𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟎
𝔞ᴡ𝘦𝚋ṡ̇ṫ̇ᴏ𝕣𝘪𝙚𝔰.𝙘𝕠𝕞
Hektel’s soul had been absorbed, and I again summoned Ggong-sam-yi to cleanly burn the body with Cleansing Fire.
I wanted to erase all traces, and also show respect to the opponent who had risked their life and fought me.
「𝙄𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨, 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮.」
However, taking care of Hektel here was a great accomplishment.
If he had somehow managed to survive and come back to life, it was obvious that he would have caused endless problems, just like this incident.
「. . . 𝙄𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩, 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 2𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙬 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙣𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙣.」
Hektel, who was the most compatible opponent, was in such a state.
For the time being, it would be better to avoid encountering other members of the Yahwak. Depending on the situation, I might really die if I were to fight them.
As I finished cleaning up all traces of the battle, I felt the voodoo seed’s influence, which had been enveloping the entire academy, start to disappear.
Yoo Ha-on’s group must have succeeded in removing the seed with the help of the exorcists.
“It was a good thing I sent them.”
With this, the festival event and the assassination of the dean could be considered completely resolved.
I had somehow managed to overcome the biggest obstacle in Chapter 2 of the story.
As I was thinking about this, my body began to sway and my eyes closed involuntarily.
It was a side effect of the 2nd phase of Shadow Assimilation, which I had experienced before.
“Sori-soe.”
Swish.
Poof!
『What is it?』
“Carry me and Ggong-sam-yi to a safe place.”
『. . . I understand. I’ll do that.』
I thought it was strange that he was obediently following my orders, but I guess he was a little intimidated by my 2nd phase state, seeing a power beyond his imagination.
I grinned at the sight and entrusted my body to the enlarged Sori-soe’s back.
And so, once again, my consciousness sank deep into my mind.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
ᴀᴡ𝘦𝘣s𝐭𝔬𝚛𝕚𝘦𝐬.𝕔𝐨𝔪
When I regained consciousness, there was nothing particularly special.
People who had been hiding in the shelter came out one by one, and the academy staff and Defense Corps exorcists were doing their best to manage the situation.
“Kang-yoon! You’re safe. Are you hurt? Oh, looking at you here, it seems like you’re a little injured.”
And now, I was lying in a hastily prepared medical vehicle with other patients.
In fact, I didn’t have any serious injuries because I had died and come back to life once, but my appearance was such a mess and my physical condition wasn’t good, so I obediently followed the instructions.
“Were there any particular problems in the shelter?”
“Hmm. . . . . . Problems? A pretty strong enemy showed up, and there was a lot of damage here and there from the fight. The front gate was broken too.”
Sophia had a hard time with that enemy, so it must have been the shadow of someone quite powerful.
However, I almost fell out of my seat in surprise at Sophia’s next words.
“It was someone with about half of their face covered in bandages and wearing a ragged robe, right?”
“. . . . . . .”
Anyone would know that it was Hektel’s shadow. I barely managed to hide my agitation and hurriedly asked Sophia.
“What about the injured people?”
“Oh, Ji-hak got hurt a little while protecting people, but it’s not serious. He’s the toughest in his grade.”
I let out a sigh of relief at her words.
After all, even if the target was a monster like Hektel, the voodoo seed’s ability wouldn’t have been able to properly manifest even half of its power.
From what I felt, even a clone of a 1st-grade exorcist wouldn’t have been much different from a 2nd-grader.
It probably could only use elementary spells at best, right?
Sophia looked at me and, with an innocent smile, began to tell me about what had happened elsewhere.
“I also met with the current exorcists, and they said there was an incredibly strong doppelganger on their side too. Are you curious, Kang Yoon?”
“What’s there to be curious about? It was probably just a copy of a nearby 1st-grade exorcist.”
At my words, Sophia shook one finger, gesturing that I was wrong.
“Well, you see, it was wearing a Cheonghwa Academy uniform.”
“A uniform?”
“Yeah. And apparently it was a male student. But when people heard about his appearance, they said it wasn’t Ji-hak or any of the seniors from the graduating class, so everyone is curious.”
“. . . Did the soul of a buried corpse pop out or something?”
It was a mystery that the students would love, but it was certainly strange.
If it wasn’t one of the seniors from the graduating class or Hwang Ji-hak, it was questionable who the doppelganger, which was strong enough to give current exorcists a hard time, was based on.
However, as is always the case with eyewitness accounts, most of them are meaningless if you think about them seriously.
I grinned and listened to Sophia’s story.
Although it couldn’t be called a success, even as a joke, the academy festival had come to an end.
And then, at that moment, in a place a little far from the academy.
“. . . . . . .”
A figure with a shape that seemed to be wearing a shadow moved quickly away from the people, disappearing somewhere.
A man with a moderately muscular build and ash-gray hair with an indifferent expression.
He was none other than a student of Cheonghwa Academy, wearing the uniform.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
̇ȧ̇𝚠𝙚𝔟𝐬𝘵𝙤𝙧𝚒𝐞𝚜.ċ̇𝙤ᴍ
