Chapter 1127 – 1127. Savior Of The Academy
Kim Je-oh moved swiftly.
The duel between the Spirit Department and the Enchantment Department was decided for the very next day. It was quite unexpected. I thought it would take some time to get approval from the Vice-Dean, let alone Dean Kang Ji-young.
‘The Vice-Dean must have high expectations for Kim Je-oh. Or maybe he’s just itching to screw over Kang Ji-young.’
The duel format was a dungeon raid. The Spirit Department and the Enchantment Department would enter an artificial dungeon simultaneously, and the first to clear it would win.
However, teachers were not allowed to participate. In other words, I had to face seven students from the Enchantment Department alone.
‘Kim Je-oh and the Vice-Dean must know that Cales’ skills are not ordinary.’
It was an unexpected situation, but I had no intention of arguing. I was the one who proposed the bet first, and I was the one who told them to choose the duel format.
‘I can handle them alone even without Cales. Except for Shin Na-ri, the other seven students in the Enchantment Department are nothing special. However….’
The characteristic of the Enchantment Department is that they use the curses of enchantments.
The six students, excluding Shin Na-ri, could bring a large number of enchantments and curse me. The situation was flowing in a direction I didn’t want.
‘Mental curses don’t work on me because I have absolute mental fortitude.’
In other words, curses that are not mental-based do work. Debuff curses that slow down the body, weaken physical abilities, and so on.
‘I do have skills like Complete Recovery and Heavenly Mind that remove status ailments, but… I don’t know how many enchantments the Enchantment Department will bring.’
A fundamental solution was needed.
I crossed my arms and pondered. I recalled the original game, [Savior of the Academy]. There were many hidden stories and items in the original game.
‘Let’s eliminate the things that can’t be obtained at this point… There it is.’
Having come up with a solution, I got up from my seat.
There was a week left until the duel with the Enchantment Department. It was more than enough time.
‘If it were me, I would have held the duel the very next day without any preparation time. Giving a week means they have an ulterior motive.’
I picked up my smartphone.
Who would win would be decided next week.
***
Saturday, 4 AM.
I stood at the four-way intersection near the academy, leisurely gazing at the sky, waiting for someone, even before sunrise.
I sensed movement. A group was approaching from the academy entrance. They were academy students, and though they seemed to be together, they were keeping their distance from each other.
I examined each of their faces one by one.
The female student who smiled at me as soon as she saw me was Lee Si-eun, with long blue hair and blue eyes. She was also my childhood friend.
Next to her were the neatly dressed Kim Cheon-woo and Kim Cheon-woo’s best friend, Ma Jin-bae. Kim Cheon-woo had a calm expression, while Ma Jin-bae was hostile towards me.
‘I didn’t expect Ma Jin-bae to come… Did Kim Cheon-woo worry and follow him?’
He was a guy I didn’t like, but he was worth using. And Ma Jin-bae couldn’t show his teeth to me. My gaze turned to the back.
There was Ryu Hana with a blank expression. Her long, light purple hair that reached her waist was mysterious, and her dark blue eyes were as cold as the deep sea. Her gait, with two swords equipped at her waist, was elegant.
Behind Ryu Hana were Choi Da-yeon and Lee Kang-hoo.
Choi Da-yeon, walking with her arms crossed, was as haughty as ever. With each step she took, her black hair and full chest swayed slightly. Lee Kang-hoo, 3 meters away from Choi Da-yeon, was carrying luggage in his hands and on his back.
“Yujin, you’re here. We’re not late, right?”
Lee Si-eun approached and said.
“You came earlier than I thought. And I didn’t expect you all to come together.”
“We ran into each other by chance while leaving the academy. I didn’t expect we’d all end up acting together. Please take care of us.”
“……”
Kim Cheon-woo spoke to the students around him, but no one reacted. Kim Cheon-woo laughed awkwardly. Ryu Hana and Choi Da-yeon didn’t even pretend to listen, and Lee Kang-hoo glared at Kim Cheon-woo with wary eyes. Lee Si-eun was only looking at me.
“A bunch of weirdos have gathered.”
Ma Jin-bae clicked his tongue and said.
“Yujin, are you hungry? I made kimbap. Try some.”
“Lunch box? Are we eating lunch boxes already?”
“It’s okay. I have three more lunch boxes. I prepared them for you, Yujin.”
“I’m a bit hungry, so should I try some?”
Lee Si-eun smiled brightly and opened the lunch box lid. The savory aroma of neatly arranged kimbap wafted out. Lee Si-eun picked up a piece of kimbap with chopsticks and held it out to me.
“Yujin, ah~”
“Ah~”
The kimbap slid into my mouth. Fresh ingredients and the right seasoning. I especially liked that there was no burdock in the kimbap. The taste was excellent. It was much better than the famous kimbap restaurants.
As I was happily accepting the kimbap from Lee Si-eun, I felt a hot gaze from somewhere. It was Choi Da-yeon.
‘What is it? Does she want some kimbap? No, that can’t be it….’
『Choi Da-yeon’s Favorability: 44』
Even though I hadn’t done anything with Choi Da-yeon for a while, her favorability had slightly increased.
‘It was 42 when I saw it last time… Why did her favorability increase?’
My eyes turned to Ryu Hana. It was difficult to guess what she was thinking as she stood still.
『Ryu Hana’s Favorability: 21』
‘I’ve built up this much favorability thanks to the occasional sparring. To build it up further… Sparring alone won’t be enough.’
『Lee Si-eun’s Favorability: 93』
『Lee Si-eun’s Psychology: I’m glad Yujin is eating well.』
Lee Si-eun’s favorability was extremely high. She would open her mouth without hesitation if I told her to. On top of that, she was at a level where she could sacrifice her life for me. Of course, I had no intention of forcing her to sacrifice herself.
‘Should I check the favorability of the other guys while I’m at it?’
『Kim Cheon-woo’s Trust: 43』
『Ma Jin-bae’s Trust: 6』
『Lee Kang-hoo’s Trust: 12』
Not favorability, but trust. It was because these guys were the same gender as me.
Kim Cheon-woo’s trust was worth the effort, Ma Jin-bae was still hostile to me. Lee Kang-hoo was average.
“Si-eun, that kimbap looks delicious. Can I have a bite?”
Kim Cheon-woo said, looking at the kimbap that was almost half gone. Lee Si-eun smiled brightly and replied.
“No. This is a lunch box made only for Yujin.”
Kim Cheon-woo was slightly flustered by her firm voice that didn’t allow for any objections, and then nodded.
“Oh, okay. If that’s the case, I can’t help it….”
An awkward breeze circulated around them. Lee Si-eun, regardless of what was happening, focused on putting kimbap in my mouth.
Just as the lunch box was almost empty, the sound of a car rolling in the distance could be heard.
“They’re here.”
I shoved the last piece of kimbap into my mouth and watched as a black van approached. The van, gradually slowing down, stopped in front of me.
The driver’s side door opened, and long legs wrapped in jeans stepped onto the road. Then, hair swayed over a white t-shirt. The woman who got out of the driver’s seat was Seong Ha-ri.
“Hello, son! And son’s friends!”
Seong Ha-ri waved her hand with a cheerful smile. I smiled back and waved, and Lee Si-eun bowed politely.
“Hello, Mother.”
“Si-eun is still the same. No, has she gotten even prettier?”
“I also prepared a lunch box for you, Mother.”
“Really?! Thank you. Let’s eat it when we stop at the rest area.”
The atmosphere was strange at her appearance. I looked around.
Kim Cheon-woo, who should have been the first to greet her, was staring blankly at Seong Ha-ri. It was as if he had received a mental shock the moment he saw Seong Ha-ri.
‘Could this bastard be…?!’
『Kim Cheon-woo’s Trust: 52』
Kim Cheon-woo’s trust jumped over 50 in an instant.
The reason was clear. Kim Cheon-woo had fallen in love with Seong Ha-ri at first sight, and had become fond of me, her son. He was probably thinking of calling me ‘Dad’ in his head right now.
‘Shit. It’s giving me goosebumps just thinking about it. Should I kill him?’
I suppressed the rising murderous intent.
It was natural to fall in love with Seong Ha-ri at first sight. Seong Ha-ri was an attractive woman by anyone’s standards. And that woman was mine. If I changed my perspective, I could feel a sense of superiority.
‘However, I can’t forgive him if he crosses the line any further.’
Kim Cheon-woo was a useful guy. For now, I decided to keep an eye on Kim Cheon-woo.
The others were nervous as they looked at Seong Ha-ri.
Seong Ha-ri.
A hero who was once called the strongest. Even if they hadn’t lived in the same era as Seong Ha-ri, there were many who knew of her exploits. She was a figure who had made a mark in the history of South Korea.
‘Ma Jin-bae might suddenly lash out… If he has any brains, he’ll stay still.’
Ryu Hana’s eyes lit up as she looked at Seong Ha-ri, and she calmly greeted her. The reason Ryu Hana followed my lead was because of Seong Ha-ri.
“Nice to meet you. Seong Ha-ri-nim. I am Ryu Hana.”
“Hello. You’re the top student of the first year, right? Seeing you in person, I can see why you’re the top student. You’re working hard.”
“Could I learn a thing or two from you, Seong Ha-ri-nim?”
“I can feel your fighting spirit. It reminds me of the old days, which is nice. I have no intention of treating my son’s friends harshly, so I’ll spar with you later when I have time.”
Seong Ha-ri’s gaze turned to Choi Da-yeon and Lee Kang-hoo. Lee Kang-hoo immediately lowered his gaze, and Choi Da-yeon greeted her politely.
“It is an honor to meet the Thunderous Voice. I am Choi Da-yeon of the Geumhwa Group.”
“You’re Jeong-hwa’s daughter. Jeong-hwa has every reason to be proud of her daughter.”
Seong Ha-ri looked around once and then patted the top of the van with her palm.
“Alright, let’s all get in the car, we have a long way to go! And Seong Ha-ri-nim is too stiff of a title. I don’t expect to be treated like that by my son’s friends, so just call me Auntie.”
And so, everyone boarded the van. I sat in the passenger seat, and Lee Si-eun, Kim Cheon-woo, and Ma Jin-bae sat in the seat directly behind. Ryu Hana, Choi Da-yeon, and Lee Kang-hoo sat further back.
Ryu Hana and Choi Da-yeon were quiet. It was natural since the two of them had hardly any contact while attending the academy. However, I could sense that Choi Da-yeon was conscious of Ryu Hana, the top student, even while pretending not to be.
Kim Cheon-woo was the one who was talking loudly.
“Seong Ha-ri-nim. I learned about your exploits at the academy… Do you remember the Gangneung collapse incident that happened 20 years ago?”
“Gangneung collapse? Oh, the incident where the dinosaurs appeared? It was a bit tough back then. And I told you to call me Auntie, didn’t I?”
“Auntie… You look too young to be called that.”
“Hehe. You know how to flatter, don’t you? Thank you, Cheon-woo.”
“Ah, no. It’s not flattery, it’s the truth.”
Kim Cheon-woo said, his face flushed. Apart from the rising displeasure, it was true that Seong Ha-ri looked young. There wasn’t a single wrinkle on her face, and her skin was firm. Her figure was perfect. No matter how you looked at her, she looked like she was only in her early to mid-20s.
“Son. I heard. You’re having a match with the Enchantment Department this time?”
“I decided to duel with the dissolution of the Spirit Department on the line.”
“You should have told your mom, I would have helped.”
“It’s nothing. The Enchantment Department is nothing special.”
“Hmm. I dropped out of the academy, so I don’t know much, but if I’ve never heard of the Enchantment Department, it must be nothing special.”
“Mother. Yujin will win even if he fights the Enchantment Department.”
Lee Si-eun said calmly. Seong Ha-ri nodded.
“I think so too. But curses are a bit annoying.”
“Mom. Don’t worry. The reason we’re going this time is to prepare for curses. Or do you not trust me?”
“Of course not! Your mom believes in our son.”
“Mother! I believe in Yujin too!”
