Chapter 63
Chapter 63
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 63
A magical beast more fitting for an A-rank test than a B-rank one.
Having caught the Magma Tortoise so effortlessly, I started to feel a bit unsatisfied, my appetite whetted.
This guy alone wasn't enough.
Since I was already playing around, I needed a bigger toy.
"Isn't there a higher-grade test?"
"W-Well, for those without a license, B-rank is the maximum..."
"Then when can I take the A- or S-rank tests?"
"At least six months to a year from now..."
Six months to a year.
Considering how much time I had in this world, it wasn't too long to wait, but I couldn't help feeling a twinge of regret.
I'd wondered if I could take a higher rank while I was at it. Well, there were good reasons for spacing out the tests like that.
'I've achieved my original goal anyway. No big deal.'
To take the sub-team leader position in [Nine-Tail Guild], I needed a B-rank Player License as the minimum requirement.
That wrapped up my business at the Association.
Still, my feet wouldn't budge easily.
Just as I felt like taking a few more tests...
Thud, thud.
A man entered, light footsteps accompanied by greetings from the staff. He must hold a pretty high position.
"D-Director! Why is the guy who was drinking coffee and watching videos in the break room here...?"
"Haha, Da-rae. Don't say it like thatyou'll give people the wrong idea. I was just taking a well-deserved break after a hard day's work."
"A-Ah, yes! R-Right!"
Director, huh.
I didn't know his exact standing in the Association, but he seemed to be at the top here in the testing room.
Maybe right under the Association President or executives.
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm the director here."
"Ah, yes, nice to meet you. Baek Seung-woo."
"Haha, aren't you the Family Head of the Heavenly Fox Baek Family? I've heard the rumors. You minimized the damage from the Chilseong attack and took down the ringleader. It's an honor to meet such a heroic figure."
His tone felt off somehow.
He was clearly lavishing me with praise, but there were thorns hidden between his words.
He was the type I knew well.
The sycophant sort who looked down on others and knew how to slyly insult them. The director had the same speech patterns and aura.
"I was watching you from the break room over there. You want to take additional tests?"
"......If possible."
If I could take the test and get an A-rank license, and eventually even S-rank, nothing could be better.
But wasn't that against internal regulations?
Why was he even asking?
"You can take the A-rank test. No problem."
"Really?"
"Huh? Director, are you serious?!"
"Just put him on the list. It's not like I don't have the authority."
"But if the President finds out...!"
"Haha, think I'd do this without knowing that? But look at that face"
'it was all over the news just a few days ago. You know all the incidents he's caused, right? A guy like that could never pass an A-rank test. His personality's in the gutter. Even if he somehow passed the character evaluation, no way. All those recent news stories hyping his skills? Total fake hype. You know how rich folks are.'
"......"
The director whispered to his subordinate.
He was openly looking down on me.
I knew not everyone saw me in a good light, but this blatant disdain was a bit much.
Part of me wanted to snap back.
But there was no need to stir up more notoriety here. That mess was too tangled to explain away.
Instead...
I'd prove my skills right here and now.
"We've been talking too much among ourselves. So, have you decided?"
His words dripped with the nuance of: *You think you can even attempt this?*
I nodded and accepted.
"Yes, let's get started right away. I've got plans tonight."
"Haha, alright then. We'll begin immediately. Though it's just an illusion, the damage from hits is real. Mess up, and you might end up hospitalizedno matter your schedule."
Who knows?
Your gut might get pierced?
Hahaha. With the director's laughter, the space filled with illusion once more.
This time, I didn't specify the opponent.
A randomly selected magical beast materialized, revealing its grotesque form.
Hard to believe it was for an A-rank testsuch a small body.
It was a monkey-shaped magical beast.
Feels like I've seen it a lot lately.
Ook?
I didn't remember the name, but its traits were fast mobility and a unique ability.
What was it again?
......Something like throwing or spraying, I think.
Can't recall the details.
H-Hey, crazy! Why's *that* in an A-rank test?! Shut down the machine now!
The director rigged it, didn't he? This place was only set up for B-rank tests anyway!
Excuse me? Isn't it just an illusion? Why are you freaking out?
Just an illusion? Yeah, everything except that guy is fake, but the damage from it is real!
Huh?
Exactly! If that thing guts us, even if it vanishes, our guts will still spill out! Damn it, I didn't sign up for a pierced belly!
This is insane! It's not all illusion?!
It is illusion. Except the Association President made the illusions so perfect, their effects spill into reality. So hurry and stop it!
I'm trying!
The monkey swung its long arms wide and clapped.
Each time, mana floated in the air, and the staff's faces stiffened in real time.
They sensed the threat to their lives.
"......Throwing. Or spears, maybe."
I stared straight ahead, voice calm.
The mana it spewed solidified in the air, turning into countless spears. Crude enough that "spears" might be generous, but with that size and mana density...
In the worst case, it could pierce right through the testing room.
S-Stop the test now!
Too late! The illusion's been locked in for ages!
The spears hovering in the air pulled back slightly.
Wind stirred. Just that simple motion, powered by mana, loaded the spears.
All that was left was to fire.
Mages raised defensive spells; martial artists bent metal into makeshift shields.
Screeeeech!
The wind tore with a shriek.
A deafening screech that made you want to clamp your ears shut.
Thousands of spears launched, piercing the testing room and aiming to skewer everyone beyond.
!!!
Wind and explosions erupted simultaneously, forcing eyes shut.
Everyone deployed their defenses, but ducking was the best they could do against the surprise.
As they huddled desperately, forgetting to breathe...
"Stop."
A low voice from the external speaker filtered through the wind.
Then, the wind and explosions halted at once.
"......Huh?"
"W-We survived?"
"......Why didn't I feel any impact on my barrier?"
No shock had pierced the testing room's walls like paper.
Others seemed fine too, from a glance around.
Students huddled in ice domes and the director with his bent metal door shield blinked open their eyes slowly, looking puzzled.
"......Huh?"
What entered their view: pristine testing room walls without a scratch, and everything inside frozen still.
"It stopped? Camera glitch?"
"Nah, the timer next to it is still running."
"So the whole testing room froze like in the video?"
Stopped. Exactlyfrozen in place.
Like pausing a video, everything halted.
At first, they thought the camera broke, but one person strolling leisurely through the stopped world proved otherwise.
"......That was close."
I snapped my fingers and said.
For that instant wide-area spear barrage, I'd dumped about thirty percent of my mana without efficiency in mind.
The released mana spread like red smoke from my mouth with a spoken command, applying to the space.
"Time magic...? No way."
"Telekinesis. Has to be."
"That's even weirder. Time magic would make sense, but stopping an area with telekinesis? That's straight-up freakish."
As they said, not telekinesis.
Technically a telekinesis-type spell if you nitpick, but as its creator Baek Seung-woo named it: Pyrokinesis.
Fundamentally different from regular telekinesis.
Normal telekinesis just moves objects without touch using mana. But Pyrokinesis emits heat in all directions and manipulates that heat to control matter.
Not just mana.
Vast mana plus heat as a medium to seize the material worldmy unique magic.
......Grand words, but bottom line: this spear nonsense couldn't even scratch the walls, let alone reach me.
A bit more development, and...
"I could bind a creature's limbs too."
Roooar!
Red smoke-like heat rippled wide.
Made interfering with the area easier.
Using that, I gripped the monkey's limbs hard.
Beyond bindingcrushing them.
"Tch, the beast's too strong for the room's setup. Can't do a proper test like this."
I scanned around, clicked my tongue, and snapped my fingers.
Snap
Massive mana drained from my body.
No chant or magic circle.
It seeped into the air, boosting Pyrokinesis output.
Normally it'd amp flame magic, but now it focused mana on the telekinesis axis.
Vwooooong!
Air mana and heat tore with a groan, snapping the beast's limbs. Beyond bindinginvisible force broke them, and it tried its monkey screech.
But I didn't wait.
Crunch, crunch!
Spine folded.
Limbs crumpled in half.
Folded origami-neat, like paper or blocks.
Crunch, crunch!!
How much more?
Until no biological form remained, everything vanished. Pooled blood, splatters on my face.
All gone like a mirage.
'......Throat's a bit sore.'
No prep, hasty spoken command backlash plus heavy mana use in a flashexhaustion hit hard.
The spoken command recoil especially brutal.
Still incomplete?
Throat burned like I'd swallowed chili powder.
Half-numb, my voice came out rough.
Like the archetypal arrogant villain from novels or comics?
Dark, gravelly enough to kill without surprise, it echoed lowly through the testing room.
"Next."