How to Take Revenge as an Academy Scoundrel

Chapter 17. Naedan

The carcasses of beasts are worth money.

Setting aside bones and hides, it was the ‘Magic Stone’ within that made them an essential resource in the age of magical science.

So, the carcasses of the beasts were never left to rot.

Especially if they were higher-tier beasts, possessing more refined mana stones.

But fifteen years ago, during the early days of the Rift Crisis, when breaches were erupting uncontrollably, the story was different.

At that time, countless beasts surged forth from the rifts, claiming the earth and roaming freely.

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This place, Daemasan in Gangwon Province, was one of the lands long occupied by these beasts, particularly famous for being the territory of an S-rank beast known as the “Steel Great Basilisk.”

Years later, this S-rank beast was hunted down by Kim Mu-ho, the father of the vessel Kim Do-jin, yet, in truth, there was another S-rank beast lurking in this very land.

This other S-rank beast had once clashed with the “Steel Great Basilisk” over territory, and after a fierce battle, it was defeated and buried beneath the earth.

Thus, even as this area was purged later on, the existence of that S-rank beast remained hidden from the world.

Until the day Kim Do-jin happened to pass through this vicinity on his mission to conquer the rifts.

Thanks to his psychic ability of “Devour,” Kim Do-jin possessed a unique sensitivity to mana, and he sensed an extraordinary magical entity buried deep within the ground, prompting him to dig it up immediately.

“But I never expected that the matter I had postponed would return in this way.”

With a sense of relief washing over him, Kim Do-jin prepared to begin his task.

“Shall we dig?”

At his gesture, Winter sprang into action as if waiting for the command.

– Diggity dig dig!

Winter excitedly began to claw at the earth, and Kim Do-jin lent his psychic powers to assist.

As time passed.

“Is it up yet?”

Finally, the massive carcass of the S-rank beast began to reveal itself.

“Oh….”

Of course, over a decade had passed, and the body had decayed to the point where only bones remained, unrecognizable in form.

Yet the core of the beast, known as the mana crystal, or “magical stone,” remained untouched, sitting firmly in place.

And there was another thing.

The “Inner Dan,” a rare find in certain beasts, also lay intact.

“Indeed, there was an Inner Dan.”

The “Inner Dan” is a crystallized form of mana that condenses within the bodies of specific beasts, akin to the “Essence of Mana” obtained from the violet rifts before.

In fact, like the “Essence of Mana,” it was used to enhance the magical power within the body, and Kim Do-jin couldn’t help but feel joy.

“Good. With an Inner Dan of this quality… it may be impossible to surpass the A-rank threshold, but I can get much closer.”

Kim Do-jin turned the size of a pinky nail Inner Dan over in his hands, then pulled out the cleansing solution he had prepared earlier and poured it over the crystal.

And soon after, he wiped it clean with care.

– Gulp.

He immediately placed it in his mouth and swallowed.

“…Mmm.”

As expected, the effect manifested swiftly.

Like the time he had consumed the ‘Essence of Mana,’ a heat surged from his belly, gradually spreading throughout his entire body.

Kim Do-jin focused his mind to harness it, and when all was finally complete, he stood up with a bright smile.

“Done. Time to descend. Winter.”

With that, Kim Do-jin mounted Winter’s nape and began the descent down the mountain once more.

And after some time had passed.

“Whoa!”

Just as they were nearing the bottom, he shrank Winter down again and fastened the leash.

After walking a little further, he spotted Secretary Jin, who had been waiting by the parked car.

“Oh? You arrived a bit earlier than scheduled.”

Secretary Jin quickly shoved his smartphone into his pocket as he spoke.

“Yeah, it turned out that way. Let’s go.”

“Yes, sir. Where to? Is there another place we need to go?”

Regrettably, there were no more treasures to gather at the moment.

Originally, Kim Do-jin had possessed numerous top-tier magical equipment and treasures coveted by many awakened ones, but Cheon Sang-sik had taken all his possessions, including his home.

‘I’ll have to reclaim all of that someday.’

Kim Do-jin swallowed a bitter smile and shook his head.

“No. Take me back to Arc.”

So, he got into the car with Winter and headed back to ‘Arc.’

But during the journey.

“By the way, we’re going tomorrow, right?”

Suddenly, Secretary Jin asked while driving.

“Huh? Where to?”

“Where else? The family gathering.”

“Ah….”

He had received a text a few days prior asking him to attend.

However, he had been reluctant and considered skipping it, but it seemed this was not a matter that could be so easily dismissed.

So I tossed out a casual question to gauge the mood.

“Do you think I’ll actually go?”

“Ugh… You’ve always fallen for it before. But if you do this time, it might be a real mess. The chairman is likely to be quite furious; how do you plan to handle the aftermath…?”

It seemed that if I fell for it again, I would be in deep trouble.

‘This…’

Kim Do-jin shook his head vigorously and finally replied that he would attend.

“Oh! Really? Good thinking, young master. I’ll come to pick you up at 5 PM tomorrow, so be ready!”

And just like that, tomorrow’s schedule was set.

A family dinner with Kim Mu-ho, one of the most prominent figures in South Korea, second only to Cheon Sang-seok.

I wanted to avoid it if possible, but it seemed there was no choice if I wanted to keep things smooth moving forward.

‘How will Kim Mu-ho treat me, I wonder…’

Kim Do-jin glanced back at the swiftly passing scenery outside the window, pondering the events that awaited him the next day.

* * *

“Don’t forget, okay?”

The car finally arrived at Ark.

“Yeah.”

Kim Do-jin replied and stepped out of the car with Winter.

– Thud!

He closed the car door and trudged back toward the dormitory building.

“…….”

For some reason, Secretary Jin watched his back for a while, tilting his head in confusion.

‘What on earth has happened in the past few days?’

Though he didn’t show it, Secretary Jin had been feeling a sense of surprise all day at the subtle changes in Kim Do-jin.

It felt as if the young master, who had been spiraling down since mingling with that Woo Tae-seong gang in middle school, had suddenly regained some clarity.

‘Hmm…’

It was clear that just last week, he hadn’t been like this; I couldn’t help but wonder what had transpired in the meantime.

‘What kind of experience could lead to such a transformation…?’

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t guess, but nonetheless, it was a welcome change.

‘As long as he returns to being kind like before, that’s all that matters.’

Secretary Jin smiled to himself and pressed down on the accelerator once more.

* * *

“Eh?”

Having stepped outside, I was on my way to the convenience store to grab a snack.

“Hello.”

By some twist of fate, I ran into Misaki Ai again, who bowed her head slightly in greeting.

“Ah.”

As Kim Do-jin raised a hand in a light wave, Misaki Ai’s gaze shifted to Winter, who stood beside him.

“Hi, Winter.”

With a bright smile, Misaki Ai greeted Winter, who, filled with excitement, dashed over to her, playfully nuzzling against her.

Her tail spun like a propeller, persistently nudging Misaki Ai’s back, begging for attention.

‘The way she acts only around girls makes me wonder if she’s sometimes a male in disguise…’

Anyway, I watched for a moment as Misaki Ai and Winter frolicked together, planning to take Winter back inside.

But then, it happened.

“…Gah!”

An unexpected incident unfolded.

In a sudden burst of curiosity, Winter snatched away the blindfold that Misaki Ai had tightly wrapped around her eyes.