Chapter 57: Song Mina Kneeling and Crying

‘She came after all.’

I assumed they’d sent requests for assistance to everywhere nearby, since government agencies were all deployed to the Black Gate.

Helmunt Academy was close, so it would naturally be included. Once I knew they’d sent a request, it was easy to predict who would come.

There was a highly competent girl who consistently ranked at the top of the practical magic class I ran at Helmunt Academy, a class known for being the hardest to get into.

Song Mina.

Her talent was truly remarkable.

‘Honestly, if she had been the one transmigrated instead of me, she would’ve become even stronger.’

I’d become strong by exploiting the advantage of transmigration, utilizing all the hidden pieces, hidden items, and magic techniques I knew. My innate talent wasn’t particularly high. But Song Mina was the opposite.

She was a case of inherently superior talent.

Of course, this was only natural. Song Mina had never lost her top position in the practical magic class at Helmunt Academy, the most difficult academy to enter in the entire country. It was something most people with talent could only dream of.

‘A monstrous girl.’

She wasn’t stronger than me at this point, but despite the [Harsh Fate] debuff, an incredible energy emanated from her.

‘I felt betrayed by many others, but I felt especially betrayed by her…’

There were quite a few students who weren’t particularly strong in combat. The academy’s beginner practical magic class had various entry methods, including substantial donations. However, that wasn’t the case for the intermediate and advanced classes. Only those with proven skills could enter.

Song Mina, with her proven skill, was the strongest among them. I had taught her everything I could.

Of course, I hadn’t taught her otherworldly knowledge like External Mana or Circle Break, but I had tried my best to nurture her growth within reasonable limits. It was enjoyable to polish an uncut gem.

Teaching her was a joy, thanks to her exceptional talent for learning two things after being taught only one. Even just watching her grow made me inexplicably proud.

‘But in the end, she didn’t believe me.’

The amount of time and money I invested in Song Mina was immeasurable.

We spent a lot of time together, so I became quite attached. Yet, she didn’t believe a single word I said.

-Crack

I felt a surge of anger again.

As I watched her, Song Mina seemed to feel my gaze and walked towards me.

-Thud Thud Thud

Reaching me, she bowed her head.

“You’re the Masked Instructor, right? I heard from the person in charge. They said many lives were saved thanks to you. I received the request for assistance too late, so I couldn’t get to the scene quickly. I only just arrived. If it weren’t for you… I would’ve had to fight the terrorist while facing the corpses of those who had already died. Thank you again for saving everyone.”

Song Mina bowed her head in gratitude. I replied curtly,

“It was nothing. I didn’t do it for you, anyway. You don’t know anyone who was at the scene, so you don’t need to thank me.”

Song Mina tilted her head, asking,

“Did I say something wrong?”

‘Wrong?’

‘You didn’t say anything wrong, but you did do something wrong. The skills I taught you, the items and potions I poured into you, the invaluable magic techniques… I spared no investment within my means.’

-Thank you so much, Instructor… I’ll repay this favor for the rest of my life.

I could still vividly remember her expressing her gratitude in the past.

‘But why… why didn’t you believe me? I said I was wronged. I told you I didn’t do it. Why didn’t you believe me, not even once?’

I swallowed the words that threatened to erupt from my mouth.

‘
… It wouldn’t change anything anyway.’

Baek Jooseok had been arrested, and Yang Hangil had fled after the Black Gate incident. While the Black Gate incident wasn’t Yang Hangil’s fault, he fled without taking any action and would face appropriate punishment if caught. Also, the practical magic students were all under the [Harsh Fate] debuff. They would crumble on their own, even without my intervention.

‘There’s no need to bring it up.’

I didn’t want to hear her excuses. I didn’t want to argue about why she didn’t believe me. I wasn’t curious about her circumstances. I no longer had that much attachment left.

‘How much I struggled…’

After coming here, with all my connections to Earth severed, the only people I could trust or communicate with were the Helmunt Academy students. They were my entire social circle. But in an instant, everything I had built, all the relationships I had believed in, were shattered. After that, I had to live like a wreck.

Despite how sincerely I treated them, I had to spend every day resenting those who wouldn’t believe a single word from me.

Of course, not long after I was essentially expelled, I created a Bell channel, gained fame, and made a successful comeback. By killing and threatening the guild members Baek Jooseok had hired, I was close to completely clearing my name of the false accusation of unauthorized Intranet use. I was currently in the process of forcibly opening the Intranet, which wouldn’t take much longer. But all of that was achieved through my own efforts.

‘What if I had been weak? What if I didn’t have this overwhelming power?’

If I hadn’t known groundbreaking magic techniques like External Mana utilization, I wouldn’t have gained popularity on Bell. Even if I had become popular, without strong power, I couldn’t have even dreamed of clearing an A-rank dungeon to overcome the accusations of being a quack that stemmed from Baek Jooseok. If I hadn’t possessed overwhelming magic skills, I would have been killed by Baek Jooseok in the subsequent duel. There were countless other instances as well. But I could resolve everything because I was strong.

If I had been weak, if I hadn’t been capable, I would have become a recluse after being expelled from Helmunt Academy, confined to my home, wrongly accused and resented by everyone, left to die alone. I would have lived as trash, unable to meet anyone due to my sense of loss and too afraid of people’s criticism to even step outside.

-Crack

The thought made me even angrier.

I spoke briefly to Song Mina, who was tilting her head in front of me.

“You didn’t say anything wrong. I’m busy, so I’ll be going now.”

She hesitated for a moment and then extended her hand.

“If I did make a mistake, I apologize, Masked Instructor. I simply wanted to express my gratitude. Many lives were saved thanks to you. You’re a hero.”

‘Annoying.’

When I didn’t shake her hand, she persistently held it out, blocking my path.

Thinking I should just shake her hand and send her on her way quickly, I extended my hand.

“Yes, I understand, so please leave now. I’m busy.”

-Touch

The moment our hands met…

-Hoooooowooo

‘What the
is this?’

The ring on her finger began to resonate with my Mana.

-Hoooooowooo

Song Mina stared at me blankly as the Mana waves fluctuated.

“Huh…?”

‘Don’t tell me…’

I quickly looked at her finger.

‘Why is she still wearing that?’

Song Mina was wearing the ring-shaped Artifact I had given her. That Artifact was specially made by me, designed to resonate when I made physical contact with it.

“Tsk.”

As I clicked my tongue, Song Mina’s eyes began to tremble.

“In… Instructor? It’s you, right?”

“Yes, I’m the Masked Instructor. The internet instructor.”

Song Mina immediately teared up and shook her head.

“D… Don’t joke around. You know what I’m talking about. You’re Instructor Choi Juwon, right?”

‘This crazy…’

-Paaat

The moment she said “Ch…”, with so many people around, I cast a soundproof spell around her, preventing her voice from carrying outward.

Seeing my actions, Song Mina seemed to realize with certainty and dropped to her knees.

‘Why is everyone doing this? It doesn’t change the fact that the time I’ve lost won’t return.’

An S-rank instructor, a diligent, kind, and capable person respected by everyone. A person who received positive evaluations for teaching students wholeheartedly. Everything I had built over the years had now become a relic of the past. No, it was more like a broken glass, something that could never be restored.

“Haa…”

I sighed deeply, looking at Song Mina kneeling on the ground.

Tears fell from her wide, innocent eyes as she looked up at me.

Then, she spoke,

“Instructor… I… I can explain everything…”