Episode 45. Just a Outing (2)
Radian was always dressed up nicely during class.
The uniforms worn by knights during the Empire, made with a slightly shorter length or a different color scheme, could convey the weight of rank.
Even a professor like that likes to wear casual clothes on his days off. His hobby was to go out in his tracksuit every weekend.
Radian’s usual weekend routine involves taking a walk around town to see if anything is going on.
It was also his duty to correct any immoral behavior that he saw.
Thanks to that trustworthy image, he became quite friendly with the local merchants. Some even said that they didn’t know what would have happened to their business if Professor Radian hadn’t been there.
Professor Radian, who used to live a tough life during the week and an open-minded life on the weekends, was now acting neither here nor there.
“The more I look at this, the more my teeth chatter.”
As expected, he was wearing a tracksuit because it was the weekend. It was probably time for him to patrol and greet merchants with his usual cheerful face.
“How did it come to this?”
Radian was furrowing his eyebrows, not to mention being witty. He was someone who would turn into a demon once he made a face, so it was rude to face the residents with this face.
He was standing in the park of Purgatory Volcano.
It is a famous landmark in the town of Alighieri and is sometimes called a holy place, if you will.
As the name suggests, which means volcano, there are many things made of granite here and there.
The charm of the volcanic park is that it boasts lush natural scenery, unlike the bright red lava that children usually imagine.
Even thanks to the unique geography of the volcano, a hot spring village was built in this area. This famous place where people from all over the continent gather… …was suddenly being destroyed by human hands.
Radian gritted his teeth at the thought that he was the one who was involved in the atrocity.
“What on earth is that elder up to?”
Enviel Lemanov, one of the 12 elders of the continent’s magic union. It goes without saying that he is among the most powerful people on the continent just by sitting in that position.
As someone who has reached the pinnacle of both magic and swordsmanship, his power is said to surpass even that of his headmaster, Kayden.
Since such a person personally ordered the academic staff to do this, I had no choice but to do it with a heavy heart since it was ordered from above.
Although Enviel’s majesty was beyond compare, it was questionable whether he was keeping to human principles.
Originally, it was natural to think that he was arrogant because he was in a high position, but he couldn’t stand it when Adela, the assistant professor, was insulted.
It’s a miracle among miracles that his fist didn’t go up.
“Professor! Professor Radian!”
They say even a tiger will come if you call it, and the assistant professor came running in a hurry.
The woman with brown hair braided down to her waist and blue eyes was Adela Merhena.
His whole body was covered in dirt and dust, making it difficult to recognize his appearance.
“The demolition preparations are complete! All plants, animals, and civilians have been evacuated to a safe place.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Radian stroked Adela’s head, not caring if his hands got dirty.
The person involved was embarrassed, but it contained the message that he was sorry for making the other person do this.
“Huh? You’re saying I shouldn’t approach you? Why?”
“It’s dangerous, you can’t enter anymore.”
Jenny questioned the guards blocking the entrance to the national park.
The national park I was trying to enter was a complete mess right from the entrance. All of the main facilities were destroyed, so there wasn’t even a single sight left to see.
It was even more absurd that the person leading this was an academy professor.
“What’s going on?”
Just then, the leader came over and intervened. The guard was just an intruder and was about to be sent away, but our eyes met.
“Radon? And Jenny too….”
“Professor Radian?”
The guards were able to step back because they knew each other.
So we talked for a while apart.
Radian explained to us why he was doing this unpleasant thing.
“Elder Enviel’s orders?”
“It’s not just me, some of the faculty members are also involved. They even called Adela.”
“No matter what…… if we do this, the tourists will disappear. Besides, you know very well how important this park is to the town.”
The Purgatory Volcano is like a living organism. It has the characteristic of absorbing sunlight and covering its entire body with its energy, and this park is where it releases it.
The village and the volcano are one body, so just standing in this area will allow you to receive the protection of the sun.
But what happens if you destroy that emission site?
“That’s what I’m saying. In the worst case scenario, the demons might overflow.”
“Knowing that…….”
“I can only say I’m sorry.”
Professor Radian was not always so majestic. He had to obey the words of a higher being, as if there was someone flying above the one running.
“Professor Radian! You’re here. Now all we have to do is perform the sealing ritual and we’re done… Oh my, what are you doing here?”
The woman who came running in a hurry was a face I hadn’t seen in quite some time. Adela, the assistant professor, asked me in surprise.
“There’s not much time left until the exam. Is it okay for me to wander around like this?”
“I’m just going to get some air. By the way, since when has it been like this?”
“It’s been a few days. We’ve been so busy and you’ve all been focusing on your exams, so it probably hasn’t spread.”
The cadets and professors were both busy. There was no time to wander around Alighieri Town.
“As you can see, most of the town’s public powers have gathered here. They say they’ll give us a bigger reward than we usually do, so we can’t just give up.”
“I guess it’s because he’s an elder… He’s a man with overflowing finances.”
“Because of all the money being poured into this demolition, all the town guards have moved here. The thugs are going to start flocking in soon.”
Jenny looked disappointed at the fact that she had gone out without even knowing that fact.
“Oh! Since we’ve met like this, I’ll give you something, teacher.”
Adela urged me to open my hand. When I did, she placed a piece of paper in my hand.
“What is this?”
It was an amulet that showed signs of being crumpled.
“It’s an artifact that absorbs curses. It’s a good idea to bring it with you now that the Sun’s Protection will be gone. Since you’re in Class C, your immunity to curses may not be that high.”
“Why me?”
“You protected the cadets from the Lycans when I was gone. This is my thanks for that. I originally received it from Elder Enviel, but I don’t want to receive a gift from a human like that.”
There was no reason to refuse. Even if it was a curse… … it would be of no use since I was already under it.
“And I have a special favor to ask of Jenny.”
“To me?”
“It’ll only take a moment. I don’t intend to take up too much of your time.”
While Jenny was being led away by the professors, I took a look at the amulet.
Just listening to the explanation, it seems like a completely useless item to me. It only grants immunity and cannot be removed.
Just like the Bible I received from Refrain before, there is no use for it other than immunity… .
[‘Dead Man’s Amulet’ reacts to ‘Liar’s Curse’.]
“uh?”
Suddenly, the amulet began to glow purple. It felt exactly like when I received the artifact from the department head.
Just in case, I breathed magic into the talisman. The magic, which always had a transparent aura when it was displayed externally, was now purple.
And then the talisman turned into particles… … and seeped into my body.
[The curse within you surges with greater force. The amulet of the dead that is absorbed by resonance mutates.]
[New stat slot, ‘Main’, has been activated!]
I was surprised for a moment, but then a notification window popped up out of nowhere and I immediately opened the status window.
__________________________
Race: Human
Grade: 1
Occupation: Swindler (Experience: 50/100%)
– Stamina: 19
– Strength: 19
– Intelligence: 13
– Perseverance: 25
– Horsepower: 38/38
– Main: 5/5
[List of professional skills], [List of life skills], [List of combat skills], [List of magic skills], [List of main skills]
__________________________
I couldn’t hide my surprise at the new stats I had never seen before.
– Main: 5/5
[Main Skill List]
These two things have been added. It sounds like the amulet that just reacted to my curse has given me new powers.
And I saw the description of the talisman.
__________________________
n[Amulet of the Dead (★)]
-Usage: —
-Skill level: —
An unidentified amulet created by an evil cult.
It is helpful for learning the main skill because it can absorb all curses just by holding it. With this characteristic, you can absorb weaker spirits than yourself.
However, the absorbed curse is never purified.
__________________________
As expected of a cursed object, it had a dark setting.
An artifact that literally sucks up curses and makes its owner take full responsibility for them… … A curse that will bring wrath upon all beings.
In short, Assistant Adela was scammed.
‘As expected from Elder Enviel. He’s like a yellow human from the start.’
But this curse-absorbing monstrosity worked well for me.
Those who engage in evil deeds as a mainstay are called ‘jujeosa’.
Leviathan (★★★★)
ㄴAmulet of the Dead (★)
[Main Skill List]
Curse Lv1
‘Isn’t this just a necromancer?’
Since it was just developed, it only has one skill.
It’s also a very simple skill.
__________________________
– Curse Grant Lv1
Consumes a certain amount of energy to place a curse on an object. The range is proportional to the amount of energy consumed. The type of curse can be chosen from the suggested range.
However, as always, it doesn’t work on those with strong tolerance.
__________________________
It is a skill that turns an object into a fetish by inflicting a curse on it. For example, dropping money with a curse on it on the floor and having someone touch it become cursed.
But I never spend money for no reason, and if it’s something worthless, I won’t even look at it, let alone touch it.
Do I have the skills to complement this now?
* * * * *
Jenny and I were walking back without even seeing the national park. As we were walking towards the bachelor’s school, I asked Jenny.
“What did the professors ask you a little while ago?”
“It’s simple. I was asked to build an ice wall. I’m the only one in the Academy who specializes in that ability.”
There may be many ice magics, but none have the ability to manipulate ice as freely as Silver Age.
“Then what was the amulet that Radon received earlier? If it was an amulet to ward off curses, it would be widely available.”
“It looks useful. At least nothing bad will happen on the way there.”
I burst out laughing and showed a cheerful expression.
How could you be unhappy when you just got a new skill for free?
Jenny, who was staring at me like that, swept her mind to one side. Her face looked as if a lump had been resolved.
“Thank you so much for today. Thanks to Radon, I can no longer hesitate.”
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Yeah. I thought I was pathetic because I couldn’t protect Angela until now… But I can’t just sit back and do nothing for you, who takes the time out of your busy schedule for me.”
Jenny took a few steps ahead and looked back playfully, smiling.
Her appearance, combined with the pure white one-piece dress, was so slender that it was impossible to take my eyes off her.
“That’s why I won’t stay still if something happens to Radon.”
“Even though we met by chance?”
“Hey, you’ve regretted it all now. Even if it seems strange that you’re still lying these days, you’ll figure it out little by little.”
Jenny took off her hat and walked backwards, smiling as she continued to talk.
“There’s no need to get busy and dig in as long as you don’t cross the line like last time, right?”
Her long, swept-back blue hair was flowing freely.
Is that really the girl swinging her sword so fiercely? She looked so angelic that it was hard not to doubt her.
Thanks to that… … I also had a moment where I could let out my chest.
Phew─
Suddenly, a giant man charged from behind and tackled me.
As I fell over with a ‘Ugh!’, the giant fell down with me.
“Radon! Are you okay?”
“Yeah. First of all….”
I must have hit him so hard that I just lightly touched his shoulder and it hurt so much that I said, “Ouch!” But there was something even more ridiculous.
“Ouch, oh, oh, oh! My arm! My arm is broken!”
The giant who had rushed at me grimaced with arrogance and writhed in pain. To be exact, it looked like it was in pain.
The expression was so obvious that it was obvious that it was acting. Even Jenny could tell.
“Why are you pretending to be in pain when the old man came running and bumped into you?”
“Ugh…. Are these little kids saying such things after breaking people’s bones?”
Jenny was so dumbfounded that she clicked her tongue.
Jenny happened to be backing away when she saw the massive creature running towards her and hitting Radon.
Besides, it was absurd that he had broken a bone, considering that he was a large man who could have been hit with a hammer without getting hurt.
“I saw the whole thing, when you intentionally bumped into things!”
“Sorry, we were watching too.”
Suddenly, several men appeared from the nearby alley. Their sinister laughter, revealed from the darkness, was the sign of the authors plotting unpleasant things.
“That little guy intentionally bumped into our big brother. Hehe.”
A man with a scar over his eye approached Jenny and spoke. The guys around him laughed along with him.
It looks like they are the scoundrels the professors were talking about. They came to this town while everyone was busy.
“Should I pay you right now for breaking my brother’s arm?”
“This is crazy. It’s broken here.”
[Erosion rate reduction: -15%]
[+ 1500 Credits]
As I countered with an exaggerated lie, the air suddenly became cold.
“It’s broken…?”
Jenny murmured in a low voice. She raised her head and looked at the scarred man.
With every step I took in that state, the ground froze.
“You broke my friend’s shoulder first… How dare you shout such nonsense?”
Those cold, frozen eyes showed that he had lost all sense of reason at the fact that I was badly injured.
The energy she was giving off now felt somehow familiar.
The feeling of being attacked during the first practical exam. And the overwhelming murderous intent that came out when Ruska attacked me and protected me.
Sreung!
“Do you want to die?”
“……!!”
Before she knew it, she had moved behind the scarred man, holding a blue sword in her hand.
It seemed like he was using the acceleration skill ‘Shooting’ and he was aiming his sword so that he could cut off the man’s neck at any time.
Not only the scarred man and the guys around him, but even I felt creepy.
It was a moment when a girl who was like an angel turned into a demon and a serpent in an instant. I almost felt a great sense of discomfort, but when I thought about what kind of character Jenny was, it wasn’t that strange.
“Hey, try it! You’re a student at the Alighieri Academy, right? If we get hurt by you, we can immediately report you to the academy.”
“…….”
They may have started it first, but Academy cadets cannot harm civilians.
Jenny hesitated for a moment because breaking that rule could result in a red line being drawn on her school life.
In the meantime, the gang pulled Jenny out of that place. They had her by their side, and they were drooling and exuding a gloomy air, unable to control their desire.
“What do you want?”
“It’s simple. Just give me a lot of money for my older brother’s medical expenses and I’ll back off. If you don’t have the money… You understand?”
The scarred man says with an unpleasant smile.
But Jenny didn’t seem to want to fall for that trick, and planned to run away with Radon by freezing the floor and tying her ankles.
“If it’s money, it’s here!”
Then Radon shouted loudly. He took out a bag that seemed to contain money and put it in front of him.
“It must have cost 30 gold coins. Each one is worth 10,000 credits, so it should be 300,000 credits, right?”
“radon!”
Jenny shouted loudly in absurd shock.
How expensive would 300,000 credits be? If we convert it to Korean currency, it would be around 3 million won.
It is simply unacceptable to spend such a large sum of money on such trash.
“Three hundred thousand…?”
He had a bright expression for a moment, as if he had received a man’s suit for that price. When I threw him the pouch, he opened it right away… and inside were dozens of gold coins radiating a dazzling light.
“Guys, this is enough! Hahahaha!”
The man laughed heartily as if he had no more regrets. Soon, he disappeared into the darkness of the alley with his subordinates.
In the process, the guys pushed Jenny, who they were holding onto, towards me, and the giant who had been joking about breaking his bones was moving around fine.
“Are you out of your mind? Why did you just let that slide!”
Naturally, Jenny questioned me and expressed her great disappointment.
He seemed ready to swing his sword and vent his anger right now… but I just laughed and said.
“You know, Jenny. Actually, I didn’t have that much cash.”
“what?”
“Hehehe. Something fun is going to happen soon.”
Jenny suddenly became angry after hearing what I said.
This time, it was Jenny who was creeped out by my devilish smile.
* * * * *
“Hahahaha! Isn’t this a windfall, hyung?”
“How about we all party together tonight?”
The gangsters who had set up their hideout in a run-down back alley tavern were creating a festive atmosphere.
Because the amount of money taken from students was unexpectedly large.
“Well, it wouldn’t be strange if they came out since they are all nobles. Hahaha!”
The giant who pretended to be sick said this while laughing heartily. Since his role was big, the scarred man gave him a special opportunity to touch the money.
“Should I go and check it out for myself… huh?”
The giant opened the pouch, feeling it as if it were his own child. But the contents inside were strange.
“what’s the matter?”
“Brother… This isn’t money?”
“What are you talking about? When I saw it, it was clear….”
“Not even money…bug…bug…”
At that moment, countless insects burst out of the pocket and attacked the giant. The insects that came out like a colony of locusts were of all kinds.
“Eww!! Brother!”
“Uh… Uh uh uh?”
The scarred man was astonished to see the giant being bitten by insects.
There were hundreds or thousands of bugs, so many that it was hard to see them emerging from that small pocket.
In addition, each individual contained a terrible curse. If you were bitten by one, you would immediately become as good as dead.
“Eww!!”
“older brother!!”
“These things… Kkaaaak!”
The men scream as they are bitten by bugs.
The scarred man who saw that realized belatedly that he had been tricked… …but it was already too late.
“Ah… no. Don’t come any closer. Kyaaaaak!!”
In the end, the man was swallowed by a bug and fell under the curse. He struggled and stretched out his arms, but eventually lost consciousness.
They were not trained beings like academy cadets. They had no resistance to even that small curse, so they were left unable to move for a week.
Since there is no one to go out… … they just starve.
The identity of that pocket is a fake created in parallel with Radon’s bug summoning and illusion summoning skills.
And he was the subject of an experiment on the power he had first acquired called ‘main force’.
Surviving as an Academy Fraudster
