I Became the Student Council President of Academy City-Chapter 117

These grotesque beings wandered the streets of Neo Seoul as if they were citizens enjoying their everyday lives.

“……!”

Suddenly, Woo-jin sensed a massive presence of humans and snapped his head in that direction.

At the outskirts of the Mahyeon High School district.

Where Moon Chae-yeon’s underground hideout should be, an enormous tree now stood. Its size was immense, visible even from this distance.

But the trunk of the tree was anything but ordinary.

Countless people were fused into it, as if their bodies had been absorbed, forming a grotesque, organic whole.

“……?”

Woo-jin tried to use his spatial leap to reach the tree, but for some reason, his unique ability wouldn’t activate.

‘I can feel the magic inside me, but I can’t use it…’

Just then.

“!”

Three of the tall creatures soaring through the city unfolded their wings and, in an instant, closed in on Woo-jin.

The creatures surrounded him.

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Woo-jin was caught off guard.

The three black-masked creatures stared at Woo-jin. Upon closer inspection, their "masks" weren’t masks at all but part of their skin. Their faces, made of something akin to keratin like nails or horns, glowed with red eyes—similar to Se-ah’s eyes when she unleashed her full power.

“What… what the hell is going on…?”

The series of incomprehensible events left Woo-jin’s mind in disarray.

The creatures reached out their long arms toward him. He could feel the same power emanating from them as the one Se-ah had used.

‘This power….’

Woo-jin could guess what would happen if they touched him.

The twisted, flesh-colored beings roaming the city looked like they had lost their human forms. If this world was not the land of the living but the realm of the dead, then these creatures’ powers likely manipulated the shape of the soul, twisting it like they did the physical form.

Woo-jin tried to escape their reach. He instinctively realized he could fly, and so he soared.

However.

“!”

One of the creatures flapped its wings and immediately caught up to Woo-jin.

As the mysterious power of Se-ah threatened to end everything right there—

Crack!

A crack formed behind Woo-jin, and a small hand reached out, grabbing his arm and pulling him through the gap. Woo-jin was dragged beyond the crack, and it closed behind him.

The creature's hand grasped only empty air.

Whooosh!!

Woo-jin emerged from the wormhole, finding himself in a vast field of goldmarig flowers.

The sky above was brighter than a sunset, glowing with a golden hue—a stark contrast to the terrifying cityscape he had just escaped from.

In the middle of the flower field stood a small cabin.

And in front of that cabin.

Thud.

Woo-jin, forcibly pulled along, lost his balance and fell flat on his back.

The one who had pulled him, Geumyang, clicked her tongue and looked down at him.

“You really are a troublesome one, aren’t you?”

“Geumyang…?”

“This is my labyrinth. Only because you are who you are now could you enter.”

Woo-jin pushed himself up, and Geumyang crouched down in front of him, knees drawn together, meeting his gaze.

A gentle breeze stirred the golden flowers. Despite being called a "labyrinth," the place felt overwhelmingly peaceful.

“What… what just happened?”

Woo-jin still couldn’t grasp the situation.

When he had charged at Se-ah, her red eyes had suddenly flashed with a chilling light, and then he had been thrown into that strange world.

“I told you, didn’t I? Run away. Ise-ah’s power isn’t something that can be judged or compared by the laws of the world. It’s in a realm beyond human understanding.”

Geumyang shook her head in frustration, her tone exasperated.

“I’m far older than you, yet you refuse to listen to me…. You really are just a rebellious kid in puberty. Well, it’s just as well. You haven’t died yet, and time is flowing very slowly for you right now.”

“…You’ve figured something out, haven’t you?”

“Hmph.”

Geumyang stood up and walked toward the cabin.

“Where are you going?”

“How about we have some tea? Follow me.”

Woo-jin stood up and followed her toward the cabin.

“Sit there and wait.”

Geumyang gestured toward a wooden table in front of the cabin. Woo-jin sat down in the chair by the table. Soon, Geumyang returned from inside the cabin with warm tea.

Two cups of what seemed to be green tea were placed on the table.

It had no scent.

Geumyang took a seat across from Woo-jin, sniffing the tea and relaxing her expression. Woo-jin couldn’t understand what was so pleasant about a tea with no fragrance.

Woo-jin looked down at his cup.

He had no desire to drink it.

Instead, he turned his gaze toward the flower field filled with golden marigolds.

The wind gently swayed the golden petals, shimmering like sunlight.

It was an endless sea of flowers, too vast to see the end.

Had it not been for the circumstances, he might have found it beautiful, an endless scene worth admiring.

“Explain it to me. You’ve figured something out, haven’t you?”

“I told you already, time in that world is flowing slowly. We can afford to take things easy. You’re always in a rush.”

Geumyang set her cup down and looked at Woo-jin.

“Well, I wasn’t sure before. That’s why I didn’t say anything. But now, I’m certain. I just hadn’t paid much attention to that place.”

“What place?”

“That city you saw.”

“That city?”

“Yes. That place is the ‘Otherworld.’ A realm that shouldn’t exist. It’s the domain of gods like me—or rather… to use human terms, it’s the realm of the divine. You don’t need to understand it.”

Geumyang sipped her tea.

“Neo Seoul has been twisted. It’s all the work of the Principal, I Doo-hee. He committed a crime no human should ever commit. He invited someone who should never have been brought here.”

Geumyang continued.

“His unique ability is ‘communication.’”

“Communication?”

“The name sounds pretty weak, doesn’t it? But it’s the ability to communicate with beings like me—other divine entities. It can’t be underestimated. If you can talk, you can negotiate.”

Geumyang took another sip of tea, then continued while staring at her cup.

“And that’s how the Principal was able to talk to gods with decent powers and get them to grant their abilities to people of his choosing. Your friend, Kim Dal-bi’s unique ability? That came from the Principal negotiating with the Goblin King. It was through an unfair contract that favored the Principal.”

Woo-jin finally understood.

Geumyang had settled Dal-bi’s cruel penalties by negotiating with the Goblin King.

“Originally, unique abilities are fragments of power bestowed by beings like me.”

That was something Woo-jin had learned in a previous conversation with Geumyang.

Unique abilities weren’t something you were born with; they were given later in life.

Just as Geumyang had granted Woo-jin a portion of her power.

“Why do beings like you give fragments of power to humans?”

“Didn’t I tell you before? For fun. Pure amusement. Other entities might have different motives, but there’s no grand reason for it. It’s like how humans go to war sometimes out of anger or a desire for something better.”

“……”

Woo-jin didn’t argue. Human history had proven that true many times.

“And that girl who’s always with the Principal—the one in the nun’s habit.”

“Son Ye-seo.”

“She can manipulate unique ability contracts. She can extract unique abilities, transfer them to someone else. If the god rejects it, it doesn’t work, but if the Principal steps in and negotiates, it’s settled. That’s how she managed to extract Obaekseo’s unique ability.”

“Son Ye-seo.”

“Tsk, picky kid. Son Ye-seo, Song Ye-seo, what does it matter? As long as we understand each other.”

In short.

The Principal and Son Ye-seo were capable of granting and exploiting unique abilities.

“Anyway. The Principal has committed a grave sin.”

Geumyang said solemnly.

“He made a pact with someone, using the children he disposed of as a bargaining chip. And now, he’s created his own world in Neo Seoul, where he freely manipulates the souls of the dead.”

“Who did he make a deal with? What kind of power does this being have?”

“The power of manipulation. The being’s name is ‘Aktonom.’ Though you probably don’t need to know the name.”

Geumyang continued.

“Remember how Ise-ah resurrected the children who died during the first semester, as if turning back time? That’s the power of fate manipulation. It’s not just a common unique ability—it’s close to the true power of a god.”

“So, ordinary unique abilities won’t be enough to fight it…”

“It’s difficult. And the source of that power is the massive human tree you saw. Ise-ah doesn’t even need to use her own magic to fight. The primary fuel for that power is the children sacrificed by the Principal and the rebels deemed threats.”

Woo-jin recalled the massive tree standing tall on the outskirts of Mahyeon High School's district, composed of human bodies.

“So, there’s no cost for using that power. She’s not even using her own magic.”

It finally made sense why Se-ah had been able to use such a terrifying ability, resurrecting children, without showing any signs of exhaustion.

“Is there no way to deal with that tree?”

“With your strength, no miracle would be enough, and even with mine, I can’t guarantee it. It’s been carefully cultivated over many years, so it’s incredibly sturdy. There might be a way to reach its core, but it would take time to figure out. And in the meantime, those lanky creatures will be trying to stop you.”

“It’s practically a cheat…”

A unique ability that didn’t even use the wielder’s magic and drew from an almost infinite well of power.

No—calling it a unique ability was too simple.

Se-ah’s power was more fittingly described as a “divine power.”

“That’s why I told you to run. You’re up against something you can’t handle alone.”

“The situation is far bigger than I imagined….”

“I’d think you could have figured that out by now. Especially since you’re someone from another world.”

“…What?”

Woo-jin looked at Geumyang, his face filled with surprise.

“You… you knew?”