How to Take Revenge as an Academy Scoundrel

Chapter 2. The Return

At the very top of a tower that pierced the sky.

A man with black hair stood, his locks dancing in the wind, lost in thought.

“…….”

How much time had passed like this?

“Milord.”

Suddenly, a knight clad in resplendent armor approached from behind, lowering his stance as he spoke.

“What occupies your mind?”

The man with black hair, Kim Do-jin, turned his head slightly and replied.

“I was just recalling something from seven years ago.”

“Seven years, you say…”

“Yes. The day I crossed into this world.”

“…I see.”

The knight’s expression grew solemn, and he bowed his head. Kim Do-jin, sensing the weight of the moment, raised his voice to lighten the atmosphere.

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes. All the rituals are complete.”

“Good. Then let us begin.”

As if he had been waiting for this moment, Kim Do-jin turned and strode purposefully in the direction the knight had come from.

And soon after.

– Thud.

At last, where Kim Do-jin and the knight halted, a blue-hued magic circle lay before them.

This massive circle, with a diameter of thirty meters, was a tool to assist Kim Do-jin’s return to Earth.

“…Are you truly set on this decision? The experimental results are still incomplete; perhaps it would be wise to wait until the issues are resolved…”

The knight, Roderick, who did not wish for his beloved lord to depart, hesitated once more, but Kim Do-jin’s resolve remained unyielding.

“I told you, there are debts I must repay in my original world. And now, it has already been seven years. Rather than endlessly repeating research without a promise of success, I’d prefer to take this risk.”

Kim Do-jin lightly patted Roderick’s shoulder, then stepped into the center of the magic circle.

“Haah…”

At last, the moment of his return to Earth was at hand.

Kim Do-jin steadied his breath and grasped the artifact hanging around his neck.

If he succeeded in returning to Earth, he would ensure that the one who had betrayed him, Cheonsangseok, would pay dearly for his treachery.

As Kim Do-jin gathered his thoughts, he heard a voice.

“Milord.”

In the distance, Rodrik, standing outside the magic circle, suddenly spoke with a look of sorrow.

“The princess will be very sad, Your Grace.”

Kim Do-jin replied with a bitter expression.

“…That may be so. But it won’t last long.”

It won’t last long?

Rodrik did not agree with that sentiment, yet he chose not to voice his thoughts.

“It has been an honor to serve my lord during this time.”

Suddenly, he knelt down on one knee, offering a gesture of respect.

Kim Do-jin responded with a light smile.

“Honor? What honor? I am the one who is grateful for your presence all this time. Rodrik, now you are the leader of the White Lotus Knights.”

“Y-yes? My lord! How could someone like me, who falls short of your feet, possibly lead the order you have created?”

“Well, that may be true, but without me, you are the strongest on the continent, right? That should suffice. Or shall I disband it instead?”

“Th-that…”

“Then it’s settled. I must take my leave now. You know what to do in case the return magic fails, right?”

“Of course, my lord.”

“Good. Then… farewell.”

With that, Kim Do-jin wrapped up all ties and finally attempted his return to the earth.

First, he used the mana sources he had gathered over time to restore the vast energy of the artifact.

– Vwooom!

With the support of the magic circle, he unleashed the power inscribed within the artifact.

– Phaaat!

Once more, the artifact activated, unleashing a thunderous roar and a blinding light that seemed ready to swallow the world, just as it had seven years prior.

“Ugh!”

Meanwhile, Rodrik, watching from afar, quickly shut his eyes tight before slowly opening them again.

Hoping that his lord had returned safely.

But then.

“……!”

To his surprise, his lord still stood tall in the center of the magic circle.

In a manner that seemed somewhat… off.

“W-what is this place!”

Rodrik’s eyes narrowed at the behavior that could hardly be deemed that of a lord.

“Could it be that you’re still half-asleep!?”

Seeing the dazed expression as he glanced around, Rodrik could not help but feel certain.

The worst scenario his lord had feared had indeed come to pass.

* * *

How much time had passed since the artifact was activated?

Kim Do-jin felt a warm energy enveloping his body as he slowly opened his eyes.

“……!”

A stark white ceiling came into view, and he soon realized he was lying on a plush bed.

‘Did I succeed?’

The sight of the familiar, Earth-style lighting he hadn’t seen in seven years sparked that thought first.

Yet, it felt a bit strange to declare the return a complete success.

Why was he tucked under blankets, lying in bed?

‘Could it be that the effects of dimensional travel caused me to lose some memories?’

That hypothesis was quickly discarded.

Because to his right lay a woman he had never seen before, soundly asleep and heavily intoxicated.

‘Who is this woman?’

If there had been only one woman on the bed, he might have hesitated to dismiss the memory loss theory.

But to his left, another woman lay defenseless, clad only in her undergarments.

Scattered around them were clothes and empty bottles, strewn about in disarray.

‘What the hell is this?’

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t recall any reason for such behavior.

‘Could it be that the worst-case scenario I dreaded has actually happened!?’

Though the odds were slim, there had been a possibility that only his consciousness had transferred during the experiment.

It seemed that possibility had become a grim reality.

“Ugh…”

Kim Do-jin bit down hard, pushing the covers aside as he sat up.

He glanced around, searching for a mirror, and made his way to the bathroom.

– Thud.

Standing before the sink, he looked into the mirror, and as expected, a stranger’s face stared back at him.

Jet-black hair, eyes like rubies.

A sharp, striking visage.

Coincidentally, it bore a resemblance to his own, yet it was undeniably the face of another.

“Damn…”

Kim Do-jin pressed his forehead in despair, cursing under his breath.

After all the struggles, he thought he had finally returned to Earth, only for such a calamity to unfold.

“…What now?”

He felt a twinge of resentment towards the heavens for this misfortune that had befallen him, but first, he needed to grasp the situation at hand.

– Bang!

Kim Do-jin returned to the bedroom, searching for his smartphone and wallet.

What he unearthed from his search was roughly this:

Name: Kim Do-jin

Age: 17

Occupation: First-year student at the Private Jinseong Hero High School

The original owner of this body he had possessed, the so-called ‘host,’ bore the same name—Kim Do-jin.

However, he was twelve years younger than himself, a mere 17-year-old, currently enrolled in a place called ‘Private Jinseong Hero High School.’

‘Private Jinseong Hero High School… I remember now.’

The so-called ‘Ark’ was undeniably the world’s premier institution for Awakeners, a name Kim Do-jin was well aware of.

It had been established seven years ago, drawing global attention when he had inadvertently been whisked away to another realm that very year.

‘Should I consider it fortunate? Ark only admits the best talents in the world…’

Indeed, the host, Kim Do-jin, possessed a level of magical power that was quite impressive for a 17-year-old.

Of course, compared to his own original self, it was barely a drop in the bucket.

‘But what kind of guy sleeps in with two girls on a weekend afternoon? And he’s only 17…’

He certainly didn’t seem like an ordinary kid.

Kim Do-jin picked up his smartphone again and searched for the name Kim Do-jin.

[Kim Do-jin, third son of Chairman Kim Mu-ho of Myungseong Group, passes Ark entrance exam!]

[Some argue that Kim Do-jin’s admission should reflect his past, which had caused social controversy…]

“Huh… so that’s what it was?”

After sifting through a few articles, he began to piece it together.

‘A rich heir with a reckless reputation.’

—

That was a phrase that could encapsulate the identity of this possessed body in a single sentence.

“I’ve ended up possessing a peculiar one. But… it’s not so bad.”

Setting aside the fact that their social reputation was akin to garbage, being the child of the infamous Kim Mu-ho was quite a useful card to hold.

The ‘Myeongseong Group,’ led by Kim Mu-ho, was a colossal conglomerate, second only to Cheon Sang-seok’s ‘Cheonmun Group,’ chasing closely behind in the hierarchy of South Korea’s elite.

“If I’m going to be possessed, it’s better to do so in a body with plenty of money.”

That was the most positive conclusion I could draw.

However, there was something that gnawed at me: the character of the original owner of this body was quite the piece of trash, to put it mildly.

“I nearly fell into the ending of a hero’s corruption by the demon lord.”

Fortunately, I had already instructed Rodrik on how to handle such situations, so there was no need for excessive worry.

“Yes, my original body. I must return to it as soon as possible.”

If one were to ask whether I could fulfill the revenge I had originally planned in this possessed body, the answer was, of course, “No.”

The target of my vengeance was none other than Cheon Sang-seok.

Since the disappearance of Kim Do-jin, he had maintained his position as the world’s strongest.

But how could I possibly take revenge in this body, which was merely seventeen years old?

The only way to kill Cheon Sang-seok was to return to my original body.

Yet, doing so would require a considerable amount of time.

“Rodrik must be doing well, right?”

Having forewarned Rodrik about the current situation, he should be taking appropriate measures by now.

Thus, it was Kim Do-jin’s plan that one day Rodrik would return to this Earth alongside my original body.

The only problem was that I had no idea when that return would take place.

If luck was on my side, it might happen in a year, but if misfortune struck, it could take over a decade.

“Based on this failure, it would take at least a year to refine the spell and prepare.”

I had no way of knowing when Rodrik would be able to cross over to Earth with my original body, but I couldn’t just sit idly by until then.

“At the very least, I can lay the groundwork for my revenge. I’ll gather as much information as I can.”

With my current situation and goals sorted, I slowly surveyed my surroundings.

“…….”

In the grand, opulent bedroom, two women still lay sprawled in a disheveled slumber.

I shook my head in disbelief and perched myself on the edge of the bed.

The feet of the two women, jutting out to either side, were slightly bothersome, but it was no great issue.

“Let’s see what we have here.”

—

When the true body returns, this vessel would ultimately be discarded.

Yet until that moment, I had no choice but to live in this body, so I needed to uncover what kind of supernatural abilities it possessed.

“…….”

Kim Do-jin soon closed his eyes, meticulously examining the waves of mana lying dormant within.

Hoping desperately that this vessel would possess some useful power.

And after some time had passed.

“……!”

Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, a gasp escaping his lips.

“This b*stard….”

Kim Do-jin pondered why, out of all the countless souls, he had been bound to this reckless fool’s body.

Was it merely because they shared the same name?

Or perhaps it was their similar appearance?

It felt too suspicious to dismiss as mere coincidence, yet it was hard to believe that was the reason.

But now.

Kim Do-jin felt he was beginning to grasp the true reason.

The notorious scion of the Daemyung family, Kim Do-jin.

He possessed the same ability of ‘Devouring’ as himself.