Acquired the Scam Rune in the Academy

Chapter 256

Hot Victory Report (1)

The temporary barracks of the Baraten camp, turned into a battlefield.

In an area between the center and the side.

Like any other area, the wolves of Baraten and Clark were fiercely fighting, and the humans of<Ripple Raid> were also doing their best to lend their strength.

The overall flow itself was good.

The Baraten lycan forces, armed with ‘werewolf-exclusive defensive gear’, and the experienced humans thoroughly established defensive lines and held back the enemies.

The tanking at the front was solid.

The dealing at the back was definite.

The experience was gradually accumulating, and they were feeling in sync with each other.

And among them, the one performing the most was, of course, the human.

-The master of swift blades has brought down an awakened enemy warrior…!!

-Waaaah-!!

-The silent female warrior endures! Everyone endure together!!

Park Jin-woo and Camilla.

They had recently taken on crucial roles within the strike force, and they also shone in counterattacking the sudden assault.

While leading the allies, Park Jin-woo was at the forefront of the attack, while Camilla, based on her large shield, was at the center of the defense.

They respectively took charge of the core of attack and defense, leading their allies.

Especially the lycans particularly liked giving nicknames to warriors, so even in this wartime situation, they were given unique nicknames.

Master of swift blades and silent female warrior.

Childish but definitely revealing their feats, these names.

With just the two of them…

The battle in this area seemed like it would soon end in victory.

‘Not good.’

However, Park Jin-woo, the protagonist amidst the cheers…

Had to sense that the situation was deteriorating in real-time.

For starters, they were holding up well, but the battle had erupted so suddenly that their stamina and magic were being drained far too quickly.

Moreover, it was a battle fought after waking up in the early morning, so their condition was not optimal, and for that reason, stress was building up internally…

There were many psychological factors working against them in battle.

Unless something to drastically overturn the current state appeared, the allied formation was highly likely to collapse soon.

‘Damn… I hadn’t even thought about stuff like this.’

In fact, until now, Park Jin-woo had failed to notice these aspects.

He had been fighting mindlessly at the front, and having never taken on a leadership role, he had no need to know such things.

However, as he became the vice-captain of the <Ripple Raid> and a central figure in the Baraten-Strike Force alliance… He finally realized.

Even if in a small position, anyone taking on the role of leader of a group had to fully shoulder the burden of their subordinate allies.

That was the responsibility of a leader.

“Kyaaaah…!!”

“Camilla!!”

And at that moment.

The deteriorating situation on the battlefield finally reached its worst point.

From the Clark camp, who had until now only aimed for close-range combat in their ‘awakened wolf form’, magic suddenly came flying out of nowhere.

Rippling black magic and giant thorns.

That ominous and dangerous magic struck…

Camilla’s body, standing at the very front.

“What bastards…!! Camilla! Are you okay?”

Park Jin-woo hurriedly ran over and held her.

Her swaying body was caught in his arms, and copious blood oozed from her wound.

The ‘Darkness Thorn’, whose origin was unknown.

It had pierced through Camilla’s large shield and lunged into her chest, piercing her skin.

“Kkulleok- Jin-woo, over there…”

With a trembling hand, Camilla pointed to a distant place.

Following her gaze, Park Jin-woo shifted his eyes.

There…

Amidst the wildly rampaging wolves on the battlefield.

‘Humans’ were walking towards them.

‘…Humans?’

Although he perceived the situation, for a moment, Park Jin-woo doubted his own eyes.

A man wearing an inverted robe and a blond man.

Looking like foreigners, they were undoubtedly human.

Entry into the dungeon could only be done through ‘special items’, so they couldn’t be Holders from other countries.

In other words, they were humans inside the dungeon.

‘…How?’

Until now, humans had never appeared in the dungeon.

The werewolves in the current dungeon, or the dragons in the <Transcendent Chamber> had taken human form through [Polymorph] before… But there had never been an entity with a complete human appearance.

An unprecedented situation.

And these ‘humans from another world’.

“Aquilen. You’re still immature.”

“My apologies. That woman’s runes and stats seem concentrated on defense.”

“Enough with the excuses. I’ll step in.”

However, there was no time to ponder this.

They were clearly enemies.

They had fatally wounded Camilla and were about to unleash more magic on their allies.

‘I have to stop them.’

Regardless of how the situation was unfolding, at the very least, he had to block their magic.

Park Jin-woo gripped his worn-out sword tightly.

And activating the runes he had been resting, he prepared the ultimate skill he had been reserving.

His target was the man in the inverted robe.

The elimination of the enemy’s core dealer.

“Chase…”

But the man in the robe casually flicked his finger, dismissing Park Jin-woo’s words.

“Ah, that works too. I’ve already figured it out.”

Kwah, kwaaang–!!

“Kuaaaak…!!”

“Jin-woo!!”

A massive explosion erupted where Park Jin-woo was, and he rolled on the ground, covered in blood.

This time, Camilla came over and held him.

Naturally, the ultimate skill he had been about to cast was also canceled.

Against the perfectly timed magic, as if from a memorized pattern, he was helplessly struck.

‘Shi…t.’

Kkulleok-

Hit with an overwhelmingly powerful strike, he coughed up blood.

The amount of high magic and powerful runes they possessed, they had instantly pierced through all of Park Jin-woo’s defensive runes and endurance stats, inflicting fatal damage.

The attack the other mage had unleashed on Camilla was also powerful, but the magic used by the robed man was on a different dimensional level.

“Aquilen.”

“Yes!”

“Support me. I’ll sweep away the rest, including those two.”

“I understand.”

A declaration as heavy as a death sentence was handed down.

This much damage was done with just the magic that had been prepared for casting, but if he unleashed area magic by pouring out his full magical power…

He could not even fathom the extent of the damage that would occur.

‘No… I have to stop it.’

Park Jin-woo tried to stand up, mustering every ounce of strength he had.

He had to stop it.

If he remained still like this, it would be the end for everyone.

‘…I have to protect them.’

He wanted to protect them.

Camilla in front of his eyes and Park Jin-woo himself.

The countless members of the attack squad under his command.

The Lycans and Virgens he had fought alongside until now….

He wanted to protect all those who had stood back-to-back with him as comrades-in-arms.

‘The path… The path to protect.’

Until now, he had been fighting without a purpose.

He simply enjoyed fighting, and he enjoyed the process of preparing for those fights.

However, in this do-or-die moment when he could lose all his comrades…

It was only then that he finally realized.

The path he had been wandering and searching for was…

The path to protect them all.

At that moment, a bold word was engraved on the blank space where his purpose should have been.

[A purpose has arisen on the path of the wandering cultivator! The inherent cultivator’s ability within you has finally regained its true power. The path you were seeking is to consistently protect all those around you from external pressures, keeping them unwavering. You are the ‘Cultivator of Balance’.]

[You have gained the new rune ‘Cultivator of Balance’!]

[Due to the nature of the rune, you gain 5 points in all basic abilities.]

[Regaining the complete power of the cultivator, the epic rune ‘Blade That Cannot Be Chased’ evolves into the legendary rune ‘Blade That Treads on Shadows’.]

[Due to the nature of the rune, you gain 3 points in strength and magic, and 7 points in speed.]

…

…

[You have gained the new rune ‘Magic Control’.]

[You have gained the new rune ‘Eye of Attunement’.]

…

…

And then.

As Park Jin-woo soon opened his eyes.

He recited the words for the ultimate skill he couldn’t finish earlier.

“Banish the darkness.”

With his increased power and changed attack.

At the places where Dave and Aquillen of the Ludenack School had joined the battle…

The counterattack was beginning.

***

Ippotranslation

***

As is a contractor with limitations on summoning.

It can only be summon in places with water, and since the abilities and level it possesses are extremely high, the magic consumed for the summoning itself is also considerable.

A contractor who takes on risks just by summoning.

Nevertheless, the return on that investment was certain.

[Contractor ‘As’ uses the ‘New Wave’ skill. The vast waves of the ocean sweep over the battlefield.]

[Contractor ‘As’ uses the ‘Waterfall Shackles’ skill. A total of 20 designated targets are bound by rigid streams of water.]

While As is a dragon specialized in transport, in battle it is also an unparalleled mage second to none.

Its main rune [Swirling Tidal Wave] is level 16, its spell rune [Draconian Spell] is level 17, and even its basic magic-related rune [Magic Control] is level 20.

Its rune settings and mastery specialized in water-attribute magic.

In the current situation of a massive battle…

Its destructive power was indescribable.

Shhhaaaa–!!

Kuu, kwagagaga–!!

-Damn! Lycans, use the Virgens as shields to evade the water!!

-What kind of monster is that…!!

-Uaaahh!! Save me–!!

Raging waves and sharp streams of water poured forth, turning the battlefield into pandemonium in an instant.

The Lycans of the Clark forces tried to climb onto terrain features to evade the water magic, but….

‘If that was possible, I wouldn’t have summoned As.’

The magic of an S-grade monster cannot be evaded by speed alone.

With the exception of the awakened warriors who were also S-grade monsters, almost all the wolves were caught in the water magic.

Hwang Seong-yeon, who seemed to be approaching me earlier, also appeared to be submerged in water.

But he was still looking at me with an intriguing expression.

Shameless bastard.

Atop As’s back, I swiftly issued orders.

‘As. Can you use more water magic?’

-I need time before the next spell. But like earlier, I can simultaneously double cast two spells.

‘Okay. Then move to a stable position and prepare your magic.’

-As you command, oath bearer.

As soon as I gave the order, I leapt off As’s back.

And immediately utilized [Greatest Racehorse Under Heaven].

Using the charge-type rune, I dashed forward in mid-air.

My destination was the Lycans caught in As’s [Waterfall Shackles] skill.

Although it was a status effect-type skill and did not deal major damage, the fact that 20 Lycans were bound by a single skill held a different meaning for me.

‘Chain Lightning!’

The skill I used before to simultaneously slaughter 15 Virgens.

[Penetrating Brain Strike]’s [Chain Lightning].

They were just standing there, ripe for this attack.

Patsu- patsutsutsu–!!

Kwa, kwareurr–!!

Intense lightning bolts erupted, and the howls of the enemy Lycans could be heard.

It was a direct hit.

Of course, I ended up submerged in water at the same time, but with [Elemental Master] and [Underwater Breathing], water was just another home field for me.

‘I need to keep whittling them down like this.’

I turned my head to survey my surroundings.

The still unabated battlefield and the wolves trapped in the water.

…And Hwang Seong-yeon.

Even if only to capture Hwang Seong-yeon, I had to eliminate these enemies one by one.

‘Until our forces outnumber theirs!’

The most difficult part about facing Hwang Seong-yeon before was…

That I had to confront him alone.

Among the S-grade Holders, he possessed top-tier skills and a magesword.

Facing such an opponent alone was nearly impossible.

Especially now, having already used [Divine Slash] and with [Bursting Wide] running out.

‘Then I just won’t face him.’

The solution was simple.

If the fangs don’t work, use the gums.

If the sword doesn’t work, use fists.

If quality is lacking, win with quantity.

Until all the water on this battlefield dries up…

My goal was the complete elimination of all enemy forces except Hwang Seong-yeon.

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