I Become a Mafia in the Academy

Chapter 68

"I will first place only the archer and fighter in the front line and position the rest at the rear, out of the Golem Master's sight."

Ji Soohyun's eyes narrowed with interest as she listened to my explanation.

"Isn't it insufficient to defend against the incoming golems with just an archer and a fighter?"

"The hint was in what the instructor mentioned. Even if they are golems, they are made of asphalt and concrete. As the instructor said, if you are an Awakened One, you can easily break them, so the two should be able to buy time."

Yes. I placed the archer and fighter in the front line not for breaking through, but for holding out.

"Even so, if what you said is true, they won't be able to hold out for long, right?"

"Isn't the archer also an Awakened One? If it gets dangerous, I should tell them to use a spare dagger. The time they need to hold out isn't that long. The rest of the team, who were waiting right behind, need to step up."

I said this while pointing to the spatial mage in the simulation window.

"The instructor said that this simulation was based on an experience you had. That means the specs of the spatial mage there are the same as Instructor Ji Soohyun at that time. In that case, I will move the rest of the paladin, warrior, and myself to a position above the Golem Master, out of his sight."

And as I said, the figures move above the Golem Mage.

"Hmm, not bad. But it would be difficult to break through his defenses with just this, right?"

"So, we should drop them from a higher place. A height that would inevitably break through the defense even if it's defended."

Saying this, I manipulated the controller to change the starting position.

Then, the figures began to slowly ascend into the air. The figures that started to gain height soon reached the height of a 50-story building's rooftop.

"Only at this height, no matter what terrain or objects the guy uses, we won't be stopped, right?"

When I smiled and pointed at the figures, Ji Soohyun, along with the surrounding students, looked at me in disbelief.

"So, you're saying that if we drop them from here, we can win the simulation without any losses?"

When I nodded, Ji Soohyun moved her fingers to change the situation board.

"Alright, since it's your turn, let me show you how we dealt with the guy back then."

The formation Ji Soohyun showed was a wedge-shaped formation led by the spatial mage.

As soon as she snapped her fingers, the figures began to move, charging towards where the Golem Master was.

And at the same time, something unexpected started to happen.

The golems were disappearing as if being erased in the direction the spatial mage moved.

As everyone showed puzzled reactions to this phenomenon, Ji Soohyun started to explain.

"Golems are, in fact, not living beings. They are like stone puppets that move according to commands without any will. That's why we were able to create a path by pushing the golems to the outer edges like that."

They reached the Golem Master after clearing away the surrounding golems.

A moment later, the Golem Master's body began to grow, swelling to the size of a building.

"However, since he is not an idiot, the guy, realizing that it was impossible to stop us with golems, shifted to enhancing his own armament instead of creating more golems. Thus, we started a 1:5 battle with him."

Even though the opponent was a 'Golem Master' who could not use golems, he was a notorious villain who had spread his name far and wide.

Despite the 1:5 battle, it was an evenly matched fight.

The warrior and fighter began breaking the golem's outer shell, while the archer and mage aimed at the openings to attack, and the paladin used the Holy Shield to protect the team from the guy's attacks.

During the process, the warrior and fighter were hit by the guy's attacks and sent flying, but thanks to the paladin's abilities, they were revived and continued to fight the 'Golem Master' until the end.

As a result.

The Golem Master's body finally began to crumble.

"The final result was severe injuries to the warrior and fighter. Fortunately, all injuries were treatable, and we were able to subdue the guy without a single casualty."

It was truly an ideal victory for heroes.

A battle against a formidable enemy where no one died.

And it was only natural for Ji Soohyun to be proud of being part of such a battle.

"Now, it's Han Yoojin's turn. It was definitely this formation, right?"

As if time was being rewound, the figures in the simulation moved, changing back to the formation I had set up.

The paladin, warrior, and spatial mage floating high above.

Before starting, I looked at Ji Soohyun and the students and said.

"The biggest flaw in the strategy you showed, Instructor, was that everything happened within the Golem Master's sight. That's why, as soon as he realized he couldn't stop us with golems, he started to enhance himself. Therefore, I thought of this formation."

A battle starting from a position where the guy could never find us.

It was a formation that no normal person could even imagine.

"I'm curious too, so shall we start?"

"Please."

With a smile, she snapped her fingers, and golems began to pour down on the lone fighter and archer like a flood.

In response, the archer and fighter began to fight back.

Arrows shot towards the sky turned into rain, and the aura from the fighter's punch shattered the golems.

However, the golems, like zombies discovering humans, surrounded them silently even as arrows and punches hit them, slowly closing the distance.

Despite the distance with the golems getting closer and closer, the archer and fighter resisted to the end, but the encirclement was slowly tightening.

"At this rate, the archer and fighter will be wiped out, won't they?"

Ji Soohyun, looking at the dire situation of the figures, smiled at me.

"That will happen if the others falling don't do their part."

───────!!

At the same time, a sound as if tearing through the air spread, and a bright flash with a huge explosion and a mushroom cloud rose from one corner of the simulation field.

It was a phenomenon caused by the three falling from a high place and colliding with the 'Golem Master'.

"This is the highlight. No matter how tough he is, he wouldn't expect an attack from the height of a building. We won't even give him time to defend his head. And if the warrior uses a skill with gravity energy on him? Even if it's not the Golem Master, but the Golem Doctor, he would die instantly."

By the way, the Golem Doctor was actually the villain who was the Golem Master's master.

The golems surrounding the archer and fighter began to crumble and disappear one by one.

As I predicted, the 'Golem Master' was definitely dead.

"Ha, let's say it's good up to here. But wouldn't such an impact kill the spatial mage and the other two as well?"

"No way. That would be a suicide strategy, wouldn't it?"

At that moment, something was seen crawling out through the mushroom cloud.

It was the warrior, paladin, and spatial mage.

"...They're alive?"

"Is that even possible?"

"Wouldn't Awakened Ones die from falling from such a height?"

The classroom began to buzz as the three walked out without any visible serious injuries.

Ji Soohyun, who had been gaping in disbelief, looked at me and asked.

"How is that possible?"

"While the warrior was attacking, the paladin and spatial mage weren't just standing by."

I continued my explanation.

"The paladin's 'Holy Shield' skill can reduce the impact of falling to the ground. By activating it upon first contact with the ground, the spatial mage can place countless panels made of magic power underground to absorb the impact."

It was a method citing the fact that the impact is greatly reduced when falling onto trees from a high place.

"Then, the paladin can reduce the impact once more upon hitting the ground, and by falling through the ground to the bottom, multiple impacts can be reduced. The actual damage they receive will be minimal."

At that moment, one of the students in front raised his hand high.

His name was definitely No Yoon.

"Wait! What do you mean there's an underground? What's that about?"

"Didn't the instructor clearly say the location was 'Gangnam Boulevard at Gangnam Station'? If it's the location in the simulation, anyone who thinks a bit would know that there's space underground due to the shops and subway."

It was a method that could only be thought of by completely understanding the paladin and spatial mage's traits and skills, as well as the combat environment, so I could be proud of its effectiveness.

I had simulated it several times in games too.

Well, then...

"Do you think that answers your question, Instructor Ji Soohyun?"

After hearing my response, she bowed her head deeply.

The students started to look at each other.

They were probably thinking that if they had done it this way back then, no one would have been seriously hurt, and that Han Yoojin was embarrassing the instructor.

But.

The Ji Soohyun I knew wasn't the kind of person to be weakened by something like this.

"Puh... Puhahaha... Kuhahaha! Of course it answers my question! I never thought you'd come up with such a crazy method."

This class isn't a competition to regret the past. Rather, it's designed to share and learn tactics that would be helpful to you in similar situations in the future, using past events as a base.

"As she explained the purpose of the class and approached me, Ji Soohyun suddenly placed her hand on my head."

And, Han Yoojin showed us such a satisfying result. You're a great guy.

"......A situation where I was being forcefully patted on the head."

But given the atmosphere, I couldn't swat her hand away.

As such, there's no such thing as a correct answer in tactics. Everything changes and gets complicated based on your teammates' abilities, the surrounding environment, and the enemy's character or abilities. But──

Looking at the students, Ji Soohyun said in a more serious voice than ever.

"If you don't give up, keep thinking, and aim to protect your teammates, you can become heroes who win in any situation."

At the same time, a lively song played from the classroom speaker, signaling the end of the class.

With that, the simulation battlefield disappeared with a pop. And all the desks and chairs moved back to their original positions.

"Class is over. Everyone worked hard today, and Han Yoojin, come to the store later."

"......Thank you."

After saying what she had to say, Instructor Ji Soohyun waved her hand and left the classroom.

The last I saw of her, she was smiling brightly until the very end.