Chapter 35

Chapter 35

I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy.

Episode 35: Invasion (4)

“What did you say?”

Song Ra-hee doubted her own ears for a moment.

“So, Lee Seo-ha isn’t doing this to me right now?”

She reflexively tried to glare at Lee Seo-ha but stopped herself.

What’s important right now isn’t pride. It’s the students’ safety.

That kind of talk, even if he was scolded for it in the current situation, wouldn’t be a problem.

Lee Seo-ha might know about it.

He had dismissed her own magic with such composure.

“Do you know about this barrier?”

“…Yes.”

Lee Seo-ha sighed inwardly.

Fortunately, Song Ra-hee knew what was important right now.

‘I might have been too harsh.’

She was reflecting on it.

“Do you know what the method to break it is?”

“Yes.”

Lee Seo-ha briefly answered and then spoke.

“It’s a barrier created by someone named Karsa to sever a space. Its characteristic is the incredibly detailed structure.”

Lee Seo-ha spoke while viewing the barrier through his reading.

This barrier isolates the space itself from the outside.

Handling space requires extremely detailed work to even touch it.

It’s one of the hardest attributes to handle in this world.

Lee Seo-ha explained this quickly.

“The difference between a space barrier and magic is that even a slight off-beat can lead to huge differences.”

Space magic, if misused, could incorrectly determine a location, entangling the user in space and disintegrating their body.

Countless magicians who attempted it with half-baked knowledge have been torn apart.

But this barrier was different.

It twisted the space around the core of the barrier.

This barrier was used in various ways.

“…So.”

“Yes, the core of such a structure only needs a slight twist.”

“That’s why you said that.”

“….”

Lee Seo-ha remained silent.

It’s better not to say things that could be nitpicked.

Song Ra-hee sighed inwardly.

Hearing Lee Seo-ha’s words, she realized that she had been trying to break the barrier in the wrong way.

It was like trying to solve a nonsense problem with an equation.

Even if she might have said something… or perhaps not. She was a professor, after all.

Lee Seo-ha entered the barrier and sat down.

He closed his eyes.

Divine Eye.

Click.

As he heard something activate in his mind, he opened his eyes.

The space changed like rippling water. The world flipped over. The backdrop burst into vibrant colors. The world morphed like a painting.

It was his way of perceiving mana.

‘It’s amazing every time I see it.’

His eyes, bright like the dawn, pierced through the space enclosed by the barrier, seeking its core.

Lee Seo-ha spotted it and unleashed a movement infused with Heaven Defying energy.

A black force that negated everything swathed the core, which was protected by a magic formula, and gently twisted it.

He could remove it, but doing so would make it challenging to utilize even a sliver of Heaven Defying Energy.

He must concentrate on augmenting Heaven Defying as swiftly as possible.

Lee Seo-ha sighed internally as he completed the task.

Song Ra-hee observed the scene, her mouth wide open in shock.

‘What is that?’

This was no ordinary power.

Lee Seo-ha’s ability to scrutinize the core in an instant was astonishing, but even more captivating was the power that seemed to nullify magic.

‘It’s not an extraterrestrial force.’

It wasn’t the power typically associated with Mines.

That energy was rough and tumultuous, but it differed from the power harnessed from beyond this world.

It was instantly recognizable because merely gazing upon it appeared to corrode the mind.

“Now it’s finished. The issue will be resolved quickly.”

“Just like that?”

“It’s about the distinction between a barrier and magic. A barrier can be rapidly dismantled with only a minor gap. The more complex its structure, the greater the impact.”

Lee Seo-ha explained matter-of-factly.

“The situation isn’t as favorable as we anticipated.”

Lee Seo-ha remarked, glancing to one side.

The professors were contending with the Mines, despite most of them currently holding office…

Ironically, their status as professors was causing them to be overpowered.

The Mines exclusively targeted ‘students.’

‘Kim Seo-hyun is still sealed.’

Lee Seo-ha observed Kim Seo-hyun, whose movements were sluggish.

The magical power from his ‘Dragon Heart’ was not visible either.

Ershil was doing well.

She manipulated illusion magic, making 20% of the Mines fight among themselves.

The higher ranks could handle themselves, but the problem was with the lower levels.

Even groups of more than ten struggled to face a single Mine.

This was why there were so many Mines among the villains and why society deemed Mines evil.

But it will be settled soon.

Saint was here.

His light magic may not have been as strong as Starlight’s, but it was still terribly effective against the Mines.

“Professor Song Ra-hee, please assist the other professors.”

“What about you?”

Song Ra-hee looked at Lee Seo-ha.

It was ridiculous to rely on a student at such a time… but Lee Seo-ha was bound to be a tremendous asset.

Lee Seo-ha gave an awkward smile in response to that look.

“We have our own things to handle.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Not as dangerous as you might think.”

“Well, if you’re doing it, it must be necessary.”

With that, Song Ra-hee turned away.

She felt the barrier weakening. The panicked Mines attacked with ferocity, and both students and professors found new hope.

Lee Seo-ha had already played his part. It would be shameless to expect more from him.

Song Ra-hee made a promise to herself and charged towards the Mines.

I turned my attention to Seo Ga-yeon.

Her gaze was steady, unwavering as she looked back at me.

‘She doesn’t seem scared.’

That was a relief.

Seo Ga-yeon was a character known for her inner strength and outer gentleness, but I had been concerned that she had acted too hastily.

It appeared my worry was unnecessary.

I shifted my attention away from Seo Ga-yeon and stared intently into the void.

Main Quest Chapter 3: Protect Seo Ga-yeon from the Mines’ Attack.

Protect Seo Ga-yeon from the Heaven Society (制天會).

◈ Reward: 10,000P, with additional rewards depending on the outcome.

◈ Failure: The Death of Seo Ga-yeon

The main quest window floated in the void.

Honestly, it was absurd.

In academy stories, Mines might invade on a large scale, but this school wasn’t an easy target.

It was because Seo Ye-bin, known as a transcendent among humans, guarded the school as its principal.

It was clear that one of the Seven Evils, worthy of attention in the latter half of the story, was involved.

‘Whatever happened, it’s happened.’

I needed to find an escape route.

I thought about the Heaven Society.

The Heaven Society—those guys were waiting for the Heavenly Demon. Currently villains, but in the future, they would be one of the groups of Mines.

And there was now a young sect leader.

‘He’s really strong.’

Seo Ga-yeon’s starlight magic had to be used to deal with him.

‘I wonder if I’ll become the Heavenly Demon.’

It was a possibility.

If things went as in the original story, the current young sect leader would die for some reason, and then the Mines would take over that place, but…

‘Black Heavenly Demon Sword.’

-What, Master?

‘Is there a group or something if I become the Heavenly Demon?’

-Hardly. The followers of the previous master split into five paths. Now, the traditions are even fainter. And your dimension is much different from the previous master’s.

The Black Heavenly Demon Sword paused for a moment.

-Well, maybe there is. This world is ‘overlapped’ with several dimensions. If so, be careful. I can’t quite grasp how it might have changed.

“Light!”

Saint’s voice was heard.

Then, a bright light burst from behind him, and the surrounding Mines started to scream.

This fight would end soon.

So, we should strike the young sect leader who would follow as a counter-attack.

“Let’s head somewhere else.”

“Somewhere else?”

“Yes. We’re going to catch the one who’s the head of those guys.”

I moved in with Seo Ga-yeon.

As we emerged from the weakening barrier, I saw a woman.

Hair and eyes like a river of blood, they flowed down to her waist.

She wore traditional Chinese clothing, out of place in the modern era.

She looked at us, her expression one of surprise.

“It’s surprising every time I see the Korean Hero School. Even though the Star and Emperor went to face the Vicious Abomination, they’re already breaking the barrier. Unexpected, indeed.”

The woman regarded us leisurely, her hands clasped behind her back.

“It’s not bad, though. Thanks to that, I’ve got to enjoy the view.”

Her gaze shifted to me, forming a mischievous crescent.

“Come at me quietly.”

Seo Ga-yeon responded combatively.

The woman, with one hand on her sword, smirked.

“Solid fundamentals. But that’s all you have. You’ve compensated for your lack of talent with effort.”

Instead of drawing my Black Heavenly Demon Sword, I pulled out an iron sword from the void.

The woman gave me a curious look.

“Are you wielding dual swords? No, that stance is for a single sword. Why aren’t you drawing your true sword against me?”

She spoke, still eyeing me.

“Do you think you can defeat me with a weapon you aren’t accustomed to? That’s arrogant.”

A brief expression of displeasure crossed the woman’s face.

“……”

She stared intently at the sheath.

As if she had seen something that shouldn’t be there.