Chapter 9

Actually, there was a reason why Baek Jieun had shaken up the students from the very first class.

‘There’s no better way to estimate their capabilities.’

The first day already had limited allocated time. How could she possibly get a read on each and every student in such a short time?

‘Anyway, those who end up in C or D-Rank once usually stay there until graduation.’

It was a harsh thing to say, but that was the reality. Starting from B-Rank and above, there was clearly a difference in talent that couldn’t be bridged by effort alone.

However, even among them, there were bound to be a few rough diamonds.

This class was planned with the intention of identifying them.

“Only three didn’t run away.”

Choi Eunyool and Jeong Seungwon from Class C, and Han Kangyoon from Class D.

‘Stubborn ones are stubborn, as they say…’

Everyone on the school’s side knew about Han Kangyoon.

A promising talent who garnered expectations with his sharp intellect and outstanding passion. But even now, a year later, he was an unfortunate dullard who hadn’t grown an inch in ability.

‘Heaven is indeed indifferent.’

Even when there is a person capable of brilliantly digesting talent, it isn’t simply handed over as is.

It was good that he bravely faced it, but if the other two actually collapsed, Han Kangyoon would be defeated without even being able to struggle.

That’s why, the moment Choi Eunyool’s Cursed Technique broke and the three were swept up in the attack, Baek Jieun was about to step in slowly.

After all, she had already gotten a rough estimate.

But.

“Fierce Wolf. Bone Bear.”

The moment Han Kangyoon activated the Art Formula, the tide of battle changed in an instant.

Creeeak.

Creeeaaak.

‘Shikigami Art?’

A wolf extending from the shadows tore into the Horned Specter’s leg, and a skeletal bear with an even larger frame lowered its stance and tackled it.

‘A fairly high-level Shikigami for a D-Rank, and good control too. He’s skilled.’

Naturally assessing the situation, Baek Jieun soon felt something odd in her thoughts.

‘Wait. Skilled?’

Until near the end of the last semester, Han Kangyoon had been floundering without properly standing out. Changing his style to Shikigami Art must have been recent. But Han Kangyoon’s movements now carried a sense of experience.

“…Strange, isn’t it?”

A perfectly fluid combination. Following that, Jeong Seungwon’s completed Cursed Technique assaulted the Horned Specter, and the three managed to buy time to extricate themselves.

“Got it!”

“Got what?! Hurry up and prepare the restraint technique!”

Jeong Seungwon, beaming with delight, Choi Eunyool, immediately preparing the next move, and Han Kangyoon, indifferently keeping watch on the opponent.

‘The other two’s responses weren’t bad either… but without the Shikigami, they would have been defeated immediately.’

Baek Jieun, who had been sitting on a tree, stood up and lightly jumped, landing in front of the three.

“That’s enough.”

Clatter!

Screech!

With just a light deployment of a Cursed Technique, the Horned Specter, which had been preparing to rampage again, had its entire body bound in iron chains.

“Professor!”

“Yeah. I’d like to see more, but if we’re going to do this and that, we’re starting to run short on time.”

Taking out a Talisman with a sealing spell and stuffing the Horned Specter into it, the student who had first spectacularly undergone the initiation ceremony returned just in time.

Baek Jieun furrowed her brow and spoke.

“You shouldn’t have taken any shock since it was blocked, so why are you only coming back now? Because of you, it got unnecessarily real.”

“I think I was somewhat emotionally impacted…”

“You’re getting points deducted from your evaluation.”

Thanks to that, I even got called a psychopath for no reason at all.

Baek Jieun gathered the scattered students and finally began explaining the outline of the class.

“Comprehensive Combat Training is broadly divided into three areas. One-on-one combat, team combat, and practical combat against graded Specters like just now.”

“Are you saying we have to do this again?”

“If you don’t want to become an Exorcist, then don’t.”

“……”

“Don’t think of it like that. If you get used to real combat, your skills will naturally follow.”

Just as Baek Jieun finished speaking, a loud roar came from beyond the mountain range.

BOOM!

KWA-BOOM!

“Looks like they’re in full swing over there too.”

Everyone among the students knew what ‘over there’ meant.

The Comprehensive Combat Training training ground for Classes A and B, opposite to where Classes C and D were gathered.

Just from the occasional sounds that reached them, they could feel the gap, and the students shuddered at the ferocity.

“For your information, if it were Sophia, the top of the grade, or Hwang Jihak, the second rank, they would have handled what just happened in under 10 seconds.”

“…Is that the level?”

As the students were about to become gloomy, Baek Jieun brought her hands together and clapped.

Clap!

“Then what should you guys do? If you want to do your part later while working in the field, you’ll have to work much harder than them now, right?”

“Ugh.”

After lightening the mood and explaining the class in a bit more detail, Baek Jieun sent all the students out when lunchtime arrived. All except one person.

“Han Kangyoon. You stay.”

The news Baek Jieun delivered to me, left alone, was truly like a bolt from the blue.

“So, you’re saying that starting from the class a month from now, I should participate in the advanced class?”

“That’s right.”

“…Why?”

I expressed doubt at the sudden storm that had blown in. I didn’t think I had done anything in the previous class that warranted such high evaluation.

“Actually, there’s one more reason why I decided to conduct the class this way from the first day.”

The circumstances Baek Jieun explained were as follows.

For the smooth progress of the advanced class, one more person was needed, and that supplement was requested from the lower class of the same subject, Comprehensive Combat Training.

So, to select that person, they raised the difficulty of the test a bit more.

At that, I shook my head. Even though I would have to meet them someday, I felt it was premature to get involved with the figures from the advanced class right away.

“I don’t know what I can do there. You must know that too, Professor.”

“Right, originally, I would have sent Choi Eunyool or Jeong Seungwon.”

“But why…?”

At my words filled with doubt, Baek Jieun changed her attitude and drew out a meaningful smile.

“I’ve never seen it in my life before.”

“Huh?”

“A person that relaxed in the first combat training class, which is practically an initiation ceremony.”

“…I knew you would stop it.”

“Even so, if they’re C or D-Rank, they usually can’t keep their wits about them like those guys.”

Baek Jieun kept grinning, as if there was another meaning in her words.

“Well, I figured with that much guts, you’d manage somehow even in the advanced class. Don’t worry too much. Even if you end up at the very bottom, your score will be recorded based on the lower class standard. Besides, since you were originally in the advanced class, you know a lot of people there anyway, right?”

It sounded convenient.

But refusing any further seemed pointless. It was clear from her expression that she intended to send me no matter what.

“By the way, who is the professor in charge?”

“Professor Choi Dowon.”

“…I’m definitely not going.”

However, it was just a hollow cry.

After twists and turns, the first day’s classes were all over.

It had been quite a while since I devoted myself to studies like this, so perhaps because of that, my body was more tired than I thought.

‘Even so, now might actually be a good time.’

From now on, as the story progresses, the Academy will get entangled in various incidents. That is unavoidable.

And now, before that.

Ding!

【Han Seoa: Oppa.】

【Han Seoa: Let’s talk after you’re done.】

First, I had to clear up a misunderstanding that wasn’t really a misunderstanding.

“…You came?”

A quiet rest area within the Academy grounds. Han Seoa, with her glossy navy blue hair tied in a ponytail, was sitting on a bench with her legs crossed.

“…Long time no see.”

Even though it was actually my first time meeting her, I threw out a harmless greeting for now.

However, Han Seoa already seemed bothered by something.

“Oppa is always like that.”

“Sorry.”

I didn’t know exactly, but I knew it was wise to apologize first. Han Seoa let out a deep sigh and then shot words at me.

“You said you were doing well? That school life was okay? We… we believed that and thought that was the case…”

Now I saw that the area around Han Seoa’s eyes was slightly reddened. In the gloomy atmosphere, I barely managed to blurt out an excuse.

“I’m fine now. I found a new sponsor. No problems at all.”

“Then what about before?”

Han Seoa could barely control her emotions, to the point where tears were almost welling up.

Biting her lip hard, Han Seoa spoke to me in a trembling voice.

“After the sponsorship was cut off, you didn’t even have money for food, so you went around hungry, or you got by helping other people with their assignments and getting food? Besides that, when you needed materials, you even went around begging for leftovers. I’ve already heard everything from the kids around you.”

“That’s…”

No, did he go that far?

It wasn’t mentioned in detail in the story, so I didn’t know. No wonder my classmates looked at me as if I were a beggar; there was a reason.

“Even if we’re not related by blood, weren’t we all family?”

“…We are family.”

“…Then did you think we would be happy with the money you saved up while living like that?”

I had no answer to that. After all, it was Han Kangyoon who acted, and I am not Han Kangyoon.

“Forget it. I don’t care anymore. You don’t have to send money anymore. I found a sponsor too. I’ll tell the director not to accept it no matter what happens.”

“……”

Han Seoa wiped her tears and left.

I couldn’t bring myself to stop her.

Before I knew it, a week had passed. I was concerned about Han Seoa, with whom I had parted on bad terms, but I thought taking immediate action would only backfire, so I didn’t move.

‘Time will solve this.’

Because of that, I focused normally on Academy life.

Of course, if you asked what my life had been like during that time, there wasn’t much difference.

‘Basically, the students avoid getting involved with me.’

The matter of the Comprehensive Combat Training class that Baek Jieun mentioned still had three weeks left before it was implemented. In the end, I was simply living a repetitive daily life.

‘Even so, there’s a lot to do.’

The first thing was related to Seo Jian.

Bobbing.

Swaying.

Splish-splash.*

“How is it?”

“You’ve improved a lot.”

It was lunchtime, and I was spending time with Seo Jian at a rest area in front of the lake on the school grounds.

Of course, it wasn’t for romantic reasons like having lunch together or anything.

“But it would be better if you could do form transformation faster. The Art Formula itself is structured for that too.”

“…I’ll try to improve it.”

Originally, Seo Jian, unlike other students who generally attended classes, was guaranteed a personal curriculum.

It was because she majored in such a minor series. The professors must have been troubled, but they couldn’t ignore her either since she poured enormous investment funds into the school, so the school side made arrangements in their own way.

However, after starting the semester as a second-year, Seo Jian attended classes together with other students.

When asked the reason, the answer came back as if it were nothing strange.

“…You’re the one teaching me this. Of course, that way is more efficient.”

As she said, I had been helping Seo Jian’s training in every way possible lately.

‘Unless Yoo Haon’s Demon-Suppressing Trait, which holds a large share in the story, exists, I need to prepare a card to fill that gap.’

The Demon-Suppressing Trait is an all-rounder trait that can reliably deal damage against almost all types of enemies.

But now that it’s gone, to tackle the numerous formidable enemies that will appear in the future, numerical advantage and type advantage battles are essential.

In other words, it means the importance of talents like Seo Jian, who have clearly defined specialties, has increased.

‘It’s time to increase the number of cards in my hand as much as possible.’

Thanks to spending a considerable amount of time together in training, even Seo Jian, who initially maintained a completely businesslike stance, was showing a bit of trust.

‘Not a bad situation.’

So far, it could be said to be going smoothly. Except for one concerning point.

‘The Yeongwoldo incident, which could be considered the most dangerous situation in the early part of the story.’

Originally, it’s the very event where Han Kangyoon gets sacrificed.

However, Bihyeong, the main culprit of the incident and one of the executives of the anti-social militant group Night School, had not contacted me.

That is, it meant he had made new contact with someone else to take my empty spot.

That someone was highly likely to be in Class C or Class D.

The original Han Kangyoon was like that, and those with desperate motives were usually students from the lower ranks rather than the upper ones.

‘That’s why I carefully observed the surrounding trends for a week. But I couldn’t even find any suspicious circumstances.’

What do C and D-Rank students want?

Talent and power.

And if they had it, it would inevitably show.

Simply put, their skills would have improved compared to before, and they themselves would want to reveal it and be recognized.

For that reason, the current situation was a bit strange.

‘I know the other three who will become Sacrifices…’

But if I don’t know the last one, it’s ultimately meaningless.

‘I need to broaden the search range for now.’

In that respect, Professor Choi Dowon’s mischief actually helped.

Thanks to the Comprehensive Combat Training subject he inserted, I would soon be able to get acquainted with advanced class figures, and in another subject, the 1-on-1 Exchange, I could communicate with first-year juniors.

‘This is the first step, I guess.’

【13:10 / 1-on-1 Exchange and Joint Training】

Since the main purpose is interaction between seniors and juniors, the 1-on-1 Exchange class, which was first held now, a week after the school opening, allowing for some leeway.

It was right around the corner.