Chapter 377: Magic (1)
fSvcmSan Ha-na.i6w90S
Sze88FThat was the name used by “Power of Ten Thousand,” Meain Poison, when she posed as a student.p3w
A0DT3NSince it hadn’t been used in years, I had almost forgotten it… but hearing it again hit me square in the head.La4yEb
HOQ‘Those who brought Meain here…’WD8PQK
QCEdAs I suspected, it was Ryozo and Abel. Just one look at their kind faces is enough to realize it instantly.PQBl
NvelkVI gave them a slight smile. Then, I extended a hand with apparent solemnity.fEd
tTDR“The Graduate School of Joaquin Academy…”zPU
SAPNAhI declared before everyone.cY0jE
JPU5UN“…will open a new era for the world of heroes!”jeb
DVKThere was a brief silence.ATQdOLU
D4mClick, click, click.JyUccJL
pEYhThe reporters hurriedly raised their cameras to my face.S3w
A9kejAnd from among that crowd, Meain Poison walked away calmly.F01D
5Nd58Her presence meant that she had also accepted the position of professor.h4C
a1jBqTOLet me say now — it was a proposal I made without much expectation. Considering everything surrounding him, it wasn’t easy to imagine he would simply accept.geMZJJ
KRi‘I was lucky.’rbY9lEd
l5oWoWKI looked away from the dazzling flashes. A ray of sunlight softly pierced through the gray clouds.4V3I
HQacQLmA flawlessly clear sky.1hWcfHM
UjHjQxWAs if the world were blessing our new beginning.uMUS1
DJmXhI smiled gently, stepped down from the stage, and headed toward my two wives.7BjS
ipqp2c***v2XGy
Ia2The world has improved.AGRXE
8f1uMAfter the end of the Second Great Human-Demon War, humans, as victors, expanded their territory into Gehenna.GeG
XEaWAfter all, seizing the lands of the defeated is one of the rights of the victor.uCG
UMXra9The demons, holding back their rage, had no choice but to watch the invasion without being able to stop it.yiT
mT4chBy nature, demons deeply respect the logic of power. And behind humanity stood Kang Geom-Ma.LcxEv1V
nxqiWThe powerful are not opposed. That is the law of the demon world.RHe7x9Q
tWJmhqEven the highest-ranking elders in that world obediently followed Kang Geom-Ma’s orders.EtxJ7GG
ds3SBk2Perhaps that’s why they accepted the installation of internet networks without protest.4FyH
ygP3South Korea, a world leader in technology, took the lead in the project. Humanity carried out massive infrastructure work in Gehenna.UhJmi94
hTok9nCThe construction, started five years ago, progressed quickly.Ti9T
weOB9EAnd at last, the ideal plans became nearly a reality.U3fba
zq06wHICurrently, 80% of all Gehenna is covered by internet networks.QoJYn
tEzuTime moves on. Change is the first step toward evolution.l1K
erE4DHowever, for some, such rapid change was nothing short of a brutal shock.9lY22w
proWbrCFor example, Balor Joaquin.qnr
FJhv“Pff…”ykfJU8x
HThrHe still lives deep within Gehenna. He is no longer a half-spirit like before.xj2F
qzazNow he can exert some physical force.7D41c
AzQ4ZsHe can even use a smartphone.BMRQO
obSrmThat’s not a figure of speech. He and a gang of squirrels are… watching broadcasts on a smartphone inside a hole in Gehenna.L24BU
dYyq“…This changed way too much.”OMF8IM
zSHiynFThe broadcast was about the founding of Joaquin Academy’s Graduate School.3jhz1EG
NcP0YSince they missed the live stream, Balor and the squirrels were watching a recap in shorts format.xmY
GgBT1Ra“*Hey, idiot!*”6tK058Q
eJSha1zLycan shot a fierce glare at Balor while running inside his wheel. The smartphone was connected to the wheel by a cable.DMv2myr
TPAJU“*You’re using me — me, Lycan — as a battery*!?”dwY8aDy
YYPlgLAs mentioned earlier, while internet has spread, power plants — which require more resources — have only been built in central Gehenna.aY5H1
cr3UuWBalor didn’t even look at him.am0
qkM34HHe sat cross-legged beside the squirrels.C196KZx
x2E“*Researching magic is an inevitable challenge for current humanity.*”rZRHp8
WeQThat was said by the strategist, a very smart red squirrel. She had been living with Balor for months now. Practically part of the family.Avv
yB9DDJ“*But if we teach magic at Joaquin Academy, it could provoke even more backlash.*”Kii536
GjBKtmB“*Exactly!*”bg9BRG
wBslkwXThe squirrels added their thoughts.VAb4
vU0sOB“If things get out of hand, even former students will run scared.”WFvzb
eHH“*To move forward without destroying the essential, it’s necessary to create a new educational institution. That’s pure Kang Geom-Ma!*”am3NGJ
cAsm6jN“Hmm… that makes sense.”nVwi5
BjoeSjJust then, the smartphone screen went dark. Everyone turned to the device.tQs
ZGTYnO“*Damn it…!*”uRN
AJSQPLycan, panting, approached.oeDa
CZ5Before the wrath of the squad leader, anyone would tremble — but the squirrels remained indifferent.inIM5oH
UNy3“Is it that tiring to spin that thing a bit…?”1tEf0i
rchZx“It’s time for you to retire.”c4A0du
gNibVT“Ahh, the glory days…”0TH
R3UPafeLaments rang out in mocking tones. Lycan’s eyes blazed with fury.6jfP2j8
N3T4MiLMoments later, he lunged on all fours at the squirrels. They threw up their hands and scattered.g3dU
WKXRhm“*Every squirrel for herself!*”ky2XbJ
3jq“*I’m a red squirrel, not a regular one!*”DqNBede
cxmm“*And that matters now?!*”Vrj
WYZTUIn the depths of the abyss, a small commotion broke out.7Qd
sCaP“This is a rat circus.”OxgfX
BKfBalor Joaquin let out a dry laugh. It was a familiar scene by now.11Lbd
DPQ2As always, he chewed on garlic and mugwort while watching.TRNE
liHFAL3‘I feel like Ungnyeo or something.’1tabcx
4XkSince regaining a minimal physical form, Balor could eat. Even though he didn’t need food, the red squirrel had suggested something.Ow2
rB01t6“*If you consume food from this world, maybe you can recover your form faster.*”cqZ
TjKMwFZYou know, that legend — if you eat food from the afterlife, you become one of the dead. Of course, no one knew if it applied here.6UP
GGr42“*I don’t think there’s anything to lose by trying.*”JRJE
XvzYThe red squirrel was truly smart. As sharp as her pointed ears.NtmvxJT
8rj0IBalor followed her advice and only ate mugwort and garlic grown in the demon world.USw
xx7sEverything else was so repulsive he couldn’t swallow it.6JDYim8
zOyJE‘Never thought I’d recover my physical form just with garlic and mugwort.’Lu1iQn
rvaBalor clenched and then opened his fist. The redness in his palm disappeared.5fjY3X
py5xTpAnd in its place, a faint pink hue began to spread.IvbFX
8ch“At this rate…”A6xoZ
2UAgHe might be able to cross into the human world in less than a month. Even if he failed, just the hope was enough to brighten the future.Mj97
KoxBalor smiled, showing his teeth.MMnwO
gbAHis chest filled with anticipation. After all, the bitter taste of garlic and mugwort — he could chew through it joyfully as long as needed.aWm
TdUB“*Huff, huff…*”IRUiUq
ZYJkLycan slumped his shoulders, exhausted. He stood atop a mountain of defeated squirrels.FfE
JfwWhile catching his breath, Balor asked him,muQJFV0
ZIYnG“By the way, haven’t seen Metatron lately. Think Leon returned to the demon world?”VdNbb
EqX0ZkAfter living in the abyss for so long, he’d grown familiar with Metatron.33jyta
XynAt first, it was hard to believe that middle-aged man was truly the Great Angel Metatron.DjF7
EKPBut after listening to his story for hours, he understood.XZGv
RodThat man really was the leader of Gregory and bearer of the most radiant wings.FrCKO5w
pcBs2QQ“*Looks like you didn’t know.*”XQa
16Nd6Lycan wiped his forehead and replied.dQZuu7H
ZcLvTPo“That guy went to the human world.”1eoVVyI
4YlqTo the human world?JOLBX3
gf5“They say Kang Geom-Ma summoned him.”2UCiU
ygT“…Don’t tell me.”Ss27rR
V1h8THFrom among the fallen squirrels, a little paw lifted. The red squirrel pushed through the others and emerged.ZF6wX
DKcv“He must be joining as a professor in the graduate school!”j43d0BL
hldThwack!4zyux
uG3YtPv“*Aaaaagh!*”HIgZs
oC4C8Lycan didn’t hesitate to flick her on the head, even in the middle of the chaos, for trying to show off her smarts.MrLLDQ
Q5r0***QGWNU5u
JvaAs a fun fact, I like the smell of a new house.higra
ydsSome people might find it unpleasant, but I think it’s the scent of excitement.qc3
s75JhjI’m standing in the middle of the new training hall of the graduate school.oQsG
aLbc2The walls and equipment shine with flawless brilliance. The space is also quite wide, enough for several people to clash swords without trouble.atW
acgzThe previous one was so narrow that any wide movement ended up interfering with others.aDe
Q7US0y‘So comfortable.’k69
CjmWhile enjoying the new-house smell for a moment, I turned my head toward where I heard a hum — the sound of a vibrating sword.DWuSXHG
RfqLeon was unsheathing his sword.65EiDP
HFNna1vI spoke.IG3Ka
2L5J“Do you really have to go this far?”lqn5Z
3Bxutt“This place will be used by the graduate students. As responsible staff, we need to check it. If someone’s going to get hurt, it should be us first.”kdEA
bj7VNot bad logic.XveCOcs
h7vEven though it’s a graduate school, it’s still an institution for training future heroes.Zsune
ZBCXoRPhysical confrontations are inevitable. That’s why verifying the performance of the “subspace barrier” is essential.lZoudaL
DW9Sure, if I’m present, I can ensure stable activation. But I won’t be at the graduate school all the time.b4ZfP
Y7BaZayAnd by its very nature, this place will depend more on student autonomy than on direct orders from instructors.gVzD
y8LsG9eSo it’s crucial to check whether the subspace barrier activates properly.V5CK
9QUWThe new students arrive in a week, so at least until then.Q2c
EBq7US‘He’s right.’oiuqeQe
ANmAlthough… why does it feel like he’s just looking for an excuse to fight me?02GCnKm
ShDfOI turned my gaze to a corner of the training hall. The onlookers were staring at us.Dai045r
gSZKsJEThey were dragon lineage members and graduate school staff. Among them, I couldn’t stop looking at a middle-aged man with perfectly styled hair.0UutAX
ZZwDVr6Maybe because I’d always seen him in a messy state, his neat appearance felt strange to me.PYCMg4o
cDZK6‘Now I see who Leon resembles.’UhA
YJG3Metatron. He was also present as a member of the staff. He has been appointed professor at Joaquin’s graduate school.Dmz
r5gAlongside Valerion, the Dragon Lord, Metatron was one of my hidden aces.2iID5N
OhvfHe was once the greatest of angels and also the elder brother of the cruel corps commander Kuarne.ZzICX
iGeqDAqDespite wrestling with good and evil for millennia, he remained firmly on the side of good.oDr
YESRm‘Once magic is taught, the darker sides of human nature will be revealed.’x4x
qItUg7That’s why the students needed a figure capable of neutralizing that internal darkness.2siHp
Yay49And no one was more suitable than Metatron.Euo
hZeBv“……”83tY8
4C9hISensing my gaze, Metatron gave a slight nod.yfilrN
jCzYs1I returned the gesture, once again expressing my gratitude.HyOwK
d9b92‘I didn’t expect you to accept so easily.’oOxc
ugMMetatron also bears a debt to humanity, as he was briefly their enemy due to Kuarne’s hypnosis. Yet he accepted the post without much hesitation.LTXtSl
GURArHe didn’t explain his reasons, but I suppose he wanted to spend more time with Leon.yJPjT
eB2hLeon, for his part, looked more tense than usual. And yet he’s wielding Balmung? This guy is desperate to show off.PeF8Vj
2acV‘He wants to prove something to his father.’d7P
JEZBetQEven if I were an orphan without a family, I’d understand.3QpTB9
3cJRzLeon has always longed for recognition from his father. And now, appearing before him as a professor, even more so.Mx6XB
TFgZ‘Alright, alright.’7TJ
8hPWmI’ll have to let him show off a bit.Enbni0
PB0SFU0Ah, but that doesn’t mean I plan to lose the duel.6Z56
G0FjT6I just want to go along with it — not surrender.2nLr4f
CTd0GThud.FHGaZ
Wuu9GI flipped the bag hanging from my shoulder.3z8I
Lbt3HRhDozens of Daiso sashimi knives tumbled out chaotically. The corner of Leon’s mouth twitched.mYu
cwU“I’m not in a position to worry about you, but… for your sake, shouldn’t you at least bring a real weapon?”eb5t
bAULeon gave Balmung a light shake. Is it okay for a hero to act this arrogant?IZkc
kHzK9“We’re in a new era. And I have some experiments I want to try.”WDqv
SCISW“You’re going to use me for those?”RyTPQ
i8iHe was clearly annoyed. Since I didn’t keep provoking him, Leon adjusted his grip on Balmung.oTNwXX
BfgA bright light enveloped the blade.7DSGNWn
RBAZvnC“You’re in serious mode.”vAn4zJ
vr6hLeon activated the “Blessing of the Miracle” for this duel.enT
TqpJJust thinking about its effect gives me chills.jUlUO3q
fYT0y【Blessing of the Miracle】YOGg4s
khT: Please save the world from the Demon King.meR
ATWcHmm…Lf8E3l
KDx1NpT‘You’re too diligent as a hero.’mZkQa
TnLXWBetter set the record straight.uC4r
uEx1zq“I’m not saying we’ll fight halfheartedly. I just want to test something. This is a graduate school — I want to explore new uses for magic.”ME9D9
eHvq“I didn’t say anything.”OBIFM
JDbfHe’s upset. Leon lowered his stance.8XNu
TEYAs if he had rocks in his hips, he firmly centered his weight.xtO
59HRmToward me. He could almost shoot lightning with his gaze.Obkx
AtlVI scratched my neck. Living with such seriousness must be exhausting.YFu
Nw0N【The subspace barrier is deploying.】WtkI9
Bd9pBOOMqFq4
qucLI stomped hard. Dozens of sashimi knives floated into the air.SSuJGY
jJfNS【May the blessing of the hero be with you.】1Uvbh
yidAs the voice echoed, Leon charged at me.ZmfN
810Z“Until it’s destroyed.”xrkGQvS
66n4LsThe sashimi knives vibrated and shed their sheaths. Instantly, they extended.aC8vL
tKB2At the same time, I snapped my fingers.OtgL
QIOKpCnSnapIgWUy8e
Zj6A stream of blue energy touched the nearest sashimi knife.YrULQUg
xH4Electricity jumped from one blade to another. Using the Blessing of Transmission, I passed my spell to all of them.UVjol4
249In a split second, an electric net spread across the entire training hall. It even extended behind Leon.yjhdVk
0tEX9gHe didn’t flinch.sGzb
2HTHe turned to the side to adjust his angle. He lunged with Balmung aiming at my side.vYHYqH
0cSWVvhI snapped my fingers again.Mbo6S2Y
GSEwECSlash!YiK
s8UIBalmung’s blade sliced through my body.nkvN7o
ETOLYOr rather, where my body had been.5sp7Y
OwDiA net woven of electricity.YCs
JGx2MnThe lines of light between each sashimi knife transmitted current, and at that moment, I teleported.T4UAH8
GjOi0Light in particle form gathered where Leon was, and took my shape.2V59w
7uvBoH“This is…”DmD
mkfsAS6Leon couldn’t help but murmur in awe. I turned my body, electricity still crackling from my shoulder.tANuJwB
5nfoAAThis was what I wanted to test today.z9KBtp
Q46U8BEUsing the sashimi knives as nodes to teleport through lightning.Cp6
aiVAll the spells and blessings I possess fused organically to give birth to this technique.5mXyM
88L2DsI named it right there, in front of everyone.7Pq95U2
36xdDi“Absolute Lightning.”7FB
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