I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City - Chapter 103



102 – Worst Positioning

“Sir Ju-yeon! Emergency situation!”

Knight Order members flying all the way to the transport ship, despite having radios.

Ju-yeon calmed the agitated knights and received the report with composure.

“Massive numbers of marine monsters are crawling onto land…!”

“So that’s what I’ve been feeling. What’s the level of the monsters?”

Ju-yeon wasn’t surprised by the report from the Paradise Knight Order.

The observation of anomalies.

Merely a feeling that the uneasiness that had been brewing was finally coming to fruition, hence his calm.

“The majority of the monsters are beyond the level of the trainees. In the first place, they’re not individuals that have habitats near uninhabited islands.”

“Any other peculiarities?”

“…The monsters’ state is abnormal.”

“Tell me everything that’s been observed.”

The Paradise Knights, a cohort of hand-picked elites.

They understand that time is a resource no other can replace.

Thus, compressing information, they began a concise explanation to Juyeon.

“First, the monsters all have red eyes.”

Whether it’s a result of that, they display an abnormal aggression, ignoring pain.

Even piercing vital points or dealing powerful blows doesn’t stop them.

They lash out until their last breath, making them far more difficult to handle than usual.

“And all electronic devices are completely dead.”

Upon hearing that, Juyeon immediately picked up two radios.

One to communicate with the academy instructors, the other for the Paradise Knights.

“This is Juyeon from Transport Ship 1. Any personnel hearing me, please respond.”

No answer. Even switching to the emergency channel, her voice wouldn’t transmit.

The radio to other transport ships, hanging nearby, was also useless.

‘A signal jammer? Judging by the area of effect, is it a skill of some sort?’

Whatever it is, there’s no need to panic.

There’s no other option but to act calmly.

‘Subtle and thorough…’

Silently disabling the machines like that.

And if the monsters’ altered state is also the result of someone’s skill, then there must be a reason why we didn’t detect it, even while watching the island.

Knowing that both the academy instructors and the Paradise Knights are present, yet still reaching out…they must have prepared thoroughly.

“I can sense a clear malevolence.”

At Juyeon’s words, the unit steeled themselves.

Though not quite on the level of the Grand General, how many battlefields had they experienced since joining the Paradise Knights?

Their bones had grown thick, and their intuition sharp.

“Juyeon-nim, if you have a course of action in mind, please tell us. We’ll fly around and spread the word ourselves.”

“Thank you. For the students’ safety, we will conclude the practical exam here.”

“Understood!”

The grading could be done easily enough based on the current situation.

If needed, the exam could be changed to one administered inside the academy and the scores combined.

If there are complaints, so be it.

For the Academy, the safety of its students was, without question, paramount.

“First, I ask that the Paradise Knights relay the situation to the instructors and gather the students to a secure location.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“And another, please venture beyond the island to measure the extent of the device’s disruption field. Should you reach a place where the transceiver functions, access the emergency channel and inform the Academy of the situation.”

“I’ll do it!”

A female member, seemingly confident in her speed, volunteered.

“I will go to the transport and request that it descends to the lowest possible altitude. Immediately after—”

Juyeon began to delegate tasks with swift efficiency.

Lancelot, leader of the Paradise Knights, was absent. Assistance unavailable.

Not a moment for regret, she thought, but a certainty that the enemy had exploited that absence.

‘Who are they after? It’s difficult to pinpoint the target.’

This island held many figures that criminals, willing to sacrifice everything, might target.

The students alone were filled with the offspring of renowned individuals, and the Paradise Knights, a distinguished force within the Sepia Archipelago, had brought countless villains to justice.

The Academy instructors, too, were talent who had amassed considerable achievements in the past.

‘Perhaps.’

Setting aside all those possibilities, perhaps they targeted Juyeon herself, even now contemplating such things.

She recognized the possibility.

“…”

Flames flickered within Juyeon’s eyes.

* * * *

*Schwing!*

Drawing his sword, Rohan cleaved the two crazed Hornbirds in twain.

— *Kkee-pah!*

— *Pippee!*

Heavy lumps of meat fell heavily onto the earthen ground.

As their lifeblood drained, the reddened eyes slowly glazed over.

“Tch.”

His worry deepened.

‘I naturally assumed they’d come on the final day…’

Come to think of it, in Abyss City, there was never a mention of a specific date.

Rohan tilted his head, watching the transport ship hanging in the sky.

‘The instructors must have caught on by now.’

Even if they figured things out just now, it wasn’t too late.

Just the expected outcome.

The hex factor was refined and refined into skills fueled by mana,

but, when that mana was released, it was nothing more than a weak compound susceptible to even the slightest magical influence.

Hex’s skills, his technology, and his artifacts.

These three, a trinity worthy of godhood, were harmonized in such a way that even the leading players, with their wide field of awareness, couldn’t easily detect it.

Especially now, with their focus on the trainees on this deserted island.

In addition to all that, Hex had even mixed in a method of pushing monsters, as weak as Geroai-class, into the island and the sea.

There was also an explanation that he’d spread a “Frenzy” affliction and pheromones to lure marine monsters onto land.

‘Annoying little shits.’

Rohan kicked the shattered pieces of the Hornbird, sending them flying into the undergrowth.

The drugs created with Hex’s skill evaporated once its life was extinguished.

The act was to destroy the evidence, So eating it was probably harmless, but simply unpleasant to him.

‘…’

Rohan returned his longsword to its sheath, closing his eyes.

He explored possibilities. He deliberated. He sought out every conceivable option.

‘The head of the Reversing Praise Society is coming.’

An evil with overwhelming power, far beyond what I can handle right now, is coming.

Unless it’s a leading role, there is no one on this deserted island who can stand against that creature.

‘Looks like I need to get things ready.’

Rohan immediately opened the store.

Everything was for the sake of precaution; he hated regretting inaction.

‘Let’s cast aside any complacency.’

Having remembered the texts about monsters becoming more ferocious and restless.

Besides Omega, there were many more sources of instability. He couldn’t just sit idly by for safety.

[You have purchased a high-calorie combat ration.]

[You have purchased bottled water.]

From noble mtl dot com

He bought four of each.

Thanks to this, my arms are overflowing with supplies.

‘Feels like I’ve really become a father, huh.’

Since I prepared such a large amount, giving a good portion to Noah, the big eater, should restore his strength properly.

Ichinose and Korin should be able to eat until they feel full, but not enough to become sluggish.

Returning to their shelter, Rohan unflinchingly unloaded the combat rations and bottled water.

The girls, who had been struggling with the campfire, widened their eyes.

“Rohan. What on earth did you find…?”

“Combat rations means we can eat, right? And water too!”

Noah’s tail spun like a propeller.

A strong gust of wind rose from his tail, causing the campfire to flicker erratically.

“It looks like a stash hidden on this deserted island. We got lucky. Let’s all eat together.”

“B-but, is that really alright…?”

Korin, looking at him cautiously, seemed apologetic.

Rohan, thinking it was a good time to explain, sat down and began preparing a self-heating combat ration.

“We have to eat. I saw something strange earlier.”

“Something strange?”

The monsters’ condition is abnormal. Their aggression is excessive.

After exaggerating the explanation that it wasn’t just Hornbirds, but other monsters too, that had become strange.

Rohan urged Korin to eat comfortably, saying they should maintain their condition just in case.

The persuasion ended easily.

Ichinose was the first to express doubt.

“It’s definitely strange. I’ve never heard of such a phenomenon.”

“Werewolves become ferocious when the full moon rises, right? Could it be something like that?”

Korin offered, tilting her head in confusion.

Noah, whether the two were having a serious conversation or not, was watching the combat ration Rohan was preparing with the intensity of trying to break through it with his gaze.

“That’s for specific monsters. I’ve never heard of Hornbirds or Iron Turtles behaving that way.”

“Is there a possibility that the Academy did something for the exam?”

“Hmm. If it were related to safety, there would have been an explanation beforehand…”

So long as Rohan kept his mouth shut.

Even with the students putting their heads together, no clear answer emerged.

“Let’s eat first.”

Rohan produced the curry and mapo tofu he’d finished preparing.

The girls, unable to resist, swallowed hard, their mouths watering.

Even Ichinose, who had shared a single ramen with Corinne, was no exception.

··

··

Having finished their satisfying meal.

Rohan asked the girls to start a fire, then gathered firewood while surveying the area around their dwelling.

Naturally, his worries didn’t cease.

‘The Omega invaded using Hex’s power, right? And that happened to be in an empty place, so she tried to call out the instructor by emitting magical power.’

In Abyss City, a magnificent battle had unfolded as soon as they arrived.

But what was important now was something else.

Just what was that method of invasion, and where was its location?

The entrance and exit points were highly likely to be in different locations.

‘Whatever it is, that location must be avoided.’

If students were at the predicted arrival point of the Omega, they had to be chased away.

Considering his abhorrent, almost barbaric personality, leaving the spot open so he could encounter the main characters – mirroring the original story – was the best course of action.

“Hmm…”

Rohan gathered firewood in his arms, piece by piece.

Searching for anything he might have missed in the most trivial details.

Just as Rohan, satisfied with the firewood he’d collected, was about to turn back.

The ground began to shake as if an earthquake had struck.

“!!!”

───Kugugugugu!!! The rumbling grew louder and louder.

Something was coming this way. Shaking so violently it was hard to keep his balance.

Whoosh!!!

A worm emerged, tearing through the moist earth.

Its body, a mix of purple and pink, was roughly 3 meters across in the exposed areas alone.

It wasn’t small.

“Crazy!”

Of course, a deserted island wasn’t a worm’s habitat.

But what could he do, it was right in front of him. He had to deal with it.

*Clang!*

Rohan immediately dropped the firewood and drew his longsword.

“Hooo…”

Rohan exhaled and took his stance, but

the worm showed no sign of attacking, remaining still.

‘Can I move?’

There was no sense of relief, only unease.

The only thought was to leave this place and escape to his companions’ dwelling.

— *Gurrk!*

The worm’s thick body writhed and convulsed.

— *Gweeeeeck!*

The thick-bodied worm regurgitated a human,

and the massive human landed on the ground with a *thud!*

A face dominated by burn scars, a jaw plastered with pitch-black machinery.

The moment Rohan met the figure’s gaze, he froze.

“An Academy cadet, is it? Hahaha!!! I’ve come to the right place.”

Of all the scenarios he could have imagined, this was the worst.

Only the vulgar phrase “I’m fucked” came to Rohan’s mind.

[Encountered Omega, the Human Traitor. Achievement unlocked.]

[Acquired 40P as an achievement reward.]