Episode 189 Week 9 Midterm Exam (13)
[Main Quest 1]
▷Goal: Dispel the darkness that has surrounded the midterm exams.
▷Rewards: Differential payment based on achievement level.
Quests are given modifiers such as ‘sub’ or ‘event’ depending on their importance or nature.
It is very rare for ‘main’ to be included.
So when is that very rare case?
‘When there is a direct connection to an EX-class quest.’
To be more precise, the main quest occurs when the outcome of an event directly affects the destruction of the world.
Currently, students are isolated in the midterm exam dungeon and are forced to fight against ogres injected with blood bombs.
Since the safety devices do not work, there is a high risk of death or injury.
As the number of future heroes decreases, we will get closer to destruction.
So what exactly do you need to do to clear the main quest?
The most basic solution is to ‘hold on’.
If you hold out and hold out, the bachelor’s side will regain control of the dungeon, and naturally, everyone will be released out of the dungeon.
On the other hand, to achieve higher performance, you need to go one step further than just persevering.
To minimize the number of ogres and stop Alpha.
So, before the main quest even starts, I did a lot of groundwork.
Even now, I have to move around so busily,
‘We have to catch that guy too.’
“Grrrrr… … .”
The ogre glared at us with bloodshot eyes.
Then suddenly he pulled back the arm holding the club and threw it forward with all his might.
– Boo-
A thick club like a log flies at a terrifying speed.
“!!”
Everyone was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected behavior, but Go Hyun-woo immediately stepped forward.
Tilt the sword at an angle and cast [Shunryu], which you have prepared in advance.
-Whew!
The deflected club continued to fly, breaking several trees behind it like matchsticks.
However, the group did not even look behind them and were only focused on the ogre’s every move.
“Kuaaaah—!”
Perhaps because it had lost what little reason it had, the ogre crawled on both hands and feet like a quadruped animal and charged forward.
And when Go Hyun-woo and Baek Jun-seok came into range, he threw his whole body and stretched out both hands.
“hmm.”
“Ugh!”
– Thud—!
Two people who each shed their own light on it.
But unlike before when he had been relatively relaxed, Go Hyun-woo took a couple of steps back and Baek Jun-seok ended up getting down on one knee.
Because the Ogre’s destructive power was enhanced by the Blood Bomb, some of the shock was transmitted even though it spilled.
But before the two could even decide on a stance, the bastard’s limbs were swung around again.
Although he managed to get it out again, Go Hyun-woo was pushed back even further and Baek Jun-seok’s legs were half buried in the floor.
“hmm……!”
“Ugh… … !”
Without any consideration for their circumstances, the bastard’s continuous attacks continued without rest.
– Thump thump,
There was a sound of rubber bands being pulled taut from the bastard’s body and bones cracking.
Your muscles and joints will scream as you push them beyond their limits.
– Boom! Boom!
Moreover, even though a spiral explosion explodes in his chest and a fireball and magic bullet are lodged in his chest, he does not seem to feel any pain at all.
Without hesitating at all, he swings his arms and legs like crazy to crush Ko Hyun-woo and Baek Jun-seok in front of him.
‘It won’t work.’
With just two vanguards, we are increasingly being pushed back.
If things continue like this, even if Go Hyun-woo doesn’t know, Baek Jun-seok won’t be able to hold out and will collapse.
So I stepped forward and gave some brief instructions.
“traps.”
“yeah.”
Leaving Shin Byeong-cheol’s answer behind, I quickly approached the ogre.
– Thud, thud!
“Ugh… … !”
Baek Jun-seok is increasingly staggering.
The mana wrapped around the shield also had cracks here and there.
Just as the ogre was about to strike again, I stepped in front of him.
– Thud!
I hit the root with Windforce and Dark Cloud, and its fist bounces to the side.
Baek Jun-seok and I exchanged glances.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I survived.”
“Take a break and come right back.”
“i get it.”
– Thud, thud,
While Go Hyun-woo and I were blocking the ogre, Baek Jun-seok quickly gathered his strength and joined us.
As the number of defenders increased from two to three, it became more or less doable.
Meanwhile, behind us, Shin Byeong-cheol was setting up a trap according to my instructions.
Numerous chopsticks are stuck deep into the ground, trees, and rocks, gradually forming a certain area.
“… … !”
Hong Yeon-hwa also read the intention and began to chant magic.
The ruby glows red and a large fire pillar magic circle is engraved to fit the trap’s range.
After a while, Shin Byeong-cheol shouted.
“Ready to go!”
I said, hitting the ogre’s fist hard with my root.
“All gone.”
Go Hyun-woo and Baek Jun-seok immediately distance themselves left and right.
So the ogre’s gaze turned to me, who was left alone.
The moment he charged at me, I flew backwards and landed between Hong Yeon-hwa and Seo Ye-in.
“Kuaaaah—!”
And when the ogre, who had been charging forward, stepped on the trap,
[Wire Trap]
– Whiriliririk!
The chopsticks, which were tightly packed together, simultaneously shot out threads of mana.
In an instant, the guy was wrapped up like a goch.
“Kuaaaah!”
If you twist your body once, more than half of them will break, but new threads will immediately shoot out and entangle the guy.
When Hong Yeon-hwa pointed her wand at the struggling guy,
[Fire Pillar]
– Kwaaaaaaaah—!!
A pillar of fire rose from a large magic circle and engulfed the ogre.
After watching for a while, the pillar of fire died down, leaving behind a huge lump of charcoal and a crystal.
Then, everyone, without exception, let out a long sigh.
“Phew.”
“Ugh.”
“Even though we are both ogres, how can we become so strong so quickly? This must be the vision elixir of the Blood Cult.”
Go Hyun-woo let out a soft exclamation of admiration while handling the magic sword.
I thought it would be easy to catch the ogre since there were six of them, but it became difficult again once the Blood Bomb Group joined in.
But unfortunately, this was just the beginning.
– Thud, thud, thud,
As the sound of heavy footsteps grew closer, Shin Byeong-cheol and Baek Jun-seok each spoke.
“No, again? Let’s rest for a bit.”
“Isn’t three in a row too much?”
As the blood bomb is injected, the ogres’ senses are also further amplified.
The pillar of fire was perfect for attracting the attention of such guys.
The ogre appeared and glared at us, letting out a low growl.
“Grrrrr… … .”
“It’s the same as before.”
We all moved into position in unison.
* * *
We advanced, taking down the ogres one by one who appeared in a line like sausages.
Even though my body is a little tired, I don’t have to go around looking for them, so it’s a win-win situation.
Meanwhile, the gloomy sky became darker and turned blue, and the rain that had been falling one or two drops at a time became heavier and heavier until it was almost pouring down.
– Swaaaah—
The calligrapher turned into a translucent water spirit because the rain kept hitting him, even though he was wearing a transparent ghillie suit.
Hong Yeon-hwa made a small flame umbrella and used it alone.
And the men just got drenched in the rain as they came.
“… … .”
Hong Yeon-hwa rolls her eyes around as she looks at me with her whole body soaked.
He also looks like he is contemplating whether he should turn off his flame umbrella and get caught in the rain.
Feeling like I was giving off unnecessary hints, I turned my gaze forward again and walked away.
Hong Yeon-hwa followed behind.
– Kukukung,
Before long, a loud noise cut through the sound of the rain.
This means that other teams are engaged in combat.
The distance also seems quite close.
The group focused their attention as if waiting for my instructions.
Of course, it was a problem that didn’t need to be worried about.
“I’m going to help.”
To increase the completion rate of the main quest, you need to prevent at least one person from getting hurt.
Also, if their skills are above standard, they may be able to join forces to take on Alpha.
So we picked up our pace and headed towards where the noise was coming from.
What we found there was, as expected,
“Kuaaaah—!”
An ogre that has been injected with a blood bomb and is running wild.
On the other side are Kwak Ji-cheol, Jeong Su-ji, Park Na-ri, the tiger Beom-i, and an unknown female student.
It seems that two each from the Emerald Tower and Nature Club have formed teams.
I finished the analysis at a glance.
‘It’s a combination of holding out and going all-in.’
A combination where the attack is left to the tiger warrior, and the remaining four focus on buffs, recovery magic, and control.
It might have been a threat to the other contestants, but now it was an ogre.
‘The attack power is woefully lacking.’
A tiger that runs around the ogre with agility and scratches.
As expected from a spirit, he has the fighting ability of a first-year student, but his attack power is not outstanding.
But since the four of them are relying solely on the attack power of the tiger, there’s no way the ogre will attack them.
It gets even more tricky when the Blood Bomb Unit comes in.
So we showed up in a situation where people were desperately trying to hold on.
“Kwaaak!”
“Kwak Ji-cheol!”
To be more precise, at the moment when Kwak Ji-cheol was hit by the ogre and rolled around on the ground.
‘It’s a little late.’
As I pointed my sword at the ogre, a gust of wind gathered in its chest and it exploded.
– Boom!
“Kuaaaah!”
The ogre immediately turned its head this way and charged at me with terrifying speed.
But then the nearby trees began to tilt and stretch as if they were made of rubber, grabbing the creature’s limbs.
Park Na-ri’s side casted a wood attribute magic.
Park Na-ri shouted.
“Right, right now!”
We stopped trying to form a formation and focused solely on attacking.
Go Hyun-woo’s Cheongryu, Baek Jun-seok’s Geomgyeok, Shin Byeong-cheol’s Chopsticks, Seo Ye-in’s Magic Bullet…
The bastard’s chest caved in from the onslaught of attacks.
“Grrrr… … .”
– Thud,
We hurriedly approached Gwak Ji-cheol, leaving behind the fallen ogre, who was spitting out phlegm.
And at the same time, his expression became miserable.
“Ugh… … .”
Kwak Ji-cheol’s body was half-crushed after being hit by the ogre’s arm that had gone berserk.
His limbs were twisted out of place and blood flowed from his nose and mouth.
Despite such serious injuries, the dungeon’s escape mechanism shows no signs of working.
“Joe, wait a minute! We’ll, we’ll cure you!”
Park Na-ri and her group poured out recovery magic, but their recovery magic was dot heal.
It has excellent staying power, but its power itself isn’t that great.
It is not enough to revive a dying person.
“… … .”
Kwak Ji-cheol’s gaze looked at each of the onlookers one by one, and finally settled on me.
He stretched out his hand and spoke with all his remaining strength.
“Tell… me… to… hyung. I’m… sorry… .”
“What are you talking about, Deungshin?”
I took out the [Recovery Scroll] and tore it apart.
Then a bright light enveloped my vision.
– Paaaaat—!
When the light died down, Kwak Ji-cheol’s injuries had completely healed without a single scratch.
I kicked Kwak Ji-cheol, who was lying there with his eyes blinking.
“Get up, Dengshin-ah.”
“… … .”
Kwak Ji-cheol got up, looking embarrassed.
