The Support Ate it All-Chapter 516: Raid Week 14–15 Strategy Battle (4)

A sudden declaration that she was quitting the disciplinary committee club.

I could guess the reason, more or less, but I figured hearing it directly would be best—so I asked.

“Why the disciplinary committee club?”

“Because I don’t have time these days!”

“Isn’t the Go guy you’ve been seeing the cause?”

“Nope!”

Han So-mi answered firmly.

Maybe she thought that wasn’t enough explanation, because she added a line.

“It’s not like I’m goofing off with him, okay? When we meet, we almost only train.”

“Then that seems fine. Classes, club activities, training.”

“Nope!”

“Why? You’re doing all of it.”

“I can’t meditate.”

“So what you’re missing is time alone.”

“Yeah! Yeah! That!”

Han So-mi nodded hard, like I’d nailed it.

Dynamic training—moving your body—is obviously important, but static training matters just as much: organizing what you’ve realized and contemplating martial arts in stillness.

So when she tried to carve out time, she couldn’t skip classes, she had to train with Go Hyeon-woo, and at night she had to keep up her mana circulation so her [Core] wouldn’t fall behind.

And after excluding all that, what was left was disciplinary committee club work.

“I get it, but shouldn’t you decide carefully? That’s not a place you can enter and leave whenever you feel like it.”

The disciplinary committee club’s creed is guiding students onto the right path.

Because of that, skill is the baseline, and they also evaluate all kinds of internal factors to screen members.

One of those is—

‘The resolve to keep carrying the duty.’

A will to throw everything into upholding order at Dragon Slayer Academy, without bending no matter how hard it gets.

Quitting means you don’t have that resolve, so rejoining later becomes close to impossible.

In other words, it’s not something you decide on impulse.

I kept asking.

“Think about why you joined in the first place. That could become your reason to stay.”

“Not really?”

“You just joined?”

“Yeah. My master said do what I want, and Cheon-hye was there too, so?”

Sounds like she joined lightly from the start.

Then she probably doesn’t have much reason to stay tied down, either.

“What about the support? You sure you’re okay giving it all up?”

The disciplinary committee club isn’t pure volunteer work.

Since the academy is borrowing the strength of future hero candidates, they provide full support in return.

For example: special training room access passes, crafting VIP tickets, various club privileges, gear, elixirs, and so on.

Obviously, all of those benefits get cut off the instant you quit.

Even so, Han So-mi’s attitude was detached.

“I’m fine without it!”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m suuuure!”

The way her answers came instantly, it didn’t seem like a spur-of-the-moment decision.

She might’ve been thinking about it for quite a while.

I gave a small nod.

“Then yeah, quitting is probably right. Still, you’ve got time, so think it over a bit more.”

“Okay!”

“If you can, hear other people’s opinions too, and talk to the members. If you suddenly quit, they might feel betrayed.”

“Oh, right? I’ll talk to them!”

From the members’ perspective, they’ll regret it and try to stop her—but if her will is firm, they’ll send her off in the end.

Of course, there’s also a small chance Han So-mi changes her mind before then.

‘But if she really does quit the disciplinary committee club.’

It doesn’t seem like a bad thing to help her.

She’s Go Hyeon-woo’s training partner and emotional support. If she stays around his level, the synergy will be real.

‘And there are plenty of ways if you look for them.’

Like—if she loses special training room privileges, I can get her VIP tickets, or put her on [Hardship], or slot her into underground floor runs.

It sounds like I’m the one losing out, but that’s not actually how it works.

‘Because I can just shake the Sword Empress down for whatever we’re missing.’

It’s all for her disciple, so would she really complain about the cost?

While I was thinking that, I suddenly came to—and Han So-mi was studying my face closely.

“...Total demonic lord.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you were smiling like this!”

Han So-mi ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ mimicked my expression.

One corner of my mouth pulled up in a wicked grin—exactly like some demonic lord.

I answered like it was nothing.

“You must’ve seen wrong.”

“No, I definitely saw it!”

“Hey, hey, we’re here. Look—something’s sparkling over there.”

“Ooh!”

*****

After continuing the search like that—

We gathered a whole sixteen Radiance Stones.

We could’ve probably found one or two more, but it felt like time was getting tight, so I turned around without regret.

If you get greedy and end up late, it’s a bigger loss.

When we returned to the spot we’d entered from, Geum Johan was still fighting for his life against the waves of shadow monsters.

He swung his golden sword, spotted us, and spoke.

“You’re back.”

“We’re back.”

“How many?”

“Sixteen.”

Satisfaction rose on Geum Johan’s face.

“You handled the work well enough. At least it was worth the effort.”

“I told you. If you do your part, it’s a promotion.”

“Good. Then it’s the boss fight now?”

At that, everyone’s eyes turned toward the sealed boss monster.

Countless slash marks were etched across the black wall-mounted mirror like a spiderweb.

Ominous energy was pouring out in steady streams, too.

With my gaze fixed on it, I gave orders.

“It’ll be released any second. Get ready.”

“Fine. But....”

Geum Johan’s eyes went to the Radiance Stones in my hand.

“If you gathered that many, shouldn’t we use one or two? A promotion should be guaranteed.”

“That’s a very soft way of thinking.”

“Why?”

“How many we gathered doesn’t matter. What matters is that the moment we use even one, we go from macho men to super cowards.”

“...Hngh...!”

Geum Johan held his face stiffly in silence for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“...I see. My thinking was shallow.”

“Let’s stay in macho-man mode to the end.”

KRRRKK!

Right then, a sound far louder than anything before came from the seal.

The black wall-mounted mirror shook violently, and something tore out from inside—ripping through the slash marks.

Then it started swelling like a balloon.

The original is literally the size of a moving building, but it had been weakened along with the dungeon, so it wasn’t that extreme.

Even so, it was as big as two or three ogres put together.

Then it—Umbra Behemoth—took on the form of a four-legged beast.

“Grrrrr.......”

Taking in its hate-filled stare, I gave my party members instructions.

“Like we discussed, I tank. You two attack.”

“Fine.”

“Okay!”

Geum Johan and Han So-mi moved into position.

A triangular encirclement.

“Grrrrr.......”

Umbra Behemoth bared its fangs and growled—then suddenly whipped its body and tried to smash Geum Johan with its forepaw.

But the next instant, compressed air detonated—

BOOM!

—and snapped its body right back into place.

I’d predicted it and attached a Sylphid in advance.

As if it realized I was the one who did it, all of its hostility concentrated on me.

“GRAAAH—!”

A forepaw as big as my whole body slammed down.

I took one light step to the side—and its gaping maw rushed in with terrifying speed.

I slipped away again, pointed at it with my index finger—

BOOM! BOOM!

—and an Ice Shard Bomb popped neatly into its mouth, triggering two chained explosions.

Its body is made of shadow, so its internal structure isn’t like a normal creature’s, but the slowing effect still works.

As it dulled a notch, golden and sky-blue sword auras poured down on it.

SHRRRK! SHRRRK! SHRRRK! SHRRRK—!

“RAAAHHH—!”

Umbra Behemoth roared once, then hunched.

Its four-legged form collapsed as it rapidly shrank—then more than a dozen squirming arms, like a mollusk, stretched out in all directions.

If it stayed like this, it’d keep getting pinned by me, so it switched to an octopus form to pressure all three of us at once.

‘The judgment itself isn’t bad.’

Several tentacles whipped around unpredictably, and Geum Johan and Han So-mi were too busy dodging to even think about counterattacking.

But what it overlooked was—

‘They’ve both got real skill too.’

A growing calm appeared on their faces.

They were adapting fast.

Then, spotting an opening, their eyes flashed—and they struck like lightning.

RIIIP,

Tentacles were severed in thick chunks.

Shadows surged in to regenerate them, but sword aura speared into the main body even faster.

“——!”

Umbra Behemoth let out a shrill scream and thrashed wildly.

Its shape collapsed again—this time transforming into a turtle with a hard shell.

If controlling multiple targets wasn’t working, it was trying to raise its defense and endure.

A single line of sword aura Han So-mi tossed out of curiosity hit the shell and bounced off.

“Oh? That’s tough!”

Then the giant shadow turtle opened its mouth wide and began firing something like artillery shells in rapid succession.

THUNK, THUNK!

I didn’t even dodge. I blocked with Sylphid Armor.

And I let a sly smile curl at the corner of my mouth.

‘That’s a very bad choice.’

I extended my staff forward, and a whirlwind began concentrating toward it.

WHIRRRR—!

At the same time, I gave the order.

“Let’s finish it.”

“Huh? Already?”

“It’s more than possible. Prepare something big.”

Geum Johan and Han So-mi exchanged a glance, then nodded.

They drew up their momentum and began preparing their ultimate techniques.

Umbra Behemoth seemed to sense it, but it didn’t show any special reaction.

It was probably focusing on taking me down, trusting its defense to endure the others.

THUNK, THUNK!

Shadow shells kept flying in, pounding my Sylphid Armor.

I could feel the wind thinning little by little.

If this kept up, it would eventually break through—but I stayed planted and continued casting Spiral Explosion.

‘We’ll break it faster.’

WHIRRRR—

The whirlwind kept compressing into a single point—until it finally detonated in a massive blast.

KABOOOM—!

That shell—solid as it looked—shattered in an instant.

It had been hit by Spiral Explosion’s defense-ignoring effect.

And the moment the weakness was exposed, the two disciplinary committee members unleashed their ultimate techniques.

A pillar of golden sword aura slammed down like a hammer, and thread-thin sword auras densely embroidered the air.

KABABABAM—!

“——!”

Umbra Behemoth convulsed, letting out a death-scream-like wail.

Its massive shadow body was mangled grotesquely.

It tried to collapse and change forms again, but the damage was too severe—it could only wobble and ripple.

Sensing the end, I shouted,

“Now!”

And everyone began pouring in attacks without restraint.

Shadow horns that sprouted in desperation were chopped off, and a shadow head that burst up popped like it was blown apart.

“——!”

As the damage stacked, its body steadily shrank—until it scattered like smoke and vanished.

“.......”

As we caught our breath in silence, a teleport portal opened.

Meaning the dungeon had been cleared.

At the same time, a notification message appeared in the corner of my vision.

Side Quest: Raid Week 14–15