I Became the Academy’s Genius Shikigami Summoner – Chapter 22.2

Cheong Haram, who was next to her, muttered in an unpleasant voice. However, she was subtly avoiding my gaze while doing so.

Seeing that, I was convinced that the safety device was working properly.

“Huh? I already knew. I checked all the survivors at the top earlier.”

“I didn’t say it because I didn’t know.”

Cheong Haram covered Sophia’s mouth with her hand, looking fed up.

Her nature must have felt quite awkward to Cheong Haram.

She was the complete opposite of her.

“So, why did you come?”

Sophia smiled brightly and gave me a slightly sharp look.

I smiled back and replied.

“To get some more points.”

“. . .Hmm. That sounds like you’re saying you came to break our boundary stone?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s impossible.”

Sophia stated flatly without any hesitation.

“I’m glad to see that you’ve improved. To be honest, I’d like to just let you have it. But. . .after all, the score of the entire class is at stake~”

She didn’t seem to think that we could take it away with our skills.

There was no need for further conversation. I exchanged glances with Cheong Juhwa, who was next to me, and we dispersed and charged into battle.

Bam!

「𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙.」

It was the shikigami that I had used against the first-year Class B students before.

At my call, Earthbound desperately dug up the ground, trying to collapse the ground beneath the opponent’s feet.

However,

“I already saw it.”

Whoosh.

Clang!

A small-scale barrier technique was deployed at just the right time, and Earthbound was trapped, unable to move.

As expected, my concealment technique didn’t work on an opponent of this level.

But that was okay. I didn’t think it would work in the first place.

Crash!

“Azure Serpent Binding!”

Cheong Juhwa, who had scattered, cast a talisman from the top of a tree and deployed a unique binding technique of the Cheong family.

Kee-ing!

Rumble.

“Ouch.”

Sophia was tied up as a result of that neat and quick attack, and Cheong Haram canceled the technique she had been preparing and hurriedly dodged.

“You’re much faster than during the practical training. . .?”

With a small exclamation, Cheong Haram, who had a distorted expression, shouted at Cheong Juhwa.

“How did you, who was kicked out of the family. . .”

“Is there any particular reason? It wasn’t particularly difficult.”

It was certainly a unique spell, but it was only an intermediate-level technique. It must have been easy to imitate. For Cheong Juhwa, who had the only EX-rank technique ability score in the first part.

“As expected, the illusion that Han Kang-yoon used in the midterm evaluation was also you. . .”

“I didn’t tell her about that.”

In any case, while a good argument was taking place, Sophia, who was still smiling leisurely, countered by breaking the restraints in one breath.

“Tri-Flow Quicksand Array.”

The dirt rose from the ground, blocking my vision. At the same time, a small-scale barrier, identical to the one that had trapped Earthbound, was created, restraining my whole body.

「𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝.」

Even if I had deployed a defensive technique, I wouldn’t have been able to withstand it with this level of strength.

Sophia, who had captured me, said with a smile.

“Kang Yoon is out!”

At the same time, Cheong Haram, who had been preparing an attack technique, pointed her finger at me.

“. . .I didn’t want to end it so pointlessly.”

She glared at me with displeasure and tried to recite the invocation for her spell. However, her mouth suddenly stopped moving as if it had frozen.

“Haram?”

“Ugh, w-wait a minute. . .”

Watching Cheong Haram stagger as if her condition had suddenly worsened, I finally felt that it was time to put my plan into action.

「𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙁𝙤𝙭.」

『King!』

As I gave the command in my mind, a howling sound, like that of a wolf, began to spread from a slightly distant location.

『──!』

And after a while, black bugs emerged from the bushes with a rustling sound.

They were of various kinds, including wasps, poisonous insects, and even small reptiles.

“Hick?”

Cheong Haram grimaced, and Sophia, who had tied me up, let out a muffled groan and froze.

「𝘼𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨.」

Sophia really hates bugs. Especially the kind with many legs, like centipedes.

“A present.”

At my words, Sophia’s frozen expression changed completely. It was as if she was a different person from just a moment ago.

“. . .Hey. If you came here to do something like this, even my country would be a little angry.”

Hwaaak!

Woosh.

In an instant, the air around them changed 180 degrees.

「𝙋𝙝𝙚𝙬.」

The bugs, which had been advancing vigorously, began to fall over and die, and I, who had been tied up, also grimaced at the strong sense of oppression.

It was truly a monstrous amount of spiritual power. Just by releasing it, it was affecting the surroundings.

“. . .I’m done playing around.”

Sophia began to walk towards me, as if she was going to devour me. I, too, had never felt this kind of pressure in person, so my surprised heart wouldn’t calm down.

However, this, too, was something that I had naturally anticipated.

“. . .Hey! The boundary stone!”

Cheong Haram, who had been feeling unwell since earlier, shouted with difficulty.

Crack.

Snap.

The only boundary stone of Class A was being affected by the spiritual power radiation that exceeded the allowable limit.

“Ack!”

Sophia, who was shocked, hurriedly withdrew her spiritual power. And right now, this was the gap that I had been waiting for.

“Barrier-Eating Void.”

An intermediate-level curse technique specialized in eroding barriers.

With the adjustment of the karma value, I was able to break through Sophia’s barrier even in a situation where the situation was unstable.

“What?”

The spell that I deployed by gathering four beads of Baryok Beads’ spiritual power not only freed me, but also Earthbound in the ground.

“Earthbound!”

『Goooo.』

Bam!

My shikigami, which had been released from the barrier, sank into the ground in an instant.

And It continued to move. To the bedrock where Class A’s boundary stone was located.

“. . .W-Wait a minute! Are you seriously going there?”

Sophia muttered as if she found it absurd, but to make matters worse, the bugs that had regained their senses due to her withdrawing her spiritual power were also approaching.

“Ugh!”

Even in the harsh condition of having to deal with everything by herself because Cheong Haram couldn’t move, Sophia was indeed worthy of her reputation.

Whoosh.

Rumble.

First, she neatly neutralized the bugs with a perfectly adjusted release of spiritual power.

Then, using the roots of trees that moved with her special spell, she lifted the boundary stone from the ground, along with the bedrock, to block my attack.

“Amazing. I’m honestly impressed. But. . .”

From above Sophia’s head, someone’s presence could be felt. It was Cheong Juhwa, who had just dodged Sophia’s spell and hidden herself with a concealment technique.

Flutter.

『Chirp!』

『Squeak!』

Cheong Juhwa, who was floating in the air with the help of two Black Birds, quickly descended and raided the boundary stone behind Sophia.

“Rending Wave.”

Crackle!

Sophia tried to defend herself belatedly, but it was too late.

She was distracted by me in the ground and the bugs on the surface, so she didn’t notice Cheong Juhwa’s concealment technique and reacted too slowly.

“Ah. A-ack. . .? A. . .ah. . .?”

Sophia just stared blankly at it as if she had lost her mind.

『2-A Class Camp, boundary stone Destroyed.』

And almost at the same time, one more alarm rang out.

『2-B Class Camp, boundary stone Destroyed.』

It was the moment when the only remaining first-year Class A became the winner of the exam by fishing in troubled waters.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

“. . .The overall level is quite high.”

Inside Yeongwol Island, the temporary main building that served as the control tower for the exam and where the accompanying teachers stayed.

The supervisors gathered there were evaluating the contents of the exam with serious expressions.

“Certainly, compared to 10 years ago, the students these days. . .well, what can I say? They’re amazing.”

“When I was in school, there weren’t many people who could use intermediate-level techniques like that.”

“The skills of the upper-class students in particular are beyond reproach. In fact, if it was Miss Charlotte, she wouldn’t be inferior to a B-rank yokai, would she?”

After a moment of silence, one of the supervisors who had been exclaiming opened his mouth.

“. . .The fact that the times are changing might not be completely absurd.”

Just as the younger generation was gradually emerging, the monsters that threatened people were also becoming stronger day by day.

Everyone present was clearly aware that something was changing.

“Well, it seems like the scores are about settled. Let’s talk about something else. There are a few students who are worried after all.”

“Are you talking about Miss Cheong Juhwa?”

At those words, many of the supervisors nodded unconsciously. She stood out even among the first-year freshmen who could be called top-class.

“Huh. Is the speed at which she deploys her techniques even reasonable? When I first saw it, I thought I was getting old.”

“To be honest, she’s a lot faster than me.”

“What about the completion rate? Who the hell put her in Class B?”

At those words, one supervisor, who had been hesitating and not participating in the conversation, opened his mouth.

“I-I did. . .But she was ordinary back then. . .”

At those words, all the supervisors shut their mouths. It was understandable. They all knew, at least roughly, about the internal affairs of the Cheong family.

Then, the one who had started the conversation in the first place opened his mouth again.

“I didn’t mean her, though.”

“. . .Han Kang-yoon, I suppose.”

This time, too, everyone nodded as if they understood.

“He’s definitely improved. And by a lot.”

“See. What did I say? I said something changed, didn’t I?”

The one who was sitting with his legs crossed and looking bored let out a complaint. It was Baek Ji-eun, who was in charge of the lower-level Comprehensive Combat Practice class.

“I guess the talent that had been dormant has finally shown itself.”

“To be honest, it was strange. He seemed to be working really hard, but he wasn’t growing at all.”

“It’s a blessing in disguise. He’s being rewarded for his efforts.”

However, on the other hand, there were those who expressed negative opinions.

“But, he’s a little. . .dark, I guess.”

“Certainly, his methods are. . .not exactly exemplary.”

Of course, Cheonghwa Academy’s top priority was the growth of its students, but that didn’t mean that they could neglect the mental aspect.

“. . .The enemy is not just evil spirits.”

The power held by those who are possessed by bad thoughts is, in fact, nothing more than a weapon. Even now, there are those who are running wild somewhere in the world.

“But it’s not enough to express concern, is it? He’s a student who risked his life to protect his classmates even in the Forbidden Arts class.”

“That’s true, but. . .after all, the type of spell he uses is, well, a little. . .”

“. . .Heh. I can’t deny that.”

Over Go Daehye’s shoulder, who was answering with a shrug, a graceful woman with long silver hair smiled.

It was Yoo Hye-jin, who was the chief supervisor of this first semester’s comprehensive exam and also a 1st-class exorcist.

“If that’s the case, why don’t we check it out in the next exam?”

“. . .Next exam?”

“Yes. It just so happens that we have the perfect opponent. Since the second exam requires team formation, let’s put them together.”

“. . .Are you talking about that first-year girl? Well, if it goes well, we might be able to get a glimpse of his fundamental nature. It doesn’t seem like a bad idea.”

“Then let’s do that. After all, they’re barely eighteen years old. It’s not good to be too involved, is it?”

That’s not wrong. It’s just that it’s better to be careful.

At Yoo Hye-jin’s suggestion, the supervisors all nodded.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

Immediately after the first exam ended, the students were instructed to gather and take a break, reflecting the fact that they had all been mentally exhausted.

And the next day. It was time for the team formation for the second exam.

「. . .𝙊𝙛 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚.」

I couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan as I looked at the name of the teammate that appeared on my terminal.

『Han Seo-ah』

「. . .𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙝.」

It was a moment when my sigh deepened.

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