[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero":3,"chapter-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-154":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Became the Academy’s War Hero",{"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},1531648,1990,"Chapter 154 : The Higher the Mountain, the Deeper the Valley (4)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-154",154,"\u003Cp>Chapter 154: The Higher the Mountain, the Deeper the Valley (4)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If word reaches him that intruders were allowed inside….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wouldn’t it be better to provide us information and survive as an insider instead of dying by his hands?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re thinking about stalling for time, give it up. If you can’t decide within thirty seconds, we’ll start the human experimentation you love so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Aren’t you the ones who’ll be in trouble without information?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not really? It’d be nice to have, but it’s not like we’d be helpless without it. We’ve got plenty of other ways to pressure the Bernhardts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once I presented the proper carrot alongside a very obvious stick, there was no reason for him to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The researcher, who introduced himself as Ernst Wagner, first disabled the magic linked to the interception turrets deeper inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though with a sword pointed at his back, he didn’t exactly have much of a choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, we restrained his hands with the handcuffs we had brought just in case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch. Like some mere researcher could escape in front of the legendary war hero.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up and walk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crossing the stone wall, we finally entered the interior proper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the three reporters hurriedly unpacked the equipment they had brought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creeeak… creeeak….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaningless signboards fluttered in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old buildings scattered across the vast empty lot looked so decrepit they seemed ready to collapse at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging from the exterior, most appeared abandoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the central dome-shaped building still had lights on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without anyone saying a word, Ernst naturally began walking toward it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And where are you rushing off to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grabbed the back of his neck and stopped him. He answered with a resigned expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, you told me to provide information. I hate wasting time too. Thought I’d let you inspect things quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t wrong, so I loosened my grip without complaint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment we entered the building, what greeted us—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were screams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KAAAH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KEEEEK! KEEEEEK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the three reporters, whose faces were filled with tension, Francia looked surprisingly calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same went for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t unfamiliar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on the sounds alone, it was no different from ordinary Beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I had already experienced the shrieks of creatures halfway between human and Beast before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clank! Clank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The interior was packed with well over a hundred iron cages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creatures inside screamed as though determined to bend the bars apart with brute force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cages shook violently enough to inspire fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reporters flinched simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even then, they never stopped recording.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone was incredibly like them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked toward the nearest cage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite its face being torn open against the bars, the creature ignored the pain entirely and bared killing intent toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Their Beast instincts have grown even stronger than before.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Beasts used during the battle near the operation area had still shown signs of unfamiliarity with pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That had been what convinced me they were once human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, even that distinction was becoming difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No matter how you look at it now, these are pure humanoid-type Beasts.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just how many humans had they sacrificed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shoved Ernst toward the cage and barked at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hiiik!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When did these experiments begin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-I don’t know when they started! I’ve only worked here as a researcher for the past five years!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant I began interrogating him, Stefan quickly rushed over with his Phono Orb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what exactly have you been doing for five years?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it obvious?! Human Beastification! Research into raising Beasts to fight other Beasts! That was the entire purpose!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not research for the Bernhardts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Power depends on how it’s used. What purpose someone uses it for isn’t my concern. I was simply paid to conduct research.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re saying turning humans into Beasts is really possible? How?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We continuously administer a drug made from dissolved Mana Stones. That’s the foundation. After that, we take various measures to awaken the Beast instincts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re saying you can just feed people Mana Stones? There’s no way it’s that simple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not! You need special Mana Stones. Truly horrifying creations condensed from twenty spells across six magical systems, including Mutation Magic, Curse Magic, and Amplification Magic!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listing off his research achievements somehow seemed to excite Ernst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shameless attitude made me shove him directly in front of the cage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“WAAAAAH! STOP! STOP!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he struggled desperately while crying and sniveling, I finally pulled him back again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huff… huff….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It must’ve taken quite some time to discover the optimal magical combination. And that alone wouldn’t have been enough, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“R-Right. That’s why we also needed Beast blood that wouldn’t trigger rejection within the human body. Finding that combination took a ridiculous amount of effort too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to his earlier resistance, he was answering far too obediently now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had they already destroyed the evidence?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—even if they had, it no longer mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had already recorded countless traces of Beastification here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no escaping punishment anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he resigned because he knew that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or did he still have another trick hidden away?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking that, I continued pressing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if Beastification succeeds, it’s meaningless if they can’t be controlled. I doubt you’ve achieved that part yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As though he had been waiting for those exact words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere around Ernst changed completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The theory was completed long ago. We simply lacked proof.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least until one month ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now we can finally take the first step.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Toward magnificent progress.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of bullshit are you—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I moved to shove him again—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seems you’ve gotten yourselves involved in something troublesome, Ernst.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice echoed from far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice impossible to consider human—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet undeniably speaking human language.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That thing… what exactly….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Human? Beast? Which is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Neither.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Answering shortly, I calmly stared at the approaching enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its facial features were far too clear to be considered Beast-like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet its massive body exceeded three meters in height.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eyes emitted the distinct glow unique to Beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its skin was a dark crimson-black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A being that possessed both the traits of Beasts and humans simultaneously—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Able to utilize a Beast’s physical abilities and instincts alongside human intelligence and experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In MAGA, this new species was called—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Demon Human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I’ll have to reduce the limit from six months to three.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had considered the possibility of this happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, facing one directly still came as a shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I never expected to encounter a Demon Human this early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empire was extremely proactive regarding Beastification, and Ribenia had been the first nation to successfully complete human Beastification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, because it was such a horrifying development, it only occurred in certain high-difficulty modes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if that mode happened to be Apocalypse Mode—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It became humanity’s greatest catastrophe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the Empire reached the final stage of Beastification—the Demon Human stage—they managed to create over a thousand Demon Humans within a single year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, once the true great disaster began, every single Demon Human became controlled by spiritual entities and turned against humanity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Preventing that from ever happening by eradicating the possibility at its root—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was my job now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden development drew all our attention toward the Demon Human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Ernst used that opening to barely escape my grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“1966! This is an emergency! Subdue them immediately!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing?! Move already! Tear off these handcuffs too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, should I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Demon Human grabbed Ernst’s restrained wrists with one rough hand—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And crushed the handcuffs together with the bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“GAAAAAAAAAH!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, sorry. I misjudged my strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Y-You insane bastard…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But is this really an emergency? It doesn’t look like one to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can’t you tell just by looking?! They’re all here to kill you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t think so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“AAAAARGH! Your intelligence got way too high for your own good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oddly enough, the two of them had surprisingly good chemistry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawing my sword, I shouted toward the Demon Human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You seem to roughly understand the situation already, so I won’t explain in detail! Hand over Ernst and submit peacefully! If you do, I’ll free you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? You think I’m lying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, no, that’s not it….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Demon Human awkwardly scratched his forehead before pointing toward his own chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry. I’m about to lose consciousness. Ernst triggered my berserk state.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment those words left his mouth—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flow of mana surrounding his entire body transformed into a raging torrent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The iron prison doors lined up on both sides opened all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Figures that bastard had another trick prepared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pointing at us with a crazed expression, Ernst screamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This place is getting shut down anyway! Whether I live or die, there’s no chance any of you are making it out alive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching him screech while both wrists hung shattered and twisted was honestly pathetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apparently unable to stand the sight anymore, Francia instantly rushed forward and knocked him unconscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KYAAGH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KEEEEEK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than thirty enemies burst out of the cages alongside terrifying screams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the Demon Human we faced last, these creatures were incomplete failures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far stronger than ordinary humans, yes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But nowhere near equal to Beasts of the same rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way they could stand against Francia and me, who had even defeated an SS-Rank Beast before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same applied to the other three as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These reporters had specifically been selected in preparation for a situation like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They might not be able to defeat the enemies themselves, but they certainly wouldn’t drag us down either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the incomplete creatures gradually surround us, Francia carefully asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…They were human originally, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But still… they used to be human.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Focus on defense as much as possible, Francia. I’ll handle the killing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had experienced countless things already, but she was still only eighteen years old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even by Imperial standards, she had only just become an adult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they looked completely like Beasts now, being prepared to kill something that had once been human was an entirely separate matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, she gripped her sword even more firmly and asked one final question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s… no way to return them to normal, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I answered silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, they were no longer human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their consciousness had been completely erased through repeated experimentation, and their instincts had fully tilted toward the Beast side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no longer any means left to suppress their savagery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know how Ernst had triggered their berserk state, but once they entered it, the best thing we could do for them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was kill them quickly and spare them further suffering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl who stared silently at my face slowly closed her eyes and readjusted her grip on her sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Then I won’t hold back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KYAAAAAH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One impatient Beast charged first, wildly swinging both arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Francia assumed her stance and condensed mana to its absolute limit within her blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smoothly redirected the enemy’s savage claw strike—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then sliced diagonally through its body in one clean motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cut was so perfect that not even blood splattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their companion reduced to chunks of meat sprawled across the floor, the other Beasts began screeching violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having steeled her resolve, Francia’s gaze was already fixed beyond this battle itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that, I stepped forward with a smile filled with fighting spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry about this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pity you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I can’t let you live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I briefly glanced toward the four people behind me before staring forward again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three Spears of Darkness slowly began emerging from the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>",1940,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.613Z",1,"novelbin.me","5f11b668adcfca498c1514796b8d33db7f3afb9a1d1fcc0ac6e08b676937ad46","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-155","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-153",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]