The S-Rank Warden Devours the Academy - Chapter 50

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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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Chapter 50

Squelch, squelch.
Footsteps that trampled without hesitation across the liquid stuck to the floor, writhing beneath.
Sa Hyeon crossed over it without a second thought.
“Are you hurt?”
Lee Won asked urgently.
Sa Hyeon furrowed his brow and swept his wet hair back.
“No. It’s just sticky—deeply unpleasant.”
…….
From the way he spoke, he seemed fine.
Lee Won exhaled softly, relief flooding through him.
‘What on earth is this creature?’
Even Lee Won had barely managed to escape the thin rain pouring down from the rooftop.
Yet this man had waded through that liquid and emerged completely unscathed.
“Master!”
At the call echoing from above, Sa Hyeon looked up.
Yu Wol came running, her golden hair streaming behind her, with Hae Sung following breathlessly in her wake.
“…What are those two doing here?”
Sa Hyeon raised an eyebrow.
When Akhinonix joined in, leaping across the steel scaffolding, the factory interior filled with commotion at once.
Lee Won’s eyes narrowed as he watched the two newcomers, searching their faces in turn.
One of them was the person he’d seen standing beside the interrogator outside the gate.
“I don’t believe we’ve met. Which organization are you with?”
At Lee Won’s question, Yu Wol drew her lips into a proud smile.
“I’m my master’s disciple.”
“…Disciple?”
If she was the interrogator’s disciple…
‘An Academy student?’
The puzzle pieces clicked into place.
Akhinonix moved carefully, avoiding the liquid that writhed as though filthy.
That display of power from moments ago—at minimum, A-rank.
Among the Summoners currently enrolled at the Academy, there was only one who ranked among the upper-tier Awakeners.
“…An S-rank recruit?”
The very person at the center of the rumors spreading quietly through the underground.
Yet Yu Wol’s gaze remained fixed solely on Sa Hyeon.
“Master, are you all right? Are you injured anywhere—!”
Lee Won tilted his head at the excessive deference with which she tended to him.
He would have believed her to be his subordinate rather than his disciple.
“Give me a moment, Sa Hyeon. There should be some cleaning items around here somewhere… Ah! Try this first!”
Hae Sung produced an assortment of items, and Sa Hyeon glanced down at them halfheartedly.
“What’s this?”
“It’s armor that the Master Smith prepared for you. Since you were apparently afflicted with a Mental-type immunity limitation debuff…!”
“Don’t need it. The debuff changed.”
“…What? Debuffs can change?”
“That’s fortunate, Master.”
Lee Won, watching the three of them converse so casually, finally spoke up.
“How did you get in here? This place was supposed to be restricted.”
“We came through the Gate.”
Yu Wol answered curtly.
…….
Did he really not know that?
Lee Won fell silent for a moment before finally finding his voice again.
“…Regardless, charging in like this is dangerous. I’ll give you Return Stones, so it would be better if both of you left.”
“Yes? But…”
Wasn’t a single Return Stone worth tens of millions?
Hae Sung’s pupils dilated sharply.
Ding.
“…Whoa! Debuff!”
Hae Sung pointed at the spear floating in midair.

[! Data has been reset.]
[! Mana consumption increased threefold.]

“Triple consumption….”
Hae Sung murmured the thought aloud.
“It seems to have adjusted after detecting an increase in combat personnel.”
As Lee Won exhaled heavily, Yu Wol cut in as if she’d been waiting for her moment.
“In that case, the more bodies we have, the better.”
“That’s not a terrible idea.”
Sa Hyeon swept back his hair, now clean from the cleaning item, and gestured toward the white cloth Hae Sung was gripping tightly.
“What is that sword?”
“Ah! The weapon you mentioned. Its latent ability is Mana Circuit Temporary Freezing.”
Sa Hyeon’s eyebrows rose and he let out a low hum.
“Quite useful, then.”
Sa Hyeon’s lips curved upward in a slight smile.
Splurch—
Meanwhile, the red liquid scattered across the floor began to gather again with a grotesque sound.
Part of it was transforming into a humanoid monster.
“That one with the eyes must be the boss.”
Hae Sung immediately deployed his Status Window Viewing skill and shared the information with everyone.

[Monster Information]
Name: Poisoned Elpidia
Rank: A
Trait: Infinite Regeneration. Severed transparent flesh particles differentiate into new monsters while endlessly reconstructing the main body….

“Infinite Regeneration as a trait—this will be a pain to deal with.”
As Hae Sung sighed, Lee Won, who had been staring intently at the status window, spoke.
“Since it specifically mentions ‘transparent flesh particles,’ the core must be somewhere distinct.”
His gaze turned toward the boss’s head.
Among the entirely transparent body, the only solid and dark form—its single core.
“That eye, then.”
Sa Hyeon spoke and handed the Thorn Sword back to Hae Sung.
“Use it for now. I’ll borrow it briefly later.”
“…Yes? You said it seemed quite useful just now…… Oh!”
As Hae Sung slowly pieced together the picture in his mind, understanding dawned and he gasped.
True to form, Sa Hyeon had already torn away a section of railing.
In his hand, metal transformed into a sword amid smoke and shimmer.
“I’ll handle the boss, so you all focus on the minions.”
Sa Hyeon adjusted his grip on the sword and lowered his body.
Whoosh—
A leap.
The blade cut sharply through the boss’s transparent skin.
Thud!
A writhing mass smashed into the ground.
Zing—Yu Wol’s mana gun glowed blue as it chambered a round.
The masses struck by bullets scattered as liquid.
Sa Hyeon’s movements accelerated.
Following the trajectory of his body ricocheting off walls and ceiling, the boss’s form shattered into pieces.
The boss lashed out with tentacles and writhed, yet endlessly regenerated what was severed and spawned monsters without pause.
Akhinonix bounded across the metal platforms, unleashing lightning.
A monster caught squarely by the attack froze in a moment of paralysis, left defenseless.
Bang—!
Yu Wol’s bullet struck the monster, which ignited and released smoke.
Hae Sung swallowed hard as he surveyed the situation.
One sight captured his attention.
“…Wow.”
Hae Sung let out a short exclamation without thinking.
Lee Won’s Sword Technique was like a scene straight from a hero film.
The overwhelming force with which Sa Hyeon summoned monsters, only for Lee Won to sweep them away instantly.
A golden blade that split through space pierced the monsters with perfect precision.
Clean, without a wasted motion.
By contrast….
Thrust! Slice! Screech—
Sa Hyeon jabbed and swung the spear, driving the boss back in savage assault.
‘This one’s more like a noir film.’
He swallowed hard and steadied his stance.
‘A chance to watch fighters of this caliber go at it—you don’t get that every day.’
Hae Sung deployed his skill and tracked their movements with relentless focus.
Each action imprinted frame by frame into his memory.
Hae Sung gripped the Thorn Sword and stepped forward to meet the writhing liquid.
Whoosh—
His blade awkwardly traced the trajectory Lee Won was drawing.
The attack landed shallow.
The monster’s tentacle lashed out.
Hae Sung’s body twisted as he mirrored Sa Hyeon’s movement, dodging by a hair’s breadth.
He sidestepped and slashed in one fluid motion.
Crack! Shriek!
The sharp blade cut clean across the viscous body.
“…!”
The liquid vaporized, releasing acrid smoke.
Now I can do this!
Hae Sung breathed hard and kept pace with the two fighters without pause.
Yet the Mana Consumption Tripled Debuff was eating through his stamina fast.
His legs trembled, his arms burning with numbness.
Meanwhile, the two S-rankers looked untouched.
Just mimicking their movements left his entire body screaming in protest.
‘…A sparrow following the crane will tear its wings off.’
As strength began to drain from his sword hand—
Ding.

[B-rank or Higher Monsters (5,000/5,000)]

“!”
The Quest was finally complete.
Crash—
Sa Hyeon shoved the pooled liquid aside and landed beside Hae Sung.
He hurled the sword he’d been holding and immediately thrust out his hand.
“Hae Sung, weapon.”
“Yes!”
Hae Sung handed over the Thorn Sword without hesitation.
The moment Sa Hyeon snatched the hilt, he charged toward the boss.
With the Thorn Sword, he severed the tentacle reaching for him.
Thud—
A mass of liquid fell to the ground.
But this time was different.
The regeneration stopped.
The latent ability of the Thorn Sword.
It had frozen the Mana Circuit temporarily, severing the regenerative ability itself.
Sa Hyeon carved up the boss repeatedly, focusing on the head.
Under the relentless barrage, the boss’s body noticeably shrank.
Glub-glub—
As time passed, small patches of flesh began bubbling up once more.
Thirty seconds should do it.”
Sa Hyeon smirked and leaped high into the air.
Sensing danger, the boss’s mouth yawned open, revealing dozens of teeth.
But it was already too late.
The blade descended toward its target.
The sword point pierced through the thinned skin layer—

Screeeeech!

It drove straight through the black eye.
Sa Hyeon bore down on the hilt and wrenched the creature’s head in two.
Squelch—
The body melted away into a gelatinous liquid.

[Boss Hunt Quest completed.]

And at that moment.
Hisssss—!
The remaining liquid vaporized with a sickening smoke.
“Hah… Finally….”
Hae Sung wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and collapsed where he stood.
Lee Won sheathed his blade and caught his breath.
“…There.”
Yu Wol dismissed her Akhinonix, pulling it away from the acrid fumes.
The corpse of the boss lay there, exhaling red vapor.
Sa Hyeon reached down without hesitation and plucked out the core—what had been its eye.
A sphere the size of a soccer ball, black and rock-hard.
He drew the Thorn Sword and carefully extracted the small Mana Stone embedded in the core’s center.
Clink.
The red Mana Stone tumbled free and rolled across the floor.
Sa Hyeon retrieved the Special Pouch that Chul Jung had given him from his Inventory and slipped the core inside.
A prickling sensation at the back of his neck made Sa Hyeon turn—his eyes met Lee Won’s, who was staring at him with an oddly penetrating expression.
He glanced between the heavy core in his hand and Lee Won, then casually tossed it over as if discarding garbage.
“Take it if you want it.”
“…?!”
Lee Won caught the core, bewildered.
“It’s not that I covet the core.”
“Then what?”
Lee Won gazed down at the core in his palm.
The core of an A-rank boss monster was prime loot.
Yet the look in Sa Hyeon’s eyes as he’d handed it over seemed almost bored—as if rid of an inconvenience.
“What were you securing just now?”
‘At first glance, it looked like an ordinary Mana Stone fragment.’
Lee Won’s gaze drifted to the pouch in Sa Hyeon’s hand.
“Me? Nothing.”
Sa Hyeon shrugged with blithe indifference.
“…That’s a rather poor act, if I may say.”
He wasn’t even trying to hide it.
Just as suspicion began to deepen, a new window materialized.

[Transferring to Reward Zone.]

* * *

The world shifted in an instant.
A pristine white space.
In its center sat a single small box.
“How generous—they even threw in a Reward.”
Sa Hyeon gave a hollow laugh and opened the box.
A round Badge emerged, suffused with a crimson glow.
Hae Sung leaned in to glimpse the item.
“Might I examine it, sir?”
“Go ahead.”
With Sa Hyeon’s permission, Hae Sung fell silent for a moment, using Item Appraisal.
A small exclamation slipped between his lips.
“This item… it does have a basic stat-boosting function, but there’s a latent ability concealed within it.”
Items with latent abilities were extremely rare, or so he’d believed.
‘This is already the second case since traveling with Sa Hyeon.’
Was this also somehow connected to Sa Hyeon?
Hae Sung’s eyes darted uncertainly toward Sa Hyeon, gauging his reaction.
Lee Won, who had been observing the exchange in silence, spoke.
“…It would be best to leave that item with the Master Craftsman.”
“Fine by me.”
Sa Hyeon stretched his arms as if exhausted, raising his eyebrows slightly.
“Shall we head out?”
His gaze was turning toward the exit when—
“Um, Sa Hyeon!”
Hae Sung called out to him urgently.
“There are… quite a lot of reporters outside. I thought you might find that troublesome…”
He had remembered Sa Hyeon’s distaste for media exposure.
“Ugh. Always something, isn’t it.”
Sa Hyeon tilted his head back, exhaling a long sigh.
His eyes blinked slowly, then he withdrew a Black Hat from his inventory and pulled it down low over his face.
“…A disguise item?”
Lee Won’s eyes narrowed.
In an instant, his features became indistinct and hazy. A mole appeared below his left eye where none had been before.
‘So he dislikes media exposure.’
Given the nature of his work, having many enemies was understandable enough.
Lee Won was about to look away when Sa Hyeon jerked his chin.
“Yu Wol.”
“Yes, Master!”
“Summon all your creatures before we leave the Gate.”
Sa Hyeon issued the command without preamble.
But the battle was already over. Why now?
“Yes, Master!”
Unlike Lee Won, who looked puzzled, Yu Wol nodded without hesitation.
“Hae Sung, when the reporters rush in, give them a briefing.”
“Yes, yes. Understood.”
Hae Sung answered uncertainly.
And finally, his ashen gaze turned to Lee Won.
“And you—the celebrity can handle the interviews.”
“…?”
Celebrity…?
“You mean me?”
Lee Won gestured to his own chest, bewildered.
Sa Hyeon’s gaze was indifferent, as if the answer were obvious.
Lee Won exhaled sharply and asked, “Then what will you be doing?”
“Me?”
Sa Hyeon’s mouth curved up diagonally.
Despite the disguise reshaping his features, his characteristic composure remained untouched.
“I’m going to rest.”

Baek Ruga
Publisher
Daon Creative
Planning / Editing / Production
Yun Tae-ri
Cover
Tong

UCI
G720:N+A036-20260512043.0051

© 2026, Baek Ruga

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No part or whole of this work may be reproduced or modified 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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