Chapter 10

EP.10 Academy Monster Hunt (2)

“Screeech!!”

“Professor, call the other professors!”

“Gaaaah- Save me…!!”

The inside of the academy was in chaos.

Unfortunately, the monster appeared during break time, and because of this, there were no professors prepared in the lecture halls.

The only ones in the lecture halls were the students...

And among them, all were freshmen who had just entered their first year.

In the midst of this urgent situation,

I quickly shouted to Kim Chae-eun.

“Chae-eun! Get out through the back door of the lecture hall and request backup from the professors. It’s dangerous to stay here.”

“B-but, Jae-hyun, what about you?”

“Someone has to hold it off. If we don’t, all the students will die.”

“No way! I want to fight with you…!!”

“What?”

I was taken aback by Kim Chae-eun’s strong refusal.

This was a real situation, not a mock duel or training exercise.

In such a tense moment where lives were truly at risk, I didn’t expect her to insist on staying so firmly.

...Does she have a bit of a hero complex?

Unlike the other Holders, whose personalities I mostly understand, Kim Chae-eun is a completely new person I met only in this world.

Therefore, her words were always surprising, and her actions were unpredictable.

Given the urgency and lack of time, I didn’t hesitate much and accepted the variable she presented.

“Alright. But I’ll take the front, and you must not expose yourself to danger. Got it?”

“Yeah! I’ll support you from the back with magic!”

“Okay. Follow me.”

Kim Chae-eun is also in the intermediate class.

A mage who handles [Freezing] with the power of an E-grade Holder.

While hunting a monster might be difficult, she could still be a great help in restraining it.

Moreover, to be honest,

I didn’t fully grasp the danger of the monster.

The monster that appeared at the academy is a B-grade monster.

Its name is ‘Sizzling Salamander.’

A lizard with scales that glow with flames.

True to its grand name and high rank, it is a notorious monster that hunts humans using its fiery aura.

To the students currently near the lecture hall, it is a powerful monster that they can’t even scratch, but I wasn’t too worried.

Kang Joo-yeon and Park Jin-woo.

The two main characters from the original story, who, by chance, work together to quickly capture this monster.

The ‘monster appearance at the academy’ is also the first incident where Park Jin-woo and Kang Joo-yeon meet and an important story that continues the middle of the plot.

Therefore, it was important to restrain the ‘Sizzling Salamander’ without getting hurt.

The two would arrive soon, and I couldn’t let any more students become victims.

“This way!”

We immediately headed towards the source of the noise.

-Screeeech!!

The ear-piercing scream of the Sizzling Salamander.

Following the sound, we soon arrived at the scene.

It was the lecture hall right next to where we had been packing up.

In the chaotic scene,

The bodies of students who had been burned to a crisp and those who had been impaled or hit by the tail lay scattered, unattended.

The sight was so terrifying that...

Kim Chae-eun immediately felt nauseous.

“Ugh…!!”

“Don’t look this way, Kim Chae-eun!”

If you let your guard down, it could be dangerous.

I did my best to manage Kim Chae-eun’s mental state.

Honestly, even I found it difficult to see such a scene.

It was the first time I had seen a human murder scene, and the thought that I could end up like that was quite frightening.

However, as a Holder, even my mental state is supported by my abilities.

My mental strength, which had reached 12, helped me not to easily break down in such a nauseating situation.

‘Chae-eun’s mental strength must be a bit low.’

A mage-type Holder needs high magic and mental stats.

Kim Chae-eun, a mage-type Holder who handles [Freezing], seemed to have a relatively low mental stat.

If everything were perfect, she would have been placed in the advanced class, not the intermediate class.

This kind of weakness was perhaps inevitable.

“Chae-eun, can you cast a spell?”

“Haa, haa… Yeah. I’m feeling a bit better.”

Did my mental management help a little?

Slowly calming down, Kim Chae-eun took a deep breath and prepared to cast a spell.

I also held the dagger in my pocket with both hands.

A somewhat cautious battle preparation.

Honestly, it was a reckless act.

A B-grade monster is one that requires a party of about five C-grade Holders to hunt.

For me, who had just surpassed the E-grade Holder level and was heading towards D-grade, rushing at a B-grade monster alone was almost insane.

‘But Park Jin-woo did it.’

Park Jin-woo, who was at the E-grade level at the time, also confronted the monster.

Park Jin-woo took the front, and Kang Joo-yeon provided rear support.

With these two simple positions,

Kang Joo-yeon, who was already a B-grade Holder, easily overcame the monster with her magic, but it was purely due to Park Jin-woo’s ability that the monster was restrained before that.

Now, with me at a level similar to or even surpassing Park Jin-woo, there was no reason I couldn’t do it.

-Screeeech!!

I clicked my tongue at the monster’s scream.

“What kind of pig’s neck is that?”

It was incredibly noisy.

I wondered if there was a monster with such a high-pitched sound.

After a while of roaring and asserting its presence, the Sizzling Salamander finally noticed us.

The real battle began.

-Screeeech!!

The Sizzling Salamander’s tail flew at me at a fierce speed.

I quickly raised the daggers in both hands to block it.

Clang- Clang-

“Gah…?!”

But before I could even block it,

the enormous strength difference sent me flying.

I felt intense pain as if my whole body had been bruised.

‘Damn. How much strength does it have?’

I couldn’t help but curse.

How did Park Jin-woo even confront such a monster?

With my durability stat of only 8, it was too low to withstand such a brutal attack.

I immediately changed my strategy.

Fighting the monster with a light dagger was ineffective.

I needed a heavier sword to create a variable.

I quickly discarded the daggers and drew the two-handed sword from my back.

It was the sword I always carried for the [Sword Momentum and Combat Breathing] class.

-Screeeech?!

And at that moment,

the Sizzling Salamander, which had been charging at us recklessly, suddenly let out a pained scream.

Upon closer inspection, its tail and the surrounding air had frozen as cold as an iceberg.

“Jae-hyun! Are you okay?”

Kim Chae-eun’s voice reached my ears, which were still in shock.

Nice save!

She had regained her composure and focused, casting a spell.

The [Frozen Fog], a derivative skill of the [Freezing] rune, had hit the Sizzling Salamander’s tail directly.

The Sizzling Salamander, which handles fire, and Kim Chae-eun’s [Freezing] rune magic.

The extreme contrast in their elements made the spell highly effective.

Of course, even considering this, the impact was surprisingly strong.

‘Is Chae-eun’s magic power high?’

A B-grade monster is one that requires at least five C-grade Holders to hunt.

Therefore, my plan was only to buy time.

I knew that if I could just hold on a bit longer, Kang Joo-yeon would arrive and handle this monster alone.

However, Kim Chae-eun’s rear support magic worked surprisingly well.

Even with the elemental advantage, for it to be this effective, it suggested that Kim Chae-eun’s magic power had reached the C-grade level or that her rune had grown significantly.

Perhaps her high magic power was compensating for her low mental strength.

‘Anyway, it’s an opportunity.’

I ran towards the Sizzling Salamander, which was writhing due to the [Frozen Fog], sword in hand.

My strength and speed were woefully inadequate to deal a significant blow, but I had the [Sword] rune at level 4.

“Haaah…!!”

I instantly cut off the frozen tail and followed up with two more slashes.

[Consecutive Strikes], a skill of the [Sword] rune…!!

Even if my strength stat was insufficient for the monster, the nearly super-fast three consecutive slashes were more than enough to sever the tough lizard’s tail.

-Screeeech…!!

The Sizzling Salamander’s tail was cut off.

The monster let out a roar of fury and went berserk.

Crazy.

With just the abilities of an E-grade Holder,

I had dealt a meaningful blow to a B-grade monster.

Without Kim Chae-eun’s [Frozen Fog], it would have been impossible, but the [Consecutive Strikes] skill, which I gained when the [Sword] rune reached level 3, also played a significant role.

Only then did I realize the importance of ‘owned skills.’

While it was mentioned in the original story, experiencing it with my own body was a different level.

The derivative skills granted by runes sometimes seemed to surpass the limits of stats.

‘I should test the Quarter Knife and Poison Claw later.’

The other owned skills I have, [Quarter Knife] and [Poison Claw].

[Quarter Knife] is a trap-type skill that throws four daggers, pouring all magic power into one of them.

It’s a skill similar to Russian roulette.

On the other hand, [Poison Claw] is a skill that enhances the nails with poison, obtained from the [Deadly Poison] rune.

Both are highly valuable skills, but they were not suitable for dealing with the Sizzling Salamander, which boasts immense strength.

I would have to use them when the opportunity arises.

-Scree, Screeeech!!

Does this guy only know how to scream like that?

A sigh escaped me at the consistent noise.

However, I held the sword tightly, maintaining a tense stance.

Although it had lost its tail,

it still possessed a powerful body and the ability to handle ‘fire.’

And the monster, enraged by the consecutive attacks, was ready for the second round.

The Sizzling Salamander.

The second round of the battle was about to begin.