I Became the Academy’s Disabled Student

Chapter 144

Without delay, I headed straight for my destination after leaving the Guhwa family estate.

The destination lay in former Chinese territory, relatively close to the Guhwa family’s main residence on the Korean Peninsula.

I didn’t use any warp gates for the journey, as the area was part of a well-known gray zone, and very few gates existed in this region. Besides, given that I was traveling under Lee Hayul’s identity, I opted to make my way there by my own means.

Although walking would have taken a significant amount of time, I had my methods, allowing me to reach my destination quickly.

Finally, I arrived in China… somewhere around what was once known as the border between Inner Mongolia and Liaoning Province.

Using my Observation Power, I slowly scanned the area around me, extending my range temporarily, even if it strained me.

The wave of information hit me hard. I pressed my temples to manage the incoming data and began processing what I saw.

It’s run-down.

The first impression was one of neglect.

I kicked the ground lightly, stirring up some dark soil from beneath the peeling asphalt. Even at a glance, it was clear the soil quality was poor. The infrastructure around me was just as bad.

Gray concrete buildings stood cracked and crumbling, seemingly ready to collapse. The walls were plastered with graffiti and grime, and not a single intact window was in sight.

And these were the better structures. To one side, makeshift shanty towns of wood and fabric sprawled out, a stark contrast to the surrounding ruins.

The people living here looked anything but healthy, gaunt and frail. It was a scene worlds apart from the more modern facilities I’d experienced in recent months.

Gone were the peaceful, modernized cities I’d seen. Even Syphnaha, a town once considered remote, felt developed compared to this abandoned wasteland.

They say most of China is like this now.

After the Cataclysm, China was one of the countries that crumbled without leaving even a shell behind.

A large territory meant a lot to defend. China had vast lands, which meant that not only did it have to fend off external threats, but it also had to bear the burden of dealing with dungeons and monsters emerging from within.

Thus, after the Cataclysm, most large countries with sprawling territories either shrank significantly or split into smaller factions.

China managed to hold up somewhat, owing to its large population. With the advent of superhumans, human resources became invaluable, and China, having a huge population, naturally had a higher number of awakened individuals.

It didn’t matter whether those awakened individuals were good or evil; they were human, and survival depended on exterminating monsters and conquering dungeons.

Eventually, China fractured into dozens of groups, with countless lives lost. But given the sheer number of people, they somehow managed to avoid total extinction.

In modern times, China had effectively fallen apart. Most of the divided groups had perished, leaving vast swathes of the land unusable.

This destruction was the handiwork of a single monster.

The Twin-Headed Venom Dragon.

The monster’s official designation was the Twin-Headed Venom Dragon (????), classified as a Rank 3 Alpha by the Association.

At Rank 3, even the strongest of heroes couldn’t take it down alone. It would take multiple top-tier heroes and a well-prepared support squad to attempt a takedown.

Despite being only a Rank 3, it single-handedly rendered the vast Chinese territory uninhabitable, thanks largely to its disease and venom.

True to its name, the creature was a two-headed Eastern dragon. One head emitted venom, while the other exhaled a diseased breath.

The lethality was unparalleled, with both the venom and the breath able to kill even the strongest heroes upon direct contact.

What made it worse was the terrifying reach of its venom and disease. The venom not only affected people but also the land itself, transforming entire regions into toxic wastelands.

The disease was equally dangerous, highly contagious. When the dragon first appeared, it slaughtered hundreds of thousands, and the survivors spread the disease further, causing devastation on an unimaginable scale.

Although the dragon’s raw physical capabilities were below average for a Rank 3, its ability to harm humans was unmatched.

As a result, China had turned into a wreck. While the outskirts were relatively spared, areas closer to Sichuan, where the dragon first appeared, remained drenched in venom and left abandoned.

Much of China had long become a gray zone, where both monsters and humans struggled to coexist. Monsters frequently appeared and attacked the population, and rogue superhumans flouted international law set by the Association with impunity.

Given this state, the decay of the land was hardly surprising.

Tch.

I clicked my tongue in irritation.

Turning away, I approached a tall gray pillar by the roadside. A pole stretched from the top, tangled with black wires.

It’s been a while…

It was a utility pole.

Back in my old world, these were common, but here, they were relics of the past, remnants of the pre-Cataclysm era.

Today, electricity had been replaced by magic, and mid-range magic was supplied through underground cables, so there was no need for such poles.

Nostalgia hit me as I tapped the pole lightly.

The pole, riddled with cracks, was plastered with various flyers and posters. A quick glance revealed ads for organ sales, illegal drugs, bounties—dark content typical of the underworld.

Even here…

I tore one of the more recent flyers off the pole. It was among the newer ones, although it was frayed and peeling like the others.

The message was predictable.

“Follow the Divine. He shall descend soon to save his lowly followers from death…” and so on. It was a long, convoluted religious proclamation.

Of course, it wasn’t a legitimate religion but a cult, one of many that had sprung up in this bleak, hopeless gray zone of China.

With so many people living impoverished lives, the area was prime ground for cults like this to thrive.

“...The god of death, huh.”

The flyer described this so-called god as one who overcame death and ascended, claiming to become death itself—a god who would save all lost souls.

On the flyer’s cover was a figure in a black robe holding a scythe.

I examined the runes engraved on the flyer and stuffed it into my pocket.

...God? It was just a massive snake.

The Lord of the Tower of Souls.

For reasons unknown, there were already followers of this creature, even though it hadn’t started its invasion yet.

This faction would later attempt to resurrect the Twin-Headed Venom Dragon and unleash chaos on China, turning the entire land into a black zone… a demonic realm.

That can’t happen.

It would be a nightmare beyond comprehension.

The Syphnaha incident had been catastrophic enough, but the casualties in this case would be on an entirely different scale.

Not to mention, the three major families close to China would suffer as well.

Baek Ahrin from the Changhae family and Hong Yeonhwa from the Guhwa family would be affected too.

I’ll need to nip this in the bud.

But first, I needed to increase my specs.

Finding the entrance to the Lake of Mana in this vast land would be no easy task, but with my Observation Power, I could locate it quickly. As for the entrance requirements… I could probably bypass them with Spatial Power.

I’d search the dungeons and take care of any cultists I found.

I couldn’t wipe them out completely, but inflicting some damage was necessary.

With a deep sigh, I halted in front of an old, run-down building.

A rough-looking man sat by the entrance, perched on a chair. Judging by his internal mana, he was a superhuman.

His eyes locked onto me as I approached.

I was wearing a loose robe, hood pulled up, and a featureless black mask covering my face.

“Outsiders aren’t allowed here. Get lost.”

He cut me off before I could even speak, tapping the hilt of the sword at his waist with a scowl.

Considering my attire, I couldn’t blame him for his reaction.

...

“Are you deaf? Get lost.”

Ignoring him, I scanned the building one more time.

It was two stories above ground, with two floors underground.

The first floor was a spacious lobby, and the second floor contained a few rooms for lodging.

It was filthy, with no maintenance or cleaning done—like a pigsty—but that wasn’t a problem.

And as for the basement…

I sensed people locked in metal cages, along with some kind of priest conducting a ritual at a central altar.

A corpse, split open from the stomach, lay on a rough stone slab, with blood filling the grooves etched into the floor.

The face of the corpse was twisted in agony, indicating they’d been disemboweled alive.

“Tch, just leave if I tell you to.”

The man got up from his creaking chair, hand resting on the hilt of his sword as he approached.

“We’ve had rats sniffing around here lately. Time to deal with them.”

Srrk…

The blade scraped as he drew it out awkwardly, producing a grating sound. He was inexperienced.

Even in a place like this, the lawlessness was evident—killing openly showed how poor security was.

He swung the blade, unaware of my abilities. I raised my foot.

Bang!

My instep collided squarely with his forehead.

With a sickening crack, his head snapped back, launching him into the building’s door, which splintered on impact.

Without a touch, the door swung open.

Glancing out of the corner of my eye, I checked the status window’s edge again.

It seemed the characters in the presumed status window had changed once more.

Is the adjustment actually working?

My body felt slightly lighter, but…

I tilted my head in curiosity and stepped into the building, dust billowing around me as I entered.

[Savior Adjustment System: Destruction Path]
[Main Quest “Tower of Souls” linked]
[Assisting the Savior]

…

[Savior Adjustment System: Salvation Path]
[Mental State “Salvation” and “Goodwill” detected]
[Assisting the Savior]