How to Take Revenge as an Academy Scoundrel

Chapter 55. Equipment

‘Misaki Ai…’

As soon as he returned to his hotel room, he began scouring the internet on his smartphone.

What kind of background did Misaki Ai possess that she could be the betrothed of Karasuma Seishiro, who effectively ruled Japan through the ‘Karasuma family’?

Sitting on the sofa, Kim Do-jin searched for information about Misaki Ai for quite some time before suddenly tilting his head in confusion.

‘…This is strange.’

Karasuma Seishiro was none other than the heir to the ‘Karasuma family.’

Naturally, his marriage could not be free from the interests of the family, and it was generally expected that anyone marrying him would have a background befitting such a union.

Yet, no matter how generously one assessed it, Misaki Ai seemed utterly unqualified.

Her family held considerable influence within Japan, but it was nothing that could compare to the ‘Karasuma family.’

In the beginning, Misaki Ai’s father, Misaki Tsuyoshi, was one of the trusted subordinates of Karasuma Tenshin.

‘Then, could it be… that Karasuma Seishiro harbors a pure affection for Misaki Ai that transcends the interests of their families?’

So, I looked into it, but somehow it didn’t seem to be the case.

Karasuma Seishiro had a girlfriend he had been dating for five years, and it had only been about a year since they parted ways.

And Misaki Ai was now seventeen… to suddenly claim such feelings had blossomed seemed unnatural.

‘Their engagement had only been formalized for about half a year, and even then, everyone thought it was too sudden and strange…’

Kim Dojin delved deeper into the oddity, unable to shake the feeling that something was amiss.

‘Five years ago, Misaki Ai’s home was attacked by some unidentified villains, and only Misaki Ai survived unscathed…’

Tragically, Misaki Ai’s entire family perished in that horrific incident, and coincidentally, there was also a figure named ‘Karasuma Ryota’ present.

Karasuma Ryota was the eldest son of Karasuma Tenshin, and had he lived, he would have been the next head of the Karasuma clan, instead of the second son, Karasuma Seishiro.

However, he had come to meet Misaki Tsuyoshi for some business at the time of the incident and was caught up in it, dying alongside him. It was a known fact that after the event, Karasuma Tenshin took in the sole survivor, Misaki Ai, and assumed the role of her guardian.

The special eye patch that Misaki Ai wore was also crafted by the Karasuma clan.

In any case, all the news reports and articles published at the time pointed to the same narrative, yet that only made it feel more suspicious.

‘As if someone had manipulated the truth to ensure it remained as such…’

Kim Dojin still found it troubling that the villains’ motives and identities had not been properly revealed, and he questioned many aspects of the situation.

“Hmm…”

He stroked his chin, pondering what truths might be hidden, but in reality, it wasn’t of great importance to him.

A sudden curiosity had sparked his interest, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

‘It’s about time to set off.’

Glancing at the time, Kim Dojin decided to wrap up his thoughts and stood up.

He intended to prepare to leave as per his original plan when, just then, his smartphone, which he had left on the table, vibrated.

“Lee Jinryul?”

He picked up the phone, and as expected, the source of the vibration was a message from Lee Jinryul.

[Lee Jinryul – When are we going to have dinner?]

Lee Jinryul, disguised as a friend, was actually Kim Dojin’s bodyguard, and he usually stuck close unless the situation was like this.

However, he couldn’t take Lee Jinryul with him to the place he was heading.

Kim Dojin quickly replied, stating that he planned to have dinner alone in his room and requested not to be disturbed.

– Ugh!

Soon, a response came back from Lee Jinryul, acknowledging the message.

[Lee Jinryul – Ugh.]

Kim Do-jin, the moment he spotted him, thumped his smartphone back onto the table.

The ‘Special Defense Agency’ could track the location of this smartphone at any time.

‘I need to hurry back.’

Kim Do-jin began to prepare to leave, sticking to his original plan.

– Clatter!

Soon, as he opened the travel bag he had set in a corner, a black metal box, the size of a thigh, revealed itself.

Kim Do-jin swiftly grabbed the box and quietly exited the hotel room, making his way back to the rooftop he had visited earlier.

In truth, he hadn’t gone there to smoke; he had gone to secretly find a way to escape this hotel.

Regardless, upon arriving at the secluded spot on the rooftop where he had smoked, Kim Do-jin set the box down on the ground.

This box, which had a handle to appear like an ordinary bag, was a specialized piece of magical engineering equipment crafted by Dr. Yoo Eun-ah at Kim Do-jin’s request not long ago.

To put it simply, it was a hoverboard designed to maximize Kim Do-jin’s ‘rock manipulation’ superpower.

For someone with the ‘rock manipulation’ ability, it could be described as a means of transportation that allowed for swift and precise flight.

‘The quality is truly beyond my expectations.’

Kim Do-jin, filled with admiration for Dr. Yoo Eun-ah’s skills, pressed the button on the box firmly.

In the very next moment.

– Clunk! Creak! Clunk!

The equipment, maintaining the shape of a bag, began to separate and rotate countless times, transforming into the form of a hoverboard.

‘With the magical stones embedded in this and this level of technology… I wonder what kind of price could be placed on it?’

He could only guess it would be an astronomical sum, but nonetheless, acquiring such equipment was indeed an exhilarating prospect.

Kim Do-jin thought he should spend more time tapping into Dr. Yoo Eun-ah’s capabilities as he stepped onto the hoverboard.

And finally, after confirming that no one was around, he activated the hoverboard.

– Whooom…!

The hoverboard responded to Kim Do-jin’s magical energy, beginning to ascend vertically, and he slowly melted into the dark night sky.

* * *

In a corner of the rooftop garden of the Karasma Hotel.

Jin Seo-hyun, leaning against the railing and surveying the surroundings, suddenly opened her eyes wide and focused intently.

“What is that?”

From the rooftop garden of the adjacent building, a faint object was rising.

Engaged in a surveillance mission, Jin Seo-hyun had barely managed to catch sight of it and hurriedly used her binoculars to observe closely.

“That’s….”

At last, Jin Seohyun, having discerned the true nature of the object, gasped in surprise, her mouth forming a perfect circle.

“Young Master?”

Her assessment was spot on.

The figure that had suddenly soared from the rooftop was none other than Kim Dojin, and having confirmed this through the security magical engineering device she had received from him, Jin Seohyun immediately attempted to make contact.

– Crackle!

Soon, the familiar languid voice of Kim Dojin flowed from the radio.

[Why?]

Jin Seohyun, her expression a mix of disbelief and exasperation, replied.

“Why do you ask!? You are ascending to the heavens right now!?”

Whether he understood her turmoil or not, Kim Dojin’s voice remained unfazed.

[Oh. But why?]

“…Oh, but why!?”

[What, why?]

“…….”

Momentarily at a loss for words due to the absurdity of the situation, Jin Seohyun eventually shook her head in disbelief and asked.

“No, could you please tell me what on earth is prompting you to rise into the sky? You knew this would happen, yet you didn’t bother to inform me in advance!”

Now slightly calmed, Jin Seohyun’s question prompted a more serious response from Kim Dojin.

[I have somewhere to go.]

“…Where is that?”

[That’s a secret, you know?]

“…Are you really going to do this? Do you have any idea how many elite personnel are here to protect you right now?”

[Oh. I know. But I have my own reasons too.]

“…….”

Jin Seohyun understood, through her recent experiences, that there was little she could do in this situation.

“Haah…”

In the end, with a deep sigh, Jin Seohyun transmitted a simple message to wish for his safe return.

Then, she subtly turned her head, her gaze meeting that of her doppelgänger sitting beside her.

As expected, the doppelgänger shook its head in disapproval, and Jin Seohyun mirrored the gesture almost simultaneously.

* * *

In the skies above Saitama Prefecture, Japan.

Kim Do-jin, gliding across the pitch-black night sky on his hoverboard, flicked off the mana communication feature on his smartwatch with a sharp click.

It was entirely expected that one of Jin Seo-hyun’s main body or a clone would discover him slipping away from the Karasuma Hotel.

Rather, satisfied with Jin Seo-hyun’s abilities, Kim Do-jin continued to maneuver the specially crafted mana hoverboard, propelling himself forward.

– Whoosh!

As he had tested not long ago, his control was truly exceptional.

Even suspended in the fierce winds, he appeared utterly unfazed.

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If Dr. Yoo Eun-ah had seen him, she would have applauded his remarkable skill, just as she had before, but Kim Do-jin, feeling a twinge of frustration, smacked his lips in annoyance.

Thanks to Dr. Yoo Eun-ah’s genius engineering, the hoverboard could reach impressive speeds, but for Kim Do-jin, who possessed a ‘flight’ superpower that was incomparably faster, it was hard not to feel vexed.

‘If it were my original body, I would have made it in a mere three minutes… When will I be able to return to my own form?’

Longing for his original body, Kim Do-jin checked the map to soothe his disappointment.

Yet, having flown steadily, he was now only about five minutes away from his destination.

Focusing intently on his ‘rock manipulation’ superpower, he continued his journey and finally reached his goal.

– Vroom!

With his intricate ‘rock manipulation’ ability, he skillfully reduced the hoverboard’s thrust and buoyancy, landing gracefully.

As soon as he dismounted, Kim Do-jin surveyed his surroundings.

A deep forest illuminated only by the gentle moonlight.

Here lay the very object Kim Do-jin sought, hidden away.

‘I distinctly remember it being around here.’

He began to rummage through the desolate mountains, tracing back memories from eight years ago, and after some time had passed…

‘Here it is!’

At last, he succeeded in locating the item.

To be more precise, he had found the position of the mana engineering device that concealed the object.

‘It should have grown perfectly by now, right?’

With a face alight with anticipation, Kim Do-jin began the process of dismantling the mana engineering concealment device he had set up eight years prior.

Releasing mana in specific wavelengths, following the correct sequence to deactivate the device, and so forth.

After navigating the complex procedures befitting the object’s value, the concealed item finally revealed its resplendent form.

“Ah… it has grown well.”

The object that immediately brought a smile to Kim Do-jin’s face.

It was a plant, known as ‘Yeongcho,’ which contained an immense amount of pure mana, enough to be accumulated within a human body.