The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 37

“Can we take a break now…?”

“This girl, her stamina is abnormal. In the mountains, only wild boars have such endurance…”

An old, unused gym storage. Sitting side by side on the mats, Yomi and I sighed heavily.

“What are you talking about? We’ve rested enough!”

“Hiding in the gym and waiting for it to get dark isn’t exactly what most people would call resting, is it?”

“Oh, stop being so petty.”

Jin So-yul pulled something proudly from her pocket and held it out.

“Here, look at this!”

“What is it?”

“It’s a schedule of the security guards’ patrol times! I made it while pretending to attend supplementary classes!”

Is that something to be proud of?

“I verified it over several days. Now, we won’t have to worry about getting dragged to the Disciplinary Committee Room!”

Jin So-yul laughed loudly.

We had been hiding in the gym storage to avoid being caught, but she didn’t seem to realize how her loud laughter might give us away.

“Now, it’s the golden time.”

Creak

Jin So-yul opened the storage door and snuck out. We had no choice but to follow her.

‘Why do I feel so exhausted today?’

My shoulders were tense and my legs hurt.

Normally, I would be fine walking around all day, but today my body felt unexpectedly heavy.

“You’re feeling so exhausted because maintaining my manifestation continuously drains your spiritual energy.”

Seeing through my thoughts, Yomi snorted.

“Hmph, it’s like pouring water into a bottomless pit anyway.”

“Who are you calling a bottomless pit?”

Ding!

Just as we were moving toward the third-year campus, a new quest appeared.

Circle Quest!

Q. Uncover the second ghost story.

※ The obtainable rewards will vary based on the resolution method.

There wasn’t much difference from the first club quest. The main difference would be the reward.

In the game, it usually ended with a small number of skill points, but conjuring Baek-ah granted me additional skill and attribute points.

‘I wonder what kind of spirit it will be this time.’

I couldn’t help but feel a mix of curiosity and anticipation about the type of spirit I would encounter next. It might seem like an occupational hazard, but in life-critical situations, curiosity was hard to suppress.

‘I hope it’s a useful one.’

I gently brushed the handle of the Sain-gum strapped to my waist. If the cause of this ghost story turned out to be a real yokai, I might be able to summon it and make it my ally.

“We’ve arrived!”

Before I knew it, we had reached the third-year campus.

As it neared 3 AM, the surroundings were completely enveloped in darkness. With it being the weekend, many students had gone home, leaving few remaining in Babel.

“Alright, let me explain today’s ghost story! Listen closely.”

Before entering the campus, Jin So-yul gathered us and flashed a mischievous grin.

“Today’s ghost story is about the ‘Third Movement of Für Elise.’”

Jin So-yul’s explanation went like this.

Every month on the 3rd at 3:33 AM,

In the third music room on the third floor of the third-year campus,

If three people gather and someone strikes the third key of the piano…

“A ghost supposedly emerges from the third portrait of Beethoven hanging in the music room and plays the third movement of Für Elise!”

“That’s impressive.”

Für Elise is Für Elise, but why make such a big deal about the number three?

‘Nothing happened in the game.’

In the game, even if you fulfilled these conditions, nothing significant occurred. As a result, the rewards were lackluster, and the story’s conclusion was anticlimactic, which garnered a lot of criticism.

Anyway, this is the ghost story we need to resolve this time. Unlike the bathroom ghost story, we all have to go in together, so maybe Jin So-yul will experience some changes this time.

“Then, let’s go!”

“But how do you plan to get in? The doors and windows are all locked, aren’t they?”

“Good question, Ha-na.”

Jin So-yul raised her index finger and pointed at Yomi.

“The second-floor window doesn’t close properly. I checked it earlier, so it’s definitely open!”

“That’s truly impressive.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Hehe.”

That wasn’t a compliment.

I swallowed the words that had risen to my throat.

“How exactly are we supposed to get up to the second floor…? Wait, where did she go?”

While I was feeling a bit dizzy, Jin So-yul disappeared.

“If you’re looking for that girl, she’s over there.”

Yomi pointed her index finger behind us.

There was Jin So-yul, climbing up the pipes. Watching her squirm her way up reminded me of a human worm.

“Hey, hurry up! We’ll miss 3:33 AM at this rate! If we miss it, we’ll have to wait a whole month!”

“Of course, wouldn’t want that.”

In the game, once the quest started, you were automatically transported to the location. In real life, you had to go through all these hurdles.

“Humans… Alright, I shall go up first.”

“You’re surprisingly agreeable.”

Yomi leaped toward the pipes. Like a wild animal, she used both arms and legs to climb up swiftly.

“Lucky me.”

I hurriedly followed, clumsily climbing the pipes up to the second floor.

‘This is tougher than I thought.’

It required more strength than I anticipated. My training with Han Yu-seong came in handy in an unexpected way.

“Hmph, how cute. Want a hand?”

“No, thanks.”

I brushed off Yomi’s extended hand and barely managed to get into the second-floor classroom. If it had been the third floor, I might have accepted her offer.

“Alright, now that we’re all here safely, let’s head to the third floor!”

Jin So-yul’s excitement only seemed to grow. Her enthusiasm peaked when we finally reached the third music room on the third floor.

“Okay, is everyone ready? Don’t be too scared, Ha-na.”

“Hmph, scared? We’re dealing with a mere school ghost. They’re no match for a great yokai like me.”

“A great yokai?”

“That’s just a concept Ha-na’s been pushing recently, haha.”

I quickly stepped in front of Yomi. Jin So-yul was a ghost story enthusiast. If she ever found out Yomi’s true identity, she would go berserk.

Jin So-yul needed time to awaken her own abilities and expand her knowledge about this world. A sudden revelation about Yomi would only shock her.

“Anyway, the time is almost upon us, let’s head inside.”

“Hmm, alright.”

Jin So-yul nodded her head.

“Last time it was just a simple pipe malfunction, but this time it might be different.”

Slide

Jin So-yul opened the door to the music room.

Despite being well-maintained, a thick cloud of pungent smoke billowed out.

“Ugh, the smell.”

Jin So-yul covered her nose.

Presumably, because she was sensitive to spiritual energy, Jin So-yul could feel it to this extent. The problem was, that Yomi and I could sense the smell with all five senses.

“Yomi. This must be it.”

“The old aura of a yokai, and a thick one at that. Not someone to be underestimated.”

While Yomi and I exchanged whispers, Jin So-yul crossed the threshold into the music room first.

“Let’s go inside.”

Then, Jin So-yul reached into her pocket and clenched something in her fist.

“Just as I thought…”

“What is that you’re holding?”

“Never mind, let’s just go in for now.”

Yomi seemed to have noticed something but did not immediately respond.

‘I don’t sense any spiritual energy from it.’

I couldn’t feel any special spiritual energy emanating from the object Jin So-yul had taken out.

Putting my immediate curiosity aside, I was the last of our group to step into the music room. The moment my body had fully crossed into the room…

Thud!

Unexpectedly, the music room door slammed closed. I tugged at the doorknob, but just like last time in the restroom, it didn’t budge.

“The time is now 3:32 AM.”

The portraits of musicians on the wall looked sinister, almost like memorial photos.

The metronome that had been stopped was ticking, and the only instrument in the empty room was a solitary piano in the center.

“It begins.”

Jin So-yul walked towards the piano at the center. She lifted the cover and placed a finger on the third key.

Ding!

With a gentle press from Jin So-yul’s index finger on the key,

[Three with abundant spiritual energy have gathered following the maestro’s piece.]

[The hidden conditions for summoning have been fulfilled.]

‘Hidden conditions?’

Conditions that were never met in the original game have now been fulfilled.

Ssssss

A chilly wind blew through the completely sealed music room.

“It’s coming.”

I took a step back to get a better view of the entire music room.

All three of us had our eyes fixed on the third portrait of Beethoven in the music room.

[Aaaaaah.]

Ludwig van Beethoven slowly pushed himself out, clutching the frame of the portrait.

His hair was curled on both sides, and the stiff collar of his shirt was sharp. Despite his flowing signature red scarf, his expression was one of utter despair.

[I shall begin the performance.]

The Beethoven ghost, having fully emerged from the painting, approached the piano and took a seat. He rolled up his sleeves, straightened his back, and placed his hands on the keys.

“Hey, it looks like there’s something misty there?”

Jin So-yul squinted at the piano. I activated my Spirit Sight to discern the details of the spirit.

[Spirit Information]

– Spirit: Ludwig van Beethoven

– Rank: B+

– A malevolent spirit haunting the music room. When the difficult summoning conditions are met, the third movement of Für Elise echoes through the room.

‘B+ rank?’

The first ghost story featured Baek-ah at C rank, and Yomi was at B when I first summoned her. I had thought the entity appearing this time would be at most B rank.

With this in mind, a B+ rank was quite exceptional and high.

“The more complex the summoning conditions, the more abundant the spiritual energy becomes; it’s inevitable. That’s also why most yokai summoned during the full moon have a high rank.”

Yomi bent her knees and stretched her arms back, causing her nails to elongate with a blue hue.

“Be prepared, this opponent might be tougher than that Giant Crystal you fought before.”

Just after Yomi finished speaking…

♪

The performance began.

With the gesture of a maestro, the ghostly fingers elegantly crossed from one piano key to another.

♩♪♬

“Ugh, my head…”

As the music started, a tremendous headache surged through me. Seeing Yomi frown indicated she was feeling the pain from the sound, just like I was.

“The piano’s playing by itself! But why are you guys looking so pained?”

The only one unaffected was Jin So-yul.

She alternated between looking at the playing piano and us in obvious discomfort.

‘It’s strange. Jin So-yul shouldn’t be insensitive to this.’

Whether one has spiritual abilities or not, strong or weak spiritual energy, Beethoven’s music directly impacts the spirit – the soul.

No matter how strong Jin So-yul might be, she shouldn’t be unaffected, yet she seemed to feel no pain at all.

“We must stop the performance immediately!”

“Got it!”

Yomi leaped toward the piano, swiping her claws.

Thunk!

However, the attack was blocked by an invisible wall, which repelled Yomi back.

♩♬♩♪♬

The music continued.

[Spirit Information]

– Spirit: Ludwig van Beethoven

– Rank: A

– Listening to his performance till the end guarantees death.

As the music reached its midpoint, the rank escalated from B+ to A.

‘Time is running out.’

I had been careless.

Just because nothing happened in the game didn’t mean I should have come unprepared.

“This isn’t working, Yomi. Return to your true form and use your full power—”

Just as I was about to make a decisive move out of necessity…

Boom!

Suddenly, there was a loud crash, and the ceiling collapsed. Jin So-yul, who was nearby, fell over from the shock, and the piano was completely destroyed.

“The performance… it stopped.”

When the piano broke apart, the playing finally ceased.

“Wait.”

But I couldn’t relax yet.

Something that had blasted through the ceiling was radiating a spiritual energy far more intense than that of the piano ghost.

“Is that you… Ha-baek? You, you, you?”

There stood a pale, stricken man.