Chapter 0
Chapter 0
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Sense of Betrayal
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I'd been possessed into a modern academy game I used to play all the time, forced to live out my days here as an instructor at the academy.
Thanks to that, I'd earned rave reviews from my students and even snagged the title of S-Rank Instructor. But those days were long gone now.
A swarm of students had flooded into the instructors' lounge, all of them hurling accusations at me.
"This is disgusting... You've been spying on us this whole time?"
"Filthy. Bet you loved rummaging through other people's photos."
"No way... You've been secretly reading all our messages? For real?"
Just yesterday, these same students had been sitting in my classes. Now they stared at me like I was some kind of bug.
This was bullshit. I swear on my life, I'd never touched any of their personal info.
It was a frame job. Someone with a grudge against me had to have set this up to screw me over.
"Kids, I never did anything like that. What would I even do with your personal info? I'm not interested in your photos, your chats, your phone calls—none of it. You know me. You know that's not who I am."
But my words fell on deaf ears. The students' protests only grew louder.
Then two of my top students—the ones who'd always paid the most rapt attention in my classes—approached me.
"K-Kids... You get it, right? Your teacher would never do something like this. I'm innocent. Please, tell the others."
Kim Siyeon and Yoon Seulgi screamed at me, their voices trembling.
"I... I really thought you were a great teacher... How could you do this to us?!"
"Our secret chats with friends, our family issues, even all those photos in our galleries... You saw everything, didn't you? This is the worst."
"You're disgusting. An instructor who snoops through his students' phones. I'm ashamed I ever looked up to you."
I stared at them in a daze and shouted.
"N-No... It wasn't me! I didn't do it... This is a setup... A frame job..."
Even Lee Haru, one of my favorite students, came up to me, glaring with pure rage.
"Every criminal claims it's a frame job when they're cornered. How many people actually confess to their crimes? At least don't make a fool of yourself to the end. That's the least you owe everyone you've taught. Just admit it, apologize sincerely, and step down from your position voluntarily."
The condemnations kept pouring in from the crowd.
I had no idea why, but ever since being isekai'd into this game—Helmont Academy—I'd gone through countless adventures, collected items, and cleared quests like my life depended on it.
I was finally at the final quest, the one that would send me back to Earth. But it was impossible solo, so I'd been training up disciples to help.
It started as a means to an end—finding talent to clear that quest. But somewhere along the way, seeing the students who stuck with me filled me with real satisfaction as an instructor. I taught them with genuine passion, pouring in every hidden item, skill, and scrap of knowledge I'd gathered from my quests.
'Fucking assholes...'
These disciples I'd given everything for repaid me with nothing but hate and distrust. No one would even listen when I said it was a frame job.
'Fine, fuck it. My mistake for expecting anything from this academy full of spoiled guild heirs.'
I was furious and wronged, but by now the entire student body, faculty, and even the president saw me as some creepy pervert snooping through kids' phones.
'Screw this goddamn academy. I'll quit first.'
-Scrrrtch
-Thud.
In the midst of the chaos in the lounge, I pulled my resignation letter from the drawer.
'Never thought I'd be cashing this in like this.'
I filled it out and handed it to the watching president.
"I didn't do it. But I can't keep teaching in a place like this. Investigate however you want, punish me if guilt turns up. I'm innocent. Either way, I'm done here."
"You... right to the end..."
-Bam!
I slammed the lounge door shut behind me and stormed out of the academy. All around, insults like "trash" and "pervert" rained down, but I ignored them.
Finally, I reached the main gate.
I gave the students one last look. Their faces were twisted in revulsion, like they were staring at garbage.
"Get out! You piece of trash!"
"Filthy bastard. Don't you ever come near us again!"
My disciples screamed obscenities at me.
'You assholes think I got called S-Rank Instructor for nothing?'
I checked the text shimmering before my eyes.
[SSS] The One Who Walks the King's Path
◎ You can designate and link your successor.
◎ Linked successors receive amplified stats and explosive growth speed boosts.
◎ Amplification and growth speed scale with the skill holder's abilities.
◎ Number of linked successors: 521
'Release all skill links.'
'Release them.'
'Things are gonna get tough from here. That insane power growth you all had? All thanks to this skill.'
'You might think you dumped me, but it's the opposite. I'm the one dumping you.'
'Don't ever show your faces to me again, you fucking bastards.'