Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 39

Weapon-Devouring Bastard – Episode 39

The safe zone in present-day South Korea extends up to Pyongan Province.

The area north of Gaeseong, where the exam was being held, was within this safe zone.

Not too far from the capital, Seoul, it was far from being a slum and instead boasted a fairly developed cityscape.

And on the outskirts of that city, a bus carrying Class 5 came to a halt in a wide-open space.

“We’ve arrived. Everyone, disembark.”

The place where the bus stopped was surrounded by barbed wire and fences, much like a military base.

The Y-7 Gate was located inside a massive concrete structure in the center of this vast site.

This site, roughly 3,000 square yards in size, was managed by the Gaeseong branch of the Soongmui [a fictional organization or clan].

“It’s a stabilized gate, but it’s being guarded quite thoroughly. Is all this really necessary?”

Kim Han asked cautiously.

“It’s probably to reassure the citizens. Plus, it’s a place where various experiments and investigations take place, so it might be a precaution against unforeseen events.”

“I see. You really know everything, Young Master.”

The students of Class 5 entered the massive building.

Kim Han swallowed hard and stared intently ahead.

An oval-shaped black hole in the air.

There was no better way to describe the Gate.

Light refracted around the black hole, distorting the scenery behind it.

As the first and second-year students arrived one by one in front of the Gate, I turned my gaze from the Gate to look at them.

‘Fewer in number than I thought?’

Even with the instructors present, no one was openly exuding killing intent, but I spotted several students openly scrutinizing Class 5.

‘Are they being so blatant because they think we haven’t noticed, or is this just the level of students here? Even if I hadn’t known about the attack, I would have noticed.’

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Soon, all the first and second-year students who had applied for the advancement battle had arrived in front of the Gate.

The student commander stood on a makeshift platform.

There were no clichéd words of encouragement or speeches. The student commander got straight to the point.

“The order of entry will be determined by grade, starting with the first years, and within that, it will be from Class 5 to Class 1. There will be a 15-minute interval between each class’s entry. We will now begin the advancement battle. I wish you all good fortune.”

Woo-oong-

As the student commander finished his announcement, I immediately turned to look at the students of Class 5.

“Let’s go.”

It was just a simple word to the students who must have been nervous, but the students of Class 5 all grinned and began to raise their spirits.

The advancement battle had begun.

* * *

The Y-7 Gate, commonly known as Stone Mountain.

The interior of the Gate was a vast canyon area of about 40 square kilometers.

It was an arid region where not a single blade of grass grew, reminiscent of the Grand Canyon in the western United States.

In the past, the Y-7 Gate was home to numerous monsters, but after stabilization, it had become a desolate canyon of red stone and soil.

And there, Baek Jin, the class president of the second-year Class 1, moved along the high ground, looking at the students following him.

“Is everyone ready?”

“Yeah, well, what’s there to prepare? We just do it.”

“They’re just first years anyway. And Class 5, right?”

The students all wore indifferent expressions.

Baek Jin nodded silently, recalling a meeting that had taken place a few weeks ago.

-It’s a simple deal. Just make sure the students of first-year Class 5 are eliminated. As long as you don’t kill them, you can do whatever you see fit.

These were the words spoken by Lee Seol-ah, the sixth child of the Soongmui family, when she came to find him.

Baek Jin’s family was secretly supporting Lee Seol-ah. Naturally, Baek Jin couldn’t refuse her order.

Of course, even if he could have refused, he wouldn’t have.

‘The root of the Manyear Herb [a rare and valuable plant]. If I have that, I might be able to break through the wall and gain Aura [a form of energy or power] before graduating from the student corps.’

-And if you take care of that bastard, I’ll give you an even bigger gift, so work hard.

Baek Jin fiddled with his scabbard.

If he had been told to take care of even first-year Class 1, he would have hesitated a bit, but the target was Class 5, famous as a collection of trash.

It seemed they were achieving some results after the youngest bastard joined, but from what he heard, there were several others besides Baek Jin’s group participating in this, so there was no reason to refuse.

‘They’re just first-year students, and Class 5 at that, so I don’t understand why they need to gather so many people…’

He didn’t need to think that far.

Baek Jin stopped thinking and focused on the situation.

At that moment, three students who had gone ahead as scouts returned to where Baek Jin and the students were gathered.

“We found them. About 300 meters north of here. They’re moving together as expected.”

“How many were there?”

“A total of five.”

“A manageable number. What’s the situation?”

“Well, it seems the rumors we’ve been hearing aren’t false. They’re covering their tracks, concealing themselves well, and moving carefully. They’re strictly following the manual.”

“But they didn’t think to hide the traces of covering their tracks.”

Baek Jin nodded, watching the scouts grin.

Their side had six people.

Considering the difference in skill, it wouldn’t be difficult even if they had set a trap.

“Let’s take care of them right away. We were told not to kill them, so let’s just break their arms and legs.”

“Sweet. Cleaning up the trash from the junkyard and getting an elixir. Hehehe.”

The students, all instigated by Lee Seol-ah, moved with greed gleaming in their eyes.

They were all stealthy and fast.

Second-year students of the Soongmui student corps were already at a level where they could be active on the front lines outside.

Pee-ing-!

At that moment, a signal arrow shot into the sky from a spot somewhat distant from where Baek Jin was moving.

“If they used a signal arrow, that means the bastard is over there, right?”

“Let’s quickly take care of these guys and move over there!”

Soon, the students of Class 5 came into view of Baek Jin’s group.

“They noticed.”

The students of Class 5 suddenly flinched and began to move quickly.

‘They’re just a bunch of fools. All they can do is run away.’

Baek Jin and the students quickly pursued them.

“Hoo, hoo. These trashy bastards. They’re damn good at running away!”

One of the students cursed, panting for breath.

“There’s a fork in the road ahead that leads to a dead end. We’ll catch them there!”

Baek Jin kicked off the ground, adding mana [a magical energy source] to his feet.

As a student in the most outstanding Class 1 of the second year, and the class president, his speed was tremendous, and the distance between him and the students of Class 5 quickly narrowed.

‘Once we pass this fork, it’s a dead end! You fools!’

Baek Jin smiled.

He could almost see the elixir shimmering before his eyes.

The fork in the road appeared, and the students of Class 5 slowed down as they changed direction.

At that moment.

“Huh?”

“Who are you guys!”

Unfamiliar figures appeared in the canyon.

Baek Jin knew them.

The guys from another class who were supposed to be targeting Class 5, just like him.

‘Why are these guys here?’

Baek Jin’s mind raced.

Cliffs on both sides.

The dead end that would soon unfold.

The sudden merging of students.

“It’s a trap-.”

-is!

Baek Jin’s shout was cut short by a sharp whistling sound.

Swaeeeeeeek! Thwack!

“Kkeuaaaaaak!”

Long-range sniping.

The mana-filled arrow lodged straight into Baek Jin’s shoulder.

‘An ambush? It was a trap?’

Could it be that the students of Class 5 who had revealed themselves were bait?

Then did they notice our attack?

“Baek Jin, class president of second-year Class 1.”

A boy walked out from the other side of the canyon. Behind him, three or four more students from Class 5 revealed themselves.

Baek Jin groaned and remembered the boy’s face.

The youngest member of the Soongmui family, Lee Cheol.

He was slowly walking out, holding a steel sword.

Around the boy, the faces of the students of Class 5, whom he had familiarized himself with beforehand, began to appear one by one.

“Yoo Jae-ho from first-year Class 2, Lee Myung-joon, a second-year Class 2 student…”

The difference in numbers hadn’t been reversed.

One of the students, sizing up the situation, shouted.

“They’re just first years! Charge!”

Lee Cheol smiled faintly and said.

“Even though it’s the advancement battle, I won’t kill you. But you’ll have to drop out here.”

-As long as you don’t kill them, you can do whatever you see fit.

Baek Jin felt an unpleasant sense of déjà vu, as if he was receiving the words he had heard from Lee Seol-ah right back.

‘D, damn it.’

As Lee Cheol’s sword was swung, the air was torn apart.

* * *

The number of students we and the students of Class 5 estimated to be targeting us was 42 in total.

We predicted that about 12 first-year students and 30 second-year students had accepted the instigation.

From the start, we set a trap and devised a plan.

Divide and conquer.

That was the content of our plan.

I turned my head to look at Choi In-ha.

“If you’re done, move immediately. We haven’t taken care of all the guys who might be targeting us yet.”

“Yes, I’ll join Kim Han’s group. What are you going to do from now on?”

“As planned, I’ll move alone. Make sure to take care of your assigned lists. The real test will start after the cleanup is done.”

“Are you going to move right away?”

“I have to. Now that the slightly dangerous guys have been taken care of, the rest will be small fry.”

I said that and immediately left the spot.

Choi In-ha, staunching the blood from a cut sustained during the battle, quietly watched Lee Cheol walk away.

One of the students approached and said.

“As expected, the Young Master is amazing. Don’t you think so, In-ha?”

Choi In-ha blankly asked.

“How many people did the Young Master take care of alone?”

“I don’t remember exactly… 8? 9? Something like that, I think.”

“We caught one person with two people paired up.”

Choi In-ha stroked the handle of his sword.

“The opponents outnumbered us, and they were promising students from the student corps. But no one exchanged blows with the Young Master more than three times.”

Choi In-ha pressed his lips tightly together.

He had tried to close the gap for a year, but it had only widened.

“We need to hurry.”

The student from Class 5 tilted his head, then pulled Choi In-ha’s arm.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you’re done, let’s move quickly.”

“Okay.”

Choi In-ha’s group also began to move.

* * *

Outside the Gate where the advancement battle was taking place, things weren’t exactly relaxed either.

The instructors of the student corps began preparations, including connecting the makeshift clinic and the communication network with the main family.

The most attention was paid to the clinic, of course. Although it was called a makeshift clinic, it was equipped with emergency treatment equipment comparable to that of a regular hospital.

Even though the rules stated, ‘You must not use lethal moves,’ no one knew what problems might arise in a real battle.

-Young Master. As of 12:03, all second-year students have completed entry.

Kim Gyu-taek, the instructor of second-year Class 1, took out his smartphone and sent a message to Lee Jae-hak, the seventh child [referring to a member of the Soongmui family].

He was one of the people supporting Lee Jae-hak.

He was also the one who had guided the children instigated by Lee Jae-hak and Lee Seol-ah to deal with the students of Class 5 in this matter.

-I would appreciate it if you could continue to report on the progress.

-I will do so.

He was taking this matter lightly.

From the start, the numbers were different, so even if it was the bastard who had recently been showing promise or Class 5, there was nothing they could do.

Moreover, Kim Gyu-taek had thoroughly examined the training materials of Class 5 or directly spied on their training to teach the students appropriate countermeasures.

So, unless a natural disaster occurred, there would be no major problems.

‘If I do well in this matter, I can appeal my usefulness to the seventh child. Since rewards and punishments are clear, that arrogant guy will give me decent compensation.’

Kim Gyu-taek was lost in thought, thinking about the seventh child, Lee Jae-hak.

‘Let’s earn a moderate amount of achievements, take only what I can from the seventh child, and climb up. After that, I need to grab onto another line. Still, if I can just succeed in this matter and get out of the student corps…’

It was then, as Kim Gyu-taek was dreaming of a dreamlike future.

“Huh? Already?”

The area in front of the Gate was buzzing.

Turning his head, Kim Gyu-taek saw a student with a splint on his arm and dragging his leg as he came out of the Gate.

‘It has begun.’

Kim Gyu-taek smiled and approached the Gate.

And as soon as he saw the face of the student who had come out of the Gate, his expression crumpled.

‘Lee Hwa?’

The class president of second-year Class 3. A student who was quite skilled with a bow.

And one of the children targeting Class 5.

“W, why are you…”

Why was that child coming out of here instead of a student from Class 5?

“Kim Instructor! Quickly transport him over here! His injuries are severe!”

“A, yes, yes!”

That wasn’t the end of it.

Starting with Lee Hwa, students began to pour out in droves.

“Haha, it hasn’t even been long since it started, but so many students have already become incapacitated.”

Kim Gyu-taek bit his lip, watching the student commander laugh heartily.

‘What the hell is going on!’

It had only been about an hour since the second-year students had entered.

But already 13 students had been seriously injured and had left the Gate. And 10 of them were students who had targeted Class 5.

Woo-oong-

Again, the Gate trembled, and at the same time, several students poured out.

Kim Gyu-taek checked the time.

It was almost two hours since everyone had entered.

But.

“Get a bed over here quickly!”

“Quickly dress this wound! What are you doing!”

The doctors and nurses of the Soongmui family were rushing around frantically.

Already over 25 students had dropped out.

Of those, 21 were students who had participated in this incident. And those 21 had inevitably suffered serious injuries that forced them to give up the test.

“I don’t know what’s going on. I thought it would be harsh on the first years, but why are most of them second-year students?”

The instructors next to Kim Gyu-taek looked at the Gate with dumbfounded expressions.

Woo-oong-!

Again, the Gate trembled.

As expected, a student with an abnormally twisted arm walked out.

Again. Again, no students from Class 5 came out. This time too, it was a student who had targeted Class 5.

Kim Gyu-taek ran to the student and grabbed his shoulder tightly.

“What the hell is going on? How did you guys come out first? What’s happening inside?”

At Kim Gyu-taek’s voice, which seemed to be squeezing out, one of the students bit his lip and said.

“We… we were wrong.”

The student was trembling not with anger or annoyance, but with a sense of futility and frustration.

“I thought I was the hunter… but I wasn’t. We were the ones being hunted.”