I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy

Chapter 155: The Demon (4)

Chapter 155: The Demon (4)

“That person has been getting stronger in the Tower of Demons.”

“Well, I saw in the video last time that he was handling golden flames, which are deadly to Mines, so it’s not strange for him to come to the demons.”

The guild members whisper among themselves.

The masked man was silently walking beside him.

“Why did he join our guild?”

Sung Han-byul looked at the masked man. To be honest, when the team leader first spoke to the masked man, he thought he would refuse because there was no merit for him.

In hunting grounds like the Tower of Demons, the advantage of having a certain attribute is immense. It is rare for someone to operate alone like the masked man, but any party would welcome him with open arms.

While the Guild Hwarang is of high rank, a man like the masked man doesn’t necessarily need to be tied to a guild. His power is estimated to be among the top class, a presence that is one of less than a hundred worldwide.

That is exactly why he is called top class.

“Sister, come on. He doesn’t seem like that type of person.”

The one called sister by Sung Han-byul smiled playfully.

“But look. He has been watching this way since earlier. Even when the team leader first spoke to that masked man, his gaze was here.”

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

Sung Han-byul looked at her sister’s face.

Usually, she could easily detect lies because she was straightforward, but now she wasn’t sure. However, she couldn’t just ignore it. She is a being specialized in senses.

Those who have talents of seeing or feeling are not commonly found.

“Doesn’t he look alright? Han-byul, you’ve been busy living up to expectations since you were a sophomore. Kids that age are all dating and having fun~.”

“I don’t have time for dating.”

“You seem to have too great a sense of mission.”

The one called sister smiled bitterly. She had been actively socializing with friends her age.

“It’s not about a sense of mission. Mines always want to conquer the world and are always lurking, and humans can’t unite, splitting into villains and heroes opposing each other. Villains want to destroy society’s laws to create their world, and heroes are just barely managing to keep the Mines in check.”

“That’s what adults…”

“I’m an adult too. And it’s because those adults haven’t handled it properly that the situation is bad.”

How naïve.

Sister, Moon Dal-rae smiled bitterly. She wished Sung Han-byul would be a bit more lively like her peers. But that was probably asking too much.

‘I hope she doesn’t break.’

Sung Han-byul is too upright.

Moon Dal-rae has seen many upright people. And they all broke. People are not all just. They don’t all want to exterminate the Mines. Their interests are somewhat aligned with those of the Mines and the villains.

‘Even I think so.’

People do not worry about future dangers. Even if they were told that the Earth would be destroyed in 100 years, only a very few would prepare for it. Most just worry about living day by day.

Moon Dal-rae hoped that all the guild members would safely conquer the Tower of Demons and return safely.

That’s why she welcomed the suddenly joined masked man, yet remained cautious.

That’s how she knew.

He was unknowingly paying attention to Sung Han-byul.

Moon Dal-rae looked at the masked man. His black coat and black slacks. Although entirely black, the sense of warning suggested that they might all be magical items, or he might have the ability to defend himself even in such clothes.

Despite the solid body felt beyond the clothes and being unable to clearly see his face, the small face suggested a very high chance of being handsome.

‘Should I connect them?’

It was a sudden thought. But he seemed quite alright.

If only she would be more cautious.

Moon Dal-rae started a conversation lightly.

“By the way, Mr. Masked Man? Which side? Which would you prefer? Or should I call you the ‘Black Messenger’ instead of your real name?”

“Just call me comfortably.”

“Mr. Black Messenger?”

The masked man looked at himself.

His expression, as if incredulous, seemed to be felt through the mask.

“…Not that.”

“Or ‘White Face’?”

“…”

He seemed at a loss for words. Moon Dal-rae chuckled and then looked at Sung Han-byul with a dissatisfied expression.

“Ah, I teased him because I liked his reaction without realizing it.”

Moon Dal-rae blamed herself and moved towards Sung Han-byul.

Then she felt a gaze.

“I subtly poked around, and it seems like the masked man is interested in you?”

“Me?”

“Yes. From the build visible over his clothes, he seems to have good proportions and looks handsome, what do you think?”

“How can you tell when he’s wearing a mask?”

“I’m specialized in senses. The mask doesn’t really affect me. I can only see that he has a small face.”

Before she could finish, Moon Dal-rae suddenly recognized that figure. It seemed familiar, where had she seen it?

“Everyone quiet. We’ve spotted enemy troops.”

At the team leader’s words, the two quieted down and prepared for battle.

Sung Han-byul stood and recited a spell.

The talents she possessed mostly consumed her own lifespan. The Law Book and the Cup of Infinity gave her the power to confront beings of a higher class, not just at a student level, but the cost was too high.

However, that didn’t mean she was weak.

“Flames.”

As she spoke, flames lingered in her hands.

Flames formed where her hands met. She marked a point, drew a line. Laws made of mana transformed the flames.

Crackle.

Lightning struck. Wind blew. These elements added to the flames, inflating them as lightning swirled around the fire.

She used supporting magic.

Magic penetration, resistance reduction, target locking, guiding magic. In an instant, Sung Han-byul cast four supporting spells behind the small flames.

“Detonate.”

Boom!

The small flame burst. Like striking an anvil, the explosion accelerated the lightning fireball, which pierced through the open mouth of a Hel Boon.

“Pretty good.”

The attack was powerful enough to target and kill a demonic beast’s vitals, or at least paralyze it. However, the problem was that it required a lot of mana and gave her headaches.

“If he were here, he could have handled it easily.”

A young boy came to mind.

The most famous freshman top student at the Korean Hero School. A man closely watched by world-renowned guilds, associations, and governments. It hadn’t even taken an hour for the news to reach her when he formed his guild.

“Was it the Milky Way Guild?”

There were many rumors. From targeting a few elite members because the team was flashy, starting with the idea of gathering stars, to rumors of creating a harem guild because there were only women.

Sung Han-byul thought it was both.

Lee Seo-ha didn’t seem to act properly even outwardly. Relying on his handsome face, he poked around various women, so it must look like that to them. It seemed pitiful that women clung to one man without any pride.

That’s why Sung Han-byul disliked Lee Seo-ha.

“Han-byul!!”

Someone called her name. Snapped out of her thoughts, Sung Han-byul looked forward with a dazed expression.

“Kek!”

A demonic beast shrouded in shadows was targeting him. A moment of inattention. But that inattention was dangerously close to costing him his life, just before it could target his neck.

The masked man raised his hand.

Golden flames lingered in his hand.

Boom!

He struck down the head of the demonic beast targeting Sung Han-byul. The beast’s head burst, killing it. Indeed, it was a force diametrically opposed to the beast. That beast had a hard head that was difficult to deal with in one strike…

“Are you alright?”

“What? Yes! Oh, thank you. You saved my life.”

“Don’t get distracted during combat.”

“…Yes.”

“And try to use less power when casting spells.”

“Use less power?”

“That’s right.”

Sung Han-byul reflected and engaged in the battle.

“Use less power?”

She activated the same spell she had used earlier, following his advice.

By reducing the power slightly, the magic became stronger.

“What’s this?”

Such advice was not something one could give without a keen insight.

Was he proficient in magic despite being a melee fighter? She was increasingly unable to gauge his identity. Sung Han-byul looked at the masked man. As if nothing had happened, he stepped forward and helped deal with the demonic beasts.

After the battle, there was a brief rest period.

Moon Dal-rae approached Sung Han-byul, her face full of mischief.

“See, see? He kept watching you, and when you were in danger, he immediately helped.”

“…It must be a misunderstanding.”

“No, I’ve been watching. I guarantee it’s 100% interest. I swear as someone who is a master of dating. And earlier, you two were whispering to each other, what’s up with that atmosphere~”

“Sister, you’re single.”

“No, that’s not the point!”

Moon Dal-rae thumped her chest. It didn’t seem to be a problem even though her chest was small. Sung Han-byul suddenly envied her. I can’t do that because mine are big.

“Hey, did you just insult my chest for being small?”

“No, I was just envious, you know? Do you know how inconvenient it is when I have to fight up close?”

“Ha, really.”

Moon Dal-rae glanced at Sung Han-byul.

Sung Han-byul, bickering with Moon Dal-rae, looked at the masked man talking with the team leader.

“Wow, he’s really skilled, isn’t he?”

“I was surprised too. The level of our guild members is high.”

“Ha ha, if Mr. Masked were here too… oh, sorry. I just can’t help but envy his abilities.”

It seemed like their eyes met for a moment. Watching him gave her the feeling that he was watching her back.

“It can’t be…”

But the feeling wasn’t unpleasant.

“There he is, Mr. Black Messenger. You’re interested in our Han-byul, aren’t you?”

Moon Dal-rae spoke to me with an interested expression.

I ignored her.

“Of course.”

It would be strange if there wasn’t.

But answering her question in any way would surely make her bother me, so I stuck to ignoring her.

“You’ve been looking at Han-byul… Han-byul is a child with a strong sense of responsibility. She really hates Mines.”

“That would be expected.”

Sung Han-byul was a victim of an incident caused by the Mines.

They called it a human sacrifice to the disaster, and in it, she lost her parents and her only younger brother. In return, perhaps, she awakened unbelievable talents known as the Cup of Infinity and the Law Book.

“No, it’s laughable to even call it an awakening.”

Now, she was consumed by her true talent that no one else knew about.

The Cup of Infinity and the Law Book are merely remnants of that talent.

“You really are interested, aren’t you? Knowing that Han-byul hates Mines.”

“…”

I fell silent again.

But Moon Dal-rae, who was as persistent as ever, continued to annoy me.

“Do you know that our Han-byul is the student president of the Korean Hero School?”

“I know.”

“She’s a sophomore but surpassed the seniors… oh, you knew? Then how about this? Did you know that Han-byul likes Sol’s Eyes and Deja?”

I knew.

Because those are the only two flaws of my favorite character, Sung Han-byul.

Soon after, we stopped.

Because we saw bodies bearing the emblem of the Cheoncheon Guild.

“Eek!”

“My goodness! That’s the emblem of the Cheoncheon Guild, isn’t it?”

The guild members were unsettled.

Because those bearing the emblem of one of Korea’s top three guilds, Cheoncheon, had fallen.

“This is…”

“Not dead for long. But it’s strange? It looks like it was clawed by some beast, but there shouldn’t be a beast of this size here?”

The team leader spoke with a stern expression.

The Tower of Demons is still an unknown world to them. Discovering something unknown could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but it is mostly linked directly to death.

“Let’s conduct a small funeral service first. I, as the team leader, will keep their belongings and hand them over to Cheoncheon.”

The team leader hesitated for a moment.

Debating whether to retreat or advance. But his expression soon cleared, and he gave orders to the guild members.

“We will stop our expedition here. Something is strange. Even Cheoncheon’s second teams are not much different in level from our guild, but they all died. Something is here.”

It was a good decision.

Most of the guild members showed signs of relief.

“…”

I looked up at the tower.

The senses of the Sword Demon sharply warned me.

Just like the incident in the USA.

“Is there a dangerous entity?”

The marks of claws suggest certain individuals.

But they have no business being here.

“No, it’s too early to conclude.”

I’ve been backstabbed too much to jump to conclusions.

While pondering who it could be, my sharpened senses detected the presence of several people.

Through the Divine Sight, I saw a group wearing armors marked with the Cheoncheon emblem.

And Kim Seo-hyun was at the forefront.

The team leader met with their team leader for a conversation.

Kim Seo-hyun, moving towards me, asked me a question.

“But why is Seo-ha with the Hwarang kids?”

“How did you recognize that?”

“Just by the body shape, joint structure, sweat smell?”

“…”

I grew a bit afraid of Kim Seo-hyun.