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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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The sudden thunderclap startled the Cult members.
“Who’s there?! If you try anything funny, these bitches die! Got it?!”
“We didn’t do anything!”
“Bullshit! Then what was that sound?!”
The Cult members frantically scanned their surroundings, but the Academy group hadn’t moved.
The students were still half-asleep, practically lying on the ground, and the professors were too exhausted to use their skills.
Seeing this, the Cult members started to back away.
-Rumble!
“Fuck! What the hell is that?!”
Nothing.
There was nothing around them. Only the earsplitting sound of thunder ripping echoed through the air.
“Hey! Let’s get out of here!”
“O-okay!”
Sensing something was wrong, the terrified Cult members started running.
The distance between the two groups widened rapidly. When they were about 50 meters from the edge of the dome…
…a man stood there, silently watching them.
“Hyeon-ah, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
His expression remained calm, even as his teammate was being taken hostage.
Like a machine devoid of emotion, his eyes were fixed on the fleeing Cult members.
Sensing something was amiss, Lee Seol took his hand.
“Hyeon-ah…? Ow! Hot!”
His hand was burning. The heat, far beyond normal body temperature, made Lee Seol flinch.
“Hyeon-ah! Your body…!”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Ignoring Lee Seol’s concern, Lee Seong-hyun muttered quietly,
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Hyeon-ah…?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“…”
His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. His mind was already elsewhere.
‘I’ll take them down in one shot.’
If he gave them even a moment’s respite, the hostages would be in danger. He had to act quickly and decisively.
And he had to control his power to avoid injuring the hostages. It was an extremely difficult situation.
Lee Seong-hyun focused all his mental energy.
‘Just a little more!’
Despite the searing pain in his body and the feeling of his brain melting, he converted it all into power.
[Pain Point +1]
[Equivalent Exchange Activated!]
[Consuming 1% of Pain Points to strengthen the body!]
[Pain Point +1]
…
Pain begets pain, and power begets power.
A tug-of-war between instinct and reason.
Instinct screamed at him to stop, while reason urged him to continue. The moment his most basic instinct, the will to survive, faltered…
‘Humans evolve.’
[Lightning God Activated!]
CRACKLE-!
An earth-shattering roar ripped through the air.
“Fuck! What the hell?!”
The black dome shattered, and a lightning bolt, moving faster than human comprehension, struck down.
-BOOM!
“Kyaaa!”
“Ugh!”
Lightning beyond human understanding.
The Lightning God had revealed itself to the world for the first time.
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The aftermath was dealt with swiftly.
As soon as the black dome shattered, Association Hunters arrived to take control of the situation, and paramedics transported the injured students.
The rings were removed, and the students received mental healing to undo the effects of the mental attack. Yeon Hyo-joo’s charm was also dispelled.
That night, the world was in an uproar.
[Witches and the Demonic Cult, thought to be urban legends, appear in reality!]
[The Association is still investigating and has yet to release an official statement…]
[Academy principal of 10 years revealed to be the leader of the Demonic Cult!]
Sensational headlines.
Headlines that seemed like clickbait were all true. People must think the world has gone mad.
And, naturally, our Academy…
[Please be informed that all classes will be suspended until further notice for the mental recovery of our students and the restoration of our facilities.]
…came to a standstill.
Several professors had been injured, and some students were still unconscious.
‘It’s only natural, considering they were drained of their demonic energy.’
Although it was called negative energy, it was still a form of energy. Losing too much of it could be life-threatening.
And Professor Irena had become the acting principal, filling the position left vacant by the former principal.
Why? Because I’d conveniently shifted the credit for killing the Cult leader onto her.
And now, I was undergoing a medical examination in the hospital lobby.
“There don’t seem to be any major issues, but we’ll have to wait for the test results. Please refrain from strenuous activity for the time being.”
“Yes, I understand.”
I’d expected to be bedridden for a month, but…
‘I’m perfectly fine.’
I didn’t know if it was because of the demonic energy crystal I’d pocketed or if Lee Seol had done something.
Well, whatever the reason, it was a good thing I didn’t have to be hospitalized.
As I left the doctor’s office, I saw Han Yuri and Choi Ah-hyun waiting in the lobby.
“What did they say?”
“They said there’s nothing seriously wrong. I just need to rest for a while.”
“Seriously. Who told you to overdo it? Spamming S-rank skills like that, it’s no wonder you collapsed.”
“The one who collapsed and couldn’t do anything should keep quiet.”
“Tsk.”
Ignoring Han Yuri, who turned away with a huff, I looked at Choi Ah-hyun.
Her face was filled with guilt.
“Thank you so much, Seong-hyun. If it weren’t for me being taken hostage…”
“Hey, don’t be silly. We help each other out. Don’t beat yourself up about it.”
“But still… it’s all because of me.”
Seeing her still dejected, I decided to lighten the mood.
“If you feel that bad, you can grant me a wish.”
“Okay! I’ll do anything within my power!”
“Something naughty too?”
“W-what?! Th-that’s…”
Han Yuri smacked me on the back of the head at my suggestive grin.
“Seriously, you idiot. Don’t say things like that; she’ll misunderstand.”
“Oh? Was that a joke?”
“Of course it was a joke. Did you think I was serious?”
“I was serious!”
I chuckled, and Choi Ah-hyun, blushing furiously, started hitting me on the back.
We had dinner together and returned to the Academy.
“They’re still renovating?”
“It’ll take some time. They’re turning the Academy into a fortress with defensive artifacts after the attack.”
“Good idea.”
The Academy’s defenses had been rather weak.
Since classes were suspended, most of the students were in the library or the Hall of Challenges.
Those who needed rest had returned home.
It felt like summer vacation.
“I have to go to my tutoring session, so I’ll see you later.”
“Okay.”
“Seong-hyun-ah! Say hello to Professor Irena for me!”
“Sure.”
I parted ways with them and arrived at the faculty building.
I was about to knock when I just opened the door and walked in.
“Knocking is basic manners.”
“Come on, between you and me…”
“Don’t you know you should be more considerate of those close to you?”
Seriously, this nagging…
I pretended to cover my ears, and she sighed.
“So, how are you feeling?”
“They said I’m fine. I have to wait for the results, but they don’t expect any major issues.”
“That’s good to hear.”
She let out a small sigh of relief and started setting out snacks and drinks on her desk, along with the materials for today’s lesson.
I frowned at her dedication.
“You’re the acting principal; are you sure you have time for tutoring?”
“Even if I’m the acting principal, my main duty is as a professor. And also…”
“Yes?”
“You really don’t mind that I took the credit? You were the one who killed the Cult leader…”
What was she talking about?
“I didn’t kill him. The crystal exploded when I touched it, and he died on his own. Besides, no one would believe me even if I said I did it.”
“Is that so…”
She fell silent, as if pondering my words. Then, she sighed deeply.
“I understand. Then what are you going to do about the lightning? The Hunter Association is looking for that person.”
Lightning God.
Even the top Hunters in the Association couldn’t penetrate the black dome.
But someone unknown had shattered the dome and annihilated the Cult, without even harming the hostages.
The precision and power had caught the attention of the Association President and other guilds, and they were all searching for this mysterious figure.
But I planned to keep it a secret.
“It’ll come out eventually. But I don’t think now’s the right time.”
“If that’s what you think… I respect your decision. Then, shall we begin?”
Damn it.
“Yes…”
One hour, two hours…
As the long tutoring session was nearing its end, Irena’s phone rang.
“I apologize. It’s an urgent call…”
“It’s okay. Go ahead.”
Irena gave an apologetic bow and went to a corner to answer the call.
“Yes, approximately 150 students have requested to withdraw, and we are currently processing their applications. We will recruit additional students later…”
Withdrawals.
They were quitting because of the trauma from the attack.
Considering there had been over 200 withdrawals in the previous timeline, this was a relatively good outcome.
But it was still a problem for the Academy.
Losing 150 students was a significant loss of manpower.
They would try to fill the vacancies by any means necessary.
“We plan to increase the number of Witch-related classes and focus on recruiting non-combat personnel.”
There it was.
Having suffered a major blow from the Cult, they were prioritizing recruiting personnel specializing in dealing with Witches.
After about three minutes, Irena ended the call and returned to the sofa.
“I apologize. It was a work call…”
“It’s okay. So, you’re planning to recruit more students?”
“Yes. The Academy can’t function with the current number of students. We’ll start by accepting applications from civilians.”
“Then can I recommend someone?”
“Yes?”
“I know someone named Shin Su-yeon.”
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The Academy wasn’t just for Hunters.
There were also non-combat personnel who researched mana and skills.
They weren’t officially students but more like researchers.
But because of the recent incident, they were officially recruiting “supporters.” I’d recommended Shin Su-yeon for the position.
‘I don’t know if she’ll be accepted, but it’s worth a try.’
By the time I left the faculty building, the sun was setting.
‘I have to hurry.’
When I entered the dorm, Choi Ah-hyun was lying on the sofa, playing with her phone. She sat up when she saw me.
“You’re back early. Haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
“I have dinner plans, so I’ll pass. You two eat.”
“Okay~”
I went to my room, packed the things I needed for today, and headed to the library.
To study? No.
After the Grade Evaluation, Lee Seol had visited me in the hospital. Something had been bothering me since then.
“Hyeon-ah! Over here!”
Lee Seol waved at me with a bright smile.
Today, I would confirm the existence of her Extrasensory Perception.
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