Chapter 14
At that time. Kim Seung-joon's house.
"Oh my. After taking all that tuition money, why are you saying you won't go!"
"Shut up! What does it matter if I say I won't go?"
A middle-aged woman and a boy were arguing.
The boy's name was Kim Seung-joon. He was a student who had begged and pleaded to go to Hanseong Academy since middle school, barely getting in through backdoor deals and scraping by.
When Kim Seung-joon saw the notice about entering Dungeon practice on the Academy website, he skipped Academy entirely, his blood boiling at the thought of Choi Si-woo and Yoo Eun-ha's likely achievements.
"Your sister put in every penny she earned for your tuition!"
"Ah, shut up!"
The hot-tempered fire attribute filial son Kim Seung-joon ignored his mother and went to his room, pounding on the walls.
"Damn it! Choi Si-woo! Yoo Eun-ha! I won't let this slide!"
He was beyond furious.
He couldn't take it anymore. Where should he vent this rage?
The fact that he, who had yearned for the Divine Sword since childhood, wasn't chosen by the Constellation must be because of those two bastards.
Right. Let's find a way to kill those two bastards. That's what needs to be done.
"Hooh, if you won't let it slide, what do you plan to do?"
"Well, I could poison their food or something..."
"Kukukuk. How petty-minded."
Hearing a strange voice, he looked around, but his room had somehow turned pitch black.
"W-who are you?"
"How dare a lowlife like you be curious about me."
Kim Seung-joon bit his lip.
What nonsense from someone who barged into another's home uninvited.
He was already fuming thinking about those two bastards showing off in the Dungeon, so why did he have to endure such absurdity?
"Why must you endure such absurdity, you ask?"
"!!"
"That's obviously because you're an inadequate fool."
Did this mysterious being come just to mock him?
He wanted to jump up angrily, but couldn't move his body.
"But I can give even an inadequate fool like you the power to face those two."
"R-really?"
"However, that's all. How you use that power to defeat Choi Si-woo and Yoo Eun-ha is up to you."
"Th-thank you! Thank you!"
Kim Seung-joon bowed deeply at 90 degrees several times toward the owner of the bizarre voice he couldn't even see. But that was brief - a black hand emerged from the darkness and pierced Kim Seung-joon's chest.
"Kuhek!"
Kim Seung-joon lost consciousness feeling something being embedded in his chest.
* * *
At that time. Divine Sword User Choi Si-woo was at the Academy.
Originally he should go on this Dungeon exploration, but after regression it's meaningless now. Better to use this time preparing for the coming enemy.
That's why he's at the Academy.
[So what will you do]
"First Kim Seung-joon. We need to catch whoever's behind him first. Kim Seung-joon himself can be handled by Reina or Han Soo-ji. That's why I told the instructor to put Reina in instead of me."
Kim Seung-joon himself is nothing special. Priority is catching that bastard lurking behind him.
[The issue is Yoo Eun-ha isn't it. That power Yoo Eun-ha has isn't just any power. As a Constellation, I sense something alien about it.]
"I feel the same. But that's why I trust it. And we need to catch whoever's behind Kim Seung-joon. That's how we prevent Yoo Eun-ha's death."
The being that gave Kim Seung-joon power. The Black God Church.
A cult that brings harm to the world along with the Seven Deadly Sins.
Those bastards who cause all sorts of trouble trying to overthrow Hanseong Academy for interfering with them. And their victim was none other than Yoo Eun-ha.
[Hmm. That may be true but.]
"I can't let Yoo Eun-ha die. For her sake, and humanity's."
In the past, the Monster Core embedded in Yoo Eun-ha eventually went berserk and created a massive Gate.
Of course the Academy took heavy damage and there were many casualties.
The Gate was hastily destroyed, but since it was destroyed with America's tacit approval rather than gradually reduced and sealed, the spread of Demonic Power led to more Gates appearing in South Korea than before.
Setting aside personal feelings about Yoo Eun-ha, the Mutants of the Black God Church must absolutely be stopped.
Those guys started out claiming to worship the Black God, but when they were about to be subjugated, they joined hands with the Sins to save their lives.
[There's someone breaking the Academy barrier.]
"I see them."
Some guys doing preliminary work near the Academy back gate.
Today when all the Academy students start their Dungeon exploration. The Black God Church guys are placing different spells on the Academy barrier.
Bastards who create darkness to corrupt those fallen to hatred.
"Did you do the work thoroughly?"
"Wouldn't it be better to just ambush inside the Dungeon? Get a taste of those young girls too. Hehe."
"You idiot."
A group praising the Black God according to their doctrine. Yet they commit every crime imaginable, the trash.
Because of those bastards, South Korea faced a Gate crisis.
"I won't forgive you."
Light gathered in Choi Si-woo's sword.
* * *
My head hurts. Just riding the bus nearly made me sick from motion sickness.
Fucking Firebat. Tells me to handle it myself when I say I get motion sick. One of these days I'm gonna steal that firebat's bat and beat their ass with it.
Should've just used Acceleration and Parallel if it was gonna be like this.
But something just occurred to me.
If the original story is already twisted, wouldn't more things have changed? Like someone else appearing besides Kim Seung-joon?
Fighting down rising bile as I get off the vehicle, I see a washboard pink-haired woman running over making a fuss in the distance.
"Hawawa, hawawa. There you are!"
"Oh, Bbeum-mi."
It's Bbeum-mi.
Perfect timing. She's carrying the weapon I asked for.
"White Hair, here's what you ordered!"
"Looks super expensive?"
Even at a glance it's definitely not mass-produced.
The long sword fits perfectly in my hand.
Ah, this cool yet weighty sensation. After long times of humiliation and oppression I was getting sick of it...
But.
"...It's really heavy."
It's not even a greatsword but why is it so heavy? I can barely swing it without Physical Enhancement. Though the weapon itself seems fine. The blade has a nice sheen to it.
"It's only 10 million!"
"Wait, I don't think I helped you enough to be worth 10 million?"
"Actually that's hush money too!"
Hush money? Is this what they call a bribe?
Never thought I'd be taking bribes in my life.
"What do you mean?"
"Actually our Oppas registered this Dungeon as having no trap boss!"
"Aha."
"But if the Association finds out now that there actually was a trap boss, we'll have to pay a huge fine! Hawawa hawawa Bbeum-mi almost got in big trouble!"
"..."
Hey, I could probably get a ton of money if I report this to the Association.
This involves Hunters' lives so 10 million won't cut it.
Also Bbeum-mi. You talk way too much.
"Hey Bbeum-mi. I'll keep quiet if you help me with one more thing!"
"Hawawa. What is it?"
Kim Bbeum-mi's face turns pale and she clings to me like she'll do anything.
"Could you guard around this Dungeon just in case?"
"Hoee. Will do!"
Kim Bbeum-mi sticks close to the Dungeon entrance at my kind and friendly request.
This takes care of the possibility of someone besides Kim Seung-joon interfering due to the twisted original story.
But where did Choi Si-woo go?
I don't see Choi Si-woo anywhere. He should be here with everyone else by now. Did he not get off the bus with us?
No. I don't think I saw him on the bus either.
Where the hell did this bastard go? Is he slacking off somewhere without me?
"Yoo Eun-ha!"
"Ah what. You scared me."
"Who was that woman just now? That washboard!"
That washboard from earlier could only be Bbeum-mi.
"As you can see, a washboard?"
"That's not what I'm asking! How can you look at other women after what you did to me?"
What kind of ridiculous misunderstanding is this? Ah, I brought this on myself.
"Look, that person just helped me because she owes me a favor. Can't you tell from the weapon? I don't have mythical grade weapons like you so I had to borrow from someone."
"Hmph."
Is this bitch trying to act cute now?
Seems like she wants me to do lewd things to her in the Dungeon.
I don't have a habit of stealing heroines, but in this world Choi Si-woo seems to get off on having his heroines stolen unlike the original.
He's got plenty of harem left so Han Soo-ji should be fine.
Han Soo-ji pouts and goes to Reina to eagerly talk shit about me.
Those two are useless right now. What's important now is... right, Choi Si-woo.
"Hey, you're unexpected? Thought you wouldn't go to the Dungeon."
While I was thinking about where Choi Si-woo went, Firebat who was just laughing and chatting with other instructors came and patted my shoulder saying that.
"What do you mean when you're the one who told me to come today."
"That's just how the world works kiddo."
This is why Yoo Jin-seok abandoned you.
No, this woman doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is Choi Si-woo. My hands and feet are trembling and my head is spinning thinking about how that idiot isn't trying to gain power and is off playing around somewhere.
"By the way where did Choi Si-woo go?"
"Your husband? Said he's skipping the Dungeon."
"Who's husband? I see this auntie reads the anonymous bulletin board too."
The Academy bulletin board is still a mess.
I'm suffering from all sorts of slander like Choi Si-woo being my husband, or me fucking anyone regardless of gender.
I'm putting up with it because if I reported everything I don't even know how many would get caught.
"Who are you calling auntie?"
Kim Ji-hye flicked my head.
"Yes, next auntie."
"You brat. Anyway Choi Si-woo said he had something to do so he's skipping. Somehow he knew to dodge this."
"Shouldn't we catch him even now?"
That crazy bastard. Always grinning when he sees me and now he's finally lost it. The fate of this world rests on his shoulders.
If that bastard really wants to skip, we might need to make Yoo Jin-seok the protagonist again.
Huh? Wait, he said to put Reina in instead of him?
So Reina's in this group? Then we can catch Kim Seung-joon.
"How? I believe in laissez-faire."
"You mean you're lazy."
At my words, Firebat's temple throbbed as she scribbled something on the group list.
"Anyway I'll call out the groups now. Everyone pay attention!"
I was hoping Reina would be with us but.
Group 3: Kim Cheol-soo, Yoo Eun-ha, Kim Seung-joon, Park Jae-sang
Two students I've never seen or heard of plus Kim Seung-joon and me.
Isn't this fucked? Where the hell is that bastard Choi Si-woo right now?
Even if I use Kim Cheol-soo and Park Jae-sang as meat shields there's no way I can win.
I brought a weapon as insurance but... should I kill with this?
"Weren't you going to put Reina in?"
When I puffed my cheeks and complained to Firebat, she hit my head with the group list.
"Gotta balance things out dummy."
Ah I'm fucked.
Thanks to Firebat's trolling that makes no sense, I'm stuck with these nameless extras.
"Yoo Eun-ha, please take care of us."
"Me too. I might not be very skilled but please take care of me."
I'm not expecting anything from you guys.
"I should be the one asking. I might not live up to expectations but let's work together in the Dungeon."
Still, I exchanged proper greetings with the two extra students. The problem is Kim Seung-joon. His gaze on me is still unsettling.
Now he's staring at me so intensely it feels like visual rape.
This is dangerous. A world different from the original. In other words, I could die at any moment.
The atmosphere is clearly different. I can even see something like the Black God Church's symbol near his neck.
Wait, we haven't entered the Dungeon yet, and that bastard is a cheap Mutant so Firebat could one-shot him.
Then I should use the best strategy to survive.
That rapist took his eyes off me and approached with a friendly smile.
"Hey Eun-ha. Today please take care..."
First strike wins!
Whack!
I kicked Kim Seung-joon's crotch with all my might.
Kim Seung-joon's eyes bulged as he grabbed his crotch and staggered.
Then I shouted toward Firebat who was looking this way at my action.
"Instructor! This bastard is from the Black God Church!"
* * *