Kim said.

"The Ma-in Team 1 will face appeared in the Chungbuk region 20 years ago. Commonly known as the Mad Puppeteer."

'Ah, that one.'

Among the Ma-in we'd encounter in this stage, he's one of the top three most annoying opponents.

"He was originally a hunter who commanded specially crafted battle puppets, but after becoming a Ma-in, he mutated toward killing humans and using them as battle puppets."

"!"

"Good Lord."

"In other words, he became similar to a necromancer. What's more vicious is that he developed a nasty hobby of directly modifying the humans he killed."

"Ugh."

"Disgusting."

Hwang Ji-su wrinkled her face.

"With that ability, he killed citizens and turned them into his puppets, instantly devastating four villages overnight. Two squads of the Execution Force were urgently dispatched to face him, but they struggled, suffering two severe injuries and three minor injuries."

"......!"

That meant he was quite a big shot, famous enough in the region.

The cadets' expressions grew serious.

"His estimated grade at the time was B. However, considering the difficulty, it's been adjusted to B- for today."

"Hmm."

Seo Jun-seong groaned.

C-rank and B-rank.

Between the two was a power gap far beyond the simple alphabetical order.

"Do you understand? This means you can barely face this enemy only if you create synergy close to your best."

"Yes, sir."

While Teams 2 through 5 would also face formidable Ma-in.

The one facing the most challenging enemy today was Team 6.

"The Ma-in Team 6 will face is the 'One-Armed Trainer' who terrorized the Ulleungdo area four years ago."

'We've really got our hands full.'

"Originally, the One-Armed Trainer was a hunter who freely wielded a whip that easily surpassed the speed of sound. He was a person full of a sense of justice and exceptional skill, but that became his tragedy."

Instructor Kim Cheol-han continued his explanation with a slightly different expression than when explaining the previous Ma-in.

"While exploring a dungeon with his companions, something went wrong, and he was surrounded by a mass of demonic beasts. He stayed behind alone to allow his companions to escape. After a five-hour bloody battle, covered in the blood of countless demonic beasts, he eventually mutated into a Ma-in."

'They say instead of his worn-out and broken whip, he wielded snake-like demonic beasts.'

I thought.

"The Execution Force brought by the hunter companions who safely escaped entered the dungeon for rescue, but combat broke out due to his preemptive attack, as he had already become a Ma-in."

Instructor Kim's expression froze coldly.

"Zero survivors. He killed an entire squad and fled, losing his left arm in the process."

"......!"

"I can assure you, his whip-handling skills were a mastery rarely found. Moreover, his characteristic, 'Ultra-Flexibility,' allows him to swing his entire body floppily, giving extreme elasticity and kinetic energy to his whip."

From a distance, it looks like clownish movements.

But the whip accelerated by those movements could easily crush even steel with a single strike.

"What's more challenging is the mutation he underwent. Whether influenced by the fierce battle he fought before mutating, he persistently withstood the encirclement attacks of two squads and staged a three-day escape."

'Isn't it too much to assign us such an opponent?'

Had it not been for me, other teams would have struggled considerably.

"His estimated grade was said to be B, or approaching B+. Of course, his strength has been unified to B- for now."

"Oh my God."

"That's impossible."

B+ is similar to the strength of even a decent instructor.

'Although the power applied this time is B-, that alone is quite threatening.'

Of course.

The strategy leading to victory was already being rapidly formulated in my mind.

"Any questions?"

"I'm curious about the order."

Hwang Ji-su raised her hand.

"For example, if we proceed in the order of Teams 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, then the teams in later positions would gain more time for strategic preparation and opportunities for indirect feedback, which I think is inequitable."

"Good question, but no need to worry."

Instructor Kim said.

"All six teams will compete simultaneously."

"!"

"That's all the information I'll provide. I'll give you 30 minutes. During that time, discuss tactics to win with your teammates."

At his words, all cadets gathered with their teams with urgent expressions.

'Well then.'

Let's impart the winning strategy.