Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: What Happened at Arcana
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Academy City was plagued by a variety of chronic issues.
Being a place crafted by human hands, it was only natural to have its share of problems, but the most severe one people pointed to was the issue of the "Irregulars."
Across the world, humans who awakened as Psykers were obligated to head to Academy City within one year.
Violate that, and you'd end up imprisoned in your home country's penitentiary for re-education before being shipped off—or, in nations hypersensitive to Psyker issues, you could face the death penalty. As a result, tens of thousands of Psykers voluntarily enrolled in Academy City every year.
In the midst of this upheaval, a small fraction of them failed to adapt to the sudden changes. These were the Irregulars.
Newly awakened Psykers were all adolescents aged sixteen or younger.
Forced to leave their hometowns—where life had been perfectly fine—and relocate to some distant land, it was inevitable they'd suffer emotional turmoil.
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Without proper guidance in that state, they went off the rails. And the crimes committed by these wayward Psykers were a major social headache in Academy City, causing no end of trouble.
The number of Irregulars was minuscule compared to those who adapted, but the crimes they pulled off with their superpowers were on a scale incomparable to mere juvenile delinquency.
Academy City was well aware and had implemented various countermeasures, but tangled interests made real progress elusive. That was the current reality.
Red Ark Scenario Chapter 2: Irregulars Edition centered on these "Irregulars."
And the protagonists of the Irregulars Edition were all gathered right here at Arcana, where I now stood.
Cadets in crisp peaked caps and impeccably tailored uniforms strode through the grounds.
They chatted casually as they walked the halls like ordinary students, but the atmosphere was worlds apart from Cuvette.
Every cadet in uniform boasted a rigorously trained physique. They marched with spines ramrod straight, looking every bit like generals straight out of a movie.
The heavy thud of their footsteps as they passed was a sound you'd never hear amid the carefree laughter of ordinary students at Cuvette.
By contrast, I—in my plain school uniform and sneakers—felt like a Maltese lost in a pack of huskies.
My appearance struck me as utterly pathetic. I glanced down at my right hand.
Could it be that this Baek Do-hyun was trembling? At a bunch of high schoolers who hadn't even graduated yet...?
"Ugh..."
"What are you doing out here all alone?"
As I reeled from the humiliation of being overwhelmed by these tough-as-nails kids, Yubyeol-ha called out to me.
She was dressed in the same uniform as the other cadets.
I'd never gotten a proper look before—urgent situations always got in the way—but now that I took a moment to appreciate it, it suited her perfectly.
The solemn outfit clashed adorably with her petite frame; the long sleeves overwhelming her short limbs were pure moe bait.
And those sharp shark teeth peeking between her lips? A flawless design for any kid-at-heart enthusiast.
"Quit staring at me like that... It's creepy."
Yubyeol-ha twitched her eyebrows.
Right, this wasn't the time to gawk.
"I'm Baek Do-hyun, here for a month of temporary classes at Arcana. Looking forward to it, Cadet Yubyeol-ha."
"Oh yeah, your school got totally wrecked, didn't it?"
"That's why I'm crashing here for a month—part field trip, part temp enrollment."
Yubyeol-ha stroked her chin thoughtfully.
"Our classes are tougher than they look... Why'd you have to end up at our school, of all places?"
True to its title as the Arcana Dimensional Beast Hunter Academy, it boasted a brutally rigorous curriculum.
No way they'd go easy on a visiting student, judging by the vibe around here.
Just yesterday, I'd mentioned heading to Arcana in the AOD group chat with Han Cheong-ah and Lee Gyeo-ul.
💬 AOD Group Chat — Han Cheong-ah You're screwed @~@ — Lee Gyeo-ul As an Arcana alum, here's some quick advice: Do-hyun-kun, you're in deep shit now. ^^ — Han Cheong-ah Here's hoping for a swift and speedy expulsion!! (🙏 emoji) — Lee Gyeo-ul Cheong-ah and I will just chill in the observer seats and enjoy the show. ^^ 💢 — Baek Do-hyun Fucking assholes They'd roasted me for a solid ten minutes. It felt just like friends ribbing a buddy shipping off to boot camp.
Arcana's classes must be that brutal, but I wasn't worried.
"You dare shove 'school lessons' at a vampire like me? How arrogant, Cadet Yubyeol-ha."
Me, with my overwhelming prowess. Daring to challenge...
A mere human...
As I mimed pushing up nonexistent glasses, Yubyeol-ha eyed me coolly.
"Yeah, you'll get it after one taste. Snap out of it. So, which class are you assigned to?"
"Lemme see... 2-A."
"Our class, huh... Heh."
Yubyeol-ha flashed a mischievous grin. What was so damn funny?
At that moment, a chill ran down my spine—something seriously ominous.
"Follow me. I'll show you around."
Yubyeol-ha hummed a tune as she led the way down the hall.
This felt bad. Why was she grinning like that all of a sudden?
I trailed cautiously behind her.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 11 a.m., about an hour before lunch.
Two hours into my temporary classes at Arcana.
That's when I painfully understood why Yubyeol-ha had been so thrilled back in the hall.
"Grade-2 Dimensional Beast Poisoner expels gas from all its orifices—including sweat glands—during combat. Harmless to Psyker physiology, but it induces unbearable itching and respiratory distress, crippling hunters' performance. Thus, today's training will be..."
I was in the gas chamber with the Arcana cadets.
The instructor—wearing a gas mask—along with the other cadets and me.
No way. If this training was what I thought it was...
I needed to bail from this gas chamber now.
"Instructor."
I slowly raised my hand.
"I actually have a skin allergy and asthma..."
"Cadet Baek Do-hyun."
The instructor fixed me with a stern, solemn glare.
"No matter that you're only here temporarily, right now you're an Arcana cadet. Even if you lack the hunter aspirations of your peers, today's training will be a pivotal moment in your life..."
Through the foggy glass, I spotted Yubyeol-ha stifling laughter.
Her cheeks puffed out like steamed buns. I was pissed.
The instructor refused to excuse me, and the hellish CBRN drill began.
Hiss!!!
Green smoke billowed from the gas injectors.
In this instant prison camp, cadets began removing their masks one by one.
I followed suit.
The moment I did.
It hit like snorting a mouthful of spicy pepper powder—agony in my nose and throat.
As gas-laced air filled my lungs, my insides churned.
Exposed skin peeking from my training clothes prickled and itched like mad.
My face became a mess of snot and tears, overwhelmed by the urge to bolt.
Even the pain from Lee Gyeo-ul's icy slashes had been bearable by comparison...
Cursing inwardly up a storm, I scanned around.
Their faces were messes like mine... but unlike me writhing, they stood at attention without so much as a blink.
"..."
As I squirmed in agony, a buff cadet beside me patted my back.
Kang Chang-su, perennial runner-up to Yubyeol-ha in scores.
Hot-blooded guy with a dodgy view: "Small tits? Not a woman."
The Irregulars Edition lead gave me a thumbs-up, flashing his signature buckteeth.
His encouragement didn't help a bit.
Those hellish five minutes dragged on, and the instant the door opened, I bolted to the sink.
"Whoa... Did you see that sprint?"
"Some kinda body-enhancement power?"
"That 50m dash has gotta be sub-2 seconds..."
I scrubbed my face furiously under the water.
As the instructor said, unlike CS gas, it dissolved easily in water—breathing felt normal after washing up.
"Hoo..."
As I rubbed the itchy spots raw.
Kang Chang-su, done washing, offered me a towel.
"Ah, thanks."
I wiped my face.
Once the last drops were gone, I looked up—he was grinning with those buckteeth.
His face weirded me out, so I handed back the towel to head back... but.
He recited to me the line he'd once said to the original protagonist, Kim Si-hu.
"Hey, what do you think about girls with small boobs...?"
Astonishingly, to him, this was as casual as "What'd you have for breakfast?"—a greeting.
And his shy way of saying "let's be friends."
I stared at Yubyeol-ha, who was rolling on the floor clutching her gut, her laughter finally breaking free. With her image burned in my eyes, I replied instantly.
"I think it's a sin."
Kang Chang-su grinned wider, buckteeth and all.
"Looks like we can be good friends."