I Became the Academy’s Genius Shikigami Summoner – Chapter 37.1

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟕

̇ȧ̇𝔴𝙚𝐛𝘴ᴛ𝚘ʀ𝐢𝚎ṡ.ᴄȯ̇ṁ

“What are you planning to do with the bloodline that the Cheong family abandoned?”

“I don’t have any specific plans. I didn’t collect it, either.”

“Then what is it? You’re in a different grade.”

“For now, it’s because we’re a team.”

“You’re really a strange one.”

However, unlike last time, Cheong Ji-yeon did not seem hostile.

“You’ll face a lot of opposition. Those guys are crazy about their bloodline. You might even end up in a direct conflict with the Cheong family.”

“. . . . . .”

“Cheong So-ha is exceptional, but you shouldn’t assume that she can block all threats just because she’s a back-line supporter.”

“I know.”

But that didn’t matter.

Since I had already acted as Jin-myeong’s subordinate in front of Cheong So-ha, I was destined to clash with her and  the Cheong family sooner or later.

Furthermore, Cheong Juhwa was an essential asset if I was to consider the events that would follow. I definitely needed to get her on my side.

“I know Mr. Sa-woon personally.”

I was slightly surprised by her words. Cheong Sa-woon was Cheong Juhwa’s father.

“If you ever try to use her as a disposable pawn, I won’t forgive you.”

“. . . That won’t happen. She’s someone I need as well.”

Cheong Ji-yeon nodded slightly after hearing my words.

Then, she touched her collar and unfastened the necklace hanging from it.

Clatter.

It was a necklace with the Blue Heart Jade, one of the three key artifacts of the Cheong family. I stared at the item that Cheong Ji-yeon was offering me with a surprised expression.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“It seems like you want it. Your eyes kept going to it last time.”

Was that really the case?

I received it with a bewildered face. Cheong Ji-yeon continued, lost in her memories.

“It’s something I was forced to take care of anyway. The original owner said he wouldn’t mind if I gave it to someone who wanted it someday.”

That was the inside story of something I didn’t know.

Either way, this was an incredible achievement. If I could have the Blue Heart Jade, it would be a vital key for the future story.

“I don’t return gifts once I receive them.”

“I wouldn’t accept it even if you gave it back. Consider it a deposit.”

At those words, I immediately put the Blue Heart Jade around my neck. Then, I suddenly felt curious and asked hesitantly.

“What’s this about a deposit all of a sudden?”

“If you received it, go.”

Thud.

From behind the closed door, I heard Cheong Ji-yeon’s short laughter.

I felt the same way last time, but she’s truly an incomprehensible person. I sighed and slowly walked away.

I carefully touched the Blue Heart Jade around my neck while thinking about the future in my head.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

𝔞ᴡ𝔢𝕓𝚜𝕥ȯ̇𝐫𝙞ᴇs.𝘤𝚘𝐦

Finally, the short but long Defense Corps internship was over.

There were moments when my heart sank due to unexpected crises, but in the end, I succeeded in gaining the best possible outcome.

「𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.」

TING.

【Han Kang-yoon】

▶Level 32

▶Ability Scores

【Stamina: C+】

【Spiritual Power: B-】

【Spellcraft: B-】

【Mental Strength: B+】

▶Traits (4/10)】

【Shadow Assimilation (S)】

【Spirit Absorption (A-)】

【Mental Spellbook (B)】

【Revived Person (B-)】

First of all, my level increased by two stages, and I acquired my first A-rank trait, although it came with a negative.

「𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝘼𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙛.」

Furthermore, I won’t have to worry about running out of fuel for a while, thanks to absorbing the hundreds of thousands of vengeful spirits that were attached to the Fire Demon.

It could truly be called rapid progress.

“. . . Burn it?”

Next to me, the Fire Demon asked me with a blank expression.

The words were menacing, but she was probably just talking to me because she was happy to see me in a good mood.

For some reason, her appearance was endearing, so I lightly stroked the Fire Demon’s head.

Sniff.

Rub.

“Come to think of it, what’s her name?”

Cheong Juhwa, who had been watching us, asked curiously.

The status window says Fire Horned Ogre, but that’s just a classification based on species, so it can hardly be considered a name.

“I don’t think she has one.”

“Then why don’t you give her one?”

Indeed, a name is important to a shikigami summoner. It was a way to strengthen the connection with the familiar and bring out greater synergy.

I pondered for a moment and looked at the Fire Demon, who was staring at me blankly.

She had golden hair that reached down to her neck and a short bob cut. On top of that, the way she followed me around without a care in the world reminded me of a dog I used to have in the countryside.

I glanced at Cheong Juhwa and replied.

“Ggot-ddal-yi?”

“. . . Are you serious?”

In the end, after a dramatic 30-minute debate, the Fire Demon’s name was compromised to Ggong-sam-yi.

It was a bit tiring, but seeing Ggong-sam-yi, who seemed happy in her own way, made me think that it wasn’t so bad.

「𝘽𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮. . . . . . .」

After parting ways with Cheong Juhwa, I sat down and fell into deep thought.

Through the Yeongwol Island raid and the recent Red Oni incident, a fundamental question began to gnaw at my mind.

「𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙖 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚.」

However, there’s also something called the flow of the story. There must be a turning point somewhere, and events should change accordingly, but for some reason, things are happening out of the blue in places that are strangely different from what I remember.

First, there was the protagonist Yoo Ha-on’s Anti-Demon trait, then the changes in Geusdae’s resurrection ritual and the appearance of the Cow Headed Demon.

It’s still too early to say that the butterfly effect has occurred since I haven’t done much yet, but how on earth did Bi-hyeong change the lineup of monsters that appear in the ritual and incident that he had been preparing for in advance?

I didn’t even have the slightest chance to change anything about Yoo Ha-on’s Anti-Demon trait.

That’s why I had a question.

Could it be that this world has a different storyline than the exorcism 1 part that I know?

And coincidentally enough, I knew one piece of information that could support that hypothesis.

「𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙.」

Originally, the world of exorcism 1 that I entered had three difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, and Hard.

However, as the popularity of the game gradually increased, curious users dug into the game files and discovered the existence of a fourth, unreleased difficulty level.

It didn’t have an official name. However, users called it this:

「𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙮.」

The changes in the events and the protagonist Yoo Ha-on losing his Anti-Demon trait. Could it be that all of those things were just mere coincidences?

「𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙮.」

I was certain.

My intuition as a player and my instincts as a developer were telling me the answer.

「𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩.」

The place I was in right now was the world of exorcism 1’s Hell difficulty that no one had ever cleared before.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

𝔞ᴡ𝐞𝘣s𝐭𝔬𝚛𝕚𝘦𝐬.𝕔𝐨𝔪

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