Chapter 54

Chapter 54

I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy.

Episode 54: Masquerade Ball (2)

The masquerade ball began late into the night.

9 PM.

An hour earlier, the area nearby bustled with numerous vehicles.

‘I thought it was a small ball with not many people.’

With this thought, Ershil might have underestimated the event’s size.

I popped a candy into my mouth and pondered for a moment.

I had willingly come to the ball today partly because of Seolhwa, but another reason existed.

A Mine might attack the ball.

‘If it goes as in the game, Ershil will deal with the Mines, and others will see her in a new light.’

I donned a Hypnotic Mask and a suit I had bought on a whim.

Ershil had prepared a mask and suit, but I chose mine in case a disturbance arose, potentially exposing my identity.

‘That would be troublesome.’

The difficulty level had shifted, and instead of creating trouble at school, Mines might target it.

Members of the Heaven Society could show up, or perhaps some notorious groups from the villain side.

Thus, I observed people using my talent, Reading(-).

Before long, familiar figures began to appear.

A tall figure, standing at 185 cm, dressed in a black suit and a Hahoetal mask. Park Woon-hyuk entered, the spear he had chosen during the weapon selection strapped to his back.

Hong Yu-hwa also made her appearance, her red hair not concealed, adorned in a crimson evening dress with a brooch gifted by the Red Tower Master on her chest.

“Good heavens, is this a battlefield?”

“Look at the person coming behind. That’s Hong Yu-hwa, truly of the Merchen family.”

People in masks murmured to each other.

“They’re not even trying to hide.”

Well, Hong Yu-hwa and Park Woon-hyuk, who never bested me at school, commanded a different status outside its walls.

They always carried themselves with pride.

I shifted my gaze away from them and scanned the crowd.

“There, the handsome gentleman?”

Click-clack.

A woman in a red dress and a fox mask, her figure voluptuous, approached me with a sweet voice.

-It’s a Mine.

-Master Seo-ha, it’s a Mine!

Black Heaven and Eternal Heaven alerted me.

I knew she appeared as a Mine in the game illustrations.

“Would you like to spend some cozy time with me?”

“Cozy time?”

“Yes, just the two of us.”

She emphasized ‘two’ and poked my chest with her finger.

“…Oh my, so solid.”

“Then let’s go inside and talk.”

I led the fox Mine inside.

-Gosh, what’s happening? Are they really doing it?

-Master, Master?

Ignoring the flustered ones, I headed to a secluded spot with the fox Mine.

As we approached the garden, I noticed a few people had already taken spots.

We passed them and continued to a more secluded area.

“Oh my, gentleman, isn’t this too far?”

“I don’t want others to see.”

After a while, there were no more signs of people around.

The fox Mine approached me, twisting her body.

Thud.

“Kkeoheuk.”

I drew the black sword from my bracelet, stabbed it into the Mine’s abdomen, and then sliced its neck.

Black ash fluttered.

No blood flowed from the corpse. They were beings who had sold themselves to another realm, not of this world.

They left no trace of their humanity in this world.

“…As expected of the elder. To discern a Mine in one go.”

A voice filled with admiration sounded.

I was startled by the unexpected voice that came without warning, but I managed to feign calmness.

Thanks to True Heart (A), which always maintained my highest mental state, I could do this.

‘It was Seolhwa Ryeon.’

Seolhwa Ryeon’s talent specialized in freezing.

It was an overwhelmingly superior upgrade to the talent of ice. She could even freeze her presence.

“…Mines exist everywhere, anytime. That’s why we must develop the eye to detect them.”

“Girl, with your limited talent, you failed to notice the woman in the fox mask was a Mine.”

“Most Mines cannot control their power… but those hiding in human society manage it well. You are the best assassin created by our assassin family. Continue to persevere in the future.”

“Yes, I understand!”

Seolhwa Ryeon saluted and spoke.

The assassin family, due to its nature, had a clear hierarchy.

Unless their superior was a Mine, they would not hesitate to leap into a pit of fire.

‘Though killing Mines and villains like this led to their downfall.’

I turned around.

“But why are you here?”

“It’s because of traces of villains.”

“Villains?”

“Yes. Information has surfaced that a person calling themselves the Ravenous Horse from Heaven Society is planning an attack here.”

“Why would they do that?”

“I’m not sure…”

Seolhwa Ryeon’s voice trailed off.

I glanced to the side. Eternal Heaven, floating around in a black fox form, was visible.

‘Is it because of the Heavenly Demon’s legacy?’

Was Heaven Society’s intelligence network that impressive? To know that there’s a piece of the Heavenly Demon’s legacy here?

I intuitively felt that this wasn’t the case.

“Then first…”

Kwaang!

A huge explosion sounded.

Before I could finish speaking, a fire broke out in a building on the fifth floor of the mansion.

“……How dare they interrupt a conversation with the elder.”

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, understood.”

Seolhwa Ryeon, brimming with murderous intent, drew her twin swords and dashed forward.

I lightly leaped, wrapping the Energy of Defying Heaven around my feet.

In an instant, my body soared.

If the Black Shadow Step focused on speed, the Black Flash Sword Technique focused on speed, leaping, and directional changes of the Black Shadow Step.

Using Nyeom, I leaped again from the midpoint of the third floor.

Upon entering the blazing area, two people were already engaged in combat.

Park Woon-hyuk, wearing a Hahoetal, was fighting an opponent enveloped in dense black energy.

-It’s Heukmu (Black Fog).

-Black Fog. I can’t believe it’s still being used in real battles.

‘Black Fog?’

-Indeed, it’s the power to reproduce the Energy of Defying Heaven. Of course, this power is vastly inferior to the Energy of Defying Heaven.

-Master Seo-ha! There are two hidden enemies.

‘Two?’

Click.

With the sound of something being turned on, Divine Sight was activated.

A distorted form of magic power became visible.

‘This one’s skilled.’

-The enemy is not beyond our master’s capabilities.

-With Master Seo-ha’s current level, you can easily handle them.

‘It would be troublesome if they escaped.’

-Yes. Let’s observe for a moment.

I nodded and concealed myself.

“Ha-ha! So this is all there is to the one called a battlefield?”

The excited voice of a young boy rang out.

“Ha, I was needlessly tense.”

Park Woon-hyuk changed his stance. His cautious movements disappeared as he shifted to a posture with the spear shaft resting over his shoulder.

“I thought the power was similar to the villain’s, but it’s completely hollow, isn’t it? No tingling sensation. It’s different from that power which erases magic itself.”

Park Woon-hyuk muttered to himself, increasing his magical power.

Whoooosh!

The wind intensified. Although spears were usually wielded by masters of distance control, Park Woon-hyuk used his differently.

Rumble!

Lightning accompanied his thrust. The speed of the spear was just enough for my eyes to track.

“What!?”

The being known as the Ravenous Horse reacted. Black energy formed a disc to block the spear, but Park Woon-hyuk’s attack was just the beginning.

He swung and thrust the spear repeatedly. The magic of wind and lightning accompanied his relentless assault on The Ravenous Horse.

“Enough.”

Snap.

Someone intervened with a commanding voice. The power in the voice halted Park Woon-hyuk.

Two old men appeared behind the Ravenous Horse.

“Leader, we must flee now.”

“The defenses of the Merchen family are beyond imagination. Many of our fellow believers have already departed to the side of the Dark Deity.”

Just as the old men were about to escort the Ravenous Horse away,

I kicked through the window and rushed out. I drew a spare sword from my spatial dimension, opting not to use Black Heaven.

“Who……”

Energy surged within me, defying Heaven itself.

The Heaven Society was a quite bothersome organization. They had already caused trouble here and there under the pretext of reviving the Heavenly Demon.

If they knew I was the Heavenly Demon, it would be like attaching a burden to me.

So, I kept Black Heaven and the Energy of Defying Heaven as hidden as possible.

Swoosh.

The sword was drawn.

It felt different from before.

How should I put it?

It felt like I knew how to kill my opponent efficiently.

‘Quickly.’

The sword was drawn out like lightning. I grabbed it with both hands. The Energy of Defying Heaven surged within me.

Black Heaven’s Sky.

My vision started to turn black.

Everything appeared black, with white lines drawn within it.

Park Woon-hyuk’s indifferent expression was visible. The Ravenous Horse, not yet realizing, looked frustrated.

A bit late.

A look of terror appeared on one of the elder’s faces.

I instinctively felt that he had realized my true identity.

But it was too late.

My sword was already at the neck of one of the elders before they could move.

Heavenly Demon?

The elder’s lips quivered.

Crash!

Suddenly, a spear appeared, blocking my sword. Instinctively, I brought my sword down.

Swoosh!

A line of blood was drawn across the elder’s chest.

“Elder Lee!”

“How did that sword!”

The one called Elder Lee looked at me with bewildered eyes.

“Park Woon-hyuk.”

“That voice is…”

“Those guys, they’re villains. Members of the Heaven Society.”

“If they are villains, then it’s my turn to step in.”

“Then I will handle it. Elder, you can stay put.”

Seolhwa Ryeon quietly approached from behind me.

She was wearing a fluttering Hanbok and a white butterfly mask.

“I’ve dealt with the outsiders. Now only these ones are left.”

“Did you kill them?”

“No, I froze them. There’s a lot we need to hear from these guys.”

Seolhwa Ryeon said with a chilly smile.

“Well done.”

“!”

At my words, Seolhwa Ryeon’s disheveled hair formed an exclamation mark.

How did that work?

“……Aren’t you two the same age?”

Park Woon-hyuk spoke to me quietly.

I replied with a nod.

“She’s a bit unwell.”

“……I see.”