I Became an Academy Overpowered Growth Genius

I Became an Academy Overpowered Growth Genius – 105

EP.105 Phantom Thief Kang Seo-jun (3)

[Activating skill 《Counter Time》.]

[Critical Hit! A lucky strike hits the enemy’s vital point!]

–  Boom!!! –

“K- Kuh!?”

Kang Seo-jun’s punch landed deeply in Sakura’s solar plexus as she charged at him like a bullet.

– Kwaaaang!!! –

– Thud! Thud! –

Simultaneously, Sakura was flung back and rolled roughly on the floor like a skipping stone.

“Ku, kurluk! Kuek!”

Sakura, lying face down on the floor, belatedly coughed up blood.

“Ugh…! Ugh…!”

“Hoooo….”

Kang Seo-jun looked down at her, gasping for breath, and let out a deep sigh of relief.

‘I’m glad ‘Counter Time’ worked.’

───────《Skill》───────

▶Counter Time

◆Grade

[Epic]

◆Description:

When activated, for 10 minutes, you will evade all melee attacks of [Epic] grade or lower and counterattack using the enemy’s attack power at 1.2 times the strength. It can be used only once a day, and the cooldown resets at midnight.

──────────────────

‘If she had wielded a weapon of [Legendary] grade or higher, I would have been split in two without mercy. Fortunately, it seems she’s still using an [Epic] grade weapon.’

But it’s too early to be relieved. She has a trump card of [Legendary] grade or higher. If the fight drags on, she will definitely use it. So before that….

‘I have to end this fight before Sakura gets up!!! This is my only chance!!!’

Kang Seo-jun quickly moved his fingers to purchase three 《Peripheral Space Monster Tranquilizer》. Although it was a significant expense for a [Rare- ] grade item, what mattered now was not dimensional currency but his life.

– Whoom! Whoom! Whoom! –

As soon as the green syringes appeared in the air with a faint vibrating sound, Kang Seo-jun grabbed them and ran.

“Ugh…! Ugh…!”

Sakura was struggling to get back on her feet.

‘Don’t get up!!!! Don’t get up!!!’

The moment Sakura stood up, she would undoubtedly swing her sword again. He had to subdue her before that happened.

‘If Sakura gets seriously injured or dies because of ‘Counter Time,’ it would be a real disaster!’

Even though their first meeting had turned into a clash of swords and fists, this woman was different from Kuyamoto Kenji; she was on the side of good. Killing Sakura would not only bring the wrath of the constellations but also make it extremely difficult to defend Japan from the impending demon invasion. It would practically guarantee Japan’s downfall.

‘I can’t let that happen!’

The pride of a veteran who had poured thousands of hours into the original game [Grand Hunter Academy] wouldn’t allow such an outcome. Even if the game had become reality, or rather because it had become reality, Kang Seo-jun wanted a perfect

‘So just stay still for now!’

– Poof! Poof! Poof! –

Kang Seo-jun injected the entire dose of 《Peripheral Space Monster Tranquilizer》 into Sakura’s back.

“Huh, huh…!”

– Zap! –

At that moment, a cold sensation spread through her body via her spinal cord, causing Sakura to grimace and groan.

“Uh, ugh…!?”

Simultaneously, an overwhelming dizziness shook her consciousness. The vertigo was so severe that even a moment of carelessness could make her lose her mind entirely.

“Ugh…!:

However, the mental fortitude of an [S-] rank awakened was on par with Kang Seo-jun’s willpower.

– Twitch…! Twitch…! –

Even as the ultra-strong Tranquilizer hit her brain nerves, she struggled to get up, forcing herself to move.

“Crazy!”

Kang Seo-jun was astonished to see Sakura trying to stand up despite the Tranquilizer. She was moving even after taking three doses of the pure Tranquilizer that could knock out a massive monster like a Zerg Ultra Risk in just one minute?

‘What kind of mental strength is this?’

“Damn it!!”

He couldn’t let her get up. If she managed to stand, she would undoubtedly unleash a [Legendary] grade one-hit-kill move before losing consciousness.

That was something even the Counter Time couldn’t block.

If she regained consciousness, it would be the afterlife. There was no room for complacency. This was a life- or- death moment.

“Stay downnnnnnn!!!!!!”

Kang Seo-jun could no longer afford to be picky about his methods.

– Grab! –

Kang Seo-jun pressed down on Sakura’s head with both hands.

“K- Kuh…!”

“You monster woman!!!!!”

Then he poured pure 100% dark mana into her mind.

“H- Huuuu…!?”

In that instant, Sakura felt an alien force, fundamentally different from the tranquilizer, forcibly pushing her consciousness away. Dark mana didn’t just have the ability to necrotize mana circuits. When infused into the mind, it could corrupt or temporarily weaken the target’s consciousness.

“H- Huuuu…!”

Sakura let out a groan of distress. Until now, she had somehow endured with her mental strength, but this force was not something that could be resisted with willpower alone. It felt as if black oil was filling her brain instead of blood. Regardless of her mental strength, she could vividly feel her brain losing function as the blood was replaced by this oil- like substance.

‘If this continues…. No…!’

This was the heart of enemy territory. Moreover, the enemy pressing down on her was right in front of her. If she lost consciousness here, she would surely die. Before that, her hard- trained body might even be violated.

‘I can’t let that happen…!’

Sakura gritted her teeth and tried to focus her eyes, but losing consciousness was inevitable.

‘This can’t be…! Why….’

The fact that the opponent could use mental magic strong enough to suppress her consciousness meant that they were at least on par with her, if not stronger.

‘Why…. is someone like this… here…!’

This wasn’t the top of the tower, nor a legendary gate, but a third- rate demon hideout. Why was there someone of this caliber here…?

Sakura’s thoughts could not continue any further.

– Twitch! Twitch! –

However, she wasn’t completely unconscious.

“Crazy…!”

Even in a state where her thoughts had stopped, her body continued to twitch, trying to continue the fight unconsciously.

“Ugh, damn it…!”

“Just fall down!!! You crazy monster!!!!”

When Kang Seo-jun screamed and poured in the last drop of his mana.

– …Thud! –

Only then did Sakura completely lose consciousness and collapse.

“Huff…. Huff…. Huff….”

Kang Seo-jun wiped away the cold sweat pouring down like rain and caught his breath.

“Ugh…. I’m dizzy….”

It was the initial symptom of the status effect 《Mana Exhaustion》. Kang Seo-jun quickly bought a mana potion to calm his dizzy head.

– Gulp! Gulp! Gulp! –

“Phew…. That’s much better.”

– Thud! –

Kang Seo-jun sat down next to the fallen Sakura to catch his breath.

“But…. Why did she suddenly appear here?”

Why was the elite hunting dog of the Kuyamoto clan not at the top of the tower or a legendary gate, but in this small, unrelated demon hideout?

‘It must be the influence of my luck stat of ’50’….’

[Intelligence: 18] [Insight Check Successful!]

‘Ah. Could it be?’

Suddenly, he felt like he understood how all this had come to be.

‘Is it because of the Kuyamoto Kenji incident?’

The Kuyamoto clan must have mistaken the assailant who attacked Kenji for the ‘Red Cross Society.’ So, they found the hideout of the Red Cross Society to retaliate and sent their hunting dog.

‘It makes sense…. Or rather, there’s no other explanation.’

Using 《Eye of Providence》 would give a more accurate understanding, but reading the past of an unrelated person was difficult due to mana exhaustion.

‘But it seems pretty clear. There’s no other possibility.’

If it wasn’t for revenge, why would the Kuyamoto clan come to Korea, which isn’t even their territory, to clean up demons?

‘Well, in the end, it worked out well.’

The influence of his luck stat of ’50’ was sometimes hard to understand, but it always brought good things to Kang Seo-jun. Even now, although it was unfortunate to fight Sakura, thanks to it, he could take her expensive equipment and loot the demon hideout on the upper floors.

Although Kang Seo-jun used three [Rare- ] grade items to capture Kuyamoto Sakura, selling the demons she subdued and her equipment would more than make up for the loss and yield a significant profit.

‘Now, let’s see….’

Before collecting the spoils, Kang Seo-jun checked Sakura’s condition.

▶Kuyamoto Sakura

[Current Status: Full- body anesthesia, mental contamination, unconscious, diaphragm damage, rib fracture….]

[Time until consciousness recovery: 26 hours 57 minutes….]

‘There’s plenty of time. As long as she’s not stimulated, she won’t wake up until I’m done farming.’

Kang Seo-jun activated the Eye of Providence to check the upper floors of the underground hideout. The upper floor was a scene of utter carnage, as if someone had put people through a blender.

‘I was so focused on the gargoyle and the safe that I didn’t even realize what was happening above….’

The thought of being so oblivious to the massacre happening just 10 meters above him while he was fiddling with the safe sent chills down his spine.

‘Luck adjustments can really be nerve- wracking sometimes…. These surprise events without any warning are too much. Phew…. Let’s quickly gather the spoils.’

The safe, Sakura, and the demons on the upper floor.

‘Which should I go for first?’

Kang Seo-jun decided to continue with what he was doing.

‘Let’s loot the safe first.’

Then he would farm the upper floor and finally take Sakura’s equipment. Although her equipment seemed like it would yield the most dimensional currency, he left it for last to avoid the risk of waking her up early.

I ‘need to hurry.’

Even though the demons on the upper floor were wiped out and Sakura was subdued, there was still a chance of unforeseen variables. Delaying could create problems that didn’t exist.

Given that Sakura always acted alone and considering the small size of the hideout, the likelihood of another Kuyamoto clan swordsman appearing was almost nil, but it was better to be cautious.

‘Alright…. Let’s finish unlocking the safe first.’

Quickly and efficiently. It was time to devour all the spoils in this place.