I Became the Academy’s Heroine Stalker – Chapter 69

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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A chilling silence fell over the scene.

A profound stillness, like being trapped in ice.

Choi Do-han, as if paused mid-action, stared blankly at the fallen De Roque.

Then, his gaze shifted to me.

Through the broken window, he saw me.

“Multi-Shot.”

I nocked three more arrows.

I could guess what was coming.

His eyes, once filled with despair, now burned with hatred and rage.

I had no intention of avoiding him.

If there was ever a time for him and me to settle things, I figured it was now.

Of course, I knew that using mana in personal disputes, outside of official duels overseen by professors, was strictly prohibited.

Just like how Choi Do-han had received a severe penalty for trying to use mana before, fighting amongst cadets after a villain subjugation was a serious offense.

In other words, there was nothing to gain for me in this situation.

I would have liked to suggest, “Let’s fight with pure martial arts, no mana!”, but I knew he wouldn’t agree.

So, I held the three arrows,

But I hadn’t aimed at him yet.

There was something I needed to confirm.

Watching his fight with De Roque, I had a thought. Even critically injured, it seemed too easy for De Roque to be taken down by a single attack from Choi Do-han.

Especially without Park Na-yeon’s assistance.

So, I considered the possibility:

What if Choi Do-han was stronger than he should be at this point in the original story?

Then, he could have easily defeated the injured De Roque even without Park Na-yeon’s help, right?

Just because he had lost some Hidden Pieces didn’t mean he had lost all potential for growth.

If that were the case, I would cheer him on.

Growth achieved through honest effort, not by exploiting loopholes, deserved to be applauded.

But I remained extremely wary of him, my muscles tense, ready to fire at any moment.

[Divine Swing.]

I had seen a strange distortion in his arm when he used that skill.

It had definitely turned black for a split second before returning to its normal color.

I hadn’t noticed it before because I was focused on De Roque, but after firing the arrows, I saw the subtle distortion in his arm.

There was sufficient reason to suspect him.

To defeat De Roque without Park Na-yeon’s help or Hidden Pieces, he would have needed some other kind of advantage.

And that advantage was likely [Dark Mana].

It seemed that, like a cornered man, he had resorted to using Dark Mana.

Of course, it was possible I was wrong, that I had simply mistaken.

I hoped I was wrong, but a chilling feeling was spreading through me.

I lowered my bow and stepped into the gymnasium through the broken window frame.

“Ha…”

He sighed.

It was a deep sigh, filled with despair.

“I warned you, Han Tae-jin. At this point, it’s safe to assume you’re deliberately interfering with me.”

I knew that making excuses like, “You looked like you were in danger,” wouldn’t work now.

I looked around.

The gymnasium was quiet.

We were in the center of the building, so our voices wouldn’t carry outside.

Therefore,

“And if I am?”

I decided to tell him the truth.

That I was indeed interfering with him.

Of course, it wasn’t just interference; it was my duty as the new agent, for the sake of saving Earth, but from his perspective, it was interference.

“Ha. So that’s how it is.”

He let out a hollow laugh, as if resigned to his fate, and turned to face me.

He gripped the handle of his mace so tightly that thick veins bulged on the back of his hand.

“You seem to know something, more than someone simply sent by Illusion… Who are you? A regressor, perhaps?”

“Your delusions are getting out of hand, nerd.”

“…Watch your mouth before I crush it.”

I didn’t want to reveal my identity.

What good would it do now?

He and I had already crossed the point of no return.

“I’ll ask you one thing. Think carefully before you answer. Your life might depend on it.”

Dark mana surged around him.

He seemed to have completely disregarded the academy’s rules.

“As of today, I’ve lost my qualification as the protagonist. I’m giving up on saving this world. All because of you.”

I listened silently, tightening my grip on the arrows.

The mana he was emitting was definitely unusual.

Beyond its power, it felt foreign and unfamiliar.

Murky, viscous, alien, and unpleasant.

It was definitely different from the mana I usually handled.

And with that, I reached a near-certain conclusion.

‘This crazy bastard, he really did resort to Dark Mana?’

Dark Mana was different from the monster abilities used by villains.

Simply put, it was similar to steroids used by bodybuilders.

Just as steroids promoted muscle growth, Dark Mana amplified one’s mana upon injection.

However, just as overuse or prolonged use of steroids led to mental and physical ruin, Dark Mana, while strengthening one’s mana, gradually destroyed the body and mind.

That’s why it was dangerous.

A power obtained through a drastic exchange, trading one’s life for it.

Of course, if used ‘properly,’ it could be beneficial. Even drugs, when used in small doses, could save lives as painkillers.

But Dark Mana, which granted immense power through mere injection, was no different from a drug to Awakened individuals. Users craved more power, eventually becoming consumed by it.

That’s why it was forbidden.

But,

It seemed my suspicions were correct.

A telltale sign of a Dark Mana user, ‘black sclera,’ began to appear in his eyes.

The whites of his eyes were overtaken by dark red veins and turned completely black.

He took a step closer and continued,

“You better tell me why you interfered with me. I have nothing left to lose.”

“You used Dark Mana, Choi Do-han.”

“I told you to shut up and answer—!!”

-Whoosh!

He suddenly swung his mace.

Even though I was far from the arc of his swing, the powerful gust of wind pushed me back.

It was truly a formidable power.

Just the aftershock was enough to push me back.

A direct hit would probably shatter my bones.

‘No wonder De Roque was helpless…’

I pulled back my bowstring and aimed at him.

He glared at me and smirked.

“Pathetic. You’ve been a thorn in my side, but this works out well. Let’s end this tiresome connection today.”

“Right back at you, asshole.”

“You seem to like your grave. Judging by your impudence.”

“Shame on you, the ‘protagonist,’ for using Dark Mana.”

It was a rebuke born out of disappointment.

But even if I had known the future, I wouldn’t have bowed down to him after he approached me with hostility and threats.

Never.

So, I didn’t regret it.

My decision to oppose him that day.

It just felt unsettling that because of me, he, the protagonist, had become a villain.

No, wait.

After failing as the protagonist for 51 regressions, wouldn’t it be okay for him to be the villain for once?

And perhaps this was his true nature.

If our great author bastard had intended a bad ending, a villainous protagonist wouldn’t have been a problem for him.

He frowned and stared at me.

“…Are you, by any chance, a transmigrator?”

‘Hmm…’

It was only right to answer his question, but I didn’t want to engage in a pointless argument now that things had escalated this far.

Someone could show up at any moment.

As I had started this, I had to finish it quickly.

“Stop with the bullshit and surrender. You know Dark Mana users are expelled.”

“Pfft. HAHAHAHA-!”

“….”

‘Ugh, he really looked like a villain when he laughed like that.’

It gave me goosebumps.

What happened to you, Choi Do-han?

At this point, a fight to the death seemed unavoidable, if only to eliminate a future threat.

If I let this madman go, he would likely cause all sorts of trouble just to get back at me.

No, he would definitely become even more vicious over time.

Dark Mana was a power that eroded reason and fueled primal instincts.

He would resort to any underhanded tactic to get revenge on me.

So, I had to eliminate him.

Here, today.

His eyes were now completely black.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t care about the academy anymore. I just want to break your neck.”

“That doesn’t sound like something a protagonist would say.”

“Shut up, you son of a bitch. You ruined everything.”

His words became increasingly aggressive.

At the same time, Dark Mana flared around him.

Normal mana had a pure, single color unique to each Hunter.

Red, blue, purple, or sky blue, and so on.

But those tainted by Dark Mana had a grotesque mix of black swirling with all other colors.

The color around him looked like the dark red blood you get when you puncture a finger after overeating.

The color of red consumed by black.

A color that clearly reflected his current state.

“You fucking bastard, if you had just listened to me, none of this would have happened! You piece of trash!”

“Stop talking nonsense. Who would obediently listen to someone who starts with threats and insults?”

“Ha… You really want to die, don’t you?”

Choi Do-han closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Honestly, I wasn’t confident.

He would be quite strong, fueled by Dark Mana.

But I wasn’t afraid.

No, my fighting spirit burned even brighter.

I had to overcome this to prove myself worthy of being chosen by Ercia, the planet’s savior.

Like him, I unleashed my mana.

A brilliant yellow light, the color of gold, enveloped me, contrasting sharply with his dark red.

He pointed his mace at me and said,

“Even if you die, remember this. You’re the one who led this world to ruin.”

“Ha, I’m dying of frustration.”

I truly was dying of frustration, but I didn’t show it.

Sometimes, actions spoke louder than words.

“Come at me.”

“Hmph, pathetic.”

Three arrows, cloaked in brilliant gold, flew toward him, cutting through the air with a sharp, piercing sound.

“Sprint.”

At the same time, he activated Sprint and charged straight at me.

-BOOM!

It was the first and last clash between the former agent and the current agent.

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