Chapter 40

“The classroom is darker than I expected.”

With thunder calling, Grantoni busily prepared for a summoning ritual in the classroom.

He drew a massive magic circle with goat’s blood and sprinkled some mysterious bone powder on it.

After fussing about for a while, Grantoni finally showed a hint of pride.

“It’s all about the atmosphere!”

“Grantoni, this isn’t really meaningful right now.”

What Grantoni was trying to do was straightforward summoning.

I’d never heard of any restrictions when it comes to using summoning.

“Hehe, you know, the vibe is important for anything!”

Leave it to the weirdo.

He just wanted to try it out.

“So, who are we summoning?”

Had he forgotten in the meantime?

“Thunder Buruumi.”

“No, not that nickname, his name.”

Ah, right.

It’s not likely that “Thunder Buruumi” would show up, now would it?

“Barkabaran.”

From the northern empire.

A name from the most towering mountain range in the world.

A savage name belonged to one who lived there.

“Hehe, got it.”

Grantoni stood in the center of the magic circle he had meticulously crafted.

He snatched a classroom chair and sat backwards on it, the backrest pushing against his chest.

“Now, I’m going to summon him. Be quiet for a moment.”

Grantoni was a soul sorcerer.

And among such sorcerers, he had unparalleled talent.

Closer to the dead than the living.

A little mortuary.

He had earned his chilling nickname for good reason.

As Grantoni’s hollow eye sockets dimmed, the atmosphere around him began to shift slowly.

This classroom was transforming into a place that beckoned death.

Suddenly, my steel skin responded to the presence of death, trembling slightly.

A bizarrely unsettling energy crept over me slowly.

The colors of the surroundings changed.

Colors drained away, turning everything to shades of gray.

This signified that we had stepped into the shadow realm where souls lingered.

This was why Grantoni was renowned as the best soul sorcerer.

His unique trait.

Shadow world traveler.

Despite being the only living being in the world, he could traverse the spirit realm freely.

And he was well aware of it.

If he stayed in this shadow realm too long, he’d likely never return.

Yet, he kept stepping into the shadow world.

Perhaps he was searching for someone.

‘And that is…’

He eventually gave up after a certain day.

A frenzied sorcerer.

In Act 4, the final clash with Vinasha.

Grantoni was faced with two choices.

Stay in the shadow world.

Remain in the real world.

‘If he chose to stay in the shadow realm…’

Grantoni would blossom into yet another calamity.

He would enjoy the happiest times in the shadow world.

But for that reason, the world would face one of 38 possible bad endings.

‘Directly heading for the shadow world.’

On the other hand, if Grantoni chose reality, he would be left only with endless separation and despair.

The happiest of times and eternal despair.

What to choose was up to Grantoni.

‘And I…’

Even knowing all of Grantoni’s circumstances, I had to ensure he remained in reality.

‘Is it still a little far off?’

Looking around the shadow realm brought a bittersweet smile to my face.

This utterly lifeless, gray world.

How could this be the place where Grantoni enjoyed the happiest times?

The reality must look even grayer in comparison.

“Barkabaran.”

As Grantoni started the summoning, the window flew open, and the blackout curtains fluttered.

Along with it, the fierce winds from the cold north rushed in.

I almost let out a sound at the chilling cold that pricked my skin.

Thanks to everything I had experienced, I was used to the heat, but the cold was a different story.

Moreover, my skin was steel.

It was highly sensitive to temperature changes.

I shivered in the cold, as my teeth clattered involuntarily.

‘I need to stock up on some cold resistance gear.’

Given what was to come, cold resistance was a must.

I needed it ASAP.

As I was swiftly reflecting on this, Grantoni stretched his hands toward the ceiling.

“Barkabaran.”

He called out again.

Boom!

As the wind howled, the sound of thunder echoed around.

Here it comes.

In that moment, that thought spread through me.

“Barkabaran!”

Boom!

The surrounding area ignited with light as lightning split the sky.

In an instant, I was blinded, but soon my vision began to return, revealing a figure through the smoke.

The individual, with faint legs, bore terrifying lightning-shaped scars all over.

With a look of apprehension, he slowly scanned the surroundings.

It was as if he was searching for something.

As he turned his head, his eyes met mine squarely.

After a brief silence, he furrowed his brows.

Then, with a face that showed disinterest, he let out a scoff.

[ Impossible. ]

I could have sworn I heard something quite ludicrous.

“Hey there, buddy!”

At that moment, Grantoni popped his skull head from behind the guy.

Seeing the skull, the man’s face went pale, and he swung a fist.

But the punch went right through Grantoni’s head.

That made sense—he was already dead.

Having been struck by lightning a staggering 108 times after his demise.

Barkabaran.

That was the dude known as Thunder Buruumi.

“Hehe, your punch has some kick to it! This friend here summoned you for a chat.”

[ Ugh, such a hassle. Send me back. ]

“Come on, don’t be like that. Let’s have a chat, he’s a fun guy!”

Grantoni earnestly worked to persuade Barkabaran.

He made sure to repay the favor of the pendant he received.

Despite his eccentricities, he was a good guy when it mattered.

[ Sigh, what a bother. ]

Barkabaran, who maintained his irritated demeanor, plopped down onto the floor.

[ Just spit it out. ]

I smiled broadly.

It was he who asked for me to talk.

“So, how’d you end up becoming the Thunder Buruumi?”

Barkabaran fell silent.

＊ ＊ ＊

Barkabaran, the Thunder Buruumi.

How did he come to earn that moniker?

The tale is rather grim.

The reason? He molested the statue of the thunder goddess the village revered.

How does one even manage that, you ask?

I have no clue.

But he did.

And as a consequence, he was struck by lightning 108 times.

[ …What do you mean by “molesting”? I don’t quite get that. ]

Barkabaran was deflecting the question.

Boom!

Once more, the sound of thunder roared through the shadow world.

Barkabaran flinched, hunching his shoulders.

Getting struck by lightning 108 times has to leave a mark, I guess.

“Stop dodging! I came in knowing everything. Don’t pull this on me. See? The goddess isn’t denying it, and you’re getting upset, right?”

[ Ahem. ]

Barkabaran coughed awkwardly.

As mentioned, he molested the statue of the thunder goddess.

And then, he was struck by lightning.

However, it wasn’t entirely due to the wrath of the thunder goddess.

To be precise, it was her jealousy.

‘A legendary scoundrel.’

Draped in the guise of a savage, this scoundrel had his way with anything he found permissible.

After he molested the statue of the thunder goddess, for reasons unbeknownst, she took a liking to him.

I know this sounds nonsensical, but.

He got struck by the lightning 108 times under peculiar circumstances.

All of them different encounters.

“Wow, that’s a tale!”

Upon learning this, Grantoni burst into applause and laughter.

“But didn’t you say the 108th lightning strike was after you were buried?”

Seemingly questioning it as he pondered.

Grantoni asked a question.

I didn’t answer.

Barkabaran didn’t answer either.

Only the sound of thunder outside echoed again.

[ …You’re digging too deep into my personal life. ]

“Personal life or not, it’s information that can be found with just a bit of interest. It’s recorded in history, you know.”

[ It must’ve been recorded as something great. ]

It was indeed quite an extraordinary tale.

“So, on to the main point.”

I didn’t summon Barkabaran just to chat about tales like this.

What I intended to discuss was entirely different.

“What I’m really after here is the divine relic you brought along when you molested the statue of the thunder goddess.”

A divine relic.

A special item that directly houses the power of the gods.

However, most divine relics are sealed and not usable, except for a few.

One such relic may unleash endless seawater.

Another may continuously shoot poison from a bottle.

Divine relics can generally be considered calamities to humans.

Thus, divine relics are merely so-called.

They are treated as tools that should rather be sealed away.

Among these, Barkabaran’s divine relic.

“Thunder Buruumi.”

The title wasn’t just given to him because of his nickname.

It was the name of the divine relic he obtained from the statue of lightning.

“I’d like that, please.”

And I had come here specifically to receive the Thunder Buruumi from Barkabaran.

As long as the owner of the divine relic doesn’t hand it over themselves, it remains the property of the deceased until their soul disintegrates.

Knowing this fact, I specifically summoned Barkabaran.

[ …What good would it do for me to hand you the Thunder Buruumi? ]

Barkabaran looked at me like a madman.

Thunder Buruumi literally calls down lightning.

To be hit by thunder anywhere at any time is what the divine relic does.

To ask for it would be akin to saying one wants to die.

But I needed it.

To me, Thunder Buruumi would become my strongest ace in the hole.

“Everything has its use.”

[ Are you hoping to get struck by lightning? You must be thinking of dying young. ]

“Unfortunately, I don’t want to die.”

I wasn’t asking for this to get struck by lightning.

Realizing my earnestness, Barkabaran scratched his chin.

[ If I give you the divine relic, what will you offer me in return? ]

The dead man had quite a bit of greed.

Reluctantly, I took out the book I had brought along.

“Grantoni, mind if I offer this as tribute?”

“Oh, just put it there.”

Grantoni casually pointed beneath the chair he was sitting on.

I placed the book I brought right there.

Moments later, Barkabaran held the book in his hands.

He flipped through the pages with curiosity.

Soon, Barkabaran’s eyes widened in surprise.

“It’s a Gravia!”

Such things can be found anywhere people dwell.

But in the shadow realm, where only the dead existed, such items were unattainable.

“By the way, I have a few more.”

I casually lifted my bag.

In that moment, I felt a strange static charge run through my body.

Almost instantaneously, something appeared in my hand.

It was a small ring that fit on my finger.

A ring adorned with golden lightning patterns and a gemstone.

The divine relic, Thunder Buruumi.

[ Deal done. ]

Barkabaran’s face radiated satisfaction.

I offered him all the remaining books as tribute.

‘What a joke.’

To trade a few Gravia books for a divine relic was ridiculous.

I slipped the ring onto my index finger.

The gemstone of Thunder Buruumi gleamed briefly as it traced my finger.

[ Here’s a piece of advice. ]

Then Barkabaran said, not taking his eyes off the book.

[ Thunder Buruumi leaves an indelible scar on the user’s body. ]

He pointed to the lightning scars all over his own body.

[ And when the scars cover your whole body, your heart will stop completely. ]

It was practically a curse tied to the divine relic.

The power of the gods.

For a human who continually uses the godly power, it was a curse stemming from their frail body’s inability to endure.

[ I don’t quite understand what you’re seeking with thunder, but… ]

He took all the books with him, walking out the window.

[ The divine relic binds you to a great wheel of fate from the moment of use. In the end, your heart stopping due to Thunder Buruumi will become your fate. ]

“That’s fine by me.”

My indifferent reply left Barkabaran with a look that suggested I was a bit unusual.

“Isn’t fate always twisted by a greater destiny?”

I quoted Sharine’s words.

After hearing that, he fell silent for a moment.

[ I hope I don’t see you again in the shadow realm. ]

And just like that, he disappeared out the window.

Boom!

The thunder echoed once more outside.

As the shadow world that Grantoni had invoked began to fade, we gradually returned to our original world.

In the meantime, Grantoni stared quietly out the window, awaiting something.

As I watched Grantoni’s back, I gripped the Thunder Buruumi tightly in my hand.

‘Fate or whatnot.’

This was not the time to think about playing dumb.

This was my preparation.

‘A team showdown.’

Let’s see what I can stir up.