Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Lion's Curse
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The lion statue wanted to laugh at Jae-hyeok's question. But it was impossible for a stone sculpture to make a facial expression.
"You're not gonna answer?"
Jae-hyeok urged. Still staring straight into the lion's two eyes.
[The will of Lion's Castle responds to your call.]
The lion answered vigorously.
But unfortunately...
"Was it just my imagination? Whew... Thought it was a ghost."
-...
Jae-hyeok, who wasn't a player, couldn't hear the system message.
'Maybe I've been through too much today. My nerves are more frayed than they should be.'
Not content with learning emergency treatment just to save an orc, the day had come when he was talking to a stone statue...
If there had been any witnesses, he would've been treated like a lunatic, completely out of character.
Whoooosh—
A chilling wind brushed past Jae-hyeok's relieved skin.
Past midnight.
Standing atop untrodden ruins, looking up at the massive statue—it was downright creepy.
'And of all days, no moon in sight.'
Thick storm clouds completely obscured both moons.
It was oddly fascinating that even inside a Gate, there were seasons and weather.
Well, other worlds were inhabited too, so it made sense they'd share similarities with Earth.
'Looks like rain, so I'll head near the dorms and train there.'
[The will of Lion's Castle suggests you stop.]
[The will of Lion's Castle fumes at being ignored.]
[The will of Lion's Castle threatens to curse you.]
The lion kept blustering threats, but it was pointless.
He only had a single sword anyway.
Jae-hyeok left without hesitation.
It had spoken first, yet he ignored it to the end?
The lion couldn't contain its rage.
[Irregular Quest: Lion's Curse has occurred!]
[While the curse persists, you cannot leave Lion's Castle.]
[While the curse persists, in combat with monsters residing in Lion's Castle, all stats are halved and skill use is prohibited.]
[While the curse persists, killing monsters residing in Lion's Castle yields no rewards.]
[This vicious curse lasts a fortnight.]
[Succeed in surviving the fortnight for an amazing reward.]
[The will of Lion's Castle advises that if you return now and beg forgiveness, it will pardon you.]
"Sounds like a dog barking somewhere..."
-...
***
"Final equipment check, one more time."
Class A's progress was overwhelmingly fast.
While other Awakener classes started terrain adaptation training in their second week after enrollment, Class A had jumped straight into it on day one.
And now.
While Class B and C students were still rolling in the swamps, Class A had finished adapting to the swamp zone and begun monster hunting.
A class full of prodigies indeed.
"Yes!"
The students answered energetically.
Having gone too long without combat, they were a bit excited.
How boring had all those pointless theory classes and dull terrain adaptation drills been?
Players were meant to hunt monsters, level up, and prove their worth.
"Ahaha, Jae-hyeok's probably still rolling around in the swamp like a dog today."
Eujin chattered excitedly as he tightened the leather strap on his hammer haft once more.
Da-hee straightened her face.
"Comparing him to a puppy! H-he's not exactly the cute type, is he?"
"...What's with her? Da-hee wouldn't get nervous over some mere monsters..."
Eujin narrowed his eyes in disbelief at her bizarre reaction.
"You... don't tell me that loser's caught your eye? Planning to join the team he made or something?"
"Not because I like Kang Jae-hyeok...!"
"Whoa. She's lost it. You're seriously joining that team?"
The pitch-black forest riddled with swamps everywhere.
Upon reaching their destination and checking gear, Class A students all turned to stare at Da-hee.
Her conversation with Eujin was suspicious and shocking in multiple ways.
'Kang Jae-hyeok...? Yaksha's son?'
'Da-hee's joining the team that guy's making?'
The boys were especially stunned.
With her round forehead and straight nose.
Da-hee's beauty, boasting a perfectly sculpted medieval European head, was exceptional.
Her milk-white small face featured delicately clustered pretty features, outshining actresses or idols.
Plenty of students had fallen for her right at enrollment, dreaming of teaming up with her for three triumphant years, then marrying post-graduation.
Yet the fallen House Kang's son had beaten them to it!
'How dare that nobody...!'
'He's been the source of annoying rumors anyway—time to pay him a visit and teach him some manners soon.'
Killing intent began to seethe among the students.
Loren's was the thickest.
'Kang Jae-hyeok...'
He was Austria's National Treasure Candidate.
Not on a mere student's level. Active in the field now, leveling up to naturally inherit his house's glory.
Even so, he'd transferred in as an exchange student to Lion's Castle solely to reunite with Do-jin.
To him, Baek Do-jin was dearer than family.
He planned to persuade him well and take him to Austria to care for him lifelong.
But problems had arisen.
First, noise during the transfer process landed him in first year instead of second, physically distancing him from Do-jin.
On top of that, Kang Jae-hyeok had thoroughly interfered.
Two days ago.
The monumental moment of conversing with Do-jin, fatefully met upon arriving at school—ruined by Kang Jae-hyeok.
'If he interferes again, I'll cripple him next time.'
"Ahh, so beautiful today too..."
"She shines even in the dark. Nobility maxed out."
While the boys ground their teeth imagining Jae-hyeok, the girls gazed rapturously at the silver-haired boy.
Shin Ra-kyung.
Heir to the Silla Ducal House, Korea's top noble family.
Thanks to one founder bearing a Western "la," the boy blended East and West in appearance, more beautiful than most women—a stunning pretty boy.
His usual blank expression and icy blue eyes gave a cold impression, but even that enhanced his allure.
"..."
Unfazed by the commotion, Shin Ra-kyung had his eyes closed.
House Silla's bloodline skill was as formidable as House Baos's.
He was Korea's National Treasure Candidate.
Destined for National Treasure status from the moment he awakened his bloodline skill.
Shin Ra-kyung's sole reason for enrolling in Lion's Castle?
To search and clear the [quest] no one had uncovered in 200 years.
The issue: no results since enrollment.
He'd scoured every corner of the Gate nightly, finding zero clues.
Lion's Castle's sheer scale was the primary problem.
A Gate of island-unit size, after all.
"Everyone's morale is sky-high. Excellent!"
The notoriously oblivious Class A homeroom teacher interpreted the students' uproar to his liking.
"Checks all perfect, right? Alright, go wild! Sweep away every monster in sight!"
"Yes!"
The students dispersed orderly into the forest.
Class A, Korea's future, regained eerie calm at training's start, leaping swamps and massacring monsters.
***
Finishing morning classes, Kim Jin-myeong stared into the mirror with despair. Dark circles under his eyes. Worn thin in just a week since Jae-hyeok transferred.
'That damn "but" of his, fuck.'
He could still hear the phantom voice.
"But," "Why?," "Who doesn't know that?," "I don't know."
Jae-hyeok's spiteful voice clung to his ears like scabs.
Hard to call out his attitude.
His intent was always crystal clear in his words.
Jae-hyeok focused diligently in class.
The boy's questions thirsted purely for knowledge. He ruthlessly rejected useless info to draw out valuables, doggedly probed unclear parts until understood, and tackled tangents like reining a horse.
A model student, in short.
Just annoyingly thick-faced and rude.
"You look beat. Heard House Kang's youngest young lord caused a huge stir on his first day—still going strong after a week?"
E-Class homeroom Ji Ye-seul offered an energy drink as she asked.
A rare teacher who didn't shun guild出身 Kim Jin-myeong.
"That kid's got a temper that's too much to handle. Haha, thanks, I'll drink it well."
"He's sly. Knows he won't get more demerits from you and's abusing it. This isn't a normal school—no duty to reform delinquents. Bring up Kang Jae-hyeok's discipline at the staff meeting. If others pile on demerits, expulsion's easy."
"Um... Teacher Ji. Expelling a student isn't that simple. Even staff meeting decisions need principal and chairman approval."
"If principal and staff all push, won't the chairman sign off?"
'What?'
Kim Jin-myeong felt an odd disconnect. Sounded awfully sure the principal was on their side.
No other teacher had even dealt with Jae-hyeok yet—himself the only one handling his classes.
How were they discussing expulsion already? Bizarre.
'...Yaksha's son.'
Seemed the association出身 teachers had orders from some bigwig.
Guessing the situation, Kim Jin-myeong smiled wryly.
"Expulsion talk now is nonsense. What has Kang Jae-hyeok done so wrong? Temper's bad, sure, but he studies hard."
"Is studying key? A fine player's top virtue is character, not knowledge or power."
Ji Ye-seul looked disgusted.
"Kang Jae-hyeok's already at 20 demerits? In just a week since enrollment... House Kang blood runs true."
'Those 20 points... were from one day, not a week.'
"If that vicious kid keeps tormenting you, can you endure? No need to take the stress."
"I'll endure. My fault first."
"Huh?"
"Thanks for worrying, but he's my student—I'll handle it."
Kim Jin-myeong still disliked Jae-hyeok.
But he couldn't just resent or hate.
Self-inflicted. Something to be guilty about.
Mumbling about poor home education.
That impulsive outburst in anger—imagining the nail it drove into the young boy's heart horrified him every time.
'I've hit rock bottom too.'
Duke Kang Dae-guk darkening the nation's future was fact.
House Kang producing two criminals was fact too.
But what did that have to do with Kang Jae-hyeok?
At the incidents, he was just an 8-year-old child.
Pious boy caring for his father in absent brothers' stead, training solo to awaken with high stats.
Yet knowing his family history, I'd spew such nonsense...
As a teacher—no, as a person, utterly inexcusable.
"Is that so...? As expected of Teacher Kim. No wonder active players visit with flowers on Teacher's Day."
"Haha..."
That kid and his flowers.
If claiming discipleship enough to remember Teacher's Day, at least give useful gifts like cash.
Having such mercenary thoughts, worrying over performance eval at his transfer...
All because I'm the warped one.
Heart bitter, Kim Jin-myeong headed out for a smoke.
Sighing at this month's hospital bill text, he glanced toward the field.
"I'm small? I'm small? Kyaaaaack!!"
"Not talking to you, you psycho!"
"..."
That red-faced tiny one—second-year Baek Do-jin.
Impressive guy. Never rests even in breaks, chasing classmates to beat. Same since first year.
Would Kang Jae-hyeok stay consistent till second year...?
'Come to think, he clashed with that kid?'
Relief washed over him that Jae-hyeok and Baek Do-jin didn't clique but clashed.
Lighter-hearted, Kim Jin-myeong chuckled dryly.
Meanwhile.
"Useless fool's deep in teacher play."
"Typical guild rat mental gymnastics. Now what? Chairman won't budge without homeroom's defense."
"Stick to original plan—use joint training. With a temper rivaling Kang Dae-seong's rabid dog, a little prod and he'll screw up."
Right after Kim Jin-myeong left the staff room, clustered teachers whispered coldly.