The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 2

Tutorial Quest

Q: Calm the sealed fox yokai.

※Warning: If you fail, you will die!

I stared blankly at the quest window for a while. I looked around here and there just in case, but no additional messages were displayed.

“Damn it, what kind of situation is this?”

The original RollHun tutorial should have been right after the entrance ceremony…

Not only was the content of this tutorial new but there was also very little information on Seol Ha-baek within RollHun.

‘Come to think of it, what kind of person was Seol Ha-baek again?’

Of course, only Awakened individuals aspiring to become hunters could enroll at Babel. That means Seol Ha-baek must also have some superhuman abilities…

However, Seol Ha-baek’s abilities never appeared in the game. He was just an extra character in a different class who occasionally brought information to the protagonist.

With an attitude of “whatever happens, happens,” I pointed my index finger into the air.

In most novels, doing something like this would bring up a window. But it’s not like a window would appear just because I…

[Seol Ha-baek]

– One of the few remaining descendants of shamans

〔Possessed Skills〕

– Spirit Conjuration (B)

– Spirit Sight (C)

It appeared!

But… Spirit Conjuration and Spirit Sight? Did these skills even exist in RollHun?

As someone who unlocked all skills, these were new to me.

As if making up for its unfriendly nature, tapping the skills twice brought up detailed descriptions.

Spirit Conjuration (B)

– Enables the domination or contracting of spirits.

– The higher the skill level, the more adeptly the spirits can be controlled.

Spirit Sight (C)

– Enables the detection of spirits.

– The range of detectable spirits increases with the skill level.

The explanations were somewhat vague.

RollHun’s philosophy of “figure it out yourself” was evident even in the skill descriptions.

‘Is there no other way?’

Retreating wasn’t an option. Ignoring the warning and cowering away in this kind of scenario would lead to a merciless death.

In the end, the only option was to move forward.

Although I haven’t heard about Seol Ha-baek and his abilities yet, hiding out here won’t solve the problem.

As I took my first step deeper into the cave,

[It smells.]

A voice echoed from the depths of the cave.

[The disgusting smell of a human!]

It was a low growl, like that of a beast.

* * *

The further I ventured into the cave, the louder the voice became.

[Where is your father today, leaving you alone?]

[Heh, it seems like it’s time for the young one to leave the nest?]

The voice pounded directly into my mind, like telepathy.

Desperately ignoring the voice, I searched through Seol Ha-baek’s memories. They naturally included memories about the yokai and the seal.

1) Raise the mirror toward the shrine and recite the incantation.

2) Once the incantation is complete, walk around the shrine counterclockwise.

3) Shatter the mirror, attach the talisman to it, and bury it in the ground.

The bronze mirror and talisman in my pocket were the items needed to reinforce the weakened seal.

Although the reinforcement method was well-recorded in Seol Ha-baek’s mind, the problem was the entity that was sealed.

‘Remember, never fall for the voice that tempts you.’

The quest window mentioned a fox yokai… Yet, even after digging through his memories, all I found were warnings from his father.

“Well, if the method itself isn’t too difficult, it might be okay.”

No special power was required for the reinforcement method. In fact, it could easily be done by an ordinary person.

It might seem odd that his father made a bet on something so simple, but the issue was Seol Ha-baek’s personality.

Seol Ha-baek was always timid and fearful, unable to carry out even this simple sealing task alone. His father must have been certain that Seol Ha-baek would give up halfway.

Similarly, Seol Ha-baek rarely used his “Spirit Conjuration” ability because he was fundamentally scared and awkward at controlling anything.

‘But he did succeed.’

Despite everything, Seol Ha-baek got into Babel. This meant he overcame his fears and successfully reinforced the seal on his own.

If Seol Ha-baek, the ultimate coward in the story, could do it, then there’s no reason I couldn’t.

[Come closer.]

At the end of the cave, a shrine within a large cavern appeared.

A chill ran down my spine accompanied by the fox yokai’s giggling laughter.

To ordinary people’s eyes, it might seem merely eerie. However, my eyes saw everything clearly.

The Spirit Sight skill captured something from that other world.

[Why are you so frozen, like a frog in front of a snake?]

Crouched around the shrine was a gigantic nine-tailed fox yokai with white fur. Its three pairs of red eyes glowed menacingly.

Its lips, which stretched up to its ears, curved into a mocking smile.

[Hmm, your soul seems a bit different from usual. Are you possessed by a ghost?]

Looking up at the fox, I was completely frozen.

It wasn’t just from pure fear or being paralyzed, but rather, I instinctively uttered its name.

“Crippled Fox.”

I remember it precisely.

In the second year at Babel, an S-rank monster first appeared in the heart of Seoul.

With three pairs of red eyes, a wide, slitted mouth, and nine tails symbolizing a nine-tailed fox, this monster caused certain districts of Seoul to be devastated.

The moment I uttered its name,

[Gaaaahhhhh!!!]

The playful atmosphere of the fox suddenly changed. As it roared, the entire cave shook.

[You called me a crippled fox! I’ll gouge out all your eyes and grind your bones to dust!]

In Rolling Hunters, basic information about hunted monsters was recorded in the monster guide.

[Crippled Fox]

– S-rank

– In the old days when tigers smoked, a fox born with crippled legs was abandoned by its pack and began to harbor malice.

Due to this, the Crippled Fox devastated its surroundings when it appeared in Seoul, but could not move further. To be precise, it couldn’t move at all.

‘But why is the Crippled Fox in Seol Ha-baek’s house’s basement?’

If the yokai sealed by Seol Ha-baek’s family for generations was the Crippled Fox, then it all made sense.

A year later, for some reason, the seal would break, and the Crippled Fox would appear in the heart of Seoul.

This would coincide with the time Seol Ha-baek disappeared in the story. So, when putting the situation together, this conclusion makes sense.

‘Did Seol Ha-baek end up being killed by the Crippled Fox as well?’

Even if I reinforce the Crippled Fox’s seal right now, a year later, the seal will break and Seoul will be devastated.

And I would be dead as a bonus.

‘I guess I have no choice but to make a gamble.’

There was only one way to survive now. I recalled part of what I had read in the skill window earlier.

Spirit Conjuration (B)

– Enables the domination or contracting of spirits.

This was my only way to survive. Even if Seol Ha-baek managed to stay alive, if the Crippled Fox appeared in Seoul a year later, it would lead to massive casualties.

So, I had to subjugate it somehow. The problem was that subduing such a gigantic creature was impossible, so I had to find a way to make a contract…

“Hey, Fox.”

Fortunately, I had something that Seol Ha-baek didn’t have. I possessed all the storyline and monster information from RollHun.

With this, I had enough leverage to negotiate.

[Human, did you just call me?]

All six eyelids trembled simultaneously. The fox, who had been sealed here for hundreds of years, raised its head for the first time towards the one who spoke to it.

“Yes, is there another fox here besides you?”

Not knowing which pair of eyes to lock onto, I chose the frontmost pair.

“Let’s make a contract.”

[A contract?]

The air grew icily cold.

The fox’s lips, which had been motionless, began to twitch,

[Puhuhuhu!]

It then burst into laughter.

As if letting out compressed air, a strong wind blew past.

[A mere shaman trying to make a contract with a great yokai. How foolish! Why would I, this great being, find any interest in a mere shell like-.]

“I’ll help you get revenge. Against the yokai that sealed you here. I know where and when it will appear.”

Seeing that the start was not bad, the fox ceased its laughter and slowly directed its gaze downward.

[Human, clumsy lies will only bring about your doom.]

“The Moon Rabbit that pounds rice cakes.”

The fox froze, as if in a paused screen.

Although I don’t have a talent for reading animal expressions, it was obvious to anyone that it was surprised to hear that name.

“The rabbit yokai now called a great yokai, who deceived you by promising to heal your legs and then sold you to human shamans.”

The Moon Rabbit that pounds rice cakes.

Its rank is also S-rank. Unlike the Crippled Fox, it’s a hidden boss that can be optionally hunted in the later stages of the game.

The reward is strange and doesn’t significantly influence the story, so most players didn’t even know why it existed.

“If you make a contract with me, I’ll help you get revenge within three years. If I’m lying, you can take over my body entirely. Without a host, you can’t roam freely, can you?”

I wasn’t lying one bit. I might be the only one in this world who knows about the rabbit’s appearance.

“In return, for the next three years, lend me your power.”

Now, it was up to the fox to decide.

It rolled its eyes here and there, then stretched its lips into a grin, just like when I first saw it.

[Heh, at least it’s not a losing deal.]

With a slightly softened voice, the fox muttered.

The Crippled Fox had been trapped in this dark cave for at least a few hundred years. By making a contract, it would gain partial freedom and a chance for revenge against its mortal enemy.

Even if it failed, it could take over Seol Ha-baek’s body and gain complete freedom.

‘This should work.’

There was no need to worry about mutual deception. Contracts made through magic couldn’t be easily broken. If either party breached the contract, they would have to pay the corresponding price, no matter who they were.

Moreover, I had a general understanding of how to form a contract using Spirit Conjuration.

When Seol Ha-baek’s memories merged with mine, the accompanying knowledge assured me that I wouldn’t get lost in the procedure.

“Alright, let’s make the contract seal now. But before that—”

Crash!

I threw the mirror I had been holding down with all my might. It shattered into countless pieces with a sharp sound.

Then, I tore the newly made talisman into bits and threw the pieces onto the ground, right in front of the fox.

[What are you doing?]

The fox, who had been watching me quietly, let out a scoff.

“It means there’s no turning back now. You were probably annoyed by being bound by such cursed objects as well.”

The fox seemed to find my words amusing and let out a slight chuckle.

In response, I brought the index and middle fingers of my right hand together and extended them forward, forming a seal to signify the initiation of the spell.

[I like you, human.]

A large formation appeared on the ground.

It was an oriental-style array with a square crossing at right angles and the eight trigrams inscribed within.

This was the hidden ability of the extra character, Seol Ha-baek, who had never been revealed in the story. Timid and scared, he had just left his talents to rust.

‘Getting dizzy…’

A wave of fatigue and dizziness hit simultaneously, and an unknown energy poured out from my body in large quantities.

Regaining my balance, I changed the seal from the starting position to a fist, symbolizing taking control.

“My name is not ‘human.’”

I couldn’t afford to appear weak from the start. I squeezed out all my mental strength to play it cool in front of the fox.

“It’s Seol Ha-baek.”

A burst of light erupted from the formation, engulfing the cave.

—
Yokai – a class of supernatural beings and spirits from Japanese folklore.