Chapter 11

To be honest, from a general perspective, my current actions are far from efficient. One could even say it was a somewhat hasty choice.

But.

‘Perfect timing.’

Cheong Joohwa was someone I would have had to contact eventually, even if not now. Personally, I considered her a top priority for the future. It’s just that due to unforeseen circumstances, that timeline got moved up a bit.

‘Cheong Joohwa doesn’t trust people easily.’

Given her past, it’s only natural. However, conversely, precisely because of that, she holds a romanticized ideal of a partner she can fully trust.

So, how can one gain her trust? It was simple.

“I need her.”

Just keep giving her reasons to believe from my side. Directly, straightforwardly. Even if it means taking a loss. After all, that’s how Yoo Haon gained her trust in the original work.

Everyone’s gaze converged on one point.

While everyone was dumbfounded by my eccentric behavior, the first to speak was Cheong Haram.

“You’re insane, aren’t you?”

Her gaze was as if a bug on the roadside was crawling up without knowing its place. Her expression showed she didn’t even perceive me as a particular threat.

“Takes one to know one.”

“……”

As if finding it absurd, Cheong Haram twisted a strand of her flowing hair with her finger and spoke indifferently.

“Seeing you so full of yourself, I guess you found your sugar daddy again?”

“Maybe.”

“You know, I could cut that off again. Is it really wise for you to act like this?”

Of course, if it were an ordinary sponsor, that would be the case. They’d side with her, the so-called rising star of the Cheong Family, rather than someone like me with no foundation.

But unless it’s a matter of simply overpowering with force, even she can’t recklessly mess with Seo Jian’s financial power.

Especially since Seo Jian can’t easily cut me off, so I had nothing to fear.

“You haven’t changed. You.”

If Cheong Joohwa was someone I absolutely had to bring to my side, Cheong Haram was the opposite.

Due to her S-Rank Emotion Devouring Trait, she’s fundamentally twisted in the head, a character who offers no help whatsoever for the future ahead.

She was also the character I hated the most in Exorcism Academy Part 1, thanks to her constantly trolling the allied camp and gifting bad endings.

“If you have more to say, do it later. I have nothing to say to you right now.”

“Ha… Fine. Yeah. Then go ahead and do whatever you want.”

Cheong Haram gestured dismissively, pushing Cheong Joohwa away as if she couldn’t even be bothered to speak.

Cheong Joohwa hesitated, then came to my side, and after a moment of looking around cautiously, she grabbed my hand and led me to a corner of the classroom.

Whisper whisper.

“Have you lost your mind?”

“No.”

“Do you not know who she is?”

“I do. We were in the same class in our first year.”

“Then why on earth… She would’ve been satisfied and gone about her business if you’d just pretended to be a little hurt and made a face like you were about to cry.”

Unlike earlier when she was all scrunched up, Cheong Joohwa was now moving her small mouth quite skillfully. This was exactly her true self that I knew from the original work.

“You didn’t really need to help me.”

“I think there’s a misunderstanding.”

“Huh?”

Of course, it’s true I acted that way deliberately to shake her up. But ultimately, helping her wasn’t the goal.

“Even if Cheong Haram hadn’t been there, I would have teamed up with you. I said I needed you earlier.”

“Why? Do you know me?”

“Yeah.”

“Have we met somewhere before?”

“Yes and no.”

Cheong Joohwa looked confused. It was understandable, as I kept saying meaningful things despite us clearly meeting for the first time.

I chuckled lightly and continued.

“Besides, it’s not like you had anyone else to choose, right?”

“I’m grateful for that part, but… No, that’s not the point!”

From her perspective, the situation she was trying to let pass quietly without escalating had been derailed because of me. Cheong Joohwa complained with a displeased expression.

“Are you confident? That one’s going to cause trouble day in and day out from now on. What are you going to do about it?”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t like her.”

“Do you think anyone was hanging out with her because they liked her?”

Cheong Joohwa looked incredulous. Considering the status held by direct descendants of the Cheong Family at Cheonghwa Academy, it was a natural reaction.

I decided it was time to dangle the bait.

“You know it too. Cheong Haram isn’t really someone to be that afraid of.”

At my words, Cheong Joohwa’s brow twitched. Then she let out a deep sigh filled with thick regret.

“You really don’t know anything.”

The Cheong Family, the foremost of the Three Great Noble Families that have dominated Korea’s Cursed Arts World for ages. Cheong Joohwa was the one who had directly experienced the malice and desires that had grown as vast as those years.

“…I don’t know anything.”

Her past, where she had to lose her parents just by watching, and after that, had to endure relentless persecution and humiliation.

Certainly, the original Han Kangyoon wouldn’t have known about these things.

But. I was different.

I had witnessed all of that, albeit in a different way, from nearby.

“Ultimately, you mean it’s not Cheong Haram herself, but what’s behind her that bothers you.”

“…It’s even worse if you say that knowing full well.”

And I knew exactly what I could do in the current situation.

“Then, what if there’s a way to checkmate, to make it impossible for what’s behind her to move?”

“……”

For a moment, a question mark appeared on Cheong Joohwa’s face. It was that preposterous a statement.

“Did you perhaps leave some medication you need to take back at the dormitory?”

“I’m being serious.”

Cheong Joohwa showed no sign of believing me. I continued, unconcerned.

“You don’t have to believe me. You’ll find out later anyway.”

If she’s as skilled at discerning the true meaning of words as Cheong Joohwa is, she would have realized. At least the fact that I wasn’t lying.

I posed a meaningful question to her.

“So, if I really do create such a situation, what will you do then?”

At those words, Cheong Joohwa’s gaze turned cold. So much so that for a moment, she felt like a completely different person.

Cheong Joohwa, who had been pondering something deeply, stared at me with doubtful eyes.

“Honestly, I don’t think such a thing will happen, but…”

A flat tone, but the true intent of her answer was clear.

“I guess I’ll think about it after burying that rude brat in the back mountain first.”

Ding.

【Cheong Joohwa】

▶Level 34

▶Stats

【Stamina : B-】

【Spiritual Power : A】

【Art Formula : EX】

【Mental Power : S】

▶Traits (6/10)

【Atavism (S)】

【Generalist (S)】

【Hypersensory (A+)】

【Battle Design (B+)】

【Growth Acceleration (B)】

【Tool Crafting (B)】

It was absolute confidence.

The only character among the cast of Exorcism Academy Part 1 with an EX-Rank Art Formula stat.

At least in terms of combat ability, no one could challenge Cheong Joohwa’s talent except for the original protagonist, Yoo Haon.

In the future to come, the true talent who would shake the Cheong Family was not someone like Cheong Haram, but her.

After the one-on-one exchange class ended, Cheong Haram came to me and threw out just one line.

‘Come to think of it, I heard some pretty interesting news. Next month, I’m looking forward to it.’

There was no need to wonder what was happening next month. It was obvious to anyone she was talking about the Comprehensive Combat Training advanced class matter.

‘And around that time, it’s the midterm evaluation, right?’

Cheonghwa Academy’s grading system was simple. Each semester, there’s one midterm evaluation per subject. After that, there’s one comprehensive exam that measures all achievements. Other than that, points are deducted or added based on various minor factors.

In other words, Cheong Haram was planning to punish me during the midterm evaluation for the Comprehensive Combat Training subject.

‘If I recall correctly, the first semester Comprehensive Combat Training midterm was PvP matches.’

A test where students in the same grade’s advanced class face off once, and then first-year and second-year advanced class students face off once more to score points.

It was highly likely that Cheong Haram was targeting exactly that part.

‘…The professor in charge is Professor Choi Dowon. Can’t expect him to play the role of a breakwater.’

It would be fortunate if he doesn’t help her instead. In fact, the probability of that was high.

Therefore, I had to prepare a plan to counter Cheong Haram within the three weeks until the midterm evaluation.

Of course, naturally, three weeks was more than enough.

“Talismans to assist Art Formulas? If you have the materials, there’s nothing impossible.”

First and foremost, I needed Intermediate-Rank Art Formulas somehow.

I said Cheong Haram wasn’t such a fearsome opponent, but even so, compared to my current self, she was no different from a monster.

“I’ll prepare the materials on my end.”

“Sure, well. It shouldn’t be difficult.”

Cheong Joohwa’s Cursed Tool crafting ability, backed by her S-Rank Generalist Trait, B-Rank Tool Crafting, and EX-Rank Art Formula stat, is unparalleled.

It was an ability I desperately needed, as I couldn’t raise my stats immediately.

‘I can ask Seo Jian for the materials.’

Next, it was time to make good on my bold claim and render Cheong Haram’s backing useless.

Vroom.

Vroooom!

In the middle of a road where cars that were a bit outdated by my standards were driving around.

Having applied for a weekend outing, I was now in Gangnam-gu, called the heart of Seoul.

To be precise, in Cheongdam-dong, one of the districts managed by the Cheong Family, which spreads out from Seoul as its base.

‘I didn’t think I’d come here this quickly.’

Currently, the Cheong Family is largely divided into two factions engaged in a power struggle.

The emerging faction led by Cheong Doyool, who seized the family’s center after the Night Parade of One Hundred Specters Crisis, and the orthodox faction led by Cheong Soha, who, though once fallen, is trying to reclaim that position based on the last remaining bloodline.

The remaining factions are appropriately aligning with these two forces, keeping each other in check.

And the Cheongdam-dong I had come to was the district managed by one of them, the Cheong Soha faction.

‘I saw it in the game, but it’s monstrously huge.’

Massive residences thoroughly separated from the areas where ordinary people live.

Somewhere among them, Cheong Soha would also be residing.

After roughly checking the terrain, I moved my steps elsewhere. After all, there was no way for someone like me, with no connection to the Cheong Family, to enter under such strict security.

The place where my steps finally stopped after a long while was Seonreung, the tomb of King Seongjong, the 9th king of Joseon.

‘Originally, a king’s tomb is the most spiritually potent place in its vicinity.’

Being naturally abundant with energy, my meager D-Rank Spiritual Power would be completely buried and invisible within it.

“Engrave. Pursue.”

I took out a talisman I had prepared and infused it with Cursed Technique. It was an object Cheong Joohwa had made, folded into the shape of a crane.

As the Art Formula activated, the talisman began to fly into the sky, carried by the wind. Its destination was, of course, the residential area of the Cheong Soha faction.

‘Normally, this would be utterly impossible with my Cursed Technique.’

Since it’s the Cheong Family’s district, it’s naturally protected by high-level Barriers. Piercing through that is practically nonsensical.

But.

‘I don’t need to pierce it; I can just pass through.’

While it might be irrational to them, having witnessed the numerous Cursed Techniques of the Cheong Family throughout the series, the Barrier Techniques at the time of Part 1 were powerful but too obvious.

It felt like looking at a door locked with a sturdy padlock while leaving the door lock itself.

Even without using a direct method, the way to get past it was clearly visible.

Whoosh.

I felt the talisman, carried by the wind, enter the residential area of the Cheong Soha faction.

I felt no resistance from the Barrier. The talisman I sent was probably recognized as part of the Cursed Technique constituting the Barrier itself.

‘Now, I just have to wait.’

Then, she will come find me on her own.

One of the strongest figures at present, with a status incomparable to someone like Cheong Haram within the Cheong Family.

Clink.

Screech.

‘She’s here.’

About 10 minutes after sending the talisman. A chilling metallic friction sound began to be heard from somewhere.

Simultaneously, an absurd pressure weighed down on me.

Screech!*

“…Do you know of our ancestor?”

The leader of the Cheong Soha faction, a monster among monsters who obtained the qualification of Special-Rank Exorcist at the mere age of twenty-three.

“……”

“If you have played a prank using our ancestor’s name, I swear upon this Azure-White Sword that I will sever your limbs and have you rot for the rest of your life in a place where not a single ray of light enters.”

Cheong Soha.

She was looking at me with cold eyes.