The Academy’s FFF-Class Summons are SSS-class Hunters - Chapter 9

Jinhyuk looked at Lilil.

 

Goblin blood drooling from her mouth.

Sharp eyes full of determination.

 

Lilil didn’t have the kind and gentle look that Jinhyuk knew well.

 

‘Why?’

 

Her expression looked rather aggressive for it to be out of pity or sympathy for Leira.

 

‘Is it not because she sympathizes?’

 

The Lilil Jinhyuk knew can differentiate between private matters and others.

It doesn’t fit her to take such risks out of mere sympathy.

 

‘What other reason is there, other than sympathy?’

 

As Lilil was listening to Leira’s voice,

Jinhyuk was listening to it as well.

 

Strictly speaking, it was through Jinhyuk’s ability that they could hear Leira.

And because Jinhyuk could hear her, Lilli could, too.

 

It makes sense if Lilil sympathized with Leira’s pain.

 

‘I don’t know what you are feeling… But for now, I’ll do as you command.’

 

Jinhyuk gathered up his spiritual energy.

All skills are associated by imaging and circulating the body with spiritual energy.

Imaging asks The System for assistance, and The System gives strength to the body accordingly.

 

So, when using Hwan-su-shin technique, the image of a spiritual animal comes to mind.

In the case of the Flame of Zhuque, the sacred flame of the Zhuque is imagined.

Then the System draws the power of the Flame of Zhuque and applies it to the body.

 

After that, the spiritual energy is drawn into both hands.

It doesn’t look like anything from the outside, but Jinhyuk’s spiritual energy is burning inside him like an explosion.

 

The power to burn anything he touches and turn it into ashes.

 

Leira hurriedly swung her sword as she sensed something was strange. The energy of evil spirits turned into a blade and flew toward Jinhyuk.

 

The blade burned instantly the moment it touched Jinhyuk’s hand.

 

“It’s no use. Your level cannot withstand the Fire from the Flame of Zhuque.”

 

Swoosh!

 

Jinhyuk quickly ran and grabbed Leira’s shoulder with both hands.

 

Zhuque’s holy flame entered Leira’s body.

 

────────!

 

Leira let out a scream as some form of steam evaporated off her body.

It was the evil energy that was evaporating out of her.

 

“It was… successful.”

 

No more evil spirits could be felt in Leira.

The problem was that he had evaporated even the magical power in Leira’s body, but that was inevitable for her to return to normal.

 

‘Not like that matters.’

 

To Jinhyuk, Lilil was more important than Leira.

The Flame of Zhuque isn’t a particularly great skill, but it was something that Lilil’s magic could not digest.

 

The magic potion was bought for a situation like this… But if she died instantly, it wouldn’t be much of use?

Jinhyuk hurriedly ran over to Lilil and checked her pulse.

 

Fortunately, she managed to dodge instant death.

But her weakening pulse showed that she was about to die.

 

“It’s a good thing we have a magic potion.”

 

Jinhyuk hurriedly took the magic potion from his inventory and fed it to Lilil.

Lilil’s pulse slowly returned and Lilil opened her eyes.

 

“What… happened? Did we succeed?”

 

“Yeah, it worked.”

 

“I’m relieved···”

 

Seemingly in a bad condition, Lilil smiled with exhaustion.

 

“I was worried that it might fail and cause more trouble for you, all because of my greed…”

 

“I have a question. Why didn’t we kill her, and return her to normal instead?”

 

“Because I wanted revenge.”

 

“revenge? What does revenge have to do with… ah.”

 

Jinhyuk answered the question on his own.

 

Nobody knows what the Cruel One looks like, but yet just their name instills fear.

The Cruel One creates evil spirits and demons, but doesn’t cause harm directly.

 

So, what if it was possible to turn evil spirits and demons back into humans?

 

“The Cruel One would no longer be recognized. This denies the existence of evil spirits and demons.”

 

“But it’s dangerous. We could’ve tried after gaining more magical powers…”

 

“The King Goblin’s magic will be retrieved soon.”

 

“What?”

 

“The King Goblin’s magical powers only came from a demon. Since it died, it will be retrieved soon. That’s why I wanted to check it out now.”

 

That was true.

 

Not before long, Lili’s magical powers were reduced.

It was because the demon had recovered its magic.

If it took back its power a little faster, testing out the Flame of Zhuque would’ve been impossible.

 

“········ Even just a little quicker, I wanted to check my worth.”

 

Lilil hated herself for being able to do nothing after losing her parents to the Cruel One.

The books were the escape from the daily struggles.

The books were used to deceive herself that one day, she’ll get the chance to do something.

 

And then the chance came.

 

How could she wait?

 

“I know it’s not my power, but I wanted to prove my worth even by borrowing someone else’s. That I can do it, that there is a reason to keep living. I wanted to believe in myself and gain the strength to keep going.”

 

Hearing Lilil’s words, Jinhyuk blinked blankly.

 

It wasn’t mere sympathy that made her use the Flame of Zhuque. Her reason was something way beyond that.

 

Intense and serious thoughts that were unlike himself, who lived a boring life having reached the peak of all things.

Lilil lived all this time having those thoughts.

 

What could Jinhyuk say to Lilil in this case?

 

It is now meaningless to say that she’s amazing.

He’s said it multiple times by now.

He just needed to give a simple correction to what she said.

 

 

“Summoner lady, how many times do I have to say it?”

 

“Say what?”

 

“That my powers are your powers. You, my summoner lady, is the best summoner.”

 

Jinhyuk wiped the goblin’s blood from Lilil’s lips.

To think of eating hearts of a goblin raw.  Of course she’s the best summoner.

If Jinhyuk had been in Lilil’s situation, he wouldn’t have been able to.

 

“Not anyone can eat a heart raw like that.”

 

In the end, eating hearts of the goblins was great to use the Flame of Zhuque.

While the King Goblin’s magical power was taken away, that wasn’t the case for the other goblin’s.

 

‘Around 10, I believe.’

 

10 goblins corpses laid on the floor.

Jinhyuk couldn’t gauge how much stronger she is now.

 

“Thank you for your words…”

 

Lilil smiled carefully. Jinhyuk met eyes and smiled together.

 

Now, there was nothing to worry about for Lilil.

The problem now was Leira, who took a hit from the Flame of Zhuque.

It seemed like Leira escaped the evil spirits influence for now, but it’d be dangerous if they could still return.

 

Jinhyuk decided to watch Leira without taking her to her village.

Lilil fell asleep again, probably tired, and soon Leira opened her eyes.

 

“what···?”

 

Leira slowly raised her body.

She couldn’t remember what had happened.

Her last memories were that she had seen a horrifying level of evil magical powers.

 

“The goblins…”

 

The goblins who looked at her like a tool all laid on the ground.

Even the terrifying King Goblin.

 

As she looked around in confusion, she found Jinhyuk.

Isn’t he the being that didn’t seem human?

I must’ve been saved by him.

 

That’s when she finally realized.

 

“ah.”

 

It hit Leira again that Raytely was dead.

If this was all real and not a dream, Raytely was in fact, dead.

The man who was like her father no longer existed.

 

Was there a reason to live.

Or even the will to continue.

 

Leira never thought of a world without Raytely.

The broader world Leira wanted to explore was one with Raytely still living in it.

 

Leira didn’t want to even think about seeing a world she couldn’t live in.

 

“But you should still live.”

 

Jinhyuk walked up to her.

 

“You have become an evil spirit. We could’ve killed you. But we didn’t and returned you to normal. I know it’s subjective… but wouldn’t it be right for the living to keep living?”

 

Leira had become an evil spirit.

But she survived?

Was that possible?

 

Leila looked up at Jinhyuk in disbelief.

 

“A-are you a god?”

 

“I’m tired of hearing that. If I was a god, I would have killed myself for the good of the world.”

 

“What does that mean…”

 

“A world without god may be a utopia.”

 

Always asking whether he’s a god whenever he does anything. Jinhyuk clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Leira couldn’t understand what Jinhyuk meant, but she agreed that she should continue to live.

 

Even if you don’t have the confidence to live, you can still live on.

 

“Now I understand my boss’ will. I shouldn’t have even tried to avenge him or anything like that.”

 

“Exactly. My mistress almost died because of you.”

 

“Mistress..?”

 

Leira followed Jinhyuk’s gaze and looked at Lilil.

To say that a strange being that isn’t even human is calling her his mistress. Who was this mistress?

 

“Per-perhaps the Great God Merith?”

 

“Mer-what? She’s just Lilil. The best summoner.”

 

“Summoner? Then you are?”

 

“The summon.”

 

Jinhyuk explained to Leira everything that happened up until this point.

Leira listened in amazement, and Jinhyuk shrugged after the explanation.

 

“So, give your thanks to my summoner lady. Whatever the reason, she’s who saved your life. If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve just killed you.”

 

Leira nodded her head and said cautiously.

 

“I-I’m going to the academy as well.”

 

“Without any magical powers?”

 

“Ah···”

 

The Flame of Zhuque did not discriminate against magical powers.

Just as it evaporated the evil spiritual energy, it also evaporated her magical powers.

Leira was shocked to learn that the magical powers she already had trouble handling all evaporated away.

 

“Converting a human back from being an evil spirit is all good, until it renders them completely weak.”

 

“It’s – it’s okay! I’m still going to the academy. I will pay for the carriage Ms. Lilil and Mr. Jinhyuk will ride. As a token of appreciation . . .”

 

She doesn’t have to. They were overflowing with money.

 

That’s what Jinhyuk was going to say, until he remembered that Lilil likes to save money.

Then again, even Lilil might refuse to take this offer.

 

He couldn’t tell.

It’d be best to just wait for Lilil to wake up and ask then.

 

“That’s up to the summoner lady as well.”

 

Amidst the conversation between Leira and Jinhyuk, Lilil slowly opened her eyes.

 

Leira thanked her and offered Lilil to pay for their wagon. Lilil nodded.

 

“I’m not the type to reject something like this… I only did it to get my revenge, too. Let’s just ride the carriage together.”

 

Leira was added to the party.