I Become a Mafia in the Academy

Chapter 57

"Today, they say they will hold a 'class ranking tournament' for all classes at the academy."

The morning assembly time began with Ji Soohyun's explosive statement in the classroom.

At this, the students' faces were filled with bewilderment.

"No, we've only been enrolled for less than two weeks, and they're holding a class ranking tournament?"

Looking at the cases of previous batches, most class ranking tournaments were usually held before the midterms.

But a class ranking tournament just two weeks after entering the academy?

It was only natural for the children to be confused.

"Do you think I know? It was decided by the higher-ups. They probably think it's good to quickly establish rankings because this batch has a lot of interesting kids."

To be precise, it was also because of the game's settings.

This batch, in which the player enrolls, needed to include various stories and events, so it was natural for many special kids to join.

And as such, many events had to be squeezed into a short period of time. It was somewhat an adult's circumstances, one might say.

"Well, though it's called a class ranking tournament, it's just about going into a dungeon and killing monsters, so don't be too scared~"

With that, Ji Soohyun, who seemed to have conveyed everything she needed to, turned her body to leave the classroom but suddenly stopped.

"Oh, I almost forgot. During this 'class ranking tournament,' the dean said he would give special benefits to the classes that take first and second place, so you should try hard. ──That's the official message. As for my personal addition... if you don't come in first, you're all dead?"

With a refreshing smile, Ji Soohyun said this and swiftly left.

At that sight, a cold chill swept through the class.

"If we don't come in first, we're dead?"

"No, telling us about it today?"

With that, as only the students remained, the classroom quickly filled with murmurs.

The 'class ranking tournament' was a big event that could determine the environment of a semester, so it was only natural for the other children to be interested.

And among those children, there were three who remained particularly calm.

"......I just need there to be no bugs."

"......I just need there to be no bugs."

"......I hope there are no bugs."

Jinwoo, Seah, Youngje.

For the three who had followed me to the dungeon under the club booth, dungeons were nothing more than training grounds.

"It's nothing special, yet everyone is so worried, it's their nature."

All that worry is pointless. They don't even know...

Already knowing where I would go this quarter, I leaned on my desk to conserve my strength before entering the dungeon.

* * *

Originally, it would have been the start time for the first period.

On the academy's playground, all first-year students were present.

And there was an instructor to lead them all...

[Kids! Don't move! If you move on your own and lose an arm or a leg, I won't take responsibility!]

Shortly after, Ji Soohyun, unable to accept the fate of teleporting all first-years, was shouting at the children gathered on the playground with all her might.

"......Calm down. Instructor Ji Soohyun, what if you make a mistake out of anger?"

And beside her, calming her down, was a male instructor.

It was Park Yoonho, the first-year student advisor who had recently taught us villainology.

"Just a moment, let me borrow the microphone."

After forcibly taking the microphone from Ji Soohyun, Park Yoonho brought it to his mouth.

[Huff huff. Hmm, it works. First-year students, you will now move to the dungeon. Of course, the difficulty of the selected dungeon has been adjusted to match the first-year level, so you don't need to worry too much.]

At Park Yoonho's words, some students let out sighs of relief.

For those experiencing their first dungeon, many students were tense.

[And, the first-year faculty will continue to monitor the inside of the dungeon for your safety. And in the process, we will also grade you. I hope luck is with you all. Be careful and return safely.]

At Park Yoonho's words, some swallowed hard, some clenched their fists, and some looked at the comrades who would conquer the dungeon with them.

The 'real combat' experience was an event they couldn't help but be tense about.

At the same time, a purple light engulfed the playground where we stood, and a familiar sensation from the past overwhelmed our bodies.

The instantaneous movement of space.

As our vision, obscured by light, returned, what appeared before us was a strange space that looked like a cave.

"......Something feels familiar."

Jinwoo shivered while hugging himself at the sight similar to the dungeon under the club booth.

And the other children were also tense at the sight of the dark dungeon.

At that moment, Youngje, the class president, was the first to light up the dungeon with magic and spoke.

"Everyone who can use light magic, use light!"

Hearing Youngje's shout, the students snapped out of it and one by one started using light or drawing their weapons to check their surroundings.

At that moment.

Tap. Tap.

"Wait, everyone be quiet!"

At the sound coming from somewhere, Youngje warned everyone and crouched down.

Everyone immediately quieted down and listened together.

Tap tap tap.

The sound was approaching steadily.

The direction was... clearly, towards us.

Tap. Tap. Tap tap. Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap tap.

At the sound of something walking, the children looked into the darkness with tense eyes.

Gulp─!

The silence was so deep that even the sound of someone swallowing was loud.

The sound was getting closer little by little, and finally, the owner of the footsteps appeared.

"Chirik?"

It was...

"A, a goblin?"

"Is it a goblin?"

"Really a goblin?"

The children of the class froze at the unexpected appearance of the monster. But soon...

"Pfft!"

"Puhahaha!"

"A goblin! This was a goblin dungeon, here!"

One by one, the students who confirmed the identity of the goblin started trembling and bursting into laughter.

"Haaah! What the heck! We got scared for nothing?"

"They sent us to a goblin dungeon?"

At that sight, I lightly shook my head.

"That's why I said it was nothing special."

Sending them to a goblin dungeon for the class ranking tournament was only natural.

Even though they were chosen by the academy, most were freshmen who had just enrolled.

There was no way they would be sent to a rough place from the start.

The analysis from the community was that they wanted to let them experience killing monsters directly in their first dungeon. I also think that's correct.

Of course, that doesn't mean the students' reactions were normal.

Even if it's a low-level monster, it's a monster capable of killing an adult male.

It's an opponent that requires at least some tension. It's what the academy chose as an appropriate balance.

However, the reason the students could laugh like this was probably because of the experience they had on the uninhabited island on the first day at the academy, thanks to Ji Soohyun.

How hard was that day for the children.

When they heard they needed mana stones to return home.

The children had already experienced killing monsters for the first time, and upon hearing that mana stones could be exchanged for money, they ended up wiping out the goblins on the island.

And now, in front of those children.

A goblin appeared once again.

"Chirik?"

"......Kill it. Kill that goblin bastard!!"

"Our class will take first place in the academy!"

"Kill the goblin and extract the mana stone!!"

The children of the class, having confirmed their opponent, started rushing forward with excitement.

While participating in club activities and listening to the story from that time, it was said that the children in the class had effectively become goblin slayers by sweeping through all the goblins on the island.

If so, conquering the dungeon should pose no problem.

The children from the 'Familia' club, upon confirming that they were dealing with goblins, rushed forward with great excitement.

They seemed to have judged that there would be no threat here, as they all appeared to be excited.

...To the extent that they completely cut off their concern for me.

Thus, I was left alone at the entrance.

Yes, this side is actually much better.

After confirming that no one was around, I looked around and noticed a part where the stone protruded strangely, so I pressed it firmly with my hand.

* * *

The students of Class A, who had already experienced the goblin dungeon on the island, were truly like fish in water.

"Hey, hey! That goblin bastard is throwing stones!"

"Mage! Block the stones and arrows!"

The experience from that day, where they killed a hundred goblins in their effort to escape the uninhabited island quickly, seemed to shine brightly.

And among them, there were children who stood out with their exceptional skills...

"If we get just ten mana stones, we can have meat with my siblings today!"

Seah, who was quickly intercepting the goblins while tracking their positions.

"If we come in first, they'll let us have a dessert bar in the class. We can't lose!"

Jinwoo, who was moving around the cave walls, taking down goblins.

"Let's have Team A explore the right side, and Team B explore the left. If anything happens, I'll rush over, so don't worry."

Youngje, fulfilling his duties as class president, directing the children.

And...

"Today, we'll be able to return with smiles on our faces."

Choi Kanghyun, who had returned to the classroom in second place after Yoojin in the past.

For Kanghyun, who had never had a chance to show off his strength until now, this 'Class Ranking Tournament' was nothing less than a big opportunity.

Since taking first place in this ranking battle would mean receiving support from the academy and being eligible for higher-grade quests from the guild later on, Choi Kanghyun was even pouring out all the seawater from the water bottle he brought to soak the goblins' lungs with it.

"Hey, at this rate, isn't our class going to take first place?"

Jinwoo, who was dissecting the goblin's chest, glanced up and asked Youngje.

"Not necessarily. There are top students and third-place entrants in other classes too."

"Ah, that brat... the son of the police chief or something? No way, even with that, we have our boss, so there's no way we'll lose... huh?"

Suddenly, as if realizing something, Jinwoo stood up abruptly and looked around.

"Boss, where did you go?"

"Huh?"

After hearing Jinwoo's words, Youngje started looking around to find Yoojin's location.

But Yoojin was nowhere to be seen.

"...Where did he really go? Seah! Can you locate the president's position?"

At this, Youngje, while being guarded by the children in the center, asked Seah, who was tracking the goblins' positions.

"Huh? Yoojin? Just a moment!"

Seah, who had already sensed Yoojin's magic power multiple times through their teamwork, found it not too difficult to locate Yoojin's position in a dungeon of this size.

However, as she realized that his location was in an unexpected place, Seah's eyes widened.

"Uh... he's below."

"...Below?"

"Yes, all the way down. It seems like he's heading somewhere alone."

"Is that so? Then there shouldn't be any problem."

Hearing Seah's report, Youngje shrugged as if it was no big deal, and Jinwoo, convinced, nodded before resuming extracting the mana stone from the goblin.

"The boss must have something in mind, right? On the first day, he was the one smashing goblin heads with his fists, so what could go wrong?"

The other children around them also nodded in agreement to Jinwoo's muttering.

That's how deeply the memory of that day was etched in the children's minds.

"Alright, then let's quickly get back to our tasks. We can't fall behind, can we?"

Upon hearing Youngje's words again, the children started moving and began to conquer the dungeon.

With Yoojin moving alone, they were thinking about what might happen.