I Became The Only Healer In The Academy [EN]: Chapter 188

188

The monsters, observing the hunters’ movements, soon began to shift their formation.

It was as if they had decided who would face whom.

“None of them seem to possess any magical power.”

“Indeed. I wonder why… First, Hunter Kim, please stay behind me.”

“Understood.”

Seonghyun, also curious about the abilities of the other top-ranked hunters, positioned himself behind Leech as instructed.

“I’ll tear you limb from limb, just like those monsters scattered over there!” Padron roared.

Padron stepped forward, and the monster designated to face him mirrored his action.

Thanks to Seonghyun’s pinpointing, the weakness of that particular monster was located at its heel.

Earlier, they were fortunate that the monster’s shoulder was its weak point, so when Padron severed its arm, he effortlessly destroyed the vulnerable spot, encountering no resistance.

“How much can you solidify the ground?”

“I’m trying… but since those monsters appeared, there seems to be a restriction, limiting my mana usage.”

“Please focus on solidifying the ground as much as possible.”

Leech’s summoned legion couldn’t exert its full power in this swamp either, so Leech asked Devrail to concentrate all his efforts on reinforcing the ground.

Naturally, a monster also took its place to engage Devrail, but since one monster had already been dealt with by Padron, they had one to spare.

The ground gradually began to solidify, but the process wasn’t as rapid as it had been initially.

It seemed there was a monster among them interfering with the flow of mana.

“They’re coming.”

Once the unspoken assignments were made, the monsters initiated the attack.

‘Shall we see what these top-ranked hunters are capable of?’

Leech and Padron were familiar with them, but since several hunters hadn’t participated in the first-class gate subjugation, Seonghyun observed their battle with interest.

Soon, Leech’s legion began to materialize.

Then, the monster that had stepped forward to confront Leech also began to summon something.

“This is… my legion?”

It had replicated and summoned Leech’s summoned legion perfectly.

Moreover, the monster didn’t expend any mana at all.

“That’s unique. It’s drawing from my mana instead.”

“Is that alright?”

Leech couldn’t help but chuckle at Seonghyun’s question, which betrayed no real concern.

“It seems you already think it’s alright, don’t you?”

“Haha, you caught me.”

If Seonghyun hadn’t been present, Leech would have undoubtedly possessed the most mana.

He hadn’t summoned the entire legion, only a portion of it, so his mana reserves were far from depleted.

“I guess I’ll have to beat them up personally? Legions won’t mean anything against that.”

“Good luck. If you happen to lose, I’ll die.”

Again, there was no worry in his voice.

Leech offered a faint smile and raised his hand.

Leech began to channel mana into his outstretched hand.

A sticky and dark mana that radiated an ominous aura.

The size of that mana was gradually increasing.

Its magnitude was comparable to the mana felt in the mutated second-class gate that Seonghyun had dealt with, so Seonghyun was quite surprised.

“Goodness. Is that mana with a higher concentration than ours?”

The monster, which had been quietly observing, began to stir, sensing the ominous energy.

“…?”

However, something was gripping the monster’s feet.

Leech’s created legion.

The monster also possessed as many legions as Leech had created, but that legion alone couldn’t withstand the mana that Leech was wielding.

Leech’s legion blocked the monster’s legion, and the monster’s re-summoned legion was blocked again by Leech’s legion, repeating the cycle.

It was true that the monster was copying and summoning Leech’s legion, but the process couldn’t occur simultaneously.

The monster could replicate as much as Leech summoned, but to do so, Leech had to complete the summoning first.

That slight difference in timing was creating this outcome.

In the end, the monster, with its ankles ensnared by the legion, kept trying to fend them off, but Leech’s legion was an immortal legion.

It wouldn’t vanish unless Leech’s mana ran out.

“Traitors subservient to humans!!”

While the monster was immobilized, the mana gathered in Leech’s hand continued to grow until it finally reached its peak.

“Many people, no, everyone calls me a necromancer.”

When Leech’s mana manipulation was complete, an unknown figure materialized behind the monster.

“That’s half right, but half wrong.”

The monster was still struggling to shake off the legion gripping its ankles, oblivious to what had appeared behind it.

The figure that appeared behind the monster was wielding a massive scythe.

Like the Grim Reaper we all know.

The huge scythe slowly ascended into the sky.

Then it descended just as slowly.

Along with the monster’s neck.

“Hoo… It’s been a while since I’ve used that ability.”

“You had such an ability?”

“Probably all the top-ranked hunters here have a hidden card or two, don’t you think?”

“Really?”

“Ah, except for Padron, of course. He calls it a cowardly act or something.”

“Haha. That’s Padron for you.”

Leech, who had dispatched the monster with ease, was about to move on to another.

“Ooh, that was dangerous? I expected something to happen with that hand of yours, but it was behind my back.”

“How…?”

It was undeniably a monster whose neck had been severed, but in the brief moment he had turned his head, it was completely intact and staring at Leech.

“It’s not an illusion…”

Leech was taken aback, not by the fear of losing the battle, but by the resurrected monster.

“If I completely shatter it…”

Seonghyun realized that now was the time for him to intervene.

After all, there was no point in prolonging the fight.

“This is just my personal opinion, but I think it would be good to aim for the elbow.”

“El…bow?”

“Yes. The elbow.”

An unexpected target.

Leech looked slightly embarrassed at the suggestion that it was a weak point, but Seonghyun wouldn’t lie.

It was his duty to protect Seonghyun, so he wouldn’t do anything to endanger him.

“I understand. The elbow.”

Leech attempted to restrict the monster’s movement with the legion as before and then unleash his mana, but the monster, anticipating his move, was already airborne.

Naturally, the monster looked down at Leech, and Leech looked up at the monster.

And, as if displeased with the situation, Leech frowned for the first time in a while and said.

“It’s unpleasant. For a monster to look down on me…”

“If the attack you just used on me is your hidden card, you will…” The monster began, a faint smile playing on its lips, as if enjoying the change in perspective.

Until he felt goosebumps erupt all over his body.

“Th, this is…”

The monster’s plan was simple.

The opponent possessed a considerable amount of mana, but most of it would be used for summoning. Even if he knew the hidden card, he wouldn’t be able to win, but he thought he could buy time.

But that thought was naive and arrogant.

Even the thought of just holding out.

Why did he only consider that there was only one of those unidentified beings that had appeared behind him and severed his neck, and why didn’t he consider that it could appear in the air as well?

This figure, blocking his front, back, and sides, was very slowly raising the scythe.

‘I have to avoid it…!’

There were only two ways to escape: up or down. But if he dodged down, he would be close to the ground, so the monster ascended higher.

However, this figure, blocking all four directions, did not lose sight of the monster.

“Hehe, so you are the strongest of the humans.”

He had escaped once and been caught once, but the monster no longer attempted to flee.

Because the figure’s movement wasn’t to pursue him.

It moved as if it were attached to his body, with unwavering precision, like a single entity.

“Yes. Cut me. I’ll just come back to life. Hehe!”

The monster stretched out its neck and began to laugh, as if daring him to sever it.

“…?”

But a different outcome unfolded than before.

The four figures cleaved both elbows instead of his neck.

“How…”

The monster, uttering the same word that Leech had initially voiced in surprise, made eye contact with Seonghyun, who was visible behind Leech.

“Y, you… it’s you…”

Even in the fading consciousness caused by the attack precisely on the weak point, he could clearly sense it.

The presence of mana that had been forcibly suppressed and concealed was confirming that his assumptions were wrong.

“The… strongest… among… humans…”

The monster couldn’t finish his final words and collapsed.

“It really is the elbow? How did you know?”

“It’s an ability I had before the ability re-manifestation occurred.”

“…Ah! Weak Point Detection!”

“You know about it?”

“I know more about Hunter Kim than you think.”

She stated proudly that she had done a background check, but Seonghyun responded with the same smile because he didn’t dislike her enthusiasm.

“But it’s easier than I thought? Of course, it’s thanks to Weak Point Detection, though.”

“I hope so.”

“Shall we go deal with the other monsters first?”

“Yes.”

Padron was engaged in battle with a wide, toothy grin, facing a monster that was tougher than the one he had just fought.

If they interfered in his fight, he would sulk, so Leech and Seonghyun joined the other top-ranked hunters who were still struggling.

The other top-ranked hunters were having a difficult time.

They had killed the monsters once, but they had resurrected because they were unaware of the weak points.

The amount of mana they possessed was also significantly less than Leech’s, so the longer the battle dragged on, the more problematic it would become.

Of course, the battle concluded swiftly with the arrival of Leech and Seonghyun.

Leech didn’t actively participate, but when Seonghyun revealed the weak points, the other top-ranked hunters were able to dispatch the monsters quickly.

Padron was the exception.

Seonghyun didn’t disclose the weak point to Padron.

“Kuhaha! That’s it!”

It was a monster so resilient that his attacking bones were cracking, but that fact only fueled Padron’s excitement.

“Padron. It’s all over now.”

“What? Already? Haa…”

Padron, grumbling, concentrated mana on his fist as if he couldn’t resist.

As if he was going to end it in one blow.

“Huuup!!”

For Padron, mana was merely a supplement.

Padron, channeling all the power he could muster into one fist, instantly appeared above the monster and slammed the top of its head.

“Die!”

Power befitting the title of 2nd in the world.

The monster, which was tougher than the previous one, was crushed beyond recognition by that single fist.

The location of the weak point was irrelevant.

The monster’s entire body was pulverized, and the weak point was naturally destroyed.

“It was a fun subjugation after a long time. Hahaha!! I wouldn’t ask for anything more if only these kinds of gates kept appearing. Let’s go now.”

A smooth subjugation for a mutated second-class gate.

Everyone who believed the subjugation was complete waited for the exit gate to appear.

But no matter how long they waited, the gate remained absent.

That meant the subjugation was not yet finished.

“As expected. My prediction was correct?”

“What? What nonsense are you going to say again?”

Seonghyun disregarded Padron’s words and continued his explanation.

“As you all know, these monsters don’t possess any mana. And the location of the weak point is different for each one.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“The identity of these monsters is dolls.”

“…Dolls?”

“Padron. What was the opponent’s attack like when you were fighting?”

“Just a so-so attack that I could take.”

“Not enough to strain your bones, right?”

“Yeah.”

The reason Padron was able to defeat this monster in one blow was because Padron’s fist had cracked.

And the monster Padron was facing adjusted the power of its attack as if it knew that Padron would regenerate and become stronger.

In addition, the moments of hesitation, the placement of monsters that formed the compatibility of abilities as if they had watched everything from somewhere.

The conclusion was clear: someone was controlling them.

Just then, a voice echoed, seemingly to confirm Seonghyun’s theory.

“Wow. Amazing. Not many people have figured this out.”

“…Kid?”

What materialized before them was none other than a small girl.