Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Rift─1-7 (4)
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“Hmph, no matter how much you’ve subdued us, killing fellow students is still a clear violation of the law… Urk!”
Jo Jaehyeok’s protest turned into a horrific scream the moment it began.
Lena whipped his side with a slime arm. Hit squarely in the gut, he retched and gasped, rolling across the floor.
“Gah…”
Kim Gayoung seized the opening to pull a small mana crystal from her pocket, but Lena was faster. Another slime tentacle lashed out like a whip, striking the back of her hand.
Smack—!
“Aaaack!”
A red welt bloomed as she dropped the mana crystal. Lena followed up mercilessly with an elbow strike, slamming Kim Gayoung to the ground as well.
“Shut up. Hand over whatever you’ve got, now. Information, items, anything.”
I glared at them fiercely in turn. Lena shifted both hands back into slime tentacles, writhing threateningly over them.
“Do you only listen after a beating?”
After several more rounds of “gentle” persuasion, the fire of indignation and rage in their eyes finally dulled and faded. Clutching his side and coughing, Jo Jaehyeok forced his mouth open.
“Kuh… In the end, if you’d just accepted Lady Seraphina’s offer, we’d have been on the same side soon enough. Why go this far!”
Same side, my ass.
“Y-You accepted Lady Seraphina’s dominion too, didn’t you!”
“I got the scout offer, sure. But it seemed a bit different from what you guys got.”
I shrugged as I looked down at them.
“They said they’d promote me straight to Class D once this is over. You get that too?”
“Huh?”
“Class… D…?”
Jo Jaehyeok and Kim Gayoung’s eyes went wide simultaneously. They looked dumbfounded, as if they’d heard something unbelievable. Their attitudes shifted dramatically. Gone was the casual classmate vibe; now it was all polite speech laced with extreme bewilderment.
“Y-You got a direct promotion offer?”
“Why didn’t you tell us!”
Sudden respect and honorifics. It seemed Seraphina ran a pretty rigid hierarchy under her.
“W-We’ll tell you everything we know, honestly…”
They explained Seraphina’s direct chain of command.
Seraphina was an elite hunter instructor at the academy.
Unlike others, she had her tentacles in multiple classes, like an octopus.
“Lady Seraphina doesn’t take upper classes herself. Instead, she handles everything from Class C to E, even the straggler program like ours. She’s that capable.”
“She also runs a support group called ‘Gureong’ for kids who flunk exams… but we don’t know much about that.”
“Not every student in those classes is directly under Lady Seraphina—or the Grays, I mean. Roughly half. So when you go up there, Kang Ihyeon, you’ll need to be careful.”
Listening to them, I pieced together how Seraphina’s org chart worked.
She was probably a Gray executive.
Since her name didn’t match what I knew, she either retired from the academy before the main story or got taken out. One or the other.
And Gureong…
That’s gotta be where those female students who vacuumed my dick dry yesterday are holed up.
She’d probably gathered the already-ruined students and turned it into some brothel or whorehouse equivalent.
I schooled my expression and pressed them.
“Fine. Now empty your pockets. Everything you’ve got—looted spoils, whatever.”
At my command, Jo Jaehyeok finally stopped resisting and rummaged through his pockets obediently. From the sweat-soaked inner pocket of his uniform came various odds and ends. A few daggers, chunks of ‘crystal stones’ like the ones from the first floor. And…
Thud.
A somewhat thick bundle of paper fell from deep in his pocket. Looked like coupons. Familiar logo and design.
That’s… a Paradise coupon?
Coupons for specific facilities or services inside the red-light district ‘Paradise.’ Pretty pricey stuff. Who knew he had hobbies like that under the hood.
As I picked it up, Kim Gayoung shot Jo Jaehyeok a sharp glare from the side.
“Jo Jaehyeok. You carrying that around right now?”
“N-No… It’s just… something I got, misunderstanding.”
Jo Jaehyeok stammered excuses, but Kim Gayoung’s icy stare didn’t soften. The mood turned frigid in an instant.
Seeing it, I could only sigh. Grays’ minions or whatever fancy title—they were just straggler students like me in the end. No way they had anything worthwhile.
And all they produced was red-light coupons.
So now what?
I’d threatened them to cough up something, but there was nothing more.
Snag the coupon? Nah, that felt wrong.
But killing them here wasn’t an option either. Just cause a mess.
Silence them, then.
Most practical. If they blabbed about today outside, I’d be the one suffering.
“Haa, fine.”
I tossed the coupon back to Jo Jaehyeok. He scrambled to grab and hide it.
“What happened here—especially what I did, what you saw— if even a word leaks out there, you’re dead for real. I’ll track down Seraphina and everyone, spill it all, and crush you first.”
“……”
“Answer me.”
“Y-Yes, sir.”
They gulped and nodded at my vicious warning.
Mission accomplished. Time to escape this gloomy rift.
Passing through the bluish rift membrane brought blinding sunlight and the familiar air of the academy training grounds. I emerged first, of course. Lena was already unsummoned.
“Oh, they’re out! Squad 1 survivors!”
Soon after, Jo Jaehyeok and Kim Gayoung staggered out behind me. They looked wrecked. Clothes soaked in slime goo and sweat, faces bruised and scratched.
Heads bowed meekly, they peeked at me nervously.
I ignored them and scanned around. Just as expected. Students who’d dropped out earlier were huddled off to one side. I spotted Leo Miller and Jeon Minjun’s dejected figures too.
And… Sophia.
She stood with arms crossed, glaring slantwise our way.
“You… you!”
Spotting me, her eyes burned with outright anger—and a hint of betrayal. Probably spinning theories about me clearing the third floor solo and emerging with her teammates.
I avoided her gaze. No point tangling further with her.
Keeping a straight face, I headed for the command post where Instructor Cheon Da-eun and the other instructors gathered for evaluation reports.
The other two trailed awkwardly behind, keeping distance.
“Reporting, sir. Squad 1 leader, Kang Ihyeon. Third-floor mid-boss cleared.”
“Squad 1’s Kang Ihyeon—you did it alone?”
“Joined with squadmates to proceed, but after entering the second floor, judged their condition too poor to continue. By mutual agreement, I handled the remaining objective solo.”
“Hmm, so not in coordination with the other two?”
Vice Principal Kraus’s sharp eyes turned to Jo Jaehyeok and Kim Gayoung. The two, tense as could be, bowed and spat excuses.
“W-We… felt sudden mana drain right after entering the third floor, so we were resting. Meanwhile, Kang Ihyeon went ahead and took down the boss…!”
“Exactly! If we’d held out a bit longer, we could’ve done it together… We’re so sorry to Kang Ihyeon.”
“Is that so? Hmmm, but for just resting, you two look awfully roughed up… Like you got beat somewhere. Fell down a hill or what?”
“W-Well, the rift inside was so treacherous… Haha…”
The vice principal didn’t drop his suspicious look. Then, Instructor Seraphina beside him stepped in with an odd smile.
“Hehe, Vice Principal, really. Young students get roughed up tackling rifts with passion. But look at Kang Ihyeon’s results. Modest start, but that hidden talent and sharp judgment—impressive, no?”
She spoke as if I were her prized pupil, arms crossed, eyeing the other instructors.
Especially lingering oddly on Instructor Cheon Da-eun. Who remained impassive.
“Kang Ihyeon accurately gauged his own capabilities, considered his squad’s safety, and made the best call. Isn’t that judgment the real key trait for a hunter?”
The other instructors nodded along to Seraphina’s slick words.
Soon, Vice Principal Kraus burst into booming laughter that echoed across the grounds.
“Kahahaha! Good! Excellent! Finally, a decent one crawls out of this straggler trash heap!”
He slapped my shoulder heartily laughing. Strong grip.
“Kang Ihyeon, right? I like you! Clearing the third floor solo—well done! Can’t wait to shove your results in the faces of those whiners who gripe about wasting budget on the straggler program. Feels damn good!”
I just bowed silently to his hearty praise.
“Ahem! So, Instructor Seraphina. What’s the prize for this eval’s top spot?”
Seraphina smiled softly, as if she’d been waiting.
“Promotion to Class E. Plus basic training gear and a modest scholarship.”
“Mm, nice. Not bad.”
“But, Vice Principal.”
“Hm?”
Seraphina stepped forward without hesitation.
“I’ll take him, Vice Principal. I want to mentor this outstanding student myself, since I handle his new class.”
Her declaration stirred the air briefly.
Even for capable Seraphina, claiming a straggler out of nowhere was unusual. The vice principal eyed her curiously, then Instructor Cheon Da-eun standing stock-still beside her.
“Hmm… But wasn’t this Kang Ihyeon under Instructor Cheon originally?”
“True, he got special guidance from her. But as you know, Vice Principal, Instructor Cheon has no lower class right now. We can’t just leave talent like this idle—natural for me to step up, no?”
“I-I suppose?”
Seraphina’s logic was sound, but laced with subtle provocation toward Instructor Cheon Da-eun.
Having a student she oversaw— one with real results—snatched away in front of her.
All eyes turned to Instructor Cheon Da-eun. But she stood frozen like ice, expression rigid, silent.
Just biting her lip faintly.
“……”
Seraphina’s bold stance and Instructor Cheon Da-eun’s silence.
The vice principal gauged the tension between them, then nodded.
“Mm… Fair point. Alright, Instructor Seraphina. Kang Ihyeon’s yours. I expect great things. Extra support approved.”
“Thank you, Vice Principal. I’ll do my utmost.”
Seraphina bowed with a satisfied smile. Jo Jaehyeok and Kim Gayoung hid their relief poorly.
Other squads’ results followed, and with retirees dispersing, the grounds emptied.
Soon, only me, Instructor Cheon Da-eun, and Seraphina remained.
The rest of the squads’ reports and cleanup proceeded. Dropouts scattered dejectedly, passers moved on relieved. The once-bustling rift entrance quieted.
“Well, Kang Ihyeon. I’m your instructor now, but a final goodbye to Instructor Cheon for her past efforts is only polite, right?”
“……”
“Hehehe, then I’ll be off.”
Seraphina spoke with a smiling face but a tone flaunting victory. She nodded curtly to us and left first.
Now, just Instructor Cheon Da-eun and I remained in the center of the training grounds.