Surviving as the Academy’s Weakest NPC-Chapter 166 : Chapter 166

Chapter 166
My blood ran cold.
In the sensation of all thought coming to a halt, what surfaced was the damn darkness.
The terrifying darkness of the underground. Only Lerwon, the survivor who had experienced it, knew just how dark that place was, and how it wore a person down.
“No….”
Lerwon had been locked in there himself, and had also locked others in.
A person would break down in four days if locked in Iris Viden’s underground prison.
Because Iris was the kind of person who knew well how to easily break someone.
“Absolutely not.”
The reason Lerwon could endure for over 10 years under Iris was all because Iris had wanted him to. It was by no means because he was a resilient person.
On the contrary, he was the one who knew best how horrifying that place was. That was why a single moment was enough for him to be seized by terror.
Crunch, as the note crumpled in his hand, Lerwon tried to head somewhere without hesitation.
Killing intent surged from him. There was no time to control his emotions.
Lerwon's mind was filled only with the pitch-black darkness of the underground and the horrifying pain it inflicted.
“Hey there! Junior! Stop, won't you?”
That was why he had forgotten that there were powerhouses in this cabin capable of sensing such a surging killing intent.
Lerwon looked at Laurel, who had blocked his path.
“Don’t get in my way.”
Laurel momentarily gasped at the killing intent in Lerwon’s sharp warning, an intensity that made her whole body tingle.
She knew he was hiding his skills despite being a junior, but she never imagined it would be to this extent.
Laurel let out a sigh and fiddled with the nape of her neck.
“Alright, I guess I can't handle this alone.”
However, there was no wavering in Laurel’s expression.
As if she already knew someone would come—
“Don’t just rush out blindly, Laurel.”
“I figured you’d be fine, Cecilia-sunbae.”
There was no way Cecilia would lose track of Laurel, and more importantly, there was no way she wouldn't have sensed this chilling killing intent.
“I’m used to your recklessness, but I wonder if we can stop Lerwon?”
“Sunbae, when you say it like that, it makes me sound like a troublemaker.”
Laurel smiled awkwardly and clenched her fists.
I want to do my magical girl transformation, but… the moment I try, he’ll probably come at me first.
Normally, she would have tried to transform, thinking Cecilia would block him, but for some reason, she had a feeling that wouldn't work on Lerwon.
Her senses, honed by countless dungeon runs, whispered at her not to even try.
“Ha, this is a problem.”
Even a decent boss monster couldn’t give off an aura like this.
Was the person in front of her really the junior she knew, Lerwon?
“Explain where you’re trying to go, Lerwon.”
“Do I really have to tell you that, Cecilia-sunbae?”
“Yes, explain.”
Cecilia demanded resolutely with a cold expression.
She would absolutely not let him go without an explanation.
I didn't want to waste my strength dealing with these two. I didn't know how things would unfold, so it was best to preserve my strength as much as possible.
“Theo has gone missing. It’s practically a kidnapping. And the culprit is probably….”
“Iris Viden, I suppose. There’s no way anyone else would do something so crazy.”
Lilia, having noticed the commotion outside, jumped straight through the window and landed lightly on the ground.
As she did, the moment she saw the note in Lerwon's hand, she let out a small, 'Ah.'
“Lilia.”
“Yes, Sunbae.”
“You should have been more careful.”
At Cecilia’s reprimand, Lilia shut her mouth and lowered her head.
“I’m sorry, Sunbae.”
While she couldn't say it was entirely her fault, it was, as Cecilia had pointed out, a conflict that wouldn't have happened in the first place if Lilia had handled it properly.
To make such a trivial mistake was unlike her.
“Reprimands later. For now, we stop him.”
“Even after I’ve explained the situation, you still intend to stand in my way?”
“It’s because I know the situation that I must.”
The only person who would send such a note personally to Lilia was Professor Beatrice.
And the fleeting look of dismay on Lilia’s face when she realized the note had been discovered.
Considering all that, Professor Beatrice had intended to hide the fact that Theo was kidnapped from Lerwon.
Why? What was the reason? It was to prevent Lerwon from coming to the capital.
Cecilia slowly laid out her reasoning.
“I see.”
Many people assumed that Cecilia Loren, known as the Lily Knight, had a simple disposition because of her generally indifferent expression.
Some even made the mistake of thinking she was dense in certain aspects.
In truth, Cecilia was a person who could deduce and think about most things not just without difficulty, but with extreme ease.
Cecilia Loren was a woman who could simultaneously serve as both a knight and a strategist.
“You agree, but you’re still going?”
Laurel asked in astonishment at Lerwon's acknowledgement.
“That’s why I’m going, Laurel-sunbae.”
When it came to matters involving Iris Viden, at the very least, I couldn't trust the Academy's professors.
There was no professor at the Academy who wasn't a subject of the Emperor, and they were ultimately in a position where they had to be mindful of him.
But Lerwon was different. I just needed to go and rescue Theo.
If I were to be captured, I could use myself as bait so that at least Theo—
“You can’t see anything straight right now. That’s why you can’t go to the capital.”
At Lilia’s words, Lerwon let out a sigh. So it came to this.
Lerwon took out a dagger that seemed to appear from nowhere.
As he drew his weapon, the atmosphere around Cecilia, Lilia, and Laurel also changed.
In a touch-and-go situation where a battle could break out at any moment, Lerwon charged at Cecilia first.
“Tsk!”
How nice it would have been if this could have been resolved with words!
Cecilia, lightly clicking her tongue, took out a blunt-tipped folding knife she had in her pocket and casually deflected the dagger aimed at her.
“Support me, Lilia.”
“Yes, Sunbae!”
At Cecilia's command, Lilia used magic to create an ice wall between the two, separating them in an instant.
Lerwon used a dagger with a short reach. The longer the distance, the more disadvantaged he would be.
As if he had read Lilia's thoughts, Lerwon threw his dagger at the ice wall.
The flaming dagger melted the ice wall, leaving not even a trace behind.
But now his hand was empty.
Not missing the opportunity, Laurel, with her knuckles on, instantly closed in on Lerwon.
She swung her fist, intending to knock him out, but Lerwon easily caught Laurel’s fist.
‘What kind of strength is this!’
It was so strong she couldn't easily let go.
Was Lerwon always this strong? No, he had been faking it all this time!
“You’ve been hiding it well!”
“The one who was fooled is the fool.”
Lerwon smiled gently.
But no matter how you looked at it, it didn't seem like a smile.
Seeing Lerwon about to subdue Laurel without leaving an opening, Lilia created ice picks in the air and rained them down toward Lerwon’s shoulder.
As expected, aiming for the magician first is the best course of action.
But what about this?
Lerwon used Laurel as a shield to dodge Lilia's attack.
“Gyaaaahk!!”
Laurel, who in an instant became a meat shield on the verge of being riddled with holes by the ice picks, kicked Lerwon away, pulled her knuckles free, and barely managed to escape to the side.
Cecilia did not miss the opening created as Laurel and Lerwon dodged Lilia’s attack.
In the blink of an eye, Cecilia’s rapier, which had charged in swiftly, aimed for Lerwon.
He really knows the trajectory of an attack that can be dodged without a fatal wound.
Lerwon, making a calm judgment even in the urgent situation, rolled on the floor and blocked Cecilia's rapier, which flew at him, with his retrieved dagger.
“You used me as a shield?!”
Laurel charged, scattering killing intent, along with Cecilia.
Judging by the trajectory of their attacks, it was almost impossible to dodge them both.
‘They’re used to coordinated attacks.’
It was perhaps to be expected. Lilia was from the same club as Laurel, and she had been friends with Cecilia for a long time.
There probably wasn't a trio in the Academy with better chemistry.
Indeed… normally, I would never be able to dodge this.
Lerwon, making a simple assessment, deflected Laurel's attack with the hilt of his dagger and lightly kicked away Cecilia’s rapier with his other foot.
“Ugh!”
In an instant, their golden opportunity was nullified.
It’s fine, if we just counterattack—
“!!”
The dagger Lerwon threw grazed Lilia’s cheek.
If she hadn't ducked her body at the killing intent, she might have taken the attack head-on.
Lilia lightly wiped the blood from her cheek, placed her hand on the ground, and channeled her mana through it.
He nullified the attack and even followed up with a counter, but his posture was broken as a result.
Flames spreading from Lilia’s fingertips traveled along the ground, burning up all the spots where Lerwon might land.
“!”
Flames flared up in an instant, but Cecilia and Laurel stood perfectly fine within the blaze.
“I see.”
I had heard that among Professor Beatrice’s flame magic, there was a flame that actually protected certain individuals. This must be that magic.
“Haha! You’re cornered!”
At Laurel’s cry, Lilia bit her lip hard.
“Hey, you idiot sister!!”
You’re going to set a flag like that? Lilia, who had been concentrating to use her master’s magic, yelled.
“The way to break this magic is simple.”
Lerwon lightly kicked off Laurel’s shoulder and flew into the air, escaping the flames.
Laurel, spurred into action by Lilia's roar, got up and followed Lerwon, unleashing a continuous barrage of punches and kicks at him.
Lerwon, blocking the attacks with his guard up, twisted his body to the side to dodge a kick, then unleashed a fierce kick of his own toward Laurel.
She can't dodge this!
The moment Laurel squeezed her eyes shut, Lilia used wind magic to boost her speed and charged at Lerwon from behind.
Lerwon quickly abandoned his attack and tried to dodge.
“Did you think you could get away?!”
Haha! You let your guard down!! Laurel, letting out a crazed laugh, embraced Lerwon, ready to take the hit.
“!”
He couldn't shake Laurel off.
Now! Cecilia, who had briefly readjusted her stance, also rushed toward Lerwon.
Even while caught by Laurel, Lerwon dodged Cecilia’s and Lilia’s attacks without much difficulty.
With movements akin to acrobatics, Lerwon finally shook off Laurel and asked.
“Did you really think you could stop me with just that?“
At that question, which seemed to be tinged with a hint of pity, Lilia’s expression shattered in an instant.
Seeing this, Laurel thought.
‘Ah, we're screwed.’
Lerwon had just said the worst possible thing he could have.
He had gone and poked the sleeping lion's whiskers.
The beast named Lilia, which Laurel had wanted to avoid waking no matter what!