novelraw Chapter 68 : Chapter 68
Chapter 68 : Chapter 68
Chapter 68 : Conscription
Upgrade spotted Sal and walked straight toward him.
She looked as tired as usual, but her eyes were full of worry.
“Why are you here? Do you know what this is all about?”
Behind her, faculty members were filing into the classroom.
Everyone had similar expressions of confusion to Upgrade.
Jez, the Administration professor, tilted his head upon seeing Sal but soon smiled brightly.
He headed to the back of the classroom, where Sinclair was slouched in a chair.
Next to Sinclair sat a bald man Sal didn't know.
Sal looked back at Upgrade and nodded.
“Headmaster Quest is going to brief us on this weekend's event, but it's not good news.”
Upgrade looked back toward Quest.
He was standing at the very front of the classroom with Divinity, having a serious conversation.
She turned back to Sal with a face full of worry and confusion.
“I'll save a seat for you. Porge said he's coming soon too.”
Sal tried to force a smile, but he couldn't.
He had spent hours repeatedly examining countless hypothetical scenarios and watching scenes of his new friends dying over and over again.
It was a miracle that he was standing there now without throwing up.
Looking around, Sal spotted a few familiar professors, including Alastair, Harlan, Lombardi, and Rust.
Besides them, there were quite a few unfamiliar people, and most were chatting as if they knew nothing.
Seeing them seated where students usually sat gave him a strange feeling.
He wondered if they could maintain that composure even after Quest revealed all the facts.
By the time people finished entering, there were nearly fifty people gathered in the classroom.
When Quest gestured for Sal to come forward, he quietly went up to the stage.
Divinity, who was already there, looked at him with eyes harboring the same anxiety and fear as Sal.
As the two sat down, all eyes focused on Sal.
‘Why are two first-year students standing on the podium with Headmaster Quest? Why was the entire faculty summoned unexpectedly in the middle of the day?’
Those questions were clearly written on everyone's faces, and it was Quest's turn to provide the answer.
He opened his mouth without hesitation.
“Regarding what I am about to tell you, I would like to sincerely apologize to all of you. We have confirmed that a monster attack is imminent.”
As soon as Quest spoke, the air in the classroom changed drastically.
The faces of the faculty members who had been smiling just moments ago hardened instantly at his words.
Quest continued in a determined voice.
“Our students are scheduled to be attacked at the combat class event to be held this weekend. It has been confirmed that a Commander-rank variant is leading the attack, and this monster has been identified as possessing the ability to foresee the future. That is how formidable the enemy we have to face is.”
When the word ‘Commander-rank’ came out, most of the faculty exchanged surprised looks.
Exceptionally, there were some like Sinclair or Jez who seemed excited.
Quest pointed to Sal and Divinity.
“Divinity Khan and Salvatore Argento first predicted this attack, and they have been experimenting with various countermeasures with us until now. The problem is that the monster we have to face can instantly adapt to our plans. We ran dozens of simulations, but some of them were scenarios where hundreds of students died, and others ended with many of you here losing your lives.”
He gripped both ends of the podium firmly and continued.
“In the numerous future scenarios we examined, this attack turned out to be unavoidable no matter what choice we made. If we do nothing, the Academy itself gets attacked, resulting in the most casualties. If we proceed with the first external event that was confirmed until a few days ago, key faculty members die and kidnappings increase. The currently planned stadium event results in the fewest deaths, but instead, the most kidnappings occur. In any scenario, we are at a disadvantage and the students are threatened. And the cause of all this lies with the Commander-rank variant. This monster is targeting our first-year students, specifically some of the Gold and Silver Cohort students, and there is clearly a reason why it is trying to act at this timing. We haven't clearly identified that reason yet, but what is certain is that our students will always be under threat until we defeat this monster.”
Quest pointed to the classroom door.
“I wanted to explain the context to you first. Because pushing ahead with a plan that involves your lives without prior notice is absolutely unacceptable. For this reason, if anyone wishes to withdraw from this discussion and leave the Academy within a few days, you are free to do so. No one will blame you, and we do not expect you to throw yourselves into danger.”
However, not a single person moved.
Breaking the silence, Jez spoke up.
“Aren't we heroes, my friend. What do we need to do?”
Triggered by those words, laughter spread, and Quest smiled too.
“The proposal is this. We need to organize strike teams into several groups to track down the Commander-rank monster. We have currently narrowed down the areas where this monster is presumed to be to a few places, and we plan to mobilize Recovery Guilds to receive support. This monster can open teleportation portals at will, but according to the judgment of our monster behavior analyst Professor Harlan Geist, it seems to be hiding somewhere in this area currently. We have also secured evidence that a dungeon is being breached under the protective barrier through surprise underground attacks captured in some scenarios.”
Quest turned his head toward Divinity and Sal with a dark expression, then looked back at the audience.
“If the strike teams fail, we have no choice but to proceed with the combat class tournament to draw that monster out.”
Sinclair snorted and crossed her arms.
“Is that it? Kill the Commander-rank monster, or use the kids as bait? What kind of absurd plan is this?”
Jez nodded too, and the bald man sitting next to him raised his hand.
When Quest allowed him to speak, he said with a heavy accent.
“Can't we send the students home? We can handle it while the kids are removed from danger.”
Quest shook his head.
“To explain the background of that decision, I will have to explain these children's abilities.”
He pointed to where Sal and Divinity were sitting.
“Salvatore Argento possesses a replication-type ability called Skill Master, which allows him to copy abilities and use them at maximum efficiency. We had Sal replicate Divinity's ability. Divinity's ability is a more advanced form than Scry's foresight, much more precise in detecting the future. With the cooperation of these two students and Neuro's help, we analyzed hundreds of scenarios that could unfold.”
Quest pointed to the man with the strong accent sitting between Sinclair and Jez and added.
“To answer your question, if we empty the Academy and send the students back home, monster attacks will occur in multiple civilian areas. As a result, the number of casualties becomes much higher. This is also the basis that made us more certain that this incident is a thoroughly calculated attack targeting specific students.”
Lars slammed his palm on the desk in disappointment and let out a sigh mixed with anger.
“There must be a way to solve this without putting the students in danger. What is the best alternative among those proposed so far?”
Quest looked at Harlan and gestured for him to come to the front of the podium.
He stepped aside, yielding the spot to the monster behavior expert.
Harlan leaned forward, resting his arms on the podium, and spoke.
“When facing an enemy that sees the future, establishing countermeasures is extremely tricky. The most effective strategy we have compiled is overwhelming force. It involves simultaneously deploying various operations selected completely at random right before the event. That way, that Commander-rank monster will also have to fight receiving the same information at the same time as us.”
He paused for a moment, looked around the audience, and continued.
“We have seen this Commander's attack patterns in numerous futures. Thanks to that, we were able to identify their strategy, attack style, targets, attack routes, and even the types of monsters mobilized. Based on this information, precise responses tailored to each situation have become possible.”
Harlan looked toward Divinity for a moment.
“Ms. Khan, Mr. Argento, and Scry. These three are our secret weapons. The main strategy is to place them in each strike team to deliver real-time information through their foresight abilities.”
At that, Upgrade jumped up from her seat.
“That is absolutely not allowed!”
People's gazes focused on her, and some had annoyed faces.
“Do you know what you are saying right now? You're sending children who haven't even seen monsters to the battlefield? Sal is a Mythos Crafter! You all heard about the Legend rank sniper rifle. Sal made that! Putting such a child into this absurd operation. Are you out of your mind?”
Porge also chimed in with a low, heavy voice next to Upgrade.
“I fully agree.”
More than half of the people nodded as if agreeing with those words.
The rest were looking at Sal with a new perspective.
Upgrade poured out suggestions without giving Harlan or Quest a chance to answer.
“How much time do we have left? If we mobilize the entire Workshop, Sal can make a weapon to take down the Commander. You said yourself that we know a huge amount about that guy now! We can reverse-engineer that to create counter-equipment…. We just need some time.”
She looked at Sal and appealed with a desperate voice.
Quest shook his head, but Upgrade spoke again desperately.
“Mobilize even the third years! Surely Sal isn't the only replication-type student. But Sal is the only Mythos Crafter. Does it make sense that this is the only option we have?”
If Sal had only heard her words, he might have thought she considered him important merely as a Mythos Crafter. But the desperation on her face, the hurt expression, and the trembling voice almost broke Sal's heart.
Upgrade stood there glaring at Quest.
Hesitating for a moment, she finally pointed a finger at Quest as if she had made up her mind.
“I won't stand by and watch you send that child to the battlefield.”
Quest's expression hardened.
“I also do not wish for our students to be in danger.”
He looked around the room and continued.
“And I also do not wish for any of you in this room to fall into danger. Even if you possess outstanding abilities. This situation has engulfed everyone. We have no choice but to adapt and respond within the information we currently have.”
Quest clenched his fists and closed his eyes for a moment.
“We have sent emergency calls to all guilds, and we plan to hold a strategy meeting when the representatives arrive tomorrow morning. Currently, the Doom Council has also received the report and is already discussing the most effective measures. But we cannot afford to wait for their decision. If the guilds provide suitable replacements for Salvatore and Divinity, we will exclude both of them from the operation.”
He added in a sincere voice.
“This is calculated based on the limited resources we have so far. To save as many people as possible.”
At those words, Porge stood up and placed a hand on Upgrade's shoulder.
“Nothing gets solved with anger. Let's sit down and listen to the end first.”
Upgrade quietly returned to her seat next to Porge, still glaring at Quest.
Quest nodded to Porge in gratitude, but Porge did not respond.
Instead, Quest gestured to Alastair sitting in the audience, moving on to the next stage of the meeting.
“Now Alastair will explain the tactical approach and each strike team. Please listen carefully, everyone, and after the explanation is over, we will have time for free discussion.”
With those words, the lights in the conference room dimmed, and the screen behind the podium brightened. The screen displayed a detailed map of the stadium where Divinity had witnessed the dungeon rift.
Alastair stood up, tugging at the hem of his waistcoat, and spoke to the attendees in a firm voice.
“I'll get straight to the point.”