Life at the academy wasn’t all that bad. It felt like a new connection between us. The life of Yoonha, as I was living it, had become surprisingly smooth. I was doing well, both in the academy and in the original storyline. To escape from the role of the heroine, I made sure to engrain into Han Soo-ji that I was a lesbian. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't accept men. It was a bit annoying how Han Soo-ji acted friendly afterward, but since this was a dream, I let it go.

But then, strange things started happening.

While staring out the window, I glanced around the classroom. There, near a desk, I noticed something resembling a black doll. Or maybe I should call it a black silhouette? It was moving around here and there, but based on my instincts, it didn’t feel like a ghost.

After all, the original story wasn’t a horror thriller, and Yoonha hadn’t done anything to hold a grudge against anyone.

So, what was it?

I decided to ask my academy friends in this dream.

"That looks like a spirit?" "Aren’t spirits something you’d normally see, since you can handle them?" "Uh, yeah, that’s true. Do you see it too?" "Yup, over there, in front of the teacher’s desk, it’s nodding like it’s falling asleep."

Its posture was awkward, as if it were sitting in an invisible chair, nodding off like someone about to fall asleep. If Reina, a second-generation otherworlder who could see spirits, couldn’t see it, then could it really be a ghost?

"Maybe it’s a Celestial?" "A Celestial?" "Yeah. My Celestial told me that some of them are gloomy and strange."

That thing didn’t just seem gloomy. It looked like a cloud of black smoke. If that was a Celestial, I’d refuse to take up the mantle of its incarnation without hesitation. This was clearly a dream. There’s no way such a weird thing could exist in reality.

"Wait… that’s not black smoke… it’s a suit."

As I watched, the black, smoky figure slowly began to take shape.

That strange, dark Celestial I had been seeing since the weekend was becoming more and more familiar. It felt like an annoying piece of dust caught in my eye. Telling myself, "That shadowy figure has always been part of my life," helped me come to terms with it. I couldn’t make out its face yet, but I assumed it would fully evolve in time.

However, there was another problem.

"Hey. Do you want something to eat? I’ll buy you anything." "Uh, sure. How about a smoothie?"

Han Soo-ji, the Flame Spearwoman, was now trying to act overly friendly. To be precise, she was treating me as if I were her boyfriend. There’s a saying: "Swallow what’s sweet, spit out what’s bitter." Han Soo-ji had been a dirty-tempered girl in the beginning, but now she was all over me like I was some sweet nectar she couldn’t get enough of.

Could it be because of that kiss?

Or does she want more of the punishment?

When she brought me a strawberry smoothie, I drank it down quickly.

"Hey, Han Soo-ji." "Yeah?" "If there was some kind of black smoke that only you could see, what would you do? Let’s say it’s not a spirit or a Celestial." "A ghost?" "Would I even ask you if it was a ghost?" "W-wait. Could it be a hallucination? We have a new instructor coming today, one who specializes in illusions, right?"

Ah, illusions. I’d forgotten about that guy.

Who knew I’d miss my hellish school life in Korea this much?

"Who is it?" "It’s Rebecca, an illusion mage and one of the key figures who helped take down the Villain Alliance alongside the Divine Sword."

The Villain Alliance. In the previous story, this was an organization that was wiped out by Yoon Jin-seok and his comrades. The remnants of the Alliance opened a massive gate near Pyongyang, and from the middle to the end of the previous story, Yoon Jin-seok and his allies fought them. Rebecca, the illusion mage, was one of the few mages specializing in illusions and played a key role in defeating the Villain Alliance by trapping them in illusions.

If anyone knew what that strange shadow was, it would be her.

Rebecca, the illusionist, is currently considered one of the top mages, often ranked as the best in her field, competing with only a handful of others. When someone like that shows up as a teacher, it’s no surprise the aspiring hunter students were practically squealing with excitement. Reina was no exception.

"Yoonha! I’m a huge fan of Rebecca!" "Uh, okay."

And?

"I said I’m a fan!" "Do I need to know about you fangirling?"

"Yoonha, you’re the Divine Sword’s sister, right? Can’t you use that connection to get me Rebecca’s autograph?" "I’ll do it if I get the chance." "You promise?"

Ugh, what a pain.

"I am Rebecca, and I’ll be your instructor for magic. Some of you may already know me, but let me make one thing clear: if any of you misbehave in my class, the boys will experience permanent erectile dysfunction, and the girls will suffer from unbearable menstrual cramps for the rest of their lives."

Damn, that’s terrifying.

For boys in their prime, that’s basically the same as being castrated. As for menstrual cramps, well, that needs no further explanation.

"My class will teach magic to those who major in it, and for the rest of you, I’ll teach how to defend against it. I assume there are no questions."

I’d have to talk to her after class about that shadow.

"Alright, now for today’s lesson: you’ll be undergoing training to build resistance to magic. Today’s focus will be on group exercises to strengthen your resistance. In the future, you’ll be split into different groups based on your specialties." "What exactly do you mean by ‘illusions’?" "Good question. I’ll be showing you some of the worst illusions you’ve likely never encountered in your short, teenage lives."

The worst illusions we’ve never seen? That sounds promising. What could be worse than the memories of being overworked in a soul-crushing job or being a shut-in like Yoonha?

Still, if it ends early, we get free time, so that’s a win.

"What kind of illusion did you see? I saw myself almost die in a restricted dungeon." That guy was a troublemaker.

"I saw myself getting circumcised again."

This one clearly had a peaceful life if circumcision was his most painful memory. There’s not much more to say.

Rebecca wasn’t showing us the worst illusions; she was recreating the most painful memories buried in our minds. In the original story, Yoonha cursed her brother a lot after going through this. Maybe it brought back memories of their fight about attending the academy.

"Now it’s the turn of the top students: Yoonha, Choi Si-woo, and Reina."

No big deal. The worst I’ve experienced was being worked to the bone in an office or whining as Yoonha in the past.

…

…

"Wait… huh? Aaaaah!"

All around me were guys with freshly shaved heads, lying neatly in their bunks. Oh, Lord. The military.

For what felt like an eternity, I kept reliving the first day of military service. The same scene played on repeat.

"Damn it. I almost died."

The illusion ended.

That was way over the top. Why make a big deal out of military enlistment?

Next came the memory of being overworked, collapsing from exhaustion after long hours of overtime. And then, memories of Yoonha whining at her brother. But the next one was the real problem.

"Huh? What?"

I opened my eyes to see Choi Si-woo, his silver hair glowing, swinging the Divine Sword. His opponent was a strange, black figure. Ah, this must be when the academy was attacked by a monster. If I remember correctly, Yoonha was implanted with an SS-class core and died during this event. My body couldn’t move. I wanted to, but it was as if the scene was playing out exactly as it had before.

Crash!

The monster that had been fighting Choi Si-woo turned and drove a core deep into my chest.

"Ugh!" "It’s better to take a gamble than let the Divine Sword wielder take it. If you survive the pain, you’ll be reborn, and if not, this academy will be finished."

The monster poured its strength into embedding the core in my body, then died. And at that moment, my entire body felt like it was being torn apart, my flesh and bones breaking and reforming as a blinding light filled my vision.

I was definitely dead.

My body couldn’t handle the monster’s core, and I died.

This death played out over and over again. Sometimes I was locked in a bathroom, sometimes kidnapped, and each time, the core was forcibly implanted. It repeated endlessly.

All I could do was scream in agony, over and over.

"Kyahhh! Haaah... aaahhh!"

Yoonha writhed, clutching her chest as her body twisted in pain. If not for her screaming, her movements might have looked seductive, but her expression made it clear this was nothing of the sort.

"Damn it! What the hell did you do to Yoonha?" "Are you trying to kill her?"

Her friends rushed over, chattering loudly in concern for her.

"Rebecca! What did you do to Yoonha, you witch?!"

Kim Ji-hye, Yoonha’s instructor, grabbed Rebecca by the collar.

"I did exactly what I always do! I thought it’d be easy for her to handle since, at worst, she’s probably just fought with Jin-seok!" "Is that really true?" "Why would I lie? She’s Jin-seok’s sister. If anything, I was being lenient…" "You call this leniency, you witch?!"

After enduring endless screams and moans, Yoonha was finally carried off to the infirmary on Choi Si-woo’s back.

"Her body seems fine, so she should wake up soon."

Thank goodness. Choi Si-woo and Reina, who had both declared Yoonha as their rival and friend, let out sighs of relief. Then they turned their gaze toward Rebecca.

"Professor, what exactly happened? We need an honest explanation!"

Rebecca scratched her head. These kids were such a hassle.

"I’ll explain later, after we check on Yoonha’s condition."

Looking down at Yoonha with a bitter expression, Rebecca caught the attention of Kim Ji-hye, who approached her once Choi Si-woo and Reina had left the room.

"What’s wrong with you? You’re acting strange. Did something happen to Yoonha? Are you sure you did everything like usual?"

"Kim Ji-hye. This is Yoonha, right? I mean, she is Yoonha, right?"

Yeah, it’s definitely her. But no matter how you look at it, something doesn’t add up.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know illusion magic can be seen by the caster, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"So why is she seeing herself die in a hundred different ways?"

Why on earth? Why would she experience illusions of herself dying in countless ways? I lost count after a while.