I Became The Only Healer In The Academy [EN]: Chapter 90

Sung Hyun and his group returned home a day earlier than scheduled.

Originally, they were supposed to watch the award ceremony for the American team that won the Ivan Competition, but since Sung Hyun’s group was disqualified and couldn’t stand on the field anyway, they decided to just return.

Of course, they sent a congratulatory gift to the American team.

They couldn’t ignore the fact that the United States was the top-ranked country and that the academy representatives had shown great strength.

After the results of the National Competition were announced, there were slight changes in the prestige rankings.

Since these were individuals representing their respective futures, any team that showed even a slightly disappointing performance was bound to see changes.

The order from 1st to 3rd place remained unchanged, but China’s ranking, which was 4th, plummeted to 6th.

This was because Sung Hyun had severed a tendon of one of their representatives, causing them to show a disappointing performance during the competition.

Fortunately, South Korea’s ranking, which had been disqualified, remained unchanged.

“Do we… have to stop by the academy?”

Inhwan, who had just entered the airport, looked at Sung Hyun with a face that clearly showed he didn’t want to go.

“We have to stop by, right? You probably already know, but we need to explain the detailed circumstances of the disqualification.”

“…We’ll explain it.”

Inhwan and Sangyeon were filled with guilt.

If they had been just a little stronger, or if they had received Demarche’s equipment even a little earlier.

“It’s okay. I made all the choices anyway, so I have to go with you.”

“…”

Sung Hyun could see a lot of emotions on Inhwan and Sangyeon’s faces, but he had no intention of changing his decision.

If they had achieved good results in the Academy Competition, there would have been a large crowd at this airport to welcome them, but of course, there was nothing like that.

It was as quiet and peaceful as if ordinary tourists were returning from a trip.

“So, are we going straight to the academy?”

“No, we’ll go to the academy tomorrow. According to the original schedule, we were supposed to return tomorrow anyway.”

“Then… let’s go together tomorrow.”

Inhwan and Sangyeon seemed to want to return to their respective homes with complicated feelings, and Sung Hyun nodded without a word.

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The next day, at the entrance of the academy, Sung Hyun and his group met up and were about to enter when they noticed that the gazes directed at them were different from usual.

“…”

The freshmen were the same as before, but the sophomores and juniors had expressions full of hostility, as if they were furious.

“Did something happen?”

In such a short amount of time, for people who had barely made eye contact with them before to show such palpable animosity, something must have happened.

“It looks like we should go inside…? They look like they’re about to start a fight.”

“What’s gotten into those guys who couldn’t do anything before…?”

Inhwan and Sangyeon had already surpassed the skills of the juniors, so they stared back at them with competitive eyes.

“Yeah, let’s go in.”

Sung Hyun, not wanting to cause trouble from the entrance, ignored their gazes and entered the building.

He headed straight to the headmaster’s office, and the door was wide open as if he had been waiting.

“Ah, come in.”

A voice with an extremely businesslike tone was heard, and as they entered the room, the academy headmaster greeted Sung Hyun and his group with a perfectly expressionless face.

“Hello.”

“Yes, sit down. I think we have a lot to talk about.”

The academy headmaster was well aware of what had happened to Sung Hyun.

“First, let me briefly explain what I’ve been told.”

He explained to Sung Hyun first, in case there were any errors in the report he had received, and Sung Hyun nodded silently as if everything was correct.

“I have nothing to say about these matters.”

Sung Hyun believed that his judgment was correct.

And fortunately, the headmaster seemed to feel the same way, nodding in response.

“The academy and the association feel the same way. In fact, since there was no change in the prestige rankings, those heavy-bottomed people sitting up there weren’t too dissatisfied either.”

“Heavy-bottomed people…?”

“You know, those people who are in politics.”

“Ah…”

Sung Hyun looked surprised at the rather direct way of speaking.

“This isn’t a meeting to reprimand you for those events. It’s just to find out if there’s anything different from the report I received, or if there’s anything I’m missing.”

The headmaster even felt a sense of satisfaction.

If other hunters had been in that situation, what judgment would they have made?

And even if they had chosen to comply with them, would they really have been able to participate in the Academy Competition normally?

“But… what happened at the academy?”

“What do you mean?”

“I felt hostility in the gazes directed at us from the entrance.”

“Ah…”

The headmaster answered with a troubled expression.

“There’s a strange rumor going around. The rumor is that our South Korean representatives took illegal drugs from the Representative Selection Match.”

“Excuse me? What are you talking about…”

“Someone started a rumor that the reason for the disqualification was due to illegal drugs.”

He didn’t know who was behind it, but it was clear that there was malicious intent.

“The academy and the association cannot disclose the reason for this disqualification.”

“I know.”

The moment the reason for the disqualification was revealed, the relationship between the two countries would undoubtedly deteriorate irreparably.

And quite a few things would follow as a result.

They also had to consider the harm that innocent civilians would suffer.

The same was true for China.

They had promoted and touted their representative as the future itself, but they couldn’t even put up a proper fight.

Even though they had taken hostages.

The blow to their pride would probably be no different from their prestige ranking plummeting by more than 10 places.

“The academy will take responsibility for quelling that rumor.”

“No. I’ve come up with a pretty good idea.”

“A good… idea?”

Even though it wasn’t a situation to smile, Sung Hyun smiled, and the headmaster looked at Sung Hyun with a puzzled expression.

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[All sophomores and juniors are requested to gather at the competition arena.]

As soon as class ended, the sudden announcement caused the sophomores and juniors to look at each other with questioning expressions.

“What’s going on?”

“Calling both sophomores and juniors at the same time? Is something big happening?”

It was such a rare occurrence to call an entire grade that no one could remember it ever happening before.

Still, they had been called, so they had to go.

The sophomores and juniors began to gather as soon as the broadcast ended.

Many students were already gathered at the entrance of the competition arena.

They couldn’t go inside yet, as the entrance hadn’t been opened, so they were waiting outside.

“What’s going on?”

“Why call us and keep the door closed?”

“Yeah, and there’s no one here.”

With class about to start again soon, everyone was complaining about the break time being wasted in vain.

“Is everyone here?”

“What’s going on…”

As they were about to ask with dissatisfaction at the voice coming from behind, the owner of the voice was an unexpected person.

“H, Headmaster?”

“What brings the headmaster here…”

Since the headmaster didn’t usually show himself, all the students stared at the headmaster with quite bewildered expressions.

“First, I would like to inform you that the next class has been replaced with what is happening now.”

“Excuse me, Headmaster.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Someone raised their hand to ask a question, and the headmaster nodded and accepted the question.

“Is there a reason why the freshmen weren’t gathered?”

“Because freshmen are different from sophomores and juniors.”

He didn’t explain what was different.

Still, everyone thought that the difference between the freshmen and the remaining sophomores and juniors was experience, so that seemed to be the basis for the call.

“You can go in now.”

The headmaster pressed the remote control, and the door to the competition arena opened, and the dark interior greeted them, as the lights hadn’t been turned on yet.

Everyone entered the arena, and the headmaster, who had been watching from outside, also entered the interior.

They began to find suitable seats, and not long after, the lights inside turned on.

“…”

But no one was appearing.

It was already time for class to start, but the professors were nowhere to be seen.

While they were just sitting there without knowing why, the headmaster stepped out into the center of the arena.

“This class is… a sparring session.”

At the word sparring, the students began to buzz.

If it had been before the competition, it would have been understandable, but suddenly sparring now that the competition was all over.

“Sparring? At this time?”

“What’s with the sudden sparring?”

The buzzing interior was soon approaching a level of noise that could be considered slightly chaotic.

“Who are we sparring with?”

“Did you invite someone from outside?”

Some students were showing a skeptical reaction to the sparring, but most were burning with competitive spirit at the word sparring.

Of course, those questions were from the representatives of the sophomores and juniors.

As questions continued to pour out, the headmaster cleared his throat to briefly refresh the surroundings and then answered.

“First, let me briefly explain the rules. Killing is, of course, impossible, and so are irreparable injuries.”

Since it wasn’t much different from the competition rules, the sophomores and juniors seemed even more satisfied.

“Who exactly is the opponent?”

“If you’re taking the time to do this… it must be an amazing hunter, right?”

Moreover, since the headmaster had personally arranged the event, the students’ expectations were only growing as time passed.

And the headmaster didn’t immediately introduce the opponent, as if he intended to make that anticipation even greater.

“And there is an additional rule that has been added as an exception.”

“An added rule?”

“Withdrawal is not allowed.”

“…Pardon?”

It was an unexpected rule.

If you interpret the headmaster’s words now, it was the same as saying that he would directly create a state of combat incapacity.

“Ah, of course, there’s no need to worry about injuries.”

The headmaster was sure that there was no need to worry at all, with a brightly smiling face.

As if someone would heal them.

Just as everyone was beginning to question the headmaster’s words, the protagonist of today’s sparring session appeared.

“Kim… Sung Hyun?”

“Why is that drug addict here…”

Everyone had questions, but the students who remembered the headmaster’s words just now were only thinking that Sung Hyun had appeared for treatment.

“Ah, just in case, let me tell you that Kim Sung Hyun has not taken any drugs. From the time he entered the academy until now.”

No one could refute it because it was the headmaster’s words, not someone else’s, and then Sung Hyun spoke.

“All you confident bastards. Come down.”

Starting with that one word from Sung Hyun, the arena was enveloped in silence.