I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy

Seolhwa Ryeon’s former path diverged into three ways:

The power of extreme ice that froze everything, leading to a frozen world.

Becoming the King of Shadows by inheriting everything from the assassin family.

And the path of becoming the ultimate assassin by fusing these two powers.

Naturally, obtaining the power of extreme ice and the power of the King of Shadows, then fusing these two powers, increased potential and strength.

But, as usual, such feats were too difficult to achieve.

The difficulty was very high.

The power of the King of Shadows was easy to obtain in itself, but awakening it required tremendous effort.

“Extreme ice is Seolhwa Ryeon’s natural talent, but becoming the King of Shadows is tricky.”

However, their power came from another dimension.

That was the biggest reason the assassin family could threaten the Mines.

The King of Shadows, Dekaron.

This being passed on his arcane vision to the assassin family, presenting a kind of trial every time a member of the assassin family comes to him.

“The first trial is okay.”

The problem was that the difficulty of the trials increased, and the shadow power started to covet the vessel of Seolhwa Ryeon’s extreme ice talent.

Thus, it’s difficult to cultivate. If not careful, Seolhwa Ryeon’s talent for extreme ice could be consumed by the shadow talent.

“Well, that’s something to deal with later.”

I took a bite of the cake I received as a service in the cafe and drank an Americano. The sweet taste vanished into the bitterness. I frowned slightly.

“Wow, crazy. Who is that? She’s so pretty?”

“Should I make a move?”

“There’s no way such a pretty girl doesn’t have a boyfriend…”

“There’s a goal even if there’s a goalkeeper.”

Murmurs were heard.

Naturally, my gaze drifted over, and there was Seolhwa Ryeon. Not in her school uniform, riding suit, or tight-fitting outfit, but in a delicate dress.

“……?”

I thought I had told her to prepare well for today’s dungeon visit.

“She must have misunderstood.”

Thinking about it, there was room for misunderstanding.

Seolhwa Ryeon approached me.

Murmurs were heard around us.

[Talent, Seducing Demon (A) beguiles those around you.]

[Talent, Seducing Demon (A) proficiency increases.]

“Look, she does have a boyfriend. There’s no goal because there’s a goalkeeper? It seems impossible to score.”

“…It seems like the girl is at a disadvantage?”

“What’s with the atmosphere…”

Perhaps due to the Talent, Seducing Demon, the attention that was on Seolhwa Ryeon was now on me.

I turned off the Talent, Seducing Demon, and felt the gazes diminish a bit.

“Elder?”

Had she sensed something was wrong?

Seolhwa Ryeon’s voice trembled oddly.

“Today, you put a lot of effort into your clothes.”

“Yes, you told me to dress up and come out yesterday.”

“Hmm, we have time, so let’s go buy a few clothes first.”

I took Seolhwa Ryeon with me. Our destination was a department store.

We entered, and I bought a few clothes for Seolhwa Ryeon.

Clothes suitable for everyday wear. Clothes to wear when going out to look good in front of someone. Although these outfits were coordinated thinking about connecting them with Kim Seo-hyun, the Kim Seo-hyun of this world is a woman.

“This should be enough.”

“Th, thank you. But, all these clothes are expensive.”

“Don’t worry. We are just making up for what we couldn’t give you until now.”

I reassured Seolhwa Ryeon and had the clothes sent to the school dormitory address.

In the meantime, Seolhwa Ryeon changed into an outfit. Black jeans with a comfortable black t-shirt.

“Shall we get going then?”

“Where are you heading?”

“A place you would find worth expecting. The place where the secret techniques of our clan lie dormant.”

“Yes…?”

Seolhwa Ryeon looked surprised.

Seolhwa Ryeon and I moved.

Being in Seoul, we hailed a taxi and moved on.

After a short drive, we arrived in a dense forest on the outskirts of Seoul. The assassin family had deliberately chosen this secluded place to conceal their secrets.

“This place is…?”

“A place to be granted the power of shadows.”

Originally, Seolhwa Ryeon would come to realize during winter break that her power was insufficient compared to Kim Seo-hyun’s. She would then strive to uncover the clan’s secrets. After enduring countless hardships to find this place, she would receive the power of shadows and train it, pushing Kim Seo-hyun to the brink of defeat by the end-of-term exams of the second semester.

I intended to twist that story a bit.

‘Anyway, now I don’t know what will become of me.’

Despite having access to all the dungeon locations, Spirit Elixirs, and talents, the unfolding stories had reached a phase I couldn’t control. The difficulty was a step or more beyond what I had imagined, with enemies appearing faster and stronger than anticipated, sometimes in unexpected places. As formidable as they were, the immense amount of points and items given to me also made my growth exceed expectations.

‘But now, I’m not sure.’

The Mines should be quiet for a while.

Summoning an Apostle meant just that. The Emperor was moving the stars that had enhanced interaction with me, and Celestial had Seo Ga-yeon learn as his disciple. The Hundred Temple was busy keeping the Nazi Empire and the Mines in check.

For the time being, it should be quiet.

And when that quietness disappeared, a huge incident was likely to erupt.

Therefore, I needed to make those around me stronger.

It would be nice if they could help me, but at the very least, their bodies should be able to protect themselves.

We moved our steps towards the outskirts, to the edge of the outskirts. We headed towards a small forest at the end of a paved road.

“Is it hidden in a place like this?”

“Yes. This land belonged to someone from the assassin family, so there’s no worry of being discovered.”

Many had helped the assassin family from the shadows.

It was because they had lost their families to countless villains and Mines.

As we moved further into the forest, a wall covered in moss came into view. I cleared the moss away with Black Heaven.

-Master! I really hate moss!

‘Just bear with it a bit. I’ll clean you up when we get back.’

-Does the master think I’m an easy woman who would do anything if she’s cleaned?! But I’ll let it slide this time…

Black Heaven was an easy woman.

I cleared away the moss and squeezed my body through a small crack, just big enough for one person to enter.

As I squeezed through the crack, a dark space appeared.

This was the place where the King of Shadows, Dekaron, bestowed his power on those who come here. The assassin family’s secret, which they tried to hide by any means, lay dormant here.

As we moved inside, the space gradually widened, revealing a pupil the size of a decent school playground.

Many things were moving there.

“These are…”

“The shadows. Part of the power you will receive.”

The power of shadows didn’t really suit Seolhwa Ryeon.

Because it didn’t mesh well with the power of extreme ice. Since shadows grew stronger the stronger the light, the power of shadows would be better suited for Hong Yu-hwa.

…That’s what I thought.

But now it’s different.

-Intruder detected.

A voice mixed with the sound of metal, an alien presence. Soldiers made of shadows. Their own security mechanism to protect the secret techniques.

‘They are of a low level.’

No, it seems I had gotten too high.

Watching the shadow soldiers, I drew Black Heaven.

Black Hardening.

Chaotic Killing Method.

The Energy of Defying Heaven emitted from Black Heaven turned into dozens of sword energy bundles according to my will, flying towards the beings made of shadows.

-Gah!

-Cough!

With a metallic scream, the black sword energy sliced through the shadow soldiers. Dozens of shadow soldiers were torn apart, unable to withstand the blow.

And then, recovery.

Ssssshhhh!

The emitted Energy of Defying Heaven gathered back into my grasp. Owners of the Heaven Defying Body were supposed to specialize in large-scale battles, but I was different, thanks to the recovery of the Energy of Defying Heaven that was dependent on the Conceptual Stat.

Seolhwa Ryeon looked at me with sparkling eyes as she approached.

“You’re amazing, elder!”

“It’s nothing.”

In the future, Seolhwa Ryeon could easily eliminate enemies even more simply than this.

Either by extending a finger to open a frozen world or by becoming the master of shadows and subjugating them.

“Let’s go inside.”

“Yes!”

We went inside. Inside, there was something resembling a small altar.

It was indeed an altar. A place for the King of Shadows, Dekaron.

We walked to the front of the altar.

“Elder, what is this?”

“It’s where the being that will give you new power lies dormant.”

“New power for me?”

“Yes. The secret of the assassin family. The ability to control the power of shadows.”

“…As expected, the elder knew.”

“Of course.”

To be honest, I felt a bit pricked. Except for Seolhwa Ryeon, all the beings in the assassin family were dead and gone.

But it’s unavoidable if it’s the path for Seolhwa Ryeon to become stronger.

I went in front of the altar and placed my hand on the purple orb inside the altar and said.

“I have returned seeking the darkest power. O sleeper in this place, grant me the power to annihilate those who threaten peace.”

Whooooosh!

As I spoke the passphrase, a black power surged from the altar. Shadows enveloped the purple orb.

-Did you call me?

A somber voice echoed.

A voice filled with despair. Yet, it was the voice of a spirit that could not let go of hope.

“We called you.”

-Us…?

I felt a gaze sweeping over me.

However, that gaze was filled with surprise. Likely because, when it tried to look at me with the eyes of shadows, it couldn’t, due to the Energy of Defying Heaven.

-Who might you be…?

“An ally. My identity is not for you to know. What you need to know is that this child has come to receive your power.”

I stepped forward with Seolhwa Ryeon as I spoke.

The King of Shadows, Dekaron, looked at Seolhwa Ryeon.

-A truly excellent vessel. Is this child endowed with the talent of extreme ice?

“That’s correct.”

Drulk.

Eyes swept over Seolhwa Ryeon. However, the emotion in the pupils was different from what I expected. He did not show interest in Seolhwa Ryeon.

-But rather than the power of extreme ice, I have found a being that can better wield my power.

A black eye sprang from the purple orb and stared at me.

-A being that denies all power. Yet chooses to be human, a celestial being who stands against enemies from other worlds.

“Celestial…?”

-Yes. There was a being who transcended wholly, even transcending that realm itself. You, who have inherited that being’s power, shall inherit my power.

The purple orb twinkled.

The shadows around the orb began to emit a strong force.

-I, the King of Shadows, decree. I have found the being to inherit my power. With this, I earn the right to rest.

Whoosh!

Shadows began to envelop me.

I was taken aback.

-Accept it. The child bearing extreme ice might fully endure me as a vessel, but cannot become as strong as you. Thus, I will sacrifice myself to save this world.

Dekaron’s essence became disordered.

Dekaron truly considered me the savior of the world and was passing everything to me. Originally, he would have given just a bit of the shadow’s power to Seolhwa Ryeon.

“…This is crazy.”

The Black Flame Winged God did not reject the shadows. Rather, like a landlord welcoming a tenant moving into their house, the Black Flame Winged God embraced the shadows.

[A special stat Shadow is created.]

[A being of immense essence has sacrificed themselves, passing everything to you. You acquire 50 special stat Shadow!]

I was bewildered.

The King of Shadows had pulled off an astonishing troll move.

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