Chapter 66
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Worm
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A month?
Did I just mishear that?
"...What did you say?"
Clinging to that faint hope, he asked again, but the response shattered Bihyeong's expectations completely.
"Didn't hear me? I said a month."
What the hell was this?
He'd clearly chosen the 'book' with the outside world's time flow in mind.
At that moment, a voice spoke directly into Bihyeong's mind.
'It... seems to be my fault, milord.'
It was Liliet.
He turned his head, but she was nowhere to be seen—she must have already slipped back into the Committee Chair's body.
Made sense. She couldn't just stand out in the open in a situation like this.
'What do you mean?'
'Because I descended upon you, it looks like the rules you set got twisted. That created a gap in the time flow ratio compared to the real world... a loophole, it seems.'
In short...
'It should have been one day outside, but the loophole made it roughly 4:1?'
Meaning, for every four hours that passed out there, only one hour passed here.
'What the...'
A bolt from the blue on a clear sky?
Whether Bihyeong's bewildered feelings transmitted across, Liliet replied in a slightly subdued voice.
'I'm sorry... I never meant for that to happen.'
Bihyeong could sense the sincerity in her tone.
'...Whatever. It's done now. No point dwelling on it.'
She seemed genuinely apologetic, so he decided to let it slide without further comment.
'Anyway.'
Bihyeong looked around.
'There sure are a lot of them.'
Alcohol barriers set up like barricades. Faculty members and unfamiliar faces encircling them.
At a glance, they looked like they'd rushed here after sensing some incident had occurred.
The supervising professor spoke in disbelief.
"First the Committee Chair and you vanish without a trace. We even called in the Association for help searching, but not a single clue. Then we hear the Library Yokai went berserk, so we all gather... and out you pop. What the hell?"
"Uh... well, you see..."
Bihyeong was at a loss for an excuse.
At that moment, the Committee Chair stood up, bowed to the gathered professors.
"I had borrowed my junior's hands to sort and manage the forbidden books in the library. But we got caught up in the sudden rampage."
The crowd murmured at the Chair's words.
He'd thought they were verifying the truth, but most were simply worried about him and the Chair.
The picture of true mentorship.
"...You okay?"
Bihyeong's supervising professor asked that first and foremost.
"Yes. Doesn't seem like anything's wrong."
"Good. Still, both of you get full checkups. Yokai domains often contaminate or infect without you realizing."
"Yes, sir."
"More importantly..."
The supervising professor glanced between the Chair and Bihyeong.
"Like I said earlier, after you two went missing, the Academy launched a search immediately. No results after two weeks, so we requested Association support."
He'd just heard that.
Even with the Exorcist Association stepping in, they hadn't found them. The puzzlement was plain.
"How is that even possible?"
The professor scanned the library surroundings.
"Witnesses said this was your last known location, so we tore through the forbidden books."
Yet not a single clue or trace related to them.
And now the Library Yokai rampages, and out come the two of them?
'Doppleganger? Nah, doesn't feel like that type.'
The auras from the two were within expected bounds.
...No, actually. Top student Bihyeong felt even more refined and stronger somehow.
"You two. Write up a report on what happened inside and submit it later."
"Understood."
As the Chair and Bihyeong bowed their heads, the professor nodded and addressed the crowd.
"Alright, everyone, disperse. Sorry to pull you from classes in full swing. But we saved the kids, so drinks on me."
Laughter rippled through the group at his jest.
Soon, the professors and Association members filed out en masse.
Just as everyone was leaving...
"Elder Council Leader, and the rest of you old Council fogies—stick around."
The professor singled them out.
"...Shin-hu. Have you lost your mind? Who do you think you're ordering around?"
So the supervising professor's name was Shin-hu.
As Bihyeong glanced at him upon learning this, a sly grin crept across Shin-hu's face as he continued.
"My elders, you're trying to slip away without settling something important, so I had to call you back. Why the sour faces?"
"......"
The Elders said nothing outright, but their faces were etched with bitterness.
Why's this lunatic stirring trouble again?
Their thoughts were plain as day.
Soon, Shin-hu spoke in a cheerful tone.
"Ah, no need for those looks. Just calling you for something obvious."
"...What is it?"
"About compensation."
Shin-hu's finger pointed alternately at the Chair and Bihyeong.
"These kids suffered due to clear Academy negligence. Right?"
Asking the Elder Leader, the man slowly nodded.
"Correct. With tighter management, we could've handled the Yokai's movements and this sudden variable."
They'd subdued the Yokai already. As long as the forbidden books weren't allowed to merge,
they'd deemed it safe if that was maintained.
The Library Yokai had no real intelligence, and splitting the books exponentially weakened it.
"Not to mention, the Association Leader personally subdued it, so everyone here relaxed. 'Ah, if he handled it, no worries...' Right?"
Shin-hu scanned the Elders. No one answered.
Heads bowed, red ears betraying their shame.
'...Association Leader.'
Bihyeong suddenly recalled the Association Leader from the novel's settings.
'Never seen him in person, but... insanely strong, right?'
Melee combat to spells, barriers, subjugation, purification.
Maxed proficiency in every field, wielded fluidly to carve his own unique path.
'When I got the main story quest to become the strongest exorcist, no one cleared him.'
Including Bihyeong and all the veteran players.
'Figured the reason was this hidden Association Leader.'
Thinking it over again, the guy was a monster.
How does one human reach the apex in so many diverse fields in a single lifetime?
'...Maybe dipping into mythic territory?'
Couldn't confirm without seeing him, but half-suspected it.
Even characters who'd hit Hierarchy Rank 9 or soloed three great clans fell short of him.
As Bihyeong pondered this,
Shin-hu eyed the Elder Council seniors.
"So, you still think it's not the Academy's fault?"
One elder stepped forward then.
The Elder Leader.
His cold gaze swept the surroundings.
When it landed on the Chair and Bihyeong,
surprisingly flustered words escaped him.
"I'm sorry."
"...Pardon?"
"Shin-hu's right. It's unequivocally our fault. I apologize to you both."
Bowing deeply, Bihyeong was momentarily speechless.
'This is the Elder Leader? That ice-cold, impenetrable bastard tougher than any fortress wall?'
Such a man offering a sincere apology.
It struck a chord deeply.
"...No need."
"Thank you for your forgiveness."
Straightening, he fixed his gaze on Chair Eun-ha and Bihyeong.
"The Academy will provide separate compensation. If there's something you want, we'll procure it. Otherwise, something precious from our stores."
"Ah, yes..."
"We've held them long enough. Shin-hu, get these kids to the infirmary now."
"You got it."
Shin-hu seemed pleased with the Leader's demeanor; his earlier edge vanished.
Grinning broadly, he hoisted Bihyeong and the Chair with energy and moved out.
Tat-tat-tat!
Dashing swiftly down the hall to the infirmary, Shin-hu handed them off for checkups.
Soon after, they were declared fine but advised to rest.
"I'll mark you for sick leave for a while. Take the break."
Shin-hu dragged a chair beside Bihyeong's bed and plopped down.
Bihyeong looked at him.
"No class?"
"Grabbed a sub. Don't worry."
"Who?"
"Runner-up."
"...Huh?"
Mi-na? Why her?
As Bihyeong blinked in confusion, Shin-hu chuckled.
"You know she had pure venom in her eyes after you vanished? Scary as hell."
His expression sobered immediately after.
"Cadet Bihyeong."
"Yes."
"Remember those files you gave me before?"
He did.
Right before heading to meet the Chair senior.
But why bring it up?
"Something happen?"
Staring at Bihyeong's face, Shin-hu casually relaxed his features again.
"Just testing the weight, man. Nothing happened."
We saved everyone on that list, and they asked me to pass on their thanks.
"Just wanted to relay that."
"I see."
"Yeah."
With that, Shin-hu stood.
"Tch. Got a sub, but still a professor—better check in."
Heading out.
With a wave, he left the infirmary.
The moment he passed the hall,
his face hardened once more.
'...Tch. How to tell him we couldn't save them all. To the poor kid.'
No, precisely: the instant he got the list, he'd forsaken sleep to rescue those people.
Managed to save all the remaining families of the sacrificed kids, but...
'They all killed themselves midway.'
No spells involved in the process.
Just a chill death aura seeping through innate energy gaps.
'And... I felt that aura back then too.'
Ten years ago.
When the Association investigated mass abductions on a grand scale.
Shin-hu had taken the request and gone to assist,
a desolate cave. Blood-soaked walls discovered there.
The foul blood aura sensed within matched traces from the suicide corpses.
Shin-hu's eyes chilled.
Dark corners untouched by light.
Seemed like,
'Worms wriggling in the shadows.'
New worms laying eggs.