Plucking the Sprout of Tragedy
-Knock knock.
“Come in.”
A husky woman's voice called me into the infirmary right after I knocked. As I opened the door, the health teacher—wearing a doctor's coat over a maxi dress—looked up at me.
“Oh. You're awake?”
I nodded slightly. This was the woman who'd treated the injuries on the Class A students who'd passed out.
Park Myeong-gwan's resident health teacher, Baek Je-in. She contracts the ancestor spirit of Baek In-je, founder of Baek Hospital, and wields an absurd Spirit Lord Transformation that heals most wounds with a flick of her wrist.
In a case like today, where the students had simply collapsed from spirit sickness, it probably wasn't too tough even with so many patients.
“Nothing major—just stopped by the infirmary, figured I'd say hi.”
“Hmmm.”
Teacher Je-in chuckled through her nose.
“I go to the trouble of patching you kids up, and the ones who come to just bob their heads once and bail.”
Her words had a bite to them. Well, yeah—with most of Class A steeped in chosen-people bullshit, they weren't gonna come crawling back with thanks.
In the game, I'd assumed U Hyo-chung's kid and the health teacher's name meant she was a guy, then started hitting the infirmary daily after seeing her face.
“You're more polite than you look.”
“Haha...”
Was that a compliment or an insult?
“But you really came to my office just to say hi? What's your name again...?”
“Kim Taeyang.”
“Right. Taeyang.”
“Still a bit dizzy. Can I get some meds?”
“Tch.”
Teacher Je-in clicked her tongue lightly.
“Jang Han-nam really works you kids too hard.”
Tell me about it. The agreement welled up in my throat, but playing pitiful at a time like this seemed harmless, so I just flashed a wry smile. Even as a blond tanned delinquent, my mask was solid—no need to risk it.
“Poor thing. Gonna be suffering all year.”
You too became you too. Not a bad reaction. With all the major incidents lined up—Jang Han-nam or no—she wasn't wrong about the suffering.
“You're the one working hard, Teacher. You were just treating our class.”
“It's my job. Besides, I'm off on a three-day vacation starting tomorrow, so no biggie.”
Hiss! As Baek Je-in smiled and spoke, the electric kettle in the corner of the office started steaming.
“Hold on. I'll brew some tea and grab your meds.”
Baek Je-in stood, turning her back to me. A flicker of pity showed in her eyes.
...Seeing that look made my resolve waver a bit. What I was about to do would betray her kindness.
"Now's the time."
“Got it.”
Gemma, who'd we'd planned with last night, gave the signal. I moved immediately.
“Spirit Descent.”
-Tszzt!
I whispered low enough that Baek Je-in's ears—sharpened by her surgeon ancestor spirit—wouldn't catch it. The master thief's soul settled into my fingertips. A partial Spirit Descent, minimizing spirit drain to fool her senses.
-Pat pat pat.
In the brief gap as Baek Je-in poured tea and rummaged for meds, I silently approached the desk where her elbow had rested moments ago.
A framed photo on the desk showed Baek Je-in with a female student. I burned the girl's face into my memory, then pulled a paperclip from my pocket.
"Time to show off my skills?"
Thanks to briefing Gemma last night, she jumped right in without questions. I bent the straightened clip into a complex shape—an instant lockpick, courtesy of the master thief's experience and skill in my hands.
I picked the drawer lock with the clip, Gemma's possession assisting in real-time.
-Shlick.
Gemma converted ancestor power into ectoplasm—a liquid with adhesive properties—dripping it into the keyhole and drawer to muffle the sound. Baek Je-in didn't notice a thing.
Grabbing the silk pouch from inside, relocking, and returning took barely five seconds. Ectoplasm coated my hands too—no prints left.
I sat back in the chair and waited. Baek Je-in returned with tea and meds.
“Here. Three days' worth of painkillers. Take 'em thirty minutes after meals—breakfast, lunch, dinner.”
“Thanks, Teacher.”
“Call me Teacher Baek Je-in.”
“Je-in Teacher.”
“Jeez.”
She covered her mouth, laughing. Not entirely displeased.
“Hey. No girlfriend yet?”
“Huh?”
The sudden question threw me. It'd been days since enrollment—who had time for that? Sure, hot blond tanned delinquent body, but inside? A total loner nerd soul.
"Hey, answer her."
Gemma's snicker pissed me off.
“What about you, Teacher?”
Je-in's face soured instantly.
“No ID, hitting on adults? Don't get cocky just 'cause you're easy on the eyes.”
...Not the play, huh.
"Heh heh. Lunatic."
Baek Je-in sighed deeply and handed me a black plastic bag.
“Take this.”
Inside: a box of twenty condoms.
“Kids like you knock up a bunch of girls every year, drop out in droves—that's what worries me. At least if you had a girlfriend, she'd be careful. But you don't.”
“...Teacher, that's prejudice.”
“Whatever. Cafeteria's closing—out.”
No time to argue. I left the infirmary, painkillers in one hand, condoms in the other.
This game world hated blond tanned delinquents way more than I'd imagined. Gemma laughed her ass off the whole way to the cafeteria.
* * *
“Haa...”
I barely survived lunch—warzone—and made it home. Gemma kept poltergeisting the condom box out of the bag in front of other students, so I spent the whole meal blocking her pranks. Food went in mouth or nose—who knows. I bolted back home.
“Act your age? You're nineteen.”
"Picky for a delinquent? What'd they call it here—gentleman? Knight?"
“Like a scholar?”
"Oh! Yeah, scholar! Mom taught me Korean, but I forgot most."
Close enough, kinda... But thanks to Gemma, I snagged what I wanted easy.
Challenge in Progress
Gold Trophy ‘Seed of Disaster’ ― Achievement Rate: 20%
Partial Reward: Soul Stone (Small) ×1
And I unlocked the conditions for a new gold trophy challenge. Partial reward on top.
How's it delivered? My pants pocket felt heavy, so I checked—a hard pebble inside.
“Anyway, pull out what we nabbed.”
I wanted to eyeball the Soul Stone from the game screen IRL, but Gemma whined, so I set the stolen silk pouch on the table first.
"This the pricey stuff?"
Gemma pulled out the silver pill from the pouch, rolling it around.
“Didn't steal it 'cause it's pricey.”
Guilty pangs hit, but stopping a tragedy was part of the goal.
"One pill and you master Spirit Lord Transformation in a day? That's tough tech."
“Location matters, but yeah, basically.”
Spirit Lord Transformation is tricky? More like it demands long communion with your ancestor spirit for soul resonance—major grind. This pill shortcuts it to a day.
“Anyway, with this, Je-in Teacher won't get expelled.”
"Not asking how you knew, but you're nosy."
Why help a teacher getting canned? Last night, after hearing my post-training infirmary plan, Gemma asked.
Couldn't say I'd seen the ending dozens of times as a vet player. Made up a story: health teacher stealing experimental meds; intercept to stop her crime.
Gemma eyed me weird, so I added it helped me grow as a Shangju. No lies—fooled her trait. I did want to stop her theft.
Just not to save her job at Argo Academy.
The pill's name: Soul-Settling Incense. Baek Je-in, health teacher and Argo researcher, was stealing her experimental drug for the girl in that photo.
Her cousin Baek Yu-min was transferring in next semester. Prodigy Shangju since childhood, contracted a powerful ancestor spirit—but no Spirit Lord Transformation.
Despair from failing family expectations led to a suicide attempt. For Yu-min, Je-in procures the Soul-Settling Incense.
Problem: In the game, while Yu-min and her spirit sleep from the pill, a vengeful ghost possesses her body.
The evil soul hides in Yu-min, infiltrates Argo, triggers the semester's worst tragedy. Vengeful ghosts are hard to detect once in a human body.
Well, I nipped that possibility in the bud.
"Nailed the timing. Teacher's heading mainland tomorrow for vacation. All planned?"
“Nah. Just lucky.”
Yeah. Super lucky. Saw the ending dozens of times before coming here.
"Hmm... Lied just now, right?"
Gemma peered suspiciously, but I just smiled faintly instead of answering.
Now, prep ways to protect the pill-taker from drawn vengeful ghosts.
“Gonna be busy till the weekend.”
"Cramming for a freebie, but acting all diligent."
Effect lasts 24 hours—no weekdays. With rest, best window: Friday 8 PM to Saturday 11 PM. Need anti-ghost gear by Friday night latest.
All to prep for next week's interpersonal combat training.
“Not denying it.”
Cheating? Sure, but can't get my ass handed to me solo in spars allowing Spirit Lord Transformation.
Saving a life and grabbing honey on the way. Humanitarian win—no guilt.