[{"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-44":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},1531751,1990,"Chapter 44 : You Guys Were Even More Trash Than I Thought? (7)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-44",44,"\u003Cp>Chapter 44: You Guys Were Even More Trash Than I Thought? (7)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the slash came flying toward his face, Vicious finally regretted his careless judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it had been one of the other two instead of him, this ambush wouldn’t have resulted in a fatal wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He twisted his body desperately, but avoiding it completely was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pusshk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was fortunate enough that it only ended with him sacrificing his left shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two behind him released their concealment and immediately rushed forward, barely managing to catch him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ghk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slash that tore through his armpit rendered half of his left shoulder useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stay with me! I’ll do emergency treatment right now….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evelin first used Frost Magic to freeze the wound, then picked up a piece of wood rolling on the ground to use as a splint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pressed extra cloth onto the wound and tore a part of her cloak to tie it tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While she focused on treatment, Maledic stood guard in front, preparing for a possible follow-up attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, with a creaking sound, the car door on the opposite side opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Urgh… thought my back was gonna snap.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Quit whining and move your ass already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three who had gone ahead appeared, relatively unharmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had scrapes here and there, but there didn’t seem to be any fractures or bleeding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two mages aimed their wands at Maledic with hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The target of this assassination mission—Eugene Carter—held his single-edged sword firmly and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your greeting was a bit rough, so I thought I’d growl back a little. How’s that? You like it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade, imbued with mana, flickered with intermittent light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maledic’s expression twisted slightly at the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…That weapon wasn’t in the report.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by its appearance and the lingering mana… it must be the high-grade artifact—Lukezax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he’d managed to get his hands on that precious weapon, huh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the existing magic swords, it ranked in the top five for mana efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Eugene Carter, whose mana usage was restricted by a curse, it was the perfect weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after realizing this did Maledic finally admit that their judgment had been far too hasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…We should’ve been more cautious.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To think they’d fall for such an absurd ambush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maledic gritted his teeth and swallowed his frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had deliberately hidden the weapon’s presence, then struck at the exact moment his side had been most off-guard, inflicting a critical blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the other side hadn’t known about their plan beforehand, such a reaction wouldn’t have been possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Seems the enemy’s got quite the capable informant.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps since the time Jack Brown attempted the assassination, the bastard had already foreseen this situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You got us good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Maledic’s deeply furrowed face, Eugene chuckled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those bastards from last time and you lot now—you’re all trash just the same. Guess the Bernhardt Family’s gone downhill. You thought you could kill me with scum like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an obvious provocation, but there was no reason to hold back either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enraged, Maledic closed the distance to his target in a single bound, and Eugene let out a soft sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gently parried the opponent’s dagger with the back of his blade, then immediately readjusted his grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Walter Clark, standing to the side, activated a Binding Spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maledic glared with contempt and shouted,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How dare you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooden vines sprouted from the ground, wrapping around his legs—but before even a second passed, they turned to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Rubia raised her wand toward him and cast a spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Frozen Spear!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An ice spear formed in the air and shot straight toward the enemy’s heart—but it never reached him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maledic swung his arm roughly, and the spear shattered into glittering frost that scattered in all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood firm, unfazed, even while facing three opponents at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After evading another slash from Lukezax with a side roll, he pulled out a poisoned needle from his sleeve and threw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three immediately leapt behind the trees to avoid it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that brief exchange over, the Fourth Seat—Evelin—finally returned to the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catching his breath, Maledic pointed behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re switching to Plan B. Inject the drug.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, she would’ve snapped, ‘Who are you to make that call?’—but there was no time for that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though it was a surprise attack, the Fifth Seat, Vicious, was already nearly incapacitated. They couldn’t afford to hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as they eliminated the target completely, the Bernhardt Family would take care of the aftermath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Fine, let’s do this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evelin nodded and swiftly turned toward the vagrants in the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Eugene rolled his neck from side to side and stepped forward first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think that’s enough of a warm-up, don’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his provocation, Maledic replied with a cold expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You should drop the bluffing there, Eugene Carter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Think whatever you want. Anyway, it’s about time I get serious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden explosive sound rang out, and Eugene’s figure vanished from sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a bolt of lightning, he closed the distance and was already right in front of Maledic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s fast…!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maledic barely managed to assume a defensive stance, but because of the suddenness, his guard was wide open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene’s full-powered downward slash struck cleanly through that gap, sending Maledic flying far back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since the assassination attempt in Karbenna, I’d known very well that there were people out there targeting my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when leaving Karbenna, I’d been on high alert and had set up a few precautions of my own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I didn’t expect them to come at me this openly, though.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I could roughly guess their intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the previous assassination attempt in Karbenna had failed, they must’ve been ordered not to fail again this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they prepared thoroughly, switching to an all-out approach where methods and ethics didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They never intended to let me live anyway, so they probably didn’t bother considering any variables in case I survived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll admit, I’d been a bit complacent in that regard—so their plan wasn’t entirely unreasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, they’d overlooked one crucial fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That I wasn’t the only one leading the advance team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walter Clark, who wielded various plant-based spells, and Rubia Magnus, who had mastered both offensive and defensive magic and reached the rank of Special Agent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment they failed to account for those two, their plan had already started falling apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’d noticed the enemy’s surveillance about thirty minutes before reaching the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wh—here?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What should we do? Should we tell the coachman?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. Don’t let them notice. If we do, we’ll regret it later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t something we could just hope to get through safely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to crush them completely—to the point they’d never dare try again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So first, we used every possible defensive spell to reinforce the carriage’s durability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Didn’t expect they’d even prepared mana-infused mines, though.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of that, the coachman and horses lost their lives—but it gave us the opening we needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the careless enemy approached without guard, I struck from inside the carriage, slicing one of them out of formation right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, back to the present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tilted my head as I looked at the panting enemy leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your defense is top-class… but the rest of you’s pretty unimpressive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by how he’d managed to offset most of Walter’s and Rubia’s magic as well as Lukezax’s slashes, he likely had some immunity-based ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it couldn’t be permanent—there had to be a time or usage limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or maybe his durability and magic resistance were just abnormally high, but that was unlikely too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could exhaust his ability first and then break him afterward, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘We don’t exactly have that kind of leisure either.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no telling when enemy reinforcements might arrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I went all out, tearing into him with everything I had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every now and then, one of his subordinates tried to interfere, but Rubia wasn’t about to allow that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it, that bitch—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not taking a single step forward from there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwa-kwakwakwa!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubia pulled up Earth Needles from the ground and fired them mercilessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the enemies barely dodged through the field of spikes to close the distance, she showered them from above with Hailstorm, forcing them to endure heavy damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even then, a female assassin attempted an aerial assault—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey now, didn’t I say that’s as far as you go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Walter stepped forward as if he’d been waiting, setting up defenses around Rubia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught in a bind, the assassin darted uneasy glances between her leader and the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching that, I swung my sword again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm… looks like you’re waiting for something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tiiing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely parrying my strikes, the enemy smiled bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a desperate gamble for us too, but still…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more I pressed, the more his exhaustion became apparent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even during my fight with the Werebeast in the cavern, I’d realized that this body of Eugene Carter had exceptional combat instincts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite being outnumbered and on the defensive, he fought desperately, searching for any chance to counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He threw daggers and shot poisoned needles at every opening, trying to disable me—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—but none of it came close to unsettling me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ghk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to withstand the relentless assault, the enemy finally collapsed to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood had soaked deeply into his clothes, probably from the earlier slash of Lukezax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maledic!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A subordinate tried to rush to their leader’s aid, but Rubia and Walter remained utterly vigilant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I thought it’d be a good opportunity, but that’s too bad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was my brief assessment of the battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, I brought my sword down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether I pierced his abdomen or split his neck in two, I intended to end it with this strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as always, anomalies tended to occur at the most critical moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ting!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharp claws barely deflected Lukezax’s blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner of those claws stood firmly between me and the assassin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What the hell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a humanoid beast with reddish-brown skin and coarse black fur scattered across its body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing just over two meters tall, it was smaller than a Werebeast but no less muscular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It glared at me, crimson tears of blood streaming from its eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grrrrr…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drool dripped from its snarling mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the beast’s sudden intervention, the assassin barely managed to survive and quickly retreated ten meters back, letting out a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Didn’t think I’d have to rely on forbidden power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forbidden power?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, no answer came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin leapt into the trees and vanished in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grrr…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kyaaaak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keeeeegh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the heart of the forest where he disappeared, four beasts had suddenly appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>",1782,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.613Z",1,"novelbin.me","0d7aa9c9dc4d0f5c27bec9a44d9f0a0a4d088668931fa066f253263b7725e2a7","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-45","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-43",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]