NOVEL NEXT chapter 16
16 – Main Episode Performance Evaluation Begins (5)
017
Monster.
The enemy of humanity.
From the fissure, the monstrous creatures revealed themselves, spreading endless hostility towards humanity.
For the current human race, monsters were an indescribable nightmare.
And that nightmare had now opened its filthy mouth in the academy’s training ground.
“Kiiiiii, kiiiiii.”
“Grrr, ruk.”
The Fourth Training Ground.
Two monsters had emerged.
These were the formidable monsters known as Minotauros and the Black-Hand Long-Armed Monkey.
The Minotauros was a 2.5-meter tall monstrous creature with a mix of a human and a bull.
It possessed the strength to crush iron with its bare hands and durability that could deflect bullets, making it virtually impossible to bring down with personal firearms.
It was not an easy monster for even someone like Hong Da-Ye, who had retired due to injuries, to take down easily.
And the monster was not just the Minotaur.
“Kiiiii, ee, eee.”
There, a large monkey with its long, limp arms was drooping down, eyeing the children with a sharpened appetite.
The monster, called the Black-Handed Long-Armed Monkey, was not to be underestimated either.
While it wasn’t as threatening as the Minotaur, it would be difficult for Hong Da-Ye to handle it alone if they were to join forces.
Moreover, Hong Da-Ye had to protect the children standing behind her.
In many ways, the situation was unfavorable.
“……Uh, um.”
Speaking of which, those monsters.
Aren’t they even more terrifying and vicious than what was seen in games and videos?
No, I’ve seen many videos on the internet and have prepared myself, but why do they look so menacing?
‘I trained hard against giant monsters during middle school……but real combat is different, after all.’
The pressure from these monsters was truly on a different level than what I had faced during the giant monster training.
Would I have been more frightened if I hadn’t prepared at all?
Of course, I’m still scared now.
I calmed my mind and looked around the outside of the training ground.
Several monsters had appeared near the stands and were causing chaos.
There were about ten monsters, but they were not as threatening as the Minotaur and the Black-Handed Long-Armed Monkey.
That’s why, in case of an emergency, security personnel were busy evacuating the children while dealing with the monsters.
Hong Da-Ye carefully assessed the situation and spoke quietly.
“…I’m going to disable the barrier, so hurry to the security guards. I’ll draw the monsters’ attention.”
If it had been Hong Da-Ye in her prime, it might have been different.
But now, she couldn’t handle so many monsters.
Even if she had equipped herself with the full set of special equipment, fighting without proper gear would have been nothing short of suicidal. Still, Hong Da-Ye made the decision.
After all, she was a hero before she was an instructor.
“Disable the barrier now……no, what’s going on?”
However.
“Why is it breaking down at this crucial moment…!”
Hong Da-Ye tried to operate the remote control several times, but the protective barrier surrounding the training ground did not disappear.
…Of course, there was no chance of it breaking down at this timing; it must be the work of the ‘villain’ who had entered this academy.
I already knew who that guy was, and why he was doing this, but I didn’t stop him in advance.
Because I couldn’t do anything about it now, and the future I knew could change.
Also, I wanted to give Jin Soyeon a taste of the experience beforehand.
The sense of despair when facing a powerful monster.
…But I feel even more nervous myself.
Will this be a mental training for not only Soyeon but also for me?
“Damn it.”
Hong Daye muttered a quiet curse.
As long as the protective barrier isn’t lifted, they were trapped inside the training grounds, just like being confined with the monsters.
“I want you to stay still behind me.”
Hong Daye stepped forward, as if trying to protect the children of teams 1 and 16, and used her supernatural power.
Her power is psychokinesis.
Using shapeless forces, she could control weapons or living things. They say it was strong enough to even bring down a building in her heyday, but now…
“Krrr? Grrr!”
“Damn it…ugh.”
It seemed difficult for her to even block one move of the Minotaur.
Hong Daye won’t be able to hold on for long if the Black Hand gibbon starts attacking as well.
‘…I guess Hong Daye alone won’t do it.’
That’s the only option.
It was an event created on the premise that they would lose in the first place.
It’s what’s called an Unwinnable Battle Event.
It’s one of the development methods commonly used in many games.
It can be regarded as a cliché to demonstrate despair, helplessness, and the strength and dignity of the enemy to the protagonist.
Since it’s the first appearance of a monster, it’s an event set to instill fear in the protagonist party while simultaneously retiring Hong Daye.
The goal of this event is to survive.
If they manage to hold on for 10 minutes until the security team arrives, the event would end, but Hong Daye will be severely injured and bedridden in the hospital for quite some time.
Then they won’t be able to get Hong Daye’s help in the future episodes of the joint training camp.
“I can’t let Hong Daye be retired here.”
I need Hong Daye’s help in the upcoming episodes. Therefore, I cannot afford to lose her here.
Of course, recklessly stepping forward would be an extremely dangerous act.
If Siwoon and the team of Yooseolhyun were to make a mistake, it could cost them their lives. The difference in levels between these monsters and the protagonist’s party was quite significant.
‘But it’s not like there isn’t a good way.’
A seemingly inevitable defeat in the event.
But it’s not an event where defeat is absolute.
The proper term for it would be an event where you would ‘normally’ lose.
Of course, you could never beat them through a legitimate fight, but with a little trick, you could bring them down easily.
It’s unbelievably simple.
Well, would I have dared to stand before such monsters if there hadn’t been such a method in the first place?
I was an ordinary person in my previous life, an ordinary person.
Alright, then. Maybe I should start telling the kids what to do now.
How to go about fighting them from this point on.
“Hey, kids, I have something to say…?”
Suddenly, I turn my gaze towards the kids, and what was going on?
“Haa, haa, ha.”
“Uh, ugh.”
“Hoo, hoo.”
All of them were heaving, their shoulders trembling and dripping with cold sweat.
Siwoon, Yooseolhyun, Seonari, and Yuliya Troyanova all seemed busy catching their breaths as their chests heaved intermittently.
Particularly in the worst shape was Jin Soyeon.
Her pale face was shivering.
Ah, no. Why is she like this?
Hey, if the heroine is like this, what can we do?
I, who was an ordinary person in my previous life, am still enduring.
Their monstrous appearance was a bit scary, but this reaction seems a bit too much.
‘…Ah. Could it be this?’
Suddenly, a fact came to mind.
‘It’s because of their murderous intent?’
An aura of murderous intent that only I couldn’t feel.
It fleetingly occurred to me that there was an annoying rule of survival in this world. No, no. Hold on a minute.
Even so, to this degree?
‘No, f*ck. It wasn’t this bad in the game, was it?’
The game was pretty fine.
No matter how different reality and games are, isn’t this difference a bit too extreme?
‘I trusted you, So Yeon.’
It seems like I’ve screwed up.
No, no, let me speak more frankly.
…I’m totally f*cked.
***
Mon, monster!
A monster had appeared in the examination hall.
The sight of that monster, grinding its tongue towards us and spewing slimy saliva, was pure horror.
Supremely.
My body, my body is shaking uncontrollably. It can’t be calmed down. Is it because of survival instincts? I can’t control my body trembling like a trembling poplar tree. I need to calm down, calm down.
‘Ugh, it’s hard to breathe……’
It feels like hyperventilation. Breathe slowly, slowly.
The best thing Jin So Yeon, exposed to the intangible pressure emitted by the monster, could do was swallow his dry saliva and bite his lower lip hard.
Such a nefarious and explicit pressure….
It seemed to coincide with the pressure Hong Da Ye showed on the first day, but now it’s a real situation.
The thought that he might genuinely die due to mental frailty induced by pressure, rattled his mind and he sunk deeper and deeper into the deep dark abyss of anxiety.
‘Instructor Hong Da Ye…’
Even though Hong Da Ye was fighting hard, Jin So Yeon knew instinctively. That he was being pushed back.
The Minotaur is a terrible monster notorious for its power.
It was a formidable adversary that required a team of several heroes to fight because it was threatening enough to crush dozens of heroes with its might.
But could Hong Da Ye stand against the Minotaur alone?
And not just the Minotaur but also that monkey monster?
‘I have to help. I need to help….’
My body won’t listen to me.
It’s stiff, like a nail stuck in the ground or the old bark of a tree.
I have no confidence in surviving the raging storm of battle. She’s weak. A mere trainee, people say. If even high-ranker Hong Da-ye is struggling, stepping up recklessly would mean death.
So what should I do?
Jin So-yeon threw an endless stream of questions inside her head. I can’t just stand still like this. I have to help the instructor. But, is it okay? Am I only getting in the way like a fool? Perhaps staying still is helpful? But, the instructor won’t last long like this…
As the chain of inquiries continued,
Jin So-yeon bit her lower lip so hard that it nearly bled. All excuses. Mere excuses.
It was just a lack of courage.
Don’t lie to yourself to convince yourself. Jin So-yeon was looking for reasons to keep herself still.
Like a coward. Disappointed in herself. What kind of hero-in-training were you? Faced with a real battle, you act like this?
Move, move.
Don’t deceive yourself if you’re meant to be a hero.
Although it’s easy to find excuses and justify oneself, a hero must not compromise with the current situation. No, never.
“Haa, haa, hau…”
She took a deep breath in and out.
Determined, but still shivering with fear, her body refused to release its grip on her steps as if it wasn’t her own.
To take the last step, a small amount of courage was needed.
A small but great courage.
The courage to assure oneself, to confirm that it’s right to act now.
However, Jin So-yeon couldn’t gather that courage, that confidence in the end.
Unable to move any further, like a pathetic girl…
“Soyeon, are you okay?”
At that moment.
“Pull yourself together and try to breathe slowly.”
A clear voice woke up Jin So-yeon’s consciousness, which seemed to be entranced by a dream.
It felt as if a ray of light had descended on Jin So-yeon’s head, which was only being engulfed by the deep, dark sea of confusion.
The chaos seemed to vanish all at once.
“…Huh?”
Lee Jin-hyuk, right in front of her with a worried expression, was gently holding onto her shoulder as he looked at Jin So-yeon.
As the warmth and tenderness of soft touch was transmitted over her shoulder, she could feel the gloomy atmosphere gradually, ever so slightly, dispersing.
“Have you come to your senses?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Eyes.
His eyes were right in front of her nose.
The face of the girl was seen beyond his eyes.
Seeing the girl through his eyes reminded her of Jin Soyeon from the past.
That time, that day, she could never forget what happened.
A boy approached her while she was trembling in fear, endlessly pleading for help from someone.
– Are you okay?
“Are you really all right?”
That day, the girl thought the boy who saved her was her very own hero. At the same time, the girl dreamt of becoming a hero like that boy.
“I’m fine, I’m okay.”
“Good, I’m relieved.”
Lee Jinhyuk sighed deeply and quickly scanned the surroundings. The children who had regained their senses to some extent were looking at him. It was a bit burdensome as they all stared at him.
“Hmm. So, kids, listen to me. We can’t keep staying like this. We have to help the instructor.”
“How?”
Yoo Seolhyun asks.
“Those monsters aren’t at a level that students can handle. And if we carelessly step up, we’ll just hold the instructor back, right?”
“Don’t worry.”
Lee Jinhyuk nodded gravely.
“I have a good plan.”
He wasn’t sure if it would work, but he couldn’t show hesitation in a situation like this.
After all, if things go wrong, he could just use ‘that.’
The certainty of having insurance gave Jinhyuk a bit of confidence and stability.
“So, can you help me a little? Soyeon?”
“Ah.”
Those confident eyes.
His unwavering eyes and voice in this chaotic situation struck a flame in her heart that had been stopped.
A small, and yet big, flame of courage.
“Of course…”
A hero is someone who spreads hope in the face of despair.
“Just say it.”
You’ve always helped me whenever I needed it, from the past until now.
“I trust you.”
So, this time, let me help you.
“If it’s your plan.”
Finally, I was able to take a step forward, which had been paused.
Through him, she gained the confidence she couldn’t have on her own, and he became a lantern and light to guide her path.
***
‘Huh. Soyeon seems to be in better shape than I thought?’
With a ghastly face, shivering as if her mental state had completely collapsed.
But a few words pulled her back to her senses.
Anyway, well.
It’s fortunate, it’s fortunate.