Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Memorial Service (3)

T hi s w a s co p ie d f r om k i n gmtl . o r g
“What did you just say…?”

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Seoyeon couldn’t believe her ears and involuntarily asked again. His words were that far outside the realm of common sense.

Jeokhwa Yeon. A member of the same Magi 27 Families and the Five Families as Paechun.

Originally, the most powerful of the Five Families was Heukryeon. However, fourteen years ago, they retreated from the political scene, leaving only their parent company, S&C, for reasons unknown.

Since then, Jeokhwa and Paechun had been fiercely competing for that vacant spot. But now, it was almost certain that Paechun was the victor.

Yet, here was the former heir of Paechun confessing to collaborating with their arch-enemy.

“…You must be out of your mind.”

“Cough… Haha, little sister. You don’t know how I came to this position, do you…?”

The man continued to speak calmly.

“Before you were born, I had many competitors above me… Cough! I faced threats to my life daily. And the only way to survive… was to make a deal with Jeokhwa Yeon… Cough, cough!”

“So, you conspired with Jeokhwa? Paechun’s greatest enemy? This is treason…!”

“Cough, cough! It was a mutually beneficial deal. Jeokhwa, pressured by the family head’s offensive, got a breather, and I survived to climb higher… Cough! Though now I’ve ended up like this…”
T h i s wa s c o p i e d f r o m k in g m t l .o r g

“Then the reason you fled…”

“What more is there to say. The family head caught on. The old man is sharp… Cough!”

According to him, he had leveraged cooperation from their enemies to eliminate competitors without arousing suspicion.

The village attack was part of that context.

No one had survived Particle Hypersensitivity Syndrome before, but theoretically, if a patient succeeded in awakening, they would gain limitless magical potential.

He aimed to eliminate a powerful competitor before she could fully awaken.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f ro m k in gm tl . o r g

However, the numerous attacks she faced in the capital were the work of various hostile factions who learned of her existence from him.

T h i s w a s c op i e d f r o m k in g m t l . o r g
Seoyeon clenched her fists, doing her best to suppress her anger. If she hadn’t understood the demonic language, failed to undergo incomplete awakening, or hadn’t regained control of her body afterward, she would have inevitably become a victim of such schemes as well.

Moreover, he had traded some of Paechun’s secrets to Jeokhwa, which explained why Jeokhwa managed to persist despite constant assaults.

Despite the shocking revelations, one link still didn’t connect.

“Then what about Jeokhwa’s relationship with the demons? Are they disguised as demons?”

“Haha, cough! Even so, that’s not the case. They are one of the Five Families after all… Cough, cough!”

As if wanting to clear up her doubts, the man continued to explain.

“Have you heard of the Spiritmage’s Curse?”

“…Yes.”

Anyone in the upper echelons had heard of it at least once.

It was said that the Jeokhwa family suffered from spiritual magic or physical side effects, leading to many short-lived or ill-fated members.

However, this was largely considered a rumor without substantial evidence. Most believed it was just a series of coincidences blown out of proportion by rival factions.

“Cough…! The Spiritmage’s Curse isn’t just a rumor. It’s a real, fatal flaw for them, threatening their very existence.”

But the man spoke with conviction.

“They suffer greater mental side effects the more talented they are in spiritual magic. It’s called mental contamination. That’s why they struggle to respond properly to our offensives. Cough, cough! Even the current head of Jeokhwa suffers from severe side effects, rarely leaving his estate.”

“…”

“The next heir of Jeokhwa also shows similar symptoms. You probably know better, having fought them often at Cradle.”
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Indeed, the behavior of Yeon Minha at Cradle had always seemed somewhat off.

“And to overcome mental contamination, they turned to forbidden Interference System mental magic research.”

“What…?”

Barely given time to process, the man continued to reveal shocking truths.

“They secretly collaborated with the demons to conduct this forbidden research. Since modern Interference System research materials are lost, they sought help from dark magic. Cough, cough…”

T h i s w a s co pi e d f r o m k i n g m tl . o r g
“1 year ago, the major invasion by demons. Remember it?”

Of course, she couldn’t forget. The man’s calm explanation continued.

At that time, the national army and private forces from various families formed a siege to repel the invaders.

However, the siege was breached for an absurd reason, leading to scattered damage across the northern regions due to the remnants.

And the breached point was the area under Jeokhwa’s control.

“That means…”

“It wasn’t breached. They let them through. To infiltrate collaborators in the south.”

According to him, he had requested Jeokhwa to eliminate her as usual.

The timing coincided with the major demonic invasion, and to avoid suspicion, Jeokhwa used low-ranked demons infiltrating at that time to carry out his request.

With their low intelligence and obedience to orders, these monsters were the perfect disposable pawns.

“…How do you know all this? Even as a collaborator, it’s unlikely you’d be privy to such intimate details.”

“Cough…! I placed an insider within Jeokhwa. I needed leverage over them. And I found the perfect candidate. Cough, cough!”

“Do you have documents or evidence to prove this?”

“They’re securely stored somewhere.”

“…Does the family head know what you know?”

“Aside from the fact that I had connections with them… Cough…!”

He shook his head.

Baek Seoyeon managed to extract the location where the evidence was stored. She had no more use for him.

He spoke with a hint of hope in his voice.

“Cough, cough! Now, let me go. I’ll really die at this rate. Don’t worry. I won’t come near the capital. Handle Paechun’s affairs… Gah! Gah!”

But his faint hopes were crushed by someone’s fist, abruptly shoved down his throat.

No longer was she the calm and non-hostile Seoyeon who had been listening.

The pair of golden eyes glaring at him were filled only with thick, heavy wrath.

“Gah… Gah! Why…!! Gah…!!”

“Foolish brother. Would you let someone who threatened your life go?”

“Gah! Cough…!”

“If only my life had been threatened, perhaps I would have let you go. But you… you crossed the line.”

“No, no…!”

His desperate cries were drowned in her fury.

A bright light began to glow from his dark throat.

Soon, it ignited.

“Kyaaaa… Kaaaaaa!!”

The magical fire first burned away his vocal cords, then spread across his body. Flames burst from every orifice on his face.

T hi s wa s c o pi e d f r o m ki n gmt l . o r g
Leaving the writhing man behind, Seoyeon turned silently.

Soon, the sound of the collapsing building and someone’s horrific final screams echoed softly behind her.

*

“Cough… Cough…!!”

All around were icicles and a chilling cold. Dozens of corpses lined the corridors and passageways.

Only one survivor remained. A man barely supported himself against a pillar, coughing up blood.

His body was covered with grotesque tattoos, and his eyes glowed faintly red.

His fingers were frostbitten, turning purple. Some were broken, exposing bone and red flesh.

The Night Brigade, a criminal organization shielded by powerful figures and untouched by law enforcement, was annihilated in a single night.

T his w a s c o p i e d fr o m k i n g m tl . org
The trigger for this was a low-ranking member who failed to recognize her and acted rudely.

But the truth was, it was merely an excuse to eradicate them without attracting external scrutiny.

-Crack… Crack…

The girl who caused this stepped forward with a cold gait, frost forming and scattering with each step.

Reaching him, the Night Brigade leader cried out in an aggrieved tone.

“How… how could Paechun do this to us…!! This is betrayal…!!”
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His words held a semblance of reason, as Paechun was one of the families that actively protected and employed them for dirty work.

However, the girl scoffed arrogantly, as if his plea was not worth hearing.

“Betrayal? That’s laughable. Trash like you dare speak so recklessly.”

End of Chapter