Episode 22

No matter how good the demonstration was, the students had limitations. Joo Da-hyun, who had already been trained to deal with traps, also suffered several defeats from randomly changing traps.

Even the best students couldn’t master everything in one day.

In this way, after school, the special class students devoted themselves to breaking through traps.

Then, before school ends, what should the academy do?

“Practice pincers.”

Kang Tae-min had no intention of wasting time ahead of the strategy practice. The students had to unite as a team of 5 and deal with numerous piles of automatons, as Taemin Kang had decided.

“Whoops!”

“Chew, why are you suddenly jumping out of nowhere?”

“Hey, you should have seen and avoided it!”

“No, are you crazy?”

Of course it wasn’t easy.

It was the first time the students had cooperated with each other against the goblins, and even that was an individual battle as they fought on a wide mountain.

It was difficult to get your hands and feet right from the start in such a situation. And if it was easy, I wouldn’t have trained.

“Teams 3 come out.”

The students who were about to spit out curse words flinched at Kang Tae-min’s words. The five students rolled their eyes at each other.

‘I didn’t do anything wrong.’

‘madam… Wouldn’t that be another etiquette injector?’

‘I’ll pay attention in moderation.’

The students expected to be clubbed. However, Kang Tae-min did not take out the etiquette injector.

This was because it had nothing to do with etiquette.

“Stand in a pentagon.”

“… Yes?”

Taemin Kang did not say it twice. The students who were hesitant became 5 vertices without noticing.

“Lie face down and put your feet on your friend’s shoulder.”

The students could roughly guess what was going on. Each of them becomes a line forming a pentagon.

“Do pushups until told to stop.”

“City, conduct!”

Even though he was a student, he was an Awakener. The push-up wasn’t such a big penalty.

‘uh… ?’

‘Write… Why is it so heavy?’

That would be if Kang Tae-min didn’t show his ability and pull the uniform to increase the load.

“Anyone can make mistakes. And anyone can be blamed for that mistake.”

Kang Tae-min spoke in a calm tone, then hit the floor with the etiquette injector. The students who were doing push-ups flinched at the sound of the thud.

“… But that’s something to do only after exiting the dungeon.”

Taemin Kang turned slowly and looked down at the students.

“Even if I wanted to criticize him, he would have already had his throat cut. Even if you want to apologize, your throat will be full of blood.”

A single mistake can mean the difference between life and death. Kang Tae-min has seen many such cases.

The faces of the students became more rigid. The push-up speed also started to make a difference little by little. It was because even though they were the same Awoken, their physical abilities were different.

“If you’re lucky, you might be able to escape alone. But you can’t run away from those memories.”

The students’ bodies began to sway like waves. Naturally, the burden continued to mount.

“Never forget who the enemy is to fight against.”

Kang Tae-min lifted the students’ chins alternately with the etiquette injector. Naturally, the student with the chin up couldn’t do the push-up, and the other students had to pause.

“It’s not just the enemies you need to see in a dungeon.”

With Kang Tae-min’s intervention, the students gradually matched each other’s pace.

“If the sum goes wrong, it’s not just one person, it’s everyone’s fault.”

The students held their breath and exchanged glances. It was not difficult to match the pace because I paid attention to the movement of my friend’s shoulder.

Taemin Kang stopped for a moment and observed the movement of the pentagon. There were no more waves.

“weather.”

At Kang Tae-min’s words, the students stood up. He smiled softly.

“Do it until it is done. go back in.”

Of course, there was no break time given as a penalty.

* * *

The days of special training passed and it was the day of strategy practice. Kang Tae-min and the special class students gathered in front of the gate, not the academy.

“Oh, you’re here early.”

“welcome!”

The attack practice was a class jointly conducted by the academy and the association. The two men and women who approached Kang Tae-min were hunters and supervisors belonging to the association.

“Please take good care of me.”

“Ayu, that’s what we’ll give you.”

“Students’ eyes are very bright.”

Responding to the greeting, they also exchanged greetings with the students. In the meantime, Kang Tae-min checked his surroundings.

There were a lot of police officers wearing blue uniforms.

“A lot of people came out for preparation for practice, right?”

“Yes? Ah yes. Well, isn’t safety the best?”

The supervisor let out an awkward laugh and cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the students.

“Now, you must have already heard it from the teacher, but I will explain it again. This dungeon attack will be carried out in a team of 5 people, and each team will be protected by us as supervisors and the teacher.”

“But I won’t intervene unless it’s an emergency. Also, the more the supervisor intervenes, the lower the rating, so be careful.”

The two supervisors spoke naturally, as if they were accustomed to this explanation.

“The goal is to destroy the core in the depths of the dungeon. It is in what is commonly referred to as the boss room.”

“Don’t worry too much if it’s the boss. The dungeon that was practiced is because the core mana is not much, so the boss is not very strong.”

That was the end of the explanation. The special squad, Kang Tae-min, and two supervisors entered the gate.

“Five… .”

“Wow.”

After crossing the gate, the surrounding scenery changed at once. It was a maze made of gears and metal plates on all sides, befitting the name ‘cog wheel labyrinth’.

“Come on, Team 1. Team 1, gather here!”

“Team 3 follows me.”

The supervisor was in charge of Team 1 and Team 3, respectively, and Tae-min Kang was in charge of Team 2.

Since the number of special class members was currently 14, one team had to be composed of 4 people, and Kang Tae-min decided to fill the gap.

And the students belonging to Team 2 are right away.

“Hmm.”

“It’s a grander atmosphere than I thought.”

“Shall we take the potion now?”

“To be on a team with Master… .”

They were Go Min-soo, Song Dae-bum, Min So-yul, and Joo Da-hyun.

When Kang Tae-min glanced at them, everyone shut their mouths. It was because the supervisor’s explanation had not yet been completed.

“There are different switches in each of these three aisles.”

“If you activate all those switches, the path to the boss room will open.”

After saying that, the supervisor looked at Kang Tae-min. It seemed that he wanted to leave the finishing touches to his homeroom teacher.

“You just do what you trained for.”

At Kang Tae-min’s calm words, the supervisor laughed blankly.

“Okay then, let’s meet in front of the boss room.”

“Everyone fighting!”

Teams 1 and 3 were scattered left and right, respectively. Taemin Kang gave a light chin.

“let’s go.”

Go Min-soo and Joo Da-hyun stood in the lead, Song Dae-beom and Min So-yul followed, and Kang Tae-min kept a little distance and protected the rear.

I was thinking of not going out, but there was another reason.

‘Then let’s go find it.’

The reason Kang Tae-min insisted on this dungeon was not only because of the practice, but also because there were things to find.

However, it was impossible to find it in front of the students, so it was necessary to act separately.

“Looks like there are no traps.”

“Well.”

“Shall we try to explode it?”

“You don’t know when the monster will appear, so wouldn’t it be better to drink a potion?”

The students proceeded, closely examining the aisles. Unlike training, it was a winding maze, so he was more cautious.

“Wait, it’s a decompression type footrest.”

“If it’s a decompression type, it must be a projectile or collapse type.”

“Should I explode?”

“Daebeom-ah, it’s okay.”

The students dismantled the traps smoothly to see if the training had any results.

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Long way to go like that.

“Shh.”

“… It’s an automaton.”

“Eww, there are eight of them.”

“Now, take the potion.”

Team 2 found a group of automatons. The four of them planned a strategy just like they did during the pincer attack.

The two men in the lead were fired like bullets.

“Beep-!”

“Wheein-! Wiing-!”

The automaton lit up its red eyes and sounded a warning. A blue light passed through Dahyun’s eyes.

The air shuddered with a hum and was wrapped around Ko Min-soo’s arm. At the same time, Ko Min-soo threw out a straight line with all his might.

With a whooshing sound, the two automatons that attacked were torn apart by the wind pressure.

In the meantime, Ju Da-hyun swung a spear at the automaton aiming for Go Min-soo.

“Hyaaa, they say that when you have a good body, your head is comfortable… .”

“Daebeom-ah! Seriously!”

“No, let’s go smart. Aren’t you a brain type?”

Song Dae-beom smiled and put his shield in front. From behind, Min So-yul rolled her eyes and handed me the drug.

It was already proven during the class battle that his abilities and potions were compatible.

“Eat this!”

The potion thrown by Song Dae-beom flashed among the attacking automatons.

A thud followed, engulfing the automatons in an explosion.

The half-destroyed automaton shrieked and moved unnaturally. Min So-yul quickly threw the corrosive potion.

It was not difficult to organize the rest, perhaps thanks to the first surprise victory.

“Is anyone hurt?”

“none.”

“Wow, if you’re already hurt, it’s the dog’s side.”

“I brought a recovery potion, so tell me if you need it.”

After completing the inspection, the four of them looked back at Kang Tae-min. Joo Da-hyun and Min So-yul showed some anticipation.

‘How would Master see it?’

‘Praise, don’t you want to… ?’

Contrary to expectations, however, Kang Tae-min was blunt throughout.

‘Well, it’s the beginning now.’

‘If you do more… .’

The two of them were even more motivated. But that was an illusion.

Actually, it was because Kang Tae-min was not watching them.

* * *

The guys will be well guarded by the dummy. He was molded the same as me, and he told me to come out only when in danger, so he won’t be easily discovered.

In the meantime, I was looking for a secret room.

“It’s a little wider than I thought.”

The exact location of the secret room where the object I am looking for is not known. Of the three entrance passages, I only knew that the central passage was the fastest.

But there were no big problems.

This dungeon was a metal maze on all sides, and I can sense metal.

In other words, I was like carrying a map of a maze.

“Beep… .”

“Tsk.”

Occasionally encountered automatons were a bit annoying, but no problem. If you crush it like a tin can, it will become quiet on its own.

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Long time to wander like that.

“… found.”

The hidden room was located. I immediately moved on.

It looked just like a normal wall, but there was space behind it. Beyond this, there was a blueprint to create it, the ‘Soul of the Machine God’.

The ‘Soul of the Machine God’ was one of the parts of the God created by the machine race, Makina, and was used by attaching it to a golem or mechanical doll.

If the part is worn and maintained without being damaged, it will start learning on its own. Golems or mechanical dolls learned in this way were ultimately able to form an ego.

That’s why it was called ‘soul’.

“The Puppeteer hasn’t come yet… .”

Before the regression, a villain named ‘Puppeteer’ obtained this blueprint. As soon as he learned the blueprints, he immediately burned them, hoarding the knowledge.

Puppeteer was insane. Nom used the machine god’s soul to teach the mechanical doll his consciousness and memories.

He considered that he could replicate his soul with it, and tried to become an eternal existence.

Of course, like a villain, the cost of making those mechanical dolls was covered by the proceeds of crime.

“this time… .”

I didn’t come to get the machine god’s soul. Because the recipe was already in my head.

Before the regression, I killed the puppeteer and absorbed the parts itself. It was not difficult to reproduce because he had perfectly mastered the structure with his shape memory ability.

That is why the dummies I made are capable of autonomous thinking and action.

“It doesn’t fall into anyone’s hands.”

* * *

The villain, Mosquito, was completely hiding in the corner of the room.

He hid in a dungeon, chased by the suddenly swelled security hunters. It was good until he hid himself in a secret room he stumbled across while wandering through the maze.

‘… Why don’t you come in?’

But I didn’t know that there would be someone who found this place again. Mosquito was on high alert, planning to ambush him as soon as he entered.

‘Or did you not find it? Maybe I’m just taking a break… .’

It was a moment when I relaxed for a moment.

The walls opened with a click and the sound of gears turning. Mosquito tightened the loose tension again.

‘Death!’

He immediately tried to throw himself. However, contrary to my thoughts, my body did not move.

Turning around, the metal wall had clung to his limbs like mud.

‘What, what… ?!’

In the meantime, the intruder, Kang Tae-min, entered the room leisurely. He turned his head slightly and looked at Mosquito.

“eww… !”

I tried to move again, but I couldn’t get out.

Meanwhile, Taemin Kang approached the box in the center of the room. It was a box that I couldn’t open even if I tried to figure out what Mosquito was.

‘What the hell… !?’

However, the box opened its mouth very easily at Kang Tae-min’s touch. What was inside was a metal plate, but Kang Tae-min crumpled it at once. Eventually, the crumpled lump of metal even seeped into his body.

‘Fuck, it’s fucked up.’

Mosquito sensed that he was involved in his captivity.

“I don’t know who you are, but please save me. I must have been hiding here because I was chased by the villain organization… .”

“her.”

Kang Tae-min snorted and turned his head.

[Karma Log]

[Name – Stanley Newman]

[Alignment – Evil (-1712)]

[Recently recorded karma activity]

[> Murder for Pleasure (-200)]

Mosquito’s misdeeds were clearly visible. Moreover, Kang Tae-min knew what he would do in the future with his knowledge before returning.

‘I wasn’t arrested. That’s why there were so many security hunters.’

Before returning, Mosquito is arrested by the Association. And sentenced to life in prison for killing the victims.

It was because, unlike when Kang Tae-min died, the Republic of Korea does not currently carry out the death penalty.

However, Mosquito’s lawyer uses his awakening ability and the characteristics of ‘Blood Rust’ as a basis for his defense.

It was the argument that Mosquito, by virtue of his abilities, had a thirst for blood, and that the murder was an accidental accident and that the perpetrator was deeply remorseful.

In the end, Mosquito is released on parole after only seven years of imprisonment for reasons of mental weakness.

‘Thanks to that, I won’t have to look at that dog-like confession.’

Moreover, while Mosquito was imprisoned, he published a memoir.

The confession of a murderer, especially the awakened villain, caused a strange craze, and his confession became a bestseller, albeit for a short time.

In an interview, Mosquito declared that he would become a new person and only hunt monsters as a hunter. However, it wasn’t long before he committed another murder and was arrested.

And during the convoy, he was killed by Kang Tae-min.

“This is why people cannot recycle.”

Mosquito’s case was one of the reasons why Kang Tae-min did not believe in the reformation of villains and why he tried to prevent his students from becoming villains.

Indeed, Mosquito had a puzzled face at his sudden words.

Of course, Taemin Kang did not feel any reason to explain. Instead, he reached out and manifested his powers.

“Cheer, cooer… !”

Mosquito sensed the changes taking place in my body. It was because his ability was to absorb blood, multiply his physical abilities, and control his blood.

Fine powder escaped through his skin. It was the iron that Kang Tae-min extracted from his blood.

Adult blood contains about 2 g of iron. Although it was a very small amount, Mosquito’s body was different.

“… You ate too much.”

Mosquito was storing the blood of its victims in its body, and it contained a lot of iron.

“Keep it… .”

Mosquito didn’t hear that. It was because he lost consciousness due to intense anemia as iron was lost and there was a problem with oxygen supply.

Kang Tae-min clicked his tongue lightly and put the iron powder back to its original state.

“Kheer!”

Mosquito opened his eyes in a flash. Did Kang Tae-min forgive him?

No, it wasn’t.

“I can’t die that easily.”

A painful death is always appropriate for a villain.

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