My Students Regret It After I Retired

22 – Regret, Resolution

[Connection Failed. This unique identification number has been deactivated.]

“What’s wrong, Enas? What is it?”

When Sirna asked, Enas muttered with a look of anguish.

“It says the unique number has been deactivated… I think he must have changed his Distance number.”

“…”

Shirna sighed, slumping onto the ground, while Kozarik spoke, sounding annoyed.

“Goddamn it.”

Belin, looking utterly lost, simply hugged his knees and muttered.

“Are we… being punished, maybe…”

Hearing that, Enas looked at Belin, puzzled, and asked.

“Belin, what did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything…”

Belin finished with that and slowly moved further into the corner of the cave. He fidgeted with his Distance for a while, then stopped doing anything and closed his eyes.

“We have to find some information.”

While everyone was in despair, Enas said that and began to rummage through her Distance. In the current situation, the only place where the network was working properly was Interrunner. She accessed the Interrunner site and searched for information related to monsters. Red Gate, monster, various keywords; she finally found a post.

[Nickname: LEO]

[Title: 50 Monster Types: Appearance, Characteristics, and Simple Countermeasures]

[Body: 1. Deebringer: Capable of detecting humans… 2. Lyrad: Mantis-type mutant…]

A post written by someone using the nickname LEO, containing information about 50 kinds of monsters. It had over 5,000 recommendations and was listed as a popular post, but they hadn’t properly checked it until now. Before confirming the information, she looked through the comments one by one to verify its validity.

[Thanks LEO, you saved my life. Damn, I ran into a crazy Deebringer but after reading that they can detect even if you hide, I just ran at it like a madman and killed it, then ran away.]

[I ran into a monster too and was lucky enough to have seen this post first, you saved me. I’ll recommend every post you make.]

[Woah… Can you please share more info? There are so many people saying you saved them, please release some more info ASAP ㅠㅠ I haven’t run into a monster yet but I’m terrified about what to do when I do…]

‘Is this even possible?’

A post written anonymously by someone on an online community. Of course, she checked the comments before reading the main text because she thought the information was not credible. Wouldn’t you think so? It was strange that someone in a community like this knew the characteristics of monsters that even the Gatekeepers, who were active, had difficulty understanding. But after reading the comments, Enas thought there might be some credibility to the information and began to read the main text carefully.

“If a monster shows up out there, tell me right away.”

Enas said it, but Sirna just shook her head.

“Tell you…what’s that gonna change? The moment they find us here, we’re all dead anyway. There’s nowhere left to run…”

Everyone was in despair. Enas stopped talking to them and focused on the Distancer. Then, Kozarik came over, scoffing.

“Enas, you lost it? Seriously? In this situation, you’re looking at some banned imperial community site? What the hell are you doing? If you’re part of the Empire, you shouldn’t be on that kind of site…”

“Quiet. I’m trying to find information. You got a better way?”

Enas glared at Kozarik, and Kozarik sighed and walked away.

“Pointless. What good will community info do? We’d be better off fighting to the death.”

She ignored Kozarik and started reading the post slowly. Then, her eyes widened, and she let out a gasp without realizing it.

‘This… this is impossible…?’

There were only 50 types of monsters listed, and even the info about their traits and how to fight them was brief, but the quality of the information was astounding.

[Monster #31: Codename: Pallyco. Long-range teleporting type, can teleport a max of 1 meter. However, before teleporting, its mouth trembles slightly. Use this to predict its teleportation. Teleportation is not possible vertically, it can only move along the same Y-axis. This means if you go up to a high place or down a hole, it can’t follow. How to fight: Weak attack power, just watch out for the teleportation. Tends to move behind the enemy. Just expect it’ll move behind you and be ready. Teleport cooldown is a minimum of 20 seconds. Once it teleports, go for the lower abdomen with your knife. Danger Level: Low]

Enas knew Pallyco. It wasn’t a mutant, but a regular monster.

‘Perfect information. No fluff.’

From the traits to how to fight it. Even details that Enas, who had fought them, didn’t know were packed into the short description. After reading it, Enas went back to the beginning of the post and started checking each monster’s look and traits, one by one. Hoping, praying, there would be a strategy for the Minotaur mutant they were facing.

When she was almost at number 45, Enas almost screamed.

‘It’s here… it’s really here…?’

[Monster #46: Mutant Minotaur. Distinguishing feature is two heads. One uses ultrasonic waves, the other shoots fire magic. Usually, they alternate using skills, but if the fight drags on, both heads will use their powers together.]

[How to fight: Immense physical strength, it’s suicide to fight head-on. Arms and legs are as strong as steel, so don’t waste your time parrying with a sword. In the beginning, stay at range, but the moment it uses ultrasonic waves, it will momentarily stiffen. Throw a dagger at the moment it opens its mouth. The dagger should nullify the ultrasonic ability. If you do noticeable damage to its face, it will lose its ultrasonic ability for 50 seconds, leaving one head vulnerable. At that time, stab the magic stone on its chest with your knife. If the other head shoots fireballs while you’re charging, go as fast as you can and brace for the impact. Minotaur fireballs do more damage at long-range, so if you get hit close up you’ll only get burned, not killed. Run away and you’re dead. You probably won’t be able to escape anyway, so trust me and get hit close by.]

Less than 500 characters, a short guide, but Enas found hope in it. She rushed, running to where her companions were, and spoke.

“Guys… I think I’ve found a way to fight them.”

“What? Really? Where? How?”

Kozarik asked, and Enas, showing her device, explained.

“There’s someone on the Interrunner boards who’s written down information about the monsters. At first I thought it was a lie, but looking at it, it’s actually credible. If we just do as it says…”

The moment she spoke, a man who’d been quiet until now, Rek, stood up from his spot and yelled, staring at her.

“Enas, are you crazy? Are you seriously out of your mind? You’re telling us to trust our lives to some community post? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Rek, seemingly unable to hold back, approached Enas, pushing her as he spoke.

“You know, I haven’t liked you from the start. Even when you defended Leos, and when you got caught trying to contact him secretly, I kept my mouth shut, didn’t I? I thought then. That you were seriously lacking somewhere.”

“…”

The atmosphere instantly turned cold.

“What Enas? You tried contacting him secretly even after Belin made that whole mess? Wow… That’s unbelievable.”

“…”

Kozarik, looking dumbfounded, laughed and muttered.

“Seriously amazing. Amazing. I guess with your intelligence level, it’s no wonder you’d fall for some random post on a community board. In this fucking situation.”

Enas was silent for a moment, then spoke with difficulty.

“Rek told me that if I contacted him, he would reveal everything, so… in the end… I couldn’t contact him…”

“That’s not the point, is it? Is that how it sounds? That I was threatening you? I helped you. If you had contacted him, what would you have said? He would have tried to brainwash you.”

As Rek began to corner her, Enas bit her lip, swallowing the words she was about to mutter.

‘LEO… LEO… Leos… Leos…’

The only person who knows this much about monsters, Enas is certain, is one person. Is it a coincidence that the nickname is similar to his name?

Enas had actually been about to say that maybe Leos wrote this, so why not trust it and try the method. But she had to swallow those words.

First, the other disciples still held so much animosity toward Leos, and more importantly, second…

‘There’s no way Leader Leos would…do something like a community…’

Leos never used Distances for anything more than contact. He barely even sent texts. Rationally, there’s no way Leos wrote this. But…no matter how much she thinks about it, isn’t it just her imagination that the way he talks overlaps with LEO’s?

More important than who LEO is, is that right now, the only thing she can trust is what he wrote.

Just as Enas was thinking that, Rek shouted.

“M-monster! It’s getting closer! Kozarik! Get ready to fight!”

The detection devices nearby started blaring, and Rek and a few others started rushing forward. To secure as much open space as possible.

‘Can I do this…’

Enas pulled a dagger from her pocket and stared blankly at it. There, engraved in a way only she could see, was a small inscription.

[For Enas, who will become an excellent Gatekeeper]

The dagger she’d received from Leos when she was accepted as the head Gatekeeper after endless training.

She gripped it tightly and stood up.

‘Leos… no, Leader Leos… if I survive here… can I go find you? Could I tell you, even though it’s late, that I don’t believe you would have done that?’

Those painful times, the countless hours she’d struggled between her comrades and her leader, and all the regrets. She steeled herself and made a decision. No matter the outcome, if she survived, she would find Leos. Wherever he was. She wanted to hear it directly from his mouth.

Thud.

She dropped her Distance and other heavy items, and only picked up her sword and stood up. On her Distance screen that fell to the ground, the Interunner site was up.

Leos Gallery – Written Posts

[Title: What does everyone think about today’s news… I really don’t understand… why would Leos-nim have done that…]

[Title: Today…it’s apparently Leos’s trial day. Where do I need to go to observe? Does anyone know?]

[Title: The verdict is out…what happens if Leos appeals?]

[Title: Would writing a petition be of any meaningful help?]

[Title: If I write a petition, can other people see my name?]

[Title: How do I write a letter to an inmate? Can I send it anonymously?]

[Title: Where can I check their release date? Can they use Distances while incarcerated?]

.

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[Time: Just now]

[Title: Leos…actually, I missed you. I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything]