Park Jinsung bowed his head more deeply than a fully ripened ear of rice.
“……”
Beyond his view, filled only with mud, he sensed the presence of the zombie squad members.
More precisely, it was the presence of people supporting the zombie squad.
Not a single member of the zombie squad was conscious. The sound of them being dragged around helplessly was the entirety of their current state.
“Sigh…”
Park Jinsung sighed deeply, as if wishing the ground would swallow him up. It was a sigh drawn from deep within his core, the first in many months.
As he raised his head, a headache crept up the back of his neck.
“Ugh.”
The heavy throbbing in his temples sparked a slight irritation.
The trainees who had finished taking down the aces numbered close to 250.
Each one was slowly approaching the battalion’s sole F-class, equipped with their own Edeya.
“Heh… heh.”
Park Jinsung suddenly let out a chuckle upon seeing the trainees.
“What, what’s with him? Why’s he laughing all of a sudden?”
“Maybe he’s lost his mind like his friends?”
He couldn’t help but laugh.
Why were they so cautiously moving against the battalion’s F-class? Was he that frightening?
If you’re going to challenge someone, at least do it with a bit more flair.
‘They pushed the squad leader and the deputy with numbers before.’
The distance between Park Jinsung and the trainees shrunk to less than 2 meters. Once the last ace was dealt with, the remaining trainees could start their legitimate examination.
The trainees, becoming a bit impatient, shouted.
“Hey! Park Jinsung! Can’t you just walk out on your own?!”
“Yeah! You don’t want to tire yourself out unnecessarily, do you?!”
“Ha, haha… My treatment has changed quite a bit over these past few months. It’s not a bad feeling, honestly.”
“What! It doesn’t really matter if you don’t walk out! We still have the 4th and 5th places on our side?!”
“Huh? Didn’t you say all the aces were taken care of?”
Two trainees who had been hiding in the back sheepishly stepped forward.
“Darling.”
“It’s okay, honey.”
The recent elimination of the aces had been orchestrated by the 4th and 5th ranks in the school.
The couple, well-known within the company for being high-ranking, made their move.
The 5th rank, belonging to Room 1, had watched as the giant bug were unilaterally beaten, witnessing the scene without any filters.
A shock that cleared his head.
They judged that without taking down the aces of each room, scoring high would be impossible. The 4th rank, his honey, was persuaded, and they immediately concocted the current scheme.
Considering the immediate agreement from other rooms, it seems both the male and female soldiers had similar thoughts.
“Honey!”
“Darling, are you nervous?”
They were aces themselves, but they had gained the agreement of the other trainees considering the possibility of other aces remaining.
“Uh-uh. Honey…”
Having taken down Byun Kiyoung and Kim Seyun, they naturally thought Park Jinsung would be eliminated as well.
But they hadn’t expected that a group of thirty or so incompetents would rush in.
Facing them head-on like this was problematic. It was a situation they had never anticipated.
“Uh uh. H, honey. Did you send the female soldiers too?”
“Darling, it was all planned in advance. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
The 5th rank, turning pale, grabbed his 4th-ranked girlfriend’s hand.
The 250 or so trainees pushed the couple forward. They patted their shoulders and backs, offering words of encouragement.
“Go! 4th and 5th! Go take care of Park Jinsung!”
“Sob. To rely on the power of a couple. It tears my heart as a member of the solo squad.”
Despite the numerous encouragements, the 5th rank felt an immense pressure as if someone was sitting on his shoulder.
“Darling, are you hurt? Your face has turned pale.”
“We, we have to run… Let’s escape, honey.”
“Run? What do you mean?”
The two were ranks 4 and 5 out of 367. As the girlfriend rated just below Byun Kiyoung, she couldn’t understand why her boyfriend was acting this way.
The 5th rank fearing the 367th rank.
The 4th rank held her boyfriend’s shoulder and looked around carefully.
Hmm.
Grunt.
Upon closer inspection, it seemed that especially the men from Room 1 were acting strange.
Their restless behavior seemed as if they were waiting for some colossal disaster, as if awaiting punishment.
Those who had experienced the so-called “giant bug disaster” were mostly from Room 1. Their strength had allowed them to witness the event up close.
“Attack now!”
“Go knock him down!”
As the 4th rank’s sharp observation revealed, only those who hadn’t seen the giant bug firsthand were still excitedly chattering away.
“Darling, if you don’t come, I’ll go ahead?”
“Right… That’s right… No matter what, I can’t let honey get hurt.”
“Huh? Darling, what did you say?”
“Honey, move aside.”
The 5th rank, with lips tightly sealed, pushed past his girlfriend’s shoulder and stepped forward.
There was no need for such a dramatic stance.
Unfortunately, the 367th rank, who had plummeted from the top, had not much stamina left.
‘Grunt. How did it come to this?’
How did he end up as the 367th rank, how did Kim Seyun voluntarily get eliminated, and how did the entire zombie squad end up annihilated?
Park Jinsung steeled his resolve.
“I hate it.”
I don’t want to collapse here, after all. It seems like only by causing some trouble can this suffocating feeling be alleviated.
Somehow, a struggle worthy of the name must be made to convince myself.
“…I have no choice, do I?”
I’ll throw a dance party right on top of your filthy rules, fair and square.
And if I fall, that will be the end of it.
Park Jinsung greeted the tense 5th rank with eyes brimming with laughter.
“Hmm. It’s a pity there’s no spear.”
“Park Jinsung…”
“Sorry, but it seems I have to be the top. I’ve received so much from this exam… I have to pay it back, don’t I?”
Park Jinsung thought about when the zombie squad would wake up. He couldn’t bear to speak of receiving terrible scores, even if his mouth was torn.
In a moment of crisis, it’s do or die.
“After all, there’s no other way. Let’s keep it simple. As long as it doesn’t just drown in murderous intent, it’s okay, right?”
I must control it, even if I have to exhale forcefully.
If I’m buried… well, sorry, but I’m counting on you then.
Feeling immense pressure, the 5th rank moved before Park Jinsung.
“Ugh! [Love Rides a Whip!]”
[Love Rides a Whip]
World Soul Grade System: B
The strength of the whip increases with the solidity of love with the girlfriend.
Overall Combat Ability: B
“Hmm. Could it be the boyfriend plays the role of a sadist? Then the girlfriend is…”
The 5th rank’s whip moved more fiercely than an eel out of mud.
It covered a wide area, and its direction was unpredictable. A mere graze could tear off a chunk of flesh.
“[Partial Murderous Intent.]”
Park Jinsung unleashed his Edeya on his right hand and confronted the surging murderous intent.
[Partial Murderous Intent]
World Soul Grade System: A⁻⁻⁻
Manifests only a part of the combat power from [Complete Murderous Intent].
The more areas opened, the harder it is to control, and the controllability greatly depends on the owner’s mental strength.
The opened area reproduces the movement from when it was [Complete Murderous Intent], regardless of the owner’s will.
Current area: Right hand (subject to change)
Overall Combat Ability: A⁻⁻⁻
“Right hand, don’t kill them, okay?”
Snap!
Park Jinsung’s right hand stylishly produced a thumbs-up. Then,
YOU DIE!
It slowly lowered the thumb downwards.
“Yap.”
Park Jinsung raised his right arm towards the incoming whip.
The F-class dagger, barely visible to the naked eye, sliced through the air at a speed that was difficult to follow. It was merely a warm-up, but it even made a sound similar to a sonic boom.
Swoosh! Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh, swoosh-swooosh-swooosh, swoosh!
His right hand performed a trick that was not a trick until the moment the whip entered its range.
He seemed like a child waiting for candy, twisting his body in boredom while waiting.
“Quietly drop out, Park Jinsung!”
The 5th-ranked whip and the 367th-ranked dagger clashed.
Clang! Clang-clang-clang!
Park Jinsung’s wrist rotated at a speed beyond common sense. Unlike the dull sound of impact, Park Jinsung advanced very smoothly forward.
“Ugh! My whip!!”
“Oh dear… What are you doing?”
It looked as if the 5th-ranked was backing away on his own, even though Park Jinsung was just walking forward.
There was no need for Park Jinsung’s body to jump around.
No matter how much the 5th-ranked tried to push him away, Park Jinsung subdued the whip with just his right hand.
“Eek! Park Jinsuuung!”
“Hehe.”
The whip’s attacks, whether coated with paint, upon paint, upon paint, were all, entirely, without exception, blocked.
Whether it twisted suddenly from the upper right to the upper left,
Or aimed simultaneously at the middle and lower right before targeting the upper again, it was all the same.
“It won’t work, it won’t.”
The stark difference in power was evident as numerous attack routes were blocked just by one wrist, proving it.
“Urgh! Honey, it’s no use. Hide among the trainees quickly!”
“Darling?!”
“While I’m holding him off, quickly…!”
“Smirk… no, that’s not right. Whoo, today I’m definitely coming in first?”
Park Jinsung said, slapping his own face with his left hand.
The principal and the officers all watched the scene with their eyes wide open.
‘What, what is this!! Wasn’t he a loser?!’
The principal couldn’t believe the information his optic nerve was receiving.
Even considering the marches and other training, he was somewhat aware of Park Jinsung’s physical strength.
But literally,
‘Could it be his stamina overwhelms other Edeyas?!’
The 5th-ranked whip was an Edeya well-known to both the principal and the officers.
A single whip crack could split the exterior walls of a building, and two could deform steel.
The power that wouldn’t disappear just by lazily stirring it with one hand.
‘To handle that whip so easily….’
The countless whip strikes from mid-range were practically akin to a fraudulent combat technique. Moreover, this was not a pool where movement was restricted.
The officers knew that the 5th-ranked never easily gave up distance.
The fact that there were many attacks did not mean the whip strikes were light. It was simply a matter of beating the opponent unilaterally.
Furthermore, the whip wielded by the 5th-ranked boasted an absurdly high level of proficiency. It was unclear where they practiced.
‘Most would normally collapse without even getting close to the 5th-ranked! This is not a performance that a loser could pull off!’
But look at the situation now.
Is it even plausible to fend off with just a dagger?
It looked like nothing more than a flimsy dagger. Just an ordinary blade without any abilities.
‘What exactly is the value of Park Jinsung…’
Ju Ye quickly checked the expression of Ahn Sungho.
Ahn Sungho seemed very calm, as if he had easily anticipated this. Ju Ye’s awe of Park Jinsung grew even more because of Ahn Sungho’s calmness.
Park Jinsung, who had been joyfully fending off the whip, eventually reached the 5th-ranked.
“Please step aside if you don’t want to die… not that, or, smirk… anyways.”
Click.
Park Jinsung placed his left hand on the 5th-ranked’s shoulder. The right hand behind his back flailed, trying somehow to stab the 5th-ranked.
“I understand… I’ve lost…”
“Darling!”
“Honey… let’s go…”
“Is that something the 5th-ranked should say?! I don’t want to run away without even fighting! [The more it’s hit, the harder the body becomes!]”
“Honey! No!”
[The more it’s hit, the harder the body becomes]
World Soul Unit Grade System: B
The more it’s hit, the harder the body becomes.
However, self-inflicted wounds or attacks deemed by the owner to be from allies are not included.
The pain felt by the owner remains the same as before hardening.
Overall Combat Ability: B
The 4th-ranked, who couldn’t accept her boyfriend’s defeat, charged at Park Jinsung.
“Oho! Could it be a masochist role?! There was indeed a reason for their good relationship!”
“Quietly drop out! 367th!!”
Park Jinsung snatched the dagger from his right hand and wrapped his left hand around his right. The right hand desperately tried to remove the left hand, not merely struggling.
The 4th-ranked’s defensive power originally had tremendous endurance.
If she was attacked bit by bit, it could create an unbeatable monster. To confront her, one must deal strong damage at once.
“No!! Honey! Run away!!”
“Darling, be quiet! Hey, F-class! To break our love, you’ll have to knock me down too, right?!”
“Hehe, understood. Then, instead of a spear, please take a punch.”
“Uh…?”
Whack!
Park Jinsung struck the 4th-ranked’s face with his right hand, which was covered by his left hand.
It was truly a one-inch punch!
To Park Jinsung, it was just a matter of touching the cheek, but his right hand took care of the rest.
“Cough. Darling… you…”
The 4th-ranked, having been hit in the face, flew into the embrace of the 5th-ranked.
“Honeeeyyyy!!”
“Oops. I sent her flying in the wrong direction. I should have thrown her onto the ground.”
Park Jinsung walked towards the 5th-ranked, who was wailing.
“Hrgh! Honey… Park Jinsung! How dare you do this to my honey!!”
“Uh… erm… not smirk…! Ahem. If both of you don’t want to die, hurry, quickly, rush out of the pool area.”
Park Jinsung felt a sudden surge of emotion, as if he had watched Romeo and Juliet, and unwittingly let out a growl, his murderous intent mixing with his emotional surge, baring his teeth at Romeo.
“I won’t forget this! Park Jinsung!!”
“Oh, come on. Don’t be like that. It’s definitely not because I’m single that I hit so hard, okay.”
The tragic duo of the 4th and 5th-ranked quietly left the pool area.
Flap-flap-flap!!
‘That right hand moves so well. Too lively, isn’t it?’
Contrary to concerns about his physical condition, control was smoother than expected.
It felt much more comfortable than the last time with the rock.
Could it be that his mind and body had grown in the meantime?
‘…I’m sorry. If only I had done better.’
Recalling the zombie horde, Park Jinsung thought that perhaps his heart had grown thanks to them.
Ironically, receiving strength from the zombie horde on this side.
With his composure regained, Park Jinsung, along with his lively right hand, surveyed the remaining 250 enemies.
“Uh, uhh.”
“To think that dreadful couple duo got taken down…”
“What do we do now?”
“Oh dear. Are you all ready? Actually, whether you are ready or not, I’m all set on this end.”
Park Jinsung’s combat boots scuffed the dirty floor of the pool.
Leave a Reply