Chapter 1160

〈 Chapter 1160 〉 1160. The Academy’s Savior

We’ve arrived at Hinan.

Na and I stepped off the ship as if nothing had happened. Though Na’s face was slightly flushed. Nearby Chinese folks were busy minding their own business.

Na seemed relieved, probably thinking no one knew about the sex we’d had on the ship.

In reality, the rumors had already spread like wildfire.

We spent most of the day doing it. And Na, fully focused on the act, let out loud cries despite the less-than-perfect soundproofing. Of course, people heard. They just chose not to say anything.

Na and I followed a Chinese hero toward the temporary base building.

“Na, do you feel anything?”

“It’s weird… It feels like we’re back home.”

“The Spirit House?”

“Yeah. Our house uses Barriers to create an environment similar to the Spirit Realm for the spirits.”

Only then did I realize she was right—it did feel like the Jinlian Residence.

‘I once entered the Spirit Realm before.’

Well, more like dipped my ankle in it.

‘How did it feel back then?’

It’s been so long, I couldn’t quite remember.

“In any case, Makina’s ability to materialize at will must mean she’s being influenced by the Spirit Realm.”

“Yeah, that’s what I think too.”

We entered the temporary headquarters. The building was… underwhelming. Old. Rustic, even.

We walked into a conference room located deep inside. It was spacious, with over twenty people seated. They silently stared at us—some with wary eyes, others with looks of dissatisfaction. No one greeted us. Na and I took the nearest empty seats.

“Everyone is here now, so let’s begin the briefing.”

A man strode to the center of the room and spoke.

“First, please take a look at the third page of the documents provided. This is a map of Hainan Island. You see the red areas? That’s the Spirit Realm territory. It’s expanding, and we estimate the entire island will transform into the Spirit Realm within eighty days. We need to resolve this situation before it becomes irreversible.”

He gestured toward the documents on the table.

I lazily flipped through them. A map of Hainan Island, information about the spirits occupying it, recommended strategies—all written in Chinese.

I glanced sideways at Na. Her brow furrowed in frustration as she stared at her own set of documents, also in Chinese.

Of course, she couldn’t read it. There was no interpreter either.

‘Do they expect me to translate all this?’

Which I could. Barely.

But the effort irritated me. If they’d at least provided her documents in Korean, I might’ve let it slide.

Watching her struggle made me angrier. They needed her help yet treated her like this… My patience was wearing thin.

I slouched in my chair and propped my feet up on the desk.

“…”

The briefing paused. Unfriendly glares turned toward me. The man leading the briefing looked ready to explode, his face turning bright red.

“Hmph.”

His angry expression reminded me of a roasted pig, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Sorry, roast pork came to mind. Please continue.”

“…You disrespectful Korean…”


“Is that so?”

I raised my middle finger.

Crunch.

The papers in the man’s hand crumpled. At the same time, a few people nearby began to channel mana. The air trembled. Seong Ha-ri sighed as if she understood the situation and prepared for battle.

I moved my mana as well.

Zap.

Sparks jumped from my fingertips.

To be honest, we’re at a disadvantage. There are over 20 enemies here, all with skills above A-Rank Heroes. If we fight fairly, we’ll lose. Even now, I’d struggle to handle two or three of them.

‘But I’ve got weapons and expendables.’

Using them properly, I could take out about half of them. If it looks bad, I can always run.

“Enough.”

A grating voice echoed from the corner.

Everyone’s gaze naturally turned to the corner. It was a pale-faced man dressed in a black Chinese robe. The bald old man continued speaking without looking away from the front.

“Stop this meaningless display and continue explaining the strategy.”

“I-I apologize, Lord Wang.”

The man who resembled roasted pork nervously continued the briefing. Those who had been glaring at me now focused on their documents, glancing cautiously at the old man.

‘Who’s this old guy?’

I stared intently at the old man in the corner. He didn’t turn his head even though he must’ve felt my gaze.

‘On closer inspection, his skin isn’t just pale—it’s almost gray. He looks like a corpse.’

I explained the strategy to Seong Ha-ri. Speaking clearly in Korean, the Chinese people frowned and glared at me but did nothing, wary of the old man.

“The operation begins in two hours. That concludes the briefing.”

“…”

Everyone waited for the old man’s cue. Only when he stood up and left did the others follow suit.

They shot us one last glare before leaving the meeting room.

“Haa.”

Seong Ha-ri sighed. She leaned her head on my shoulder, looking exhausted.

“Why did you do that suddenly?”

“What?”

“You were angry earlier.”

“They invited us and then disrespected us.”

“…I was mad too, but we still need to think about the aftermath. Why provoke them like that?”

“If it looks like we’re losing, we can always run. They’re the ones who’d suffer without us.”

“But we’re in enemy territory…”

I cupped Seong Ha-ri’s cheek. Her words trailed off as our eyes met. We quietly kissed.

•••

I asked Yang Tao about the old man called “Lord Wang.”

“Who’s Lord Wang? How could you not know Lord Wang… Oh, right. You’re Korean. Your fluent Chinese threw me off for a second.”

“Whatever. Who is that old man? He had an unusual presence.”

“He’s our S-Rank Hero and the leader of the Sailing Sect, Emperor Siling Wang Zishen.”

“Siling? Is he a necromancer?”

Yang Tao nodded.

“He’s the greatest necromancer in China. Show proper respect when you see him.”

“…Why is such a famous necromancer here? This situation calls for spirit mages, not necromancers.”

Yang Tao frowned at my comment.

“I don’t know all the details. It wasn’t my decision to bring him. But I heard he set up a barrier to block the spirits.”

I turned away. Learning that Wang Zishen was an S-Rank necromancer didn’t really give me much new information.

‘Sailing Sect… never heard of it. Are they connected to Guilak Valley?’

Guilak Valley

One of the most dangerous villain groups somewhere in China.

A force concentrated with zombie masters, necromancers, and necromancers alike.

‘Wang Zishen… this old man reeks of danger. Better to stay cautious.’

•••

The operation began.

Seong Ha-ri and I were grouped with three other Chinese operatives.


Mun descends toward the southern direction, searching for and aiming to eliminate the spirit suspected as the culprit behind this situation.

In other words, it was a mission to take down the boss monster.

The other team had the exact same mission as ours; their starting point was just a little different.

“The Chinese Hero Association doesn’t trust us.”

They were half-believing, half-doubting Seong Hali’s abilities.

Even without knowing the full details, there were likely internal interests at play within the Chinese Hero Association.

“The Chinese Hero Association is counting on Wang Zishen to resolve the situation. What a headache.”

Anyway, we proceeded according to the strategy.

The trio of Chinese heroes glanced sideways at Seong Hali. It was because her beauty was exceptionally outstanding. They tried to show off in front of her by taking the lead and advancing.

The wind blew.

It came from behind, then from the front, and moved sideways.

Everyone stopped in their tracks and tensed up at the strange wind. The wind gathered in the empty space ahead and formed a shape—a bizarre wind spirit with the lower body of a horse and the upper body of an elephant.

“I’ve come. You dirty humans.”

The spirit spoke.

However, only Na and Seong Hali heard the spirit’s words. The Chinese fighters couldn’t hear the spirit and charged forward with weapons in hand.

‘This level… it’s upper-class. Starting with an upper-class enemy already? This is intense.’

The wind around the spirit turned into blades that attacked the Chinese fighters. They handled it well, dodging or blocking the wind blades while approaching the spirit. Their mana-infused weapons inflicted meaningful damage on the spirit.

“Aaaah! Humans! I really hate you!”

The spirit grew angry. A massive gust swept through the area, sending the Chinese warriors flying into the sky. The wind mercilessly battered them as they hovered mid-air, and every time the wind blew, blood dripped from their skin.

I grabbed Seong Hali’s arm to stop her from stepping forward.

“…Big Brother.”

“Wait. Something feels off. Don’t you think so too?”

“Feels off…?”

Seong Hali tilted her head in confusion.

Leaving her behind, I activated my Spirit Eye and focused on the wind spirit.

The spirit core became visible. Part of the spirit core, which is the heart and essence of existence for spirits, was stained black.

“…A Malevolent Spirit (Ma-ryeong).”

“What? M, Malevolent Spirit?!”

The term used to refer to corrupted spirits.

I had faced a Malevolent Spirit directly in the past.

“…No. It’s not fully a Malevolent Spirit yet. Part of its spirit core has been eroded by magic power… No, wait, I’m not sure. Is this even magic power?”

I shook my head.

At first, it seemed like magic power, but the more I looked, the more it felt different.

Zzzt!

I picked up the radio attached to my waist.

“Huh.”

– Are you just going to stand there?! Save your comrades!

An angry voice in Chinese reached my ears. The word “comrades” momentarily irritated me.

“Did you guys conduct experiments on spirits?”

– How dare you joke around! Focus on the mission!!

The operator quickly hid their panic and shouted. I was certain. The Chinese Hero Association must have conducted some experiment with spirits and failed. The old man Yang Zishen was probably the one leading the experiment.

‘Unless that’s the case, there’d be no reason for a necromancer to be here.’

I dropped the radio and crushed it underfoot.

“Hey, elephant!”

I stepped forward and called out to the wind spirit.

“I’m not an elephant.”

The spirit’s voice was gentle in response. It was probably due to my high affinity with spirits.

“Yeah. Let’s talk for a moment.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“You’re human too… But you don’t seem like a bad person, so I’ll cut you some slack. You shouldn’t enter here. Go back. Oh, leave the human beside you behind. That human needs to die.”

The spirit was hostile toward Seong Hali. She flinched slightly.

“This is my girl. Can’t you just let her go?”

“No. She must die.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s scary… So she must die.”

“…”

Seong Hali’s face fell. She sighed dejectedly.

“Hali.”

“…I’m fine, Big Brother. I’ve known spirits dislike me since long ago, so it’s actually strange when someone like Makina doesn’t hate me.”

The wind began to blow. The spirit was targeting Seong Hali.