Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 23
I dragged my feet toward the clearing.
Well, it was supposed to be a lawn, not a clearing, but I'd burned the whole thing to a crisp, leaving nothing but bare dirt. The stench of charred earth still hung thick in the air.
Crack, crack. I rolled my stiff shoulders and fingers as I stepped onto the site.
"What a mess."
It had only been two days, which explained why monster corpses were strewn everywhere.
A few of them looked valuable enough to sell, but no one dared even think about it.
These were the beasts that had driven academy students to their deaths, after all. Of course not.
Instead of selling them, they were destined for thorough dissection followed by a good incineration, reduced to smoke.
"If you're just gonna cremate them anyway, why not hand them over to me?"
I got why they weren't selling them.
But ten percent of those downed monsters were my kills. I'd love to use them for my experiments.
Lately, after devouring book after book on magic, I could feel my own magic deepening, my understanding of the world expanding. Hadn't I wielded flames like extensions of my own limbs in that fight with Yuren?
Now, a itch was starting to creep ina desire to experiment with magic, to test its limits.
'Maybe I should bring it up with the chairman later.'
Long shot, but possible.
I was the one who'd minimized the damagehell, I'd taken out the ringleader before things escalated even further.
For that, a few monster corpses as a reward didn't seem too much to ask.
If they said no, they'd be the assholes.
Rattle, rattle. Using the medical IV pole as a cane, I wandered in. Caution tape was strung up everywhere.
The TAs bustling around proved they were controlling the site and clearing debris. Looked like they'd been dragged in from the magic symposium.
They all seemed exhausted.
"H-Hey, this area's dangerous. No unauthorized personnel allowed..."
"I'm the one who made this mess."
"Y-Yes? P-Pardon?"
One TA tried to stop me as I ignored the no-entry signs and strode right in. He was a newbie without real authority, so he just gawked as I walked past.
Once I ducked under the tape, the full chaos hit me. I'd really gone wild, hadn't I? Like a total maniac.
"...Burned everything to ash."
The lush lawn was blackened beyond recognition.
No chance of revival for those plantsthey'd be useless even as fertilizer. Even forest fires didn't leave scars this bad.
Where was that guy's corpse, anyway?
I was sure I'd killed him around here.
"Uh, this is a restricted area..."
"Oh, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
"But the orders from above..."
"By the way, where's that guy's body? It hasn't been shipped out already, has it?"
The guy blocking me gave me a puzzled look.
Couldn't blame hima guy in patient garb, multiple IV bags hooked to a pole, strolling into a crime scene? Suspicious as hell.
Sighing, I pulled my ID from my pocket and shoved it in his face.
The academy ID had my photo and details printed on it.
"Oh, so you're..."
"See? I'm authorized. No problem if I go in, right?"
"Regulations say only approved personnel..."
"I've already seen the bodies. If there's any issue, I'll take responsibility. Just let me through."
His shoulders slumped, and he stepped aside.
Confidence really was key in life.
Deeper inside the restricted zone, the stench of blood and ash assaulted me. Hard to believe it had been a day or two since the incident.
The foul odor was as potent as ever.
They said smells could trigger memories. Spot on.
Not memories for me, but the brutal brawl of that day came rushing back.
My right fingers, still not fully healed, throbbed with pain.
I cradled my right hand with my left and bowed my head.
There lay a mangled corpse, ripped apart no differently than the students the monster had torn into.
It hit me anew.
I'd fought like a beast myself.
"Never thought I'd see horrors like this back-to-back in my life."
"Isn't this better, though? Not some innocent studentit's a scumbag criminal getting what he deserved."
"Arms hacked off, heart and brain pierced. Eyes gouged out, not a trace left. And you call this better?"
"...Yeah, it's fucking gruesome."
"Ugh, makes my stomach turn. They say a TA still at the academy did this? Who the hell could mutilate a body this bad?"
Who? The person right behind you.
A few people clustered around Yuren's corpse.
From their attire and demeanor, they weren't gawkersthey were pros. Experts on corpses, specifically.
Seemed like they were trying to ID him and piece together the incident from the body.
Impossible without some grand spell, in my opinion.
The corpse was too damaged.
My handiwork, after all. I'd chopped it to bits and seared random spots with Fox Fire, cooking skin and blood alike.
Worse, one part was completely gone.
Eyes held a wealth of info.
A skilled mage could replay visuals from a corpse's eyes, exposing the criminal's actions.
And those precious eyes? Safely with me.
Demon Eye
Rank: A
Description: One of the yokai powers from legends across the East. It reveals what was once unseen, forging a new field of vision. Ancient, forgotten races are said to have accumulated spiritual wisdom through it. Augmented with a sub-skill via Essence Absorption.
*Spirit Eye
Observe mana flows and spiritual concepts.
*Gap Detection
Heightens sight to perceive invisible 'gaps' in objects or targets.
*Foresight
Peer ten li into the future. Mana cost increases with distance viewed.
A new ability had slipped in unnoticed.
Yuren's trickiest power: Ten-Li Eye.
His short-term precog trait had merged into my skill.
Good news.
More abilities meant more combat options. Though it seemed to come with restrictions compared to the original.
'Mana consumption, huh...'
Made sense, and maybe for the best.
I had A+ rank mana, after all.
'How much does it really drain?'
Curiosity piqued, I turned my eyes red.
My crimson irises shifted to amethyst, unveiling a new world.
And beyond it, Nam Hwa-yeon.
'What are you doing here? Oh, rightdo you know where this guy's eyes are? We've ID'd him and his motives, but we want the full story behind the incident.'
About 40 seconds into the future, give or take.
The cost was steep.
"Ugh... going insane here."
Thirty percent. Exactly.
Three-tenths of my total mana pooland that was with A+ reserves. You could run Fox Fire for an hour straight and barely burn that much.
How the hell had Yuren powered this gas-guzzler?
Did he have that much mana? No, that wasn't it.
The answer was obvious.
His was a traita talent, a constitution.
Skills that burned mana on use were a whole different beast.
Guess I'd have to seal this ability for now.
Mana drain aside, the strain on my body was worse. It yanked mana from my blood, accelerating circulation and stressing my heart.
As I mulled this over, Nam Hwa-yeon approached from afar in the vision.
I knewshe'd come to uncover the ringleader's details.
Her magic could easily glimpse his identity and the full events.
"Hey, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be strapped to a bed?"
"Got my IVs, but I can't just skip the bathroom. Even if I haven't eaten a thing."
"Good timing, actually. Got something to ask you."
"About this guy's eyes?"
"Yeah. How'd you know? Someone spill?"
Peeked into the future, obviously.
Couldn't say that, so I gave a half-truth.
Without spilling details on what I'd gained, of course.
"So, an energy drain skill sucked them up without you realizing?"
"Yeah. Any issue with the investigation?"
"Hard to say. Rare case, and you're the one who torched him, so it's murky."
Nam Hwa-yeon conjured a chair in midair and propped her chin, pondering.
She finished quickly.
"Mind showing me the skill details? The energy drain one."
"You can share those with others?"
"That's what I should be asking. How do you not know that at your age?"
News to me that status windows had a share function.
Following her instructions, I manipulated mine. The skill info popped up in her view.
Essence Absorption
Rank: A
Description: One of the yokai powers from legends across the East. Foxes enchanted humans to drain their essence. Essence equals the soul, so wielding it means one of two things: guiding it to a proper funeral rite, or exploiting it as an energy source. Entirely your choice.
*Soul Exploitation
Essence is the soul itselfabsorbing it is exploitation. Drain from casters or souls to bolster your own spiritual stature or steal skills. Or stockpile it as fuel for Fox Fire, adding as needed.
*Mana Drain
Steal mana from touched targets. Output adjustable by caster's will.
An A-rank skill, like Fox Fire and Demon Eye.
Nam Hwa-yeon's reaction surprised me.
"This is pretty damn good."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. Most energy drain skills come with nasty side effects. This? Zero downsides, all upsides."
I hadn't realized before.
Now it was obvioussolid skill.
Had I been wasting a gem like this?
Self-reflection stung.
As I pondered, Nam Hwa-yeon noted the eyes were handled and pulled out a report. A flick of her finger, and a fountain pen in midair scribbled furiously across the page.
Her telekinesis was always jaw-dropping.
Leagues beyond me.
A sudden thought struck.
If Nam Hwa-yeon had been there instead, and I'd somehow grabbed her.
Would everything be different?
No answer came, no matter how I turned it over.
Then my gaze fell on my scrawny arms, the IV pole, my wrecked body.
This frail shell had saved students and tried to take down a villain?
A hollow laugh escaped as my weakness sank in deep.
This wouldn't cut it. I needed real powerpower to stand in for the protagonist.
I approached Nam Hwa-yeon at her report.
Standing before her, I spoke.
"Professor, could I ask one favor?"
She froze.
Fountain pen and report suspended in air. Her eyes met minean endless ocean stared back.
Those focus-less voids.
Interest flickered back into her vast pupils.
Just like our first meeting.
"What favor? Let's hear it."
She snapped her fingers. Objects materialized.
Two chairs, a wooden desk between. She leaned on it, staring me down.
Why was she like this?
'Favor' must've piqued her curiosity. No time to dwell.
Time was key now.
"I'd like to take a leave of absence."
Power, fast.
Decision madeno more hesitation. Time to throw myself at it.
"Vacation? I'm all for it. Got a destination in mind?"
"Yes."
I named the place I'd agonized over.
"Planning to clear a dungeon."
"A dungeon?"
One of Korea's three impenetrable dungeons.
The first onethe protagonist's hidden piece. I'd snag it early.
* * *
"So, you're saying you're heading into a dungeon in this condition?"
"Y-Yes, that's right...!"
Smack. A sharp slap left a red handprint on my back.
Maybe because my wounds weren't fully healed. Every touch stung hypersensitive.
"Elixir must be top-shelf stuff. A walking corpse itching to raid a dungeon."
The woman who'd slapped me wore a crisp suit under a pristine white coat.
Doctor or scientist vibe.
Undeniably the health teacher's getup.
She replaced bandages across my body with fresh ones.
The blood-soaked old ones starkly showed how dire things had been. Fifth change already.
Good news: wounds were finally knitting.
"Torn muscles mended, shattered bones set. Durability's still iffy, though."
"That should be fine."
"Fine my ass."
Bands shot from her hands.
They writhed like snakes, mana-bound, wrapping my body tight.
Too tightI couldn't budge.
Wrists cuffed like handcuffs.
Legs shackled.
Mana-reinforced or special material, who knew. Pointless struggling.
"Teacher? I can't move."
"Retract that suicidal dungeon nonsense before your body even recovers."
"Haha, just kidding."
"Does it sound like a joke to you?"
Squeeze. The bands tightened.
No right answer hereshe'd never let go if I slipped up.
"Elixir fixed most external injuries, but internal damage is still a mess. You know that."
Scars and burns mostly healed post-elixir, under a day.
But splintered bones and battered organs? Not so fast.
Needed at least a week of bed rest.
Total rest.
"Heading into a dungeon like that? What's the difference from suicide?"
"It's just a D-rank dungeon."
"Right, a 'mere' D-rank. One of Korea's top three unconquered ones."
I scratched my head.
D-ranks were clearable by freshmen teams.
But solo, half-crippled? Unacceptable to a health teacher.
Still, I figured I could pull it off in this state.
'It's unconquered for a reason.'
A dungeon where brains trumped brawn.
You needed enough muscle to protect yourself, sure.
But for 'Efnel's Flower Garden,' it wasn't essential.
"What can I say to a hero who saved students and got hurt doing it? Ruin my rep?"
She snapped her fingers. Bands loosened.
I dressed for the checkup.
Smoothing my clothes, ready to leaveher worried voice stopped me.
"One piece of advice."
The health teacher sipped cold coffee from her chair.
"I've seen plenty of students from this office. Some stuck around long enough I learned their faces."
Those kids trained like maniacs every day.
That's why they ended up here often.
That diligence? They graduated to fame soon after.
Her youthful eyes gleamed distant.
Like an old woman weary of the world.
"But some... too much obsession young poisoned them. They went astray."
Her finger pointed to the TV on the wall.
News on loop.
Chilseong Academy and me at the center.
"Be careful. Attention is poison."
With that, her gaze left me.
Hand waving behind her backclear dismissal.
Sheesh, if you're gonna worry, at least send me off kindly.
Such a silly thought as I glanced at the TV.
There I was, still on screen.