I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 54 : Counterattack (4)

Vice Principal Gong Gi-jeong.

He not only held authority second only to the Principal within the academy, but his personal strength was also considered undiminished from his active days, making him a powerful figure.

His power was at least A-rank or higher.

With that level, it would be no exaggeration to say he was an Awakened with nearly top-tier strength, excluding some S-rank monsters.

Moreover, the instructors who returned with him were also carefully selected elites.

With more than half of the Ma-in already neutralized by Su-hyeon's efforts, the only choices left for the Ma-in facing this encirclement were surrender or escape.

"Not one of them escapes! We'll subdue them all and make them pay for their crimes!"

"Understood!"

After first rescuing Oh Chang-seong, he tracked the fleeing Jang Su-il while simultaneously reorganizing scattered personnel and directing them to gather the Ma-in in one place for elimination.

"Reporting! The Ma-in appear to be retreating toward the Executioner!"

"Good. Everyone tighten the encirclement! Herd them together and eliminate them at once!"

"Yes!"

Under Gong Gi-jeong's overall command, the Execution Force surrounded the outside of the academy to block any escape routes.

Instructors and teaching assistants who had entered the campus formed a circular encirclement inside.

Even instructors who had been sleeping or resting on campus ran around to secure the safety of the cadets after receiving Kim Ho-su's transmission.

"Heh, shit."

Jang Su-il, who had roughly guessed all these circumstances through his sensitive hearing and the scene before his eyes, let out a hollow laugh.

"This is a complete failure."

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

"Damn it! Fuck! What the hell kind of situation is this!"

The Ma-in, driven into one place, had to hide like mice inside the solid barrier created by 'Barrier' Jo Seung-su.

Boom! Boom!

All sorts of attacks pounded the barrier, but not even a scratch appeared on the barrier created by transcendent principles that couldn't be explained by simple mana quantity.

"It can't be destroyed! It seems impossible to destroy with just physical force!"

"That's enough. The barrier created by that guy Jo Seung-su is quite tricky. It can't be breached by ordinary methods."

Vice Principal Gong Gi-jeong said with a calm expression.

"We're in a standoff. In the meantime, reorganize the formation and move the cadets back."

"Understood!"

"Cadets! All of you fall back! You've worked hard! Leave it to us from now on!"

"Whew."

Hwang Ji-su, who had retreated under the instructors' guidance, finally relaxed and sat down on the ground.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"No, I'm not."

Hwang Ji-su, who bluntly dismissed Hong In-hyeon's question, glared at 'Plunderer' Ha Jin-young trapped beyond the barrier.

"That guy. I really don't like him."

When Ha Jin-young wasn't engaged in the way she wanted, he used an ingenious deception to instantly neutralize Park Chang-jun and then landed a blow on her as well.

She was once again feeling the truth of the saying that higher-level Ma-in display cunning and dexterity beyond human capabilities.

'If I hadn't covered my entire body with ice, I would have ended up like Park Chang-jun.'

Hwang Ji-su, who had passed through a perilous moment, bit her lip.

"If you liked a Ma-in, that would be an even bigger problem."

Hong In-hyeon chuckled.

"Still, it's enough that we held out well without anyone dying."

"Yes. You worked hard too."

There probably weren't many occasions that brought friends closer than a life-or-death battle.

"Keuuuuu."

Crack. Crack. Crack.

'Executioner' Kwak Hyeok-jung obsessively cracked his neck and ground his teeth.

"What a disgrace this is. A miserable failure."

'Rusty Sword' Ha Jin-su, whose arm had been cut off by Lee Ho-seung.

'Plunderer' Ha Jin-young and 'Ultra-Flight' Bang Un-min, who struggled against the combined forces of instructors and cadets and eventually retreated without killing anyone, along with 'Barrier' Jo Seung-su.

'Battle Maniac' Jang Su-il, who had defeated Oh Chang-seong but ultimately couldn't finish him off and fled, and himself, who had failed to kill Kim Cheol-han.

"No one achieved their objective, just a bunch of defeated soldiers."

What made it even worse was that the rest hadn't even returned because they had been subdued.

'The worst failure.'

His teeth ground audibly.

"How on earth could this perfect surprise attack fail so miserably? A grave mistake that would warrant all of us committing seppuku."

"You also struggled and failed to kill just one Kim Cheol-han, didn't you?"

Jang Su-il, pointing to Kim Cheol-han with a gesture, mocked him.

"...I won't deny it. Who would have thought he was hiding his true strength."

Before his eyes was Kim Cheol-han, maintaining an upright posture despite having his instep pierced by iron nails and blood flowing from his forehead.

"Instructor Kim. And, no, isn't that Team Leader Song?"

The Vice Principal, who had roughly completed positioning the formation, approached Instructor Kim Cheol-han and Team Leader Song Young-hwan.

"How are you here?"

"I'll explain the details later."

"Hmm, understood."

The Vice Principal, nodding his head, said:

"I hear that most of the cadets attacked at each point are in no life-threatening condition."

"That's truly fortunate."

Kim Cheol-han's expression, which had been rigid throughout, finally relaxed a little.

If a mass massacre had occurred, it would have been a terrible disaster.

'Young-hwan, to think this friend's intuition was right. Truly a painful mistake.'

He thought while looking at Song Young-hwan's face.

"Thank you so much. If it weren't for your warning, and if it weren't for your intervention, much greater sacrifices would have followed."

"Hmm. About that, ah, let's talk about it when this is all over."

Song Young-hwan, who had been about to launch into a longer explanation, decided to focus on the more important issue first.

'When this is over, Su-hyeon's stock will rise tremendously, won't it?'

In any case, despite the unexpected surprise attack, it was fortunate amidst the misfortune that the situation was heading toward resolution with the Ma-in's offensive end point coming so early.

"Instructor Bang Woo-gil was killed in action, and several more instructors and cadets are presumed dead."

"......"

Kim Cheol-han's expression froze cold again.

"However, surprisingly, major combat operatives such as the Spirit Master and Crusher were reportedly repelled by the cadets."

"That's really... surprising."

Not just any random fighters, but regular combat operatives affiliated with the 'Sword of Belphegor' were defeated by first-year cadets?

'It's almost nonsensical. Someone must have played a significant role.'

"From what I hear, three cadets—Seo Jun-seong, Jeong Su-hyeon, and Lee Yu-jin—made great contributions."

"Ah."

'If it's those kids, they could have done it.'

Kim Cheol-han nodded in understanding.

"...But where are those kids now?"

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

Su-hyeon, Lee Yu-jin, Seo Jun-seong, and Kim A-yun.

The four of them had just arrived at a spot overlooking the scene after passing through the forest.

"You are completely surrounded. If you surrender docilely even now, you might receive humane treatment, but if you're thinking of resisting, don't expect such mercy."

In the standoff where the instructors were urging surrender, there was, of course, no sign of intention to surrender on the faces of the Ma-in.

"Looks like they've surrounded all the Ma-in."

Lee Yu-jin nodded at Kim A-yun's words.

"That's really fortunate."

After sending Song Young-hwan ahead in good condition, the expressions of the three who had dragged their battle-weary bodies to help their classmates were filled with deep relief.

"Then we should also go over there..."

"You go ahead first."

But Su-hyeon's expression was completely different from theirs.

"There's something that's bothering me."

"Something bothering you?"

Seo Jun-seong and Lee Yu-jin, who had glimpsed an almost eerie foresight in Su-hyeon's actions today, didn't just let his words pass.

"There's a lot I want to hear when we safely get through today."

Seo Jun-seong said this and sat down heavily next to Su-hyeon.

"Yes. Just in case."

"Then me too."

Looking at Lee Yu-jin and Kim A-yun, who also stayed in place, Su-hyeon subtly clicked his tongue.

'It would be easier if they all left.'

But it wouldn't significantly affect his plan anyway.

Su-hyeon thought as he looked at the Ma-in gathered inside the cylindrical barrier with a sealed roof.

'They can't prevent escape anyway.'

The reason they had carried out this reckless, almost insane surprise attack was because they had confidence they could definitely extract themselves.

'That's also why they brought Jo Seung-su and Bang Un-min, who aren't much help in combat.'

However.

'Even if we let them all escape, if I can just kill one person here, it will be an enormous help for future gameplay.'

Su-hyeon's original goals were largely twofold.

To prevent the attack with minimal casualties.

And the other was to kill that man, Ha Jin-young.

'That guy is a monster.'

True to his alias "Plunderer," a man with the ability to steal mana with his palm and make it his own.

'If his reins are loosened, it will be truly the end. Because he's someone who gets stronger without limit.'

In terms of martial arts novels, Ha Jin-young was like a character who uses a life-absorption technique to turn the martial world into a wasteland.

'What makes him even more dangerous is that his very nature is greedy. A parasite-like bastard who later makes even his brother's power his own.'

In truly unlucky situations, failure to control Ha Jin-young's rampage often led to scenario failures.

Therefore, Su-hyeon.

Sensed that it was time to draw the dagger he had kept in his heart for this moment.

"Those guys seem to be planning something...!"

Before Seo Jun-seong's words, who had noticed something odd about Kwak Hyeok-jung's movements, could finish.

Flash!

An intense flash grenade, as if an artificial sun had fallen, covered everything in existence with light.

"Damn it, a flash grenade!"

"Aaaack!"

At that moment when everyone momentarily covered their eyes from the unexpected light.

"They're escaping! Damn it!"

Jo Seung-su instantly deactivated the barrier, and Bang Un-min activated his ability to lift his comrades with wind.

It was a plan to shoot their comrades like rockets in all directions to allow them to escape individually, and it would be practically impossible to catch up with those fired at supersonic speeds.

'Stupid fools. Just sit there sucking your fingers!'

Just at that moment when the Ma-in were inwardly sneering.

'Liberation.'

Su-hyeon, who had covered his eyes with his hands in advance to block the flash grenade, activated Liberation.

'Distance about 30 meters.'

At the moment the shouts erupted, nobody could hear the sound from the bushes where Su-hyeon was hiding or his footsteps, and.

Based on his widely spread ki-sensing and the memory in his head, Su-hyeon identified Ha Jin-young's position and executed a dash at superhuman speed.

Babababak!

'What!?'

Because the flash grenade was still in effect, Ha Jin-young belatedly realized through footsteps and his sixth sense that something was charging at him, but.

Su-hyeon's ambush, using the assassin's footwork from his memory to conceal his presence, was too stealthy and swift.

"Kuheck!"

Su-hyeon's dagger pierced Ha Jin-young's heart, and the time taken up to this point was barely more than 2 seconds.

"Jin-young!"

Ha Jin-su, who heard his brother's scream, forcibly opened his eyes, but even his eyes couldn't see beyond the sun-like intense flash, and.

Whoosh!

Leaving screams and blood like afterimages, the Ma-in's forms scattered in six directions, flying away like rockets.

"Damn it! The Ma-in are escaping!"

"Catch them without fail! They must not be allowed to escape!"

"Request immediate tracking from the 3rd Unit!"

When the flash disappeared amid the commotion, Su-hyeon had casually returned to his original position.

'Success.'

Su-hyeon smiled.

[You have inflicted a fatal wound on Ma-in Ha Jin-young!]

[You stabbed his heart with a poison-coated knife. Ha Jin-young's death is confirmed!]

[Heroic achievement! Achievement points 900 awarded!]

[Main quest 'Ma-in Attack' has been successfully cleared!]

[Skill points: 3P awarded!]

[Everyone at the academy will remember your achievement.]

[Additional reward! .......]

While watching the parade of countless popup notifications.

'Now I can finally get some sleep.'

Su-hyeon could finally release the consciousness he had been barely holding onto and collapse.

"Su-hyeon!"

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

"Ultimate failure."

At the same time.

In the center of the round table where all these battles had been observed through the eyes of familiars controlled by the Vampire Queen.

The man who closed his eyes with a disappointed face inwardly muttered.

'Commit suicide.'

The order he gave in his mind was simultaneously transmitted to the six Ma-in who had been subdued and bound.

"Ugh!"

"Keok!"

They all simultaneously attempted suicide by biting the poison pills between their molars.

"What the! What's wrong with these bastards!"

"They seem to have bitten poison!"

"These stubborn bastards!"

'Fuck, you think anyone wants to die?'

Regardless of his own will.

Raging Wolf Hong Byeong-gwon, unable to stop his body from trying to commit suicide by biting a poison pill, cursed inwardly.

'That bastard. Since when...!'

Crack!

The deadly poison that spread throughout his body in an instant guided his consciousness to a place from which he could never return.

"Operation failed. We've only raised their vigilance without gaining anything."

At the man's words, the Vampire Queen shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, they'll probably be making a big deal about the birth of heroes or whatever. But anyway, this surprise attack itself has tremendous significance, doesn't it?"

"There was no problem with the plan itself. The problem is that that strange little boy, Jeong Su-hyeon, created a variable that no one thought of."

A plan that would have been a perfect surprise attack as scheduled went awry due to the interference of that one person...

Moreover, those who had the greatest impact on this were Seo Jun-seong, Kim Ho-su, and Jeong Su-hyeon.

The fact that they were three freshman cadets was even more surprising and vexing.

"Ha! We failed because some youngster pulled a few stunts?"

"That's an exaggeration! How embarrassing!"

"Of course, none of us saw the exact process. It was a battle front spread out in so many directions. But if that guy hadn't been there, things wouldn't have turned out like this."

"Hmm."

The Vampire Queen crossed her legs.

It seemed no one else had seen it properly, but.

She alone had been watching all of Su-hyeon's activities.

'He bought time against Jang Su-il, toyed with Hong Byeong-gwon, and eventually even directly subdued Lee Yong-ju.'

Of course, she didn't know that Ha Jin-young had been killed by Su-hyeon either, but.

Nevertheless, the strength, initiative, and results Su-hyeon had shown were truly remarkable.

'Thrilling.'

Considering that even the genius Seo Jun-seong hadn't shown such performance.

That boy was truly extraordinary.

'Jeong Su-hyeon. Jeong Su-hyeon.'

The Queen's lips, silently mouthing the name, were unusually red and hot.