[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero":3,"chapter-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-27":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Became the Academy’s War Hero",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1531734,1990,"Chapter 27 : Love for Comrades, Love for Country (6)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-27",27,"\u003Cp>Chapter 27: Love for Comrades, Love for Country (6)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stench of decaying corpses mixed with the musty odor of mold stabbed sharply at my nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On both sides, veins of erosion stretched endlessly, giving me the eerie feeling of stepping into the belly of some living creature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staircase ended sooner than expected, but what awaited inside was far worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rotting cocoons were swarming throughout the vast, sprawling cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Belfor and I, having already witnessed countless horrific scenes on the battlefield, watched without flinching or gagging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter, however, wasn’t nearly as composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Urgh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the late-night snack the day before, he hadn’t eaten much, so there wasn’t anything for him to actually throw up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drooling as he dry-heaved repeatedly, Walter let out a rough sigh and muttered under his breath,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…If something jumps out here, I’m seriously gonna cry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wiped the spit from the corner of his mouth and stared straight ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The further we went in, the more wretched the scenery became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each decayed corpse crawled with insects, and the ones left for long had already turned into little more than bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strands of erosion climbing the cave walls weren’t in good shape either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by their condition, whatever had lived here had long surpassed its active period.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We pressed on, tense and alert, for about ten minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, the grotesque view had been unbearable, but after a while, it lost its impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even for me, someone who had been deeply immersed in MAGA, this speed of adaptation felt strangely unnatural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…It was the same right after I possessed him.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought made me smile faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t expected a typo to lead to possession, but when I opened my eyes in this world, I hadn’t felt much panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Eugene Carter isn’t exactly someone you’d meet in real life.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because this world embodied the essence of youthful passion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, I thought it was simply that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But thinking about it again, there was a different, deeper reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Because I was someone with no attachments to reality.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A father who abandoned me, a mother who died young. My life in the orphanage had been uneventful—nothing more. Survival itself had been the only concern, leaving no room for dreams or goals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I had to name one… perhaps saving them all had been my dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that’s why I ended up here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My purpose—my dream—wasn’t in reality, but in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I was lost in thought, the other two were chatting idly about trivial things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember when you were the only one who got caught? Couldn’t even climb over the fence? Damn, I still regret not being there to see it in person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, you guys should be thankful! If I hadn’t stepped up to take the blame and buy time, you’d all have been expelled!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, and we paid you back by getting you those herbs, didn’t we?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stories from our days in Karbenna became the main topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three idiots gathered in an empty cave—nothing to hold them back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon enough, the memories began to pour out nonstop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And of course, the last story was about me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That nice old Professor George from Magical Engineering—Carter was the first and last guy to ever piss him off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I remember the field exchange at the Magic Tower! Carter here got locked up on the 17th floor for stirring up too much trouble!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Basically, it was just gossip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the two laugh hysterically while teasing me, I couldn’t help but smile faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You two seem to be having the time of your lives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy who’d been gagging moments ago was now bright as sunshine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the one who’d been ready to run for his life acted like this was his private room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Not that I can say much myself.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strangely, I didn’t feel annoyed at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it was because most of the memories from that time were good ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I kept that content expression, Belfor suddenly scowled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, seriously, just curse already. You acting like this is creeping me out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, what if someone else’s soul actually got into him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter’s sharp remark made my heart jolt for an instant, but I quickly regained my composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was it called again…? Oh right, necromancy! You got cursed by a lich’s spell!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of crap are you spewing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I muttered back, checking the Status Window only I could see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had almost reached the end of the long-stretching cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, let’s focus up. Looks like we’re nearly there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my words, both of their smiles vanished instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the narrow passage, the end of the cave opened up widely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its center lay a dense, ash-gray monster’s nest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was roughly spherical but had spikes protruding from every side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below it, the roots of corrosion were completely exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, you see that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right there at the far end where the nest sat—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We found the artifacts that had been missing without a trace before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, at least all the effort paid off! Let’s hurry and—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly grabbed Walter by both shoulders before he could rush ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Belfor tightened his grip on his spear, eyes sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter, now understanding the situation, stepped back and raised his wand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I leveled my rapier at our opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster emerging from behind the nest silently picked up one of the artifacts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grrrrr….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the tip of its crude, single-edged blade shimmered a dense killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubbing my throbbing forehead, I sighed in exasperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What a pain in the ass.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, a smile refused to leave my lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I saw it, I immediately recognized the type of beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A prime example of the humanoid-type monsters—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a Werebeast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it could handle artifacts, its rank was at least B or higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by its appearance, it was mimicking a striped hyena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kyaaaak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its enormous, over three-meter-tall frame was covered in thick, gray fur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In combat, monsters generally possessed intelligence on par with, if not superior to, most humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, Werebeasts ranked on the higher end of that spectrum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, at those higher levels, finding a monster incapable of wielding a weapon was rarer—so the fact that it held an artifact wasn’t what surprised me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My shock came from something else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The single-edged sword that monster was holding… was one of my current objectives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Isn’t that Lukezax?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter asked, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I silently nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lukezax. A high-grade artifact—a single-edged sword that transformed its shape according to its user’s physique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another key trait: among all existing magic swords, it boasted the highest mana efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For those whose total mana capacity lagged behind their combat ability, there was no better artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I was thinking about just retrieving the necessary artifacts and running away…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But attempting a running battle against a Werebeast inside this cramped cave would be suicidal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even turning your back on a low-rank monster was as good as asking to die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, there was no choice but to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… I don’t have to spell it out, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both of them silently nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We naturally began to adjust our positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took the front line, Belfor stood three steps behind me, and Walter positioned himself ten meters back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene Carter’s aptitude for long-range combat had been sealed along with the Mana Heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I had since trained my body to higher endurance, it still wasn’t ideal for battling a B-rank monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I did have Illusion Swordsmanship as a hidden card—but using it recklessly was out of the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having Belfor, who could handle both close and mid-range combat, support from behind was the logical tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter, who preferred long-range engagements, had to adapt; in tight spaces like this, maintaining formation and leaving no openings was crucial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, his role was primarily to provide support rather than direct firepower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kyaaaah!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if refusing to let us prepare any further, the monster roared and charged first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wrapped my body in mana and met the downward swing of its blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Concentrating every nerve into my toes, I barely managed to keep from being blown away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once I had fulfilled my role perfectly, Belfor gave a brief nod—as if to say “Now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His spear ignited as it shot forward toward the monster’s vital point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About three minutes into the skirmish—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching from behind, Walter Clark couldn’t help but feel a quiet sense of awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The combat style of humanoid-type monsters like Werebeasts tended to be fairly straightforward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relying on overwhelming physical prowess, they usually dominated through sheer power and instinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most people, when faced with such foes, avoided direct confrontation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would swarm the enemy with numbers, weaken its body, or concentrate firepower on its core in an instant—just as humans did when hunting beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Eugene Carter’s approach was the exact opposite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With reflexes that outstripped even a Werebeast’s animalistic senses, he countered every one of its strikes with surgical precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a display of pure tactical judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…When that left foot comes forward, a gap naturally opens on the right flank.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he twisted his torso left, creating space for Belfor’s strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he could’ve pressed forward and crushed it, the Werebeast was forced to retreat after exposing that opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next came an upward slash from below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If met head-on, it would lift your body and throw your balance off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Eugene left the defense to Belfor and slipped inside the monster’s guard instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, the Werebeast tried to retaliate with a kick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in a clash between bare flesh and steel, the latter always prevailed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humanity’s countless strategies forged through millennia of battle against monsters—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene embodied every one of them in motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no arrogance in his movements, no overconfidence—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>only faith in his allies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to believe this was the same man who had been a recluse less than two weeks ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…No matter how many times I see it, it’s ridiculous.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a waste it would’ve been to throw away such talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile formed on Walter’s lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catching the brief lull as the monster faltered from its accumulating injuries, he activated a binding spell at the perfect moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick wooden vines burst from the ground, wrapping tightly around the Werebeast’s legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It struggled violently, slashing its sword to break free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As one of those diagonal cuts came swinging low—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene’s sword emitted a strange surge of mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Werebeast’s right wrist was severed cleanly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieeeek!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric Belfor did not miss the perfect opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thrust!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His spear pierced straight through the monster’s core—the very spot he had been targeting all along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that final scream, the creature collapsed in a heap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle in the underground cavern had come to an end.\u003C\u002Fp>",1808,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.613Z",1,"novelbin.me","557e726ce73bf0258d78696629ef1c4fafb1ee2560b64f246bc758daccce639a","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-28","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-26",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]