Chapter 19 – The Truth of Life
by Polar Bear
“Easy. So easy.”
Park Shinwoo muttered with a smile spread across his face. He walked slowly through the quiet campus, despite it still being broad daylight. His steps were incredibly light.
Easy. Is it okay for it to be this easy? No, is it because I’m so capable?
Snicker.
Park Shinwoo, who burst into laughter, looked back. He saw a woman wrapped in magical formulas floating in the air.
The only weakness of the Magic Association. The only way to collapse the Association.
Just thinking about the achievement he was about to accomplish made it hard to hold back his laughter.
“And this place is supposed to be the world’s top academy.”
Is it okay for it to be this sloppy? He subdued the teaching staff, who could be called powerful, without any trouble. Even heroes were powerless against the “Sleep Magic”. Who would react to a magic circle they don’t even realize is being created?
Just in case, he had scattered “Sleep Magic” throughout the entire building. There was now not even an ant’s asshole worth of variables left.
It’s impossible for a student to withstand status effect magic that could take down an active hero, and even if they could, they’d be no match for him.
All that’s left is to return to the [Magic Research Club] and activate the pre-written formula to go back.
Walking with a feeling of elation at how easily everything was going, Park Shinwoo soon arrived at the club room.
He naturally opened the door and entered the room, heading towards the location of the formula while celebrating his victory.
Pushing aside other dusty desks, he stood in front of the only clean desk.
And when he pushed that desk away—
“Huh?”
It’s not there. The formula that should be there is gone. The teleportation magic circle he had drawn over several days had disappeared.
That can’t be. He’d never heard of a formula naturally disappearing. Flustered, Park Shinwoo quickly turned around to redraw the formula, but.
He was even more shocked.
“Ah, shit. I’ve been caught.”
Their eyes met. With a man with black hair and black eyes. If only that was all. The man was holding a hostage in his arms.
How?
How did he not fall under the “Sleep Magic”? More than that, the formula that had been binding her and keeping her afloat had disappeared without a trace. Despite being magic that he had cast using considerable magical power just in case, it had vanished without a trace, and she was now in the man’s arms.
It was a series of impossible events. While Park Shinwoo’s cognition was struggling to catch up with the situation, the man clicked his tongue and dashed out of the club room.
Park Shinwoo, startled, stopped thinking and followed after him.
If he loses him, he’s fucked.
* * *
I placed Lachesis, who was sleeping on my shoulder, onto Raphael, roughly cleared away the dangerous swords scattered around, and left the club room.
You might think I’m taking it easy, but I really am disgustingly relaxed.
There’s no point in running from now on, I won’t be able to reach the destination faster than that guy anyway. So what should you do in times like these?
Of course, there’s only one thing to do. When the starting line for a race is different, you know. You just don’t run.
The cheetah is laughing, you know. Laughing at its superior genes that allow it to catch up quickly no matter how fast you run.
That’s right. If you can’t win by running, you ride a racing car. Then you can overtake. Trying to compete stubbornly through running can be explained with the word ‘foolish’.
While having such idle thoughts, I leisurely arrived at a certain place.
[Faculty Office]
I boldly opened the door with the sign hanging on it. What I saw was a disaster.
The mighty Justitia teachers were sleeping as if they had passed out, their faces planted on walls or desks. Anyone who saw this would think they were dead.
Since it’s obvious they won’t wake up even if I try to rouse them, I just passed between them. “Sleep” is, you know, the ultimate status effect magic I designed. I can’t help but be impressed by Park Shinwoo, who deployed such magic without even active heroes noticing.
Even though I designed it.
Let’s just understand it as him being a specialist raised by forces targeting the Association. I’d be grateful if you could understand it that way.
Anyway, these people will probably keep sleeping until they wake up on their own. I quickly moved to stand in front of a certain device.
This device is the great [Simple Warp Machine]. Why is such an amazing machine in the faculty office?
Of course, it’s for the convenience of the teachers. It’s a damn convenient machine that transports you to where you want to go when it’s time for class.
Long live teacher’s rights. Long live Justitia. Praising the strong teacher’s authority, I activated the machine.
[Welcome. Where would you like to go?]
[Main Building] [Annex]
There’s only one place to go. The [Magic Research Club]. According to the original setting, it was Park Shinwoo’s hideout until Ishia joined the Magic Research Club. That’s where I’m going.
He probably prepared all the escape magic there too.
I firmly pressed [Main Building] and then pressed the 3rd floor where the [Magic Research Club] is located. Then the window changed and a new one popped up.
[Coordinates fixed. Please enter the password to operate the machine.]
Of course. You’d need that to operate such a machine. But? I’m the author of this world.
I changed the floating keyboard from Korean to English and naturally entered the password.
For reference, the password is ‘Justitia’ in English. I’m really glad it’s an easy password thanks to my poor imagination.
Eventually, a dazzling light enveloped me and my vision flickered.
* * *
Surprisingly, I arrived on the 3rd floor of the main building. Even though it was still daytime, the quiet school felt a bit strange, but it seemed he hadn’t arrived yet, so there was no time to relax now.
I quickly ran and kicked open the door of the [Magic Research Club].
A dusty room with nothing in it came into view. At the same time, my vision changed.
[Crisis detected, unique magic power “Magic Eye” activates.]
Thanking the kind “Magic Eye” that activated as if understanding the situation, I looked around. But I couldn’t see anything.
All I could see was the dusty club room and mana moving around without any pattern. It was a bit perplexing.
“I definitely saw him writing it earlier.”
I definitely saw it. When I came here with Raphael, he was clearly moving around constantly, writing magic circles. If that wasn’t the magic circle for “Sleep Magic”, it could only have been the creation of escape magic.
Why isn’t it here? It should be here. As I started to wonder if my Magic Eye was broken,
I felt something odd. A desk that wasn’t covered in dust came into my view.
Why is only that one in good condition?
—Right. Since he’s running the club alone, all the desks except one are like this.
Park Shinwoo’s words came to mind, but that can’t be right. The guy I designed would spend time drawing one more magic circle rather than cleaning a desk.
Then why is there no dust on this desk? The answer is—
Rattle rattle.
“Bingo.”
When I moved the desk, a magic circle appeared. As expected, he’s not the type to do cleaning. The dust just fell off as he drew the magic circle after moving the desk.
I took out a scythe from my [Inventory]. Something felt different from usual, but for now, I stabbed the mana shown by the “Magic Eye” with the scythe.
Then the flowing mana reversed and the magic circle disappeared without a trace.
With this, I could breathe a sigh of relief. At least I’ve prevented him from disappearing with Ishia. What’s left is to buy time until someone stronger than me —Kim Taehyun or the teaching staff— wakes up.
Well, for that. Shall we run away? I put the desk back in its original position and hid in a dark corner of the club room. The important thing is to reclaim Ishia.
If he has Ishia, there’s no point in buying time. He could just run away with her.
How much time passed after I hid? With a cheerful sound of the door opening, a happy-looking Park Shinwoo entered.
With a smile splitting his face, he went to where the magic circle was with a bright expression, but he froze, as if his previous movements had been a lie.
“Huh?”
A stupid sound escaped his mouth. As he was looking at where the magic circle had been with a body that looked like it might make a creaking sound, I thought this might be my chance and approached stealthily.
As I crept closer, he didn’t notice and just kept staring at the magic circle in confusion. I stabbed Ishia, who was floating in the air, with my “Magic Eye” and naturally caught her falling body.
She was unexpectedly light. For the first time, the training I’ve been following since coming here feels useful. Or is this guy abnormally light?
Just as I was about to quietly leave the club room—
I met eyes with Park Shinwoo, who had turned around. About 3 seconds of silence.
A time of exchanging glances. Surprised eyes meet tense eyes.
In an atmosphere where it felt like strange BGM might start playing, I was the first to speak.
“Ah, shit. I’ve been caught.”
How nice would it have been if I wasn’t caught. Then it would have been hide-and-seek instead of a chase.
Since it’s come to this, I have no choice but to run, right? With that decision, I dashed out of the club room before he could do anything.
As soon as I dashed out, Park Shinwoo, who seemed to have had a brain freeze, followed suit shortly after. When I looked back, his eyes were no joke.
If I get caught, I’m dead!
I ran desperately, but I have the burden of Ishia. Moreover, I can’t use [Mana Operation] which any hero candidate in this world setting can use.
I don’t have any magic power, you see. In a chase where the gap would only narrow, not widen, I opened my [Inventory] with tears in my eyes.
“Stop right there!! Who the hell are you?!”
“What idiot in this world would stop when told to?!”
Thud—
With a heavy sound, steel beams fell and blocked the corridor. It’ll probably be broken through soon, but it’s better than nothing. I accelerated even more as I ran.
At this rate, I won’t even last 10 minutes, let alone run away until someone wakes up.
If I get caught, I’m dead.
Park Shinwoo is a specialist raised by the anti-magic association. It’s impossible for me, who doesn’t even have magic power, to face him.
I can’t face him, and I can’t run away. In times like these, there’s only one answer to take.
I ran while the steel beams bought me time. My goal was the stairs. As the stairs came into view, an ominous sound was heard from behind.
The sound of an explosion.
And then another sound I hear.
“You’ve got to be kidding me?”
A sound I don’t want to hear, a sound that shouldn’t be heard. The sound of magic incantation.
“I’m dead if I get caught.”
Magic power condenses in his hand. Eventually, it gathers into a sphere shape of non-attribute mana. It’s really scary. I gritted my teeth and put more effort into running. At this rate, I’ll be caught—
“Whoa?!”
A magic bullet that stretched out from Park Shinwoo’s hand hit the ground. Fortunately, there was some distance so I avoided a direct hit, but it was inevitable that my running speed decreased.
This is why I didn’t want to do this! It’s just one magic bullet that flew, but I hate myself for crossing the line between life and death.
I dropped another steel beam and climbed the stairs. It was meant to obscure whether I was going up or down, but.
BANG—!!!!
It’s breaking faster than before. He must have been prepared.
“Ah!! Really!!”
“You little rat, stop pissing me off!! Stop right there!!”
I climb the stairs with tears in my eyes. With each floor I climb, magic bullets pour down, and curses spew from Park Shinwoo’s mouth.
And the place I arrived at.
The rooftop.
I gently closed the rooftop door and ran to hide behind the water tank as if sliding.
While trying to calm my wildly beating heart and uneven breath.
I recalled the conversation I heard in the first club I went to today.
—That child? From the first day of admission, he somehow knew about our club and just came to sleep.
—He’s a child who keeps sleeping there even after we left.
BANG—!!!!!!!!
Not long after, the rooftop door opened with an explosion.
“You came all the way to the rooftop?! Come out!! I’ll separate your bones from your flesh!!”
Park Shinwoo shouts. He’s probably saying it loud enough for me, who’s hidden somewhere, to hear, but it’s a mistake.
“Sleep Magic” is certainly a powerful status effect magic. But like all magic, it definitely has a weakness.
And that is.
It doesn’t work on people who were already asleep.
“You’ve dug your own grave!! Try to run away if you can?!”
And on this rooftop, there’s a man sleeping who hates having his sleep disturbed the most.
“Hey.”
“Are you finally surrendering? I’m sorry but— Huh? Who…?”
Messy brown hair, a cat eye mask pulled up to his forehead, dull sleepy eyes that don’t shine.
To finish what I was saying earlier, if you can’t defeat them, can’t run away, and can’t buy time,
“Who are you?”
Then you subdue them with someone stronger. If Kim Taehyun doesn’t work, then Oh Seungjin.
That’s the truth of life.
I knew it. As he said, it’s the plot armor. The Deus Ex Machina.