Time passed.
"Tomorrow is the day, Apostle Lee Shiheon."
"I understand. You may leave. I am well aware of my duties."
"Yes. And please accept this."
The day before the task, a believer who came to me handed over a red crystal ball with a magic circle drawn on it.
"This crystal allows you to transport one person within 3 meters to our cult's basement."
"I see."
"Yes. While we fulfill our main objective, we wish for you to bring Apprentice Apostle Jin Dallae with you."
"Understood."
I accepted the crystal ball. Inside it was a magic circle that even I couldn't decipher.
'This is like giving a fish to a cat.'
But the more things seemed to go my way, the tighter I kept my guard.
Unilaterally communicated orders usually hid true intentions.
-Swish.
The ones in black hoods disappeared. Now, I could vaguely read their movements.
'Let's see.'
I rummaged through my pocket, took out my phone, and contacted Lee Seyeong.
"Hello? Professor. Could you prepare one… no, two items for me?"
Late at night, I didn't sleep.
She couldn't sleep due to her racing heart.
Because today was the day Lee Shiheon had informed her about.
Today was a crucial day where she could not lower her guard, but perhaps due to tension, sleep did not come, no matter how hard she tried.
She tried to forcibly induce sleep by drinking alcohol.
Her body heated up with the intake of alcohol.
She hugged her pink pillow, burying her face in it.
[Dallae, remember this.]
Between her swollen eyes, she faintly saw her father's will from back then.
[Don't trust that man.]
A little girl clutching a blood-stained letter. The sight of her hugging her rabbit doll was pitiable.
The girl was crying with her throat hoarse and dry. In front of such a girl, a man with a broken neck lay lonely.
[I am sorry for showing you this miserable sight. I had no confidence to live on. I am sorry.]
The faded letter repeated apologies. The tear stains infused in it.
Just recalling it made her chest tighten. She missed those happy days of the past.
[I am sorry, Dallae.]
The only person who ever loved her in her life.
The young girl knew nothing.
She didn't know the expression of a person on the brink of collapse, the face of a slowly crumbling human.
The empty, vacuous expression he had the night before he died sometimes still appeared in her dreams.
She remembered his resentment.
She only understood the meaning of his always crumpled face when she turned twelve.
-Chirp, chirp?
A small bird flew to her, tilting its head, reacting to her intense emotions.
The mute intermediate spirit. The last gift he left her.
-Chir, chir.
Rubbing her face against the pleasantly chirping spirit's cheek, she forced herself to sleep.
"I've brought what you requested. Are these two enough?"
"That should be sufficient to make rice cakes."
Lee Seyeong, frowning at my words, handed over two crystals, one shining red and the other purple.
"These must be used wisely. These two are worth one Tree Circle Pill; they're very expensive."
"How expensive is one Tree Circle Pill?"
"The price varies. It's the demand that sets the price when it's scarce."
I understood that it was outrageously expensive.
Anyway, I had gathered what I needed and prepared everything; all that was left was to watch for their arrival.
'Their arrival seems certain. As for Jin Dallae….'
Whether she expected me to serve it myself or set the table and bring her there, neither really mattered to me.
Having momentarily set down my backpack on the floor, Seyeong sighed and said,
"There's a full academy meeting around 2 o'clock. They probably targeted that time. It's under the authority of the World Tree, so attendance is mandatory. So, Shiheon."
"Yes."
"I won't be around today."
Without a word, I nodded, and Seyeong, wrapping one arm around my neck, patted my head.
"Kid, maintain the ambiance by wearing the mask."
"What the hell? Aren't you the one who set the ambiance, professor?"
Hearing the profanity, Seyeong laughed gleefully.
"What are you talking about? Do you know how much I struggled because of you? I clung to the legs of my academy peers, crying out in all directions, asking them to help our kid."
"What do you mean, our kid?"
"You are still a kid. A kid."
"Wow, is that your preference, professor? That's kind of disappointing."
"Crazy kid can't shut up for a second."
Silence.
While still holding onto my neck, Seyeong stopped patting me and started to gently stroke my head.
"Well, just don't die. It'll be bothersome if my sex friend dies."
"Just admit you'll be lonely without me."
"Not at all? There's a limit to self-consciousness being cute, dumbass."
Smiling once, I discreetly handed a letter to Seyeong.
"What is this?"
"If I take a while to return to the academy, please give this to Jin Dallae. We need to explain things, don't we?"
Seyeong tilted her head but willingly accepted it, and after a moment of eye contact, we parted ways.
-Vroom.
Lee Seyeong entered the classroom as a teacher, and I also entered as a student.
-Bang!
When she banged the desk strongly, all the students' attention focused on one spot.
"Alright!"
With a smirk, Lee Seyeong raised her voice to the students.
"I am here, everyone, stand up! Jinsu, did you drink last night? Sunwoo, did you meet a guy again last night? Let's recite the morning pledge I created to wake you all up. Any complaints?"
No one could possibly complain.
She was making gestures that you wouldn't be left alone if you didn't comply.
"Train as if it's real. Always be on guard and commit to it."
-Train as if it's real. Always be on guard and commit to it.
"In the event of unexpected occurrences, assemble in the auditorium."
-In the event of unexpected occurrences, assemble in the auditorium.
All kinds of magical creatures suited for defense were stationed in the auditorium. Any form of aggression within was not tolerated, and a guardian was positioned there.
"Everyone knows where the auditorium is, right? It's the central building."
-Yes!
"Good! I have a meeting, so I need to catch the morning flight. Study moderately and take care!"
-Vroom.
The door sounded once, and the students fell back into sleep or began their studies.
I tapped the backpack I brought and ran simulations in my head.
Time passed slowly.
In the seemingly long yet short gap of time, I quietly enjoyed the moment.
At 10, the math pop quiz was quite difficult.
At 11, with the professor absent from her seat, I was able to organize my thoughts.
At 12, I went to the cafeteria alone and had lunch.
At 1, I found a spot where Jin Dallae couldn't see me and began to watch her.
A subtle sense of unease, urging me to get out of here immediately, began to seep in.
-Whooom.
The magical energy in the air was moving.
A few students with keen senses seemed to notice the anomaly and were murmuring.
I took out my cell phone from my pocket and called the number Seyeong had given me.
-Ring… Click.
[Hello~ Seyeong's buddy?]
"Yes, who's this? I heard the professor has been asking for favors."
[….Oh, look at you. So cheeky.]
"It seems like it's about to start now."
[I know. That's right now-]
-Crack.
[-Already in the midst of it.]
Puhak- The sound of a fistfight could be heard from the phone.
[Special forces, guards, police, all in one place, that's a first. Thanks to you, everything's going smoothly. Thank you. We can show off the power of our unit.]
"Please take care. Can't we provide support?"
[…That would be difficult. Ah-]
-This damn guy hitting people while they're on the phone!
[-I'll hang up now.]
-Click.
"Aaargh!"
Immediately, a scream followed.
Turning my head towards the ongoing lecture, the place where the instructor had been standing was now splattered with blood.
The sight of the roughly torn head rolling on the ground made me feel nauseous for a moment.
"…Phew."
Thump, thump, thump, thump. The time to adapt to the shocking scene was brief. Looking at the dark figures surrounding the entire lab, I stood up. I returned the broken cell phone to my backpack and drew my well-forged sword.
Behind me appeared a figure in a black hood.
"Apostle Lee Shiheon. We are ready. Now, about the operation-"
"Ok, go on."
"…Apostle?"
The voice of a woman was bewildered.
The hooded cultist trembled as she unbelievingly looked at her own chest.
"Why would-"
"Luckily, my mental strength has increased. I would have vomited several times otherwise."
-Paah!
The sword penetrating her heart was swiftly pulled out.
Blood splashed in the alley between the buildings. Cold blood droplets splattered on my chilled cheeks.
The woman's body twisted unnaturally, revealed her face, and slowly crumbled down.
It was the first time I had killed a person.
The sensation felt through the hilt, the feeling of cutting through flesh. It was a filthy sensation, something I didn't want to experience again.
However, I had no intention to stop.
-Slash.
I slashed the throat of another cultist who came after me. Thanks to my resolved mind, I didn't feel anything from the second kill onward.
Cutting, bursting, severing.
Like that, in a place unknown to anyone, I had cut down over ten lives.
I was becoming more adept through accumulating experience bit by bit, even in that short period.
The location of bones and muscles. Where to cut to kill a person instantly. The cultists were fast, but I could catch and follow them with my eyes without using magic as I adapted to their speed.
"You traitor!"
"Ah, why Apostle!"
As I emerged, one cultist cried out.
The cultists surrounding the students, including me, were glaring at me, their faces stern with hostility.
The students, paralyzed with fear, snuck peeks at me and were shocked by my appearance.
"… Shiheon, it's you."
"Shiheon. I kept my promise."
Jung Siwoo looked slightly surprised, and Sansuyu stood there, still expressionless as ever.
In their hands, both held swords seized from the cultists.
"Apostle Lee Shiheon! Your actions are unforgivable!"
The face of the cultist shouting grotesquely radiated a sinister glow.
I took a breath and opened my mouth towards the man in front of me.
"It seems like you expected I would do something like this, didn't you?"
A man in a robe with a hood like the others, a familiar figure.
He took off the hood, earnestly showing a bitter smile as if he was regretful.
"It's a pity, brother. I had hoped you would successfully complete this task and join our side."
"Did you now?"
"But we can't disobey the faith. This time, yes. It must be His trial. If love is not reciprocated, it must be paid back. If you repent now, we will overlook your mistakes."
['The World Tree of Purity' raises its middle finger!]
"The World Tree just said to go fuck yourself."
"Haha. Want to make jokes at a time like this?"
"I'm serious."
"Well, nothing can be done. Under these circumstances… we have no choice but to capture and brainwash you, Apostle Lee Shiheon. It's your last chance."
['The World Tree of Purity' shouts vulgarly!]
"…The World Tree wants you to know it called your mother a whore."
"You've crossed the line."
Looking at his hardened face, I laughed.
"The World Tree is indeed a jerk."
I aimed the tip of my sword, laden with clear hostility, at Seonghan.
Seonghan distorted his face and flicked his tongue, winking to one side.
There, cultists of a higher rank that I hadn't met before, wearing bright white masks, were swinging their swords.
And there was Jin Dallae, blocking those swords with a shield.