The S-Rank Warden Devours the Academy - Chapter 30

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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 30

“This damned bastard… still dodging around like a rat, aren’t you.”
The welcome—if you could call it that—stretched on for some time.
Only after smashing several more pieces of equipment did Gwak Cheoljung finally grunt and lower his hammer.
The raw strength to wield such a massive hammer with full force, the equipment left unmarked despite such brutish assault—
“Still got plenty of gas in the tank.”
His skill hadn’t dulled at all.
“You cold bastard… you just fooled me clean?”
“I had to announce my death. That’s the only way the real rats will crawl out of their holes.”
Sa Hyeon shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged.
Gwak Cheoljung burst into a loud, hollow laugh and thumped his own chest as if venting his frustration.
“You should’ve told us! We all thought you were dead, and that bastard Lee Ha-je too—”

Gwak Cheoljung exhaled heavily, as if pushing down a surge of emotion.
He’d been charging forward like he’d beat Sa Hyeon to death, and now he was swiping at the moisture gathering in his eyes, pretending to wipe sweat.
‘No winning with this guy.’
Sa Hyeon nudged aside the scattered equipment scattered across the floor and headed toward the workbench.
“Anyway, here’s the thing.”
He pulled items from his inventory and set them down on the bench with a soft thud.
“Need you to take a look at these.”
“This shameless punk. Gone five years, then you show up out of nowhere and just dump work on me?”
“What, you want to hug me and cry instead?”
Sa Hyeon raised both hands in a shrug, and Gwak Cheoljung grimaced with exaggerated disgust.
“Gross, you bastard. Cold as ever, though…”
“There’s probably nobody else who can handle something like this. Just you.”
When Sa Hyeon spoke, his mouth curving into a soft smile, Gwak Cheoljung’s lips twitched and he rubbed his rough beard.
“Krgh, well… I’m the only one for the job, that’s for damn sure.”
Easy to butter up, really.
Sa Hyeon let out a quiet laugh and gestured toward the equipment.
“Hope they’re not cheap trash.”
Even as he groused, professional instinct wouldn’t let him hide it—Gwak Cheoljung’s gaze fixed on the items spread across the workbench.
He picked up the weapon first with his calloused hands.
“This one… has a latent ability embedded in it? The aura’s a bit strange.”
Sharp as ever.
Sa Hyeon nodded toward the other item.
“And that one’s a core with infection degree present.”
“Huh?”
Gwak Cheoljung looked startled and picked up the purple core with his massive hand.
“This’ll need careful handling.”
He set the item on the workbench with practiced delicacy.
“This one’s going to take a few days, I’d wager.”
“I expected as much.”
Sa Hyeon raised an eyebrow and revealed another purpose.
“And there’s this too.”
He drew shackles from his waistband and held them lightly by a loop on his index finger.
“…Mana Stone Shackles?”
“Right on the mark.”
“Of course I know them—I made them! But I only delivered a small batch to the Association. How’d they end up in your hands?”
“Took them from the Warden.”
“…Figures. Still as you always were.”
Gwak Cheoljung clicked his tongue and accepted the shackles.
“So what do you want me to do with them?”
“Reinforce them. Strong enough to withstand S-rank Awakener strength.”
“S-rank? Besides you, what other worthless S-rank exists in this country?”
“Can you do it?”
Sa Hyeon brushed past Gwak Cheoljung’s accusatory remark with natural ease and asked the question directly.
Gwak Cheoljung stroked his beard, his eyes narrowing.
“It’s possible, but… I’d need materials. At minimum, a sturdy high-purity Mana Stone capable of withstanding that much force.”
High-purity Mana Stone….
Sa Hyeon rummaged through the bottom of his inventory and pulled out a cold stone that fit in his palm.
“This?”
“……!! You bastard, this!”
Despite his words, Gwak Cheoljung quickly snatched the stone from Sa Hyeon’s hand.
His face registered shock as he looked back and forth between the Mana Stone and Sa Hyeon.
“Isn’t this a Creature Falcon Mana Stone?! Did you— were you the one who dealt with that Creature Falcon that showed up in the Urban Area a while back?!”
“Impressive that you already knew.”
“Of course!! They wouldn’t shut up about it on the news!”
“So you haven’t completely cut yourself off from the world after all.”
Gwak Cheoljung let out a scoff, as if questioning who had any right to say that. Who was criticizing whom?
But Sa Hyeon pressed on with characteristic indifference.
“So then, can you Reinforce it?”
“With this level of purity? Of course I can!”
“Can you finish it within an hour?”
At Sa Hyeon’s words, Gwak Cheoljung bristled and jabbed a finger at him.
“You punk, you think Reinforcement is child’s play?!”
“I figured someone at your level could whip it out no problem. Guess it’s too much to ask….”
Sa Hyeon’s brow furrowed with mock regret as he reached to take the shackles back from Gwak Cheoljung’s hand.
Bang!
Gwak Cheoljung brought his hammer down on the workbench.
The familiar pressure wave erupted.
“An hour?! I’ll have it done in thirty minutes flat!”
Just as expected.
Sa Hyeon allowed himself a quiet smile and settled casually onto a table beside the workbench.

* * *

Screee-crack! Clang! Clang!
Gwak Cheoljung threw himself into his work as though his eyes were on fire.
What he was doing now was carving up the Creature Falcon’s Mana Stone and carefully setting the pieces into the shackles.
It was Gwak Cheoljung who finally broke the silence of the Workshop, which had been filled only with the sound of hammer blows.
“So. What’ve you been doing for the past five years?”
He tossed out the question without lifting his eyes from his work.
Sa Hyeon answered slowly.
“Oh, the usual. Looking into the heads of troublemakers and thugs running around causing problems.”
“What?”
At Sa Hyeon’s casual reply, Gwak Cheoljung’s hands faltered.
He turned to look at Sa Hyeon with an expression of disbelief.
“That demon or whatever they called that Warden—that was you?”
“Probably.”
Sa Hyeon raised an eyebrow in confirmation.
“That’s a fitting description for you.”
Gwak Cheoljung snorted and shook his head in exasperation.
He resumed his hammering and continued speaking.
“So now you’re going around hunting that S-rank Awakener you mentioned?”
“That too, among other things….”
Sa Hyeon rolled his tongue, adding in a tone of indifference.
“Mainly though, I came up because of the Association Chief. They want me to work at the Academy.”
Twang! In that instant, Gwak Cheoljung’s hammer slip-struck with a sharp metallic screech.
He turned to look back, his face suddenly grave.
“…Do they torture people at the Academy these days?”
“Who knows. At least one guy won’t be walking for a while, I’d say….”
“Huh!”
At Sa Hyeon’s matter-of-fact response, Gwak Cheoljung shook his head, utterly speechless.
“What in the world was the Association Chief thinking, sending a reckless bastard like you to the Academy?”
“That’s something I’m wondering about too.”
Meanwhile, the shackles had begun to emit a new, subtle energy.
It was certainly impressive speed.
‘No wonder most top-tier items pass through Gwak Cheoljung’s hands.’
Sa Hyeon watched the display, then casually asked, “You said you made that hat yourself earlier. Do you know who it belongs to?”
“Why are you asking? …You thief, did you steal that from someone too?”
Cheoljung clicked his tongue disapprovingly, telling him to cut it out.
Judging by his reaction, it seemed he hadn’t known it was Lee Ha-je’s.
While Sa Hyeon cleared his throat and gathered his thoughts.
“There! Done!”
Cheoljung announced with satisfaction.
“Exactly twenty-nine minutes and forty-nine seconds. How’s that, you brat!”
“Hmm.”
Sa Hyeon took the shackles from him.
Around the gleaming mana-infused shackles, a powerful force swirled like a vacuum being created.
Cheoljung then handed him a small pouch.
“Here. These are the scraps left over. The material was so good I didn’t need to use it all. Use them next time you need something.”
Sa Hyeon nodded and carelessly tossed the pouch into his inventory.
“Such precious material….”
Cheoljung shook his head and exhaled a deep sigh.
His gaze drifted toward one corner of the workshop.
“…Are you taking that back with you too?”
At the far end of the workshop, a glass case displayed on a shelf.
Despite its careful preservation, the item inside was utterly plain.
A black hood that draped around the neck and shoulders.
Sa Hyeon recognized the object at a glance and let out a small laugh through his nose before turning away.
“There’s no point now. I don’t need it.”
“Right.”
Cheoljung exhaled heavily, then raised his voice.
“I’ll contact you when the rest of the items you left are finished, so grab them right away, you hear!”
At the same moment, his enormous arm swung through the air again.
But Sa Hyeon dodged it easily, by the width of a sheet of paper.
“Always looking for a chance to retaliate.”
“What a waste. I could’ve landed a real hit.”
Cheoljung clicked his tongue with genuine regret.
No chance.
Sa Hyeon left with an easy smile.
Gripping the shackles, which now emanated a heavier presence, he stepped out of the workshop.
“Oh! You’re finally out!”
“We were worried because we heard loud voices inside!”
The waiting students rushed over eagerly.
Among them, Moo Gun stood pressed against the display case, eyes gleaming.
When he spotted Cheoljung, his mouth opened very slowly.
“That person… is that really Master Gwak Cheoljung…!”
“Ah, so you’re the sacrificial lambs I’ve heard about?”
“It’s an honor, Master! I’m a fan!”
Moo Gun immediately bowed deeply.
Cheoljung, looking down at him, raised one eyebrow and then broke into a hearty laugh.
“Fan? That’s embarrassing, you brat!!”
Despite the gruff tone, a pleased smile played at Cheoljung’s lips.
And as if by habit, his thick right arm rose swiftly into the air.
“Uh….”
Moo Gun’s pupils trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
Having thoroughly studied the Gwak Cheoljung wiki and knowing everything about Cheoljung, a particular passage flashed through Moo Gun’s mind.

[Tip: Should you ever encounter Master Gwak Cheoljung, it is strongly recommended that you avoid his signature back smack. Unless you want his handprint permanently tattooed on your back like a signature seal.]

‘Oh no!’

Just as the iron-like arm was about to strike Moo Gun’s back.

Thud. Sa Hyeon caught Gwak Cheoljung’s log-thick arm and pulled him upright.
“That arm is only for swinging a hammer. Don’t go grabbing people for no reason.”
“…Tch, it was merely a gesture of affection.”
Gwak Cheoljung frowned, displeased, but quickly surrendered to Sa Hyeon’s unyielding gaze and lowered his arm.
“Fine! Still, you look after your disciples well enough.”
Color finally returned to Moo Gun’s face. Ah, he’d lived. But then….
…….
An infamous smashing technique executed with one hand….
He watched Sa Hyeon’s seemingly composed figure with an odd intensity.

Meanwhile, the other students—unaware of how close they’d come to disaster—were simply amazed.
“Wow~ It feels like seeing a celebrity!”
Ryu Ah exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder.
“Hah, a celebrity, my foot!”
“How do you know our teacher?!”
The atmosphere had grown warm and animated with their chatter.
Sa Hyeon strode toward the exit, leaving the curious students and their torrent of questions behind.
“You handle sending those kids back.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
Eun Oh reacted first.
Gwak Cheoljung too asked with a puzzled expression.
“Where else? You’re heading out?”
Sa Hyeon glanced back over his shoulder as he pushed open the door.
Click—
He adjusted the shackles in his grip and smiled smoothly.
“I’ve got a hunt to get to.”

An S-rank Warden Devours the Academy – Chapter 30

Author
Baek Ruga
Publisher
Da On Creative
Planning / Editing / Production
Yoon Tae-ri
Cover
Thonp

UCI
G720:N+A036-20260512043.0031

ⓒ2026, Baek Ruga

※ This e-book is protected under the copyright law of the Republic of Korea.
No part of this work may be processed or reproduced in any form without the permission of the author and publisher.

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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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