“Hey, Philip, cut it out and just destroy the bracelet. What are you going to do if the instructors give you trouble later?”
“Huh? No way, I can’t just end it like this.
This damn school keeps talking about how the weak get weeded out, but when we actually mess with weaklings, they punish us.
A school trip should be a chance to relieve stress, don’t you think…?
Kuaaack!”
“Stop it!”
From the treetop, Iris leaped down like a flying tiger and kicked Philip, a student who had been using dark magic of the curse type, right in the face.
Thanks to the bracelet’s protective barrier, he avoided a fatal injury, but I could clearly see that the mana stone embedded in Philip’s bracelet had almost completely lost its color.
If he took another hit in that state, the barrier would shatter, and the excess damage would transfer to his body, causing a serious injury.
That was exactly why Instructor Albert had told me to just forfeit if my bracelet got to that state.
But Philip either had something else to rely on or simply trusted his gang too much, as he immediately took a combat stance and spoke.
“Damn it, of all the top-ranked students, I had to run into Iris. Hey, what the hell are you guys doing? Are we fighting or not?”
“But… she’s the undefeated Iris Lunai. Wouldn’t it be smarter to just run?”
“You cowards!
There are more of us!
Does it make sense to run away without even trying?
If you’re that scared, just cut off your damn balls!
And we don’t even have to defeat Iris—we just need to take down her partner, right?
The rule says that if one partner falls, both are eliminated.
So what should we do?
We go after that deadweight loser lying there like baggage!”
Philip was trash as a person, but he clearly had a deep understanding of the rules of this battle royale-style school trip.
Instead of simply breaking the bracelet, he was tormenting his opponent with curses, fully aware of the system’s mechanics.
Because of that, the students who had been hesitating and backing away at the mere sight of Iris exchanged glances before launching a coordinated attack.
Arrows rained down first, followed by a barrage of elemental magic like a downpour.
Yet, Iris effortlessly deflected every single projectile, surrounding her hands with aura and slicing through them with precision.
However, she was completely locked in place, forced to protect not only the pack carrying my main body but also the female students nearby.
If this war of attrition dragged on, the worst-case scenario was that she could run out of mana.
‘I need to do something.’
I quickly deactivated my consciousness in the celestial realm and returned to my main body.
Then, I bit down hard on my index finger.
With my blood, I carved an ancient symbol onto the inside of the pack carrying my body.
Its name—Titanium.
An Orin rune that enhanced the hardness of the material it was inscribed upon to its absolute limit.
For Kim Sunghoon, a man cursed with all stats permanently fixed at F, this was the only power he could wield.
Up until now, I hadn’t been able to practice it due to my lack of Karma, but thanks to Iris sacrificing a sacred herb with yang attributes, I had accumulated enough to take the gamble.
With the inscription complete, I reactivated my celestial consciousness and gave my command.
Iris, throw the pack in front of the girls and use it as a barricade.
Then charge straight at them and wipe them out.
“Huh!? But won’t Kim Sunghoon get seriously hurt if I do that?”
“It’s fine. I’ve already set up a special barrier around the entire pack. Trust me and show those idiots who rely on numbers just how wrong they are.”
Iris, realizing that simply blocking the attacks wouldn’t lead to a solution, threw the pack forward and charged ahead.
Wait—hold on.
I didn’t mean for her to just fling me away like an old rag.
Regardless, as soon as Iris changed her strategy, Philip and his group of male students hesitated for a moment before shifting their focus entirely to the pack carrying my main body.
They must have figured that attacking Iris directly was futile, and their best chance at victory was to destroy Kim Sunghoon’s bracelet instead.
Honestly, I probably would’ve come to the same conclusion if I were in their position.
However, the countless projectiles aimed at the pack merely bounced off with sharp ting-ting! sounds, failing to penetrate the reinforced structure.
By the time the male students realized something was wrong and tried to switch their target back to Iris, it was already too late.
Like a wolf among a flock of sheep, Iris tore through them mercilessly.
“Damn, my bracelet’s shield broke in a single hit…! See?
I told you we should’ve just run, Philip!
Even top-ranked students hesitate before fighting Iris, so what the hell were we thinking?
Getting eliminated on the first day is gonna tank my grades. Damn it!!”
“Don’t go blaming me for your incompetence! You idiots couldn’t even break a simple wooden box—that’s why you’re bottom-rankers. And for the record, I’m a mid-ranker!”
“Yeah, just barely! You can’t even form a contract with a constellation, so stop acting like you’re hot shit!”
Just as tensions among the male students escalated into an outright brawl, a transport helicopter suddenly appeared in the sky.
Without a parachute or even a water-drop barrier, the academy’s chief instructor, Maxim, leaped straight down to intervene.
BOOOOM!
“That’s enough. Students whose bracelets have been destroyed, board the transport helicopter quietly. Any foolish behavior will be met with strict disciplinary action.”
At Chief Instructor Maxim’s firm command, which left no room for argument, the male students shrank back in fear.
Meanwhile, Iris had returned to the pack’s location to help support the female students.
Watching the scene from a distance, she spoke.
“Nameless King, now that I look at them, it seems like these female students are all support-specialized majors with little combat ability.
Would it be too arrogant to bring up the unfairness of this battle royale-style test to Chief Instructor Maxim?”
“Of course, it’s unfair.
But that unfairness is meant to teach students the harsh reality of the world.
That’s the goal of the instructors—and ultimately, Headmaster Dragos.
You already know this, but the demons invading the interdimensional planes are a hundred, no, a thousand times more vicious and ruthless than that student Philip.
And Maxim is one of the frontline warriors fighting those demons directly.”
“Now that you mention it, I don’t think I’ve seen him much inside Pantheon Academy. He doesn’t even have his own class.”
“Exactly. So for the sake of those female students, just destroy their bracelets now. With Maxim around, the male students won’t even dare to look them in the eye.”
Crack!
Following my advice, Iris shattered the mana stones in the girls’ bracelets with just her fingers, ensuring their wrists remained unharmed.
She then supported them as they approached Chief Instructor Maxim.
“They have no physical injuries, but they’ve suffered mental trauma from the curses. Please take care of them, Chief Instructor Maxim.”
“To be in a groggy state from such low-level curses… their mental fortitude is pathetic. But I suppose it’s still better than your partner, who just sat motionless inside a wooden box like a damn toddler.”
“Don’t insult my partner…!”
“Don’t fall for the provocation, Iris.
Chief Instructor Maxim has a strong fighting spirit, so he’s deliberately trying to provoke you.
He probably wants to test his skills against a rumored prodigy like you.
But since instructors can’t attack students first, he’s baiting you.
Just use Headmaster Dragos’ name to pressure him instead—he’ll back down on his own.”
Iris took my advice and spoke firmly.
“I specifically asked you to take care of them. If these female students suffer from post-traumatic stress after this school trip, I will personally report you to Headmaster Dragos.”
“What!?”
Maxim was so dumbfounded that he unfolded his arms and stared blankly at Iris.
From his perspective, the statement was utterly absurd—laughable, even.
He had fought in countless battlefields, risking his life against demons, and had never once complained about post-traumatic stress (though, to be fair, he had drowned it out with strong alcohol).
And now, some wet-behind-the-ears brats were whining about a low-level curse?
Still, regardless of how ridiculous it was, Maxim had no choice but to react.
He owed his life to Headmaster Dragos more than once, after all.
“Fine. I’ll notify the followers of the Order of the Pure Dawn to handle it.”
Maxim sighed.
“But let me give you a word of caution—shielding low-ranking students like this won’t necessarily help them in the long run.
Your partner, for example—if he doesn’t wake up to reality and change paths soon, he might not live to see old age.
And he’s not the only one.”
“That doesn’t mean forcing them into harsh trials is the only solution,” Iris countered.
“Even if their current grades are low, some students may still have untapped potential.”
“Tch, you really don’t back down, do you? So, what—are you planning to win first place in this event while dragging around that deadweight?”
Maxim smirked.
“Fine. If you actually pull that off, I’ll admit I was wrong and give you a formal apology. But starting from day two, things won’t be as easy as they were today. I’ll be watching your performance from above.”