Duke’s Son: Re

Chapter 22

The students of Class A couldn’t believe their ears.

“Kang Jaehyuk? The son of Yaksha?”

They found it absurd that a mere student from Class B could have been helpful in a battle.

“It seems like Kim Jinmyung is also Yaksha worshiper, throwing around outrageous praise to boost Kang Jaehyuk’s reputation.”

Often, people of a certain age would extol the past achievements of Yaksha.

Having a teacher who was favorable to Yaksha’s son was not surprising.

“But what’s all the fuss about Yaksha? After all, he’s just the father of terrorists.”

The Class A students explained while internally mocking Jinmyung’s obsession with the relic.

“Someone woke the Leech King during training. The teacher led the students to raid it.”

“The Leech King!”

The atmosphere became tense.

It was a C-rank boss monster.

It was not something freshmen could handle.

“They attempted a raid without waiting for support?”

“Do they need help for a mere C-rank monster boss? The average level of Class A is over 20, and they have two National Treasure candidates.”

Class A’s pride was sky-high from generation to generation.

They even looked down on their first-year homeroom teachers.

By the time Class A advanced to their second year, they naturally caught up with their teacher’s skills.

This was because the professors in charge of advanced education were A-rank players, while the teachers were only B-rank players.

Moreover, this year’s Class A first-year had two National Treasure candidates.

The students of Class A considered themselves almost a group of active players.

Jaehyuk, who had been quietly observing the situation, sneered.

“Would anyone think you’re the National Treasure candidates?”

“… Seeing your arrogant face, are you Kang Jaehyuk?”

“Yeah. And your faces? They’re rotten. Did you cover them with steel plates to hide the rot?”

“What?”

“You should start with an apology. How can you keep your head high after the mess you caused?”

Jaehyuk gestured at the Class B and C students.

“Can’t you see they’re in rags because of you?”

Though it was because they’d rolled in the swamp, being attacked by dozens of leeches while exhausted was no laughing matter.

A major accident could have easily occurred.

But the Class A students didn’t grasp the seriousness of the situation.

“Worse than the rumors, huh. Don’t be absurd.”

“Does someone think you’re some noble scion of a duke? Are you relying on teachers? Do you think a teacher stands by your side 24/7?”

They couldn’t understand Jaehyuk’s criticism.

There were two teachers present.

Even if some E-rank monsters gathered, the teachers would have handled them, and the students would have been safe.

Jaehyuk’s agitation about someone trying to pick a fight seemed irritating.

Just when the atmosphere was about to turn ugly.

“I’m going to penalize you 10 points each.”

Kim Jinmyung suddenly intervened.

“… What? What did we do wrong?”

“Didn’t you intimidate a student? Right in front of us teachers. That’s enough reason for penalties, as it shows disrespect for school rules and teachers. Isn’t that right, teacher Gu?”

“Ah… y-yes.”

The Class C homeroom teacher, troubled by many things, had to agree.

Clenching their teeth, the Class A students who received sudden penalties didn’t know.

They didn’t know that Kim Jinmyung was actually protecting them.

It was then.

BOOOOM!

A massive explosion occurred deep in the forest.

It indicated complications during the Leech King’s strategy.

“Damn…! Go to the main building immediately and request reinforcements! Teacher Gu, let’s go!”

Even those meant to be future National Treasures started from level 1.

They had their newbie days during their freshman year.

Kim Jinmyung and the Class C homeroom teacher rushed towards the forest.

Jaehyuk and the Class A students followed them.

“What…? Why is he heading there?”

“Hey! Kang Jaehyuk! Ah, that crazy guy!”

The Class B students, who were about to leave with Class C, turned back upon seeing Jaehyuk.

The camaraderie built through daily grueling training proved to be stronger than they thought.

All of Class B rushed into the forest to bring Jaehyuk back.

***

“It blew up!”

The strategy for the Leech King was simple.

Prevent the explosion by inflicting a certain amount of damage each time it reached a critical point.

The giant monster, standing at a towering 10 meters, began accumulating poison inside as soon as the battle started.

It gradually swelled until, upon reaching its limit, it exploded, scattering its flesh and acidic liquid.

Just like now.

“AAAAAAHH!!”

The Class A homeroom teacher let out a horrifying scream.

He had covered the students from the acidic liquid while failing to escape the explosion range.

His rapidly disintegrating skin presented a horrific sight that left the students pale.

Even the students who had survived thanks to him couldn’t support him but instead gagged.

“Teacher!!”

In the chaotic situation, only Chae Dahui responded swiftly.

She stabbed the Leech King with her rapier and rescued the teacher.

However, the Leech King was persistent. It did not easily let go of its prey.

『’s flesh creates .』
『 spreads the acidic liquid to ‘prey’.』
『 prepares a second explosion!』

Splash!

The ground Dahui stood on quickly turned into a swamp.

Unlike a normal swamp, it induced poisoning.

Moreover, the acidic liquid that covered the teacher moved like a living being, spreading onto Dahui’s skin.

Sizzle!

Dahui’s wrist began to dissolve, emitting a pungent smell and smoke.

However, without a groan, she cut off the affected flesh entirely.

Her decisive action contrasted sharply with her usual disposition.

“Potion! Give it to the teacher!”

Dahui leaped out of the swamp, tossing the teacher at the aghast students.

The Leech King had shrunk noticeably due to the first explosion.

It regarded the humans on the scene as insignificant prey.

Even though the swampy ground didn’t allow Dahui to jump high, it brought its head close to her, closing the distance.

POKE!

Twisting her body mid-air to avoid the Leech King’s headbutt, Dahui stabbed its snout repeatedly with her rapier.

With flawless precision, she struck the same spot repeatedly, inducing 『Weak Point Exposure』.

ROAAAAR!!

For the first time, the Leech King showed distress.

『You have struck the same spot more than 5 times.』
『The ‘s weak point is exposed. Attacking the weak point guarantees a critical hit.』

The rapier was a weapon designed for precision.

It was developed to target the seams of armor.

Its lightness and rapid thrust made it suitable for inducing weak point exposure based on the user’s proficiency.

“What are you doing? Hurry and support Dahui!”

Among the students marveling at the second-ranked freshman’s swordsmanship, Yujin dashed forward.

Having arrived late while dealing with rapidly increasing leech swarms, she quickly understood the dire situation.

Silla Kyung and Lauren.

Those two should have been at the forefront against the Leech King by now.

‘The teacher must have trusted them and initiated the raid.’

Why weren’t they visible?

‘Don’t tell me.’

Yujin recalled Silla Kyung and Lauren’s usual attitude.

Two people always uninterested in classes.

Could this critical situation also have seemed like just another class to them?

Something not worth their attention?

At that moment, the teacher, having recovered somewhat, struggled to speak.

“Are Kyung and Lauren… still not here…?”

“It’s been a while since the kids went to find them…”

A boy responded hesitantly.

Only then did the teacher and the students come to the same realization as Yujin.

“Damn it!”

Yujin didn’t even spare a moment to curse at Silla Kyung and Lauren, grabbing a hammer.

With monstrous strength, she hurled it.

The hammer’s violent spinning swept up and shattered the leech swarms the Leech King had summoned to shake Dahui off.

Other students also began to provide support.

“Wind’s blessing!”

“Shield!”

Some provided buffs to Dahui, and others aligned themselves with her, deploying defensive skills.

Thanks to their efforts, Dahui evaded the Leech King’s attacks and managed to land dozens of strikes while advancing.

Seizing the moment when the Leech King staggered, Yujin and other students bombarded it with attack skills.

Although most of the surrounding terrain had turned into swamps, the Class A students had adapted to the swamp through previous training.

They exhibited enough agility to evade the Leech King’s attacks.

However, the swamp created by the Leech King carried poisonous properties.

The longer the students remained in the swamp, the more they weakened due to poisoning.

They were facing a C-rank boss monster.

Even Class A struggled to cope.

The reason for attempting the raid was solely due to their reliance on Silla Kyung and Lauren’s strength.

If things continued as they were, they would surely face defeat…

Students, realizing this, began to despair one by one.

With focus diminishing, more students started falling victim to the Leech King’s attacks.

“Those who have exhausted their mana, at least bring some logs! So you don’t step on the swamp, create platforms! Understood?”

Shock overcame Yujin as she coordinated the students, trying to maintain the Leech King’s aggro in Dahui’s place.

“Dahui, why aren’t you using a potion?”

Dahui’s wrist was in a horrible state. Flesh had been eaten away to the point where bones were faintly visible.

It was a self-inflicted wound to remove the acidic liquid stuck to her skin.

“I lent it to Jaehyuk… no, Dojin-sunbae.”

“Does that even make sense? Why would you lend someone else your only supply?”

It was exasperating.

Kang Jaehyuk.

Though their encounters had been brief, she had a rough idea of his character.

A person who unsettled others with words.

He even unhesitatingly uttered blatant lies, like not having awakened.

He was a guy that would easily exploit the naive Dahui’s weaknesses.

“Use this.”

Yujin tossed her potion to Dahui.

In order to overcome this crisis, Dahui’s role was crucial.

The girl who endured such pain and managed to land consecutive attacks and weak point strikes.

Without the National Treasure candidates, she and the teacher were the ones to rely on.

“Everyone, pull back from the swamp. Let’s form a link centered on Dahui and open a retreat path.”

The teacher made a swift decision.

He judged that there would be no support from Silla Kyung and Lauren.

“I’ll draw the Leech King’s attention.”

He resigned himself to sacrifice.

For a teacher, protecting students was a natural duty.

Moreover, this situation had arisen from his misjudgment.

Of course, he had to take responsibility.

But Chae Dahui was an unexpected variable.

“I’ll fight to the end!”

During the renowned Paju Gate Breach incident.

Dahui survived thanks to Duke Kang’s intervention.

She had witnessed up close how a single great player saved an entire city.

The image of citizens who were once howling in despair reuniting joyously with family or friends was still vivid in her memory.

I, too, will become like that.

Dahui became a player with that singular determination.

Ignoring those in danger?

That wasn’t the kind of player she wanted to be.

Sacrificing one to save another?

She would rather sacrifice herself.

A girl filled with pure justice.

Chae Dahui was undeniably stubborn,

“And that’s why I like you.”

And naturally, she rallied those around her.

Yujin and the students who usually hung around Dahui focused their relentless attacks on the Leech King.

Of course, not every student acted this way.

More than half of the students commenced a retreat without looking back.

It became an easy escape now that someone else was buying them time.

For the teacher, it was the worst possible outcome.

He had been prepared to sacrifice himself to save all the students, yet close to ten students had now missed their chance at survival.

“I’m sorry for this…”

At this point, it would have been better if they all worked together and held on until reinforcements arrived.

But it was too late for regrets.

Though the teacher and the remaining students focused on the combat…

‘This is hopeless.’

‘We stand no chance.’

It was impossible to overcome the crisis with courage alone.

The remaining students soon wore despairing expressions.

The Leech King, true to its status as a boss monster, refused to fall, while their injuries only increased.

Their potions had already run out.

The most serious issue was the depletion of mana. They could no longer use skills.

Moreover.

“Ah.”

The Leech King’s body was swelling up again.

Signs of a second explosion.

Once again, acidic liquid would rain down upon them.

It was over.

The moment death loomed in the students’ minds, their thoughts went blank.

“Should I awaken?”

A strange boy abruptly appeared before them.

He mumbled cryptically while leaning his upper body forward,

WHOOSH-!

drawing a sword with incredible speed and elegance so breathtaking, it was almost wondrous.

SPLASH!

The sight of dozens of lead weights dropping from the boy’s body into the swamp below went unnoticed by anyone.

They were too captivated by the dark sword beam precisely striking and slicing through the small weak point Dahui had created.

TL’s Corner:
Will he awaken?