[{"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-81":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},1319833,1753,"Chapter 81","i-became-the-academy-s-final-boss-chapter-81",81,"\u003Cp>Chapter 81\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days had passed since the midterm exams ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had been a few happenings here and there, but for what it was, things were surprisingly peaceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that was probably because this dungeon incident wasn’t something involving a Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No complications, no casualties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering that, the Academy’s capability wasn’t half bad, seeing how the commotion had been handled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that was only in terms of the Academy’s affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been severely scolded by the Instructors for disappearing all of a sudden during the exam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the testimonies of my teammates, I avoided any major punishment, though I was told to keep a low profile for a few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that I planned to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it’s not like the Instructors could really punish me anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could’ve imagined that a mock dungeon created just for the exam would turn into a real one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it really my fault for being caught up and disappearing in that situation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a limit to how much they could punish someone for acting alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I even got some extra money as compensation for the damages caused by the dungeon incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t what mattered right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I closed my eyes tightly at the disaster unfolding before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two beautiful women were facing each other, their gazes filled with wary hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like watching a dog and a cat that couldn’t stand each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first to speak was Lia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, she’s the one who stole the fragment of my heart from The Groom, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who stole what from who? If anything, I was the one who got pickpocketed. And The Groom? What are you, a kid?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-What did you just say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled by Joo Sarang’s blunt words, Lia looked at me like a frightened rabbit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To pick a fight first and then look to me for help—how typical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like their exchange suggested, the two already knew a bit about each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn’t strange that they did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I hadn’t told them, it seemed that because of the fragment of the Heart, they could communicate to some extent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of explaining everything, I’d simply told them to meet, arranging this meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought they could benefit from each other—certainly not harm one another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that didn’t mean I wasn’t worried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lia and Joo Sarang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given their personalities, it was inevitable that they’d butt heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But right now, the one I was worried about wasn’t either of them. It was someone else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, Joo Sarang gave Seo Da-hee a once-over before speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, this is surprising. So the so-called ‘ally’ is Seo Da-hee—the one I heard was dead? What kind of trick did you pull?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It took some effort,” I replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, fine, but still. You’re not really what I imagined. I heard you had this mature, composed image. But this? You’re just a kid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joo Sarang didn’t know about Lia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be precise, she thought Lia was a “concept sub-character”—a pseudonym Seo Da-hee used to act under.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Explaining the truth about Lia would’ve been too complicated, so I didn’t bother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I figured once they met and got to know each other, I could explain everything slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t expected them to start growling the moment they met, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lia snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you calling a kid?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You, obviously.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grinding her teeth, Lia shut her eyes tightly. When she opened them again, her pupils had turned black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her soul had switched to Seo Da-hee’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re Seongwoo’s childhood friend, right? Quite the foul mouth you’ve got.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, are you some kind of split personality or something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, all of a sudden, her figure vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, Joo Sarang immediately took up a combat stance, but Seo Da-hee had already appeared behind her, grabbing the back of her neck, striking her knee joint, and collapsing her balance before pinning her down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joo Sarang’s face slammed into the floor of the small studio room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell—?! What are you doing all of a sudden?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, I may have left the Academy, but I’m still your senior. Second, you’re a Demon, and you mean to tell me you don’t even know who I am?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, there it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew it would happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d brought them together, but I’d agonized over this exact situation for quite a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joo Sarang, restrained by Seo Da-hee, struggled furiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let go of me right now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stay still. I’m not going to treat you as gently as Lia would.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right. Seo Da-hee was the one I’d been worried about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who was Seo Da-hee, after all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the Student Council was tainted by Berid’s subordinates, she had led the charge in purging Demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even back then, she had held deep resentment toward them—and ever since what happened with me, her hostility toward Pandemonium and Demons had long since turned into hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, I’d brought Joo Sarang—a subordinate of Ha Yoon—right in front of her, and to top it off, Sarang’s attitude was like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joo Sarang shouted desperately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey! Yoo Seongwoo! Do something about this woman!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Quiet. Don’t make a scene in someone else’s home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Seo Da-hee tightened her grip, Joo Sarang’s mouth snapped shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After nearly dying from overusing her Power before, she probably didn’t have enough energy to use it and escape now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She seemed sufficiently subdued—maybe it was time to step in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior, that’s enough. She’s still our guest, after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seo Da-hee reluctantly released her hold, and Joo Sarang immediately jumped up, glaring daggers at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she didn’t attack again—she must have realized the difference in strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shot me a resentful glare, as if to say, Why didn’t you stop her sooner?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why didn’t I stop her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, because this whole sequence was something I’d asked Seo Da-hee to do beforehand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If something unpleasant was bound to happen anyway, I might as well make good use of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I did feel a bit sorry, but it was necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A clear display of hierarchy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joo Sarang’s personality was rebellious by nature—hardly fit for teamwork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she was a Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing the iron rule of the Demons’ world—that only the strong rule—it was better to suppress her early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, Seo Da-hee could relieve a bit of her own stress toward Demons in the process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, why did you bring her here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s going to be our new teammate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you think you can trust her? You’re saying there’s no chance she’s Ha Yoon’s spy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seo Da-hee still looked at Joo Sarang with a displeased expression, as if she couldn’t bring herself to like her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s almost no chance she’s Ha Yoon’s spy. On the contrary, she’ll become our spy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason I judged Joo Sarang to be useful was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could fill in the gaps of information about Pandemonium that I couldn’t cover with game knowledge alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, during the Beast Farm’s beast rampage incident, I knew that the event would occur and how to clear it—but not when it would happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like that, most of the events from the game were all in my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those unfilled details and small variables—those were hard for me to confirm in real time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most annoying thing about this possession was how frequently the difficulty changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through Joo Sarang, I intended to identify and control those variables in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Seo Da-hee tilted her head, as if she couldn’t quite understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Seongwoo, you’re part of Pandemonium too. Why would you need a spy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because Pandemonium is still full of people, after all. Everyone has their assigned roles, and there’s a system of sorts. Most of the incidents happening in the Academy are orchestrated by Berid, so I need a channel to access Berid’s information. If I question him directly, it’ll just lead to unnecessary suspicion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, that thing will be useful?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seo Da-hee pointed toward her as she said that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joo Sarang’s face twisted in annoyance at being referred to as “that thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s one of Berid’s direct subordinates.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And how much access does that thing have to information?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned my head to look at Joo Sarang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She might not know every personal order he gives to other Demons, but she knows enough about the major plots and operations carried out against the Academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sounds like she’s of a higher rank than I expected.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s a high-ranking Demon, and among Berid’s subordinates, one of the strongest assets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her performance in the last dungeon had been astonishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Material Transmutation—what an overpowered ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she fully unleashed her power, aside from Berid and me, she was arguably the strongest in the entire Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This girl?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seo Da-hee tilted her head in disbelief, while Joo Sarang’s expression flared up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If only my power hadn’t been sealed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sealed? Are you still clinging to some ridiculous ‘concept’ or ‘setting’ nonsense?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The seal on her demonic energy is real. I put it there myself to stop her from using it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing my explanation, Seo Da-hee nodded, seeming to understand Joo Sarang’s usefulness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everything you said makes sense, Seongwoo. If she provides us with information, she could be a great help. And from the sound of it, she’s not exactly weak either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But. There’s still one thing that matters most—we have no solid proof we can trust her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, we were back to that problem again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given how Seo Da-hee had once been betrayed by a comrade she trusted, she had no reason to take Joo Sarang at her word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just hating Demons and despising Pandemonium wasn’t enough to serve as proof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only reason she trusted me was because I had already crossed the point of no return with Pandemonium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the things I had done were ever exposed, it wouldn’t end with a mere disciplinary action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My role guaranteed I wouldn’t be killed, but they’d make sure I suffered every form of torture and punishment possible short of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Joo Sarang had no such circumstance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Joo Sarang replied,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t the fact that I’m even meeting with you guys proof enough?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. What if you take what you heard here and tell Ha Yoon or other Demons in Pandemonium?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re gonna think like that, why bother making me part of your team? You might as well keep playing with yourselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere instantly froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, that crossed the line a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should I do—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I was about to step in before a fight broke out, one of Seo Da-hee’s eyes turned pale gray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Lia, who had been quiet until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are we fighting among ourselves? You’ll just make things harder for the Groom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But she’s a Demon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside Seo Da-hee’s body, Lia and Seo Da-hee’s voices alternated sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re gonna say that, then Seongwoo’s a Demon too, isn’t he? If we keep this up, it’ll never end. How can we work together when there’s no trust between us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But still…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No ‘but stills’! Don’t you realize everything you’re saying now is just doubting the Groom? If you keep this up, what does that make him, the one who brought her here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Lia’s words, Seo Da-hee closed her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nice advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I hadn’t expected Lia to step in and defuse the situation like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes she acted like the youngest mentally, but she was a being who had spent hundreds of years inside the fragment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks, Lia. You’re absolutely right. I brought her here for a reason—and I have my own certainty about it. So, Senior, why don’t you try trusting her, just a little?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to resist our reasoning, Seo Da-hee reluctantly took a step back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Joo Sarang muttered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell… you people play both sides of the drum by yourselves. Are you seriously split personalities or what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pft.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but laugh at her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Joo Sarang, Seo Da-hee must’ve looked like a lunatic talking and arguing with herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I decided to introduce Lia to her properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So basically, during Seo Da-hee’s resurrection, two souls ended up sharing one body. And I barely survived thanks to the fragment of the item that revived her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Joo Sarang let out a half-scoffed laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, I like the kid more than Seo Da-hee.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you calling a kid!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lia flared up in anger, while Joo Sarang just laughed lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to Lia, the tension in the room quickly eased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guess that was one crisis avoided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had been quite a few twists and turns, but at least the first meeting had ended without a real fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that I had reliable allies, the puzzle pieces to bring down Berid were finally starting to fall into place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, while chatting with Joo Sarang, Lia called out to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Groom, that phone over there keeps ringing. Are you gonna answer it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned my head to see my phone vibrating on the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who would be calling me at this hour?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I checked the caller ID, I felt the blood drain from my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【2 Missed Calls\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caller: Master.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Connecting video call.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Ah. I’m screwed.\u003C\u002Fp>",2199,"2026-06-05T19:04:26.866Z",1,"novelbin.me","115f321766890bac3dd775dd5ed4aa45f1ffb2b954f29635d54914e83e5f9e21","i-became-the-academy-s-final-boss-chapter-134","i-became-the-academy-s-final-boss-chapter-133",137,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-final-boss-cover.jpg"]