I Teleported Into the Academy of a S*xy Game

Chapter 167: Baek Ahyeong Strategy (1)

Baek Ahyeong Strategy (1)

“Haa…” Exhausted from hours of conversations, Baek Ahyeong had retreated to a quiet corner for a brief respite.

Just as she took a sip of her drink, the unmistakable sound of an explosion shattered the atmosphere, signaling the onset of a terrorist attack. Thankfully, she wasn’t alone—a male hunter was with her, but…

“Miss Ahyeong, run!”

The male hunter was quickly overwhelmed, his body pierced by an onslaught of demonic forces. Their sheer numbers were far beyond what her healing abilities could contend with.

“R-Run—”

After incapacitating the now-flesh hunter, the demons shifted their focus to Baek Ahyeong. Panicking, she tried to escape but found herself surrounded by dozens of demonic entities.

In a swift move, a leading demon lunged at her from behind, tearing at her clothes.

“Ah, ahh! No!”

Her body was slashed by razor-sharp claws, leaving a grievous wound.

“Ahh… Ah…” She plopped down, desperately trying to heal her injuries. She knew she had to escape, yet the encroaching demons gave her no respite.

Is this… how it ends?

Overwhelmed with regret for things left undone, she found herself surrounded by the advancing demons.

If I’d known, I would have confessed…

Realizing it might be her last moment, her thoughts turned solely to Lee Hoyeon.

“I don’t want to die… Hoyeon…” she murmured as the demons closed in.

“Grrrrgh! Grrrgh!”

“S-Saint… Kill…”

As the demons reached out, she felt the weight of impending doom. She squeezed her eyes shut, but was surprised to find her dark surroundings suddenly illuminated by a piercing light that seemed to penetrate even through closed lids.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

“Argh… Akkkkhhhh!”

Dozens of demons before her were now ablaze.

“Miss Ahyeong, don’t die on me now. I’m here.”

Turning, she saw Lee Hoyeon, his relaxed smile contrasting starkly with his sweat-soaked appearance, as if he had rushed to her aid.

“I came to save you. I’m not late, am I?”

Baek Ahyeong felt a surge of emotion unlike any before. Despite the gravity of the situation, she managed to stifle a confession. Though regret filled her, she knew now was not the time.

***

“Stay still. It’ll be over soon.”

Ahyeong’s wound was severe; bones were visible through the torn fabric on her back. However, with her skills, she could handle it. The wounds would heal quickly.

Sizzle—Crackle—

After reducing the demons to burning corpses, I focused on her. “Ahyeong, are you okay? Take your time to heal.”

With most immediate threats neutralized, I could guide her to safety.

Wait, what’s this nagging feeling?

“Uh, Hoyeon, thank—”

Swoosh—!

My heartbeat quickened. Something flew into my field of vision.

Thunk—!

Fortunately, I quickly blocked it with Cotton Guard. But the intended target wasn’t me; it was Baek Ahyeong. Then, a figure wearing a grotesque skull mask emerged, wielding a razor-sharp sword.

“Arrggh! Why does this always happen to me?!”

This enemy was different; even the aura surpassed the earlier subpar demons. My heart raced, and anticipation tensed my body.

Can I… win this?

My long-dormant Battle Sense kicked in, warning me of the danger. The powerful aura and murderous intent were unlike any foe I’d faced. I had to protect Ahyeong, as she was clearly the target.

“Run, Hoyeon… You have to go….”

“Stay calm. We’re okay.”

She seemed to sense the gravity of the situation, and was visibly tensing up.

“It’s strong… It’s at the level of an S-rank hunter… I’m the target, run… Once you call for help—”

“Just stay still.”

“T-This situation…”

Something was off with Ahyeong—she wasn’t herself. Encountering such a formidable enemy had clearly rattled her. She was likely fearing for my life.

I need to reassure her.

I subtly glanced at her while squaring off with the skull-masked figure. “I’ll get you out of this, no matter what. Trust me, Ahyeong.”

“No, you—” Her eyes widened in shock, blinking rapidly. I shielded her and focused on the enemy.

The figure was armed and ready for close combat. My heart pounded, racing like a freight train. My senses sharpened, and mana surged—though I only had about a third left, so a prolonged fight wasn’t ideal.

Someone’s orchestrating this.

Luckily, a skill I’d recently acquired offered a temporary power boost. Being the protagonist, I have to make it count.

I burned through my remaining mana, feeling my body heat up. Simultaneously, the masked figure prepared to strike. Most demons would snarl uncontrollably, but this one seemed different—definitely stronger.

Vision Enhancement.

My golden eyes glowed, meticulously tracking the figure’s movements. Observing their joints and mana flow helped me anticipate their attacks. Plus, if they infused mana into their strikes, I could predict their trajectory.

Clang—!

The figure blurred momentarily. I quickly defended with Cotton Guard. They lunged, targeting my limbs, but the sword met my shield instead.

Ignoring the failed strike, the figure pressed on.

Acceleration.

A tingling sensation warned me as five lethal strikes aimed for my vitals.

“Ugh…!” Despite my enhanced senses, I couldn’t dodge them all. Blood dripped from a fresh wound on my arm.

I wasn’t just on the defensive, though. I spotted an opening in their defense earlier and I cast a spell.

Crackle—!

Starting at their feet, ice began to encase them.

It wasn’t a game-ender, but I’d gained some much-needed time. For them, it was a minor skirmish; for me, it demanded everything I had. The disparity in power was glaring.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

If things keep going like this, I’m toast.

Thump—!

A surge of energy coursed through me, and my mana circulation began to expand. As the mana circuit widened, my mana output increased.

Blood Beat.

It’s a skill that expands mana to widen the mana circuit. The base enhancement is about 30% boost lasting one minute.

It’s not enough… I’m not used to this yet… Right, I have no choice.

So, I further increased the output. The forced expansion of my mana circuit sent waves of pain throughout my body. It was excruciating, but manageable. My Clear Mental Strength seemed to enhance my pain tolerance as well.

I felt as if I were teetering on the edge of collapse, yet still functional.

Only 10 seconds, huh…

The current enhancement would last about 10 seconds. During that time, I could surpass the skull-masked figure slightly. I’d discovered that in our brief clash.

Their suit resisted both fire and ice attacks. The weaker impact of my spells confirmed it. Their preparedness against both elements suggested they had intel on my magic, which might actually play to my advantage.

I’ve plenty of hidden tricks up my sleeve.

Thump—!

I gritted through the pain and unleashed a blast of frost magic. Given that I’d gone all out, the skull-masked figure froze on contact.

Unable to freeze their stronger body, I targeted their suit instead. However, judging by the twitching, they’d break free soon—resistant to ice, after all.

Just 8 seconds remaining!

I funneled all my remaining mana into my right hand. No point in holding back; if this attack failed, it would be over anyway.

Fwoom—

Wind magic swirled and condensed above my hand into a sphere.

Having depleted every ounce of mana, fatigue overcame me, and my vision blurred—a clear sign of mana exhaustion. But I gritted my teeth and moved closer to the skull mask.

Three seconds left.

My limbs shook uncontrollably, but I couldn’t afford to miss this opening.

Bam—! My fully charged Spiral struck the heart. Ice melted from the suit as they swung their sword downward. But the blade never reached me; it halted near my shoulder, and they froze in place.

“Kkkrrkh…” A faint groan groan escaped the previously silent skull mask, which then collapsed to the ground.

Thud— With a hole in their chest, the skull mask fell apart. And just like that, I too dropped to my knees.

“Hoyeon!”

My head was spinning. The 10-second window for Blood Beat had already passed, leaving me with unbearable, agonizing pain.

I probably won’t be able to fight for a while… The after-effects seem like they’ll linger.

Thud—

I collapsed, unable to control my body. Baek Ahyeong hurried over, burying her face in my chest as she sobbed.

“No… Why…”

A warm light enveloped me, soothing my pain. Still, the combination of mana depletion and the after effects of Blood Beat made recovery challenging. Even with Ahyeong’s healing skills, repairing my severely damaged mana circuit would be difficult.

“It’s okay… You’ll get better soon…”

Sob—Sniff—

Seeing Ahyeong cry while healing me left me more puzzled than grateful.

The quest isn’t complete?

The quest completion notification didn’t appear. The fact that it remained incomplete even after saving Ahyeong indicated the threat was still looming.

Shh—Swoosh—

Suddenly, a demon among the bodies, before facing the skull-masked figure, hurled a dagger. Its immediate collapse afterward suggested it was a desperate final move.

“Damn it…!”

With no mana left, I couldn’t even use Cotton Guard to block it. While Ahyeong wouldn’t die from a single dagger, I instinctively pulled her close.

“Huh?”

Using her weight, I swapped our positions.

Stab—

Fortunately, the dagger barely pierced my back.

“Argh…”

But the pain was intense, as if the dagger were coated with some sort of toxin. It stung as much as when I’d intentionally let an ogre hit me before.

[Quest Completed!]

This game has some nerve…

The quest completion notification popping up right after getting hit felt like a cruel joke.

“W-Why, why did you take the hit for me?!” Ahyeong’s voice trembled. Seeing the dagger in my back, she amplified her healing, but I knew.

Oh, I’m about to pass out. I know my body well. I can’t endure this any longer.

“It wouldn’t have been dangerous for me to get hit. But why did you…?!”