I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor - Chapter 80



Chapter 80

“…Say it again.”

“At this point, 30% of Black Mer’s forces have been lost, and we have mostly lost control of the residential zones. The embassies of the Empire and the Synth States have crossed the borders under the pretext of rescuing their citizens…”

When Stero Mer opened his eyes again, the chaos had already spiraled beyond the point of salvage.

The Empire and the Synth States had each dispatched fleets, and the Red Hand severed all ties the moment the massive invasion of creatures was confirmed, retreating to their sanctuaries.

But that was not all.

The creatures, which had barely been brought under control after prolonged experimentation, had lost their reason and were rampaging, and it was said that the building of the Mer Corporation, once his stronghold, had crumbled to the ground.

Creeeak-.

Even with the power of the coveted Penta Gear in his grasp, he could only feel the surging anger rising within him.

‘How dare those beasts.’

Of course, he knew.

The creatures were not mere beasts.

Having glimpsed the small shards of truth through Nectar, he understood better than anyone, yet that did nothing to quell the fury at the unraveling of his plans.

“Chairman, the stability of the subject is…”

“Shut up.”

Kwaddeuk!

In response, he smashed the head of the android that had approached him, whispering something, and rose from his seat.

Though he was in a life-support device for brain transplantation, appearing as a boy without a stitch of clothing, neither he nor anyone else in the lab cared about that.

It was only natural.

The androids selected as researchers were beings stripped of all emotional and rational judgment, save for research and obedience. The only entity that could be called sentient was the Mother AI, Nectar, bound to him.

“Nectar!”

As he stood, he shouted into the void of the lab, and a momentary silence was broken by a voice, faintly mixed with mechanical tones.

〔What is the matter?〕

Though the voice was devoid of any inflection, Stero Mer, having observed it for so long, recognized it immediately.

The entity was not the least bit flustered.

As if all of this was meant to unfold from the very beginning.

Was that the reason?

Sterro Mer did not bother to conceal the seething rage within him as he barked out.

“Why is the Queen here? You did not warn me about the Higher Being!”

The creature bows to the Higher Being.

Knowing this truth all too well, he contemplated using the creatures while remaining ever vigilant against the Higher Being.

And to him, Nektar had clearly conveyed that the probability of the Higher Being arriving in Mercato was approaching zero.

[Subject Icarus.]

Could it be that Nektar sensed his fury?

Breaking a brief silence, Nektar whispered, yet his words only stoked Sterro Mer’s anger further.

“Forget that ridiculous name. You made a deal with me. For the sins your lineage has committed. But what is this…!”

His rage was justified.

The transaction with Nektar had proceeded with mutual consent, and as a result, the creature was bound to assist him.

It was both atonement and, moreover, redemption.

However, upon hearing Nektar’s next words, even Sterro Mer, who had been spewing forth fury, could not help but doubt his ears for a fleeting moment.

[The Queen is not a Higher Being.]

“What?”

[Queen. Classified as a mass-produced model.]

Regardless of how he looked, Nektar spoke in the same flat tone, murmuring softly.

[…No obligation to provide further information. That is all.]

Hearing Nektar’s words, Sterro Mer let out a derisive laugh, as if in disbelief.

“Ah, so that’s how it is.”

He clenched his teeth.

He had sensed for some time that Nektar was reluctant to cooperate with him.

Subject Icarus.

Had he begun to use that absurd designation around that time?

Yet, he did not care.

The creature was ultimately bound by contract and obligation, and thus, whether it liked it or not, it had to cooperate with him.

But that premise had shattered with this incident.

Sterro Mer glared at Nektar’s core in the center of the laboratory for a long while before finally turning away without hesitation.

He strapped on a watch that he had tossed against one wall, and soon, a garment made of nanomachines enveloped his bare flesh.

“When this is over, I will speak with you again.”

His voice, cold enough to feel like a blade, drew no response from Nexter, and Stero Mer stepped into the elevator as if he had not even expected one.

How many minutes passed in that lab, steeped in silence?

Finally, breaking the stillness, Nexter whispered, his signature bright light flickering.

〔Target identified. Executing protocol for the Irregular.〕

This time, it was not the usual mechanical tone, but a soft voice that evoked the image of a human girl.

*

After Jin Crow took on the mantle of mercenary and left the safe house, the atmosphere among the cadets grew… peculiar.

It was, in truth, only to be expected.

The original purpose of hunting creatures had barely been tasted before it unraveled, and since then, they had endured all manner of hardship, only to be caught by Instructor Jin Crow.

‘Even if I think positively, it’s a tangled mess.’

Of course, if one looked solely at the outcome, there had been no major accidents.

In fact, if there was any gain, it was there.

After all, they had rescued the kidnapped Dokoran and Hino Kana, gained practical experience, and it seemed that Instructor Jin Crow had become entangled in something complicated, so they thought it unlikely that things would escalate too much.

Yet, the problem lay in the fact that they had overheard whispers of the Red Hand and the conspiracies surrounding the Free Planet Alliance and the creatures.

“…I’m bored.”

“Shut up.”

“Mm.”

They too sensed that the atmosphere was off.

So much so that even Dokoran, despite her complaints of boredom, remained quietly in the safe house.

‘No, in this case, it must be seen as a matter of decorum.’

In truth, it was not just Dokoran.

Famiu cast a sidelong glance at the wooden mansion, which surpassed mere antiquity, where the cadets were scattered, resting in their own corners.

“…”

“…”

They had grown somewhat close, and under normal circumstances, they would have exchanged all manner of idle chatter, yet the room was filled only with silence.

Perhaps it was only natural.

They all had their minds tangled.

‘We are elites. The leading figures of the next war.’

This was the most frequently heard phrase since entering the Central Special Officer Academy, a thought that many cadets subconsciously held in their minds.

It was only to be expected.

So it was, the truth.

Just by gaining admission to the Central Special Officer Academy through countless competitions, they had proven their worth, and furthermore, it spiraled into that often-mentioned baseless confidence.

‘We are superhumans.’

Even if cast into the void of space, by wielding psionic energy, they could disregard all physical laws and sustain their existence.

Of course, if not rescued in time, death awaited them just the same, but compared to ordinary people who would perish instantly if thrown into space without protective gear, it was truly miraculous.

But that was not all.

Though she had not seen it firsthand, reaching the so-called Pentagear level, regarded as the highest realm currently in existence, would grant one the power to establish a front line single-handedly.

Perhaps that was why they had grown complacent.

Even in Mercato, where tourist attractions and lawless zones coexisted, there was no one who could touch them.

‘There were too many.’

Yet, they were inevitably overwhelmed.

And just moments ago, having left the safe house only to hear that escape was impossible, when they returned and confronted the true nature of the creatures, they could not help but realize why Instructor Jin Crow had been so wary and fearful of them.

– Kiiiiiik!

Hundreds, thousands of creatures surged like a tide, creating a river of blood, while the scattered soldiers and mercenaries fell helplessly.

Among them, there were not a few superhumans.

Some, seen from a distant vantage, displayed enough power to be worthy of instructors from the Central Special Officer Academy.

Yet, the majority of them perished.

Buried beneath the oncoming creatures, hunted down by Phon or Knight, or swept away by blind bombardments, they were entombed without a trace.

“…Sniff.”

The scene was so horrific that it was understandable for Miel Anver to tremble and shed tears, and even Beatus, who had briefly been part of a PMC, was rendered speechless, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a blank expression as he tended to his weapon.

“…Ugh.”

How could even Dokoran, the ‘Living Witness of Human Rabies,’ ‘Rancher,’ and ‘The Craziest Girl of the Central Special Officer Academy,’ bear the oppressive atmosphere in silence?

And it was no different for Famiyu.

She, striving to ignore the gruesome sight she had just witnessed, was scanning for any information that might offer a chance of escape.

‘We must flee.’

It was an action only possible for her, the most rational among them, capable of excluding even emotion.

Having ventured outside, she knew.

Finding a place in the sky without a void crack was more difficult than ever, and the ground was littered with creatures.

Moreover, those tasked with their protection were none other than the so-called mafia, criminals in their own right.

‘Instructor…’

Like a thorn caught around her neck, the heavy Crow loomed, yet there was nothing she could do.

In the end, a dilemma.

Something must be done, yet there was nothing to be done.

But to remain still felt like watching their surroundings plunge into chaos moment by moment.

Is this what overwhelming helplessness feels like?

‘I don’t like this.’

Moreover, she could sense that the Satra group, safe in their hideout, shared the same unease.

“…Captain, but—”

“Enough. It has already been decided.”

Wasn’t it suspicious, the way they whispered among themselves?

Though they had passed through Bai Huiying’s sudden actions and the tacit approval of Instructor Jin Crow, were they not rebels from the start?

Knowing they could just as easily contact the Red Hand and sell them out, she remained on edge, even without her special combat gear, the Open Finger Gloves.

And Bai Huiying was equally concerning.

She glanced around briefly before making her way to the bedroom where Bai Huiying lay.

Creeeak—.

She opened the door, then closed it behind her.

Soon, she found herself looking down at him, the ashen-haired figure sprawled on the bed.

“…”

What filled Fami Yu’s gaze was suspicion, questions, and a faint sense of repulsion.

She was no fool.

Instructor Jin Crow and Bai Huiying had both changed their behavior since a certain day, whether she sensed it rationally or instinctively.

The problem was not knowing the reason why.

As she continued to watch Bai Huiying, deep in slumber, she murmured softly.

“It feels like you know something, but I can’t grasp what it is. What is your true identity?”

“…Fami Yu.”

“Ugh, huh?”

In that very moment, Bai Huiying opened his ashen eyes, grasping Fami Yu’s wrist as he slowly lifted his upper body.

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Then, holding her back as she tried to pull away in confusion, his eyes, now filled with a chilling calmness and unsettling composure, met hers as he asked.

“Where is the instructor?”

“…What are you?”

Pamiyu had no choice but to return the question instead of answering him.

“Why are you a Quad Gear…?”

What lingered in her voice was a fear of the incomprehensible anomaly.