End of Semester (2)

The end of term day at the Sorcery Institute.

The students, without exception, were attending the Sorcery Institute's end of term ceremony with the brightest expressions.

If any of those who had failed due to the final evaluations were present here, the atmosphere might have dampened somewhat, but all of them had already been expelled for failing grades.

Thanks to that, the students were celebrating the end of term, delighted that although there was still a second semester left, they had managed to survive the first.

During this process, Kim Dojun received the spotlight twice.

The first spotlight was when he placed first among all the freshmen.

"... Kim Dojun really is something else."

"That's true, he's practically playing in a different league from everyone else, who could ever catch him?"

"Did you see that? When he punched the hundred spirits, how they spun in the air? Just for that alone, he deserves first place."

"Can't argue with that."

"And the exam, too! He just finished it in five minutes and took a nap, and still got first. I don't think the top spot is ever going to change over the next three years."

As Kim Dojun received his award as top freshman, the murmurs among the students continued.

In actuality, Kim Dojun couldn't use any sorcery at all, and had his exams taken through a stand-in, but the face he made while accepting the award was confident.

'If you don't get caught, it's skill.'

Reasoning it as an ability not to have been caught all this time, Kim Dojun rationalized himself, swallowed up the prize money along with his award, and—

The next spotlight came immediately afterward, during the awards ceremony.

The commendation that was supposed to be given to Kim Dojun for dealing with the malevolent spirit incident had been postponed due to the subsequent "Guwon's Gatura" incident, so the ceremony was only happening now.

Thanks to that, Kim Dojun stood out even more at this end-of-term ceremony.

"That concludes the Sorcery Institute's end-of-term ceremony. Oh, and since the classes may be reassigned due to the students leaving for failing grades, make sure to check the bulletin board when the new term starts."

At Kang Cheol-shin's closing remarks, the students started to flood out of the auditorium like the receding tide.

Standing among those students, Kim Dojun was about to say something to Shin Se-yeon, who was in front of him—

"I'm definitely going to kill your fa—"

"Shh—!"

—But she hurriedly covered his mouth, cutting him off before he could finish.

"Seriously! Why do you have to say things like that when there are people around!"

"I don't think anyone here is listening to us, isn't everyone too busy leaving?"

"Still, you never know!"

"From what I see, everyone's just thinking about going home to relax; I doubt anyone would pay attention to our conversation."

"Agh! Still, keep it down a bit, would you!"

Looking at Shin Se-yeon with an expression that seemed to say, 'So many demands, huh,' Kim Dojun nodded as if he understood.

"If you ever need help, call me."

He swallowed the words, 'I'll come even if you don't call,' as Shin Se-yeon nodded back at him.

"Okay."

"And, if something dangerous happens, call me again. It'd be a problem if anything happened to you."

Kim Dojun's words.

Hearing that, Shin Se-yeon dropped her gaze slightly, chewing on her lips several times.

"?"

She lowered her half-narrowed eyes, dragging out her words with an awkward "Uh, um..."

By the time Kim Dojun had a question mark hovering above his head—

"... Why would it be a problem, anyway?"

After a short pause, her question came, and Kim Dojun replied.

"Because I'd be sad."

"What."

"I'd be sad."

"... Why?"

"What do you think? I'd be sad because you'd be gone."

Kim Dojun imagined a future where Shin Se-yeon died and involuntarily winced as if feeling a chill.

'All the time I invested in Shin Se-yeon...'

If she were to die before even pulling the trigger?

"That would be the worst... The worst situation I can think of."

Just imagining it made him want to cuss.

'If that happens, not only would it be questionable how to extract the maglignant spirit, but the necklace I gave her to make her an ally would just be wasted. That definitely can't happen.'

As Kim Dojun thought that, he looked at Shin Se-yeon.

She fidgeted nervously, then spoke while glancing at him carefully.

"Are you saying... I'm someone important to you?"

"Of course you are."

He didn't bother to add, 'Along with the brooch and necklace you're wearing, and the time I poured in.'

"... Okay. I'll definitely call."

Turning to leave, Shin Se-yeon suddenly seemed to recall something and came back.

"But..."

"?"

"Can I ask now? Why did you help me?"

"Oh, that?"

Kim Dojun knew that answering truthfully—'So I could make you a boss and then kill you sooner'—would get him in deep trouble, so he didn't say it.

But since he hadn't prepared any backstory, he stayed silent for a moment before answering.

"I'll tell you when it's all over."

For now, he decided to buy himself a little more time.

####

Having sent Shin Se-yeon off, Kim Dojun went to the path by the stairs.

"Did the end-of-term ceremony go well?"[Finished already!?]

"Yeah, sort of. Don't the second years have a ceremony? You're early."

"Only the first years have an end-of-term ceremony; from the second year on, we don't."

"Why not?"

"It's end-of-term in name only. In reality, we have to keep showing up. To maintain our evaluations, we have to keep eliminating spirit zones."

"Any time to relax?"

"If you want to keep your ranking, basically none."

"... Really?"

Actually, Kim Dojun knew this to some extent.

Even in the game, from the second semester of first year, as practical work started, several storylines unfolded, and once the player became a second year, they had to go deal with spirit zones every day.

Still, there was a reason Kim Dojun looked a little surprised.

'I thought in the game, it was just for leveling up, with non-stop side quests—but it turns out second years really do spend all their time running around spirit zones.'

With that thought, he spoke up.

"From the second year on, things get a lot tougher, huh?"

"It gets a lot tougher. Of course, you're free to slack off if you want, but if you do, your ranking will plummet in no time."[Yeah, like this one!]

Tam pointed at Dan, nodding as if confirming her words.

"That's because of you!"[How is it my fault?]

At his outburst, Tam just shrugged with both hands out to the side.

"Because you won't fight properly! Please, just listen for once!"[I'm listening even now.]

"You're not listening properly!"[Because you're weaker than me.]

"Aaargh! Shikishin masters are strong because they handle shikishin!!!"

Dan ranted alone at Tam's words, but Tam just shrugged as if to say, "So what?"

Watching this, Kim Dojun offered his opinion.

"You two get along well."

[We do!]

"Does this look like getting along?!"

Dan protested with a look of frustration, but Kim Dojun soon changed the subject.

"So, where will you be?"

"I'm obviously going to stay at the Sorcery Institute. There's nowhere better than here to hide my identity."

"Then it'll be easy to meet up."

"What about you?"

"I'll be here too."

After all, having a single dorm room was convenient enough, and more than anything, since he'd just dropped into the game world, he didn't have anywhere else to go.

'Plus, the Sorcery Institute is close to Muryu clan, where Shin Se-yeon will be.'

Judging it was best to stay here at least until the break was over, Kim Dojun decided not to leave the Sorcery Institute for the duration.

"And, I have something to investigate."

"... To investigate? Is it related to the Divine Hall again?"

Nodding at Dan's question, Kim Dojun explained the information he needed.

And then—

"That's all?"

"One more thing."

"What is it?"

"Look up MongSang's Leubi for me."

"MongSang's Leubi? If you mean MongSang's Leubi, you're talking about the maglignant spirit?"

At first, since MongSang's Leubi was a maglignant spirit, he'd asked Yagrath of Ambition about it, but after being told, "I don't know at all," he gave up on getting information from the maglignant spirit.

"Yes."

So, he asked Dan for the info as originally planned.

"Understood."

Though Dan was curious why Kim Dojun wanted information on the maglignant spirit, he didn't ask further.

"We'll be going to the Divine Hall next week, so I'll try to have it by then."

"It shouldn't take that long."

Hearing Dan's confident reply, Kim Dojun nodded, and the two parted ways.

####

After parting with Dan, Kim Dojun walked along the path toward the dormitory.

'There really are fewer people than usual.'

He became acutely aware that it was the break season, looking around the normally busy path near the dormitory and seeing not a single soul.

Usually, the path by the dorm was fairly crowded. Even if not, one could always spot at least a couple of people by the dorm, but now, there was not a single person.

It was almost oddly so.

Wooong—!

At that moment, Kim Dojun caught a strange sound by his ear and turned his head forward.

And then—

"Kim Dojun?"

He saw two people in front of him calling his name.

One man in a blue robe, the other in a red robe.

"... What is this, now?"

As Kim Dojun looked puzzled, the two men nodded to each other.

"It seems to be correct, so let's proceed."

"Come quietly. It's in your best interest not to resist."

They turned back to him and spoke.

"What are you—"

Kim Dojun opened his mouth, feigning ignorance—

Tchut—!

—and vanished.

"!"

The next instant, Kim Dojun reappeared right in front of the man in the blue robe.

"That's insane!"

At the sight of Kim Dojun appearing so quickly that he was a blur, the blue-robed man's eyes went wide in shock.

"Gasp!"

Kim Dojun immediately tried to punch the man.

But the punch didn't connect.

Or more precisely, Kim Dojun's fist remained suspended in the air right in front of the man, unable to move forward.

"Repulsion (斥力)."

"!"

At the red-robed man's mutter,

The next moment, Kim Dojun, who had been punching, was flung and smashed into a tree on the path.

"He really is worthy of being Pokshin's disciple."

"That was lightning sorcery of an unbelievable caliber. If I hadn't been careful, you might've gotten me. But—"

The two men, looking at Kim Dojun as he got up, spoke one after another.

"—There are reports that you use sorcery similar to lightning sorcery. And if that's true, you don't have a way to beat us."

"Your attacks won't reach us."

"Not a single one."

One of them raised a hand toward Kim Dojun.

"So just come quietly, Kim Dojun. If you don't resist further, you won't get hurt."

"And don't expect anyone to save you. We've made sure no one can come here."

"Don't even think about running. Now that you're within this range, however you run, you'll just be dragged back, and it'll just make you look pathetic."""So, come quietly with us, Kim Dojun."

"

They spoke, drawing up their spiritual power.

Watching them take turns making self-important declarations, Kim Dojun let out a short laugh.

"This is fun. Let's see what you've got."

Again, he charged at the men.

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