Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I Became the Academy Mafia, Chapter 4Just a moment ago, when I put on the ring, an alert sounded from my smartphone.[A new trait has been activated!] was what the alert said.

And when I checked my information, something new had appeared in the traits section.[Name: Eugene Han Calione】[Gender: male][Occupation: Heir to the Underworld][Traits: Bad Boy, Heir to the Underworld(N)]

The trait called Heir to the Underworld.

I never imagined I would gain two traits in a single day.

Was this game always this generous with rewards? Thinking that, I clicked on the newly acquired trait, and its description appeared.【Heir to the Underworld】[1. An Offer You Can’t Refuse

– Negotiation ability increases slightly. Against targets who feel fear toward you, negotiation ability increases significantly.][2. Unopened][3. Unopened]

It was a trait with no fewer than three options attached.

I couldn’t see the information for the other two, but just the ability called ‘An Offer You Can’t Refuse’ was enough to tell me that this trait possessed power beyond imagination.

In a world where you could reach an ending just by talking well, an ability that increased negotiation skill?

Why in the world had Eugene Han Calione, the original owner of this body, never even joined the ranks of the strong and always dropped out midway?

For someone like me, who had cleared the game even with characters carrying all sorts of vicious backgrounds, it was difficult to understand.

But because of that, the word hope began to take root in my heart.

As far as this world was concerned, I was someone who had achieved feats no one else had ever accomplished.

“...

I’ll survive no matter what.”

Steeling myself to reach Eugene Han Calione’s ending without fail, I buried myself in bed in preparation for tomorrow’s successor training.

______________

“Vito Calione. The boss everyone calls Don was originally an ordinary laborer who came to Korea to escape the dungeons.”

Back then, the world itself had been nothing but chaos.

A calamity called dungeons, which suddenly appeared one day.

The dungeons first appeared in Europe, then spread like wildfire to Asia and the Americas.

“Originally, the boss was a refugee who fled to Korea to escape the dungeons. Just an ordinary man who opened a bar in the refugee district and made a living.”

Then one day, dungeons began appearing simultaneously throughout Seoul, South Korea.

“The one fortunate thing was that by the time dungeons appeared in South Korea, the country already possessed awakened heroes.”

The South Korean government attempted to eliminate the dungeons by deploying heroes.

However, the number of awakened heroes at the time was extremely small.

“The South Korean government had to make a choice. Whether to first save the wealthy and its own citizens who were farther away, or first save the nearby impoverished districts where refugees and others had gathered.”

“What? That’s pretty different from what I learned.”

The words slipped out before I knew it.

As someone who had played this game extensively, I knew most of the setting as well.

And as far as I knew, the South Korean government had definitely succeeded in closing every dungeon.

There was a hidden element like this?

It was probably information you could only learn by progressing through this route.

My veteran gamer’s heart began to pound.

“This incident is practically a stain on the South Korean government’s history.”

The man in charge of my successor training. And the man who, just yesterday, had tried to protect me from the Sword Immortal alongside Father.

Parnello said that and began explaining what had happened back then.

“We refugees and immigrants were abandoned. Fighting the monsters pouring out of the dungeons with our bare hands would have been nothing short of suicide.”

But the immigrants began taking up weapons and gathering together.

It was for survival.

“At that time, the first person to lead us was Don Vito. Your father, Young Master.”

Father displayed outstanding leadership and began organizing the immigrants.

Father’s judgment was always correct, and people began placing the title ‘Don’ before his name.

“And finally. The boss awakened.”

At the time, it was nothing short of a miracle.

At the most difficult moment, power had been granted to the strongest person.

“After gaining power, the boss began gathering the other awakened.”

The awakened who began rallying around the bar Calione eventually started eliminating every monster in the immigrant district, until finally only the dungeon itself remained to be conquered.

“However, most of the awakened were severely injured from continuously fighting the monsters that kept pouring out. The boss was the only one still relatively unharmed.”

Vito Calione had truly been a hero.

He had never graduated from an Academy, so he could not receive the official title of ‘Hero,’ but his deeds were already no different from those of one.

“The boss declared that he would conquer the dungeon alone, then stepped inside.”

“Alone? He was going to conquer a dungeon alone and nobody stopped him?”

Parnello chuckled at my words.

“Because he was the boss. The people who saw him back then merely cheered him on and joked with him.”

About twenty minutes after Vito Calione entered the dungeon.

He succeeded in conquering it without a single wound on his body.

That was the beginning of the Calione legend.

“From that point onward, the South Korean government could no longer ignore us, Calione. There weren’t many people capable of conquering a dungeon alone.”

The fact that they had abandoned the district where the immigrants and refugees lived must have played a part as well.

After saying that, Parnello drank a glass of water.

“Of course, there were many who targeted the boss. The government, foreign assassins, other organizations... Even so, not a single one of them ever managed to put the boss in danger. That is why Calione became the greatest organization.”

And with that, Parnello’s story about the history of Calione came to an end.

Only after hearing his explanation did I understand why Father had been looking forward to my entering the Academy so much.

Father had been everyone’s hero, yet in the end, the country had never acknowledged him.

Perhaps that was why he wanted at least me to grow into a ‘Hero’ officially recognized by the nation.

“Hehe, you look bored. I understand. I don’t think I’m particularly good at speaking either.”

Perhaps he had noticed my expression, because Parnello gave me a somewhat hurt, pitiful smile. I smiled back and said.

“You caught me? Next time, maybe you should make a documentary before coming.”

“A documentary, you say? Hmm... That may be worth considering. I’ll take that suggestion very seriously.”

No, I was joking.

“Now then, next is physical training.”

Saying that, Parnello took off his jacket and draped it elegantly over his arm.

The moment he removed it, his bulky, muscular physique was revealed.

The body visible through the pure white dress shirt wrapped around him was difficult to believe belonged to a middle-aged man.

“Let’s go outside. You won’t be bored this time.”

“Huh?”

Don’t tell me this is because of the joke I made earlier?

For reference, the information written about Parnello in the encyclopedia was as follows.[Name: Parnello Ramici][Affiliation: Calione][Description: A member of the Calione Family and Don Vito Calione’s loyal right-hand man. A living witness to the history of the Calione organization. He is known to the public by the nicknames ‘Calione’s Black Hound’ and ‘Calione’s Sword.’]

I was beginning to feel an ominous sensation.

Sparring with Calione’s Black Hound.

It was the moment I began resenting yesterday’s version of myself for raising the flag that surviving in CS might be easy.

______________

“I’ll escort you, Young Master.”

My personal secretary, Han Seo-jun, said as he took my school bag.

Before I knew it, the day of the Academy entrance ceremony had arrived.

The successor training over the past week had truly been nothing short of hell.

Roll around, study, get hit, study, over and over without end.

Still, I thought it was fortunate that I had managed to awaken a new trait thanks to it.[Name: Eugene Han Calione】[Gender: male][Occupation: Heir to the Underworld][Traits: Bad Boy, Heir to the Underworld(N)]【Heir to the Underworld】[1. An Offer You Can’t Refuse

– Negotiation ability increases slightly. Against targets who feel fear toward you, negotiation ability increases significantly.][2. Baby Boss

– Your overall abilities increase slightly in proportion to the number of living beings who feel fear or respect toward you.][3. Unopened]

The new ability, ‘Baby Boss’.

It was an ability that made me stronger the more other people respected or feared me.

A growth-type trait. If this were still a game, it would have been enough to make me post on the community bragging that I’d hit the jackpot.

“Young Master?”

“Ah, yeah.”

I put the smartphone I had been looking at into my pocket.

“You’re looking at something interesting.”

“...

What?”

What the hell, did he see what was displayed on my smartphone screen?

“When I was young, I used to browse all sorts of things on Sprout Wiki whenever I was bored too. But quantum mechanics of all things? Do you actually understand what you’re reading?”

Sprout Wiki? Could that be what other people saw on the screen?

“I was just bored and kept clicking around until I somehow ended up there.”

“Ah... That happened to me sometimes too.”

Seo-jun chuckled as though he understood, then turned away.

So fortunately, information related to CS wouldn’t leak out.

Being able to confirm that put me at ease.

“Let’s go.”

When I followed Han Seo-jun out of the mansion, I saw two black sedans and one limousine waiting for me.

“...

What’s this?”

“The boss prepared them. He said to maintain Calione’s dignity.”

Apparently, he had gone all out because his son was going to the Academy.

No, even if I was hiding the Calione surname and enrolling under my mother’s surname, wasn’t this a little excessive...?

As for how this had happened, five days before enrollment.

The Academy president personally called Father.‘It seems the government obtained information that your son will be enrolling in the Academy.’Apparently, when Father first received the president’s call, he flew into a rage and unleashed a torrent of terrifying words at him.

Well, it was practically the same as having personal information leaked.

But after listening to the president’s continued apologies and excuses, Father eventually forgave him, saying it was something that would have happened sooner or later, and successfully obtained several privileges in return.

1. Allow him to commute by private vehicle all the way to the school gate.

2. Thoroughly prevent information about Eugene Calione from spreading.

3. If anything happens to Eugene Han Calione in the future, report it immediately.

Was even that not enough for him? Father had called me aside separately and said this as well.‘If anyone gives you trouble, tell me anytime. I’ll show them the power of Calione...’That was what he said.

“Still, isn’t this a little excessive?”

When I said that and got into the car, Han Seo-jun answered from the driver’s seat.

“It is the boss’s order to maintain strict security...”

Well, in that case...

It wasn’t like I disliked expensive cars either.

“Then. We’ll depart.”

Han Seo-jun said that, then spoke into the radio. ‘The Young Master is departing.’

At the same time, the vehicles began moving.

I never imagined I’d personally receive the kind of motorcade escort you only saw in movies.

It didn’t feel as bad as I thought.

“We’ll be turning left, Young Master.”

No, this feels amazing.

_______________

Three cars stopped in front of the Academy gate.

I could feel the surrounding gazes instantly focus on us.

Han Seo-jun got out of the driver’s seat and opened the door for me.

The Calione badge that was always on his collar was nowhere to be seen.

“Thanks.”

I said that and stepped out of the car.

Truly, without the slightest exaggeration, every gaze around me was focused entirely on me.‘Whoa, what’s with that scale?’‘Is he the son of some chaebol family?’‘Was someone like that here during the entrance exam?’‘Who is he? Who is that?’The surrounding voices brushed against my ears like a tickle.

And as though responding to them, I could feel my physical abilities gradually changing.

If I was already getting this much of a reaction from just this, how strong could I become later?

While I was thinking that, Han Seo-jun bowed his head to me and leisurely departed with the vehicles.

And the moment the cars disappeared, the sound of sirens rang out.

“...

Police sirens?”

I couldn’t see them, but sirens were echoing from somewhere in the distance.

Don’t tell me the police were being dispatched just because I came to school?

Fortunately, it wasn’t what I was worried about.

Escorted by police cars, a pure white sedan stopped in front of the school gate.

A boy opened the door himself and got out.

It was Jung Ui-hun, whom I had seen during the entrance exam.

Don’t tell me his father also went all out separately just because it was his son’s first day at school?

What was so special about a first day anyway...

The gazes that had been focused on me now shifted toward Jung Ui-hun.

And Jung Ui-hun accepted those gazes as though they were only natural.

Then he looked at me and smiled.

What the hell, that’s irritating.

I ignored Jung Ui-hun, entered the Academy, and with the help of an Academy employee, found without much difficulty the class written on my acceptance letter. Class A.

When I flung the door open and stepped inside, I felt the gazes around me.

There were still empty seats scattered here and there. Ignoring those gazes, I sat in an empty seat near the back.‘Isn’t that him?’‘The guy who shot at the instructor during the entrance exam?’‘What? That was real?’‘Looks like he’s in our class.’Since I had nothing else to do, I was looking at my phone when I heard the whispers, but fortunately, thanks to my family taking action, the fact that I was the son of the Calione Family didn’t seem to have spread.

Not long after, a yellow-haired man entered the classroom after me.

His sharp eyes and overall appearance made him the very image of a blond, pierced delinquent.

He also looked around the entire classroom, then sat in the seat beside mine and immediately put his head down and went to sleep.

I never imagined there would be someone with blond hair and piercings at the Academy. Was he a character built around a delinquent concept?

Just as I was thinking that.

“Everyone. Nice to meet you. I recognize a few faces.”

A woman wearing a wicked smile entered.

A white cap over her black hair, and an X-shaped scar on her cheek.

It was Ji Su-hyeon, the examiner I had seen during the entrance exam.

Don’t tell me this woman is...

“My name is Ji Su-hyeon. I’ll be your homeroom instructor for the next year.”

A genius of spatial magic.

A walking wormhole.

A lunatic spatial magician.

There were countless names people used for her, but if there was one alias most fitting for the current situation, it would be this.

Crazy Instructor Ji Su-hyeon.

Ah. I could already picture what the first semester at the Academy was going to look like.

“Judging from some of your expressions, it seems a few of you know who I am. In that case, I won’t make this long.”

She smiled wickedly as she said that.

“A day at the Academy is entirely at the homeroom instructor’s discretion. Whether we do introductions or end early, it’s all up to the instructor.”

Saying that, she snapped her fingers.

Ah, that pose, don’t tell me.

I had seen that animation many times in the game, so I roughly guessed what was about to happen and let out a sigh.

“Starting now, all of you will be transported to some deserted island somewhere. You have one objective. Return to the classroom by 4 p.m., when today’s classes end.”

The surrounding space slowly began disappearing as though being torn apart, and along with an overwhelming wave of nausea, a floating sensation wrapped around my body.

Ji Su-hyeon, who had been smiling while watching us bend over to hold back our vomit, made an ‘ah’ sound and smiled at us.

“You can handle your introductions yourselves over there.”

A demon. As expected, that bitch truly deserved to be called a crazy instructor.

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