Chapter 560
Chapter 560
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 560
Chapter Title: Academy's Savior
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"...I'm sorry. It was just so unexpected that I briefly suspected you, Yu-jin. If that's the will of the High Priestess, then I'll accept it."
Iste bowed her head sincerely and apologized to me. It was a relief that I didn't have to get into a tedious argument with her.
"What's your penance? Conquering this special dungeon?"
"Yes. I have to overcome all the trials on this island."
"...How long have you been here?"
"I don't know exactly... but about three months ago, I entered this island."
"Three months? Without any food?"
"You don't die from not eating here. The only exception is the trial of gluttony."
"The trial of gluttony... You mean those fruits in the forest?"
"Yes. Have you already passed it, Yu-jin? Impressive."
Admiration lit up Iste's face. I stared at her openly. I could swear she'd become a beauty.
In the original work's illustrations, she was a busty blonde bombshell.
I mentally resolved to claim her in the future.
"The trial of gluttony was no big deal."
"It was tough for me. I couldn't leave the tree for a week, indulging in the fruit. No matter how much I ate, it never filled me up, but eating itself was pure pleasure."
I couldn't understand Iste. Was the trial of gluttony really that grueling, enough to torment her for a week? Sure, the fruit was delicious, but that was it.
She must have a surprisingly strong appetite for food.
I opened my mouth again.
"What have you been doing here?"
"Looking for the path."
"Looking for the path? You can just walk straight ahead through the desert without doing anything. You were going in circles."
"Was I? I didn't realize."
"It's not like your eyes were closed... Why were you doing that? As far as I know, you're not blind."
"Even with my eyes open, I wouldn't have escaped the desert. To leave this desert, you must abandon wrath. I haven't fully let go of my anger yet, so the desert won't open the way for me."
"Wrath...? This island really is..."
"Yes. This island tests the seven emotions and six desires. Passing its trials is my penance."
"I see."
I nodded.
The Iste from the original work—in other words, her future self—was the emotionless saintess of the Cult of the Wooden Eyes. Now I understood why. She'd abandoned everything here.
"If you've spent three months here... you must have passed most of the trials."
"No. I'm lacking; I haven't even passed half."
"That's fortunate."
Cassandra had deliberately sent me to Iste. In other words, Cassandra didn't want the original Iste from the story.
"You said abandoning wrath opens the path in this desert?"
"Yes. This desert tests wrath. I can sense it."
"You can perceive the nature of the trials because of those eyes, right?"
"...Yes."
"But why do you have to abandon wrath specifically?"
"The path only appears once wrath is gone."
"Abandoning it is the wrong approach."
I strode toward her. Discarding all emotions would leave her as nothing but a doll. I didn't want Iste to become a doll. She was going to turn into a busty beauty and lie beneath me— it would be a waste if she had no emotions.
"This island only tests the seven emotions and six desires. There's no single right answer. Wrath fades temporarily once you vent it. Don't abandon it—release it."
"Ah, but... I don't know how to express my wrath."
"Is that so? Then I'll show you first."
I forcibly summoned feelings of anger. Thinking of the trash troll teammates I'd encountered in games made rage surge to the top of my head.
"Aaaargh! You fucking bastards!!"
I spat curses and stomped the sand furiously. Crackle. Lightning sparked from my body, and dust exploded outward.
"Uwaaaargh!"
I surrendered to the rage. Even as I rolled in the sand and dirt, covering myself head to toe, I didn't stop.
After nearly ten minutes of unleashing my fury, I collapsed, utterly spent.
"See?"
I stood up and brushed the sand off my clothes. Iste stared at me with her mouth agape. Even with her eyes closed, she was looking right at me.
"Y-Yes. Yes."
"Do what I did. It's easy, so you try."
"M-Me too?"
"I said I'd help you, didn't I? So follow my lead."
She clenched her fists, looking flustered, then nodded.
"A-All right. I'll try doing it like you, Yu-jin."
Iste stepped back a bit and stomped the ground tentatively. Caution lingered in her legs, and her pale face flushed red with embarrassment.
"Put more force into your legs and scream louder!"
"...Yes. Yu-jin! Argh! Argh! Aaaargh!"
I couldn't tell if she was venting wrath or just yelping in pain.
"Keep going. Don't stop."
Still, it seemed effective. As I watched Iste, I opened her status window.
Considering Iste's age, her physical stats were decent. Especially her mana rank, which was high. Mine was C-rank thanks to steady training with mana cubes, but Iste's was innate.
The skill Primal Eye is an absolute jackpot trait... Though she keeps her eyes closed because it's hard to control.
Super Sense was probably a skill she'd naturally acquired from living with her eyes closed. B-rank—higher than expected.
Favorability was 12.
At 20, she'd start taking interest in me. Given we'd just met, 12 was average.
"Scream louder."
"Argh! Aaaargh! Argh argh!"
Iste vented her rage and panted heavily.
"I-It worked!"
"See? No need to discard emotions entirely. Let's start over from the beginning while we're at it."
"From the beginning...?"
"It's fine. If you follow my instructions well, it'll take less than a week."
"You don't have to go that far..."
"I'm just helping with my own penance too. I'll help you properly. Of course, I have no intention of lingering here stupidly for three months like you. I'll wrap it up in a week."
A luxury pension in Gangwon Province had completely collapsed.
Sung Ha-ri stood before the ruins, spear resting on her shoulder as she scanned the surroundings. Bodies wearing the Cult of the Wooden Eyes' masks littered the ground. She'd tried torturing them for information, but the fanatics wouldn't talk. Instead, they'd thrown themselves at her, willing to die.
They wouldn't communicate. They gave no info on Sung Yu-jin. In the end, Sung Ha-ri slaughtered all the cultists and shattered the surrounding barriers.
Sung Han-gu, who had tracked her down late using info from the Hero Association, clicked his tongue.
"Ha-ri, even after becoming a parent, your temper's still as fiery as ever."
Sung Ha-ri stared at Sung Han-gu. Tears welled in her eyes.
"...Dad. Help me. Find our Yu-jin... Please."
"..."
Sung Han-gu was momentarily speechless at her sight.
"Guess I take back what I said. Don't worry. Yu-jin's your son, but he's my grandson too. That's why I'm here—to find him."
Sung Han-gu summoned an earth spirit using spirit arts. Even without a contract, spirit arts could coax aid once or twice.
The upper-grade earth spirit that emerged from the ground was a massive toad-like figure over 3 meters tall.
-Did you call me?
"Yes. Spirit of the earth, I seek your aid."
-My aid? Not hard to give. If you pay the proper price.
Lower and mid-grade spirits helped for fun, often favorable to humans. But upper-grade ones viewed humans as inferior, especially those long-established in the otherworld.
"I'll pay here."
He offered an unmarked bottle reverently. The mud toad snatched it.
-Tears of the Dragon Clan. At least you're a decent human.
The mud toad's eyes rolled toward Sung Ha-ri briefly.
-There's a human I don't like... but I can't pass up an item like this. Fine. State your request, spirit user.
"My grandson was kidnapped and brought somewhere nearby. But as you see, he's not here. I want to know where he is."
Sung Han-gu spoke calmly. He had to maintain composure despite his burning anxiety.
-You want to see the earth's memories. Got it. Let's take a look at what happened.
The mud toad closed its eyes. After about 30 seconds, it opened them again.
-Your grandson isn't here. The masked ones took him. A barrier... no, magic. Incredibly sophisticated and advanced magic for human work.
"...!!"
Sung Han-gu clenched his fist. He barely restrained himself from demanding the location outright. Shouting might annoy the spirit and end cooperation.
"Can you tell where—where they went?"
-Normally, the deal ends here. But those fools dared cage the lightning spirit in a tiny wooden cage. Outrageous. I dislike them too, so I'll tell you their location.
The mud toad raised a massive forefoot and slammed the ground. Instead of a footprint, a map of the Korean Peninsula appeared, with a circular mark at one spot.
-That magic leads underground here. Deal's done. Don't summon me for a while.
The mud toad sank into the earth like it was sucked in.
Sung Ha-ri and Sung Han-gu hurried over to examine the map. It was detailed enough to pinpoint the location easily.
"...Seoul, Gwanak-gu...?"
Sung Ha-ri turned. Sung Han-gu grabbed her wrist.
"Wait. If you're thinking of charging in alone and smashing everything, forget it. Yu-jin's there. He could get hurt because of you."
"Yu-jin's probably trembling and waiting for me right now! Who knows what those bastards might do to him...!"
"I know. That's why we need to rescue him properly."
"...Contact the Association?"
"No. The kidnapper's a hero appointed by the Association. There could be more traitors there. Our clan will handle it directly. Ha-ri, let's move together."
"...Just this once, I'll accept your help."
"I don't know Father's intentions, but I consider you—and not just Yu-jin—a member of the True Spirit Clan. Don't forget that."
By the time the heroes dispatched by the Association arrived, the place was empty.
"Huff... huff..."
I panted heavily, wiping sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.
What was putting me in such a bind was the trial of lust.
Iste had guided me to the cave, calling it the easiest trial. But that only applied to her. Iste was still young and didn't know much about sex itself.
Her ignorance of sex let her pass easily. But I was different.
"Hee hee hee hee."
"Eek."
"Hoot..."
Nude beauties surrounded me. All were stunning, eye-catching stunners with perfect, busty figures. My dick was already rock-hard.
These are illusions. It's the trial of lust.
Like the trial of gluttony. Ignore their temptations and push through to pass. My mind understood perfectly.
The problem was my body wouldn't move. My hands stripped me naked on their own, proudly displaying my erect cock to the beauties.
The beauties giggled and pressed against me. Their scent, warmth, touch—all felt utterly real.
This is one hell of a trial.
I recalled what I'd told Esther earlier.
No need to discard emotions like wrath entirely.
The same went for lust.
Sexual desire fades once satisfied.
Smack!
I grabbed the woman in front of me and pinned her to the ground.
"Kyaa!"
The woman writhed coquettishly on the floor.
"Even if you're fake, a pussy's a pussy! Gotta taste it once!"
I lunged at her.