Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Leak (4)
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I ran toward the mountain peak alongside the two stubborn girls who wouldn't listen to a word I said.
"Whoa~ This feels way too easy when we're running like this."
"You could run all day like this."
"Of course, some people can't even keep up at this pace."
At that moment, a few guys matching our speed jumped in with their snide remarks.
Because Instructor Choi Ji-an had made it clear that physical training was each person's own responsibility, they were openly slacking off.
But Cheon Seo-yun kept tilting her head in confusion, unable to wrap her mind around why they were targeting me in the first place. She turned to me repeatedly.
"Did you beat them up?"
"Beat them up? I didn't even talk to them."
"Hmm."
She seemed genuinely baffled as to why these people, who had no connection to me whatsoever, were acting this way.
'She still doesn't know much about human malice.'
When you thought about it, human malice was the kind of thing that could lead someone to kill over the pettiest of reasons.
Park So-yul, who could read minds, seemed aware of it, but surprisingly, Cheon Seo-yun wasn't.
'With her talent, there must've been plenty of people jealous of her.'
In any case, as we kept running, Instructor Choi Ji-an and the other cadets turned around at the midpoint and headed back.
Once Instructor Choi Ji-an and the students had passed by, the guys finally slowed to a stop and showed their true colors.
"Alright, Lee Seongmin. How about we have a little chat?"
"Yeah. You and Cheon Seo-yun aren't involved, so just keep going. You're not dating that loser, are you?"
When one of the nameless male students spoke up, Cheon Seo-yun stared right at me.
"Are we dating?"
"Not yet."
"Okay."
She turned back to the guy, looking at him as if to say, Does that answer your question?
'Ma Dong-woo isn't here, though.'
The key Doomsday Cultist, Ma Dong-woo, was nowhere to be seen.
If he were here, I could've knocked these guys out and killed him once.
"If you're not dating, then get out of the way. We only have business with Lee Seongmin."
"......"
Cheon Seo-yun stood her ground in response.
With the situation like this, the guys started arguing among themselves about what to do.
"Someone handle Cheon Seo-yun."
"Handle Cheon Seo-yun? She was completely insane in swordsmanship class."
"I saw her win one-on-one against a C-rank hero in live combat last time."
They seemed hesitant to rush in because of Cheon Seo-yun.
'That's why I tried to send the two of them ahead first.'
But they couldn't pass up the free breakfast and had stubbornly followed along.
In any event, we couldn't standoff like this forever, so I told Cheon Seo-yun and Park So-yul again.
"Go on ahead. I'll catch up later......"
"Ah! I can't stand by and watch this anymore!"
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice rang out from somewhere, and a figure jumped down from a tree.
Caught off guard by the intrusion, I took a look—it was a female student with relatively short hair and a boyish vibe.
'Who is she?'
As I wondered about her, Lee Seojun quickly replied in my mind.
-That's Hwang Yeo-jin. She has an innate ability related to superhuman strength, making her the top student in raw power.
While I took in her name and ability, the male students looked flustered.
"H-Hwang Yeo-jin? What are you......?"
"I got bored of running and took a break."
In other words, she'd ditched the endurance training out of boredom.
She'd probably planned to rejoin when Instructor Choi Ji-an turned back at the midpoint.
"More importantly, what's with you all ganging up like this? You thugs? If you wanna fight, do it fair and square, one-on-one."
"This doesn't concern you. Get lost back to the academy."
"I can't do that when your antics are so disgusting."
Hwang Yeo-jin cracked her knuckles, looking ready to charge in at any moment.
She'd stepped up so boldly that she must be more skilled than I'd thought.
-She's ranked 6th overall, so even if those guys all rushed her at once, it'd be no problem.
Lee Seojun said it was fine, but it wasn't.
If Hwang Yeo-jin handled them, they'd just come after me again later.
'Guess I'll have to take care of it myself.'
Ma Dong-woo would have to wait for another chance.
I figured the guy had gotten lucky once, so I activated Warlord's Weapon on the scattered pebbles nearby and spoke up.
"Hwang Yeo-jin, right? Step aside. You lot, come at me already."
"Come at you? Gotten cocky with girls around?"
The guys, clearly annoyed by the situation, bristled aggressively.
Ignoring them, I flung one of the controlled pebbles at a guy's head instead of replying.
Crack!
"Y-You bastard!"
The first guy to get hit crumpled backward, and the rest quickly sized up the situation before charging at me.
In response, I hurled more pebbles controlled by Warlord's Weapon—they couldn't even block them properly.
Crack! Crack!
Of course, I could've killed them with the stones, but I held back just enough not to.
The rest failed to block the pebbles heading for their heads and passed out like the first one.
'More importantly.'
I sensed someone watching from afar—it looked like Instructor Choi Ji-an.
She might've anticipated something like this happening after the incident before training started today.
"Let's head back now."
"Okay."
Cheon Seo-yun seemed to sense Instructor Choi Ji-an's gaze too and agreed without question.
Park So-yul, on the other hand, who had been looking forward to breakfast at the summit, asked with a puzzled look.
"We're not going to the top?"
"We have to move these guys too."
That was all I said as I gathered some nearby branches.
Then I used Warlord's Weapon again to hoist the unconscious guys up by wedging the branches into their shirts.
"That looks convenient."
Hwang Yeo-jin eyed the floating bodies and commented.
Regardless of the situation, she'd helped, so I thanked her.
"Thanks for the assist."
"No need. Truth be told, I was curious about you too, so that's part of it."
"Curious about me?"
"Well, yeah. Cheon Seo-yun's practically glued to you. She took your spot as number one, so you two should hate each other's guts, but you seem friendly."
As Hwang Yeo-jin said, if Cheon Seo-yun had come at me instead, it would've made more sense.
Not only had she dropped to 300th because of me, but she'd also been moved to a six-person dorm.
"Cheon Seo-yun. What about you? Don't you kinda hate Lee Seongmin?"
But Hwang Yeo-jin, who seemed to think well of me, subtly tried to stir things up.
As I glanced at her, Cheon Seo-yun shook her head.
"Not at all. Lee Seongmin's way stronger than me."
"Way stronger than you?"
"Yeah. Even stronger than the instructors."
Hwang Yeo-jin's eyes lit up with interest as she looked at me.
"Stronger than the instructors, huh? Lee Seongmin, wanna spar with me?"
"Eh, not really interested."
"Ah~ Too strong for a mere cadet like me?"
I started walking back toward the academy, glancing at Hwang Yeo-jin as she poked at me bit by bit.
She stuck by my side, chattering away as if she wouldn't stop until she got the response she wanted.
"If you're that eager to spar, how about a bet?"
"A bet?"
"Loser grants the winner whatever they want."
The reason I suggested it was because Hwang Yeo-jin's potential was pretty good.
[Name: Hwang Yeo-jin]
[Potential: 79]
One point higher than Ga Se-yeon in my warehouse—79.
I'd steered it toward a wager where we'd grant each other's wishes, but Hwang Yeo-jin shook her head.
"Nah, that's no fun. If you're really stronger than the instructors like Cheon Seo-yun says, I'd have to do whatever you want. Who knows what you'd ask for?"
She was slipping away slyly somehow.
-Oh. Hwang Yeo-jin has this beast-like instinct, and it looks like it reacted to your demonic nature, Mr. Lee Seongmin.
"......"
Demonic nature?
In any case, when we got back to the academy, Instructor Choi Ji-an was waiting quietly, just as expected.
"All sorts of things happen when you're living in a place like this. I encourage handling them on your own, but......"
Instructor Choi Ji-an glanced at the students floating midair, carried by my branches.
"You didn't kill them, right?"
"Of course not."
"Good. I'll trust it was just a minor scuffle. If you're okay with it, take them to the infirmary."
I did as Instructor Choi Ji-an asked and transported them all the way to the infirmary.
For reference, Cheon Seo-yun and Park So-yul tagged along to the end, determined to get their breakfast somehow.
'Now that I think about it, both of them have their own goals.'
Cheon Seo-yun was earning points to invest in personal training, and Park So-yul was saving up to start a club.
Remembering that, I had no choice but to summon collection cuisine in a quiet stairwell and feed them until they were full.
"So, why'd you make that bet with Hwang Yeo-jin?"
"Just didn't wanna spar."
"Doesn't feel like the real reason."
Park So-yul rubbed her ring, as if trying to peek into my thoughts.
As she failed to read another person's mind, her expression gradually brightened—probably her true personality shining through.
"......"
Unlike Park So-yul, though, Cheon Seo-yun kept staring at me intently even while eating.
She must've suspected I'd sexually harass Hwang Yeo-jin in exchange for a spar, just like I had with her.
'Looks like I need to target Cheon Seo-yun first after all.'
I started pondering how to approach that.
Setting aside my deliberations, the next day arrived, and I focused on the healer and destroyer.
I headed to the healer—Seo Do-kyung had contacted me—and to the gate with the association president, Jeon Il-seop.
'Harder than I expected.'
I was controlling four people with skill stones, but it wasn't smooth sailing.
The creakiness persisted, so I minimized the movements of my bodies at the Hero Officer Academy and in the mountains.
"I've brought the artifacts you mentioned."
In any case, Jeon Il-seop had delivered the promised five artifacts.
Checking them one by one: a bow, chain sickle, cloth wrapper, stone tablet, and a pebble.
"......"
Anyone could tell he'd cherry-picked artifacts a destroyer couldn't use.
But while the destroyer got useless junk, the healer side yielded great results.
"One level 10 skill stone. Three level 9s. Eight level 8s."
Seo Do-kyung had brought 300 billion won worth in skill stones.