Super Sensory (1)
The sudden thunderclap sent the Demon Sect cultists into a panic, their screams echoing through the air.
"Who the hell is that?! Try anything funny and these bitches die, you hear me?!"
"We didn't do anything!"
"Fuck! Then what the hell is that sound?!"
The cultists scrambled to scan their surroundings, but the Academy faction truly hadn't made a move. The students were half-conscious, practically sprawled on the ground, and the professors were too exhausted to spare any energy for action. Once the cultists confirmed this, they began backing away.
Kwaaaarrrung!
"Goddamn it! What the fuck is going on?!"
There was nothing. No matter where they looked, there was nothing there. Only the thunderous roar that seemed to tear through space itself hammered into their ears.
"Hey! Let's get the hell out of here!"
"R-right!"
Sensing something was off, the terrified cultists broke into a sprint. The distance between them grew in an instant. When they were about fifty meters from the barrier wall—
A man stood there, silently watching them.
"Hyun-ah. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Even as his comrade was being taken hostage, his expression remained eerily calm. Like a machine without a single flicker of emotion. His eyes were locked onto the fleeing cultists.
Perhaps sensing the strangeness, Lee Seol grabbed his hand.
"Hyun-ah…? Ah, it's hot!"
Like holding a fireball. The heat far exceeded human body temperature, and Lee Seol's face drained of all color.
"Hyun-ah! Your body…!"
"Yeah, it's fine."
Whether Lee Seol was panicking or not, Lee Seonghyun quietly murmured.
"Yeah. It's fine."
"Hyun-ah…?"
"Yeah. It's fine."
"……"
His voice was mechanical. His consciousness had already left this place.
End them in one strike.
Any opening at all would put the hostages in danger. So it had to be one decisive blow. On top of that, he needed to control the power so precisely that none of the hostages would be harmed. It was an extreme situation that pushed every limit.
Lee Seonghyun's entire mental focus converged on a single point.
Just a little more!
Even as his body burned with agony, even as his brain felt like it was melting, he converted that pain into power.
Pain threshold has increased by 1.
Equivalent Exchange activated!
Consuming 1% of pain threshold to strengthen the body!
……
Pain gave birth to more pain. Power gave birth to more power. A tug-of-war between instinct and reason. Instinct screamed to stop. Reason urged him to keep going.
The moment the most fundamental instinct of any living being—survival—was overridden.
Humans evolve.
Thunder God has been activated!
Kwa-ga-ga-gang!
The deafening roar that ripped through space shook heaven and earth. The black dome that had covered the sky shattered into pieces as Thunder God—a lightning far beyond human perception—crashed down.
Kwaaaang!
"Aaaaargh!"
"Grrrrk!"
Lightning that transcended human limits. It was the first time Thunder God had revealed itself to the world.
The cleanup afterward was swift. The moment the black dome shattered, Hunter Association members swarmed in to take control of the situation, and paramedics transported the students. All the rings were removed, and mental healing skills were used to dispel the status abnormalities. Of course, Yeon Hyoju's charm was no exception.
That night, the world was thrown into chaos.
The Witch and Demon Sect—once dismissed as urban legends—have appeared in reality!
The Association has stated that they are still investigating and have no official information to share at this time…
The Academy's ten-year consecutive principal was revealed to be the leader of the Demon Sect.
All those sensational headlines. Headlines that seemed like pure clickbait turned out to be true, and people thought the world had gone mad.
And naturally, our Academy announced:
In order to provide mental treatment for the students and restore the facilities, all classes will be suspended for the time being.
Complete shutdown. Several professors had been among the casualties, and some students still hadn't regained consciousness.
Of course. They had their magi drained.
Negative energy might sound inherently bad, but it was still energy. Losing too much of it could endanger one's life.
And the now-vacant principal position was temporarily taken over by Professor Irena.
Why? Because I had casually dumped the credit for killing the cult leader onto her.
Right now, I was in the hospital lobby undergoing a detailed examination.
"For now, there are no major visible abnormalities, but we'll need to wait for the full test results. In the meantime, please refrain from any intense physical activity."
"Understood."
I had expected to be bedridden for a month, but this was unexpected.
I'm perfectly fine.
Whether it was because of the magi crystal I had kept in my pocket or something Lee Seol had done, I had no way of knowing. Either way, not having to be hospitalized was a definite win.
After finishing my consultation with the doctor and stepping back into the lobby, Han Yuri and Choi Ahyeon were waiting for me.
"What did they say?"
"They said there don't seem to be any major issues. I should take it easy for a while."
"Ugh. Who told you to push yourself like that? Spamming an S-rank skill like crazy—how is your body even still standing?"
"Could the person who collapsed and couldn't do anything please shut up?"
"Tch."
Han Yuri whipped her head away with a huff. I turned to Choi Ahyeon, who was wearing an incredibly guilty expression.
"Thank you so much, Seonghyun. Because I got taken hostage…"
"Hey. Why are you acting so down? We help each other out. There's no need to look so defeated."
"Still… it happened because of me."
She kept looking gloomy, so I tried to lighten the mood with a suggestion.
"If you really feel that bad, how about granting me one wish?"
"Yeah! As long as it's within what I can do, I'll do anything!"
"Even something naughty?"
"W-what?! Th-that's…"
My mischievous grin earned me a smack to the back of the head from Han Yuri.
"Ugh, you idiot. The way you said that makes it sound so wrong."
"Huh? It was a joke?"
"Of course it was a joke. You think I'd be serious?"
"Ugh, seriously!"
As I chuckled, Choi Ahyeon—her face bright red—kept smacking my back. In the end, we grabbed a meal together before returning to the Academy.
"They're still doing construction?"
"Apparently it'll take a while. They're using this attack as an opportunity to turn the whole place into a fortress with defense artifacts."
"Smart move."
The Academy's defenses had been pretty lax for an institution of its caliber. With no classes, students had flocked to the library and the Hall of Challenge. Those who needed rest had gone home. It almost looked like summer vacation.
"I've got to go get some tutoring, so I'll head out first."
"Okay."
"Seonghyun! Say hi to the professor for me!"
"Will do."
I parted ways with them and headed to the professor's office. Instead of knocking, I simply turned the doorknob and walked in.
"Knocking is basic manners."
"Come on. Between you and me, Professor?"
"Don't you know that the closer you are, the more consideration you should show?"
God, the nagging was endless. I pretended to cover my ears, and she let out a sigh.
"So, how's your body?"
"They said there are no major issues. We'll know more once the results come back, but I don't think there'll be anything serious."
"That's a relief."
She let out a small sigh of relief, then began setting out snacks and ether tea on the desk. Along with the materials for today's lesson, of course. I made a face, exhausted by her tenacity.
"You've become the acting principal. Is it okay for you to be giving private lessons like this?"
"Even as acting principal, my primary duty is still as a professor. And also—"
"Yes?"
"Are you sure it's alright to hand the credit over to me? You were the one who killed the cult leader…"
I knew she'd bring that up.
"I didn't kill him. I just touched the crystal and it exploded on its own. If I claimed I killed him, no one would believe me anyway."
"I see…"
She fell silent, seemingly organizing her thoughts. Then she let out a deep sigh.
"Understood. Then what do you plan to do about the lightning incident? The Hunter Association is looking for the person who used that ability."
Thunder God. Even the Association's top hunters couldn't break through that black barrier. Yet some unknown individual had shattered it and massacred the Demon Sect cultists. And without leaving a single scratch on the hostages, no less. The sheer precision and power had the Association president and every major guild scrambling to find this person. But I intended to keep it a secret.
"It'll come out eventually. But I don't think now is the right time."
"If that's what you think, Student Seonghyun… then I will respect it. Now that we've covered everything, shall we begin today's lesson?"
Shit.
"Yes…"
One hour. Two hours. The long, drawn-out lesson was nearly over when Irena's phone rang.
"I'm sorry. It's an urgent call…"
"It's fine. Go ahead and take it."
Irena gave a small apologetic bow and moved to the corner to answer the phone.
"Yes. The number of students wishing to drop out is around one hundred and fifty, and we're processing them accordingly. As for replacements, we'll handle that later…"
Dropouts. They were leaving because of the trauma from the attack. Compared to the previous round where over two hundred had dropped out, this was a decent outcome. But from the school's perspective, it was still a heavy blow. Losing one hundred and fifty potential fighters was a massive loss. They would do whatever it took to fill those spots.
"We plan to increase classes related to Witches and focus on recruiting non-combat personnel."
See? Especially since they had been hit so hard by the Demon Sect, it seemed they were prioritizing recruitment in that field.
About three minutes later, Irena ended the call and returned to the sofa.
"I'm sorry. It was a work call…"
"It's alright. Are you planning to recruit new students?"
"Yes. With our current numbers, the Academy simply can't function. For now, we'll start by accepting applications from the general public."
"In that case, would it be alright if I recommend one person?"
"Pardon?"
"There's someone I know. Her name is Shin Suyeon."
The Academy wasn't just for hunters. There were also non-combat personnel who researched mana and skills. The only difference was that they weren't formal students but more like researchers. Because of this incident, they were now officially recruiting under the title of 'supporters.'
I recommended Shin Suyeon for that.
Whether it works or not, it's worth a shot.
When the tutoring session ended and I left the professor's building, the sun had already set.
Better hurry.
When I entered the dormitory, Choi Ahyeon was lying on the sofa, scrolling through her phone. The moment she saw me, she shot upright.
"You're back early. You haven't eaten yet, right?"
"I've got plans for dinner tonight, so I'll pass. You two eat without me."
"Okaaay~."
I went into my room, stuffed the things I'd need for tonight into my bag, and headed for the library.
Studying? No. After the grade evaluation had ended, Lee Seol had come to visit me in the hospital. Ever since then, something had been bothering me.
"Hyun-ah! Over here, over here!"
Lee Seol waved at me with a bright smile. Today, I was going to confirm whether her Super Sensory existed or not.