The S-Rank Warden Devours the Academy - Chapter 23

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 23

Training Facility Underground, Creature Management Wing.
Inside a cage with transparent walls, dozens of rodent monsters the size of wild boars scurried about.
Hae Seong stood before them, calmly reading the status window.
“These are E-rank Grinder Rats. They’re characterized by impressive speed, and attack with hard claws and sharp teeth.”
One creature perked up its long, large ears at the unfamiliar presence.
Sa Hyeon thrust his hands into his pockets, studying the enclosure intently.
“That’ll do.”
“I believe there are also Capture Chains available….”
Hae Seong felt along the wall beside the cage, located the inventory, and withdrew a long chain.
A metal chain embedded with a small Magic Stone.
“When you press the button here, part of the wall opens, and using this chain, you can safely capture them, or so I’m told.”
“Hmm.”
Sa Hyeon accepted the chain with an intrigued expression.
“Could work on an Awakener too.”
Why would that be the first thing you think of….
Hae Seong swallowed hard and continued.
“It was… apparently rejected by the higher-ups on the grounds that it would be inhumane to use on Hunters.”
“Everything’s so restricted.”
Sa Hyeon clicked his tongue and experimentally swung the chain lightly.
Then he gestured toward the button with his chin.
“Press it.”
“Yes, understood.”
Hae Seong nodded and pressed the red button beside the cage.
Beep-beep-beep—
An alarm sounded, and a small opening appeared in the transparent wall.
As one creature emerged through the gap, Hae Seong quickly shut the door.
Sa Hyeon adjusted his grip on the chain and took a step forward.
“Watch carefully.”
“Yes, yes!”
“You know where the Grinder Rat’s core is, don’t you?”
Sa Hyeon posed the question matter-of-factly to Hae Seong, then began a leisurely approach toward the monster.
“Yes, it’s inside the sternum. However, since they move while pressed flat to the ground, this species is classified as having a particularly difficult weak point to strike.”
Hae Seong recited the information as if reading from a book.
The Grinder Rat possessed a heavy frame and tough hide, which made targeting its vital chest area no simple task.
“It’s simple enough if you’re willing to take a little risk.”
Still, Sa Hyeon spoke with ease.
His approach was diagonal rather than head-on.
“There’s only one time this rat bastard will raise its head.”
His shoe finally reached the creature’s long tail.
Without hesitation, he stomped on the long, thick tail.
Screeeee—!
A monstrous shriek echoed through the corridor.
“When it attacks.”
The Rat’s eyes flared crimson as it lifted its head.
The moment it charged forward, baring its sharp front teeth, Sa Hyeon bent his torso, evading the strike.
In the same motion, he whipped the chain in his hand like a lash.
His target was the undefended chest now fully exposed.
Crack—
A sickening, ominous sound of shattering bone rang out clearly.
The monster toppled sideways with a heavy thud.
Its chest cavity was devastatingly caved in.
“Oh.”
Sa Hyeon paused, gently prodding the motionless creature with the tip of his shoe.
“I killed it by accident.”
His strength control had failed—he’d crushed the bones and destroyed the core outright.
Sa Hyeon brushed off his hands casually and turned back to Hae Seong.
“If you do it, you won’t die. Just loop the Capture Chain around the neck and chest in that state.”
Hae Seong, who had been in a daze, swallowed hard and asked.
“…You mean me, sir?”
“Who else is here besides you?”
Sa Hyeon kicked the limp monster corpse aside into a corner, then tossed the chain to Hae Seong.
“Just do it the way you saw.”
Without hesitation, Sa Hyeon pressed the button.
Beep, beep, beep—
The alarm sounded again.
As one rat emerged, Sa Hyeon sealed the cage wall behind it.
Then he leaned his back against the wall, arms crossed, as if to watch.
Pressed flat against the floor, the Grinder Rat’s ears perked up, ready to lunge at any moment.
‘Can I do this?’
Hae Seong exhaled a long, trembling breath.
The only time he’d faced a monster head-on like this was back at the Academy…
And even then, practical training sessions were rare in the Tactics Division, so all he’d done was observe behavior and habits from safe distances.
He glanced back at Sa Hyeon.
His eyes urged him forward with an impatient look.
‘…All right. Let’s try.’
Hae Seong took a deep breath and reset his grip on the chain.
His pale brown eyes, now hardened with resolve, tracked the monster’s movements.
Hae Seong stepped forward slowly, undetected by the monster.
He mirrored Sa Hyeon’s movements exactly, then stamped down on the rat’s tail with all his strength.
But a variable appeared.
“……!”
Unlike before, its small red eyes fixed on Hae Seong.
It was a difference in strength between Sa Hyeon and him.
When Sa Hyeon had stepped on it, the creature had shrieked and thrashed its head up; but Hae Seong’s force was only enough to provoke it—it ground its sharp teeth and glared at him.
‘Is this failure?’
Hae Seong bit his lip and began to stumble backward.
‘No.’
He stopped himself, standing firm.
And he recalled Sa Hyeon’s words.
‘Accept the danger.’
…Besides, the result would be the same anyway.
His heart hammered, but he clenched his jaw and held his ground.
Screech!
The Grinder Rat rushed forward, claws bared.
‘Now!’
Hae Seong recalled Sa Hyeon’s movements and ducked, barely dodging the attack.
In the next instant, the rat’s chest was exposed before his eyes.
Seizing that fleeting moment, Hae Seong swung the chain and struck its chest.
Shriek!
The monster staggered under the blow.
Taking advantage of that opening, Hae Seong rolled behind the rat and wrapped the chain around its neck, pulling tight.
Whirr—
The chain coiled around the creature’s body like a snake gliding past, extending of its own accord.
Clink, thud!
The monster, now fully bound in chains, collapsed without a sound.
“Done. It’s done….”
Hae Seong’s legs gave out, and he slumped backward onto the floor.
His heart pounded as if it would burst, yet a sense of achievement from this first success flooded through him.
“I… I actually did it!”
Hae Seong gasped with overwhelming emotion.
Sa Hyeon approached with an unhurried gait.
“One down, then.”
He pulled on the chain as if to check the monster’s condition, then spoke.
“You said there were how many students?”
Hae Seong, still catching his breath, answered belatedly.
“Ah, yes. Six in total, sir.”
Sa Hyeon furrowed his brow, lost in thought.
“Six of you… I’d say ten should be plenty.”
“…What?”
A chill of foreboding rose in the air.
Hae Seong looked up at him with an expression that screamed ‘surely not’, and Sa Hyeon continued matter-of-factly.
“Let’s do nine more.”
…….
“We’ve got two hours before class starts. We can manage that, right?”
…….
Hae Seong’s lips trembled slightly.
Could he… actually do this?

* * *

The Academy Cafeteria.
“Oh! Stir-fried beef today! More please, auntie — really pile it on!”
At the serving counter, Eun O’s eyes lit up.
The worker, accustomed to this, heaped the stir-fried beef onto Eun O’s plate like a mountain.
Eun O beamed with satisfaction as he headed toward a table.
The tower of beef swayed precariously with each step he took.
“Oh! Jae Yun!”
Spotting Jae Yun eating at a window seat, Eun O quickly claimed the seat across from him.
“Good morning!”
“Good morning, brother.”
Jae Yun smiled gently in greeting.
Eun O returned the smile, then glanced at Jae Yun’s plate with a raised eyebrow.
“Huh? Why are you eating so little for breakfast? You feeling alright?”
Unlike Eun O’s overflowing plate, Jae Yun’s was filled to a reasonable portion.
Jae Yun laughed brightly in response.
“I’ve already eaten a lot. This is my third bowl….”
“Ah! That’s my boy—I’m proud of you.”
Eun O nodded approvingly and stuffed his mouth full of meat.
“Mmm~ Meat after a workout really is the best!”
Then, suddenly glancing around, he muttered as he looked up.
“By the way, where did Gyeol go? He wasn’t even in bed this morning.”
“Wasn’t he training with you? He wasn’t there when I woke up either….”
“Did you see that guy go training with me~”
The three of them were roommates in the Dormitory.
Gyeol, who always woke up the latest, had been missing, which struck them as odd.
As the two exchanged puzzled glances—
“…Wait! Isn’t that Gyeol over there?”
Jae Yun pointed toward the serving counter.
A figure with short, tangled hair approached with the shuffling gait of a zombie, carrying a plate.
“Gyeol! Where were you? Good morning!”
Eun O waved his hand cheerfully.
“Good morning, my ass—this is a damn bad morning….”
Gyeol set down his plate and collapsed onto the table, face-first.
“Whoa, you’ve got some serious dark circles going on—almost to your jaw!”
“Get lost.”
Gyeol mercilessly smashed Eun O’s face away with his palm as he grinned and tried to lean in.
Jae Yun, noticing how different he looked from usual, asked carefully.
“Why do you look so exhausted? Where were you?”
“…The Archive.”
The Academy Archive was a place where one could access books, research papers, articles, and all manner of information.
But why would Gyeol go there?
Eun O blinked.
“The Archive? Did we have a test or something? Or an assignment?”
Gyeol lifted his haggard face and looked between the two of them.
“What with the Gate Incident yesterday and all these suspicious things happening, there’s been a lot going on.”
Jae Yun asked, interest piqued.
“Did you find out anything?”
“Not much, to be honest….”
Gyeol poked at his side dish with chopsticks for a moment, glanced around to check who might be listening, then lowered his voice.
“I’ve narrowed down our professor’s identity to three possibilities.”
“Three possibilities?”
“What are they?”
When Eun O and Jae Yun showed interest, Gyeol set down his chopsticks and began to speak.
“First: he could be a special agent working for the International Organization. Mental-type Awakeners get turned into secret weapons the moment they awaken, after all.”
“That’s… that’s true.”
“Ooh, an agent? That sounds kind of cool.”
“And second.”
Gyeol’s expression grew grave as he continued.
“He could be from the Crime Guild.”
“What?!”
Jae Yun jumped in alarm, nearly dropping his spoon.
“Come on—you’ve been watching too many movies, haven’t you? The higher-ups aren’t idiots. They’d never hire someone like that as a professor.”
Eun O scoffed, but Gyeol narrowed his eyes and shot back.
“I read it straight from a news article.”
He pulled up an article on his phone screen.

[Shocking: ‘Crime Guild Spy’ Infiltrates National Agency… The Danger of Mental-Type Awakeners]
A recent case from France has caused widespread alarm: an unregistered Mental-Type Awakener belonging to the notorious Crime Guild “Swarr” was discovered serving as a civil servant in a national organization.
According to local reports, the Awakener concealed his identity by cleverly exploiting his abilities to paralyze the cognitive functions of those around him or manipulate their memories…….

“…That’s actually real?”
Eun O muttered in disbelief.
“If Sa Hyeon has the skill level he does, it’s definitely possible….”
Jae Yun added quietly.
Gyeol nodded in agreement and continued.
“And finally….”
“There’s more?”
“He could be the Mirror Mask.”
“The Mirror Mask?”
Eun O narrowed his eyes, searching his memory.
“Oh! You mean that prison guard with horns on his head who shoots lasers from his eyes?”
“…That’s not even a legendary monster. Does that make any sense?”
As Gyeol responded dryly, Jae Yun cleared his throat and spoke up.
“But… I heard the Mirror Mask is incredibly muscular and stands nearly two meters tall?”
“…The accounts vary so much from ex-convict to ex-convict that there’s a lot of rumor and hearsay.”
Gyeol heaved a sigh, then tilted his head as he added.
“But when I cross-referenced all those rumors, I found one common thread.”
“A common thread?”
“What is it?”
Jae Yun and Eun O’s attention zeroed in on Gyeol.
Gyeol looked at them both, then spoke calmly.
“Red eyes.”
“Eyes? But the professor’s eyes are gray….”
Then Jae Yun let out a small exclamation as something clicked.
“…Wait! When he uses his skill, his eye color definitely changed.”
Gyeol nodded quietly, and Jae Yun’s eyes widened.
“Then….”
Now that he thought about it, there had been something unsettling about his presence.
Gyeol drove the point home.
“Based on his conduct, he’s more likely to be either a Crime Guild spy or the Mirror Mask. Remember that Summoned Creature? He threw it at the boss without hesitation.”
“You mean that cheetah…?”
Jae Yun asked with a stiffened face, while Eun O waved his hand dismissively.
“Come on, even if it did look kind of cute, it was hostile toward us anyway~ And it came out fine even after being thrown like that, so what’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is that we could be the ones getting thrown next….”
Gyeol let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, anyway, all of this is just speculation for now. There are plenty of cases where Awakeners undergo temporary physical changes when using their skills.”
“Right, exactly! Who cares about that stuff! The important thing is that the instructor is incredibly strong!”
He wanted to see that Combination Technique again. It was pure art.
Eun O’s expression turned wistful as he smacked his lips.
Gyeol shook his head emphatically, while Jae Yun reluctantly smiled and nodded along.
“The instructor’s first class is coming up soon. What do you think it’ll be?”
Eun O’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Gyeol let out a long sigh and began picking at his lunch tray.
“Whatever it is, it definitely won’t be ordinary….”

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Training Facility Underground.
“Huff, gasp!! Twenty! Done!!”
Hae Seong, utterly exhausted, lay sprawled flat on the ground.
Sweat poured down like rain, soaking his entire body, and his overworked limbs trembled so badly they’d lost all sensation.
Stacked in a corner of the corridor like cargo, the Grinder Rats were bound in chains.
Sa Hyeon counted them with his eyes, then lifted the corners of his mouth in satisfaction.
“Just barely made it.”
Ugh, ugh… Hae Seong could only groan in response.
Toward the end, he’d nearly had his face shredded by their claws when his strength gave out, but by the thinnest margin, he’d managed to dodge.
All those hours spent carefully watching Sa Hyeon’s combat techniques had manifested as survival instinct.
“But… huff… Sa Hyeon….”
Hae Seong panted roughly as he spoke.
“I struggled because my stats are on the lower end… but would E-rank monsters like Rats even be a match for the students?”
All of them A-rank.
And they were Awakeners with combat-specialized traits too—wouldn’t this training be far too easy for them?
“Well….”
Sa Hyeon’s lips curved up smoothly.
At his leisurely smile, Hae Seong felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.
Sa Hyeon stretched lazily as he spoke.
“It won’t be that simple.”

S-Rank Instructor Devours the Academy – Episode 23

Author
Baek Lu-ga
Publisher
Daon Creative
Planning / Editing / Production
Yun Tae-ri
Cover Art
Tom

UCI
G720:N+A036-20260512043.0024

ⓒ2026, Baek Lu-ga

This digital book is protected under the copyright laws of the Republic of Korea.
Without permission from the author and publisher, no part or entirety of this work may be reproduced or modified in any form.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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