Episode 382: Return to the Demon Academy
Sabikang furrowed his brow, scanning his surroundings with a keen eye.
“Something’s definitely off.”
In his past life, he had explored countless dungeons, familiar with the typical layout of boss chambers. But this setup was unlike anything he’d ever seen. And then there was the eerie humming of a woman echoing from somewhere.
A boss room this unique should have at least been mentioned in passing, even if he hadn’t seen it firsthand. Yet everything felt unfamiliar.
This left two possibilities: either it was a dungeon so formidable that even he had never encountered its boss, or it was so trivial that it wasn’t even worth mentioning in the demon realm. But the odds leaned towards the former.
“Stay sharp, everyone.”
At Sabikang’s warning, the cadets gripped their weapons tightly and began to move cautiously. Together, they approached the platform. It was empty, yet the faint lullaby continued to play.
“Hush, little baby, don’t you cry…”
The cadets muttered nervously, their faces twitching with unease.
“Damn it! This is creepy!”
“What is this place?”
Suddenly, the singing stopped, replaced by a woman’s soft, languid voice whispering in their ears.
“Oh my, we have guests… You’ve woken my baby…”
Dengbuyong shouted angrily.
“Damn it! Show yourself, whoever you are!”
The woman laughed, her voice turning cold and mocking.
“How rude of uninvited guests to raise their voices. My beloved children, offer them a drink.”
Moments later, there was a splash.
The cadets flinched, turning towards the sound. Again, a splash echoed.
They quickly formed a defensive circle, weapons at the ready. Then, slowly, figures began to emerge from the pool of blood.
“What the… They’re here!”
“Wait, but their bodies…?”
The cadets’ faces twisted in horror. The figures rising from the blood had mismatched limbs, stitched together haphazardly, making them move like broken marionettes.
“Ugh. They’ve pieced together dismembered bodies.”
Jinbaek muttered in disgust. It was a grotesque sight.
Dengbuyong turned to him, shocked.
“Are those… zombies created by the Demon Sect?”
“I’ve never heard of such zombies. And they’re so… inefficient.”
“Then what are they?”
Sabikang stepped forward.
“Whether they’re zombies or not doesn’t matter. What’s important is that they’re not welcoming us. Everyone, fall back.”
The cadets quickly retreated behind Sabikang. There was no point in letting them handle this when the situation had escalated beyond training.
Sabikang’s priority was uncovering the mystery of this strange dungeon. As he extended his left hand to cast a spell, someone exclaimed,
“Wait! Those are Northern Gate disciples!”
Funggeomjin chimed in.
“Yes! The torn clothes bear the Northern Gate’s emblem! And it looks like some of the bandits from the Great Tiger Gang are mixed in too!”
“My god… How did they end up like this…?”
Yeosojung murmured, covering her mouth in shock.
But Sabikang wasted no time, casting his spell.
“Inferno!”
Flames shot out in a straight line, engulfing the transformed Northern Gate disciples. Yet, astonishingly, they continued to advance, unfazed by the fire.
A mocking laugh echoed from above.
“Did you think my children would fall so easily? I raised them with love and care. Soon, you’ll join them as my strong children. Welcome your future siblings, my beloved children.”
With that, the Northern Gate disciples and bandits let out monstrous roars, lunging forward.
“Raaaargh!”
“Uwooooh!”
Sabikang quickly cast an Ice Cannon spell. A white beam shot out, freezing the enemies momentarily before they resumed their charge.
The woman’s languid voice returned.
“See? It’s useless.”
Sabikang frowned.
“Are they resistant to both ice and fire?”
Perhaps it was because this was a boss room, designed to favor the enemies. Sabikang could feel the increased mana consumption with each spell.
“Soso, can you summon Celestine?”
At Sabikang’s question, Neungso shook her head gravely.
“No, I’ve been trying, but… there’s no response!”
“As expected…”
The energy here was blocking even the spirits. This place hadn’t always been like this. The creation of an altar here was the problem.
Unaware of this, the Northern Gate disciples and Great Tiger Gang bandits had become perfect sacrifices, summoning the room’s master.
But who was the boss?
A lullaby-singing female monster. It was all so unfamiliar.
There was no time for further contemplation. The Northern Gate disciples had reached the cadets, swinging their weapons with ferocity.
“Raaaargh!”
“Uwooooh!”
Clang! Clang!
“Damn it! These corpses dare…!”
“Don’t be intimidated! They’re just dead men!”
“We’ll show them what justice is!”
The cadets rallied, clashing with the Northern Gate disciples. Some were still unnerved by the grotesque appearance of their foes.
Dengbuyong was among them.
“Damn it… What is this? If they’re not zombies, then what? And that creepy woman’s voice…”
Just then, Dengbuyong’s eyes widened as he pointed to the platform.
“Look! Over there…!”
Following his gaze, Sabikang saw a woman sitting in a chair bathed in light. She was stunningly beautiful, her naked form illuminated as if she had just descended from the heavens.
Amidst the chaos, she seemed serene and peaceful. But what she cradled in her arms was far from beautiful—a human head.
“That’s… the Northern Gate Master’s head!”
Someone recognized the face and shouted in horror. Indeed, the head she held was that of Namak, the Northern Gate Master.
Even more shocking was that she was sewing it onto a body, whose origin was unknown, possibly that of the Great Tiger Gang’s leader.
The woman looked up, smiling gently at Sabikang and the cadets.
“Which of you will become this child’s limbs?”
“You crazy witch…!”
Funggeomjin spat, and the woman smiled faintly at him.
“Such a foul mouth. I’ll sew you a prettier one.”
In an instant,
Whoosh!
A blade flew through the air, piercing the woman’s forehead and embedding itself in the chair. But her image faded, replaced by her laughter echoing in the air.
“Such a spirited child. I want to keep you.”
As some cadets looked up, they saw a colorful bird soaring gracefully above.
When Sabikang retrieved his weapon with a flick of his wrist, the bird flew to the edge of the carpet and landed.
Moments later, the bird’s wings seemed to fall away, revealing the woman standing tall, still holding Namak’s head and the body.
Her wings transformed into a flowing garment, drifting through the air. It seemed that when she wore the garment, she became a bird, and when she removed it, she returned to her human form.
The cadets, caught in the frenzy of battle, wondered if they were seeing things.
The woman sauntered forward, her movements languid.
“So many children need their manners corrected.”
Sabikang chuckled.
“Sorry, but teaching and discipline are my specialties.”
“You’re an amusing child. You’d make a fine addition as this child’s limbs.”
“Seems like you don’t understand. You need some discipline.”
With a burst of speed, Sabikang launched himself forward.
Whoosh!
His weapon aimed straight for the woman’s chest.
But
Whoosh!
She soared into the air, her garment wrapping around her as she transformed back into a bird, ascending to the ceiling.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Sabigang launched himself off the ground, soaring up to the ceiling in a powerful leap.
In an instant, a massive bird flapped its wings.
Whoosh!
A fierce gust of wind swept through, forcing Sabigang back down.
Boom!
He crashed into the center of the carpet, landing on one knee to steady himself. The impact was so intense that the floor beneath the carpet cracked with a sharp sound.
At the same time, the pools of blood on either side of him rippled violently, making a loud splash.
Sabigang took a deep breath and adjusted his stance.
“This isn’t going to be easy.”
An unfamiliar environment, an unfamiliar opponent, an unfamiliar style of combat.
He thought he had seen it all on his way to becoming a Grand Duke of the Demon Realm…
“Who on earth is she?”
Sabigang scowled, glaring at the woman. She had somehow returned to the doorway, her bare form exposed once more. The wings she had discarded transformed into fabric, fluttering above her like a cloak.
“Who are you?” Sabigang demanded.
The woman smiled gently. “I am your mother.”
“Is that how people say ‘crazy’ these days?”
She chuckled softly. “Perhaps not now, but soon enough, it will be true.”
“Crazy people need a good beating!”
In a flash, Sabigang cast a blink spell, appearing right in front of her.
“Hmm?”
This time, the woman seemed genuinely surprised, her eyes widening.
Without hesitation, Sabigang swung his sword, Veritas.
Swish!
The woman twisted her body, leaping into the air. At the same moment, Veritas left Sabigang’s hand.
Whoosh!
The sword sliced through the air, not aiming for the woman, but for her fluttering garment. It pierced the fabric, pinning it to the wall.
Crash!
The pinned cloth flapped wildly, as if struggling to break free.
Sabigang smirked at the woman. “Looks like I’ve clipped your wings.”
Yet, she remained unfazed, her expression growing more intrigued.
“You truly are a unique child.”
“Of course. I’m probably more unique than you could ever imagine!”
With a burst of speed, Sabigang charged at her, leaving afterimages in his wake.
Whoosh!
Just as he was about to strike, the woman let out a soft laugh and twisted her body. Her nails sharpened, slicing a long gash down Sabigang’s right arm.
“Ugh!”
The woman then dropped into a split, only to twist and spiral upward.
Thud!
Sabigang’s body was lifted into the air.
“Goodbye.”
In a blink, she was above him, bringing her leg down with force.
Wham!
Splash!
Sabigang plummeted into a pool of blood with terrifying speed.
The woman landed gracefully, licking the blood from her nails with a faint moan.
“Ahh, exhilarating. You’re such a delicious child.”
She twisted her body, caressing her chest with one hand, while gazing expectantly at the blood pool.
“This pool is my amniotic fluid. Soon, my poison will seep into your body, and you’ll be reborn. I’ll slice you neatly and stitch you up beautifully.”
At that moment,
Swoosh!
The blood surged upward, and Sabigang, now a blood demon, charged at her with incredible speed.
Whoosh!