106 - I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

Omega navigated the sticky remnants of a shattered worm, retrieving items he had stored for this climactic battle. Syringes prepared with precision for this moment. He held a handful in one hand. He plunged one deep into his neck, ensuring not a single drop of the concoction created by Hex was wasted. “Ah, this is exhilarating.” His entire body surged with a new vitality. A power one might call omnipotence. Losing seemed impossible. It was the perfect time to shake off nightmares. As Juyeon approached deliberately, maintaining a distance from the students, Omega wore a mocking smile. “Wasting a surprise attack just to save some greenhorns' lives? Are you out of your mind?” “I can kill you once they're safe.” “Khahaha!!! Seems like the great general has grown rusty after mingling with novices.” The chaos that erupted on this deserted island—who could have orchestrated it? Juyeon grasped the situation in an instant. '...' Rohan was in disarray, Corin unconscious, while Ichinose and Noa were crushed under the weight of fear. These scenes stirred old memories long buried. Juyeon took a deep breath, bringing her focus back into sharp relief. Her anger far exceeded any rational threshold, yet she struggled to remain composed. She recalled that, thankfully, none of the students had died. ‘I must stay calm. This isn’t an opponent I can best in an agitated state.’ His abilities had evolved since their last encounter, and his appearance had grown even more grotesque compared to the past. Despite everything, fear was not in her heart. What Juyeon truly feared hadn’t come to pass by the narrowest of margins. “This time, you won’t slip away.” With a sweep of her hand, flames burst forth. ──Fwoosh! Converging flames materialized into a colossal sword. Larger than Juyeon herself, the weapon had once cleaved the head of a dragon that raided Samhwaguk. The massive blade moved at her command, as effortlessly as if she wielded a mere branch. Omega, too, sprang into combat readiness. “That sword will make an excellent trophy of victory.” Crack! Crunch! Omega’s right arm writhed and transformed in a sticky, unsettling way. Juyeon’s eyebrow twitched at the bizarre transformation. The coloring was different, but the form was unforgettable. “So it was you who snuck into Samhwaguk and stole the dragon’s head.” “Khuhu, consider it a favor that you learned this secret before your death.” A blade erupted from the gaping mouth of a dragon, spilling streams of ominous liquid. Juyeon merely relayed the facts without any particular reaction. “Are you too dumb to realize? That monster trusted me and thus slept.” “Because its intelligence was too low to wield its strength properly.” “…Pathetic, believe what you wish.” At that, their conversation ended. Omega’s body bore the undeniable traces of countless monsters fused together. Meanwhile, the tips of Juyeon’s hair began to flicker with embers. “…” A moment of silence. As Omega shifted his center of balance, Juyeon vanished from her spot without any preparatory movement. And then she reappeared. Her blade cut relentlessly, aiming to sever life, to turn it into ash. Omega parried the oncoming giant sword with sweeping motions of his own blade. “Ha Ha Ha!!! Yes, this is it! Let’s kill each other!” “…” Omega felt the serum dulling his fear of flames and elevating his spirits. A frenzy of maniacal laughter erupted. Seven remaining tentacles sprouted from his back to ensnare Juyeon. Swoosh! The sword sliced with unfathomable speed, shocking in how effortlessly it carved through. Recognizing Juyeon’s enduring prowess, Omega decided to expend everything he had prepared. [Bio Trickster] As he invoked his skill, pitch-black mechanical parts that covered his jaw delivered chemicals and then detached. Hex’s masterpieces were revealed. Poisonous glands brimming with lethal venom, chimera muscles meticulously selected for each part. Exoskeletal skin resistant to flame, regenerative tissues and genes. The external transformations were striking. Yet, the internal changes were far more varied, numbering in the dozens. “…You’ve forsaken being human.” “I don’t cling to a weak species. You’ll soon become a part of me, too.” The dragon’s maw, clutching Omega’s sword, rumbled as though life had returned to it. “You’re an abomination to humanity. I’ll end you before you become more grotesque.” Juyeon’s greatsword called forth the flames. [Fire Wheel] Flames filled Omega's vision. Through the searing heat that even pried his eyes open, Juyeon thrust her blade. ──Clang!!! Omega reveled as he parried Juyeon’s attack. Before, his eyes would have been ruined by the mere presence of these flames, but now he could endure. As long as he wasn’t directly hit, this external flame was manageable thanks to his new body and the serum’s effects. The circumstances were clearly different from before. [Blazing Truth] Juyeon’s fiery strikes poured down like a landslide. [Echo Mirror] The barrier Omega projected into the air absorbed the heat before shattering. “Die! Become my sustenance!” Juyeon’s calm and Omega’s madness clashed, the frenzy of their swordplay and skills exploding in wild abandon. Slicing, detonating, piercing, dodging, shooting. Their onslaught left the island’s terrain trembling. And yet, they remained neck and neck. The scales had yet to tip in any direction. ***** [Quest Completed] A notification window bearing rewards unfolded before Rohan. Yet he struggled to focus on it. His eyes couldn’t absorb the information. ‘…’ He felt the pain that had shattered his concentration gradually ebbing away. However, his vision remained blurred. Even though he could now breathe, the understanding that Juyeon had arrived weighed down his consciousness, lulling him into submission. But he bit his tongue to stay alert. He couldn’t fall asleep. He couldn’t let his guard down. ‘There’s something. There’s something I can do…’ The governance of Abyss City veered astray. Juyeon’s victory or a draw seemed overwhelmingly plausible, but it wasn’t a guarantee. If there was something possible, anything more to be done, he had to seize it. ‘Rewards. The rewards…’ In the whirlwind of alerts that had briefly flashed by, he saw the most important: points. He accessed the store, deciding to invest his resources in something that might effect change. [You have purchased a level-up for your Unique Skill.] As Rohan's skills evolved, intricate explanations surfaced like complex threads in his mind. Yet his consciousness could not fully grasp the fine print. The pain and his exhausted state made immersion impossible. However, There was something that wove itself into his being, naturally imparting understanding without needing to read every detail. ‘!’ Had his desperation and earnestness reached the heavens? As his unique skill reached Level 3, a new talent blossomed. The skill informed him that he could imbue projectiles with specific abilities and magic, rooted in the power to assign weaknesses. “Rohan! Are you okay?” “Hey! Snap out of it!” Corin dangled unconscious from Noa’s side. Seeing his friends unharmed dulled his pain. Rohan felt a fleeting sense of relief. “Can you stand?” “Take my hand!” With Ichinose and Noa’s support, Rohan found his footing and pulled the two girls into a tight embrace. ““!!!”” “Thank goodness. I'm so relieved... you're all safe.” His voice trembled with a special kind of emotion. Ichinose and Noa looked at Rohan in surprise. “Rohan…” “You…?” They saw he was closing his eyes, sensing he might slip away, Ichinose pulled him closer. “Noa. I'll take care of Rohan. Let's each stick to one.” “Got it. Let's hurry.” Noa wiped the confusion from her face and launched forward, while Ichinose held tightly onto Rohan, ready to follow. Just then, Rohan’s voice emerged, small yet present. “Ichinose. Wait a moment.” “Are you conscious? Are you okay…?” “I’m fine. I didn’t sleep.” That was a lie. He had momentarily dozed off. If he loosened his grip on consciousness even a fraction, it would slip away again. “Whew, lend me your shoulder so I can stand properly.” “What are you planning…?” “It’s for the instructor.” “We’ll only get in the way if we intervene!” “I know, but… trust me just this once.” “…” Ichinose hesitated briefly. Then, as if making a silent decision. She firmly grasped Rohan’s arm resting on her shoulder. “Thank you.” Rohan hurried with his preparations. Before he lost consciousness again, he needed to do what he could. He needed to finish what was started. ‘Ichinose is right. That is the answer.’ No matter what he tried, at his level, capturing the genuine movements of Juyeon and Omega was impossible. All he could see were unnatural hues flashing by like beams of light. He could only feel the immense strength clashing, resonating through him. 'Still.' There was a moment their figures became sharply visible. When their blades clashed and they strained against each other, they paused for several seconds. ‘Just once, it's worth a try…’ He slipped his shaking hand into his chest pocket. The Tigrovskhan handgun Gangsul-75 acquired from supply. Lacking the strength in his legs, he couldn’t free the hand resting on Ichinose’s shoulder. So he bit down on the gun barrel for leverage. With teeth clenching the grip and his free hand ──click! He forced the gun slide. ‘I’ll embed the skill into this.’ He would immediately use the newly acquired talent. He concentrated magic into the bullet. Ichinose gaped at the unique aura gathering in the gun. Rohan completed his preparation. ‘Trust it. It will definitely hit. He’s the kind to take the hit even if he knows it’s coming.’ Would Omega’s pride allow him to dodge a cadet’s attack? Wouldn’t he, confident in his durability, always receive attacks head-on? “Ugh…” “Rohan!” The familiar warning signs of magical exhaustion appeared. Amused by the long-unfelt sensation, Rohan let out a weak laugh. “When I shoot, just run away immediately. Please.” “…Understood.” Sadly, he couldn't reassure Ichinose that he was okay. Dispersing even the tiniest bit of focus was beyond him. Thud──!!! A powerful clash reverberated through the air. The immense force briefly sharpened Rohan's mind. ‘Now!’ He saw Omega’s back locked in a power struggle with Juyeon. With monsters sprouting all over Omega’s body, the target was obnoxiously large. “Sigh…” Rohan exhaled, scraping together his remaining strength to the brink. He concentrated everything into his gaze and the tip of his finger. ‘Even if I can't assign a weakness…’ He prayed fervently to create even the slightest favorable change. With all his determination, Rohan pulled the trigger. Bang!