Chapter 1126

〈 Chapter 1126 〉 1126. The Academy’s Savior

Cursed artifacts…

The bastards who dared try to dismantle my Sex Studies department. Sure, there are other minor departments, but the one that really took the heat was Cursed Artifacts. My boiling footsteps were headed straight for their building.

The Cursed Artifacts department was located in the basement of the annex on the first underground floor. It was damp and eerie—fitting for its name. On the ground floor, there was some mysterious major called “Demon Sounds” or something equally baffling.

“Yu-jin, calm down. You’re not going to start a fight at Cursed Artifacts, are you? That’s something I absolutely cannot allow.”

Kales grabbed my shoulder as we stood at the top of the stairs leading down to the basement.

“Professor, I’m calm. Don’t worry—I won’t do anything that could get me expelled.”

Kales looked deeply into my eyes with a calm expression before nodding slowly.

“…Don’t go overboard. Cursed Artifacts may be small in scale, but its history rivals even Swordsmanship. The teacher who founded the department is quite renowned.”

“Hmm, sounds impressive. But history’s not really my thing.”

We started descending the stairs. About halfway down, the temperature suddenly dropped sharply, making the air feel icy cold.

‘A Barrier. Not to keep outsiders out, but to protect them from what’s inside.’

At the bottom of the stairs stood a steel door. No knocking here—I just opened it and walked right in. They should count themselves lucky I didn’t kick it down.

“…!”

As soon as I entered, eight pairs of eyes immediately locked onto me. Seven students, one teacher.

I glanced around quietly. Despite the fluorescent lights being on, the room felt unnaturally dim. Strange objects hung on the walls, and shriveled corpses—human or monster—were perched atop bookshelves.

“Creepier than I thought. Guess this *is* Cursed Artifacts after all.”

“…What nonsense is this? What brings Spirit Studies crashing into our domain?”

A man sitting on a sofa spoke up irritably. His jet-black hair flowed down to his waist like seaweed, and though his upper body was lean, it radiated strength. He had an attractive face marred by heavy dark circles under his eyes, giving him an unpleasant aura.

This was Kim Jae-oh, the head teacher of Cursed Artifacts.

I strode confidently forward and sat directly across from him.

Kim Jae-oh glared daggers at me before shifting his gaze to Kales. His sharp voice cut through the air.

“…Teacher Kales, what exactly is the meaning of this rude intrusion? Did you find my comments during the meeting so amusing that you decided to show up here unannounced? And using a student as your front line…? I always thought you were a highly reasonable person, but it seems I misjudged you.”

“Yu-jin has something she wants to say to you. I simply came along in case things escalated.”

“…Escalated? Do you think I would harm this student?”

His voice rose with irritation. Kales didn’t flinch—not even a little. Instead, she raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly at the corner of her lips. She wasn’t the type to back down just because someone got aggressive.

“That’s not what I meant. This *is* Cursed Artifacts, after all. A place filled with cursed items…”


“Hey, this place is full of that energy! You’re saying Eugene, the sole student of Spirit Studies, might get cursed by the artifacts?”

“You mean you don’t believe me even though I’m standing right here?”

“I heard there was an accident in the Enchanted Artifacts Department last year.”

“……”

Kim Je-oh closed his mouth. He glared at Kalles once before shifting his gaze back to me.

“State your business in the Enchanted Artifacts Department.”

“Don’t you guys offer even a cup of coffee around here?”

“Eating and drinking are strictly prohibited in the Enchanted Artifacts Department. Not even water is allowed. If you want coffee, go outside and drink it.”

He wasn’t just saying that—it’s because of the enchanted artifacts.

Enchanted artifacts refer to cursed items, which are different from ritual tools known as ‘jugoo’.

However, in this World, there are ability users who wield cursed items. The Enchanted Artifacts Department is where such individuals gather. It’s only natural to be cautious about food intake since this is a place filled with enchanted artifacts.

“Teacher, isn’t it true you wish for the dissolution of our Spirit Studies Department?”

“The Spirit Studies Department only has you as a student. It was created solely to give you special treatment. Not just me, but everyone else refuses to acknowledge this.”

I turned my head. Blue Sleeve. I approached a first-year male student.

“Hey, you don’t agree with that either, right?”

“Eh, eh…? W-well, I…”

The first-year student stepped back nervously. Cold sweat formed on his temples.

In the Academy, rankings equal class and power. I ranked 5th upon enrollment. Most people can’t even look at me straight.

“I’m asking you.”

“T-that…”

The boy’s eyes wavered. Desperately, he signaled Kim Je-oh for help.

Kim Je-oh furrowed his brows.

“Stop threatening them.”

“Threatening? I was just asking a simple question.”

“…What you desire is the continuation of the Spirit Studies Department, correct?”

“Yes. It’s not that I receive special treatment because I’m the only member of Spirit Studies. The Academy simply takes care of every single student, even minorities. Once I graduate, Spirit Studies will likely dissolve anyway. There’s no need to force its closure now, right?”

“Even if you persuade me, it won’t change anything. Over 20 teachers wish for the dissolution of Spirit Studies. Do you really think you can convince all of them?”

“Hmm… From what I see, convincing you alone should suffice.”

“I’ll never give up. I recommend you stop wasting time and consider other majors.”

“If Spirit Studies gives up its budget, would you cancel its dissolution?”

“What’s the point of a department without a budget? In my opinion, Spirit Studies offers nothing beneficial to Academy students. All it does is occupy land. Spirit Studies deserves to be abolished.”

“Actually, giving up the budget was just a casual suggestion. Neither Professor Kalles nor I have any intention of abandoning the Spirit Studies budget. Naturally, dissolving Spirit Studies is out of the question.”

“……”

There will be no compromise. Kim Je-oh’s eyes clearly stated that.

“Let’s make a bet regarding the dissolution of Spirit Studies. If you win, I’ll fully accept its dissolution.”

“Hah, funny. At the next meeting, the decision to dissolve Spirit Studies is already set. Public opinion leaves no choice for the Dean but to approve it.”

“So if we win the bet, you’d assist in preserving Spirit Studies, right?”

“There’s no reason for me to take that bet.”

“Really? None at all?”

I glanced around.

Three first-years. One second-year. Three third-years. A total of seven students. The first-years stiffened when they met my gaze.

“Do you know who my mom is?”

“…… Shouldn’t I? Are you planning to crawl to her and beg her to preserve Spirit Studies?”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I’ll do. And I’ll also ask her to abolish the Enchanted Artifacts Department.”

“Hah, futile effort. Do you really think the Academy would succumb to external pressure?”

“She’s the Parent-Teacher Association President. She’s not an outsider. Moreover… with my mom’s influence… someone like you…”

I deliberately left the sentence hanging, twisting my lips into a smirk. Even though Kim Je-oh guessed my next words, he didn’t react…


Didn’t do it. Lips tightly sealed. The flicker in that gaze was fear.

“Professor, are you curious how much I can drag this out? Let me tell you upfront—I’m confident I can drag it all the way to hell.”

“……”

Kim Jeo’s jaw twitched. His molars were clenched tight.

“Can we really wrap this bet up cleanly?”

“I’ll ask President and Vice President to oversee it for us.”

“What’s the content of the bet?”

“A showdown between Spirit Studies and Metalcraft Studies. Isn’t that simple enough? You can even decide the details if you want. I recommend a straight-up confrontation. Quick and easy, right?”

“The Spirit Studies team consists of two people: you and Professor Calles. Do you really think you can beat us?”

“Metalcraft Studies could swarm me in numbers, but they still wouldn’t win. Why? Because it’s a fact.”

Crack.

The sound of Kim Jeo grinding his teeth rang clear.

“…Fine. I’ll report this bet to the President and Vice President for approval. This will be a great opportunity to expose Spirit Studies’ incompetence to the academy…”

“In that case, consider it settled.”

I stood up.

“By the way, Metalcraft Studies sure has some interesting stuff around here.”

A spoon with beads of blood, a portrait with moving eyes, a ghost-infested spirit photograph, a notebook with red names written inside, and a shriveled leg—there were plenty of strange things.

But what caught my interest more than anything else was a girl standing in the corner.

‘The ace of Metalcraft Studies. The decisive reason why Kim Jeo accepted the challenge.’

She was short. One year older than me, but her appearance looked at least five years younger.

Her pale white hair reached down to her waist, and she had eyes as red as dried fish. Beneath her academy uniform, her entire body was wrapped in white bandages. Parts of her neck and face were also covered in bandages.

Shin Narie. Academy Grade 2, Class 3. Rank 65.

Though ranked 65th, her skill level is among the top tier of second-year students.

“……??”

As I stared intently, Shin Narie tilted her head.

I activated Spirit Vision. My pupils glowed gold, and at the same time, the entity behind Shin Narie became visible.

It was a female ghost. More accurately, not just a ghost but an entity of higher rank—an evil spirit.

Black long hair, crimson skin, hollowed-out eyes, and black nails over 10 cm long. The evil spirit embraced Shin Narie from behind while glaring at me.

‘This looks worse than any game character.’

Realizing where my gaze was directed, Shin Narie spoke.

“You can see it, huh.”

“Yeah, my eyes are kinda special, so I see pretty clearly. Senior, need help?”

“…Of all the people who’ve said they’d help me, only one person actually did.”

The person Shin Narie referred to was Kim Jeo. I shrugged. Her reaction was predictable. She wouldn’t trust and follow me just because I talked big. With someone like Shin Narie, actions speak louder than words.

I deactivated Spirit Vision and left Metalcraft Studies with Calles.

“Yu Jin. Did you plan this bet against Metalcraft Studies from the start?”

“Yes.”

If this were anywhere else, I could’ve resolved this by contacting Jinryeong Seongga or Ha Ri. But this is the academy. Their names don’t carry much weight here.

‘Even if I could easily handle someone like Kim Jeo…to poach Shin Narie, this approach works better.’

Shin Narie isn’t my type.

‘Still, I can’t let someone else have a beauty like Shin Narie.’

I also intend to secure other assets within Metalcraft Studies.

“…Don’t underestimate Metalcraft Studies just because it’s small. Some people fear curses more than magic. Do you know how to deal with them?”

“I’ll share this exclusively with you, Professor Calles. No curse can bind me.”

Though I said it confidently, Calles still seemed worried, gripping my shoulder gently.