章 159: 573
[Chapter 155]
[Mage King]
Being a living legend is not just an empty title.
Surely there were other players who saved the world from destruction.
There were many heroes.
But among them, not many were called living legends by people.
Has it already been over 50 years...
I wonder if they're all still alive.
One of the living legends.
<Sword Empress> Hwang Jin-hee.
Having somehow become an official instructor at the academy this year, she suddenly recalled her comrades who had shared difficult times with her.
There probably aren't many people still alive until now.
Before I die..., I probably won't meet them again unless something unusual happens.
Achieving legendary feats.
Heroes who embodied themselves as legends and reached a truly godlike level.
<Iron Fortress> Moon Jun.
<Divine Spear> Nam Gung Seong-un.
<King of Darkness> Baek Seo-jin.
Including herself, they were people who each had their own legends.
There were a few others as well.
But contact had been lost long ago.
Or they had already passed away.
Or they had ultimately collapsed, unable to bear their own legends.
I never thought there would come a day when I'd miss those guys.
I guess I have gotten old...
Walking through the academy grounds, she smiled faintly.
Though maintaining her youth through magic, in reality she was someone with not much life left.
So she had planned to live out her remaining life quietly and pass on quietly without anyone knowing.
As most living legends did.
I never thought I'd become an instructor.
The next world belongs to the next generation.
Most living legends held up such a banner and tried not to get involved in worldly affairs.
She herself was the same.
Having saved the world from destruction, she tried to distance herself from the world as much as possible.
But somehow she ended up becoming an official instructor at the academy.
Truly, no matter how old you get, life is full of unexpected things.
The reason she decided to become an instructor was nothing special.
She enjoyed teaching.
And she looked forward to seeing how promising children would grow up.
So she decided to stay at the academy.
She resolved to spend her remaining life at the academy.
"Come to think of it..."
At that moment.
Hwang Jin-hee, who had been walking with a sense of nostalgia, suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"I remember that guy was also involved in establishing the academy back then..."
Recalling the living legends.
Immersed in the distant past, she remembered the name of a certain person.
─Ban Ik-hyun....
He was someone who was incompatible with me.
<Mage King> Ban Ik-hyun.
A name that has now disappeared from the world.
Once, people called him the <Mage King> because he had reached the pinnacle of the dark arts.
However, that name was nothing more than a title given out of reverence for him who had risen to the ranks of living legends.
Once, people also called him by another name.
<Necromancer>. That guy back then definitely....
As if mocking the dead.
A hero who wielded magic that dealt with the dead to counter the armies of monsters.
Hwang Jin-hee recalled the man who had taken a path incompatible with her beliefs and retraced her memories.
Back then, around the time the academy was being completed, what did he say?
'─I don't have much time left either. Truly..., the human body is so weak.'
While engaging in fierce battles with the rulers of the region.
At that time, he was in the midst of collapsing under the weight of his own legend.
Nevertheless, even in the face of death, he had laughed wickedly.
And then he had said.
'I intend to leave my power at the academy. For future generations who will walk the same path as me.... Kekeke....'
The <Mage King> had said.
That he would leave his will somewhere in the academy for those who wish to walk the path of magic like himself.
I can guess where he might have hidden it.... I hope no one has found it yet....
Having thought that far, she immediately turned around.
She was going to have a chat with Shin Seo-young at the faculty lounge, but.
It seemed she would have to check for herself.
"The library should be in this direction."
Well, it's the right thing to say.
She didn't particularly like people who tried to walk the path of magic.
They were the type who could sometimes disregard even human dignity, saying it was for the sake of magic.
Moreover, the will that the <Mage King> might have left somewhere here─.
─There would probably be magic related to the dead as well.
How could I let such things come out into the world again.
The source of the power that caused him to be called <Necromancer> must also be hidden.
Moon Jun and Baek Seo-jin might think differently from her.
But for her, who pursued righteousness and benevolence, it was absolutely unforgivable.
It goes against her sense of justice.
Therefore─.
─I'll have to destroy it before it falls into someone else's hands.
☆
Player Academy Library.
Jung Ha-yang, a third-year high school student in her first semester, was looking for reference materials for the courses she was taking.
Perhaps because it hadn't been long since the semester started, there weren't many people in the library.
"It should be around here somewhere..."
In fact, there was no need to look for reference materials just to attend lectures.
But Ha-yang, burning with academic enthusiasm and known among academy students as the perpetual top student, wanted to know for certain what she was learning.
So she had come all the way to the back of the library to find the reference materials listed in the syllabus.
Ugh, it's stuffy....
Looking for reference materials, she somehow ended up going down to the lowest floor.
The lowest floor was where books at risk of damage were stored.
As such, all the books stored there were so old they seemed like they might crumble at any moment.
Naturally, it was rare for people to come looking for such books.
Except for her, not a single person had come down to the lowest floor.
No, there was one person.
"─Instructor?"
"...It's Ha-yang."
Jung Ha-yang, who was covering her nose from the musty smell of old paper while looking around the bookshelves.
There, she encountered <Sword Empress> Hwang Jin-hee.
"What are you doing here?"
"I just have something to look for briefly...."
Hwang Jin-hee, Eun-hyuk's master and now officially appointed as an instructor this year.
Ha-yang, who had exchanged greetings with her a few times as Eun-hyuk's friend, asked warmly.
In response, Hwang Jin-hee raised the corners of her mouth, looking at her as if she were her granddaughter.
"Why did you come here, Ha-yang?"
"I'm looking for lecture reference materials! But the librarian told me to go down to the bottom floor, maybe because the reference materials are quite old."
"You're already studying so diligently when the semester has barely started. I wish Eun-hyuk would learn from you, but that boy tries to avoid studying...."
Thinking of Choi Eun-hyuk seemed to irritate her.
Hwang Jin-hee muttered with a sigh.
Ha-yang awkwardly agreed and looked around the bookshelves.
"So what are you looking for?"
"Oh, I'm looking for books on ancient sorcery and black magic."
"...You're looking for some strange things. What kind of class are you taking...."
"It's a class on how to deal with monsters classified as demon-type. The instructor said it would be good to familiarize ourselves with demons that have been passed down from the past...."
"The books you're looking for should be around here."
"Oh, thank you!"
As it happened, the books Ha-yang was looking for were where Hwang Jin-hee was standing.
Hwang Jin-hee moved aside.
Ha-yang thanked her and examined the books on the shelves.
"Let's see.... The demons of Solomon and the Book of Raziel are here. Hmm..., it's a translated version, right? Ah, it is a translated version. That's a relief. And where is the grimoire...."
"...Ha-yang."
"Yes?"
"You're really looking for these just to study, right?"
"Yes, I want to prepare in advance!"
"I never thought there would be someone who would prepare by studying books of magic.... I'm just asking, but you're not thinking of walking the path of magic, are you?"
"What's the path of magic?"
"...Never mind. Carry on with what you were doing."
Hwang Jin-hee showed a troubled expression.
Ha-yang, who had taken out a few books that were considered books of magic before the world's destruction, tilted her head in confusion.
"But how did you come here, Instructor?"
"I also have something I'm looking for...."
"Are you here to study demons too, Instructor?"
"No, that's not it."
Ha-yang also found Aleister Crowley's Book of the Law.
As expected of the Player Academy.
The books related to players were neatly translated.
Harry's Monster?
Is this also a book of magic? It looks like a novel, but I'll take it just in case.
There were quite a few books with intriguing titles that pleased her eyes.
Ha-yang was so excited that she took out a few more books even after finding all the reference materials.
Meanwhile, Hwang Jin-hee was not looking for books but was just poking around the area.
"Instructor? If you're looking for something, should I help you find it?"
"No, it's alright. I can do it on my own, don't worry."
"Then please call me anytime if you need my help."
"Alright, thank you."
What on earth is she trying to find?
Ha-yang was curious about Hwang Jin-hee who was lingering behind her.
But since she said she was fine.
Ha-yang was about to happily explore the books on the shelves.
At that moment─.
─Huh?
After pulling out a book related to the Seven Deadly Sins.
Ha-yang looked closely at the spot where she had taken the book from.
...What's this?
There was a drawing reminiscent of a demon on the wall of the bookshelf.
Did someone draw it as a prank?
─No.
After examining the drawing closely, she denied her own thought.
The drawing, which looked as if it had been painted with ink, was not a simple drawing.
There was a magic formula engraved within the drawing.
"Ha-yang, what are you doing?"
"Instructor, what could this be?"
"Hm? This is...."
It's amazing.
Ha-yang couldn't help but admire it.
The drawing itself was part of the magic.
One of the magic formulas for deploying some grand magic.
She got up from her seat, ignoring Hwang Jin-hee who was surprised by the drawing behind her, and pulled out several books.
"Ha-yang, what are you doing now...."
"Just a moment. If I read the magic formula, it seems to be structured like this.... I learned this kind of magic from my master."
"...You mean Sung-jin."
As if possessed by something.
Jung Ha-yang pulled out several books from the bookshelf while receiving Hwang Jin-hee's gaze.
Then she put back some of the books she had taken out as reference materials to their original positions.
"Ah, Instructor. Could you pull out that book up there for me?"
"You mean this one? The blue cover...."
"That one and the green cover book right next to it on the shelf, please."
"Alright, I understand."
Hwang Jin-hee quietly watched Ha-yang's eccentric behavior.
At some point, she became Ha-yang's assistant and pulled out books from high places.
Not long after─.
"─It's done."
"This is...."
A huge magic circle was completed on the wall.
Jung Ha-yang wiped the sweat from her forehead and had an expression of deep emotion.
On the other hand, Hwang Jin-hee was speechless seeing the bookshelf wall suddenly transform into a magic circle.
"If I infuse it here...."
Eventually, Jung Ha-yang infused her internal mana towards the demon drawings within the magic circle.
──!!
Then, starting from the demon drawings, the mana flowed to the outer edges of the magic circle, and finally filled the inside.
When the magic circle was completed in the true sense, the wall emitted a brilliant light.
─Creeeeak
Soon the bookshelf shook.
The books that filled the wall fell down in droves.
And the bookshelves with the demon drawings engraved on them slid open smoothly.
""....""
The two were at a loss for words.
Because there was a space beyond the bookshelf.
"They've remodeled an entire library. What a twisted taste...."
"In-Instructor!?"
Soon Hwang Jin-hee came to her senses.
She gritted her teeth.
She stepped into the space with a hardened expression.
Jung Ha-yang, who came to her senses belatedly, quickly followed her.
☆
While the number of students in the 1st and 2nd years of high school is about 1,800.
The number of students in the 3rd year of high school increases to about 3,000.
About 1,200 people transfer in midway.
Moreover, there is no age limit for those who transfer.
There are people who decided to become players from the beginning, and there are those who didn't.
The reasons for wanting to become a player are not simply due to ambition or desire for success.
The reason why the academy implements this policy is simple.
Those who want to become players had to complete a 3-year educational course at the high school academy according to the principles set by the Mana Management Organization.
But for some people, that feels too long.
For example, in the case of someone who has lost family members to monsters and wants to kill monsters right away.
Also, in such cases, they often exceeded the academy entrance age and didn't follow the instructors' control because they were older.
Therefore, the Mana Management Organization, in order to help relieve their hatred and allow them to take revenge on monsters.
They created a special class for transfer students and allowed them to take a 1-year accelerated education course only for them.
Thanks to that, the kids are now wary of the transfer students.
The transfer students are older, and they all look fierce.
There weren't many 19-year-old students among the transfer students.
Most of them were people who had lived rough lives in society and had very strong hatred towards monsters.
People with nothing to lose.
When such people walked around the academy grounds with tense faces, people who had attended from as early as middle school academy to as late as high school academy found them uncomfortable.
However─.
─Still, we're in the same class.
As someone who entered the academy before the transfer students, the 031, 31st batch kids should guide them well.
The academy had a strong batch culture.
It was so thorough that it divided those from middle school academy and high school academy.
The 3rd year high school transfer students were no exception.
As a result, the current students wanted to clearly show them the hierarchy.
Of course, it was expected that the transfer students would resist.
Conflicts broke out everywhere.
Even though there was an age difference, the current students who had cultivated their strength as players for a long time mostly claimed victory.
Nevertheless, the hostility towards each other was too great.
Thanks to that, the kids had a hard time.
Trying to mediate in the middle, saying let's not fight and get along well....
At that time, led by Jung Ha-yang, friends even created a place for reconciliation.
An exchange meeting organized by friends known as the Noh Eun-ha squad in the academy.
The current students were dissatisfied but knew it was useless to go against them.
So they quietly followed along.
The problem was the transfer students.
'Why should I listen to you? You little brats who haven't even grown up yet!'
''''....''''
Transfer students who couldn't control their emotions enough to express them to others due to their strong hatred towards monsters.
They were blinded by rage.
They even got up from their seats and pointed fingers at Jung Ha-yang.
To this, Eun-ha─.
'─How are you going to become a player if you can't even beat a kid who hasn't grown up yet? Can you even kill monsters like this?'
'Kuhuk...! Damn it....'
Whether her friends tried to stop her or not.
Eun-ha thoroughly crushed the resisting transfer students.
Only then did the transfer students realize how terrifying the Noh Eun-ha squad, especially Noh Eun-ha herself, was.
Only then did the transfer students submit.
Of course, the incident Eun-ha caused was so major that the academy instructors were shocked.
"Even so, how could you do that to older people... They must be sad from losing loved ones, how heartbreaking must it be to get beaten by someone much younger than them."
"If they're sad, they should grieve alone. This happens because they try to take out their emotions on others for no reason."
"Sigh, I shouldn't have said anything..."
As a result, shortly after Eun-ha returned from her leave of absence and advanced to 3rd year.
She was severely scolded by Shin Seo-young.
Why do you keep causing me trouble as soon as you return to the academy, she said.
She had made a pained sound.
"Anyway, handle the transfer students more gently."
"I have no intention of bothering them if they don't bother me first."
"Hah..., to think I have to hope the transfer students ostracize you..."
It was on the way after finishing class.
Eun-ha happened to meet Shin Seo-young.
As they walked in the same direction, she brought up what had happened recently again.
Eun-ha felt wronged.
After all, they had provoked her first, so she just paid them back tenfold.
Who told Ha-yang to provoke them?
Eun-ha grumbled inwardly.
Shin Seo-young's scolding continued.
"By the way, it seems there's no one among the transfer students that you're interested in?"
"It's not that there aren't any... But there are already so many people that I can't handle. I need to take care of the people who are already here first."
"What's this? You're saying the right things. I guess being hospitalized and doing some mental training made you grow up a bit?"
"I was mature from the beginning." "Aha, so that's why I've been called all over the place to clean up after you."
"Ugh..."
At that moment.
Shin Seo-young changed the subject.
Eun-ha answered her question.
It's already overwhelming with the people we have now.
If we try to bring in more, neither I nor the kids will be able to handle it.
After failing to recruit Yoon I-byeol.
And giving up on On Tae-yang.
Eun-ha abandoned the idea of expanding the party.
She just resolved to treat the existing people well.
Therefore─.
─Let's just leave <Madam> Bebe alone. She's older anyway, so we can't work her to death.
<Madam> Bebe.
The female hunter who became On Tae-yang's seventh wife in her previous life.
He boldly decided to give up on her, who had transferred into the 3rd year of high school academy.
She was excellent in intelligence-related abilities, but fell short of <Chatterbox> Twenty-five.
In combat, she couldn't keep up with <Mad Dog> Jin Pa-rang.
She was inferior in many ways.
Above all, she was older.
She's probably in her early 30s now?
She was someone who had decided to become a player after losing her husband to monsters.
A widow.
That's why she was sometimes called <Black Widow>.
By the way, the name Bebe was apparently used when she worked at a bar in her younger days.
Anyway, she was older.
It was ambiguous to utilize her in many ways.
So Eun-ha tried not to pay attention to her.
But─.
"─Eun-ha, are you done with class? Want to go have dinner with noona!? Noona's treat!"
"...Who's that? Seems like a transfer student."
"...There's someone like that."
Strangely, Bebe repeatedly showed interest in him.
Even now, like this.
Eun-ha made a disgusted expression seeing Bebe suddenly calling out to him from behind while walking with Shin Seo-young.
It's like she's always following me.
It was strange from their first meeting.
A meeting that seemed staged to look coincidental.
Since then, he had encountered her several times.
Was this the third time today?
"Noona, let's hurry and go. Before that person follows us."
"It's unusual for you to avoid someone. She seems to want to be friends with you, why don't you have a meal together?"
"I don't mind eating together, but she keeps flirting with me."
"What? Flirting? You must be misunderstanding." "Is it not flirting when she suddenly says it's hot and tries to take off her clothes in front of me?"
"Is she crazy?"
"That's why let's hurry and go. There's no other solution but to avoid people like that."
"No way, an older person flirting with a kid..."
Eun-ha recounted what had happened with Bebe so far.
Shin Seo-young was dumbfounded.
It was how Eun-ha felt.
As far as I remember, <Madam> Bebe was with On Tae-yang from the beginning of school...
Why is she chasing after me?
Has something changed in the future?
I haven't even caused any trouble recently.
Eun-ha sighed inwardly and quickly left that place.
She may look young, but how old is she to be flirting with me?
Like Seo-young noona, maturely...
Come to think of it, how old is Seo-young noona this year?
Having escaped from <Madam> Bebe.
Eun-ha caught her breath and somehow turned to Shin Seo-young who had followed her.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"Noona, this year you're..."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"..." "Why did you stop talking?"
"Ah, it's nothing..."
"If you start saying something, you should finish it. Don't you know this is a way to annoy people?"
"..."
Right after, Eun-ha realized.
That there are some things in this world you shouldn't ask about.
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