I Became the Academy’s Heroine Stalker – Chapter 80

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

 
“He must be in shock…”

“Even I, as a third party, find this shocking, so Brother Tae-jin’s shock must be immeasurable.”

“Tsk… Should we take him to a hospital?”

‘Hmm.’

Lying there pretending to be unconscious and listening to their conversation, I started to feel a little guilty. I decided it was time to wake up.

I furrowed my brows and groaned, as if just regaining consciousness.

“Ugh…”

“Oh! Tae-jin’s waking up!”

Renia’s face was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes.

Her expression, a strange mix of relief and sorrow, shifted as she suddenly embraced me.

“I’m so glad you’re awake…!”

This was the first time Renia had hugged me like this.

-Squish!

Her soft, yet substantial, body pressed against my chest. Was this what a mother’s embrace felt like?

The comforting warmth made me feel relaxed, almost making me regret the deception.

Renia pulled back, holding my face in her hands and looking directly into my eyes, like a doctor examining a patient.

“Are you okay?! Are you with us?!”

“Ah, y-yeah, I’m fine. I must have fainted. How long was I out?”

I feigned ignorance, even though I knew it had only been about ten minutes.

Su-ah checked her watch and answered.

“Ten minutes, Brother.”

“Oh… I woke up quickly.”

I scratched my head and sat up.

This was enough acting for now.

It was time to focus on what I needed to do next.

A somber atmosphere settled over the room again as I regained consciousness.

We gathered back on the living room sofa.

Renia, Su-ah, and Kim Hye-seo were all looking at me expectantly, hesitant to speak first.

So, I broke the silence.

“So, there’s something in the Taebaek Mountains that contains my father’s power, and that area is frequently visited by giant monsters. Is that it?”

I avoided mentioning Han Chang-ho directly.

I intentionally skirted around the subject.

That way, they would interpret it as me desperately trying to deny my grief and wouldn’t pry further.

As if waiting for me to speak, Kim Hye-seo unfolded the map again and replied.

“Yes. It’s classified as a dangerous zone, a place where even veteran Hunters and mercenaries hesitate to accept subjugation requests.”

That’s why it was the perfect place for Han Chang-ho to conduct his experiments and hide his secrets, away from the eyes of Illusion’s executives.

‘No wonder the high-ranking Illusion villain was defeated so easily. So that’s the hidden setting.’

Han Chang-ho’s existence was helping me piece together the puzzle.

Considering the information Su-ah had been giving me, the original Han Tae-jin was clearly meant to become a major villain.

Hearing about his father’s death from Kim Hye-seo today, the resulting hatred for Choi Do-han would have fueled his descent into villainy.

The original story hadn’t explained why he suddenly started threatening the main heroines he had been stalking, but now it made sense.

It wasn’t a misguided outburst of desire, but an attempt to use the main heroines, who were close to Choi Do-han, to get revenge.

But he was too weak to defeat Choi Do-han and probably turned to dark magic after being expelled from the academy.

Just like Choi Do-han, who had fallen to darkness after resorting to dark magic.

He wouldn’t have had a choice.

As Kim Hye-seo had said, Han Chang-ho’s words, “If he were still the weakling he used to be, it would be a different story,” implied that he hadn’t left any pure power for the original Han Tae-jin.

That’s why the original Han Tae-jin had resorted to threatening the main heroines as a last resort.

Even if Han Chang-ho had left him power, the original Han Tae-jin’s body and mind wouldn’t have been able to handle absorbing the power of a Platinum-grade Holder. He would have either succumbed to necrosis or fallen to darkness.

Anyway, my current task was to find that power. Unlike in the original story, the power left for me might be the key to saving this world in its 52nd regression.

‘Of course, I have to be able to absorb it first.’

And as Han Chang-ho had said, his death only bought us some time. If Illusion’s executives had suspected him, they would surely be suspicious of his seemingly meaningless death.

In other words, it was a given that Illusion’s clutches would reach me eventually.

Therefore, I had to head to the Taebaek Mountains, despite the high risk.

As if reading my thoughts, Kim Hye-seo pulled out a pen and drew a long line on the map, from the southern wall of Seoul to the circle marking the location in the Taebaek Mountains.

“We need to avoid Illusion’s eyes, so we have to move discreetly. We’ll head east, pass through Wonju City in Gyeonggi Province, and enter Taebaek City. The coordinates should be about 23 kilometers south of there.”

“Hold on a second.”

I raised my hand slightly, interrupting Kim Hye-seo’s briefing.

“Yes?”

“Are you saying you’re coming with us?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Kim Hye-seo nodded.

It seemed she had come here with the intention of joining me.

Was it out of respect for her deceased senior?

To think she would risk her own safety for me…

Having a Diamond-grade Holder’s help would be incredibly reassuring, so I had no reason to refuse.

“Yes. However, I’ve been placed on probation for two months, so I won’t have the support of the Monster Management Bureau. Not that we can make a big fuss or involve anyone else anyway, given the risk.”

“So, we have to reach the Taebaek Mountains with a small group and no official support.”

“Yes. That’s the safest option. It’s still less dangerous than attracting the attention of Illusion’s executives.”

She had a point.

Fighting monsters along the way would be a hundred, a thousand times safer.

Using a Mana Glider would also leave a trail.

Mana Gliders, the designated mode of transportation outside the walls, were strictly managed by the government, and any other means of transportation were prohibited.

It was supposedly for safety and personnel management, but regardless, renting a Mana Glider meant being tracked by GPS, which would only make it easier for Illusion to find us.

We had to travel on foot or use other biological means of transportation.

It was going to be a tough journey.

Like Frodo and Sam’s trek across Middle-earth, avoiding the Eye of Sauron.[1]

And judging by the circumstances and the storyline, there was no reason for Kim Hye-seo to lie.

If she were working for Illusion, she wouldn’t choose such a difficult path.

And half the power of a top-tier Holder was at stake, a power only I could absorb.

I looked at Renia with a determined gaze.

As expected, she mirrored my resolve and nodded.

Renia, with her diverse skills, from her excellent cooking to her combat prowess, would be a great asset on this long journey.

“I’ll join you as well.”

Su-ah, the 52nd-time regressor and healer, hiding her true power, would also be invaluable.

Kim Hye-seo expressed concern about bringing a trainee cadet, but she didn’t argue further after seeing my unwavering confidence.

“When do we leave?”

Kim Hye-seo asked, folding the map and putting it away.

There was no reason to delay. Strike while the iron is hot, as they say.

However, there was someone I needed to inform before leaving.

My Master.

She had helped me immensely, and if her first student were to embark on a long journey without a word, she would hunt me down, sharpening her blade as she came.

I would probably die at her hand before Illusion even got to me.

So, I had to at least tell Park Na-yeon before leaving.

Besides, how could I leave without saying goodbye to the person who had offered to take me on as her student?

“How about meeting at the southern wall in two days? I need some time to get my affairs in order and tie up loose ends.”

Thankfully, everyone agreed.

“Sure. I need to make some preparations as well.”

“I agree. I have to apply for extended leave from the dormitory…”

“Then let’s meet at the southern wall, two days from now, at noon.”

“Okay. See you then.”

Our brief meeting concluded, and we agreed to spend the next two days preparing.

Renia and I headed to Park Na-yeon’s mansion.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“Suddenly? To the Taebaek Mountains?”

“I’m going on a training journey. We have a month-long break, and I don’t want to be cooped up in the city. And to clear my head a bit, too. I’ll resume the intense training when I get back.”

As planned, I told Park Na-yeon that it was just a training trip.

I didn’t mention Han Chang-ho’s legacy or the secret he left behind.

As Kim Hye-seo had warned, even knowing about it could put me in danger.

However, I knew she wouldn’t simply say, “Okay, go ahead,” and send me on my way.

“…And you expect me to believe that?”

I simply shrugged at her sharp question.

This wasn’t the Middle Ages. Why would she believe her student’s sudden announcement of a training journey?

It was just an excuse.

Any excuse would sound the same, considering I was supposed to be training with her for a month and was now suddenly leaving for an extended period.

So, I just said it.

Hoping that she would understand my unspoken circumstances and tacitly approve.

Park Na-yeon, who had been sitting with her legs crossed, suddenly stood up from the sofa.

“You’re up to something. Fine. The training can wait until you get back.”

As expected.

There’s an unspoken understanding between a master and their student.

The chemistry between us, as if we’d known each other for a long time, was working its magic again.

Park Na-yeon snapped her fingers.

A housekeeper hurried over and bowed her head.

“You called, Hunter-nim.”

“Please tell Manager Kim Ki-seok to prepare for a long trip. Pack light. I’m going alone.”

‘Excuse me?’

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

[1] Lord Of The Rings characters

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇