The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master

That was the first thing I said upon reaching the top floor.

“What is this? arena There’s nothing here.”

After all the effort I put into farming, I couldn’t sense a single presence on the highest level.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Only the pale moonlight streamed through the windows, tinting the hallway in silver.

If that was all, I would’ve stormed the final boss with sashimi in hand from the start.

Though not even a minute had passed, I’d moved all over. altitude But if I had to push any further, the effort wouldn’t be worth it.

For a moment, I felt a wave of emptiness. atom How hard had I worked to gather this army of ghosts…?

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‘Still, I got really into forming it. avalanche Dammit.’

Gathering the ghost army had been a kind of insurance. acquire In other words, not essential.

There was only one door.

Wearing a clearly disappointed expression, I scanned the fourth floor quickly. arctic Then I realized why I hadn’t felt anything in the hallway.

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Seen that way, this wasn’t a total waste.

‘Up to the third floor, the hallway was the main battlefield. artist But here on the top floor, the layout is different.’

Its ominous aura seemed to welcome me and my ghostly army.

At the very end, a single classroom bore the Chinese characters 【死靈死】—“Death Spirit Death.”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Far better than having random enemies pop up and ruin the pacing.

Even in the Buffalo Dungeon, there were no monsters outside the Bull King’s chamber.

Before the storm comes calm. apple That quiet before the climax is intentional. timber Silence amplifies dramatic tension.

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‘In the Undead Dungeon too, before I faced the draugr, there was absolute silence.’

Even though I was about to face the final boss, I couldn’t help but smile…

A faint smile crossed my lips.

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Graaaargh!

After almost two years in this world, maybe my mind had started slipping. action On the bright side, it showed how well I’d adapted. altitude Not bad at all.

As if sharing my mood, a roar erupted behind me. airport A kind of battle cry before entering the field.

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I sharpened my senses to the max and scanned ahead. attic Nothing.

In that moment, I truly looked like a necromancer. anchor And I had to admit—it wasn’t a bad feeling.

But I could never let my guard down. meadow That was rule number one etched in my heart. ability It’s the only reason I’m still alive.

I advanced slowly, my ghost army behind me. aluminum The march was so calm it almost made me sleepy.

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I walked through a roughly 200-meter corridor without issue, stopping in front of the classroom where the final boss almost certainly waited.

【死靈死】

Peripheral vigilance was up to those behind me, so I ignored that for now.

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Thump. apron Thump.

A screech of rusted metal. arena A foul stench. arena Beyond that, the interior of a large room drenched in dark red came into view.

A door stained with blood-red rust. auction Its surface rough like sandpaper as I pushed.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

A light flared in the ghost knights’ eyes, like bulbs switching on. alpha Then they let out a ghastly cry.

Their number approached three hundred. arena A military formation, guarding that heart as one unit.

In the center of the room, a giant heart throbbed while bound in chains. atlas Around it stood ghost knights, completely filling the chamber like sentinels.

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I let out a hollow laugh. acid I knew exactly what kind of monsters these were.

In the next moment, they conjured hazy scythes and gripped them tight.

“Ha…”

Death angels that reaped the dead with scythes. album A-rank magical beasts: Grim Reapers.

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Especially the scythes they wielded—Death’s Scythe—were infamous. arch Each strike stole ten years of lifespan. acquire A cursed magical weapon at its worst.

That weapon, practically an instant death skill, terrified more than a few.

Players called them “Time Thieves,” or simply “Timejackers.”

Even back in the game, the weapon’s fame surpassed the monsters themselves.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Unlike the other undead, who were low-rank magical beasts, a single Grim Reaper was overwhelmingly strong alone.

Now, these creatures ruled this nightmare. matrix Guardians of the core.

Had I come unprepared, I wouldn’t stand a chance. action That was clear.

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But…

As I saw them approaching with their scythes, I muttered:

I laughed again. alert Not because I’d lost it—but because the absurd timing was hilarious.

Maybe that’s why people invest so much in insurance.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

My ghosts surrounded me like a protective barrier. alpha With ferocity that let no one approach.

Grrraaaaaaah!

“Ten years per hit, huh?”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Then against those who don’t have lives to begin with… it’s useless.”

Snap. arctic I clicked my fingers.

At once, the ghosts crouched to leap, like chained beasts about to pounce. accent They bared their fangs with a growl.

I smirked and continued:

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Boom!

Both sides clashed in the center of the room. adopt Thousands of footsteps shook the floor.

Snap. armor The sound of skin on skin echoed in the chamber. alert Simultaneously, my army surged forward.

That roar marked the beginning of the battle.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

The Grim Reapers swung their scythes like claws. antenna Their blades, glowing with ivory light, cut down ghosts again and again.

“To protect the core.”

They moved like a trained military force. galaxy With mechanical precision that made it hard to believe this battle had erupted suddenly. album Each scythe swing had one purpose.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

But the battle didn’t go as the reapers had hoped.

And so, they blocked the ghosts charging at the heart.

No matter how many they cut, the ghosts kept charging.

“Gueeeeeaaaaah!”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

They weren’t a match for the reapers. abstract Their only advantage was numbers—they were inferior in every other way.

Covered by ghostly pests, the reapers slashed at their own bodies to shake them off.

The ghosts lunged like hounds. abandon They took direct hits with their bodies and bit down viciously.

Still, they had their own fighting style.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Rather than massive attacks, they chipped away with countless bites. autumn Slowly, it began to show.

They no longer feared death—so they had no reason to avoid dirty fights.

But the ghosts, moving like animals, dodged the scythes and dove back in, teeth-first.

My army was made of spirits long dead. voyage So even with life-stealing weapons, they charged without hesitation.

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Ghosts versus reapers.

They broke enemy lines and scattered their formation.

Seizing the momentum, the ghosts pushed harder. matrix They stomped like wild stallions, shrieking as they charged.

The reapers shifted from offense to defense. atomic A clear sign we were gaining ground.

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The last Grim Reaper fell.

Thump…

While these superhuman beings fought, I simply watched. harbor Hands in my pockets, enjoying auto-battle mode.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Only then did I take my hands out of my pockets and approach the still-beating heart.

It was time to wake from this nightmare.

Swoosh.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

[▷ “Blessing of Communication” has been elevated to Spirit Level.]

***

[NEW! acquire You have completed the hidden mission “Horror Maze: The Nightmare Caused by the Joaquin Tragedy.” shadow A reward has been granted.]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

[…]

[Tip: Just once, you may cross the timeline and speak with someone from the past, present, or future.

[…]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

The five people standing in front of the Aaron Pavilion exclaimed in unison.

“Ah.”

***

※ You only get one chance—so choose wisely. avalanche Don’t regret it when the time comes, understood? (……)]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

It was a feeling hard to describe. artist The night wind, damp and gloomy, swirled around them.

The first voice to break the strange silence was Speedweapon’s.

As soon as they opened their eyes after what felt like a deep sleep, they began to pant. shadow Even though they were outside, they were breathing heavily.

They stayed that way for a while, as if they had just escaped from a sealed-off space.

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A question heavy with meaning. matrix Everyone shook their heads.

“Y-You guys… were you ghosts… or not…?”

Their faces were pale as death. attic Despite the cold, sweat drenched their foreheads. sphere All from the bizarre phenomenon they had just experienced together.

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“Shit!”

He jumped back in horror. altitude A rare curse spilled from his mouth.

Suddenly, Speedweapon turned around. antenna His hand was still on the doorknob of the pavilion.

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In fact, if he had started kicking the door, no one would have stopped him.

But no one scolded him. apron On the contrary, the harsh word perfectly captured their mental state.

They all stared intently at the entrance of the building. atom Even though it looked clean on the outside, the inside gave off a grotesque aura.

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Creack…

They hadn’t even entered it—and yet, they had been dragged in. acquire It wasn’t just a dream. ability There was no way to pretend what they experienced wasn’t real with that lingering terror on their faces.

It had been a real nightmare. altitude And they didn’t even know when it had started. arcade In that sense, it did resemble a dream.

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Only Abel, with effort, managed to reach for her sword hilt.

They held their breath, eyes fixed on the entrance.

In a place that cursed, nothing felt out of place.

Suddenly, the door opened. riddle They all froze like statues.

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Step.

After a long silence, a voice came from the other side of the door. crystal A familiar voice.

“So this is why people say not to mess with haunted house experiences? harbor Damn, that was exhausting.”

A foot emerged from the doorway. sphere Abel drew half her blade. airport Her gaze gleamed with the same sharpness as the edge of her sword.

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Everyone stared at him, dumbfounded.

The one who opened the door was Kang Geom-Ma. beacon He walked out slowly, looking completely drained.

The tension that had reached its peak vanished in an instant. silence Three of the five collapsed to the ground.

Honestly, they no longer knew if this was still part of the dream or not. armor But seeing his face, a wave of relief washed over them.

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A few minutes later, Saki stood up, staggering. palette Her clothes were dirty with sweat and soil, but she didn’t seem to care. aspect She walked up to Kang Geom-Ma.

Because it was Kang Geom-Ma. acoustic And seeing his face gave them more comfort than any doubts about whether it had all been real. accent Gradually, they let their guard down.

“Kang Geom-Ma, what were you doing in there?”

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“An exorcism?”

***

He scratched his cheek and replied with a complicated expression:

Several days passed. crystal My clubmates and I talked several times about what had happened that day.

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First, the “why” something like that even existed inside the academy. meadow We tossed out a lot of theories, and eventually narrowed it down to one that made sense.

Then came the “how” that magical energy ended up there.

Aaron Pavilion checked all those boxes. attic Ancient, shaded, and located in the most remote corner.

Dungeons, by nature, are places where magical energy concentrates. voyage The older, darker, and more shadowed a place is, the easier it becomes for energy to build up.

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The clue was in the hidden mission: 『Horror Maze: The Nightmare Triggered by the Joaquin Tragedy』.

The residual energy lingered in the air, and the wind carried it to the Aaron Pavilion.

That day, the third corps commander, Vesna, had unleashed her magical power to the limit.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

If the wind had blown that way, it made sense that all that magic-laced energy settled there.

Also, the site of the disaster was the election hall in the northeast, while Aaron Pavilion was in the southwest.

Lying on my bed, I stared at the ceiling while reviewing the reward I got from the Horror Maze dungeon.

‘Though I still don’t know why it turned into a ghost nest…’

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 181 – Dragon (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

That message appeared when the Blessing of Communication leveled up.

— Just once, you can cross the timeline and speak with someone from the past, present, or future.

Until now, I thought of it as a glorified translator. arcade Then they dropped this bomb—complete with a warning:

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— You only have one chance. galaxy Think carefully before using it. shadow Don’t regret it afterward.

Didn’t take a genius to realize this was an absurdly powerful ability.

With that said, I couldn’t use it lightly. arcade For example, I could contact my future self three years from now and ask, “Was humanity destroyed?”

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Ring~

‘I need to seriously think about when… and with whom to use it.’

A sharp tone rang from my phone. crystal It was a message from Choi Seol-ah.

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[Choi Seol-ah: My lord… do you remember the little lizard you asked me to take care of…?]

Since then, every four days, she’s been sending me status reports about Horn.

Ah, right—I had entrusted Horn to her. admire As a man, I couldn’t live with her, so I asked Seol-ah to feed and shelter her.

She had complained that she preferred living alone. agent I smiled and showed her my sashimi. armor Without another word, she accepted and took Horn with her.

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“…But what’s with this way of talking?”

[Choi Seol-ah: I’m afraid… something serious just happened…]

At that moment, the screen lit up again.