The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 10

A luxurious private villa, provided only to the top 30 elite students in the entrance rankings.

On the balcony bathed in moonlight, Shin Seo-ha leaned against the terrace railing, gazing at the moon.

‘The moon was out like this that day too.’

Whenever she closed her eyes, memories of that day resurfaced. A cloudless evening like today, with moonlight illuminating the streets. During the summer vacation, as the siblings were returning home, they were caught in a large-scale monster attack.

“Noona!”

While clearing a path, an explosion sounded from somewhere, and debris fell from above. Her younger brother, Shin Seo-jun, pushed her away and was buried under the debris.

An awakened body is sturdier than that of an ordinary human. Had she mustered her strength, there would have been enough time to move the debris and save her brother.

Crack, crack

It was a type of monster she had never seen before.

Their bodies were twisted, bones piercing through skin; they resembled zombies. The horde of monsters, bending their joints unnaturally, slowly closed the distance towards the two.

Though considered a promising talent, she was still just a middle schooler. Shin Seo-ha’s legs froze, and she could only alternate her gaze between the approaching monsters and her brother trapped under the debris.

And then, in the next moment,

“▼￥◇§∂≥”

Shin Seo-jun shouted something with all his might, and right after, as if it were a lie, Shin Seo-ha’s legs started to move.

Crack, crack

That’s how Shin Seo-ha managed to escape. While the monsters were preoccupied with devouring her brother, Shin Seo-jun.

‘No matter how hard I try, I can’t remember.’

In that desperate situation, watching his frozen older sister, what were the last words Shin Seo-jun forced out?

Help me?

Don’t leave me?

Or maybe… just die?

Shin Seo-ha tried every possible means to recall her brother’s last words. From psychological counseling to the aid of medication, but all to no avail.

“Ugh…”

Trying to forcibly retrieve the memory made her head hurt as if it were locked away.

There was only one reason she was so obsessed. She believed that fully recalling those words was the least form of atonement she could achieve.

Since then, Shin Seo-ha had nightmares every single night.

“Saving someone like you wasn’t what I wanted.”

Shin Seo-jun spat out new curses every time, choking on blood. The most tormenting part was that, even in her dreams, her legs would freeze, preventing her from saving her brother.

At some point, Shin Seo-ha began to take that dream for granted. She thought of it as a curse she deserved to bear. She was unwavering in that resolve, until,

“I’ll end your nightmares.”

Some unknown guy, whom she’d never seen before, suddenly inserted himself into her life.

‘Who the hell is this guy?’

He looked feeble but had an audacious face. She didn’t like his expression, as if he believed he had saved her from danger.

“…Thanks to him, I wasn’t hurt.”

Shin Seo-ha looked down at the bruise on her arm from the morning. Had Seol Ha-baek not appeared in time, it might have led to more serious injuries.

Up until now, every guy who had needlessly imposed on her life, she had beaten to a pulp.

Guys who flaunted their looks.

Psychopaths who deluded themselves into thinking they were her knight in shining armor.

The weaklings who tried to subdue Shin Seo-ha by force.

The idiots who tried to oppress her using their parents’ reputations.

They were all pests drawn to her appearance, family background, and abilities. However, Shin Seo-ha couldn’t bring herself to push Seol Ha-baek away.

“…Idiot.”

The pests she had encountered until now pretended to care for her, but the moment things went south for them, they quickly distanced themselves, hiding behind convenient excuses.

But what about Seol Ha-baek?

“You seemed like you were in danger by yourself.”

He had jumped into a fight out of nowhere,

“Maybe you should be more careful too since your mouth seems to have a problem—.”

At the welcome party, he had called out people who tried to insult her.

“…Why is he like that?”

Leaning against the railing, Shin Seo-ha twirled her hair that reached down to her cheeks with her fingers. For her, it didn’t add up.

Simply trying to gain her favor wouldn’t justify taking on such enormous risks.

‘No matter how much I think about it, I don’t get it.’

A perfectly altruistic human doesn’t exist. Once upon a time, she had harbored such an expectation, only to realize early on that it was a foolish fantasy.

“Trusting people will just get you hurt.”

Shin Seo-ha murmured, burying her face in the terrace railing. Those were the first words she spoke today that carried genuine emotion.

“Seo-jun…”

Bathed in the pouring moonlight, the night deepened for Shin Seo-ha.

* * *

SubQuest Clear!

– You were invited to join the Occult Club by Jin So-yul! : Spiritual Power +1

– You obtained new information from Seo Geum-bi! : Skill Points +10

– You came to understand Shin Seo-ha’s sorrow a little! : Skill Points +10

“Is there really no way?”

In a cramped room no more than four pyeong, were assigned to the lowest-ranking students. I lay on the bed, just big enough for one person, staring at the quest window.

Despite the decent rewards of 1 point in spiritual power and 20 skill points, I couldn’t focus. My mind was filled with the events of the welcome party.

“I’ll end your nightmares.”

Though it had been an emotional statement, there was some calculation behind it.

When I was Han Yu-seong, I couldn’t see certain things that I can see now. Seeing the guardian spirit clinging to Shin Seo-ha’s shoulder, there might be something only I could do.

“Such nonsense, you idiot.”

Shin Seo-ha had hurled insults at me as usual and then left proudly.

In truth, it was lucky I wasn’t beaten up for sticking my nose where it didn’t belong.

“Yomi, is there any way I can wake that guardian spirit?”

The guardian spirit, presumably Shin Seo-jun, was always asleep. This was just speculation, but maybe waking the guardian spirit would change something.

[Hmm, if it were my former self, maybe. But right now, I don’t know. I’ve lost most of my spiritual power, and guardian spirits are fundamentally the opposite of us yokai.]

Yomi, sprawled on the pillow, snorted and seemed a bit peevish, possibly because we hadn’t had anything to eat at the welcome party.

[You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.]

“I wasn’t just making an empty promise.”

I didn’t just blurt it out. I’m well aware of my limitations.

With Han Yu-seong now acting independently, Shin Seo-ha is more neglected than expected. This could be another breakthrough for someone like me with no foundations.

Especially since Shin Seo-jun was originally only mentioned as a part of Shin Seo-ha’s trauma.

A scientist once said that if you can observe it, you can control it. Maybe by utilizing this ability given to me, I could directly solve Shin Seo-ha’s problem.

‘But first, I need to polish my skills.’

As I was grappling with my thoughts, Yomi, who had been watching, snorted.

[Hmph, I’ll try to come up with a method.]

“You really are the only one who thinks of me, Yomi.”

[Y-You fool! What are you doing!]

I picked up the crouching Yomi with both hands and hugged it tightly.

[I’m not thinking about you! If you get into trouble, it will mess up my plans too-.]

“Thank you, Yomi. I’ll make sure you get to eat some steak next time.”

[Eeeek!]

Whoosh

A Foxfire floated in the air.

Is Yomi finally planning a counterattack?

“What a temper.”

Not wanting to get burned in the middle of the night, I quietly distanced myself from Yomi and curled up. My mind was filled with the events of today.

‘Today brought unexpected variables…’

Especially Jin So-yul.

In the original storyline, she was a character that no player paid any attention to, the epitome of inefficiency. Today, I saw a glimmer of potential in Jin So-yul.

“That caterpillar-like eyebrow I saw at the welcome party earlier, she must have been talking about you, Yomi, right?”

[Well, she might have only sensed my presence vaguely. Even if a spirit is large, it doesn’t mean everyone has awakened to perceive it like you.]

“Is that even possible?”

[Though they are rare, there are some people born with strong spirits even without shamanic inheritance.]

A character I didn’t expect to react actually noticed Yomi.

Choosing a club later on is a very important decision, as changing your choice can be difficult. Would it be wise to join the Occult Club, which only has Jin So-yul, instead of opting for more efficient and established clubs?

My head throbbed, but I quickly shook off all distractions.

“There’s still something I need to confirm.”

[What are you talking about?]

I suddenly stood up and started preparing to go out.

“Do you remember the spirit we met earlier today?”

[You mean that wimpy-looking old man?]

“The direction that old man pointed and the location Seo Geum-bi mentioned where the mysterious crying was heard are the same.”

[So, you suspect something?]

“Well, just roughly.”

Fully prepared, I looked out the dormitory window. It was late at night after the welcome party, and the second-year building, with all its lights out, looked eerie as if something could jump out at any moment.

‘Come to think of it, Yomi probably doesn’t know anything about school ghost stories.’

Suddenly feeling playful, I laughed and looked at Yomi.

“Yomi, have you ever heard of the Four Great Unsolved Mysteries of the school?”

[Four Great Unsolved Mysteries?]

Yomi tilted its small head.

“Students give names to some paranormal events that occur at school.”

[If it’s paranormal activity, are you saying it’s the work of spirits too?]

I tapped Yomi’s head with my index finger.

“Yeah, things caused by seasoned ghosts like you.”

At my words, Yomi snorted proudly.

[Then this great one shall personally reorganize the hierarchy!]

As Yomi puffed up its chest with pride, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of ghost story would have been told if it was about this fluffball.

* * *

Dressed in sweats, I hurried towards the second-year building.

The welcome party had ended, and it was late at night. The only people moving through the second-year building were occasionally patrolling guards.

『Spirit Conjuration – Yomi: Night Vision』

Though the hallway was pitch-black with the lights off, my vision was crystal clear, stretching out far ahead.

‘If I go up the central stairs and continue straight…’

I would soon reach the second-floor boys’ restroom. Yes, all of this was to see one of the Four Great Unsolved Mysteries with my own eyes.

Originally, the Four Great Unsolved Mysteries were part of the occult club’s quest chain, known for its inefficiency.

Han Yu-seong’s abilities didn’t include seeing or handling spirits like Seol Ha-baek, so all those quests ended in exploration with subpar rewards.

In essence, they were quests whose purpose had always been unclear.

‘But it’s different now.’

I now had the ability to discern the truth behind the Four Great Unsolved Mysteries. With this ability, I could determine whether each ghost story was merely a rumor or fact.

The aim of undergoing this effort to ascertain their truth was clear.

Spirit Conjuration (B)

– Enables the domination or contracting of spirits.

To acquire new spirits.

Having a useful spirit would make dealing with future events much easier.

“Hic… hic…”

As I was about to reach the second floor, I suddenly heard a woman sobbing from upstairs.

The pained groans matched the descriptions people had given in their testimonies.

“It’s here!”

The mysterious female crying from the second-floor boys’ restroom in the second-year building. Everything matched the details of the ghost story.

I hurried up the stairs and peered down the hallway.

“Waaaah… hic…”

A humanoid figure, hunched over and crying sorrowfully, stood in the middle of the corridor. The garment it wore was far from a school uniform, resembling a fluttering dress.

I cautiously closed the distance towards the figure—

‘This is…!’

I couldn’t hide my shock.