Chapter 132
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Event (6)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Thinking on a whim that I might as well deal with U Yun-hak right now, I sent one of my clones into motion.
Just in time, I'd finished taking control of the Grand Archmage side of things, so I moved smoothly and immediately went searching for U Yun-hak.
'But he's not in his personal instructor's office.'
From the info I'd roughly extracted through threats up to now, the Villain Alliance had barged in before, leaving him with a mountain of work piled up.
Figuring he was probably rushing around handling that mess, I had no choice but to put it off until evening.
'Well, dealing with him now or in the evening—it's all the same.'
The moment I'd made that decision, U Yun-hak's future was pretty much sealed.
Brushing off the U Yun-hak business like it was nothing, I headed into the clubroom alone.
Clunk—
"Ah, you're here."
As I stepped into the clubroom again, Hong Ju-a was standing there like she'd been waiting.
"You didn't run off, did you?"
"Run off? I went to call the remaining instructors and came back."
Come to think of it, the instructors had arrived faster than I'd expected.
At the time, I'd thought they'd sensed the Geneva Cult apostle's presence and hurried over, but apparently...
'Hong Ju-a was the one who called them.'
Still, for a brand-new student, her actions were a perfect 100.
"Good job. Thanks to you, Cheon Seo-yun and I made it out safe."
"Safe? Speak of the devil—have you already become some kind of hero? That was way too reckless."
Hong Ju-a wore an irritated expression, but her eyes betrayed a hint of worry.
She seemed like the type who was hard to get close to at first but stuck closer than anyone once you did.
"That's right. Lee Seongmin, what you did earlier was too reckless."
Joo Ha-yeon, standing beside Hong Ju-a, chimed in with a scolding tone.
Finally, even Park So-yul was giving me a look mixed with dissatisfaction and pity.
"I had no choice. That monster that popped up out of nowhere seemed to be targeting Cheon Seo-yun, and I didn't want the clubroom getting trashed either."
"No sign of remorse at all. If something like this happens again, you'll charge out alone to fight?"
Only then did I realize no one here was on my side, so I gave Hong Ju-a the response she wanted.
"......I'll be more careful next time."
"Not just careful—you shouldn't even think about trying it."
Thankfully, Hong Ju-a didn't seem keen on dragging this out and moved on to the apostle.
"Anyway, what the hell was that monster? I heard the academy has barriers that make it hard to just waltz in."
The academy had barriers?
With my clones, the history reenactment gate, the Villain Alliance leader, and now an apostle showing up, I'd assumed there were no barriers at all.
But hearing there were, I turned to Lee Seojun with a "is that true?" look, and he nodded.
-There are, but it's more like a wall around the perimeter—the sky's wide open.
In other words, the barriers only covered the sides like city walls.
I wanted to snark about what kind of barrier that was, but since my clones came and went freely, I played dumb and let it slide.
"Lee Seongmin, do you know anything about that monster?"
"Why would I? First time seeing it, same as you."
"Really? I've felt it for a while now—gates, villains, monsters... Doesn't this Hero Officer Academy seem kinda dangerous?"
Even I thought hanging around here, you'd need multiple lives to survive.
Of course, all those incidents were my fault, but saying that would just stir up panic.
"Yeah, some dangerous stuff has happened. But we just got in—can't leave now."
I'd woken up automatically enrolled, but that wasn't the case for the others.
As expected, Hong Ju-a nodded like she couldn't abandon the school after finally getting in.
"You're right. Graduate from here, and you can join whatever guild you want."
"Whatever guild you want?"
"Well, more precisely, it depends on your grades which guilds you qualify for."
In simple terms, with her good grades, Hong Ju-a could pick and choose guilds.
I could see Park So-yul next to her glaring enviously, wondering if it was true.
"Lee Seongmin, with your grades, you could join whatever guild you want too, right?"
"Guilds, huh..."
If I had to stick around this world after graduation, a guild might not be bad.
'But no real need to join one.'
Even if I did, there'd be nothing in it for me.
Unless they offered some goodies as a joining bonus, maybe.
"Hong Ju-a, which guild are you aiming for?"
"Hmm. The Compass Guild with Grand Archmage Naseha sounds good. Or the number one guild, Moonless."
With her top grades, she really could choose.
While Hong Ju-a chattered on about guilds, Park So-yul had a question for me.
"By the way, where's Cheon Seo-yun?"
"Huh? Oh, she was tired, so she went back to the dorm first."
Thinking about Cheon Seo-yun now, her parting glare like she was mad stuck with me.
'Maybe talk to her later.'
She'd probably show up at the clubroom for dinner soon enough; I could chat then.
"......"
But contrary to my expectations, even by dinnertime, Cheon Seo-yun didn't appear.
"......"
U Yun-hak was steadily working through the mountain of tasks left by the Villain Alliance invasion.
But when he returned to handle that and heard about some monster showing up this time, he just stared in blank disbelief.
'At this point, the academy itself must be cursed.'
What kind of school dealt with one major incident after another like this?
U Yun-hak seriously considered his resignation as he recalled the gate incident, the Villain Alliance raid, and now a monster intrusion.
'No, not resignation.'
The demon he'd contracted with, Melpes, wanted humans with high growth potential.
Precisely, Melpes stole that growth potential through contracts to boost his own power.
'And for growth potential, students are perfect.'
Unrealized students were exactly what Melpes craved.
That's why, after infiltrating the school, he'd proposed, persuaded, and threatened students into contracts.
Melpes was quite satisfied, granting most requests in return.
'But...'
He liked contracting with Melpes first, then students, and cherry-picking the promising ones.
Yet this year, one disaster after another hit the school, culminating in the Villain Alliance leader showing up to threaten him.
'Villain Alliance leader. Gotta deal with that bastard first.'
He'd gone quiet after that one visit, but who knew when he'd strike again.
U Yun-hak had answered everything about school matters and healer work without hesitation, since he had no real attachment to the Hero Officer Academy anyway.
'Maybe contact Melpes and have him catch the guy.'
Clunk—
As he opened the door to his personal instructor's office mid-thought.
"You're finally here."
Inside sat Lucas, with his dark gray hair and cold, lifeless eyes.
"......"
U Yun-hak wondered if he could slam the door and bolt right now.
But realizing it was impossible against someone who'd slipped in without warning, he quietly entered and shut the door.
"What do you want this time?"
"I'm planting one of my people here."
"One of your people? Don't tell me it's me?"
Lucas—precisely, Lee Seongmin in Lucas's form—stared silently at U Yun-hak.
U Yun-hak cursed himself for not dealing with this sooner, sensing the completely different aura from before.
'Should've handled him even if it meant delaying school work.'
As the Villain Alliance leader, he surely had some way to bind him.
Though flustered in every way, U Yun-hak quickly composed himself and followed Lee Seongmin's lead.
"As long as you don't make me do anything too dangerous, I'll cooperate."
"Appreciated."
With that, Lee Seongmin placed a hand on U Yun-hak's shoulder, severing his consciousness.
Thud—
U Yun-hak's body crumpled like a puppet with cut strings.
Lee Seongmin glanced at the fallen man and casually snapped his neck.
Crack—
'Hope this makes the academy a bit safer.'
If anything, it might make things more dangerous ahead.
The Doomsday Cultists event was likely to be replaced by a random one now.
"......"
Lee Seongmin watched as something poured out from U Yun-hak's body and dissipated.
Notably, more emerged than from the few he'd killed before who'd made contracts.
'Differences in contracts, maybe?'
As he pondered, to proceed, Lee Seongmin summoned a contract scroll and cast full revival on U Yun-hak.
Flash—
"Ugh, urk."
U Yun-hak opened his eyes, recalling how he'd blacked out the instant Lee Seongmin touched his shoulder.
'What did that bastard do after knocking me out?'
Instinctively, he checked the clock.
Whether fortunate or not, less than five minutes had passed.
"If you're awake, sign this contract."
"Contract?"
He took the scroll Lee Seongmin handed him and read it over, his face twisting in disgust.
"What is this? A slave contract?"
Having already contracted with the Demon of Contracts, U Yun-hak couldn't dismiss this lightly.
And from the Villain Alliance leader, it had to be effective. He protested vehemently.
"Who'd sign this?!"
"Don't sign, and you die."
"......"
U Yun-hak bit his lower lip hard.
No way to escape him now; to avoid death, signing was the only option.
'Fine, it's a contract too.'
He planned to sign, then go to Melpes and nullify it.
As the Demon of Contracts, Melpes could easily void something like this—or so he believed.
"......I'll sign."
Not knowing what came next, U Yun-hak—who'd forced contracts on plenty of others—ended up bound by one himself.