Episode 271: The Wall of Wisdom
Traditionally, the position of principal of Yongsal Academy is held by a former warrior who has retired from the front lines.
Of course, the S-rank hero’s inaction did not disappear just because he stepped down from the front lines, and each successive principal devoted his immense power to only one goal.
To make Yongsal Academy a better school.
As the principals’ personalities were diverse, their directions were also different.
Some principals worked hard to build facilities,
Some principals established discipline and developed bandwagons,
Some principals have dealt with external threats.
And then a certain principal stepped into the deepest part of the dungeon, into the basement.
A magical realm among magical realms, with only 10 dungeons out of over a thousand.
I challenged an S-rank dungeon.
The wall in front of them was the spoils of war at that time, and was called the ‘Wall of Wisdom’ by those involved.
The Wall of Wisdom has always provided a solution whenever danger has come to Yongsal Academy, and this time will be no different.
As the principal got closer, the letters scattered all over the wall began to come together and take the shape of large eyes.
As if trying to look at a sample.
At the same time, one word comes to mind.
[observation]
Soon the eyes dissolved into letters again and scattered, leaving two words in their place.
[check]
[Offering]
There is always a price to pay for borrowing transcendent powers.
Of course, this wasn’t something that happened once or twice, and the sacrifice had also been prepared.
Two items appeared in the principal’s inventory.
A pair of gold-gleaming boots and a jewel-encrusted bracelet.
Both were A-rank items.
“It’s done.”
As I held it out, letters began to gather busily on the Wall of Wisdom, forming two palms.
Then the palms took on a clenched appearance,
– Perseus,
A-rank equipment was turned to dust and scattered.
It was offered as a sacrifice and destroyed.
Another word floating on the wall.
[Yum yum]
‘Oh, how much is one of those?’
The principal felt his stomach turn sour.
Even to the veteran warriors, each piece of A-rank equipment has tremendous value.
But it’s disappointing that two of them were destroyed in an instant.
But no matter how precious an item is, is it more precious than a human life?
They had a duty to stabilize Yongsal Academy as soon as possible and minimize damage to students.
So, leaving his heartache and regret behind, the principal asked the wall.
“Tell me, where is the Witch of Corruption?”
The Wall of Wisdom will answer the user’s questions if they make a proper sacrifice.
And if you use an object related to the subject as a medium, you can get a more specific answer.
For example, after the midterm exam, the locations of the Witch of Corruption and the Elder of the Blood Cult were identified using the Blood Bomb Syringe.
I ended up missing it then,
‘I won’t miss it twice.’
That’s why I’ve been collecting dark oobleck samples, and I was planning on using them to request the same information.
But what happened?
Instead of an answer, only one word appeared on the wall.
[lack]
Then, the letters gather together to form a palm and move.
The principal frowned.
‘You’re eating a lot today.’
I want three A-rank items.
But the wall of wisdom always takes only a fair price.
In other words, asking for more sacrifices means providing more useful information.
So, the principal held back his bitterness and opened his inventory, taking out a dagger covered in blood red.
And let’s just push it forward,
– Perseok,
The dagger also immediately turned to dust and scattered.
[Remember]
The principal sighed and wiped his face.
“Ugh… … . Now tell me for real.”
If anyone asked for more sacrifices or complained, he was determined to ruin everything.
The Wall of Wisdom didn’t seem to have any such intentions, and soon the letters began to assemble, forming words one after another.
[Teleportation]
[pitfall]
[labyrinth]
“… … !”
“… … !”
Everyone in the room had shining eyes.
It was only three words, but it was enough information to pinpoint the location of the Witch of Corruption.
A labyrinth covered in teleportation traps from beginning to end.
50th, A-rank dungeon.
It’s a transfer labyrinth.
Seo Cheong-yong said.
“As expected, you’ve made it to Rank A. There’s no better place to hide than a labyrinth.”
“It is very likely that the entire dungeon has been fortified.”
Lee Soo-dok also added a word.
After the midterm exam, almost a month had passed since Seo Cheong-yong and Lee Su-dok clashed with them.
Plenty of time for the Witch of Corruption to recharge and fortify the dungeon.
By scattering Ooblecks all over the dungeon, you could gain more time.
Still, there was no sense of crisis among the four people in the room.
Still, just in case, the principal made a suggestion,
“Should I join too?”
Lee Soo-dok and Seo Cheong-yong answered at the same time.
“We will take care of it.”
“You don’t need a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken.”
Although they had already experienced one failure, they were confident that they could solve this problem on their own.
Of course, if all the warriors from the previous generation participated in the expedition, it would have been much easier to conquer the dungeon and defeat the enemies.
‘But the King does not move rashly.’
The biggest reason is that we still don’t fully understand our enemies’ tactics.
What if their intention is to tie up the principal, the most powerful force, in the transfer labyrinth and invade Dungeon Island in the meantime?
There was a risk that the damage would be much greater.
On the one hand, there were political reasons.
If the principal takes action every time something happens, how will it be perceived by outsiders?
‘You’ll think it’s because the teachers are incompetent.’
If the reputation of the faculty and staff being incompetent spreads, trust in Yongsal Academy could also fall.
Maybe that too was the enemy’s intention.
So, this is something they have to solve themselves even more.
Lastly, one more personal reason for Lee Soo-dok:
‘I will do it with my own hands even if it means ending it.’
The Witch of Corruption was his prey.
Since I had already let it go once and my pride was hurt, I had even less intention of handing it over to someone else.
Whether it’s the principal, another teacher, or whoever.
The homeroom teacher nodded slightly and said.
“If that’s what you both want, then I understand. However, since it’s an A-rank dungeon, I think it would be right to organize a punitive force.”
“Of course.”
Seo Cheong-yong answered with a gentle smile.
I don’t think I’d lose if I took on them, but getting there is a different matter.
Even the location is an A-rank dungeon, not just any other place.
Even Seo Cheong-yong, the master of strategy, could never take it lightly.
“I would like to get some help from other teachers and some third grade students.”
“Please do so.”
Details will have to be worked out in meetings over the next few days.
Now that they had reached some sort of conclusion, they settled down.
And just as I was about to leave the room, another word appeared on the Wall of Wisdom.
[bonus]
“… … !”
“… … !”
Everyone froze, their eyes fixed on the wall.
This was the first time for Lee Soo-dok and Seo Cheong-yong, as well as the principal and vice principal.
Within a few seconds, the letters were assembled into two letters.
[Kim Ho]
The principal tilted his head toward the vice principal and whispered.
“What does that mean?”
“… … I don’t know either.”
“Who’s name is?”
“Maybe.”
It wasn’t easy for them to get the hang of it.
On the other hand, Seo Cheong-yong opened his mouth as if something had come to mind.
“Teacher, I think there was a kid named Kim Ho in your class.”
“… … Yes.”
Lee Soo-dok responded positively, in an uncharacteristically bewildered manner.
It is true that Kim Ho is in the 3rd class he is in charge of, and it is true that he is concerned about many things.
But why does that name pop up here?
‘It really comes out when you forget.’
The principal, who was listening to their conversation, asked.
“If this teacher is in charge of your class, are you a first-year student?”
“yes.”
“Umm… … .”
The principal fell silent.
The fact that his name appeared on the Wall of Wisdom means that he will play a key role in the subjugation of the Witch of Corruption.
Taking it with you would be greatly beneficial in some way.
‘But why?’
For what reason on earth was a first-year student singled out over so many other faculty members and students?
With his curiosity rising, the principal glanced to the side.
Then, the teacher immediately realized the meaning and brought up Kim Ho’s information.
First, grades.
“Except for the placement test and mentoring, my record in the individual battles is a complete success. My performance in the strategic battles is top-tier.”
“Where are you from or where are you affiliated?”
“Both are unknown.”
The principal asked, puzzled.
“… … But how did you get into college?”
“Let’s find out more.”
The principal turned his head and asked Lee Soo-dok and Seo Cheong-yong this time.
“What do you two teachers think?”
“It wasn’t that noticeable. My written test scores were good.”
The first time Seo Cheong-yong saw Kim Ho was in class ninety-nine times out of a hundred, and he was the type to stay quiet and just listen to the class.
So, the things observed had to be simple.
On the other hand, Lee Soo-dok’s answer came a little late.
The night the black market opened.
This is because I remembered the time when I interrogated Kim Ho after killing the Blood Cult Elder who suddenly appeared.
At that time, he used the information series skill [Truth or Lie] and unexpectedly saw this notification message.
[???no see.]
‘… … I guess there’s no need to mention it now.’
Lee Soo-dok decided to keep quiet about that part for now.
This judgment was largely influenced by the desire to directly dig into Kim Ho, just like the Witch of Corruption.
Instead, he came up with other information.
“I often hang out with two students from the same class who are not affiliated with any organization. One of them is Youngae from Hyesung Group.”
“Comet Group… … .”
“It seems that he has a lot of contact with the leader of the Thieves’ Club. It has been found that he often receives help in raiding unauthorized underground areas.”
“Are you a first-year student and are you trying to conquer the rain?”
“I have recently been disciplined for trespassing in the temporary storage area and violating some school rules.”
“… … This is interesting.”
The principal scratched his chin with interest.
The two teachers gave conflicting opinions, but both are probably true.
‘That makes it more fun.’
Doesn’t that mean that while on the outside he acts like a normal student A, behind the scenes he’s busy working towards his goal?
The number of violations of school rules is probably much higher than what is actually revealed.
He thought for a moment and then came to a conclusion.
In fact, the conclusion was reached at the moment when the name appeared on the Wall of Wisdom.
“I think I should meet that student named Kim Ho sometime.”
Before putting Kim Ho in the punitive force, let’s check it out with our own eyes.
The supporters ate it all
