Academy's Silver Gatekeeper
Ch. 118

'It doesn't work like before.'

Ma Hakjun clicked his tongue and withdrew the sword he had thrust forward. Then all the ghouls that had been boasting giant builds fell backward at once. All the ones that had been flailing after losing their heads soon stopped moving.

"Principal! This side is also roughly finished!"

"Go to the research building. They say a gate appeared there too."

"Yes!"

Joining the professors who had rushed out from the main building, he was going around various parts of the academy. And he was in the middle of dealing with monsters continuously pouring out from beyond the gates.

When Ma Hakjun first received the news, he too couldn't help but be flustered. The academy is a place that always receives support from the highest level suppressors among suppressors. For over 10 gates to occur, easily ignoring such suppressors.

What's more problematic is that this wasn't something that happened only at the academy. When they requested external support, chaos had already broken out outside. It was clearly an urban area with suppressors installed, yet multiple gates occurred in such places.

'According to the last communication, the more suppressors a place had, the more gates appeared.'

And currently, the place with the most suppressors installed in South Korea is, as expected, the capital Seoul. Gates were continuously appearing in the heart of that Seoul - that was the current situation.

The academy is a very important facility. It's a first priority protection target. But those inside are not civilians. They can fight monsters sufficiently.

In contrast, there are countless civilians in downtown Seoul. The situation is the same for major cities in each region.

Therefore, where immediate support would go is too obvious.

'It's okay. I know well that our students have made many efforts so far.'

He had also received news that Examiner Baek Seojin had already reached the main building. Then it's reassuring. He could set aside the main building for now and organize other places first. If he finishes quickly and joins at the main building, the situation would be over.

'Catastrophe...'

Slashing through the monsters blocking his path again with one strike, Ma Hakjun bit his lips.

Unlike the recent incident that was confined to a specific dungeon in a specific region. This situation occurring across all regions could only be explained by the word 'catastrophe.'

"This is really a catastrophe!"

I unconsciously nodded to Lee Hyunwoo's grumbling. Right. This is a catastrophe. Corpse lumps becoming waves and rushing over. Or clearly dealing continuous damage but the damage not going through, it's all a catastrophe.

"Examiner! What should we do!"

Since asking me won't produce any clever solutions. Instead of answering Lee Hyunwoo's question, I gestured for him to dodge. This time the target wasn't me but Lee Hyunwoo.

"Ugh!"

Kwang!—

Lee Hyunwoo barely avoiding the corpse wave. He seems to have consumed quite a bit of stamina. That's understandable. It's been over 30 minutes since the battle started, and he hasn't rested once. No matter how much of a protagonist he is, he can't help but breathe heavily.

Most of the students who had been casting magic from behind also evacuated. Their mana was depleted, and the moment this boss's attention turned to the students. There was a very high probability that an unprecedented major disaster would occur.

"Ice Wall!"

Still, Kang Hana remained and continued providing backup.

"What should we do, examiner? They say if we hold out a little longer, the principal and professors will come."

"Hey! Senior! You shouldn't fight thinking of holding out! You should fight thinking of winning!"

"What are you going to do when we're already exhausted! Take care of your own condition, junior!"

Clicking her tongue, Kang Hana looked at me again and let out an 'Eh?' sigh. Just when I wondered why she was acting like that, Kang Hana shouted 'Dasom!'

"Kang Hana? Why is Yoo Dasom..."

"Why indeed!"

Chisk!—

Suddenly I felt a burning sensation on the back of my hand. Startled, I turned my head and, my goodness. When did she get here again?

"You need to be careful! When fighting undead monsters, even small wounds like this can cause secondary infection!"

With a deeply frowning face, Yoo Dasom launched a secondary nagging bombardment.

"I know the examiner's skills are amazing. But please always be careful. If the inside gets damaged, it's a big problem. Right now we took immediate action so it's fortunate, but if it was late, you'd have fever symptoms along with..."

"That's enough for now, please. The boss is approaching this way again."

Even with that warning, Yoo Dasom didn't reduce her bombardment at all. Seeing her scold 'Look at this. If we were a bit late, the wound would have festered!' she's definitely a natural healer.

More than that, looking closely, the color of the wound area is really not good. I just thought it was simply a small wound, but I didn't know it would get infected to this degree...

No, wait a minute.

"Yoo Dasom? What did you just say?"

"Be careful!"

"No! After that!"

"Huh? Um... if the inside gets damaged, it's a big problem?"

That's exactly it. Why have I been looking for weak points only from the outside until now? If it's such a huge lump, there must be a center holding it together.

"Lee Hyunwoo! Stop wasting stamina uselessly! Suhyun!"

At my shout, a streak of red lightning flew right in front. Who would have thought I'd trust the red witch more than the protagonist.

"Can you distract that thing as much as possible with Lee Hyunwoo? You can do it, right?"

Then Suhyun nodded without a moment's hesitation. Right after, becoming a red lightning again, Suhyun flew toward Lee Hyunwoo.

"...Hmm! It seems you've thought of something! I'll give it a try!!"

Don't talk and just watch your back, you bastard! I wonder if he might get properly hit by a blind corpse wave and go flying.

"Examiner. What should I do?"

"As always, support with magic. But you must not use all your mana. When I signal, you need to be able to cast the most powerful magic immediately."

"...It'll be difficult, but I'll try my best for now."

"Yoo Dasom, please take good care of Lee Hyunwoo and Suhyun."

Then Yoo Dasom said to leave it to her and immediately followed the two students.

'Now what I need to do is... find it. I need to dig until I find it.'

There's probably a chance I'll collapse before I find it. But still, it's a body that endured even a battle with an Elder, so surely I can endure this. ...Whatever, I don't know. It's either death or fainting.

Kwang!—

With a roar, another pile of corpses poured down. Lee Hyunwoo barely escaped from that lump.

"Krgh..."

"Fall back. I'll do it."

"No! Not yet! Not yet!"

"Ah, come on!"

Even when Kim Suhyun tells him to fall back now, he's stubborn. Lee Hyunwoo gripped his sword again and charged at the corpse wave once more. Why is he doing that when he can't even land effective hits!

'...No. Rather, this might be right.'

If only Lee Hyunwoo was doing that, I would have loudly scolded him. But isn't there another person running around just as much next to him?

"Damn! This is a dud too! Kang Hana!"

"Frozen Fog!"

Running around more and faster than Lee Hyunwoo or Kim Suhyun. The man rummaging through every part of the corpse wave is none other than Baek Seojin. Continuing to attack over and over even though it doesn't work, whatever he's aiming for.

"Ice Wall!"

Kwang!—

Kang Hana blocks a strand of corpse wave approaching Baek Seojin with magic. Without time to thank her, Baek Seojin immediately slashed the side once more.

Kwadeuk!—

This time too, flesh pieces fell off in lumps. But that will also recover soon.

'Damn it. Where the hell is it.'

Biting his lips, Baek Seojin rummaged through and rummaged through the disgusting filth lumps. There's definitely a center point of this giant wave. A core that coheres it exists. He needs to find that part and destroy it with one strike, but he can't tell where it is at all.

This is exactly why he's stirring up all directions.

Flesh pieces that fall off in lumps from one attack. They might be empty for a moment, but over time they'll soon be filled with new ones.

However, if the core is nearby, it would try to repair faster than other places. Finding the place where that change is confirmed isn't an easy task.

'External support should be coming by now but there's no sign of it. That means there's a very high probability that similar things happened outside. Catastrophes tend to strike hard all at once.'

Therefore, Baek Seojin sped up even more. He couldn't afford to be leisurely.

Passs—

"Oh."

It was momentary, but it was definitely a different movement from before.

The flesh pieces that would take several minutes to recover even when cut off by a handful. The place he just cut strangely completed that in just a few seconds.

'Found it.'

At the same time Baek Seojin thought that. The corpse waves that had been chasing Kim Suhyun and Lee Hyunwoo separately suddenly changed direction. They were all targeting Baek Seojin who had penetrated right under their weak point.

"Examiner! They're heading your way!"

Kang Hana, who had been watching the situation from behind, prepared protective magic with a scream. But Baek Seojin restrained such Kang Hana and stepped forward.

"No, Kang Hana! Not that!"

"What?!"

"Please use the most powerful magic! The strongest one! The highest single destructive power!"

Then how are we supposed to back up the examiner! Just as she was about to say that. The two students slashed the wave almost simultaneously from both directions.

"Kehh! Examiner! My comrade and I will handle this side!"

"Don't touch! Don't touch!!"

Thanks to Lee Hyunwoo and Kim Suhyun attacking like crazy, a gap appeared. Taking advantage of that gap, Baek Seojin rummaged through the place he found once more. Confirming that, Kang Hana gathered her mana and brought out her secret move.

"Frozen Spear!"

A giant ice spear flew straight through, tearing the air.

Leaving the waves trying to block it somehow to Kim Suhyun and Lee Hyunwoo. Going beyond that and slashing and slashing again to prevent recovery, past Baek Seojin's side.

Kwajik!—

'It went in.'

If he had been a little late, it would have been blocked again by the regenerating flesh. Baek Seojin now tore apart the flesh pieces with his bare hands and looked at the core settled inside. It's visible. Kang Hana's ice spear properly pierced through.

Right, it definitely did, but...

Kugugugu!—

'Fuck! Why does it keep moving! At this point, fall down, damn it!'

Cursing internally, Baek Seojin looked at the blue ice spear next to him. Then he let out a 'Huu' breath, threw his sword to the ground, and grabbed that spear.

It can't be expressed with words like cold. The moment it touches his skin, his whole body feels like it's freezing solid.

This is why they say Kang Hana is the best with ice magic, he unconsciously had such a fortunate thought for a very brief moment.

'It's a bit annoying to imitate that crazy bastard's move...'

In this current situation, nothing else came to mind except that person's spear. Even though it couldn't kill him, the killing intent was sufficient in that one strike. If it's a thrust that concentrated and condensed, wouldn't it be enough?

"Heup!"

Roughly steadying his breathing, Baek Seojin recalled. The previous battle with the Elder. The arrogant desire of the one who aimed for his heart there. He thrust that powerfully into the inside of this disgusting thing.