The Weapon Genius: Anything I Hold Can Kill
Chapter 132: Deployment Orders

"One to raise the strong… and weed out the rest."

The world didn't breathe.

Then the voice returned—steady, smooth, and impossibly vast.

"From this point forward, growth alone will not guarantee survival."

"This is not a defense. Not a delay. Not a question of 'if.'"

"This is the beginning."

A sound followed—not loud, not sharp. Just a low vibration, almost like a hum. It moved beneath the soles of their feet, rippling through stone, root, and blood. The forest itself seemed to pause to listen.

Above them, the sky pulsed once—rings of light too clean to be natural expanding like ripples in water. Not clouds. Not energy. System markers, cast in visible light across the world for all who could see.

[Global Sync Achieved.]

A map appeared briefly in the air, transparent and massive—ghostlike in its scale. It showed outlines of land masses and hexagonal nodes blinking across them.

"Territories recognized: seventy-one."

Jin's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Each territory must now designate teams."

"Standard units of three."

"You will be transported into trial spaces—independent, isolated, and non-negotiable."

"No external guidance. No support. No second chances."

"Each trial is calibrated to test your composition, instincts, and resolve."

Across the courtyard, pale screens flickered to life. Dozens of them—above the school, along the forest trunks, in the air itself. They weren't projections. They were invitations.

And warnings.

The system's voice continued, layered with authority.

"Victory is not guaranteed. It never was."

"But for those who succeed—your names will be recorded. Ranked. Remembered."

"This is the moment that decides the future."

"This is where the new world's kings and queens will be chosen."

"Rise—or be buried beneath the names of those who will."

Then—silence.

The kind that wasn't really silent. The kind that held something in its teeth.

Jin stood in the center of the courtyard, the system interface hovering in front of him like a glowing seal.

[Territory Leader Authorization Detected – Lifebound Grove]

[Commencing Squad Configuration Protocol]

[Available Personnel: 19]

[Deployment Limit: 6 Squads – 3 Members Per Squad]

[Status: Core Strategist Identified – Jin Yeong]

The panel expanded in front of him. Six glowing squares appeared—placeholders for the teams.

Below them, the full roster of his fighters began to populate.

Nineteen names.

Fifteen who had trained under this forest. And four who had helped build it from the ground up: Seul. Joon. Echo. Himself.

He didn't speak.

The silence around him stretched as the others stepped forward, one by one. Some slowly. Others with purpose.

Jisoo, arms crossed and restless. Haneul, quiet but firm. Mina with her hands in her pockets and eyes steady. Kyung Min, all stone and stillness. Doyun, unreadable as ever. Areum's fingers tapped faintly against her blade's hilt. Yujin leaned casually against a post, but her gaze never left the interface.

The rest gathered around the outer ring—Daehyun, Haeun, Hyunwoo, Jinhyuk, Sujin, Byung-ho, Taesung.

All of them watching Jin.

Waiting.

Seul stepped up beside him. "You're the one they'll look to."

"I know," Jin murmured.

Joon approached with Echo in tow, hands folded behind his back. "Looks like we're finally getting off the bench."

Echo smirked, but his tone was even. "System wants to see who cracks."

"It's not just about cracking," Jin said, eyes on the glowing screen. "It's about who still moves after the pressure lands."

The system hadn't shown them maps. No arenas. No enemies. Just the numbers. The rules.

And a single command:

Divide.

He stared at the slots for a long moment, calculating.

Not everyone could go with him. Not everyone should.

If he took Seul, Joon, and Echo with him—they'd dominate their arena. But that would mean every other team would be missing its core.

No. He had to spread the strength.

He had to trust that they could hold their own.

His gaze shifted between faces.

They were waiting.

Not with fear. With readiness.

Jin opened his hand, and the first square glowed brighter.

It was time to choose.

Jin stared at the grid hovering in front of him.

Six squads. Three people each. Eighteen fighters total.

There were nineteen.

He let out a quiet breath through his nose. "One stays."

Seul's voice came from just behind him. "You?"

Jin shook his head. "No. I'm going."

She said nothing—just gave a faint nod. Expected.

He glanced at the tree, then back at the grid. One person would remain behind. Not as a punishment—but as a guard. A sentinel.

Someone had to protect the Grove. The school. The tree.

Someone had to hold the line.

He moved his hand and tapped the first team slot.

"I'm going first."

A flicker of light—his name locked into place at the top of Team One.

He needed people he trusted to move with him. But not overpowering ones. Echo and Joon had to lead others. Seul, too.

He selected two more:

Yujin. Adaptive. Fast. Ferocious.

Jisoo. Direct. Fast. Impactful.

The two of them together were a blur of movement and reaction. He'd need that. They could follow his lead—but they wouldn't wait to be told what to do.

Team One: Jin, Yujin, Jisoo.

The moment their names locked, the interface shimmered. Confirmed.

Next, he turned to the second squad.

Echo. Calm. Controlled. Efficient.

Then—

Areum. Blade precision. Steady hands.

Hyunwoo. The Mimic. The perfect adaptable partner.

Team Two: Echo, Areum, Hyunwoo.

"Echo leads this one," Jin said softly. "He knows what to do."

Echo said nothing, but his nod was clear. Areum adjusted the strap on her sheath. Hyunwoo smiled faintly, rolling his fingers through the air.

Third team.

He glanced toward the training yard.

Joon. The spark. The fuse. The explosion.

Mina. Fire and instinct. Quick temper, but it had honed into control.

Taesung. Air pressure. Shockwave. Crowd control.

Team Three: Joon, Mina, Taesung.

"I want coverage and impact," Jin muttered. "Those three won't stall."

Taesung cracked his neck. "Boom squad. I like it."

Joon smirked. "Try not to get melted, Mina."

"Try not to get in my way," she shot back.

Fourth team.

Seul. Battlefield control. Air mobility.

Sujin. Vine snare. Environmental lock-down.

Kyung Min. Stone defense. Solid tank.

Team Four: Seul, Sujin, Kyung Min.

Jin didn't look up. "Seul leads. No argument."

"None from me," Kyung Min said flatly.

Sujin gave a silent nod.

Fifth team.

He let his eyes settle on two quieter names.

Haneul. Silent striker.

Haeun. Support speed, tracking movement.

Then—

Daehyun. Chain-user. Crowd pressure. Control through motion.

Team Five: Haneul, Haeun, Daehyun.

Jin nodded slowly. "Tactical squad. Light, sharp, fast."

Sixth team. Only four names remained.

He scanned them:

Byung-ho. Grappler. Holds ground.

Jinhyuk. Defensive shielding. Strong, reactive.

Doyun. Acid spit. Flexible. Versatile.

And the last—Sole unassigned.

One would stay.

Jin hesitated. All three had proven themselves. But Doyun… he wasn't a frontline leader. Not yet.

"Doyun," he said aloud. "You're staying."

Doyun arched a brow. "Why me?"

"Because I need someone here. Someone smart. Someone who won't panic if something else moves in."

Doyun shrugged. "Guess someone has to babysit the tree."

"Not just the tree."

Jin looked to the far end of the courtyard.

There, emerging from the deeper shade of root and trunk—

Aestros appeared.

Quiet. No fanfare. Just presence.

He stepped forward with the slow, sure movement of stone molded by breath and memory. Still childlike in shape. Still ancient behind the eyes.

"You're leaving," Aestros said simply.

Jin nodded. "The system's calling us."

"You've chosen your fighters."

"I trust them."

A faint pulse moved through the forest floor. Not a tremor. Just… acknowledgment.

"They'll hold," Aestros said. "And so will I."

Jin nodded once more.

The system pulsed again.

[Final Squad Assignment Confirmed.]

[Ascension Trials Imminent.]

[Calibration Lock in 30 Seconds.]

The air around them changed.

A light mist began to rise. The forest grew unnaturally still. No birds. No wind.

Each team stepped into place—triads forming clean lines along the courtyard.

No one joked.

No one looked away.

Jin turned once more, looking at them all.

Nineteen of them had entered this world together.

Eighteen were going to face the unknown.

He spoke only once, voice quiet but firm.

"Don't chase glory. Don't chase fear. Watch each other's backs."

He met Echo's eyes.

Seul's.

Joon's.

"Come home."

[Ascension Trials Beginning…]

A ring of golden light formed under each team—thin at first, then brighter. The mist curled into the shapes, spinning upward like coiled breath.

The system spoke once more.

"Best of luck…"

"You'll need it."

The light swallowed them.

Jin felt weightless for a second—like his body had been unhooked from gravity. There was no wind, no falling sensation, no sound.

Then—

His boots hit ground.

Solid. Cold. Uneven.

He landed in a crouch, katana still sheathed at his back. The forest air, once warm and pulsing with life, was gone.

This place breathed something else.

He rose slowly, eyes adjusting.

It was dark.

Not pitch-black. But close.

A dusky shade clung to everything—thick like ash in the air, moving faintly even when nothing stirred. The ground beneath him was rough stone, cracked in long lines like fractured glass.

A moment later, two shapes landed near him—Yujin, crouched low, her eyes already glowing faintly with a subtle animal shimmer. Jisoo landed harder, one knee down, one fist braced to the floor. Her head snapped up immediately, eyes narrowing.

"Where…?"

Jin didn't answer.

He scanned the space around them.

No sky. No clear walls. Just… shadow. A vague, endless horizon of broken earth and shifting black mist, as if the world had been hollowed out and left to echo.

The air felt heavier here. Not oppressive—but waiting.

Listening.

Yujin stood and took a single step forward. Her voice was quiet.

"This isn't real terrain."

Jin nodded. "System-made."

"Great," Jisoo muttered. "I already miss the tree."

No prompts. No countdown. No enemy.

Not yet.

Jin's fingers brushed the hilt of his sword.

"Eyes open," he said softly. "This place is just as dangerous as the outside world."

He stepped forward once.

And the dark stirred in answer.

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