I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor

Chapter 53

This was a character not found in the original tale.

The certainty that he was a white-haired elder clad in a plague doctor’s mask stemmed from the deep wrinkles that adorned the hand gripping the gun.

“A guest? By the way you speak, you’re just a scoundrel.”

“Not exactly the words of a cantankerous old man who’s just shoved a gun in my face.”

Smoke billowed thickly from the gnarled pipe, filling the already cramped apothecary with a haze.

The gun remained steadfastly aimed at him, forcing Jin Crow to gauge the situation instinctively.

‘At this distance, even a superhuman wouldn’t be unscathed.’

Of course, it was impossible for a mere firearm to take down a triple-gear superhuman.

If that were the case, why would superhumans be treated as such a vital strategic resource?

The real issue lay in the fact that this place could be seen as a paradise for illegal practices, nestled within the black market.

“…Hmm.”

It wouldn’t be surprising if a Terminator lurked behind that plague doctor’s mask.

He had encountered a few Reaper Docs on the streets, one with an arm grafted onto his shoulder, another with a machine gun implanted in his thigh.

Rather, it was strange that this old man could exude such confidence with nothing more than a submachine gun.

“A merchant named Nickel said you’re the only one of your kind around here. If not, I suggest you leave.”

“Nickel? Ah, you mean that hulking fool of a lad.”

At Jin Crow’s words, the old man paused, as if pondering deeply, then took a long draw from his pipe before slowly lowering the barrel of his gun and gruffly replying.

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll treat you as a guest. Come in.”

Isn’t it the same for both of us when it comes to manners?

Jin Crow shook off the fleeting thought of the old man’s attack and stepped into the apothecary.

Tap—.

The old man settled back into his seat, pulled out the pipe he had stuffed into his beak, and lightly brushed it off, then asked without even glancing up.

“So, what brings our guest here?”

“Pentacle. Do you have it?”

“Oh dear, you’re looking for a rough one, aren’t you?”

But as soon as the word ‘pentacle’ slipped from Jin Crow’s lips, the old man turned his head away, clicking his tongue as if he had never cared at all.

Naturally, it wasn’t a positive sign, and just as Jin Crow was about to retort, the old man stuffed liquid into the end of his pipe instead of tobacco and said,

“So, do you have any money?”

“Not none at all.”

“Good. Then I can treat you as a guest even if we speak informally. Hmph.”

Rising from the creaky old chair, he opened a weathered door at the back of the apothecary.

Jin Crow, observing the scene as if it were a scene from a martial arts novel, couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“What are you doing? Turn your head.”

“Ah.”

Inside the old wardrobe, filled with cobwebs and thick dust, was a massive safe that was paradoxically just the right size for the wardrobe itself.

A high-tech safe nestled within a shabby wardrobe, alongside an electronic pipe.

Truly, a grotesque taste in dissonance.

Or perhaps it was only natural to adopt such peculiarities to survive in this treacherous den.

How long had he turned his head and waited?

With a clunk, the heavy door of the safe closed, and the old man pulled out a container filled with black pills and said,

“I don’t sell drugs that are a bundle of side effects like pentacle, so if you want to take this instead, go ahead.”

“What’s this?”

“Just something I made as a hobby. Still, it’s bound to be far more useful than whatever that pentacle or panty string is that someone thoughtlessly churned out without considering the user.”

The old man’s words were delivered without much inflection, yet paradoxically, that made them surprisingly trustworthy.

Of course, that didn’t mean he could just pop one in his mouth without a second thought.

Betting one’s life is enough, even if it is only on the battlefield where one is inevitably pushed.

He gazed at the pill for a moment before turning to the old man and speaking.

“Is it possible to refine it separately? Like, adding it to tobacco or alcohol?”

“It’s not impossible.”

The old man, who had likely heard such questions before, casually shoved his pipe into the slightly ajar side of his mask and replied.

“However, the efficacy will diminish a bit, and the price will go up. Is that acceptable?”

“How much?”

“Three hundred million dollars.”

“……”

Even in the black market, that price is enough to leave one momentarily speechless.

The exact exchange rate of dollars in this world has never been detailed, but simply converting one synthetic dollar to one won makes it three hundred million. If converted to real U.S. dollars… how much would that be?

It’s hard to even fathom.

Because of this, Jin Crow, after a moment of contemplation, opened the lid of the container handed to him by the old man and swallowed a single black pill.

Gulp.

It dissolved slightly in his saliva, bringing a bitter taste that quickly faded without any further flavor.

And as the recognition information appeared before his eyes, he had no choice but to acknowledge that further deliberation was unnecessary.

–

■User_ (Jin Crow)

□Rank: Major

□Serial Number (S.N): SMCO55-1113027

□Gear: Triple (Error)

□Health Status: PTSD, Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Headaches, Substance Addiction (2 hours), Paranoia, Anger Management Issues.

–

‘Two hours, huh?’

That wasn’t all.

Even after waiting a few more minutes, just in case, the burden on his body was merely a slight stiffness, far less than the pressure he felt when he injected the pentacle.

…He had to admit it.

Even if the old man asked for a billion dollars instead of three hundred million, it was something he would have to buy, even if it meant going into debt.

“I wasn’t told to taste it. So, how is it?”

“Is this all there is?”

“Clack, clack.”

Perhaps it was the clarity brought on by the black pill, or maybe it was the instinct that urged him to acquire this pill at any cost.

Unbidden, the phrase “respect for the elderly” etched itself into his mind, and the old man, seemingly amused by Jin Crow’s demeanor, let out a hearty laugh and spoke.

“Regrettably, it’s a rare concoction. The ingredients are hard to come by.”

“If you could tell me what those ingredients are, I might…”

“It was smuggled from the imperial capital, you see. Recently, all those connected to it were caught and had their heads neatly severed at the guillotine. So, what do you say? Care to take a shot at it?”

It seemed he would have to be content with the single vial handed to him.

This was a medicine for survival.

But to risk his life just to gather ingredients? That was out of the question.

He shook off the fleeting disappointment and addressed the old man.

“If I were to process it for use in alcohol or tobacco, how much would the efficacy diminish?”

“Hmm.”

At his question, the old man took a moment to puff on his electronic pipe before responding.

“When processed for tobacco, it’s halved. If you add it to alcohol, you’d be looking at a reduction of three-quarters.”

To process it into cigarettes would yield about an hour.

Adding it to alcohol would extend its effects to roughly an hour and a half.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t disappointed…

‘Not much choice here.’

Even if the special officer training school in the central region allowed for tobacco and alcohol, he couldn’t deceive anyone with the mysterious black pill, claiming it was a supplement.

The military police and the head of Ideale Academy weren’t fools; they’d know just by tasting it, no investigation needed.

In that case, a form that was easier to conceal would be safer.

“I’ll buy it.”

“Very well, you can make the payment to this virtual account.”

The old man, far from surprised by the mention of three hundred million dollars, displayed the virtual account number with a calmness that suggested he had expected nothing less.

The more he looked, the more he felt…

There was something peculiar about this old man.

Jin Crow promptly made the payment and then turned to the old man, who was once again puffing on his electronic pipe.

“How long will it take?”

“Two days. It won’t take any longer.”

“Then I shall see you again then.”

“What a bother. If you don’t want to see my face again, just write down the address of the hotel where you’ll be staying. I’ll send it along, don’t worry.”

The beak of the plague doctor’s mask trembled slightly, a clear sign that he was chuckling in a peculiar manner behind it.

Yet, it wasn’t such a bad deal for him, so he quietly scribbled down the address of the hotel and the room number.

‘Of course, there’s no guarantee he won’t pull some tricks…’

That matter could be pondered when the time came.

If need be, he had an extra pentacle at hand and would willingly assist in entering the coffin.

“Done. Off you go. Don’t come back until you’ve used it all up.”

Still as cantankerous as ever, but his mood wasn’t unpleasant.

As he offered a brief nod and turned to grasp the doorknob, a fleeting sense of déjà vu enveloped him.

“By the way.”

“Hmm?”

“What is your name?”

He turned his head to the old man, who seemed to be donning gloves as if preparing for a task.

At that moment, the old man’s eyes, obscured by the dark glass, sparkled, and soon he responded with a smile that didn’t require the removal of his mask.

“It’s a tonic from Hansarang Pharmacy.”

“Shouldn’t have asked.”

Jin Crow chuckled softly as he opened the door and stepped outside.

And then.

“Ah.”

Jin Crow, on the verge of leaving, collided with a woman who was just entering.

As they instinctively recognized each other, both thrust their hands into their pockets, but the old man, observing the scene, let out a short, amused chuckle.

“Those who are leaving may go, and those who are coming may enter.”

“……”

Half smiling, half weeping, the LED mask flickered.

Jin Crow gazed at her face for a moment, then withdrew the hand he had shoved into his pocket and stepped outside.

As he vanished once more into the winding alleys of the black market and the woman entered the pharmacy, the old man removed the pipe from his mouth and spoke.

“Welcome, Consigliere.”

“Indeed.”

“The sedatives are prepared.”

It was a voice quite different from any heard before, surprisingly polite.

*

“Have you seen a scrawny figure wearing an X-shaped mask, making a fuss?”

“Hmm, I think I passed by one earlier.”

Finding Min-su again was not a difficult task.

“Ah, where have you been! Really. I thought I was going to die from cold sweat!”

Though he wished to abandon the whole affair, it seemed prudent to extract some incidental benefit from the entanglement.

“Do you know a decent weapons dealer?”

“Excuse me? Stimulants?”

“There was nothing that caught my eye. More than that, I’d like to see some weapons.”

“Oh, I see… Yes, I will guide you.”

Min-su, who had clicked his tongue in disappointment at the mention of nothing appealing, soon took the lead with enthusiasm, leading him to the weapons dealer.

The outcome was satisfactory.

Whether it was an overt attempt by the Geumyoung Group to swindle him or not, the dealers Min-su recommended, though a bit pricey, were quite reliable.

“I’ll take this.”

What he chose was a military dagger easy to conceal and a revolver emblazoned with the Mer Corporation logo.

There was no real haggling.

The merchant, casting a quick glance at Min-su’s white suit, offered a reasonable price without further ado.

“I’m tired. I’ll be heading back.”

“Excuse me? Perhaps you’d like to look a bit more… but that’s not for me to decide. I’ll guide you!”

Thinking it over again, it felt unnecessarily light.

So much so that it seemed almost fabricated.

‘Come to think of it…’

Was the Geumyoung Group’s owner family pureblood humans?