Chapter 68

Thud.

Thud.

Whoosh!

“…It’s starting to become visible now.”

As the destination grew closer, I halted Sorisoe and sent it back into the shadows.

From here on, it was better to move directly. If I made any conspicuous moves, I risked being spotted by the enemy’s line of sight.

At that, Sorisoe grumbled in a voice full of dissatisfaction as it obeyed the order.

[…My spine aches. Don’t call me for this kind of thing again. I’ve said it many times, but I am not a vehicle.]

Swoosh.

Perhaps because the distance had narrowed, the Curse’s aura was definitely felt a bit more thickly.

Everyone would probably handle it well on their own, but I gave a warning just in case.

“Everyone, use purification Art Formulas periodically. If you get corrupted, you might be swept up by all sorts of negative impulses.”

“Yes. Understood.”

A place where black mist swirls over the ground as if taking root.

As I approached the center of the Cursed Technique, a rather clamorous sound could be heard, as if someone was fighting.

Boom!

Crash!

‘Exorcists trying to eliminate the Seed of Solitude?’

It must have been quite some time since the Exorcists reached this place, but to think they were still fighting…

I couldn’t understand at all what method Yoo Hyeyeon had used to make that possible.

The more I cautiously approached the source of the noise, an ominous yet strangely familiar sensation began to be felt.

‘What is this aura?’

The oppressive force like a large snake constricting the skin, and simultaneously, the lingering resonance of corruption rising through the body.

As if Yoo Haon’s group also felt it, they were moving with an even more tense expression than before.

Crash!

Clang!

Rustle!

Soon arriving at the source of the Curse.

There, multiple people were fighting over the Seed of Solitude.

“I’ll deploy a Barrier Technique! Fall back for now!”

“Only those confident in purification Art Formulas, step forward!”

“Attack the moment the vanguard creates an opening!”

The Exorcists looked quite frantic. Among them, the exhausted-looking figures of the faculty could be seen.

“How lamentable.”

As if mocking those professors, Yoo Hyeyeon let out a small sneer.

“The position gained by abandoning one’s family wouldn’t be just this much, would it? Still insufficient. Compared to the humiliation we endured, it’s nothing more than child’s play.”

“…You needn’t fuss. We’ll settle this soon enough.”

Although Vice-Principal Yoo Hyejin and several others were combining their strength, the power of Yoo Hyeyeon, who held the Seed of Solitude, seemed to be no less than theirs.

However, there was another opponent the Exorcists were struggling with even more.

It was the man assisting her beside Yoo Hyeyeon.

“Master! Are you alright?”

“I can still hold on. Why on earth is such a monster here…”

“All the injured have been moved to the rear. However, they’ve already been corrupted by the Curse, so their condition isn’t very good.”

A powerful existence, its entire upper face covered in bandages, wearing a smile that seemed to imply enjoyment as it relentlessly drove back the Exorcists.

That’s right.

The mysterious collaborator who rescued Yoo Hyeyeon while she was being transported to Yangcheolkoong was none other than the Forbidden Arts Master, Hectail.

‘I had a feeling it might be…’

But I never even imagined he would join hands with Yoo Hyeyeon.

If he was protecting the Seed of Solitude, it was perfectly understandable why the High-Ranking Exorcists in charge of the festival’s security couldn’t use their strength.

‘Especially for orthodox Exorcists, Hectail is an extremely troublesome existence.’

For me, he was just an enemy with compatible attributes, but for ordinary Exorcists, it wouldn’t be easy to even land a direct attack on him through his Curse.

Watching Hectail, who single-handedly had the renowned High-Ranking Exorcists flustered, Yoo Haon’s group wore expressions of disbelief.

“What’s going on? That’s a complete monster.”

“That, could it be…?”

An existence fundamentally similar to Bihyeong, the main culprit of the Yeongwoldo incident.

Having actually faced Bihyeong there, Yoo Haon’s group seemed to realize it instantly.

‘…This is troublesome.’

If Hectail, in addition to Yoo Hyeyeon, was standing guard over the Seed of Solitude, breaking through would absolutely not be easy.

Even if a Special-Rank Exorcist capable of dealing with Hectail from outside came as support, it would take considerable time to break through the Barrier deployed by the Seed of Solitude and enter the Academy.

In that case, there was only one method.

I approached the tense Yoo Haon and prompted the activation of the Blue Lighthouse Trait.

“That’s the center of the Cursed Technique. Do you feel something?”

“…I can’t be certain, but I think I might know a way to break the Cursed Technique.”

That was enough. Considering the events from the original work, Yoo Haon would probably actually be able to find a way to eliminate the Seed of Solitude.

“You all wait here. And if an opportunity arises, don’t hesitate to help the professors.”

“Then, what about you, Oppa?”

“I need to separate those two. I’ll lure one to another location.”

At my words, Baek Eunseo was shocked.

“Are you crazy! Lure that monster? You’d need more than two lives for that.”

“I have a method. I’m not planning anything particularly dangerous, so don’t worry.”

There was no time for debate anyway. I resolutely shook off Yoo Haon’s group’s attempts to dissuade me and began to move away from my spot.

“Kongsami.”

“…Burn?”

“Just check the situation moderately and come to where I am.”

At that, Kongsami instantly scaled the building wall and approached where Hectail was.

‘Since he saw it in the previous fight, he’ll definitely react.’

Sure enough, after a short time passed, Hectail’s aura began to move away from the center of the battle.

Wanting to draw him as far away from the Seed of Solitude as possible, I adjusted my speed appropriately and lured Hectail along.

The place I arrived at was none other than the 2nd Public Training Ground.

The place where I first faced Cheong Haram during the midterm evaluation of the previous Comprehensive Combat Training.

After Han Kangyoon left, Yoo Haon’s group began waiting for an opportunity to intervene in the situation as he had instructed.

Then, soon enough, the man in the drab robe truly left the battlefield and began chasing Han Kangyoon’s Shikigami.

“…Is he really going to be okay? That man. No matter how you look at it, he’s not an ordinary guy.”

“Since Oppa said he’d be okay, he probably will be.”

“I think so too.”

As Han Seoa said, Yoo Haon also trusted Han Kangyoon.

However, on the other hand, he felt a complicated emotion.

He felt somewhat hurt and regretful.

In the end, this time too, he couldn’t be of much help to him.

‘I’m still far too weak.’

It was the same in the previous fight with Sorisoe. Yoo Haon hadn’t even noticed the existence of the village people who were mere empty shells, and he couldn’t contribute much in the fight against Sorisoe’s main body either.

If only he were a bit more outstanding, Han Kangyoon might have been able to reduce the times he overexerted himself a little.

It wasn’t that Han Kangyoon didn’t trust Yoo Haon.

However, when a decisive moment of crisis arrived, Han Kangyoon didn’t have the option of being together with Yoo Haon.

That was both a natural perception and a reasonable judgment.

It was an aspect where he couldn’t help but keenly feel his own inadequacy.

“…Keugh. Suddenly acting on your own.”

“Release the Art Formula obediently! You don’t think you can hold off this many people alone, do you?”

“We have three 1st-Rank here. It’s only a matter of time before this is decided. If you want leniency, it would be best to surrender around now.”

With the departure of the man who had been with her, Yoo Hyeyeon, who had been wreaking havoc in the enemy lines, lost her momentum in an instant.

Conversely, the Exorcists regained their composure and began to gradually corner Yoo Hyeyeon.

‘But, why is that?’

It didn’t feel right. At least, that’s how Yoo Haon felt.

And this form of intuition had rarely been wrong until now.

“…Anyway, I never assumed I’d have anyone’s help from the start.”

Suddenly, Yoo Hyeyeon’s momentum changed to a different flow than before. Simultaneously, the form of the Cursed Technique that had been overturning the Academy began to rapidly transform.

Grrrrrr.

“Yoo Hyejin. Today, you and I will go to our father’s embrace. Kneel meekly there and offer your apologies.”

“……”

The ground shook, and the flow of air trembled incessantly.

Soon, thick death energy began to overflow from the center of the Art Formula where the black mist had coiled.

The power accumulated from the numerous battles that had taken place within the Academy until now. She was drawing that out.

“Gu Poison. I offer my body. So grant more power to these hands!”

“Using your own flesh as a medium! You’ve completely lost your mind!”

In the rapidly changing situation, Yoo Haon felt that now was the time to act.

“…Let’s move too.”

“H-Haon? You want to jump into that fray now?”

“Everyone’s tired, and there’s no time left. We have to do it.”

Although Baek Eunseo tried to dissuade him, Yoo Haon’s attitude was resolute.

Han Kangyoon was probably risking even greater danger right now to buy time.

That couldn’t be wasted in vain.

‘This time, I…’

It was his turn to lighten the burden Han Kangyoon was carrying. Having firmly made his resolve, Yoo Haon silently took a step forward.

Thump.

Finally reaching me, Hectail settled in one corner of the training ground and let out a rancid laugh.

“Pleasant to see you. I was planning to find you directly after dealing with the Exorcists, but did you grow tired of waiting?”

“Why did you help her?”

“Killing two birds with one stone. I became interested.”

It wasn’t to hear his mere reason that I lured him here anyway.

Summoning Black Yin from the shadows in addition to Kongsami, I spoke towards Hectail.

“Confident? Let me tell you, you’ll definitely regret it.”

During the previous incident at Seo Jian’s facility, I had no knowledge of Hectail’s existence whatsoever.

Naturally, I hadn’t made any preparations against him yet, and it could be said I had far too few cards in hand.

But now was different.

For this past month, I had completed all ‘preparations for the strategy’ against the Named boss, the Forbidden Arts Master Hectail.

If he thought it would be the same as before, Hectail would undoubtedly pay the price.

“Your insolence has pierced the heavens since we last met. There is no existence in this world that I need to fear.”

“Is that so? You just haven’t met them yet, that’s all.”

Hectail was undoubtedly an overwhelmingly strong individual, but within the entire worldview of the Exorcism Academy, he was neither the strongest nor anything of the sort.

Naturally, he had strategies and weaknesses, and he was merely an existence that would die if inflicted with fatal wounds like an ordinary human.

“I heard about Bihyeong from the Cheong Family’s daughter.”

“……”

“We weren’t particularly close, but I wouldn’t be unable to appease his spirit by taking your soul.”

Grrrrrr.

Immense Spiritual Power erupted from Hectail, and the Curse’s aura engraved on his soul began to surge in all directions.

“Black Yin.”

Flutter!

[Kkiiik!]

Looking at Black Yin, which had landed on my shoulder in response to my call, I faced my opponent without hesitation.

A member of Night School and the Named boss of the story, the Forbidden Arts Master Hectail.

From now on, it was time to return to being a player and strategize against him.