I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain

Although it was labeled a summer semester practice, in reality, it was more like a sports team’s boot camp.

“Honestly, they call it an academy, but it’s basically a hero training military school.”

Fantasy-world ability academies were fundamentally focused on “combat power enhancement.”

Sejong Academy was no different, and this summer semester’s program primarily aimed at improving abilities.

Students gained knowledge through study, but for ability users, the goal was ability development.

“The main objective is to keep them from lazing around at home during vacation and to have them gain practical experience through sparring.”

Although most tasks involved brainwork, it’s critical to unleash abilities, so they attended specialized ability development workshops in certain regions.

“In essence, there’s a lot of sparring.”

For example, sparring with other A-rankers.

Or alternating combat training sessions with S-rankers like Baek Seol-hee, Yun Iseon, and Kim Yun-ji.

Or attending lectures by experts who could offer insights into ability development.

“If the situation calls for a Korean to win in an international competition, it’s only natural to organize a summer camp.”

All of this was preparation for the Ability Users World Cup, also known as the “Ultimate Ability Tournament” or the “Superpower Olympics,” set for around October.

As such, with the intensive training starting in earnest, Baek Seol-hee and I inevitably had to spend our time differently.

-I probably won’t be able to contact you until the evening.

Unlike Baek Seol-hee, who had to stick with students throughout lecture hours, I had quite a bit of free time.

While she must attend all the lectures, I only needed to assist as a teaching assistant in my related classes.

-Don’t go flirting with random women just because you’re relatively free, got it?

-Am I flirting, or are they coming to me?

-You may not be looking at other women, but it’s obvious other women will drool over you. Do you think they’ll hold back?

-I’ll be cautious.

While Baek Seol-hee was too busy focusing on student education to keep an eye on me, I had to figure out what to do in the meantime.

“I should stick to my purpose for coming to Jeju.”

Enjoying Jeju’s natural beauty was one option, but my job was to visit the Jeju Library and peruse forbidden books.

Thus, during the day, Baek Seol-hee and I must be apart.

It would be possible for her clone, Baek Harang, to spend time with me, but she said she wanted to dedicate the first week to her students.

-If I contact you midway, it’ll be about ability consulting, so please take it seriously, okay?

-Of course. Oh, are you going with that concept?

-Yes. The setting is that I met an ability consultant online who turned out to be Do Ji-hwan, the librarian, and we flirted in Jeju and finally did the deed. So, unless we’re meeting in your room, treat me formally.

While I proceeded with my “Project Jeju” as the Goblin, Baek Seol-hee had her own “Project Jeju (Affair).”

She had been frequently contacting an ability consultant since entering the academy.

Through regular conversations, she grew personally fond of him, learned new abilities from him, and received substantial help.

Talking like that, they became well acquainted personally, and eventually, they realized each other’s true selves upon meeting in Jeju.

From a long-distance romance built online to a fateful meeting in Jeju where they fell in love under the island’s winds — this was Baek Seol-hee’s plan.

There was plenty of time.

The training would last about a month, and there was plenty to do in Jeju.

As such, I decided to go along with Baek Seol-hee’s whims at a slow pace.

At night, I would act as the Goblin or support Baek Seol-hee’s mental care, but during the day, I also needed to focus on my research and development.

“I have personal research to do too.”

Abilities were always evolving.

Having observed the Thunder Emperor’s electrification ability, a natural-type user, and how elemental ability users manipulated their powers, I realized I must not fall behind in developing my abilities.

“Developing abilities is the path to increasing and strengthening magic power.”

Enhancing one’s ability wasn’t just about acquiring new skills or spell cards.

As abilities developed or improved, one’s thinking expanded, imagination grew, and consequently, the maximum amount of mana stored in the body increased.

In RPG terms, learning new techniques provided experience points, and leveling up increased both mana and capabilities.

Although methods varied among ability users, developing one’s ability ultimately led to an overall increase in power.

Thus, I have advised—no, guided—the ability development of people like Yumir, Yun Iseon, and Baek Seol-hee.

“Now it’s my turn.”

Until now, I had been helping others develop their abilities, but now I needed to focus on developing and refining my own.

While enhancing my skills as the Goblin, I also needed to consider the Sephiroth Knights’ issues.

“It feels like there’s been peace since Thailand, but who knows where demons might appear again.”

Although Pandemonium had been inactive since Laplace’s Demon was defeated, given the gathering of numerous ability users in Jeju, they would surely take action.

“If I were a Pandemonium demon, I would release toxic gas at the hotel to turn all the gathered ability users into demons.”

If nothing special happened with hundreds of A-rank and above ability users gathered in Jeju?

“Or if an S-rank hero from Japan visits to buy the Phoenix’s feather, I’d release demons to attack the hero’s area in their absence. Like robbing a vacant house.”

Or, while people gathered in Jeju, demons might appear in areas left defenseless.

“With such an opportunity created for Pandemonium to act, if they don’t show up…”

As soon as Ji Cheon-hyang was out of the picture, many opportunists rushed to Jeju Island, creating a favorable environment for demons to rampage. Yet, there wasn’t even a trace of them?

“If that’s the case, I’ll have to establish a separate plan of action.”

I must track down Pandemonium, which had hidden itself completely, despite the conditions being perfect for demons to act.

If the trap was set but nothing was caught, and if they didn’t even appear in other unguarded areas, I’d have no choice but to hunt them down myself.

“The Secret Society must be prepared for all scenarios — whether they appear in Jeju, abroad, or not at all. I need to act independently to eliminate demons.”

To be ready for that moment, I must develop a new ability.

“Draw inspiration from the classics. Figure out what to create.”

Specifically, I needed to use the Goblin Bat to create substances, uncovering suitable concepts from classic media sealed in the underground archives of Jeju Library, and making them my own.

“The clearer the image, the more accurately I can create and imitate.”

Take Dodjirider, for instance.

An ally of justice (Goblinman) with a dark charisma.

Or Hesed, the Black War Dragoon.

I was able to manifest them in this world because I had a vivid and concrete image of them in my mind.

The ability to create their forms with mana may differ in detail, but I could craft them with the Goblin Bat precisely because I remembered them clearly.

But humans were creatures of forgetfulness.

“Media after the Great Cataclysm is entirely different, so it’s hard to decide what to pull from.”

Even though I had the brain of an ability user, my memory of the past year as Do Ji-hwan was quite vivid. However, my “reader’s memory” — that was, the memories before possession — was gradually fading.

That’s why I needed the classics.

By browsing the classics from before the Great Cataclysm, I could gain inspiration to select a new battle style for myself, whether it’s a fresh form or as the Goblin.

Even if I based my abilities on the classics, people might say, “Oh, he’s copying old stuff!” But if they thought of it as a continuation of the series’ material, they’d marvel, “Wow, what a new concept!”

To find that material, I was currently on the move.

I was heading toward a preservation archive located midway up Hallasan, as part of my librarian duties as Do Ji-hwan.

Screech.

Driving up into the deeper parts of the mountain on my bike, I spotted a place that looked like a research facility.

I entered the facility immediately, took off my helmet, and showed my staff ID to the employee guarding the entrance.

“Ah, welcome, Librarian Do Ji-hwan. Please, come this way.”

A man in a white coat greeted me personally.

“It’s an honor to meet a librarian from Sejong Academy. Feel free to peruse any material here.”

The staff member guided me inside the research building to a slightly secluded room.

“As you know, all the materials in the preservation archive have been digitized. You can view them here.”

“Thank you. I’ll get started.”

I enter the reading room, which is set up like a private study cubicle, and pick up the tablet placed on the desk.

“Getting paid just to read novels — what a job.”

Classics from before the Great Cataclysm and post-Cataclysm novels that were classified as “harmful to youth.”

As Do Ji-hwan, I earned a salary just by reading these, and as the Goblin, I could use them to develop my abilities.

It’s killing two birds with one stone, a perfect combination…

“Getting to read creative works that never existed in my original world is the best.”

As a possessor, it was a truly delightful experience.

“This is why I can never quit being a librarian.”

I started searching through the materials on the tablet, beginning with novels I had only been able to access as data back at Sejong Academy.

Novels that, due to their authors’ deaths, I couldn’t read in the original world. Yet, for some reason, they were completed in this world and preserved in the archives despite being censored.

“Is there a job that pays you to read novels?”

Until my identity as the Goblin was exposed, I’d never give up this job.