Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Thirty minutes before the oasis explosion.

DING—

[Monster Kill Count]

Tae Euno — 10

Go Gyeol — 8

Ha Jaeyun — 6

.......

"Yeah, first place!!"

Euno cheered and collapsed face-down on the sand, exhausted.

"It's finally over......"

Jaeyun dropped beside Euno, looking around with a dazed expression.

"I can't believe we did this......!"

Monster corpses scattered across the field.

[Time Limit: 10:51:42]

Roughly one hour since entering the Gate.

Every monster Sahyeon had stirred up was dead.

"If I'd played it right from the start, we'd have won instantly."

When Gyeol said this coolly, Euno jabbed a finger at him and raised his voice.

"Oh, please! You stole at least three of the ones I'd already worn down!"

"All strategy."

"Strategy, my ass. It's just cheap!"

Euno scoffed, and Gyeol folded his arms, tilting his head.

"There's still ages left, and you're already lying there like that — what happens if something ambushes us?"

[Eliminate the monsters.]

[E-rank or above monsters: 24/300]

[Boss: 0/1]

Less than ten percent of the quest filled.

Academy tests ended only when the Gate was cleared.

Meaning this was just the beginning.

Gyeol let out a long sigh.

"God damn it. When are we going to hit three hundred?"

"That's nothing, we'll get there fast. Besides, I'm totally fine."

Euno snapped upright — then immediately flopped back down.

"Oh crap, dizzy......"

Jaeyun spoke with a worried voice.

"Don't push yourself too hard, hyung."

"Jaeyun's the only one I can count on......"

A warm atmosphere. Gyeol was half-listening, half-ignoring them, wiping bloodstains off his hands with a handkerchief.

"Great work, everyone."

Haeseong, who had been watching their fight, approached slowly.

"You all did really well."

"Ha ha, naturally!"

"Thank you."

Euno and Jaeyun answered in their own ways. Gyeol merely dipped his head.

"I heard stamina potions are prohibited during tests."

Haeseong pulled water bottles from his inventory and handed one to each of them.

Euno practically poured the water over his face rather than drinking it.

"Ahh, I'm alive!"

His color much improved, he sprawled out.

Jaeyun sipped his water, stealing glances at Haeseong, then hesitantly spoke.

"Um, Haeseong-nim, you said you're the professor's aide......?"

"Yes. Originally, I was in Education Support."

"No wonder your coaching was so good."

Gyeol said, raising an eyebrow.

"Ooh, Association staff?! You're a big deal!"

Euno shot him a thumbs-up.

Jaeyun gave a proper, polite bow.

"It's thanks to your coaching that we got through our first real fight without injuries. Thank you."

"Oh, come on. I just did what needed doing."

Haeseong waved both hands, smiling sheepishly.

"But hey."

Euno suddenly looked around and spoke.

"Where did our teacher — who doesn't do what needs doing — even go?"

"Oh, well......"

Honestly, I don't know either.

Haeseong couldn't bring himself to say what was on the tip of his tongue, trailing off with an awkward laugh.

Gyeol shook his head, his face full of displeasure.

"Better off without him. All he does is hover and backseat."

Euno grinned.

"Oh, is this your self-introduction?"

"What's that supposed to mean."

Gyeol blinked, genuinely not understanding.

Euno let out a baffled scoff.

"Self-awareness is truly not this guy's strong suit."

Jaeyun, who had been watching the two bicker, carefully changed the subject.

"...But the way the professor summoned those monsters earlier — that does seem like a mental-type, doesn't it?"

Euno tilted his head.

"What's that got to do with being a mental-type?"

Gyeol heaved a deep sigh.

"You haven't even read the Bible?"

"Oh, you mean the book you sleep with every night, hyung?"

Euno said with a grin, and a vein popped on Gyeol's forehead.

"I don't sleep with it."

"You do! Professor Haje even bragged to me about being one of the Bible's authors! What are you, a fangirl? Pfft!"

"I swear, this bastard—"

Gyeol swung a kick at Euno. Euno rolled across the sand, dodging.

Jaeyun ventured quietly.

"He probably used a hallucination skill, the kind mental-types typically use — to lure them, right?"

Gyeol clicked his tongue and ceased fire. He raised an eyebrow.

"What's the signature skill of a mental-type? Inducing hallucinations. He used that as bait. Just like earlier."

"Ahh. So he really is a mental-type!"

Euno exclaimed in realization, then popped his head up while still lying down.

"But aren't mental-types supposed to be super weak?"

"Exactly. That's probably why he summoned the monsters and bailed."

Gyeol snorted, then turned to Haeseong with a sidelong question.

"We're supposed to learn from that teacher until graduation — is he really worth trusting?"

"Well...... I'd rather not talk about Mr. Sahyeon when he's not here."

Haeseong gave an uncomfortable smile.

"One thing I can say is......"

He trailed off, humming in thought.

Mental-type Awakened were exceptionally rare.

It was statistically true that their stats tended to be lower than other Awakened.

But Sahyeon was different.

Stats higher than most combat-type S-rank Hunters.

Even Haeseong hadn't known that a mental-type Awakened with those kinds of numbers existed.

Not to mention the masterful monster-hunting methods.

Haeseong said it with certainty.

"You can trust him."

"......"

At the conviction in his tone, Gyeol fell into thoughtful silence.

Euno spoke cheerfully.

"Well, if the aide vouches for him that hard, there must be a reason!"

"I agree."

Jaeyun nodded earnestly.

Gyeol still seemed unconvinced, but reluctantly shrugged.

Euno stretched wide and sat up.

"Ahh. Aren't any more monsters coming? I'm starting to get bored."

"The smell of the corpses could attract more. It'd be wise to stay ready."

The instant Haeseong finished speaking—

BOOM—!

An impact echoed from somewhere far away.

"Huh?"

"What was that......?"

"Wasn't that something breaking?"

The students turned as one toward the sound.

But there was still nothing but endless desert.

No way to tell what had happened.

'Could that be Mr. Sahyeon?'

Haeseong guessed.

Back in the office, Sahyeon had seemed to be searching for something, and just moments ago he'd been looking around before vanishing. He clearly had some objective......

Having seen how Sahyeon fought, Haeseong figured this level of noise was within the realm of normal.

He was about to speak up to reassure the students when—

BEEEEEEEP—

"!"

"ACK! That scared me!"

"What is that?!"

A warning alarm, erupting without warning.

Before anyone could process it—

[Gate grade has changed (D→B).]

A warning window appeared.

Haeseong's heart dropped.

"!!"

A Gate grade change?! This suddenly?!

An extremely rare Gate anomaly.

What's more, Gate grades typically rose by one tier — this one had jumped two.

This was an emergency.

On top of that—

"O-Our stats are down half a grade right now, aren't they......?"

Jaeyun clutched his hair.

The A-rank students' effective grade had just dropped to B.

"This is bad...!"

Haeseong immediately pressed the emergency call button on his hunter watch.

Sahyeon would receive their location instantly.

B-rank hunters clearing a B-rank Gate was something that happened in the field all the time.

But only for professional hunters.

For Awakened who'd been at it less than a month, it was too much.

And the danger was only beginning.

SCRATCH, SCRATCH, SCRATCH, SCRATCH—

An ominous sound of sand being gnawed at.

"Everyone! Below you! Watch out!!"

Haeseong shouted.

The students braced for an attack.

The speed was on an entirely different level from the Golden Moles.

The noise closed in rapidly.

SCRATCH, SCRATCH, SCRATCH, SCRATCH, SCRATCH—

BOOOM!

The sand finally erupted.

Red shadows through the dust.

"Oh, hell. That's disgustingly huge!"

Euno's jaw dropped.

SHRIIIEEK—!

Massive bodies, roughly three meters tall.

Hard exoskeletons that glowed red as if aflame. Long, razor-sharp stingers on their tails.

Haeseong's mouth slowly fell open.

"I-Invicta?!"

Giant Fire Ant monsters — the Giant Invicta menaced with clicking mandibles.

Haeseong swallowed a trembling breath and shared the status window with the students.

DING—

[Monster Information]

Name: Giant Invicta (GIANT FIRE ANT)

Grade: B-

Characteristics: Lives in colonies. Sprays lethal venom from the stinger on its tail.

.......

"B, B-?!"

Jaeyun's voice shook violently.

And there wasn't just one.

HISSSSS—

A swarm packed tight around them.

Gyeol cracked a grin.

"Ha ha, we're toast."

The massive bodies radiated searing heat.

Jaeyun backed up, rubbing his arms.

"It's so hot......!"

Haeseong swallowed hard and spoke.

"...There are too many. I've sent a call to Mr. Sahyeon, so let's just hold out until he gets here."

"He's a mental-type. Even if he comes, what's he going to do?"

Gyeol's lip curled.

Even his earlier composure now showed cracks of tension.

"He's right! But we combat-types are still better!"

Euno declared with bravado.

An Invicta twitched its antennae toward them. Euno didn't flinch.

"Let's see how tough a B-rank monster really is......!"

He bared his teeth and charged at the Invicta.

"You maniac! Don't just rush in!"

Gyeol shouted in alarm, but it was already too late.

Euno, airborne.

He drew a bowstring in midair and aimed at the Invicta's midsection.

The shot tore through the air—

CLANG—!

And bounced clean off.

"?! It doesn't work??"

"Euno! The Invicta's weak point is its waist! Cut through it!"

Haeseong shouted.

"Got it!!"

Euno gritted his teeth and grinned.

If the bow won't work, a blade will!

['Formless Blade (A-→B+)' skill has been activated!]

A skill grade lowered by the Gate debuff.

An Invicta lunged at him at the same moment.

He dodged at high speed, targeting only the waist.

"Come ON! Just! Cut already!"

Even so, he was barely leaving scratches.

Only after slashing the same spot over and over—

SLASH—

The blade finally cut through the Invicta's body.

"Yes!"

Just as a smile bloomed on Euno's face—

HISSSSS—!

Invicta blood splattered across his forearm and shoulder.

"AARGH!"

He clutched his shoulder and crashed to the ground.

"!! Hey, Tae Euno!"

Gyeol rushed over.

Jaeyun and Haeseong followed on his heels.

"Ugh. Burns like hell......"

The skin near Euno's shoulder had dissolved where the Invicta's blood touched it, leaving a severe burn across his right arm.

"Hold on, I'll get the emergency kit!"

Haeseong was reaching for his inventory when—

SHRIIIIIEEK—!

The monsters didn't wait.

Led by the Invicta Euno had wounded, the swarm was closing their perimeter.

Haeseong bit down on his lip.

'This again.'

The metallic taste of blood lingered on his tongue.

Am I going to be useless again?

Helplessness crashed over him like a wave.

Tension pulled taut in the space around them.

SHRIIIIIEEK—!

The Invicta charged as one—

BOOOOOOOM—! WHOOOOOOSH!

A fierce gale erupted.

"AAH!!"

A sandstorm whited out their vision.

They squinted through the grit and slowly opened their eyes.

"!!"

"Oh my god......"

"Wh-What just."

The heat had been wiped clean.

Invicta lay scattered across the ground, leaking bubbling blood.

Total annihilation.

"...Am I dreaming?"

Jaeyun murmured, dazed. In that moment, his eyes met those of a figure standing at a crooked angle atop the Invicta corpses.

Not a single breath out of place.

He gave his weapon a wide swing.

"Took me a while to find you."

Hot blood scattered through the air. Sahyeon's red eyes emerged, quiet and still, from behind the veil of crimson.