A Third-Rate Villain’s Sweet Life Exploiting Academy Bugs – Chapter 55

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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After the previous Dungeon Exploration Practice,

I had been pondering the Corruption Level during my solo training sessions and had come up with another way to utilize the Ash Grey Scatter Shot.

The reason I wasn’t consumed by the Black Wyrm’s Trajectory was simple.

Leraje, ranked higher than the Black Armor among the 72 Great Demons,

possessed a power level that the Ash Grey Scatter Shot could fully absorb.

And with my ‘Gamer’ trait and ‘Demonization’ skill, I could switch between demon and human forms.

When demonized, the Ash Grey Scatter Shot’s abilities were fully unlocked,

allowing me to wield the absorbed Corruption Level as my own.

The problem was that once ‘Demonization’ wore off and I reverted to my human form, the Ash Grey Scatter Shot would try to consume me, depending on the Corruption Level.

That was why I had felt those urges towards Aria during the dungeon practice.

So, now, trapped within the Black Wyrm’s Trajectory and demonized,

… I would utilize every bit of this Corruption Level.

With this resolve,

I focused my mind and pulled the trigger.

-Piiiiing!!!

A crimson light engulfed everything.

-Ding!!

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-Shhhhoooooom!!!

As if warping spacetime itself,

a horrifying crimson light, radiating a multi-layered brilliance, erupted forward.

It wasn’t about hitting the Black Armor, aiming for its weak point.

The light spread out like a forbidden spell, a crimson fan of destruction.

It could no longer be called archery.

But labeling it as magic wouldn’t do it justice either.

-□□□□□□□□□□□□□□!!!

The Black Armor’s final roar, swallowed by the crimson light… was completely silenced.

“This… is… impossible…”

Dustin, the Paladin, had witnessed countless archers during his many journeys.

But crimson archery?

He had never seen or heard of such a thing.

And that wasn’t the only thing that astonished him.

How had this boy survived the Black Wyrm’s Curse, a curse even Adrin couldn’t escape, and retaliated?

How could a mere first-year, a freshman, wield such power?

And what baffled him even more was the boy’s indifferent expression, as if he had orchestrated this entire event and was unfazed by the outcome.

The Black Armor had been in a groggy state, and they had contributed to weakening it,

but the final blow, the decisive strike, belonged solely to Lev Denec, this young cadet.

‘Does he possess the… Execution attribute?’

Was this divine intervention?

Or was this all part of a grand plan?

Dustin saw this as another test in his long and arduous journey.

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The storm clouds and black fog had dissipated.

All that remained…

was the Black Armor, Scarlett’s target of vengeance, lying on its back, its defenses shattered, its underbelly exposed.

Its body was… mangled.

‘Proficiency issue…’

The Corruption Level hadn’t been completely depleted.

Still, my maximum had increased by 10 to 110, and 0.5 was manageable.

I closed the reward window and faced the two approaching figures, their faces etched with disbelief.

“Ugh.”

Scarlett grimaced at the grotesque sight of the Black Armor’s demise and asked,

“Kid, how… how did you do that…?”

“I think it was because of this.”

I casually showed them the Ash Grey Scatter Shot I had received from Diena.

“Wait, isn’t that the loot Diena took?

“Yeah… when she defeated Leraje?”

The Ash Grey Scatter Shot had reverted to its original crossbow form,

its only distinguishing feature now its dark crimson color.

“I became her chief assistant. I did her a favor, and she gave this to me… I think this demonic weapon was the key to overcoming the Black Wyrm’s Trajectory.”

“…Oh…”

They fell silent.

It sounded ridiculous,

but it must be true.

There was no other explanation for what they had just witnessed.

“To think a demonic weapon possessed such an effect… This is a new discovery. We should report it to the imperial authorities.”

As Dustin contemplated this, I turned to Scarlett.

“Considering your… ‘trolling,’ an apology would be in order.”

“What? Tr… trolling?”

“Our wager was to simply confirm the existence of the Armored Wyvern, remember?”

Of course, my original plan was to join their expedition and be carried, but

Scarlett’s insistence on an immediate investigation and Umberto’s absence had forced me to change my strategy.

‘I have the upper hand now.’

The Black Armor’s body was mangled; its scales wouldn’t fetch much, but its essence remained intact.

I could probably monopolize the rewards if I played my cards right.

“Kid, are you calling me… a troll?”

“It wasn’t a personal attack; no need to get so worked up. It’s just a popular slang term used at the academy. It refers to someone who ruins a party.”

“… I… I know what it means!”

Scarlett was speechless.

I knew she was sensitive about her age,

so this was a checkmate.

Of course, the slang term I had just used didn’t exist, but denying it would be an admission of her old age.

“And I hate to brag, but if it wasn’t for me, a mere kid… well…”

I glanced at Dustin, who was staring blankly ahead. He flinched and looked at Scarlett.

“Right, Scarlett, we got carried away… It wasn’t very heroic of us. And Cadet Lev is right; he took the curse upon himself and saved us.”

“But! It was my blizzard spell and your light attribute sword that weakened it in the first place!”

That was true.

My attack wouldn’t have succeeded…

… if the Black Armor hadn’t activated ‘Black Wyrm’s Trajectory’ upon entering Berserk mode.

And I had barely managed to shave off 33% of its HP by exploiting that power.

It was an A+ rank boss.

Normally, someone with my stats wouldn’t stand a chance.

-Tremble…

Dustin, seeing Scarlett’s trembling legs, sighed

and gently took her arm, speaking soothingly.

“Scarlett, you’re exhausted. You wouldn’t have been able to finish it off in this state.”

“… ”

“And besides, we were the ones who broke our agreement and initiated the fight. You should apologize.”

“Ugh…!”

“Lev, you saved our lives. Thank you.”

Dustin, despite being a war hero, was a genuinely good person. He said everything I wanted to say.

“Dustin…!”

As Dustin bowed his head in gratitude, Scarlett reluctantly approached me.

This woman, who had always been…

-So annoying.

-I don’t care.

-Next!

…at the academy.

Receiving an apology from a childish war hero in her late thirties…

What a rare sight.

“So… so…”

If an imperial official saw this, they’d probably faint.

War heroes were supposed to uphold their dignity.

Scarlett continued to stammer,

and Dustin, sighing once again, pressed down on the back of her head.

She ended up bowing at a perfect 90-degree angle.

“Hey, what the…!”

“This girl, she’s too old to be this stubborn. She’s just embarrassed and doesn’t know how to express it. Be understanding.”

“Dustin!”

-Stomp!

“Ow!”

Scarlett repeatedly stomped on his foot.

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Things were quickly settled.

It was already past noon.

We had secretly snuck out on a weekend and defeated an A+ rank boss.

We decided to keep this incident a secret until after the ranking matches,

and Dustin arranged for a trusted guild to handle the spoils.

“I didn’t get a chance to say this before, but… thank you for avenging Adrin.”

As an apology and a token of their gratitude, they gave me the first pick of the rewards.

“You… you’re taking this too?!”

“Scarlett, we’re not really interested in the loot…”

Naturally, I chose the Black Armor’s orb, a must-have for any dragon.

We agreed to receive monetary compensation for the mana stones, scales, and other materials.

We returned to the academy and parted ways at a secluded spot.

“I won the bet, so… you’ll honor your end of the bargain, right?”

“Of course! The scholarship! For the Alchemy Club! Got it?”

War heroes could allocate significant funding in the form of scholarships to a club of their choice.

This should prevent the Alchemy Club from having to rely on Kaelan for funding.

“Punk… I’ll be watching your progress in the ranking matches. If you don’t perform well… you’ll regret it!”

Why did everyone keep saying they were going to watch me…?

Despite her tough talk, she handed me a small box.

“And this… is a thank you, for Adrin. Don’t get any ideas…”

“Haha… We’ll be going now. It’s hard to believe… you’re only a B-rank.”

After all, war heroes, even in the original game, were busy and elusive figures, rarely available as mercenaries.

I couldn’t openly interact with them so casually in front of others.

Witnessing the human side of war heroes

and building connections…

It had been a… memorable experience.

.

.

.

Now then…

I was excited about these rewards.

I had to get back and check them out.

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Seraphi Black Dormitory, with its small grassy garden.

Yeriel, having returned from overseeing Edwin and Aveline’s training, was tending to the garden.

Gardening was her go-to activity whenever her thoughts became overwhelming.

She had no real reason to be attracted to Lev.

She was fully aware of his lack of interest in her.

It was just…

‘He complimented my dormitory, he brought me a book that helped me connect with a high-ranking spirit, he put Gailon in his place, which had been bothering me and other students, and he even took responsibility for the incident during the Dungeon Exploration Practice…’

One could argue these were things any decent friend would do.

Yeriel concluded that his actions weren’t solely for her benefit; they were for the greater good.

He didn’t show it outwardly, but he had a sense of responsibility, taking care of things within his capabilities.

She was a bit concerned that his methods, which often came across as harsh, were making enemies…

‘How embarrassing…!’

She had been the one who had misunderstood.

-Didn’t Aria invite Lev Denec to her party during the entrance exam?

Thanks to Edwin’s testimony, she had finally learned the truth about Lev and Aria’s relationship.

They had connected before she even met him.

Therefore,

who he spent his weekend with… wasn’t something she should be concerned about.

As Yeriel tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear,

“Beautiful.”

“Ah… Lev? No, it’s not that…!”

“…”

“Oh…”

He was referring to the flowerbed.

Realizing her mistake, Yeriel blushed and averted her gaze.

He thoughtfully gathered her gardening tools.

“Here. You were taking these to the storage room, right?”

“Y-you’re back already?”

“Already? It’s almost dinner time.”

“Oh, right…!”

Yeriel almost blurted out, “You’re back so early.”

‘Get a grip…! Cheer up, you’re friends!’

She followed closely behind him as he headed towards the dormitory.

“Let me carry something!”

“It’s fine. Just take this.”

He handed her a small, beautifully decorated box.

It was from a famous chocolatier in the Mage Tower city, Arc Mion.

‘They went on a date… that far…’

It must have been fun.

She had always wanted to visit that city.

‘But why is he giving this to me…?’

Confused, she heard him say,

“This is for helping me out with the favor.”

Of course, it was a thank you gift. Yeriel smiled faintly.

“Thank you…”

“Don’t mention it. You worked hard taking care of Edwin…”

At that moment, the question swirling in Yeriel’s mind took shape.

“Today.”

“?”

“Did you have fun… today?”

He paused, confused by her question, and replied,

“…Not really? It wasn’t that fun.”

“…Not… fun…?”

“Anyway, these tools go in the storage room upstairs, right?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“Then I have to take care of something. I’ll grab dinner on my own.”

He quickly went up the stairs.

“…Okay.”

-…

As Lev disappeared from sight,

calm returned to Yeriel’s heart.

-Not really? It wasn’t that fun.

Why did those words bring her a sense of relief?

The girl, fiddling with the box of chocolates, thought to herself,

Perhaps… there was still hope…

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