Chapter 2668 – 2668. God’S Atlantis

‘The plan went very well.’

I smiled quietly, unnoticed among the protesters.

The academy students’ occupation of the main building was very easy. The faculty was driven out, and the guards were caught in a bind. Meanwhile, the students were turning the occupied main building into a mess.

Graffiti on the floor and walls. In the center of the main building, they set up desks and snacks.

‘It was easy because there were no leaders to command, including the academy president. If the academy president had been there, they might have used the guards to somehow prevent the occupation of the main building.’

Of course, this was also part of the plan. They were currently called to the Valdert Duchy to meet with Elena. The meeting was about academy sponsorship and personnel supply, among other things.

‘Now, all that’s left is to take the Starway in the main building and get out. What happens after that? Who cares.’

I had already located the Starway. It was in the basement exhibition hall of the main building.

「Transparency of Deception.」

I made myself transparent in a place where the students couldn’t see me.

In front of the stairs leading to the basement, the student council vice president was blocking a student trying to go down.

“Why can’t we go to the basement? We need to leave our mark there too!”

“Please calm down. There’s an exhibition hall in the basement. It contains our academy’s history and the Starway. And didn’t you hear during the entrance ceremony? The exhibition hall has security magic, and if you go in recklessly, you could die or become disabled. It’s all for your own good. Entry to the basement is prohibited.”

“Ah. I think I heard something like that during the entrance ceremony… But wasn’t that just a scare tactic?”

“First-years might not know, but… there was a senior who went down to the basement three years ago and became paralyzed from the waist down.”

“There’s such dangerous security magic in the academy?”

“It’s that important of a place. The exhibition hall opens at the end of the year. If you’re curious, you can take a look then. Well, there’s not much to see.”

It was then. A loud voice was heard from the upper floor where the president’s office was located.

“We’ve discovered the president’s corruption!! It’s a manipulation of the books! The president embezzled 1.2 billion pennies from the academy budget!!”

“Real school corruption?! This can’t be! The president of all people!! This is a betrayal!!”

“How can someone like that be the president… Does this make sense? The president must resign!!”

For reference, 100 AP is 10,000 pennies, and 10,000 pennies is worth about 100,000 won in Korean currency. 1.2 billion pennies is about 12 billion won.

‘Converting AP to pennies is not common unless you’re really desperate for money.’

It’s a loss to convert AP into money. In fact, the system set 1 AP to 100 pennies. Conversely, you can’t convert 100 pennies into 1 AP.

Thanks to that shout, the students’ attention in front of the basement stairs was scattered. I took advantage of the gap and smoothly went down to the basement.

‘It’s a bit unexpected that an academy student discovered evidence of the president’s corruption. But can they punish the president? The Imperial Academy has no direct relationship with the imperial family, and isn’t the president the owner of the academy?’

The current president is a direct descendant of the great mage Hallen, who founded the Imperial Academy. He is also a high-ranking noble with the title of Marquis. The ruler of this area is naturally the current president.

In other words, the Imperial Academy itself could be considered one of his territories. And how the territory’s budget is used is at the discretion of the lord. Even the imperial family had no justification to interfere with the territory’s budget execution.

‘Can you call it corruption when a lord uses his own territory’s assets? Well, the Imperial Academy also receives donations from various places, so if you tie that in well, it could become a means of attack.’

The money was given to run the academy well, but if it’s used for something else, the sponsors would be furious.

‘Well, they’ll figure it out.’

When I came down to the basement, I saw a wooden door. It looked like terrible security on the outside.

[Open the Heavenly Eye.]

I can see it.

The magic that is cast from the door to the inside. Even at a glance, it’s complex and powerful magic.

‘I don’t even know what kind of magic it is.’

Even the country of the [Dark Moon] world would be a bit troubled. The magic of the [Dark Moon] world and this world are different.

I wanted to smash the security magic and go in, but if I did, the items inside might be damaged.

I opened the door.

Kukukukukung.

The entire building began to shake as if there was an earthquake.

Mana twisted inside the door and forcibly pulled me in. It pulled in the entire space where I was at once, so I couldn’t resist. The space I was sucked into was a dark space filled with fog.

‘It’s not an illusion. It’s a completely different, separate space.’

The fog gathered and took the shape of a person. It was a mage wearing a robe. She was an old woman in her 70s, but her back was straight and her eyes were sharp.

“The 24th thief has arrived. These thieves don’t even know where they’re going to die.”

I immediately recognized her identity. I had seen her statue on my way to the academy’s main building.

“The great mage Hallen is already dead. Are you some kind of thought form of that woman?”

“Thought form? No. I am magic. This is my workshop, and you are a thief who sneaked into my workshop without permission. You’re not a student who wandered in out of curiosity… There’s no reason to let you go.”

“I am a student here. Look! I’m even wearing the uniform.”

「Use Deception.」

SSS-rank unique trait. My voice carries truth. Unless it’s something absurd, most people accept it without suspicion.

But the great mage in front of me was different. She sneered.

“You’ve put power into a lie. It’s not an illusion… It’s a strange power. But it doesn’t work on me. My criteria for distinguishing students isn’t the uniform. It’s the student roster. You don’t exist on the student roster.”

“My name will be on the student roster. My name is Jin Corona. Check the roster again.”

“I’m not talking about the student roster written by the academy staff. Only the students who went through the academy’s entrance ceremony are on my student roster. You are not a student.”

“There was such a secret in the academy. It’s not a good look to be so obsessed with the academy even after death.”

“It’s something I started. I have to take responsibility until the end. That’s why I prepared this magic.”

“You have a lot of pride in the academy. Do you know what those students are doing right now?”

Hallen raised her head slightly. Her eyes seemed to be looking at a very distant place. Then she sighed softly.

“Whether it’s the empire or the academy, problems are bound to arise in everything. This too will be resolved. What I have to do now is to punish this impudent thief.”

Mana gathered around her and began to fluctuate.

Magical arrows of various colors, such as red, blue, yellow, and green, rushed towards me.

Thunder Heaven Style Electromagnetic Barrier Maximum Output.

The current hit the barrier, and the magic arrows were embedded in it. Then the magic arrows exploded. The colors of the explosions were also brilliant.

The barrier collapsed, and magic arrows flew from the fog.

Thunder Heaven Style Electromagnetic Wave.

I moved to the side to avoid the arrows.

Since I was using the Heavenly Eye, the fog was not a problem. The Heavenly Eye could easily see through the fog. But with the electromagnetic wave, I could feel everything around me. Of course, I couldn’t feel the flow of mana like the Heavenly Eye.

‘But I can feel the signs of magic. The moment mana is manifested as magic, it has mass.’

And I realized something.

There was no exit in this space. Since it was a space made of magic, I had to defeat Hallen, the subject of the magic, to get out.

Arrows flying from all directions.

[Use Leap.]
[Use Leap Discharge.]

I appeared in front of Hallen and unleashed lightning. The blue lightning devoured the fog and raged.

But Hallen, who was the target, disappeared just before the discharge and reappeared 20 meters away.

“…Did she sense the leap and run away?”

“This is my magic workshop. I’m the first to notice any changes in space.”

“Spatial leap happens in an instant. No matter what, a human can’t react at that level, right?”

“I am not human. I am magic.”

Thirty magic arrows, including the existing ones, were floating around in the air, changing their trajectories. Thirteen magic arrows flew towards me at different directions and speeds.

‘It’s impossible to block them all with a barrier.’

The best defense is offense. I leaped near Hallen.

[Use Leap.]
[Use Leap Discharge.]

Bang!

Again, discharge immediately after the leap. Hallen, as if it was natural, noticed it in advance and ran away.

The discharged lightning did not disappear and stuck to the floor, crackling.

Four more magic arrows were added in the air. The number of magic arrows was increasing over time.

I didn’t stop.

[Use Leap.]
[Use Leap Discharge.]

Repetition of leap and discharge.

Every time a discharge occurred, the magic arrows around it exploded, but it was only a part of them.

After about a minute passed.

Eventually, hundreds of magic arrows were flying in the air, and blue currents were flashing on the floor. Hallen floated in the air to avoid the current.

[Leap cannot be used.]
[This is a space where you cannot leap.]

Since there were hundreds of magic arrows floating in the air, occupying the space, I couldn’t move through space with a leap.

That was the reason why the magic arrows were floating around without attacking me.

“You can’t move if there’s something in the space you’re trying to move to. That’s the problem with spatial movement abilities. Even at this moment, the magic arrows are increasing. Even if that wasn’t the case, if all the magic arrows here explode at once, you’re finished. I’ll give you a choice. How do you want to die?”

“You’re the one who’s going to die. Did you think I laid down the lightning on the floor for no reason?”

Kuururung.

The thunder that had been suppressed on the floor roared.

Thunder Heaven Style Thunder Roar.

The lightning on the floor resonated with each other, rapidly increasing in size and power.

“Is it amplifying by resonating with electricity? It’s like magic even though it’s not magic. But even an elemental mage can’t be 100% immune to elements. This space is closed off. What you’re trying to do is nothing but suicide. On the other hand, I’m not human, I’m magic. I’ll last longer than you. If you surrender here, I’ll spare your life.”

“You talk too much. Are you getting nervous? I’m not nervous.”

I stomped on the ground as if to signal the start.

The lightning that had been resonating and amplifying on the floor discharged.

The entire space was filled with blue lightning, and hundreds of thousands of lightning bolts soared towards the ceiling. The magic arrows in the air exploded in a chain reaction. I deployed a barrier to block the aftermath of the explosion as much as possible.

Lightning rising from the floor? It didn’t matter. I was immune to electric shock.

Pajijijijijijijijijijik!

The space was already filled with lightning. I looked at Hallen, who was being electrocuted, while smelling the now familiar ozone. Hallen endured for a while, then disappeared with a distorted face.

The space made of magic disappeared, and I returned to the original space.

In front of me was a bracelet kept in a glass box.