The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 49

“Just one strike.”

I gathered spiritual energy into my palm, focusing my mind on the target.

Unlike me, who was flailing and losing balance underwater, Cheon Tae-seong maintained his composure effortlessly.

The corpses of the dead rats piled in the corner floated, disrupting the line of sight between us.

The tip of his harpoon gun was aimed at my heart, his icy stare sending a chill through me.

Whoosh—!

Simultaneously, the harpoon and the Sain-gum were launched.

Just before his harpoon could strike my heart,

Zoom.

The recoil from firing the Sain-gum flipped my body around. The harpoon grazed through the space between my arm and leg. Meanwhile, the Sain-gum I had fired…

“…”

A circular shield with a sun emblem appeared on his other hand, intending to block my attack, but the Sain-gum missed Cheon Tae-seong by a large margin.

But it didn’t matter, my target was never Cheon Tae-seong. From the beginning, I aimed for the exit he was blocking.

Crack.

The Sain-gum struck directly into the gap of the exit door. Even while upside down, I lifted my index and middle fingers to form a seal, the Seal of Release.

That was to release the spiritual energy stored in the Sain-gum.

Boom!

The condensed spiritual energy exploded, ripping the closed exit door apart. As the water-filled room found an outlet, a mass of water surged out.

‘You take first place.’

As the water surged out through the opened exit, Cheon Tae-seong naturally swept along with the current and tumbled through the exit as well.

“…”

Cheon Tae-seong stood up beyond the exit, completely soaked. He extended his hand towards me, and the Manas’ Gun reappeared in his grip. Just before he could pull the trigger again,

Bang!

The elevator door closed from below. As the elevator ascended, Cheon Tae-seong disappeared from view beyond the exit.

【1st Place】

The number of people who had escaped was updated on the electronic display.

“Phew, that was a close call.”

I approached the exit and picked up the fallen Sain-gum.

“Completely ruined.”

The sword, already cracked and having used up all its spiritual energy, was now completely broken in half.

[Ahh, my home is in pieces!]

Baek-ah’s anguished voice resonated from the Sain-gum. I was curious about its internal structure but decided to hold off on asking.

[※Weapon Damage※]

[Some skills will be restricted.]

[Skill conversion stats will be reduced.]

‘I knew this would happen eventually.’

Weapon damage.

In the game, it’s a familiar concept: when your equipped weapon breaks, you’re rendered incapable of fighting properly.

The weapon was already worn out, so it was only a matter of time before this happened. At least it served its purpose well before breaking, so you could say it met an honorable end.

“Ah, whatever. I don’t care anymore.”

I sprawled on the ground like a drenched rat. I didn’t particularly enjoy being wet, but it didn’t feel too bad either.

[In the end, you couldn’t land a single hit.]

Just as Yomi said, none of my attacks reached Cheon Tae-seong. I was too busy defending, and even then, I could hardly manage due to my limited abilities.

If this had been a real battle, I might have ended up in the same state as Baek-ah.

“But I did manage to throw him off.”

Even so, I was quite satisfied with the outcome. Cheon Tae-seong didn’t get to resolve any of his curiosities.

‘What to do now.’

I inadvertently provoked Cheon Tae-seong ahead of Han Yu-seong, essentially increasing the difficulty level on my own.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter.”

I wasn’t planning to take the easy route from the start. It’s easier to think that our troubled relationship has just deteriorated a bit sooner.

“Phew, let’s just rest for a bit.”

Right now, I decided to savor this beautiful defeat a little longer.

* * *

“Who do you think will take first place in Group B?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Several assistant directors were chatting in the waiting room.

“You know, the eldest son of the Tae-seong Group.”

“Oh, Cheon Tae-seong, you mean?”

“I heard he’s sufficiently skilled to be deployed in actual combat as an A-rank Hunter right now.”

“Come on, that’s a bit much.”

One of the assistant directors waved a hand dismissively.

An A-rank Hunter is a veteran of numerous battles, someone who has proven their skills repeatedly. S-ranks are practically superhuman, so A-rank is considered the pinnacle for most Hunters. It’s absurd to think a first-year student could be rated that highly.

“How about a bet then?”

“A bet on what?”

The assistant director who proposed the bet raised his index finger.

“I’ll bet 100,000 won that Cheon Tae-seong passes first without a scratch.”

“You’re betting on that?”

Another assistant director frowned, clearly displeased with the idea.

“Then I guess his protector will remain intact. No need for any repairs.”

The tasks of the assistant directors include retrieving those who are eliminated and guiding those who escape. The escapees are subjected to safety checks and have their protectors retrieved in order of escape.

【The first escapee is arriving shortly. Assistant directors, please prepare.】

Hearing the announcement over the speaker, the assistant directors responsible for guiding the escapees gathered in front of the elevator.

“He’s coming.”

“Wonder who’s in first place.”

Ding!

Finally, the elevator doors opened, revealing a male student. The assistant director who had proposed the bet muttered in a voice the student couldn’t hear.

“See? What did I tell you? I said Cheon Tae-seong would definitely be first.”

The assistant director who had been boasting was pointed out by his colleague, who gestured toward the student.

“Hey, but something’s off.”

“What is it?”

Finally taking a proper look at Cheon Tae-seong, the assistant director froze in place.

“A-are you okay?”

Blood was gradually spreading across the soaked white shirt. The entire abdomen was drenched, and the color was growing darker by the minute.

“…”

Cheon Tae-seong remained silent.

His expression didn’t change at all, but in reality, he was feeling the pain as if a bullet had pierced through his abdomen.

The sudden bleeding was due to the vow he had made with Manas’ Gun.

“I swear to kill Seol Ha-baek.”

Cheon Tae-seong’s ability replicated even the drawbacks of the artifacts he copied. Manas’ Gun created more powerful bullets based on the sincerity and weight of the vow.

Moreover, the consequence of breaking such a vow was,

“The protector is intact, so how did he get injured beyond the mana barrier?”

to experience the pain and wounds inflicted by the bullet he fired. If his body weren’t as robust, he might have had a gaping hole in his stomach, spilling his guts upon breaking the vow.

“Student, we need to administer first aid immediately—”

Cheon Tae-seong looked at the fretful assistant director and muttered quietly.

“If you don’t want to die, get lost.”

* * *

After the exam, in the waiting room. Students whose protectors sustained severe damage were classified as eliminated and taken to the infirmary. Only the ones who passed remained in the waiting room.

“Well done, everyone.”

Faust addressed the students. Unlike at the beginning, she didn’t need to amplify her voice with a magical device. With so few passing the practical exam, there was no need to raise her voice.

‘More students passed than I expected.’

The practical exam had started with 100 students, but only 8 managed to pass. It wasn’t a shocking result; if the player desires, they can set it up for a single person to pass.

The practical exam was more like a bonus points opportunity.

In most practical exams, similar numbers usually pass, so it was likely Babel’s intention.

【2nd Place】

【Time Difference from 1st Place: 05 minutes 02 seconds】

【Time Difference from 3rd Place: 47 minutes 08 seconds】

I checked the record displayed on my protector’s dashboard. I passed through the exit five minutes after Cheon Tae-seong.

There was a considerable time gap starting from 3rd place onward. This time difference was directly reflected in our scores.

‘Being first was indeed too much.’

I glanced at Cheon Tae-seong seated beside me. He had waited for me in the final room.

If he had ignored my arrival, the time gap could have been overwhelmingly in his favor.

“Well done, everyone. You are truly the aces of Babel.”

Faust praised the ones who passed. When our eyes met by coincidence, Faust’s lips curled into a slight smile.

“This concludes your midterm exams for the first semester. You all worked hard. Now, return to the dormitory and rest well.”

As soon as Faust finished speaking, the students slumped their shoulders. They all wore tired expressions but sighed in relief.

‘What a monster.’

I quietly murmured to myself, watching Cheon Tae-seong’s back as he silently walked away.

* * *

That evening, at the convenience store.

Students gathered in groups at each table, and I found myself sitting with some familiar faces.

“When will the comprehensive scores be released?”

Han Yu-seong impatiently tapped his foot, making the table shake like a cart.

“Calm down. It’ll be a while before the comprehensive scores are out.”

Shin Seo-ha grumbled, resting her chin on her hand. She was chewing on a squid, her mouth moving rhythmically.

“You two are amazing.”

I looked at each of them in turn.

“You’re 1st in Group A.”

I pointed to Han Yu-seong,

“And you’re 1st in Group C.”

then to Shin Seo-ha.

Han Yu-seong blinked, pointing to himself, while Shin Seo-ha just gnawed on her squid, unconcerned.

“Damn it, I wanted to compete against this big guy once more.”

“Whoa, I’ll accept that challenge, Seo-ha! Let’s see who can hold a plank longer in the training room later!”

“Get lost.”

Shin Seo-ha flashed her middle finger. Han Yu-seong, seemingly hurt, let out a small whimper and hugged his knees.

“Still, at least the written exam scores are out, right?”

The practical exam scores wouldn’t be available the same day, and since less than 10% had passed, most students were uninterested.

Comprehensive scores wouldn’t just require today’s practical exam results but also the performance evaluation scores from all subjects so far.

That’s why the written exam scores, conducted first, were the first to be released.

“I worked pretty hard, but I guess my brain just isn’t up to it.”

“It’s just because you’re dumb.”

“Exactly my point…”

Han Yu-seong’s eyes welled up at Shin Seo-ha’s blunt statement.

“Then how did you do, Seo-ha?”

“Written scores? I don’t need those; I just eat well and live my life.”

“You’re doomed.”

I couldn’t help but blurt out upon seeing Shin Seo-ha’s pouty face.

“Oh, really? And how did you do?”

Shin Seo-ha raised her eyebrows.

I recalled the written exam results I had received earlier and spoke up.

“7th place.”

“Huh? 77th place?”

“I said 7th place.”

Shin Seo-ha blinked in surprise.

“How are you so good at studying?”

Her question unintentionally brought back distant memories.

Growing up in a strict household, I had been quite timid. The only way to prove myself was through studying.

Explaining the results was pointless. I pondered what to say and finally opened my mouth.

“I used to study a lot.”

Saying that I had studied desperately to get into S University wouldn’t make sense to these kids anyway.