Chapter 37

Chapter 37

I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy.

Episode 37: Invasion (6)

“Whew, you’re impressive.”

Ershil caught her breath.

Her mana had sharply decreased.

“You were quite impressive too. I caught a glimpse before we headed out.”

“Hehe, for a woman like me, that level of effort is nothing.”

Ershil’s mood seemed to improve with the compliment, her lips turning upwards.

-She’s an easy woman to please.

‘Exactly.’

I agreed with the Black Heavenly Demon Sword’s comment and looked around.

Most of those present, both professors and students, were worn out.

Mines usually didn’t collaborate, but they would for events of this magnitude.

Thus, the Mines would either be nearly depleted or there would be fewer of them invading next time.

I was inclined to believe the latter.

‘But it seems safe enough for now.’

Gradually, other professors began to return.

It was a sign that the situation was under control.

This incident would soon be concluded.

‘What will happen next?’

Honestly, I was curious.

If Seo Ye-bin truly became angry, the extent of the fallout was unpredictable.

It was possible that everyone involved with the school’s antagonists or the Mines could be eliminated.

That might render much of my knowledge obsolete… but I was somewhat prepared for that possibility.

-Tsk, they’re coming back.

Before I could inquire what the Black Heavenly Demon Sword was referring to, there was an explosion.

Boom!

The loud blast came from the entrance. Professors and students, though caught off guard, aimed their weapons towards the source.

“Haha, how amusing. To think the Mines I supplied only accomplished this much. Perhaps it’s time for the Heaven Society to reconsider its role.”

A middle-aged man with dirty blond hair tied back laughed.

He had brought about ten Mines with him, fewer than before, but everyone was now fatigued.

However, I wasn’t concerned.

The shattered sky was reverting to its original state.

-It’s almost over.

‘How is the situation?’

-All cleared up. That woman is keeping watch over this area.

‘Really?’

Well, the Vicious Abomination’s objective had been merely to distract her for a while.

Before another transcendent being appeared, it seemed like the right time.

I pulled out a pill from subspace.

“Ershil, want one?”

“……”

Ershil gazed at me incredulously.

It’s delicious, why not.

“Ha, have you lost your mind realizing there’s no hope in this situation? The Korea Hero School is nothing special.”

A Mine looked at me with disdain.

“You still catch my eye.”

A calm voice resonated.

The Mine’s actions froze.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

There stood a woman.

She had been between the Mine and me for quite some time.

It had all happened in the blink of an eye.

Her brilliant golden hair shone.

Her violet eyes seemed to see through everything.

Dressed in a black uniform with a white coat over it, this woman was a well-known entity to everyone present.

She was so famous that a person known as one of the Seven Evils had emerged just to capture her attention.

“Did you play an active role?”

“I’d like to say yes, but I only apprehended a minion, not a major villain.”

“I see.”

“It’s not so much about my contribution, but Kim Ara and Ershil put in great effort. So did Kim Seo-hyun and Hong Yu-hwa.”

“I see.”

Seo Ye-bin shifted her gaze.

Her violet eyes settled on Seo Ga-yeon.

“…And this child?”

“I personally intervened to awaken her powers.”

“…”

Seo Ye-bin, unusually silent, scrutinized Seo Ga-yeon.

“I wasn’t aware of this child.”

“She hasn’t had her powers for long.”

“I see.”

Seo Ye-bin’s eyes lingered on Seo Ga-yeon for a moment longer before returning to me.

“You always surpass my expectations.”

“Do you find that disagreeable?”

“No.”

Seo Ye-bin looked at me, her smile warm.

“Is there something you desire?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Give it some thought. Whatever it is, I’ll make it happen.”

…The offer was far more generous than I had anticipated.

‘Is it because I captured not just any prisoner but also awakened Seo Ga-yeon’s starlight powers?’

Yet her penetrating insight was intimidating.

“How about the test?”

“We’ll continue now. My third star will oversee it, so don’t worry.”

Clap.

As she elegantly clapped her hands, a woman with green hair materialized.

A woman in a flowy white dress, her eyes completely shrouded by white cloth.

She was Seo Ye-bin’s third star.

A star was akin to her appendage, a doll-like being, without a self, solely devoted to serving the Emperor’s commands.

Before she earned the nickname ‘Emperor,’ she was known as ‘The Puppeteer.’

As the woman clasped her hands and bowed her head, light burst forth from the ground.

Whoosh!

Instantly, vitality was restored.

It replenished not only vitality but also mana and inner energy.

‘But not the Energy of Defying Heaven.’

A pity.

Yet, given the nature of the Energy of Defying Heaven, it was to be expected.

“You, what are you…”

Ershil, astonished, stood beside me.

“The principal watched with interest, but… it’s more than just that level.”

“I also saw the principal smile like that for the first time.”

Professors Song Ra-hee and Seo Woo-ju stood side by side and spoke.

“Is that so?”

“It’s not just that. She sees through everything.”

Seo Woo-ju looked at me with a complex expression.

The more Seo Ye-bin wanted me, the more dangerous my situation became.

‘Do you know about Seo Ye-bin?’

“Let’s wrap this up.”

Seo Ye-bin announced.

All the instructors began to take their positions.

They were preparing for the ‘mock battle’ that had yet to occur.

Despite the Mines being on the other side, they moved into place.

-Look, that’s the power of a transcendent being.

The Black Heavenly Demon Sword gestured towards Seo Ye-bin.

The Mines were still trembling.

The one who had worn the most confident smile was now extremely pale.

“These are all Mines.”

“Pl-please spare us!”

Seo Ye-bin regarded them.

“How can I save those who are already dead?”

“Eh?”

Seo Ye-bin asked, purely out of curiosity.

And that was the end of it.

The Mines slowly began to turn to ash beneath their feet.

It was one of her powers, 【Decree】.

Merely words, but with them, she led all the living Mines to ‘death.’

“Aaahhh!”

“What is this!”

The Mines screamed out.

Death swiftly seized their throats.

The mock battle passed in a blur.

I narrowly defeated the Saint.

Kim Seo-hyun faced Ershil, but Ershil emerged victorious.

Hong Yu-hwa and Park Woon-hyuk dueled, with Park Woon-hyuk claiming victory.

“Hey, did you see Hong Yu-hwa and Park Woon-hyuk fight?”

“It was incredible. I thought Woon-hyuk would win easily.”

I had thought the same.

‘Honestly, I expected Park Woon-hyuk would simply win.’

The disparity between a warrior and a mage was the reason.

Even with distance, a mage was at a disadvantage in a fight.

However, it seemed that Hong Yu-hwa’s rigorous physical training, which she undertook with me, played a significant role.

‘I wondered if it was the right move, but it turned out well.’

Originally, she would have competed with Kim Seo-hyun, neglecting her physical training to focus solely on magic.

But I began with physical abilities similar to those of Hong Yu-hwa.

Though I have improved significantly by now, Hong Yu-hwa also appears to have undergone dramatic changes.

‘Not bad, right?’

In the future, she becomes the ‘Usurper,’ leveraging her physical prowess as well.

Sort of like a magic swordsman, you could say.

As I swallowed the pill I had taken from subspace and watched the ongoing mock battles, I felt someone approaching.

Ershil Merchen moved toward me.

“Congratulations on your victory.”

“Thank you.”

Ershil sat down beside me with humility.

“But what about that man?”

“Seo-hyun?”

“Yes.”

Her playful smile widened, tinged with a trace of fear.

“What is he, really? I thought his primary combat skill was that dragon martial art, but he seems to unveil new martial arts every time he fights, which is quite surprising.”

“He has mastered at least nine martial arts.”

“Nine?”

Ershil’s surprise was evident.

But it was too soon for her to be surprised.

There were nine martial arts alone.

If we included magic and Kim Seo-hyun’s unique abilities, his capabilities were almost limitless.

He didn’t just cast spells; he utilized poisons and illusions, barriers and formations, and even delved into mysteries.

He was the character who most closely resembled the protagonist in this world.

That’s why the figure of Kim Seo-hyun was tinged with a significant tragedy.

“The next students to compete are Kim Ara and Park Han-ul!”

Kim Ara found herself matched against someone within the top 100 ranks. Yet, her higher-ranked adversary was nervously eyeing her.

She hadn’t concealed her strength during her fight with the Mines, and her opponent had witnessed it.

“Did you see Kim Ara’s fight against the Mine earlier?”

“No, I missed it. What happened that has the kids so spooked?”

“She obliterated a Mine.”

“…If you cross her, you’d likely be obliterated as well.”

Kim Ara stood tall. At an astonishing height of 175cm, her stature was impressive, but the Giant’s Sword she wielded dwarfed even her.

Furthermore, she had awakened the ‘Giant’s Bloodline.’

It wouldn’t have been an exaggeration to say she could literally crush someone.

As I conversed with Ershil, we observed the mock battle.

Seo Ga-yeon narrowly emerged victorious against an opponent ranked in the 700s.

Seo Ga-yeon then received healing from the overseeing Star thanks to Seo Ye-bin’s favor.

“That healing ability is quite remarkable.”

“Do you desire it?”

“No, I’d rather not incur the principal’s wrath.”

Ershil replied with a rueful smile.

I shared her feelings.

I nodded and shifted my gaze to the other side.

There was Saint.

Saint, who had maintained his composure even in combat against a Mine, was no longer wearing his confident smile.

Instead, his expression was somber as he glowered at the ‘Star.’

For that woman was closely related to Saint.

His claim to be testing the Korea Hero School was a falsehood.

Saint hailed from the nation known as ‘Heaven,’ and his true agenda was intertwined with the Star.

Seo Ye-bin.

The tragic figure who had become a ‘Star’ due to the influence exerted by Seo Ye-bin, the one they called Emperor.

‘It’s the dark side of the Korean Hero School.’

Emperor.

A transcendent being and a woman who commanded the world, her reason for being attached to a mere hero training school was puzzling.

In reality, it was absurd for a transcendent being to remain in a school.

She had long been a being who commanded the world.

If she had wanted to create a force, countless talents would have flocked to her.

Yet, she rejected everything.

Seo Ye-bin took up the position of principal at the Korea Hero School and diligently performed her duties.

Sorting the most exceptional ‘gems’ among the stones.

“There’s always a reason.”

…Because all the stars she possessed had once been students of the Korean Hero School.