The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 7

I stepped into the secluded back garden and surveyed my surroundings.

There was no need to worry about Kim In-seong or the other gang members following me. They would be meeting Han Yu-seong at the snack bar right after dispersing.

Since I had confirmed that this world followed RollHun’s flow, I had no more concerns about being tracked.

‘And after what happened, they’ll probably avoid me on their own.’

Having faced such a rough experience on the first day, Kim In-seong would likely avoid me even if I approached. So now, I could just enjoy my own time.

“Let’s see.”

I reached into the air, and a window appeared as if blinking into existence.

[Skill Points]

※ You can use acquired skill points to enhance skills or conjure spirits.

– Skill Points: 50

– Spirit Conjuration (B): 30/300

* Yomi (B)

– Spirit Sight (C): 0/50

The 50 skill points I received after the entrance ceremony. Previously, I had invested the 30 points earned from the tutorial into Yomi. With exactly 50 points left, I planned to invest them in another skill this time.

I placed my index finger on the skill name and pressed firmly, causing the points to flow into the skill.

Spirit Sight (B)

– Can detect human spirits.

Eventually, the rank of Spirit Sight changed from C to B, and the skill information was updated. But it wasn’t just the description that changed.

‘My eyes… they hurt…’

A sharp pain throbbed in both eyes.

The unexpected pain made me curl up and cover my eyes. And then, as I opened my eyes again,

“…!”

It felt similar to the first time I wore glasses. The once blurry world became a bit clearer, an eye-opening sensation.

The fog cleared, and my eyes in the mirror now had a slight turquoise hue.

“I can see.”

Each passing student appeared like a lantern with a blue flame flickering inside, in the shape of a human figure.

These flames had different shapes and varied in their movements. Some burned quietly, while others blazed fiercely.

[Is this the first time you’ve seen human spirits?]

“What’s wrong with seeing it for the first time?”

Yomi burst into laughter at my response. Following the direction in which I moved my eyes, Yomi’s tail also swayed in the same direction.

[I’ll kindly explain it to you, being the great yokai that I am!]

Yomi extended its short tail and pointed at a passing female student.

[So, can you guess what that girl will do next?]

“How would I know that?”

[Puhuhu, she’ll lower her left hand and raise her right hand.]

In the next moment, the girl lowered her left hand, which held a smartphone, and raised her right hand holding a drink.

“How did you know that?”

[All living beings move their spirits before taking action. Carefully observe how the spirits flicker.]

Following Yomi’s advice, I observed the passing students. A male student walking with earphones plugged in and his hands in his pockets.

I didn’t miss the moment the spirit flickered.

‘He’s going to take his right hand out of his pocket and bring it to his ear?’

Immediately after, the male student pulled his right hand out of his pocket and adjusted the position of his earphones.

“This actually works?”

Just before the student moved his right hand, his spirit had moved in the same direction a beat earlier.

The gap was so short it could be described as ‘instantaneous,’ but once I got used to it, it could be useful in real combat.

“Well done, Yomi.”

[Ergh, this guy again…!]

As I patted Yomi’s head with my index finger, the little fluffball struggled in protest.

‘Now that I’ve properly allocated my skill points, let’s check the next thing.’

I stood up from the bench and approached the dilapidated statue in the center of the back garden.

[Babel Foundation Monument]

A sculpture resembling a greatsword, it has stood there since Babel was established.

Due to long neglect, the pedestal had graffiti like “Finals are really killing me” scrawled on it.

I took out a chocolate bar I had bought from the snack bar and placed it in front of the monument, bowing my head for a few seconds in silent homage.

[You have paid tribute to the monument.]

After a short moment of silence, a popup window appeared.

‘It’s here!’

Paying homage to the monument was one of the hidden quests that could be done early in the game. However, the quest activation conditions were rather peculiar; you had to pay short homage and offer tributes to the monument at specific intervals.

Who knows how many players have stayed up all night trying to figure out the activation conditions for this hidden quest.

[You feel an unknown power emanating from the monument.]

Everything is exactly like in RollHun.

The content of the hidden quest, even the intermittent popup messages.

Hidden Quest Clear (1/4)!

– An unknown power has blessed you! : +20 Skill Points

Even the rewards are the same.

But there was something new added:

[Oh, my back…]

“Whoa!”

Suddenly, an old man wearing a sleeveless top, bald and frail, appeared next to the monument. He crouched and shivered.

‘A spirit?’

His semi-transparent body indicated he wasn’t a living being. Just like when Yomi was conjured, Spirit Sight activated, revealing the old man’s information.

[Mysterious Old Man]

– Rank D

– The old man has not yet found true rest.

Just a low-ranking spirit of rank D.

But there was one line in the status window that I couldn’t understand.

[Conjuration not possible.]

The conditions for spirit conjuration are quite strict. It is impossible to conjure spirits in the first place unless you either make a pact with the spirit or subdue it.

[Not a valid target for Conjuration.]

Spirit Conjuration not possible?

A spirit that can’t be conjured at all. Even Yomi, who was once an S-rank before being demoted to B-rank, was successfully conjured.

Yet, I can’t conjure a mere D-rank spirit? It defies common sense.

“Yomi, what exactly is this old man’s identity?”

[How would I know?]

Even Yomi didn’t know the identity of this old man. I carefully examined the old man’s condition.

[Uh, uh…]

His eyes were completely vacant, and he didn’t seem particularly special.

“Are you alright?”

I cautiously asked the old man.

The old man slowly turned his head towards me and pointed somewhere with a trembling hand.

[It’s so noisy… I can’t, I can’t sleep…!]

“Noisy?”

I followed the direction the old man was pointing. There stood the school building, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

[P-Please, someone… stop that crying noise…]

“What crying noise are you talking about—”

I was about to ask the old man when,

“What are you doing here?”

A familiar voice came from behind. At the same time, the old man in front of me dissipated like smoke.

“Shin Seo-ha?”

“What are you doing in front of this old statue?”

The voice belonged to Shin Seo-ha. I didn’t expect to run into her here.

Shin Seo-ha approached the monument, yawning widely.

“Is this chocolate bar yours?”

“Well, yes.”

“Take it.”

Shin Seo-ha picked up the chocolate bar and handed it to me. I wondered if it was wise to take back something I offered as a tribute—it might bring bad luck.

“Why aren’t you taking it?”

“Oh, thanks.”

Handing me the chocolate bar, Shin Seo-ha sat down on a nearby bench.

“It’s exhausting, you know. It’s just an orientation, but I can’t stand it.”

As she stretched, her back arched like a bow.

‘I don’t know where to look.’

Her prominently highlighted figure was hard to ignore. Such a destructive impact from just going from 2D to 3D.

Still, I couldn’t take my eyes off Shin Seo-ha, mainly to get a closer look at the guardian spirit on her shoulder.

‘Guardian spirit.’

A golden angelic figure clung to Shin Seo-ha’s shoulder. Though its eyes were tightly shut, it bore a strong resemblance to her.

[With the current level of Spirit Sight (B), it is not possible to see through this target.]

At my current level, I couldn’t access information about the guardian spirit.

However, thanks to the increased rank of Spirit Sight, I could clearly see Shin Seo-ha’s spirit.

[A wreck, isn’t it…]

Yomi clicked its tongue while looking at Shin Seo-ha.

Outwardly, she appeared fine. What Yomi saw was her actual spirit.

‘This is serious.’

Even I, who had just started seeing spirits, could tell.

Unlike the other students, Shin Seo-ha’s spirit seemed on the verge of extinguishing. It was tattered and riddled with holes.

[Her body is one thing, but her spirit itself is incredibly weak. Some young people who die prematurely often look like this.]

Yomi added,

[Had it not been for her guardian spirit, she might have died young.]

That was Yomi’s conclusion. Even to me, Shin Seo-ha’s spirit looked like it could extinguish any moment.

‘But Shin Seo-ha survives till the end.’

Shin Seo-ha was one of the characters who persisted until the final chapter.

In other words, her guardian spirit had been protecting her all along…

“Shin Seo-ha.”

“Huh?”

When I called her name, she shot me a prickly glare.

“Have you considered visiting a hospital?”

“What are you talking about, you idiot?”

As expected, Shin Seo-ha didn’t pay much attention to my words. Given that we just met today, it was natural for her to dismiss what I said.

“You definitely got hurt during that fight earlier.”

“Hey.”

Shin Seo-ha stood up, letting out a small sigh.

“How many times have we even met, and you’re already meddling? Do you think you can play parent just because you helped me once by chance?”

Her words were razor-sharp. She snapped at me fiercely.

“Let me warn you, don’t get involved with me anymore. It’ll be better for your school life.”

With that, Shin Seo-ha turned to leave in the direction she had come from.

“Let’s never meet again.”

And so, her figure gradually receded into the distance.

Only after Shin Seo-ha completely disappeared did I lean back on the bench.

‘I’m already tangled with her in so many ways.’

She was an intriguing girl.

She would confront anyone she disliked without hesitation, but if someone tried to show her concern, she would react overly defensively.

This was also why Han Yu-seong and Shin Seo-ha would eventually clash. It was inevitable that the relationship would be strained between someone who unilaterally tried to protect others and someone unaccustomed to receiving protection.

[She’s an unpleasant girl.]

“What’s up with this, you’re supporting my side completely.”

I got up, Yomi perched on my shoulder.

It’s too early to get discouraged. This sort of thing is nothing compared to the trials I’ll face in the future.

‘I’ll keep crossing paths with Shin Seo-ha too.’

Staying stuck on the same issue isn’t an option, especially with today’s main event still ahead.

“Is there any place around here where I can rent a tuxedo?”

But what was that old man earlier all about? A target that cannot be conjured, even with a lower rank than Yomi. I wanted to investigate further, but he vanished so quickly.

‘Maybe there’s a hint in his dialogue…’

Reflecting on the event’s content, I headed towards the dormitory.

I needed to get fully prepared for the party that would start soon.