Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Ghost Witch Showdown
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As I quietly admired it, Lee Seo-jun shrugged like it was only natural.
"But is that bag a magic artifact? How does stuff keep coming out of such a tiny bag?"
"Yeah, it's a magic artifact. It's enchanted with spatial magic."
"Really?"
Even though I'd made it up on the spot, Lee Seo-jun's eyes went wide with surprise.
"Wow, a bag with spatial magic has to cost a fortune. I want one too. Where'd you get it?"
"Secret."
He nodded without any lingering regret at my answer.
"Got it."
With that, we finished our meal roughly and pressed onward.
Since we'd cleared more rooms than expected yesterday, the boss room probably wasn't far now.
Lee Seo-jun seemed to sense the dungeon's end approaching too, murmuring quietly.
"People must be worried about us."
"Yeah."
The school was probably in an uproar by now. The media would be ripping into the Wizard Academy mercilessly, no doubt.
But that had nothing to do with me.
"Let's get out of here quick."
"Yeah."
And so we advanced, taking down monsters just like yesterday.
After about three hours, we neared the boss room.
That's when something came into view in the distance.
A woman collapsed on the floor.
"What the—? How's a person lying here?"
Lee Seo-jun panicked at the sudden encounter with another human.
He slowly approached the woman. Then, as if hearing our footsteps, she gracefully lifted her upper body with elegant poise.
She was a beautiful woman exuding refinement. Her alluring eyes looked up at Lee Seo-jun, and she spoke.
"To think I'd run into someone in a place like this... Who might you be?"
Lee Seo-jun crouched down and said,
"I'm a student at the Wizard Academy. But how did you end up here?"
At his words, the woman clasped her delicate hands together, her eyes welling with tears.
"A Wizard Academy student? Thank you. I can finally escape this wretched dungeon. There's an evil presence lurking back there. Please, defeat that evil being for me!"
With exaggerated intonation, she pointed to a dark spot behind her.
"So that's where the boss is."
Lee Seo-jun murmured, staring into the distant darkness. But I coldly fixed my eyes on the woman and compressed as much mana as possible above my hand.
Lee Seo-jun looked at me in shock at my sudden action.
"Kim Sun-woo?"
I thrust my hand out and unleashed the spell toward the woman without hesitation.
Kwaaaang—!!!!
A massive boom echoed as pale dust billowed up.
From within the dust, the woman emerged with one shoulder pierced through.
—...Kuh. How boringly sharp your instincts are.
A voice that reverberated through space rang out. It wasn't human.
Lee Seo-jun stared at her in astonishment.
Her entire body was turning transparent.
That woman's true identity was the dungeon's boss, the 'Ghost Witch.'
A boss monster at minimum B-Grade.
Lee Seo-jun swiftly gathered his mana and shifted into combat stance. Intense mana poured from his sword.
—...Impressive. You look so young, yet you wield that much mana.
The Ghost Witch quietly admired Lee Seo-jun.
Instead of replying, he charged at her. The Ghost Witch released powerful demonic energy around her. The backlash from that intense energy sent Lee Seo-jun's body flying backward.
"Urk!"
—...How fun. You'll have to be my plaything.
The Ghost Witch's body floated into the air, and black spheres condensed with demonic energy began forming above her hand.
At the same time, the floor and ceiling shook, sending stone dust and debris raining down.
—...Can't have my plaything breaking, so I'll kill you slowly.
The black sphere shot toward Lee Seo-jun. He immediately dodged to the side.
Kwaaaang!
The black sphere hit the floor, unleashing a colossal explosion.
The Ghost Witch was even stronger than I'd imagined. Taking a direct hit barehanded would mean instant death.
—...Slippery like a rat! Dodge this too!
This time, several times more spheres appeared.
Lee Seo-jun didn't panic and drew in his body's mana. Light-attribute mana burst from his sword, illuminating the surroundings brightly.
As an undead monster, the Ghost Witch was weak to light attributes. Seeing the intense light rising from Lee Seo-jun's sword, she panicked.
—...L-Light attribute sword aura?
Lee Seo-jun charged at the Ghost Witch without answering. She scattered black magic spheres in response, but they couldn't keep up with his explosive speed.
—...What is this?! How can someone your age have reached such a level?! What are you?!
Panicking as her attacks failed to land, the Ghost Witch reacted with alarm.
Now was the moment.
I immediately activated the Heart of the Great Nature and gathered as much mana as possible in my hand.
10 seconds. 15 seconds. I compressed the mana and fired it at her.
Paaang!
Kwaaaak!
My spell pierced the Ghost Witch's shoulder again. A powerful mana wave rippled out, making her body stagger.
In that split second.
Lee Seo-jun launched himself forward. The distance between him and the Ghost Witch closed to point-blank.
The light-attribute mana-infused sword glowed brighter than ever as he swung it at her.
"Haaaah!"
The light from the sword engulfed the Ghost Witch. The sharp blade sliced precisely through her body, cleaving her in half.
At the same time, a massive mana explosion erupted.
Kwaaaaaang!
The intense wind and light slowly faded. The grotesquely bisected Ghost Witch was revealed.
—...Unbelievable. For someone so young... You're remarkable...
With those final words, the ghost's body crumbled into dust and vanished.
[You have achieved the 'Dungeon Boss Slain' accomplishment.]
[You have obtained 3,000 points as a reward.]
[You have achieved the 'Hidden Stage Cleared' accomplishment.]
[You have obtained 5,000 points as a reward.]
"Whew, it's finally over..."
After about 26 hours of ordeal.
We had successfully conquered the hidden stage.
"We made it all the way here, huh."
The end of the dungeon—the reward chamber.
With all the hardship behind us, Lee Seo-jun said to me. I nodded.
"Yeah."
"But what was that last spell you fired?"
"What?"
"The destructive power was insane."
"Oh, that? I compressed it for over 10 seconds before releasing."
"Right, you handle compression manifestation too?"
Lee Seo-jun murmured as it came back to him.
"Amazing. So how'd you know that fallen woman was the boss?"
He asked with curious eyes.
"Idiot. She looked suspicious as hell. Why would a normal person be at the end of a dungeon?"
"...Yeah, fair point."
"Anyway, let's check the rewards."
"Got it."
Various items lay atop the reward altar. The main reward was the same as in the original story.
An S-Grade sword sheath: 'Shelter of the Sword.'
［Shelter of the Sword (S)］
Type: Sword Sheath
Description: A sword sheath imbued with mystical power.
［Continuous Effects］
►Custom Fit
Changes size to match the sword.
►Weapon Enhancement
Drawing a sword from the sheath increases its destructive power by 50% for 30 minutes.
Drawing a sword from the sheath increases its mana output by 50% for 30 minutes.
*Cooldown: 30 minutes
►Weapon Repair
Inserting a sword into the sheath repairs it.
*Time required varies by sword's condition, up to 7 days maximum.
*Cannot restore mystical power lost from a destroyed sword.
Durability: S
As expected of an S-Grade item, the effects were insane.
It boosted a sword's power and mana amplification by 50%, and it could auto-repair even a broken blade.
Any swordsman would lose their mind at the sight of this sheath.
Considering how many wizards in this world wield swords, it'd fetch over 10 billion at auction easy.
"Whoa, jackpot! An S-Grade sword sheath?"
Lee Seo-jun reacted with shock, clearly recognizing its value. Probably from the S-Grade golden glow emanating from it.
"Take this one."
An S-Grade sword sheath. Such a top-tier item was utterly useless to me. I didn't wield swords and had no plans to. Nor did I need cash right now.
Plus, having seen Lee Seo-jun die once already due to his death.
I couldn't withhold an item like this from him, even if he already had one and still died.
"You want me to have it?"
"Yeah. I don't use swords anyway."
It was yours in the original story to begin with.
"This is an S-Grade item?"
"Yeah. Doesn't matter."
"Alright, if you're sure... Don't go changing your mind later?"
"Yeah, yeah."
Lee Seo-jun happily pocketed the sheath, his face beaming with satisfaction. As expected of a swordsman, he had a greedy side.
"An S-Grade sword sheath. Wonder what the effects are. Can't wait to appraise it."
I wanted to tell him, but I couldn't explain how I knew, so I kept my mouth shut.
As he grinned, Lee Seo-jun suddenly remembered something and said to me.
"Oh, right. Take all the rest of the rewards."
"You're saying it like you're doing me a huge favor."
"Am I? Heh heh."
I chuckled and swept the items from the altar into my bag—my subspace. 'Magic Imbue Scroll,' 'Paralysis Dagger'...
Not as good as the main reward 'Shelter of the Sword,' but combining these two made it worthwhile.
"All set."
As I finished packing, Lee Seo-jun pointed to one spot like he'd been waiting.
"That's the exit."
"Yeah, let's go."
We stepped through the portal, and the artificial dungeon we first entered appeared.
"Oh? The students are out!"
Voices rang out from somewhere.
Turning, I saw crowds gathered around us. Reporters and familiar teachers were among them.
One teacher rushed over to us then. He looked back and forth between me and Lee Seo-jun with worried eyes.
"Kids! You okay? Anywhere hurt?"
"Yes. We're fine."
"Good to see you're unharmed. Did you clear the dungeon?"
"Yes."
At Lee Seo-jun's answer, the surrounding reporters' eyes lit up.
"Whoa, cleared it in a day? And they're students?"
"As expected of Lee Seo-jun. This is front-page news. Snap photos quick."
"Hey! Lee Seo-jun! Interview, please!"
"Lee Seo-jun! From SBC. We'd love details on what happened in the hidden stage."
Hordes of people swarmed around Lee Seo-jun.
Of course, they showed little interest in me. I wasn't offended. No one knew better than I did what kind of existence Lee Seo-jun was in this world.
I watched the scene for a bit, then quietly slipped away. Some teachers asked if I needed to go to the infirmary, but I brushed them off saying I was fine.
"Whew."
Stepping outside the dungeon, the warm sunlight dazzled my eyes.
After spending the whole day in darkness, the brightness felt great.
"Hey! They say Lee Seo-jun's out!"
"Dammit! We're late! Run!"
Thanks to Lee Seo-jun, the chaos inside the dungeon or out wasn't much different.
People rushed about frantically at the news of his emergence.
A reporter who recognized me approached, acting friendly, and asked about Lee Seo-jun's exploits.
I gave vague answers and kept walking.
"Hmm..."
That's when it happened as I headed toward the dorms.
Two familiar faces appeared before me.
A beautiful woman and man.
They naturally passed by my side. Even with baseball caps pulled low, an inexplicable pressure drew my gaze there.
The woman looked strikingly like someone I knew.
I watched her back. Suddenly, as if sensing my stare, she turned around. Seeing her face properly, she resembled that person even more.
It was Yoo Ah-ra.
Maybe that's what she'd look like in about five more years.
Then, as if recognizing me, she gave a slight bow. I bowed back. The man beside her looked puzzled but followed suit.
She was famous enough that everyone in Korea knew her.
The Witch of Fire, Yoo Ah-yeon.
Master of the Dawn's Blade Guild.
Yoo Ah-yeon greeted the male student she'd just passed and continued walking. She knew who that student was.
Kim Sun-woo.
The one who'd fallen into the hidden stage with Lee Seo-jun this time. But she knew him for another reason too.
He was the student who'd saved her one and only little sister, Yoo Ah-ra, during the Wizard Academy demon invasion incident.
"That kid—isn't he the one? The guy who cleared the hidden stage with Lee Seo-jun?"
"Yeah."
"But aside from that, his face rings a bell. He looks familiar..."
"The one who saved my sister during the demon invasion."
"Oh, right! That's why you greeted him."
Yoo Ah-yeon nodded lightly.
Meanwhile, as the two conversed.
Lee Seo-jun slowly walked out from the dungeon.
"Oh... It's Lee Seo-jun. He looks even better in person."
The man exclaimed in admiration. Yoo Ah-yeon watched Lee Seo-jun impassively, without any reaction.