Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: One-on-One Duel (2)
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⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Match over! The winner is Cadet Jeong Jin-hee from B-Class! This concludes the round of 16 for the first-year one-on-one duels. We'll take a 30-minute break for the cadets' medical checks, so spectators, please enjoy a short rest as well!] "It's over~."
"Yeah."
Min Ye-ji slumped back in her chair, stretching out languidly.
"I'm gonna step out for a bit."
Im Sol roused her weary body and straightened her clothes.
"Where to?"
"To get some air."
"You're just going to see Cadet Lee Ho-yeon, aren't you? You're such a fanatic."
"No, I'm not."
Ignoring Min Ye-ji's sly grin, she slipped out of the stands.
'There was definitely a restroom around here.'
Im Sol scanned the area, searching for the bathroom.
After washing her hands thoroughly in the restroom and heading back to her seat, she stopped upon spotting a building map.
Just one floor down from here was the waiting room for the main tournament qualifiers.
Of course, it was off-limits to non-staff, but as a professor, Im Sol could bluff her way in.
"...Should I go see him?"
There wasn't much to say even if they met, but it seemed better than chatting idly with Min Ye-ji.
They could talk magic, discuss the duel, or she could even cheer him on.
"Yeah, plenty of break time. I can at least check on my student's face."
Without overthinking it, Im Sol headed to the qualifiers' waiting room.
*
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Match over! The winner is Cadet Jeong Jin-hee from B-Class! This concludes the round of 16 for the first-year one-on-one duels. We'll take a 30-minute break for the cadets' medical checks, so spectators, please enjoy a short rest as well!] Whoever won the last match didn't matter to me.
They were both extras, so I hadn't even bothered watching.
I was lounging on the sofa, scrolling through Everyday.
"Lee Ho-yeon... search."
Searching my name on Everyday was surprisingly fun.
"'I want to kill Lee Ho-yeon?' What did I even do to deserve that?"
The hate comments didn't faze me—my mentality was rock-solid.
"'Lee Ho-yeon... so handsome. Insane. Okay.'"
But the praise put a smile on my face.
And sometimes, there was decent info.
[By the way, doesn't Lee Ho-yeon have some club besides the student council? What's that about?]
No replies, but over 100 views.
I probably wouldn't recruit anyone else for the [Playtime Club] anyway.
Once I conquered Lucy too, it'd become my sex den with the twins.
"Gotta ask the club department to remove Playtime Club from the list entirely."
After Felix joined, I'd blocked new applications, but the club was still listed publicly.
Having a club with just me and the Lucy-Lumi twins might raise suspicions, so disbanding it made sense.
There were plenty of empty rooms anyway—no one would complain if we hogged one.
I searched Moon Soo-rin too.
To me, she was just a kind, pretty girl with familiar eyes, but others saw her differently.
Any photo of her sparked chaos.
No wonder she had so many paparazzi trailing her. Tsk.
I also looked up Sexy Succubus, Ellis, Nam Da-eun, Baek A-young, and others that came to mind.
None had Soo-rin's overwhelming popularity—just praise for skills or looks, calling them pretty or cute.
Posts whining they weren't even that pretty got flooded with replies like [You a girl?]
Yeah, how could any guy look at those faces and say they're not pretty?
There was this post too.
📰 Breaking News [Hard to see Saintess's face these days...] 💬 Comments — Anonymous I lived for trips to the infirmary to see Nurse Baek A-young... Now she says she's cracking down on fake illnesses... Should I actually break my arm...? — Anonymous Faking sick at the infirmary now gets you a warning. Two warnings mean campus service. — Anonymous ↳ Reply ↳ Two saintess visits for 300 hours of service? Worth it, right? — Anonymous ↳ Reply ↳ Campus service is 300 hours... — Anonymous ↳ Reply ↳ ??? Are you insane? "Hm, as expected of Soo-rin noona. She gets the job done."
These scumbags were why our Soo-rin noona had to work so hard.
Bad guys.
Knock knock knock.
A knock echoed through my waiting room.
"Who's there?"
"Medical check."
"Huh? Not A-young?"
"...It is."
Baek A-young's voice was unmistakable.
I got up from the sofa and opened the door myself.
Baek A-young wheeled in a cart loaded with strange devices.
"Congrats on making the quarterfinals."
"Thanks. But medical check?"
"Yeah. All quarterfinalists have to do it."
"Got it..."
I sat on the sofa, waiting for her instructions, but Baek A-young just stared at me openly instead of starting the check.
"A-young."
"Y-Yeah?"
"You were the last one to my room, right?"
"H-How'd you know?"
"Just a hunch."
I could read Baek A-young without even checking her status window now.
Probably thinking, 'Not gonna lock the door? Maybe say lust is part of the check?'
Even dirtier thoughts than mine.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ❤️ Favorability: 89 (+0.4) 💋 Lust: 80 🍲 Appetite: 30 😴 Fatigue: 25 Current Status: Isn't he locking the door? Could say lust is part of the medical check? "Any issues that might affect the duel? Like, sudden discomfort anywhere..."
Stop staring at my crotch.
That's sexual harassment.
"Hold on."
I stood, locked the waiting room door.
"W-Why lock it all of a sudden?"
"You know why."
Baek A-young put on her best wide-eyed act, oblivious to her upturned lips.
"A-young. What if my lust messes up the duel? You gonna fix that too?"
"I-I'll... try."
"Open your mouth."
"O-Okay... Mmm."
I pushed her onto the sofa, kissing her deeply. Sucking her tongue, I slipped mine in, and she kissed back eagerly.
One hand undid her blouse, diving into her cleavage.
"Nngh... Smack."
"Haa... Come here."
"Mmm... Honey..."
I pulled away, hand sliding under her skirt for the main event.
Heat radiated through her stockings. I reached up to remove the skirt.
Then.
Knock knock knock.
"...!"
"Eek...!"
The sudden knock froze us mid-motion.
"Wh-Who's there?"
I shot Baek A-young a quick look, hastily redressing in my cadet uniform.
She caught on, silently fixing her blouse without a rustle.
"It's Professor Im Sol. Came to see how you're doing."
Professor? Why visit my waiting room now?
She barely contacts me usually.
"One sec! In the middle of medical check!"
"Medical check? Okay."
Thankfully, she waited upon hearing that.
We did a final check on our appearances.
Perfect.
A nod to Baek A-young, then I opened the door.
"Nothing much during break, got curious... You busy?"
Im Sol stepped in, then fell silent spotting Baek A-young.
"Professor. Hi. Doing quarterfinalist medicals. This is Nurse Baek A-young. Nurse? Professor Im Sol."
I broke the awkward air first.
"Hello. Professor Im Sol."
"H-Hi. Baek A-young, school nurse."
Im Sol greeted first, but tension lingered.
Baek A-young's face was still flushed, excitement unsubsided.
Felt like a husband caught cheating.
"Ahem. Professor, have a seat. Check's almost done."
"Sure."
Im Sol sat beside me; Baek A-young finally began the check.
Of course, nothing was wrong.
No injuries from sparring, and my last visit to her was recent.
"All healthy. No issues."
"Obviously. I'm built tough."
"True. Health's all you've got going for you."
As we bantered normally, I felt Im Sol's gaze from the side.
"Close with Nurse Baek?"
Im Sol asked out of pure curiosity, not jealousy.
Her eyes said, 'Why are you buddy-buddy with the Saintess?'
"Ah, met doing service work. You two are same age, right? Was gonna introduce you. Now working together at the academy—should get along."
"Aha..."
"Haha..."
Im Sol nodded agreeably; Baek A-young, already knowing, gave an awkward smile.
Why so awkward between them?
"Please take care of me..."
"Yes, likewise."
Baek A-young greeted, Im Sol responded, but did I mess up introducing them?
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ❤️ Favorability: 89 (+0.4) 💋 Lust: 80 🍲 Appetite: 30 😴 Fatigue: 25 Current Status: Was uncomfortable with only guys around, but glad she's here... ⚔ STATUS ⚔ ❤️ Favorability: 51 💋 Lust: 25 🍲 Appetite: 30 😴 Fatigue: 40 Current Status: A same-age friend at the academy? Would like to get close... Both seem fine with it—what's with the vibe?
"Come on, swap numbers at least and talk later."
Couldn't drag this out forever, so I pushed.
"And Nurse, once the check's done, off to the others. More cadets waiting."
Baek A-young shot me pleading eyes—like, you're sending me away like this?—but no choice.
Couldn't kick Im Sol out claiming private talk with the nurse.
If I were a frail beauty, sure, but I'm too sturdy for fake ailments.
"Got it... Professor Im Sol, your number?"
At least they swapped numbers.
Whatever. I introduced them; they'll handle the rest.
"See you... Professor, waiting for your call."
"Yeah. I'll text when free."
Watching them, it felt like those awkward 'let's grab a meal sometime' goodbyes with strangers.
Both positive, so they'll meet eventually.
Baek A-young left with her cart, looking glum the whole way.
I turned to the remaining Im Sol.
"Professor. What now?"
"Talk magic research?"
She crossed her legs on the sofa.
"...Sure, fine."
She came to the qualifiers' room for magic research talk?
Makes sense—magic's her everything.
*
Crows cawed amid the desolation, rotten trees swaying in the wind, moss clinging to crumbling walls.
Seoul's outskirts, long abandoned by human feet.
This was the Pandemic's Korean branch, handling intel.
In the pitch-black space, a genderless voice echoed.
"Finally tracked it here. Korea."
"So you came to the Korean branch yourself...?"
One figure cloaked entirely in robes, identity hidden; a man prostrated before them spoke cautiously.
"Yes. The last survivor of the Rune Clan lives in Korea. We must find them, no matter what."
"We've been searching since the report, but... clues are scarce."
"The survivor was a newborn or elementary kid. Now, probably elementary or just adult. Definitely male. Focus there."
"Any more specific traits?"
"Rune Clan trait is red hair, but could be dyed—ignore it. Find elementary or young adult males with abnormal barrier magic talent. Got it?"
"Yes, understood."
The man rose slowly, exiting.
Alone, the Pandemic executive collapsed onto the bed, exhaustion overtaking relentless investigation.
"I must find the heir... for our clan."
Pandemic would deliver results. They'd come this far for the survivor.
"It's okay. Find the heir, and everything resolves. We can start over..."
Gazing at the moon through the window, they murmured lonely words.