Chapter 115
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Lucas (4)
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“...”
Kang Ju-young had no answer to the question of why she needed to tell him.
To a third party, it might have seemed curt, but given the relationship between the Destroyer and Kang Ju-young, this was perfectly fitting.
“His innate ability is that dangerous. Show mercy just this once.”
“Mercy...”
In truth, the reason I’d been able to attack Lucas was thanks to some underhanded trick.
“As you say, I’ll show him mercy. Why didn’t he attack while time was stopped? Think about that.”
If Lucas had slashed at me while time was frozen, he could have won easily.
But every time he attacked, he released the time stop—and when I pointed that out, Kang Ju-young fell deep into thought.
“Does that mean he can’t attack while time is stopped?”
To be precise, time stop didn’t activate if he made contact with another person.
So, I’d secretly spread the power of shadows I’d gained from the fourth world, binding his feet to the ground.
Even moving the shadows with my will to grab his feet counted as physical contact, preventing him from using time stop.
“That should be enough for you to figure out the rest.”
“...”
I’d basically handed her all the answers, but Kang Ju-young still wore a troubled expression, clearly not piecing it together yet.
‘No way she doesn’t get it, right?’
I trusted she wouldn’t.
Kang Ju-young was talent with a potential of 89, after all.
“No, it seems he can’t make contact with others while time is stopped.”
Thankfully, my worries proved unfounded as she arrived at the correct conclusion.
I’d been subtly paying attention to that detail myself and let out a quiet sigh of relief inside.
“But contact is the key issue. Destroyer, how did you manage to touch him?”
“No reason to tell you that much.”
Of course, I couldn’t reveal the power of shadows to Kang Ju-young.
I brushed it off with those words and turned toward the approaching healer I controlled.
“She’s here.”
Kang Ju-young followed my gaze and looked at the healer under my command as well.
“Healer...”
She murmured the word softly, a faint spark of delight crossing her face.
Seeing that, I manipulated both the Destroyer and the healer to put on a convincing performance.
“Is it all done?”
I spoke first as the healer.
The Destroyer responded grudgingly about Lucas.
“He got away. That damn innate ability of his.”
“Innate ability?”
“Time stop. I could’ve caught him if he hadn’t run, but he slipped away fast.”
“So, you took my trust and botched the job, letting him escape.”
Kang Ju-young shot the healer a look that screamed, What makes you think I’d buy that?
From her perspective, the Destroyer could send the healer to the afterlife with a single punch, so her reaction made sense.
“Anyway, heal me up.”
As the healer, I cleanly treated the curse embedded in the Destroyer’s body along with his wounds.
Even the curse Lee Seojun called the Jar of Resentful Souls wasn’t particularly hard to dispel.
“You should be good as new now.”
“Not bad.”
Once I’d healed the Destroyer’s curse and injuries as the healer, Kang Ju-young stepped forward right away.
“Healer. If it’s not too much trouble, can you save Joo Tae-ho and the instructors?”
“I’d love to say no strings attached... but their goal seems to be me, so I’ll do it.”
From the previous raid to this one, the villains’ objective had been capturing the healer.
Since I was the cause, I couldn’t exactly demand payment this time, so I approached Joo Tae-ho’s corpse as the corpse control wore off and he slumped to the ground.
‘Feels like it’s been over five or six hours.’
The healer’s [Complete Resurrection] could only revive those dead for less than five or six hours.
I figured it wouldn’t work this time, but since Lucas might have attacked early in the morning, I decided to try.
‘Complete Resurrection.’
Fwaah!
The healer’s hand and Joo Tae-ho’s body flashed with light, but as expected, he didn’t revive.
“...”
“...”
Kang Ju-young alternated between me standing silently and Joo Tae-ho showing no reaction, then spoke up immediately.
“Healer. What’s the result?”
“It failed. Looks like it’s been five or six hours since he died.”
“Five or six hours already?”
“My resurrection only works on those who died within that timeframe.”
Thud.
She interpreted it as no chance to revive Joo Tae-ho and collapsed as if her legs had given out.
But as I’d mentioned before, with certain processes, revival was possible even after five or six hours.
“Do you want to revive him no matter what?”
“...What do you mean?”
“It’s possible if I make a small sacrifice.”
At the word “sacrifice,” Kang Ju-young stared at me blankly for a moment before pleading.
“Please... Joo Tae-ho isn’t someone meant to go like this.”
“Fine. Destroyer, when were you planning to head back?”
“I was about to leave anyway.”
I decided to send the Destroyer back to where he belonged.
He claimed he was planning to go anyway, then casually walked out of the Hero Officer Academy.
‘That settles the Destroyer.’
I planned to move to a secluded spot right after leaving the academy and use spatial transfer.
But Joo Tae-ho and the instructors were still dead, and reviving them all would take at least a few days. I sighed at the thought.
‘Damn Lucas. Without time stop, I could’ve ended it easily.’
Up until now, I’d thought my and Lee Seojun’s innate abilities were cheat-level.
I hadn’t expected someone with something even more broken, leaving me no choice but to bide my time.
‘Next time we meet, I’ll kill him.’
Of course, realizing his time stop had been countered, he probably wouldn’t show up easily.
And if he did, he’d come prepared to definitely kill the Destroyer. With that in mind, I secured Joo Tae-ho’s corpse first.
Lucas used his innate ability [Time Stop] to safely escape the Hero Officer Academy.
The barrier around the academy’s perimeter had seals, and the main gate was lined with surveillance cameras, but they were useless.
By stopping time and moving, nothing—not cameras or anything else—could capture his image. Lucas slipped out without any trouble.
‘Even so, this was nothing but a loss.’
He hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the healer’s face.
On top of that, fighting the Destroyer had exposed his innate ability, and he’d lost his artifact.
‘Somehow, I feel like we’ll clash again.’
Lucas acknowledged the Destroyer’s power enough to admit he’d been forced to flee.
Not only did he possess strength surpassing anyone in the world, but he’d even figured out how to counter time stop.
With that level of skill, a clash was inevitable sooner or later. Wearing a grave expression, Lucas contacted Ivy right away.
-Yes, Boss. Are you all done now?
Ivy, upon receiving the call, didn’t even consider the possibility of failure and asked if it was over.
It was a natural reaction—Lucas had never failed once in anything he’d undertaken.
“No, it was a failure.”
-...You’re saying you failed, Boss?
“The Destroyer showed up. I let him land two attacks on me.”
Ivy gasped in shock.
Lucas recalled the first time he’d stabbed his sword into the Destroyer’s heart.
Back then, the sword was nearly pulled out when he was hit, so he couldn’t use time stop.
‘At first, I thought it was just bad luck.’
Who could’ve known he’d stay fine even with a sword through his heart?
Realizing the Destroyer’s regeneration was abnormal, Lucas had even used the Jar of Resentful Souls.
‘But the second time is still a mystery.’
Why hadn’t time stop activated?
Even Lucas had no idea that Lee Seongmin had used the power of shadows without anyone noticing.
“He must’ve found a way to counter time stop. Ivy, investigate the Destroyer and the healer.”
-Understood. Lydia’s not here, so it might take time—please bear with us.
“Fine.”
With that, Lucas ended the call with Ivy and turned his head for a moment.
Specifically, toward the Hero Officer Academy. Thinking of the Destroyer, he mused.
‘Next time, it won’t end like this.’
‘It’s all over now, but...’
After manipulating the Destroyer and healer to resolve and clean up the situation, I looked around the deserted island.
A few of my close friends from the 2nd and 3rd years meant the news of the villain raid spread like wildfire among the students.
“Villains broke into the school and killed every single instructor?”
“Wasn’t there a raid just a few days ago? How are they back already?”
“Maybe we should quit the school? If villains keep swarming us, we won’t survive.”
“What do villains even want with the Hero Officer Academy anyway?”
Thanks to me, I listened to the students buzzing endlessly and wondered how long I had to stick around.
Tap tap.
“...?”
Then someone tapped my shoulder.
Turning around, I saw Cheon Seo-yun staring straight at me.
“What’re you thinking about?”
“Wondering when I can head back. Why?”
“You’re not quitting the school, right?”
Perhaps because some students were talking about dropping out, Cheon Seo-yun asked me about it.
Honestly, there wasn’t much gain in continuing school, but I had no intention of quitting either.
“Why would I quit?”
“Okay.”
She nodded as if that settled it and quietly took a seat beside me.
And so, Cheon Seo-yun and I silently watched the deserted island scenery and the chattering students until the rest of the club arrived.