Chapter 98
Chapter 98
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 98
Overwhelming battle.
Students cheering for it, professors taking interest in the sorcery.
And even the TAs burning with jealousy and envy.
All sorts of characters had gathered in this cramped space.
I sensed that blood wasn't circulating properly through my body anymore and turned to look at the audience seats.
Thousands of people.
All of them Chilseong Academy students.
Out of the roughly 6,000 total students, it looked like 3,000 to 4,000 had shown up. Pretty much everyone who could make it had come to watch.
Whoa! He's actually beating him.
This is insane. Is that TA level?
Dude, do you think the Senior TA and the Baek Family Head look average to you? We've still got a long way to go to reach that.
Baek Seung-woo really is strong. That's why the news hypes him up so much.
I just wanna touch that tail once.
It wasn't like they'd been hit themselves.
Even if I'd really buried someone alive and embezzled a fortune from company funds, they'd just gossip and curse behind my back where I couldn't hear.
But put on a flashy, overwhelming show like today and dust off some long-forgotten sorcery? They'd cheer.
Everyone's so two-faced.
Exactly the type I hate.
In contrast, the ones whose attitudes hadn't changed a bit were the TAs.
They consistently shunned and despised me.
They even dismissed my sorcery as nothing special.
'Is it pride? Or stubbornness?'
Still, whatever.
They're better than these people whose attitudes flip like the back of a spoon. I prefer those with their own pride over ones swept up in public opinion or the mood.
Of course, the moment I severed his arm to stop Mugung's resistance, the atmosphere in all directions cooled instantly.
This time, everyone seemed to be of one mind.
What the...?
I tilted my head in confusion.
They'd been loving it, so why the sudden chill?
I genuinely couldn't understand, so I gathered my mana again and silently pressured Mugung: move one more time, and the other limbs are next.
The mood only grew icier.
From my perspective, trying to keep him from harming anyone, I had no idea what was going on.
I'd even cut cleanly so Teacher Yangho wouldn't struggle with the sutures later.
'Eh, my life's always like this.'
I decided not to sweat it.
* * *
After the duel with Mugung, my image within the academy shifted dramatically. The rumors about my bad personality persisted.
The finale where I smashed Mugung didn't help.
And there was a victim among the students who'd actually suffered at Baek Seung-woo's hands, so that part wasn't something that could just be brushed off.
But perceptions of my skills tilted fully neutral. The 'academy raid incident,' conquering the one of the three unattainable dungeons 'Ephnel's Flower Garden,' 'auction house demon slaying,' and more.
Through all these big and small events where I'd been the protagonist, the view that 'the guy's a jerk, but his skills are legit' had solidly taken root.
Now, with students who'd witnessed my fight firsthand testifying, there was no room for doubt about my abilities.
With midterms ending soon, I'd need to start properly acting as Nine-Tail Guild's team leader, so these rumors were a huge help.
But not all the rumors flowed positively.
Their endpoint was starkly revealed on a certain site joined by Chilseong students.
An anonymous community requiring student ID verification to post.
[Writer: I Should Never Become a Grad Student]
[Title: Anyone see that duel at Chilseong yesterday?]
I'm a 2nd year.
After afternoon classes, I saw the student council and disciplinary committee sprinting off and wondered what was up. Turns out two TAs dueled over 1st years' performance evals, and one got his arm chopped off.
Someone explain?
[Missed yesterday's big match? You lost a day of your life lololol]
[For real that good?]
[Yeah, tons of epic moments yesterday.]
[Lol fr]
[Anyone record it? Nothing on YouTube?]
[Dude, Chilseong's security is insane. They'd let internal footage get posted? Of course they deleted it lolol]
[Writer: Exactly What You Wanted]
[Title: Yesterday's Duel in Three Sentences]
1. Mugung picks a fight with Baek Seung-woo. No idea what he said. Doesn't matter anyway.
2. Mugung dominates start to finish, but lands zero critical hits. Baek Seung-woo dodges slickly, copies Mugung's techniques, overwhelms with sorcery.
3. Prof declares Baek winner, then he suddenly chops off Mugung's arm and vibe goes ice cold.
Agree it's perfect three-sentence summary? Upvote plz.
[So who won?]
[Obviously Senior TA Mugung. How dare a filthy fox sit at the same table as a TA?]
[Bs, Mugung got wrecked hard. But isn't that guy's arm ruined now?]
[No speculation. Mugung TA lectured today too. Arm in a cast, fidgeting nonstop lololol]
[Fidgeting so loud Prof Namgung Seongjin kicked him out.]
[How is this a three-sentence summary??]
[It's a perfect one. Problem?]
[Three-sentence summary (six periods)]
[Seven if you count the upvote beg at the end. Edit plz]
[Wow, truly perfect three-sentence summary. Where's the next one?]
[Lol fr]
[Lol fr]
[Lol fr]
[Lol fr]
[? Bots?]
[Nah, just spam lol fr]
[Lol fr]
[Writer: Anonymous]
[Title: Compiled All Info on Yesterday's Duel from Community Chatter]
Quick intro: I'm a 3rd year. Can't say my name, but decent grades got me into a good guild. So my eye for this stuff's solid.
Duel started when Senior TA Mugung used 1st years' performance eval scores as an excuse to pick a fight. Prof Namgung Seongjin says settle it with a duel, greenlights it lololol.
Back in my 1st year, he'd resolve every incident with duels too. Guy never changes.
[?? Where's the analysis?]
[Did the analysis tho?]
[......?]
[3rd year insight lololol 1st years do better summaries]
[But mid-duel, that Mugung dude suddenly went black. Isn't he a demon?]
[No speculation. Mugung TA lectured today too. Arm in a cast, fidgeting nonstop lololol]
[Straight copy-paste from above, calls it a reply lololol]
[Not sure if Mugung's a demon, but Baek Seung-woo definitely severed his arm. Latter's a psycho for sure?]
[Saw that in a movie. Chainsaw guy or something. With the mask and electric saw.]
[Not that, right?]
[Maybe? But Chilseong's Chainsaw Maniac sounds badass.]
[Chilseong's Limb-Severer. Sounds scary af lolol. Chops limbs first if things go south]
That comment racked up overwhelming upvotes.
And so, Chilseong's Limb-Severer.
That became my new nickname.
'......Limb-Severer.'
The demon who severs limbs. Heh, whoever coined it did a great job.
Great job my ass.
So many better options out there.
What the hell is Limb-Severer ()?
Limb-Severer.
Damn, maybe I should sever the idiot who came up with it.
'......But was my action really that shocking?'
Honestly, I still couldn't understand why I'd earned that nickname. It wasn't like I'd permanently maimed his limbs.
He was going berserk like a berserker, so I just cut cleanly to make it easy and safe to reattach later.
Thanks to that, only one casualty.
They'd been cheering up until then.
No clue why they flipped.
Eh, people's hearts are like reeds in the wind. Whatever.
I had something more important anyway.
'Tamamo, got a catalog or something? A list would make picking easier.'
As if a ghost would have that. And I've mastered tens of thousands of sorceries, not just a couple. But yeah, instead of you constantly asking what to learn, why not set a date and make one?
'I'm on transcription duty?'
Obviously. In my current state, a fox's mouth is the only way I can touch things.
True.
No way that giant maw could hold a pen.
So, catalog soon.
Today's schedule's done, taught Seo Ye-rin too.
Time to borrow ten magic tomes from the library and read.
Planning to check out Petty Applications of Flame Magic and 101 Reasons You Can't Cast Illusions today.
Tried last time, but both were out. Today they come back.
Hurrying to the library
Grab!
Something seized my shoulder.
And flung me somewhere.
Too slow to perceive or react.
By the time I came to, I was in a room.
A familiar place.
Not one I visited often, but Professor Nam Hwa-yeon's room.
My master's quarters.
Not her lab or office, but the dorm I'd been to once before.
Even within Chilseong grounds, it was more luxurious than most rich houses. There she was, suit-clad as always.
Oh, Professor. Why'd you call for me?
I bowed in greeting, and Nam Hwa-yeon smiled brightly.
Lips smiling, eyes notalways startles me.
Not professor, master. When it's just us, remember?
Ah, right.
We had agreed on that.
Been so busy lately, I forgot.
I apologized briefly and voiced my question.
So, Master... why'd you call me today? Something you want to teach me?
Master or Master-ssi.
I'd prefer the former, but can't disrespect her as professor.
Still raw from the late 'Master' on that title.
Even so, I played it cool.
Right then.
How'd you do that?
Thud!
My body was shoved back.
Nam Hwa-yeon hadn't pushed me.
She just pinned the wall behind me, forcing me back.
'......?'
Oh my, what an embarrassing situation. Like a maiden receiving a confession, Contractor?
Took my brain a sec to process.
By the time it did.
Nam Hwa-yeon was gazing up at me, pressed close.
Oh god, this is awkward.
'Something feels... gender-swapped.'
I thought quietly.
An indescribably complicated feeling washed over me.