An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 167: The Angel Who Raids a Dungeon (5)

For the first time, he could taste salt.

The salty smell unique to the sea, the wind carrying the scent of brine, and white powder clinging to the walls.

Leffrey licked the white crystals on the wall and thought,

‘Salty.’

He looked around.

He could hear the murmur of people from afar, but there was no sense of hostility.

Leffrey, slightly lowering his guard, looked at the empty rooms that seemed to have already been looted.

“It doesn’t seem like there are any enemies here…”

“No.”

However, the three girls next to Leffrey were tense like soldiers who had spotted an enemy.

“There are.”

Hongwol, who had been perking up her ears, immediately crouched down and then raised her waist. With her sharp cat eyes, she swayed her waist gently, the unique fighting stance of the Mooncat Tribe.

‘The Mooncat Tribe’s unique fighting stance. Wol rarely shows this stance unless she absolutely has to, she says it’s too embarrassing…!’

This meant that an enemy requiring her full effort was nearby.

The other two girls, trusting Hongwol’s senses, immediately took their respective stances. One held her staff, the other raised her fist, crackling with electricity.

“Isn’t it strange?”

A voice came from below the floor. It was a grating voice, so unpleasant that it made you want to cover your ears. It was a sound that only someone who had ruined their vocal cords through drinking, smoking, and poor eating habits could make.

“When I watch those hero and demon king stories humans create, I don't understand why they portray the demon king as such an idiot.”

*Keukeukeukeuk, kikkikkikkik.*

An unpleasant laughter echoed through the wooden corridor. Some of them were voices Leffrey recognized.

‘Some have already fallen.’

Leffrey hid his bitterness and looked around. He had expected that he wouldn't be able to save them all. But even when expectations become reality, he couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling when it actually does happened.

He wanted to curse,

But an angel couldn’t use vulgar language.

So he decided to curse the demon king instead.

“Yeah, you just realized the Demon King is so stupid? Isn't it stupid to keep doing things that make people curse at you for no reason? Idiot! Sea cucumber! Sea squirt! Sea anemone!”

Up to sea anemone. That's about as far as an angel could go when cursing. Leffrey had learned this fact through various experiences.

(TL Note: It’s an insult that kids use, like the ultimate ‘you idiot’ in a child’s perspective. Just a cool little Korean fact, idk.)

“…What I just said was about the Demon Kings in human stories.”

*Keukeukeu. Kikkikkik.*

The unpleasant laughter continued.

‘This ability, it definitely…..!’

Leffrey activated Sanctus and looked around.

“The demon kings in those human stories are all idiots. For one simple reason.”

“…And what's that reason?”

*Keukeukeukeukeu. Kikkikkikkikkik.*

The laughter grew harsher. The wooden corridor began to tremble and groan. A blood-like liquid began to seep from the damp wooden planks.

A scene you’d only see in a B-grade horror movie.

But the heroes and the guardian angel weren't scared.

‘…Ugh… Uhhh…’

…Well, maybe the angel was a little scared.

“Eek!”

Soya sneakily stood behind Leffrey. No, maybe the hero was a little scared too. The two boys and girls were now standing close to each other, holding hands tightly.

It was clear that the other two girls, Hongwol and Mari, didn't approve of this sight.

“We're in battle now.”

“Right! Want me to bite you?!”

Then, with a thud, all the noise and commotion stopped.

And in the distance, a man was walking towards them. A handsome man in hanbok. He was tall like Yumari, and his clothes were stylish enough to catch people's eyes.

The only peculiar thing about this handsome man was the massive antler-like horn on his forehead.

And those horns were crackling with black lightning.

“Angel. That one reason is…”

“…”

“…It's that they give heroes a chance to grow. Why don't they just try their best to kill the heroes before they can grow?”

The dragon laughed.

“I am the Demon King’s best effort.”

There's a saying about phrases such as moving like lightning. Like lightning. As fast as lightning strikes. Move like a flash of lightning.

Lightning is synonymous with speed. And dragons control lightning.

‘I can't see him. And I can’t hear him either…!’

That black lightning revealed itself before sound could. And blue lightning clashed with that black lightning.

Yumari’s fist and the dragon’s fist collided in the middle of the corridor, causing all the wooden planks and walls around them to burst like balloons.

“That outfit. Is that the Splendor of the Dragon King Family? Wait, if you’re wearing the Splendor of the Dragon King Family, that means…..”

“…”

Ormantor the Destroyer, couldn't hide his surprise upon seeing Yumari’s outfit. However, Yumari acted without emotion, just as she had been taught in the Seocheon Yu family.

Use surprise to your advantage.

A technique of the hero's family that she had been training in since before she could speak. One of them.

All living beings have what is called a 'Malma' (末魔), an absolute vital point that, if touched, leads to certain death. This vital point is also known as 'Marman' and has been dismissed by most scholars as part of the speculative domain of superhuman studies, much like karma.

However, karma was real.

And the karma weak point that every living being must have, Marman, also existed.

The strongest karma user.

A hero can see the Marman.

And the Seocheon Yu family has always passed down techniques to touch that Marman to their descendants, in preparation for being chosen as heroes.

And that dark flame surpassed the previous generation of heroes and now touched a young half-dragon.

‘But Mari hasn’t fully awakened as a hero yet.’

Then how is she able to strike the Marman?

What kind of karma is Mari seeing and handling?

‘Even for the Seocheon Yu family, could they perfectly pass down the hero's technique to a child who hasn't awakened as a hero yet?’

In that split second,

Leffrey had doubts.

‘She can handle karma despite not being fully awakened as a hero?’

And in that instant, Ormantor was struck in three places by Mari.

In those spots called marman by humans, and what’s called reverse scales by dragons.

“Ah, fu, ck, me”

Black blood spurted from the handsome man’s mouth. Yumari, still expressionless, aimed for the Dragon's Adam's apple.

Her index and middle fingers shot toward his throat.

Ormantor protected his Adam's apple with his right hand.

As soon as he caught her index and middle fingers, she twisted her body and aimed her leg at his side.

But even that leg was blocked too easily,

And Ormantor unleashed a black lightning.

“So you’re Lumari’s daughter. Unlike Lumari, you’re quite a stoic child.”

“Don’t, casually, mention, my mother’s, name….”

Yumari had lightning resistance. It's because she handles lightning herself. But this black lightning was different.

Black lightning scars began to form on her caught right hand and left leg. Mari, paralyzed all over, could only glare at Ormantor with hostility.

Just as the dragon was about to make a cruel smile.

A blue and a red blade emerged from his abdomen.

And standing behind him was a beautiful girl with pink hair. It was Hongwol.

“…?!”

Ormantor’s smile faded at the intense pain of his pierced stomach.

“…What is this. For a moment, I forgot about this child. No, among all the Mooncats I've killed so far, none used this technique.”

“This is my original, you idiot.”

Hongwol’s original, Karma Concealment.

A technique to completely conceal one’s karma, making it as if they don't exist in this world for a moment. If her opponent wasn’t a high-level karma user, the moment Hongwol used this technique, they would completely forget about her existence.

No matter what she did in front of them.

Twist twist- Hongwol twisted her blades with a gruesome sound. She smiled, as if amused, and muttered something.

Hongwol’s rapier, Solar Extreme Point, activated. Ormantor’s abdomen began to burn red before turning black. The air was filled with the smell of burning protein.

“Nyahaha.”

Hongwol smiled happily as she smelled it.

‘Even I forgot about Wol for a moment. It's really an amazing technique.’

Leffrey quietly clapped, cheering for the two girls.

“Interesting. You have my praise.”

But Ormantor just smiled again. Hongwol looked a bit confused at this sight.

“As expected of heroes. When they've just started to grow…”

Ormantor smiled wickedly.

“If I don’t kill them now, it’ll be a problem later.”

And with those words, the spell that had been cast on this space activated.

An ancient spell.

The Dragon’s Feast.

‘Since ancient times, people have offered living sacrifices to dragons. And dragons granted various powers after receiving these living sacrifices.’

And among the dragons who received such sacrifices,

There was one particularly famous dragon.

Khrôm Khruakh.

Also called Cron, or Korn, the god of blood and murder. It was also Ormantor’s true name.

‘The Dragon’s Feast works like this.’

The Dragon Lord's Nest itself becomes an altar, and those who enter the dragon's lair become living sacrifices for the feast. And for this feast, the more talented and promising the living sacrifices were, the better.

When these living sacrifices die inside the dungeon, Khrôm Khruakh gains power. From minor strength enhancements and ability expansion to big ones like immortality.

Screams could be heard from far away.

It was the direction where the laughter had come from.

He must be sacrificing the prisoners he had captured. And the superhumans who were exploring the nest thinking it was a pushover dungeon, unaware they had been caught…

They would be eliminated by Ormantor’s subordinates.

And the blood and souls of those who were killed would be converted into the dragon’s power.

“My swords, they won't come out…!”

Super Regeneration from Khrôm Khruakh's amplified power. Hongwol’s two swords, Solar Extreme Point and Unreachable Point, were stuck in the dragon’s abdomen.

“Either abandon your swords and run, or be roasted along with Lumari’s daughter.”

And just as Ormantor, Khrôm Khruakh, was about to unleash his black lightning and roast the two girls…

“I’m ready.”

Soya said.

“Me too.”

And Leffrey nodded.

“Dark Karma Magic, manifest.”

“That name is so childish.”

“It’s not childish! It’s super cool because it has three cool words in it!”

Dark, Karma, and Magic.

Of course, all three are cool words…

But when combined into one, they're really…

Anyway, this is how Dark Karma Magic works.

Dark Karma Magic. Simply put, it’s about mimicking Abilities that utilize dark karma through black magic.

There were two conditions. First, Soya had to understand the working principles behind that Ability. And second, she had to meet all the requirements of that ability.

The first condition was cleared.

Leffrey had roughly explained the principles of ‘The Dragon’s Feast’ to Soya, and with Soya’s genius intellect and mana sensitivity, she completely grasped it.

And the second condition.

To meet all the requirements of that ability.

Ormantor had met all the conditions and activated the Ability. This means Soya can also activate the power in the same way.

Soya smiled and said.

“From now on, your power is mine.”

And with those words, she bestowed Ormantor’s Ability onto the two girls caught by him. The two girls immediately began tearing apart Ormantor’s body, which had been protected by dark karma.

Literally tearing it apart.

Having half of his Dragon Lord’s Feast power stolen by Soya, and being hit with the remaining half, it was a situation Ormantor couldn't withstand.

“Ugh.”

Leffrey, who couldn’t stand the sight of the gore, turned his head away.

However, all that remained was a snake-like scale husk.

“Molting Clone.”

Yumari muttered.

“One of the dragon’s techniques…”

And Yumari quickly looked around.

“Wait, a clone?”

“Yes, it’s a clone created through the skin he shed. Damn it, I should have noticed when he didn't die after being hit in his marman. Since it wasn’t alive in the first place, it can't die.”

“…And he was that strong for a mere clone?”

As Hongwol muttered in disbelief, Yumari, still tense, continued to scan her surroundings.

“Yes, I think I’ve seen enough of your techniques.”

Once again, that terrible voice was heard. It wasn’t a voice that could be produced by a human’s vocal cords.

“Ah, right. There’s another reason why the demon king in human stories is so stupid.”

*Kikkikkikkik. Kakkakkakkak.*

That annoying laughter came again.

“Why don't they think of following good words like ‘divide and conquer’? I don’t understand why they always lose to those heroes who form a party.”

*Crackle—*

*Rumble—* The space began to twist at an incredible speed.

“I really don’t understand.”

The corridor completely collapsed and the angel and hero were…

“Leffrey! Your hand!”

As Leffrey tried to fly up but got swept away because space itself was twisting, a girl reached out her hand to him.

And so the boy and girl were sucked into one space.