Chapter 951
Chapter 951
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 951
Chapter Title: Academy's Savior
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Am-o's shattered body was darkness itself.
It was only natural. It was a spirit of darkness, after all. Its very essence was darkness.
"Grrraaah!"
Moka let out a mighty roar. Brilliant blue lightning erupted from his body, scorching the shadows as it passed. I shook off the clinging darkness from my own body and stood up. With Am-o's death, the darkness was steadily fading away.
Kales approached me. I deliberately staggered a bit, and she hurriedly grabbed my shoulder to steady me. My arm just happened to brush against her chest.
"Something... feels off from the usual. Why is Moka acting like that?"
"Looks like he's had some kind of realization from this battle."
Crackle. Zap. Crackle.
Lightning poured ceaselessly from Moka's body. He burned away all the surrounding darkness with bolts of thunder, then shot up into the sky. Even from afar, his body flashed brilliantly.
"Spirits have moments of enlightenment too?"
"Spirits have egos of their own, you know."
"Is Moka about to become an upper-grade spirit now?"
"Can't say for sure. But... I think he's accumulated more than enough power to reach that level. He's flown up there because he needs some time alone, probably. Just trust him and wait."
"Yeah, well. Our contract's still intact, so he'll be back soon enough."
I shared Moka's vision through Spirit Eye. Right now, he was soaring through the clouds. The presence of lightning swirled around him. Moka was growing stronger by the moment. Even without my attention, he'd reach the upper-grade spirit realm.
Kales gazed at where Am-o had been, her expression complicated. Having spent so much time with that upper-grade darkness spirit, she must have felt a sense of emptiness at its dissipation.
"Professor Kales..."
That was that. But this was a perfect chance to comfort her and get closer. I slowly approached her side.
"Don't be too saddened. The world's a big place. If you look, you'll find other upper-grade darkness spirits."
"Saddened? That's not it. I felt something strange. The Am-o I knew wasn't like this. Probably some new contractor influenced it. And that new contractor of Am-o's is dangerous. I'd love to uncover their identity, but..."
"Is there a way?"
"No. That's the biggest problem."
Kales sighed. She stood there for a moment, lost in thought, then spoke to me.
"There's nothing more we can do here. Let's head back. The headmaster's gonna chew us out..."
"Head back right now? We came all this way—can't we at least hang out a bit? We're not hurt or anything."
Head back immediately? No way. This was the golden opportunity to seduce Kales, out here alone away from the academy.
"We were planning a little sightseeing on the way back, but... an incident happened. Better to return to the academy straightaway."
Kales was firm. I could tell instinctively—no matter what I said, she wouldn't change her mind easily.
"P-Professor Kales. Mind if I take care of something real quick?"
"Something? Oh... I'll wait here. Take your time."
I'd bought some time. I moved a good distance away from Kales, far enough that neither her voice nor presence could reach me.
"Makina."
Makina was summoned with a face full of complaints. Her puffed-up cheeks had veggie bits stuck to them, and red sauce smeared her lips.
"What's with the face?"
"You seriously have to ask? It's lunchtime! I was in the middle of chicken salad and rose tteokbokki... and you ruined it!"
"A spirit with such a gluttonous appetite."
"Don't diss spirits!"
"Where's Mom?"
"She was with me until just now. Send me back quick! If I'm too late, she'll eat all the tteokbokki!"
"I've got a job for you. Do it, and I'll send you right back."
"Does it have to be now? Can't it wait till after lunch?"
"Don't wanna eat?"
"Ugh, fine. Just get it over with."
I pointed in one direction with my finger.
"Fly that way, and you'll hit a car. Make it break down so bad it won't drive. Not artificially—make it look totally natural. You can do that, right?"
Makina narrowed her eyes at me.
"I can, but... what's the scheme this time?"
"Doesn't matter. Oh, and don't tell Mom. Brush it off if she asks."
"Got it. Do that, and send me back immediately."
Makina zipped off through the trees. I shared her vision via Spirit Eye. Less than a minute later, she spotted our rental car parked on the roadside—the one Kales and I had come in.
-This the one?
'Yep. Wreck it.'
-Just make it not roll?
'Yeah. Naturally.'
Makina picked up some nearby leaves and stuffed them into the engine.
-Done. Send me back. Rose tteokbokki time!
'Leaves? That's it? You're kidding.'
-You wanted maximum natural breakdown. This is plenty.
Makina might look it, but she's a machine spirit. She knows machines better than I do, so I'd trust her for now. If the car still runs, I could always summon her back and chew her out.
I unsummoned Makina and headed back to Kales.
"Sorry, Professor. Keep you waiting long?"
"Not long. Let's head down."
Kales took the lead. Being an elf, she navigated the mountainside effortlessly. We found the car. It looked perfectly fine from the outside.
We got in, and she turned the key. The engine started... then sputtered out with a pop.
"Huh?"
Startled, Kales tried again. Same thing. It caught, then died. She tried three more times before the engine gave out completely.
Kales panicked.
"Wh-what's wrong with this thing?"
"I, uh, don't know cars either... Are we stranded here?"
"Stranded? In this day and age?"
Kales quickly regained her composure. No one was hurt—just a broken car. She called the rental company on her smartphone.
'Right, it was a Hyundai.'
I clicked my tongue inwardly. Korea's infrastructure was too good for any naughty mountain-stranded hijinks.
"They're sending someone. Says it'll take about three hours... Hmm. Might be faster to walk to the nearest village."
"Walk? There's a village nearby?"
"You saw it on the way here. About an hour away. Tiny place, but... maybe they have a taxi? Or we could ask around for a ride."
I racked my brain. Either way, the outcome was the same. Might as well wait in the car? Three hours of free time had just opened up.
"...What do you think we should do, Professor Kales?"
"Better to keep moving than sit here. Can't walk? I can call for help. If I ask the headmaster, we might even get a chopper."
"No need. It's not that urgent, and we're not hurt. Let's walk."
We left the car behind and hit the road. Even in Korea, this remote spot saw no traffic.
I kept thinking. There had to be a way... something I hadn't thought of.
"Walking like this isn't so bad, huh?"
"Yeah. Good exercise. Hey, Professor, got a question."
"Ask away."
"Earlier, Am-o said it'd get stronger by eating me. Do spirits normally eat people to power up?"
"You know that's not how it works."
"Yeah, but just in case."
As far as I knew, nothing in this world was absolute.
"...Normal spirits don't grow by eating living things. They absorb natural energies. And those build up naturally... Am-o claimed this mountain as its turf to slowly soak up its energy and grow. If eating people worked, it'd have devoured hundreds or thousands by now."
"But it was dead certain eating me would make it stronger."
"That's what's bothering me. Maybe its new contractor did something..."
Kales trailed off. Her face was truly conflicted.
The mood stiffened. I changed the subject to lighten things up. Once it eased, conversation flowed smoothly.
We reached the village. A small one—population under 500, probably. Still, it had the basics. Elderly folks tended fields; no young people in sight.
"Let's talk to the village head first and borrow a car."
In places like this, dealing directly with the head was fastest.
'...No way out? Have to catch a ride to the station and back to the academy... We finally got out alone, and this chance slips away...'
Walking the village paths, a minbak caught my eye. Shabby and small compared to city motels, but with its wide yard, quiet rural backdrop, it had its own charm.
I swallowed hard. A naughty fantasy sparked a great idea.
"Professor Kales."
"Hm? What?"
"Can we stay here tonight and head back tomorrow?"
Kales tilted her head, not getting it. Another woman might've snapped, but she stayed calm.
"What brought that on?"
I couldn't say the battle aftermath had left me feeling off. Responsible teacher that she was, she'd call the headmaster for a chopper if she knew, and it'd reach Sung Ha-ri. With her personality, she'd pressure the Hero Association, cutting our time together even shorter.
"It's Moka. He's nearby. As his contractor, I want to witness his growth here. And if I'm not around, he might follow me..."
"And the thunder owl might not reach upper-grade...?"
"Yes."
"Never heard that before, but... it's not impossible. Spirits are sensitive. Transitions from mid to upper grade aren't that rare..."
Kales crossed her arms, stroking her chin thoughtfully. After a deep ponder, she spoke.
"First... let's report to the headmaster. Overnight stays need his approval."
"Yes, Professor."
Kang Ji-young would approve. She wouldn't block a chance for an academy student to grow over a delayed return.
And as predicted, she did. Kales and I stayed at the minbak. Separate rooms, of course. No beds, no computers. But the wide yard and wooden floors suited her. She seemed pleased.
I stocked up on food from the village store and returned. As dusk fell, we had dinner. Pork belly tasted great anywhere.
We sat side by side on the porch, small shot glasses in hand. Clear soju sloshed gently.
"You know academy students aren't allowed to drink, right?"
"C'mon. This isn't the academy. Rules don't apply."
"Sophistry, but fine. No one hears we drank together."
Kales raised her glass. Clink! They met with a crisp sound.
The liquor burned down my throat, warming my body. We chatted over drinks. As the bottle emptied, the distance between us shrank.
Stars twinkled in the night sky, crickets chirped. A cool breeze tickled pleasantly.
The mood was set. The moment had come. I placed a hand on Kales's shoulder. Her slightly relaxed eyes met mine.
"Kales."
"...Yu-jin."