I Became the Academy’s Genius Shikigami Summoner – Chapter 198

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗𝟖

Every curse has a price, and the greater the price, the greater the power.

Thus, having already accepted my own death, I used it as material to inflict a powerful curse that would slowly eat away at Cheong Woon-do’s body.

I glanced ahead and saw Cheong Woon-do’s bewildered expression through my slowly dimming vision.

I leisurely distanced myself and spoke to Cheong Woon-do.

“It’s over.”

“Kuk. Don’t make me laugh! A mere curse like this. . . . . .!”

“I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to dispel it anytime soon.”

Cheong Woon-do desperately resisted the curse with all his might.

I could tell by his noticeably slower casting speed that Cheong Woon-do was indeed an exceptional exorcist.

However, even an exorcist like Cheong Woon-do would not be able to dispel a curse that I, an exorcist of my caliber, had created using my own life as material.

At the very least, it was clear that he was at a severe disadvantage in this battle.

“. . .Then I’ll just finish you off before the curse takes hold.”

Cheong Woon-do narrowed the distance between us at an incredible speed after finishing his sentence.

He was faster and more powerful than before.

But I’m sorry, I’m not the one who would be caught off guard by that.

Swoosh!

Boom!

“What. . . . . . . ?”

“It’s not that difficult if you have the will to dodge.”

Cheong Woon-do’s strike, which he had calculated based on my movement, was absolutely unavoidable.

However, that was only possible when he was at his full strength.

“No way, you, before. . . . . .!”

“You’re a bit slow on the uptake. It should be obvious when you think about it.”

Cheong Woon-do was certainly formidable, but that didn’t mean he was an opponent that I couldn’t handle for a moment.

I had intentionally lured him into a false sense of security in order to inflict the curse, but if I were to go all out, Cheong Woon-do would not be able to easily close the distance on me.

「𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙬.」

Cheong Woon-do was unable to use his full potential due to the curse, while I had gained optimal condition with the second phase of Shadow Assimilation.

【Han Kang-yoon】

▶Level 49(54)

▶Ability Scores

【Stamina: C+(B)】

【Spiritual power : B(A-)】

【Spellcraft: B-(A)】

【Mental Strength: A-(A+)】

▶Trait(10/10)

【Shadow Assimilation(S)】

【Witch’s Echo(A+)】

【Dragon’s Body(A+)】

【Spirit Absorption(A)】

【Challenger(B+)】

【Mental Spellbook(B)】

【Revived Person(B-)】

【Emergency Evasion(B-)】

【Hawk Eye(C+)】

【Strong Bones(C-)】

Considering that I had been holding back, my current movements were worlds apart from before.

For Cheong Woon-do, this must have been the most confusing of all.

“Keuk. . . . . . . .”

The curse was eating away at his body, and his poor condition made it difficult for him to adapt to my movements.

Judging by his condition, he must have already lost half of his vision in his remaining eye.

In effect, Cheong Woon-do was all but certain to be defeated.

「𝙄𝙛 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮. . . . . . . . .」

Unfortunately, Cheong Woon-do cannot use grand spells. He has not yet mastered the necessary techniques, and he himself has not yet reached the realm of perfect spiritual enlightenment.

“. . .All of you, come out.”

Swish.

Puff!

Boom!

At my command, other shikigami that had been lurking in the shadows revealed themselves one after another.

Shikigami such as Dudooree and Tae Baek-se, as well as several yokai that I had subjugated during the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.

I strengthened Hwa Baek and Geusdae, who were at the forefront, with the dark mist of the Yin-Yang Orb, and I drove the cornered Cheong Woon-do into a corner by sending the shikigami in waves.

“Damn it!”

Boom!

Boom!

Roar!

Cheong Woon-do was a beast in the truest sense of the word.

The situation had already turned as bad as it could possibly get, but he still showed no sign of giving up and continued to slaughter the shikigami.

However, that was as far as he could go.

The current Cheong Woon-do could not break through all of those attacks to reach me, and the curse that he had failed to dispel continued to eat away at his body.

「𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙜𝙤 𝙨𝙤 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.」

Once you get caught in the net, you can take the lead from there and engage in a one-sided war of attrition.

The only thing that can overcome it is overwhelming power or skill that is on par with it.

However, as I have said countless times, there are very few people who can surpass me in terms of skill, and Cheong Woon-do did not have the overwhelming power to make up for it.

Perhaps the end of this match was a foregone conclusion.

Thud!

“Keuheuk. . . . . . . .”

Cheong Woon-do finally reached his limit and fell to his knees, a stream of black blood flowing from his mouth.

I slowly approached him and stopped just outside his reach before finally speaking.

“. . .Any last words?”

“Gurgle! Spare. . . me.”

Cheong Woon-do said, his head bowed. He said he would give me anything I wanted.

However, I knew all too well that his words were false.

His mind was probably racing with thoughts of how he could land a surprise attack on me.

「𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙣-𝙙𝙤. . . . . . . . .」

I pondered for the last time, weighing his worth.

And unfortunately, the answer was not much different from the first.

“I have no need for you.”

Boom!

Boom!

Geusdae’s hand swung, and Cheong Woon-do’s head flew into the sky.

In the midst of what could be considered a gruesome spectacle, my expression remained unchanged.

That was because Cheong Woon-do’s existence meant nothing to the ending of the story I was writing.

With a bitter feeling in my heart at the thought, I slowly shifted my gaze.

Thud.

Roll.

A face completely disfigured, rolling around on the dirt floor covered in footprints.

It was the pathetic end of the one who was once called the madman of the Cheong family.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

When I returned after finishing everything, the azure dragon guarding Cheong Juhwa looked at me with a complicated expression.

『You are already wielding a power that has strayed from the path of reason.』

“It’s just the nature of my birth, I haven’t done anything particularly strange.”

『. . .I had no intention of scolding you. The child’s condition has improved, so do not worry.』

Indeed, as he said, Cheong Juhwa was now sleeping soundly with a peaceful expression on her face.

She must have been very tired after being chased around all day.

Whoosh.

Rumble!

I clapped my hands once and retracted the barrier that I had set up with the azure dragon.

In truth, it didn’t matter much now, but I didn’t want to reveal the power of the Shadow Assimilation trait in public for the time being.

That’s what made it possible to perfectly exploit the opponent’s weakness like this.

When I went outside, the battle between the elders had also reached a certain point.

“As expected, Cheong So-ha-nim has won.”

『She is very talented. Even in ancient times, there were few exorcists who reached that level.』

Unlike Cheong So-ha, who showed no visible injuries, the hostile elders, including Cheong Do-yool, were all gasping for breath with expressions of disbelief.

Neither side had completely collapsed, but the sight of them made it clear who the victor was.

“This is embarrassing. How could you possibly have such power. . . . . . . .”

Cheong Do-yool seemed to still have a lot on his mind, but the other elders didn’t seem to want to continue fighting.

Even the hardliner 8th Elder, Cheong Kang-hoon, was like that, so there was nothing more they could really do.

Cheong So-ha looked at their completely bowed heads and slowly opened her mouth after sheathing the Blue-White Sword.

“It seems that the outcome has been decided. If there are any who disagree, come forward now.”

“. . . . . . . .”

“Then, from this moment on, all hostilities between us are forbidden. Everyone, stand down.”

At that first command, the elders clicked their tongues but ordered their troops to cease fighting.

Cheong So-ha continued to speak to them after a moment of contemplation.

“If you wish, I will guarantee your current privileges.”

“. . .What? What are you thinking?”

At the sudden and unexpected declaration, there was a murmur among the elders.

However, Cheong So-ha seemed to have made up her mind and continued to speak without concern.

“These are unstable times. There is no telling when this chaos will end, or whether something even greater will come our way. I cannot handle everything on my own.”

“. . . . . . . .”

“Do you understand what I mean? It is no longer time for us to bicker and watch each other’s every move.”

Cheong So-ha added one last word to the bewildered elders.

“Important matters will be decided through meetings as before. However, from now on, it should not be about internal rivalry but about external threats. And from now on, anyone who causes discord in the family for personal gain will be punished directly by me.”

Cheong So-ha’s strength had already been proven by this war.

In other words, this was a gesture of respect for the elders while also giving them one last chance.

「. . .𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙙𝙜𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.」

Since they have already suffered one defeat, they will have no choice but to watch Cheong So-ha’s every move in their future actions.

If another problem arises, they will be dealt with without question.

It seemed that she had come to this conclusion after sorting out her grudge with Jin-myeong.

“Ahem, well, if you’re going to do that. . . . . . . . .”

“We could not ask for more. Rather, it is too much.”

Although Cheong So-ha’s decision was quite a concession, the elders were secretly nodding their heads in approval.

Cheong Do-yool also seemed displeased, but he seemed to accept the outcome.

Thus, the Cheong family’s turmoil, which had centered around Jin-myeong, came to an end before its full-scale plan could even begin.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

Cheong Juhwa, who had woken up from her sleep, tilted her head as she looked at the ceiling of the old-fashioned house and the azure dragon curled up beside it.

“. . .What happened?”

『You slept for a long time. The fight is all over.』

“It’s over? But then. . . . . . . .”

Cheong Juhwa couldn’t understand the situation.

After all, Cheong Juhwa had no side in that war, regardless of who won.

At the very least, it was strange that she was being treated so well.

The answer to that was soon found in her own memory.

「𝙉𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩, 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙. . . . . . . . .」

For some reason, she saw Han Kang-yoon, who had been captured by Yangcheolgung.

Surely his presence must have changed something about the situation.

As Cheong Juhwa continued to imagine this and that, the azure dragon continued.

『If there is nothing wrong with your body, please wake up for a moment. Someone is waiting for you.』

“. . .Who?”

『The ones you are thinking of right now.』

At that, Cheong Juhwa followed the azure dragon’s lead and slowly opened the old-fashioned door and stepped out.

And soon after, she was able to meet Han Kang-yoon and Cheong So-ha, who were sitting in the same room drinking tea.

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