chapter 17
17 – Episode 4. Special Section.
<8>
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
Chae Hee-rin’s face came closer in an instant. Her eyes glared at me with the conviction that I had used the booster.
You have no reason to doubt that. Because a D-class talent turned into a B-class in one test.
“Sorry, but not Booster.”
“Do you have any evidence?”
“My ability is a secondary type. It’s just that I was wrong until now.”
The power in Chae Hee-rin’s eyes was immediately released at my answer.
“What, I just misunderstood.”
Chae Hee-rin sits down again as if the excitement is gone.
Auxiliary abilities differ from general abilities in the way they are measured. Although it’s unprecedented to have two ratings go up. It’s not an impossible story if you misunderstood the ability in the first place.
“So, what ability is it?”
“Just a simple amplification ability. It’s nothing particularly great.”
“Huh. I see.”
Chae Hee-rin twiddling her hair, which was dyed with her red bridge, she said.
Looking at his attitude, it seems that he isn’t very interested in the amplification ability.
Hey, even though auxiliary abilities are rare in the whole of Academia, it’s not rare in a prestigious school like Cheongmyeong.
Well, she’ll be interested in knowing more about my ability, but I don’t have to say it out loud.
“Then, let’s move on.”
Chae Hee-rin mentioned a few more suspects. As I knew, most of the students belonged to prestigious families, but there were also a few from non-famous families like me.
There is another name among them that I know.
“Lastly, the white cow. After stagnating at Class B for two years, it was promoted to Class A in the recent class test.”
“It’s not him.”
“Why? Because you know each other?”
I nodded obediently.
“Uh, because we know each other. Baek So-so is a pretty sincere hard worker.”
“… Okay? What do you think, Mr. Suisei?”
“I didn’t see Soso as such a child either. For a child with clear traces of training on his body to rely on such an expedient… “
Oops, it would be difficult if the topic went over there.
“I’m not saying that relying on shortcuts is necessarily bad, but he isn’t. I’ll vouch for it.”
I paused before Suisei could speak any further.
Heerin Chae doesn’t like Suisei’s right theory. The bad relationship between the two of them started with the advice of the winner after the exchange tournament, a very natural thing by Suisei standards.
There’s no need to make things worse.
“The shield is a bit thick. You two look good.”
“Because he is my favorite junior.”
“Ha, yes.”
Chae Hee-rin’s announcement ended there.
Next, it’s Suisei’s turn. She first scattered the photos she had taken out of her arms on the table.
“First, let’s look at this.”
The photo was taken of a part of a person’s body. One picture is the arm, one picture is the thigh, and the other picture is the back of the neck.
Each part was different, but they had one thing in common. A part of the skin has turned purple as if it had been bruised.
“What is this?”
“The booster users surveyed on campus are traces of boosters on their bodies.”
“This? It just looks like a bruise to me.”
Chaehee Rin asked as she picked up a picture of her.
“Yes. It looks like a bruise at first, but as time goes by.”
Suisei takes out a new picture again. Seeing the picture, Chaehee Rin frowned.
Because the place where the bruise had been had hardened and turned into the skin of a reptile.
“There were not too many students at this stage, but…. They have one thing in common. That means it’s too aggressive. Most of these students were disciplined for causing mayhem on campus.”
You’ve done your research well.
Boosters definitely have the effect of improving abilities. The students who appear as enemies in Leoa’s story used to use it whenever they had a chance to become Phase 2.
However, as certain as the effect is, the side effects are also certain.
In the first stage, which has just been used, bruises form on parts of the body and only complains of dizziness.
Then, in the second stage, the skin itself changes and becomes aggressive.
It’s okay so far.
If you stop using the booster, you can somehow recover.
If you go beyond this stage and enter the third stage, there is no turning back.
In the third stage, the aggression subsides, and the blue-red skin returns to its original state, leaving only small dots.
After that, there are no side effects, so the users use the booster more actively.
That’s the problem.
That booster wasn’t made by humans in the first place.
<9>
The original material of the booster is irregular.
After grinding and concentrating part of the body of the irregular, it is diluted to the extent that the human body can accept it. After that, it goes through a processing process and is made in the form of a patch that is attached to the skin.
That was Booster’s identity.
If you use such an item for a long time, the inside of your body will become a hybrid of a human and an irregular.
If you encounter a high-ranking Irregular in that state, your body will follow the command of the high-ranking servant, not the owner’s will.
If this booster spreads all over the academy island, then Academia will become an institution that fosters irregular soldiers rather than a protector of mankind.
Joo Ju-young received this information from Plato in advance.
Joo Ju-young immediately warned the board of directors of the dangers of this object and proposed a formal investigation, but strangely, her opinion was not accepted.
This is because some of the directors have already been taken over by the irregulars who created boosters.
There is only one superior species capable of using such a shady and mean method.
Mihogbaek Astray.
She is the main character who created this booster.
“Lee Si-hyeok. Are you listening?”
“Oh sorry. To think for a moment.”
“Didn’t you smoke?”
Ignoring Chae Hee-rin’s argument, I closed my eyes for a moment.
“It’s not like that, so leave it alone for a moment.”
“You are a great detective.”
I’m not a great detective, I’m just thinking about how to cover it up.
I know how.
The most fundamental solution is to kill the alter ego of Astray hiding on Academy Island.
If you move, you can deal with it right away, but that’s not possible for me or Ju Ji-young.
In that case, the Special Division would have to step in and fight Astray’s alter ego, but at the current level, it’s a complete loss. It will probably be wiped out in less than 10 minutes.
The battle against Astray’s alter ego was a very difficult boss battle that only appeared after progressing through the episode for a long time, even in Leoa.
How much trouble I had to wake up without Lee Si-hyeok.
The next best thing is to proceed as usual.
In Leoa’s story, we ended up finding and destroying a factory that produces boosters.
Even if we couldn’t reach the truth that Astray’s alter ego was hiding on Academy Island, we succeeded in stopping the spread of boosters.
As I remember, it was around the beginning of the midterm exam that I succeeded in finding the factory. Destruction is right after the midterm exam is over.
But at that time, it was only after the booster had spread to a certain extent inside the academy island.
Through extensive investigations, students who have entered the third stage are weeded out, but rather, it puts Academia in a state of greater chaos.
Students who were disqualified from becoming heroes overnight, most of them turn into villains.
Therefore, it is necessary to advance the timing a little while solving it as it is.
I already know how to do it.
“I have a suggestion.”
For that, the three here aren’t enough.
“Would you like to work with another group?”
“Cooperation?”
Chaehee Lin frowned.
“It can’t be like that.”
“It is questionable whether cooperation is possible between those competing to enter the special department in the first place.”
Suisei also agreed with Chae Hee-rin.
This is definitely true for the competing preparatory department students, but my point of view, as a former teacher, is a little different.
“So, we have to cooperate even more.”
The purpose of the establishment of the Special Section is to develop heroes among heroes who can respond to any situation.
As you live as a hero, there comes a moment when you must cooperate with other heroes with whom you have a bad relationship.
Pursuing the common good of mankind rather than personal feelings. That was one of the conditions a hero had to have.
“… It sure is.”
When I explained to that effect, Suisei nodded his head. However, Chae Hee-rin still had a sad expression.
“Even if we cooperate, what kind of group are you going to do it with? I don’t know about you, who just became a B-class, but there aren’t many people like me or Suisei-san. At most, it’s like Nicola.”
“That’s definitely Alex’s George.”
At my answer, Suisei opened his mouth wide and freaked out.
“Sihyuk. I know you don’t think Alex is bad, but there’s no way such a brutal person would cooperate.”
“Alex… I mean Alex. Certainly not bad in that group.”
This time the reaction is just the opposite.
While Chae Hee-rin didn’t pay much attention to Alex’s humanity, Suisei’s face was full of worries.
“Why, you said you were worried about Baeksoso. Then wouldn’t it be better to watch closely?”
“That….But.”
“Then it seems that you both understand.”
I opened my cell phone and immediately called Alex. For your reference, I got the number at the unusual department meeting last night.
After a few beeps, the call is finally answered.
-Hello? Senior? That’s right, senior!”
“White cow? Why you-“
-Why didn’t you answer my call! No, this is okay, first of all, come here quickly, senpai! Because it’s urgent right now!”
The sound of glass breaking came through the phone.
– Get these two! Wow! It’s dangerous!
If you listen closely, you can also hear the sound of something hitting meat.
-Senpai, come quickly and get these two!
The white cow screamed.
– Stop these two guys!