Episode 62: Return to the Demonic Academy
Nung Soso quickly rushed to support Jo Muntak.
“Are you okay?”
“Ugh, I’m fine.”
“You must have been really startled.”
“Well, a bit…”
Wait a minute, isn’t this a bit strange?
Shouldn’t Nung Soso be the one who’s surprised?
Sure, the sudden gust of wind was unexpected, but how could that be Soso’s fault?
It almost sounded like he was accusing her of conjuring the wind on purpose.
Before he could dwell on it further, Soso laughed.
“Still, it’s impressive. Have you been waiting here all this time for me to pass by?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“That’s amazing. How long have you been waiting?”
“Half a day.”
“You must have had a hard time. But what now? You failed, didn’t you?”
Soso spoke with genuine regret, but Jo Muntak chuckled.
“Why do you think that?”
“But you… Oh!”
Soso suddenly realized and stepped back in surprise.
His arms, shoulders, legs, and sides were covered in ink spots.
“That’s sneaky!”
“Hehe. The essence of stealth isn’t just hiding perfectly, but deceiving perfectly. That’s what Instructor Sabigang always says.”
“How could you…!”
“Once you knew my goal, you should never have let your guard down. This is my victory.”
“Fine, you win.”
Soso admitted with a wry smile. Normally, she would have been on high alert the moment Jo Muntak approached, especially with a brush in his hand. But this time, she was completely fooled. Ever since she learned he could control spirits, she had been overly sensitive.
“A true master remains calm like a still lake, no matter how the environment changes. Focus on controlling your mind, not being startled by small changes.”
That was what Sabigang had told her after she made a pact with a spirit. ‘So that’s what it means,’ she thought. She had been so focused on the changed environment that she neglected her own safety. Jo Muntak had exploited that gap.
As the two laughed and chatted, a voice interrupted them.
“Well, well, isn’t this a lively scene?”
They turned to see Sang Chojin from the Dragon Class approaching, accompanied by Lee Bigyeom, Hwang Gi, and Ye Seoryeong—all top students from the Dragon Class.
Jo Muntak glared at Sang Chojin with a cold expression.
“Don’t start trouble and just move along.”
“Oh, scary. Did you hear that, guys? The errand boy from another class is now giving us orders.”
Sang Chojin laughed, and Jo Muntak instinctively moved Soso behind him.
“Wow, impressive. Is this one of those ‘I’ll protect my woman’ moments?”
Soso, unable to hold back, stepped forward.
“What are you doing? This is childish.”
“Hmm? And you are…?”
“Nung Soso.”
“Ah, Miss Nung. I heard you couldn’t pay the fees and ended up cleaning horse dung during the martial arts trip…”
Soso’s face flushed with humiliation. Just then, a familiar voice cut through the tension.
“What are you all doing here?”
Everyone turned to see Yeon Woo-gyeong.
Sang Chojin clapped his hands in mock surprise.
“Oh, look who it is! The leader of the Special Class!”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“Wow, the chill in the air is palpable.”
Ignoring Sang Chojin, Yeon Woo-gyeong addressed Jo Muntak and Soso.
“The instructor is looking for you. Everyone, gather up.”
“Hey, we’re in the middle of something here. If we leave now…”
“So what? The instructor called. Or do you want to explain to our instructor yourself?”
“What? Wait, did you just say ‘our instructor’? Wow, the infamous Yeon Woo-gyeong, known for taming instructors, is calling him ‘our instructor.’ Heh.”
Yeon Woo-gyeong glared silently at him.
Sang Chojin shrugged and muttered.
“Well, kids who rely on their family background are always fickle.”
Clang!
In an instant, a sword was drawn, and Yeon Woo-gyeong’s eyes turned icy.
“Keep talking.”
“Wow, this is intense. Did I say something wrong?”
As Sang Chojin reached for his waist, Jo Muntak suddenly appeared in front of him with a swift breeze.
‘What the…!’
Sang Chojin widened his eyes and quickly extended his palm, meeting Jo Muntak’s hand.
Thud!
The dull sound echoed as both Sang Chojin and Jo Muntak stepped back a few paces.
Sang Chojin’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“What are you doing?”
“What about you? Why are you holding this?”
In Jo Muntak’s hand was a sharp needle.
Sang Chojin’s eyes widened in disbelief.
‘When did he…!’
He had no intention of using the needle for a lethal attack. He just wanted to intimidate them a bit, planning to quickly subdue Yeon Woo-gyeong using his specialty in light-footed techniques. But Jo Muntak had somehow noticed and snatched the needle away.
‘Was he always this fast?’
He prided himself on his speed, but Jo Muntak’s agility was astonishing.
Yeon Woo-gyeong was equally surprised.
‘Was Jo Muntak always this quick?’
As Jo Muntak intervened, Lee Bigyeom, who had been silent until now, drew his sword.
Srrrng.
Hwang Gi and Ye Seoryeong, standing beside him, also took a step forward menacingly.
Yeon Woo-gyeong smirked coldly.
“Do you want to start a fight before the Spring Festival even begins?”
The large Hwang Gi slammed his sword into the ground with a thud.
“Yeon Woo-gyeong, don’t get too cocky just because of your family background. I can’t stand people like you.”
“Heh. I haven’t mentioned my family once today. Are you saying that because your family is so pathetic that you feel inferior?”
“You little…!”
Hwang Gi roared, raising his sword high.
Yeon Woo-gyeong also prepared his stance, raising his sword aura.
The tension was at its peak!
Just then.
“Wow, this is quite a show.”
A voice suddenly broke the tension.
Yeon Woo-gyeong and Hwang Gi paused and turned around.
Everyone else did the same.
On a rock a few meters away, a man was crouched, chewing on jerky.
It was Sabigang.
“Oh, no need for introductions.”
“Instructor…?”
Whoosh! Thwack!
A piece of jerky flew like a dagger and struck Hwang Gi’s forehead.
“Ugh!”
It was just jerky, yet Hwang Gi’s forehead swelled red.
“Hey, it’s ‘Instructor.’ Where’d you leave your manners?”
“You…! What are you doing up there?”
Hwang Gi shouted, rubbing his forehead.
“What else? Watching a fight.”
Sabigang grinned, leaving the students dumbfounded.
‘Is that… really an instructor? He’s as eccentric as they say.’
But they couldn’t very well start a fight with an instructor watching.
“Tch! Let’s call it a day.”
“Suit yourself.”
As Hwang Gi sheathed his sword, Yeon Woo-gyeong did the same.
Sabigang spoke with a hint of disappointment.
“What? It’s over already? Hey, big guy! Did you chicken out in front of that pretty boy?”
‘Who are you calling big guy!’
‘Who are you calling pretty boy!’
Hwang Gi and Yeon Woo-gyeong both gritted their teeth, glaring at Sabigang.
Sabigang dusted himself off and stood up.
“Tch, nothing exciting. What a letdown.”
As he grumbled and started to walk away, Sang Chojin called out.
“Just wait and see! At the Spring Festival, we’ll show you why the Special Class is lacking. Heh.”
Sabigang stopped in his tracks.
In the next moment.
‘Huh?’
Sang Chojin and all the students gasped and stepped back.
Sabigang, who had been a distance away, was suddenly right in front of Sang Chojin.
It was actually a blink spell, but the students, unaware, thought it was some bizarre movement technique.
Sabigang’s face was shadowed, his expression twisted into a ghostly grin.
“Heh heh. I’m really looking forward to it. Really. Show me what you’ve got.”
“Y-yes, of course.”
Sang Chojin stammered.
Sabigang patted his shoulder and walked away.
‘What is with that instructor…!’
Sang Chojin grumbled internally as Yeon Woo-gyeong approached with a cold expression.
“Prove it… I’m curious to see what face you’ll make when our class, which you look down on, crushes you. The Special Class might be more special than you think.”
With that, he walked away.
Jo Muntak and Soso, who had been standing awkwardly, quickly followed Sabigang.
“What’s with him? Has he really been influenced by that eccentric instructor?”
Sang Chojin muttered in disbelief, while Lee Bigyeom, who had been quietly standing by, chuckled softly.
“Crushed, huh… Interesting. Let’s see how much that noble brat can embarrass us.”
**
“I’m deeply disappointed.”
Cheon Saemyeong’s expression remained stern.
Yet Maeseolran was unfazed.
It was a situation she had anticipated.
Ever since he sensed the failure of his mission at the Martial Arts Journey, he had been prepared for the backlash.
“If things continue like this, I can’t trust Instructor Mae.”
“May I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Why do you dislike Instructor Sabigang so much?”
“That’s because…!”
He almost shouted, “Because that insignificant little worm is muddying the waters of the academy!” but swallowed the words.
He couldn’t reveal his true feelings so openly. That was the way of the instructors’ world.
“He’s disrupting the order of the academy. Besides, his martial arts skills are questionable.”
“But wasn’t it already proven that he hasn’t learned any dark arts?”
“Yes, that’s true. But tell me, whose side are you on, Instructor Mae?”
“This isn’t about taking sides. I’m just curious about the reason.”
“That’s not important.”
“No, it has become important. At first, I also thought Instructor Sabigang was strange. I believed, as you said, that he was confusing the students and leading them astray. But after observing him closely for a long time, I realized that’s not the case.”
“So, are you saying you can’t carry out the mission now?”
Cheon Saemyung’s voice grew sharp.
Mae Seollan looked at him calmly.
“My mission is to guide the students on the right path. That’s the primary duty of an instructor.”
“Instructor Mae!”
“What is it?”
“If you continue like this, I will…”
“Are you thinking of dismissing me? If so, I plan to report the injustice to the Justice Alliance.”
“What…?”
Cheon Saemyung’s face twitched in shock.
Mae Seollan inwardly scoffed.
“So it was just a petty pride battle all along? And you tried to drag me into such a lowly fight!”
She had no intention of backing down quietly, especially not when she was in such a foul mood.
And in truth, Sabigang was…
‘…a rather charming man.’
The thought caught her off guard, but she didn’t entirely dislike it.
Meanwhile, Cheon Saemyung, who had been watching her intently, narrowed his eyes and sneered.
“Oh… so that’s how it is?”
“What do you mean?”
“You said the Martial Arts Journey was perfect for fostering romantic feelings, making it ideal for missions. But now I see… you’ve truly fallen for him, haven’t you?”
”…!”
“Well, this is unexpected. The Enchantress herself falling for a man. Ha.”
Cheon Saemyung’s gaze turned lecherous as he looked Mae Seollan up and down, as if she were a courtesan in a brothel.
Mae Seollan met his gaze with a cold expression.
“Watch your words, Captain Cheon.”
“Ah, if I offended you, I apologize. I just didn’t expect you to develop feelings…”
Cheon Saemyung trailed off, sensing the subtle but palpable aura of menace emanating from Mae Seollan.
His expression twisted in anger.
‘How dare she…!’
Mae Seollan turned away.
“Well, I’ll be going now.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“About what?”
“At this rate, the Special Class might be ostracized at the Spring Festival. Among the instructors and students, it’s already seen as a gathering of failures. Do you really intend to stay with such a class?”
Mae Seollan chuckled softly.
“Failures… Who knows? People might end up envying those so-called failures.”
“What on earth…?”
“Let me give you a piece of advice.”
“Advice?”
“It’s best not to mess with Instructor Sabigang. He’s beyond your league. I can vouch for that.”
With those words, Mae Seollan gracefully exited the room.
Bang!
Cheon Saemyung slammed his fist on the table.
He muttered to himself, his face contorted with rage.
“Why are they all acting like this, that bastard and this woman alike!”
He took a deep breath.
Stay calm. There’s no need to rush.
The Spring Festival was just around the corner. He would crush them then.
Sabigang would have to take responsibility, and the Special Class would be disbanded.
Then, Yongcheon Academy would return to its peaceful state.
“Just wait and see.”
Cheon Saemyung clenched his fist tightly.