Chapter 84

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 83

Chapter Title: Garam University

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Bboongbboong barreled down the highway without hesitation.

Since Bboongbboong was heading straight to our destination on its own, I could comfortably check my skills from the passenger seat of the moving car.

The Heavenly Eye had been cleaved by my ritual blade, and slaying a disaster-class anomaly had leveled me up. It was probably because experience had been building since the Hanam Sae Maeume Apt incident that I leveled up right away.

Stats must go into mental power, no question...

To properly maintain mental power even after unsealing the Ghost Kings, I had to boost my mental stat without fail.

With mental power now exactly at 240, even summoning both Ghost Kings would leave me with 40 remaining—a far more stable state.

Back at Mujin Mountain, I'd been left with barely 20, teetering on the edge, but 40 should render most anomalies helpless against me.

This time, three skill options appeared as well.

Reaching level 6 brought up these absurd options?

Brain Function Activation would let me rapidly acquire any sorcery or ritual, plain and simple.

As a Fixer, mastering ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it would eliminate any hesitation in mimicking spirit shamans' techniques.

I might even interpret and analyze the Nameless Registry in greater detail.

For now, I could only grasp the three characters of 'seal release', but Brain Function Activation might unlock new possibilities.

But Animalistic Senses' hyper-intuition can't be ignored either.

If Brain Function Activation maximizes intelligence stats, Animalistic Senses maximizes perception stats.

This skill skips intermediate steps entirely, deriving results purely from intuition.

The moment I spot a clue or grasp the situation, I'd instinctively know the enemy's identity, goal, and intent.

In a way, it's ideal for tracking the Black Veil right now—but it's probabilistic, so it might not trigger when I need it most.

Long-term, Brain Function Activation for easier sorcery acquisition makes sense, but for intuiting the Black Veil's location, Animalistic Senses edges it out.

Now the dilemma.

And what the hell is Existential Omnipotence?

Trading vitality and mental power for temporary invincibility was an oddly specific description.

I barely remembered seeing this skill, so I dredged up vague recollections of user reviews from the depths of my subconscious.

Definitely... called it trash.

I recalled a review post: it drained nearly all vitality and mental power for just one turn of invincibility.

Typical players with sub-30 vitality and mental stats couldn't even use it.

Hell, it might backfire and kill you outright.

Absolute dominance over anomalies or phenomena for a short time, at the cost of devouring your own life and mind.

But with my absurdly high vitality and mental power, I probably wouldn't die easily from it. Tough choice.

"Fixer, where exactly are we headed? We hopped in without much plan..."

As I pondered skill selection, Se-yeon in the passenger seat marveled at the self-driving car and asked our destination.

Come to think of it, I hadn't properly told Se-yeon where we were going.

I'd asked for her help protecting Yu-ha and the kids, then loaded everyone up and left—so she had no clue why or where.

"My explanation was lacking. We're heading to Garam University in Yongin. Something seems off there."

"Garam University? My little sister's enrolled there..."

"Pardon? Your sister's at Garam?"

"Yes. Spirit shamans from Mujin City sometimes attend. They have a Korean Folk Ritual Studies department."

Though not widely known, Garam University had long attracted a high ratio of spirit shamans.

One of the few departments training spirit arts practitioners, it drew in shaman hopefuls aiming for college.

Yu-ha, already an Oracle, had no interest in university, but typical Mujin kids did.

"Hold on—so the school can handle its own internal issues?"

"Probably. No need to call outsiders. I recall the Folk Ritual Studies professors are all Mujin spirit shamans too. Something's off."

The professors were spirit shamans, so why seek out the Fixer Office?

There should've been an in-house group to handle problems—why come to me?

"Can you reach your sister right now?"

"Yes. One moment."

Se-yeon called her sister immediately.

Though they hadn't talked in a while, the sister didn't pick up—as expected.

"Fifth call, no answer. She usually picks up my calls right away..."

Se-yeon sensed something wrong too.

Sure enough, something had gone down across the entire university.

"Yu-ha."

"Yes, Uncle?"

"The student who came to the office two days ago—you said they seemed off, right?"

"Yeah... that's..."

The client had visited while I was out.

Late from the Hanam Sae Maeume Apt issue, Yu-ha had handled the consultation in my stead.

"Back then, definitely..."

Yu-ha said the client looked unwell.

21 years old, glasses, frail build, extremely weak presence.

Notably, their eyes were glassy and will seemed feeble.

Any link between that state and now?

"Fixer, no contact with Garam University's admin office either. Even for a weekend, no one's answering Saturday morning—that's suspicious."

"Uncle, tried the client's number too—no connection. It worked until yesterday..."

"They might've cut the school off from the outside entirely."

No lines of communication at all.

Garam University was isolated from the world.

Garam University is sealed for unknown reasons, and we have no idea what's happening inside.

Especially ominous: a school full of spirit shamans severed from the outside meant even they were overwhelmed.

Something was definitely up at Garam. Good call coming here.

"Requesting backup."

Se-yeon grasped the severity and contacted the Lunar Blossom Sect shrine right away.

With so many Mujin students, they'd jump in.

Ring ring.

Then my phone rang too.

-Fixer, what the hell? Why is the Lunar Blossom Sect...

It was Fungus Sorceress Yi Hae-ri.

She grilled me on why Lunar Blossom Sect and the Anomaly Management Department were suddenly pursuing the Black Veil, protesting it deviated from our deal.

But mentioning the Heavenly Eye flipped her attitude.

Hearing of a disaster-class emergence, she quickly understood—the situation had worsened beyond what the Moss House could handle alone.

-Are you safe, Fixer?

"I'm fine, but civilian casualties are heavy. Tracking leads now. This morning's request might tie to the Black Veil too."

-Ah, any clue on locations?

"En route to Garam University in Yongin. Seems related to the issue there."

-...Yongin...?

Yi Hae-ri sounded flustered hearing our destination.

I hadn't told her yesterday where I was headed, so Garam was news to her.

"Any issues?"

-No, it's just... I'm in Yongin right now too...

"Pardon?"

Yi Hae-ri explained her situation.

Tracking Black Veil leads this morning, she'd detected a 'hole' in Yongin.

Moss House was using the Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams to trace dark spirit arts on Black Veil victims—spotting the hole punched via those arts.

"What's a 'hole'?"

-A phenomenon from long-range material teleportation via dark spirit arts. A hole in Yongin means Black Veil teleported there directly... or seeded something. Mostly decoys, so I came to check...

'Hole punching' was dangerous in fallen shamans' hands, so Moss House had long monitored them. Judging Black Veil traces in Yongin, they'd been searching since morning.

"Se-yeon, mind adding one more companion?"

"From Moss House?"

"Yes. She's near Garam too. Black Veil lead involved—joining us?"

"Fine by me. If she's okay, invite her."

Kang Se-yeon approved Yi Hae-ri's joining.

No apparent grudge against onmyoji—calm about it. Young ones seemed less prejudiced, despite typical shaman-onmyoji tensions.

Makes sense—she hadn't batted an eye at spirit soul shaman Ha-yeon either. Just her personality.

"Hae-ri, head to Garam University then. Something's there—meet at the gate."

I summoned Fungus Sorceress Yi Hae-ri to Garam too.

An onmyoji of Se-yeon's caliber would be a huge asset.

Yongin Garam University.

Like most Korean universities, Garam was nestled amid mountains.

Entering required a 10-minute uphill drive before the main gate appeared.

"Here, Fixer."

Nearing the gate, a small kei car sat in the lot, Yi Hae-ri in yesterday's garb waiting beside it.

"Pleased to meet you. Kang Se-yeon."

"Uh, I, I'm..."

Yi Hae-ri stuttered, tensing up at Se-yeon's sight.

Instinctive fear ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the shaman? Greeting was a struggle.

"Skip pleasantries. Scouted the school's state?"

"Ah, yes. Tried scouting inside—but reconnaissance blocked entirely. Like a barrier. Cars can't enter; gate's the only way in."

The gate barred vehicles.

Pedestrians only, apparently—but what barrier?

"Other oddities?"

"Not sure why, but few people wandering campus. Felt presences looping the same spots repeatedly. That's all I got—need to enter for details."

Spore scouting nullified; other entries led to disorientation.

Human-like things patrolled buildings, but unverifiable without going in.

"Not sorcery sealing—some anomaly masquerading as one."

Se-yeon assessed it as anomaly-induced, not a mere barrier.

Indeed, it mimicked a barrier but felt anomalous.

"Yu-rim, you okay inside?"

"Y-yes... feeling fine now..."

"Ha-yeon?"

"I'm good too, Fixer."

Pre-entry check on the kids' conditions.

Ha-yeon and Yu-rim seemed fine, thankfully.

"Brought you all since nowhere safe to leave you. Wait at the gate? Or Bboongbboong back to the office?"

"Here? After coming this far?"

"Don't know the interior state. Could be dangerous."

I might not stay glued to them.

Life-threatening if separated.

"You're... overprotecting us."

"What?"

"We can defend ourselves to a degree, Fixer."

"R-right... way weaker than those two, but... we won't go down easy."

Jeong Ha-yeon and Ko Yu-rim wanted in.

Hell-bent on seeing it through now. Allow entry? Risky—could die.

Warnings given, but resolve firm.

Won't back down till burned. Unbroken despite collapsing before a disaster-class.

"I want in too, Uncle."

"Alright."

"Uncle, remember? At Cursed Mountain Lodge, Hye-ryeong Monk and I got out fine."

"...True."

Even with Woo-hyeon Monk and me, Yu-ha endured weeks roaming the lodge.

That experience strengthened her; staring down Sowol built her mental fortitude.

Snowballing to quick recovery against today's disaster-class.

These weren't typical minors. Budding spirit arts practitioners hunting anomalies.

Together on cases might be the best catalyst to toughen them.

Is blocking their future with worry truly right? The answer?

I don't know. Never properly mentored anyone.

Can't protect forever. Adults find their paths. Better teach anomaly-fighting now than blind sheltering.

Beyond giving fish—teach fishing. Bigger aid to their futures.

Yeah, let 'em experience it. Surviving abnormals strengthens alone.

"Got it. But you three stick together—no separating. Those two are top-tier. Prioritize your lives above all. Got it? No heroics—promise."

"Yes, Fixer. Our lives first."

"Don't worry... I value myself most..."

Ambiguous to leave 'em, so tagging along—but pray they return unscathed.

"Let's head in."

We parked Bboongbboong at the gate and entered Garam University.

Target: Ipsae Hall, home to the AI Promotion Club.

Bypass the prominent student union post-gate, past the library, straight to the outdoor theater—club rooms cluster in Ipsae Hall nearby.

All confirmed the objective. Regroup at Ipsae if scattered.

We crossed Garam gate together.

The instant we passed the gate, I was inside some unknown building.

My companions? Scattered elsewhere, vanished.

Entry hurled us into unexpected space; Subconscious Preservation fired, clearing an unknown abnormal status.

Likely all teleported separately, prone to mental anomalies causing odd behavior.

Find them quick before trouble escalates.

Didn't expect instant scatter— but after today's twists, not even surprised.

"Uncle! There you are! Took forever to find you!"

"Huh...?"

Scanning the hall for allies, a woman's voice called from behind.

Only Yu-ha calls me Uncle.

Turning to the voice, a robust-looking college girl stood there.

Status confirmed: adult woman, no ties to Yu-ha.

"Uncle! It's me! Nam Yu-ha!"

A college girl claiming to be Nam Yu-ha appeared.

Not even an anomaly mimicking human—just a genuine human woman.