The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 29

With the fierce explosion, the demon’s lower and upper body were separated. Immediately after the separation, the lower body turned pitch black and melted into the floor.

“Aah…”

The upper half of the demon dragged itself across the floor, slowly crawling towards my feet.

“I… I was in pain too… W-why did my sister abandon me…?”

With Shin Seo-jun’s face, the demon shed bloody tears, clutching at my feet and coughing up blood.

“Sister, don’t leave me…”

And with that, the demon completely disappeared.

No, could I simply call it a demon?

Creeeeak

As soon as the demon vanished, a white door appeared on the front wall.

“With this, the contract is fulfilled.”

A radiant beam of light burst from the Sain-gum, and Shin Seo-jun manifested in front of me. Simultaneously, the wings on my shoulders naturally disappeared.

“A mere illusion created by Shin Seo-ha…”

I looked at Shin Seo-jun.

He, too, gazed at the same spot as I did, wearing a bittersweet smile.

“I didn’t entirely dismiss those thoughts. Sometimes, I resented and even felt anger towards my sister. Perhaps that demon was a reflection of my inner self.”

Shin Seo-jun closed his eyes tightly.

“But still, I’m grateful that my sister is alive.”

A slow smile spread across his somber face.

“Before you go through that door, Ha-baek, I have a favor to ask.”

When Shin Seo-jun placed his hand on the opposite wall, a new gray door appeared.

Gray, a mix of black and white, hinted at its destination—a place neither fully dark nor fully light.

“A door to Shin Seo-ha, right?”

Shin Seo-jun nodded silently. His face, slightly pitiful, resembled his sister’s.

“Even if I wake up, as long as my sister harbors guilt, I’ll be trapped again eventually.”

“So, you’re asking me to free Shin Seo-ha from her guilt?”

“Yes. That’s my final request.”

I stroked my chin, contemplating.

“But how?”

I couldn’t think of a proper way to help Shin Seo-ha. Interfering clumsily would likely backfire.

“Give my sister a push.”

“Will that be enough?”

“Yes, please!”

Shin Seo-jun flung the door wide open. It wasn’t overly bright nor too dark. Moonlight from a certain night poured in.

“Make sure my voice, which couldn’t reach her that day, finally does.”

* * *

Shin Seo-ha.

A person who is never welcomed anywhere.

Everything was my fault.

Looking back, it was always like that.

Who…

I was terrible at expressing emotions.

When I tried to get close to someone, they inevitably got hurt.

My body never followed my thoughts, making my actions clumsy. Each time, my awkward words and actions pushed people away again.

I had a younger twin sibling. Unlike me, my sibling, who was always carefree, blended naturally with those around us while always considering how I could fit in

You…!

Making sure I wasn’t uncomfortable.

So naturally, I hadn’t even realized I’d been cared for my whole life.

“Noona!”

Ah, even that day…

“Get out of the way!!”

Your hands pushing me away as I froze.

Your figure disappearing into the debris instead of me.

Boom!!

The choking smoke from the collapsing buildings stung my eyes, and my body ached from rolling several times on the ground.

And beyond the horizon.

“Grrrr…”

“Graaa…”

Human-shaped monsters, the likes of which I had never seen before, converged on you, trapped under the debris while trying to save me.

“A-ah…”

My legs froze in terror, and I was speechless. Yes, it was then that my flimsy mask was peeled away, revealing the coward I truly was.

Yet, I had a choice.

I could have jumped in among the monsters to save you.

“Haah, haah…!”

But I didn’t.

Or rather, I chose not to.

By the time I regained my senses, I had already run quite a distance away.

“…”

Perhaps the guilt is what made me glance back one last time.

“▼￥◇§∂≥”

With a dying face, you muttered something.

“￥≡≥→￠”

And those words… no matter how much I try, I can’t recall them.

What were your last words? Was it a curse? Or perhaps regret?

Every night, I stand at that same spot, watching you die, replaying your last words in my mind—

“Shin Seo-ha.”

“Huh?”

A tall man with black hair suddenly appeared.

His eyes, locking onto mine, grabbed my hand.

“Who…?”

“A friend from your future.”

The man stared at me intently.

Though his gaze conveyed anger, the warmth from his grip kept me from pulling away impulsively.

“If you’re so curious, why not ask directly?”

Why was he angry?

Why was he looking at me with such sad eyes?

“But I… I’m…”

“You’re scared, aren’t you?”

The man nodded.

“That’s why I’m here to help.”

“Help me?”

The man, who was gazing deeply into my eyes, reached out towards my ear.

“You’re not unable to hear; you’re just choosing not to listen.”

The man gave me a gentle push on the back.

“So stop hesitating and go.”

As if by magic, my legs started to move. Tentatively at first, but then breaking into a run.

“Seo-jun.”

Tears blurred my vision, spilling from swollen lips full of anguish.

Swoosh

The scene I had always feared.

A street filled with debris, swarming with monsters. Yet here I was, running straight towards it.

This wasn’t the usual scene I had watched unfold.

This wasn’t the familiar scene I always fled from.

“Noona.”

And now, the voice I was never able to hear, no matter how hard I tried.

“You must live.”

Those weren’t words of curse or resentment. They were words wishing for my survival until the end.

“Seo-jun!!”

Even if this is just a dream.

Just for a single moment of connection, even if all of this would dissipate upon waking.

I leaped towards the monsters with all my might.

“Get away from my brother!!”

This time, I won’t leave you behind.

Just for this moment.

(T/N) I’m not crying, you are (˃̣̣̥ᯅ˂̣̣̥)

* * *

[Ha-baek!]

Thunk!

As I came back to my senses, the first to greet me was Baek-ah.

“How much time has passed?”

[About ten minutes! What on earth happened?]

I pulled the Sain-gum out of the ground. The nightmare, which had taken shape, was no longer visible, and the crystallized Sain-gum had returned to its original form.

“I was in a dream.”

[Really? I thought that was just a superstition!]

“…Aren’t you supposed to be a spirit?”

Rumble!

Just then, a crashing sound resonated, making the ground shake like tofu.

“You’re awake, Ha-baek!”

“Yu-seong!”

Boom!

A massive fist came crashing down toward Han Yu-seong. But in an instant, a mirage formed, and he reversed the gravity, pushing the fist away.

“The Crystal Giant.”

During the ten minutes I was in the dream, the giant had entered the hollow and was locked in a fierce battle with Han Yu-seong.

Standing on its two feet, it was so massive that it nearly touched the ceiling of the cave.

Although its only ability was to swing its fists, its immense size and the trait of not dying unless its core was destroyed made it a formidable threat.

“It’s so unjust.”

“Why only me…….”

Just because you can see what was previously unseen doesn’t mean it’s always a good thing.

The tormented screams of distorted grudges were loud enough to split ears. This was something I didn’t know while playing the game.

“You held out well.”

I gripped the Sain-gum in a reverse grip.

“Yu-seong!”

“Got it, I’m counting on you!”

Recognizing my signal, he quickly moved out of the way. There was no need to worry about the Crystal Giant continuing to chase Han Yu-seong.

“Hey, big guy, over here.”

Spiritual energy poured out in waves.

The monster, infected with the C-virus, instinctively followed my spiritual energy.

Creak

So naturally, it was drawn towards me.

Snap

The giant raised its arm.

The size difference between us was so great that I looked like an ant. Taking a hit from that would surely be fatal.

“Sorry, but I’m not your opponent.”

I waited for the right moment.

Even if the giant fist came down with the momentum to crush me.

“It’s time to wake up.”

Fwoosh

Flames ignited.

Boom!

The giant’s fist struck the area where I had been standing with immense force. But I wasn’t crushed pitiably.

Crash!

Instead, it was the giant’s fist that shattered.

“Damn.”

Amid the scattering fragments, someone rose to their feet.

“I was having such a nice sleep. Who’s yelling so loudly?”

Flames wrapped around her arms and legs.

White wings emitting light sprouted from her shoulders.

“Damn, I thought I was gonna die.”

Shin Seo-ha began to stretch her body.

As Shin Seo-ha moved her stiff neck and rotated her arms, her bones made a dreadful cracking noise.

“Seo-ha, you’re awake!”

Han Yu-seong burst into tears.

Shin Seo-ha glanced at Han Yoo-seong with a disdainful look and opened her eyes groggily.

“Ugh, gross. Why is he bawling?”

“Shin Seo-ha, what’s that?”

I pointed to Shin Seo-ha’s shoulder. The figure of Shin Seo-jun, who had always been perched there, was gone, and a pair of pure white wings had appeared.

“Do I have something on my face?”

However, the wings seemed invisible to Shin Seo-ha.

[That’s assimilation (同化).]

“Yomi?”

[Yawn, had a good nap.]

Yomi, who had been resting on my shoulder, yawned widely.

“Assimilation?”

[When the spirits of two different beings resonate as if they were one, their spirits can temporarily merge as if they are a single entity. Can’t you sense it?]

Yomi pointed at Shin Seo-ha with her tail.

[The guardian spirit you’re looking for is inside that girl.]

Just as Yomi said, I could feel an explosive and intense positive energy emanating from within Shin Seo-ha.

Shin Seo-ha’s spirit, which usually looked as if it could extinguish at any moment, now burned fiercely enough to incinerate everything around it.

Creak

The one-armed giant rose. Unaware of pain, it intended to launch its next attack without hesitation.

“Seo-ha, take a rest. Ha-baek and I will handle this—”

“Stay out of my way.”

Shin Seo-ha stepped forward to face the giant. Despite the vast size difference, akin to a mantis before a cart, there was no trace of fear in her expression.

“After a good sleep, my whole body is brimming with energy. I don’t know what to do if you guys get caught up in this.”

As soon as Shin Seo-ha took her stance, the flames on her arms and legs flared even more intensely.

Creak

A shadow fell over Shin Seo-ha’s head. The giant intended to crush her underfoot.

Whoosh!

“Die.”

The giant’s descending foot and Shin Seo-ha’s punching fist moved almost simultaneously.

“Damn rock.”

Fwoosh!

A long pillar of flame shot from her fist, piercing through the foot and all the way up to the giant’s head.

‘She’s awakened.’

Her red hair fluttered in the flames. Her face beamed with a confident smile.

In that moment, she embodied an indescribable beauty.

Crack!

The giant, with half of its core blown away, tottered and fell backward, shattering into countless pieces.

“Ugh…”

“I could have killed it…”

Purple smoke—the distorted grudges—from the giant’s body rose into the sky as if ascending to the heavens.

‘’I’m not sure if I can conjure curses, but…’

I formed the seal of Spirit Conjuration towards the dissipating spirits. Immediately, the spirits in the air gathered into an orb and converged into my hand.

[Spirit Information]

– Spirit: Crystal Giant

– Rank: C

– Description: The spirit of a conquered Crystal Giant. Consuming a significant amount of spiritual energy for manifestation.

While I successfully absorbed the Crystal Giant’s spirit, it was only a portion of the whole.

[Not a valid target for Conjuration.]

It seemed that once formed, curses, unlike Guardian Spirits, couldn’t be spirit-bound. But there was no need to feel disappointed.

[This definitely smells like that guy’s malicious energy.]

Yomi ground its teeth furiously.

Yomi screamed at the dissipating distorted grudges.

[But… that curse wasn’t created by him. It’s just that his malicious energy was attached to a curse made by someone else.]

“What do you mean?”

[It means there’s someone else who created the curse.]

Yomi couldn’t take its eyes off the receding grudges.

‘If that’s true…’

It means there’s something I don’t know yet. Since I couldn’t stop the monster invasion, I never got to face the final boss.

“Oh, right. Yomi, there’s something important I need to tell you—”

“Why are you mumbling to yourself like you’re possessed?”

At that moment, Shin Seo-ha approached.

With a wry smile, she pulled something out of her pocket.

“All the meal tickets you gave me got burned up. What should I do about that?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I smiled faintly.

Soon, Shin Seo-jun, who had returned to her shoulder, nodded in greeting as he looked at me.

“Because I found something more important.”

–
(T/N) Best chapter so far for me. What’s yours?