I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 49 : Ma-in Attack (3)

Five punches, three kicks, and one unexpected headbutt.

I managed to avoid the successive attacks using my Eye Power pushed to its limit.

"You dodge pretty well!"

Jang Su-il, who had gauged my movements with light exchanges, nodded with satisfaction.

"If I take even one solid hit, it's over."

He was only using a tiny fraction of his strength, but for me, taking even one proper hit would mean certain death.

However, that didn't frighten me.

Rather, by controlling my rising hatred with cold rationality, my senses were becoming even sharper.

Sharp enough to visually perceive Jang Su-il's tattoos writhing along the grain of his muscles.

'Perfect.'

Just as Ma-in instinctively harbor hostility toward humans, Jeong Su-hyeon was a being destined to harbor inevitable animosity toward them.

Thanks to this, despite the overwhelming difference in power, my body didn't freeze up.

Whoosh!

A straight punch thrown as casually as tossing something came at a speed beyond comprehension, and I threw my entire body to avoid the attack as if dodging a cannon.

Boom!

A streetlight that wasn't even directly hit exploded behind me.

'Insane strength.'

Nevertheless, Jang Su-il's claim that he was going easy on me was true.

Otherwise, my body wouldn't have been able to keep up with my eyes, and I'd have been pulverized long ago.

"You're quite nimble."

Jang Su-il grinned.

"Agility passes. Shall we exchange a few moves then?"

The light surrounding his boulder-like body dimmed.

"How about it, is this level okay?"

It meant I had caught his interest.

"Then stop just dodging and try using your hands too!"

"I will."

'Mana Shield.'

I wrapped my fists with shields.

"Oh? Using little tricks, are we?"

Without answering, I approached with footwork and threw two light jabs with my lead hand.

Jang Su-il stepped back to avoid my properly extended jabs and counter-attacked with an overhand hook without warning.

It moved at an unimaginable speed for such a cumbersome, large motion.

But it was also easy to read his intentions, so it wasn't difficult to receive it with my front hand and change the direction of force.

"Oh?"

I delivered a strong body blow with my rear hand to his exposed abdomen as his stance crumbled.

Whack!

'What is he, a log?'

As if he hadn't felt any impact at all, Jang Su-il immediately counter-attacked with a vicious backspin blow.

Whoosh!

As I bent my waist backward to avoid it, an intense low kick immediately swept toward me.

I didn't resist the direction of force but performed a back handspring to jump over the low kick and retreat to create distance.

'He's not an opponent I can afford to trade blows with while barely dodging.'

If I got caught, it would be over.

The stronger the opponent's offensive power, the more distance I needed to maintain.

"You dodge quite flashily."

Jang Su-il laughed.

"Because one hit would finish me."

"Alright, alright. You're asking me to reduce my power more, right?"

The light from his tattoos grew even fainter.

'Earlier he was a shining bald head.'

Of course, I didn't say that out loud.

'Then...'

Wooong.

I covered both arms and legs with Mana Shields.

'This consumes quite a bit of mana.'

But to match fists with Jang Su-il, having this level of protection was absolutely necessary.

"What's this, wrapped in fist energy? Impressive for your age."

I didn't answer and charged in first.

Whoosh!

I avoided a lead hand hook and slipped past the following rear hand straight.

'Fortunately, his movements aren't those of someone trained in martial arts.'

That made it easier for me to respond.

Whack!

I planted a counter uppercut on his chin, crossing my fists.

'His jaw didn't even flinch.'

Without panicking, I retreated to create distance.

Whoosh!

Reading the incoming middle kick, I stepped on his thigh with my heel to nullify it.

"Well, look at that."

Jang Su-il laughed as if he'd seen an interesting technique.

"It's my first time seeing someone block a kick like that. Where did you learn it?"

"...Just happened."

"What an interesting kid."

'I need to use as many different techniques as possible.'

If I had to compare Jang Su-il to something, he was like a feline predator.

'If he finds a toy interesting, he wants to play with it longer.'

It wasn't for nothing that his nickname was "Battle Maniac."

"Try dodging this too!"

A flurry of punches and kicks tearing through the air.

The attacks were too fast to think and respond to, so I relied purely on instinctive reactions—ducking, turning, blocking, and retreating to hold on.

Eventually, my body began to outpace my thoughts.

'Low kick!'

Reading the posture of an incoming low kick that seemed intent on shattering my thigh, I preemptively kicked at Jang Su-il's supporting leg.

"What?!"

Jang Su-il fell straight on his backside after getting hit in the back of his knee.

'It worked.'

"Uhahaha!"

Despite falling so ungracefully, Jang Su-il didn't get angry; rather, he even clapped and laughed.

"Landing such a high-level counter! I didn't expect that!"

He got up, dusting off his backside.

"But why didn't you follow up with additional strikes?"

"Because I would have been caught and been rolling on the ground by now."

"Haha. Good instincts, is that it?"

The veins at his temples pulsed along with his laughter.

"Let's see what other tricks you have!"

The effect of Eye Power wasn't just dynamic vision.

'Wide field of view.'

When a strong straight punch came flying, I had enough field of vision to see and kick his left foot, which served as the axis.

"!"

Jang Su-il's punch, with his balance disrupted, cut through empty air, and I delivered a short lead hand hook that shook his chin.

'That landed well.'

My fist, now fortified, was having some effect even on Jang Su-il's body.

"Wow, this kid is really fun."

The Ma-in grabbed his stinging jaw and laughed with delight.

"You have good eyes, don't you?"

"!"

It was a significant remark.

'He's already figured it out!'

Jang Su-il's attack method changed.

"Hup!"

Jang Su-il, who had been lowering his body to close the distance, threw a large overhand hook from outside my field of vision.

'This is!'

Slow to react to an attack coming from a blind spot, I desperately raised my guard.

Whack!

The Mana Shield scattered pathetically from one punch, and I had to retreat six steps before I could barely dissipate the impact.

'To immediately target my weakness as soon as he figured out my ability.'

It was worthy of being called sharp animal instinct.

'As expected, a Ma-in of this caliber is no ordinary fighter.'

The hits were landing hard even through my guard.

'If he had used his full strength, I'd be a lump of meat by now.'

"Oh, you blocked that too? You shouldn't have been able to see it."

Jang Su-il grinned from ear to ear.

"This is fun. Can I get a bit more serious?"

"Are you admitting you can't win with your current strength?"

"Huh? Haha! Do you really think that?"

The Ma-in's smile turned fierce, as if telling me not to be insolent.

"Well..."

'It should be about time.'

I checked my watch, and.

"So this is where you've been!"

Right on time, a voice announced the end of my time limit.

"I was wondering why you weren't coming!"

"Ah shit, they're already chasing me down."

Jang Su-il clicked his tongue.

"Wait just a bit. This kid is quite entertaining."

"This is no time to play with a youngster! I'll handle him, so please hurry up and go!"

"Tch, such a diligent bastard."

The Ma-in who was stopping Jang Su-il had the appearance of a typical werewolf that anyone would recognize.

"You keep singing about Oh Chang-seong, what are you doing now?!"

"That's. Hmm. Right. I came because I wanted to rip out that bastard's neck!"

Jang Su-il, easily convinced, pointed at me and said:

"He'll kill you more comfortably than I would, so don't resent me too much! I'm going!"

"......"

Boom!

With one stomp that sent him far away, Jang Su-il disappeared, and the Ma-in with the appearance of a werewolf stood before me.

'Though not an executive-level, he's still plenty dangerous.'

"Raging Wolf" Hong Byeong-gwon.

True to his werewolf form, his main weapons were powerful claws and teeth, but he was a man who wouldn't be satisfied until he bit the neck of his target with his thick skin and characteristic madness.

'If he joins forces with Lee Yong-ju, it will be disastrous.'

The combination of the madman and the Crusher would be catastrophic for the cadets who were barely holding on.

"You're on the lucky side. I prefer to kill with one bite."

Looking at the grinning Raging Wolf, I drew the hwando from my waist, which I hadn't used during the fight with Jang Su-il.

"Haha! What difference does a sword make?"

The Ma-in jeered.

"Beasts are hunted with weapons—that's human."

'If I've made it this far, I suppose I've buttoned the first two buttons correctly.'

I sent Seo Jun-seong to Class 2, and Kim Ho-su is working to rally the scattered cadets.

With only about 20 minutes left until reinforcements arrive.

'Good. The situation is improving.'

Moreover, compared to Jang Su-il's infinitely massive violence.

This was just a ferocious dog.

Wooong.

The unsharpened sword received sword energy and regained its original sharpness.

"I'll rip out your neck and kill you."

Hong Byeong-gwon's posture lowered like that of a wolf preparing to attack.

"I won't have my neck torn by the likes of you."

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

"Die! Die screaming in agony! That's the punishment befitting you!"

Every time the Executioner waved his hand, torture devices from throughout history materialized and tried to tear Kim Cheol-han to pieces.

Slash!

Chains with blades surrounded Kim Cheol-han, and as he tried to escape through a gap, an Iron Maiden with a woman's face came to greet him.

Boom!

The door of the Iron Maiden—had he entered it, he would have bled to death from numerous holes all over his body.

But Kim Cheol-han was already gone.

"Refusing execution! That's a capital crime among capital crimes!"

As huge iron nails poured down like rain, Kim Cheol-han's palms drew countless afterimages.

Boom!

Everything that touched his palms reversed course and flew back towards the Ma-in.

"Hmph!"

The Executioner, Kwak Hyeok-jung's mouth twisted.

"Still fighting like a rat."

"I'd call it fighting tactically."

Kim Cheol-han wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Bounce.

It was a simple yet powerful ability that deflected whatever touched his hands.

'Just avoid those palms, but that's difficult.'

Abilities of this kind vary greatly in effectiveness depending on the user's quality.

With Kim Cheol-han's extraordinary strength and experience on defense, breaking through that iron wall was no easy task.

"Still all talk and no substance, Kwak Hyeok-jung."

Kim Cheol-han's palm deflected the air.

Boom boom boom!

As air shells filled with tremendous pressure flew, Kwak Hyeok-jung blocked them with a wall sprouting sharp protrusions.

"Must you block with something like that? The minds of perverted killers are incomprehensible."

At Kim Cheol-han's taunt, Kwak Hyeok-jung shrugged.

"It would be better not to provoke me too much."

Unable to break through Kim Cheol-han's solid defense, Kwak Hyeok-jung turned his blade toward the cadets behind him.

"Here it comes again!"

"Block it!"

Hwang Ji-su's ice wall, Hong In-hyeon's wind wall, and Choi Min-a's mana wall stood against Kwak Hyeok-jung's nail shower, but they shattered all too easily.

"Damn it!"

The overwhelming difference in output.

But thanks to the cadets' nimble evasive maneuvers, there were no injuries.

"Did you think I would be swayed if you targeted the cadets? Still thinking like a rat."

"Hahaha."

Kwak Hyeok-jung laughed.

"Your disciples are just as worthy of the same punishment. If you don't like it, try stopping me."

"If that's what you want."

As Kim Cheol-han stepped forward, the two Ma-in standing behind the Executioner also opened their closed mouths.

"Leave those cadets to us."

"Hmm. Fine."

The Executioner nodded.

"They're all unripe weaklings, but at least that ice-using kid might be somewhat entertaining to play with."

"I doubt it'll even be a proper warm-up."

"Well, think of it as brief entertainment."

The Executioner turned his gaze to a Ma-in standing on a distant building roof.

"Jo Seung-su."

When the named Ma-in directed his hand forward, a long, transparent barrier formed behind Kim Cheol-han.

"Let's go!"

"Plunderer" Ha Jin-young and "Ultra-Flight" Bang Un-min.

The two Ma-in crossed the barrier and descended upon the cadets.

"Let's play!"

"We'll play with you thoroughly before killing you!"

'Damn it.'

One was already too much, and now there were two.

Reading Kim Cheol-han's concern, Hwang Ji-su shouted:

"Instructor! You can leave this to us!"

'Clever girl.'

Kim Cheol-han smiled at her maturity.

"Survive. I'll definitely save you."

"Hahaha! How touching. But tell me this."

Kwak Hyeok-jung, turning his gaze to Kim Cheol-han, tilted his head and laughed.

"What will happen first, your students dying or you dying?"

"I wonder."

Intense mana rose from Kim Cheol-han's body.

"That question seems a bit wrong."