Chapter 87
Chapter 87
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 87
Appearance.
It determines first impressions and serves as the biggest visual element that stirs people's favor and emotions.
The more handsome or beautiful someone is, the more charm they exude. But what if there's a power that can artificially induce that very attraction?
And if someone already handsome or beautiful acquires such a power?
The amplified synergy would be unimaginable for most, but I could roughly predict it.
That's because it's my ability.
Charm
Rank: S
Description: One of the yokai powers originating from legends across the East. Enchanting others is the symbol and essence of the fox, captivating everyone and everythingregardless of age, gender, or even microorganismswithout discrimination. It's a passive skill that's always active, with intensity adjustable by the caster's will. Completely suppressing it is impossible.
*Seduction
Even unconsciously, every gesture is infused with 'Charm.' Depending on the intensity, mere body language can naturally induce mental confusion in the target.
*Demonic Voice
A beautiful voice so enchanting it feels like your brain will melt the moment you hear it. Once ensnared by the demonic allure woven into that voice, maintaining composure becomes nearly impossible.
*Intoxication
Naturally draws all eyes to the user. It doesn't discriminate targets and captures the hearts of those already fallen to Charm.
My one and only S-rank skill, Charm, was divided into three stages.
Seduction, Demonic Voice, Intoxication.
Passing through each stage allows one to enchant men and women of all agesand in some cases, even creatures and objectsturning them into loyal servants.
Servants who would never betray and die on command.
A power truly befitting an S-rank skill.
Compared to more straightforward skills like Fox Fire or Triple Helix, it differed vastly in versatility and applications.
Fearsome as it was, if used well, Charm could create legions willing to throw away their lives for me, tilt every negotiation in my favor, or draw enemy attention on the battlefield to induce carelessness.
Dozens of other uses flashed through my mind.
But I'd always hesitated to use Charm.
I'd never properly employed it in daily life or combat.
Part of it was not wanting to seduce others, but the biggest reason was...
"I have no idea how to handle this thing."
Are you talking about your Charm?
"Yeah, I just can't grasp the underlying principles of the skill."
I didn't know how to wield my own skill.
This was a massive flaw.
Skills don't always unfold beneficially for the caster. Fox Fire was a prime example.
During my first use against Yuren, my complete lack of knowledge about curses meant I suffered the full backlash despite casting it myself.
Skills like that can become double-edged swordsunstable powers that might turn on youif used without understanding their principles and theory.
"I can't tell if this ability to enchant targets works through pheromones, magical elements, or just amplifying personal allure. It's hard to test without a proper subject."
It could be all three working together.
"Exactly, and"
In some cases,
"the concept of 'Charm' might be imprinted like a brand itself."
The part about enchanting creatures and objects alike especially bothered me.
For living beings, boosting pheromones or attractive features might make sense, but for objects? That changed everything.
Phones and cups don't have eyeshow do they judge appearance and get charmed?
Considering that, Charm required knowledge I lacked. But as a passive always active per the description, I kept it suppressed with mana as much as possible.
Who knows what might happen if it flared to max output unknowingly?
A brand, huh. That fits in my view. Capturing hearts isn't easy, so doing so is akin to stamping a Buddhist seal.
"Right?"
But I'm not sure how much meaning there is in just tweaking the output of a naturally emitted power.
Tamamo pointed at the 'Traits' and 'Equipment' sections of the status window with her finger.
You have more than just Charm for appearance and allure, right? Even to me, it looks like those three abilities create a synergy no matter how much you suppress Charm.
Trait: Nation-toppling Beauty.
Skill: Charm.
Embedded in the jade ring: White-Faced Golden Fur.
These three powerscaptivating regardless of age, gender, sentience, creature, or objectsynergized, stealing the students' gazes.
Tamamo was right.
With all three coexisting in one body, minimizing output meant nothing.
Wow, passersby occasionally called me a parasitic orchid.
Now it's undeniable.
Still, it's fascinating. Synergy from combinationsa power unimaginable in my living days.
"From the combination, or the synergy?"
Both.
I think I knew what she meant.
"Status windows and systemsyou said they didn't exist back then."
Of course not? The absurdity of every human born worldwide possessing that shoddy blue screen called a status window from birth. Far too artificial. At least in my era of rule, nothing like that existed.
An artificial blue screen.
Who else in this world besides me views status windows that way?
People here are born with status windows, connected to the system.
It's utterly natural, completely obvious.
Like humans having limbs or advanced cognition compared to other creatures. Utterly obvious.
If I'd been born in this world instead of a novel, I might think the same.
Classifying human abilities into six categories for training? Humans aren't that simplistic.
"Traits that grant talent just by possession, skills enabling otherwise impossible powerssame issue."
Stats, traits, skills.
Status windows enabled more than that.
A ranking system based on achievements and combat prowess.
High-rankers and rankers graded by rankings.
Even official guild rankings registered with associations.
Elements blurring reality and game.
And I took it further.
'Quests, rewards and penalties based on success or failure. Even a point shop just for me.'
Things defying my common sense.
Those constantly reminded me this world was from a novel.
What exactly were they?
I had several guesses, but too many to pinpoint. Lacked clues to turn speculation into certainty.
All I could do was maximize the status window and system. Fortunately, my eyes allowed that much.
[ peeks at 'Tamamo no Mae's' status window.]
[Target does not resist!]
[Warning! Target lacks a status window. Deemed a lingering spirit dead before the system took hold; per regulations, a temporary status window is generated!]
Name: Tamamo, Wakamo, Fosa, Daki, ??, ????,
Age: ???
Race: Nine-Tailed Fox
Title: ???
Rank: ???
Abnormal Status: Deceased
Ancestor of Curses, Nation-toppling Beauty, ?
Stamina: ? Strength: ?
Durability: ? Agility: ?
Mana: ? Senses: ?
???
*Long deceased, this lingering spirit receives no system or status window blessings. Thus, this is not an official status window via proper licensing!
*Not connected to the system, most details like and are blank.
Tamamo's status window, mostly blank.
Using , I could peek at others'. At the cost of cold sweat and momentary dizziness from focus.
But worth it.
Suddenly, pain stabbed my eyes, increasingly infused with powersit hurt badly.
A side effect? But the pain vanished like a mirage.
Was it a hallucination? Then
"...Um, Teacher."
"Oh? What brings you here? Your class doesn't have first period lectures around here."
Seo Ye-rin was in Class F, Year 1.
As far as I knew, Class F spent Monday first periods in the central natural environment, learning to hunt and play.
So why was she here?
As the question arose, she whispered softly.
"W-Well, actually, for the p-performance evaluation..."
"Performance evaluation?"
"Yes... There's one coming up, and I was hoping... you'd help a little."
Midterms were approaching.
Meaning, subject-specific performance evaluations were piling up. Chilseong's were notoriously stricteven students arrived at dawn to complete them.
Early birds were usually that type.
I'd heard some asked TAs for help.
Not illegal or hard, but Seo Ye-rin? Unimaginable.
Still,
"Why ask me?"
"P-Pardon? W-What do you mean...?"
I calmly told the trembling Seo Ye-rin,
"I'm TA for Professor Nam Hwa-yeon's Year 1 Magic Studies. Helping with your evaluation would be unfair."
"B-But! What I need help with is Martial Arts..."
"Martial Arts?"
Year 1 had five core subjects.
Martial Arts, Magic Studies, Hunting, Protection, Healing.
Martial Arts was top priority alongside Magic Studies.
I got wanting to nail it by asking a TA, but that made it even more confusing.
"I'm a Magic Studies TA?"
Why ask me for Martial Arts?
"...Can't you teach it?"
"No."
"T-Then why...?"
Teaching wasn't the issue.
Just why me?
I didn't even know Year 1 Martial Arts evaluations.
But as martial arts scholarship, nothing I couldn't teach. I just didn't get wanting me specifically.
"For pure training, fine. But evaluations? Asking second- or third-years with answer keys is way more efficient."
Efficiency. That's why I wouldn't help Seo Ye-rinher time and effort would be wasted on me.
Most evaluations had fixed goals or assessed skill proficiency.
Over years, shortcuts emerged.
'Though scoring high via shortcuts is unlikely.'
Still, 4th or 5th grade was guaranteed.
Even 2nd or 3rd with luck.
Why demand it from me?
As a first-year newbie TA, I had no answer keys. No prior student experiencelearned about them online recently.
What did she expect?
"Someone like you would be adored by Professor Namgoong Seong-jin's TAs. No interest there?"
"Pardon? Well, their TAs are... no offense, but not quite up to par for proper instruction."
"...Yeah, okay."
Not words from a fresh first-year, but Seo Ye-rin, at peak mastery, had every right.
Yeah, Martial Arts TAs might seem mediocre to her eyes.
"If... it's too much trouble..."
"Fine, got it."
"R-Really...?! "
Nothing for it then.
I wasn't her master or professor.
But her guiding teacher.
"Th-Thank you!"
"But"
"Yes...?"
"I'll teach beyond perfect scores and demand more."
A teacher's role is to lead from the front.
If guiding her, do it right.
"At least double the standard goal. Up to triple at most."
For Seo Ye-rin, fated to become Divine Spear someday.
Having internalized my teaching once already.
This should be easy.
"Ready? Back out if not."
To gauge her resolve, I leaned in closebreath almost mingling, fist's width apart.
She didn't know where to look.
Hey, eyes on me during conversation.
The moment I thought that,
"...Yes."
Face red as a persimmon, she fidgeted with her fingers shyly.
"......"
Adorably girlish for her age.
But why did that smile conjure memories of that love letter? Utterly baffling.