Villain Takes Over The Academy

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 40

"Seo Su-kyung!"

Kim Taek-hee ran to his former student and firmly grabbed her shoulder.

"...What?"

Seo Su-kyung's face was cold and stiff, as if she had been hit by a gust of wind. With his years of experience, Kim Taek-hee could quickly tell that his former student was extremely agitated.

Kim Taek-hee calmly composed himself and asked,

"Did you find the target, the Devil villain? Where's Professor D?"

"...Why are you asking me that?"

Seo Su-kyung glared at him with icy eyes.

Kim Taek-hee felt a lump in his throat. With Seo Su-kyung in this state, it was virtually impossible to get the answers he wanted.

"Hey, Seo Su-kyung. Is this the time to be playing around?"

It was Nam Kang-ik who stepped up for the troubled Kim Taek-hee.

"Professor Kim is the commander-in-chief of this field training. You're just a mere military cadet. Who do you think you are, answering the commander's question like that?" Nam Kang-ik deliberately spoke in a strong tone.

With the Emission Department students and Kim Taek-hee watching, Nam Kang-ik, who had always been overshadowed by Seo Su-kyung, thought this was his chance. He needed to show everyone here who the current ace of the Emission Department was.

'I've been going easy on you because of various circumstances, but don't even dream of such favors anymore, Seo Su-kyung!' Nam Kang-ik boasted inwardly.

However, this time, he chose the wrong opponent. To be precise, it was the wrong day to confront her, given her current state.

"What is this bastard saying? Get lost, you lackey."

"...What?"

"Know when to butt in and when not to. That's why you're still stuck at 4-star in the Emission Department, you insignificant speck."@@novelbin@@

"I-insignificant speck?!"

Humiliated in front of the students, Nam Kang-ik's face flushed red. He never imagined that Seo Su-kyung would say such harsh words to him.

'What's gotten into her? Did she eat something wrong?'

No matter how moody she was, Seo Su-kyung wasn't an idiot who couldn't distinguish right from wrong. Until now, due to various circumstances and connections, she had never crossed the line with Nam Kang-ik.

But today, she was excessively sharp, beyond comprehension.

"You... are you talking to me like that? Don't make an irreversible mistake, Seo Su-kyung!"

"Ha, mistake? You dare talk about mistakes in front of me?" Seo Su-kyung rolled her eyes as if she found him pathetic, and said in a low but firm voice, "The biggest mistake of my life was entrusting you with the task of handling Professor D. Even giving you that precious oath of allegiance. You useless, decorative fool."

"U-u-useless...?"

Nam Kang-ik didn't know why the oath was suddenly brought up, but it didn't matter anymore. He had endured it until now for the sake of their families' connections, but he couldn't just stand still after being insulted like this.

"Stop it!"

Just as a deadly attack spell was about to erupt between the two, Kim Taek-hee intervened. With a loud shout, a powerful energy surged out, instantly engulfing the bushes.

"Seo Su-kyung, I know you're smart and talented,” Kim Taek-hee said, calmly catching his breath. "But don't forget that you're still just a student. No matter what abilities or background you have, it's the professors who decide your future in this academy."

"..."

This time, even Seo Su-kyung couldn't readily speak.

The restrained energy slowly emanating from his sturdy physique...

She realized that Kim Taek-hee was exercising maximum patience.

And that if she pushed him any further, he wouldn't stay still.

"...There must have been a reason why you transferred to the Deconstructionist Department. You're not a fool who would make such a foolish choice without reason."

Seo Su-kyung was startled. Kim Taek-hee wasn't simply suppressing his anger. He was trying to be as lenient as possible with his former student.

"Wherever you are, I will always consider you my student. So if anything happens, you can always come to me."

"..."

Seo Su-kyung's heart wavered. Kim Taek-hee's sincere eyes were filled with genuine concern.

Should she just confess everything?

Kim Taek-hee was not someone who would spout empty promises. Maybe he would understand her difficult situation.

'If I stay like this, I'll just be dragged around like a slave by Professor D...'

He was a person who could do anything, even after putting her in shackles with that oath. She might face even more terrible things.

Maybe it would be better to ask Kim Taek-hee for help now...

"What are you all doing here?"

Just as Seo Su-kyung was wavering, another voice came from the bushes. Everyone present, including Seo Su-kyung, held their breath as if they had heard an ominous sound and turned their heads.

Professor D was walking out of the bushes. Holding something large in one hand.

After looking at everyone, he said sarcastically, "While others are still in battle, you sneak out and have a treasure hunt? You guys have it easy."

"Professor Do. We already know that you followed the target here. Stop pretending and report the target's location."

A cold wind quickly blew between Kim Taek-hee and Professor D. Professor D sneered at Kim Taek-hee and threw what he was holding in his hand.

Thud-!

Kim Taek-hee caught the thrown object and his expression hardened. It was a head. With large horns on its forehead...

"This is... the Devil villain's?"

Kim Taek-hee doubted his own eyes several times, but no matter how many times he looked, he could clearly recognize it. What Do Jin-hak brought was undoubtedly the Devil villain's head.

"I didn't expect it, but you really came here for treasure hunting. I'm sorry, but the treasure hunt is already over. The winner has been decided."

"N-no way...!"

The students present were shocked by Do Jin-hak's words, but it was Nam Kang-ik who fell into the greatest despair. He was devastated as if the world had collapsed.

"Professor Do... you really defeated the Devil villain? Alone?"

However, Kim Taek-hee still couldn't shake off his doubts and questioned him. He had witnessed the Devil villain's power with his own eyes and roughly gauged Do Jin-hak's strength.

As a veteran military professor, it was an impossible feat for Do Jin-hak to achieve alone.

Do Jin-hak also frowned, noticing Kim Taek-hee's suspicious gaze.

"Seeing that distrustful look in your eyes makes me want to refute you, but... I can't this time. Because I didn't actually defeat him."

Then who did?

Everyone waited for Professor D's answer with curious eyes. Instead of answering, Professor D raised his finger and pointed at Seo Su-kyung next to him.

"Seo Su-kyung here single-handedly defeated the Devil villain, the target of this practice."

"What?!"

"...Huh?"

"...What did you say?"

Everyone's surprised gazes turned to Seo Su-kyung. To say that she caught the target alone meant that Seo Su-kyung would take all the highest points from this practice.

Of course, the most surprised person in this situation was Seo Su-kyung herself.

* * *

The next day.

The academy looked quite different after the villain field training.

Even though the midterm exams were approaching, the students were more interested in talking about yesterday's field training than the exam subjects.

"Did you hear? Yesterday's practice, it was supposed to be B-rank danger, but it was actually A-rank?"

"A-rank? No wonder it was so damn difficult...!"

"Our department had a class cancellation yesterday, so we missed the event. If we were unlucky, I could have died!"

"Still, I heard there were fewer casualties than expected?"

"Yeah. Everyone survived thanks to the Deconstructionist Department..."

"Deconstructionist Department? What could those rejects possibly do there?"

"Don't even mention it, we were all surprised. Who knew they would have learned such strange spells..."

"Shh! Quiet! It's Professor D...!"

The students who were chattering away quickly shut their mouths and watched me cautiously as I appeared in the hallway.

I looked at them indifferently.

'Their gazes are quite different from yesterday.'

Until yesterday, I could see a lot of disgust, discomfort, and fear in their eyes because I was known as the suspect in Arche's murder case, but today was different.

Surprise, curiosity, awe... Those were the emotions mixed in their gazes.

Ding-!

[You sensed that the way the Deconstructionist Department is perceived in the department has changed.]

[The status of the Deconstructionist Department rises significantly.]

[The current status of the Deconstructionist Department is as follows:]

[Majors: 13 students. Minors: 18 students.]

As the message said, the status of the Deconstructionist Department in this academy was no longer that of a gathering place for rejects. The size had more than tripled compared to the first day when there were less than ten students.

I was quite satisfied with this change.

'The higher the status of the department, the greater the advantages.'

When I played as a student, this change wasn't very noticeable. It was just that the number of students entering the department increased, the size grew, and the number of characters I could connect with increased.

'But as a professor, it's a different story.'

The increase in the department’s status meant that it went from minor to major. The Deconstructionist Department would be included in the four major departments, and like the current Emission Department and Summoning Department, it would have lower-level department under it.

If the department grew to that extent, the number of Deconstructionist Department professors would increase, and there would need to be a head to manage everything.

And there was no one in the world more qualified to be the head of the Deconstructionist Department than Do Jin-hak.

'In the end, I'll be in the same position as Kim Taek-hee.'

I took out a letter from my pocket.

The letter that was in the mailbox in front of my house this morning.

The letter, sealed with the Masterclass emblem, was from the administrative office, and the content was roughly as follows:

-Wednesday, April 17th, 3:00 PM. A meeting with all professors will be held in the main building conference room. The agenda includes the "Proposal for the Resignation of Professor Do Jin-hak of the Deconstructionist Department," so please attend without fail.

It seemed that Kim Taek-hee was going ahead with the meeting as planned. I remembered his last words yesterday.

"Disobeying orders, failing to follow instructions, negligence in managing the unit...! Even if it was field training, you crossed the line. All these mistakes will be addressed at the meeting with all the professors!" Kim Taek-hee had warned me sternly as the training ended, as if I had committed a grave sin.

'He'll probably do the same at the faculty meeting.'

Kim Taek-hee would treat me like a criminal in front of the professors. Even minor faults that would be overlooked if committed by other professors would become weapons for Kim Taek-hee if I committed them.

This would continue to happen as long as he and I were in this academy.

'Currently, the professor with the most influence in the Masterclass is undoubtedly Kim Taek-hee.'

That's why he could convene a meeting with all the professors or act as commander-in-chief.

And that power stemmed from the high status of the Emission Department.

But what if the Deconstructionist Department became a major department?

And even surpassed the Emission Department in status...?

'All of Kim Taek-hee's power would be mine.'

If I had that much power in my hands, no one in this academy would be able to attack me anymore. No matter how much Kim Taek-hee fussed, I wouldn't even bat an eye.

In that sense, an event like this, where the status of the Deconstructionist Department rose significantly, was very encouraging. There would be several training events like this in this academy in the future.

If I made the Deconstructionist Department perform well every time...

"...Hmm?"

While enjoying the heightened status of the Deconstructionist Department among the students on my way to the faculty room, something unpleasant caught my eye.

Seo Su-kyung was standing still in front of the faculty room door.

Her expression was so stiff that she looked like a statue, as if she had been waiting to say something.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]