The Academy Heroines Remember My Death

Chapter 3: You, Be My Underling

6 years.

And during my countless hours from being reborn, I didnt just sit idly on my ass, of course.

Being a level 1, to survive in that Academy full of monsters, I had to be good at, at least, something.

Let go! Let go! I SAID LET GO!!!

A man crying over just something like this?

Level? Skill? Of course, theyre important in a fight.

But the survival skills that have now become my flesh and bones through my countless deaths,

They are enough to not get beaten by just a 2nd Stage bastard.

As a matter of fact, most of the enemies I had to face while I was still level 1 were 3rd Stage Awakeners.

Here, I let you go so its fine, right? We have a lot to talk about, so lets slowly discuss it.

This fucker!

As soon as I let go, he tries to fight back.

He takes out a dagger from his pocket,

And immediately swings at me.

Wait, thats too much. Youre swinging a knife in a place like this? Are you insane?

How dare you humiliate me, you bastard?! Forget about the dungeon, youre dead!

Sigh.

I already knew he was crazy,

But I had never expected him to be this insane.

As far as I recall, Ive always been so polite and obedient to this bastard,

But this is the shit he does just because I subdued him once with my hands.

Even when he would get branded a murderer if I was really weak and got killed by him.

There could be people looking outside, so come in so I can beat you up a bit. You crazy bastard.

This fuckers lost his Ugh.

As I completely evade his knife,

He cant control his anger and just rushes at me.

Even if he looks like that, his strength attribute is probably higher than mine,

So I use his own strength against him, grabbing his arm and throwing him into the house.

Then the guy immediately loses his balance and falls to the ground, making a sound of bewilderment.

This is self-defense, okay?

You fucking son of.

The guy trying to say something.

However, he couldnt finish his sentence.

Thats because,

-Thud

-Crack

-Crunch

With several sounds of breaking,

The guy is unable to maintain his consciousness.

Its obvious, but Im not just using my punches.

Since the difference in levels cant be ignored.

Instead, to make it more painful, I take the knife he was holding and repeatedly pummel him with the handle.

If I use the edge, he wouldnt be able to become my entry ticket.

I said, lets just talk. Why do you keep attacking me like that? I get scared so keep fighting back.

This mother fuUgh!

Maybe he hadnt come to his senses,

The guy keeps on acting like an asshole.

Guilt from hitting him?

I felt no such thing.

In the first place, when I think about all the money that these bastards took from me, someone who didnt know anything,

This much is nothing.

One of the lessons I learned from the many deaths was this:

To get rid of any possibility of getting stabbed in the back.

I have to make this fucker think that he cant beat me,

Even if my strength stat is only 1, I hit him with all my strength.

And after a long while,

Ill talk! We can just talk!

Honorifics.

What?

Speak politely.

The guy seems to have given in a little.

But I could still see him wanting to fight back,

So to get rid of that completely I hit him a few more times.

This fucking bastard! I let you off easy and youCough.

Honorifics.

Ack!

Honorifics.

You have to give me a chance to.

Thats none of my business.

Fuckers like this need to be squashed once and for all.

Not just a momentary surrender,

I need to imprint in his brain that he cant beat me.

Y-Yes, sir.

And after a short moment he backs down.

Hyungnim¹Hyungnim: more respectful way of saying Hyung.? What are you doing? Why are you, to a bastard like that.

.

Hyungnim?

And the guy that was standing next to him sees all of this happen and makes a confused expression.

Well, it was to be expected.

From what I remember, that guy is just a petty fucker that clings onto strong people.

Thats why he didnt do anything when I was fighting the guy thats now sprawled on the floor.

Then, shall we speak peacefully?

.

.

One day before enrollment at the Academy.

Even if its just to face that guy, I need to get as strong as possible.

With these bastards.

****

But, does it have to be in this pose?

You said you wanted to talk.

Inside the house.

To have a very peaceful conversation, I smile lightly and look at the two men.

Lift your hands properly. And kneel down properly.

Just to stop them from rebelling,

I make them assume a correct punishment posture²Korean parents and teachers used to punish their children by making them kneel down and keep their arms straight up before corporal punishment was outlawed.

Now, 2nd Stage Awakener, you are Underling 1, and you are Underling 2. You dont have any complaints, right?

.

Yes, sir.

Youre pretty obedient, arent you?

They could have complained quite a bit,

Instead, they just give in quietly.

Had it been quite shocking?

But Im sure these guys just remember me as a weakling,

You crazy fucker! How can we not be obedient when youre swinging a knife like.

Huh?

that, sir.

It wasnt my intention to threaten them.

Just to get used to this body,

I was practicing swinging this knife.

Dont worry. I have no intention of grinding you too hard.

Then it means you will be using us.

Thats obvious. Think about the shit you did to me.

At that, Underlings 1 and 2 make expressions full of complaints.

They cant show it outwardly,

But just at a glance, you could see how much they disliked this.

I should start giving them the carrot too.

To make them really loyal to me, I cant only use the whip.

To keep them loyal,

I need to reward them when they show me loyalty.

One is a 1st Stage Awakener like me,

The other, barely a 2nd Stage Awakener.

Theyre not particularly talented,

But if I raise them well, theyll be quite useful.

They dont have particularly good personalities,

If I give them a proper carrot, Ill be able to make good use of them.

The Academy will only sustain considerable damage if we attack it in various ways from both inside and outside.

Anyway, arent you curious? How this bastard became so strong so suddenly.

Well, of course! How did a little bitch like you.

Shut up.

Unlike Underling 2, who gets very angry after just a little provocation,

Underling 1 tries to listen calmly.

Is Underling 2 acting like that because he hasnt been beaten up enough?

First, I hit Underling 2 on the head and then I continue speaking.

To put it simply, I got an artifact that lets me look into the future.

I dont tell them exactly the truth.

I cant completely trust them yet.

Mixing a bit of truth and lies, I continue with a story that might be able to tempt these guys.

Dont ask where I got it. This thing allows me to see between a few seconds to a few years into the future. Thats why this allowed me to avoid your attacks.

And you expect me to believe this, sir?

Believe it or not, its up to you. But it doesnt hurt to believe me, right? Anyway, theres no other way you could explain this.

.

Faces as if they cant believe a word.

Of the artifacts that have been released so far, not only have there not been any types that allowed one to look into the future,

Theyre probably also wondering if they can just believe what Im saying.

Its actually a lie anyway, so its an excuse.

Heres the point. I wont ask anything particularly big from you. Instead, Ill make you guys a lot of money. How does that sound?

What the fuck are.

How will you do that, sir?

Whats the definite way to make money by looking into the future? Stocks, of course.

I didnt memorize lottery numbers in detail,

But I know how the economy will move in, at the very least, the next 6 years.

And, especially, I remember all those that grew rapidly.

Ive returned back in time, so I might as well take advantage of this.

In the next 2 weeks or so, there will be a stock that will grow rapidly. Its up to you whether you believe me or not, but if you do, you will get 200% in gains.

Do you mean 3 times?

Thats right, 3 times. How about it? Isnt it tempting? You guys like money, after all.

Their faces shook a bit when I said it would triple.

But they still seemed unconvinced,

Hyungnim, this must be a scam. How can we believe what a worm like him says?

He stands his ground without wavering.

Not much I can do.

I didnt expect much.

Even I think it sounds too much like a scam.

However, these guys go crazy for money,

When they see the results in 2 weeks, their minds will change.

The issue is those two weeks.

I need to use these guys right now,

So, until then, Ill control them with a whip.

Ah. By the way, this isnt a request. Im just showing you a little mercy.

?

In other words, you guys dont have a choice. After all, this wont end until you guys say you like it.

Showing them the knife I had been swinging until earlier, I talk to Underlings 1 and 2 with the brightest smile possible.

Although, of course, the expression on these two that were looking at me grew dark.

*****

A morning like every other.

No, it should have been a morning like every other.

Han Seo-ah! Wake up!

The voice of her mother calling her from outside.

Even though they were words shed heard every day,

For some reason, she felt like she hadnt heard them in a while.

And with that, the strangely vivid memories that flow into her head.

Memories of her living at an Academy that shes never been to, memories that shouldnt exist, flow into her head.

What is this?

Her breath grows heavy and her hands tremble.

These are memories of life at the Academy, something she always wanted,

But for some reason they only feel painful.

Why? Why is it that as the memories flow in, more people die?

Ugh.

A tsunami of memories that is too hard to accept in one take.

A feeling like her guts are being turned upside down is obvious,

But also, memories of what she presumes are of her death keep flooding in.

Moments that she can only call painful.

Even though they are just memories, the unbearable pains feels like it is being engraved onto her flesh.

However,

Han Seo-ah!

This time I will save you. I will never make you die.

You fuckers! Put your swords down! I dare you to put a finger on Seo-ah. I will just kill you all!

Im glad. Im so glad.

In between the memories that feel painful,

There are memories mixed in that she feels she should never forget.

She feels like she should remember them forever.

A warm feeling comes over her head.

A man continues to constantly die to save her,

The image of that man who was always by her side when she died continues to permeate her.

Who is this man,

And why does he keep trying to save me?

Why does he continue to help me, through all that hurt, all that pain?

And why does her heart ache when she thinks of this person?

Seo-ah, I told you to wake up, what are you

Sorry?

Are you crying? Whats wrong, are you ill?

Tears shed without even realizing it.

Even if she tries to stop them, she cant stop them from pouring out.

I love you.

She has no choice but to blurt out the emotions that rush over her.

• 1

  Hyungnim: more respectful way of saying Hyung.

• 2

  Korean parents and teachers used to punish their children by making them kneel down and keep their arms straight up before corporal punishment was outlawed