How to Take Revenge as an Academy Scoundrel

Chapter 34. Unraveling

‘Gah!’

Kim Do-jin turned his head sharply, overwhelmed by confusion.

Unlike others, he could see through Carla Arlen’s ‘invisibility’ power.

‘What on earth is she doing?’

He glanced at the garments that fell to the floor, pondering.

‘Could she be trying to rescue a hostage?’

No matter how he thought about it, that was the only explanation.

The reason even the strongest instructors of the ‘Ark’ dared not intervene was because of the hostages; if she could secretly extract one, they could swiftly subdue the villains.

Yet, just because one was invisible did not mean they were immune to attack.

‘Isn’t this still dangerous?’

If the villains caught wind of Carla Arlen’s attempt to rescue a hostage, they would unleash their fury into the void, startled and unrestrained.

At that moment, instructors and students would rush to help, but there was no guarantee Carla Arlen would remain unharmed until then.

‘This is indeed perilous…’

After all, this hostage situation was merely bait for a larger operation, and there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

‘It’s better to stop her.’

Resolved, Kim Do-jin lifted his gaze to observe Carla Arlen.

She was now clad in nothing but her undergarments, and despite the embarrassment that tinged his cheeks, he could not tear his eyes away from her movements.

“…….”

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With a solemn expression, Carla Arlen surveyed her surroundings before stealthily stepping forward.

And Kim Do-jin, with patience, quietly watched her.

“…….”

As expected, when she attempted to pass near him.

– Thud!

He seized her wrist and spoke softly.

—

“Don’t go.”

In that moment, Karla Arlen turned to Kim Do-jin, startled.

“Can… can you see me!?”

Karla Arlen looked down at Kim Do-jin with a face frozen in bewilderment, while Kim Do-jin met her gaze with calm assurance.

“Yeah.”

Karla Arlen’s face began to flush a deep crimson at an astonishing speed.

“Y-You… how can you…!”

How he could see her in her state of invisibility was undoubtedly a pressing question.

But right now, there was something far more urgent.

“Don’t look!”

Karla Arlen crouched down suddenly, covering her chest with both hands.

“Ah, sorry.”

Kim Do-jin released her wrist and swiftly turned his head away, and only then did Karla Arlen manage to gather her wits enough to speak.

“W-When… when did you start being able to see me!?”

Suddenly, memories flooded back—of sneaking into Kim Do-jin’s dorm room clad only in her undergarments, and of openly staring at his face on the bus just moments ago, causing her to blush even deeper.

“Uh? Actually, I could see you since yesterday… I’ll explain the details later.”

Kim Do-jin lied, focusing on calming Karla Arlen for the moment.

But then.

“Hey! You there, what’s going on? Can’t you keep it down?”

A villain, sensing the commotion, shouted with a scowl.

Though they had cast a mana barrier to muffle the sound, it seemed it hadn’t been enough.

“…….”

Kim Do-jin and Karla Arlen immediately fell silent, and the villain, deeming it a minor issue, turned away after giving a vague warning.

“…….”

After a moment of quiet, Kim Do-jin and Karla Arlen resumed their hushed conversation.

Of course, Kim Do-jin kept his gaze averted.

“Anyway, if you were thinking of rescuing the hostages, you didn’t need to. Their goal lies elsewhere.”

“What? What do you mean…?”

“The real crime scene is probably deeper inside, at the research facility.”

Kim Do-jin explained his reasoning, questioning why they would stage a hostage situation first, and Karla Arlen nodded in agreement, understanding dawning in her eyes.

“Yes, I suppose so… But…”

“But what?”

“Could you close your eyes for me?”

“Uh? Ah…”

Kim Do-jin kept his head turned, yet he squeezed his eyes shut, even going so far as to cover them with his palm, as if to shield himself from the world.

“……”

It was then that Carla Arlen cautiously rose, making her way to where she had discarded her school uniform.

With deliberate slowness, she began to retrieve her uniform, ensuring that no one would catch sight of her.

Time slipped by in silence.

“All done.”

Having donned her uniform, Carla Arlen stealthily returned to Kim Do-jin’s side.

“……”

Kim Do-jin slowly opened his eyes, turning to look at Carla Arlen, who, for some reason, still bore a faint blush on her cheeks as she glanced at him.

It seemed that even if she were not entirely naked, the mere fact of her face being visible was a source of embarrassment.

‘Ugh…’

At just seven years old, Carla Arlen had suddenly awakened her powers, becoming invisible to all.

Her life, naturally, was vastly different from that of ordinary people.

The fact that no one could see her face meant that no one could read her expressions, and without expressions, emotions remained hidden.

What meaning does a smile hold if the other cannot see it?

Thus, Carla Arlen found herself struggling to connect with others, her demeanor growing increasingly stoic.

‘What is Carla thinking?’

‘I don’t know. She’s just like that…’

The bright, cheerful girl of her childhood had faded away, leaving her with not a single true friend in the present.

Yet now, at this very moment.

For the first time, someone had appeared who could look her in the eye.

How complex her feelings must be, Kim Do-jin could hardly fathom.

“……”

Kim Do-jin moistened his lips, pondering how to break the silence.

But just then.

“Damn! Looks like they’ve already deployed!”

With a welcoming air, the agents of the ‘Special Defense Agency’ arrived on the scene.

“Damn it! What do we do now? Shouldn’t we stall for time?”

“What do you mean, what do we do? Can’t you see Jang Min-ho over there? Run!”

Among the dispatched agents of the ‘Special Defense Agency’ was the renowned S-class Awakened, Jang Min-ho, and upon seeing him, the villains promptly abandoned their hostages, scrambling to escape.

“Running in front of someone.”

This team had been assembled with speedsters in mind, prepared for such a situation, but unfortunately, their opponent was formidable.

Jang Min-ho, a high-ranking official of the ‘Special Defense Agency,’ happened to be a psychic who could manipulate the wind.

– Whoosh!

Like a master of martial arts soaring through the air, Jang Min-ho dashed forward, riding the currents of his unique wind as he pursued the villains.

“…….”

Meanwhile, Kim Do-jin, watching the scene with a peculiar gaze, suddenly jolted to his feet.

“Uh!?”

Beside him, Carla Arlen flinched, looking up in surprise, but Kim Do-jin said nothing and hurriedly ran toward the true crime scene—the research facility.

* * *

In a building located at the heart of the National Mage Science Research Institute.

“Heh heh… As expected, all the security forces are drawn that way.”

The villain in charge of this S-class mana stone heist, Jeong Gi-seok, wore a satisfied smile.

Seeing the plan unfold smoothly, it seemed that the mission would conclude with ease.

“Boss! It’s going to take more than five minutes to break through this!”

Suddenly, a subordinate, struggling to crack the safe beside him, expressed his frustration, but the ease on Jeong Gi-seok’s face did not waver.

“That’s enough time. Hurry up with the work.”

Targeting the day when the students of ‘Arc’ would come for a tour was, upon reflection, a brilliant move.

To think that the security forces would essentially mobilize entirely to rescue a student from ‘Arc,’ leaving the truly important items unattended…

It didn’t quite make sense, but it was a good turn of events nonetheless.

From their perspective, as they plotted to steal that crucial item.

“Heh heh…….”

With that triumphant chuckle, Jeong Gi-seok had no doubt that this mission would succeed.

But just then.

– Crash!

Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed, and a man emerged from the debris.

“What’s this!”

A man, having crushed a subordinate underfoot, lifted his head with a swift motion.

“…High schooler?”

As the dust settled, the figure revealed was, astonishingly, a student clad in a school uniform.

“What the hell is this punk?”

One of the nearby subordinates, perhaps feeling emboldened by the apparent ease of the situation, charged forward with a string of curses.

But then.

– KWAANG!

To everyone’s shock, a single kick sent him flying far away.

“……”

Jung Gi-seok, who had tilted his head almost 90 degrees before straightening it again, realized that the student before him was no ordinary foe.

Dressed in a school uniform, he was undoubtedly a first-year from ‘Ark,’ yet what was this insane combat prowess?

‘Damn… what kind of freak just pops up out of nowhere…!’

Jung Gi-seok lamented the sudden calamity, but no other options presented themselves.

“What are you doing? Everyone, swarm him and catch him!”

He quickly commanded the ten subordinates around him to launch a coordinated attack.

“Ughhh!”

The ten subordinates, with a unified battle cry, charged from all directions to capture the suddenly appeared student, Lee Jin-ryul.

However.

“Ugh!”

“Khuh!”

Incredibly, even with a ten-to-one advantage, they were utterly outmatched.

“Insane….”

With a shocked expression, Jung Gi-seok watched the scene unfold, and only when three of his subordinates fell did he finally spring into action.

– THUD!

He leaped not directly at Lee Jin-ryul, but rather towards the corner where hostages were tied up.

Using the hostages as leverage, he aimed to momentarily halt Lee Jin-ryul.

“That’s far enough, you b*stard!”

Jung Gi-seok shouted as he reached for one of the hostages.

But just before he could…

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Suddenly, another student lunged forward, driving a sword into Jeong Gi-seok.

“What!”

Barely managing to step back in time, Jeong Gi-seok glared ahead with wide eyes.

The student, crossing two swords to block the path of the hostages, was none other than Yoon Yu-na.

Just moments before, as per their hastily devised plan, Dokgo-su was outside the building, dealing with the enemies and securing their escape route, while Yoon Yu-na was in the midst of safely extracting the hostages.

But with Jeong Gi-seok charging in, Yoon Yu-na found herself forced to confront him alone.

“Give up; the Special Operations agents will be here soon.”

Yoon Yu-na spoke, attempting to coax him into surrender, but Jeong Gi-seok was not swayed by her words.

Perhaps if it were that monstrous figure lurking behind, but a mere 17-year-old girl would never have risen to this position if she couldn’t hold her own.

“You insolent little brat!”

Fuming, Jeong Gi-seok clenched his jaw and launched a fierce assault.

– Kaga-gaga-gang!

Yet, contrary to his expectations, Yoon Yu-na was no easy opponent.

Her innate magical power was a clear advantage for Jeong Gi-seok, but she had temporarily elevated her abilities to a similar level using her self-buffing powers.

“You little witch!”

Faced with an unexpected turn of events, Jeong Gi-seok spat curses and adjusted his strategy.

“Dong-su! Get over here and grab the hostages!”

He pulled one of his subordinates away from dealing with Lee Jin-ryul, ordering him to take over the hostage situation, and Yoon Yu-na’s face fell at the sight.

‘Ugh!’

With her current strength, all she could do was fend off Jeong Gi-seok’s attacks and buy time.

But if that subordinate managed to seize the hostages, she couldn’t even begin to imagine how much worse the situation would become.

‘What should I do!?’

Her deliberation didn’t last long.

“Ahh!”

As soon as she heard the terrified scream of a hostage, Yoon Yu-na turned and dashed toward the sound.

But that meant exposing her back to Jeong Gi-seok, and as feared, disaster struck.

“I’ve got you!”

Jeong Gi-seok’s eyes gleamed like a serpent as he seized upon Yoon Yu-na’s weakness, thrusting his sword forward without hesitation.

– Shuak!

—

In a desperate attempt to save the hostage, Yoon Yuna found herself ensnared in a perilous situation.

‘No!’

Yoon Yuna twisted her body in haste, squeezing her eyes shut.