Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Wager (1)
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I tried begging and pleading every which way to get in, but the librarian's ironclad stance at the entrance kept me out of the library in the end.
‘Whew... whatever. Without that woman around anyway, it'd be pointless even if I got inside.’
The Hidden Piece cultivation manual that Bihyeong had been after.
He could only borrow it by making direct contact with the Library Chairman and using her Barrier Art.
And that was because...
He had to release the yokai residing in the library.
‘Without her, messing with the yokai would cause an incident.’
The yokai itself wouldn't rampage or anything,
but if he couldn't dominate the space with Barrier Art, its influence could spread to other library visitors.
‘The Audit Division would convene.’
He'd have to stand before a crowd of exorcists, and if he slipped up, his half-demon nature might get exposed.
Thinking about that, stepping back for now was the right call.
‘Not a lot of leeway, but I've got time.’
Eleven days ahead.
Just handle it before then.
‘...If the Library Chairman doesn't show by then.’
He'd sneak into the library under cover of late night if he had to.
At that hour, everyone checking on the yokai would have clocked out.
‘Gotta figure out a way to slip in.’
There was a reason he'd clung to the librarian begging even after she said no.
To scout the library's security systems and sensors.
‘Spotted a few things. Neutralize those, and I can infiltrate undetected.’
Bihyeong pondered the methods as he walked the academy grounds.
Cherry blossoms were in full bloom for spring, and the lush green lawns looked vibrant.
Returning students strolled leisurely amid it all, while this year's freshmen gawked around in wonder as expected.
‘It is impressive.’
A finely built academy campus.
Carved from an entire mountain, boasting infrastructure better than most major cities.
But behind it all lurked secrets born from taming all sorts of yokai.
Solo Biography players called it farming.
‘Not as amazing as Hidden Pieces, but elements that help push stories forward.’
One of the immediate measures he was considering was that kind of farming.
As Bihyeong sifted through the list of tools in his mind,
“Ah! There you are, Bihyeong!”
A voice called out, followed by the patter of running feet.
He turned to see Mina rushing over like an excited puppy.
Mina balled her fists and said,
“Your speech was awesome!”
Then she switched to a deadpan expression, hand on her hip.
And grumbled in a low voice,
“Was the test too hard? Tsk... it wasn't that tough.”
“Guh...”
His dark history slammed into his solar plexus out of nowhere, and Bihyeong gritted his teeth.
‘...I did it to provoke him, but thinking back, it's so embarrassing!’
Not some belated chuunibyou phase—what the hell?
No, wait... he hadn't hammed it up that much, had he?
He stared at Mina in disbelief for a moment,
but she beamed brightly and continued.
“Did you see everyone's reactions? They all acknowledged you! It was huge! Super super amazing!”
Her face was utterly wrinkle-free, as if she only spoke pure truth.
Watching her sparkling eyes, Bihyeong started to share his thoughts on her speech.
But what had she said again?
‘Focused too much on the effect... can't recall the details.’
Whatever.
Just mirror back the praise?
“Yeah. You were pretty too.”
“...Huh?”
“Oh?”
Was that wrong?
He'd meant to return the “cool” compliment, but remembered she was a girl—wouldn't “pretty” feel better?—that useless three-step logic had fired off.
Thus the blunder slipped out.
Bihyeong flailed his hands in panic.
“N-no, that's not what I—”
“Pfft!”
But Mina clutched her stomach and burst out laughing.
Thankfully, no grounds for a lawsuit.
He knew she wasn't the type anyway.
“Thanks. First time anyone's called me pretty in my life.”
“No way that's true...”
Was that the classic lie from girls who know they're pretty?
Objectively, Mina was pretty.
Her flashy blonde hair blended seamlessly with her sharp features,
and her bright smile evoked a sunflower.
‘Plus, that glimpse of mountains when I glance down... ahem.’
Stopping there.
Now he'd actually get sued.
Mina grinned and went on.
“Well, I couldn't really go to school properly since I was little.”
At her sudden backstory, Bihyeong muttered without thinking.
“You too with the country mouse city mouse thing?”
“Huh? What's that?”
“...Nothing.”
He shook his head, realizing he'd blurted out an anime reference.
“Anyway, why bring that up all of a sudden...?”
“Hm. Just? My family was poor, so I couldn't go to school right. Never really met guys my age naturally.”
So Bihyeong was the first peer guy to compliment her looks.
“Ah...”
Bihyeong let out a low sound.
He felt a bit sorry for taking her “first(?)” in such a lame way.
...No, the phrasing felt off somehow?
As Bihyeong opened his mouth to apologize, Mina beat him to it.
“Ehehe... aww, embarrassing! Let's go, Bihyeong! Orientation's today!”
She bounced off, then spun halfway to look back at him.
“We're in the same class, right? Chief and vice-chief.”
“Ridge Crossing assigns classes by grades, so probably.”
He replied as they walked the grounds.
Mina, walking beside him, kept stealing glances.
‘...Yeah. My heart's racing.’
Just like when she'd first seen him at the admissions briefing,
for some reason, being near him made her heart pound uncontrollably.
‘Why’s this happening?’
She'd never met guys her age before.
With zero tolerance for men, Mina couldn't easily name this feeling.
Thus, the two entered their assigned classroom, each lost in their own worries.
“...Huh?”
“Yeah?”
Then they both spotted one person and widened their eyes.
Why's that guy here?
＊＊＊
Golden Taeyang.
Short for the blonde-tanned delinquent punk.
The guy we'd all agreed to call societal trash was here.
“Ah...”
Mina's face fell.
Remembering how he'd grabbed her at the briefing and tormented her.
Bihyeong nodded inwardly at Golden Taeyang.
‘As expected. Good grades.’
The punk who'd hounded vice-chief Mina.
If Mina hadn't helped, he'd have been late to the briefing and missed the test.
By that token, Golden Taeyang had talent too, likely with binding abilities.
‘This place is called Class A.’
The class where only the grade's absolute top talents could stay.
‘He's glaring hard. No getting friendly with that one.’
Holding grudges from helping Mina at the briefing.
And the humiliation he'd suffered.
As if worried about that, Mina tapped his hand and whispered.
“Bihyeong. I'll handle it. Don't worry too much.”
At that moment, Golden Taeyang stood and strode over.
His name tag read Golden Taeyang.
How's the name Golden Taeyang?
“Cozy vibe? You blew me off hard though... Guess our chief's something else, huh?”
The kids around murmured at Golden Taeyang's words.
Wondering if he could talk to the chief like that, what gave him the guts.
Mina frowned and stepped in front of Bihyeong.
“Go sit down. Don't pick fights with scary people.”
“Oh? All polite before, now casual? Fine by me. Feels closer.”
Golden Taeyang leered, eyeing Bihyeong and Mina back and forth.
“Looked you two up after that day. One's got a sick mom, the other's an orphan with no family backing.”
Bihyeong nodded inwardly.
As expected, he had someone pulling strings.
‘Mentioning family first—prestigious clan origin.’
Clans.
Exorcist organizations centered on bloodlines.
All registered with the Korean Exorcist Association,
ranked by merits, power, influence.
Those at the top were the so-called prestigious clans.
‘Checked me out right after the clash.’
Mistake.
Didn't expect an extra like him from a prestigious clan.
Game mentioned him once without a name, just as Mina's main bully.
But Bihyeong didn't regret it.
Mina turning villain and Audit Division showing up scared him more than clan beef.
At least,
while he still held academy cadet status.
“So?”
He grabbed Mina's arm, pulled her back, and faced Golden Taeyang.
“What now?”
Golden Taeyang looked up.
His cold eyes pitch black.
Yet between them,
—flicker.
Something like eerie ghostly fire seemed to burn.
‘Wh-what...’
As Golden Taeyang swallowed dryly at the fiercer-than-expected aura,
Bihyeong patted his shoulder and whispered in his ear.
“Picking a fight? Then why lose to an orphan? Starting from a better spot and all.”
Golden Taeyang trembled.
He'd started it but couldn't even break even.
Heat rose to his face.
“You little...”
Grind, grind—!
His teeth ground like they'd shatter.
Bihyeong smiled inwardly at him.
‘That's right. Come on, bite.’
Things had tangled this far—better escalate big.
To keep Mina from villainy, and the clan from meddling.
Borrowing the academy's power.
That instant.
“Yaaawn... So much energy to burn. Jealous. That's youth, huh?”
The front door opened, and a man strolled in.
Scratching his tousled hair, yawning hugely, he eyed Bihyeong and Golden Taeyang with interest.
“Cool it and sit. Plenty of chances later.”
“...Tch!”
Golden Taeyang clicked his tongue in annoyance and returned to his seat.
Bihyeong and Mina quietly took empty seats too.
The professor smirked in satisfaction and said,
“Good. Assuming everyone's here, orientation starts. Phones out.”
He pulled talismans from his pocket and tossed them at the freshmen.
Swish!
The talismans flew through the air, sucked toward their phones.
Ding! With notification chimes, a new app appeared on screens.
“Talisman App. Useful for a while—check it out.”
This is the 21st-century exorcist life.
Muttering that, the professor flopped into a mystery chair.
Bihyeong stared at his phone screen.
‘Been a while.’
He'd seen it often in-game.
Tapping the app revealed basic spells.
‘One of the perks of enrolling at the academy.’
Normally, casting spells consumed talismans.
But from enrollment, this app covered basics.
‘Real power spells still need talismans though.’
The app's real perk was elsewhere.
Fwoosh!
His phone spat blue flames like ignition.
The fire turned to text decorating his vision.
‘Here it is. Status Window.’
⚔ STATUS ⚔ His info listed out.
From height, weight, muscle mass InBody stats,
to exorcist growth progress.
‘Shows up since half-human. Good.’
Bihyeong smiled at his Hierarchy Rank.
Still ‘1’, with 0% progress beside it.
‘Fill that to hit Rank 2. Game used levels.’
Feeling the subtle difference,
he sensed the phone flames recede inside.
And,
a new notification popped at the top.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [System overlap detected.] [System upgrading.] With those words, the phone flames climbed his wrist into his body.
‘Ugh!’
Pain like an injection.
But brief—Bihyeong gaped at the Status Window floating before his eyes, not phone.
‘...More detailed now. Stats, achievements, half-demon, ongoing stories all shown.’
Interface just like the game.
No “why” came to mind.
His phone's notifications had vanished.
‘It swallowed the spell. And entered my body.’
Good or bad? Unclear.
But already half-demon— what’s one more thing?
‘Stats grasped roughly, chief perks applied... should be doable?’
Bihyeong smiled at the professor.
Spotting the intent in his eyes?
The professor showed interest and said,
“Energetic bunch—wanna sort the pecking order quick? To the training hall.”
Glancing at Golden Taeyang, he turned back too.
That instant.
📜 NEW QUEST 📜 【Proper Discipline】
You witnessed a cur who tried to ruin someone's life yet refuses to reflect on his wrongs.
Defeat him.
🎁 Reward: Bloodline Ability, ‘Wager’ range expansion.
‘Huh?’
Perfect timing to stomp the punk,
and unexpectedly, a Derived Story generated too.