Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 17
Ja-yeom ignited a sea of flames.
The crimson blaze that had blanketed the area was long gone, swallowed whole by the purple Fox Fire.
"How's that? It's a skill I put off training because I was honestly scared to handle it until now."
The skills I had right after possessing this body numbered four.
Demon Eye, Fox Fire, Essence Absorption, and Charm.
Demon Eye had just seen its first real combat, and Essence Absorption couldn't be practiced without meeting the prerequisites.
As for Charm, something about it felt off, so I never used it.
Unlike those three, though...
Fox Fire was a skill I simply hadn't dared to touch out of pure fear.
My one and only offensive skill, Fox Fire.
It was a thoroughly abnormal ability.
Fox Fire
Rank: A
Description: One of the yokai powers derived from legends across the East. These fox flames burn even spiritual concepts like souls, serving as a blaze that honors the spirits of the dead.
However, honoring the spirits of the dead means embracing their grudges as welluse with extreme caution.
*Gui-rin ()
Flames that burn using souls as fuel. Because they harbor grudges, these flames do not distinguish friend from foe, scattering all manner of curses in every direction.
*Gui-hon-deung-hwa ()
The fox wields lanterns that illuminate funerals for the departed. These soul-fueled lanterns split into nine branches and blaze.
Burning with souls as fuel, harboring grudges to spread curses...
A deeply eerie description, but it gave me a rough sense of Fox Fire's power.
In fact, that's why I borrowed magic tomes on psychokinesis from the library, along with ones on curses and shamanism.
Strengthening or diversifying the curses in Fox Fire would make it even stronger. I learned later that this was a clear miscalculation.
"...You're insane. What is this, an S-rank skill or something?"
"No, it's A-rank."
"I never imagined you'd have an ace like that up your sleeve..."
The curses were gnawing away at Yuren's body.
And mine, too, of course.
Fox Fire was a skill that didn't obey my control.
What good is power if it tries to devour even its owner?
That's why I'd avoided using it as much as possible.
"I'm totally screwed. My body won't move."
"Then why don't you just die quietly?"
"But I came prepared for something like thiswith potions on hand."
"...Damn it."
Was that coat of his some kind of fourth-dimensional pocket?
Stuff kept popping out at just the right moments.
He uncorked a red glass vial and chugged it down.
I immediately hurled Fox Fire at him again, but he wasn't falling for it twice.
Yuren dodged with full effort.
Watching the guy move so nimbly, I thought to myself.
Fine, then. Time to get tricky.
I ignited the cursed Fox Fire once more. The flames followed the lanterns, splitting into nine branches.
Roarthe nine streams of fire pursued him.
In the meantime, Yuren used his Ten-Li Eye to evade along the optimal path.
He'd been dodging nonstop since earlier, clearly waiting for my mana to run dry.
Ha, as if A+ rank mana grows on trees.
I could keep these lanterns burning all day.
Of course, my frail stamina was holding me back, but I'd push through with sheer willpower.
Boomthe nine lanterns tangled up wherever Yuren dodged.
They boasted power that shattered walls in his path or burrowed through the ground.
These purple flames wove a net with cunning precision, tightening around his throat. Yuren looked up, scanning for a way to eliminate them.
"Whoa...!"
While his eyes were elsewhere, Fox Fire targeted his legs.
Judging he couldn't dodge, Yuren pulled an item from his pocket.
An item that nullified status ailments. But it was single-use, naturally.
And there was a limit to how many he had.
'At this rate, it'll turn into a stamina battle...'
Suddenly, he turned toward the flames' origin.
The nine lanterns stemmed from around Seung-woo's waist.
Where the tails were, spreading out.
Flames that looked like nine tails.
Just like a kumiho from legend or myth.
Fighting a guy like that. It was bound to be no easy battle.
"Close combat would mean betting my life. Guess I'll have to wear her down after all."
Yuren's gaze fixed on Seung-woo.
Especially those violet pupils. The fully opened Demon Eye pupils showed no emotion.
But the seasoned mercenary Yuren could see it.
The fact that she was tiring. And that she was compensating for her lacking stamina with pure mental fortitudeit was all plain as day.
A memory flashed through his mind.
Didn't she just send him flying with a single punch moments ago?
He might be able to use that to wear her down.
Judgment and action came simultaneously. Yuren raised his hand high and shouted.
"Surrender!"
He stopped fleeing and stood still in place.
The eerie flames halted their pursuit.
Instead, they began circling him, poised to impale him at the slightest movement. Yuren immediately delivered his prepared line.
"How about becoming a demon like me?"
"...What?"
The out-of-left-field remark made silence impossible.
Become a demon, too?
Did that mean he was close to becoming one himself?
I racked my brain as hard as I could, but I lacked informationway too much.
With no choice, I withdrew the Fox Fire.
Yuren flashed a triumphant smile at the sight.
He knew I'd taken interest in what he'd just said.
"You must know about demons already."
"Of course. Filthy beasts that abandon their humanityno, scum that discards even the barest shred of it."
"Well... that's not wrong, exactly..."
Caught off guard by my aggressive tone, Yuren scratched his head furiously.
This wasn't the atmosphere he'd hoped for.
As if I'd ever want to become demon trash like him.
"I have zero intention of becoming a criminal, or anyone's slave or dog."
"Fair point. Demons do have that rigid hierarchy. Still clinging to a five-rank nobility system in the 21st century."
But if there were drawbacks, there had to be upsides to match.
Yuren cleared his throat and continued.
"But in exchange, there are clear benefits."
His right hand clenched into a fist.
Then he extended his index finger.
"First, you gain demonic energy. Any mage would be tempted."
Demonic energy was a force more potent than mana.
It boosted spell power, speed, and more.
No wonder the "ma" in magic meant "demon."
Yuren extended his middle finger.
"Second, becoming a demon frees you from that damn system's influence. Wait, is that just a perk for me?"
He shook his head and promptly stuck out his ring finger.
AhemYuren loosened his throat and said.
"Third, demonic energy suits subhumans more than anything. You're kumiho blood, right?"
His finger pointed at my tail.
Then at the fox ears atop my head.
"Subhumans are drawn more to evil than good by nature. Especially kumiho lineage. Handle it right, and you could ascend to higher realms."
Yuren extended his pinky.
But he said nothing, just stood there awkwardly.
Only after disgust showed on my face did he finally speak.
"...Truth is, I wanted to list five benefits since I was already counting on my fingers, but I couldn't think of a fourth or fifth."
"...Bullshit has its limits."
What nonsense.
Even if there were five perks, I had no intention of becoming a demon.
Why else would I be here blocking the protagonist's awakening?
Listening to Yuren was just to clear up my questions.
And to catch my breath a bit.
"Aw, but once you hear the fourth, you might change your mind a little."
"Cut the crap and spit it out. I don't want to keep talking to a lunatic like you."
"If you become a demon, you can heal that body of yours."
"..."
A pool of blood had formed on the floor. My blood from moments ago.
Yuren dipped a finger in it and licked it off.
A utterly repulsive, nauseating sight.
While I grimaced, he savored my blood.
He looked at me with an "I knew it" expression.
"Your blood is full of yang energy. Solar Vein Blockage, probably. Makes you great at fire magic, but it'll torment you with pain and shorten your lifespan over time."
"...So, what's your point."
"Your Solar Vein Blockage? Becoming a demon cures it. Or more precisely, makes it like it never existed."
Demons get abandoned by the system.
The system grants Status Windows only to humans.
This tied into his second point.
"No Status Window means no 'Status Ailments' category either. Then you could flaunt your skills freely."
His gaze went to my right arm.
The one wrecked from the strike I'd landed on Yuren moments ago.
It had burst from the inside out after just one technique.
Yuren honed in on that weakness.
"You see a lot in this line of work. You were a pretty damn strong martial artist, weren't you?"
"..."
"What, switched to being a magic hack now? But sending me flying with one hit means you trained hard."
Not wrong.
Until I possessed this world, I had been a martial artist.
Cold steel weapons felt more natural in my hands than mystical magic.
To me, silent in agreement or denial, Yuren made his pitch again.
"Become a demon, and you can change that frail constitution. I came here to become one myself from the start."
"...What?"
"Finish this job successfully, and they make me a demon as payment. No limit on slots, though. I'll put in a good word and help you become one too."
His words gave me pause.
As he said, becoming a demon came with perks outweighing the downsides.
Especially the idea of curing Solar Vein Blockage piqued my interest.
So that's how you could treat it.
That was it.
No desire to become a demon stirred in me at all.
If anything, I felt deep revulsion toward Yuren for even suggesting it.
Demons were always grotesque.
They were evil that deserved extinction, trash worse than filth.
Beasts with no redeeming qualities over wild animals.
"So, what's it gonna be? Just take my hand, and you won't regret"
"...Fuck off."
"Hm?"
I raised my middle finger.
A clear gesture of refusal.
"Get lost. You blind?"
"..."
"Ha, and I thought it was some grand offer. Wasted my time."
I felt his glare boring into me.
His earnest proposal dismissed as a time-waster.
Words that struck at the Achilles' heel of Yuren, who'd taken horned ones' jobs to become a demon.
As Yuren exuded intense killing intent...
One realization hit me from our talk.
'Subhumans are drawn more to evil than good. True enough.'
Trace subhuman roots backward, and you hit vampires, elves, and such.
Beings fundamentally different from humans.
Their very makeup was demon-like.
Did that mean I was steeped in evil too?
Disgusting thought.
I'd lived to kill things tied to evil my whole life.
I'd survived because I couldn't die.
Urging me to become a demon felt like a declaration of war.
His words sank in deep.
I closed my eyes, blocking my vision.
Introspecting.
It was a trigger.
A form of training: objectively reexamining and grasping myself.
Endless doubt crumbled my self-composition, then rebuilt itlike an empty cup refilling.
[Training has reached a new realm!]
[Through Nine Transformations and Nine Returns, the moonlight fills twice and ebbs twice more.]
Cracksomething split, and my skin cracked.
Shedding like a snake, skin peeled away. Then flesh regenerated.
The process repeated once more.
Regenerated skin split again.
Missing flesh filled rapidly.
Thus, two transformations and two returnsEbi-byeok.
[Shedding the first skin.]
[Generating the second tail!]
Foxes are kin born of the moon's yin energy.
They transform nine times via nine changes, return nine times via nine returns. Thus imprinting the moon's essence, reborn more complete.
I walked that path now.
[Evolution complete.]
[Become Two-Tailed Fox!]
Two black tails rippled like shadows.
Simultaneously, nine lanterns blazed.
Seven coiled around my waist like tails; two gripped in my hands. I felt like a kumiho from legend.
A sensation that now it was possibleI reached out.
The two flames in my hands crossed.
They formed a double helix, amplifying as they intertwined. Shaping up, they became a long spear.
"..."
I perfectly controlled the Double Helix.
A touch of refreshment came with the fact.
Whether temporary or permanent, I didn't know.
WhooshI swung the spear following my body's memory.
In that instant, blood sprayed into the air.
The heat evaporated it mid-flight.
"...I've been thinking. You definitely need to die right here."
I don't want to die.
But he's trying to kill me.
So I'll kill him first, before he does.
Why hadn't I realized this simple truth sooner?
Whoosh!
Spear arts cleaving the sea of flames.
Caught off guard by the fierce strike, Yuren's form crumbled.
* * *
HmmYuren's brow furrowed.
His persuasion had failed, leaving only a desperate fight for survival. But midway, his opponent suddenly started metamorphosing like a pupa.
'No, less "metamorphosis" and more "molting,' maybe.'
Some subhuman races evolved that way, he'd heard.
Of course, only hearsay. In ancient times, maybe, but modern subhumans numbered under 1,000.
Even Yuren, with decades of mercenary life full of bizarre events, was witnessing subhuman evolution for the first time.
Skin cracked.
Pale, pretty skin split, new skin filling the gaps.
The act repeated once more.
Skin cracked, naturally expelling waste.
Looked clean on the outside, but apparently under severe strainshed skin stained black.
Roarthe shed skin burned in cursed flames.
Other waste too. Oddly, the flames burned only impurities.
Yuren observed intently. Sword in left hand, he swung it experimentally.
'Should I stab now...?'
He couldn't gauge what Seung-woo might do mid-evolution.
For normal creatures, now would be prime killing time.
But kumiho blood? No telling. One wrong move, and he'd be target for purple flames.
He enjoyed life-or-death gambles.
But he couldn't die yet. He had things to do for his daughter.
He'd bet his life, but not throw it away.
Yuren opened his eyes, raised his gun. Barrel aimed at Seung-woo's heart.
Fire first, think later.
Clickchambered and finger on trigger.
That instant. Ten-Li Eye warned.
"...!"
Glimpsing moments ahead, he recoiled in shock.
Futures where his limbs were severed, head blown off. Most were like that.
Yuren chose the least damaged one.
Dodged left. Saved his life, but not his right arm. Gun hit the ground.
More precisely, the hand holding it.
Roarhigh-speed Fox Fire severed his right arm.
No bleeding. The stump cauterized instantly.
"Haha..."
Staring at his empty right sleeve, Yuren let out hollow laughter.
In 24 years as a merc, had he ever taken damage this bad?
Horrific memories surfaced, but no precedents.
Few could meaningfully harm Ten-Li Eye holder Yuren. Let alone get him this helpless.
Hard to believe this was the "lesser damage" future.
"So now you're living off your blade skills, huh."
Definitely different from his own eyes.
Now he knew for sure.
Opponent lacked ability to glimpse futures like him.
But had something else.
Ten-Li Eye glimpsed and chose futures, but hers was instantaneous judgment from experience.
Naturally, foresight should dominateyet her experience surpassed his eyes.
What kind of life had she lived?
Yuren's curiosity grew, but he held his tongue.
"Can't glimpse futures and react anymore."
No thought of retreat.
Even without Ten-Li Eye, he knew no paths led out.
Choices left: kill or be killed.
Extremely binary, but it suited Yuren perfectly.
Thrilling pleasure raced up his spine to his brain.
"Come at me, fox freak. I'll skin you for a coat and scarf to gift my daughter."
Yuren went on the offensive.
He'd resolved himself.
For his life. And his daughter's safety.
This bastard dies here.