How to Take Revenge as an Academy Scoundrel

Chapter 42. Shadow Brigade

A 50-story tower stood at the 12 o’clock position of the examination hall.

Chairwoman Kate was on the rooftop, exchanging bright greetings with various guild officials.

“It’s been a while, Chairwoman Kate.”

“Heh heh. Indeed, Executive Yoo. I’m always grateful for your personal support.”

After greeting everyone gathered in the audience, Chairwoman Kate took a seat prepared for her on one side.

And shortly after.

– Squeak!

At last, the exam began.

A massive test with 1,000 students from ten first-year classes participating.

The guild officials present were intent on not missing a single moment, eager to scout future talents, while Chairwoman Kate watched the screen across from her with an intrigued expression.

“Hmm…”

Filling one wall was a gigantic screen displaying live footage captured by cameras installed throughout the examination hall, the number of which exceeded dozens.

Naturally, it was impossible to watch them all at once, and the guild officials focused solely on the footage of the students they had been eyeing in advance.

‘Oh… what a splendid judgment, indeed? And that superpower… it seems our guild truly needs it.’

Amidst this, the most popular student was, of course, someone like Lee Jin-ryul, who was vying for the top spot in the year.

“Ha… how can someone at that age be like this? Magic, superpowers, instinct. Truly, they possess everything. I wonder which guild will snatch them up, but already my stomach churns with envy…”

In the footage, Lee Jin-ryul faced off against multiple alliances alone, displaying an overwhelming presence, and the guild officials were beyond mere evaluation; they were now filled with pure admiration.

Yet, there was one talent they had not yet recognized.

“Hmm?”

That talent was Kim Do-jin, who was battling the ambushers lurking at the entrance of Building 8.

“……”

As Kate, the chairwoman, happened to glance away, she caught sight of Kim Do-jin’s prowess, and her mouth slowly fell agape.

‘C-could it be…?’

In an instant, Kim Do-jin moved with astonishing speed, subduing several foes in the blink of an eye.

‘That student is surely…’

Chairwoman Kate knew Kim Do-jin’s face, and thus her astonishment deepened.

‘Did he possess such remarkable skills all along?’

She glanced around, wondering if anyone else was witnessing Kim Do-jin’s display, but, regrettably, everyone was entranced by Lee Jin-ryul’s footage, unable to tear their eyes away.

‘Hmm…’

With a look of intrigue, Chairwoman Kate turned her gaze back to the screen showcasing Kim Do-jin, continuing to follow his every move.

But then, after some time had passed.

– KWAANG!

Suddenly, the wall near the corridor crumbled, revealing a group of figures.

“Everyone, get down on the floor! The moment you lift your head, I’ll blow it off!”

The guild officials gathered in the audience were mostly scouts, responsible for tasks like talent acquisition, rather than awakened individuals active on the front lines.

In contrast, the intruding group consisted of powerful villains who had silently dispatched the guards outside.

“Kuahk!”

The guild officials, paralyzed by fear, dared not resist and quickly obeyed, flattening themselves against the ground.

“Khuhuh…”

Among the intruders, a man who appeared to be the leader approached Chairwoman Kate with a sinister grin.

And Chairwoman Kate felt an overwhelming sense of despair as she beheld that man.

Here, in the heart of the ‘Ark,’ lies the testing ground.

I could not discern their true identities, nor could I fathom how they had managed to reach this place.

* * *

Chairwoman Kate was an awakener, a treasure of all humanity.

Thus, the South Korean government had always provided her with the highest level of security personnel, protecting her from the threats of villains until now.

Yet today was a rather peculiar day.

Originally, Instructor Astrid was to oversee this occupation test, but she had suddenly left due to personal matters, and Kate’s head of security, Najin Hwan, was absent today due to illness.

With two S-class awakeners suddenly missing, the security level had plummeted to a perilous low.

Surrounding her, those nearby urged Chairwoman Kate not to venture out today, but she steadfastly refused to alter her attendance schedule.

Of course, Kate was not without her own sense of assurance.

The state-of-the-art magical engineering security system that the ‘Ark’ boasted.

It was designed to trigger alarms the moment an unauthorized S-class awakener entered the premises, allowing her to retreat to a safe zone at any time. That was her calculation.

However, for some reason, that alarm system had failed to function properly, and the result was the dire situation she now faced.

‘What has happened? Could it be… that a spy has infiltrated the Ark and leaked information?’

Such thoughts flickered through Kate’s mind, but what mattered now was not that.

‘The fact that the security personnel outside could not stop them means there are at least two S-class awakeners… Is this truly the end?’

Though Chairwoman Kate was also an S-class awakener, she was merely a supporter, and she could not contend with two S-class awakeners.

“Ugh…”

As Kate stood frozen, her expression grave.

“Heh heh.”

The leader of the approaching group of villains, Dino Chiellini, drew near, a sinister grin plastered across his face.

“At last, I shall have Kate Lawrence in my grasp. I wonder what it feels like to taste that magnificent permanent buff superpower? Well, it might take a few years for my turn to come… but still, that’s something.”

Dino Chiellini, with his unnecessary chatter, was a high-ranking member of the secret villain organization ‘Leviathan,’ specifically the commander of the ‘Shadow Brigade.’

To be precise, he was the captain of the 12th division.

Though he led what was considered the weakest unit, the title of captain in the ‘Shadow Brigade’ was not given to just anyone.

Dino Chiellini had risen to the rank of S-class a year ago, and within the 12th division, his position was unassailable.

After all, with only about 200 S-class awakeners in the world, they were the elite of the elite, and the fact that there were two S-class awakeners in this 12th division showcased the true strength of the ‘Shadow Brigade.’

“Don’t resist foolishly. It’ll only lead to more innocent lives lost. Our noble heroes despise that sort of thing, don’t they?”

With that, Dino Chiellini threatened to kill the hostages and bound Chairwoman Kate, then turned to his subordinates and asked.

“What’s the status on the setup?”

Thanks to the spy, it was easy to disable the alarm system and slip inside.

But now, with the troops of the ‘Republic of Korea Special Defense Agency’ deployed, retreating was no simple task.

In fact, it would be no exaggeration to say it was impossible.

Thus, they had prepared a ‘one-time teleportation device’ in advance.

It was a piece of arcane engineering that was not easily obtainable, even with astronomical sums of money, but if they could capture a behemoth like Kate Lawrence, it would be worth every penny.

In any case, to activate that ‘one-time teleportation device,’ they needed to install at least six auxiliary power units within a radius of 500 meters, which is why they had sent six operatives ahead of time.

“Just finished the last installation!”

The operation was unfolding smoothly, just as planned.

“Really?”

At the report from his subordinate, Dino Chiellini grinned triumphantly and clicked the button on the device strapped to his belt.

– Vwooom!

The ‘one-time teleportation device’ installed atop the observation tower roared to life, emitting a thunderous sound.

It was gathering vast amounts of magical power, resonating with the auxiliary power units to enable the teleportation.

“Heh heh…”

With just 15 minutes to go, the teleportation would activate, whisking away Director Kate in an instant.

Confident in the success of the operation, Dino Chiellini leisurely watched the students on the screen, oblivious to the unfolding chaos as they took their exams.

* * *

“Is this b*stard insane…?”

Dominic Hayder suddenly began to stride forward, his face twisted into a menacing snarl.

“Ugh!”

In that moment, the students around him flinched, instinctively recoiling in fear.

They were overwhelmed by the murderous aura emanating from an A-class Awakened.

Yet among them, there was one exception: Kim Do-jin.

“Everyone, step back! It’s dangerous. I’ll handle this.”

In a fight against an A-class or higher Awakened, those below C-class were of little help.

Moreover, considering Dominic Hayder’s ferocious nature, there was a real risk of casualties.

Kim Do-jin stepped forward alone, drawing the sword at his waist with a swift motion.

“Uh, uh?”

The students were at a loss, hesitating at Kim Do-jin’s boldness, while Dominic Hayder seemed to be moving from anger to sheer disbelief.

“Ha…”

—

Can a mere brat, barely 17 years old, dare to think of facing me one-on-one?

Dominic Haider glared at Kim Do-jin, contemplating the lesson he ought to impart before delivering the final blow. Kim Do-jin, however, met that deadly gaze with an unsettling calm, his thoughts racing.

‘Right. I get it. No matter how much of an Arc student you are, challenging an A-rank Awakened is a fool’s errand. But, alas, it just so happens that I am your extreme counter.’

In truth, Dominic Haider’s superpower was “Petrification,” akin to that of Nasca and Renya.

And this vessel, Kim Do-jin, possessed the ability to wield “Telekinesis” when it came to materials like rock.

To top it off, he also had “Time Transcendence” and could benefit from Yoon Yuna’s buffs, leaving him confident he wouldn’t lose this fight.

Yet, such thoughts were his alone to entertain.

“I will fight too!”

It seemed the odds were stacked against them, yet Yoon Yuna and several team members beside him drew their weapons, readying themselves for battle.

‘Look at these fools.’

Kim Do-jin felt a surprising surge of admiration for the bravery and loyalty of his comrades, but he still needed no assistance.

“No. You should stay back. Just support me from behind.”

With that, he pushed his teammates away, standing firm before Dominic Haider, bolstered only by Yoon Yuna’s buff.

“Truly, what a pathetic sight…”

He was both incredulous and furious… in any case, he was not in a good mood.

“You won’t die easily, kid.”

With those words, Dominic Haider finally launched his attack.