Surviving as a Con Artist at the Academy

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54th Chapter: Ah… This is what they call XX.

It’s not over yet. I returned to a human form, but the self-destruct function hasn’t disappeared.

To remove it, I need to purify the ‘malicious artifact’ that controls Angela’s body. Only then can I save Angela, who has fallen into a time-limited state due to the side effects of magic.

In fact, Divine Power alone can’t restore things to how they were. Divine Power just creates a path to remove the magic and reach the malicious artifact. The real solution is Luska.

Both Luska and Angela are descendants who have inherited the power of the Thousand-Year Fox. Due to their genetic similarity, they can interfere with the malicious artifact.

Especially since they are sisters, the effect is even stronger because the same blood runs through them.

That’s why Luska was absolutely necessary for this chapter’s final battle.

If she wasn’t there, there would be no way to purify the malicious artifact. In the end, Aligieri Town would have been destroyed by the rampage of the Nine-Tailed Fox, leading to a self-destructing ending alongside the Papias Kingdom.

‘Our capable protagonist must be busy dealing with the ultimate villain, Enviel.’

The academic board members cannot help due to Enviel’s trap. At least until Lyman defeats Enviel.

Kugugugugu—

Suddenly, an earthquake struck, then stopped just as quickly.

The battle between Lyman and Enviel at the top of Purgatory Volcano had been ongoing for quite some time now.

Here, we can see Enviel’s strength, as he is enduring against Lyman for such a long time.

Even if he’s not at full strength, there is no being stronger than Lyman in this world.

When they were busy fighting the Nine-Tailed Fox, it felt like I was rediscovering Enviel’s cockroach-like nature.

‘And Enviel, like a little bug, scurries away.’

Thanks to absorbing volcanic energy, he has become strong enough to match Lyman, but he ultimately faces defeat.

At first, they fought on equal terms. But as time passed, it turned into a one-sided beatdown that was almost humiliating to call a fight.

‘How desperate must it be for the psycho-like Enviel to beg for it to stop?’

Stop? Not a chance in front of our protagonist.

Lyman completely disregards it, awakening to his true form and pummeling Enviel into a beaten pulp.

That event scene is designed for the player to input commands to beat Enviel.

Pressing the normal attack key lets you punch, and pressing the skill key lets you kick, allowing you to pummel him in a way that shatters all his bones.

The sight of his blood splattering across Lyman’s face was a grand spectacle.

Such scenes don’t exist for other characters aside from Lyman.

It’s not just a special treatment for the protagonist; it’s also a device to emphasize how ruthless Lyman is.

‘If something went wrong, it wouldn’t be surprising if I ended up in the same position.’

That’s how much of a demon Lyman was.

I’m not joking.

To survive against such a demon, Enviel is undoubtedly a madman.

When he thought Lyman was dead and left, he was shocked to find out that he was still alive.

But he doesn’t immediately reveal Lyman’s true identity.

After being defeated and expending most of his energy, he is left traumatized and lives as a patient for a long time.

Even Enviel himself couldn’t exert influence due to his identity being exposed throughout the Empire.

But once he recovers and reappears, Enviel spreads Lyman’s identity across the Empire.

That Lyman is not human, but a demon.

In the end, Lyman becomes a figure of terror across the continent beyond the Academy. Especially, fanatic groups hating everything related to demons are scattered throughout the continent.

As a result, Lyman’s friends, Jenny and Mary, and other acquaintances face threats.

This is one of the signs leading to the bad ending route that results in the continent’s destruction.

‘Not just the continent, but the butterfly effect will occur worldwide.’

I refuse to be swept into that. Since it’s come to this, I need to eradicate the roots.

Already, the story has twisted beyond recognition since I exist in this world. But at least, it’s possible to correct it so it doesn’t go in a bad direction.

I have the knowledge to achieve that, so there’s no reason to stay still.

‘Now, where…’

I looked around.

Jenny seemed to have exhausted all her strength and was sitting down.

Mary was also pale and her eyes were spinning.

Leorio had collapsed due to severe exhaustion of Divine Power.

Baimon was the only one in somewhat decent shape, but not likely to be of much help.

Luska was currently in confrontation with Angela, who seemed preoccupied with growling at her.

Now is the chance.

Taking advantage of their confusion, I discreetly slipped away while cheering Luska in my heart.

—That’s right, Luska, you can do it. So hang in there!

This part was a stage set solely for her. It was a fight that had meaning only if Luska faced it alone.

There was no need to watch this part rich in melodrama from beginning to end.

It’d be better to wait for Enviel at the path he would escape.

My role ends here.

Now you all do well.

Goodbye!

*

Meanwhile, Angela shuddered at the girl facing her.

With glossy black hair and blood-like red eyes. It was the girl who had cut off one of her tails.

She wanted to give her the same pain right away, but strangely, her body wouldn’t move. It felt like something beyond her will was refusing to resist.

‘This woman is strange.’

In fact, when she was stabbed by her sword or hit by arrows, it felt oddly pleasant. Pain was accompanied by an inexplicable warmth.

It was merely peculiar.

But she couldn’t allow this woman to approach.

“Die!”

A sinister claw rose from Angela’s slender hand, revealing her fierce will to resist.

Humans are her enemies who took her family. No matter what kind of energy they emitted, she must kill them all.

Even her sisters, who gave her a name, were no longer needed. There was no guarantee that they would fill the emptiness within her.

Would that peaceful life really diffuse her bloated malicious artifact?

Not a chance.

It’s all a pointless endeavor.

“Anyway, I’m going to end like this.”

Whoosh—

Angela’s sharp claws pierced Luska’s waist. Her hand, passing through flesh, buried itself deep into Luska’s abdomen.

It wasn’t a misunderstanding.

It wasn’t an illusion.

Blood lost in her vessels spilled onto the ground. It was pain so severe that breathing was difficult. The nerve cells screamed.

If it were anyone else, they would have lost consciousness, but Luska was different. Having crossed many battlefields, she had become rather accustomed to pain.

And thanks to the blessed body inherited from her ancestors, she could still move.

Grit—

Even as blood gushed from her body, Luska gritted her teeth.

But rather than resisting, she dropped the bow she was holding on the ground. Angela was perplexed as to why she wasn’t fighting back despite being in such a situation.

She had a bad feeling. Her instincts told her to pull her hand out and create distance.

She quickly pulled her arm back, trying to remove it from Luska’s abdomen, but… it wouldn’t budge.

“What the hell is this?”

“….”

“Let go! I said let go!”

Luska was gripping the arm that had pierced her side. Despite her body being in such a state, there was no sign of her letting go.

Even as nerve pains ripped through her or the red fluid within her body spilled out, she paid it no mind.

She tightened her grip.

She couldn’t let go.

She couldn’t just let it end here.

The family she thought would no longer exist came to her on their own. It was truly a thankful occurrence no matter how they approached her.

In a dark life of loneliness, there was never a sliver of light. She dug a hole out of revenge to create a passage. Not knowing if there would be light inside, she dug and dug until her hands were bleeding.

How deep had she dug? How many times had her skin torn?

It was unbearable.

At that moment, a beam of light suddenly appeared.

At first, she thought it was an illusion, but realizing it was the truth, she couldn’t just stay still.

Her purpose for living.

The reason she had honed her strength all this time.

This was the moment where a new goal emerged in her once desolate life without any lingering attachments.

The only family she thought would no longer be there.

If she could embrace it again… Such pain was something she could endure at any time.

Crack—

“…!!”

A chilling sound made those watching freeze in terror. Even Jenny, who barely lifted her head, felt shaken.

Angela’s teeth… were gnawing at Luska’s neck. She sucked her blood to confirm her kill.

But that was a huge mistake.

Their blood resonated with each other.

Pierced at her vital point, Luska collapsed to the ground as if cradling it. Even as she was dying, her face showed a calm expression.

And Angela trembled, unable to move, as if her body had stiffened. It was because Luska’s blood had penetrated inside her and purified the malicious artifact.

And due to the resonating effect, memories from Luska’s past painted themselves in her mind.

In fact, she realized instinctively who she was…

*

“I never thought it would fail.”

Enviel sat down, leaning against a tree in a remote part of the forest.

The tree was damp enough to feel wet against his back. The rain caused humidity to fill the air, and water had pooled in the nearby low ground.

When he looked at his face, he could see his own miserable state.

Several teeth were broken, one ear was severed, his face was grotesquely deformed like a tin can, and his skin was reddened to the point where blood seemed ready to burst forth.

One of his arms had been torn off, and he was still bleeding profusely.

Moreover, when he tried to get up, the bones supporting his body had shattered into pieces, leaving him immobile.

He had reached this forest, not by his own legs but via teleportation magic.

“Hahaha… This is quite a predicament.”

Enviel mocked himself, covered in blood. There were hardly any who could match him within the Empire, and yet here he was in such a dreadful state despite absorbing volcanic energy and becoming stronger.

It was truly a ridiculous situation.

While engaged in distributing magic at the top of Purgatory Volcano, Enviel was ambushed by an unknown assailant.

Clad in a black cloak that covered their face, it didn’t matter.

He possessed the ‘Magic Eye’, which saw through everything, and explored that identity.

“Not a demon, nor the Demon King… This is absolutely maddening!”

When he first saw it, he doubted whether it was a dream or reality. Such a great being couldn’t possibly be lurking around here.

He couldn’t believe it, so he engaged at full power to gauge the enemy’s strength. With every spell cast, the mountains trembled, and peaks crumbled under the fierce assault.

‘That figure’ proved to be no illusion as the assailant sustained no injuries.

Even when releasing toxins that destroyed cells, launching orbs of light comparable to sunlight, or hitting with curses that sucked life away, they were all rendered ineffective.

The assailant casually approached and tore through his barrier with bare hands. With mere punches and kicks, they had reduced Enviel to this state.

In that moment, he witnessed the assailant transform into their true form as a demon.

It was an incomprehensible sight.

Why would such a great being contribute to sabotaging his plans?

“All the plans I meticulously prepared over the years… ruined in a single day.”

It seems the Nine-Tailed Fox returned to a human form. It felt as though the malicious artifact was being diminished.

Someone had purified the malevolent instrument that manifested when a Divine Beast became feral.

It felt like the tower he’d built over the years had crumbled into nothingness. The absurdity made a bitter smile cross his lips.

“Well, this isn’t the time to be like this.”

He had already exposed his identity to the academic board members.

If he had known it would fail like this, he shouldn’t have recklessly revealed himself.

He didn’t understand why a demon had appeared to disrupt him, but escaping was now his priority.

Since his identity was exposed, he would no longer be able to disguise himself as a guild elder. His prestige would plummet.

However, that’s only from the perspective of good people; those who worshipped Enviel were scattered across the land.

If he could brainwash and control them, everything would be resolved.

After all, his true profession was not that of an elder.

“For the Day of Judgment…”

A high-ranking member of the cult that worshipped demons, that is the true nature of Enviel.

He focused the remaining magical power to cast teleportation.

“It would be better to investigate that demon later…”

“Excuse me, are you Elder Enviel?”

“…!!”

In that moment, a sense of crisis arose.

A student from the Academy came running in a panic after discovering him.

Why now of all times? He felt too weak to even fight back in this state.

“I’m so glad you’re safe! But how did you end up in such a wretched state?!”

However, the student did not show hostility. It seemed his identity had not yet spread among the students.

“What is your name?”

“I’m Radon Crawler from the Combat Department, first year. Did you perhaps get taken down by that fox monster?”

The student seemed very naïve. He truly had no idea about the real nature of this situation.

It was quite fitting to laugh at them inwardly.

“Grab my shoulder. I’ll take you to a safe place.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes, a very comfortable place.”

Enviel started to move with the help of the student named Radon. He still hadn’t recovered enough strength to summon magic.

By the time they exited the woods, he planned to drain some life force from this student to recover a bit.

‘But how did this kid figure out who I am?’

He felt discomfort looking at the puddle they passed by. His reflection in the water looked grotesquely twisted.

It should have been hard for anyone to recognize him, yet this student recognized him right away?

‘Could it be because of this cloak?’

The cloak marked with a wing symbol. It was a sign to prove he was an elder of the Magic Guild.

If that’s how he recognized him, it was understandable.

“Say, what’s with that fishing rod?”

There was one more unusual thing about the student. He carried a fishing rod even though there were no rivers around.

“Ah… this is what they call a fishing rod.”

Who doesn’t know that?

But why would he be carrying it around?

Whoosh!—

“You can use it as a weapon if you stab someone with it.”

Surviving as an Academy Scammer.