Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 71
The tide of battle had completely turned.
The tense standoff between the low-grade demons and the students had shifted into an overwhelming advantage. The civilians fleeing in panic from the sudden assault and the guards getting overwhelmed without a chance to fight back were nowhere to be seen.
The scales had tipped entirely in our favor.
And at the center of it all were the students.
Everyone except Isabelle.
"That guy's out of the picture in an instant."
I scanned my surroundings while dodging Dorudo's attacks.
In the midst of the situation turning under the students' lead, Isabelle was barking orders like a proper head student but hadn't engaged in a single fight.
If she was focusing all her attention on command and control, I wouldn't have said a word. But she kept casting spells in between, only to fail frequently or release them on a small scale.
"Is this your first time or something?"
Isabelle seemed utterly clueless about fighting in a chaotic melee like this.
Her specialty, light-attribute magic, was nowhere in sight. She was only issuing orders via [Telepathy]. A faint shadow of self-loathing flickered across her face.
It was clearly frustration at herself for not contributing much to the battle.
As I watched her face closely, it hit me that all her magic was built on grand incantations requiring long casting times.
Her magic was undeniably top-tier, but it had too many practical issues for real combat.
The lengthy incantations were a prime example.
'Casting speed can be mastered to the point of activating with just an incantation word, like me. This is a problem stemming from her lack of technique as a caster.'
There were no flaws in Isabelle's magic.
Light-based magic could perfectly adapt to any situation. Just as she said, it was infused with her grandmother's teachings and had no weaknesses.
So, what was the flaw I'd noticed in Isabelle's magic before?
It was Isabelle herself.
"Isabelle, can you hear me?"
"Huh? What, using [Telepathy] in the middle of this? Do you have any idea how much focus you're pouring into mana manipulation just to chat with me right now?!"
"It's nothing major, so just answer."
"I hear you fine. That's why I'm answering, isn't it?"
Good, as long as she could hear clearly.
What I was about to tell her would pass by quickly.
The clearer the [Telepathy], the better.
"Remember what I said last time? About the flaw in your magic."
"Oh, that nonsense?"
"It's not nonsense... Well, depending on the perspective, it could be."
"You're admitting it yourself?"
Isabelle sounded shocked.
Baek Seung-woo, with his sky-high pride, calling his own words nonsense?
Was the sun going to rise in the west tomorrow?
"Of course. The flaw wasn't in the magicit was you."
"Damn it, knew it."
Her expression twisted at my words.
I wondered if I'd used [Telepathy] just to tease her.
But what could I do? It was the truth.
[Trait: Magic Saint has begun analyzing the magic.]
[This is magic on the verge of entering the realm of Grand Magic! Analysis will take considerable time. Progress: 93.14%...]
One fact I'd learned from analyzing her magic over a long period: the spells she wielded might be Grand Magic or teetering on the edge of domain-level magic.
A realm so rare in the long history of magic that few had ever reached it.
Finding flaws in such magic was nearly impossible.
Yet I'd spotted one in Isabelle's.
What did that mean?
"Know your place."
"W-what? Are you picking a fight right now?!"
"Do you really think you're fully wielding your magic?"
"Of course I am!"
"For real?"
"...It might be a little tough."
Good that she admitted it.
If she hadn't, she'd be utterly shameless.
Light was the ultimate medium in magic.
Because it could become anything, it was the hardest to master.
Isabelle was still too immature to handle light fully.
So my advice was simple.
"Better late than neverI'll give you some guidance."
"What is it?"
"Add your own color to it."
"...How am I supposed to do that in this chaos?! You know damn well that's not easy!!"
As she said, pursuing something new in a situation like this wasn't easy.
Especially if it brushed the domain of Grand Magic like her spells.
"Don't overthink it. Keep it simple and intuitive. Your magic is too advanced for you to handle fully right now. So paint just the color you want on that vast canvaskill off the other functions."
"... ."
Canvas. Color. Kill functions.
Three words that suddenly struck Isabelle's mind.
At that moment, our [Telepathy] cut off.
Was it due to the massive mana interference from the surrounding chaos? As I cocked my head in doubt and tapped my ear
"Where do you think you're looking?!"
"...!!"
Thud!!
A dull impact sent my body flying backward.
I'd let my guard down for a split second while advising Isabelle and taken a hit.
"Hngh... ugh..."
I crashed onto seats and desks scattered around the auction house, clutching my abdomen as I staggered to my feet. It wasn't fatal, but my frail constitution meant only wheezing gasps escaped my lips.
Ha, it hurt like hell.
Lucky I instinctively avoided the vitals.
Otherwise, I might've been checking out today.
Haha, this wasn't the time to be teaching anyone.
I only realized it after taking that hit.
I must've gotten a bit carried away with my temporary teacher title and the whole 'sensei' vibe. I knew full well that teaching someone didn't suit me, yet here I was.
Man, I'm off my game today.
Wincing from the pain, I pulled a root of poison grass from the pouch on my chest and chewed it.
The bitter, astringent taste unique to the herb assaulted my tongue.
A normal person would've cried out in agony just from touching it. Now I knew why it was called poison grass.
Gulp.
But I swallowed it without a grimace.
In that instant, the pain ebbed, and my scattered focus from external stimuli converged. The potent analgesic effect of the poison grass was kicking in.
Ah, it tastes so freaking bitter.
I wiped the drool and blood from my mouth and thought.
It sucks, but I wish it were even more bitter.
My life had been far too bitter for this weak poison grass to faze me.
Even now, the past memories remained vivid.
The child who called me master.
The time she turned into a cold corpse in a demon's hands.
The hell where every monster crushed everything I loved.
And every moment after, my obsessive fixation on all things demonic.
Even turning away and closing my eyes, they stayed crystal clear.
Yeah, it had to be this bitter to call it bitter.
* * *
My mind lingered on that child's lingering image for only a moment.
The more I swallowed the poison grass, the more the pain faded.
The stinging ache in my abdomen, the empty void in my chest.
Gradually, it filled with the juice from the chewed grass.
As the juice filled me and granted its pain relief, I realized one fatal fact.
With poison grass in my mouth, I couldn't chant incantations or activation words.
It was too bittermy mouth wouldn't open.
"... ."
Better this way.
I felt the pain and sensations dulling.
So peaceful, so quiet.
This moment of respite from the chronic pain gnawing at my body.
I loved it.
Because I could pour every nerve into calculations alone.
'...No chance of winning right now. If I drag it into a prolonged fight, maybe, but my pathetic stamina won't hold out.'
Quick and decisive.
That was my only path to victory.
...Or was it?
No, wait.
Was quick and decisive really my only shot?
My gaze swept the surroundings on impulse.
The procession of fleeing rich folks. Demons chasing them, escorts fighting back desperately. The manager huddled under a desk with the auction items below.
The packaged auction items for shipment were under the manager.
"... ."
My eyes locked on it. I immediately summoned massive flames, boxing in Dorudo on all sides.
I poured quite a bit of mana into it, but it was fine.
I'd bought time.
"...Come out."
"Y-yes? C-customer number eighteen? C-come out? What do you...?"
I shoved the manager aside and ripped open the top box.
Two packaged items appeared: a worn ancient tome and a large fang.
Vampire relics that granted skills upon use. Without hesitation, I infused them with mana and claimed the embedded skills as my own.
[You have used 'Ancient Leather-Bound Tome Stained with Black Blood.']
[You have acquired the skill 'Black Mist (C)'.]
...
[You have used 'Worn and Blunt Fang.']
[You have acquired the skill 'Blood Drain (B)'.]
[Multiple relics confirmed. You have acquired the vampire relics 'Black Mist' and 'Blood Drain'.]
[Based on this, generating quest: Vampire's Successor!]
Vampire's Successor?
I was briefly flustered by the sudden quest.
Then new lines appeared on my retina.
[Sub Quest: Vampire's Successor (1)]
[Description: By chance or fate, you have found two or more vampire relics. This grants you the initial qualification to become a successor of the ancient race known as vampires. Of course, it's just a qualificationyou must overcome many hurdles to truly become one.]
[Clear Condition: Monopolize the relics faster than any other potential successors.]
[Success: Each monopolized relic brings you closer to 'Race: Vampire', unlocks Sub Quest: Vampire's Successor (2)]
The lengthy text filled my vision, straining my eyes.
But the quest output didn't end there.
Something arguably more important shimmered like a mirage before me.
[Caution! This quest affects the entire race.]
[We recommend careful consideration.]
Vampire's Successor, huh.
I had no vampire blood, so one could argue what kind of successor I was. But vampires don't define honor and pride by bloodline.
Blood is just their food and currency.
They don't value it for distinguishing direct descendants, collaterals, or heirs.
Even a fox with zero vampire ties like meif I inherited and upheld their legacy
I'd proven my qualification as a 'Vampire's Successor'.
Absorbing two relics into my body backed that up.
But...
'Why do I know all this?'
Did Eve ever tell me?
I didn't recall.
Well, even without specifics, if I heard it from her, that explains it.
The only way I, who hadn't read her novel, could know this world's info was through her.
No need to dwell.
I judged overthinking would hinder the fight. It wasn't a harmful quest, so I accepted without hesitation.
[You have accepted the quest Vampire's Successor.]
[Acquired title: 'Vampire's Successor'!]
[Quest acceptance reward: 'Blood Drain' can now be used on blood that is not fresh!]
Blood Drain works on non-fresh blood too.
That was the last message I saw.
There was more below, but Dorudo didn't miss my moment of distraction to the system and charged, sending me flying.
Sealing his movements with flames had clear limits.
Mid-flight, I scanned the floor.
Blood from corpses stretched out like a red carpet.
There.
Whoosh!!
I wrapped flames around my hand like a thruster and slammed it onto the blood trail.
My black glove soaked it up, something seeping inside.
[Using 'Blood Drain' toward the floor.]
[This is not fresh bloodit's murky and filthy from the dead!]
[Cannot absorb mana or vitality from this blood!]
The system deemed it impossible.
But I felt the blood in my glove flowing into my body. My spent mana and vitality recovered.
Power of the title, 'Vampire's Successor'.
And somehow, my mana was filling beyond what I'd spent.
There shouldn't have been a bonus effect like this.
"...Well, makes sense."
The floor was littered with blood and flesh from civilians and demons we couldn't save.
Blood from dozens of corpses might not make a blood sea, but enough for a pond.
Mana that wouldn't deplete even drawing massive amounts from my heart.
The shackle of Solar Vein Blockage limited how much I could handle at once, but right now, inexhaustible mana was enough.
This let me endure a prolonged fight.
Fox Fire
Pyrokinesis
Roarrrrrr!!
I unleashed flames infused with psychokinesis principles wildly and thought.
This had to be true infinite energy.
I'd implemented a perpetual motion machine with my own body.
Hmm, the Nobel Prize in Physics was mine this year for sure.