[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Chapter 65
"Night Clan... Level 5, huh."
With the Blood Demon trait leveling up, my specialty advanced as well.
Night Clan, the defining trait of a Blood Demon, provides stronger buffs during nightti as its level increases.
"Of course, that also ans the debuffs during the dayti get worse..."
Even so, raising Night Clan is essential. Statistically, it grants a 25% increase in nightti buffs, while the dayti debuff only rises by about 15%.
"More than anything, if I want to regain my forr power, I have no choice but to level this up."
As Night Clan progresses, it eventually allows a contract with one of the Lords of the Abyss. The only reason I climbed to the rank of one of High Society’s Four Great Evils with nothing but my Blood Demon trait... was thanks to that.
"At this rate, it won't take long."
It's only mid-March, yet I’ve already reached Level 4. That’s a solid start.
If things go according to plan, I should be able to reach Level 5 or even Level 6 in no ti...
"Urgh...!"
A sudden wave of dizziness.
My head spun, and nausea churned in my stomach.
Did I get injured sowhere?
I quickly scanned my body, but there were no visible wounds.
"...Then this must be—"
Ding-!
[You have stepped into the domain of a Divine Departnt spell.]
[ENP is rising rapidly!]
[ENP increased to 35/180!]
[ENP increased to 55/180!]
[ENP increased to 85/180!...]
ENP was skyrocketing at an alarming rate!
Sowhere, an energy even more terrifying than the abyssal waves from M District was radiating outward.
Sensing a deep foreboding, I turned my gaze to the window—under the dazzling moonlight, sothing was glowing even brighter.
An overwhelming aura, shining as it enveloped the entire abandoned school...
"A Divine Departnt 4-Star Spell... Extermination of Evil."
A spell the Divine Departnt bastards always deploy on the battlefield to purge villains like —Extermination of Evil.
At the beginning of the sester, there’s only one person in this academy who could cast a spell of this magnitude besides a professor from the Divine Departnt.
"Of all the people, in all the places... it just had to be him."
Fallen Heavenly Fallen Emperor, Yang Hak-je.
The door, left ajar, swung open further as he entered with his retainers in tow. His gaze swept across the audiovisual room before lingering on the corpses of Mak and Yang Se-ah.
Even though one of them was from his own clan, his expression showed no sadness or anger—just a faint sigh escaping his lips.
"...So this is how it turned out. It's rare for to arrive too late."
"You talk as if you saw this coming. Did you know Yang Se-ah was relying on a villain's power?"
"How could I not? Se-ah’s natural talent was... diocre, at best."
Yang Hak-je explained that what first drew his attention to this case was how shockingly fast Yang Se-ah had climbed the ranks.
Then ca the reports—students disappearing in M District, illusions spotted at the abandoned school, rumors of a divine beast that could boost exam scores. That’s when he knew for sure.
"There was no way a girl like her could have reached Rank 20 by her own ability—unless she had borrowed the power of a demon."
Yang Hak-je looked back and forth between Yang Se-ah and Mak’s corpses, his face unreadable.
But then, the retainers behind him suddenly erupted in outrage.
"Your Majesty! Forgive my impertinence, but Lady Se-ah was a rightful mber of the Yang clan! Those responsible for her death must be punished severely to uphold the dignity of our lineage!"
"And first among them should be that vile scher hiding behind the mask of a professor!"
The retainers drew their weapons, their murderous intent spilling into the air as if ready to strike at any mont.
According to the lore of Military Chronicle, Yang Hak-je’s retainers were not re rabble. If Nam Kang-ik’s gang of thugs were an undisciplined mob, these n were more like an elite military unit.
"Enough."
As the retainers advanced with weapons raised, Yang Hak-je lifted his hand—imdiately, they froze in place. Instead of directing his anger at , he turned his sharp gaze toward his own n.
"I have yet to finish speaking. Do you take for a fool?"
"F-Forgive us, Your Majesty…!"
A heavy aura radiated from Yang Hak-je, making the retainers drop to the ground, pressing their foreheads to the floor.
Then, to my surprise, he turned to with a solemn expression.
"I can already guess what happened with Professor Do. My kin has caused you great trouble, and for that, I offer my apologies."
With that, Yang Hak-je slowly closed his eyes and bowed his head.
I hadn’t expected this. He was never one to indulge in empty formalities.
In all 138 cycles I had experienced, not once had I seen him bow to anyone.
I knew he bore the weight of responsibility as the Heavenly Fallen Emperor of the Yang clan, but…
I hadn’t realized it ran this deep. Even his retainers gasped in shock, their disbelief echoing in the silent room.
"Your Majesty, how could you lower yourself to soone like him?!"
"Please reconsider!"
But Yang Hak-je ignored their pleas, keeping his head bowed toward for an extended mont.
A chill ran down my spine. If he was this serious about his responsibility as Heavenly Fallen Emperor, there was no way he would let this incident slide.
"…Now that I’ve apologized, let’s get to the main issue."
BOOM-!
A sudden weight pressed down on my shoulders.
As Yang Hak-je’s eyes flashed with a terrifying light, an overwhelming pressure crushed down on .
It was the manifestation of his signature trait—Overlord.
"As my retainers have said, this matter cannot be ignored. While it’s true that Professor Do suffered due to Se-ah’s actions, he also failed to prevent her death. And that, coming from a professor, is unacceptable."
Ding-!
[You have sensed Yang Hak-je’s deep wrath.]
[Your relationship with Yang Hak-je has dropped to “Deep-Seated Grudge.”]
The system ssage made the severity of the situation crystal clear.
A deep-seated grudge, just like that?!
In Military Chronicle, relationship rankings had nine levels, and Deep-Seated Grudge was the second-lowest.
Reaching this stage ant being recognized as a complete enemy.
"Of all people, a mber of the Yang clan was left to die… I trust you understand the gravity of this cri."
As expected, Yang Hak-je intended to hold accountable.
His reasoning was simple: a noble heir had perished under my watch, and soone had to pay the price.
Disgusting. Then and now, this twisted logic never changes.
"So you’re still the sa. That revolting way of thinking."
"…What did you just say?"
"I said, you actually believe yourself to be so divine being. You thought that back then, and you still do now."
Ding—!
[Due to Night Clan Lv.5, all stats and spell effectiveness increase by 20%.]
If this were yesterday, I wouldn’t have even been able to breathe under the weight of Overlord spell.
But now?
With the buffs from Night Clan Lv.5, I could endure his oppressive aura head-on.
"…You dare defy ?"
Seeing stand tall when he expected to crumble, Yang Hak-je’s expression darkened.
The force of his Overlord spell grew stronger, and the crushing pressure on my shoulders intensified—squeezing my very heart.
Even so, I refused to step back. No, I had no intention of backing down.
If I did, I wouldn’t just lose his respect—I’d beco a laughingstock in front of the entire academy.
"You could just lower your head and repent, yet you’d rather throw away your life?"
"You’re hilarious. Have you ever seen a professor bow to a student?"
"How dare you—!"
Yang Hak-je’s eyes blazed with fury.
In that brief mont of rage, I seized my opportunity and began preparing a spell.
Thanks to his Extermination of Evil spell, my ENP was rapidly accumulating.
My hunger was growing stronger, and the buffs from Night Clan Lv.5 were amplifying everything.
Right now, I was in the perfect condition to unleash my full power.
With my current state… I can maximize the strength of Hungry Claws.
Yang Hak-je was too agitated to think straight—if I struck now, I could land a critical blow.
His retainers were troubleso, but if I forced him to his knees, they would be too shaken to act.
There was no other way. This man would never listen unless I put him in his place.
Vwoooom-!
Just as I was about to release my spell—
A sudden gust of wind cut through the room, rushing past and heading straight for Yang Hak-je.
"?!"
His eyes widened as he instinctively reached out to block it.
The impact sent him skidding several ters back.
What had forced him back… was none other than Shin A-sol’s signature weapon—her alloy shield.
"A student attacking a professor… What the hell do you think you’re doing?"
Turning my head, I saw Shin A-sol glaring at Yang Hak-je with razor-sharp eyes.
Gone was the drunken fool who had been singing nursery rhys while clutching an elephant’s trunk just monts ago.
"Unbelievable. So the ‘Iron Fortress’ actually sides with a corrupt professor."
Yang Hak-je tilted his head slightly, as if taken by surprise, and Shin A-sol simply nodded in response.
"Of course, I have to help. If it weren’t for Professor Do, Okamoto would be dead, and so would the others."
Shin A-sol stepped forward, walking steadily toward Yang Hak-je.
Each step carried the weight of the na "Iron Fortress," radiating an oppressive aura. The tension between them thickened.
"While all of this was happening to Se-ah, where were you? What were you doing? You didn’t even show your face. And yet, you think you have the right to bla Professor Do?"
At first, A-sol's words sounded almost moving. I never expected her to think this way about .
But more than feeling touched, I was simply bewildered.
"Huh? Answer . Do you really have the right to say that? You show up after everything’s over and act like you get to decide who deserves punishnt and who doesn’t… hic!"
"......"
Shin A-sol kept walking—only to bypass Yang Hak-je entirely and grab onto a chair, mumbling to herself.
Looking closely, her tongue was a bit less twisted than before, but her face was still flushed red from alcohol.
"...I was wondering what that sll was. So it was liquor."
Even Yang Hak-je looked dumbfounded. He retracted his Overlord spell, slamd the shield he was holding into the ground, and muttered under his breath.
"But they do say that the truth cos out when drunk. Her words are not entirely without rit."
At his gesture, the retainers behind him swiftly moved to retrieve Yang Se-ah’s body. They began making preparations to withdraw.
Just before stepping away, Yang Hak-je, with his back turned, spoke in a low voice.
"I'll let it slide this once. But not a second ti."
With those final words, he turned and strode out of the audiovisual room, his retainers following behind him. Just like when he first appeared, his presence remained dignified and imposing.
Ding-!
[You have sensed a faint acknowledgnt from the Heavenly Fallen Emperor.]
[Your relationship with Yang Hak-je has shifted from "Deep Resentnt" to "Loathing."]
A ssage appeared the mont the Yang Clan's group disappeared.
It was telling that, rather than soone he desperately wanted to crush, I had now beco soone he simply couldn’t stand the sight of.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if that even counted as progress…
"…Loathing is better than resentnt, I suppose."
I had been bracing myself for an all-out life-or-death battle with the Heavenly Fallen Emperor, so this outco felt anticlimactic. But maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing.
Even though my plan to earn Yang Hak-je’s respect had failed, at least I had avoided the worst-case scenario—becoming his mortal enemy.
"This ans there’s still a chance."
Having directly experienced his Overlord ability again after so long, I was reminded of how powerful it truly was. As long as I avoided making him my sworn enemy, there was still a path to turning our relationship into sothing more favorable.
"And I have her to thank for that, don’t I?"
I turned to look at Shin A-sol, who was still gripping the chair and rambling on.
Her words had shifted Yang Hak-je’s perspective. That rigid, unyielding man—one who never went back on his words—had been thrown off balance.
That ant A-sol had struck a nerve.
"Didn’t know she had it in her."
I never imagined that of all people, the Heavenly Fallen Emperor would actually listen to Shin A-sol.
Especially when she was rambling in a drunken stupor.
"Uhh? Hak-je, are you even listening to ? You gotta answer, you bastard~! Always walking around with that boring face of yours… hic! You’ve never seen a talking elephant before, have you? Want to show you? It’s freakin’ amazing…!"
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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