Chapter 1127

〈Chapter 1127〉 1127. The Academy’s Savior

Kim Jaewo moved swiftly.

The very next day, it was decided that there would be a showdown between the Spirit Studies Department and the Metalworking Department. It was quite unexpected. I had thought that even if Dean Kang Ji-young approved instantly, it’d still take some time to get Vice Dean’s seal of approval.

“Hmph, looks like the Vice Dean has high hopes for Kim Jaewo… or maybe he just wants to stick it to Dean Kang Ji-young.”

The format of the battle? A dungeon crawl! Both the Spirit Studies Department and the Metalworking Department will enter an artificial dungeon simultaneously, and whoever clears it first wins.

However, teachers are not allowed to participate. In other words, I’ll have to take on all seven students from the Metalworking Department by myself.

“Jaewo and the Vice Dean must know how skilled Kalles is… right?”

Though this turn of events was surprising, I wasn’t going to complain. After all, I was the one who initially proposed the bet, and I also let them choose the method of competition.

“I can handle these guys even without Kalles. Except for Shin Narai, the rest of the Metalworking students are pretty useless. Still…”

The defining trait of the Metalworking Department lies in their use of cursed metals.

It’s possible that the six members excluding Shin Narai could bring a large quantity of cursed metals to heap curses upon me. This could lead the situation spiraling out of my control.

“Since I possess absolute mental fortitude, mental-based curses won’t affect me.”

In simpler terms, non-mental curses *can* affect me—slowing curses that weigh down my body, weakening curses that sap my physical strength, etc.

“While I do have skills like Complete Recovery and Heavenly Heart to dispel abnormal statuses… there’s no telling how many cursed metals the Metalworking Department might bring.”

A fundamental countermeasure is necessary.

I crossed my arms and fell deep into thought. My mind drifted back to the original game, *[The Academy’s Savior]*. The original game contained countless hidden stories and items.

“Eliminating what I can’t obtain at this point in time… Ah, there it is.”

Having come up with a plan, I stood up.

There’s still a week until the showdown with the Metalworking Department. Plenty of time to prepare.

“If I were in their shoes, I’d have rushed the duel without giving any prep time. Offering a whole week suggests they’ve got something up their sleeves.”

I raised my smartphone.

Who will win? That’ll be decided next week.

•••

4:00 AM on Saturday morning.

Before the sun had even risen, I stood calmly near the crossroads close to the academy, gazing leisurely at the sky as I waited for someone.

I sensed movement. From the entrance of the academy, a group approached me, though they seemed disconnected despite walking together.

I carefully scrutinized each member of the group.

The female student who grinned upon seeing me was Yi Seon, my childhood friend, with her long blue hair and piercing blue eyes.

Next to her stood Kim Cheonwoo and his best friend, Ma Jinbae. Kim Cheonwoo looked calm, while Ma Jinbae glared at me with hostility.

“Didn’t expect Ma Jinbae to show up… did he come because he’s worried about Kim Cheonwoo?”

Even though he’s not someone I particularly like, he’s still worth exploiting. And anyway, Ma Jinbae wouldn’t dare show his fangs against me. My gaze shifted toward the rear of the group.

Ryu Hana stood there expressionless, her long lilac hair cascading down to her waist, exuding mystery. Her dark blue eyes were cold like the depths of the ocean. With two swords strapped to her waist, every step she took radiated grace.

Behind Ryu Hana…


Dae-Yeon Choi and Kang-Hoo Lee were there.

Dae-Yeon Choi was walking with her arms crossed, as always, exuding arrogance. With every step she took, her black hair and ample chest swayed slightly. Three meters away from Dae-Yeon, Kang-Hoo Lee was carrying luggage in his hands and on his back.

“Yu-Jin. You’re here. You’re not late, are you?”

Si-Eun Lee approached and said.

“I came faster than expected. And I didn’t know all of you would come together.”

“Met everyone while leaving the academy. Never thought we’d all end up acting together. Count on me.”

“…”

Chun-Woo Kim spoke to the surrounding students, but not a single person responded. Chun-Woo awkwardly laughed. Ryu-Hana and Dae-Yeon ignored it completely, Kang-Hoo glared at Chun-Woo with suspicion. Si-Eun only looked at me.

“What an odd bunch of people.”

Ma-Jin Bae clicked his tongue and said.

“Yu-Jin. Are you hungry? I brought some kimbap. Try it once.”

“A lunchbox? Already talking about eating a lunchbox?”

“It’s fine. There are three more lunchboxes prepared for Yu-Jin.”

“Since I’m a bit hungry, let’s eat.”

Si-Eun smiled brightly and opened the lunchbox lid. The savory smell of neatly arranged kimbap wafted out. Si-Eun picked up a piece of kimbap with chopsticks and offered it to me.

“Yu-Jin, ah~”

“Ah~”

The kimbap smoothly entered my mouth. Fresh ingredients and well-seasoned. I especially liked that there was no burdock in the kimbap. It was excellent. Far better than any famous kimbap shop.

As I happily accepted the kimbap Si-Eun was giving me, I felt a burning gaze from somewhere. It was Dae-Yeon.

‘What is it? Does she want kimbap? No, that can’t be…’

[Dae-Yeon Choi’s Affection Level: 44]

Even though nothing happened between us recently, her affection level has risen slightly.

‘Last time I saw her, it was 42… Why did the affection level rise?’

My eyes turned to Ryu-Hana. Standing silently, it was hard to guess what she was thinking.

[Ryu-Hana’s Affection Level: 21]

‘Thanks to occasionally sparring with her, I’ve built this much affection. To increase it further… sparring alone won’t be enough.’

[Si-Eun Lee’s Affection Level: 93]

[Si-Eun Lee’s Psychology: Thank goodness Yu-Jin is eating well.]

Si-Eun’s affection level was incredibly high. If I told her to spread her legs, she’d do it without hesitation. As a bonus, she’d even sacrifice her life for me. Of course, I have no intention of forcing her to sacrifice herself.

‘Since I’m at it, let’s check others’ affection levels too.’

[Chun-Woo Kim’s Trust Level: 43]

[Jin-Bae Ma’s Trust Level: 6]

[Kang-Hoo Lee’s Trust Level: 12]

Trust levels instead of affection levels since they’re the same gender as me.

Chun-Woo’s trust level shows I’ve put effort into it, Jin-Bae still sees me as an enemy. Kang-Hoo is average.

“Si-Eun. That kimbap looks delicious. Can I have a bite?”

Chun-Woo, looking at the nearly half-eaten kimbap, asked. Si-Eun smiled gently and replied.

“Nope. This lunchbox is made exclusively for Yu-Jin.”

Her firm tone left no room for argument. Chun-Woo slightly panicked, then nodded.

“Eh, eh. Yeah. If it’s like that, there’s nothing I can do…”

An awkward breeze floated around. Si-Eun, regardless of that, focused on feeding me kimbap.

Just as the lunchbox was almost empty, the sound of a car rolling from afar could be heard.

“They’ve arrived.”

After swallowing the last piece of kimbap, I looked at the approaching black van slowing down until it stopped in front of me.

The driver’s door opened, and long legs wrapped in denim jeans stepped onto the road. Following that, hair swayed over a white t-shirt as the woman got out of the driver’s seat. It was Sung-Ha Ri.

“Hello, son! And son’s friends!”

Sung-Ha Ri cheerfully waved her hand while smiling. I reciprocated the smile and waved back, and Si-Eun bowed politely.

“Hello, Mother.”

“Si-Eun is as ever. Or has she become even prettier?”

“I also prepared a lunchbox for Mother.”

“Really?! Thanks. Let’s eat it when we stop at a rest area.”

Her arrival changed the atmosphere subtly. I looked around.

First of all…


It wasn’t strange for Kim Cheon-woo to be staring blankly at Seong Hali. The moment he laid eyes on her, it was as if he’d received a mental shock.

“Could this guy…?!”

『Kim Cheon-woo’s Trustworthiness: 52』

Kim Cheon-woo’s trustworthiness suddenly surpassed 50.

The reason was obvious. Kim Cheon-woo had fallen in love with Seong Hali at first sight, and consequently developed a liking for me, her son. He’s probably imagining me calling him “Dad” right about now.

‘Damn. Just thinking about it gives me the chills. Should I just kill him?’

I suppressed the surging urge to murder.

Falling for Seong Hali at first sight is understandable. She’s an attractive woman, after all. And she’s my woman. If you look at it another way, I can feel superior.

‘However, crossing that line will not be forgiven.’

Kim Cheon-woo was still useful. For now, I decided to keep an eye on him.

The others tensed up upon seeing Seong Hali.

Seong Hali.

Once known as the strongest Hero. Even those who didn’t live in the same era as her know of her whereabouts. She left her mark in the history of South Korea.

‘Even a fool could handle themselves properly when they see her… With brains, there’s no way they’d act rashly.’

Ryu Ha-na gleamed with excitement while calmly greeting Seong Hali. The reason Ryu Ha-na followed my wishes was because of Seong Hali.

“It’s nice to meet you, Seong Hali. I’m Ryu Ha-na.”

“Hello. So you’re the top student of the freshman class. Now I understand why you’re number one. You’ve clearly worked hard.”

“Could I learn something from you, Seong Hali?”

“I sense determination. It brings back good memories. Since you’re my son’s friend, I won’t treat you harshly. When I have time, I’ll help you out.”

Seong Hali’s gaze shifted to Choi Da-yeon and Lee Kang-ho. Lee Kang-ho immediately lowered his gaze, while Choi Da-yeon gave a polite bow.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Thunder Voice. I’m Choi Da-yeon from Kumhwa Group.”

“So you’re Jeong Hwa’s daughter. She has every right to boast about you.”

Seong Hali glanced around once before tapping the top of the van with her palm.

“Well, we’ve got a long way to go, so everyone get in! And ‘Lady Seong Hali’ sounds too stiff. I don’t expect formalities from my son’s friends, so just call me Auntie.”

And with that, everyone boarded the van. I sat in the front passenger seat, with Lee Shi-eun and Kim Cheon-woo behind me, and Ma Jin-bae further back. Ryu Ha-na, Choi Da-yeon, and Lee Kang-ho occupied the rear seats.

Ryu Ha-na and Choi Da-yeon remained quiet. It was natural since they barely interacted during their academy days. However, Choi Da-yeon subtly seemed aware of Ryu Ha-na, the top student.

The loudest chatter came from Kim Cheon-woo.

“Lady Seong Hali, I learned about your exploits at the academy… Do you remember the Gangneung collapse incident from twenty years ago?”

“Gangneung collapse? Oh, the dinosaur incident? Yeah, it was tough back then. And call me Auntie!”

“Auntie… It doesn’t suit you; you look far too young.”

“Hehe. Flattery gets you everywhere, huh? Thanks, Cheon-woo.”

“No, no. It’s not flattery—it’s the truth.”

Kim Cheon-woo blushed while speaking. Regardless of my rising irritation, it was true that Seong Hali looked incredibly youthful. Her face showed no wrinkles, her skin was taut, and her figure was impeccable. No matter how many times you looked, she appeared to be in her early to mid-twenties.

“Son. Did you hear? Aren’t you having a match with the Metallurgy Department?”

“Yes, I challenged them to a duel under the condition of dismantling the Spirit Department.”

“If you told your mom, she would’ve helped you.”

“This is nothing. The Metallurgy Department isn’t anything special.”

“Hmm. I dropped out of the academy, so I don’t know much, but if I haven’t heard of them, they must not be much.”

“Mother. If it’s Eugene, he’ll definitely win against the Metallurgy Department.”

Lee Shi-eun spoke calmly. Seong Hali nodded approvingly.

“I think the same. But curses are a bit unsettling.”

“Mom. Don’t worry. We’re going this time specifically for anti-curse measures. Otherwise, do you not trust me?”

“How could I not trust my own son?! I believe in you, my son.”

“Mother! I also believe in Eugene!”