Chapter 131
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Event (5)
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Regardless of Lee Seojun's expression, the apostle's body, which Joo Tae-ho had sliced into pieces, thankfully didn't regenerate. Instead, it turned to blood and vanished.
"As expected, it's impressive."
Joo Tae-ho looked at the pure white sword he'd summoned mid-battle and murmured his approval.
With that, he made the gleaming white sword disappear again, scanned the surroundings, and spoke up.
"More importantly, who was controlling this sword?"
Several people turned to look at me and Cheon Seo-yun when Joo Tae-ho asked.
I'd been manipulating the sword to attack the apostle even before everyone gathered, so they probably suspected it was me or Cheon Seo-yun.
"Was it you? I never imagined a cadet would take on something like that."
Following their gazes, Joo Tae-ho looked at us with surprise.
It made sense—he was shocked because it wasn't a monster for cadets to handle—but the unwanted attention irked me.
"......The monster was just stupid. At first, it only went after the sword I was controlling."
"No need to be modest. I saw the sword embedded in its body. Never thought a cadet could land that blow."
Joo Tae-ho chuckled good-naturedly, praised me as if it were impressive, and expressed his gratitude.
"In any case, thanks to you, we minimized the damage. I'm grateful, but try to hold back next time."
"Yes, sir."
He probably thought I'd recklessly engaged the monster as a cadet.
I wouldn't have fought so openly if Geneva hadn't targeted only Cheon Seo-yun.
"That said, the results were good, so a reward is in order. Tell me your names."
"Lee Seongmin. And next to me is Cheon Seo-yun."
"Cheon Seo-yun?"
When I introduced Cheon Seo-yun as well, Joo Tae-ho glanced at her with slight surprise.
He seemed to know her, so I waited quietly. Sure enough, he brought it up.
"You're Cheon Ji-han's daughter. I heard he called you the greatest talent in Heavenly Sword Dance history."
"......"
Cheon Seo-yun's face twisted ever so slightly—she clearly hated hearing that.
"Doesn't sound like empty words to me."
Joo Tae-ho noticed her reaction and dropped the topic, turning to organize the scene.
"Instructors, collect the monster's remains and send the cadets back."
"Understood."
The instructors responded immediately, dividing up to gather the corpse and dismiss the cadets.
I also overheard whispers about Joo Tae-ho from somewhere as the instructors moved.
"I heard rumors he was cursed and in seclusion, but he looks fine."
"Maybe a healer fixed him? That instructor who was said to be dead showed up fine too."
"Wasn't that death rumor fake?"
"Might not be. And someone saw a healer at the academy during break."
It was inevitable, but the rumors had spread far and wide.
Considering how many people the healer had revived, it would've been weirder if they hadn't.
"Hm. Anyway, I'll give you two 500 points each as a reward. Buy some tasty snacks from the school shops."
"500 points?"
"I don't know the prices in the school stores, but 500 should let you eat your fill."
Joo Tae-ho tossed us 500 points each like a grandfather giving pocket money to his grandkids.
Neither Cheon Seo-yun nor I were the type to refuse sudden windfalls, so we accepted quietly.
"Yes. Thank you."
"Problem is, I can't give them to you right now. I'll tell Kang Ju-young later. You should get them by dinner at the latest."
"......?"
I'd planned to save up a bit more with these 500 points to buy an Ice Spirit Stone or Thunder Spirit Stone.
Cheon Seo-yun might just use hers for training, but I figured spirits suited me better than that.
'Through Kang Ju-young, though?'
The issue was that the points would come via Kang Ju-young.
She knew I could summon food, so I doubted she'd hand them over easily.
"Couldn't you give them now?"
Joo Tae-ho smiled warmly.
"Eager, are we? As I said, no way to do it right now. If you aspire to be a hero, learn some patience."
"......"
Honestly, I could've waited a day or two for 500 points.
'It's because it's through Kang Ju-young.'
Still, considering how loyal Kang Ju-young was to Joo Tae-ho, she might give them.
His demeanor made it clear pushing further was pointless, so I nodded.
"Yes. I'll wait."
"Go rest up."
I exchanged farewells and headed to the clubroom with Cheon Seo-yun.
She walked beside me, her eyes saying she had a ton of questions.
"What's up?"
"Lee Seongmin. You could've taken that monster earlier, right?"
Her blunt question left me at a loss.
"If I'd gone all out, maybe?"
"That was going all out?"
"For just now, yeah."
Living at this academy, I hadn't planned to reveal my full strength.
I'd only done it to save Cheon Seo-yun, so it was overkill for me.
'Not exactly a lie, if you think about it.'
As I rationalized it to myself, Cheon Seo-yun stared at me intently.
She seemed to be checking if I was lying, but since it wasn't 100% false, I felt fine.
"Got it."
Thankfully, she let it slide.
"More importantly, Lee Seongmin, did you feel it too?"
"Feel what?"
"A massive gaze from the sky."
So Cheon Seo-yun had sensed Geneva's gaze too.
I could because my body and soul had reached Transcendent level, but it was impressive she had.
"Gaze? Kinda, I guess."
No need to confirm it and stir up needless anxiety.
I answered vaguely, and she stared at me again.
"You didn't feel it?"
"Dunno. Seems like no one else did."
Cheon Seo-yun suddenly stopped on our way to the clubroom.
I halted and turned. Her expression was complicated as she spoke.
"I'll head to the dorm."
"Dorm?"
"Yeah."
With that short reply, she spun around and headed for the dorms.
I wasn't sure, but she looked angry at me.
'Should I have admitted I definitely felt the gaze?'
Anyway, with Cheon Seo-yun gone, I could talk freely with Lee Seojun.
I had questions, but he needed to know too, so I started with the clubroom incident.
"Like Cheon Seo-yun said earlier in the clubroom, I felt a massive gaze. My guess is it was Geneva."
-A gaze? Since the Geneva apostle showed up right after, yeah, probably.
"Feels like a random event, right?"
-Yeah. Even just a gaze at this point doesn't make sense for Geneva.
In terms of the game Lee Seojun played before coming here, it was like the final boss popping up from the start.
Absurd, but it happened, so I moved on and told him the rest.
"The problem is, it seemed to want Cheon Seo-yun."
-Cheon Seo-yun? Her talent does make her······ Ah, so the apostle came to claim her.
"Probably. But what does 'claim' mean?"
-Exactly that—take her body and soul and offer them to Geneva.
"......Should've killed it after all."
With my online game powers, slaying a god who only showed its gaze was doable.
I'd held back earlier because of the others in the clubroom.
-You can kill Geneva?
"Not hard. I've killed gods before."
-Whoa······.
Lee Seojun looked at me with renewed awe, then nodded.
-Killing it wouldn't be bad, then. Things are getting messier than expected.
"So random events from now on?"
-Yeah. Can't be sure, but high chance.
If all the events Lee Seojun knew were skipped and only randoms occurred, it gave me a headache.
'Did I rampage too much early on?'
I hadn't expected this any more than he had, so no excuses.
Wrapping up the Geneva talk, I asked next about the pure white sword Joo Tae-ho summoned.
"By the way, why'd you freak out over Joo Tae-ho's sword?"
-It's a level 10 Skill Stone he had. Originally meant for Cheon Seo-yun.
"A Skill Stone that should've gone to her?"
-Yep. Matches her abilities so perfectly, it's called her exclusive skill.
So Joo Tae-ho had acquired it suddenly.
"Died to the villain boss and had a change of heart?"
-Possible. Dying and coming back changes you.
If Cheon Seo-yun couldn't get it from him, I could give her one.
I was collecting level 10 skills anyway, so it was fine. I asked,
"What's the skill called?"
-[Divine Sword Summon]. Specifically, summons the Divine Sword Espeto.
The name mattered less; I'd seen what it did.
-In-game, it ignores defense. Joo Tae-ho used it, applying to [Formless Blade] and shredding the apostle.
"Seems to suit Joo Tae-ho more than Cheon Seo-yun. Am I wrong?"
-Maybe now, but later when she grows, it'll change. It suits him well too, though.
Either way, I could snag one more.
No big deal. I turned to gaze at the instructors' offices.
'Time to deal with U Yun-hak.'