Chapter 928
Chapter 928
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 928
Chapter Title: Savior of the Academy
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Sung Yu-jin!!" Ryu Hana’s scream echoed through the clearing.
I didn't lose my cool. With a fluid motion, I swatted away the dagger whistling toward my back—the one thrown by the assassin's clone—using the flat of my blade. The real assassin, who had managed to close the distance, smirked faintly as he thrust his primary dagger directly toward my heart.
I parried the strike effortlessly with the hilt of my sword. The assassin's smug expression twisted into one of pure shock. By now, the realization of the massive gap between our skills must have finally started to sink in.
Despite the setback, the man was a professional; he didn't give up. He pulled a small canister from his belt and slammed it into the ground. Thick, acrid smoke billowed up instantly, designed to blind even the most seasoned hunters.
'Useless trick. My eyes see everything.'
Bzzzzt!
I casually unleashed a few arcs of lightning to keep his follow-up attacks at bay. It was almost too easy.
'Compared to sparring with Yuria, this guy is so slow it’s making me yawn.'
I briefly recalled my training sessions with Yuria before her memory loss. Even when I knew exactly where her strikes were coming from, dodging them was a nightmare. She had a terrifying way of exploiting every microscopic weakness in my stance.
In contrast, this assassin was just following a manual. He targeted my vitals because they were vitals—sharp, but lacking any real soul or precision.
Clang!
"......!!"
The assassin's dagger flew from his hand, the tip shattering against my guard. I didn't let the opening go to waste.
Shadow Heaven Style: Thunder Light.
A strike faster than a heartbeat sliced through the assassin's torso. Blood sprayed across the grass. It was a devastating blow, but knowing his type, I knew it wasn't enough to end him instantly.
Realizing his life was forfeit, the assassin made one final, desperate play. He ignored me entirely and lunged toward Ryu Hana, who was still occupied with his clone.
A mutual destruction play—the eyes of a man who had already accepted his death.
The clone sacrificed itself, grabbing Hana's shoulder to pin her in place.
"Kuh!"
Hana’s twin swords cleaved the clone into pieces, but it was too late. The real assassin was already in her face.
"The mission... must be completed," he hissed.
"You're starting to piss me off. Did you really think I’d just let you walk past me?"
I triggered Acceleration and Moment in tandem, catching up to the assassin in a flash. I collided with him mid-air, sending us both plunging into the lake with a massive splash. As he thrashed to regain his bearings, I grabbed his collar and dragged him into the murky depths.
The assassin's face contorted in a silent underwater scream as he tried to stab me. I simply grinned and seized his wrist. The bone shattered instantly under my grip, and his dagger sank slowly toward the lakebed.
I drove my sword into his abdomen. Once. Twice. Three times. By the fourth plunge, the light had finally faded from his eyes. He was dead.
'Now, for the masterstroke. Blessing of Water... off.'
I retrieved the fallen dagger from the silt and deliberately slashed a jagged wound across my own side. I avoided anything that would cause permanent damage, but I made sure it bled enough to look horrific on the surface.
'Fuck... that actually stings.'
I summoned a small vial into my hand and swallowed the contents before they could dissolve. It was a potent, albeit controlled, poison I’d brought back from the Vampire Hunter world.
My nervous system began to tingle sharply. It was a non-lethal dose, but if I stayed under for too long, it might actually become a problem.
'Can't use Complete Recovery yet, or the whole act is ruined... Come on, Hana. Be the hero.'
She didn't disappoint.
Ryu Hana dove into the lake, her face a mask of pure panic as she swam toward me. I closed my eyes and went limp. From here on, my acting needed to be Oscar-worthy. I let the last of my air bubble out of my mouth and thrashed my limbs weakly, as if I were in the throes of death. As my body began to float toward the surface, Hana reached me, her hands gripping my shoulders as she pulled me upward.
"Haa... haa..."
Hana was gasping for air as she dragged me onto the shore. She laid my body flat on the dirt and frantically checked for a pulse, then placed her fingers under my nose. I held my breath, still as a statue.
"N-No...! Not like this!"
Hana immediately began CPR. She pressed her lips to mine, forcing air into my lungs, then interlaced her fingers and began chest compressions with desperate strength.
'...This is a lot less erotic than I imagined. The mouth-to-mouth is just a blast of hot air, and these compressions are actually starting to bruise my ribs.'
I hacked up a lungful of lake water and let out a weak groan. CPR was definitely overrated.
"Sung Yu-jin! Open your eyes! Yu-jin!! Please!"
Hana began lightly slapping my cheeks to wake me. I kept my eyes tightly shut, leaning into the role.
[Comms restored! Damn it! Stand down from counter-assault! Ryu Hana! We’re sending a medical team now! What is Sung Yu-jin's status?!]
The voice of the dungeon supervisor crackled through the area. The jammer the assassin had used had finally been neutralized.
I maintained the act all the way through the transport and the initial detox at the academy hospital.
'Perfect. Now Ryu Hana owes me her life.'
This debt of gratitude would give me all the leverage I needed in our relationship.
???
Ryu Hana stood in the sterile hallway of the academy hospital, staring at the door to Sung Yu-jin’s room. Her usual composure was nowhere to be found; she looked utterly drained.
Creeeak.
The door opened, and Yoon Hee-jung, the Class 1-1 homeroom teacher, stepped out. Her eyes were red with worry, but she quickly smoothed her expression when she saw Hana. She had to maintain the image of a strong faculty member.
"Ryu Hana? From Class 4, right?"
"...Yes, Teacher. How is he? Is Yu-jin going to be okay?"
"He's stable. He’s just sleeping now. The medical staff said the poison was unlike anything they’d ever seen, but luckily, they were able to detoxify him in time."
"Thank God."
Yoon Hee-jung studied the girl. Her years of experience told her there was more to Hana’s reaction than just relief for a classmate.
"...You aren't blaming yourself, are you?"
"I... I’m just glad he’s safe. If he had died because of me... I don't think I could have ever lived with myself."
"I understand. You can go in if you’d like... do you want to see him?"
"No. I can't look him in the eye right now. I’ll come back when he’s actually awake."
"He should be discharged in a day or two."
"I see. ...Teacher? Do they know who the assassin was?"
"I'm afraid not. My priority was getting Yu-jin to safety. The investigation team is currently working on identifying the body."
"Understood. I’ll be going now."
Hana gave a stiff bow and turned away. She knew that assassin had been sent for her. She made a silent vow to uncover the truth, even if she had to leverage the full weight of the North Dia Clan to do it.
Returning to her dorm, Hana didn't go to bed. Instead, she grabbed her swords and headed straight for the training hall.
'If I had been stronger... he never would have had to get hurt.'
???
Namgoong Hwa-yeon stood at the foot of the hospital bed, gazing down at the sleeping youth. She bit her lip until it nearly bled, her heart heavy with guilt.
She remembered what Yu-jin had told her just the other day—about the suspicious figure he’d seen on the grounds.
She had investigated and passed the info to the faculty, and she’d thought that was enough. But she had been complacent. If she had been more proactive, if she had truly believed his warning and pushed for a full security audit of the staff, they might have caught the killer before the match started.
'My negligence almost cost you your life. I'm so sorry.'
Hwa-yeon let out a shaky sigh and quietly exited the room.
???
Later that evening, the delinquent trio—Go Eun-ha, Yoo Chae-young, and Son Ji-yeon—made their appearance. They visibly relaxed when they saw that Yu-jin looked relatively unharmed. His wounds had been magically closed, leaving him looking as if he were simply taking a nap.
"He looks fine to me. We came all this way for nothing. Maybe we should prank him before we leave? I could draw something on his dick. What do you think?" Eun-ha whispered, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Whoa... that’s cold, even for you."
"Seriously, Eun-ha? He's a patient."
"Relax! It was just a joke! Why am I always the villain here?"
They continued to banter in hushed tones. They had been unusually quiet on the walk over, but the sight of his peaceful face had brought back their usual bravado.
"An assassin disguised as staff? This academy’s security is a fucking joke," Eun-ha spat, recalling a similar incident from the previous year.
"It’s not entirely their fault," Ji-yeon noted, crossing her arms. "The world is full of lunatics. This academy produces the heroes of tomorrow—we’re always going to be a prime target for villains who want to cull the competition early."
"I’m just glad it’s over. I’m glad you’re okay, Yu-jin," Chae-young whispered, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair from his forehead.
"Hey, leave him alone. Let's get out of here."
"Already? We just got here."
"Eun-ha’s right. We shouldn't crowd a recovering patient."
They turned to leave the room.
"Damn it. I was really hoping to get some 'quality time' in tonight," Eun-ha complained.
"Eun-ha, do you even wash down there properly?"
"Chae-young, worry about your own stench. Yours is the one that reeks."
"Excuse me? I wash twice a day! I’m fresh as a daisy. You’re the one who skips showers because you're lazy."
"I don't need a shower to stay clean. I’m naturally fresh."
"Liar. Last time we went to the public bath together, you smelled like a locker room."
Ji-yeon stepped between them before they could get any louder.
"Shut up, both of you! This is a hospital. People can hear you! And Chae-young, don't act like you haven't enjoyed it when he goes down on you."
"Ji-yeon, you total bitch!"
"Honestly, why did you even make him do it? A blowjob would have been enough."
Their voices faded as they bickered their way out of the building.
???
"Hic... Yu-jin-ah..."
Lee Si-eun was the next to arrive, her eyes red and puffy. She sat by the bed, silently holding his hand and weeping.
The door opened again, and a commanding presence entered the room.
It was the Academy Dean, Kang Ji-young.
"...Lee Si-eun. From Class 1-1, correct?"
"...Dean."
"You seem close with him. But it's past 9 p.m. You need to return to the dorms."
"But... Yu-jin..."
"Si-eun. You are a student, not a nurse. I understand you care for him, but he is in professional hands. Go back and do what you need to do."
"......Yes, Ma'am."
Si-eun gave Yu-jin one last longing look before scurrying out of the room.
Kang Ji-young walked to the side of the bed and looked down at him.
"I know you're awake," she said flatly.
She possessed the Intuition (S) skill. It was impossible to hide the fact that he was conscious from her.
I snapped my eyes open and grinned.
"Long time no see, Aunt. You haven't changed a bit—still as sharp as ever."
"Your first words after cheating death are an insult to my age?"
"I wasn't cheating death. I was just... temporarily incapacitated."
"The doctor said it was an unknown toxin. You're lucky we had a specialist with high-level detox abilities on staff, or you really would have died."
I gave a silent nod, realizing I might have pushed the 'poison' act a little too far.
"......I'm sorry," she said softly.
"Why are you apologizing? You weren't the one with the dagger."
"Because I’m the Dean. Everything that happens on this campus is my responsibility. The academy has decided to award both you and Ryu Hana significant bonuses for neutralizing the threat. Is there anything else you want?"
"How about a date?"
"......Hah. It’s good to see your spirit hasn't been dampened. No dates, but I’ll buy you dinner when you're out. Did you find anything out about the assassin? He was clearly targeting Hana."
"Nothing concrete yet. His face was surgically altered, and his prints were faked. There’s no match in any known database. He was a ghost."
"Not your run-of-the-mill hire, then."
"I have my suspicions," I noted.
"And they are?"
"...You should rest. The investigation is my job now."
Ji-young’s dark brown eyes glinted with a cold determination.
"I'm leaving."
"So soon?"
"If I stay any longer... things are going to get complicated."
???
As soon as the Dean left, I understood exactly what she meant. Ten minutes later, the door was practically kicked off its hinges as Sung Ha-ri burst into the room.
"YU-JIN-AH!!!"
She was hysterical, tears streaming down her face as she lunged at the bed and pulled me into a suffocating hug. My face was buried instantly in her massive, soft breasts. Truly, her tits were a work of art. I decided to make the most of the situation.
"Hic... Yu-jin... if anything had happened to you, I don't know what I would have done..."
Ha-ri’s tears were dripping onto the top of my head. I actually felt a twinge of genuine guilt seeing her this distraught.
"Mom, relax. Why are you crying? I'm perfectly fine."
I managed to squirm out of her grasp and looked her in the eye. Her face was a mess of tears and smudged makeup.
"I look away for one second... and my son gets his beautiful face all ruined..."
I glanced at my reflection in the window. I looked perfect. The toxin was gone, and thanks to the academy’s high-level healers, there wasn't even a scratch left on my skin. 'Ruined' was a bit of a stretch.
"Mom... I'm just so tired."
"Hic... My poor baby... Forget school. Just come home. I’ll take care of everything. I’ll support you forever."
"No, that’s a bit much."
"R-Really?"
"But I *could* use some energy. I’ve been feeling a bit lightheaded without my medicine lately."
"Yu-jin... honey, calm down. We’re in a hospital."
"But I want my milk~!"
Startled and clearly overwhelmed by her emotions, Ha-ri looked toward the door and then back at me.
"O-Okay. Just... be quiet. If someone hears us..."
Ha-ri lifted her top and pulled her right breast free from her bra. I didn't hesitate, latching onto her pink nipple and suckling greedily as she stroked my hair.