Chapter 269. Pass the Bomb (4)
Yuri stretched his arms and clasped his hands together.
“Ughhh!”
His face, as he stretched his arms upward, was filled with satisfaction.
“Ah, now *that* feels like I’ve had a real workout.”
Although he had turned an entire dormitory and numerous 48th class cadets into wrecks, it was merely a part of his training routine.
Still, he was quite pleased with the results he achieved, so a satisfied smile spread across his face.
‘As expected, things are different from the fourth year onward.’
Perhaps it was because these elite students had been refined through the cradle of time. The martial body techniques they used were of a much higher grade, and their comprehension and depth were on a level incomparable to the lower years.
Though it was disappointing that Gunther wasn’t there, Yuri was still able to learn quite a lot from the remaining members of the 48th class.
Especially Goetz.
He was distinctly different from the typical cadet.
‘He may be a pervert, but his skills are solid.’
Had he perhaps shed his perverted tendencies and focused more seriously on his training? His improvement was obvious, especially compared to the time during the Martial Dragon Tournament.
Moreover, the illusionary sword technique he wielded was so advanced that even Yuri found it difficult to grasp.
‘This… is actually pretty impressive.’
What had started as Clarice’s complaint now made him feel increasingly glad he had begun this challenge.
Perhaps that was why Yuri was already looking forward to the next match.
‘If the fourth-year cadets are this good… the fifth-year cadets will be even better, right?’
Originally, he had planned to take his time, tackling one cadet group at a time. But now, with things progressing this far, finishing everything in a single day didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
“Well then, should I go this way next?”
With his eyes gleaming, Yuri began walking with light, excited steps.
And exactly a few hours later—
*Boom-!*
A thunderous noise echoed from the southern area of the North Island, where the fifth-year cadets resided.
* * *
The sound of a pen scratching roughly across paper resonated quietly in the room.
*Scratch, scratch.*
A soothing, rhythmic sound that could put anyone at ease.
However, the person moving the pen looked anything but comfortable.
Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, and her skin appeared rough.
Even at a glance, her face was filled with exhaustion.
The reason she looked so tired was evident from the piles of documents stacked high on her desk.
*Rustle.*
Another sheet of paper was added to the towering stack of paperwork.
Only then did she put down her pen and stretch briefly.
*Crack, crack.*
The one relieving her stiff muscles and bones was none other than Duran Vikovich’s aide.
Her real name was Emma Green.
But to Duran’s subordinates, she was known as “Mom.”
Currently, she was serving as the “Acting Deputy Commander,” handling a mountain of paperwork in Duran’s absence during his extended business trip.
Emma massaged her stiff shoulders and let out a sigh.
“…I can’t even remember the last time I swung a sword.”
For several months since taking over as the acting deputy commander, she had been holding a pen far more than a sword.
Of course, even before this, she had handled countless tasks behind the scenes for the deputy commander. But with Duran gone, the workload had increased significantly, leaving her exhausted.
‘When will he return…?’
It had been more than six months since Duran’s absence began.
However, Emma knew all too well that obtaining the Elixir wasn’t an easy task, and Duran wouldn’t be returning anytime soon.
In such a situation, all she could do was pray that nothing troublesome would happen before the deputy commander’s return.
Just as she was about to pick up another stack of documents she hadn’t yet processed—
*Bang, bang.*
A loud knocking on the door caused Emma’s brows to furrow slightly.
‘What now?’
The unusually rough knock felt ominous.
A rough knock usually meant that the person had something urgent to report.
“Come in.”
As soon as Emma gave her weary permission, a member of the Black Sword Corps opened the door and entered.
As expected, his face was filled with urgency.
Emma looked at him and asked, “What’s going on?”
“We’ve received an urgent report.”
With that, the Black Sword soldier handed her a rolled-up piece of paper.
Unrolling it quickly, Emma’s face hardened as she read its contents.
For a moment, Emma thought she had misread something.
She read the paper again and again, but the absurd words remained the same.
“3rd, 4th, and 5th-year… residential areas… half-destroyed?”
A dizzying sensation swept over her.
* * *
Three days later.
*Rumble, rumble.*
The faint tremor of a building shook the air.
Hidden behind a half-destroyed door, someone’s dilated pupils quivered in fear.
Sweat trickled down their forehead.
Their expression stiffened, and they swallowed hard.
Anyone who saw them would immediately know they were terrified.
If anyone learned that this trembling, terrified person was none other than Susan Ripley, the top-ranked cadet of the 47th class, many would be utterly shocked.
But right now, Susan had no time to worry about what others might think.
‘He… He’s here again?!’
*Boom!*
*Rumble, rumble!*
The relentless noise and tremors continued.
Screams and enraged shouts echoed through the air.
All of this chaos had begun the moment *that monster* arrived several days ago.
It had been the same on *that day*.
*Crash!*
[Let’s have a fight!]
The front door had shattered into pieces.
A sudden, unexpected shout.
And then…
[Is there a rule saying lower-year cadets can’t enter the fifth-year dorms?]
[We didn’t even say anything yet.]
[You were going to say it, weren’t you? Every other bastard said the same thing the moment they saw me.]
[What in the world are you talking about?]
A bizarre rant from the monster, followed by an immediate assault.
Among those who got caught up in the chaos was Susan, who had happened to be in the dormitory at the time.
[Oh? Isn’t this the poison woman?]
[You, you’re…?!]
Susan had faced the menacing aura of death radiating from the monster.
Having once nearly been killed by Yuri, she instinctively backed away.
But there was no way Yuri would just let her go.
[Come on, running away already? That’s no fun.]
And that was the last thing Susan remembered from that day.
When she awoke, everything had changed.
The white marble floors, a symbol of the luxury of the fifth-year dormitory, were shattered as if bombarded, and many parts were strangely hollow.
Doors and windows were either completely destroyed or severely damaged, and the walls and ceilings had caved in.
In the few hours she had been unconscious, the dormitory had been turned into complete ruins.
At that moment, Susan was filled with regret.
‘If I had known this was going to happen, I would’ve finished my mission earlier and avoided this.’
She didn’t know why the monster had gone on such a rampage, but if she had delayed completing her graduation mission, she wouldn’t have experienced this disaster.
That regret returned now, as Susan faced the same predicament.
“He really… came back!”
She had thought the ordeal would end after the first time.
She had brushed it off, thinking it was just a freak incident and that she had been unlucky.
But to her shock, the mad monster had returned every single day since then.
And the reason for his insane behavior? Training.
Apparently, he was doing all of this madness purely for his own training…
‘That means… we’re going to keep going through this hell, over and over again!’
As Susan lamented her ill fortune at having to face such ridiculous trials in the final stages of her life in the Cradle—
*Crack.*
Suddenly, a hand burst through the wooden door she was leaning against.
And with it came a low, chilling voice.
“…Found you.”
Instantly recognizing the voice, one she had become far too familiar with and now feared, Susan’s face went pale.
*Crack!*
“No, noooo!”
Only Susan’s desperate scream echoed pitifully as she was dragged away by a pale white hand.
* * *
*Thud, thud.*
Brushing the dust off his shoulders, Yuri walked out.
As he stepped outside, Yuri took a moment to admire the destruction he had caused.
The fifth-year dormitory was now almost completely in ruins, with its inhabitants scattered all around.
As Yuri observed the scene, a strange gleam appeared in his eyes.
‘As I thought… there are fewer of them.’
Yuri had known that many fifth-year cadets were out on their graduation missions.
In fact, he had beaten the information out of some other fifth-year cadets, asking why there were so few people left.
So he was well aware that not many fifth-year cadets remained in the dormitory.
‘But today, there are even fewer than yesterday.’
Day by day, the number of people present in the dormitory continued to decrease compared to when he had launched his first surprise attack.
And this wasn’t just the case for the fifth-year cadets.
The same was true for the third and fourth-year cadets, whose numbers in their living areas had dropped significantly since the first day.
The reason was simple.
They had fled.
‘Well, of course, they did.’
Honestly, even he would have done the same if he knew
an unbeatable opponent was coming for him.
It would be strange if people didn’t run away.
Yuri’s lips twisted into a smirk.
‘Is that how it is?’
With a strange smile, Yuri turned and began walking again.
Leaving behind the destroyed dormitory, his steps seemed unusually buoyant.
Time passed quickly, and soon, July was nearing its end.
* * *
It was dark.
And stifling.
*Huff, huff.*
He could breathe, but it wasn’t refreshing.
He soon realized that something was covering his face.
‘Is this a sack?’
The rough texture against his face made it clear that the sack was of poor quality.
Once he figured that out, he took stock of his current situation.
‘My arms and legs are tied.’
He was also strapped to a chair.
There was no way to move, indicating that whoever had tied him up was a professional.
As he wiggled his arms and legs, he quickly gave up on escaping and tried to piece together his memories.
‘How… did this happen to me?’
He couldn’t understand.
How had he ended up like this?
When did it happen?
‘I remember going to bed…’
It had been an ordinary day.
In fact, lately, every day had been peaceful and enjoyable, special in its own way.
He had prayed that his days would always remain as uneventful yet special as they had been recently.
Today had been no different.
‘Wait… is it even still today?’
In any case, whether it was yesterday or today, he had been unusually tired and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
‘Then, I woke up like this.’
Damn it. To think that he had been kidnapped as an adult, when not even as a child had he experienced something like this.
It was baffling and terrifying at the same time.
‘How in the world did they manage to kidnap me?’
He had let his guard down recently, but not enough to be abducted so easily.
For them to have captured him so easily, there must have been some special method involved.
Perhaps…
‘…Drugs?’
Honestly, that seemed like the only explanation for how he had fallen into such a deep sleep.
Supporting this theory was the unusually intense fatigue he had felt, despite not having done much.
‘The problem is, when did they manage to drug me…’
His thoughts didn’t have time to linger.
*Step, step.*
The sound of footsteps, unusually loud because he couldn’t see, echoed in his ears.
His pupils quivered.
‘It’s not just one or two?!’
From the sound of it, there were at least ten people approaching him.
As he tensed up, preparing for the worst—
*Whoosh.*
The black sack covering his head was removed.
Squinting from the sudden light, he turned his head to the side.
Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he looked at the people who had kidnapped him.
And the moment he saw who they were, he froze.
“…Is it you?”
“You… the one who sullied the Cradle with filth?”
“…That filthy bastard?”
Clarice swallowed hard under the deadly glares of her senior cadets, who stared down at her as if they would kill her on the spot.