“Excuse me. I think it will be difficult to proceed with the mission.”
“Is it because of the ground? Absolutely not!”
—That’s what she’d say, right?
I could already picture Testarossa’s reaction. Even without a unique ability like , it was obvious.
Ahem.
I cleared my throat and greeted my teammates.
“Soongsil University Station, Basement Level 1. Secured.”
“Scout 7! Your solo action just now was a bit excessive!”
“It was a preemptive attack for survival. I was nearly sent flying by those killer boars.”
“And where are those killer boars now?”
“They’re probably lying around somewhere over there.”
I gestured toward the darkness.
Testarossa furrowed her brow, peering into the shadows, but it seemed she wasn’t able to see through them.
“I don’t see anything?”
“A true leader trusts their scouts. It was a real close call. Whew.”
“Hmm… Alright. Then from now on, let’s stick together as a group—”
“Before that, I have something to report. The ground here is suuuuper unstable.”
“Is that so?”
Instead of answering, I stomped my foot.
Rustle…
Dust came up from both above and below. My teammates’ faces turned pale.
“Let’s check in advance. Anyone have claustrophobia, nyctophobia, or taphophobia?”
Everyone shook their heads.
I have all three, though…
Just in case, I used to scan my teammates’ medical conditions. All clear.
In fact, they were filled with enthusiasm.
“Raid leader, please make the call.”
The ground was at risk of collapse.
Mission first?
Or safety first?
Of course, this wasn’t the real Soongsil University Station. It was just an artificial dungeon built in an underground cavity.
The operations headquarters was watching our every move. A truly dangerous situation was unlikely to arise, but…
Testarossa seemed to have reached the same conclusion as I did.
“Let’s proceed. Ground collapse might be part of the test. It’ll make the strategy more difficult, but if we clear it, we’ll probably get bonus points.”
Testarossa looked at the team. The others seemed to agree.
“I agree with the leader’s decision.”
“Yeah, I don’t want to get a zero.”
One by one, they spoke up.
Of course.
Even if it was dangerous, quitting here would get us nothing. Saying we gave up because the test was hard would be like admitting failure.
I don’t like this…!
I pouted slightly to express my discontent.
They all saw but pretended not to.
“Alright, alright~ Let’s go, then. Watch your step, everyone. Even if we get buried alive, we have to clear the raid. The mission comes first. Move out.”
“Scout 7, that’s not something you should say…”
I muttered curses under my breath as I took a step forward.
Rumble—!
Did I just jinx myself?
With a thunderous roar, dust rained down from above. I was so shocked I forgot to breathe.
Even Lucy freaked out.
[Lucy… startled!]
[Lucy… not startled at all!]
You’re totally startled, aren’t you?
Tacking on a lie right after makes it even more obvious…
Luckily, nothing serious happened.
However—
“…Oh, crap.”
I suddenly realized how eerily quiet it was and turned around.
The six people who had been standing behind me…
There was nothing where they had been.
Instead, a giant sinkhole lay gaping in their place.
Cautiously, I leaned my head over the edge of the sinkhole.
“HEY!!!!”
Mock Raid Operations Headquarters.
Twice the usual number of staff were overseeing the environmental variables of the mock raid.
This was the first mock raid for the fresh cadets.
And today, there was an additional reason to pay close attention.
“Instructor Kim, reporting the progress of <Team 48th>. They have now entered Phase 2 in Dungeon 5-8A.”
The operator relayed the progress update.
“5-8A… isn’t that the ground collapse event?”
“Yes. As planned, the ground collapsed at Basement Level 1, and they fell.”
“How deep?”
“Ten meters. They fell to Basement Level 3, which is within 98% of the intended depth.”
“Hah. Falling in their first raid, huh? Those fresh-faced rookies must be absolutely terrified.”
And it wasn’t just Dungeon 5-8A.
Across all monitored artificial dungeons, problems were cropping up.
Valves burst, causing water to flood in, while oxygen levels dropped in certain areas.
Juggling combat against monsters and environmental hazards, the cadets were struggling.
“Let’s crank up the difficulty for the rookies’ raid.”
With one word from the academy director—
A Grade-2 unexpected event setting was applied to the mock raid.
It was an unusual decision.
Instructor Kim found it a bit excessive for new cadets, but he understood the academy director’s reasoning.
The Superhuman Academy wasn’t a place to nurture fragile greenhouse flowers.
After all, this was just an artificial dungeon.
If a mere mock raid gave them trauma, they weren’t fit to be heroes. They wouldn’t even qualify as superhumans.
“Being a superhuman isn’t about looking cool. I hope they learn that today.”
Especially in these times.
It was an unstable era.
Factions everywhere were starting to act out.
Dormant forces were stirring.
Almost as if they had planned it.
As if they had all been waiting for this moment.
“What’s the status of the fallen cadets?”
“All six have sustained minor injuries. They should fully recover with the healer’s support. After this, the scenario calls for communication blackout with headquarters. How should we proceed?”
“Cut the connection. Let’s see how they handle it. …Wait, six?”
Why six?
Mock raids were supposed to be teams of seven.
“Yes, Scout 7 was outside the affected area. Should we contact them?”
“No. Headquarters won’t interfere from this point on. Cut it.”
Instructor Kim stroked his chin.
Separated from the main group, huh…
“What’s Scout 7’s name?”
“Ranked 1,111th—Kim Seungtae.”
Kim Seungtae.
He remembered. The only cadet specializing in necromancy.
And the only one who chose a revolver as his weapon.
A single revolver wasn’t much to rely on. If he didn’t fall behind, that alone would be impressive.
Rejoining the main group? Probably out of the question.
“That kid… doesn’t have the best luck.”
Even after stretching my ears, no response came from the sinkhole.
I quickly straightened up.
“Lucky me!”
Hooray! I got separated from the main group!
Things were going way too smoothly. Now I could finally enjoy my long-awaited solo action.
As I grinned, my radio crackled.
“This is 2nd. Do you copy?”
“Ah, ah. This is Scout 7. You guys actually survived!”
“All six accounted for. Medical check confirmed no injuries…”
Not injured? Guess that’s what it means to be a superhuman cadet. These guys weren’t pushovers.
“Scout 7, regroup through the collapsed area. We’ll catch you if you jump down.”
Static! “Can’t hear you! What was that? Static!”
I immediately tossed my radio aside.
Jump down? Are they serious?
Not a chance.
Besides, I finally got my solo-play opportunity. The longer I delay regrouping, the better.
I checked my ammo.
Cadet-issued training rounds—over 300 left.
Good thing I stocked up.
“Well, let’s fire off 300 rounds first and figure things out from there.”
[Lucy… agrees!]
[Lucy… DESTROY!]
The collapsed Soongsil University Entrance Station was pitch dark, but it was still navigable.
Krurung!
The gleaming eyes of the rotten nose scattered around served as guideposts.
Cautiously.
I carefully approached and lifted Lucy. No need to aim precisely.
Even when I tried to do it casually, my body moved precisely on its own. Lucy breathed fire, and four or five monster noses collapsed.
One shot, one kill.
I aimed for their foreheads, but the damage was embedding itself in them in a terrifyingly overwhelming way.
“I made the right choice picking this gun.”
Firearms were disregarded. At best, they were treated as secondary weapons. There was a reason for that.
Guns hadn’t been around long enough to be imbued with mysticism, nor were there many products crafted with the blood and sweat of master artisans.
They were weapons born for mass production and widespread distribution from the start.
There were no treasure-tier firearms.
No millennia-old Glock 19. No Kar98 gifted by the moon fairies.
The limits of the weapon itself were clear.
And yet.
There were exceptions—those whose very existence shone on their own.
Just as the blessing of a Saint (Saint) could turn a mere pile of stones into a sacred sanctuary…
The same applied to this revolver. I didn’t know who or how it was made. Probably put together in a rough manner.
But Lucy was inside it. A wicked dignity seeped through the revolver.
That presence alone filled the barrel, the hammer, and the cylinder with malevolence.
There was a rule.
Higher spirits trumps lower spirtis.
Like how a greater energy wave naturally pushes aside a smaller one.
[Lucy… Kroaaar~~]
[Lucy… The invisible Great Evil Spirit!]
That was why Lucy pierced through the monster snout’s shell with ease. Her spirit power was simply too high.
“Besides, I wouldn’t be able to come to a place this scary alone.”
Things were different when accompanied by a loud, noisy evil spirit.
I cheerfully continued hunting the monster snouts.
[Fought bravely in the darkness without fear.]
[Mentality increased by 0.1.]
[Landed every attack in the darkness.]
[Luck increased by 0.1.]
[Defeated all enemies in the field with a single strike.]
[Strength increased by 0.1.]
[Cleared Field <Subway 1st Floor>.]
By the time I had hunted about a hundred monster noses…
A joyful message appeared.
“Long live gunpowder! Long live the evil spirit!”
[Lucy… Long live forever!]
Even after firing over a hundred shots, the barrel remained cool. Such was the dignity of an evil spirit.
As a sign of appreciation, I threw Lucy several times.
Snap.
Like cutting through time itself, Lucy returned to my hand.
I moved up to the second floor.
200 shots…
270 shots…
As my ammo dwindled, I cleared the second floor.
“Time to regroup?”
Firing enthusiastically had already brought me to the third floor. This station only had up to three floors, so the main group might have already reached the boss room.
I hurried along.
Before long.
“You didn’t respond to the radio.”
Testarossa’s first words.
Her lips were pouting.
“Please follow the command structure next time.”
“Yes. Thank you for worrying about me. I am safe and uninjured.”
“You need healing, don’t you? Take this potion.”
Testarossa offered me a swaying potion.
Unexpected.
She wasn’t exactly kind, but she did show concern. Was this her sense of duty as a leader?
Or was this her real self?
“I don’t need the potion.”
“You made it through alone, and yet you don’t? But I can’t heal you right now anyway.”
I was really fine.
Anyway, she was right. Now wasn’t the best time for healing.
“Aaaahhh!”
Clang! Clang!
Thud!
While Testarossa and I were talking, the other five members were busy beating up the boss, Rotten Nose.
“Let me brief you. Rescuing Scout 7 by heading upstairs was deemed inefficient.”
“Good call.”
“Thus, we prioritized the boss strategy. No objections?”
“None at all. I was the one who said the ground was unstable, yet I avoided falling into a sinkhole, so it’s on me.”
“Your words seem to have a hidden jab.”
“Must be your imagination…”
I spoke while watching the pummeling Rotten Nose.
For all its size, Rotten Nose had almost no combat ability.
“Kwoooong~”
Rotten Nose wailed.
“Something’s odd.”
Testarossa spoke.
“What is?”
“The monster nose wave should have arrived by now.”
The monster noses wave.
This was why Testarossa, the strongest dealer in the team, was on standby.
Rotten Nose was a commander-type monster.
Its own combat ability was weak, but it constantly produced and led monster noses.
“Kwoooong~”
That cry might have seemed like mere wailing, but it was actually a highly dangerous signal. Its minions could hear it from hundreds of meters away.
Upon hearing the call, the monster noses would rush in without hesitation. That was the monster noses wave.
From this point onward, it became a time attack.
The defense team had to hold back the wave while the attack team took down Rotten Nose.
“Why aren’t they coming…?”
Well…
Because there were no monster noses left to answer the call.
While Testarossa was left sucking her fingers, the raid ended.
Ah, wait a second.
There was a personal evaluation grade for this subject.
(To be continued.)
Testarossa Official Illustration
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