Chapter 12
The Armory Vault inside the training facility.
It stored rare elixirs discovered on Hell Island, along with items possessing unusual abilities.
It was not an absolutely forbidden secret.
However, it was a hidden place that the trainees were not supposed to know about.
Yet the words "Armory Vault" had just come from Theron.
Bengle stared at him with a troubled and serious expression.
"How do you know about that place?"
Depending on Theron's answer, this could become a serious problem.
If Theron had left his designated area and secretly entered the underground level of the training facility...
Ordinary punishment wouldn't be enough.
Bengle narrowed his eyes.
Theron answered calmly.
"I accidentally overheard the instructors talking about it."
"The instructors mentioned the Armory Vault?"
"They weren't talking to me. It was late at night. I remember hearing them talking as they passed in front of our room."
"Who was it?"
"...I'm sorry. I was half asleep, so I don't know which instructors were speaking."
It was neither a particularly good nor bad excuse.
But it was believable enough.
The instructors often chatted among themselves while working night shifts.
Bengle turned and glared at the gathered instructors.
Eight junior instructors were assigned to every section.
He had no idea which one of them might have spoken.
"All instructors will report to my office later."
"I-Instructor, it wasn't me."
"It wasn't me either."
"We'll discuss it later."
Bengle looked back at Theron.
"So if Section Five takes first place, you want something from the Armory Vault?"
"Yes."
"Do you even know what kind of place that is?"
His gaze turned vicious.
"It holds things that trash like you couldn't obtain even if you offered your lives."
Bengle sneered.
"Both of your arms wouldn't be enough to make that a fair deal."
"Then..."
"No. Fine."
Theron stopped.
Bengle continued.
"I don't believe you can take first place anyway."
He looked toward the gathered trainees.
Most immediately avoided his terrifying gaze.
Bengle curled his lips and turned back toward Theron.
"Fine. If you actually take first place, I'll personally submit the request to Head Instructor Berton."
He continued.
"Even if he refuses, I'll reward you with something within my own authority."
Then Bengle's expression darkened again.
"But forget first place. If you fail to reach third place, I will absolutely cut off your arms and use you as an example."
His eyes were cold.
"We don't need idiots here who don't understand their place."
"...Understood."
Bengle seemed to have a much stronger desire for a high ranking than Theron expected.
Because rankings equal authority among the instructors.
Perhaps Bengle's desire came from years of being mocked as incompetent by the other instructors.
Whatever the reason, Theron had secured a better deal than expected.
Bengle gave him one last murderous glare before turning away.
The instructors followed him.
The moment they disappeared...
"Y-You... You crazy bastard!"
Renil screamed at Theron.
How was Theron planning to clean up this ridiculous mess?
Theron pretended to cover his ears and turned away.
Perka asked with a serious expression,
"What are you thinking, Theron? Do you actually have a plan?"
"...Of course."
"What plan? What exactly are you planning?"
Renil immediately moved closer.
Perka and Tioren also stared at him curiously.
However...
"There's something we need to do first."
"...?"
"Something?"
Perka tilted his head.
Theron walked toward the gathered trainees.
Then he stopped in the center.
"From this moment on, anyone who refuses to follow my orders can come at me right now. I'll fight all of you."
He pointed toward Palcoat and the trainees who had attacked him in the Shadow Forest.
Palcoat and his group looked at him in disbelief.
"You crazy bastard... You managed to come back alive, so you should've kept your head down and stayed quiet...!"
Palcoat glared furiously.
His arm still carried the wound Theron had given him.
Then...
BAM!
Palcoat's body flew into the air.
Yellow teeth scattered through the air like kernels of corn.
THUD!
Palcoat crashed to the ground.
He was completely unconscious.
Theron looked at the others.
"Next."
"Crazy bastard...!"
"We'll kill that bastard today!"
Eleven trainees who held grudges against Theron rushed forward together.
Theron slowly gathered his mana while watching them approach.
At this moment, he needed to make one thing absolutely clear to everyone else.
Who...
Who was the leader of this place?
Unfortunately, he had little choice.
Eight of the original fifty trainees were already dead.
The other sections had probably lost similar numbers.
But taking the weak trainees of Section Five and reaching first place in the next test would not be easy.
Especially considering...
The nature of the next test means every single person matters.
First, he needed to crush all resistance and establish a clear order.
And if he was going to do that...
He could not show weakness.
Theron recalled the experience from his previous life as he watched the first attacker approach.
Compared to Theron's former small body, the difference in size would once have been considerable.
Now we're almost the same size.
Not that it mattered.
"You bastard! I'll kill you!"
The trainee had aggressively attacked Theron in the Shadow Forest as well.
His name was Valk.
Among the trainees, his body was developed enough to place him near the top.
Judging by the fact that Theron had no memory of him from later years, he had probably died somewhere during training.
Theron looked at Valk and the two trainees beside him.
Their expressions.
