Academy's Savior
Kim Je-o, the representative instructor of the Ju-mul Class, sat in his office with his fists clenched tight. That morning he had obtained a single piece of information through his students.
Some of the first-years had cleared a contamination zone together with Seong Ha-ri. And at the center of it all, as if it were only natural, stood Seong Yujin.
Suddenly going into a contamination zone with Seong Ha-ri? That bastard is definitely preparing something.
And by moving Seong Ha-ri, he was sending a warning. That Seong Ha-ri stood behind him.
…Damn that bastard.
Less than a week remained until the duel between the Ju-mul Class and the Spirit Class.
Kim Je-o had been certain of the Ju-mul Class’s victory. The Spirit Class had one member; the Ju-mul Class had seven. A sevenfold numerical advantage. Even if Seong Yujin’s strength ranked at the very top of the first years, the rules of this match—thanks to the Ju-mul Class’s specialty—allowed the use of external items.
They would bring carefully selected cursed objects and put them to use. Even if the opponent were an A-rank hero, Kim Je-o was confident they could overwhelm him by borrowing the power of those objects. On top of that, the Ju-mul Class had Shin Na-ri. Their combat strength overflowed. The Ju-mul Class’s victory had been a foregone conclusion.
That was what he had believed—until he heard Seong Ha-ri’s name.
…What if Seong Ha-ri has intervened this time?
Seong Ha-ri.
One of Korea’s Five Heavens, and the nation’s sole SS-class hero. Her activity had been sparse for the past few decades, yet she had once been recognized as the strongest hero in the world. Even Kang Jiyoung, the academy principal, was said to lag a step—no, several steps—behind Seong Ha-ri.
If Seong Ha-ri’s skill, connections, and items have fallen into Seong Yujin’s hands…?
The Ju-mul Class might lose.
Kim Je-o nervously chewed at his nails.
“Kim Je-o. Are you in?”
The door opened without permission. Kim Je-o pressed his lips shut and glared at the man who entered.
“What business do you have here?”
“Don’t be so cold. I’ve come to help you. The existence of the Spirit Class bothers me just as much as it bothers you.”
“Don’t be so cold. I’ve come to help you. The existence of the Spirit Class bothers me just as much as it bothers you. I can assist you.”
The man approached, a suitcase in one hand.
“This is Ju-mul Class business.”
“Are we the sort of people who say such cold things to each other?”
“…The Ju-mul Class’s own strength is more than enough.”
“You might want to take a look in the mirror. Right now you look like the protagonist of a horror movie.”
“…….”
“If the Ju-mul Class loses this match, you will lose a great deal. The reputation of a class already in decline will hit rock bottom, and the students will mock you. And you… will lose the vice principal’s trust.”
Vice principal.
At those words, Kim Je-o’s eyes sharpened.
“I know you. You’re the kind of man who would shake hands with the devil himself if it meant getting what you want.”
“Are you calling yourself the devil?”
“What a bloodthirsty thing to say. You know full well that was only a figure of speech.”
He finally reached the front of Kim Je-o’s desk.
Thud.
The suitcase settled onto the desk. Mana vibrated in the man’s palm. The magical lock released, and the suitcase opened.
“……!!”
Kim Je-o’s eyes went wide as saucers. A profound curse radiated from the open case. His eyelids trembled.
“…All of these are cursed objects.”
“As an instructor of the Ju-mul Class, you should understand just how extraordinary these items are.”
“In pure monetary value they would be worth tens of billions…. Where did you obtain them?”
“That’s a secret. In any case, with these the match will be no problem. Consider them a donation to the Ju-mul Class. Use them as you see fit.”
“…If we use these, the academy might grow suspicious.”
“Hahaha. Do you really think so?”
“…….”
Kim Je-o’s face twisted.
He already knew.
The academy had little interest in the Ju-mul Class. In the past it might have been different, but the current staff had no accurate grasp of which cursed objects the class possessed. Documents existed, yet no one actually read them. Why? Because the Ju-mul Class was in decline.
“What hangs on this match is not only the future of the Ju-mul Class. Your future is on the line as well.”
“…Neither I nor the Ju-mul Class have anything to offer you in return.”
“One price will suffice. The dissolution of the Spirit Class.”
He left the suitcase and turned away.
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
He vanished.
Kim Je-o exhaled. His pupils rippled strangely. His hands, as if possessed, reached for the suitcase. As he examined the cursed objects one by one, a smile spread across his lips.
I will win no matter what and prove the value of the Ju-mul Class.
The day of the duel arrived.
Before entering the artificial dungeon I looked around.
There were plenty of spectators. Most of the academy instructors had shown up, and students who had heard the rumors had gathered as well. Second-years were few—it was practical training season.
I calmly scanned the assembled first-years. Most of them predicted the Spirit Class would lose. Even I couldn’t possibly face seven opponents alone. That was their reasoning.
Lee Si-eun is cheering for me…. And even Ryu Hana came. That’s unexpected.
I skipped right over Kim Cheonwoo and Ma Jin-bae. I had zero interest in those guys.
My gaze stopped on Choi Dayeon. Our eyes met. Arms crossed, she looked as haughty as ever. Even after what had happened between us, she didn’t look away. That was pure Choi Dayeon.
I broke eye contact and turned to the seven members of the Ju-mul Class. Six of them, excluding Shin Na-ri, radiated open hostility. Shin Na-ri herself remained calm. She would do what she had to do. That was the feeling she gave off.
“I will explain the victory conditions.”
Kang Jiyoung, principal of Maruhan Academy, spoke.
“The first side to clear the dungeon, or to render the opposing side combat-incapable, wins.”
I rolled my shoulders while listening. The best thing about the academy’s artificial dungeons was that even fatal damage wouldn’t kill you. So there was no need to hold back.
“Spirit Class member Seong Yujin will enter first. The Ju-mul Class will enter ten minutes later.”
Ten minutes.
The single advantage granted to me.
I don’t really need it.
I had zero intention of winning by clearing the dungeon. I would take down all seven of the Ju-mul Class. That was my goal.
“Begin.”
The instant Kang Jiyoung finished speaking, I stepped into the dungeon.
The scenery changed in a flash.
A dry sky and four hills greeted me. I stood there with my arms crossed and waited for the Ju-mul Class to arrive.
Ten minutes passed, yet they still did not appear.
Some dungeons have warped time flows, but this is an artificial dungeon, so that shouldn’t be the case….
There was only one answer. Our starting points were different. Dungeon information hadn’t been released beforehand, so I hadn’t known.
Tch. So I have to go hunting for the Ju-mul Class bastards. What a pain.
I moved at a leisurely pace.
The Ju-mul Class’s curses were poorly suited for fighting monsters. Curses themselves were fundamentally specialized against people.
Dungeons basically require you to face large numbers of monsters. For the Ju-mul Class, fighting me is several times easier than clearing the dungeon.
I wasn’t the one in a hurry—they were.
“Found him!! Seong Yujin!!”
A third-year from the Ju-mul Class shouted. Hostility filled his voice, yet it only sounded ridiculous to me.
The third-year male was draped in cursed objects from head to toe. An old bamboo hat on his head, a pitch-black apple at his waist, and a broom radiating dark energy in his hands. I aimed a rocket launcher at him and pulled the trigger. The rocket streaked toward him.
An abrupt first strike with a rocket.
An inexperienced first-year would have been retired without even reacting. But this was a third-year. He hadn’t attended the academy for nothing; he used a curse technique to raise a barrier. The rocket exploded, yet it failed to shatter the earthen wall.
“You brought that kind of weapon into a dungeon? Are you joking right now?”
The third-year snarled. Academy students—no, heroes in general—disliked modern weapons. They outright despised them. The reason was simple: the limitations of modern firearms were crystal clear.
I ignored his words and loaded a fresh rocket into the launcher.
At the thought of tasting the kick of an RPG-7, a smile naturally curved my lips.
Smoke trailed as the rocket flew. He made no attempt to dodge. He trusted the barrier right in front of him. That was his fatal mistake.
KWA-AAAANG!
An explosion three times stronger than a normal rocket erupted. The barrier shattered, and his body tumbled across the ground.
I asked my homeroom teacher Yun Huijeong to enchant it.
Normally it wouldn’t be allowed.
But in this dungeon it was the exception. The Ju-mul Class weren’t the only ones permitted to use items.
“Guh… aaargh….”
I walked toward him at a measured pace.
“Just because the first attack was ordinary, you thought the second rocket would be ordinary too? You’re so stupid it feels like a comedy.”
His barrier clothing glittered. He was on the verge of retirement.
“Hm?”
He was bleeding. Under normal circumstances he shouldn’t have been bleeding at all.
“…Did they deliberately adjust the barrier clothing?”
Why?
The answer came immediately.
“Got you…!!”
His old bamboo hat poured out an ominous aura.
Watching his triumphant grin, I understood. It was a curse that activated through the caster’s pain and blood.
A sticky curse clung to my body—then vanished.
Psssh!
The cursed bamboo hat crumbled into dust and disappeared. The price of a failed curse.
“W-what?!”
I grinned and raised my wrist. A white straw rope was wrapped around it.
“That item… don’t tell me…?!”
Items that resisted curses weren’t rare if you looked for them. That was one of the reasons the Ju-mul Class was declining. Frankly, even holy water alone rendered low-grade curses completely ineffective.
“You were obviously going to bring dozens of cursed objects. Did you really think I’d come unprepared?”
“E-even so, there has to be a limit…!”
He hurled the pitch-black apple at me and swept the ground with the broom. Curses surged forward. I faced them calmly. Not a single hair on my body was touched.
“Impossible…. What the hell is that thing?! Don’t tell me… a sacred relic…?”
“Idiot. How would I even get my hands on a sacred relic?”
I kicked him in the head. Using a weapon would have been a waste. His body floated into the air and then slammed into the ground. His form vanished. Retirement. Outside the dungeon he would receive appropriate treatment.
Six left.
Before moving on I checked the straw rope.
Rank: S
Grants immunity to curses.
Durability: 43/50
My eyes flew wide open.
Seven points of durability had vanished in a single go.
I only blocked three curses and the durability dropped that much?!
Maybe I was seeing things. I rubbed my eyes and checked again. It was the same.
…This is insane. These Ju-mul Class bastards brought some seriously dangerous items. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have shown off—I would’ve retired him right away.
The lost durability stung.
At the same time a question rose.
The Ju-mul Class had cursed objects this dangerous…? I really underestimated them.
I corrected my earlier assumption that Shin Na-ri was the only one to watch out for, and set out to find the others.
Opening the Heavenly Eye.
I opened both the Spirit Eye and the Heavenly Eye at once. My pupils turned gold. Finding the Ju-mul Class bastards would not be difficult.