Chapter 139
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: War Between Two Factions (1)
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One small change after forming the club was during class time.
"Everyone knows that the louder your voice when chanting a spell, the more mana it draws. But this method has a fatal flaw."
Separate from the elemental magic class, Hong Ju-a was sitting next to me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
For reference, in mana control class, it was Joo Ha-yeon beside me. In practical combat class, it was Cheon Seo-yun.
"Namely, your position gets revealed. Chanting loudly gives away your location to the enemy."
Anyway, ignoring Instructor Cha Serin, who was teaching elemental magic, I glanced at Hong Ju-a.
She seemed focused on the lesson at first glance, but her eyes betrayed boredom since she already knew the material.
"Why? Something you don't know?"
Hong Ju-a noticed my gaze and spoke without even turning her head.
Maybe because I'd been giving her those stress-relief massages lately, she didn't snap at me like she used to.
"Nah. You just look bored. You okay?"
"I'm bored because it's all stuff I've already learned."
She must have picked it up before even entering the Hero Officer Academy.
"But you haven't. Stop slacking and listen up."
Hong Ju-a was telling me to pay attention since, unlike her who knew it all, I had to learn it properly.
It was true that I knew less about this world's magic than she did, so I nodded and turned back to the lesson.
"That's why we need to learn how to infuse more mana even with a quiet voice."
"Instructor, couldn't you just chant a longer spell?"
One student raised a hand with a question during Instructor Cha Serin's explanation.
Judging it a reasonable point, Cha Serin answered without scolding.
"Chanting a longer spell takes more time. If you're reciting for one or two minutes, anyone or any monster will sense the mana flow and come running."
In short, to surprise them with magic before they notice, you needed short chants.
But chanting loudly would tip them off immediately, so quiet chants were necessary—that was Cha Serin's point.
"To attack with magic before the enemy notices, chant short and strong."
Listening along, I couldn't help thinking magic had some clear drawbacks.
'Better to just use a skill stone for attacks.'
Skill stones could be activated instantly without chants, making them superior in that regard.
"That's why many mages compensate with skill stones and artifacts. You all should consider it too."
"Instructor, then couldn't we skip chants like a grand mage?"
All the students had been swept into the history recreation gate and witnessed the grand mage's feats.
One who remembered asked, but Cha Serin frowned.
"It'd be great if we could cast without chants. But who besides the grand mage has done it?"
"……."
The student who brought it up had no answer to Cha Serin's question.
The magic systems were different from the start, but only Lee Seojun and I knew that.
"We have to learn magic our own way. With that in mind, we'll practice infusing strong mana into quiet voices."
With the lesson's direction set, Hong Ju-a beside me jumped in like she'd been waiting.
"I'll help you."
"You sure?"
"I can do it."
For someone claiming she could, I'd never seen her do it once.
"Pretty sure I haven't seen you do it."
"It takes more focus than you'd think. Even I get tired after three or four tries."
"If even you tire after three or four, it's no ordinary technique."
"Right. Probably only two or three cadets in this room, including me, could pull it off."
I nodded at her answer and shot Lee Seojun a look asking if it was true.
-Yeah. Even among second-years, maybe ten can do it?
If only ten second-years could, it wasn't something you learned right away.
-Once you're used to it, you can cast decent firepower with just a whisper. I learned it too, by the way.
It sounded like "I learned it, so you can too."
Lee Seojun didn't know my talents, so he said it casually, but I thought differently.
'Not sure if I can.'
Still, with my brain-related skill stones, maybe overnight practice would do it.
I listened to Hong Ju-a kindly explaining step by step and tried casting the spell.
Della headed to the hideout with key members: Lydia, Lorella, Jake, and Brian.
Naturally, not everyone could go—only those highly ranked in the Villain Alliance knew of it.
"Goddamn it. Never thought I'd sign that fucking contract."
Jake grumbled nonstop on the way.
"Della, you had some plan when you told us to sign, right?"
"I had an idea, but no guarantees."
Della had no intention of spending her life under that healer, legs spread.
Of course, her body had been conditioned to react to the healer's pleasures, but she hadn't submitted.
"Anyway, Lucas has an artifact that can remove curses. Or we could ask a curse specialist."
"Curse? Della, you really think it's a curse?"
Jake frowned, questioning if it truly was.
"It forces behavior—what else but a curse ability? You think it's a blessing?"
Jake started to retort to Della's sharp words, but Brian placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Della has a point. We can just verify if it's a curse or not."
"……Tch."
Jake clicked his tongue briefly and fell silent.
He and Brian had just died, revived, and signed the contract.
The women—Della, Lydia, Lorella—had likely endured far worse.
"Should've killed that bastard."
"Yeah, real brilliant. You were sealed—powers, abilities, everything."
"Sealed... Speaking of, what the hell was that ability? Wasn't he a healer?"
"No idea. Just some guy obsessed with women."
Exchanging such talk, they arrived at the hideout. Della placed her hand on the cliff and released mana.
Drawing a pattern with it, the cliff vanished beside her, revealing an entrance.
"Good, password's unchanged."
"Might change it tomorrow."
Entering and proceeding inside, they saw someone waiting like a greeter.
"Who'd have thought. Just a kid."
"Old man Brandon."
It was Brandon, in his 60s or 70s, ranked 7th in the Villain Alliance.
Brandon looked over Della and the group who'd raided the Korean Hero Officer Academy, impressed.
"Heard you were dead. Guess the healer revived you."
"Got something to say about that. Is Lucas here?"
"Yeah. I'll call everyone—wait quietly in the meeting room."
Della and the others headed to the meeting room.
"Atmosphere doesn't seem too tense, thankfully."
Della gauged Brandon's mood as they entered.
Everyone knew war had broken out between the Villain Alliance and Geneva Cult, so they nodded understandingly.
"Just zealots at worst. We could wipe 'em if we wanted."
Jake knew the Geneva Cult's power wasn't negligible.
Villain Alliance elites knew they wielded even the power of destruction, though hidden from the public.
Then.
"Not as easy as you say."
A newcomer to the meeting room spoke up.
A tall, handsome man in his mid-30s, model-like.
"Raymond."
Ranked 2nd, Raymond.
"You're really back in one piece. Heard Joo Tae-ho killed you."
Della seized the moment.
"I got back saying I had something to sort out. More importantly, we need the curse removed. Where's Lucas or Ben?"
"Calm down. You showing up fine raises suspicions."
"The healer slapped insane restrictions on us. That's why we're here—to lift them first."
"I get it. But he might've sent you deliberately."
Seeing Della frown, Raymond explained further.
"Say, to find this place. Then tip off the Geneva Cult."
"Won't happen."
If they wanted the location, forced compliance would've spilled it—the contract demanded absolute obedience.
"No use telling me. Lucas'll handle it."
Raymond sat in his designated seat.
Villains from the hideout trickled in, eyeing Della's group before sitting.
"Everyone's here."
Finally, Villain Alliance leader Lucas entered and took the head seat.
Lucas eyed Della's group by the wall and demanded an explanation.
"Good to see you again. Lydia and Lorella too."
Lydia excelled in info gathering with her innate ability; Lorella ranked 16th here alone.
"But first, confirmations."
To extract everything, Lucas pulled an artifact from his subspace pouch.
"[Chain of Truth]. You know what it does."
Worn around the neck, it forced only the truth.
To leave no doubt, Della donned it without hesitation.