I Became the Terminally Ill Character in My Friend’s Academy Novel – Chapter 29

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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Well, this was cool and all, but where was Lilac?

Seeing the multiple giant centipede heads explode was impressive, but what was the point of all the build-up I had been doing if noona showed up and stole the spotlight?

It was embarrassing.

Anyway, although it wasn’t what I expected, a reliable ally had arrived.

Jin Kyung-tae seemed momentarily surprised by her display of power, but quickly regained his composure.

“I told you before, Professor Cathy, that you should carry some weapons. How can you crush poisonous insects with your bare hands? Even if you enhance your body with magic, there’s a limit to it.”

“Do you really have the leisure to worry about me?”

“Honestly, you surprised me, Professor Cathy. However, you may be good at physical enhancement, but not so much at shaping magic. You won’t be able to hold out for long with your unstable protective aura.”

Protective aura, simply put, was a defensive technique where you enveloped your body with condensed energy to block attacks below a certain level.

Even in the settings book, it was stated that while Cathy could enhance her body with magic without any problems, she lacked the ability to emit and maintain external energy.

But despite his remarks, she didn’t waver. She just looked at the enemy and extended her fist.

“If you’re so confident…”

“…What?”

“…then come at me, Jin Kyung-tae.”

No further explanation was needed.

Seriously, noona, why are you so cool?

“I was confident in my ability to judge people, but seeing myself be wrong twice in one day makes me think I’m not so good at it after all.”

The numerous poisonous insects that filled the ceiling and walls glinted their eyes.

“You’ll pay for your arrogance. I’ll subdue you and finish my class with the students right in front of you.”

“Even if I lose, which I won’t, that won’t happen. The villain apprehension unit will be arriving soon. And more importantly…”

Bang!

A popping sound echoed as she extended her fist.

“…you can’t beat me.”

Immediately after that, countless insects surged towards us like a black wave.

The students screamed, but Cathy just smiled and reassured them.

She reminded me of the time from a month ago, when we entered the dungeon together, but she was different from back.

The Cathy from before who had been flustered due to the overwhelming number of enemies and got injured by the Goblins because of it was gone.

Quickly and efficiently, with minimal unnecessary movements, she defeated the monsters that came close.

Each movement seamlessly transitioned into the next, a perfect display of the ideal martial arts form she pursued, and her unwavering movements, powered by her strong lower body, were a symbol of her hard work.

Having gained a kind of enlightenment, she began to surpass her original limits, and her martial arts were now approaching completion, embodying her ideals.

Even if she took a step back, she didn’t panic or falter.

She was probably thinking of the students behind her.

“Cadet Kang So-hyun…!”

“Yes?”

Uh, why are you suddenly calling me?

“It’s fine this time, so don’t use your talent.”

Ah, that’s why.

She was worried I would use my talent this time too, like when we were fighting the Goblins.

“Yes, Professor.”

Seriously, why would I use my talent when you were doing so well?

“Really, don’t use it…! I’m warning you!”

I already said I won’t…

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It looked like the power balance was currently even, and Jin Kyung-tae even seemed like he had the advantage as Cathy was slowly being pushed back, but the reality was completely different.

Jin Kyung-tae was already anticipating his defeat in one form or another.

Professor Cathy’s level was clearly much higher than the last time he fought her.

No matter how many poisonous insects he had, there was a limit to their numbers, and at this rate, they would be annihilated before they could reach the students.

Even if a miracle happened, and she made a mistake, Kang So-hyun was still standing behind her, so backup would most likely arrive first.

Someone who appeared in times of crisis, reassured the people, and resolved the situation.

The woman in front of him was undoubtedly worthy of being called a hero.

Considering that most of the so-called heroes were consumed by vanity and self-promotion, or driven by personal gain, she was definitely a good person for an adult.

And that was why he didn’t like her.

“I don’t like this.”

What didn’t he like?

Was it a twisted resentment towards the fact that such a hero hadn’t appeared for him when he was suffering as a child, or maybe he was simply dissatisfied with a hero who was interfering with his desires?

No, it was neither.

“What do you think will change even if you save the students now?”

Someone who’d be annoyed for such normal reasons wouldn’t commit such a crazy crime in the first place.

“Even if they survive now, the students’ futures are bleak. Some will be betrayed and fall into despair, and some will betray others and become despicable adults. The student who admires you and becomes a true hero will die in the field due to a small accident, and even if they survive, they’ll be met with criticism and fear, not gratitude.”

Yes.

He was a stubborn lunatic who believed he was right, and thus, he believed that dying now was the only salvation for students.

To him, Cathy was just an obstacle interfering with the mutually beneficial relationship between the students and himself.

“If they die to my poisonous insects, they’ll see hallucinations. They can die without pain or suffering. They’ll forever remain as children in my memories. Why are you interfering?”

It was clearly the words of a madman, but at least he firmly believed he was right.

“I won’t let you interfere. Yes, it’s only a few, but I won’t let my precious students go out into that dirty world.”

He looked at the gourd that had fallen on the floor while controlling his poisonous insects.

“Hey, Professor Cathy, did you know?”

She didn’t answer, but it didn’t matter anymore.

“The gourd sealing Loneliness can be opened remotely. It’s just a normal gourd except for the part where I’m suppressing it with my magic power.”

She ignored him.

She didn’t know how strong his Loneliness was, but she didn’t think it was at a level she couldn’t stop with all her might.

“Yes, that’s right. How strong could the Loneliness I created be? I know that too. I wasn’t planning to take you with me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, cracks appeared on the gourd that had fallen on the floor, and a small spider crawled out of the shattered pieces.

“But you see, there’s a way for me to take the other students with me, even if I can’t take you.”

Jin Kyung-tae extended his arm towards the spider crawling towards him.

The spider clung to his arm and devoured his magic power.

“This room is filled with the corpses of the poisonous insects you killed, and Loneliness will devour my magic power and their venom.”

As if to prove his words, the energy from the centipedes and poisonous insects started gathering towards the spider.

“It’s a Loneliness that has devoured all of my magic power and the venom of hundreds of monsters, no matter how insignificant they are.”

An ominous smile appeared on Jin Kyung-tae’s face.

“How many people here do you think can withstand the poison that will be released when this Loneliness explodes?”

“Ugh…!? You…!”

Finally, anxiety appeared on Cathy’s face.

She had improved, but releasing magic power wasn’t her forte.

She couldn’t create a protective aura strong enough to protect all the students.

“I finally see your look of despair, Professor Cathy. I don’t personally dislike people like you, but you were a bit too troublesome this time. If it weren’t for you, I would have enjoyed my class with the students in a more elaborate and enjoyable way. To think I have to end it like this.”

The six red eyes of the spider, having absorbed his magic and the surrounding venom to its limit, started to glow.

It was trying to evolve, its magic power reaching its limit, but Jin Kyung-tae didn’t just stand by.

He intentionally made the monster’s magic power go haywire.

The monster, with its magic power raging, started wriggling and making unpleasant noises.

“Stop it, Jin Kyung-tae!”

“Have you ever seen a villain stop just because someone told them to? Just stand there and regret. You couldn’t protect anything, and you’ll realize that I was right!”

Professor Cathy, filled with despair, continued to defeat the other poisonous insects, and Jin Kyung-tae burst into laughter.

Just as the students, imagining their future through the two’s conversation, began to feel fear and were about to scream…

“Bullshit.”

The voice clearly echoed throughout the room.

“You’re pathetic.”

The light was so brilliant that it illuminated the dark classroom.

Kang So-hyun.

The sphere of light floating on his hand was so radiant that it was enough to make the villain feel a sense of crisis.

“So-hyun, no!”

Only Cathy, who knew what that light was made of, shouted in concern, but he seemed to not hear her.

“What? Couldn’t protect anything? You were right? Bullshit.”

“Cadet Kang So-hyun, you’ve given me quite a bit of trouble, but your talent is enhancement, right? It’s surprising that you can enhance things other than just when defending against attacks, but how much can you improve Professor Cathy’s abilities when she’s not good at it in the first place? Ah, just in case you’re wondering, even if you kill Loneliness now, you can’t stop the poison from spreading. Or are you planning to block it yourself?”

“Hey.”

“What?”

“I told you, there’s no such thing as a long-winded villain who’s competent.”

“Those are some rather anticlimactic last words.”

Ha.

“That’s why you’re a third-rate villain, you idiot.”

The spider’s body, reaching its limit, swelled up.

“Damn it, why are you so late…?!”

The person he had been desperately waiting for burst through the broken door.

A gentle-looking, handsome young man with brown hair.

“That’s poison gas! Block it quickly, Lilac!”

“Huh…!?”

Lilac, the protagonist of this novel, Kang Ha-ni, who I asked to bring him, Yoo-na, and…

There was an unexpected face, but it wasn’t important.

The moment the spider exploded and released its venom, the boy hurriedly drew his sword, which emitted a golden light.

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He was late.

The light of the holy sword Lilac wielded had purifying power and could overcome the poison, but the poison itself was incredibly potent, and the spider’s explosion was slightly faster than him drawing his sword.

Not everyone would die, but one or two would, and many would be poisoned.

Lilac would lose his friend right in front of him and blame himself for being late.

But of course, that won’t happen.

Preventing that was the reason I was here.

The power of Enhancement, which I had prepared in advance, settled upon his holy sword.

Since I had poured almost all of my remaining innate Qi into the enhancement, its effect was guaranteed.

The light emitted by his holy sword became even more radiant, erasing the spreading poison.

The light of the holy sword, which wouldn’t tolerate any evil, cut through the dark night and burned away all the poison.

“…This is crazy.”

Jin Kyung-tae’s expression crumbled.

Serves you right, you bastard.

You should have used your trump card sooner.

I saw my secret friend subduing Jin Kyung-tae.

“So-hyun! What was all that!?”

“I was wondering why you suddenly ran out, what the…”

Lilac, after confirming that the situation was under control, untied the hostages while asking me some questions, and Kang Ha-ni also approached me with a bewildered look.

Well, it was nothing much.

Just as I opened my mouth to explain the situation…

“Cough…!”

Something red gurgled up from my throat.

I wasn’t just coughing up blood, but rather, I was vomiting blood, a large amount of it.

Uh, shit, did I overdo it? It didn’t even hurt.

“Hey…! What’s wrong with you!?”

“So-hyun! Are you okay!?”

“Cadet So-hyun…! So-hyun…! Why…!”

That was Kang Ha-ni, Lilac, and Professor Cathy, in that order.

Seriously, I was fine.

“Cough, cough…! Cough…!”

No, it wouldn’t stop, and it felt like I was choking, but I was really fine.

It seemed like a new day had begun, as Resurrection quickly restored my lost innate Qi, and the Saint’s Will returned to its recovery enhancement effect.

It would have been a big problem if the timing had been even slightly off, but I was really okay now.

“Cough…!”

“What do I do…!? The bleeding won’t stop!”

Even Yoo-na, who usually didn’t care about anyone but Lilac, was frowning, probably because it looked serious.

Seriously, I was fine!

Also, how have you been liking this novel so far? Me? I quite like it so far, as I said.

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T/N – I remember now! His actions, the way he talks, the bloody coughs after using his powers, and the way he insists he’s fine afterward. He reminds me of Cale from “Trash of the Count’s Family”! He even has his own Choi Han in the form of Lilac. No wonder I like this novel. Dang, I should start rereading that novel. I should have plenty of chapters to read now after I stopped reading years ago.

If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.