I Became the Academy’s Genius Shikigami Summoner

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟑

“. . . . . . .”

The second test is conducted in teams of three students.

So, along with Han Seo-ah and me, one more person was added to the team.

It was Johan, a foreign exchange student from Class A, first year.

“Uh. . . .”

Sensing the subtle tension hanging between Han Seo-ah and me, Johan hesitated, unable to even greet us.

Han Seo-ah let out a short sigh and spoke,

“. . . . . . This test is important for me and for Oppa. I’m still mad.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Fortunately, Han Seo-ah seemed to have decided to focus on the test for now.

She sounded dissatisfied, but it didn’t seem like she held a grudge anymore. It must’ve been her way of sulking.

Relieved, I immediately started thinking.

The rules of the second test were not very complicated.

We had to move in teams of three, hunting down the yokai released all over Yeongwol Island.

We would get higher scores for capturing stronger monsters, and the supervisors would evaluate and give additional scores based on our performance.

At first glance, it might seem like a pretty dangerous test, but the unleashed monsters were restricted, so they could only act in self-defense.

In other words, they couldn’t directly attack the students.

「. . . 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮.」

However, the situation changes completely at some point during the test.

That’s because the real Yeongwol Island incident begins with this second test.

「𝙄𝙩 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘽𝙞-𝙝𝙮𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜.」

Just by manipulating the monsters scattered everywhere, he could cause chaos.

It would’ve been difficult under normal circumstances, but it’s possible for Bi-hyeong, a 「𝙃𝙖𝙡𝙛-𝘿𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙣」, to exert dominance over inferior beings.

「𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨. . . . . . .」

That’s when Bi-hyeong’s real plan begins.

He will use the summoned high-ranking monsters to intensify the chaos and try to perform an outrageous ritual using the sacrifices he prepared in advance.

Bi-hyeong’s reason for carrying out such a plan was simple.

「𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎-𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙔𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙬𝙤𝙡 𝙄𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙.」

To be honest, it would be catastrophic if it woke up.

At least, there was no one on this island who could stand up to it. It was a being estimated to be close to level 70, though it had never been officially disclosed.

「𝙊𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮.」

In other words, if it were to awaken, there’s a possibility that everyone here would be annihilated.

The incident that Han Kang-yoon’s sacrifice, the actions of the main and supporting characters, and the supervisors’ follow-up efforts were barely able to resolve.

「𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛, 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚.」

That’s why I’ve been strengthening myself and preparing thoroughly until now.

There must’ve been countless butterfly effects caused by my actions so far, but the original history can’t possibly exist since the moment I entered Han Kang-yoon’s body.

「𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨.」

I steeled my resolve and, after briefly asking my teammates for their understanding, slipped away somewhere.

It was time to retrieve the last card that I might need in case of unforeseen variables in Bi-hyeong’s scheme, which I would soon face.

“. . . What did you do to me?”

Cheong Haram, who seemed to be suppressing her anger, was waiting at the place I went to.

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb. I’ve been feeling strange ever since that day.”

On the day of the mid-term evaluation of the Comprehensive Combat Practice advanced class, I had implanted a specially-made shikigami in the unconscious Cheong Haram’s mind.

I had explained it as a miniaturized Phantom Nightmare.

As I said, the Phantom Nightmare is a being that exists in reality but whose consciousness is always wandering in a nightmare.

The one I implanted in Cheong Haram was a special entity created using those traits.

“You’re talking nonsense. Even if I did something, there must be many people around you who can fix it.”

She wasn’t wrong.

Cheong Haram was the rising star of the Cheong family, one of the Three Great Houses, so the highly-skilled individuals in her family could easily deal with minor curses or jinxes.

「𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙢 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩’𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙤 𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩.」

However, that’s only true if the right approach is taken.

“. . . . . . Couldn’t fix it.”

“What?”

“I said I couldn’t fix it.”

Cheong Haram confessed to me with a voice full of frustration.

“Do you know how strange I feel every time I wake up in the morning? It’s like I had a weird dream, but I can’t remember it. I can’t concentrate, and my mind is always foggy.”

Of course. I had guided her into that state in the first place.

“But my family members say there’s nothing wrong, and my father even publicly humiliated me, telling me to stop being so weak. All of this started happening after I fought you that day, so you’re saying it’s unrelated?”

“To be honest, it’s not completely unrelated.”

“Ugh!”