Teleport Scroll.
With this, I should be able to escape without any trouble.
[Apply Discount Coupon?]
Of course I should.
[90% Discount Coupon applied.]
And with the coupon I had just received applied, it cost only one-tenth of the original price!
I could buy it for 560G.
Thanks to my readers’ love, I could afford to invest that much.
I bought it without hesitation.
Once the payment went through, a scroll-shaped item materialized in my hand.
With this, I should be able to escape the locked-down .
But I was not planning to use it myself.
‘Eilon designed ARF(Augmented Reality Framing), the base system of . I just need to get that guy out.’
This was no noble sacrifice.
I could not leave my meat shields in there.
Every single one of those ten was the cream of the crop.
The strongest shield, the strongest mage, and most importantly, the richest man in the world.
I had to save them.
In the novel, I had killed them off before their talents could even bloom, but now that I had become Lucas, I could not afford to lose even one of them.
‘I just need to hold out until Eilon restores the system.’
A few minutes.
A few dozen minutes at the latest.
Eilon’s genius was beyond imagination, so I could expect at least that much from him.
Besides, Deyan and the others who could be put to use immediately were definitely waiting outside.
Once the system was restored, all I would have to do was stand back and watch.
This was not meaningless kindness.
I could afford to show kindness only because I had something to rely on.
‘All right, then. I’ll go give Eilon the Teleport Scroll—’
CLANK—!
-Unable to exit.
Huh?
CLANK, CLANK!
-Unable to exit.
Why the hell are you doing this to me?
My plan fell apart.
I had no idea how things had gotten this twisted, but I could not even cross from here to where the students were.
‘No choice. It’s a waste, but…….’
I would use one to move over there, then buy another and give that one to Eilon.
A mere 5,600G.
Considering the value of those ten, Eilon included, it was an amount I could tearfully bring myself to pay.
‘The crime of making me waste my readers’ love…… I’ll make you pay dearly for it later.’
Vowing to settle the score properly, I opened the Gold Shop.
-Teleport Scroll(Single-Use) 5,600G > Repurchase 167:58:47
This fucking garbage game!
***
Everything happening inside was being broadcast live.
“What are those? Are those Demons part of Professor Lucas’s practical training as well?”
Naturally, Heinz, Ronald, and even professors from other faculties were watching.
The appearance of the Demons was more than enough to shock everyone present.
“Nothing like that was included in the settings for this practical training!”
“Then what in the world are those things?!”
“W-Well…….”
The interior of fundamentally existed in a different dimension from the one where Grasco was located.
It would not be wrong to think of it as another world entirely.
Someone had hacked that system and summoned Demons into it.
“If there is any silver lining, it is that nothing inside can interfere with the outside, so there is no possibility of those Demons crossing over into Grasco…….”
“Is that what you should be saying right now?! The students are in danger!”
The professor flinched at Ronald’s rebuke.
“Is there no way? What is Professor Lucas doing?!”
“Just as those inside cannot interfere with the outside, there is no way for the outside to interfere with the inside either. Judging from the current situation, it seems forced shutdown has been blocked and the inside has been cut off from the outside. I also suspect that the space Professor Lucas is in has been separated from the practical training area…….”
“Hmm!”
A frustrated groan escaped Ronald.
“Heinz, is there nothing we can do?”
“Unfortunately, I have not studied Magic Engineering deeply enough to solve a problem like this. We may have no choice but to send it in for service…”
“Wait. Yes. That will do. Contact Dust Industry immediately. Tell them has suffered a critical malfunction!”
“Understood!”
***
‘Surely…… this is Lucas. He’ll find some way out of it.’
Ritt was watching the situation as well.
Ever since the Nunu appeared, their conscience had been pricking at them.
After all, Ritt was the one who had reported that Lucas would be holding practical training inside .
Of course, Ritt had merely done the job assigned to them, and since they were responsible for one part of the plan to invade Grasco, this was exactly how they were supposed to act.
And yet it strangely bothered them.
At the same time, it was true that they had something resembling faith in Lucas.
A belief that he would naturally overcome that situation and emerge unscathed.
‘Why am I running this kind of hopeful fantasy in my head?’
It was strange.
If Lucas got into trouble there and was expelled from the academy, or died in some unfortunate accident, Ritt would truly be free.
And yet, deep down, Ritt wanted the opposite outcome.
‘I’m tired. That’s all. I’m tired.’
It was because Lucas and the Higher Demons were both giving them hell from either side, leaving them exhausted.
After rationalizing it that way, Ritt turned their gaze back to the shared footage.
More and more Nunu were being summoned, while the students were unexpectedly putting up a good fight and holding on.
But only for a moment.
“H-Huh? Huhhh?”
Shock appeared in Ritt’s eyes.
At the same time, rage flared within them.
“Why…… is that bastard…….”
An enemy Ritt would not have been satisfied even after tearing apart had appeared on the other side.
***
‘Tear it.’
At this point, I should be the one to use it.
After all, I had only one goal.
Survive.
But my hand would not move easily.
Why?
The reason was obvious.
‘Because it’s such a waste to lose them.’
The potential of those ten was tremendous.
If I raised each of them properly while making use of their individual traits, the synergy could become enormous.
‘Giving them up is the right choice.’
But when faced with a choice like this, prioritizing my own life was only right.
Even so, my hand still would not move.
‘Get a grip. So what if it’s a waste? What are you going to do about it? Go out there and die in their place? That’d be dying like a dog. Get a grip.’
It would be better to get out quickly and seek help from Dust Industry, even if it took a long time.
If I explained the situation, they would understand.
……But I still could not bring myself to move my hand.
Even as I fought with myself, the situation outside was worsening by the second.
Eilon’s Magical Weapons had begun to break apart, and Luina was coughing up blood from excessive magic use.
-Give up, insignificant humans…….
“Fuck…… Yeah, I was wondering why only the Nunu were invading.”
Nunu, lacking in reason as they were, were often accompanied by a commander-class being to control them.
But fuck, the one who showed up was far too high-ranking.
“Levi…….”
Levi.
A Higher Demon who had risen from the ranks of Lesser Demons, having gained immense power in exchange for giving up his sight.
For those children, who were barely hanging on as it was, the situation was nothing short of hopeless.
Even if Deyan had been here in perfect condition, the result would have been just as despairing.
‘No choice.’
In this hopeless situation, there was only one decision I could make.
At that moment.
[A new notification has arrived.]
[Sutjahanna donated 100G.]
[Sutjahanna donated 100G.]
The donation notifications stopped me from acting.
‘Damn it.’
My mind snapped clear.
To the readers, I was the ‘protagonist.’
If I ran away here, I would be disqualified as a protagonist.
This was not a simple problem.
A novel whose protagonist lost their appeal ‘died.’
And the death of the novel would lead directly to my own death.
But.
I knew that.
Even so.
‘Ah, fuck it. You only live once.’
RIIIP!
I made up my mind and tore the scroll.
***
Despair settled over Luina’s face.
Eilon’s Magical Weapons, which had been their most reliable means of resistance, were little better than scrap metal once they ran out of magic power.
The others had also fallen into chaos and panic at the appearance of the Demons.
With their overwhelming strength, the Nunu ignored the Monster Wave entirely and advanced before the students with unstoppable momentum.
“Urgh-!”
Luina fought back with everything she had, but it was nothing more than an egg striking a boulder.
All she could do was cough up blood and watch their advance.
‘What is Professor Lucas doing?’
Lucas should have been watching everything happening in this training area.
Luina struggled to raise her head and looked for him.
Lucas was not in a good situation either.
He was not facing Demons, but he seemed to have been trapped inside that space.
His cold eyes had sunk even deeper.
Could he not somehow pull this off?
Had he not displayed overwhelming martial prowess in the previous lesson?
Had he not even effortlessly neutralized Eilon’s Magical Weapons, which had killed several Demons?
Such hope filled Luina’s mind, but she knew very well that it was a futile expectation.
‘Mom, I’m sorry. It looks like I’ll be joining you soon.’
Luina tightly gripped the locket around her neck and decided to wait for the approaching death.
“Huh?”
That was when it happened.
A scroll-shaped item appeared in Lucas’s hand.
Others might not have known what it was, but Luina knew exactly what she was looking at.
‘A Teleport Scroll.’
It was an absurdly expensive scroll, worth about an entire year’s budget for a typical duchy.
Even most of those had range limitations, but the one in Lucas’s hand appeared to be a more exceptional variety.
‘With that, he can escape from here.’
But Lucas did not use the scroll.
He merely stared in their direction.
‘Why……?’
Luina followed Lucas’s gaze.
“Give up, insignificant humans…….”
“N-No way…….”
Its power was palpable from sight alone.
Demonic energy so chilling that it stabbed across her entire body.
The resolve she had held only moments before became meaningless as fear enveloped her.
‘I have to run. I have to get away…….’
Just as Luina hurriedly tried to retreat,
“Aaah!”
A Nunu’s attack sent her flying far away.
‘N-No!’
The impact snapped the chain of her locket, sending it rolling into the distance.
Luina forced herself upright and tried to make her way toward the locket.
CRASH!
But the Nunu had no intention of letting her go so easily.
They smashed down with their fists and swung wildly, ravaging the students.
Resentment toward Lucas naturally welled up in Luina’s heart.
If he had never planned this practical training, she would never have ended up in such danger.
She would never have lost the keepsake her mother had left behind.
She glared at Lucas, her gaze filled with resentment.
But Lucas did not even seem aware of her.
He simply tore the scroll in his hand.
‘It’s really over now.’
Even Lucas had abandoned them.
Despair deepened across Luina’s face.
A Nunu’s fist came hurtling toward her.
Luina gave up on everything and squeezed her eyes shut.
But at that moment.
“Freeze.”
A voice of incomparable aloofness.
A Presence so distinct she could feel it even with her eyes closed.
Before that overwhelming Presence, even the Nunu stopped moving for an instant.
The fear she had felt until now suddenly seemed laughable.
It was all right.
They were saved.
Lucas had not abandoned them.
Now those Demons would……
“……Anyone who moves from this moment on gets an F.”
Oh.
You meant us?