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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter 34
[Sub Quest: Earn the respect of the Heavenly Fallen Emperor.]
[Reward: Yang Hak-je's affinity will greatly increase. Trait experience will greatly increase.]
The subsequent quest notification and reward details made my mind reel.
Yang Hak-je was notorious in Military Chronicle for being the most difficult character to raise affinity with. He was so arrogant and self-centered that he rarely needed help, nor was he the type to form attachments.
'That's why everyone coveted it. Yang Hak-je's unique trait, Overlord.'
Yang Hak-je's Overlord was a very rare trait passed down through his family line. Once mastered, it allowed him to exude an overwhelming aura with just his gaze.
Even the most formidable villains would involuntarily back down when they encountered him on the battlefield...
'That's why so many of the High-Society Villains died because of that one guy.'
On the battlefield, villains and soldiers alike meticulously devised strategies and tactics to achieve victory, but Yang Hak-je himself was a strategy and a tactic. No matter what strategy was prepared, the front lines would crumble and defeat loomed close as soon as Yang Hak-je appeared.
That's how much of a nightmare his Overlord was to the villains.
And at the same time, it was a highly coveted ability.
"What are you pondering so deeply?"
While I was reminiscing about the past, Yang Hak-je slowly said, "I apologize if my words offended you. However, if you want to be respected as a teacher, shouldn't you first show a behavior worthy of that respect?"
He now even wore a sneer as he tightened his grip on Okamoto's throat. It was a clear message telling me to step up if I wanted to be treated like a professor.
'...To earn the respect of this guy.'
No matter how I thought about it, the quest difficulty was too high. He was someone who saw humans other than himself as a completely different species.
How could one possibly earn the respect of such a person?
"...This is quite disappointing."
A small sigh escaped Yang Hak-je's lips.
"Hearing the rumors, I thought you would be different, but such a weak reaction... If this is the case, then Okamoto's death here is truly unavoidable."
Crack-!
Crack-!
As soon as Yang Hak-je finished speaking, Okamoto's bones began to contort!
Various thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant, and then suddenly, a sound blared from the classroom speakers.
Weeing-
Weeing-
An emergency signal that sounded like it belonged in a fire station.
And immediately after, a voice came through the microphone.
-”Ah, I apologize for the interruption during class. This is an announcement from the situation room. Currently, a villain army has appeared in the city and is massacring citizens. We ask the professors of the 13 departments to organize all available forces within 5 minutes.
I repeat, currently, a villain army has appeared in the city...!”
The emergency broadcast had finally begun.
The classroom instantly descended into chaos.
"A v-villain army?"
"I thought things had been quiet lately...!"
"We're doomed... I stayed up all night playing games yesterday...!"
This was the first dispatch situation this semester. But unlike the panicked students, the emergency signal sounded pleasant to my ears.
'Finally, the field training event.'
Today was the day of the Villain Field Training event that I had been waiting for.
As someone who had been preparing for this day for the past few weeks, I felt relieved that I had remembered the date correctly.
On the other hand, it was unfortunate for Yang Hak-je, who had planned to expose me today.
"...You have a long life."
Was that directed at Okamoto, or at me?
With those enigmatic words, Yang Hak-je left the classroom with a regretful look in his eyes.
His followers rushed out after him...
Only then did the heavy, oppressive air disappear, and breathing became easier again. Okamoto also seemed to be catching his breath, coughing repeatedly.
"That, that damn bastard...! He will definitely pay for this humiliation!"
Okamoto, vowing revenge, hurled curses at Yang Hak-je, who had already disappeared.
Of course, Okamoto, who had climbed the rankings with his theoretical scores, wouldn't be able to face Yang Hak-je directly...
'But it seems he is quite angry. To be brought to his knees in front of the students.'
Seeing a character famous for not showing off his pride so enraged, it seemed like he was truly furious.
"Huu... Tsk!"
After fuming for a while, Okamoto finally let out a deep sigh and bowed his head towards me.
"Um... thank you for helping me. If it weren't for you, Professor, I would have really died. That rotten bastard is capable of anything."
It was quite awkward to see Okamoto hesitantly thanking me. I had never seen this in the game.
But when he left the classroom, an even more awkward message followed.
Ding-!
[Okamoto's affinity towards Do Jin-hak increases.]
[Your relationship with Okamoto has progressed from "Acquaintance" to "Favorable."]
[You have acquired Okamoto's trait "Speed Reading 1"!]
The message content was completely unexpected.
I should be happy about the sudden reward... but strangely, I didn't feel any particular excitement.
'...This guy's affinity isn't very useful.'
Okamoto's trait, Speed Reading, was literally the ability to read books quickly.
It might be useful when playing as a student where test scores were important, but as a professor, it wasn't a very useful trait for me.
'Moreover, he's the type of person who throws loyalty out the window, so it's tricky to make him an ally.'
Unlike other characters, Okamoto, a theorist, was the type to immediately resort to the Thirty-Six Stratagems when things got dangerous on the battlefield. He was high-ranking, but so useless that he always ranked last in popularity polls among players.
Perhaps his only redeeming quality was that if you raised his affinity significantly later on, he would enchant items for free...
'Anyway, it's a relief the announcement came at the right time.'
Thanks to the timely occurrence of the field training event, Yang Hak-je's scheme had been thwarted. I still didn't know how to complete the quest to earn his respect, but...
'That's a problem for later.'
Right now, the field training event was the priority. Many things that would determine the direction of this loop were at stake here.
After quickly organizing the students, I hurried to the situation room.
* * *
[Villain Field Training Event!]
[A villain army has appeared in the city! Survive against the villain army!]
[Event Type: Time Attack.]
[Time Limit: 35 minutes]
[Rewards: Increase in trait experience. Increase in fame score. ????]
Upon arriving at the situation room, the event notification message appeared.
The content was exactly as I had seen it when playing Military Chronicle.
Here, the rewards varied depending on how many villains you defeated within the time limit.
'I wonder if that applies to me too.'
In field training, the students mainly handled the combat, while the professors were responsible for commanding the students of their respective departments. Since professors didn't directly participate in combat, I was curious if those rewards applied to me as well.
"Is everyone here? Then let's begin the operation briefing."
All the professors of the 13 departments, except for those who were unavoidably absent, were gathered in the situation room.
Among them, the one who stepped forward as the commander-in-chief was Kim Tae-hee of the Emission Department.
He stood before the professors to explain the operation.
'This is also the same as the original story progression.'
The commander-in-chief position was assigned to the most outstanding person among the 13 department professors, considering their fame, level, and abilities. At the beginning of the semester, it was Kim Tae-hee, but depending on the player's actions, the commander-in-chief could change as the story progressed.
Still, the fact remained that I had to follow Kim Tae-hee's instructions for now...
"The villains that have appeared in the city are those with Devil traits, and as you all know, they corrupt and control civilians. The number of corrupted humans is estimated to have already exceeded a thousand, and the threat level is assessed as B-class."
Kim Tae-hee's eyes were serious as he explained the roles and strategies of each department on the operation board. The operation details were appropriately orthodox.
The departments in charge of attack, led by the Emission Department, were in the center.
Support departments like the Divine Department, Alchemy Department, and Summoning Department provided support from the surroundings.
And the Defense Department was in charge of defense on the front lines...
As this was the first villain encounter players experienced in Military Chronicle, it was also a mechanism to clearly convey the roles of each department.
Therefore, the operation was exactly as I had seen it in the game.
Except for one thing.
"...That is all for today's operation. Any questions?" Kim Tae-hee, armed with armor and dual swords, asked in a low voice.
Among the silent professors, I spoke up without hesitation.
"There's nothing about the Deconstructionist Department in the operation, what are we supposed to do?"
Kim Tae-hee's explanation of the operation only included the 12 departments, completely omitting the Deconstructionist Department.
Kim Tae-hee raised an eyebrow and looked at me.
"The Deconstructionist Department will remain on standby at the rear."
"Standby at the rear?"
"In case of an emergency. We're leaving a reserve force to prepare for that."
Kim Tae-hee spoke calmly, but his words were laced with sarcasm. In short, he was telling me to do nothing and stay out of the way.
"That concludes the briefing. I wish you all the best."
Kim Tae-hee left without giving me a chance to say anything.
As the other professors rushed out, only Professor Clementine and I remained in the situation room.
"Professor Kim is really too much! Even if that's the case, standby at the rear...? This means the Deconstructionist Department won't get any points!"
Clementine seemed more upset than I was.
In field training events, each department was scored based on their performance. And since that score was directly linked to the department’s prestige and the students' points, it was a very important factor.
'That's why in the game, the player's performance greatly influenced the department’s scores, but...'
Since there were no players among the students in this world, each department would perform according to their basic capabilities, and accordingly, the scores would also be assigned in the order of the departments' power.
Since Seo Su-kyung, the greatest force in the Emission Department, had transferred to our department, they would receive a lower score than originally planned...
'The bigger problem is this.'
In the original story, the Deconstructionist Department was mixed into the auxiliary forces and tasked with identifying the villains' weaknesses, thereby earning points. So I had planned to find the Devil villain among them and extract its heart.
But that meticulously crafted plan had been rendered useless by Kim Tae-hee's interference...
'I can't just stand by and do nothing.'
If I couldn't obtain the Devil villain's heart this time and lift the curse, things would become very complicated.
I needed to find another breakthrough quickly, somehow.
* * *
There were many ways for students in the Masterclass to raise their rankings.
They could earn points based on class participation.
They could accumulate points by getting high scores on assignments or exams.
They could even earn points by greeting people properly and receiving high marks for their personality.
However, the best way was to demonstrate their skills in field training. Even if they failed exams or assignments, a good performance in villain practice could earn them high points in an instant.
No matter what anyone said, the highlight of the villain practice was the Emission Department, and Seo Su-kyung was the strongest student in actual combat in that Emission Department.
That's why Seo Su-kyung was dumbfounded by the scene unfolding before her eyes.
"...Rear support unit? Me?"
A small Divine Tree grew on the mountain ridge surrounding the city.
Around the makeshift operation room hastily set up near the Divine Tree, there were a few supplies, a few faculty members, and less than ten Deconstructionist Department students.
"Our mission in this operation is the rear support unit. Do your best in your assigned roles."
With those words, Professor D left the students alone and disappeared somewhere.
Left alone in the forest with the chirping of insects, Seo Su-kyung couldn't believe this reality.
"What on earth did you do to be treated like this?"
Even for a minor department, it was rare to be completely excluded from an operation like this. Professor D must have been severely disliked by Kim Tae-hee, the commander-in-chief.
I didn't know what kind of bad blood there was between the two...
"But why do I have to suffer like this…?!"
Anxious, Seo Su-kyung bit her nails.
The incidents with Arche's death and the theft of Shin A-sol's gym clothes were somehow smoothed over through a deal with Professor D.
Thanks to that, she ended up as an assistant in the Deconstructionist Department, which wasn't part of her plan...
Still, she could endure that level of humiliation. Because in return, she could keep her biggest secret.
'I can pay Professor D back anytime later. In the end, he's just a person.'
As long as she pretended to obey him, he would eventually let his guard down. If she seized that opportunity, she could find a chance to counterattack.
Until then, her plan was to play the role of an assistant and milk him for all she could...
'But there's nothing to milk here...!'
Seo Su-kyung despaired, looking at the scenery that seemed to have nothing to do with earning points.
She had already caused a major incident at CEO Seo Jin-chul's autobiography publication commemorative event last month.
That miserable Seo Su-cheon would have naturally run to his father and told him everything in detail, and Chairman Seo Jin-chul would have heard about it as well.
She had to raise her ranking somehow and prove her worth again. If she couldn't...
'I might really get kicked out of the family.'
For Seo Su-kyung, who had lived her life tenaciously to become the successor of the Seo family, that was a terrible ending she didn't even want to imagine.
An ending as terrible as having her secret revealed to everyone...
Seo Su-kyung, who had been biting her nails, now started trembling.
While she was restlessly pacing like that, suddenly, lights flashed in the distance from the city.
Kwa-kwa-kwang-
The loud explosion could be heard even from this distance!
It was an explosion that Seo Su-kyung was very familiar with.
"It's started!"
"It looks like the villains on the front lines have launched their attack!"
The Deconstructionist Department students around her were busy looking through their telescopes. They were just watching the battle scene from a few hundred meters away, but their lips were parched with tension.
"Wow... that's insane! So much blood!"
"Thank goodness we don't have to go there, right?"
"Yeah. There are some good things about being in the Deconstructionist Department. Hehehe..."
Seo Su-kyung was appalled by their conversation. Even if they were a collection of rejects, was that something a Masterclass student should be saying?
'Why am I with these pathetic guys!'
Seo Su-kyung gritted her teeth in frustration. The reality was that cruel.
One of the faculty members next to her, unaware of Seo Su-kyung's feelings, said with a kind smile, "It's really fortunate, kids. Imagine how bad it would be if you were on the front lines?"
"That's right. Sending students to a battle scene like this, this academy is really crazy."
The Deconstructionist Department students chimed in, giggling.
However, the faculty member shook his head and said, "No, I don't mean it's fortunate for you, but for the other students on the front lines."
"Huh...?"
"Think about it. If losers like you were on the front lines, how much damage would it cause to the other students? You guys seem to be assigned to a position that perfectly matches your abilities. Don't you think so?"
"Uh, uh, well..."
The students were so dumbfounded that they just gaped like fish. The words coming from the faculty member's mouth were too jarring compared to his kind, smiling face.
"Oh, come to think of it, we have the 'Sword Saint' here too, don't we?"
The faculty member pretended to cover his mouth as if he had just noticed Seo Su-kyung.
"I feel a little sorry... But honestly, you think so too, right? That's why you came to the Deconstructionist Department, isn't it? Because you'll stand out more among the rejects."
"...What did you say?"
Suddenly targeted, Seo Su-kyung was so dumbfounded that she couldn't even laugh.
"Excuse me, I stood out the most in the Emission Department even without coming to this crappy department."
"Ah, that's right. But wasn't that thanks to your family's wealth?"
"...What do you mean by that?"
"You spend a lot of money, but your grades show no sign of improving... So you came to a minor department. Because it's a waste to keep pouring water into a bottomless pit. Am I right?"
Seo Su-kyung suddenly felt dizzy. It was unbelievable that such a jerk appeared out of nowhere and got on her nerves.
"See, you can't say anything, so I guess I'm right."
The faculty member grinned, as if he had gotten the right answer...
Looking at that disgusting face, Seo Su-kyung suddenly thought that the faculty member's face was somewhat familiar. She probably saw him in the Emission Department.
'Did Professor Kim Tae-hee send him?'
Although Kim Tae-hee didn't show it outwardly, it was a well-known fact that he was greatly angered by Seo Su-kyung's transfer to the Deconstructionist Department.
He probably thought that if he deliberately informed Seo Su-kyung of the Deconstructionist Department's miserable reality and sent someone to provoke her, she would return to the Emission Department.
'As expected, all professors are black-hearted. How can students learn anything good from this?'
Ironically, Seo Su-kyung herself was the one who learned best from the dark minds of such adults... Anyway, she clicked her tongue inwardly.
"Why did you suddenly become quiet? Did I hit a nerve?"
The faculty member, unaware of her thoughts, continued to spout irritating remarks.
"Well, it must be embarrassing. You've been acting all high and mighty relying on your family background, but now that's wearing off. Isn't that right?"
Seo Su-kyung felt the urge to knee him in the face, then suddenly looked around.
The air around them grew chilly...
The chirping of insects had stopped in the bushes surrounding the operation room.
Sensing the change in the atmosphere, Seo Su-kyung said to the faculty member, "...I know one thing for sure. Why you're stuck in this rear end."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"I wouldn't want you around me either. An idiot who can't even notice what's approaching."
"What in the world...?"
The faculty member felt an unknown fear from Seo Su-kyung's cold gaze, but it was too late.
Kwaaah-
Something leaped from behind and attacked the faculty member, making the students jump back in surprise.
Eyes that had lost their reason and were filled with madness.
Saliva dripping from hunger.
A face that had become ferocious despite its human form...
"Ah, a Corrupted Human!"
"How did a Corrupted Human get here?!"
Those who were biting and tearing at the faculty member's flesh and bones while he was still alive were humans corrupted by the Devil villain's spell.
Having completely lost their humanity and become Corrupted Humans, they greedily devoured the faculty member.
Gulp-! Crack-! Slurp, chomp, chomp...!
The students felt nauseous at the sight of a human being torn apart alive in front of their eyes.
The Corrupted Humans, who had devoured a person in the blink of an eye, now turned their eyes to their next prey, Seo Su-kyung.
"D-danger!"
The students' shouts from behind and the Corrupted Humans' charge happened almost simultaneously.
But it was Seo Su-kyung's hands that moved faster.
Shing-!
The students standing behind could only see Seo Su-kyung's hand reaching for the scabbard. And the next moment, the heads of three Corrupted Humans fell to the ground with a thud, shocking everyone.
Kieeek-!
Even though their necks were severed, the bodies of the Corrupted Humans thrashed like lizards. When Seo Su-kyung stomped on the heads that had fallen to the ground, their bodies finally went limp.
......
Seo Su-kyung had single-handedly dealt with the sudden situation.
It was a scene that clearly showed why she was called the "Sword Saint."
"S-Seo Su-kyung? Where are you going?"
The students asked as Seo Su-kyung tried to go somewhere in the suddenly quiet forest.
She glanced back and replied, "Why are you asking the obvious? To the front lines, of course."
"But our mission is rear support!"
"Who doesn't know that? That's why I'm trying to fulfill my role as rear support."
"What do you mean by fulfilling your role as rear support?"
"What role do we have on the front lines...?"
The students couldn't understand her thoughts at all.
But Seo Su-kyung gritted her teeth, as if she was the one who was frustrated.
"You guys are so dense. Did you forget what Professor D said?"
What did Professor D say?
In the students' memories, Professor D hadn't left any particularly special words. He just instructed them to do their best in their assigned roles...
"But what does that have to do with the front lines?"
Seo Su-kyung nodded as if it was obvious to the puzzled students.
"The Corrupted Humans have invaded this far. That means something must have gone wrong on the front lines, right?"
"That's possible, but... wouldn't they have contacted us by radio if something happened?"
"Maybe the situation is so serious that they can't use the radio? Then what's the rear support unit supposed to do?"
"No way... Front line support?"
Seo Su-kyung snapped her fingers, confirming their guess.
The students were so dumbfounded that they couldn't find anything to say. In other words, she was saying that since they had a rough excuse, they should go to the front lines and earn points, regardless of what anyone said.
"B-but if we move without permission like that, we might be in big trouble later."
Seo Su-kyung's actions were too radical for the students. Her actions could be severely punished for violating orders.
But Seo Su-kyung sighed deeply.
Filled with anger.
Glaring at everyone.
"You pathetic losers. Do you want to live so passively forever? Being treated like pushovers by that kind of person?" Seo Su-kyung said, pointing at the faculty member's dismembered corpse.
The students, remembering the contempt and ridicule they received from the faculty member, fell silent.
They knew. Even though they were lucky enough to get into the Masterclass, they were losers in this academy.
The Masterclass pyramid was too solid. Moving between classes was a pipe dream, and hope and expectations only led to disappointment.
To the students who had realized this reality and resigned themselves to it, Seo Su-kyung spoke bluntly.
"Stop whining and just follow me. And do exactly as I say. I'll take responsibility and get you points."
Leaving those words behind, Seo Su-kyung strode down the mountain.
The students could only stare at her back for a while.
It didn't take long for the hesitant losers to start following her, one by one.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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