CH 44

-Heavenly Martial Arts Academy’s main building-

-Deputy’s office-

“Give me a star.”

“…”

Deputy head Dan Pil-hoo stared at Mumu who was confidently asking him for a star.

He wasn’t sure how to respond to that attitude.

“Star…”

“Aren’t you asking for too much?”

“The deputy can’t even give me one star?”

At the innocent voice of Mumu, Dan Pil-hoo narrowed his eyes.

The others would be deceived by this attitude, but not him.

This kid was by no means naïve or innocent.

“Of course, as a deputy I can give it out. But that doesn’t mean that it is something I can give because you want me to.”

A star is a privilege.

Those who collect such stars are entitled to see the treasures of the academy.

‘Where did he get that information from?’

Even the deputy himself had never been inside one, simply because access to the hidden secret archives was only possible to those who collected stars and proved their worth.

If one found the place prematurely and tried to enter without permission, it would cost them.

‘Wasn’t it said that the leader of the Jegal clan was on the verge of reaching the border between heaven and hell?’

It was truly terrifying to hear.

It was said that no one would come out alive if they were in there.

Well, that was just the rumor passing around and no matter how strong Mumu was, getting a star was different.

“Then how do I make you give it to me?”

“Hm.”

When a deputy gives out a star, it can be under the condition of a special event within the academy or an outstanding ability of a student.

However, such cases rarely involved first years.

It was because first year was the time when kids started to figure out what they wanted to do.

Which was why since the establishment of the academy, only a few people were able to collect stars.

“If you follow the rules, if you win a battle, or a martial arts competition you will be given a star.”

“I will do that, so can’t you give it to me in advance?”

“…”

Where the hell did the kid’s conscience go?

The deputy wasn’t sure where Mumu had heard about the library, but he couldn’t understand why Mumu’s brain kept asking for a star.

He should at least realize that competitions can’t be won with words.

Dan Pil-hoo clicked his tongue.

“You will have to perform brilliantly and win the competition to receive it, so why bother asking in advance?”

“I will perform and win brilliantly.”

“…”

Words don’t seem to work on this kid.

He couldn’t even understand why he bothered having a close relationship with this kid.

‘I can’t even talk to him, it’s like words have no effect on him.’

Dan Pil-hoo sighed and mumbled,

“I am so lonely.”

“Huh?”

Mumu’s eyes widened.

Dan Pil-hoo was puzzled by the attitude.

“What?”

“The Lone Genius of the Murim Association!”

‘!!!’

As soon as those words came out of Mumu’s mouth, the deputy rushed out the door and saw if anyone was around,

The deputy turned back to Mumu and whispered,

“Wh-where did you hear that from?”

“Ah, the line you just said now ‘I’m so lonely’ had previously appeared in the Murim Journal of the Sole Genius of Murim Association…”

“Shhh!”

Dan Pil-hoo put a finger on his lips and asked the kid to be silent.

He was embarrassed now.

He never dreamed that his dark history he was adamant on hiding would come out of Mumu’s mouth.

Although it was an autobiography published under a pseudonym, he couldn’t overcome the plagiarism controversy and criticisms and asked the publisher to call back the books and burn them.

‘Where did he get a copy?’

He thought all the books were burnt, but still Mumu knew about it.

“That book… you read it?”

“Oh I read it. I enjoyed reading it when I was young, but I didn’t think that the book…”

“Quiet! Please stay quiet about it!”

If this matter leaked out it would mean a real difficult time for the deputy.

Right now he is currently the deputy of the Heavenly martial arts academy.

And if the fact that he was the author of the controversial book was discovered, he wouldn’t be able to walk around anymore and his position here could be cut off.

‘Hmm.’

Mumu narrowed his eyes.

Although he was innocent, he wasn’t stupid.

One thing was certain from the attitude, just the book was enough to make this man go red.

“Did the deputy write it?”

“… No.”

Dan Pil-hoo blatantly denied it.

But Mumu went closer and asked,

“You did, didn’t you?”

“No.”

“I have that book in the dorm room…”

“What! Bring it!”

San Pil-hoo couldn’t hide his anxiety.

That book had to disappear from not just the world but from the minds of everyone.

How could the black history he had worked so hard to forget resurface again!

“Please, I request you. Don’t bring it up.”

“Hehe.”

Mumu chuckled at the pleading appearance of Dan Pil-hoo.

In Dan Pil-hoo’s eyes, this kid was a goblin!

He wasn’t naïve at all!

‘… damn it!’

Who would give a star to a first year kid? Even if he gave it to Mumu, there would be no way to use it right away, so it was better to give the star and get the book away from Mumu.

Dan Pil-hoo rubbed his hands and said,

“Right, my Mumu needs a star right?”

“Really?”

“Ha… it looks real.”

Mo Il-hwa and Hae-ryang couldn’t hide their shock as they looked at Mumu’s student card.

The student card was a small book, and the last two sheets had a star shaped seal stamped on them.

In the middle of the star was written Dan Baek-yeon and the deputy, Dan Pil-hoo. It was impossible to forge this seal as it was made with a special ink.

First of all, the color of each star was different so forging would be hard.

‘This bastard?’

Jin-hyuk looked at Mumu's student card, Mumu had said he would get more stars and he did!

“What is your relationship with the deputy head?”

Even on the day of inauguration, it seemed like the man let Mumu go, but he didn’t expect the man to give him a star.

At this point, one would have to be dumb to assume the two didn’t know each other.

“Ah, the deputy head…”

For a moment, Mumu almost talked about the book, but then changed his mind.

“He said he liked me.”

He made a pact with the deputy head. No one would talk about the book until they died, And it was a promise to be kept.

“He gave you this because he liked you? For that reason alone?”

Not just Jin-hyuk, but everyone looked at Mumu with doubt.

A star rating, something which wasn’t easy to get, was given to one kid just because the deputy liked him?

Something must be going on between the two.

“What kind of deal did you make with the deputy?”

“Ehh. Enough, it doesn’t matter what he made.”

Mo Il-hwa tried to dissuade Jin-hyuk from questioning Mumu.

After all, seeing Mumu act like this, she knew there was no use in questioning him as it seemed he would never give out the answer.

‘I can find out later.’

As Mo Il-hwa frowned, Jin-hyuk sighed and nodded.

Right, it would be better to find the reason out later.

“Then let’s head over to the library now.”

Like her, Jin-hyuk was also curious about the existence of the secret archives.

-Heavenly Library-

It was located on the north side of the main building.

What was unusual was that the building was built on such a large piece of land and kept far away from the rest.

Mumu and his party entered the library which was in the shape of a tower.

“Oh.”

Soon exclamations left their mouths.

One wall of the library was filled with numerous wooden weapons and the other filled with training swords and stuff.

It was only that they understood that these were all things which would be needed in the future.

“Non-essential books?”

Another wall was filled with books.

Each bookshelf was organized.

[Fist]

[Spear]

[Knuckle Buster]

[Feet]

[Sword]

[Blade]

In addition, they were classified and divided into dozens of categories.

Seeing this they could understand just how amazing their academy was.

“Quite a lot.”

There were many first years on the first floor.

There appeared to be around fifty of them by number.

There were quite a few familiar faces too, but seeing that they were on the first day, it seemed like they were only checking it out.

Jin-hyuk’s eyes were set on the bookshelves classified as feet.

Since he mainly used footsteps, he wanted to take a look at the books there.

“We can take a look later, let’s make sure to head over there later.”

Perhaps because it was in the shape of a tower, there was a staircase which led up to the middle floor and in front of it was a middle-aged man who seemed to be checking the kids entering.

The middle-aged man with thick eyes looked around, and it was hard to imagine him as a man with his lack of a beard and overly feminine features.

‘So burdensome.’

Mo Il-hwa’s review.

‘Something… like an eunuch.’

That was Hae-ryang’s opinion.

But they didn’t say anything.

As Mumu and his party approached, the middle-aged man got up.

“Oh my, freshmen.”

‘Eh? Why is this so thin?’

A middle-aged man like a eunuch spoke that way.

The man smiled brightly at Mo Il-hwa and Hae-ryang’s reaction.

“Hohoho. Don’t be too shocked. It’s because I am an alumni, so I speak this way.”

‘Ah!’

They really hoped he was the one.

They had heard that many people in the academy were currently former students and it seemed like this man was one.

Jin-hyuk hurriedly apologized.

“Please forgive us, we have been rude.”

At Jin-hyuk’s polite attitude, the man licked his lips and asked.

“Oh my. A really kind kid with a nice face. I am Im Jong who is in charge of the first floor management of the library.”

Mo Il-hwa and Hae-ryang also introduced themselves and so did Mumu.

Im Jong, frowned and said,

“Oh my. So cute.”

Mumu smiled at that.

“Your tone is very interesting.”

“Huhhohoho. Right? It is the first time someone said it out loud. I like you.”

‘… so tough.’

At the unusual tone of Im Jong, Jin-hyuk felt burdened.

The way he talked was too much like a woman, but he didn’t seem to be embarrassed about it.

And then Im Jong asked,

“So what did the cute freshman come here for?”

Mo Il-hwa whispered to the man,

“Mumu here is going to the secret archives.”

“What?”

Im Jong frowned.

When he heard that he frowned, he thought that the kids were wanting to go to the second floor because they were top scorers.

However, something completely different from what he expected was said.

Im Jong, stroking his cheek asked,

“How did the freshman come to hear about it?”

The secret archive of the library.

Only second year students were told about it.

From then on, the eligible kids were given stars and permission to visit.

However, it was the first time that some first years on their first day came over asking to enter.

“I heard from seniors who graduated.”

Im Jong seemed flustered with Hae-ryang’s answer.

“Is that so? Such light mouthed kids. I asked them to speak about it to interest the newly joined one.”

To be honest, he didn’t think the kids would follow through with it.

Most of them would inform only those kids they were close with.

Im Jong looked at Mumu and spoke as if he felt bad.

“But what do I do? You can’t enter the secret archives unless the special conditions are met. I don’t think you were told that.”

“Puah.”

The second year kids laughed.

Of course, since they were all assisting in the library, they were all aware of the secret archive.

“If you want to enter it, you need to get a star…”

Before he could finish, Mumu held out his student card with two stars.

The eyes of In Jong fluttered at it.

“Oh my. What is this?”

“Huh?”

The second years were completely shocked. Who expected a first year on the first day of joining to come here with two stars?

Surprised they all whispered.

‘No way!’

‘Two stars already?’

‘How the hell did the first year student get a star?’

‘In the second year not a single person had a single star.’

Except for those new 3rd years, there was no one in the current 2nd year who held a star.

And it was only the beginning of their semester.

At that time, a second year student asked,

“Couldn’t it be a fake?”

“Fake?”

In response to that question, the 1st floor managers looked at the seal closely.

Im Jong looked at that and frowned.

“… no, this is authentic.”

It wasn’t a fake but a real one.

It belonged to the deputy head and Dan Baek-yeon.

Even if a kid wanted to forge it, they couldn’t.

Mumu asked with a bright smile,

“Can I head in then?”

At that, Im Jong;s eyes lit up.

‘Uhm. Is this a first?’

It was the first time in the academy that a first year student was entering on only the first day of the semester and with two stars at that!