The Academy Geniuses I Raised and Dressed-Chapter 161 : Chapter 161: Welcome to the Trap

Flames roared so fiercely they lit the night like day, surrounding City Hall.
A hole, two stories tall, had been blasted through the wall.
“Go in.”
Masked Yang Len gave the order, and twenty Hunters and Awakened surged through the breach.
Trailing behind, Yang Len felt something was off.
Even inside the building, the halls were empty.
‘Strange. Even if it’s night, there should at least be guards.’
A few possibilities flashed through his mind.
One: the on-duty Peacekeeping Force had seen the intruders’ overwhelming numbers and left to call for backup.
Two: the guards had simply fled.
Three: they had consolidated all defenses in the underground detention center.
‘Well, whatever it is, nothing can stop us tonight.’
For this raid, Yang Len had brought ten Black Hound members around level 60.
The Peacekeeping Force averaged level 48. Even if they all gathered here, Yang Len alone could cut down half of them without trouble.
Most importantly, the Mayor was gone.
That morning, Cheon Jiweon had supposedly boarded a plane to London for talks with Porter’s chairman. Black Hound operatives at the airport had confirmed it with their own eyes.
“Commander Yang Len, this way,” said one of the Cosmos Awakened, pointing toward a stairwell.
Yang Len’s party froze.
“Hey,” he said low.
The temperature around them plummeted. The Cosmos man flinched.
“Are you a spy?”
“N-no, sir!”
“Then why would you speak names and titles here? Why do you think we wear masks?”
“A-ah…”
That was his last word.
Yang Len’s fist pierced his gut. Blood spattered the floor.
“Idiot.”
He triggered a ring slot. Flames burst from his arm, consuming the corpse to ash.
The other Cosmos members trembled. Yang Len sneered behind his mask.
“Well? Get moving.”
They gulped and scrambled down the stairs. Black Hound followed, Yang Len bringing up the rear.
At basement level three, a steel door barred their way.
A Cosmos Awakened pulled it open with a screech of hinges.
Inside lay a corridor and spotless offices. At the far end, barred cells were visible.
“!”
Yang Len halted.
“Stop.”
Black Hound and Cosmos froze, staring at him.
“Why is no one here?”
Startled, they turned toward the cells.
Empty. No guards, no prisoners, not even a breath of life.
“You—check it.”
He sent one Cosmos forward. The man ran to the cells, examined each, then returned, shaking.
“N-no one. Completely empty.”
A chill ran down Yang Len’s spine.
Step.
All eyes snapped to the sound.
Step.
Footsteps echoed from behind the steel door.
Step.
Growing louder as someone descended the stairs.
Creak.
The door swung open.
Breath caught in every throat—even Yang Len forgot to inhale.
“You storm City Hall at midnight, blasting holes in walls, only to come creeping down here. You might be the fastest criminals in history to turn yourselves in.”
Yang Len felt his blood turn to ice.
“…Why are you here?”
At the door stood the last living member of the Seven Pioneers, the current Mayor of Seoul—Cheon Jiweon—smiling.
“What? Is it strange for the Mayor to be in City Hall?”
“You were supposed to be on a plane to London.”
“Hm. Must’ve been a trick of the light. Anyway…”
His expression hardened.
In an instant—
“Ah!?”
“Ugh!”
Hunters and Awakened behind Yang Len collapsed to their knees.
“You broke into City Hall, destroyed property, and invaded the detention center. That’s a crime you’ll answer for. Especially you—murder will be added to your charges.”
Yang Len grit his teeth.
That meant the Mayor had been watching everything.
‘So the London trip was a decoy. He sent someone disguised as himself on the plane… or maybe something even trickier.’
No warning had come from the guards above. If Jiweon had struck them, their comms would have at least crackled.
‘If everyone here attacked at once, we could kill him. But most of us would die. And then the world would know—Forward and Cosmos struck City Hall together.’
There was no winning cleanly.
“…Fine.”
Yang Len drew a greatsword from his inventory.
“Oh? So it’s true—you are Yang Len, Black Hound’s commander,” Jiweon said.
“An honor… for you to recognize me!”
The ring on his finger flared. The greatsword swung—not at Jiweon, but behind him.
“!?”
Jiweon’s eyes widened as red-orange arcs cleaved through the kneeling Hunters and Awakened, splitting heads and torsos alike.
Flames devoured the corpses, leaving only ash fused to the floor.
“What have you done?” Jiweon’s voice sank like lead.
“Isn’t it obvious? Cut off the leaks.”
Yang Len grinned.
“…You are a blight on this city.”
Blue mana surged from Cheon Jiweon’s body.
“!!”
Yang Len collapsed to his knees.
The pressure crushed him, like an ant beneath an elephant’s foot.
‘Madness… This is his true power? Damn it. How do you fight this?’
He realized his earlier hope of victory had been delusion.
Clenching his teeth, he forced his hands to move.
As his hand slipped into his coat, Jiweon clicked his tongue and reached into his inventory.
The mayor’s hand emerged holding a sleek, black staff.
With a single arm, he swung it like a club.
The staff struck Yang Len’s moving arm.
Crack!!
“Ghhk!”
A groan slipped from Yang Len’s lips before he realized it. His thick arm bent like a reed and dangled uselessly.
Cheon Jiweon swung again, this time smashing Yang Len’s face. His neck snapped back so violently it looked like it might break, and his mask went flying.
Yang Len collapsed helplessly onto the floor. Jiweon pressed a foot on his throat, then probed through his clothes with the staff.
A small item clattered to the ground.
A teleportation tool.
“You killed your comrades to erase the evidence, and yet you planned to save yourself with this?”
Jiweon’s gaze fell on the man beneath his boot. His eyes looked down on the Black Hound commander as if he were nothing but a vile insect.
“It’s revolting. That vermin like you are still allowed to breathe in this world.”
He lifted his foot and drove it into Yang Len’s face.
Boom!!
The concrete floor shattered, swallowing half of Yang Len’s head into the debris.
Jiweon didn’t stop. He stomped again.
Bang!
Crash!
Boom!!
By the time he pulled his foot back, blood filled the cratered floor. Yang Len’s head was buried so deep it could no longer be seen.
“Wait patiently. You’ll soon be joining those you murdered.”
Jiweon raised his phone to his ear.
“…Captain Lee Seon. It’s me. How’s it aboveground?”
[We lost three suspects believed to be Black Hound. The rest are asleep under sleep potions. Most of the ones here seem to be Cosmos.]
“Good. That’s enough. I’ve secured Yang Len.”
[Well done, sir.]
“Mm. He’s unconscious, but sleep potions and restraints won’t hold him. We’ll need the full set.”
[Understood. I’ll prepare it and head down immediately.]
“Good. I’m counting on you.”
Moments later, three Peacekeeping Force officers came down carrying cases that looked like medical kits.
Inside were vials of every crippling potion—poisons, petrification, silence, nullification, blindness.
“As you know, the Black Hound commander’s level is estimated above 80. His resistance will be immense. Don’t forget to use the items frequently.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Understood!”
“Don’t worry—we’ll keep him restrained and dosed constantly!”
“Mm. Then I’ll head up.”
The three saluted as Jiweon left.
Climbing to the surface, he made another call.
[H-hello?]
“Miss Lumina?”
[Ah! M-Mayor! Hello!!]
“Sorry for calling so late. Is Yein awake by chance?”
[Yes! Should I hand him the phone?]
“Please do.”
[Got it! Yein! It’s the Mayor!]
Hearing the nervous, jittery tone from start to finish, Jiweon gave a wry smile.
‘So much for being friendly with these kids.’
The phone clicked and another voice came through.
[Mr. Mayor, it’s Yein.]
“Mm. Yein, we’ve captured Yang Len and the infiltrators at City Hall.”
[As expected, Mayor. I trusted you would.]
“What nonsense. Without you, this would’ve been impossible. Your prediction that Black Hound and Cosmos would target City Hall in my absence was spot on. And that Unique item you gave me made the deception flawless.”
He referred to the
Doppelgänger’s Mirror.
On Friday, Jiweon had leaked to the media that he would depart for London. Then he had one of his men use the mirror to impersonate him and board the plane, cementing the illusion that he was out of the country.
[Tomorrow is going to be interesting.]
“Indeed.”
Jiweon nodded as he pressed the phone to his ear.
“I’ll see to it that soon, you and your friends can walk freely again.”
[Thank you, Mr. Mayor.]
“Then rest well. Good night.”
[And you as well, sir.]
Jiweon ended the call with a short sigh.
He was already outside City Hall. In the distance, the flashing lights of Peacekeeping Force vehicles glimmered.
‘Starting tomorrow… the surgery on this city begins.’
He murmured to himself.
The Next Day.
Every news channel in Seoul broke the same story as breaking news:
“Forward orders Black Hound to attack City Hall.”
“Black Hound commander Yang Len named as ringleader.”
“Peacekeeping Force announces capture of Yang Len and Black Hound Hunters.”
“Cosmos terrorists identified among City Hall attackers.”
“Peacekeeping Force suggests Forward linked to Cosmos.”
The revelations shocked the nation.
And the result?
Forward’s stock plummeted 31% in a single day.
It was a collapse.
“AAAAARGH!!!”
Crash!!
Oh Sungcheon hurled his nameplate against the wall. The boom echoed across his vast office.
“Haa… haa… haa…”
His face flushed red as he panted.
He had just returned from an emergency board meeting.
The vultures—the failed heirs of the succession war—had spent the entire session tearing into him.
It was only natural. Only the head of the family had authority over Black Hound.
And now, the Peacekeeping Force was using this as grounds to demand Forward reveal the location of Black Hound’s offices, requesting cooperation for a raid.
If granted, every crime and dark secret Forward had buried would be dragged into the light.
“That bastard… It all started after I met him.”
Oh Sungcheon pressed a fist to his desk, muttering.
“Nam Yein. That little shit. Ever since I crossed paths with him, everything’s gone wrong.”
His instincts told him he was right.
But despite unleashing Black Hound, he still hadn’t caught a single Hunter trainee after nearly a week.
“I’ll kill him. I’ll rip him apart limb by limb. That damned brat will die by my hands.”
His fury rose past its peak, draining the blood from his face.
Expression hardening, he picked up the phone on his desk.
“It’s me. Put out a press release. Say the HAUT victory team story and this City Hall ‘terror incident’ were all fabricated. Then announce we’ll cut power supply to Seoul to one-third. Blame it on shortages in the rare materials required for mana-stone power.”
A power cut—
That was Forward’s ultimate weapon.
‘The Mayor will understand now. Push us any further, and Seoul will collapse.’
Oh Sungcheon chuckled darkly.
But he had no idea… this was only the beginning.
His instinct was sharp at sensing threats, but blind to how devastating the consequences would truly be.
(End of Chapter)