Chapter 9
Her eyes shone with a violet light, and the illusion spell slowly began to unravel.
It wasn’t merely the power to see through lies her presence carried such overwhelming authority over space itself that it erased the very existence of the illusion magic.
Startled, the Devil Knight or rather, the Instructor let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.
Then, the Instructor withdrew the sword that had been pointed at Helena and planted it into the ground.
“I didn’t expect you’d be able to break Mabel’s illusion spell.”
The cadets, now realizing that the Devil Knight who had threatened them was actually their Instructor, stood frozen in disbelief, staring blankly at him.
“W-what?”
“The Instructor… is a Demon…?”
Casting a brief glance over the cadets who still hadn’t grasped the situation, he clapped his hands together lightly, gathering their attention.
“I wonder if everyone enjoyed the orientation.”
“Eh?”
“Orientation?”
“Wait… don’t tell me this was all a test?”
At those words, the Instructor nodded.
“That’s right. It was a test to assess the level of the new students. Did you really think the Academy would allow a Demon to invade for real?”
The cadets’ faces flushed red with embarrassment.
“This orientation was designed to let you experience the kind of situations you’ll be facing from now on to make you realize the path ahead of you.”
“Ah… so it was all fake, then.”
“Correct.”
At that, a few cadets grumbled in discontent.
“Wasn’t this just a prank by the Instructor?”
“What kind of person mocks others like this…?”
However, the Instructor didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow.
“This test had another purpose—to serve as a warning to those of you who think you came here to play. The Academy will never tolerate a Demon’s intrusion. But did you think other places would be so merciful? The ones you’ll face from now on aren’t fake like me. They’re real Villains.”
The cadet who had complained quickly shut his mouth.
Seeing that, the Instructor continued.
“First, allow me to introduce myself properly. I’m Instructor Kang Jae-seok, and I’ll be in charge of you for the next year.”
“Yaksha…”
At Kang Jae-seok’s introduction, the students murmured his title.
And with good reason—the Yaksha Kang Jae-seok was one of the most renowned Hunters in the Academy.
He was ranked within the top 1,000 of the world’s Hunter rankings and was still an active field operative who frequently appeared on the news for battling Villains.
The fact that such a person was their homeroom Instructor stirred an uproar among the students.
Kang Jae-seok nodded, confirming it.
“Yes, I’m that person. Normally, I’d have checked everyone’s abilities, but…”
His eyes briefly swept toward Helena.
“It seems that’s out of the question now. So, I’ll only be giving feedback to those who actually stepped up and fought, excluding the ones who cowered in fear.”
After saying that, Instructor Kang began writing on the chalkboard, starting the orientation debriefing.
He explained about the Demons’ means of transportation the Gates and the characteristics of the Devil Knight.
“There were hints everywhere. If you had observed more calmly and thought things through, you would’ve noticed the inconsistencies in the test. Of course, that doesn’t mean there weren’t a few quick thinkers.”
The Instructor’s gaze fell on me.
As his eyes did, so too did those of the other cadets.
Well, objectively speaking, I’d say I carried about eighty percent of the battle.
As for Park Siwoo—he just snuck in to take credit at the end.
“Before entering this place, many of you must’ve received endless praise about your so-called talent. But the most important thing is accurately gauging your opponent’s ability and forming strategies to utilize your own powers effectively. It’s not just about unleashing strength it’s about considering those who might be affected by it and coordinating with your allies in an organic manner.”
I nodded slightly at his mention of organic coordination more than anything else.
Indeed, there was a difference between making good use of my powers and cooperating strategically with someone like Park Siwoo based on my knowledge.
But this time, I had acted alone on purpose.
I organized my thoughts just as the Instructor finished giving feedback to a few cadets and began wrapping up the class.
“Since it’s orientation, that’ll be all for today. Those who didn’t receive feedback will have plenty of opportunities in the future, so don’t be impatient.”
“Thank you, Instructor.”
The cadets who bowed began leaving the classroom one by one.
I also stood up, intending to head to the infirmary.
To be honest, every time I took a breath, my chest throbbed—proof that the Instructor’s strike earlier had landed properly.
Did he seriously hit me that hard just because I used a big technique?
Just as I was about to leave, a voice came from behind me.
“Wait, Cadet Yoo Sung-woo. Stay behind for a moment.”
“Yes?”
“There’s some personal feedback I want to give you.”
I just wanted to rest already.
“Does it have to be now?”
“You’ll gain more from feedback while your senses from battle are still fresh.”
I chose a half-intact desk and chair among the wreckage and sat down.
It seemed the classroom had been trashed by the battle’s aftermath, completely unrelated to the illusion spell.
“First off, I’ll commend you for not panicking and facing the Demon calmly. It was as though you’d seen one before.”
…There’s a barb in that statement.
I lifted my head slightly to study the Instructor’s expression.
His face was calm and expressionless as he gave his feedback, but his tone carried the subtle edge of someone probing for something.
Was he suspicious of me?
“To display that level of combat ability without even a weapon was impressive. Even considering your high practical scores, it was remarkable. However…”
Instructor Kang Jae-seok’s face hardened.
His stern gaze bore down on me with a palpable pressure.
“During the fight, you paid no attention to your surroundings. If I hadn’t intervened to control the final attack, other cadets might have been caught in the blast.”
“…I apologize.”
Truthfully, I wasn’t surprised he’d grown suspicious.
What I’d done during the orientation not only diverged completely from the original storyline—it gave him every reason to doubt me.
I had faced an A-rank Villain without a trace of fear.
Considering how the other students had been trembling, I must’ve stood out like a beacon.
Even Park Siwoo had barely managed to land a single attack, timing it cautiously.
And the Academy had always been wary of Pandemonium’s agents infiltrating their ranks.
Though Instructor Kang had spoken as if infiltration was impossible, as someone who had played the game multiple times, I knew better.
In truth, the Academy was crawling with undercover Villains.
Beneath the surface, Villains hid, Heroes hunted, and countless lives were lost in the shadows.
At the Academy, any Demon caught was executed on the spot.
In short, the moment my true identity was exposed, I would be killed.
And yet, despite knowing that, I had done what I did.
Ironically, it was precisely to eliminate any suspicion about me in advance.
At that moment, faint traces of mana began to radiate from the Instructor, spreading throughout the classroom.
“Cadet Yoo Sung-woo, I have one question. How were you able to react so calmly and instantly when a Demon appeared?”
I had been waiting for this question.
I changed my expression, lowering my gaze to the floor with a shadowed look.
“Because… I’ve seen one before.”
“What? Where on earth did you—”
I frowned as if recalling a painful memory, slowly lifting my head.
Our eyes met.
Then, wearing a faintly displeased expression, I spoke.
“I don’t really want to talk about it.”
Spouting long, dramatic explanations was something only fools did.
It was far better to make him want to investigate me himself.
All I had to do was hint that there was something in my past worth digging into.
And once he did, he’d find the tragic story of a miserable boy whose life would evoke sympathy from anyone who read it.
He fell silent for a moment, staring at me quietly.
I met his gaze without flinching and opened my mouth.
“Instructor, may I leave now? My ribs hurt like hell from where you hit me.”
“…Yeah. Go on. You’ve done well.”
I bowed slightly, then left the classroom.
The pain still throbbing in my side told me something was definitely broken probably a cracked rib.
I needed to get treated quickly.
Even the infirmary fee counted as part of the tuition, after all.
---
Sirius Academy Faculty Office.
The Instructors in charge of the cadets had gathered together.
Naturally, the topic of discussion was the new students who had just completed their initiation.
“So, I gave them one good yell—and the cadets just about jumped out of their skins! You all should’ve seen it! Pffhaha!”
“In my class, a few fainted the moment they saw me.”
“Kyaa, really? Kids these days are getting softer and softer. Back in my day—”
“Instructor Mabel, you sound like an old-timer.”
“What was that?!”
The room was filled with light-hearted chatter and laughter.
But amidst that cheerful noise sat one person who didn’t fit in—his expression grave.
It was Kang Jae-seok, deep in thought. Mabel, the Instructor who had just been teased, noticed and called out to him.
“Instructor! How was Class A?”
“Hmm? What did you say?”
“I asked how the orientation went. You had a lot of promising ones there, didn’t you?”
Kang Jae-seok raised his head at her question and replied.
“Your illusion spell was broken. Because of that, I couldn’t even finish the test properly.”
“What? Who broke my spell?”
The idea that her illusion could have been dispelled by a mere cadet was unthinkable—her eyes sparkled with intrigue.
“Quickly, tell me! Who was it?”
Seeing her eyes gleam like a child receiving a new toy, Kang Jae-seok sighed and answered.
“It was Helena. She used Dragon Eyes. She clearly invoked the power of a dragon.”
“Kyaaah! Is that true? Really true?”
“Yes. I heard it directly from the Raiders family.”
The Raiders family—one of the most powerful houses governing the European Hero society.
And the reason for their status lay precisely in the dragon power inherited by their bloodline.
‘Though it seems she still can’t fully control that power.’
If she honed it properly during her time at the Academy, she would surely become an outstanding Hero.
“Oh, by the way—how about the top student? How was he?”
As soon as Helena’s name was mentioned, another Instructor brought up Park Siwoo.
At that, Kang Jae-seok went silent for a moment before unbuttoning a few buttons from his shirt.
A faint scar was visible near his right chest.
The other Instructors’ faces changed to expressions of shock.
Kang Jae-seok was among the strongest combatants in the entire Academy faculty and yet someone had managed to leave a mark on him, even if only a small one.
However, their surprise wasn’t because of the wound made by Park Siwoo.
It was because of the red burn scar that covered nearly half of his upper torso.
One Instructor spoke up carefully.
“Was… all of that caused by Park Siwoo?”
“There’s been a lot of talk about him lately, but to think he could inflict such a—”
“No,” Kang interrupted. “That burn was made by someone else.”
At his words, every gaze in the room turned toward him.
Someone else had hurt him worse than the top student?
“He was quite the twisted one. You’ll understand when you see him yourselves.”
Silence fell.
The Instructors exchanged looks, thoughts tangled between curiosity and concern.
One of them muttered quietly, his tone heavy.
“Seems this year’s freshmen are full of interesting ones. The guilds will be drooling over them.”
Kang Jae-seok listened, but his mind was elsewhere on Yoo Sung-woo.
He couldn’t say for certain, but his instincts whispered that the boy was hiding something.
‘I’ll have to look into him.’
With that thought, he reached for his communicator and began making a call.