Chapter 56

1-Second Invincible Player In The Game 56

56. Lee In-jo (2)

If the starting point is the Schlafe Hall, hell unfolds.

The seniors swindle the freshmen, and without even trying, they block the juniors’ paths ahead.

Yes, I can bear it up to there.

If it doesn’t happen, that’s the end of it.

But these b*stards, no matter how much I try to endure, they provoke the limits of my patience.

The tyrant of the Schlafe Manor.

Makdal, the hulking figure obsessed with money,

“Shall we take an advance payment first?”

Bidon, the frail pervert who only shines in the presence of men.

…Especially this one, he’s the most dangerous.

“Oh my, Makdal. That’s a bit too harsh.”

Even the most talented playable character is still an unbloomed flower.

In front of Lee In-jo, a third-year from Adel Manor, it’s destined to become a meek lamb enduring the years of suffering.

However, I’ve decided to resist their tyranny.

“Shouldn’t the rich pay more taxes? Come on, hurry up and hand it over. 1,000 coins.”

I have a deep compassion that cannot stand by and watch the oppressed, and a spirit of chivalry always resides in my heart.

And, having a friend who knows the meaning of loyalty, my heart is endlessly fortified.

“Huh? Why is a shadow suddenly being cast?”

“Look behind you, Bidon. It’s the first time seeing someone bigger than me, isn’t it?”

Ashley looked down at them with a murderous glint in his eyes.

Limberton, clearly intimidated, was with him.

“Look at those sculpted muscles. Such a wild charm in that brother.”

“The little guy next to him is just the right size to be used as a cup table.”

The moment Makdal reached out to touch Limberton’s head, Ashley grabbed Makdal’s wrist.

Crack!

“Heh, you do have some strength, as you look. Hah!”

The tendons in Makdal’s arm stood out sharply.

However, Ashley wasn’t using his full strength, as he slowly began to tighten his grip.

“Uh… Argh…”

As Ashley slowly twisted his arm, sweat dripped down Makdal’s forehead.

“Bi-Bidon. This, this guy seems like someone you need to deal with!”

“Oh dear, that’s why you don’t brag about strength as a magician.”

At that moment, Limberton opened his eyes wide in surprise and asked,

“A wizard? That big guy?”

“Kid, you shouldn’t judge people just by their appearance. Even if someone looks rough on the outside, they might be tender-hearted, and someone who appears elegant might harbor a beast within.”

Bidon said this as he spread his fingers in a familiar gesture.

My eyebrows twitched at the familiar gesture.

“……”

I hurriedly ignited the ‘Noble Blood’s Last Ember.’

“Let’s stop here.”

It wasn’t Bidon I was addressing, but Ashleigh.

“Ashleigh, that’s enough.”

When Ashleigh released Makdal’s wrist, Bidon squinted his eyes and smirked.

“Heh. Seems like you’ve undergone quite a change in my absence? You’ve become an even more splendid man, haven’t you?”

That confirmed it for me.

Ashleigh might be able to beat Makdal, but Bidon was out of his league…

“Well, fine. I just came to say hello today, so I’ll take my leave now.”

It made sense, considering the scissor gesture was his unique habit.

A declaration of victory shown only to an opponent he was certain he could beat.

From experience, I had never won a fight after seeing that gesture.

Bidon patted Makdal on the back.

“Really, Makdal, you’ve gone too far with the pranks. A hundred times too far.”

“…Wait, Bidon. Wasn’t it supposed to go my way this time?”

Makdal looked at Bidon with a whiny expression.

Then, Bidon’s demeanor turned decidedly menacing.

“Makdal.”

“Ah, got it. Yes, it was a prank.”

Just by calling his name, Makdal backed down immediately.

In truth, though they call him the second emperor, Bidon was actually one step above Makdal.

“Hmm, but tell me. That wild-looking brother over there, is he clumsy with aura manipulation? It’s too raw.”

Bidon said this and walked past Ashleigh.

When Lee Injo disappeared, Ashleigh approached me with a puzzled look on his face.

His expression seemed to ask why it had withered.

“Ashley.”

Pointing at his arm, Ashley’s eyes widened.

There was a hollow indentation on his forearm.

It must have been from when Bidon poked him with a finger earlier.

“Ugh…”

Ashley grabbed his left arm with his right hand, but as soon as he let go, it fell limp.

It seemed his left arm was paralyzed.

Soon, cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

“Now you understand, right? If we fight, you lose.”

“…”

But then, Ashley suddenly looked at me, sending an uncomfortable gaze.

A look filled with anticipation.

Ever since I took down the leader, he occasionally did this.

Don’t tell me this guy thinks I can win?

Even the main characters need at least three months of training to beat that Bidon…

“…We should head to the infirmary first.”

It seems like you’ve hurt your head too, I hope they can treat that as well.

* * *

It’s only been a day since I left the punishment room.

The fresh air outside never seemed to tire.

Makdal and Bidon wandered aimlessly inside the academy.

“But, Bidon. Why did you back down?”

“Huh? Oh, that? I’ve become more interested than before.”

“Are you talking about Hershel?”

“Yeah, as soon as I showed my intent to kill, he stopped me. Has he been training while I wasn’t watching? He seemed to know what the outcome would be.”

“So you backed down because of that…”

“Well, not like he’d be a match for me anyway.”

Makdal scratched his cheek with his index finger, looking puzzled.

“Then you could have just crushed him on the spot.”

“Oh my, what harsh words. Why would I ruin that handsome face?”

Makdal let out an ‘ah’ and nodded.

“Indeed, Bidon. You’ve always wanted to have him.”

“Right, so I was thinking. Maybe we should take it slow this time. You’ll help me, won’t you?”

Makdal snickered.

“Sure, I’ll be careful not to touch.”

Just then, abusive language began to be heard from the vicinity of the Burger joint.

“You think I don’t know? Pretending to earn money while flirting with men!”

“If you live in a stinky place, you should know your place.”

Two women were surrounding another with menacing faces.

“Oh, it’s a misunderstanding… I just came here to do some tailoring.”

“This is the end!”

A drink was poured over the head of the woman being attacked.

The assailants giggled and laughed.

“Tastes good?”

“What are you doing? Have a sip. When else would a beggar like you get a taste?”

The victim was a second-year student at Schuraffe Hall.

“Are you going to step in, Bidon?”

“If you’ve taken the tax, shouldn’t you work? Of course, you should also create a pretext.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Bidon started walking with a silent tread.

At that, the two women gasped and trembled.

“Bi, Bidon.”

“Was today your release day?”

Bidon narrowed his eyes and grabbed both women by the head.

“aaack!”

The two women screamed in agony.

Bidon said softly,

“What should a lady do when she behaves so vulgarly?”

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

“But, but… that girl…”

“And if you spill such a sticky drink on the floor, it will attract bugs.”

As Bidon flexed his arm, the two girls’ faces turned towards the wet floor.

“You know I detest bugs, don’t you?”

“Please, forgive me just this once…”

“I promise I won’t do it again, please…”

Bidon helped the two girls to their feet and chased them out.

After the commotion had settled, a sophomore junior approached with a stiff face to express her gratitude.

“Th-thank you, senior.”

“What senior? Call me ‘sister’. But you, you must have had a hard time while this sister was in the punishment room. Such a delicate thing. This won’t do.”

Bidon’s eyes shone as he smiled slyly.

The junior’s face turned pale with fright, and she broke out in a cold sweat.

“Tell everyone to gather at 6 PM tonight. You know what it means to be a sophomore, right?”

The junior nodded, her body trembling as if recalling a terrible memory.

6 PM.

Not just the freshmen, but even the seniors gathered in front of the dormitory for what was disguised as training but was actually a hazing ritual.

Of course, these were nothing more than torture for the satisfaction of Lee Injo.

* * *

Tyrant Lee Injo is quite the schemer.

Externally, there’s the Burger Administration, and then there’s the Schlafly Administration, a blind spot due to its perennial last-place ranking and thus less attention from the professors.

It was the perfect condition for them to openly extort protection money under the guise of ‘protection fees’, and to commit character assassination and assault.

Their justification wasn’t entirely wrong within the closed environment.

First, they eliminate friction with external forces by asserting themselves as a necessary evil, thus silencing those with grievances.

And if you look at it positively, the hazing is also a form of training.

They crush spirits with brute force and then spread their own logic: if you have complaints, get stronger.

And the ones with the most favorable view of this were the professors themselves.

“To the professors, we’re just training the perpetual losers of the dorm. Unless we push hard evidence in their faces, they’ll just keep turning a blind eye, won’t they?”

That’s what he said to Rix, still swollen-faced atop the ramparts.

True to his decent nature, he had resisted their injustice yesterday and ended up thoroughly beaten.

And his comrades who fought alongside him were completely shaken down…

As expected, they have that stubborn streak.

Then, Bidon’s loud voice echoed all the way here.

“A magician should never neglect physical enhancement. What will you do if I approach like this?”

Bidon yelled furiously, slapping the cheek of a female student.

Makdal was grinning, watching a male student tied to a stake getting hit by a line of students.

Wasn’t the man being hit the one who had sent Lee Injo to the punishment room?

Hell was unfolding on the ground.

Unable to bear it any longer, Atra, who had been stripped of his royal authority, said,

“I can’t keep sneaking you guys out with my power for much longer.”

Thanks to Atra, the representative of the Shulrape clan, I, Ashley, and the group with Rix were able to skip training.

Officially, we were drafted for the job of repairing the city walls.

They take a third of the daily wage as a fee, so they turn a blind eye to working outside.

It’s because they can earn more money that way.

“But remember, the only reason I’m looking after you is because I promised to drive those guys out.”

Such a show-off.

I had planned to survive in a similar way from the start.

It doesn’t matter if the refuge isn’t here.

“And that short guy, what was his name, Limbutton? If you make weird noises like that brat, know you’ll be kicked out immediately!”

Poor Limbutton was scorned by Atra just for making disgusting noises.

-Your muscles seem really tense, mind if I take off your armor? I’ll give you a massage. Of course, by then you’ll end up taking off the rest on your own.

And now, with a water cup on his head, Makdal had become a walking cup table.

Rix, despite being shaken down, hadn’t lost his spirit and clenched his fist, saying,

“But why do the seniors only endure? If we all come together and tell the professors, we could go back to the punishment room…”

Atra sighed as if explaining was too bothersome, so I answered instead.

“Those guys are smart enough not to get caught red-handed.”

When they hit under the guise of sparring, they target areas like the stomach or thighs where it won’t show.

When they use excessive violence, they frame it as students fighting among themselves and slip away like eels.

“Of course, some might have a piece of evidence or two. But the scariest thing is that they are Lee Injo. If one goes to the punishment room, they won’t leave the whistleblower alone. Even if they send both, they’ll keep their mouths shut for fear of retaliation like the guy tied to the stake over there.”

Because of such an atmosphere, no student dared to stand up against them.

Rix dropped his shoulders and said,

“So, we have no choice but to stop them with force.”

At that, everyone stared at me with eyes full of anticipation.

“……”

I’ve felt it before, but after taking down the leader, they really seem to believe I can topple Vidon.

Probably the rumors of surviving the monster played a part.

I looked at Limberton, who had become a walking cup table.

…To be honest, I’d be chased out right now too, wouldn’t I?

Let’s just beat around the bush for now.

“Ahem, even if I trample them, it’s a problem. They’ll just hide in unseen places and continue such acts. It’ll only make them harder to catch, right?”

From noble mtl dot come

Rix nodded as if he understood immediately.

“That, that makes sense. Even if we take them down, they’ll continue to stay in the Schlafe coffin…”

Atra agreed as well.

“Hmm, there’s some merit to what Hersel is saying? Touching things ambiguously might backfire. Let’s start by gathering solid evidence on our side. And, we have a way to send them to the Punishment Hall and convince the victims.” Searᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

It would have been better if he had stopped there.

“And if Hersel beats them up enough to hospitalize them, won’t their prestige fall to the ground? Then the victims who’ve been enduring will no longer be afraid. They’ll come forward and expose their misdeeds, right?”

Rix exclaimed in admiration, making a swallowing sound.

“Definitely… If there’s someone to prevent their retaliation, unity will be achieved.”

“Right. But they won’t believe it just by words. We have to show them that there’s someone who has taken them down.”

“If the entire Schlafe coffin rises up, then the time Lee Injo will be confined in the Punishment Hall will increase… Hersel, this is a brilliant plan, isn’t it? So, you’ll wait until the evidence is gathered.”

Ha, not so fast, you devils.

You’ve endured and trained for three months, now it’s time to discipline you with numbers.

That’s the proper method.

Rix asked Atra, looking at him.

“Senior, but how do we gather evidence? I don’t think the victims will just hand it over willingly. It would be nice if there was physical evidence.”

“Physical evidence? There’s a ledger in their room for compiling a list of those who haven’t paid taxes.”

“Getting it out would be akin to suicide…”

But somehow, the more I hear, the more it seems my evasive words are expanding?

“…Exactly. It’s blocked from the start.”

In truth, if I beat those two to the point they can’t even hold a spoon, the victims will bring in the evidence themselves.

They’re just too scared to report, but if safety is assured, they’re the ones who want to kill them the most.

Then a thorough investigation would ensue, and their ledger…

Ah…, was it disguised as a book with somewhat risqué illustrations?

Discovering even that, they’d rot in the punishment cell for at least six months.

But then, they started devising strategies that went round and round in orthodox methods.

“Ah! I’ve got a great idea.”

Atra scanned the men with innocent eyes.

“One of you should approach Bidon pretending to be interested, let yourself be taken advantage of on purpose. Then gather evidence and report it.”

“……”

Excluding Ashleigh, who didn’t catch on, and myself, the men grimaced.

It was, in fact, a pretty good plan.

s*xual harassment issues are dealt with quite strictly, so not even the faculty would ignore it.

With that, we could definitely get rid of that guy Bidon.

After giving Madal, who even Ashleigh could beat, a good thrashing, we’d just have to collect evidence from the secured victims and send it off.

Then naturally, Bidon’s sentence would increase.

This is better than I thought, isn’t it?

“Of course, I’ll nominate Hershel. Bidon seems to have a particular fondness for him.”

However, that was the wrong approach.

“Peace achieved through sacrifice is fake.”

As I said that, everyone became solemn.

After a few seconds of silence, Rix spoke up.

“I’ll give that matter some deep thought, senior. And Hershel, just wait a bit. I’ll find a way to get the evidence, no matter what.”

This place must be a madhouse.

Was it five days later that the professor announced the tree-planting work?

I resolved to hold out here just until then, and then move to another refuge.

* * *

In the middle of the night, Limberton was also serving as a cup table in Madal’s room.

“I’m thirsty.”

“……Yes.”

Madal, lying in bed, gulped down the water.

“Ah, it’s a bit lukewarm, isn’t it?”

“Will it come to mind again?”

“No, that’s enough. You can leave for today.”

At Makdal’s gesture, Limbutton tried to gracefully exit the room.

But then, the illustration in the notebook on his desk caught his eye.

A drawing of a woman changing clothes.

‘Hmm, I worked without getting paid, so maybe I could borrow just one book?’

Besides, the bookshelf was overflowing with similar items.

Thinking it wouldn’t be noticed, Limbutton secretly slipped it into his coat.

Not knowing it was the tax ledger…