Chapter 123
Tall buildings stood high, and cadets gathered in small groups as they headed to class.
It was a familiar and nostalgic sight of the Academy after a long time.
Of course, it only felt nostalgic in sentiment—the actual atmosphere was anything but.
Although the buildings had been successfully restored over the past month, it seemed they had failed to ease the anxiety of the citizens and cadets.
Still… it felt good to be back.
For the past month, I had lived completely cut off from modern civilization.
Maybe that was why the towering buildings and modern conveniences felt even more welcoming.
I pulled out my phone.
The very first thing I did after returning to Seoul was buying one.
For modern people, a smartphone was as essential as a final-tier item.
I typed in the number Lia had given me and sent a message.
[I'm here.]
Since it was class time, she wouldn’t be able to meet me immediately.
Especially Seo Da-hee—she always arrived early.
Until I got a reply, I had my own business to handle.
I activated the Mask of the Deceiver and copied the appearance of a familiar female cadet.
After walking through the familiar campus for about ten minutes, a building came into view.
The student dormitory, separated from the Academy.
To obtain Solis and seal Lord Biden’s Undead, I needed to retrieve the Star of Art I had lent to Helena.
The reason I chose a female cadet’s appearance was simple—
I needed to enter the female dormitory.
Since it was still school hours, only a few students lingered near the entrance.
As I approached the front gate, I noticed something new.
Armed guards.
And a device resembling an airport security scanner.
These hadn’t been here when I left.
They really went all out—not just restoring the buildings but reinforcing security.
Most likely funded by a Guild.
Just as I was about to enter, the guards blocked my path.
“Wait. Identify yourself.”
“I just stepped out a moment ago.”
“It’s procedure.”
“I’m Jung Yoon-ah from Class 1-A.”
Before returning, I had already gone over precautions with Lia.
That’s why I deliberately took the appearance of a classmate whose name I knew.
The guard’s sharp gaze scanned me.
“State your reason for returning.”
“I left something important behind.”
“…Understood. You may pass.”
He gestured toward the scanner-like device.
It was a mana detection system added during reconstruction.
Not only could it analyze a person’s information through mana, but it also recorded location data.
A troublesome device.
That was also why I transformed into someone else.
If two identical individuals appeared inside the Academy, suspicion would arise immediately.
As I passed through the machine, it emitted a ding, and a blue light lit up.
Once inside, I made my way to Helena’s room.
Thanks to Lia, finding it wasn’t difficult.
Cadets moved busily throughout the dormitory.
I changed my appearance again and suppressed my presence, then crouched in front of Helena’s room.
The door was secured with a digital lock.
To get inside, I had to wait for her to leave.
Breaking it would’ve been easy—but I had already decided not to cause any disturbances in the Academy.
She should be coming out soon…
At that moment, her door opened with a beep.
Helena appeared through the gap.
She wore a neat uniform, her hair loose.
She used to always tie it in a ponytail.
She looked a bit thinner than before.
Various thoughts crossed my mind—but that wasn’t important right now.
Suppressing my presence, I slipped through the opening.
Thankfully, she didn’t return.
I looked around her room.
It was as neat and organized as her personality.
The bed was perfectly made, and books neatly lined one side of the desk.
Hmm… did she store it in a drawer?
The Star of Art wasn’t visible anywhere obvious.
If she had taken it with her, that would be a problem.
Without it, I couldn’t obtain Solis.
Sorry, Helena—but I had to search a little.
I released mana and formed a domain.
As I moved through the room, I soon sensed it—
In the lowest drawer of the desk.
Good. She didn’t take it with her.
I retrieved the Star of Art and shoved it into my pocket.
That should do it here.
Next, I needed to head to the Observatory and clear the fragment.
But before that, I should see Joo Sarang and Seo Da-hee.
Even if Lia relayed messages, seeing them in person was different.
As I calmly exited the dormitory, I recalled the fragment needed to obtain Solis.
Fragment [Purgatory].
One of the highest-difficulty dungeons in Become a Hero.
It was famous among players as the fastest route to obtain a final-tier item—provided you met the entry level.
Of course, more players ended up losing their carefully raised characters trying to get it.
This fragment had one unique trait.
Solo play was easier than party play.
The reason lay in its structure.
Purgatory was the path to heaven—a place to cleanse one’s sins.
And the fragment faithfully embodied that concept.
It consisted of seven layers, each imposing a restriction.
Reduced accuracy.
Increased damage taken.
Permanent status effects.
The variety of restrictions was immense.
And as you climbed higher, more restrictions were added.
In party play, the severity increased.
For example, if damage taken increased—
Solo play would raise it by 20%.
Party play would raise it by 50%.
Because of this, the dungeon became known as a wall of despair and a test for veteran players.
I always thought it was designed to ensure everyone faced equal trials.
Still… this might be a bit concerning.
At my current level, I had no idea what kind of restrictions I’d face.
The standard method to clear it was to enter at a balanced level, maximize stats through buffs, and overcome it with pure skill.
The problem was—
I was too strong now.
Even so, I had no doubt I could clear it.
No matter how harsh the restrictions, they couldn’t compare to Heavenly Demon’s training.
For an entire month, I endured having my limbs torn apart and my body shattered.
There was no way I’d crumble from mere debuffs.
Still, clearing it and suffering through it were two different things.
Ding!
A notification snapped me out of my thoughts.
It was already lunchtime.
A message from Lia appeared—
Telling me to come find her immediately.
---
Class 1-A, after morning lessons.
Helena sat lost in thought.
‘That thing this morning in front of the dorm… what was it?’
She recalled the strange incident.
As she left her room, ready for class—
She thought she saw the silhouette of a man through the door.
Perhaps she hadn’t fully adjusted yet.
She assumed it was just her imagination.
But she was wrong.
Her eyes had seen correctly.
Over the past month, Helena had gained control over her power.
And in the process, her body had begun to change.
It was closer to evolution.
The biggest change—
Even without activating Dragon Eyes, she could perceive more than others.
Her senses had sharpened enough to detect abnormalities in reality itself.
Yet she hadn’t realized it.
She only felt that something was… off.
The silhouette she saw that morning lingered in her mind.
Then Park Siwoo approached her.
“Helena, want to grab lunch together?”
She turned at the voice.
Seeing him after a month—
He had clearly changed.
He had grown taller, and his once lean frame was now noticeably more muscular.
But that was only part of it.
Helena’s eyes sharpened.
‘Is he really the same Park Siwoo from a month ago?’
He felt like a perfectly honed spear.
And beneath his calm exterior—
A powerful mana swirled.
If it were anyone else, she would’ve thought he had made a contract with a Demon.
Feeling her intense gaze, Park Siwoo scratched his head.
“You’re making me a little embarrassed staring like that.”
“My apologies. You’ve changed so much, it surprised me.”
“Really? Thanks. I’ve been training hard lately. You seem stronger too.”
“I’ve had my own gains.”
An awkward silence followed.
They were connected through Yoo Sung-woo—
But without him, their relationship was slightly strained.
To break the silence, Park Siwoo spoke.
“I heard you joined the Student Council?”
“Yes.”
Her short reply made him awkwardly scratch the back of his head.
“Then… want to go together later?”
“I’ll pass.”
“…I see.”
Even he could tell now.
She had no intention of talking to him.
‘Is she still upset?’
He had heard about her recent conflict with the Student Council seniors.
He approached out of concern—
But she didn’t even want to speak with him.
‘Still… when Seongwoo was around, we could at least talk normally.’
Helena felt uncomfortable under his gaze and abruptly stood.
“I think I left something in the dorm. I’ll head back first.”
“Ah, okay. See you at the Special Class later.”
She didn’t respond.
She simply left.
His worried expression filled her with guilt.
But stronger than that—
Was fear.
What if Park Siwoo betrayed her too?
Her steps naturally led back to the dormitory.
The only place she could be alone.
After passing the guards, she opened her door.
Nothing seemed different.
She lay on the bed and sighed.
Her chest ached.
‘This is all because of him.’
Her eyes drifted toward the drawer where she had placed the Star of Art.
Thinking of him again, she buried her face in the pillow.
Her heart felt suffocating—but she had nowhere to release it.
Then—
She noticed something strange.
The room looked the same.
But something felt off.
‘…Wasn’t the drawer slightly pulled out?’
A man’s silhouette flashed in her mind.
Her pupils slit vertically, scanning the room.
Then she realized—
A trace of someone else’s mana lingered.
Someone had entered her room.
Why did his words suddenly come to mind?
‘That’s really valuable. If you take it and run, I’ll chase you to the ends of hell.’
As if possessed, Helena opened the drawer where the Star of Art had been stored.