Ch.4040. The Academy Under Attack

I definitely don’t like Min Kangsu personally. But that doesn’t mean I want to die at the hands of a monster that seems to be targeting me.

Personal feelings and duties as a Jaeger should be kept separate.

I heard Min Kangsu’s scream and ran toward it, only to see the creature before me.

And behind it, Min Kangsu collapsing in a spray of blood.

Bright red blood clearly etched on those massive claws.

“Hey! Over here!”

I shouted at the monster.

Of course, it was already attacking, so what good would shouting do?

I used the power of my enhancement suit to throw a rock.

The accuracy of the rock was terrible, but it could draw the creature’s attention.

[The Brate Saurus attacks primarily with those sharp claws. It mainly strikes upward with both hands. Usually, it lies flat and attacks by surprise. Other than that, there’s nothing to worry about.]

I ran based on the knowledge in my head.

Trusting in the power of my enhancement suit, I threw myself forward as those menacing claws moved toward me.

But don’t worry. The distance I jumped was outside the creature’s attack range.

What I was aiming for was the next moment. After baiting an attack from outside its range, I’d dive in during the opening.

No need to fight the monster—in fact, I shouldn’t. As a threatening wind brushed past my ears, I successfully dove in.

Now!

I quickly hoisted Min Kangsu over my shoulder and escaped not forward but to the side of the creature.

The standard strategy for a Brite Saurus is to attack from behind.

But instead of engaging, I waited for it to turn around clumsily, buying time.

Yes, now it’s time to escape. But at that moment, the Brite Saurus did something it hadn’t done before.

Suddenly there was a sound of the ground rumbling, and wasn’t the ground shaking?

“Ugh!”

Just as I was barely managing to escape, armor began growing from the creature’s back.

“Huh?”

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this… Actually, this is exactly how mutant variants transform later on.

Wait a minute? If that’s the case, then this is a mutant variant…

A-rank.

The mutant variant that appears later was definitely A-rank.

Right now, it was transforming while letting out a scream.

In that moment, I felt a chill. A creature that was C-rank until just now turns out to be an A-rank mutant variant? But something seems off.

When fully transformed, it should look like a heavily armored turtle, but right now it’s shaking its body mid-transformation.

Is it in pain?

Whatever the case, I took this opportunity to escape with Min Kangsu.

But if it’s A-rank, will escape even be possible?

The time I’ve bought so far was truly lucky, if you can call it luck.

At that very moment, I sensed an eerily quiet atmosphere.

Strange? This creature shouldn’t be this quiet.

As I instinctively turned my head, I caught sight of a tail in my field of vision.

A blunt, hammer-like tail was targeting me.

If it hits, I’m dead, regardless of pain.

But just then, a sword flashed like lightning in front of me.

With a clang, Gram and the creature’s tail deflected right before my eyes.

Gram?

“Aerial?”

I saw Aerial’s urgent face in my field of vision. And in the intense heat, a fire elemental made of flames appeared.

Ifrit.

Is that Geum Dohyeon?

Ifrit and the Brate lizard clashed. In that situation, the lizard’s movements became strange.

“Ugh!”

I heard a short groan and saw Seol Yuhwa staggering.

Brisingamen wasn’t having its proper effect.

And in that opening, the creature burrowed into the ground and disappeared.

“Hey, Seol Yuhwa! You should have held it properly!”

I heard Aerial’s angry voice. No, is this really the time to argue about that?

“Take Min Kangsu to the infirmary!”

“Give him to me!”

Geum Dohyeon immediately took Min Kangsu and ran. I shouted to the two people with their fierce atmosphere.

“That thing can move quickly underground too. Be careful.”

“I know that, Doo Jonghyeon!”

Aerial shouted that as she ran off, while Seol Yuhwa fidgeted with Brisingamen.

“It’s hard to control.”

“Have confidence. That monster doesn’t seem like an ordinary one. It’s strong.”

Seol Yuhwa will play a major role in the attack incident that’s coming in just a few days.

She can’t be discouraged here.

This is an event that didn’t happen in the past. Seol Yuhwa needs to step up.

“It’s hard to control anything in such an urgent situation. Just take a deep breath and focus. Getting discouraged will only make things worse.”

“Doo Jonghyeon.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

Seol Yuhwa gave me a brief smile and stepped forward again.

Whew, I hope this works out.

Anyway, the problem is how this real monster appeared at the simulation site.

After I returned with the instructors, all mobilized, a surprising fact was revealed.

“Instructor Oh Juhwan was attacked?”

Surprisingly, the skilled Oh Juhwan had been ambushed and thrown into a storage room.

Oh Juhwan is a powerful figure ranked within the top 500, but an ambush? Eun Serin comes to mind, but she shouldn’t have come today, right?

I said to the gathered instructors:

“Could there be a traitor inside? The academy keeps getting breached.”

“We know that. Someone skilled enough to ambush and take down Instructor Oh Juhwan…”

The instructors also looked incredulous.

But Bong Junseok, an instructor from the intermediate class, was different.

“Hmph. It’s a lack of skill. Oh Juhwan is strong in fair fights, but weak against underhanded methods. Those who attack this place can’t be in their right minds to begin with. This is Oh Juhwan’s mistake.”

“Bong Junseok.”

Ban Seonwook, the advanced class instructor, gave him a warning look, but Bong Junseok didn’t care.

“It’s obvious. If there’s an internal traitor, it’s someone Oh Juhwan knows. I don’t believe he could be subdued in an instant by just anyone. Someone that strong would require all of us instructors to take on and wouldn’t hide. Oh Juhwan let his guard down around someone he trusted. Including us, I suppose.”

Bong Junseok’s words shook the place. Someone Oh Juhwan would trust enough to let his guard down. That’s why he was ambushed and tied up.

This cast suspicion on the other instructors who knew Oh Juhwan.

“So much for patrols or whatever—we need to constantly check each other’s positions, don’t we? Let’s be honest here. If we keep saying nonsense like ‘let’s trust each other,’ not only the students but we ourselves will end up dead. Friends, do you understand what I’m saying now?”

After the attack incident, the academy’s movements became extremely restricted. Everyone had to move in pairs, and instructors and staff had to constantly report their locations, to the point of frustration.

At the same time, they hired a guild to investigate the instructors’ backgrounds.

A directive came down that students should never go alone and should move in groups of five.

Thanks to that, I was also moving with a group of junior class students, keeping watch on our surroundings.

Things were chaotic here too. Since this wasn’t something that happened in the future, I was confused about what to do now.

If the future is predetermined, then the attack incident would happen one day after Seol Yuhwa’s big moment.

Everything else was unknown.

Days passed with everyone’s worries and my own concerns at the forefront.

Now the time of the attack had arrived.

*

On this day, I was fully prepared. I just held my card deck tightly, waiting for the time of the attack.

In principle, like the previous outdoor training, this could be resolved without my intervention, but people would die.

The monsters will definitely attack the second-year classroom and the water fountain area on the field.

From there, monsters will pour out in large numbers. And one that creates fog will obscure visibility and turn the academy into chaos.

Of course, the instructors will be there, but the monsters this time are larger in number and stronger than before.

Localized battles will break out everywhere, and it will be impossible to keep track of everything.

When people start dying in the fog, unable to see what’s in front of them, Seol Yuhwa will succeed in controlling the situation with Brisingamen, separating the monsters from people and stabilizing the situation.

What I can do is try to prevent deaths as much as possible.

I deliberately led my group away from the monsters’ point of origin.

The academy was in a state of unease. This unsettled atmosphere persisted even as we moved between classrooms during classes.

It’s coming. It will come now.

Five minutes to the appointed time. Two minutes, one minute. Finally, as that time passed…

Suddenly, a sharp sound like something breaking echoed throughout the entire space.

It’s here.

Through the murmuring crowd, space began to crack, and a Monster Break occurred at the academy for the first time in history.

“Everyone back! Get away! Monster attack!”

Before anyone else, I shouted with a voice close to a roar.

As people began to react, fog started to spread.

Yes, this should minimize casualties.

The fog rapidly engulfed our surroundings. This fog is a spell cast by an A-rank monster, an Orc Mage.

The rarity of a monster using spells and the intelligent tactics targeting human weaknesses.

This was the beginning of the academy attack incident.

At least I spoke quickly enough that the junior class had all retreated.

But visibility was terrible.

“Myeongseok! Yu Deokmin!”

“I’m right beside you!”

Even though they were right next to me, it was hard to make out anything. Now the sounds of battle and monsters were becoming audible.

Screams could be heard amid those sounds, and people became scattered in fear.

“Everyone retreat calmly! From our current position, you can enter classrooms to the left and right! Don’t go to the second and third-year classrooms!”

The first-year building is separate from the second and third-year buildings. It’s best to have them hide in the first-year classrooms.

I’m going there too, but cutting through the fog was extremely difficult.

“Damn it. I really can’t see anything.”

The white-night-like visibility was truly frustrating.

As I was barely making my way by feeling the ground, the earth trembled.

What’s this? Monsters shouldn’t be coming here yet…

From somewhere came the sound of the ground collapsing, and my body shook uncontrollably.

“Monster!”

A voice of pain and anger from nearby. A monster is coming here?

I moved toward the sound, parting the fog. Before my eyes was a student with flesh torn away.

Brate Saurus. The monster that escaped earlier was attacking with the others!

It had been here all along?

Then I heard the sound of someone being trampled, and blood splattered.

[Evolution]

Without hesitation, I pulled out my evolution card. I know how to deal with this creature.

I’m the only one here with knowledge of the future.

[Main Card]

-Half-Dragon Asura

[Evolution]

-Half-Mechanical Asura

My body began to transform, using the fog as cover. With mechanical parts all over my body and an enlarged frame.

Sub Cards: Evolution, Sharp Blade, Output Limiter Release Device, Firepower Enhancement, Attribute Conversion

I equipped the sub cards and activated my passive radar.

I can now see through the fog-obscured vision. The sight of someone being killed.

I’ll stop that.

I need to be careful of the Brate Saurus’s turtle-like expanded shell. It can hide its body in there and rotate, creating a powerful defense.

[Data Analysis]

As my abilities began to shine one by one, I chose to enhance my characteristics.

Enhancing existing characteristics. Dinosaurs are weakened due to control, but other entities can be strengthened.

[Firepower Enhancement]

[Sharp Blade]

As soon as I received the characteristic enhancement effect, I pulled out a new green card.

[Output Limiter Release Device]

A high-grade card I newly drew. The grade just below silver. I’ll equip this.

[Output Limiter Release Device]

-When charged, increases basic stats by 1 rank, eases conditions for all characteristics, enables attribute attacks using electricity

As I used the card, new armor covered my upper body. It looked like it had an engine, with visible circuits, and the front was a half-cut full plate armor covering only the chest.

“Done.”

After completing all preparations, I approached the monster.

As the monster and I met at close range through the fog, I ducked.

The massive claws I’d seen before passed over my head, and while ducking, I put strength into both legs.

Propulsion.

I tried to push it away with the collision, but unfortunately, this entity’s basic stats are mediocre.

Not enough to face an A-rank Brate Saurus.

“Ugh!”

“Kreaaak!”

The Brate Saurus charged in confidently.

I’m being overpowered.

“Mmph!”

Just as it was about to overwhelm me…

[Output Limiter Release Device]

-Charge complete, Stat Rank increase

-All characteristic conditions are eased.

“Perfect.”

All Stat Ranks: A

As the Output Limiter Release Device took effect, I gained the upper hand against this monster.

Power was surging through my entire body.

A strength I could never normally wield.

I can do this. I can handle this creature. I exerted force and threw it away.

As its heavy body rolled on the ground, I used the Attribute Conversion card.

This creature is earth attribute; the effective attribute is wind.

[Attribute Conversion]

The sharp blade began to hold the power of wind.

I’ll stab its weak point with this.

As I approached, aiming for a single decisive blow, it threw something at me.

“Aaaaargh!”

It was another student. The student was thrown toward me, and I caught them.

“Hiiieek! Aaaah!”

I threw the crying, frightened student behind me.

Meanwhile, the creature began to rotate its body.

The most troublesome attack of the Brate Saurus: it simultaneously defends and attacks with its rotating body.

A small wind arose as it slowly approached me.

It was coming toward me with a threatening rotation that destroyed and crushed everything around it.

Inserting an attack between that rotating armor? An incredibly dangerous action.

But strangely, I noticed the creature’s rotation followed a certain pattern.

[Data Analysis]

-Enemy movement pattern analyzed.

Data Analysis doesn’t just increase rank. It actually analyzes the enemy’s movements for practical use.

I can now calculate exactly when it rotates toward the center.

Without hesitation, I approached the terrifyingly rotating creature.

My blade extended toward the gap in the rotating armor, exactly as the calculations showed.

As the blade stabbed in, my body lost balance and was thrown away.

“Ugh!”

Was it a failure? As I got up in surprise, I saw the enemy’s body shattering before me.

[Monster Defeated!]

-Reptile, Insect, Beast DNA acquired!

-1,500 DNA points acquired!

-Mechanical parts available for acquisition

Victory. As I quickly got up, I could sense another monster stirring nearby.

As my radar detected it, I heard Seol Yuhwa’s scream.

“No!”

I ran toward Seol Yuhwa in an instant, rushing through the fog.

And in the fog, I came face to face with Eun Serin, who was rescuing children.

“…”

“…”

Was that a suspicious look? But I don’t have time to argue with Eun Serin now. I ignored her and ran to save Seol Yuhwa.