I Became a Disaster-Class Sorcery Genius

Practical Evaluation (3)

"Alright, let's split up here."

"... Here?"

"If we want to get first place, it'll be easier to collect things separately rather than together. Don't tell me you can't handle it alone?"

"Of course I can!"

At Kim Dojun's comment, which sounded like a provocation, Shin Se-yeon replied firmly, as if it were obvious.

"Then let's meet at the entrance of Sudeok Mountain in two hours. Oh, and take care of those two and bring them down with you."

"Huh? What? Hey, wait! How am I supposed to take both of them with me?"

Shin Se-yeon hurriedly spoke up.

"See you in a bit!"

But Kim Dojun was already moving without hesitation and disappeared before she could finish.

"Ugh, seriously!!!"

Shin Se-yeon watched him run off and let out all her frustration. Meanwhile, after separating from her, Kim Dojun thought to himself,

'Alright, let's get going.'

To find the item available in this episode, he immediately started running toward the summit of Sudeok Mountain.

Before long, the view from the top of Sudeok Mountain came into sight.

'It's a mess.'

Though managed by the Sorcery Institute, apparently they didn't bother with the summit; the area was completely unkempt.

'It's the same as in the illustration.'

Kim Dojun even noticed that the stone marker at the summit was cleanly split in half, just like in the reference image.

He then walked toward the split stone.

'Alright, this is the tallest rock in this spot.'

Recalling the description from the game, he began scanning the area.

It didn't take long for him to spot a massive rock poking out among tall trees, at some distance from the summit. Smiling, he moved toward it.

"Phew!"

With a single leap, he landed on the rock, then got down and began examining the ground where the rock was embedded.

The earth was packed tightly, sturdy enough to support the massive stone.

However, as he paid close attention beneath the rock—

'Here it is.'

He soon discovered a small gap and quickly started digging there.

After poking around the gap a few times with his fingers, he found a tiny box inside.

It was an old box that looked like it was well over several hundred years old.

"Found it."

Kim Dojun, without hesitation, reached into the gap and pulled out the old box.

'Feels like I'm on a treasure hunt.'

With the small box—just the size of his palm—in hand, Kim Dojun casually opened the worn container.

Clatter—

The box opened without any issues, making only a slight noise.

Beneath the lid sat a gourd bottle, surprisingly well-kept despite the box's condition.

"Oh."

Letting out a low exclamation, Kim Dojun pulled out a gourd bottle about the length of his index finger.

Ding.

A log window popped up in front of him.

----
Ghost Liquor Bottle (귀주병, 鬼酒甁)
Grade: ??
Uses Remaining: 2
Effect: You can put defeated spirits into the gourd bottle to brew 'liquor'. Drinking all the spirit liquor will grant you spiritual power according to the spirit's grade.
----

"This is it."

A smile appeared on Kim Dojun's lips as he looked at the log window.

This was the very item he had aimed to obtain in Sudeok Mountain.

'No matter what else, I made sure to get this one.'

As written in the log window, the Ghost Liquor Bottle's effect was to convert defeated spirits into spiritual power.

In short, this was an item that would allow Kim Dojun—who currently possessed almost no spiritual power—to gain it quickly and easily.

'Even if I can't use sorcery much, I have to use the spiritual tool.'

Of course, that didn't mean Kim Dojun would use the Ghost Liquor Bottle just yet.

'It can only be used twice. In this state, I can only capture two spirits before it becomes unusable.'

Exactly as stated in the log window.

That meant he had to choose carefully when to use it.

'But I've already decided how I'll use it.'

Kim Dojun already had a plan.
In fact, he intended to use both charges soon.

'If it really were only two uses, I'd consider my options longer.'

He already knew how to increase the bottle's uses.

'It's not going to be easy, though.'

Nevertheless, since it wouldn't take long to find targets, Kim Dojun, satisfied, put the Ghost Liquor Bottle in his pocket.

"Well, since I've got what I wanted, should I really get started now?"

Smiling, he set off in earnest.

####

"..."

Shim Yongseok, watching as students began to trickle out of the entrance to Sudeok Mountain, checked his smartphone clock.

[17:40]

There were about twenty minutes left.

If anyone came back past 6:00 PM, their practical evaluation would be automatically marked as zero. In a rush to avoid being late, the students handed in their talismans as he began scoring them.

"Group 3, 37."

"Group 5, 72."

"Group 2, 88."

"Group 8, 108."

With each report and handover, Shim Yongseok checked the talismans and recorded the numbers on the laptop next to him.

At the same time, a monitor set up at the entrance displayed the group rankings.

"Ah, we're totally screwed."

"At least we worked hard."

"Wait, but we might make it into the top ten, right?"

"Idiot. There are only ten teams. What's the top ten nonsense, you wanna die?"

"If we do well, we might even get first place?"

"Man, it was a good idea to gather and plan beforehand. Being prepared really helps."

"Damn it, we should've planned too... well, what's done is done...."

As grumbling and exclamations broke out, Shim Yongseok checked the time again.

[17:55]

Only five minutes left.

He checked which teams still hadn't returned.

"... Groups 9 and 1, is it."

He saw that two groups hadn't arrived yet.

"Wow,"

"I thought we'd be late."

Then, from afar, he spotted Group 1 running in.

"Group 1, 112."

As soon as Group 1's results were announced, the students erupted in noise. Group 1 headed toward the shelter where students who'd finished the test were resting, talking among themselves.

"What, did we get first place?"

"Ha, the struggle was worth it."

"Honestly, if we'd had a bit more time, we could have caught more. I'm annoyed we couldn't catch more because we didn't see any illusion beasts after a certain point."

"I know, right? How could we wander around for nearly an hour and only see about ten? Shouldn't they have released more illusion beasts?"

The students grumbled as they headed for the shelter.

Overhearing them, Shim Yongseok quietly grinned.

'It's not that the illusion beasts weren't there. They just couldn't find them.'

He didn't know the exact number of illusion beasts released in Sudeok Mountain, but he had a rough idea.

'There are around 1,400 illusion beasts in Sudeok Mountain.'

Unless those who came back before Group 1 caught every last one, the total for all teams didn't even reach 700.

Even including Group 1's score, it was only 800.

In other words, more than 600 illusion beasts still remained, but Shim Yongseok kept that fact to himself.

'Only Group 9 is left now.'

Checking his phone, Shim Yongseok saw it was 17:58, and at that moment, the last group—Group 9—arrived.

However, what caught his eye was—

'... Two of them are unconscious?'

Out of the four members, two were knocked out.

With a peculiar expression, Shim Yongseok saw Kim Dojun and Shin Se-yeon carrying those two across the entrance.

"Group 9, passed."

He looked at Go Seung-jun and the other student, both collapsed, and asked,

"... What happened here?"

Shim Yongseok's question.

Kim Dojun just shrugged.

"They were taken out by an illusion beast early on after entering the mountain."

"... And why haven't they woken up until now?"

"They were flailing from the illusion and rolled down a cliff. Since then, they haven't woken up."

Judging by their breathing, they seemed alive. As Kim Dojun finished his report, Shim Yongseok formed a hand seal to check their condition.

Wooo—

With a gentle sound, a sorcery formation formed above the two students.

A few seconds later—

"... They're just unconscious."

"Yes."

"So, the two of you completed the practical evaluation on your own?"

"That's right."

Kim Dojun answered neatly.

But Shim Yongseok, his expression strict, spoke sternly.

"That's a deduction. You both already know—this is ultimately a group assignment. All members must participate. But you only completed the evaluation with two."

"..."

"Don't try to blame your groupmates. In an actual life-and-death situation, you can't blame others."

Shim Yongseok stated it as fact.

"Since Group 9 didn't fulfill the basic requirements of a group project, you get a -100 point penalty."

As soon as he said it, the students around began to stir.

Assigning such a penalty was essentially declaring Group 9 last place.

"At least they won't get last..."

"-100 points, really?"

"Damn, they must be pissed. The ones hitching a ride just dragged everyone down."

"Wow, with Kim Dojun and Shin Se-yeon in that team, I thought they'd be automatic first place. Ruined."

"We said we'd get first but gave up since they'd be there—well, good for us. Days like this make life worth living."

Amidst the chatter—some sympathetic, others snickering at Group 9's predicament—Kim Dojun remained calm even after receiving the penalty.

"Any objections?"

Shim Yongseok's imposing question.

He had no intention of retracting the penalty, even if Kim Dojun or Shin Se-yeon pleaded. After all, the essence of this practical evaluation was to reinforce the importance of teamwork.

That was why he wore a stern face as he asked.

"No objections. Because, anyway—"

Kim Dojun answered crisply, then took off his backpack and flipped it upside down.

Then—

Clatterrrrrrr—!!!

Talisman after talisman for illusion beasts began piling up at Shim Yongseok's feet.

"?"

The students all froze, mouths agape.

And from Kim Dojun's bag, the illusion beast talismans kept pouring out.

"Wha...what?"

Even Shim Yongseok, who had maintained a cool expression, couldn't help but gape.

"—Even with the penalty, I think we're still first place."

Kim Dojun grinned.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
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