Chapter 380: The Apostle (1)

Daily life in the Joaquin Academy graduate program is full of elegance.

The official wake-up time is eight o’clock. Both in the morning and at night.

That is, 08:00 and 20:00 are the hours at which graduate students are officially supposed to wake up.

Although this is something established by regulation, if a professor calls, you must get up like a bee and fly like a butterfly.

Graduate students are not granted autonomy. Their fate is completely subject to the whims of the professors.

— Assistant Ji Changhyuk?

It was 22:00.

Ji Changhyuk sat up in bed, half asleep.

“Yes, yes…”

— Could you come now?

“Why…?”

Ji Changhyuk’s voice trembled. The black bags under his eyes reached down to his Adam’s apple. Professor Kim (Choi Seol-Ah, on the other end of the line) replied coldly.

— Can a graduate student question a professor’s orders?

“I’ll correct my attitude…!”

— It’s urgent. Come to my office as soon as you’re ready. Ah, and bring my socks from the laundry room. Thanks.

Click.

“…”

The dark screen of the smartphone.

For a few seconds, he stared at his reflection.

Eyes full of blood vessels, cheeks completely sunken. Even his lips had dry, peeling skin.

‘Is this face still human…?’

Ha… haha…

A hollow laugh escaped unintentionally.

“I’m not human…”

Because of a bad decision, a promising young man had fallen to the level of a slave. Even if he wanted to escape, it was too late. His soul had been completely domesticated.

‘Is that why they call it assistant…?’

Ji Changhyuk began to get dressed, picking up his clothes without enthusiasm. The night air was cold.

But colder still was the hollow he felt in his chest.

Kind by nature, Ji Changhyuk was a good guy. His parents always worried, telling him that if he wanted to be a hero, he also had to learn to be arrogant.

“Damn it…”

If a personality change was what his parents wanted, then the Joaquin graduate program fulfilled that purpose perfectly.

Even if the process had been inhuman, the result was that Ji Changhyuk became the great “Giga Changhyuk.”

“It’s fucking freezing… damn it.”

Despite it being May, he was shivering.

Hugging himself for comfort, he walked toward the lab. Around his darkened eyes shone a thin line of tears.

***

In a graduate lab.

There was a sofa completely occupied by a pair of long legs. Their owner was Choi Seol-Ah.

Choi Seol-Ah was lying down flipping through a women’s magazine.

‘Let’s see what new bags came out this time.’

The lab’s display cases were full of luxury goods. Branded handbags still with tags, perfumes, and other items proudly displayed their presence.

Was this place a graduate lab or a luxury boutique? But the graduate professors didn’t care. For them, a “lab” was synonymous with “place to laze around.”

Tap.

The open women’s magazine fell on Choi Seol-Ah’s face. Laughter bounced off the paper.

“Hehehe!” Pure happiness, total bliss!

‘The graduate program is the best! My own earthly paradise!’

At first, when the creation of the graduate program was being discussed, Choi Seol-Ah had been one of the staunchest opponents.

Her previous experience doing a master’s in education—the only real graduate program in existence in this world—was a painful memory.

Cunning and vile by nature, it wasn’t that she pitied the students’ suffering.

It was like when someone refuses to pee in the direction of the barracks where they did their military service. Something like that.

The education graduate program was for Choi Seol-Ah an indelible mark, a trauma.

Just hearing the word graduate gave her chills. And now, that same hell had taken root in Joaquin Academy!

‘I really wanted to run away at that moment…’

What was once hell due to being in a position of inferiority, now became paradise after a change in hierarchy.

Choi Seol-Ah had been recognized for her work editing academic materials and was appointed professor. Though she was still the director’s secretary, he could handle things himself.

The magazine on her face rose and fell with her breathing. From under the paper, she murmured as she sniffed the air.

“The air… tastes sweet.”

Sleeping, eating, lazing around, and still the money kept multiplying. From time to time, she did roll call before class, just to kill boredom.

It was a delight.

“Yes… My life starts now.”

Gotta squeeze more out of this situation.

And exploit the slaves more!

‘Hehehehe!’

At that instant, the curtain was yanked open. The magazine was pulled away and the white fluorescent light attacked her corneas directly. It was like a needle to the eyes.

“Kyaaa!”

Choi Seol-Ah screamed, covering her eyes. The person who had pulled away the magazine spoke.

“Having a good time?”

Frozen.

“…Hehehe.”

She sat up from the sofa and, lowering her hand, discreetly placed it over her butt. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“What brings you here, my lord?”

Kang Geom-Ma, with the white light behind him like a halo, looked down at her. His gaze was so cold that even an insect would receive more warmth.

“You’re already a full professor. To come to the lab now you need permission from Professor Kim.”

“Hehe. Well, it’s a newly founded institution. If the rules are broken from the start, discipline is lost.”

“And who do you think is the least disciplined person in this place?”

“Objectively speaking… me, right?”

“Ah, so you knew?”

“Hehe…”

Kang Geom-Ma rolled up the women’s magazine. It had the perfect shape of a bat. It even seemed to meet the criteria to receive a blessing from the God of the Sword.

‘As long as it’s recognized as a sword…’

He was reading her mind. Choi Seol-Ah, with a sharp survival instinct, could detect emotions just from the smell of the air.

She immediately prostrated herself.

“I have committed an unforgivable crime, my lord!”

She was ready to lick his shoes. Literally. Whenever she crossed the line, she ended up pointing her tongue at his boots, which always led to a kick.

“It’s not that serious. I don’t think you really want to die.”

“You know me so well, my lord!”

“It’s been ten years already.”

“Already that long? How horrifying.”

He raised the magazine bat.

“As horrifying as it is charming. You’re all I have, my lord. Woof woof. Please take care of me for another hundred years.”

Ugh.

He lost strength in his hand. The bat made of magazine loosened too.

“…Besides, you’re much older than me. Even when I was a student, you were already an instructor.”

Kang Geom-Ma tossed the magazine aside and sat on the sofa. Choi Seol-Ah approached on her knees.

“It’s not that big of an age gap, my lord…”

“What are you talking about? You finished grad school, were an instructor, and have been at my side for ten years. That easily puts you close to forty.”

“Ah… I hadn’t told you this. I entered grad school as a minor. Back then, the education grad program had few applicants, so they didn’t check age much. Even if they had, I would’ve made it in anyway.”

…What?

“Isn’t graduating from the academy a requirement for grad school? That’s just logical, right?”

“I enrolled earlier than the others.”

“How?”

“By forging documents, of course.”

Ah.

Of course it was illegal.

“Back then, the Villain Alliance was still active. I’d been part of the Alliance since I was very young, and all those annoying procedures were handled for me.”

“I’m genuinely curious… Then, at what age did you enter the Academy?”

Choi Seol-Ah poked her cheek with her index finger as she tried to remember. Right. It must’ve been at least twenty years ago. Is she doing a YB cosplay now?

“Thinking about it, I was nine.”

“…?”

My head hurt. It was like getting hit on the temple with a rubber mallet. I stared at her wide-eyed.

“You entered the Academy, which is for seventeen-year-olds, at nine?”

“It’s because I was very tall since I was little.”

“How tall were you at nine?”

“I think about five centimeters shorter than now.”

In terms of height, she could pass.

“And your face?”

“Come on, at that age we all have kid faces. Nine or seventeen, it doesn’t change much.”

I no longer knew when all of this had gone off the rails.

‘She’s not lying. This woman wouldn’t lie about something like this.’

Meanwhile, I mentally calculated her age. If she entered at nine, and it’s been about 19 years…

“You…”

No way.

“You’re only a year younger than me?”

“Seems like it.”

Choi Seol-Ah nodded with displeasure. I stood there speechless, overwhelmed by a sensation of betrayal of unknown origin.

“……”

“……”

“Wanna be friends?”

“H-ha, hahaha.”

“I’ve committed an unforgivable sin.”

The atmosphere in the lab turned icy.

Choi Seol-Ah slid backward on her knees. She was planning to escape while Kang Geom-Ma wasn’t looking.

It was just a moment. From the tight pocket of her pants came a strong vibration. Right now, seriously?

Choi Seol-Ah sighed in resignation. Since she couldn’t escape, she could at least take it out on whoever ruined her chance. Given the situation, it was probably one of the graduate students…

“…Huh?”

Choi Seol-Ah let out a dazed sound. Kang Geom-Ma, who finally realized her escape plan, approached her. Still, Choi Seol-Ah didn’t take her eyes off the phone.

‘Why this number?’

She turned pale, even more than if she were being called by a ghost. Because the sender was—

Choi Seol-Ah lifted her chin. Her black pupils gleamed.

‘Isn’t this the organization that was wiped out by that person?’

***

The United States is a young nation without much history.

Although its national power is supreme, in a world that values tradition and history, its influence loses weight.

Maybe that’s why, as compensation, the U.S. developed a unique hero system. The most representative case is hero companies like Lancelot Company.

The power of hero companies is based on two pillars: exceptional treatment and character-building. For heroes who value fame over honor, they were dream organizations.

But that only applies to foreigners.

A true American, for the sake of their still-young history, must still devote themselves to their nation. All Mute Elizabeth was such a heroine.

“Phew…”

All Mute wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was standing atop a mountain made of demon corpses.

“Never thought a dungeon would pop up like this in the Texas plains.”

“Right!”

A clear voice responded. Rachel made a great leap as she released her power. In an instant, she reached the same height as All Mute and brought her hand to her forehead like a visor.

Rachel looked into the distance.

The dungeon resembled an ancient temple corridor. Darkness pooled densely at the vanishing point, and from there stone pillars rose progressively as perspective dictated.

“Shall we go deeper?”

Just as Rachel bent her waist to leap forward, All Mute extended her arm to block her view.

All Mute spoke.

“This isn’t a dungeon an ordinary person can enter.”

She said it while looking toward the darkness, not toward Rachel.

“Much less one where twelve people can hide behind the pillars.”

At that moment—

Fwoosh.

A figure emerged from the darkness between the pillars.

Some wore coats, others sweatpants, others doboks (martial arts uniforms).

The variety of outfits made them look like a group on a field trip.

Clothing with nothing in common. Gender ratio completely mixed.

But those twelve people—

Snap!

Snapped their fingers in unison, like a single machine.