Chapter Twenty Four: Dark Side Of Academia

The night was cold as ever, snow and rain mixing into a cruel storm as I shifted to the exact location of the call pulling me. Only minutes remained before sunrise.
A shipping port. Stacks of rusted containers stretched like iron walls, just a kilometer from Academia’s border and fifty-six kilometers from City Nine.
Descending through the air, I landed atop one container. My fist crashed down, punching a hole through its steel shell. With my bare hands, I tore the surface wide open.
“Infinity!!”
It was Lami—the girl I had once rescued from human traffickers. The container was pitch black inside, yet even in darkness she recognized me.
SUMMONING.
Her trembling voice still carried strength. That spark of hope was enough. I summoned her into my arms.
But she wasn’t alone. Dozens of children stared back at me from the shadows. My jaw tightened as I leapt down, crushing the lock of the container with my hand and freeing them.
That was when the armed criminals crawled out of their tents, guns raised, flashlights slicing through the dark.
“Hey, who are you!!” they barked, cocking their rifles.
I ignored them. One by one, I ripped open the other containers—each one packed with terrified children.
“We’ll shoot all of them if you don’t stop!!”
Fools. If only they knew.
Long before I came here, I had already called their boss and his men with telepathy. I knew where each of them was.
The night was pitch black to them, but unlike them, I could see everything.
Once I had gathered the children together, the gunmen froze, waiting for orders.
A whistle shrieked.
SHOOT! SHOOT!
Gunfire exploded in a storm of light and sound. Muzzle flashes cut the dark.
But the bullets vanished before reaching me. Without the sound of the shots, I would never have noticed. Not even a tickle.
Step by step, I advanced. The children clung together behind me.
“W-What the hell is he!?”“The bullets are disappearing!!”“Is this even possible!?”
The barrier around me devoured every round they fired. Yet they kept shooting, blind to the futility.
As I moved closer, I sensed three more presences. Women. One to my right. Another to my left. The last hidden inside a container thirty meters ahead.
SUMMONING.
Like ragdolls, the three were dragged from their hiding spots and slammed onto their comrades. Cries of pain filled the air.
Then another stepped forward. His stance different. His aura sharp. His hands hidden behind his back as he advanced like a predator.
Their leader.
SUMMONING.
Growing impatient, I pulled him two feet in front of me.
“What just happened!? Are you some kind of alien!!?” he howled, face twisted in panic.
GZZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNGG!!!
Zinertia burst from me, bathing the entire port in blazing crimson light.
“Wait—!”
LV erupted out of me, stepping between us.
“What are you doing? I’ll take care of it.”
A sword of Zinertia formed in her hand. With a single strike, she cleaved the leader apart before he could even scream.
Blood sprayed. Silence followed.
The others broke instantly. Terror etched on their faces, they dropped their weapons and scrambled to run.
SUMMONING.
I sealed all fifteen of them into a single container. The steel door slammed shut, trapping their screams inside. Lami clung tightly to me as I carried her away.
Back with the children, most were still crying. Their small bodies shook, their voices broken into sobs.
One by one, I met their eyes.
REVERSE SUMMONING.
My power had grown far beyond what it once was. Before, I couldn’t summon beyond Academia’s barrier. Now, nothing could stop me.
Just by looking into their faces, I knew everything—their homes, their lives es, the traps that brought them here.
I sent them all back. Nearly a hundred children vanished in flashes of light, returned to their rightful homes. Only four remained.
The last four had been sold by their parents. Sending them back would only return them to slavery.
But I saw another path. A kind old man. He had saved them once, cared for them, given them peace. They were stolen from him while he was away.
Yes… they belonged with him.
REVERSE SUMMONING.
In an instant, they were sent back to the outskirts of City Six, to his protection.
And then, with Lami still in my arms and the criminals trapped, I shifted back to my castle.
She hadn’t spoken a word since I freed her. Her eyes were wide, unblinking.
LV was strangely quiet too.
{Of course I’m quiet!! How the hell do you know all of this without me asking!!?} Her voice roared inside me, louder than ever before.
Hmph. That only proves I don’t need you anymore.
The castle was empty. A ghost town. My parents had ordered all the workers to follow them to the stadium, leaving not a single soul behind.
No one to greet me. No one to care.
I carried Lami to a furnished room and laid her gently on the bed. “I’ll go make some food for you… take a shower,” I said softly.
She didn’t close her eyes. She didn’t answer. Just silence.
It had been weeks since I ate real food. During my isolation, I survived only on summoned meals from convenience stores. My powers had sharpened during that time—telepathy growing so strong I no longer needed to be asked to know.
Now, for the first time since my parents’ arrival in Academia, I stepped into the grand kitchen. Pots. Knives. Ingredients. A castle-sized kitchen for a single man.
I set the water to boil.
That was when LV walked in, her footsteps echoing softly.
“Why didn’t I know about the change in our power?” she asked, voice low.
“You never asked,” I answered calmly. “I knew where we were going this afternoon… I just played along.” The truth was, I had no idea what she had planned.
“That’s not what I meant!!”
“Ha! Are you angry… because I don’t need you anymore?”
She moved closer, lowering her gaze. “That’s part of it… but why didn’t you tell me?”
“We’ve been apart for nearly three weeks. And I wasn’t in the mood for chitchat.”
My words stung. Her expression dimmed. She turned away with a lonely face before returning a moment later with her usual attitude.
“Done,” I declared proudly, presenting the finished meal.
“Behold, LV… thou shall taste the cooking of thy god!”
She scoffed. “Don’t act cocky. Even gods don’t speak like that.”
“You didn’t help at all, so set the table.”
“You dare order me!? …Tch. Fine.”
She obeyed anyway.
But Lami never came. I called her through telepathy. No answer. Still, she had seen my power firsthand—nothing should surprise her anymore.
SUMMONING.
I brought her directly to the dining table. She appeared silently at my left. LV sat at my right.
LV dug in first. “Delicious!!!” she shouted with unrestrained joy.
Of course it was.
“I haven’t eaten anything this good since arriving in the human world! No wonder they call you Infinity!”
“HAHAHA!! Of course not! I’m the best, aren’t I?”
At that, Lami glanced at LV, then back to her food. Her expression didn’t change. She ate slowly, quietly, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Halfway through the meal, I remembered my friend.
SUMMONING.
Hinata appeared and dropped headfirst into a chair. “Ow~ not this again…”
A moment later, Amira appeared as well, still in her pink bunny pajamas. Confusion filled her sleepy eyes as she looked around.
Like a host on a morning show, I spread my arms wide. “Welcome! I give you the honor of dining with me!”
Still dazed, they sat at the table. Hinata wore oversized blue pajamas, clearly awake before I pulled him here. Amira looked half-asleep, dragged straight from her bed.
They stared in shock, but when they tasted the food, their hesitation melted.
“DELICIOUS!!” Hinata shouted, leaping in delight.“It’s amazing, Naum,” Amira smiled warmly.
“HAHAHA!” I laughed it off.
But soon, their eyes shifted toward Lami. Curiosity burned in both of them.
I forced a poker face. “She’s my adopted sister. I just adopted her.”
PSSHHHEW!!
Amira spat her food, Hinata choked violently.
“B-but Naum, you can’t just adopt a sister on your own!” Amira protested.“That’s right!” Hinata agreed.
“…Then she’s my adopted daughter.”
“No!!! I’ll accept sister!!” Amira refused, blushing furiously.
After the chaos died down and the plates were cleared, I leaned back. “You can pick any room you want.”
Hinata lit up with joy, while Amira froze in disbelief.
“You mean we can live here with you!?” Hinata’s eyes sparkled.Amira hesitated, shy and embarrassed. “…I’ll need to bring my things.”
“No need. SUMMONING.”
In an instant, all her belongings appeared in the dining hall, dropping with a heavy THUD.
Her face turned crimson. “KYAAAA!! Look away!!!” she screamed, dragging her things away while Hinata jumped for joy.
Through it all, Lami stayed quiet. Her tears never stopped.
That night, after dinner, Amira asked me to meet her outside the castle.
Under the moonlit sky, her hair swayed in the breeze. She spoke softly without turning.
“I’m happy you invited me to live here. Honestly, I didn’t know if you thought of me as someone special… but now, I feel like my dream has come true.”
Some weeks ago, I wouldn’t have understood her words. But now, with my power, her meaning was clear. Still, I let her continue.
“That aside… I really want to know who all those girls are. They’re not…”
I answered plainly. “Hinata’s my only friend from Academia. Lami has nowhere else to go. And LV… she has an important role in saving Academia.”
Her smile widened, relieved. “I see. I believe you.”
The next morning, I carried breakfast to Lami’s room. She ate quietly, then I lifted her into my arms and took her into the city.
She needed new clothes. The old dress she wore was a memory of her suffering.
The streets were empty, shops deserted. But I didn’t care. I risked my life for them—I would do this much.
She wandered the aisles like a child reborn, picking clothes freely, smiling for the first time since I found her. My arms filled with bags until she slipped into the ladies’ section, gesturing for me to wait outside.
Left alone at the entrance, I noticed again how empty the city was. The students hid in their apartments, too afraid to step outside. I could sense their presence, but none dared approach.
Sooner or later, when their supplies ran out, they’d have no choice.
“Look who I ran into… Infinity, is that you?”
A voice I didn’t recognize called from behind. Before I even turned, my mind registered his identity.
A man a little older than me approached, purple-haired, exuding a strangely friendly aura.
“Aren’t you afraid… being out here?” I asked.
He beat his chest confidently. “I’m not. I may not look it, but I’m very strong.”
He smiled faintly, pride flashing in his eyes.
“I see. Goodbye.” I turned away. If he was strong, he could protect himself.
“Hey, wait! I’ve always wanted to meet you… let’s be friends!”