There Is No World For ■■

Chapter 98: There Is No Teacher For Fate (9)

* * *Middle of the night at the Academy, where moonlight scattered as it mingled with the streetlights.As the woman known as the third shepherd, identified by the numbers 10-11-16, sprinted through the darkness, only one young man occupied her mind.…Cheon Yeomyeong.The savior of Manchuria, the Dragon Rider, the first and last transfer student of Lord Howe…To the South Korean government, he was truly an enigma.A genius who appeared out of nowhere, seemingly having fallen from the heavens.He did not come from any notable family nor did he have a prestigious background nor was he part of the government’s Superhuman project.Born into the lowest of circumstances, just like so many others, he was just someone who barely managed to graduate high school through a GED after bouncing from one orphanage to another.Even the government agents charged with tracking him down couldn’t believe how ordinary his past was.And no matter how many times they looked into him, there was nothing special about Cheon Yeomyeong’s life.They even traced his lineage due to his unusual eye color… only to discover that he was a descendant of a farmer who had illegally crossed the Dimensional Portal several decades ago.In the end, the government could only reach one conclusion about Cheon Yeomyeong.A monster who just happened to be born with talent…It was an unbelievable reality, but the reality nonetheless.While the powers outside the academy still had their doubts, the South Korean government did not.It would have been even more unbelievable if they did. After all, they knew exactly how many pig-heads and cow-heads he had killed in Manchuria.It was a tragedy among fellow Koreans…The third shepherd lamented as she recalled her fallen colleagues.Did Cheon Yeomyeong even know?Did he know that the pig-headed men he killed weren’t monsters, but patriots who laid down their lives for the country?He probably didn’t, just as he didn’t know what the Korean public was calling him.…Tsk.The third shepherd clicked her tongue as she thought about the current happenings in South Korea.As she darted through the academy, searching for the Black Sheep’s trail, recent events from just a few days ago flashed through her mind.

* * *…Back in Korea, Cheon Yeomyeong had become so famous that there was no one who didn’t know his name.

Of course, it was only natural. He was the Superhuman who saved Manchuria with the help of the Saintess, and he was Korean.Not only did the so-called tabloids peddle the news with an excessive patriotic flair, but even major media outlets claiming to be the true voice of the nation profited from articles about him.And the public hungrily lapped up those articles.After all, the blatant story of a hero was far more appealing to them than the grim tales from Manchuria.However, news about Cheon Yeomyeong didn’t last more than a few days.To begin with, there wasn’t much to report about, and with him already at the academy, they had no way to extract fresh news either.However… everything changed the moment the military got involved.Angered over losing the dragon’s bones, the military went out of their way to downplay Cheon Yeomyeong’s achievements.They claimed that it was the Sonjuk Mercenary Group and the Saintess who defeated the dragon, and that Cheon Yeomyeong was merely a figurehead.Even though Cheon Yeomyeong’s transfer to the academy made their claims irrelevant, the military refused to back down.At some point, some even went as far as to assert that Cheon Yeomyeong should enlist.It was likely an attempt to save face and sway public opinion, but instead, the public directed their fury on the military.- Is the military trying to create another Jeon Yongseop?- Why force a student who’s going to study at the academy to enlist?- What if he defects to the U.S. or France like the other superhumans?Pleased with this shift in public sentiment, politicians and Korea’s Superhuman community stepped forwards.It was a perfect opportunity to criticize the military, which was stubbornly clinging to its power even after the dictatorship ended.They didn’t didn’t let this opportunity slip by and spoke fervently.They argued that South Korea must do its best to keep Cheon Yeomyeong and even accused the military of suppressing a future Superhuman due to budgetary concerns.Though these were the usual empty political instigations, due to the trauma caused by Jeon Yongseop and his son, Jeon Yunseong, the public and media fervently agreed with them.After all, it had only been a little over a decade since Jeon Yongseop, along with the statement that Korea was a wretched country, became a naturalized citizen of the United States.And just a few years later, his son, Jeon Yunseong got the better of Korea’s next generation of Superhuman rising stars.To the public, Cheon Yeomyeong was nothing less than a hero sent by the heavens to revive Korea’s Superhuman community.A hero who would retaliate against those despicable Americans and traitors and restore Korea’s dignity on the global stage.Not ones to miss the chance to cash in on this public sentiment either, the politicians made grand, empty promises.Their eloquent words made it seem like Cheon Yeomyeong was already Korea’s representative Superhuman, a patriot who had gone to the academy to find a means to defeat Jeon Yunseong.…Of course, as usual, the expectations of the public and the promises made by politicians never turned into reality.While the official excuse was that ‘Cheon Yeomyeong is at the academy,’ the real reason was something else entirely.The reality was that Korea had neither the resources nor the means to entice Cheon Yeomyeong.Offering martial arts training or elixirs, as was done with other Superhumans, was out of the question from the start.Rumor had it that the dwarf chaebols from Chicago across the ocean were supplying him with dragon bones, treasures, and all sorts of elixirs.No one knew why the dwarves were going that far, but the South Korean government couldn’t match them, if only for the sake of fairness.If material wealth was out of reach, they could have at least tried to offer power and honor, but even that paled in comparison to what foreign countries could provide.Especially countries like France or the U.S., which were particularly obsessed with Superhumans, could offer exemptions and honors beyond what South Korea could provide.In the end, all Korea could do was rely on Cheon Yeomyeong’s patriotism.But neither the government nor the politicians dared to speak of such a thing.What if Cheon Yeomyeong, who had no family in Korea, publicly rejected them at the mere mention of patriotism?After all, politicians were practical people above all else.Instead of chasing the impossible, they devised a more realistic plan.- Before he graduates from the academy, we’ll use him to stir public opinion, then after graduation, have him naturalized in France instead of the United States.In order to preserve the equillibrium, they planned to split the two Korean-born geniuses between France and the United States, rather than letting the detestable United States have them both.It wasn’t the best solution, but it was free from risks.Even the ‘patriots’ under the government’s wing did not object to this plan.After all, they, too, were unable to come up with a better idea.However… now that they were at the academy, wasn’t there a more enticing bait to keep Cheon Yeomyeong around?Honey trap.It was a really simple idea that no one had thought of.Well, it was mostly because they had assumed that it wouldn’t work on Cheon Yeomyeong, especially since he was constantly accompanied by the beautiful Saintess…In the end, it doesn’t matter how much of a genius he is, he’s still a man.For the first time in a while, the third shepherd smiled.She finally spotted the traces she had been desperately searching for at the end of her gaze as she brought her Flying Kick technique to a halt.Signs of a fierce struggle and a torn piece of cloth.Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the cloth was part of a school uniform skirt. This was undoubtedly the Black Sheep’s clothing she had been looking for.…That’s good, the Red Sheep’s report was true.The shepherd felt a sense of satisfaction as she realized the plan was unfolding according to her expectations and moved on towards the next trace.The first was the hardest to find, but the rest followed easily.Beyond the unlit path, more torn clothing was scattered along the way.A discarded sock, a single shoe, a skirt ripped in half, a broken bra, and then……A piece of paper?The third shepherd furrowed her brow as she picked the paper. Tiny letters, visible only on using mana, were scrawled across it.

Idiot

The moment she squinted and read the content of the note—n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Whoosh!A giant hammer cut through the air, aimed directly at her head.

* * *“Cheon Yeomyeong.”

As Yeomyeong brushed the dust and got to his feet, the masked man with a large build spoke up.“…Did you set this trap knowing well who we are?”The sound of teeth grinding reached Yeomyeong’s ears.Yeomyeong glanced at the man briefly, then drew a dulled, student-training sword as he responded.“A shepherd, right?”“…”“I was wondering what came after the horse-head… but it turns out that you’re just a human?”The information he was spouting wasn’t merely at the level of a tip-off from the sheep.This meant that he hadn’t just killed the shepherds in Manchuria out of ignorance.“…Number 9, stall for time. I’ll try to come up with a strategy.”The bulky man murmured to his masked colleague.“…What’s about the plan?”“It’s a failure. Eliminate the opponent and escape as quickly as possible.”As soon as he finished speaking, the masked woman drew a pistol from her waist and shot at Yeomyeong.Bang!The sound of the gunshot, sharp and without hesitation, pierced the dark of night as Yeomyeong sprang into action at the same time.“The Flying Kick technique?!”Though she was startled, the woman didn’t stop shooting. Consecutive gunshots echoed, and one bullet miraculously managed to graze Yeomyeong’s cheek.A burst of light erupted from Yeomyeong’s hand as a long wound appeared on his cheek.Flash!Thanks to her heightened superhuman senses and a rough understanding about the technique Yeomyeong was using, the woman barely managed to survive.As soon as she saw the light, she discarded her gun and leaped to the side, escaping at the cost of her left arm instead of her neck.“Keuaaaack!”Black blood, different from that of a human, gushed from the severed arm.Yeomyeong didn’t allow his enemy to catch their breath. Gripping his sword, he charged at the masked man who was preparing something at the back.“Stop, you traitor!”The masked woman blocked his path.“Move aside.”His indifferent voice was laced with killing intent. He extended his left hand, which wasn’t holding the sword, created a hand blade and swung it.The swing was closer to a punch than a sword technique, and the result was similar. The Sword Aura emitted by his hand passed through the woman’s body.Whoosh!Blood splattered as her body was flung through the air. Paying her no heed, Yeomyeong brought down the sword he held in his right hand at the man.Aiming for the head, he swung the sword with the intention of ending it in one strike.But just before the sword could split the man’s head in two, something covered his head and clashed with the sword.…!It wasn’t the sound of a sword meeting flesh. Rather, it was a deafening clash of mana against mana.As the thunderous noise echoed, Yeomyeong stepped back. He squinted and said.“…So, that thing is detachable?”“Kre-ah-ack!”Instead of answering, the man’s head, now transformed into a horse’s head, unleashed a deafening cry.The transformation didn’t end there. Red light poured out from his eyes, drool dripped from his mouth, and his lower body began to swell grotesquely.Soon, his shoulder bones began to tremble violently as two hands emerged after tearing through his shoulder joints.Hands covered in hideous toenails, not at all fitting with the horse’s head.“Cheon Yeomyeong! You are a treacherous traitor to your country!”The transformed figure spoke in a chilling voice that sounded like it came from hell.“Today! You shall pay for THE BLOOD OF THE PATRIOTS you’ve sla—”And before the horse-headed man could finish, Yeomyeong thrust his sword at his neck.Taken aback, the man swung his hands to block the sword and yelled.“You… you bastard!”Yeomyeong had been patient enough to wait until his transformation was complete. Why should he wait for that guy to be done with his speech as well?He swung his mana-enchanted sword and hand blade simultaneously, driving them into the horse-headed man.It was a cautious approach, in case he could unleash magic like the horse-headed man in Manchuria, but that man didn’t use any magic at all.Instead, he swung the two arms protruding from his shoulders, aiming for Cheon Yeomyeong’s head, and lashed out with his grotesquely enlarged lower body.…So this guy is the type to use physical power.Yeomyeong deflected the arms with his sword and struck the knee with the edge of his hand blade.The blade of mana carved deep wounds into his flesh, but the man ignored the pain and continued to attack.A reckless assault relying on his Regeneration ability. Positioning his sword in line with the swinging arms, Yeomyeong turned that reckless attack against him.Slash!As the horse head’s arm was severed, black blood poured over Yeomyeong’s head. There were no screams, no gasps of awe. The two men struck each other’s bodies, conserving even their breath.Three of the man’s hands met the sword swung horizontally in immediate counterattacks.Yeomyeong countered with his hand blade, severing another arm.The man raised his knee, and Yeomyeong immediately slammed it with the pommel of his sword, shattering the kneecap and bending the sword’s pommel.And the next moment, the sword wobbled.Having lost two arms and one leg, the horse-headed man’s gaze grew even more intense.“Die!”He extended his neck, letting out one last last breath. The grotesquely protruding teeth lunged at Yeomyeong’s throat.Instead of retreating, Yeomyeong advanced a step further.Tossing the damaged sword aside, he gathered mana in both hands and stabbed at the man’s neck.Just as his hand blades embedded themselves in the man’s neck, the horse-headed man’s teeth sank into Yeomyeong’s neck.Keugh, blood poured from both of them simultaneously. However, only black blood flowed.“H-how…”The horse-headed man choked, spitting out blood, and then his teeth belatedly fell as they failed to penetrate Cheon Yeomyeong’s flesh.“Demonic Art—?”Before he could utter his last words, Yeomyeong’s hand pierced the horse-headed man’s lower jaw.And what reflected in his eyes as his life slowly drained away, was a heat haze shimmering around Yeomyeong’s body.