[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-became-the-academy-s-final-boss":3,"chapter-i-became-the-academy-s-final-boss-i-became-the-academy-s-final-boss-chapter-25":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Became the Academy’s Final Boss",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1319744,1753,"Chapter 25","i-became-the-academy-s-final-boss-chapter-25",25,"\u003Cp>Chapter 25\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had finally found the location of the underground prison and spat out a curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goddamn trash game.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The specific dungeons in were roguelike in format, with their structures changing every time you played.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of that, even I — who knew inside and out — had to rely on brute force to find the underground prison’s location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I arrived at the underground prison, the monsters were just about to move people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they were taken like that, they would end up in exactly the same state as the monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t want to needlessly increase the number of enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I pierced the chest of the bastard who was about to kill a little girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What made these monsters irritating was their tenacious life force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless you killed them in one blow, they regenerated without end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I ignited the Flames of Gehenna, his screams grew louder and his thrashing became fierce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon he turned to ash and vanished, and at the same time a girl appeared before my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sat down on the spot, looking extremely startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl tried to say something to me, but I immediately turned my gaze away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just that I wasn’t into playing the hero — more importantly, the noise here had drawn other monsters down to check the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I charged at the monster that had come in, driving its feet into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hadn’t reacted to my speed and its head was torn off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it hadn’t stopped breathing; it drew out a sharp hand and flailed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swung my saber again and cut off its limbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monsters didn’t bleed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if their flesh had been clumped together, the severed feet, legs, and torso of the thing writhed like worms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly a horrifying regenerative ability in many ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially visually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After I had sorted the situation out, I looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those locked in the prison shouted toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Set us free!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please save us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A considerable number of people were imprisoned in the underground prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the look of it, the count easily exceeded a hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, there was no need to free all of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scenario’s objective was, after all, only to retrieve the heart, and this world wasn’t reality but a virtual reconstruction of memories recorded in a book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mansion was full of monsters, and if I told them to escape on their own they’d surely be captured again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that happened, there’d be no point in having come to save them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should I do? Ignore them and go?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These bastards weren’t particularly threatening apart from their regeneration… no, it was still better to save them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I left them, there was a high chance they’d end up turning into monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was already strengthening the boss of the Hidden Dungeon; if the minions started bothering me too, there would be too much to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most certain and worry-free method was, after all, to kill all the humans here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be the surest way to prevent them from increasing the monsters’ numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a scream came from somewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eek!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You fucking bitch! Because of you we almost died!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I turned my head, the girl who had almost been killed by the monster moments before had been grabbed by the collar by a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A child who looked younger than the girl lunged at the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t hurt our Noona!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child clung to the man’s leg and bit his thigh hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Arrggh! Are these things crazy in pairs!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His pot-lid hands came down toward the child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sound like a gong, the man’s body was stopped by my armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the sound it made, that was at least a fracture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man blinked for a moment, then looked at his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hand was stained red and swollen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Arrgghhh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain that arrived belatedly made the man slump and writhe in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You should’ve checked who you were hitting before you hit them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who punches a kid who’s small enough to be at his waist?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how unreal the situation before me was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To my eyes those people were truly living and moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I had been that rational and cold-hearted in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wouldn’t have clung to for so long just to see one happy ending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ignored the fallen man and continued weighing my options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had decided to free them, but how should I get them out?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the game, when you discovered people the screen briefly went black and a message popped up saying the people had been successfully rescued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But here I had to escort them out myself…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I send them back the way I had come, in reverse order?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monsters would pursue us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment the girl who had been grabbed by the man’s collar earlier approached me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl approached me boldly, though she seemed afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Th-thank you… Did you come here to rescue us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not exactly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had come here to deal with the monsters in the mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since I had already decided to save them, I might as well give a polite answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded and replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right. But there are a lot more prisoners than I expected. It’ll be hard to protect everyone and get them all out safely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, the girl’s face brightened, and she began asking questions eagerly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s it like outside?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not good. The monsters are still rampaging, and the entire area is engulfed in flames.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking for a moment, the girl spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think I know a way we can get out of here safely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s such a thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t seem to be lying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As you may know, this place used to belong to a family famous for their magic. And usually, noble houses like these have secret passageways, don’t they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This place is underground. But sometimes, I’ve heard the sound of wind coming through the walls. Don’t you think that might be where the secret passage is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It won’t hurt to give it a try.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced around the prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given that they had locked up over a hundred people, it was far larger than I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be tough to search the entire place alone—alright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shouted to those imprisoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From now on, we’re looking for a secret passage. Anyone who feels a breeze, I’ll personally get you out of your cell.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my words, people began moving busily, and soon someone shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can feel wind coming from this wall!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I moved toward the voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he’d said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the wall in the deepest part of the underground prison, I could feel a faint flow of air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knocked lightly on the wall with my fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tok tok.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hollow sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A secret passage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kicked the wall hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a rumbling sound, the wall crumbled, revealing a hidden tunnel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my command, the people who had found the passage, along with those in the same room, let out cheers and rushed toward it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I went ahead and freed the others in the nearby rooms as well, and they too hurried toward the passage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having been treated as less than human and waiting for death, it was only natural they’d want to escape this place as quickly as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That large crowd disappeared into the passage in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the girl who still remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one even thought to thank the knight who saved them…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked displeased as she stared out, clearly unhappy about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling oddly proud, I spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why don’t you thank me on their behalf?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my words, the girl and her younger brother bowed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks to you, Sir Knight, my brother and I were able to survive. If something had happened to him because of me, I never would’ve forgiven myself. Thank you for saving us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank youu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew full well that this girl was nothing more than a fragment of the past created from shards of memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want to be just like you someday, Sir Knight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You shouldn’t become like me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gave a bitter smile at the boy’s innocent question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need to tell children everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, never mind. By the way, have you seen anything strange nearby? Something like a fist-sized, glowing jewel—or maybe a monster that looks far uglier than the others and can speak?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heart of the Nameless One was usually hidden randomly somewhere within the mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But occasionally, with very rare probability, a monster that had taken the Heart of the Nameless One and regained its instincts would appear as a random encounter—an ally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To beginners, it was a useful ally for the boss battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To veteran players, it was a good monster to deliver the Heart of the Nameless One to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the girl shook her head at my question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen any jewels or monsters that looked stronger than the others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pretended to sound disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But truthfully, I wasn’t disappointed at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because for some time now, an unknown presence had brushed against my senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the ordinary monsters that gave off no sign of life, this one radiated a distinct vitality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the presence I sensed felt too foreign to belong to a human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed I had, by an extremely slim chance, encountered one of those rare random encounters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant I could save myself some trouble in finding the Heart hidden within the mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I patted the girl’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, I needed to get these children out of here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks for telling me. Now hurry and leave this place. And don’t ever let the monsters catch you again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I used the 【Dark Relic】 to create a dagger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The children let out gasps of amazement at the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just in case, take this with you. You’ll need at least something to protect yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Th-thank you. I’ll take good care of it and return it to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Keep it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t accept something this expensive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry about it. Just go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would disappear once the dungeon was cleared anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl bowed her head repeatedly in thanks, then took her younger brother and disappeared into the secret passage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming they were gone from sight, I threw a punch at the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wall collapsed, sealing off the passage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t risk any monsters discovering it and following them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold silence soon fell over the underground prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come out. I know you’ve been hiding there for a while now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why wasn’t it answering?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the game, it had regained its memories from when it was human and had been quite cooperative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t even trying to hide its presence, as if it wanted me to find it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it refused to respond—strange creature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I surrounded myself with crimson flames and illuminated the figure hidden in the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a massive figure came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lifted my head to look at it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was taller than me by at least a head, its slender frame and voluptuous body barely covered by a sheet of pale, tattered cloth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“U… ah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed this was the companion and random encounter character one could meet with an abysmally low probability in the Nameless One’s mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But something about her condition was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her speech was painfully clumsy, the way she spoke no different from that of a five-year-old child—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>as if she had only just learned how to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared intently at her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no Heart emanating powerful energy within it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had there ever been an instance where this creature moved around without a Heart?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, in the game, this character had never appeared in a female form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the monster that had been watching me began to approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately raised my guard and assumed a combat stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, the creature stopped right in front of me and sat down on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah… bba…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Appa…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying that, the creature lowered its head toward me as if asking me to pat it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it looked up at me with pleading, sorrowful eyes, begging not to be abandoned.\u003C\u002Fp>",2085,"2026-06-05T19:04:26.586Z",1,"novelbin.me","557ded78ec05190bab2b318d4f543665befe5d96f816f99cc902c54031eae210","i-became-the-academy-s-final-boss-chapter-26","i-became-the-academy-s-final-boss-chapter-24",137,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-final-boss-cover.jpg"]