chapter_0043

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
43

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
43

‘Again?’

This is strange.

The frequency of encountering
Argos is increasing.

Even though we’re walking on
routes designed to avoid Argos as much as possible, this is
happening.

This isn’t a normal
situation.

It almost feels like Argos are
tracking my location and moving accordingly.

I want to believe it’s just
my imagination, but after living in this damn world, I know better.

There’s a higher chance things
will go horribly wrong than this being a mere coincidence.

In such cases, it’s better to
assume the worst rather than hope for the best.

Even if it turns out I’m
overreacting.

I quickly devised a new route
in my head.

Initially, my plan was to keep
circling around Zone A of this laboratory, avoiding Argos.

Because, in terms of safely
passing time, this was the best strategy.

No need for combat or anything
else, just moving in sync with the timing to ensure safety. What
could be better than this strategy?

However, since I can’t
determine whether I’m walking on asphalt or cracked ice, I can’t
stick to the same strategy.

It’s time to change the
approach.

‘I’ll move a bit faster.’

“Slackers, I’ll increase the
speed, so keep up.”

I already have a plan in mind.

In the dungeons of the Soul
Academy, there are places known as safe zones.

Commonly referred to as Save
Zones.

Not only do monsters not
respawn there, but it’s also a place where you can recover health and
mana.

Of course, since this world
isn’t a game but reality, save-loading isn’t possible.

Additionally, there’s no
complete recovery of health or mana.

However, there’s one thing.

Monsters don’t respawn, and
unless you attack an enemy within, monsters won’t approach you.

This is something I heard from
Possell when we tackled Evans’ dungeon last time, so it’s certain.

If we can reach that place, we
no longer have to worry about threats from monsters.

The reason I didn’t head
towards the safe zone despite knowing this is because to get there,
we must confront an enemy.

There’s a monster blocking the
path to the safe zone.

Back then, I thought it was a
gimmick to prevent passing through without a fight, but now in real
life, it’s just a pain in the neck.

What kind of monster is it? I
don’t know.

It’s completely random.

Of course, it’s not a boss
or a named monster.

It’s just any regular
monster from ‘The Place Where the Alchemist Stays.’ Nothing is
predetermined.

Among those monsters, there
are genuinely dangerous ones that can pose a real threat, so I
delayed my plan to head towards the safe zone.

However, since I’m certain
that some variables are in play, it’s time to upgrade Plan B to Plan
A.

First, let’s figure out what
kind of monster is guarding the safe zone.

If we can handle it, we’ll
defeat it. If not, we’ll come up with another plan.

Reaching the place where the
gatekeeper waits wasn’t that difficult.

We’ve been avoiding battles
while circling around the same area repeatedly.

It wasn’t too hard to
advance without encountering enemies.

So, we arrived at the passage
right before the safe zone, and I could see the monster guarding it.

It was crawling on the ground,
with thin limbs that looked like they’d snap if touched, and short,
stubby legs like a cartoon character’s.

It had abnormally large red
eyes and a huge pointed hat hiding its head.

A Chimera ‘Witch,’ one of
the monsters from ‘The Place Where the Alchemist Stays.’

This is one of the more
troublesome regular monsters.

For starters, it being a
long-ranged fighter is annoying.

As its name suggests, it has
various curses and magic that can harass the player, which is also
frustrating.

But what irritates me the most
is its design, which is focused on attacking the backline rather than
the frontline.

On the flip side, or as a
counterbalance perhaps, despite its debuffs and focus on backline
attacks, it carries the penalty of weak magic damage.

If this were a game, I’d
probably just groan and complain, “Oh, not this damn thing again.”
But now, the situation is different.

All its strengths lie in its
ability to break down the party’s rear guard.

In other words, without the
ability to attack the backline, it’s just trash with lower specs
than most monsters here.

But right now, I have a taunt
skill that’s overpowered enough to even affect Possell, a knight
with a much higher level than mine.

What a sloppy creature…

“From now on, we are
going to take that thing down.”

“…That thing?”

Joy asked hesitantly at my
statement, and although Jacob didn’t say anything, it was clear he
was terrified.

Nevertheless, I didn’t bend.

We were in a situation close
to my best-case scenario.

If we overcome this hurdle, we
will have guaranteed safety, so there’s no reason to retreat.

‘Yes. We have to.’

“What’s this? Are you
scared? You look like cowards.”

“But…”

‘Don’t worry…’

“Don’t worry. As sloppy as
you are, you’ll be safe. You just have to support me from behind
like the cowards you are.”

In the end, both of them
nodded.

They acknowledged my command
that had led the party this far.

Indeed, trust is built on
results.

After giving them a rough
outline of the battle plan, I gripped my shield tightly and stepped
out of the alley.

The witch and I locked eyes,
her large eyes curving like a crescent moon.

“I know.”

I might have called it trash
earlier, but that was only by this dungeon’s standards.

Comparing its specs to mine
now, it’s certainly much stronger.

‘Didn’t I say I know?’

Perhaps it might have been
wiser just to continue avoiding the monster as we had been doing.

We might have stepped directly
into danger just by thinking it was an opportunity.

But now, there’s no turning
back.

The enemy is right in front of
me.

‘I’m okay.’

My skills press down on the
fear rising in my heart.

My skills block the weak
thoughts of wanting to run away.

So, I can muster the courage.

‘Please do.’

The witch looked at me with
mischievous eyes, moved her long arms, and giggled.

Is she thinking that I’m just
a weak toy?

It’s really annoying how she
has developed a personality when she was only capable of predefined
actions in the game.

I took a deep breath.

I hadn’t decided what I was
going to say.

Speaking with premeditated
lines isn’t the Mesugaki way, is it?

“You look hilarious, you
know?♡ Your arms are disgusting, your legs are like a doll’s, and
your face is revolting♡ I don’t know who made you, but they must
hate you. Otherwise, why would they create something like you?♡”

The witch’s eyes changed from
crescents to full moons, then narrowed into slits.

Her arms and legs, which had
been moving playfully, stiffened, and I could see the mana surging
around the monster.

At the same time, my
[Mesugaki] skill’s buffs hit me.

Before I could even lift my
foot from the ground, a magic circle drew itself in front of the
witch.

‘Enough with the
explanation!’

I don’t know exactly what
kind of magic Shadow Hand is, but I can guess.

I’ve memorised all the
patterns the witch uses.

It’s probably a crowd-control
spell where countless arms burst from behind the witch to capture me.

I paused briefly and looked
behind the witch.

I saw numerous blackened arms
sprouting.

Just as expected.

The countermeasure for this
technique is simple.

I silently count to one and
then roll forward.

I heard the sound of the stone
floor shattering right where I had been standing.

Then, as soon as I got up, I
jumped to the side again.

The hands that tried to grab
me thrashed through the air.

Finally, I braced myself and
ran forward, and the tangled hands couldn’t chase me anymore.

Realising that her magic had
failed, the witch immediately started casting the next spell, but a
fireball struck her face just then.

Bang!

While the power of the
fireball wasn’t particularly strong, it didn’t matter at all.

What was essential at this
moment was that it had disrupted the witch’s casting.

That was enough.

Nice one, Joy!

I ran.

Not caring about anything
else, I sprinted forward.

Running—I’ve done it
yesterday, the day before, a week ago, and relentlessly for the past
few months.

So, increasing my speed was an
easy task for me.

By the time the smoke that had
been obstructing the witch’s view cleared, I had already arrived in
front of her.

As I raised my mace high, the
witch hastily began casting a new spell.

I didn’t need to hear
Grandpa’s warning.

There was only one spell she
would cast when faced with a close-range attack.

The spell of attack
reflection.

If you attack without
thinking, you’d end up countered by your own strike—a truly nasty
spell.

But if you anticipate it in
advance, countering it isn’t too difficult. This spell, while
potent, doesn’t last long.

I halted my movement, holding
my mace aloft.

My eyes met the witch’s, now
filled with bewilderment.

“You sloppy trash ♡ Die ♡”

The moment the spell ended, I
brought my mace down on the witch’s head.

The witch, hit by the impact,
staggered backward.

Although I didn’t finish her
with one blow, I felt the damage connect.

I can do this. I can defeat
her!

‘Do you think I don’t know
that?!’

I dashed forward again.

To strike down the monster
preparing its spell with a face full of panic.

Deep in the dungeon.

The alchemist, who had painted
a deep crimson sunset in the dark room with only the blood spilled by
living beings, looked up while piecing together the limbs of some
unknown creature like a child playing with toys.

“I can sense the cursed
energy of Armadi.”

‘Armadi.

The one who suppresses the
world in the name of order.

Why do I sense his presence in
my laboratory?’

The alchemist pulled out a
staff made from intertwining the bones and flesh of the creature in
the air and struck it onto the ground.

The alchemist’s powers
spread throughout his entire laboratory, and soon, he located the
source of the energy.

An intruder has entered.

A being blessed by Armadi has
entered the laboratory.

The alchemist, inspecting the
intruder through magical means, licked his decaying tongue in
anticipation.

‘What an excellent test
subject.

Although small in size, the
blessings embedded within it are diverse, making it enjoyable to toy
around with.

After all, there’s no music
more beautiful than the screams from the mouth of Armadi’s apostle.’

The alchemist threw aside the
toy held in his hand and began to move his bulky body.

To bring in the prey that had
unknowingly walked into the trap.

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