Chapter 81
Chapter 81
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 81
"This should be good enough."
I spoke in a confident tone.
After casting the basic shamanic art known as Ice Crystal Ritewhich manifests yin energyover and over, I was finally getting the hang of it.
A small ice orb rested in my palm.
It was a low-density, tiny ice crystal that might fetch 50,000 won if I tried to sell it, but my eyes sparkled with undisguised excitement.
Not bad, I suppose.
Tamamo's reaction as she examined the ice crystal was less than enthusiastic.
She nodded as it melted away in an instant on her hand.
There was nothing lacking in the precision of the ritual formula or my understanding of it.
Still, it wasn't exactly an impressive result.
Tamamo thought to herself.
'It's not bad by any means... but I can't help feeling a bit disappointed.'
The yang energy coiled inside my contractor like binding chains.
Considering the sun-like presence in his body, achieving even this level of quality was nothing short of a miracle.
"Really? Then I'm glad. I was starting to think I wouldn't pull it off today."
Of course, Tamamo didn't let any of that show.
Even with her deadpan evaluation, I stayed relentlessly optimistic.
A success was a success, no matter the lukewarm response.
Now it was time to move on to the next stage.
Basics no longer held my interest.
Some might argue that a solid foundation is needed to withstand advanced steps, but right now, clearing the path ahead took priority over fine polishing.
"So, what's the next step?"
I asked eagerly, and she clapped her hands as if the thought had just occurred to her.
Next step? Oh... right, I did say that.
"......"
Truth be told, when I first mentioned it, I threw it out casually assuming it wouldn't happen in a day. But don't worry. I'm the progenitor of shamanism. You think I'd break a promise over something like this?
She had forgotten all about it.
I never imagined she'd forget something this important.
Part of me wanted to say something snarky.
But she dove right into fulfilling the pact, so I kept my mouth shut.
"So, what are you going to teach me? Chants? Summoning? Personally, I'd love to focus on curses."
Don't rush me. I'm already pondering where to start.
Tamamo rested her chin on her hand at my prodding, deep in thought.
What should she teach?
Shamanism is a systematized concept.
Unlike magic, with its myriad schools, it's not divided into various branches.
In fact, little shamanism remains in the modern world.
So many people don't even know what exists.
Some even ask if shamanism is just a subset of magic.
Whenever that happens, magicians and archaeologists reviving lost shamanism unanimously declare: 'Western magic' and 'Eastern shamanism.'
Shamanism ().
Also called curse arts () or malediction ()the discipline that induces, manipulates, dominates, and channels invisible transcendent forces across all creation through Eastern rituals, distinct from magic.
Unlike magic, which branches into schools based on elements, arrays, subjectivity, and more.
The broad category of 'shamanism' is largely classified into three types by function, purpose, structure, and principle.
Do you know the types of shamanism well?
"Well, I know it's broadly divided into three categories. Beyond that, I just know a few curses."
Perfect. Hehe, you have just enough knowledge without delving too deep, so you won't pick up any useless habits.
Tamamo settled into place and raised one finger.
I paid close attention to her movements, ears perked up.
My fox ears twitched atop my head too.
I was that excitedand nervous.
The three classifications of shamanism you mentioned. The first is by function and purpose: proliferation (), disaster warding (), and curses ().
The most fundamental classification of shamanism.
The first, proliferation, is simple yet complex.
Proliferation is shamanism to achieve what you lack or haven't attained. For example, stumbling upon unexpected fortune like finding money on the street, or bearing a healthy childthese are classic examples.
"What else?"
Shamans who master proliferation on a higher level can even perform large-scale healing. As long as it benefits the shaman, it's a branch of proliferation, however it's done. Next up: disaster warding.
She raised a second finger.
Disaster warding is defensive shamanism to prepare for or avert calamity. It divides into minor categories: protective rites, which deploy arrays or talismans for prevention, and counter-rites, aimed at destroying the source of the disaster itself.
"Attack is the best defense, huh."
Hehe, exactly.
Her third finger went up.
Tamamo introduced the type of shamanism that intrigued me most.
Next is Curses. The realm you most want to master. Unlike the previous two, which center on the shaman, curses manifest on others. They're typically used to inflict harm.
Shamanism that manifests on othersnot oneselfto inflict harm. Exactly the ability I needed most.
Curses formed the foundation of Fox Fire.
The more diligently I studied them, the stronger its power would grow day by dayan obvious fact.
That said, my knowledge was still shallow, so in my fight with Yuren, I'd ended up cursing us both in a mutual destruction play.
Explaining that would just get me mocked by Tamamo, right?
Better stay quiet.
That's enough on classification by function and purpose. Next, classification by structure.
"Even just explaining it feels more complex than I thought."
Really? Don't worrystructure is simpler than what I covered. Shamanism divides into three by structure: incantations (), talismans (), and ritual acts ().
This time, Tamamo raised three fingers at once.
She cleared her throat and continued.
These are straightforward and intuitive. Incantations refer to all language acts following shamanic laws; Talismans are tools like enchanted paper or weapons; and Ritual acts are the 'performances' enacted through incantations and talismans themselves. See? Simple, right?
"Yeah, this one's easy."
But simplicity in one area means complexity in another.
Tamamo smiled brightly and raised two fingers.
A twinge of unease hit me at her utterly cheerful expression.
Finally, by principle: analogous shamanism () and contact shamanism (). Unlike the others, these operate on a whole other levelno easy preparation or execution.
But the power is guaranteed in proportion to the difficulty.
She swallowed the rest and went on.
Analogous shamanism, also called imitative shamanism, is based on the principle of 'like produces like'the similarity of cause and effect. Hmm, that might be tricky to grasp.
"Similarity of cause and effect? You mean cause and result are alike?"
Exactly. Cause is the process to reach the result. So isn't cause essentially the result? Analogous shamanism stems from that mindset.
"Sophistry."
As she said, cause is the process leading to the result.
But cause and result can't be identical.
Trials and errors build on the cause to produce the result, distorting the original form.
Thus, her analogous shamanism was sophistry.
Cause can never resemble result.
If it does, it's a flawed outcome.
Tamamo tilted her head at my blunt dismissal of analogous shamanism.
You're right, contractorit's sophistry. If cause and effect were the same, why bother with trial and error? Cause alone would suffice.
Pessimistic words.
Yet her expression was far from pessimistic.
But remember: shamanism borrows mystery to enact the impossible. Drawing a storm-painted image to summon rain on drought-stricken land, or imagining your peak self for gradual skill growth. That's what analogous shamanism achieves.
Draw rain to wish for rain.
Borrow mystery to skip the process and manifest rain.
Imagine your ultimate self for supreme swordsmanship, borrowing mystery to leap to swordmastery.
That's analogous shamanism.
Absurdly powerful.
And absurdly difficult.
"Can I actually learn that?"
Of course. I'm teaching you myselfthink you'd fail at mere analogous shamanism? Hehe... give it about 17 years.
"......Pass."
The daunting timeline made me scrap analogous shamanism from my mind without hesitation. Unless it suited me perfectly.
I'd never touch it until I saw the end of this world.
Now, the last one: Contact shamanism. This aligns with the curses you want. Remember my curse explanation?
"Manifests on others, for harm?"
Good memory. Also called infectious shamanism, it enables interaction with anything 'contacted' in some form. Once contact is made, ongoing interaction persists even after separationhence 'infectious,' like spreading contagion.
"......Isn't that just curses?"
It sounded like curses with a 'contact' condition added.
No real difference.
Similar, as you say. But contact shamanism is strictly superior to curses. Guess why?
"Dunno. Power? Range?"
Power's wrong, but range is spot on, contractor.
"Huh. How far?"
Contact shamanism transcends space-time post-contact, allowing influence even after disconnection.
"......What?"
What kind of nonsense was that?
Transcending space-time?
Even dragons, paragons of magic, couldn't do that easily.
Yet it existed as a branch of shamanism.
Was this for real?
"Seriously?"
Space-time sounds grandiose, but it's not as grand as you think. Example: insert a lock of your target's hair into a straw doll for 'contact,' then use nails to transmit pain no matter the distance. Or delay damage to hit hours later. That's contact shamanism transcending space-time.
Grand term, but no reality-warping power.
Interfering with now or near-future is feasible.
Distant future or pasteven progenitor Tamamo struggled.
Theoretically, it can reach the past, but that's a miracle even I can't perform easily... Interfering with fixed history is practically impossible.
"Even so, with space-time involved, it can't be easy."
Naturally. I haven't delved deep myself, so teaching it properly is beyond me. That's enough intro to shamanism. Better you learn by doing than hear it a hundred times, contractor.
She paused there, so I frantically memorized everything in my head.
Shamanism's three classifications.
Eight fields total.
Proliferation, disaster warding, curses, incantations, talismans, ritual acts, analogous shamanism, contact shamanism.
Huh, listing them makes it seem tougher than expected.
Stunned by shamanism's vastness, I desperately burned Tamamo's knowledge into my brain, missing nothing.
[Trait, Magic Saint encounters ancient knowledge.]
[Magic Saint absorbs and systematically organizes all acquired knowledge.]
[Magic Saint creates 'Shamanism' category!]
......Guess someone else did the brain work.
Eh, good's good.
* * *
Vast sea and horizon beneath the sky.
Everyone sees them as the ultimate backdrop.
But a dim sea and horizon faintly outlined in hazy light, under a leaden sky, exuded chill dread and ominous darkness.
Not even predawn sky was this black.
Black sea, black sky, black land.
A hellish vista.
Only one place in the world fit this scene.
An uninhabited island.
Uninhabited island.
Land without 'humans.'
'Humans' can't approach; non-'humans' can't leavea prison and silent cradle, no light piercing within.
On that lifeless island for decades, a man strolled the sandy beach.
"Hmm, who should I awaken?"
Black-robed amid the black island, he paced dozens of laps.
Not escapingimpossibleor performing special shamanism. The island was tiny.
Just seventy-two tombstones, no grass.
The black-robed man simply pondered.
"Originally, I planned to wake the 'Plunder Viscount.' But hmm, this is too problematic."
Approaching the sixty-third tombstone, he touched it. The title and name etched in presumed Hebrewtwisted beyond reading.
Whether designed so or eroded by time and sea wind, the script mimicked a dead ancient tongue.
"Mother of hoarse storks."
He alone could read this dead language.
"Your long beak points to treasures, with countless limbs to gather them. Your power blinds eyes, deafens earshow dare I deem myself safe."
Eerie four characters.
That named the tomb's occupant.
An archaic .
......
"Looks like I can't read aloud from here."
He noticed his throat lock while reading the ancient script.
Stopping, his voice returned.
A curse preventing reading, it seemed.
A potent one.
As if the world itself sealed its mention.
"Can't read? Then don't."
He stood without hesitation and resumed circling the isletbarely an island, narrow land, low tide.
Pacing the cramped space, he brooded.
"This is why you don't entrust beasts with tasks."
Doru... or was it Doru?
The demon posing as a noble's valet.
Without his double failure, the man would've held academy and auction souls, slaughter stones, Heaven's Total Luck Sword, and more offerings.
Enough to fully awaken one viscount here.
But failure, glaringly.
Now, only soul fragments and 1/12th the planned offerings.
"This won't do."
Even dozens of cultists sacrificed.
Too little return for the cost.
These offerings couldn't fully wake a viscountor baron.
Then rather.
"I'll have to partially awaken two barons."
If not quality, then quantity.
Resolved, he slashed his wrist, drawing a blood altar on the ground.
It signaled awakening.
Time to stir from the silent cradle, windless.
Two first.
"Worthless one, peacock deluding minds with three-inch tongue."
He chanted, placing meager offerings on the blood altar.
Nine students' souls, thirty rich men's desire-clotted souls, 120 failed demons' souls, sixty-six pure cultist martyrs.
Ah, insufficient.
Woefully so. Too meager to tempt slumbering nobles' gluttony.
Still, no choice.
"Rise now, sleepy nobles governing the 65th and 68th ranks."
Demons' nobility.
Awakening their eternal leaders.
That instant, the 65th and 68th coffins on the island sank into earth.
Two shadows stretched long behind him.
"Haha, I greet the 'Worthless One' and 'Beautiful Peacock.' To serve you both togetherwhat greater honor beyond my station."
He turned, bowed deeply, hand over heart in courtesy.
His sight repulsed them, it seemed.
The red-haired man glared distastefully.
"Quite the silver tongue. Greasy with yesterday's meat while we slept?"
"Satana, what undignified drivel. Nobles uphold decorum before commoners and slaves."
"Bullshit, peacock. That's just livestock resembling us. And you, with bird head and body, don't lecture on dignity."
"W-what?! How dare you!"
Beings sealed decades.
They tore into each other with insults.
unbecoming nobility.
Witnessing it, robed Simon closed his eyes.
"......"
Inauspicious idols awakening one by one.
Time to lift the curtain fully.
He'd walked his god's path smoothly.
The main story truly began.