Academy's Silver Gatekeeper-Chapter 117

'Alright! I took down another one! If I keep this up!'

The flow is good. None of the students have been seriously injured yet. In contrast, most of the undead monsters that had been swarming in front have fallen.

Right after that, a huge ghoul appeared, causing quite a commotion. But even that was dealt with before long without much difficulty.

It only got a bit bigger in size and moved a little faster, that's all. Anyway, the head was still the weak point, so aim for that part.

It was decisive that the examiner stepped forward personally and told us there was nothing to fear at all.

So both I and my fellow students did our best to defeat the monsters. Just as the examiner said, they only got a bit bigger and a bit faster. Since the overall weak points were the same, we just had to deal with them properly.

With some breathing room, I looked around once. Everyone was fighting hard. Among them, the most eye-catching student was, as expected, Lee Hyunwoo.

He really was an amazing student. He handled all the monsters without any particular support.

I could understand again why the examiner, while saying it's bothersome, bothersome, still keeps paying attention to him.

Why he's trying to put Lee Hyunwoo on his team no matter what.

"Phew! Ha! Examiner! This place seems to be finished too, how about we go check other places?!"

The opinion Lee Hyunwoo put forward was quite reasonable. They said gates didn't just appear here, but emerged throughout the academy. The professors have gone, but more support is always better.

So I also subtly agreed with his opinion and asked the examiner for his thoughts. But the examiner shook his head and looked at me while saying:

"Stay here. This can't be the end."

This can't be the end - at those words, I unconsciously tilted my head slightly. All that remained around were bodies twitching intermittently after losing their heads. What exactly is bothering him to act like this? Could there be something...

"Kang Hana!"

Just as I heard the examiner's loud voice.

Kuuung!—

Suddenly everything went dark before my eyes, and then my body rolled around violently.

"Ugh..."

It hurts so much. My back, my shoulders, they're throbbing as if someone stepped on them. I think I shouted 'What the hell is this!' inside my head at least ten times.

"Examiner!"

"Unni!"

I could faintly hear Suhyun and Dasom's screams. Thanks to those urgent voices, I could tell. Ah, something big just happened. Since I could see Suhyun looking for the examiner, probably the examiner...

"Student Kang Hana!"

...Why is the examiner's face so close?

"Kang Hana! Get a grip!"

"Yes, yes! Examiner!"

"Are you conscious? How is it? Can you move?"

Only then could I barely understand what situation I was in.

The examiner holding my shoulders and gently shaking me. And me, sprawled out while being held in the examiner's arms.

How many times did we roll on the ground together, the examiner and I? Both I and the examiner looked quite disheveled.

But why exactly did we have to roll on the ground? Why is the examiner holding me?

Kugugugu!—

'Wh-what is that?'

I'd never seen it before. That kind of monster, I really had never seen before.

It was definitely the remains of undead monsters after their heads were blown off. Bodies that moved for a moment but would eventually crumble and fall.

Those things had come together to form a giant mountain while moving.

Yes. It's moving! That's what I mean by never seen before! How exactly are those headless remains intertwining and moving like that?!

"Student Kang Hana. Right now, pull all the students back immediately, and provide backup from behind."

"Wh-what is that, examiner?! I've never heard or seen anything like that!"

"Same here. I've never seen anything like that either."

The examiner saying that has such a leisurely expression though! I barely managed to hold back from saying that. Right now there were far too many more important things than that.

"Hurry up!"

At the same time the examiner pushed me away with force. The giant thing made of all kinds of remains crashed down where the examiner had been.

Kuuung!—

"Ah...!"

Momentarily, all kinds of bad thoughts filled my head.

Did he dodge? He didn't get crushed under that giant pile of remains, did he? Right. It's none other than Examiner Baek Seojin. Someone who fought an Elder. So...

"What are you doing not going quickly! Run!"

"Y-yes!"

That's too much! I was just worried about the examiner for a moment!!

*

'Fuck. Really... this is fucking awful.'

I don't usually want to swear, but this is something I can't help but curse at.

First of all, this current situation doesn't make sense at all. It shouldn't be like this.

Someday, new gates that render even suppressors useless will appear. And the monsters coming out of there will also be improved by at least one level. It's the beginning of a great catastrophe, and that catastrophe will throw the whole world into chaos.

But those are things that should happen at least several months later. Right now, only slight precursor symptoms of the great catastrophe have appeared. For things to suddenly explode like this is completely inexplicable.

'Right. Let's say everything else is somehow possible. But still...' fгeewёbnoѵel_cσm

But still, damn it! This is an event that never existed at all! Kang Hana, who should have properly entered Lee Hyunwoo's party, almost died just now! And by this pile of corpses that I've never heard of before...

Buuung!—

...This is messed up.

Kwang!—

"Krgh!"

I gritted my teeth. I put strength into my half-bent knee and got up. I looked at the flesh masses that had been trying to crush me without a trace.

Each and every one was the body of ghouls that had lost their heads. Those gathered together now formed one giant 'boss monster.'

If I had known this would happen, I would have told them to quickly burn them with fire magic. I never imagined they would combine like this, the so-called romance of men!

This isn't an ordinary one. It's not just a simple giant flesh mass level. If it were, this kind of tension wouldn't be coursing through my body. Maybe like that lizard I saw before, it's around Gold to Platinum level?

Third eye activated

◎ Silver Gatekeeper

Trait activation conditions have been met. Trait is activating. Readjusting opponent's rank. Rank adjustment – Platinum ~ Diamond classification

...Damn it, fuck! Just as I think Gold to Platinum, it does this?

On the surface, it looks like just countless squishy flesh pieces stuck together. But the Third Eye says that thing is at most Diamond rank. This is really maddening.

"What the hell is this thing so big?!"

When I glanced around, even Lee Hyunwoo looked a bit flustered, unlike his usual self. Of course, flustered or not, he was swinging his sword very diligently. Every time he swung once, flesh pieces fell off in droves, his skills had definitely improved tremendously.

'The problem is that it's not taking any real damage.'

"Examiner. Are you okay? You are okay, right?"

When did she get right next to me, Suhyun was staring at me with trembling eyes.

Just a moment ago I saw her dancing with her sword without a care. I know it's not an act, but I still can't get used to it.

I told Suhyun I was fine and stepped back with her for now. Thanks to that, I could get a better grasp of the boss monster's size.

'Hmm. At this size alone, it might indeed be Diamond rank.'

It's at a level where it could easily cover a building and then some. It's like looking at a giant wave made of corpses. That giant thing is writhing and continuously approaching.

"Magic incantation!"

"Flame Shot!"

"Fire Bolt!"

The students cast fire magic all at once following Kang Hana's shout.

Flames that could be called poison to undead monsters. Not even just one magic spell, but dozens of spells cast by multiple students. I wondered if there would be some change if it took those head-on.

"...Damn it."

But even that didn't flow as expected.

I imagined a picture of it becoming a giant tinder from the magic decorating the sky.

What actually met my eyes were giant flesh masses that burned only briefly before stopping.

"Heurgh! Eryaaah!"

Meanwhile, that guy Lee Hyunwoo continues slashing without getting tired. It doesn't seem like he's landing effective hits, but he's stubbornly dealing with the boss like that. Whether he has stamina to spare, or thinks he can deal some damage.

"Student Lee Hyunwoo! Stop the meaningless slashing! Can you see the head by any chance?!"

"If I could see it, would I be doing this! Huuuup!"

Kwajik!—

Right. If he could see the head, Lee Hyunwoo wouldn't be doing that.

The boss's current visible form can literally be called a 'wave.' Using its giant body to simply strike down. The problem is that it's so huge that if you get swept up once, you're definitely dead.

'Let's try reducing the size at least?'

By coincidence, Suhyun seemed to have the same thought. When part of the boss's body approached from the front, we almost simultaneously gripped our swords.

"I'll take the right."

"Then I'll take the left."

Nodding, Suhyun and I each ran toward our designated directions.

Then the wave that was pondering which opponent to target turns toward Suhyun. Thanks to that, I became relatively free, so I needed to deal that much more damage.

The wave of corpses continuously extending its length to catch Suhyun. Among them, I found the weakest point and finally discovered a section that had become quite thin.

'There won't be a second chance. In one strike, I need to cut out as much as possible!'

Suhyun even slowed down her speed for my attack. While risking her own danger, she created conditions for me to land a critical hit. For her sake too, I had to execute it perfectly without mistakes.

"Hup!"

I swung my sword down with all my might. There was no feeling of hitting something dull at all. Like cutting soft pork, the flesh pieces were cut off in chunks.

Then the wave that had been targeting Suhyun instantly collapsed and crashed to the ground. Broken and crushed flesh pieces scattered everywhere, giving off a disgusting smell. If I've properly landed a hit by now, then next...

Kugugugu!—

"Damn."

It was a misjudgment. Far from a critical hit, it couldn't even be called an effective hit. I clearly thought I had cut off a chunk by targeting the weakened part. But those remains formed a giant mass again and stuck back to the creature.

The head part that was the weak point of existing undead monsters doesn't even exist. Even though we cast tons of fire magic because they're weak to flames, that's not working well either. We thought maybe we could eliminate parts of the body bit by bit, but that doesn't work either.

It's a monster that far exceeds the level of just having good defense. This should be seen as damage not going through at all.

It's not like there's holy magic like in games either. This is maddening.

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