I Became a Disaster-Class Sorcery Genius

What's Wrong With You? (3)

Interrogation room in the basement of the main building of the Korean Sorcery Association, Gangnam District, Korea.

There, a man and a young girl sat facing each other.

The man seated in front of the girl was Jin Taeshik, the Vice President of the Korean Sorcery Association and a A-rank Sorcerer, famous for specializing in insect-based sorcery, 'Insect Sorcery'.

The girl sitting across from him was Han Soyeon.

"...."

"...."

The two of them sat across from each other in silence for a while.

Neither Jin Taeshik nor Han Soyeon rushed to speak, letting the silence linger—until, eventually, someone broke it.

"You've changed quite a lot."

It was Jin Taeshik.

He spoke to Han Soyeon with a somewhat intrigued expression, to which she replied,

"I'm the same as always."

"That's not how it looks to me."

"Maybe you just weren't seeing me properly? I've always been like this."

Han Soyeon answered with a slightly blank face.

Looking at her, Jin Taeshik became certain that some kind of change had taken place in Han Soyeon.

It had been about ten years since he recognized her talent.

From the girl he would meet every few months to mold into the Association's hunting dog, to the person before him now, there was a clear difference.

'No, it's more than just a difference. She's changed a lot.'

Jin Taeshik recalled the Han Soyeon from the past.

She used to look so nervous, always lowering her head because she didn't know where to focus her gaze.

And now?

Her eyes met his directly; there was no longer a trace of anxiety or timidity.

The anxiety and timidity that used to dwell there had been replaced with an emotionless expression.

He was curious as to what could have happened at the Sorcery Institute to cause such a transformation in her, but Jin Taeshik wasn't especially bothered by her change.

In fact, he welcomed it.

'It's not a bad thing if that timid personality of hers improves.'

If her personality had refused to change, Jin Taeshik would have had to employ his own "methods" to transform her into a hunting dog, so he thought this turn of events was better.

The Sorcery Association—or rather, Jin Taeshik himself—needed her "Divine Descent" talent to carry out their plans, hunting dog or not.

'Still, I should check why Han Soyeon changed.'

Thinking this, he got to the main point.

The reason the Vice President of the Hunter Association had come all the way down to this interrogation room was not just to check on his hunting dog, but also because Han Soyeon was subtly involved in the recent "Incident of the Gatura of Salvation."

"I assume you know why you're here?"

"Isn't it because of Ju Yu-dam, who gave his body to Gatura of Salvation?"

"Correct. According to some student accounts, before Ju Yu-dam gave herself up to Gatura of Salvation, she was consistently bullied by you. Officially, you've been called here for questioning about that—"

Jin Taeshik paused before continuing.

"—But the real reason the Association called you is to give you a warning."

"... A warning?"

"That's right. Do you know anything about the Salvation Society?"

Seeing Han Soyeon's completely blank expression, Jin Taeshik began to explain about the Salvation Society.

"In any case, since they're a group of psychopaths who believe in Gatura of Salvation, if you have any connection to the 'Descent of Gatura of Salvation', or even if you're only slightly related to its death, you could be in serious danger either way."

"... Is that so?"

"That's right. So, when this is over and you return to the Sorcery Institute, stay inside as much as possible. The Sorcery Institute, apart from some recent catastrophic incidents, is the most secure place there is."

Jin Taeshik's words.

Han Soyeon seemed to ponder a moment, then responded.

"If there's even a slight connection with Gatura of Salvation, they're likely to target everyone?"

She asked.

"That's right, so you too should be very careful."

To Jin Taeshik's added explanation,

"... I suppose I have no choice then."

Han Soyeon changed her expression from a blank face and, for the first time, showed a faint smile.

Along with that, something flickered behind her back.

"...?"

Jin Taeshik instinctively tried to focus on the flickering presence behind Han Soyeon.

"By the way."

But the next moment, Han Soyeon spoke again, diverting his attention.

"Could you tell me a bit more about the Salvation Society?"

"... Why the sudden interest?"

To Jin Taeshik's follow-up question, Han Soyeon replied,

"I think those guys might touch something important to me."

She said this, giving a clear smile as she looked at Jin Taeshik.

"So, you have to tell me. About the Salvation Society."

####

[....]

To be honest, even though he'd said he'd listen to the terms, Yagrat of Ambition was having a hard time understanding the situation.

Yagrat of Ambition had been observing Kim Dojun's actions up until now.

He'd watched as Kim Dojun smashed up the criminals' building for the first time.

He'd seen him defeat evil spirits, too.

Most recently, Yagrat had been watching as Kim Dojun faced Gatura of Salvation.

'I was actually planning to make my offer at that point.'

In fact, when Kim Dojun was repeatedly killed, trapped by Gatura of Salvation's reverse sorcery, Yagrat had intended to make him an offer.

He'd planned to say he would help Kim Dojun defeat Gatura if Kim Dojun would become his possessed entity.

At that point, Yagrat had thought that, the moment Gatura unleashed his reverse sorcery, Kim Dojun had no chance to win.

But contrary to Yagrat's expectations, Kim Dojun defeated Gatura of Salvation.

With his own power, he overcame Gatura of Salvation.

With nothing more than an ordinary body, he managed to overcome an entity like himself—a maglignant spirit.

[....]

Having watched it all unfold, Yagrat honestly couldn't understand why Kim Dojun wanted to make a contract with him.

Basically, to form a contract, he'd have to fill in his partner's weaknesses—but, from what he could see, Kim Dojun didn't seem to need his power at all.

So, while feeling that something was off, Yagrat spoke.

[... No matter how much I desire your body, you shouldn't expect me to agree to an unreasonable contract.]

Wondering if Kim Dojun was about to propose something ridiculous, Yagrat said this.

"Don't worry. Do you think I called you here just to negotiate some nonsense?"

Kim Dojun flatly denied Yagrat's concern.

[Then what is it?]

"As a contract term, I'll put my body up, as you wish."

He said this to Yagrat.

[... Are you serious?]

"I told you, I'm not joking."

[... So what are your conditions, in return for your body?]

Yagrat asked.

Without hesitation, Kim Dojun spread his fingers and said,

"Five times."

[...?]

"Grant me five requests."

[Are you going to ask me to die, or to be destroyed—]

"I'll add this to the contract: among the five requests, I will never ask for your life, your destruction, or for you to willfully damage your soul. No complaints then, right?"

[... If that's all, I have no reason to refuse.]

"In exchange, unless it's a matter of your life, you must unconditionally grant my requests."

[....]

At Kim Dojun's words, Yagrat of Ambition simply watched him.

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't figure out why Kim Dojun would propose such a contract.

But regardless of what Yagrat thought, Kim Dojun pressed on.

"All right. Then let's do it right away."

[... What?]

"You know, a maglignant spirit contract. Aren't we going to do it?"

The maglignant spirit contract.

It was a contract made when maglignant spirits and possessed entities could not reach an immediate agreement—if either party broke it, they would unconditionally face complete annihilation. Once entered into, it could never be undone.

[... How do you know about the maglignant spirit contract?]

Yagrat looked at Kim Dojun in shock.

Of course, the reason Kim Dojun knew about the maglignant spirit contract was because it appeared in the game.

In the main story of Sorcery Killing Technique, Yagrat of Ambition had a maglignant spirit contract.

But explaining that would have been cumbersome—and impossible.

Besides, there's no way Yagrat would believe such an explanation anyway.

"There's no need for you to know. Let's just make the contract."

Kim Dojun replied.

[....]

"If you don't want to, then forget it."

Staring at the audacious Kim Dojun,

[Fine, let's do it.]

Yagrat soon agreed to the contract Kim Dojun proposed.

Yagrat knew how absolute this contract was, and that once it was made, it could never be reversed.

Fwoosh—!

At that moment, letters began to form in front of Kim Dojun.

Recognizing that this was the maglignant spirit contract, Kim Dojun watched as the contract wrote itself, making a few minor adjustments to the terms with Yagrat.

[Now all you have to do is say, "I contract."]

"I contract."

Without hesitation, Kim Dojun entered into the agreement.

At that instant, something left both Kim Dojun's and Yagrat's bodies and entered the contract.

― Bzztzzzt!

With an electric crackle, the contract and papers disappeared.

Yagrat of Ambition smiled.

He still didn't know why Kim Dojun had made a contract with him, but the point was that the contract had been formed.

This meant that, after granting Kim Dojun's five requests, Kim Dojun's body would become his.

So, smiling, he was about to speak—

[The contract is complete, Kim Dojun. I'll grant you five requests, and you'll give me your body...but, why are you making that face?]

—and then, upon seeing Kim Dojun's expression, Yagrat unconsciously dropped his smile.

At that moment, Kim Dojun was wearing the kind of evil grin anyone would recognize as sinister.

"No, it's nothing."

But when Yagrat asked about his expression, Kim Dojun quickly changed his face and responded lightly.

[....]

"Why are you looking at me like that? Seriously, it's nothing."

Of course, contrary to his words, Kim Dojun had a reason.

'With the maglignant spirit contract, it's true that I have to surrender my body after he fulfills five requests.'

But Kim Dojun had no intention of taking that risk.

In fact, he was already grinning with excitement over the prospect of using Yagrat of Ambition with not a single downside.

He knew a way to avoid the risk in this contract, which Yagrat was convinced to be absolute.

With that in mind, he looked at the maglignant spirit with a meaningful expression.

[....]

Watching Yagrat flinch,

'I'm going to squeeze you for all you're worth.'

With that thought,

"For starters, memorize all the midterm answer sheets for me and help me with my exams."

He made his first request.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Contracting with a malignant spirit just to make them memorize the exams...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】