Chapter 698

〈 Chapter 698 〉 Part 2, Chapter 4, 25

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster. This ancient wisdom is Shuri’s favorite saying. If you thoroughly understand your enemy and fully utilize your own abilities, you can definitely defeat them.

The enemy: One A Rank Monster, dozens of B Rank monsters, and hundreds of C Rank Monsters.

On our side: Two A Ranks, and the rest are all C Ranks.

Clearly at a disadvantage in terms of strength, the situation was so dangerous that it seemed like total annihilation was imminent. It had to be dangerous.

“Raon and Nuri, dodge left while striking the shell. The white parts are all protected by salt barriers. You need to break those.”

This kind of experience is new. Just standing still and giving orders while magical girls move precisely like programmed automatons, dodging enemy attacks. Not only dodging, but also accurately inflicting damage with their full power exactly as directed.

“Gaon, stop the ones coming from underwater. Yuna, keep launching light bombs. Salt Phoenix approaches; detonate light bombs right in front of her eyes.”

One piece of information about the enemy: The A Rank Monster Salt Phoenix has poor eyesight. So if you detonate a flashbang near her eyes, she momentarily loses her target and stumbles around.

KIEEEEEK!

Salt Phoenix lunged forward with a meat attack, flailing her giant tentacles wildly in every direction as if trying to grab anyone.

“She’s coming. Shuri, prepare to attack.”

When her name was called, Jeong Shuri gripped her staff tightly and thrust it forward. Her task, akin to an apprentice, was very simple and easy.

“Just aim for the right side, not the one we scorched earlier. Got it?”

Though the words were simple, the unspoken thought stayed inside. Through the Magical Gear, the trajectory was being transmitted in precise numerical values—firing timing, firing angle, and magic power output.

Short words, but flawless command through the holographic console. Fighting this way, Shuri gulped as she realized her abilities could rival even S Rank.

“Don’t stress, take your time. You’ve got three seconds.”

Shuri recalled the game simulators that magic-wielding ability users often played.

It was like a fishing game where you timed your button press when the gauge hit the middle to reel in the fish. Right now, a similar gauge was moving in front of Shuri’s eyes.

“3, 2, 1. Now!”

“HAAAT!”

With a yell, Shuri unleashed her magic power. The moment the bar entered the red center of the gauge, a massive pillar of fire erupted from Shuri’s staff.

“FIRE!”

There was no need for a fancy technique name. Pointing the staff at the designated trajectory and firing was as easy as something a rookie academy student could do. Unlike the simulator, all commands—firing trajectory, timing—are happening in real-time, but Shuri trusted Yuna standing right next to her.

Yuna believed in the guild master, the commander.

KIEEEEEK!!

The pillar of fire swept across Salt Phoenix’s body. The salt barrier peeled off by Raon and Nuri’s strikes fell away instantly, and the flames clung to Salt Phoenix, slowly roasting her monstrous form.

CREEEEK, CREEEEK!!

Already, the opposite side had lost its original color, suffused with a red glow. The glossy shell beneath the salt began to radiate with an increasingly intense red aura.

“Of course, shrimp tastes best grilled.”

NYAANG.

Cheonghwa enjoyed the monster’s suffering with a cat in his arms, stroking it leisurely despite his hands having been busy nonstop until just before.

“After this, shall we have some clams on the beach?”

“Are those the clams I think they are?”

“The ones that open their mouths slightly and spurt seawater when they’re hot?”

“Boss, clams should have their insides sucked out gently when opened slightly. That’s how they taste best.”

Various lewd jokes passed casually. Despite the monster still screaming in agony with flames attached to its body, Shuri felt her tension ease.

Apart from combat commands, the man hadn’t said a single word until he started making sexual jokes. The charismatic figure was gone, replaced by a playful demeanor, clearly indicating the battle situation.

KIIIIEEKK….

BOOM.

The A Rank Monster, Salt Phoenix covered in a salt protective layer, stopped atop a salt field. Shuri was puzzled that the flames clinging to its body wouldn’t go out.

“What…?”

“It’s the oil inside. Boss says thanks to you, it was easier to catch. Congratulations, Shuri.”

Yuna tapped on the hologram. Beneath the cheerful “Victory!” message, a damage meter typical of any guild displayed each member’s score along with their ranks.

Yuinah, A.

Park Ra-on, A.

Kim Nuri, A.

Kim Gaon, A+.

Ha Yu-eun, A.

Sun Gyeoul, B.

Seok Harang, S.

And Jeong Shuri, S+.

“Eh…?”

Even with some deductions, why did she receive an S+ evaluation? Numerous minus signs aside, a plus sign negating all deductions made Shuri feel conflicted.

…Deduction 10 points

…Deduction 50 points

…Deduction 30 points.

Perfectly followed commands. +10000 points.

“How…did this happen…?”

“Ah, that? Nothing special. Just follow orders.”

Yuna smiled confidently and linked arms with Shuri.

“Boss never makes mistakes, right? Did you feel it?”

“…Yuna.”

Shuri felt as if under a spell. Though monsters and beasts still littered the area, the magical girls and their master were casually deciding the evening party menu.

“Can we just leave these here?”

“Yeah. Boss says once the boss mob is defeated, regular mobs die automatically—it’s a rule.”

“But this is reality.”

“True. Look over there.”

Yuna pointed to the dead Salt Phoenix. As the internal shrimp oil caught fire, burning fiercely, giant shrimp monsters and beasts frenziedly clawed at the burning corpse.

“The A Rank Monster is dead. Most of the other beasts will go crazy trying to grab the core of the dead monster.”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing…”

“Of course not. It’s our team’s exclusive know-how…the boss’s know-how.”

“To elaborate, it’s offering them an easy choice.”

Shuri shrank back at the man’s weary voice. Apparently, the evening menu was already decided, as the magical girls readied their weapons again on the deck.

“Risk their lives stealing the A Rank core to become stronger, or continue risking their lives fighting us. Like scavengers lurking around the corpse.”

“But what if they steal the core?!”

“Ah, don’t worry. It’s not a B Rank core, it’s an A Rank core. Do you think I’d let it slip? Otherwise, someone would stab me with a kitchen knife.”

Ha Yu-eun, holding the ship’s wheel, nodded heavily. Even though an A Rank monster was burning nearby, surrounded by countless monsters and beasts, Shuri couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

“Shouldn’t we run away now? Let’s return to the harbor?”

“Is running away considered finishing up?”

Baek Cheonghwa leaned his boot against the railing and slipped his hands into his coat. Amidst the sea breeze and splashing waves, he lifted a massive gun.

“Good job everyone. Let’s clean these up now. I got something good from Seok Harang specifically for this.”

“Gun…?”

“BANG!”

With a thunderous roar, the monsters gathered near Salt Phoenix froze instantly. The path carved by the magic bullet froze solid, turning into an icy surface. The flames inside the monster froze as well.

“This is the power of S Rank…!”

Shuri and the other magical girls stared with mouths agape in astonishment.

“What…is this…?”

“While my body is in Busan, my heart fights alongside you. How’s Princess Snowflower’s special magic bullet?”

Baek Cheonghwa jumped onto the frozen ice following the bullet’s trajectory.

“It’s called Blueberry Bullet, shortened to BB Bullet. Puhehe.”

“……”

Shuri felt goosebumps as ‘Seok Harang S’ appeared above her.

* * *

The appearance of an A Rank Monster is certainly an event that sets off alarms nationwide. It’s something neighboring countries might take interest in too.

Meanwhile, the group of salt-field monsters emerging from Shinan was undoubtedly a sensational issue. Yet, apart from the magical girl guilds that visited the area, no one else knew about the Shinan salt fields problem.

“Monsters? In Shinan? But the magical radar showed no reaction, how could we possibly know?”

Since there’s no real-time observation system of the association in Shinan, and even if the locals reported it, it wouldn’t matter much because seeing small fry monsters on the coast is commonplace.

“What? The monsters seem scared and are fleeing? Strange. What could scare them enough to flee to land? There’s the Light Blade on land!”

Logically, it didn’t make sense. Monsters generally behave like wild animals, and naturally, sea monsters climbing onto land, which is the territory of the Light Blade, was incomprehensible.

Naturally, the monsters were pierced by golden beams falling from the sky and died. For unknown reasons, the deep-sea monsters emerging from the mud began to perish one by one.

“So, where exactly are the Magical Girls anyway?!”

“They say the decoy was in Incheon! Damn it, how did they hide their location?”

“The Academy must disclose their practice site! The Academy must disclose their practice site!”

Guild members spread across the country searched everywhere for the magical girls, causing a commotion and prompting some monsters nationwide to start rampaging. Eventually, the disturbance in Shinan quietly subsided beneath the waves, and no one sought it out anymore.

“Hahaha, even the university president wouldn’t choose that place as a candidate, right?”

“That’s true. No sane person would send students, especially Jeong Shuri, to that neighborhood!”

As always, assuming things leads people astray.

* * *

<Near Mokpo Port, Suite Room aboard You Sung's Exclusive Cruise>

“I don’t know what to do with myself. You went as far as bringing this cruise for me.”

“One A Rank Core and hundreds of C Rank Cores. Renting this cruise for five days is totally worth it.”

Ha Yu-eun knelt below me, diligently working her tongue.

Her pride aside, her personally performing fellatio for me, combined with deliberately bringing the cruise all the way to Mokpo port as our operational base, was clear evidence that she was quite pleased with this mission.

“Want to cum?”

“Nope. Won’t fit. You can stop now. By the way, aren’t you taking mine to study?”

“Nope. I’m selling it to a sperm bank for a high price.”

“But it’ll be classified as azoospermia and won’t sell?”

“Tch, then I’ll just sell it to Yuna and the girls.”

Yuha wiped her lips with a handkerchief and stood up. My shaft was smeared with her red lipstick, and she cleaned it with a wet tissue.

“Such kindness. Is this the power of an A Rank Core?”

“If you bring me an S Rank Core, I’ll make it scream ASS for you.”

“Sure, sure. That’ll be soon enough. But the rest of the cores from this training session…”

I settled accounts with Yuha regarding the cores from our hunt. Naturally, the battle at the Shinan salt fields on the first day was ‘unofficial,’ and none of the outcomes could be officially disclosed.

“Since Kim Penril set up the barrier during the fight…”

Inside the SS+ Rank Ability User’s barrier, we burned and froze the salt fields. Yun Yuhwa mobilized the cruise to neatly load the monster corpses, sweeping away all remaining cores.

Beasts? They vanished without a trace. We prayed for their souls’ peace and rested for a day. Then, to avenge them and boost our records, we hunted D~C Rank Monsters suitable for official reports throughout the tidal flats.

“…So, let’s invest in that. By the way, isn’t it about time the kids returned?”

“Yeah. Finally, the day has come.”

The training ends tomorrow. We’ve piled up plenty of achievements, and all evaluations are complete. All that’s left is the after-party.

“Hehe, spending the first time romantically aboard a cruise—Shuri really hooked up with a great sponsor.”

“Fire Demon has been on my list for a long time. This level of investment is basic. After all, getting both an A Rank Core and an A Rank Ability User is expected, right?”

“Right? So instead of putting the You Sung mark on the Battle Suit, can you give me a 20% discount?”

“10%.”

“You’re so stingy.”

“15% discount would leave me with nothing. Unless you bring B Rank Cores next time.”

Yuha aimed for a firm deal, and I accepted it without major issues. Meanwhile, two self-driving taxis belonging to You Sung arrived near the port.

“Wow, then it’s time for the real after-party. Keee, I’ve waited so long.”

“…Haa. Don’t overdo it? Please don’t make me cry.”

“Why would I cry? Do you know what I’m capable of?”

Yuha left the room. I sat on the bed waiting for her to return. Since everything was pre-arranged with others, I merely had to wait for her.

“…Excuse me.”

With a polite knock, <Fire Demon> Jeong Shuri entered. Wearing a white bikini swimsuit and a see-through cardigan, she covered herself with her arms as she came inside.

“Shuri, how was following my instructions for a week?”

“Cheonghwa’s instructions were absolutely flawless.”

“Right? Where’s the injustice in excellent battlefield commands?”

“There was none. But…”

“Then it’s an order.”

I spread my legs further and pointed to my erect Phoenix that Yuna had teased and then left.

“Suck.”

Being fire-natured, obeying my commands is natural. Shuri closed her eyes tightly and slowly approached me.