The Academy's Deceased Ate It All

Chapter 26

---

---

“GEEEEEE, EEEE…… .”Not long after, the giant tree turned black and collapsed.To be honest, it was the first time I had seen someone die with a dying voice, so it was a bit of a strange yet unfamiliar sight.“What?”Ivan muttered suspiciously.As it did nothing and just gave off a more threatening aura than when he first saw it, as if it was about to self-destruct.It must have been an unfathomable sight to those who did not know the circumstances.“I don’t think it’s a good idea to approach him for now.”“Okay, let’s wait and see.”Before I knew it, Choi Hyun-Woo and Lee Yu-Na were exchanging opinions with serious faces.In the middle of the conversation, Choi Hyun-Woo looked at the cracked sword with a bitter face and carefully put it inside the scabbard.“Ah.”And seeing that scene, I remembered something that I had forgotten.‘Nidhogg’s fang.’It could be hidden inside the body and belonged to its owner, but it did not have the ability to be retrieved automatically.That meant that I would have to search for the dagger alone, buried in that huge wreckage.I didn’t expect this.“Haa…… .”Just thinking about it made me sigh.I didn’t expect it to be even harder than hunting.As I was thinking this, I heard a small alarm sound from the cell phone I had in my pocket.[You have successfully completed the quest!][You have obtained the quest success reward!][Additional success quest rewards have been acquired!][<Confirmation> There is an update! <Confirmation>]“Huh?”I reflexively checked the contents of the notification that appeared on my phone.Then I was blinded by a whining screen.“What’s this.”[The latest update is available. Do you want to update? (Y/N)][Estimated time: 6 hours 23 minutes][Update list: Portability and compatibility, data optimization, and other convenience features updates.]“…… .”Seeing the notification that appeared at a completely unexpected time, I had no choice but to remain silent for a moment.To be honest, I was feeling increasingly uncomfortable, but…….‘Who cares?’Anything good would be good.I decided to move on without thinking too much about it.Even if you think about it, It wasn’t going to solve the problem anyway.‘Let’s use what I got first and then update it.’I continued to operate my phone.When I selected the ‘Inventory’ column, the screen, which was always blank, was filled with two lines.― [Awakening Potion] X 1― [Sap of the first substance] X 1“Fu…… .”Without realizing it, I let out a smile, and quickly selected the ‘Awakening Potion’ and pressed use.Then I could clearly feel a strange refreshing sensation flowing through my whole body as if I had suddenly drunk cold water.At the same time, the phone vibrated slightly and a notification window appeared.[Awakening Potion is being used.][Multiple awakenable skills have been identified.][Please select the ability to activate the Awakening Potion.]I had already decided to choose ‘Henir’s Shadow’.The branch of the World Tree wasn’t bad, but it was too vague to use right now, and in terms of versatility and strength, it couldn’t follow the Henir’s Shadow.[Henir’s Shadow is selected.][A strange and mysterious power dwells in your body and awakens your spirit…… .][The hidden power opens its eyes in response to it!]“Good…… .”I could feel something boiling from the inside.Feeling a pleasant elation, I continued to play with my fingers.‘Then, should I check it out?’Henir’s Shadow (Bonded / Parasitic / Growth / Legendary)[State]― It belongs to the owner.― Parasitic on the owner and cannot be forcibly removed.― It has its own will, and there is room for growth.[Effect] [Passive]― Increases overall physical ability.― Footsteps and actions become stealthy and soundless.― If you hide in the dark, your presence will be significantly reduced.― If the owner is in danger, Henir’s Shadow can take a separate action at his own discretion.[Effect][Active]― You can cast Henir’s shadow at will. However, the current power is weak and difficult to control, and Henir’s Shadow may reject any unfair orders.― Hernir’s shadow can be wrapped around a part of the body and used as armor.— You can make things that touch the shadow temporarily sink into the shadow. The depth and duration of the sinking depend on the owner’s ability and the conditions of the object it comes into contact with. (new!)— ???— ???‘Nice.’In the game, this ability was also known as Shadow Swamp.All five abilities of Henir’s Shadow were very versatile and excellent, but to be honest, what I used most often was this third ability.It was because it could be used for various purposes, from blocking the opponent’s movement to storing things.‘Besides, Henir’s Shadow will now regard me as the real owner.’If before it was just reluctantly listening to me when I asked it to, then from the time it awakened its three abilities, it began to recognize me as its real master and obey my orders.As an object with its own will, this was an important law.‘Well then, stats this time.’[Sap of the first substance is being used.][You can feel the sap containing a primordial power flowing to the ends of your body.][Please select the stat to be increased.]Stamina, strength, and agility.I was torn between these three, but surprisingly, the decision was made quickly.‘Let’s increase agility.’It was also the most compatible stat with Henir’s Shadow, and it was better to raise it in case of when I came to use the bow of the World Tree later on.Unusually, the bow of the World Tree was a weapon that increases power only when the owner’s agility stat is high.In any case, the opportunity to raise the stat would come again later, when I rob Isabelle Gaudi’s dungeon,  so it wouldn’t be too late to raise either stamina or strength at that time.Name: Yoo Ji-HyukGender: M* * *Stamina: D (+)Strength: D (+)Agility: C (++)Mana: E (+)Art: D (++)Luck: C* * *[Talent]― Spirit’s Blessing E (temporary)[Skill]― Branch of the World Tree― Henir’s Shadow― Hunter’s Mark[Art]‘I’ve gained a lot of things this time.’I thought to myself as I put my cell phone in the pocket with satisfaction.If this was this good, I could probably move up the time to attack Gaudi’s dungeon a bit.I approached the wreckage of the dead tree, my heart even lighter now that I could breathe.“Wait, Ji-Hyuk. It’s dangerous.”“We can’t just keep waiting. We need to clear this wreckage, so we can go out to the exit.”Saying that to Choi Hyun-Woo, who was trying to stop me, I began to clean up the wreckage of the old tree, which was now blackened and dead.Then the other three people looked at it for a moment, then immediately came to my side and started helping me.“But what the hell was this?”Lee Yu-Na, who was whining and cleaning up the wreckage, muttered to Ivan, who was also rolling up his sleeves to help.“I this it’s a spirit… I don’t know the details either.”“Spirit? This?”“Well, it’s not much, but I have a little knowledge of the spirits.”“Hmm.”Lee Yu-Na picked up a piece of wood with her finger and examined it.“I wonder if I can sell it for a good price if I take it. If you’re right, it’s the body of a spirit, isn’t it?”“It can be useful as a firewood.”“So it’s useless.”Saying so, Lee Yu-Na flicked it away with her fingers as if she was not interested.She then looked back as if she had remembered.“Are you guys just going to watch?”Jin Ye-Seul, who heard those words, was startled, but soon came closer.And Na Il-Jun, who was staring blankly at this side from the corner, also made a startled expression and hurried to this side.‘Found it.’In the meantime, I was able to find what I was looking for sooner than I expected.For some reason, as I moved, I felt it saying ‘I’m here’, so it was surprisingly quick.“Huh?”And as I slowly picked up Nidhogg’s fangs, I saw something threaded into the blade, and I couldn’t help but question it.There was nothing but debris all around, as if it had dried up black, like charcoal, but it was shining like an amber stone.‘I don’t know what it is, but let’s keep it for now.’I took it and carefully placed it in my pocket.Then, the speaker installed on the ceiling suddenly sounded like wind, and soon a voice came out.[All students listening to this broadcast are hereby notified. Be notified that the mock dungeon class for that day has been canceled. Professors and staff are currently being deployed into the dungeon and all students who can make it should head for the entrance or exit, respectively. If you are badly injured and cannot move, please stay where you are and wait for help. I’ll let you know again. The mock dungeon class for the day…… .]“They’re so fast.”Lee Yu-Na, who heard the broadcast, muttered sarcastically.Ivan, who had been at odds with her originally, exhaled his breath a little as if he agreed this time.“We can go outside.”Choi Hyun-Woo muttered in a tired voice to the broadcast.And soon after, the debris was removed and the exit was revealed, and we finally felt that something big had passed and sighed without knowing who was first.“Finally…… .”“I need to go out and take a bath first.”As everyone was leaving, Choi Hyun-Woo suddenly stopped and then turned around.Lee Yu-Na and Ivan had already left.“Why?”“My party members. Two of them are lying down in the back, so I think I need to bring them.”“Then let’s go together.”Choi Hyun-Woo and I passed by Jin Ye-Seul and Na Il-Jun, who were climbing over the debris.Na Il-Jun’s eyes, which looked at me on the way, were a little strange, but I thought it was because he was originally a strange guy, so I didn’t think much of it.I was going down from the pile of debris like that.Suddenly, Choi Hyun-Woo turned his head with a bloody expression on his face, so I couldn’t help but be surprised.“Oh, crazy. You startled me!”“…… .”Surprised, I reflexively stepped back, but Choi Hyun-Woo was still looking behind with a bloody expression on his face.I wondered if something was wrong, so I looked back secretly.The only ones there were Na Il-Jun, who was making a somewhat blank expression in a strange posture, and Jin Ye-Seul, who I could not see from here because she turned her head slightly.“What? What’s wrong?”“… No.”Choi Hyun-Woo muttered like that and turned his head.I wanted to ask him one more time what the hell was going on, but the guy’s momentum was so ferocious.Unable to understand what was going on, I just tilted my head and followed him.* * *‘What is it? just that…… .’Na Il-Jun clenched his teeth with a crackling sound and tried to figure out what it was that he had just seen.But nowhere in his memory and knowledge, he could think of a word to describe what he had just seen.‘The shadow…… .’It is hardly necessary to say, Na Il-Jun did indeed come from a family that could be called a gold spoon.As such, he possessed several expensive pieces of equipment that ordinary students, active heroes, or even hunters could not touch, but the one that he had invested the most money and effort into was a dagger.Na Il-jun cherished it so much that he used it as an ornament, not a weapon.This was the first time he actually used it.Its ability, which was also called the silent dagger, is exactly that, when thrown, it makes no sign or sound.So, in theory, even a first-class hero or hunter could be hit almost 100% if thrown from a blind spot… That was the description of this weapon.But that was all.The lethal force was nothing more than an ordinary dagger.Along with that fact, the fear of Ahn Do-Hoon and the hatred for Yoo Ji-Hyuk combined, resulting in Na Il-Jun putting immediate-acting poison on the blade of the dagger.The original goal was to get behind Yoo Ji-Hyuk in the dungeon and throw the dagger.With a little thought, anyone could see how sloppy the plan was, but it didn’t matter to Na Il-Jun, who had already been driven to the corner.The fact that there was a witness named Jin Ye-Seul right next to him.The fact that if Yoo Ji-Hyuk collapsed now, he would surely be a suspect.It also didn’t matter that expensive equipment like a silent dagger would naturally have a purchase history.The fear that if he fell out of the eyes of Ahn Do-Hoon, he might not be the only one harmed, but also by his family.His anger towards Yoo Ji-Hyuk, who gave him an indelible disgrace in front of numerous students.He also felt a sense of inferiority towards the other students who had defeated a monster he had never heard of, unlike himself who had just screamed and could do nothing, and many other negative emotions urged him on.‘So, definitely…… .’He aimed at Yoo Ji-Hyuk’s back, who showed his back defenselessly, and threw his dagger with precision.The dagger, which swallowed even the sound of flying, certainly had to plunge through the middle of the guy’s back.But that didn’t happen.“What… Right before, that…… .”No matter how much he thought about it, the sight of the shadow moving and snatching the flying dagger was unrealistic.As he stared blankly at the completely unexpected scene, the shadow quickly melted away along with the dagger.“… Keeog.”At the same time, Na Il-Jun struggled to roll his eyes, coughing involuntarily in pain that squeezed his heart.At the same time, Choi Hyun-Woo’s gaze, which was looking right at him, make him freeze.If Na Il-Jun could see the system like Yoo Ji-Hyuk, he would have seen these notification windows floating in front of him.[Witnessed an incomprehensible sight! A grave shock to your psyche!][You can feel a powerful pressure weighing down on your entire body! All physical abilities are temporarily reduced!][The enormous stress is causing mental shock!]His knees trembled to the point where he couldn’t understand anything.A situation he just couldn’t understand.In Na Il-Jun’s mind, he just wanted to get out of here.“…… .”So, he couldn’t notice that Jin Ye-Seul’s eyes were being colored with a strange desire along with astonishment, even though he was right beside her.