Chapter 26. If only I had a little more time and budget… (4)
Weeeeee-ing.
The golden drill was tearing into the ground, while the afterburner on the other side spouted flames as it burrowed further.
It’s been a while since I used a drill.
I attached a transmitter and listening device to my students, but I had no intention of running around this vast base.
I just simply dug according to what the transmitter indicated.
“Are you alive?”
There seems to be a life sign, so they must be alive.
Through the listening device attached to the hammer, I checked the situation of my students.
– “Uwaaa Si-hyun, what is that!?!”
– “I don’t know either!!”
Amidst the foolish voices of my students, the sound of something breaking was heard.
They still seem to be lively.
It looks like they are being ambushed, but judging from the way they are shouting, it means they still have the energy to cause a ruckus.
If it were really hard, they wouldn’t be able to talk at all.
I also considered the worst possibility of them being caught, but it seems they’re still full of vigor.
Suddenly, sparks flew from the drill of the hammer as it made contact with metal.
I was slowly carving through the metal, but not at a very fast pace.
Is my mana running low?
As I infused mana into the hammer, the speed of the drill increased, and having passed through the metal, I soared into the air and was able to see my students.
“Are you alive?”
“Senpai! Please save me!”
“Abin! Support! Uwaaa!”
What a disaster.
The scene I looked down upon while floating in the air was truly bizarre.
Dozens of monsters had cornered the magical girls into the far end of the corridor, with Si-hyun maintaining the front line while Abin attacked from the rear.
No. Was it the monsters that cornered them, or was it the two students’ intent?
The monsters I could see floating in the air were mostly large entities.
Occasionally, there were medium-sized entities, but there were hardly any small to medium-sized creatures like the leopard I encountered below.
They must have thought to create a situation where they would fight one by one instead of being surrounded and attacked.
Since there didn’t seem to be any major problems, I drove the hammer into the ceiling and sat on the hammer’s head.
“Stop just watching and help me!”
Abin cried out, but it seems she still had some strength left as she hurled a fireball that soared through the air and struck a monster in the eye.
“If I help, it wouldn’t be real combat training. I’ll save you if things get dangerous, so do your best.”
Most of the monsters were C-rank with a few B-ranks.
If they worked hard, they could eliminate half of them.
While I was happily watching, swinging my legs while perched on the head of the hammer.
“Sensei! Behind you!”
“I know.”
I caught the tentacle that flew in from behind with my bare hands.
I felt a disgusting texture of sticky liquid seeping out, but it was a familiar sensation, so I didn’t panic and moved my arm to rip the tentacle off, then unleashed my killing intent at the aggressive monster.
“If you don’t want to be launched to the afterlife, behave yourself, you beast.”
Just behave like a training dummy for my students.
I only released a bit of my killing intent, but the monsters, sensing it, stopped fighting and stared at the ceiling.
They must have sensed an overwhelming force exerting its killing intent above their heads.
Was it the fear that awakened their wild instincts? As they had been rampaging just moments ago, I could see them starting to back off.
“What are you doing? Keep going. If you don’t want to die by my hand now.”
I commanded directly to their instincts. I am the predator far above you, and I have enough power to deal with you.
Since the monsters were man-made, they should have the knowledge to understand and execute human commands. They should be able to control themselves.
“Grrrrrrr”
Several monsters howled as they charged forward at a quicker pace than before.
Until now, the monsters had been hunters targeting prey.
Now they were soldiers who had resigned themselves to die, following the orders of their predator.
“Senpai!!!”
“I just got a bit intense. Do well.”
“I understand!”
Abin’s face looked even more like it was about to cry, but Si-hyun seemed excited and waved her weapon.
Just a moment ago, her movements had been slightly bored; what changed?
Is it because I am watching? Because the battle has intensified?
I don’t know which it is, but it appears that Si-hyun’s fighting instincts have been ignited.
As if that thought was right, Si-hyun spread her weapon to block the enemies approaching her and swung her hammer at the next enemy.
That one’s doomed.
It looks flashy, but that’s all.
The flying projectiles couldn’t penetrate the monster’s weakness and bounced off while the hammer was swung in accordance with my words, but it couldn’t find a solid strike point and slipped away instead.
It felt like they were engaging in a random brawl.
Yet, despite it being a chaotic attack, it came together as combat because Si-hyun could foresee the future.
Let’s see, even now…
The monster’s claws flew toward Si-hyun’s flank, but she didn’t have the posture to block it. Even though she knew it was coming just from the way she was looking.
In the end, Si-hyun forced her right weapon to swing wide to try to defend. Her right hand bent as the hammer was angled behind her.
Strong.
She was able to block the claws in front of her, but her next action became problematic. Another monster’s attack was incoming, and there wasn’t enough time to free her entangled arms and prepare for the next turn.
She could swing it immediately, but the power behind the hammer would probably be lacking.
A critical mistake.
In battle, you have to read a few moves ahead, and by relying only on foreseeing the future, it turned out like this.
That’s not how you use foresight. Basically, you need to read a few steps ahead and decisively pick the next one or two moves, pruning the unstable future.
Such problems arise when you try to cover your lack of experience solely with foresight.
Just as I was about to think I should help.
“Si-hyun, watch out!”
A pink flash split the battlefield.
The arrow that soared at the right time pierced the joints of the monster, buying Si-hyun a moment of reprieve.
With that brief moment earned, Si-hyun untangled her limbs and quickly restored her stance.
The hammer swung with pep.
The swinging hammer looked like it was mirroring me perfectly.
With a front paw set out to maintain balance, it swung fiercely as if she didn’t care which part of her arm was injured.
All the strength contained in her body and rotational force were maximized in the attack.
Crack.
With a sound like fruit pulp bursting, the monster’s head vanished.
Though it didn’t explode and spray flesh as my strikes would, it was a clear fatal blow.
That attack wasn’t bad.
“Well done!”
“Let’s keep going!”
Only one monster had fallen, but my two students’ expressions lit up brightly.
There was no competition over who had done better; they praised each other’s actions.
It turns out their combination is quite good.
Si-hyun, who has enough power yet keeps repeating mistakes due to her lack of combat experience, and Abin, who can deliver appropriate attacks at appropriate positions despite her lesser power.
Particularly noticeable was Abin’s growth.
She originally had enough talent. She could predict my attacks and dodge in advance. However…
Everything else was a problem.
Even if she aimed for weaknesses, it meant nothing if she couldn’t pierce through the enemy’s hide.
Even if she aimed at a target, the opponent’s speed in noticing it was even faster.
When the enemy was performing dozens of actions, she struggled to execute even one.
Numerous problems that can’t be surpassed simply by talent or effort.
Yet, her talent, which was hidden by those fundamental issues, began to bloom.
She could pierce through hides now.
Her cognitive speed had slightly increased.
The gap between actions had greatly narrowed.
With it, she began to dominate the battlefield.
‘Unexpectedly, both Si-hyun and Abin are gems.’
I thought of Meteora.
As the sniper from the Soviet Union, he always provided the necessary support at the right timing.
Though transforming just brought forth his sniper rifle and suit, he had to rely on his bullets for all his special abilities. Still, he was rated A-rank due to his combat sense.
If cultivated well, they might be similar.
No… perhaps even better?
Even if a healing ability is weak, it’s still a nice ability to have.
And she creates arrows with her own mana.
Depending on her training, she could embed various effects into them, making it much more versatile.
As if envisioning that future, the speed at which the monsters fell increased.
Si-hyun changed her combat method to use powerful techniques while trusting Abin, and Abin, instead of devouring distant enemies, focused solely on assisting Si-hyun.
Taking down the monsters they mistook, briefly distracting the enemy with a flash. Perfect positioning.
Even when support wasn’t needed, she targeted the limbs of monsters, weakening their mobility.
Though a storm swept the battlefield in Si-hyun’s wake, those who understand battle could easily sense the truth.
The true creator of that storm wasn’t the one wielding the hefty hammer, but rather, a girl whose eyes looked like they could shed tears at any moment.
And that storm only got bigger.
As trust between them deepened, their strategy began to shift.
From a safety measure of controlling the passage and attempting individual takedowns, they shifted to a forward deployment that allowed Si-hyun, who possessed immense power, to swing her hammer mightily.
It was undoubtedly a risky move, yet watching Si-hyun, such thoughts faded away.
An impenetrable wall.
Unlike her partner, her hammer, which bore overwhelming physical prowess, became that wall, and the monsters couldn’t break through, becoming mere chopped meat.
“Si-hyun, don’t go too far forward…”
“I won’t let a single one escape, so don’t worry! Shoot with confidence!”
As you can see from those words, the forward placement was Si-hyun’s doing alone, but that choice wasn’t wrong.
Even if the details were messy, it seems her perspective on the overall battlefield isn’t bad.
My evaluation of Si-hyun had also changed a bit. No longer just a boar that believed in pure strength, she had turned into a charging leader who understood how far her powers could reach.
She had somewhat of a boar-like tendency that drove her to dangerous positions, but that too was likely an act made possible by her trust in Abin.
“How unfortunate.”
If I could combine the two of them and divide them evenly, it would be perfect.
Abin, with overwhelming combat sense, was the charge-type hero Si-hyun who possessed action power and tremendous physical talent.
And Abin, who was timid, sought safety, lacked physical talent, but had overwhelming combat sense.
I wondered how much they’d gain from their first real experience, but it turned out to be a greater success than expected.
The talents and personalities of the two. And the hidden resolve within, despite appearances.
A beast hiding its intelligence.
An theorist cloaked in frailty.
It seems I need to overhaul the curriculum. I made a mistake by only looking at appearances.
Si-hyun must undergo training focusing on calming her mind and sparring as much as possible to cultivate her lacking combat sense and to be able to respond to various situations.
Abin should take a few risks to build her resolve and cram strategies into her head as much as possible.
Thinking this way, I felt a little regret over Abin’s ability.
“If she had a mental ability, she would be a perfect commander material.”
Individuals who transmit commands and emotions in real-time through mental abilities.
For a moment, I thought of the Infinite Architect, but that guy’s mindset was completely different from this one.
More on a small scale, he would be excellent for squad or company-level commands.
I might not know about strategic units, but I can teach them for tactical units…
And I could teach them theoretical measures for the Otherworld as well.
While I was redefining the new curriculum, the number of monsters decreased.
What had once been dozens of monsters had dwindled to a count that could be accounted for with two hands, and even those were falling one by one to Si-hyun’s hammer.
“Last one!”
Si-hyun swung her hammer.
The giant wolf with tentacles moved its legs to avoid the swing.
Thud.
Simultaneously, the sound of a skull shattering resonated, and the last monster collapsed to the ground.
“It’s over, Sensei!”
“I’m alive…”
As the battle ended, the tension eased, and I saw my students waving at me from the ceiling while one collapsed to the ground.
Clumsily.
As I pulled the hammer from the ceiling, I swung it toward the ground.
“Stay still.”
Si-hyun attempted to dodge the hammer swinging toward her, and I told her to stop while swinging.
The hammer smashed into the belly of a monster next to Si-hyun.
The wolf monster, which had been waiting for a chance to make a move, stopped and emitted a frantic whimper.
“Not all monsters, including monsters and beasts, have their heads as weaknesses.”
I shook the fallen wolf, revealing its punctured corpse.
Through the hole in its belly, something white was likely visible to my students as well.
There couldn’t possibly be a second skull, and the pink ooze seeping from the gap.
“In this case, it had several organs. Always check for life signs.”
They respond well.
After their nutrient-deficient answers,
I looked around widely.
Monsters dead with arrows embedded, monsters whose heads had been smashed. Dozens of such B and C rank monsters.
Although Si-hyun is A-rank, that rating was purely earned through talent. I never expected her to be able to take down all the monsters.
This result was achievable because both Si-hyun and Abin had fulfilled their roles faithfully.
It makes me wonder if those mediocre heroes would succeed even if given the same power.
I should at least give them some praise.
I pulled the hammer back and patted my students on the back as I spoke.
“Well done. Honestly, I thought you’d be begging for your lives after only taking down half.”
I might have to give them some harsh feedback in analyzing the battle afterward, but for now, let’s just praise them.
Well done, my children.
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