Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Predator (8)

T h i s was c opi e d f r om k in g m tl . org
Ha Yena and Shin Muyoung’s faces turned pale upon hearing the girl’s words.

“Sob… We were also attacked by three Akrites. We only managed to escape by blinding them with flashes…”

The girl trembled violently.

Akrites were a class-2 monster species with a developed field like mages, rendering firearms ineffective.

They were incomparable to the class-3 monsters in the northern sector.

In a dense forest like this, it was nearly impossible for students without proper particle equipment to handle them.

“Sera, calm down… First of all…”

-BOOM! BOOM, BOOM!

As Yena tried to comfort the girl, loud noises erupted, turning the surroundings red.

Dozens of flare spells calling for rescue shot up into the sky from all directions.

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The distant murmuring noises began to sound closer and closer.

“…Isn’t something really wrong…?”

Muyoung muttered in a fearful voice.

They could distinguish between human screams, the sounds of spells hitting, and the low growls of monsters.

Lee Hyun felt like he had suddenly fallen into the midst of chaos.

-ROAR!

“Ahhh!”

A tremendous gust of wind swept over them in an instant. Yena staggered, barely able to keep her balance.

The tingling sensation throughout their bodies suggested that this was not a normal wind but something artificially created.

“Hyun-ah, let’s go back… At this rate…”

“…No, you guys go back. I must continue.”

“…Hyun-ah?”

Yena, who was steadying herself, widened her eyes in disbelief at Lee Hyun’s words.
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T h i s w a s c op i e d f r o m ki n g m t l . o r g
***

If the girl’s testimony was correct, the breach in the barrier was at the end of the central route.

That meant the monsters hadn’t reached the path they had taken so far, and it would be relatively safe for his group to retreat to the safe zone.

There might be more Akrites, but Lee Hyun was confident in handling them.

“In this situation, it’s hard to protect you all while fighting. We’ve eliminated the monsters on our way here, so it shouldn’t be dangerous. Now go quickly…”

Lee Hyun’s calculation was logical, but Yena blocked his path with her arms wide open.

“No! Absolutely not!! Didn’t you hear? What if something happens to you alone…!”

“It’s fine. Nothing will happen. This is the perfect chance to secure first place…”

“Idiot! How can you say that!”

Yena screamed.

“What use is first place in this situation! We don’t even know if the exam will proceed normally…”

“You never know. This situation might be part of the exam. And I need to get a good score in this exam. I can’t miss even the slightest possibility.”

“Leader. I didn’t realize you were this crazy…”

Muyoung muttered, looking at Lee Hyun.

“…Why do you need such a good score?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later.”

Though Yena looked disappointed, Lee Hyun had no time to worry about her feelings.

If their retreat was blocked, they would be trapped here. Then he wouldn’t be able to move freely.

“Sorry. Muyoung, take the others back to the safe zone. You remember the way we came, right?”

“What? Uh…”

“Then I’m counting on you.”

Lee Hyun finished speaking and headed towards his destination.

He infused ether into the particle array device and crafted a predictive magic formula.

Once the predictive magic formula was completed, the surroundings seemed to slow down slightly, while he felt as if he maintained normal speed.

The rest of the group quickly disappeared from view.

The predictive magic formula, named because it seemed to predict and respond to the opponent’s movements in advance, was a powerful technique.

While generic circulation magic typically enhanced muscle strength or reaction speed in specific body parts, the multi-array formula of the predictive magic enabled explosive enhancement of all body parts.

The predictive magic was the strongest unique magic of the Heukryeon Sashi family, but it also came with a high cost.

The seven interwoven three-dimensional magic formulas consumed an enormous amount of particles. Additionally, the user’s body had to be resilient enough to withstand the enhancement.

No matter how much physical training one undertook, it couldn’t compare to the bodies of other mages transformed by the Spring to be suitable for magic.

Catching up with the Heukryeon Sashi family’s optimization, accumulated over generations, was impossible.

Therefore, even if he could endlessly draw ether from the atmosphere, Lee Hyun could only use the predictive magic formula to a limited extent due to his inherent limitations.

Using three pathways would last for a few hours, four pathways for 30 minutes, five pathways for 15 minutes, six pathways for five minutes, and all seven for less than that.

Using more magic than this in a day could severely shorten his lifespan, which was why Sa Jaehyuk had imposed strict restrictions on Lee Hyun’s magic use.

However, the current situation did not call for such extreme measures. Even opening three pathways was more than enough to handle class-2 monsters.

Lee Hyun’s plan was to reach the center quickly, stamp his tag, and return within the time limit.

-WHISH!

Suddenly, something attacked from the side.

Lee Hyun twisted his body, and sharp claws and hooks slashed through the spot where he had been standing.

A giant, hairy arthropod the size of a bull appeared before him. It was a Latrodora, a class-2 monster that injected venom into its prey from the trees.

Its venom was highly sought after for pharmaceutical research, but that was not Lee Hyun’s concern now.

He leaped onto the monster’s head and plunged his blade into its chest, slicing downwards.

The monster, spewing green fluid from its split belly, trembled violently. Though its nerve clusters were still alive, it would soon die.
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Lee Hyun opened the cartridge of his blade, replacing the dull blade. It was clear that the standard issue blades were insufficient against the thick hides of high-class monsters.

He hoped to achieve his goal before running out of spare blades.

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Lee Hyun continued towards his destination, confident that he was on track to secure first place. The rare feeling of self-accomplishment spurred him on.

However, as he progressed, he noticed something was amiss.

There were too many monsters.

Latrodoras, Tigrinus, Mustela, Hiros, Scrofa—all class-2 monsters known for their difficulty.

He had encountered five species in the short time since he began, and the number of monsters was even higher.

Regardless of their original forms before becoming monsters, high-class monsters evolved as territorial animals. They abhorred interference from other creatures’ emitted waves.

Thus, they spent most of their lives within their territories and rarely ventured beyond.

There were generally two reasons for monsters to leave their territories: either all food within their territory was depleted, or some other significant disruption occurred.
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But the behavior of the monsters he had encountered so far didn’t align with that of predators searching for food.

They were hasty, reckless, and aggressive.

As Lee Hyun approached the center, he saw an even more bizarre scene.

Several large trees were broken or had paths through the forest as if something massive had plowed through.

He found dead monsters tangled together from fighting each other.

T h i s wa s c o p i e d f r o m k ing mt l .o rg
With these questions in mind, Lee Hyun finally reached the center of the northern sector.

However, there was one final obstacle between him and the identification machine.

Despite it being a clearing among the trees, the area was filled with shadows and darkness.

Lee Hyun soon realized why.

Between several compound eyes, venomous fangs oozed green poison, corroding the ground wherever it dripped.

Four enormous antennae constantly probed the surroundings, sparking faintly with each movement.

Its exoskeleton had dozens of legs attached to each joint.
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Lee Hyun identified the monster. It was an Aiteranus, a class-1 monster known for its developed field and primitive magic abilities.

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It seemed he had found the source of the mysterious wind earlier.

However, this Aiteranus was even larger than usual, with signs of grotesque evolution all over its body.

It was clearly a mutated monster, given a special classification due to its extreme sensitivity to particles.

Why was such a creature in a student exam area?

Lee Hyun also noticed a common trait among the previous monsters: fear, a survival instinct.

The Aiteranus was overly wary, reacting sensitively to Lee Hyun’s slightest movements.

But Lee Hyun couldn’t guess the full context. The class-2 monsters might have been scared by the Aiteranus, but a class-1 monster sat at the top of the ecosystem’s food chain.

Only the most experienced hunters could pose a threat to them, and even they risked becoming a light meal for these creatures.

Lee Hyun recalled seeing the captain and others hunting an Aiteranus in the northeastern mountains.

Its exoskeleton was resistant to most discharge magic, and it fired lightning bolts, making close combat impossible.

Eventually, the captain’s sisters managed to sever its four antennae before the captain delivered the final blow.

Lee Hyun pondered. He now knew this wasn’t an exam but a real situation, yet he was already within the monster’s range.

Turning back now wouldn’t mean the monster would let him go.

The higher-ups had to go through a complicated process to hunt the monster, and this one had evolved further individually. Could he handle it alone?

The answer was obvious.

Lee Hyun decided to take down the monster and secure a high rank by stamping his tag.

He drew his blade and prepared himself.

End of Chapter