Double Speak - The Cuckoo Falls (2)

-Understood.

Recalling my response to Lee Seonghan then, I took out a cigarette and put it in my mouth.

Tick- Tick- The sound of lighting the lighter. Watching the ash-gray smoke rise out of my mouth, I leaned his back against a utility pole, my head becoming foggy. The hard stone touching the back of my head felt cool and refreshing.

A laugh broke out for some reason.

To think I learned about alcohol and cigarettes here, things I never cared about during my university days.

-Huuk.

The expelled smoke scattered along with my complicated thoughts.

Right. Thinking about it, I had been entangled in the quests and events set by the World Tree without any relevance to my circumstances.

I was dragged into a world with no connections, dying if I failed to fulfill a quest.

There was no comfort in this place where death was imminent.

To me, the World Tree was an object of hatred and resentment, and this damn world was initially a place I had no regrets about leaving.

'I can't live like this forever.'

They were mistaken if they thought I would listen to them after putting me in this state.

I would betray them at any opportunity, and today was such an opportunity for me.

"Hoo."

I expelled the held smoke again.

My stifled chest felt a bit relieved. The pain was gone entirely.

['The World Tree of Purity' looks at you longingly.]

The tree, destined to be my wife, kept sending me signals as if pleading.

It must know what choice I was going to make. Nobody else but this wench who had no right to resent me.

People praise this trivial tree as the World Tree. But what did it matter?

Yes. They might have enriched and saved this world.

To those playing on a world scale, a person from another world was nothing.

It saved the world, but to me, it was nothing but a catastrophe.

If there was an opportunity for revenge, it was natural to seek revenge.

"Let's go in."

I dropped the cigarette and entered the dormitory.

Walking down the corridor, I stopped abruptly in front of a room.

[Room 3054]

The casually scattered chocolate boxes in front of the door. I already knew that Jin Dallae rejected me.

One box was opened, but counting them, it seemed she didn't eat any.

I left the chocolates and entered my room.

-Thud.

I closed the door and watered the sprouting plant on the desk.

"Shiba, let's eat."

-Swish, swish.

The sprouted leaves sway pleasantly above the soil.

"Kikik, do you like it?"

-Swish!

What sin did this creature have? I found this thought absurd.

"How are you going to live if I die?"

-Swish?

Suddenly, I blurted out such a word and felt pathetic conversing with a plant. I shut my mouth.

"I am really an idiot."

I took off my mask and looked in the mirror.

Currently, my charm was around 6. A mild attractiveness that could circulate as an internet meme.

It also resembled my original face from the other world.

Maybe if I increased it by 2 here and lost weight, my charm would be 9. Probably would look handsome enough to rival an idol.

Thinking this, it wasn't all loss coming to this world.

Having made love with a beautiful woman. It could be considered a gain.

'Let's not be ridiculous. What's good about denying reality?'

A life of coercion and threats existed everywhere.

If I only complained, life would become miserable.

"Shiba, Daddy will be back."

I stroked the sprout's head and casually left the dormitory.

-Screech!

"Greetings, Brother."

In front of the vacant dormitory, individuals wearing black hoods were kneeling.

They were the fervent cult members I had talked to today.

I thought I had heard their names, but I didn't remember well as I hadn't paid much attention. It didn't matter as I just had to address them as Brother anyway.

"Rise."

"Yes. And please accept this."

The tall, robust man standing in the front handed me a black bag that seemed typical of what mafias would carry.

It was assistance regarding the weapon we had talked about today.

-Clank.

I drew out a large sword from within.

A grip with a slightly protruding handle and a relatively wider blade compared to other swords. It could be called a longsword, but more specifically, it resembled a bastard sword.

A primitive means of attack straight from the Middle Ages.

Yet, a sufficiently lethal weapon against those possessing non-human strength.

"From Apostle Lee Seonghan, a gift to Apostle Lee Shiheon."

I was nominally at an equal position with Lee Seonghan.

It was some sort of trust or something. Cults were all like that anyway.

"Thank you."

"Yes. And there's a message."

"What is it?"

"In 3 days, he plans to attack the academy. He says the time has come as Jin Dallae, the prospective apostle, has grown enough."

So soon?

I tried to reply but thought better of it and kept my composure.

Jin Dallae didn't seem that strong when I saw her last.

'It's natural since she used a low-tier spirit. Her handling ability is sufficient if she can subdue a wolf monster with a low-tier spirit.

I nodded to signify understanding. The hooded individuals bowed and disappeared like the wind.

'The fact that he didn't specify a time and location means he still doesn't trust me. Well, it's natural.'

Probably, he planned to test me on this matter.

'Is he planning to abduct Jin Dallae?'

Thinking so, I chuckled as I slung the bag containing the sword over my shoulder.

'Not a chance.'

It was an opportunity to screw over the World Tree, but I planned to take advantage of them and then betray them.

The reason was simple.

I detested NTR vehemently.

-Clang!

Betrayal was betrayal, but there were other important things.

How much could I do against that heretical militant group?

Of course, my own strength was the priority. It was my own power.

Since time was also scarce, I skipped the morning classes and was swinging my sword in the training ground.

-Clang!

I critically evaluated my skill as I hit the back of the wooden training dummy's head.

'At best, I am at the level of a beginner hunter.'

Regrettable. Of course, compared to right before entering, I had grown several times stronger.

[Status]

-Strength 5.1

-Endurance 4.2

-Agility 3.9

-Stamina 4.5

-Magic 4.1

These stats were quite high, and they weren't inferior when compared to other academy students.

The rapid growth of stats was likely due to latent potential. Maybe with a few more months of training, I could reach Sansuyu or Jung Siwoo?

-Screech!

I stood up forcefully and invoked magic towards the wooden dummy.

In the sealed space, azure magic rose and formed a translucent blade.

Intermediate Magic, Three Wind Cutters.

Three blades, shot like arrows, sliced the dummy to pieces.

Yet, it was not enough.

Sitting on the bench and checking my phone, I noticed numerous missed calls, probably because my absence from class was discovered.

-Lee Seyeong (27 missed calls)

'Why so many calls?'

I checked the time. It was exactly break time. I contacted Seyeong.

Tu-ru- [Why didn't you answer?]

Seyeong answered before the ringtone could even complete its first ring, and she was seemingly interrogating me.

"Uh.... I'm in the training room."

[You crazy guy. Shouldn't you at least come out during the roll call time? Do you think the teacher is a joke?]

"That's not the case. Why are you making a fuss?"

[You met with Lee Seonghan yesterday… shouldn't you at least have contacted after that?]

So, she was worried because I didn't come to school in the morning after meeting with Lee Seonghan.

I might have been a little inconsiderate. But was her personality always like this?

"Feeling lonely?"

[Feeling lonely, my ass. I'm your homeroom teacher, you idiot. Do you know how hard it is to keep track of truant students?]

"Worried about me, huh, worried. The teacher is nice."

[Stop talking nonsense. I'm hanging up.]

-Click.

I shoved the phone, abruptly disconnected from the other end, into my pocket, and continued my training.

The fight against the wooden dummy was like a real battle, so I quickly became accustomed to combat.

The rising magical power. The burning sensations of the body. The moving positions of the muscles.

The abilities of the wooden dummy had reached their maximum.

"Next."

-Screech!

The newly appeared wooden dummy penetrated its sword into my bosom with speed even faster than mine.

I held the bastard sword in reverse grip and deflected its sword.

The moment I tried to step and topple my body, the dummy took a step back and widened the gap.

I also approached it using a technique.

It seemed the dummy became contemplative, seeing me approach in the blink of an eye. It swung its sword belatedly.

Not missing its movement. I threw a punch.

Wooden Fist Technique.

When the punch filled with magical power tapped the dummy's chest, its body exploded roughly.

'As expected.'

Perfect magic manipulation.

The second ability attached to Hyperion's Mask was shining.

-Effect 2: Upon wearing, instantly increases charm by 3 and grants a significant bonus to magic manipulation.

A big bonus to magic manipulation. I didn't like the abstract statement, but it definitely helped a lot.

Who would complain more since it showed practical results? Even the technique of exploding from the inside, like just now, was possible.

"Okay, then next."

-Thump! Thump!

As I was honing my skills.

Someone knocked on the door.

Turning my head, I saw a fully angered Lee Seyeong holding a big basket through the glass wall at the entrance.

"Eh. Why is the teacher here-"

"Open it."

-Thunk.

"Anything to say?"

"Nothing… ma'am."

"You should at least say something before you go!"

"Ah, ahh! I'm sorry."

Opening the door, Lee Seyeong clung to me and gave me a headlock.

With her two arms around my neck, she hit my head several times.

-Thump! Thump!

"Stop beating around the bush and tell me. Why are you here? Did you dislike meeting me that much?"

"Why would I dislike meeting the teacher?"

"Give me a reason!"

"Well, I guess? Ouch!"

-Thump! Thump!

It really hurt like hell.

She finally let me go when a small bump appeared on my head.

Rubbing my head, I sighed depressingly. Seyeong, still angry, handed me the basket she brought.

"What is this?"

"Never mind, just open it."

Inside the picnic basket were full of sandwiches.

"Eat it. I brought it thinking you probably hadn't eaten yet."

"I did eat."

"Just shut up and eat. You have to eat well to grow."

"But I'm on a diet."

"…So you're not eating?"

Seeing the slightly upset Seyeong, I stuffed the sandwich into my mouth, fearing more hits.

It was a quite tasty homemade crabmeat sandwich.

"And it's okay to gain a little weight."

"Pardon?"

"Even if you lose weight, I think you'll still be ugly."

"That damn… That really hurts my feelings. So why did you come?"

Seyeong pulled out an apple juice from the basket, put a straw in it, and placed it in my mouth.

"Is it bad?"

The slightly raised corner of her lips was quite cute.

Well, what could be bad? But it didn't seem like something a girl who tried to backstab me would do.

'What does it matter?'

I sipped the drink. The slightly chilled apple juice due to her preparing ice packs while coming here was extremely sweet.

It seemed to relieve the frustration inside me.