*
A space where ventilation was so poor it felt unpleasant, a nasty space with humid air and a musty smell.
It seemed far from a prison made to confine ordinary people.
Centered around a man, peculiar magic circles were stacked in layers.
This was a special prison housing Awakened criminals, and the man was surrounded by an excessive number of restraints, as if he were in a different league from those criminals.
As those who fall into a life of crime among the Awakened appeared, the response to them naturally became more aggressive.
For heinous criminals, commonly called Villains, no one would raise an issue even if they were killed on the spot.
It varies depending on the level of the Awakened, but depending on their ability and rank, the number of casualties that just one person can create is beyond imagination.
However, not all Villains are killed during the arrest process.
Some surrender out of fear of death, or their abilities are so outstanding that they are intentionally kept alive.
The man bound in restraints was closer to the latter.
If a Gate with high risk and insufficient information appeared, there was a high risk in recklessly deploying Hunters, who could be considered high-level personnel.
In such situations, death row Awakened like the man were deployed first.
If they refused to enter the Gate, they would be executed, so no matter how dangerous the Gate was, they had no right to refuse.
Most criminals were forcibly thrown into high-risk Gates, unable to return and dying, but the man was special.
Unlike other Villains who couldn't last long and died, the man returned alive from every Gate.
With a survival ability and strength that made people shake their heads, the man was evaluated as A-Rank, but in the end, he was just a criminal.
Still, to encourage some motivation, they reduced his sentence each time he solved a Gate, but the reward was too insufficient compared to risking his life.
But the man didn't complain. He just silently solved the Gates.
Considering the man's cooperative attitude, it was an excessive measure, but considering his abilities, it was better to be cautious.
A crack suddenly appeared in front of the man, who was staring blankly into the air with a listless expression.
"..."
The man quietly stared at the crack that had appeared in front of him. With his arms and legs completely restrained, could he resist if a monster popped out?
Even in the worst-case scenario where he might die, the man just stared as if he had no emotions.
The man's lifeless eyes slowly began to regain their light as he saw an unexpected presence.
Because the being that appeared from beyond the crack was completely unexpected.
"Found you~"
A playful voice, a woman wearing a suspiciously dark red robe appeared from beyond the crack.
Dozens of layers of magic circles sealed the entrance so that no one could enter, so how did she get in here?
The crack that woman created looked different from a typical magic portal.
"Hello? Your name is... Lee Byung-ho, right? Nice to meet you~"
Lee Byung-ho stared at the woman without a word.
She had an ordinary appearance that didn't seem special on the surface, but Lee Byung-ho felt an indescribable sharpness from her.
Perhaps because he had experienced the Gates of Death several times, his appearance was ordinary, but not ordinary.
From his face to his toes, the gruesome scars that remained told him that his life had not been ordinary.
Short hair and murderous eyes.
It was a murderous gaze that ordinary people couldn't even make eye contact with, but the woman maintained the same attitude as before, as if it were nothing.
"What, aren't you going to say hello?"
"How did you get in here?"
Clearly, the security magic at the entrance was still in place.
As his skills were outstanding, it was impossible to control him with ordinary Hunters.
For safety, S-Rank Hunters were usually mobilized.
The magic circle engraved at the entrance was also the work of Magic Empress Choi Ah-rin, who was known to be among the top five in South Korea.
The woman with sky-blue hair and an indifferent face had such intense power that Lee Byung-ho couldn't ignore her.
Is it possible to ignore the solid security magic, which can be said to be impossible to解é¤, and come inside?
"Are you curious about that? You'll find out about that little by little. Is that important?"
"..."
"Don't you want to get out of here?"
Escape, hearing the woman's words, the man felt his emotions stirring without realizing it.
If she could ignore Choi Ah-rin's magic circle and come in, then getting out would be just as possible.
"You can undo the restraints yourself, right?"
As the woman said, Lee Byung-ho had the ability to undo the restraints.
The reason he hadn't tried was because he had no way to solve the magic circle at the entrance.
But, if it's possible to ignore the magic circle?
"What do you want? I hate being used."
"Used? Hmm~ You're telling an interesting story. I'm not such a great person, so I don't have the power to do anything to you."
The woman slowly walked towards Lee Byung-ho. Perhaps because of her prominent figure even though she was wearing a robe, her every move looked alluring.
She gently stroked Lee Byung-ho's face and began to whisper in his ear.
"We're just helping each other. You could say it's a kind of deal?"
It was an alluring act that would arouse the lust of an ordinary man, but Lee Byung-ho just stared at her like a stone statue, even at the woman's actions.
"How am I supposed to trust you?"
Even if I undo the restraints and escape from here through a crack that looks like some kind of portal, I have no idea what's on the other side.
How do I know that something worse than now isn't waiting for me?
"Hmm~ Am I such an untrustworthy person?"
The woman gently began to stroke the scars on Lee Byung-ho's body.
"Actually, I don't want anything from you. We just want to get revenge."
"Revenge?"
Lee Byung-ho's body reacted to the word revenge. The reason he can endure even while suffering these humiliations is because there is someone he wants to kill.
"I want to take revenge on this world."
The woman's eyes, visible from inside the robe, were full of murderous intent like Lee Byung-ho's.
"I'm gathering people like you. And we'll need someone to lead those people, right?"
"..."
"I thought I could trust you."
The woman's eyes began to emit a strange light.
"It doesn't work on me."
"How boring~ But I didn't lie. What are you going to do?"
"..."
If I have to wait here to die anyway, wouldn't it be better to follow that crazy woman?
"I will."
*
"Something's busy?"
I felt restless just staying at home, so I came to the Academy to train, but the inside of the Academy seemed busy preparing something.
Da-eun, whom I hadn't seen in a while, was next to me, answering with her unique soft smile.
In Min-ji's case, she was tormented by me yesterday and was sleeping at home, and Seo-ah said she couldn't come because she had work to do.
Da-eun happened to have finished her mission, so we decided to train together at the Academy.
My ranking has risen, but I still can't use the Diamond Training Room.
I feel comfortable training there.
"Ah~ Si-woo doesn't know?"
"Is there some kind of event?"
"Yeah~ The Academy Festival is coming up soon!"
"Ah. Was it this month."
It seems that the festival will be held immediately after the dispatch mission ends.
Well, even if it's a festival, it's nothing special, just setting off some fireworks, inviting a singer to sing, and probably a common university festival.
I don't really care, so I don't know much about it.
"Yeah~ I heard they're finishing the preparations in advance during the dispatch mission period. Have you ever participated, Si-woo?"
"This is my first time."
"During the festival period, ordinary people can also enter the Academy! The places you can go are limited, though~"
Considering the name value of the Korea Academy, I feel like quite a few people will gather.
In Da-eun's case, she seems to have come to see the festival before entering the Academy.
I've never been to a festival like this properly, so I don't know much about it, but Da-eun, who was next to me, kindly explained it to me.
We didn't know because we didn't join any clubs, but I heard that the clubs inside the Academy take charge of each booth and prepare to deal with ordinary people.
There are booths that sell food and alcohol, and booths that create games that you can easily play using magic.
And I heard that there is also a club that creates a house of horrors that you would see in an amusement park.
"Each booth charges a usage fee, and I heard that they prepare carefully because they can use it to cover their activity expenses."
"Is it profitable?"
"Yeah. I heard they make more than I thought. But I'm not the person in charge, so I don't know, hehe."
It's not a huge amount, but it seemed somewhat burdensome to look around all the booths inside the Academy.
"I heard that it's also intended to prevent too many people from coming."
If too many people come in, it's difficult to maintain security, so it seems to serve as a kind of filter.
In a typical festival, the more people, the better, but the Academy Festival has too many people.
"We're here~"
While talking to Da-eun, I arrived at the Training Room building before I knew it.
I was surprised that there were so many users on a holiday. I felt it during the vacation, but there are definitely a lot of serious guys.
Even though the Academy is busy preparing for the festival, the guys who are going to train seem to be focused on training.
'That's right, a festival... I hope nothing happens?'
Well, it'll be okay, I should help Da-eun with her training.
"Shall we check how much you've improved?"
"That makes me feel pressured~ Hehe."