Chapter 19

Whoosh.

Tap-tap-tap!

Having made my decision, I exited the barrier with Seo Jian.

Ko Dahye, who was beside us, tried to stop us in surprise, but we had already passed by the students and were heading at high speed toward the lakeside where the enemy was.

“Yoo Ain. Are you there?”

Tap.

“Did you call?”

As Seo Jian called out while running swiftly, Yoo Ain revealed herself without any presence, as if she had been hiding somewhere.

Then, with a dissatisfied expression, she said.

“Let’s just abandon everything and run. Those incompetent fools.”

“No. You know it too. It would be troublesome if Han Kangyoon died.”

Seo Jian was firm. Honestly, the fact that she needed me this much gave me a rather complicated feeling.

Yoo Ain sighed and continued awkwardly.

“Frankly, there’s no guarantee of safety just because I’m here. I’m not confident about other things, but my Unbinding Art Formula is a bit…”

“…Is that so?”

Yoo Ain’s unexpectedly weak reply made Seo Jian shift the focus of the conversation to me.

I briefly estimated and answered without hesitation.

“No problem. Just cover the front line roughly.”

“I can handle that. After all, I’m a fairly capable bodyguard.”

A rough conclusion was reached. We ran without hindrance toward the lakeside. And finally, we could spot the enemy.

‘It looks quite menacing.’

If an old turtle were to transform into a Specter, would it look like that? Although it was bipedal, its appearance was far from human.

‘Appraisal.’

Ding.

【Old Man Tree Specter】

▶Level 40

▶Stats

【Health: C-】

【Monstrous Power: C+】

【Art Formula: B+】

【Mental Strength: B】

▶Traits (6/10)

【Cursed Hand (A-)】

【Grudge Specter (B+)】

【Presence Concealment (B-)】

【Output Enhancement (B-)】

【Underwater Combat (C+)】

【Energy Reserve (C+)】

Its level wasn’t particularly outstanding.

But its Art Formula rank was high, and its traits were generally impressive.

‘Its attack power can be considered at least C-rank or above.’

A fully curse-specialized type; it was no wonder Ko Dahye, burdened with many followers, was struggling.

“That side seems to have already been taken down.”

Heo Taeyeop, Ko Dahye’s assistant, sprawled near the lakeside.

It wasn’t clear whether he was dead or just unconscious.

The Old Man Tree Specter, which had been trying to drag Heo Taeyeop into the lake, turned its gaze, emitting a fierce Spectral Energy as if angered by the disturbance.

The moment its gaze turned toward us, I quickly deployed a defensive art.

“White Transformation Advancing Channel!”

Whoosh!

Fwoosh.

Despite no particular action, a curse of undeniable power flew toward us. A quite skilled opponent.

“I’ll approach. Please be careful.”

Yoo Ain, having left those words for Seo Jian, vanished.

I also responded by forming a hand seal and summoning my Shikigami.

“Doodoori.”

Splash.

Upon calling its name, my shadow rippled, and a webbed foot emerged.

During the time I was engrossed in creating Shikigami before the semester began, I mentioned that I had prepared a few trump cards.

Combat Shikigami for life-or-death battles, unusable in Academy exams or matches against students.

One of them was this.

[Gurgle.]

“…Creepy.”

Seo Jian, unusually, broke her characteristic expressionless face and grimaced. It was understandable, as the form of the Shikigami I had brought out was quite horrifying.

A shape resembling a giant frog or toad. But the sight of flesh and mucus dripping from it made anyone frown.

‘Well, I prioritized performance over appearance, so it can’t be helped.’

Personally, I’d love to parade around with dazzling Shikigami like in past games.

But given my current specs, the cards I could play were naturally limited to maximize efficiency.

“Now. Go.”

Doodoori, with its massive body almost reaching my chest, hopped forward and blocked our path as if to become a shield.

Simultaneously, Yoo Ain and the Old Man Tree Specter clashed.

Slice!

[Keeek!]

Yoo Ain, who had instantly revealed herself, slashed the Old Man Tree Specter with a sword plastered with talismans.

But it was shallow.

The Old Man Tree Specter went berserk, scattering curses in all directions.

“Tch!”

Yoo Ain possessed excellent physical abilities commensurate with her high Health rank, but her other stats were subtle.

Of course, in terms of level alone, she would overwhelmingly win, but as mentioned, she wasn’t accustomed to dealing with curses and couldn’t easily close in.

‘Now it’s this guy’s turn.’

Soon, one of the curses scattered by the Old Man Tree Specter flew toward us.

But as Doodoori breathed and inflated its belly, the curse was instantly sucked into its large mouth.

[Gurgle!]

Black Jooeon crawled up its body, and Doodoori painfully shed its own flesh.

A grotesque sight. But it couldn’t be helped.

“…Is this okay?”

“It’s originally this kind of Shikigami.”

Of course, if merely taking attacks for us was all it did, I wouldn’t have called it a combat Shikigami.

Doodoori was a Counter-Type Shikigami.

It first receives the opponent’s attack, absorbs it, and then fires back a powerful curse.

‘Its durability is weak compared to the effort put into making it, but to increase attack power, it can’t be helped.’

Doodoori’s body, having absorbed all the curses, turned a deep purple.

Wobble.

[Gulp!]

Whoosh!

As Doodoori, inflated to its limit, opened its mouth, a curse that was menacing at a glance exploded toward the Old Man Tree Specter.

Fwoosh!

The Old Man Tree Specter, busy dealing with Yoo Ain, took a direct hit, and its body began to be eroded by black Jooeon.

It had received its own attack returned in kind.

[Keeeeeek—!]

The Old Man Tree Specter painfully tried to unbind it.

But Yoo Ain wasn’t one to just watch.

Slice!

[Keeek!]

It wasn’t finished in one blow, but the damage was certainly dealt. A sufficient achievement.

‘All that’s left is to repeat this.’

Doodoori possessed powerful attack power, but it was essentially a disposable Shikigami that fought on the premise of dying after being summoned once.

‘Against an opponent of that level, it might last only about seven times.’

However, the Old Man Tree Specter didn’t seem particularly tough either. The match would probably be decided before all seven uses.

[Gurgle!]

[Keeek—!]

Yoo Ain continued to pressure the opponent, and I received and fired curses through Doodoori.

Repeating this, the Old Man Tree Specter gradually became battered.

[…Keee.]

Finally, sensing the situation was unfavorable, the Old Man Tree Specter pulled back and immediately rushed into the lake.

Splash!

Originally a Specter that hid without being detected by anyone. With its Presence Concealment trait, it was clear that losing sight of it would create a troublesome situation.

But such struggles by the Old Man Tree Specter were meaningless.

“Can you handle it?”

“…Plenty.”

Seo Jian’s eyes began to glow blue. A sign that her Water God trait was activating.

As Seo Jian, having composed an art, stretched out her hand, the lake water surged and rose into the air.

Whoosh!

The initially small stream of water gradually grew in force, finally forming a massive sphere that seemed capable of swallowing several trees.

Seo Jian moved it to the edge of the forest behind the lake and dropped it, causing the Old Man Tree Specter, dragged along, to crash onto the bare ground.

Splash.

Swoosh!

Thud!

[Ki, keee…]

The Old Man Tree Specter, seemingly unable to comprehend what had happened to it, was now surrounded by three people, including Yoo Ain.

“…Miss, you’ve really grown a lot, haven’t you?”

“That wasn’t even my maximum earlier.”

Seo Jian, who had been training daily and finally used her power properly after a long time, wore an expression that seemed somewhat itchy.

I alone approached the fallen Old Man Tree Specter.

Only then did the creature, having grasped the situation, attempt a last struggle, but I was quicker in scattering the talismans I had prepared.

Scatter!

“Clear Chain Binding.”

The Cheong Family’s unique Binding Spell Formula that Cheong Haram had tried to use on me during Comprehensive Combat Training. Using this consumed over half of the Spiritual Power contained in the Bari Jade Bracelet.

‘It should be over soon.’

Otherwise, it would be troublesome. Considering what was to come, I needed to preserve some Spiritual Power.

[Kehek.]

Fortunately, the Old Man Tree Specter, tightly bound by blue chains, slumped as if exhausted and couldn’t move.

“Aren’t you finishing it off?”

Yoo Ain beside me asked with a puzzled expression, but I shook my head.

“I’m going to enslave it.”

For me, the main event was just beginning.

Excluding cases of direct creation, there are various forms of contracts with Shikigami.

There are cases of offering some price to a higher-tier being to form a contract, cases of cooperating by aligning interests, and cases of building affinity to establish an equal relationship.

But what I intended to attempt with the Old Man Tree Specter was none of those.

‘To control this kind of Specter, simply suppressing it is best.’

Simple domination.

That was the method I had chosen.

[Keee!]

The Old Man Tree Specter’s resistance was fierce. Naturally.

‘For a seemingly weakling to claim it will control me, how preposterous.’

In reality, my current level is 27. It rose by 1 level after the battle with Cheong Haram, but it was nothing compared to the Old Man Tree Specter.

But as the art I deployed continued, the Old Man Tree Specter’s gaze completely changed by 180 degrees.

[…Ke, keheheek.]

Eyes filled with Toxic Aura began to tremble uncontrollably, and it desperately struggled to escape its bound limbs.

Since it also handled Forbidden Arts, it had sensed the ultimate Forbidden Arts rooted deep within my soul.

Eventually, the Old Man Tree Specter, terrified, buried its face in the ground and trembled. Yoo Ain, seeing this, whispered to Seo Jian.

“What kind of horrifying art did he use……”

“……”

It wasn’t actually that, but denying it would be meaningless. In the end, there was no difference.

[Keeeek…]

It didn’t take long. Realizing it couldn’t escape, the Old Man Tree Specter eventually gave up and submitted to me.

Slither.

I stuffed the Old Man Tree Specter, which seemed dazed from the one-sided, unfair contract, into my shadow.

It was possible because I had contracted with it through my shadow, like with other Shikigami.

“It’s over.”

I had already administered first aid to the fallen Heo Taeyeop. Fortunately, his life wasn’t in critical danger.

As soon as the situation was resolved, something noisily burst out from the bushes. It was Professor Ko Dahye.

Rustle!

“My, my name must not be erased!”

Ko Dahye, with disheveled hair, waving black talismans, rushed out. Stopping in her tracks, she looked at us, unharmed, and asked as if she couldn’t understand.

“…Huh? How on earth did you capture it?”

I silently pointed at Yoo Ain. And said.

“I have a guardian.”

“…Hoo. Hoo-hoo. Thank goodness.”

Ko Dahye, unable to hide her fatigue, collapsed on the spot. It was no wonder, as she had been protecting the students until we subdued it.

“You could have at least told me…… I thought you two had gone without a plan and was so worried……”

Ko Dahye shot a resentful look, but it couldn’t be helped. It wasn’t the time for careful explanations.

‘Sigh.’

After that, the Exorcists from the Guard Unit, who had been notified, arrived, and the scene was quickly cleaned up.

The three of us, including me, couldn’t avoid giving testimonies or statements, but thanks to Yoo Ain’s presence, the situation concluded without any particular issues.

‘An unexpected incident, but the gains were great.’

An Old Man Tree Specter boasting Level 40. I had gained a subordinate of a level I absolutely couldn’t create at my current level.

Moreover, since it’s of the Forbidden Art lineage, it would demonstrate even higher abilities under my command. In the current situation where every bit of combat strength is precious, it was a significant achievement.

‘…It’s almost June now.’

With Forbidden Arts Studies, all midterm evaluations have ended.

All that remains is the first comprehensive exam.

‘I’m really going there. To that place.’

The endpoint of Story Chapter 1, where chaos and fear were palpable even through the computer screen, and the endpoint of the original Han Kangyoon who occupied this body.

‘Yeongwoldo.’

The incident that even the protagonist’s party could never have resolved without the self-sacrificing Han Kangyoon was now approaching right before my eyes.