-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Tutorial Boss Battle (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I lowered my gaze and surveyed my surroundings.
"Grrrraaaah—!"
"Shit! Hey! Do something, quick!"
"Dammit, I only have a secondary weapon right now!"
"Then swing that!"
Monsters with canine heads and muscular bodies chased after the cadets, and the second-year cadets, who were somewhat trained, grouped together in small groups to fight against the monsters.
However, most of them were unarmed, so they couldn't put up proper resistance.
At this rate, it would only be a matter of time before they were overwhelmed.
'So much for the standard plan.'
According to the original scenario, a few days later, when the third and fourth-year seniors and instructors had left for a large-scale overseas gate expedition, Choi Aram would then cause an incident in the central plaza.
Therefore, the cadets would either scatter to find a way to survive, or return with their weapons to face the monsters.
And in the midst of that, defeating Choi Aram, the tutorial boss, would complete the objective.
However, the tutorial boss battle had erupted earlier than expected, and the conditions had also changed.
'This situation is tougher than the game.'
This place was currently an enclosed space.
If she were to unleash an area-of-effect attack here, it would become troublesome.
I quickly racked my brain and revised the clear conditions.
— Rescue senior cadets.
— Eliminate the monsters.
— Defeat the boss.
And all of this had to be accomplished simultaneously.
Ultimately, it was a race against time.
I finished my calculations and turned my head.
There, Shin Sehee was staring at me with a somewhat dazed expression.
"First, Shin Sehee."
"...Yes?"
She snapped out of her daze and replied when I called her name.
"You've got all the information on the healers among the second-year cadets, right?"
"Ah, yes, I do."
"Then gather the healers immediately and focus on healing the injured."
"Ah, yes. I'll do that."
Shin Sehee nodded and immediately left.
"And Lee Yuri."
"Hm."
"From now on, you're the sub-party leader."
"Got it."
Despite the sudden appointment as sub-party leader, Lee Yuri immediately accepted.
"From now on, you, Kang Dohee, and Senior Im Gaeul. The three of you will need to hunt down the monsters. With the three of you, a mob hunt should be possible."
"...What? Then what about you?"
However, as if unable to understand this command, Lee Yuri's eyes widened as she asked again.
Kang Dohee and Im Gaeul also looked at me as if asking what I meant.
I cast my gaze towards Choi Aram.
She was squatting, cupping her face with both hands, and grinning creepily while looking this way.
"I'll hold her off. If she unleashes an area-of-effect attack here, it'll be a headache."
"...B-but!"
"I'm not suited for dealing with small fry."
I placed a hand on Lee Yuri's shoulder.
"You have to do it."
She bit her lip firmly. And then, she soon nodded.
"Alright. I'll finish quickly and come to support you."
I cast a glance at Kang Dohee and Im Gaeul in turn.
At that, Kang Dohee clicked her tongue as if displeased with something and turned her head away, while Im Gaeul looked troubled but nodded, perhaps thinking she couldn't leave her classmates like that.
After distributing roles to the party members like that, I headed towards the platform alone.
"Oh? You're not all coming together. You came alone?"
Choi Aram stood up and kicked a woman who had been sitting beside her.
She tumbled down—
Thud—
The black-haired bobbed woman rolled off the platform.
Choi Aram narrowed her eyes as she looked at me, then suddenly her eyes widened.
Then she pointed a finger and shouted.
"Ah-ha! I remember you!"
"What an honor."
"You're definitely that damn boy who gave Im Gaeul a magic stone this morning! And then you said I had no talent and ignored me, didn't you!?"
This level of paranoia is severe.
I never ignored her in the first place.
I merely pointed out the fact that Im Gaeul could use it, and she couldn't.
And what I said was because she complained so much while doing nothing and just riding on others' coattails.
When I gave her a bewildered look, Choi Aram stared intently at me, then suddenly twisted the corner of her lips into a smirk.
"Now that I look at you. You're quite a waste, aren't you...? Strong, handsome, and most importantly, a boy who shows favor to Im Gaeul."
A glint of desire shone in her eyes.
"Yes. Yes. That's right. If I have power, then money, authority, and even men can all be mine, can't they...?"
She muttered something to herself, then cupped her face with both hands and turned her head towards me.
"If you change your mind now, I'll spare you. How about it? Aren't I much better than that bug-like bitch?"
Her appearance was so absurd that I let out a hollow laugh.
At that, she furrowed her brows and tilted her head to the side.
"...You're laughing?"
"Yeah, because I thought your bullshit was top-tier."
I pulled up one corner of my mouth.
"If you'd spent one more year at the academy, that would have been more than enough time to know what the end of a Demonkin looks like... Ah, wait, Senior, you failed a year, didn't you? Is that why you couldn't properly attend classes?"
As I taunted her, her face hardened.
"...What did you say? You just..."
"And, are you an idiot? How dare you compare Senior Im Gaeul to trash like you?"
"...!"
As if Im Gaeul was her sore spot, sparks flew from her eyes in an instant.
"...This formidable power—"
"It's cringe, so stop saying things like that. It's hard to listen to. Pinky."
"You, you, you bastard—! You, you're done for!!!!"
Choi Aram convulsed and pointed a finger at me.
"Diiieee—!!!!"
Fwiiing—
A black beam shot out from her fingertip.
The moment she pointed her finger at me, I lunged sideways.
Sizzle.
I glanced sideways at the spot where I had just been.
There was a pitch-black hole there, with white smoke rising from it.
'I can't give her time. I'll end this quickly.'
Even if she was just a tutorial boss, she was originally an enemy meant to be faced by a party.
To face such an enemy alone as a damage dealer, there was no other choice but to unleash as many attacks as possible in the shortest amount of time to finish her off.
Inhale—
I took a long, deep breath.
The musty smell of dust and the metallic scent of blood permeated the air.
My first battle against a Demonkin.
Those Demonkin were truly troublesome beings.
Demonic beings who fed on humanity's impure emotions.
Those cockroach-like creatures would grant power to make human emotions run wild and then devour them.
Choi Aram, perhaps not expecting me to dodge, wore a dazed expression for a moment before her face contorted savagely, and she spread both hands.
Fwiiing—!
Ten black beams shot out, targeting me.
Instantly, Moonlight, drawn from my waist, traced a graceful arc.
Clang—! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The clear ringing of the sword briefly scattered as it deflected each of her attacks.
'It's a powerful attack, but the weapon I hold is no ordinary one either.'
I chose one of the attacks shot at me and sent it back towards Choi Aram.
Fwiiing—!
Sizzle—!!
"Gah!"
The black flash returned and struck Choi Aram's shoulder.
She, who hadn't expected the attack to return to her, grimaced in pain and clutched her shoulder.
'An opening!'
Bang—!
The sound of a short push-off lingered like an afterimage, and a beat later, the tearing sound of air bursting followed.
A tightly gripped hilt.
All my senses sharpened.
A faint blue light flickered on the blade.
A sharp ray of light cut through the air.
Swooshhhhh!
The perfect single sword strike I had honed until now.
The straight line struck above her shoulder.
Crack—!
"Kyaaaah—!!!!"
Moonlight sliced her shoulder, but instead of the sound of flesh being torn, it was the sound of something shattering.
Her shoulder was cracked as if glass had shattered.
"...W-why."
Choi Aram's eyes trembled with a bewildered expression, but I immediately began swinging my sword to give her no time to recover.
Swish—
At that, she raised her magic while covering her face with both arms.
Clang! Clang—! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
A rain of swords poured down on her body like a shower.
Swinging.
Thrusting.
Stabbing.
Moonlight chipped away at her magic.
* * *
Clang—!
A deep blue sword traced an arc.
The sword's tip struck the air and then plunged downwards repeatedly, only to suddenly thrust fiercely towards her waist.
Clang-clang—! Clang! Clang-clang—!!
"Ugh—!"
Choi Aram groaned as she frantically blocked the incessantly pouring sword strikes.
She couldn't contain her bewilderment.
'What is this...! What is this?!!'
Sword strikes that continued as if forever.
Moreover, the sword's speed seemed to be gradually increasing.
Crk.
The body blocking the sword began to crack little by little.
Her doubts grew.
A distant horror seeped sluggishly into her mind.
'Just, why...?'
An unpleasant sensation, like a sticky ominousness, crept up from her ankles.
Choi Aram gritted her teeth.
'H-how... I clearly, I, I should have gotten stronger... Why, whyyy—!!!'
She had made a deal with a demon to become stronger, and in return, she had obtained formidable power.
Hadn't she actually succeeded in subduing Kim Soohyun, known as one of the strongest second-year cadets, in a single blow?
So why then.
Why, on earth.
Why.
Why was she being pushed back so much by merely a first-year cadet, and a boy at that?
In the end, was she merely trash, born trash, and even as a Demonkin, still just trash...?
"Shit, this can't be... This can't be...!!!"
Choi Aram bit her lip tightly.
Inside, her inferiority complex swelled monstrously, as if it would burst at any moment.
It was then.
[ ...Become a complete Demonkin. ]
A viscous voice whispered in her ear.