My Students Regret It After I Retired

20 – Why are you acting like this? Why this sudden change in attitude?

After Leos’ proof-of-life photo went up, Interunner went into an uproar.

[This is fucking insane. Is LEO really gonna kill KAR for real?]

[Could be a hoax. It doesn’t make sense. No matter how ballsy he is, going after the raiders in this situation? What’s the benefit in that?]

[LEO’s a genuinely good dude, you know. Maybe he’s helping so our gallery peeps don’t die? All his popular posts so far have been info-dumps, too. Explaining how to handle monsters, giving details about the Red Gates.]

[I ain’t believing it till I see proof. Either it’s a hoax, or he just snapped a picture of any rando.]

[Would he stoop that low? Or what then?]

[And seriously, are these guys out of their goddamn minds? Looking at their picture, there’s gotta be more than 20 of them. I know because I’m an expert. No way one guy can win against that many. He ain’t no monster, how’s he gonna take on that many solo?]

[Maybe he *can* win?]

[You’re a dumbass for thinking that. No chance, I tell you? It’s just common sense, it’s impossible.]

Keltazar, checking the Interunner intel, slammed his fist on the desk and roared.

“This is why you don’t talk with idiots.”

“What’s wrong, Keltazar-nim?”

His subordinate approached and asked. Keltazar, his face contorted in annoyance, responded.

“I was checking the Interunner boards because they said there’s information coming from ‘safe zones’, and I found some useless comments. Some idiot saying one person can beat 20 people? What garbage.”

“Hah, that’s absurd, isn’t it? Someone like that would be top-tier, even within the Imperial Shadow Unit.”

“That’s what I’m saying. These nobodies spout nonsense without knowing a damn thing.”

The subordinate checked his personal display and looked at the Interrunner, then nodded, speaking.

“Ah, so that’s what you’re talking about, that post. Lord Keltazar, I was looking at the Interrunner too, to confirm the information, and I saw it. LEO, this guy is not to be taken lightly. The information he shared about Red Gate and the monsters, it’s all ridiculously accurate. And looking at the photos, they don’t seem to be manipulated either. Looks like they’re actually real.”

“Even so, that’s his limit. There’s no one in our entire Imperial Shadow Unit who could take on that many alone.”

“True… but what happens if LEO really does kill all those guys by himself?”

“That’s not gonna happen, but…”

Keltazar’s expression changed as he added,

“If that were to happen, then that means we’d have to recruit him, by any means necessary. An indispensable talent for the Empire. If someone like that exists, I’d even kneel to bring him in. Of course, that won’t happen.”

*

The leader of the Dreff marauders, Pakol, rapidly looked around and yelled.

“There’s an enemy nearby, search now!”

He could have calculated the location based on the photos Leos took, but Pakol did not. If someone had the skill to approach this silently, then he’d likely have moved on after taking those photos.

‘A skilled b*stard. Not some kind of joke.’

Because his position was exposed, Pakol mobilized all members of the Dreff to secure the perimeter. They even had detection artifacts laid out in a grid. It was impossible for anyone or anything to approach them on foot without triggering them.

‘He took the photo from a tree. Did he move up?’

Pakol situated himself in a location where he’d be able to ambush the enemy first, should they encounter each other. A place with thick foliage that obscured the view.

It was the best location if he was able to spot the enemy first, but conversely, if he didn’t even realize an enemy was nearby, the obscured view would be a major hindrance.

‘Damn it… how did he bypass all the surveillance?’

Where he is, or how he got here is impossible to gauge. He thought that if he posted his location, it would be intimidating enough to stop people coming. Or if they did, he was confident he’d be able to kill them. Even when LEO was posting trash talk in the comments, he was sure he could catch him and kill him.

But the thoughts Pakol held were shattered in an instant.

– *Taang!*

– *Taang!*

Two sharp gunshots rang out, and two of the detection artifacts were instantly smashed to pieces.

“L-leader!”

“Report immediately on what’s happened.”

“It appears they used a long-range interception artifact, hitting our detection devices.”

“Location! What’s the enemy’s location!”

“That’s…”

The man hesitated to answer Pakol. After all, they hadn’t pinpointed Leos’ location enough to say where it was exactly. Seeing him falter, Pakol ordered his underlings to assemble in the center.

“He’s using the terrain to his advantage. Everyone gather in the center and form a circle to prepare for his attack!”

Predators who often fought outnumbered. And among them, those who survived the Redgate Whirlpool incident. In a way, the Drelf group were some of the most powerful among the predators. That’s why they were different from the Ullderic who had died so futilely earlier. But to Leos, both were just prey.

– *Taang!*

With a great sound, one man was struck dead by a long-range interception artifact. Pakol smiled slyly at that moment and signaled with his fingers.

“Everyone raise your shields! And attack the northeast, that’s where he is!”

Using his comrade as bait, not even bothering to defend, they baited the enemy’s location. Then, immediately securing their safety, they ordered their comrades to hunt down the opposition.

A typical predator’s style of fighting, and also a very efficient combat system in its way. But there was something Pakol didn’t anticipate.

“Die!”

As the Drelf members all drew their swords and charged at Leos’ position, Leos leapt forward to meet them head-on.

“Five? Isn’t that a little insufficient?”

Five charged forward. The rest stayed back, guarding Pakol. They seemed wary of the ranged intercept artifact Leos possessed. After confirming that those in the rear didn’t have any ranged artifacts of their own, Leos immediately pulled a chain from inside his tunic.

-Whoosh

-Whoosh

Leos waved his hand, and the chain began spinning in the air with incredible speed. Then, he extended it as if unfurling it.

-Thwack!

“aaah!”

A man, struck by the sword at the end of the chain, screamed horribly and collapsed to the ground. Leos yanked the chain back, simultaneously turning his body and using the recoil to lash the chain out again.

-Wham!

The chain-sword, cutting through the air, shot forward with insane speed, and the Drelf b*stards tried to dodge it, but they were simply slaughtered by the appalling velocity they couldn’t even track with their eyes.

“Th-that… that can’t be real, what the fuck… how is that even possible?”

Chain-sword. Just a simple weapon, a sword attached to a long chain. No special mana devices, nor an artifact. Just Leos wielding it with pure strength and rotational force. Most people would struggle to even throw it, let alone spin it properly.

Though capable of ranged attack and retrieval, the chain’s weight was heavy, and it required continuous rotation to achieve a high velocity, leaving many openings. Furthermore, its accuracy was appalling. Now, a forgotten weapon no one used, but Leos wielded it like an extension of his own body.

His movements were short and concise.

With a *whick* sound, he unfurled the chain-sword with minimal rotation. And when it hit the target, he’d reverse the spin to pull it back, using the momentum.

The attack and retrieval flowed together flawlessly, and his accuracy was nearly 100 percent. Pakol finally began to feel the gravity of the situation.

“Shit… it’s not the goddamn ranged intercept artifact that’s the problem… everyone, raise your shields higher!”

Afraid that the sword would fly at him, Pakol made those around him hold their shields up, and hid behind them. Even so, the ranks of the Drelf raiders were thinning, and the man began to consider a plan.

“That b*stard can’t swing it forever. Swinging and retrieving that heavy weapon, the movements must consume tremendous energy. We’ll charge when he’s exhausted.”

As Pakol calmly assessed the situation and gave the order, the Drelf members nodded. But all of them were covered in cold sweat, their arms trembling.

How could they not be? If death itself was real, it would probably take the shape of that man.

“Khuk…!”

In the end, four of the five who charged at Leos were dead, and the last one, just a moment ago, had his throat pierced by the chain-sword and fell to the ground. A complete victory. Not one of the five managed to get within a meter of Leos.

“Boss… wouldn’t it be better to run now? That guy’s definitely not normal… he’s a professionally trained one!”

“Shut your mouth!”

Pakol yelled, spitting curses at the shivering looter.

“There’s almost twenty of us here. And you’re suggesting we run away just because of one guy? That b*stard’s human too. If he’s human, he’ll get tired! He’ll get tired quick swinging that weapon, so charge forward with your bodies!”

As the Drelf members began to hesitate, Pakol beheaded the man at the very back.

“Pa… Pakol-nim…”

The man collapsed, clutching his severed neck, and Pakol, leaving him behind, spoke.

“Charge, you stupid b*stards. If you don’t, I’ll kill you. So you might as well die fighting!”

Only then did the Drelf members start rushing towards Leos. They held their shields high, trying to block the chain-sword.

But because they were moving forward while completely covered by their shields, their field of vision was severely limited. Leos, taking advantage of their limited sight and delayed reactions, faked a charge forward, then immediately lowered himself, crouching flat against the ground. Then, throwing his body forward, he spun violently, falling to the ground, using that force to target the feet of those beneath the shields.

-Screee!

The chain-sword, flying with incredible speed, left deep gashes on the legs of the Drelf members, or severed their ankles. The men who had been charging forward murmured, their faces filled with terror.

“Shit…you said he’d get tired… said he was human…”

The man stared at the chain-sword flying towards his face, murmuring.

“How…can that…hu…man…”

-Thwack!

As soon as his brow was pierced, Leos stopped running and started walking slowly. Most of the men carrying shields were incapacitated or dead, and only the remnants remained behind.

Leos pressed the record button on the distance device, placed it on the ground, and began to walk slowly.

“What’s wrong? Why’s your attitude changed so much?”

“…”

“You said you’d kill them all horribly? You’d slaughter every single one you came across?”

Pakol, unable to say anything, swallowed hard, murmuring.

“More importantly… th-that… that video, why…?”

Thinking he needed to buy some time, Pakol asked, and Leos answered, swinging his chain blade in a circle in the air.

“For proof. Like you did to the others.”