Chapter 311
Chapter 311
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 311
Chapter Title: Can't Just Let Them Go
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Near the portal, in a deserted clearing devoid of people.
“Ughhh…….”
“Guhk, guhek!”
Three old men were gasping for breath.
Sweat poured down their bodies like rain, and their faces were swollen like steamed buns.
They'd lived quite long lives, but had they ever been beaten like this before?
It was a first since birth.
Arin truly didn't hold back.
There was no such thing as respect for elders with her.
'Well... even if she looks like that, she's a skeleton at heart, right? Bones don't care about elder respect.'
In fact, just moments ago, Usher had vowed to never forget this humiliation and pay it back.
But strangely enough.
The more he got hit, the more those thoughts faded away.
Why?
"Come on, let me ask again~"
Because of that insane woman over there.
Grinning slyly as she questioned them: Kim Jin-ah.
"What do you all plan to do once you get out of here?"
A short question, but one loaded with meaning.
The elders thrashed desperately, truly fighting for survival.
“Gaaah! I-I swear, I'll never utter the 'Star' in Star Heaven again for the rest of my life! I'll live like a dead rat! I mean it!”
“Please, please....... What slander?! I'll post praises for Star Heaven three times a day, every meal, until I die! I promise!”
“Volunteering! I'll volunteer for the weak!”
The elders' attitudes flipped completely.
But every time.
"Lies."
One annoying voice.
Whiiiing!
Hundreds of energy bolts materialized in the air again.
Kim Jin-ah smiled brightly.
"Whew, you still haven't come to your senses. Hmm, that's weird. I heard beatings work on animals. Guess it hasn't sunk in yet?"
With devilish mutterings.
Kugugagaga!
Arin's staff shook once more.
“P-Please.”
“No, it's true! It's truuuue!”
No matter how sincerely they shouted, there was no mercy.
Neither from Kim Jin-ah nor Arin.
They trusted that [Lies] verdict 100% over the elders' words.
Pukpukpukpuk!
Arin's energy bolts poured down again.
All the elders screamed.
“Aaaah! Spare us! Great Sorceress! Vice Guild Leader of Great Star Heaven!”
“Vice Guild Leader of Great Star Heaven can go to hell....... You're not even a ranker, just a loudmouthed hunter nobody?”
Quoting back exactly what Usher had said earlier.
“Vice Guild Leader...... I was wrong earlier, please stop this beating!”
“No, why do you keep calling me Vice Guild Leader? I'm just a hunter nobody, I told you!”
“Th-Then! Hunter nobody! Please spare us!”
“Huh? Are you crazy? Who calls someone a hunter nobody to their face? Wow, this won't do. You need more beating.”
“What the......! You crazy bitch, stop!”
“Oh my, cursing now? Arin! Arin!”
“Yes.”
“Double it on that bastard! He hasn't had enough.”
“Got it.”
“Gu, guaaaah!”
Usher, who cursed, got a concentrated barrage.
His body spun like a drum in a washing machine, not even touching the ground, pummeled by energy bolts.
“Kyak...... Khek!”
Kwon Sun-ji and Kwon Tam-jee, watching, broke out in cold sweat.
'Vice Guild Leader. Impressive.'
'Never make her an enemy. She beats thoroughly when she beats.'
'Well....... Star Heaven is her whole life.'
Truthfully, the Kwon sisters weren't used to this situation.
They'd only heard about Star Heaven's recent rise around the time that damn church oppa spilled it.
'Anyway.'
Who were those getting beaten in front of them?
Ranked 75th, 92nd, and 102nd respectively.
Top 100 rankers among rankers.
For such rankers to get beaten without fighting back......
Yeah, after Arin smashed the rank 4, that was natural......
'Huh?'
Wait.
That didn't make complete sense either?
Anyway.
'This group really is insane.......'
Arin beating former Magic Tower elders expressionlessly.
Kim Jin-ah mocking beside her without a shred of pity.
'And.'
Kwon Sun-ji glanced sideways.
"Lies!"
"Lies!"
"Eh? Again, lies?"
Her little sister Kwon Tam-jee, now seemingly enjoying it, sticking out her tongue slightly as she called [Lies].
'Is this right?'
Kwon Sun-ji's body shivered as if struck by chills.
It felt just like hanging with schoolyard thugs bullying the weak back in her student days.
How much time passed like that?
“Huhuhk, it's true! From now on, I won't even pee near Star Heaven.”
“Kuhuhuk! Not just slander, I won't even mention the 'Star' in Star Heaven......! Kuhlok!”
“What I said earlier. I swear on my life I won't do it. I'll live oblivious to Star Heaven forever! It's true!”
Even as they neared death, their earnest pleas rang out.
"......Whew. It's true this time."
Kwon Tam-jee's reluctant voice came, smacking her lips.
To them, it sounded like an angel's beautiful song.
* * *
If you try to harm someone, you should know you might get harmed in return.
Like legitimate self-defense in criminal law.
There are even legal protections for it, right?
Truthfully, even after getting beaten half to death, they had no grounds to feel wronged.
Any other guild would have them prepared for death.
But.
'......Even so.'
'Beating elders half to death? Tch, no basic morals.'
'I nearly died for real....... Never set foot near Star Heaven again. Gotta leave Korea fast.'
The former elders, beaten to the brink of death and released, exchanged no words.
Shame was secondary; those crazy bitches were the issue.
The future-predicting crazy bitch and the truth-lie-judging crazy bitch.
What if they said something here and those two came back swinging?
They couldn't relive that hell.
They hurried to the portal.
Passing Lake Baekunho's 「Dr. El Workshop」, they rushed to the airport.
Vroom!
In a luxury taxi hailed on the roadside.
"......At least we're lucky."
Perhaps relieved by the distance, Damian spoke first.
"We survived that horrific beating. Ugh, my whole body still aches."
“Whew, that inhuman bitch...... Ah, no. Folks...... We held up well.”
Brandon glanced around warily, lest anyone hear, and smacked his own mouth.
“......”
Usher just kept his mouth shut, face grim.
What they said to her was true.
Far from slandering Star Heaven, they really planned to cut all ties.
But that didn't quench the anger.
How did it come to this?
Kicked from the Magic Tower, publicly humiliated before the world.
Now beaten to the point of wanting death.
'At least one consolation.'
Kim Jin-ah.
That notoriously ruthless woman let them live.
Well, Star Heaven had to mind the eyes of otherworldly folk.
If three elders died right after Star Demon War ended?
That'd stir up its own buzz.
They probably didn't want attention after beautifully closing Star Demon War.
“Whew.”
Wronged.
Furious.
But no choice.
That fact only fueled more rage.
“Incheon International Airport.”
Hearing the driver's announcement, the three elders got out.
“Whew, let's go.”
“Hurry and leave. This damn place.......”
They rushed into the airport.
No time for leisure; they planned the fastest immigration possible.
But.
“Huh?”
Brandon, walking briskly, stopped with a blank look.
“Hurry up, what are you...... Hm?”
“Ehhh?”
The other former elders halted mid-stride too.
Because.
The very situation they'd feared unfolded before them.
“Ah, Arin?”
“Great Sorceress?! Wh-What brings you all the way here......?”
Yes.
Standing before them was none other than Eloise Arin.
She thought.
'These are enemies.'
Thud!
She bounced her staff off the ground.
'Professor doesn't leave threats when dealing with enemies.'
Professor repays favors double, but grudges tenfold or more.
And these dared slander Professor's group, Star Heaven.
Even if they'd changed their minds now, human hearts change with time, don't they?
['Mana Explosion' (SS Grade) activates.]
Woooong!
The aura bursting from her pierced the former elders' hearts.
[Seals the target's mana.]
[Cannot use magic until seal releases.]
“Gu, guak?”
“Wh-What is this......!”
“No...... Don't use magic?”
Vice Guild Leader seemed to forgive with a brief beating, but I think differently.
If you touched Professor?
You pay the full price.
"Why?"
Arin smiled softly.
"Got a problem?"
Whiiiing!
Dozens of energy bolts materialized in the air.
The dreaded energy bolts.
“......”
With that in front, of course no complaints.
No, complaints aplenty, but couldn't voice them.
“N-No complaints!”
“Ah, ahahaha, ma...... mana sealed, huh.”
“We should be grateful just to live, ri-right? Ahaha, yes, yes.”
Arin nodded pleased.
"Right? Try living normally without mana from now on."
Like her past self, talentless days.
"If you've done evil, pay for it. If you've done good, that karma returns now."
Karma, reaping what you sow.
This chance, they'll harvest what they've sown.
"Then, bye. Let's never meet again."
Sss!
Arin vanished into thin air with another smile.
"Never meet again" meant no plans to ever unseal their mana.
'Damn it all!'
'Shit!'
'Life ruined.'
The former elders didn't dare curse aloud, just in case.
A wretched end.
For those who denied to the end and insulted Star Heaven.
* * *
After Star Demon War ended.
The Magic Tower Lord and Great Elder admitted cleanly.
[Magic Tower Lord Sophia: "Star Heaven is above us. We'll humbly learn going forward."]
[Great Elder Kynard, Star Heaven defection rumors? Baseless. "I'd die before leaving as Magic Tower Great Elder!"]
Admitting defeat neatly, yet declaring they'd continue leading Oxford.
A group's survival doesn't require being the absolute best in their field.
Otherwise, only one guild or company per field worldwide.
Star Heaven only takes rankers anyway.
Thus, for magic basics, nowhere beats the Magic Tower.
No need to dismantle it just for losing to Star Heaven.
- Thanks, Joo Dong-hoon. For the new world experience. Magic Tower remains Star Heaven's eternal ally, as always.
Instead, recalibrating positions this chance.
Planning greater growth with Star Heaven's help.
And I.
Closed off completely, focusing on myriad techniques' basics.
'Gotta get stronger fast.'
Surpassed Magic Tower Lord, settled at world rank 4.
Now left: Haseera and Jack Smith.
And the unknown question mark lump.
Not much remains now.
World rank 1.
Until achieving my set goal.
Cutting sleep, daily establishing new techniques' basics, time flew by.
Learning myriad techniques from the old man's introductions and all I wanted.
Before I knew.
"Impressive......"
Old Man Myriad exclaimed.
Not polite flattery.
Genuine awe.
"I figured a year was short, but already this far....... One more day, just one day left. You rascal."
“Whew.”
I took a short deep breath.
Hoooooo.
Profound energy in that brief breath.
Not just any energy.
Pure, my own energy, forged stacking basics one by one.
Yes.
Achieving 99% myriad techniques, I mastered all techniques' basics.
No, precisely one day before mastery.
But even so, I felt my energy's 'quality' had changed.
Not absolute quantity increase.
Same energy, yet purer, denser than others'.
I slowly looked up at the sky.
There, a message floated.
[Kim Jin-ah: Guild Master!]
[Kim Jin-ah: You know tomorrow's world ranker announcement, right?]
[Kim Jin-ah: No training then! Come out and enjoy the festival!]
[Kim Jin-ah: Guild Master has to show his face at least once!]
'Time already?'
Yes.
Tomorrow was the last day of 2024.
One day before the world ranker announcement.