Chapter 5: True Education (2)

• Boom!

An enormous explosion resonated, and in an instant, the dark magic Yang Han-gil cast was shattered in mid-air.

“W-what…?”

Yang Han-gil muttered in a dazed expression, waving his hands through the air.

“My…my magic that I researched for years…even dark magic…just…by a mere Magic Missile?”

• Thud

Yang Han-gil collapsed and began convulsing.

“D-don’t say such nonsense! It’s a trick! You also used dark magic, right? How can this be…”

“Heh heh heh…”

“Don’t lie to me…”

Yang Han-gil, forgetting that his favorite Seol Eun-a was beside him, started crying like a child.

‘Pathetic fool.’

Objectively, he wasn’t a bad magician. The fact that he understood and used dark magic was proof of his high-level mage status. However, he simply wasn’t a match for me. In short, I was far stronger than him.

While Yang Han-gil focused on making his skills look impressive and grandiose for the sake of appearance, I pursued extreme efficiency. No matter how small or unadorned a spell was, if it was efficient, I used it. Of course, beyond efficiency, a major difference between us was ‘mana quantity’ and ‘skills.’

I traveled through countless dungeons in various gates, completed numerous quests, and repeatedly engaged in life-or-death battles to grow my mana. As a result, I also acquired many skills.

‘What a dumbass.’

But Yang Han-Gil, despite his abilities, refused to enter dungeons, considering them places only for uncivilized folks. In the end, the gap between his theoretical improvements and my practical magic became enormous.

Looking down at Yang Han-Gil, I said, “You pest. Do you now understand the difference between you and me? You must have felt it seeing this. You’ll never reach my level, even if you live your whole life. So don’t get all pleased just because you took my place. You’re just a substitute.”

Yang Han-gil, with his face in ruins, yelled loudly, “You coward. You were born with innate mana and now act as if it’s all due to your efforts! It’s disgusting!”

Yang Han-gil’s words didn’t stop. “Damn it… I poured all my efforts into researching powerful magic. I used everything I could: academic connections, family, guilds, friends, even forbidden books! But why…why do you…?”

Boom!

Unable to listen any longer, I shot a small fireball beside Yang Han-gil.

• Sizzle

A tremendous blaze flared, scorching the area beside him black.

“Hey, Yang Han-gil. Do you really think my abilities are due to talent? I rolled around in dungeons like a dog before I became an adult, nearly dying hundreds or thousands of times. Only after becoming an adult and starting work as an academy instructor did I research and develop the optimal use of mana I felt in the dungeons, reaching my current level.”

“Isn’t it easier to avoid responsibility by blaming circumstances or talent? It must be nice to think that anyone better than you is all due to talent, you filthy pest. That’s why you rely on dark magic. Live your life like that. It’s clear you wouldn’t even be able to teach properly.”

• Crunch

Yang Han-gil bit his teeth hard. His eyes were bloodshot from anger, and blood trickled from his clenched mouth.

“…You might have higher innate mana than me, but as an instructor, I am far superior. Your students probably found you insufferable due to your arrogant personality, didn’t they?”

“Don’t you know I have an S-rank instructor title?”

“That S-rank title? The one you obtained through marketing? And do you know how much talk there is about you among other academy instructors? You only selected talented students from the start, pretending that they grew due to you.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Can’t you understand? You’ve only taught students with high innate mana and magical talent, giving basic lessons and then inflating their achievements as if it were due to you.”

“Ha, now you’re talking utter nonsense. My students ranged from advanced to beginner classes, and they all showed explosive growth. I even received only A+ grades in the achievement evaluations submitted by students every month. You moronic fool.”

Hearing this, Yang Han-Gil snickered and glared at me. “Did you threaten students to submit good evaluations? I already thought it was ridiculous that a lowly hunter like you became an S-rank instructor at the prestigious Helmont Academy, but you’re also a filthy bastard who resorts to threats.”

“Nothing makes sense, think what you want.”

Since I had already demonstrated the difference in rank, I thought I no longer needed to listen to the pathetic nonsense Yang Han-gil was spouting. Just as I was about to turn and leave, he crossed the line with his words.

“Choi Joo-won, if you were truly a great instructor to your students, would they have abandoned you like this?”

He was holding a small cellphone in his hand. It seemed he had secretly taken it from the bar where I had left it earlier.

• Click

He opened my phone and began reading the messages.

“Die, trash.”

“You always seemed gloomy. As expected, physiognomy is scientific.”

“Pathetic bastard. Is it a hobby for men to spy like that?”

“I never liked you from the start. You acted like you were something special and always had an attitude of trying to teach everyone. Serves you right.”

“Pathetic and filthy.”

I tried hard to ignore it. I didn’t want to hear the terrible messages my students, whom I had trusted and given everything for, had sent me. But the more I tried to ignore it, the louder Yang Han-gil’s voice became.

“Why were you born? You’re a pest that only wastes oxygen.”

“Typical of an orphan; your behavior is a sight to see.”

“Just commit suicide.”

“Ha ha ha. These messages I’m reading? They’re from after you were kicked out of the academy today, right? Although they’re anonymous, it’s clear they were sent by your students. You voyeuristic bastard.”

Unable to endure any longer, I concentrated electricity in my hand, shaped it into a spear, and threw it at the smartphone Yang Han-Gil was holding.

• Sizzling
• Crackle

“Graaah! S-shit…my…my hand!!”

The phone Yang Han-gil was holding was completely destroyed, and a small hole was left in his hand.

“M-m-madman…if you had missed, I…might have died…”

“Don’t use informal speech. I’ll really kill you before I’m done.”

Strangely, hearing the messages Yang Han-gil had read seemed to calm my emotions even more. No, it felt as though my emotions had gone beyond their peak and were now completely drained.

I walked towards Yang Han-gil and said, “Hey, Yang Han-gil. You said earlier, didn’t you? That I have no skills and only raise academic achievement satisfaction evaluations by threatening students and selecting capable ones, pretending their success is due to me.”

“Y-yeah! Did I say something wrong…?”

Seemingly troubled by the threat of being killed for using informal speech, he started speaking in awkward formal language, holding his injured hand.

“Then, how about a bet? Since you, Yang Han-Gil, have been transferred to my position, let’s see if you can raise the students’ stats even a little and get an academic achievement satisfaction evaluation of B grade or higher.”

“Ha, do you think I can’t do something so trivial?”

“Damn, the formal speech makes it even worse. Just use informal speech.”

“W-well, if I manage to teach the students as an instructor and they achieve B or higher in the academic achievement satisfaction evaluation, what will you do?”

• Whirring

As I gathered mana in my hand, a large circular magic circle began to form in the center.

[SSS] Vow Magic Circle: This allows the caster to record a vow between the caster and the opponent, dividing it into [Condition] and [Result]. Mutual consent is required, and the content of the vow cannot be nullified by any magic. If the [Condition] is met, the [Result] will be enforced.

This skill is akin to a “contract” with physical coercion. It is generally used to place conditions in a bet or to enforce promises.

I looked at Yang Han-gil and shouted toward the vow magic circle.

“I am setting the condition. The condition is that Yang Han-gil must increase the overall stats of his students by at least 3% after taking office as a practical magic instructor, and also achieve a satisfaction rating of B or higher in the academic achievement evaluations submitted by the students. The period is six months. If the condition is met even once, it will be considered fulfilled.”

The magic circle shimmered greatly and then stabilized, and I shouted again.

“I am setting the result. If the condition is met, take my life.”

Yang Han-gil’s eyes widened as he looked at me.

“Ha ha ha… You crazy bastard. A 3% increase in overall stats and a B grade or higher in academic achievement evaluation within six months? That’s ridiculously easy. Why don’t you just say you want to commit suicide?”

I ignored his words and added another [Result].

“If the condition is not met, annihilate all of Yang Han-gil’s sperm, remove one testicle, and induce hair loss.”

• Whirring

The magic circle began to spin, emitting a tremendous amount of mana.

I infused mana into the circle and looked at Yang Han-Gil with a smile. But Yang Han-gil’s expression was frozen.

“Is this… really a madman?”

“Hey, I’ve staked my life on this. You don’t think you can’t handle losing one testicle and going bald, do you?”

“Damn… Even if you were born with a higher mana amount, my understanding of magic is far superior to yours. Therefore, the students will be much more satisfied than when they were taught by someone like you. Naturally, their stats will rise.”

• Whoosh

Yang Han-gil also infused mana into the magic circle, which disappeared as both sides agreed to the vow.

I smiled and said, “Hey, I’m looking forward to it. Soon, you’ll be living with one testicle and won’t be able to have children. It looks like your great genes won’t be passed on.”

Yang Han-gil shouted and cursed.

“Don’t talk nonsense! I won’t need six months! I’ll meet the condition in the first month and watch you die in front of me.”

I looked at Yang Han-gil and grinned. A window appeared in front of me, which Yang Han-gil couldn’t see.

• Ding!

[The Path of Kings] Skill Link Disconnected: 12 hours and 30 minutes remaining until [Harsh Fate] is applied to the ‘Successors’. To avoid penalties, please reconnect as a successor.

[SSS] Harsh Fate

• The growth rate was significantly reduced.
• Luck stat significantly decreased.
• Mana’s efficiency significantly decreased.
• Total mana gradually decreases.
• Occasionally experiences severe misfortune.
• All effects persist until re-linked as a ‘Successor’.

‘Yang Han-gil, you bastard. Do you think you can make even a slight improvement with an SSS-grade penalty skill on your students? The more you struggle, the more your students will become fools. You’re screwed, just like those students of mine. Go ahead and keep struggling, you bastard. It’ll be more fun watching you ruin yourself along with those former students. You worthless piece of shit. Die and keep flailing.’

I’m looking forward to his first class. With Yang Han-gil’s personality, he probably won’t even realize he’s cursed, and he’ll likely drive his students to the brink while trying to increase their stats. I’m certain his downfall will start from his very first class.