.
.
Dawn arrived, chasing away the comforting darkness with its unwelcome light.
Another day had begun.
“Time to go.”
I dressed in comfortable clothes and left my dorm room.
As soon as I opened the door, a blast of cold winter air hit me, whipping my black hair around my face. I brushed my bangs aside and started walking.
The Academy grounds were bustling with activity, the annual ranking tournament drawing students from all grades.
—Dude, did you hear? That guy got knocked out in the first round!
—No way! The brackets were so messed up this year!
—Hey, mister, can I get some popcorn?
—Come on, the next match is about to start!
“…Peaceful, isn’t it?”
I murmured.
The sounds of everyday life—the chatter, the laughter, the excited shouts—washed over me.
I closed my eyes, savoring the normalcy of it all.
No one knew…
No one knew that in just an hour… no, in just thirty minutes… this peaceful scene would transform into a living nightmare.
—Whoooosh…
A cold wind swept through the grounds, tugging at the edges of my uniform jacket.
I pulled it tighter around myself and continued walking, my footsteps echoing softly in the morning air.
[Time Until Quest Start: 2 Minutes 41 Seconds]
I reached my destination—a small park located near the Academy’s back gate.
I found a secluded bench and sat down, waiting for the inevitable.
The seconds ticked by, each one bringing me closer to the moment of truth.
[Time Until Quest Start: 59 Seconds]
I reached into my bag, my fingers closing around a smooth, white mask.
—Ding!
Classification: Mask
Rank: Legendary
Special Properties: Favor of the Black Clown
Effect: Activates the ‘Perception Down’ magic when worn.
The Deceiver’s Mask.
A legendary-ranked item I had acquired specifically for this sub-quest.
Not only did it cast a powerful ‘Perception Down’ magic, but it also slightly altered the wearer’s appearance.
With this mask, I could use Sorrow without fear of being recognized.
—Click…
I lifted the mask and placed it over my face, feeling a cool sensation against my skin.
[Time Until Quest Start: 5 Seconds]
I remembered the scene from the novel, the moment the attack began.
It started with…
—BOOM!!
…a deafening explosion that shook the very foundations of the Academy.
—Ding!
[Main Quest: ‘Protect the Academy!’ has been activated!]
[Sub Quest: ‘Faceless Hero’ has been activated!]
A series of notifications flashed before my eyes.
I adjusted my mask, making sure it was secure.
My gaze darted to the back gate, where a horde of grotesque creatures was swarming towards the Academy like a plague of locusts.
—W-What is that?! What was that explosion?
—What are those things outside the gate?!
—They’re breaking through! We need to get out of here!
The gatekeepers, their faces pale with terror, scrambled back as the horde crashed against the iron bars.
—Clang! Clang! Clang!
The creatures were a grotesque parody of life—green-skinned, hunched over, their eyes burning with a malevolent light.
Goblins.
Each one carried a crude bomb strapped to its back, the fuses burning brightly.
I knew those bombs. They were filled with a volatile concoction of demonic energy.
Before the gatekeepers could react, a blinding flash of light filled the air.
—BOOOOM!!
A wave of heat and smoke washed over me as the bombs detonated.
I stood my ground, my eyes fixed on the gate.
The explosion had blown a gaping hole in the iron bars, and through the smoke and debris, I could see them—a tide of monstrous creatures pouring onto the Academy grounds.
Goblins, orcs, golems, undead…
“…They really went all out, huh?”
I muttered, a grim chuckle escaping my lips.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward, drawing Sorrow from my subspace.
The creatures turned towards me, their red eyes burning with greed and bloodlust.
I met their gaze, a chill running down my spine.
We were hopelessly outnumbered, and reinforcements wouldn’t arrive for some time.
It was a desperate situation, but I refused to give in to despair.
“You have no idea what I’ve done to prepare for this,”
I said, my voice low and dangerous.
I slung my backpack off my shoulder and opened it. Inside were stacks upon stacks of paper—hundreds of them.
Magic scrolls.
I grabbed a handful and hurled them towards the advancing horde.
—Fwp! Fwp! Fwp!
The scrolls sailed through the air, each one inscribed with a single, powerful rune: ‘Explosion.’
The creatures hesitated, sensing the danger, but it was too late.
I had already ripped open another scroll—this one inscribed with the rune for ‘Link Explosion.’
“It’s over,”
I said, a hint of amusement in my voice.
—Fzzzt!
A spark ignited on the scroll, and the air crackled with energy.
At that moment, all the Explosion scrolls I had thrown into the air detonated simultaneously.
—BOOOOOM!!
A blinding white light engulfed the battlefield, the air filled with the deafening roar of countless explosions.
As I watched the spectacle unfold, a memory from my past life surfaced in my mind.
My older brother, Chang-ho, had always been a fan of cheesy action movies.
—Hey, Naru, there’s this line from a movie… he had said one day, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
—It’s one of my favorites. It goes…
“Art… is an explosion!”
I said, my voice barely audible above the din.
The shockwave from the explosions hit me with the force of a freight train, but I stood firm, my gaze fixed on the gate.
The goblins at the front of the horde had been completely vaporized, their bodies reduced to ash and dust.
I quickly drew more scrolls from my bag, my fingers working with practiced ease.
“Blink x 6.”
—Crackle…!
My vision blurred, and I reappeared in the heart of the enemy ranks.
I unleashed a torrent of magic and steel—fireballs arced through the air, their heat scorching the ground, while Sorrow sang a deadly song of ice and sorrow, each swing of the blade cleaving through flesh and bone.
Red and blue light danced across the battlefield, painting a scene of utter chaos.
And I, standing at the center of it all, was an instrument of destruction.
This was my place.
I would protect the Academy.
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Deidara lol
ReplyDeleteDefinitely hin lol
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