The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character

The Hollow Grove.

A dungeon concealed deep within a forest, veiled by illusion and old, forgotten rites.

Twisted, humanoid trees roamed within—ancient spirits bound to wood, cursed to wander and devour the living.

From their hollowed chests bloomed crimson blossoms, nourished by the essence of those they consumed.

The dungeon held rare treasures: relics infused with nature's wrath and forgotten rites of druidic power. And the dungeon master—the Heart of the Grove—offered a reward that could rival a royal treasury.

But in the original story, those rewards didn't go to heroes.

They went to the wrong hands—villains who used them to twist nature further, staining the land with corruption.

The Hollow Grove was notoriously difficult to find, hidden by a barrier that only responded to ancient life force.

Even after it was discovered, no adventurer could open it—not because of its strength, but because of its strange, uncompromising entrance requirement.

That was the Grove's curse.

And also… my advantage.

Why?

Because at this point in the story, I was the only one who could open the dungeon entrance using my life force.

A few minutes had passed since we entered the Hollow Grove, and finally, the enemies started to show up.

Twisted figures began to emerge from the mist—trees shaped like humans, bark fused with bone-like limbs, their eyes hollow and glowing faintly green.

Humanoid tree monsters.

Their individual strength wasn't much to worry about—they were classified anywhere from low-grade to mid-grade threats.

The real danger wasn't their strength.

It was their numbers.

There were too many of them.

That's why I'd chosen to come here with Leo instead of Ryen.

If you ask who's stronger between the two, it's hard to say. On paper, they're almost equal.

But the difference lies not in power—but in mindset.

Ryen? He would've gone defensive, trying to protect everyone, constantly looking out for his companions. That kind of thinking might be noble, but it cuts your combat ability in half.

Leo, on the other hand…

"Let's end this quickly," he muttered.

From his dimensional pocket, he pulled out a long spear that shimmered with cold steel.

Leo's talent was [Weapon Master]—a cheat-like ability that made him deadly with nearly any weapon. But the real kicker?

The more enemies he faced, the stronger he became.

Yeah. Perfect for this kind of battle.

He trusted his team completely, which made him relentless on the battlefield.

Even if a few monsters slipped past him, he didn't flinch. He knew we'd handle it.

"Huff…!"

Trent, the big guy, smashed a tree monster with his shield like it was made of cardboard.

The mage girl unleashed fire spells, burning the creatures to ash.

And Violet, calm and sharp-eyed, managed the aggro from the back line, drawing monsters away from the squishier members of our party.

This was the difference I meant.

And this was why I'd chosen Leo.

"Haha! This all you've got?" Trent roared, laughing as he slammed another enemy into the ground.

Everyone was doing their part, just as Leo expected.

And me?

I stood back. Watching.

I'd already played my role—guiding them to the dungeon. No one expected me to get directly involved.

Well… maybe occasionally.

"Be careful."

I flicked a dagger, slicing through a root that had snuck up behind our healer.

"…How did you see that?" Violet asked, glancing at me in surprise.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Just did."

She raised an eyebrow but didn't press.

No need to explain that I'd been scanning the area with enhanced vision the whole time, tracking the movement patterns of the tree monsters, keeping an eye on anything that got too close.

Let them think I was just lucky.

I preferred it that way.

----

The forest echoed with the creaking groans of wood and the shrill cries of the dying monsters.

The trees weren't just humanoid—they were alive in the worst kind of way. Their limbs twisted unnaturally, bark splitting open to reveal thorny vines that lashed out like whips. Roots shot from the ground like spikes, trying to impale anyone standing still for too long.

But our formation held strong.

Leo was a whirlwind at the front, his spear spinning through the air in clean, lethal arcs. Each movement was fluid—trained, efficient, brutal. He didn't hesitate. Didn't stall. He was made for battles like this.

"On your left!" Violet shouted.

He ducked instinctively, the tip of a root just grazing his cheek as he drove his spear upward and skewered a creature through the chin, snapping its wooden jaw in half.

Trent grunted, shielding the healer behind him as he took a hit to the shoulder. The impact made him stumble, but he quickly recovered and slammed the edge of his shield into the monster's face. Bark cracked. Green sap sprayed.

"Still good!" he called out, though blood dripped from his forehead.

The mage was in her element now. Fireballs flared from her palms with a sound like hissing oil, each explosion lighting up the foggy grove. Every time she cast, her long coat flared behind her like she was performing some kind of dark ritual.

"Ten more coming from the east!" she warned. "Thick bark. Probably mid-grade."

"Let them come!" Leo barked, eyes gleaming.

He switched grips, twirling his spear like it weighed nothing. His aura flared as his [Weapon Master] talent kicked into high gear. You could almost feel the heat of his rising momentum.

The more pressure, the more enemies—

The stronger he got.

I stayed near the rear, watching the flow of the fight. The tree monsters were mindless, but they were adapting. Slower ones were circling to flank, some trying to tunnel underground with their roots.

I narrowed my eyes.

Three of them had vanished below the surface.

"Behind you!" I shouted, moving quickly. I jumped past Violet, slashing into the dirt where I felt vibrations.

A root erupted, trying to impale her from below—

But I was faster. My dagger sliced through it mid-air.

Violet flinched and turned toward me, wide-eyed. "Again? Are you—"

"Lucky," I interrupted. "That's all."

She didn't seem convinced, but didn't argue.

At the front, Leo was practically glowing. His spear caught fire as he imbued it with Qi, and the weapon turned into a blur of motion. He swept through the enemy ranks like a reaper in a field.

"Violet, coordinate with the mage. Burn the thicker ones down!"

"On it!" she replied.

They moved seamlessly. The mage launched a series of smaller fire spells to soften the bark, while Violet pinned them with arrows coated in a slowing agent.

"Now!"

A wave of flame rushed forward, engulfing the monsters in a burst of heat and smoke. The tree monsters shrieked as they burned, twisting and writhing in the flames.

"Trent, watch your right!"

A large tree monster—bigger than the others, almost ogre-sized—charged in, ripping through the others with brute strength. Its fists were like clubs, arms covered in hardened bark.

Trent gritted his teeth. "Got it!"

He met the creature head-on, his shield ringing like a bell from the impact. The force sent him skidding back, boots digging into the soil.

"I'll need backup!"

"I'll assist," Leo said, already moving.

He didn't even hesitate. His spear met the brute's wooden arm, and with one clean motion, he pierced through it. The monster roared in rage, but Leo flipped over its shoulder, plunged the spear into its back, and slammed it down with a burst of Qi.

BOOM—!!!

The forest went quiet for half a second.

The brute collapsed into chunks of timber.

Leo exhaled slowly, wiping sap from his cheek.

"How many left?" he asked.

Violet looked around, bow still drawn. "I count… four. Maybe five. Scattered."

"We clear them out," he said. "Then we head to the gate."

Everyone nodded.

I watched as the others moved like clockwork, taking down the stragglers. For now, my job was just to keep us from getting blindsided.