Damn Academy - Chapter 216

Chapter 216

Host (13)

I wasn’t particularly close to Hubert, but with so many people already aware of my identity, I didn’t want to be in a situation where I couldn’t exert my strength when needed just to keep it hidden.

This was no time for wordplay.

And I needed to set an example for those who dared touch my people.

I did it to the one who messed with Luna, and now the same goes for the one who messed with Cecil.

I downed a Gryphon Potion and tossed the bottle aside.

Clang!

The man standing guard at the cave entrance heard the noise and immediately drew his sword.

“Stop right there. Who are you?”

I skipped the formalities and headed straight for the entrance.

“Hey, you bastard, I said stop!”
T h i s w a s co p i ed f r o m k in g m t l . or g

As I got within the sword’s reach, the man swung his blade.

Unlike Sion, Ruskeus, the knight from the Principality, or Louis, his sword trajectory was somewhat unfamiliar. It might be a style originating from the north.

But it didn’t matter. It wasn’t as fast or unpredictable as Sion’s sword. Most sword styles felt unnecessarily slow and cumbersome to me.

I blocked the diagonal slash with my wooden sword and slid along the blade towards his body.

Then, I punched him in the face.

While he staggered, I knocked his sword away and grabbed his collar, starting a one-sided beating.

***

About ten men were lounging around, leaning against rocks or pillars.

One was showing off tricks, causing the others to laugh heartily and drink greedily.
Th i s was c o p i ed f r o m k i ng m t l .o r g

Gale sat in the deepest part of the cave, silently.

But the boisterous party gradually quieted down.

Loud noises from the entrance echoed into the cave.

The show-off, the drinkers, and the rowdy ones all fell silent and looked towards the entrance.

Sensing something was off, they stood up one by one, grabbing their weapons.

Gale continued eating his meal, showing no interest.

The sound of thick leather dragging on the ground spread throughout the cave.

Damian, wearing a mask and covered in blood, held a wooden sword in one hand and a guard by the scruff of his neck in the other.

Th is w a s co p i e d f r o m kin g m tl . o rg
The largest man in the group cracked his neck and joints and spoke.

“Who the hell are you?”

A few lower-ranked members cursed in northern dialects.

But an unknown pressure from Damian kept them from rushing at him. Like dogs barking behind a fence, they only threatened with words.

Damian tossed the guard aside and spoke.

“This is an example.”

Gale, from the corner, spoke first.

“You’re fearless.”

“….”

Gale didn’t even look at Damian, continuing his meal leisurely.

His shaved head, the ease from hundreds of real battles, and his massive physique exuded an intimidating presence.

“Just as they said.”

Gale spoke as if he already knew about the masked figure.

Damian skipped the pleasantries.

“What information did you leak to Cecil?”

“We threw the bait, but it was her choice to take it.”

“Tell me where she went.”

Thi s w a s c o p i e d f r om k i n g m tl . o r g
His commanding tone made the surrounding subordinates’ eyes turn murderous.

Gale signaled them to stand down and continued.
T h i s w as c o p ie d f ro m k i ng m t l.o r g

“The Magic Sword Hunter performed a ritual at the Lupola Altar, using the villagers as sacrifices. He possesses a Magic Sword I’ve never seen before.”

“….”

Damian’s eyes turned red with rage, looking like he might kill someone.

“We need to take back the artifact Cecil stole.”

One of the subordinates, unable to hold back, shouted.

“What did you say, you bastard?”

Despite the protests, Gale accepted Damian’s demand in a monotone.

“Give it to him.”

The subordinate protested.

“Gale, we don’t need to listen to this bastard.”

Gale spoke firmly.

“Rox, don’t make me repeat myself. Give it to him.”

“No, I’ll show this bastard the northern way. Ugh!”

The subordinate, holding an axe, got into a fighting stance. Gale punched him in the face.

The dull thud echoed in the cave.

“Give it to him, you damn bastard.”

Gale’s roar was so powerful it made the cave tremble.

Rox, finally obeying, picked himself up from a puddle of stagnant water.

These men respected and obeyed strength. Gale was their absolute leader.
T h is wa s co p i e d f r o m ki ng m tl . o rg

A subordinate brought a heavy bag from the cave and dropped it in front of Damian.

After checking the contents, Damian silently took the bag and left.

One of the subordinates watching asked Gale.

“Is it okay to let him go?”

Gale emptied his cup and spoke.

“There will come a day when we’ll clash. But not today.”

***

Hubert watched me and silently clapped his fingers.

“Did you kill them all?”

I shook my head.

“Oh, no?”

Ignoring Hubert’s nonsense, I organized my thoughts.

He didn’t intend to fight me. Was he afraid of me? Even though he fought with Sion?

He wasn’t planning to withdraw despite the notice. He seemed to be conserving his strength for something in the future.

Moreover, Gale was already aware of the Magic Sword Hunter. His intelligence was far superior to mine.

What was Gale’s goal in this mission? Revenge? The Magic Sword? Artifacts?

It didn’t matter. Finding Cecil before she was in more danger was the priority.

“Did Gale let you go willingly, even giving you loot?”

“Yes.”

“Ugh, this is betrayal from Gale.”

“Time is short. I’m heading to the Lupola Altar.”

T h i s was c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m t l .o r g
“Hey, wait, do you know where it is?”

“I’ll find out.”

Hubert snapped his fingers.

“Alright. Let’s head to the camp first. I have a rough map from searching the houses in Marbas. No need to rush. Cecil is clever; she’ll hold out if anything happens.”

***

Not many had left the camp yet. Those who had finished packing were now checking their horses and preparing to return.

Everyone was busy with various tasks, so no one paid attention to Hubert and me.

First, I checked if the Drama Club was still around. They were gone, likely having left with Luna.

“Lupola Altar, right? I’ll fetch the map.”

Hubert patted my shoulder and hurried to his belongings.

The Dance Club members were arguing intensely in one corner.

I checked Cecil’s backpack again in a secluded spot.

Various unknown metal spheres, similar in design to the Frostwind Bomb, were mixed in.

I selected as many as I could and packed them in my bag.

Just then, someone shouted in a near panic voice.

“Help!”

Everyone’s attention turned to the voice.

A girl, looking like she had tumbled down a mountain, staggered into the camp.

“Sob, sob, help, please help.”
T h i s w a s c o p ied f r om k i n gm t l. o r g

Hubert recognized her face and sighed.

“Nyias. She was with Cecil. This is bad.”

He immediately sensed things were seriously wrong and covered his forehead.

T h i s w a s c o pi e d f r om k ing mt l. o r g
All the students, including those from the Dance Club, gathered to support her.

Nyias, tear-streaked, shouted.

“Cecil… Cecil was kidnapped!”

***

A fierce debate erupted among the remaining students.

The opinions split between staying to save Cecil and returning to Eternia as ordered.

“You saw what happened in Marbas and other villages. You know what happens to the kidnapped. It’s just one enemy. If we band together, we have a chance.”
T h is w as c o p i e d f r o m k in g m t l .o r g

“We must return. This is beyond our capability. If we intervene, it will only worsen. We must wait for higher-ups to take action.”

“How long will it take for help to arrive from Eternia? By then, it’ll be too late.”

The side advocating for a fight believed they had a chance if they banded together.

The side advocating for return believed there was a reason for the ’emergency return order’ and that some must return to minimize casualties.

The debate didn’t take long.

In the end, they decided to follow their respective opinions and split.

Though uncertain how effective it would be, more than half decided to stay and rescue Cecil.

“Yes, if Gale joins, we have a chance!”

One Dance Club member quickly rode away to seek Gale’s assistance.

Nyias, composed, led about twenty people to the spot where Cecil was kidnapped.

The map Hubert brought matched the route to the Lupola Altar exactly.

As they walked through the forest, Nyias recalled facing the Magic Sword Hunter.

“It was a crudely built stone altar, surrounded by human bones… Suddenly, the monster appeared.”

“Monster? You mean a beast?”

“No, a person. But with a half-melted face and strange eyes. It came out of nowhere and took Cecil. We tried to fight, but nothing worked. Panic set in… It was so sudden that I can’t remember. Cecil screamed for me to run, and I did. I don’t even know how I made it out.”

Nyias wept as they walked, still in shock.

As they climbed the forest hill, everyone noticed a change in the atmosphere and looked around.

Their steps gradually slowed.

“What’s this? Why does my body feel like this…”

“Mana pressure?”

“Huh?”

Inexperienced first-years, suffering under the intense mana pressure, couldn’t understand what was happening.

Some couldn’t hold out and collapsed, clutching their chests.

Victor, a first-year from the Combat Department, walking beside Nyias, spoke.

“It’s mana pressure. This whole hill, maybe? I can’t pinpoint its source.”

Riddiger, the Dance Club leader, shouted.

“Mana pressure? There’s nothing ahead! What do you know?”

For mana pressure to form, something condensed with high-density mana had to be nearby. Whether human, beast, or a blue mana entity, something had to be close.

But all they saw was a peaceful forest.

“It must be coming from far away.”

“Even so, mana pressure this strong?”

Their march halted.

One student, trying to press on, vomited under the pressure, and others pulled him back.

The Combat Department students, unfamiliar with the concept of mana pressure, couldn’t gauge its intensity.

But the Magic Department students could.

They were pale, overwhelmed by the unprecedented force.

“I’ve never felt anything like this.”

“This is impossible. How can… Ugh!”

Their dream of heroically rescuing a girl shattered.

They couldn’t even face the enemy, trembling on the ground.

Filled with regret, they realized they couldn’t handle this, just as some second-years had warned.

Among the twenty stood only Victor and me.

Victor signaled me with a faint nod.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded.

For me, this level of mana pressure was negligible compared to when I held the Magic Sword.

Soon, about a dozen men on horseback approached from behind.

It was Gale’s group, whom I had encountered earlier. The Dance Club member who led them spoke.

“Here they are.”

Gale, at the front, dismounted and clenched and relaxed his fist as if sensing the mana pressure. Satisfied, he walked up and stood next to Victor.

Were they really joining us? It seemed they had other motives than rescuing Cecil.

The students, crushed by the mana pressure, looked up at the three of us: Victor, Gale, and me, standing tall.

They couldn’t understand how we were unaffected.

Victor, looking tired, smirked.

“The ones going forward were already chosen.”

Simultaneously, the three of us stepped into the area where the mana pressure was strongest.

It would have been an interesting sight if we had faced the Magic Sword Hunter like this, but I had to pause.

Because.

“Damian, Damian…!”

Luna, who I thought had left with the Drama Club, suddenly appeared, calling my name in a fragile voice and grabbing onto me.

End of Chapter