〈 Chapter 1133 〉 1133. The Academy’s Savior
Gripping his fists tightly, Kim Je-eo, the head teacher of the Forge Department, sat in his office. Earlier that morning, he had received some troubling information from the students.
A group of first-year students, led none other than Sung Yoojin, had apparently ventured into a contaminated zone alongside Gaon Ha-ri.
“Gaon Ha-ri? That brat must be up to something.”
It was clear now—this wasn’t just some random excursion. It was a warning: *Ha-ri is on my side.*
“…Damn it all.”
The duel between the Forge Department and the Spirit Studies Department was less than a week away. Kim Je-eo was confident of victory for the Forge Department. After all, they had seven members while the Spirit Studies Department only had one. A sevenfold numerical advantage! Even if Sung Yoojin was among the strongest first-years, the rules allowed the use of external items due to the unique nature of the Forge Department’s abilities.
They would bring their finest forged weapons and tools to ensure dominance. Even an A-Rank Hero wouldn’t stand a chance against the power of these masterpieces. And let’s not forget Shin Na-ri—whose strength overflowed beyond measure. Victory for the Forge Department seemed inevitable.
That was until he heard the name “Gaon Ha-ri.”
“…If Gaon Ha-ri gets involved this time?”
Gaon Ha-ri.
One of Korea’s Five Heavens and its sole SS-Rank Hero. Though she’d been inactive for decades, there was a time when she was recognized as the world’s strongest hero. Even the academy principal, Kang Ji-young, was considered several levels below her in terms of skill.
“If all of Gaon Ha-ri’s power, connections, and legendary artifacts fall into Sung Yoojin’s hands…?”
Defeat might actually be possible.
Kim Je-eo nervously bit his nails in growing agitation.
“Teacher Kim Je-eo! Are you here?”
Without waiting for permission, the door swung open. Kim Je-eo glared at the intruder who entered uninvited.
“What do you want?”
“Don’t be so cold. I’ve come to help you. Frankly, I find the Spirit Studies Department just as irritating.”
“I don’t need your help.”
The man approached, carrying a suitcase in one hand.
“This is the Forge Department’s matter alone.”
“Are we really going to quarrel like this? You look terrible, you know. Like something out of a horror movie.”
“…”
“If the Forge Department loses this time, much will be lost. Our already declining reputation will hit rock bottom, and the students will laugh at us. And you…? You’ll lose the trust of the vice-principal.”
Vice-principal.
At the mention of that word, Kim Je-eo tensed.
“I know your type. A man willing to shake hands with demons to achieve his goals.”
“Are you calling yourself a demon?”
“Relax. My words were merely metaphorical. Surely you understand that.”
He finally reached Kim Je-eo’s desk.
Thud.
The suitcase landed atop the desk. Mana surged from his palm, unlocking magical seals before opening the case.
“……!!”
Kim Je-eo’s eyes widened dramatically. From within the suitcase emanated an aura of profound curses. His body stiffened as he stared at its contents…
The corners of his eyes trembled faintly.
“…They’re all artifacts, huh.”
“You’d know, being the instructor handling artifacts. You understand how extraordinary these items are.”
“If we’re talking money alone, they’re worth hundreds of billions… Where did you get them?”
“A Secret. Nonetheless, with these, the confrontation should be no issue. I’ll donate them to the Artifact Department. Use them as you see fit.”
“…Using these might make the Academy suspicious.”
“Hahaha. Do you really think that?”
“…”
Kim Je-oh’s expression warped suddenly.
He knows.
That the Academy doesn’t care much about the Artifact Department. Maybe it was different in the past, but now, the people involved in the Academy don’t accurately know what artifacts the department holds. The documents may exist, but there’s no one who actually looks at them. Why? Because the Artifact Department is declining.
“The stakes in this confrontation aren’t just the future of the Artifact Department; your future is tied to it as well.”
“…Neither I nor the Artifact Department have anything to offer you as a reward.”
“One condition will suffice. The dissolution of the Spirit Department.”
With that, he turned around, leaving behind the suitcase.
“I’ll be expecting great things.”
And then he vanished.
Kim Je-oh exhaled sharply. His pupils flickered strangely. As if possessed, his hands instinctively moved toward the suitcase. A smirk spread across his face as he inspected each artifact one by one.
‘I will definitely win and prove the value of the Artifact Department.’
•••
The day of the confrontation arrived.
Before entering the artificial dungeon, I glanced around.
There were plenty of spectators. Most of the Academy teachers attended, and even some curious students had gathered. There weren’t many second-years due to the current practical training season.
I calmly scanned the group of first-years. Most predicted the Spirit Department would lose. After all, no matter how skilled I am, taking on seven opponents alone seems impossible.
‘Eun Isi-hee is cheering me on… and Yoo-hana showed up too. That’s unexpected.’
As for Kim Cheon-woo and Ma Jin-bae, I didn’t bother giving them a second glance. Boys like them don’t interest me.
My gaze eventually landed on Choi Da-yeon. Our eyes met. Arms crossed, she looked arrogant as ever. Despite everything that happened, she didn’t avoid my stare—very much in character for her.
I looked away and focused on the Artifact Department members instead. Out of the seven, six of them (excluding Shin Na-ri) seemed hostile. Shin Na-ri, however, remained calm, giving off an “I’m doing this because I have to” vibe.
“Let me explain the victory conditions,” said Principal Kang Ji-young of Maruhan Academy.
“Victory goes to whoever clears the dungeon first or renders the opposing team unable to fight.”
While listening to her explanation, I stretched my shoulders. One advantage of the Academy’s artificial dungeon is that even fatal injuries won’t kill you. No need to hold back.
“The Spirit Department representative, Sung Yoo-jin, enters first and the Artifact Department follows ten minutes later.”
Ten minutes.
The only edge given to me.
‘Not that I need it anyway.’
I never intended to win by clearing the dungeon. My goal was simple: take down all seven members of the Artifact Department.
“Begin.”
As soon as Principal Kang finished speaking, I stepped into the dungeon.
The scenery shifted instantly. A barren sky greeted me along with four small hills. Standing there with arms crossed, I waited patiently for the Artifact Department to arrive.
But ten minutes passed, and still, they hadn’t shown up.
‘There are dungeons where time flows oddly, but this is artificial, so that shouldn’t happen here…’
There was only one explanation: different starting points. Since dungeon details aren’t disclosed beforehand, I wasn’t aware of this twist.
‘Tch. Guess I’ll have to hunt those Artifact guys down. What a hassle.’
I started moving leisurely.
Curses from the Artifact Department aren’t suited for dealing with monsters anyway. Curses themselves are fundamentally specialized against people.
‘Generally, dungeons require facing large numbers of monsters. For the Artifact Department, fighting me instead of clearing the dungeon is probably several times easier.’
The urgency lies not with me but with the Artifact Department members.
“Found you!! Sung Yoo-jin!!”
A third-year from the Artifact Department shouted. His voice dripped with hostility, but to me, it sounded laughable.
The guy was covered head-to-toe in artifacts. An old straw hat adorned his head, a blackened apple hung from his waist, and in his hand, he wielded a broom radiating ominous dark energy.
There it is. I aimed the rocket launcher at him and pulled the trigger. The rocket soared straight toward him.
A preemptive strike—firing a rocket out of nowhere.
A first-year student who hasn’t gained enough experience would’ve been completely caught off guard and retired instantly. But my opponent was a third-year. Someone who didn’t just attend the academy for show—he used sorcery to conjure up a barrier. The rocket exploded, but the earth-based barrier held firm, unbroken.
“What the hell? You brought *that* into the dungeon? Are you messing with me?”
The third-year growled angrily. The academy… no, heroes in general, don’t like modern weapons. They practically despise them. The reason is simple: the limitations of modern firearms are all too clear.
Ignoring his complaints, I loaded another rocket into the launcher.
The thought of experiencing the satisfying recoil of an RPG-7 brought a smile to my face.
With a roar of smoke, the rocket launched again. This time, he didn’t even try to dodge. He trusted the barrier in front of him. That was his mistake.
KABOOM!
An explosion three times stronger than a normal rocket erupted. The barrier shattered, and his body tumbled across the ground.
‘I asked Instructor Yun Hee-jung to enchant this beforehand.’
It’s normally not allowed.
But in this dungeon, there’s an exception. It’s not just enchanted items that can be used here.
“Guh… wha…?”
He was bleeding. Normally, he shouldn’t have been able to bleed.
“…Did you deliberately adjust your barrier suit?”
Why?
The answer came immediately.
“You fell for it…!!”
His worn-out straw hat began emitting ominous energy.
As he grinned triumphantly, I realized what it was—a curse that activates from the caster’s pain and fatigue.
The sticky curse latched onto my body… then disappeared.
POOF!
His cursed straw hat crumbled into dust, the cost of the failed curse.
“Wha, what the hell?!”
Smirking, I raised my wrist. A white string bracelet wrapped around it.
“C-could that thing possibly be…?!”
An item that resists curses. There are quite a few of them if you look hard enough. One of the reasons the Enchantment Department is declining is because of stuff like this. To be honest, holy water alone could negate low-level curses.
“Do you really think I’d come unprepared when I knew you guys would bring dozens of enchanted items?”
“That… that may be true, but there must be limits, right…?!”
He threw a blackened apple at me and swept the floor with his broom. Curses descended upon me, but I stood calmly as they did nothing.
“No way… What exactly is that thing?! Could it possibly be… a relic…?”
“Are you stupid? How could I possibly have a relic?”
I kicked him in the head. It wasn’t worth wasting a weapon on him. His body floated briefly in midair before crashing to the ground. Then it vanished. Retired. He’d receive proper treatment outside the dungeon.
‘Six left now.’
Before moving, I checked the string bracelet.
[Divine Tree String
Rank: S
Immune to curses.
Durability: 43/50]
My eyes widened.
Just blocking three curses dropped its durability by seven points!
‘What the… Just countering those measly curses drained so much durability?’
Was I seeing things wrong? I rubbed my eyes and checked again—it was still the same.
‘Damn it… These Enchantment Department bastards brought dangerous shit. If I had known this, I should’ve just retired him earlier instead of showing off.’
The lost durability stung.
At the same time, a question arose.
‘The Enchantment Department had artifacts this dangerous? Maybe I underestimated them too much…’
Correcting my assumption that only Shin Naru from the Enchantment Department was someone to watch out for, I moved on to find the others.
[I awaken the Heavenly Eye.]
Activating both the Spirit Eye and the Heavenly Eye simultaneously, my irises turned golden. Finding the rest of the Enchantment Department members wouldn’t be difficult.
