I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor - Chapter 66



Chapter 66

At first, when I heard they had charged through the back gate in a truck, I thought it must be another hostile faction.

It was only natural.

They were the sort who traded creatures for humans.

Not just the Zenolua family, but those who could not help but make enemies.

Because of that, I must admit, I didn’t think too poorly of it at first.

‘An unexpected variable is unwelcome, but…’

If they had brought a truck to receive it, surely they should be considered allies.

Of course, if they became a hindrance, I would have to regard them as enemies from that moment on.

That was my thought just moments ago.

“……”

Jin Crow grimaced as he silently stared at the CCTV screen in the control room, where only the remnants of a severed android lay scattered.

It was only natural to feel bewildered.

Why were the cadets in the Free Planet Alliance?

No, I could concede a hundred times that it was possible.

It was a place renowned for tourism, a paradise for mercenaries, so it wasn’t uncommon for them to drift in for a bit of pocket money.

But then…

“Why you of all people?”

If it were other cadets, to speak coldly, it wouldn’t be Jin Crow’s concern.

All cadets were adults, and it was only natural to take responsibility for the choices they made.

The problem was that if even one of the star pilots were to die or be injured, it would become a headache in many ways.

‘Baek Hwi-young. He’s surprisingly fragile mentally.’

Of course, it might be questionable to call someone who had endured the destruction of not just Earth but the galaxy itself mentally weak, but at least it was a well-accepted fact that he was sensitive to the deaths of those around him.

It wasn’t without reason that when Miel had suffered a cruel fate, an orbital bombardment was unleashed on the Mabru family’s planet.

Whether it was a thirst for what had been lost or the gradual unraveling of his mind from repeated returns, the original work described Baek Hwi-young’s character as increasingly paranoid.

And having faced him directly, I couldn’t help but worry.

‘His eyes were half gone.’

To put it bluntly, would a sane person, even if just a first-year cadet, come all the way to the instructor’s office to spout nonsense about identity just because something seemed a bit off?

At that time, I had passed it off without a word, caught up in confusion, the thought that he was the protagonist, and the incident with Miel overlapping, but upon reflection, it was nothing short of absurd.

“Phew.”

Jin Crow carelessly tossed the nearly burnt-out cigarette filter to the floor, roughly sweeping aside the hair that obscured his eyes.

Perhaps it was the weight of the past few days.

With dark circles more pronounced than usual, he scanned the factory’s internal CCTV feeds.

‘The back entrance is nearly done, and the place where they trap people starts from the basement, doesn’t it?’

He chose to overlook the fact that among those standing at the back entrance were Famiyu and Miel.

…It was infuriating, to say the least.

On the surface, it appeared to be just a dusty factory, but true to the nature of the foul creatures that used it, there were underground facilities extending down to the fifth floor—completely unnecessary for an ordinary factory.

Naturally, it was also where Baek Hwi-young and Beatus were rampaging, down on the first basement level.

“Things have gotten complicated.”

For now, he couldn’t just turn a blind eye and walk away, not with a contract with Tita Zenolua hanging over him.

He had already received payment, and he couldn’t just stand by while those fools toyed with creatures.

But facing the cadets?

Well, no matter how he thought about it, a bright future didn’t seem to await him.

‘Is there no other choice?’

In truth, the answer might already be set in stone.

Wouldn’t it be the cleanest way to wrap things up without crossing paths with the cadets?

No matter how much that unknown figure—whether it was Geum Gang-hyeok or Geum Min-soo—had seen through his identity and openly called him an instructor in the alley, until now, it could be brushed off as merely a rogue act of a mere instructor.

‘Jin Crow’s reputation allows for that.’

But if he got entangled with the cadets in any way, the problems could spiral out of control.

Wasn’t it already flickering in his mind?

“Shock! Instructor J, exploiting the labor of cadets, colluding with the underworld of the Free Planet Alliance…!”

“A cadet’s tearful confession! ‘Expelled from the Central Special Officer Academy due to Instructor J’s fabrication and threats…’”

“After much deliberation, the Ministry of Defense of the Synthetic Nation seeks the death penalty for Instructor Jin Crow, tarnishing military prestige…”

Of course, unless he had lost his mind, it wouldn’t escalate to such extremes, but still, there was always that slim chance.

From noble mtl dot com

A soldier’s path should ideally be as problem-free as possible.

Yes, indeed.

He mulled over this as he rose from his seat, examining the internal map spread out in one corner of the control room.

‘There’s a passage that leads all the way down to the lowest level.’

What mattered now was rescuing the people.

He took in the map with his eyes, then swiftly exited the office, heading toward the stairs at the end of the corridor.

And just as he descended the stairs, reaching the fifth basement level—

KWA-aaaNG!

The moment he flung the door open, a deafening explosion echoed in his ears, and something crashed down from the ceiling.

“Hi, hiiiiik!”

“KYaaaH!”

“Ugh! Ughhh!”

At that, the people bound in cages, lying helplessly, let out screams laced with confusion and terror.

Jin Crow, too, narrowed his brow at the sudden turn of events, staring into the dust-choked chaos before him.

Srrrung—

Of course, his pitch-black longsword was already drawn.

‘A person?’

A vague silhouette caught his eye.

It seemed the criminals hadn’t skimped on the construction; amidst the tightly packed beams and the wreckage of reinforced concrete, a shadow that appeared to be a man was rising.

No, to be precise, it was something like a mass of muscle unfurling while trampling over another man.

“These little brats. How dare you trespass in the factory of Lord Jimmy Silver…”

And soon, as the dust began to settle, the name the man muttered was one Jin Crow recognized all too well.

Jimmy Silver.

The head of the Interstellar Transport Union (ITU), one of the five major powers of the Free Planet Alliance, and the loyal hound of Stero Mer, the president of Mer Corporation.

‘Was it his factory?’

It might have been a natural conclusion upon reflection.

When the cultural elite, led by Carpe Diem, colludes with the underworld mafia to transport superhumans, they smuggle them through the Interstellar Transport Union.

A rather neat division of labor, wasn’t it?

“Oh, and who might you be?”

It was then.

As the dust cleared a bit, it seemed the man had regained his sight as well; he stared at Jin Crow with exaggerated gestures, his arms bulging as if they might burst through his shirt at any moment.

‘Disgustingly large.’

That was all Jin Crow could think upon fully seeing the man’s form.

He easily towered over two meters, his body thick and packed with muscle.

Add to that a thick beard and bushy eyebrows.

Even the hair slicked back with pomade.

How to put it…

It felt like gazing upon a 90s Hollywood macho character.

And to top it all off, a white shirt paired with suspenders.

Jin Crow stared at him, a hint of mockery in his voice.

No, he was about to speak.

“Cough!”

“…Hmm? You’re alive. Tougher than I thought, ha ha ha!”

That was before he caught sight of Beatus, gasping for breath beneath the creature’s feet.

Jin Crow’s brow furrowed.

And in that moment.

Jimmy Silver raised his rugged fire axe, a crooked grin revealing his gold tooth.

“Farewell, rookie.”

“That’s far enough.”

As the creature hoisted the axe, Jin Crow threw himself forward without hesitation.

His aim was not to attack.

Because of that, he focused solely on leaping forward, controlling every gear within him.

Creeeak-.

The gears groaned, yet spun far more smoothly than before, supplying him with the now-familiar psionic energy at his fingertips.

He kicked off the ground, extending his sword toward the axe that was descending toward the fainting Beatus’s neck.

Kagagagagagagah!

In that fleeting moment, the two blades clashed, sparks flying.

And as Jimmy Silver grimaced at the heavy pain coursing through his hand, Jin Crow had already seized Beatus by the hair and pulled back, retreating.

“…Tch. Hah.”

Of course, Jin Crow didn’t perform such a maneuver without consequence.

It was possible only because he had taken a stimulant, yet the sudden exertion twisted muscles that hadn’t been prepared.

“…Beatus, even you.”

Was this how Julius Caesar felt when he was betrayed by Brutus, the dagger plunging into him?

He ached at the betrayal of Beatus, whom he had trusted without doubt, but with no proper grip, he let the hair slip from his fingers.

Then, he faced Jimmy Silver, who regarded him with an intrigued gaze.

“Hmm, it’s my first time seeing you. Are you one of those up there?”

An answer was hardly necessary.

After all, he was an opponent that needed to be killed.

For that reason, Jin Crow lightly stretched his stiff wrist instead of replying, angling his blade downward. At this, Jimmy Silver raised his eyebrows in a sly manner, then muttered with a hint of disappointment.

“Nowadays, they all lack romance, tsk.”

Calmly, he took a cut cigar from his pocket, lit it, and as the smoke wavered in the air, both rushed toward each other without a moment’s hesitation.

“Uracha!”

The man swung a fire axe, heavy enough that most would struggle to lift it with both hands, with a single hand, pressing the attack. Jin Crow deflected it, spinning his own weapon fiercely.

‘His skill is at least that of a seasoned triple, or perhaps a quad.’

He felt a similarity to Brigadier Kim Cheol, yet distinctly different.

Where Kim Cheol blended overwhelming strength with finesse, Jimmy Silver was all about sheer force.

His dark pupils gleamed.

Buuum.

The axe whistled past his head, but there was no sense of confusion.

“You little rat, flailing like a cat in a sewer!”

Jimmy Silver shouted, seemingly enraged by Jin Crow’s effortless evasion, yet Jin paid him no mind, leaving scars upon the man’s body.

Swoosh-.

He sliced past, cleaving at the waist.

Thwack!

Drawing a combat knife, he jabbed at the forearm.

Pow!

Simultaneously, he struck the solar plexus with his shoulder.

“It tickles!”

But Jimmy Silver didn’t care.

The slashed waist was staunched by the writhing muscles, and the knife embedded in his forearm seemed to heal as if it had no intention of being removed.

The solar plexus… he scoffed as if it were laughable.

“Damn it.”

This is why I can’t stand those with tough hides.

Jin Crow, feeling the fatigue of the relentless axe swings, leaped back for a moment to catch his breath.

And just then.

“Huh?”

As if sensing something ominous, Jimmy Silver lifted his head, tilting it slightly as he stared at the ceiling he had just broken through.

「Penetrating Overlap」

In the flickering light of the underground, a chilling voice, tangled with malice, whispered.

「Meteor Shower」

“…Baek Hwi-young. This is insane!”

And knowing the true nature of it, Jin Crow turned away from Jimmy Silver without a second thought, hurling Beatus as far away as he could.

KWA-aaaNG!

In that moment, an immense shock enveloped Jimmy Silver.