Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 94

Chapter 94
T hi s w as c o p ie d fr o m k i n g m t l. o r g

Exposure (4)

“It’s a pity the first place we talk is here. If we’d met at the Cradle, I would have at least offered you some tea.”

Choi Ireh, blocking Lee Hyun’s path, smiled slyly. Her demeanor clearly showed her intention to buy time, with no effort to hide it.

Lee Hyun, realizing her intent, lowered his stance as if ready to pounce any moment.

“Move aside.”

“Oh my, how scary. But no, I can’t.”

Choi Ireh shuddered her shoulders as if truly frightened. However, her voice carried an unmistakable hint of mischief. Her eyes behind the glasses remained sharply fixed on Lee Hyun.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f r o m ki n g mt l .o rg

“You are a main person of interest in this incident, and you will be investigated. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to be detained here. However, if you comply quietly, we won’t harm…”

-Fwip!

Without wasting any more time, Lee Hyun charged directly at Choi Ireh.

Yet, the girl with glasses continued to wear a relaxed smile. She didn’t show a hint of disturbance even as he closed the distance.

-Thud!

Just before his fist could strike her.
T h i s w a s c o pi e d from ki n g m t l. o rg

As his fist reached a certain point in the air, it was suddenly deflected as if it had hit a thick wall, sliding to the side.

The severe recoil sent him flying back. The heavy, low vibrations spread from the point of impact in all directions.

“How do you like tasting the strongest shield?”

As Lee Hyun quickly got back up and surveyed his surroundings, he noticed something like a giant, semi-transparent barrier had formed in front of him.

He charged at it again, this time adjusting his strength as if to gauge his opponent.

As Lee Hyun’s fist touched the semi-transparent barrier, structures resembling flower petals vibrated, dissipating the impact.

Choi Ireh still remained unscathed, without the slightest scratch on her body.

“Our Sungshan’s Phalanx is the strongest defense magic of the Expulsion System. Did you know? Even Seoyeon took more than fifteen minutes to break through this.”

Seeing Lee Hyun’s attacks fail, Choi Ireh’s smirk deepened. In the world of magicians, fifteen minutes was an eternity, enough for the tide of battle to turn countless times.

“Do you think you can break through this barrier? You know it’s impossible. Besides, you don’t look to be in the best condition. Why not just give up?”

“…”

Her confident words made Lee Hyun ponder. He was short of breath and his head was hazy, but time was running out.

Should he kill her and move on? Impossible. While subduing her might be conceivable, taking her life would be a strategic blunder, especially if the opponent was an heir of the Magi 27 Families.

Thus, deploying his power to shatter the barrier was not an option. He couldn’t reveal his capability to someone he wasn’t going to kill.

So, was it impossible to break through the shield without using his power?

Not necessarily.

Barrier magic, despite variations by the user, fundamentally hardens particles and consumes an equivalent amount of particles used in the attack to absorb the damage.

Sungshan’s unique magic is an extreme form of this. It layers a massive amount of particles derived from lineage and adds a formula that significantly improves the structure.

When struck, structures hanging like flowers absorb or dissipate the impact, increasing the barrier’s durability and lifespan.

Thus, there was some validity to Choi Ireh’s confidence. It wouldn’t be easy for anyone to break through it. For some, it might be nearly impossible.

Unless there was someone who could launch endless attacks without worrying about particle exhaustion.

“…”

Lee Hyun quickly concluded. He began adding magical formulas, further enhancing his predictions.

Regardless of the claim of the strongest shield, a barrier is just a barrier. If an attack exceeding its particle capacity is launched, it must break.

And what other magicians found impossible, Lee Hyun could achieve.

“Kuh… ugh.”
Thi s w a s c o pie d f rom k ing mt l . o rg

As soon as he released the predicted path, a gripping pain seized his heart. His veins felt like they were submerged in hellfire. His eyes throbbed as if they were about to pop out.

The pain came from forcibly drawing power from an unhealed body. But with the destination clear, there was no reason or time to spare his strength anymore.

He had to quickly eliminate the obstacle and reunite with Yeon Minha before the predicted route’s limit was up and head to the address given by the commander.

“It’s a shame. You seemed like a promising talent. How did a junior like you fall into Jeokhwa… ugh?”

As he raised his energy, Choi Ireh, who had been leisurely mumbling to herself, momentarily looked stunned.

Then she plastered a cold smile on her face.

“Junior… are you really trying to…?”

-Thud!

Before she could finish her sentence, Lee Hyun darted forward with incredible speed, far surpassing his previous attempt.

The barrier trembled violently from the force of his punch. The heavy shockwaves echoed noisily in all directions.

“Maybe I should take back what I said about being a promising talent. You seem a bit stupid… huh?”

-Crack!

Choi Ireh, still maintaining her relaxed demeanor, was about to adjust her assessment of Lee Hyun.

But the sound of something breaking, which should never be heard, pierced her ears.

“What, what? Why is that…”

Suddenly looking ahead, Choi Ireh was horrified.

Starting from the point of Lee Hyun’s impact, vertical cracks began to form on the semi-transparent barrier.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Lee Hyun’s next attacks came in rapid succession, not giving her time to process the situation. He repeatedly struck the cracked area with particle-infused punches.

-Clatter!

And with the final strike, the shattered barrier fell apart like a broken glass window, scattering into the air.

Choi Ireh, seeing this, shouted in disbelief.

“That’s impossible…! This can’t be happening…!”

“Nothing in the world is impossible.”

“Kyaa!”

The masked male student closed the distance in an instant. Choi Ireh, panicking, backed away and desperately fired particle bullets.

They were quite sharp attacks. Had the opponent been someone else, it might have been a chance for a counterattack.

“Damn it…!”

-Clang!

However, the masked male student evaded them all with highly efficient movements.

Choi Ireh tried to manipulate the particle array to reconstruct the Phalanx magic formula, but it was brutally shattered before it could be completed.

At the same time, Lee Hyun’s fist landed squarely on her chin.

In a real battlefield, not a sparring match, the moment an Expulsion System user allowed a Circulation System user to get close, the outcome was essentially decided.

“Kehek…!”

-Boom!

She couldn’t even utter a proper death cry.

The helmet struck by the fist caved in, and Choi Ireh flew dozens of meters, crashing into the far wall with a tremendous noise.

Lee Hyun walked in the direction she had flown.

The dust obscuring his vision dispersed with the shockwave. Choi Ireh, in a miserable state, lay motionless, showing no signs of movement.

He had been prepared to break all ten of her fingers backward if she resisted further, but fortunately, it seemed he wouldn’t need to waste his strength on unnecessary things.
T h i s wa s c o p i e d f r o m k in g mt l. o rg

-Flap!

The crow, which had flown skyward at the start of the fight, now descended and circled around Lee Hyun.

“Huff… huff…”

Lee Hyun stood still for a moment, catching his breath. His condition was worse than expected, making him even more anxious.

“Let’s go.”

Hearing his words, the crow flapped its wings and led the way again.

As the poisonous mist gradually thinned, the catastrophe that had befallen Jeokhwa became increasingly visible around him.

The once beautiful garden was now littered with grotesquely mutilated corpses.

The direction the crow led Lee Hyun. In the distance, the sound of fierce, almost desperate, gunfire could be heard.

***

“You… you dare to… you!!”

-Boom!!

A fierce pillar of flame in the air consecutively struck Baek Seoyeon. She raised an ice wall to block it, but metal grew from the ground attempting to bind her. As she dodged it by a hair’s breadth, a particle bullet aimed directly at her neck narrowly missed.

It left a faint scratch on Seoyeon’s neck and struck the dirt behind her with a loud explosion.

“Ugh…!”

Seoyeon’s hand, clutching her neck, was smeared with sticky blood. The gazes of the two locked fiercely as if sparks were flying.

One was the strongest magician in history.

The other, the strongest Spiritmage in history.

The rivalry between them was the most popular topic among the students of the Cradle.

Despite their close ranks, they had never faced each other in the past year during the Cradle ranking matches.

T h i s wa s c o p i ed f r o m k i n g m t l. or g
Rumors had spread like wildfire that the Education Committee of the Cradle manipulated the rankings to avoid the aftermath of a clash between the two. Naturally, the Education Committee officially denied it, but the rumors frequently resurfaced, fueling the students’ imaginations.

However, no one had predicted that their first clash would be a life-or-death battle with the fate of their families on the line.

“Yeon Minha, stop it…! If you keep this up, the suspicion will…”

“Shut up!”

-Boom!

With a fierce shout, sharp spikes emerged from the ground at Seoyeon’s feet. She shot a spell to counter it and retreated.

Yeon Minha’s eyes, burning like a sunset, were filled with tears. She poured her misplaced resentment solely onto Seoyeon. She felt as if she couldn’t maintain her sense of self otherwise.

Seoyeon changed her mind. Yeon Minha was not someone she could subdue like others.

Yeon Minha was an existence that maximized the strengths of a Spiritmage.

Considering that magic is fundamentally a cycle of attributes where each attribute counters another, Yeon Minha, who commanded dozens of spirits with different attributes, was practically without weakness.

Such a person was now targeting her with all her might.

Facing her with a careless attitude could end with uncertain survival.

However, Seoyeon had no intention of dying for her. There were still things she needed to accomplish. She couldn’t give her life to anyone before that.

Even if it meant taking the other’s life to save her own.

Making her decision, Seoyeon retreated and manipulated the particle array to deploy a massive magic formula.

Frost spreading from her feet began to engulf the entire landscape.

If the predictive system magic of Heukryeon symbolized the strongest capability in individual combat, Paechun’s Snowfield represented overwhelming battlefield control.

Before long, the surroundings transformed into a frozen wasteland, signifying Seoyeon’s optimal battlefield, where she could wield her full power.

A faint breath emerged from her mouth.

With just a slight gesture, the particles around her moved as if they were part of her body. Frost spread across the ground and climbed onto Yeon Minha’s feet, binding her movements.

-Boom! Boom! Boom!

Th i s w a s c o p ied f ro m k in g m t l. o r g
Simultaneously, particle bullets rained down from all directions, bombarding her without giving her a chance to respond.

“Huff…!”

Yeon Minha barely managed to raise a barrier to block it. The overwhelming barrage of particle bullets quickly turned the tide of battle.

The dust kicked up by the explosions obscured even the sight of Yeon Minha. Seoyeon, targeting that direction, continuously created and fired particle bullets from the air.

-Swish!

Suddenly, a whip of fire slipped through the bombardment and wrapped around Seoyeon’s ankle, pulling her toward it.

-Sizzle!

“Huff…!”

The fiery whip, coiling around her ankle, dug into her skin with a burning smell.

With difficulty, Seoyeon cut it off and regained her stance.

“Huff… huff…!”

T h i s w a s c op i e d f r om kin g m t l . o rg
As the bombardment paused and the dust settled, Yeon Minha, who had broken free from her restraints, came into view.

She was gasping for breath, her legs trembling as if exhausted.

Her body was covered with scratches, and blood was flowing profusely, but her disheveled hair and blazing red eyes still showed deep determination and hatred.

Seoyeon stared at her coldly, not backing down. It was inevitable that they would end up like this.

Without hesitation, she extended her finger and manipulated the particle array. Her concise movements carried no hesitation.

She instantly created hundreds of particle bullets in the air and fired them all at once toward Yeon Minha.

“Ha…”

Seeing the overwhelming attack, Yeon Minha let out a deep sigh filled with lament.

She could vividly envision those sharp particles soon tearing her body apart.

Sensing her impending end, she slowly closed her eyes.

But just before Baek Seoyeon’s particle bullets reached their target.

A shadow appeared out of nowhere, suddenly standing in front of Yeon Minha.

Seeing him, Yeon Minha’s eyes widened.

“You… you…”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He set up a barrier to deflect the attacks, but the endless shower of particle bullets quickly dissolved his barrier.

He raised a blade and deflected the continued attacks.

Bang! Bang…

T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r om k i ng m t l . o rg
The prepared particle bullets eventually ran out, and Yeon Minha, as if relieved, collapsed to the ground.

The masked male student gently lifted the unconscious Yeon Minha as if handling a precious artwork, then threw his broken blade to the ground.

He then adopted a fighting stance toward Seoyeon, who still blocked his escape route, and swiftly approached her.

-Grit…

Seoyeon gritted her teeth and glared at him. She pulled out a long, cold spear and prepared for close combat.

He was closing in, close enough to see her eyelashes.

***

-Crack… crack…

Taking advantage of the master’s distracted state, the mask, which had accumulated excessive shock beyond its limit, was nearing its end.

-Crack… snap…
T h i s wa s c o pi e d f r om k i n g m t l . o r g

The crack extended along the contours of his eyes, eventually forming a distorted circle.

-Clatter…

Finally, the mask dropped part of itself to the ground, revealing what it had been hiding to the world.

“Huh…?”

At that moment.

In a perception where a second felt like an eternity, Seoyeon saw something.

It was just a small crack. But she could see clearly.

Simultaneously, a memory of the most precious thing she had lost came to her.

Something she could never retrieve because of her own mistakes, which had plunged her into endless despair and regret.

Someone’s eyes, clearer and purer than anything, who always gazed at her, whispering sweet words of love.

Why she thought of that now, Seoyeon couldn’t understand herself.

However, her resolve waned involuntarily, and the ice bullets hovering in the air, aiming sharply, lost their strength and fell.

-Thud!

Before she could even think, a sharp sensation pierced through her lower abdomen in an instant.

Seoyeon’s vision turned downward. What she saw was the rough, brutal fist of someone striking her abdomen.

“Huff…!”

The piercing sensation spread, leaving her unable to distinguish between pain and pleasure, and she collapsed on the spot.

Oddly, despite the blow, no animosity surfaced.

As if it was an instinct engraved in her soul, the brief glimpse of those eyes behind the mask burned away all her ill feelings.

“Wait, wait…!”

Seoyeon, seated, turned urgently, reaching out her hand. Despite her place being ruthlessly violated for her master’s sake, she spoke kindly.

But the masked male student, holding Yeon Minha, had long vanished into the early morning darkness.

“Ah…”

Seoyeon, hand outstretched, stared blankly into the empty darkness.

Her mind was filled with confusion.

End of Chapter