The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 92

Everything is meaningless.

It’s all futile.

Like flailing futilely in a swamp, only to be pulled deeper, all my efforts seemed to lead to the noose tightening around my neck.

“Hey, who asked you to get a pizza bun? I told you to buy a sausage bun!”

“They were out of pizza buns, so—”

“Forget it.”

Thump.

Kim In-seong threw the bun he was holding onto the floor and started to stomp on it.

“Ptui. There, it’s ready. Eat up.”

“Ha, that looks delicious, man.”

Han Sang-don burst into laughter.

These are inferior humans who find pleasure in tormenting others without reason, and I am less than a plaything for those inferior beings. Of course, I try to resist.

“How do you expect me to eat this…”

“What did you just say?”

“Guh!”

Each time, the only response was violence. Nothing changed.

“Frickin’ wretch, you talk back because you’re coddled!”

“Ugh!”

“Hey, hey, be careful! You might actually hurt the kid.”

No matter how much I try, nothing changes. Even my resistance is just entertainment for them.

‘I want to die.’
What was I trying to accomplish by throwing a tantrum at my father? I had come to Babel to change the timid version of myself. Did I really make a resolution to endure this kind of beating?

“Die, die, you piece of trash!”

Acid surged back up into my empty stomach. A sour taste filled my mouth, and I felt like the world was spinning.

“Ha, bastard. Just my fists hurt.”

He kicked me in the stomach with all his strength one last time. I bit down on my lips, having nothing left to vomit.

“Without Han Yu-seong, you’re nothing. Just acting tough.”

“Just one more outburst and I’ll kill you, I mean it.”

As if they had had enough fun, they chuckled and walked away from the backyard.

“Ugh……!”

A wave of nausea hit me a beat late. As an Awakener, my body doesn’t die easily.

Even without being able to manipulate mana, the spiritual energy somewhat protects my body, so I won’t die from this. They know that, too, and they torment me just enough not to cross that line.

“Looks like Yu-seong isn’t here today…”

Whenever I got beaten like this, Yu-seong usually showed up to save me. In those moments, even those arrogant bastards would tuck their tails between their legs and run away.

“Pff.”

I still remember the time Kim In-seong and Han Sang-don ran away the moment Yu-seong showed up. It was really funny.

I couldn’t help but laugh, but it was short-lived. A burning, indescribable emotion erupted from the depths of my chest.

“…This isn’t right.”

When I came to my senses, I realized that I was always relying on others. The pain from the beating was nothing compared to the shame I felt for my own weakness.

“You need to learn to solve things on your own. Ha-baek, you’re a strong kid after all.”

Suddenly, Han Yu-seong’s voice flashed through my mind. Yes, I had tried to solve things on my own in various ways.

But against those privileged kids, I found I couldn’t do anything. Even my homeroom teacher, Choi Tae-min, was the type to avoid any responsibility, so he wouldn’t listen to me.

‘Ah…’

This shouldn’t be happening.

A feeling of disgust slowly surfaced from deep within my chest. Hatred towards the kids who treated me like a toy and those who just stood by and watched.

And my twisted emotions even led me to curse Han Yu-seong just because he said condescending things.

‘I want to die.’

I had come here so confidently, but now I was on the verge of dropping out. As a result, I wished for death more strongly than ever before.

‘I hope everyone would just die.’

No, I wished for everyone’s death so that nothing would appear in my line of sight. Just as I was about to close my eyes on the cold floor today,

Whoosh

A chill-like presence rose from the ground. Between the faint purplish spiritual energy, something resembling rabbit ears peeked out.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

Eyes bloodshot red, with buck teeth jutting out. The face was that of a monster, but the attire was a sophisticated suit.

“Tsk, tsk.”

The Rabbit, now fully visible, pulled out a white handkerchief, as white as its fur, from its breast pocket.

“Are you alright?”

That was the first encounter between me and the Moon Rabbit.

* * *

“What a bunch of garbage they are. Just hearing about it makes me want to vomit.”

The Rabbit and I sat side by side on a bench, talking. After a while of listening to my story, the Rabbit nodded.

“Humans are like that. They pretend to cooperate, but deep down, they’re always looking for a weakling to prey on.”

“But why?”

“Because it’s the best way to feel a sense of superiority.”

The rabbit loosened its tie and revealed its chest. A large scar peeked out from beneath its fluffy fur.

“I, too, once nearly died from another predator before I had any spiritual power. So, I can vaguely understand your feelings, Ha-baek. The most frustrating part was that no matter how hard I tried to survive, I remained unchanged.”

The Rabbit adjusted his tie again and cleared his throat.

“So, I’d like to propose a deal, Ha-baek.”

“A deal? But my father told me never to make deals with a yokai…”

“This might change your mind.”

The Rabbit nodded and pulled something from his jacket, placing it on the bench.

“What do you think?”

“Ugh, that’s horrifying.”

A dark, murky orb with a purplish glow.

From the moment it was presented, goosebumps spread across my body.

“Help me.”

“Please get me out of here…”

Inside the orb were countless grudges. The screams of souls who couldn’t die peacefully echoed within it.

“If you swallow this, you’ll gain unprecedented power.”

“Why should I do that—”

“How intriguing.”

The Rabbit removed his fedora and tilted his head toward me.

“Didn’t you want the power to overturn everything?”

His bright red eyes stared at me. Over those clear pupils, I saw a reflection of my own weary face. In that instant, a flood of past memories I had long forgotten surged forward.

‘That’s right.’

I first encountered those guys at the entrance ceremony.

In the mock duels, I was just a target for them to score points, and in the mock subjugations, I was forced into being a scout against my will.

Living day-to-day like a plaything and repetitively hoping for Han Yu-seong’s rescue painted a pathetic picture of myself.

But the world is unfair. The perpetrators of the bullying would not be punished, and soon they would stand in higher social positions than me.

If things continued like this, I would be the one left behind. I would be the one tossed aside, cast out of society like trash.

All of my resolve and efforts would disappear as if they had never existed. My existence, Seo Ha-baek, would be erased from the world, with their names plastered over mine.

“Will you continue to live as someone’s slave?”

The Rabbit’s voice was a low hum under the darkness. It cut deep, as if he had peered into my heart and spoken to its very core.

“Shouldn’t you at least let the world know? That you exist, and that you have struggled to survive?”

“……”

Yet, as I hesitated, the Rabbit pocketed the orb.

“If you’re reluctant, it’s fine. Your life will just continue to repeat as it has been.”

“Wait.”

I grabbed the rabbit’s arm as he began to stand. His round, protruding eyes looked down at me.

“……What happens after I take it?”

“Don’t worry. Simply smashing things isn’t smart. I’ll show you a better way.”

The Rabbit nodded.

“In return, what do you want from me? You must have something you desire from me.”

“That’s not something you need to worry about either.”

The Rabbit snapped its fingers, and a sheet of parchment and a quill appeared on its thick hand.

“Just sign here. The contract takes effect immediately upon signing, so I recommend you read it thoroughly before you sign.”

I wasn’t as discerning as my father, but I understood. The orb was a creation woven from the lives of thousands, perhaps tens of thousands. Just what price would I pay for something like that? Could it be my very soul?…

※ This contract is formed mutually by the contracting parties, Seol Ha-baek (hereafter referred to as Party A) and the Rabbit (hereafter referred to as Party B), with the following terms agreed upon.

Article 1: General Provisions – Party B shall transfer the promised item (Orb of Grudges) to Party A.

Article 2: General Provisions – Party B shall sufficiently explain the usage of the promised item to Party A.

“That’s all?”

“Yes, that’s all.”

The Rabbit smiled brightly.

Is it really asking for nothing in return, despite handing over such a grudge entity?

“But there’s one thing you should know. Naturally, in order to explain how to use the item, I’ll need to accompany you to some extent.”

“For example?”

“At the very least, I’ll need to accompany you to your residence, Ha-baek.”

The Rabbit shrugged.

What kind of usage requires the rabbit to accompany me all the way to my home?

“Perhaps I should add another clause to put your mind at ease?”

With another snap of his fingers, a new general provision appeared on the parchment.

Article 3: General Provisions – During the period of accompaniment, Party B shall not cause any harm to Party A or any of Party A’s acquaintances.

“How’s that? If this contract is violated, the consequences will fall solely on the violator.”

The Rabbit handed me the quill.

I placed the quill over the parchment.

“One last question.”

“Ask as many as you’d like.”

For the first time, I looked directly into the Rabbit’s eyes.

“You said you were bullied too? How did you escape that situation?”

The Rabbit smiled brightly at my question.

“I killed them all with these teeth.”

* * *

[You’ve discovered a memory from the other side: Skill Points +20]

[1/4 Until the additional rank increase for Spirit Sight (S)]”

“Ugh…!”

Blood flowed from my eyes.

What I had just witnessed were the experiences Seol Ha-baek went through in the original story. In other words, these were not memories from this world, but memories from the original storyline.

“So that’s how it was…”

I staggered and grabbed hold of the shrine’s pillar. It felt like the puzzle pieces regarding Seol Ha-baek’s whereabouts and Yomi’s rampage were starting to fit together.

“Seol Ha-baek, unable to overcome the bullying, made a contract with the Rabbit and accepted the orb. He used those grudges to bind Yomi and wreak havoc in Seoul.”

It was a typical story of a victim of bullying turning into a villain. While the conditions seemed altruistic, it was an advantageous deal for the Rabbit.

Not only did he get rid of the long-standing nuisance that was Yomi, but the chaos in Seoul also likely allowed him to gather even more grudges. On top of that, he managed to locate the Seol family’s main house, which he had been searching for…

“Ha-baek.”

At that moment, I heard Seol Baek-san’s voice calling me from behind.