Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 32
"This place is total hell already."
"Nah, it needs to get even more wrecked."
I clicked my tongue as I climbed to a high vantage point and surveyed the dungeon at a glance.
All the trees in Ephnel's Garden had long since been devoured by Go.
All that was left were the poison-spewing creatures and the poison-soaked soil.
'This is taking longer than I expected.'
It had already been an hour since I'd released Go onto the surface.
In that time, 70% of the dungeon's lifeforms had been eaten by the thing.
Thanks to that, Go's size had surpassed that of an average magic beast.
It was at least thirty meters tallno, massive like a mountainand I had to wonder how I was even supposed to catch something like that.
'At this rate, it might not eat the entire garden.'
I could tell at a glance.
Compared to when it would swallow anything that touched its mouth, Go was slacking off now.
Magic beasts were fleeing right in front of it.
Even though they were close enough and small enough to gobble up in one bite, it wasn't moving at alljust watching. It looked like the repeated meals had filled it up, making everything feel like a hassle.
Would Go keep moving in that state?
I wanted it to devour everything in this dungeon.
But the question was whether it would follow my intentions.
To me, Ephnel's Garden was a dungeon that needed clearing.
But to Go, this dungeon was its birthplace and home.
For it to eat everything in the garden meant leaving itself as the only survivor on this land.
In other words, it would mean the ecosystem's extinction.
Could Go really bring that about?
At least, I didn't think so.
No helping it.
"Guess I'll have to give it a little stimulus."
I extended a finger toward Go.
This was the ultimate technique I'd gained mastery over after becoming a One-Tail Fox, becoming proficient in controlling mana and the Double Helix.
Hot Sun Finger.
It was one of the many martial arts I'd learned.
A type of finger technique fought solely with the fingers.
Originally, it converted mana into the form of heat and yang energy, wrapping the fingers to strike at acupoints and meridians.
But now, with my body overflowing with yang energy and my specialty being flame magic, I could skip all those steps.
Still, as a martial art, Hot Sun Finger required executing it with the body directly, which carried the risk of injury.
A frail body like mine couldn't handle finger techniques easily.
So I had a bit of a change in approach.
Finger techniques didn't require the intricate profundities of other martial arts.
If I was going to fight with my hands anyway, I could mix in claw techniques using nails and palms.
If I was only using finger techniques, there was no need to engage in close combat with this fragile body.
I could just shoot from afar.
Smooth.
I aimed my right index finger at Go.
Taking a stance like I was holding a sniper rifle.
"Teacher? What are you doing?"
"Shh."
I pressed a finger to my lips with my free left index finger.
A gesture to stay quiet.
It had been a while since I'd used a finger technique, and finding a target point on Go's massive body required a focused environment.
I was aiming for Go's abdomen, slowed by its satiated state.
Aim complete. All that was left was to fire.
[Hot Sun Finger.]
A red light flickered from my index finger.
The light flashed for an instant, then shot out as an intense beam toward Go.
!
The beam tore through the air as it launched.
It wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, but it was enough to punch a hole through one of Go's vital organs.
Kieeeek!
Overwhelmed by the immense pain from its pierced organ, Go let out a scream.
But fresh flesh began regenerating in an instant.
This wasn't regeneration.
It was adapting to the stimulus in real time.
'That's exactly the ability I want.'
The power to adapt to any situation or stimulus.
That's exactly what I needed for my frail body.
Smooth. So I raised my finger again.
This time, I aimed with my thumb.
My index finger was trembling from the recoil of the previous shot, unusable.
I proceeded to punch holes in Go's belly and organs using each of my ten fingers in turn.
Of course, I adjusted the power so it couldn't adapt to flame-based attacks.
Hitting it with just enough force to skirt the adaptation threshold.
It took more complex processes than I'd thought, and my stamina and mana were nearly depleted.
"Huuu, alright, that should do it."
Kieeeek!
As if in response to my words, Go writhed in agony.
The more it flailed, the more its previous meals spilled out from the holes in its body. I could see its size shrinking bit by bit.
Realizing this, it started devouring more than what was falling from its guts.
No more slacking off.
Go was now trying to eat everything in sight.
Fortunately, the players who'd entered the dungeon fled in terror at the sight of the colossal Go.
Of course, not all players ran.
The ones still here were those with specific goals.
Me, trying to clear this dungeon, and the stalker following me doggedly.
And the three stalkers who'd been chasing me from the mansion.
Just five of us left.
And amusingly, Go charged straight toward where the three stalkers were.
Guess only two are left now.
* * *
A massive centipede-shaped magic beast.
From the shadows' perspective, who knew its original form, it was utterly ridiculous. A pathetic centipede that trembled even when placed on that incompetent Family Head's hand.
If they had to guess its rank, it was probably the lowest hierarchy, the 10th.
It was that weak.
Yet now, that same creature had grown to mountain-like proportions and was targeting them?
An unacceptable situation.
They were shadows of the Nine-Tail Guild, one of the Almighty Guild Master's limbs.
No matter how huge that puny centipede got, it had no right to treat themtrained directly by the Guild Masteras prey.
So they ignored it and let their guard down.
That was a fatal poison no shadow should ever carry.
Shadows had no need for personal emotions.
What they required was only eyes and thoughts to objectively assess situations.
Anything beyond that human element had to be severed for one to qualify as a shadow.
In contrast, these ones were far too immature.
Kwarung!
The centipede dragged itself across the ground.
Burned and with holes in its guts, it rampaged through the garden.
And on its path were the hidden shadows.
Il-yeong! What do we do in a situation like this?!
I-yeong, calm down. Kill stray thoughts and stay composed, like we've trained.
The man called Il-yeong soothed the other shadow.
He took a deep breath, steadying his pounding heart.
But it didn't last long.
This is Sam-yeong. It's too late for me.
What...?!
The two shadows turned around.
Sizzle. Black clothes and the flesh beneath were burning black-red.
Something green was splattered over Sam-yeong, the youngest among them.
Traces of potent corrosive poison and acidic venom.
Undoubtedly from Go.
"No!"
I-yeong shouted out loud without thinking.
For shadows who communicated telepathically via mana, this was the worst mistakedestroying their own secrecy.
Yet the sight of a comrade, raised like a brother, dying was enough to horrify even assassins.
I-yeong, don't speak out loud. We might get spotted by the target!
B-but Sam-yeong!
We're a short-lived bunch anyway. Dodge now and complete the mission.
Yeah, leave me behind. Getting hit by corrosive poison might actually be lucky. At least the target won't find the body.
That was his final words.
Kwaduk!
Go slammed its maw into the poison-covered man.
With razor-sharp teeth and immense suction, it devoured Sam-yeong in one gulp.
For a last testament, it was utterly meaningless.
"Damn it! I'll avenge Sam-yeong!"
"No! Stop!"
Enraged by his comrade's death, I-yeong formed a shadow dagger and charged at Go. The enemy who'd killed his brother-in-arms.
He couldn't let it go, but his dagger couldn't even scratch it.
"...Huh?"
Go had a tough exoskeleton.
The shadow dagger, stronger and sharper than ordinary blades, snapped futilely.
Instead, Go swung its massive body, swatting I-yeong away.
In an instant, ribs and joints shattered, organs pulped.
A fatal wound impossible to survive without an elixir.
Of course, they had no elixirs.
Elixirs were rare potions manufactured by Cheonho Pharmaceuticals under the Cheonho Group.
Something even the Heavenly Fox Baek Family Head couldn't obtain easilyassassins like them certainly didn't have any.
I-yeong died without so much as a final word or death rattle.
Among the shadows, the most senior Il-yeong clutched I-yeong's corpse and glared up at Go.
Thanks to his superior stealth, he could observe it up close without being detected.
For a centipede magic beast, its shell was toughimpenetrably sturdy.
Beyond what their skills could handle.
He judged their only chance was targeting the soft innards.
How had it evolved so drastically in such a short time?
In truth, the reason was simple.
Go had already sustained many wounds from claws and talons while devouring other magic beasts.
Those wounds had reached its adaptation threshold, leading its body to evolve skin impervious to bladeslike blade-proof hide.
'...'
A magic beast that countered him perfectlythe one who created physical weapons or terrain from shadows.
Realizing he couldn't kill it, Il-yeong glared at the two presences in the distance.
A scrawny man and a little kid.
They looked utterly at ease, as if they had something to rely on.
The complete opposite of him, legs trembling before this indescribable horror.
Kwaduk.
He clenched his teeth hard enough to chip them.
An unpleasant emotion rippled in his chest.
Il-yeong suppressed his feelings and reaffirmed his long-held wish.
This won't do.
I will become the Guild Master's capable and sole loyal servant.
I won't be bound eternally as a mere shadow.
To achieve that, what should I do about those two?
Cripple the incompetent Family Head's limbs, and fake the kid's death as suicide later.
As he thought that, no thoughts of his fallen comrades surfaced.