ReLife Player

[What a Witch Needs (2)]

First-year mandatory general education class “The First Step for Players” at the middle academy.

First-year students were gathered in the auditorium, receiving a lecture from the head instructor.

The auditorium, which could accommodate 300 people and still had space to spare, was enclosed in layers of barriers in the form of a dome.

Not to prevent monster attacks, but to prevent monsters from escaping to the outside.

“I mentioned it in the previous class, but players exist to exterminate monsters. In other words, a player who cannot kill monsters cannot be called a player.”

Players existed to exterminate monsters. This was a story that any student entering the academy could agree with.

However, agreeing with something in your mind and experiencing it with your body were two different things.

Monsters were both a threat to humanity and creatures in their own right.

Just a few months ago, they had been no more than elementary school students, and there was no way they could suddenly kill living beings, even if they were monsters.

Even if they were called monsters.

“While you may think that entering Player Academy after passing the highly competitive entrance exam means that the tests are over, they are not.” “……”

“Kill a monster within this year.”

The students swallowed their breath.

The head instructor said they would confirm whether the students could kill a monster in the final exams of the second semester.

If they couldn’t kill a monster, they would have to figure it out for themselves. Either leave the school or persevere stubbornly. However, if they chose the latter, they shouldn’t expect good grades. They shouldn’t even dream of entering the high academy if they couldn’t kill a monster by the time they graduated.

“Starting from today’s class, all of you will undergo training to kill monsters here. I hope that you can follow without falling behind.”

The head instructor added that starting today, students would be given an environment where they could train freely in the practice field.

After finishing his speech, he took out a mana stone.

The class instructors who had been waiting nearby began to set up barriers within the dome to divide the areas.

“If we could give you one warning, we hope you won’t cause disturbances using mana stones without the instructor’s permission. We think you’re all aware of the terror that <No Name> caused at the dawn department store a few years ago.”

The head instructor emphasized as he infused mana into the mana stone.

Soon, the small stones that had fallen within the small barriers began to create disturbances using mana stones.

Mana stones that absorbed the mana that had melted into them during the waiting period rolled on the ground like they were convulsing, then were enveloped by a blue aura.

Energy concentrated around a central point.

With a sound like a heartbeat, the throbbing disturbance summoned monsters from the center outward.

Krrrr…

The students were facing monsters born within the disturbances for the first time.

The majority of those who had encountered the existence of monsters through the media could not regain their composure when they saw creatures with alien forms beyond the scope of natural beings.

When the monster, which had shed the mana clinging to its body, looked at the students with predatory eyes, they were filled with fear.

Krrrrrr…

A determined gaze filled with the intent to kill.

It was only then that the students truly felt the terror of the monsters.

And the significance of becoming players.

“…I can’t do it. How can I kill that?”

Those who were paralyzed by fear.

The head instructor drove home his point to them.

“This monster is an Eighth-Rank Iron Golem. It mainly corrodes iron and is a monster that destroys buildings.”

“That… Eighth-Rank, you say?”

“It causes physical damage in daily life, so it’s classified as an Eighth-Rank monster. Oh, when it attacks humans, it sticks to them and chews on them until they die. It rarely happens because it takes a long time.”

The head instructor stated calmly.

As if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

On the other hand, the students found it hard to see the monster, crouching like a little demon, as anything but unordinary.

“Today, we will study Iron Golems. First, who will come out and try to kill the Irons here?”

“……”

“If no one volunteers, I will pick someone. Let’s see… How about you, student Bae Soobin?”

“…Yes.” “Come forward.”

Bae Soobin, who was chosen, had a pale face.

The head instructor pretended not to notice her condition and kindly handed her a sword.

“You must kill monsters using weapons only. You may use magic to restrain the monsters, but do not kill them using magic.”

The barrier containing the Iron Golem had no exit from the inside and could only be entered from the outside.

The head instructor, who had seen through her thoughts, made Bae Soobin, who approached the boundary, flinch.

“If I were to give advice to student Bae Soobin, it would be best to create a barrier around yourself when facing Irons. If you don’t, the Irons will stick to you and chew on your body.”

“…Yes.” “If a dangerous situation arises, the instructors will help you, so don’t worry.”

How many people would really not worry, hearing those words?

With trembling emotions, Bae Soobin entered the barrier.

At that moment, the Irons rushed towards her as if they had been waiting.

“…Ugh…!”

She managed to fend off the approaching Irons with a protective spell.

At the same time, she couldn’t withstand the impact of the Irons’ iron body crashing into her and was thrown backward.

“…Huh!?”

By the time she hurriedly assumed a defensive posture, it was already too late.

The Irons that had been bounced off attacked her again.

While struggling to escape from the Irons that had been thrown away, she wriggled in an attempt to break free from the Irons that had clung to her body.

The Irons squeezed her shoulders even more tightly so that she couldn’t move her arms, and wrapped her waist with its legs.

“……!”

A sensation as if her waist was being twisted.

Her face turned bright red, and she screamed in pain.

She had no time to deploy a barrier.

The area where the Irons were squeezing started to burn as they rubbed against it.

Fortunately, the protective magic on her uniform was blocking the Irons’ attacks, but that was all.

As long as she couldn’t escape from the Irons, the only outcome awaiting her was death.

“─Stop!”

The head instructor, who judged that she had no chance of recovery, declared.

At that moment, the instructor from Class 8 rushed toward the barrier to save her. With a kick filled with mana, he pushed the Irons away, supported her, and took her outside the barrier.

Bae Soobin lay on the ground.

The instructors checked to see if there was anything wrong with her.

With them out of the way, the head instructor spoke up.

“Dealing with a moving monster from the beginning is an incredibly difficult task. So today’s class will involve debuffing the Irons and having your group members work together to kill them.

But in the final exam of the second semester, you will face Eighth-Rank monsters without any restrictions.”

As if he were trying to push the relieved students.

The head instructor explained with a chuckle.

“Before we start the actual class, if any student thinks they can deal with a moving Iron, please raise your hand. Only one student will be chosen as a demonstration.”

“……”

“Is there no one? In that case… Oh, you, student who raised your hand, come forward!”

The head instructor glared.

The student who had raised their hand, amid the murmurings of the instructors, had volunteered.

Shall we see how well they do?

The head instructor gestured as if he were thinking of breaking their nose to check how far they would go.

“Before we continue, please introduce yourself to the other students.”

“…I’m Noh Eunha, 6th Grade, Class 7.”

Eunha suddenly interrupted.

☆

To face Irons from the beginning…

Iron Golems were one of the most difficult Eighth-Rank monsters to deal with, especially because they maintained a humanoid form, which created resistance to killing them.

Eunha had already read the head instructor’s intent from the moment he summoned the Irons.

It was meant to make the students realize how challenging it was to face monsters and to manage them through fear.

That’s why the head instructor deliberately ordered Soobin, who had made it into the academy as the third-ranking student, to defeat the Irons without any debuffs.

Even though they knew she wouldn’t be able to do it.

Perhaps he didn’t even realize that his intent might include breaking the students’ pride.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand his desire to manage the students through fear and break their self-esteem, but…

The world of players was like that.

It operated on desires rather than principles, with winners taking everything and the strong dominating the weak.

So Eunha had no intention of objecting to the head instructor’s teaching.

The problem was Soobin, who had been targeted by the Irons.

“Still looks good, though.”

“Yeah. She acted all high and mighty up to now, but it was just for show.”

“That brat had no manners. Whenever you asked her anything, she’d act too busy to tell you.”

There was some sympathy for her, but there were more people mocking her.

Soobin had a bad personality.

She was quick to snap at people who approached her as if they were sharp objects and often showed obsessive behavior when it came to grades.

You could call it karma.

In an academy rampant with meritocracy, she was a living example of failing to prove her abilities.

Students who hadn’t liked her before now took the opportunity to speak up.

“Is there no one? In that case… Oh, you, student who raised your hand, come forward!”

Even so, it didn’t please him.

He raised his hand as a way of saying, “Shut up and watch.”

Just as the head instructor had spread fear among the students, he decided to spread fear as well.

“……”

All the students, including the instructors, fell silent.

It was because Eunha had toyed with the Irons as soon as she entered the barrier.

Krr…

“Get up.”

She kicked the Irons as it lay on the ground, groaning.

Its body, made entirely of iron, rolled across the floor like scrap metal.

Eunha lifted the arm of the Irons, which she had cut off earlier, and spun it above her head like a toy before tossing it toward the students.

Although the Irons’ arm was blocked by the barrier, it was enough to surprise those who had been absorbed in his combat.

Krr…rrrr…

The guy who had stood up with his last remaining arm tremblingly ran away.

It pounded on the barrier as if he were insane.

When Eunha approached from behind, it whimpered like a puppy with its tail between its legs.

Kkkk…

But it couldn’t cry anymore.

Each time Eunha swung his sword, he struck it on the head as if she were hitting a ball.

Every time he struck it, he heard a clanging sound, and it’s square head became more and more crumpled.

“……”

The Irons’ end was bleak.

Eunha forced the defeated Irons to lie on the ground and stabbed it repeatedly in areas other than its head.

The blade, infused with mana, tore through the Irons’ body in various directions, cutting it apart.

Only when its body was scattered did the Irons leave behind a mana stone and disappear.

“Is it over?”

“Y-yeah…”

The head instructor nodded mechanically, as if staring at a monster.

No one else spoke up.

The students quietly made way for him as he returned to his seat.

“Well, then let’s start the class now.”

There were very few people who listened to the head instructor’s words.

☆

“I get goosebumps just thinking about it for real!”

“…The monsters started to seem pitiful. Noh Eunha, you’re really a demon, a demon.”

The boys, trying to digest everything, decided to go for a walk outside.

As they walked, Parang and Eunhyuk discussed what had happened during today’s class.

Eunha’s performance in battle had drawn people’s attention to that extent.

By the end of the class, even the instructors who had been somewhat hostile towards him had approached him more amiably.

Not that it mattered; he had ignored them all anyway.

In an academy rampant with meritocracy, Eunha easily brushed off the comments from the instructors.

Even the students had forgotten about making fun of Soobin, as Eunha’s battle had left a lasting impression on them.

Moreover, they had faced the monsters themselves during the class.

Those who had killed the monsters in that day’s class were few and far between.

“Today was really fun. I’m glad I joined the academy.” “Yeah, it was quite a challenge.”

Minji and Hayang couldn’t kill the monster. They had managed to corner it, but they hesitated to finish it off with their swords.

Seona managed to kill the monster, somehow.

On the other hand, Eunhyuk and Parang had no reservations about killing the monsters.

Especially Parang…

Parang tormented the monsters relentlessly, as if he were impressed by Eunha’s battle.

In return, he got a bloody nose from a counterattack.

The tissue covering his nose was the evidence.

“But Captain, how about the Ancient Literature Research Club? Are there many people there?”

“There are four 3rd-year students, and three 1st-year students, including me.” “Wow, that’s even worse. The Culture Exploration Club has four 2nd-year students and five 1st-year students.”

Even though the club seniors seemed nice, Eunhyuk, who had joined a club but was not officially recognized, complained as usual.

“Don’t worry too much. Even if it’s tough at first, you’ll eventually get accepted into the club.”

“If the Captain says so, it must be true, right? I hope so.”

“Cultural exploration… it sounds boring as soon as I hear it. I joined the tracking club, like me. How interesting does it look just by its name?”

“It looks nice because people seem to like it, as Captain said.”

Eunhyuk grumbled.

Parang, who had joined the tracking club, teased him with a laugh.

Eunha watched them playfully teasing each other and smiled.

It was indeed a good club. In the future, Eun Taeyang and his comrades would join it.

He then asked about Cha Eunwoo, curious if he had joined the Cultural Exploration Club.

“By the way, who are the 1st-year students who joined the club?” “It’s me, Minji, Seona, and 9th-rank Mok Minho and Cha Eunwoo. Both of them had pretty good entrance scores.”

“Mok Minho?”

“Yeah. Captain, do you know him?”

“…I’m not sure.”

Eunha casually brushed it off.

Mok Minho.

He had completely forgotten about his existence. While he remembered that he had decent skills, he had died during the Seoul invasion, so he had simply forgotten about him.

So, in his mind, Mok Minho didn’t exist.

After his death, there had been discussions among the academy students about whether there would be anyone who could be a rival to Eun Taeyang.

“Is Mok Minho okay? How is he?” “Um… he gives off an unfriendly vibe.”

“If he doesn’t like it, don’t approach him.”

Mok Minho was famous for having a strong sense of righteousness as a 031-rank student.

So, he had looked down on Eun Taeyang because he was from a humble background.

Therefore, Eunhyuk or Minji could get in trouble if they approached him.

Speaking of Mok Minho…

He had opposed Eun Taeyang on various occasions, but he had the skills to back it up.

If Eun Taeyang was the main player of the 031-rank, Mok Minho was the main player of the 031-rank.

I should keep that in mind.

Eunha decided to keep the unexpected name in mind.