Chapter 46: The Lion's Coffin and the Witch
Cheon Geomhwa had fled.
[Tiss, Cheon Geomhwa... is she really going to attack the Academy?]
“Maybe. Probably.”
[Why...? Tiss, you warned us so earnestly? You want to walk into a trap knowing it’s one?]
“Yeah, because Cheon Geomhwa’s most precious person is being held hostage.”
Cheon Geomhwa and the group she belonged to, Evergarden, were basically a good-aligned faction.
If Cheon Geomhwa, who normally wouldn’t even consider using a Geas Scroll on examinees, did that, there must have been some deal between Cheon Geomhwa and Beelzebuth, the other party in the transaction.
Even if it wasn’t a deal, after being convinced that the Academy had a healing means, she abandoned everything and attacked the exam hall.
[Can you do something like that for your siblings?]
“Yeah. Just like Mary cherishes Dorothy, Cheon Geomhwa cherishes Roseria with all her heart. It’s very likely.”
People do that when their loved ones, siblings, parents, or such precious things are involved.
So, when they were in dire straits, they were willing to take some risk to persuade Cheon Geomhwa to save at least each other, even if it meant abandoning the company.
[I don’t know...]
Shan tilted her head.
[Humans... can they risk their lives for others, not for themselves?]
“That’s what family is.”
[Family is just a relationship where blood is connected... no?]
It might be a difficult topic for a Calamity like Shan, or rather for Shan, who is a spawn of Abaddon.
Shan, born from Abaddon’s eggs scattered across the world, knows nothing of parental love, sibling love, or anything.
Her mother is a calamity, and her siblings are enemies that must be killed in a survival battle royale that attacks even her only sanctuary.
Before meeting me, all she knew was unconditional worship and care from her followers, leading to one-sided emotional exchange.
[Even though I thought I understood a lot about humanity through you... Tiss, if I get a family, can I understand Cheon Geomhwa?]
Hehehe.
Shan forced a laugh to ease the awkward atmosphere. It was hard to understand something she had never experienced.
In such times, it was my turn as the host to make it easy for Shan to understand.
“Simple. What if I get hurt?”
[Tiss suddenly saying she's hurt? We have complete regeneration, right? I can't imagine it well?]
“Um... or let's assume the opposite. Shan gets hurt. To heal, she needs to obtain the Academy's treasure. If there's no other way, I would have done the same as Cheon Geomhwa.”
[Eh...?]
Shan was essential for me to survive this perilous world. Moreover, we were too deeply intertwined.
If one dies, the other dies too, so Shan was basically my life, and I had to save her no matter what.
[Eh... eh? What... what is that...?]
Shhh. Someone’s coming. A strong one.
After a while, we encountered Lionel, who was chasing Cheon Geomhwa.
Grrrr.
[Wow... the intimidation from the big cat is, it's not a joke.]
Shan unconsciously sighed in admiration at the bloodied suit-clad lion king, who exuded overwhelming intimidation befitting his name.
His pupils glinted with wild beast sharpness, hands stained with blood, and golden mane suggested he had slaughtered all intruders he saw on the way.
For a hunter who specializes in hunting Calamities using the body of a different species, a normal person's body is as easy as slicing jelly. It was truly fortunate that the killing intent wasn't directed at me.
“I’m sorry if my appearance is unsightly. Are you hurt anywhere?”
Lionel asked my well-being with a posture as if his breathing was undisturbed.
“I’m fine. Thank you, Hunter Lionel.”
“I’m glad.”
Lionel repeatedly brushed his mane down with his hand, shaking off the blood.
Sniff sniff.
“...Just checking.”
Lionel, who smelled the scent from my body, looked at me with a serious face.
“Are you the one who kidnapped Tiss the examinee? It’s Cheon Geomhwa from Evergarden?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
I knew Lionel and Cheon Geomhwa had a good relationship because they often interacted as promising talents in their active days.
Haa.
“It’s hard to believe, but based on the situation, she’s definitely the one.”
After quickly calming his emotions with a short sigh, Lionel took out a detector from his pocket.
“I’ll start with a simple mental check.”
He used the artifact he carried, briefly shining light into my eyes to quickly determine if there was mental control or not.
“First, I should say this. You’ve been through a lot.”
As if wanting to pat my shoulder, Lionel’s hand that was reaching out froze for a moment.
Lionel’s gaze quickly crossed between his hand and my head.
“Um… sorry. My consideration was lacking.”
Seeing his hand was as small as my head, Lionel changed his posture by kneeling and asking for a handshake.
After the handshake, I felt the soft thing on Lionel’s palm.
[Oh, it’s a pink squishy. Soft.]
Lionel’s palm, hiding a top, was surprisingly soft like jelly.
“Even though you reached out to the examinee, it’s truly regrettable that I got involved in such a situation as a hunter and teacher from the Management Bureau. I will definitely prepare a reward with my hunter qualification for this.”
With quick apology and definite reward promise, as expected from Lionel. I liked his swift and accurate response.
“Since we’ve left the ruined city, the exam area, the pursuit of the attackers will be handled by the Hero Association in Area 3. We’ll return for now.”
“Should I return to the exam hall and support the scene?”
“No, the examinee Tiss’s role at the exam hall is already over. After returning, if you have anything to say about this attack, please write a statement related to it.”
“I understand.”
Lionel added that the exam hall side was already in a state of total collision with Baba Yaga and other Academy teachers, and that suppression was somewhat complete.
“Originally, examinees should take quarantine measures, but given the situation, we’ll gather them at the Grand Auditorium to inspect them.”
It was unavoidable since we had to find those who were affected by the Geas Scroll.
“By the way, has the communication been restored?”
“At the time I left, it was almost finished with the final work, so it’s likely it’s back. Shall I check with a terminal once?”
Lionel spread his large hand and gave a wry smile, saying that because of his hand, he couldn’t use normal terminals.
When I turned on the terminal, fortunately, the communication was working normally.
Since I didn’t know how the other side was doing, I decided to leave a message to Dorothy first.
Tap tap.
“Done.”
“Then follow carefully. I’ll lead the way.”
After pressing the send button, I returned to the exam headquarters following Lionel’s guidance.
.
.
.
Hic hic!
Running. A monster is chasing me.
My breath was at the limit, but I ran and ran.
Why, why? I just... I said it was just the exam for examinees, right?
I had never heard that monsters would appear in the exam hall.
Between anger and regret, my colleagues were being slaughtered one by one.
“How are they moving so systematically!”
They must have just met today?
It was a monster in human form.
They relentlessly pursued us as if ruthlessly violating us cruelly.
Begging for mercy was useless. Only merciless retribution with laughter came.
Huff huff.
I need a place to hide. First, I need to hide my body.
The man hurriedly looked around and rushed into an old building, hiding his body in an old coffin.
Creak.
He covered his mouth with both hands, praying with tears in his eyes for the monster to pass by.
However.
“I found you.”
What appeared before his eyes was a blonde-haired reaper.
Ah.
An involuntary despair moan escaped his mouth.
“Oh, shit! Oh god of the world!”
Paaak!
The reaper’s kick landed directly on his face. The man spat blood from his nose and passed out on the spot.
“What? God? What are you talking about? A villain who attacked the exam hall.”
The blonde girl, looking unimpressed, tied up the unconscious man’s hands and legs.
It was the end of the villain who fled after being chased by Siwoo and Sia.
“Oppa! I found the one who hid in the building!”
Another Sia outside the window was catching another fake hero party member.
“Good, we finished here too.”
“Hehehe, this should get us at least top 10.”
“Maybe even top 1 or 2.”
The fact that most examinees survived was thanks to Siwoo and Sia who recognized the Geas Scroll.
“Wait a minute, examinees! You, you passed! Sign this and this!”
Siwoo and Sia, at the moment their defeated fake hero party members pulled out the scroll, intuitively sensed that this was a trap.
“Don’t be fooled! The paper shown by the fake hero party is a Geas Scroll! If you sign it, you’ll be controlled by the enemy!”
While Siwoo shouted loudly with mana to warn everyone to be careful, Sia drew her sword and cut off the villain’s finger that was poking fun.
“Kuaaaak!!! You bastard! Bitch, my finger...!”
Sia’s expression didn’t change even with the villain’s scream and curses fueled by pain.
“This is a warning. Next time, I’ll recommend you to be more careful with your words.”
W-what kind of eyes are those?
The villain, hearing Sia’s words while touching the sword in her hand, got goosebumps all over.
Shaking the cut finger in front of him, Sia held the other hand tightly and asked last.
“The number and arrangement of my colleagues?”
At the same time as the question, the dagger moved towards his neck,
“I, I have three gang members who moved with me! The rest are groups I gathered by promising them a lot of money! They’re all moving separately. And! There’s a separate leader! We just... came to scavenge konggolm!”
Without hesitation, the villain started spilling everything he knew.
Siwoo and Sia, using their experience from the Secret Society, not only reversed the villain who tried to recruit them, but also hunted while looking for fake exam halls with the examinees.
When Baba Yaga hurriedly arrived with teachers.
“Save me!!”
“What are you doing? Hurry and arrest! They said they surrender!”
“Surrender! It’s surrender!”
The villains who were being chased by Siwoo and Sia’s examinees, upon seeing Baba Yaga, ran towards her with bright faces.
“What the hell are these guys?”
Baba Yaga looked at the villains begging for help with a dumbfounded face.