Ch.66The Gatekeeper Is – 1

“Fuck.” The first thing that came to mind was a curse mixed with all kinds of emotions.

A painful, exhausting, and extremely irritating situation.

I forced myself to get up. A stinging pain jabbed at my body.

The thought of just lying here crossed my mind.

After deliberately erasing that ridiculous complaint, I checked the Superpower user standing in front of me.

“Hey.”

After examining the condition of the man collapsed beside me, I bit my lip.

No breathing. No pulse. No matter how many times I checked, it was the same.

“Arbiter!”

I heard Hana Kang’s voice from beside me.

You should be focusing on the battle, why are you coming here?

How much weaker will our firepower be with you gone?

“Are you alright, Arbiter?! Dasom! Dasom!”

“Go back to your position. We’re in combat, and if student Kang Hana is missing…”

I instinctively tried to perform CPR.

Suddenly, Hana Kang grabbed my hand and shook her head.

“What are you doing? Let go. We need to save this person first…”

“Arbiter.”

Hana Kang’s pupils were trembling slightly.

Though she was trying to act normal, what I saw beyond that was fear.

Only then did I properly see the state of the man sprawled out, different from how I perceived it.

“Fuck…”

It seemed the magic had struck right next to that person.

If his limbs had been intact, I could have at least attempted first aid.

If he had still been breathing, maybe Dasom Yoo could have saved him.

“It’s too late.”

Dasom Yoo, who had rushed over, shook her head and turned to me.

A person had just died right in front of us, yet her expression remained unchanged.

And it was truly a horrific sight.

Dasom Yoo maintained an expressionless face that even gave me chills.

“Arbiter. Your injuries.”

I couldn’t answer immediately. I felt dizzy. My body felt heavy.

“Arbiter!”

I barely managed to regain my senses at Dasom Yoo’s shout.

My foggy mind felt somewhat clearer.

“Your injuries. Just tell me the serious ones. I can’t use all my mana during battle.”

“…My leg.”

“Understood.”

Like before, a burning sensation lingered in my leg area before disappearing.

While being treated, I stared blankly at the man growing cold.

Just moments ago, he was someone I was talking with.

I couldn’t have imagined this would happen. That’s why the shock was so great.

I thought we’d be safe once we left the dungeon.

But thinking about it, humanity’s enemies aren’t just monsters.

In fact, there are those worse than monsters.

“Ugh!”

“Aaargh!!”

Glancing around, I heard screams and shouts coming from all directions.

Students and Superpower users battling villains.

When someone falls, another person urgently pulls them back.

Then someone else rushes in to provide first aid.

Meanwhile, their comrades grit their teeth and hold off the enemies targeting them.

“Student Kang Hana. Can you update me on the situation?”

“We just confirmed the villains’ attack. Normally we should have noticed something, but it was such a perfect ambush that neither we nor the national Superpower users detected anything.”

“What about the students? Surely not…”

“There are injuries, but they’re okay. Unfortunately, the first magic attack happened to land right next to you, Arbiter…”

I wasn’t sure if it was fortunate or unfortunate.

Thanks to me being the first one attacked, they had a moment to prepare.

I immediately got up. The current combat situation here isn’t good.

At best, we have a few B-rank national Superpower users and five Platinum-rank students as our top strength.

Although there are many Gold-rank students, and they’re quite capable in their own right.

But ultimately, even at their best, they’re barely B-rank, not fully B-rank.

The difference between Superpower users at different ranks is self-evident.

‘Moreover, everyone is somewhat tired after just clearing the dungeon. Especially the third squad.’

In contrast, the villains? They’re fresh. They waited for the perfect ambush timing.

Plus, they’re accustomed to harming innocent people. They have no hesitation.

And, though I hate to admit it, they’re unnecessarily strong.

People who excel in superpowers but didn’t want to be bound by the world’s rules.

That’s what villains are—a group of those outcasts.

“Be careful!”

A villain breaks through the students’ formation and charges.

Seems like they’re targeting the Magic Class or Support Class in the rear.

“Kuh!”

My body moved before my mind could.

When I came to my senses, a villain had collapsed in front of me.

The sensation transmitted through my sword to my fingertips, then throughout my body.

This person I killed, though a villain, was still a human.

Is this feeling compassion? Or guilt?

I’m not sure. I felt this before in the previous battle with villains.

I don’t feel sorry. But I don’t feel pleased either.

What matters now is preventing these guys from achieving what they want.

Yes. All I need to focus on is stopping what needs to be stopped and protecting what needs to be protected.

“Student Kang Hana. I trust you’ll do well. Be careful.”

“Yes! You be careful too, Arbiter!”

I nodded and immediately joined the battlefield.

Then swiftly cut down a villain targeting a student’s back.

– The Third Eye is activated.

◎ The Silver Gatekeeper

: Characteristic activation conditions have been met.

: Characteristic is currently active.

: Readjusting opponent’s rank.

: Rank adjustment – Gold identified

◎ Sole Arbiter

: Characteristic is active.

: This is an opponent who has not received promotion from Seojin Baek.

: Recognized as an assessment target.

“Gah!”

Still an unpleasant sensation, a feeling that automatically irritates me.

But there’s no choice. They’re humans but not humans.

If I hesitate, either I get hurt, or others get hurt. One of the two.

‘This one is C-rank. Those over there are B-rank. This will get difficult as time passes.’

If this were in the middle of the city like last time, it would have been better.

Reports would come in immediately, and nearby Superpower users would all come to support.

But this is an area concentrated with dungeons.

Civilians were evacuated long ago in preparation for any incidents.

Though there are Superpower users on standby nearby, this is a relatively remote area.

It will take more time for them to notice the commotion here and come to support.

‘And if the villains have set ambushes on the routes the reinforcements would take, it will take even longer.’

Clang—!

“Ugh!”

A student who lost in a power struggle falls to his knees.

Thinking he’s won, the villain grins, showing his teeth.

Thinking that a human could smile so disgustingly,

I rushed behind him and slashed across his back.

“Gahk!”

With a short scream, the villain collapses to the side.

The student, whose face had gone pale, breathes a sigh of relief as if saved.

“Th-thank you! Thank you, Arbiter!”

I helped the student up and sent him back to the other students.

Then I took his place and continued the battle.

‘We’re holding on somehow, but it’s not good.’

The more I fought, the more one hypothesis gained strength.

The fact that they knew our exact location, the timing of the villains’ attack,

And especially the deployment of enough personnel to overwhelm Team 5.

‘Information leaked. External support information leaked perfectly.’

When the Academy goes out for field training, it’s not kept completely secret.

But due to various issues, they don’t openly announce it either.

At most, the Academy faculty, security personnel,

The students going for training, and the national Superpower users assisting them.

These are the people who know the exact schedule and location for that day.

For villains to attack as if they were waiting? Something smells fishy.

There’s something going on. Otherwise, such a precise attack doesn’t make sense.

Where and how did the information…

“Die!”

Yeah, you die instead.

I slightly dodged the incoming fist and struck the villain’s face with my sword handle.

Soon, with a splat! sound, saliva, blood, and teeth flowed from his mouth.

As he collapsed, another Superpower user nearby finished him off.

It might seem cruel, but it would be disastrous if we left him and got stabbed in the back.

So we also showed no mercy to these villains.

“Phew.”

I catch my breath and survey the battlefield.

They’re holding up better than expected. Especially the students’ performance is beyond expectations.

The Gold-ranks didn’t retreat even while getting injured.

And the Platinum-ranks sometimes held the front line to buy time,

And other times provided fire support from the rear to cover gaps.

The national Superpower users were also performing well.

They were clearly showing why they belonged to the nation.

But there was a separate issue.

‘There, those bastards.’

Three humans standing in front watching quietly.

I can sense it. Those villains are at or near A-rank.

Unfortunately, in the current situation, no one can defeat them.

Excluding myself, even the national Superpower users would struggle in a 1:1 fight.

If they joined the battle now, our side, which is barely holding on, would collapse instantly.

Those guys must know that too. If information leaked, they should definitely know.

But why aren’t they joining the battle? These guys primarily aim to kill Superpower users.

Why are they just standing there with folded arms? It’s almost as if…

‘Almost as if they’re waiting for someone… Oh fuck.’

I felt a tingling sensation throughout my body.

This chill running down my spine was definitely that sensation I experienced before.

I hoped it was just my imagination. There’s no one here to help us.

I even wished it was that shadow-using woman, Sujin Hyun, because at least she seemed somewhat approachable.

“…We meet again.”

But, damn it. Sad premonitions never fail.

With an eerily large spear in hand.

Dragging one leg, with an appearance reminiscent of a water ghost.

“Silver-rank Arbiter.”

The guy who even made the unwelcome statement that he would remember me.

The Elder. Spear Wraith, Hyuk Kwak. He appeared before me.