Academy's Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 5
Late at night, I opened a book.
The title was Mastering Basic Elemental Magic in One Night.
Today, I planned to learn it exactly as the title promisedin a single night.
Elemental magic was one of the magic schools with low entry barriers yet high power output. Its spells were heavily focused on combat.
For an extra villain like me, who could be killed by the protagonist at any moment, this was a must-learn branch of magic.
The table of contents was shortjust four sections. They covered the four elements: Basic Fire Magic, Basic Earth Magic, Basic Wind Magic, and Basic Water Magic.
Of these, the one I especially wanted to learn was Basic Fire Magic.
Baek Seung-woo in the original story was called a top freshman prospect just with fire magic.
I had no idea objectively how strong a "prospect" was.
But it meant he had a natural aptitude for fire magic.
Of course, that still left him getting pummeled like a sandbag by the awakened protagonist and reduced to a mere combat gauge.
I recalled the novel's events as I opened the book. Naturally, I started with the very first page: Basic Fire Magic.
Fire magic is all about burning things. But if it's just about burning, why delve deeper? Why not just grab a torch and throw it?
A question posed by the grimoire to the reader.
It was a perfectly valid and apt one.
Fire magic was ultimately just about burning. Unlike advanced spells that folded space or manipulated objects, it was a straightforward, brute-force school.
Was fire magic truly just for combat, then?
I knew the answer to that question.
No way.
Fire magic is all about burning. The best you can do for application is adjusting the flame's size or boosting its power. But like any other magic, fire magic's effects and strength vary based on what you burn.
Magic was the power to create supernatural phenomena beyond common sense.
Why would fire magic only burn tangible things like ordinary flames?
Those who master fire magic can burn emotions or combust mana in the air to restrict an opponent's movements. But those are techniques for advanced practitioners. As a basic grimoire, this book focuses on handling flames. Now, onto the most fundamental fire spell, Flame...
I turned the pages, marveling in admiration.
At the grimoire's meticulous detail and my own talent for grasping every bit of it.
This was my first time learning magic, for sure.
Yet it felt like reviewing something I'd learned before. I perfectly understood every printed word and concept.
Was this the power of Magic Saint?
Magic Saint
Category: Talent
Description: Absolute talent in magic. Grants the qualities to truly become a saint of magic.
Among my many traits, Magic Saint seemed the most useful.
I hadn't understood what "grants qualities" meant from the description, but opening this grimoire made it clear.
Magic Saint bestowed talent on its bearer, innate or acquired alike.
Talent worthy of carving a mark in magic's history.
This incredible gift let even a magic novice like me comprehend a grimoire on first read.
I'd undoubtedly benefited from it when I acquired Double Helix, too.
But was this something Baek Seung-woo always had?
A fact I'd momentarily forgotten amid Magic Saint's overwhelming power.
No matter how identical the build and looks, this was a possessed body. The tail on my back and fox ears atop my head proved it.
So, was Magic Saint originally Baek Seung-woo's trait?
It felt too grand for an extra villain. Maybe because Eve based the character on me, it came with special powers. Who knows.
Whatever. It's a win for me.
No need to overthink it.
Right now, mastering the grimoire took priority. And the book I'd borrowed from the library wasn't just Mastering Basic Elemental Magic in One Night.
I read hurriedly, jotting key parts on paper. By dawn, I'd finished three grimoires.
All on elemental magic, especially fire-focused ones.
Basic stuff, but enough to build a foundation overnight.
Flame, Fireball, Burst, and more. With the basics memorized, it was time to ingrain them in my body.
"...It's too late to sleep anyway. Might as well hit the training room."
Having devoured the borrowed grimoires overnight, I checked the window and clock. The sky was still dark, but the clock read 6 a.m.
Time for early risers to start the day.
With work at 8 a.m., I had two hours to spare.
Too tight for sleep. Better test the spells I'd learned today.
Swish.
I quickly changed into workout clothes suitable for training. The tail in the back was a hassle, but I managed.
Wow, even one tail makes this tough. When I become a nine-tails, getting dressed will be a nightmare.
I straightened my workout gear and slipped on black gloves, too.
Black gloves evoking a medieval gentleman.
Wearing noble-worthy luxury gloves brought thoughts of my family to mind.
Unlike our world, where democracy wiped out most nobles, this one kept the lineages of beastkin nobles like my fox bloodline alive.
The Heavenly Fox Baek Family was one of the remaining nine great houses.
Due to its uniqueness, rumors swirled around the familyespecially me, the Family Head.
A mix of truth and malicious lies.
Fueled by schemes from rival houses.
Family drama can wait.
Politics and family issues topped the list of world's biggest pains, and Baek Seung-woo had both.
Elders eyeing the Family Head's authority. Relatives coveting the seat.
Just thinking about it gave me a headache.
Push the annoyances aside for now.
Bang. I flung open the dorm door.
Cold dawn air hit me the moment it opened.
Brr, freezing.
Gotta get to the training room quick.
* * *
The TA dorm to training room trek was quite the hike.
About twenty minutes on foot.
Probably because TA and student dorms were separate.
The training rooms were built for students, after all.
No rule saying only students could enter, but that's the common perception.
Guards, TAs, and professors could use them too, but training rooms were seen as student territory. Training and growing stronger was their role, so it made sense.
Using them during peak hours felt awkward.
Of course, Chilseong Academy's vast grounds had plenty of other spots for magic practice.
But none beat the training rooms.
Sensor-equipped spaces accommodating hundreds, with single rooms standard.
Classic gear like dumbbells, treadmills, barbells came standard. Plus cutting-edge mana training equipment worth billions.
How could anyone resist?
That's why I came at this early hour.
"...Some students are already up training."
I'd expected the 6 a.m. slot empty, but lights shone in a few single rooms. Kids that age should be sleeping.
As expected of a top-five global academy.
Chilseong Academy students were no joke.
Their drive put my old world's seventeen-year-olds to shame.
Everyone's grinding hard.
Guess I'll head in, too.
Inspired by the diligent students training at dawn, I headed deeper into the training area.
Avoiding people, I sought out emptier spots.
"Someone's here, huh."
The farthest room.
Light on inside.
Aw, bummer. I wanted that one.
No choiceI took the room next door and released my mana.
Blue mana flowed from my body like smoke.
I focused it in my right hand, igniting a small spark.
Whoosh.
A flame about campfire-sized danced atop my hand.
Now to control and throw it.
But how?
Maybe because I only read the book. I get the theory, but no feel for it...
I knew it in theory from all-night reading, but embodying it? No clue.
The book said first step was shaping the flame into the desired form.
Mine wouldn't cooperate.
Whoosh!!
I ramped up the power for a spinning orb, but kept messing up.
First, failed control made a flame bigger than me. Next, oval instead of circle. Same after.
Nothing going right today.
"Thought talent would make it easy. Tougher than expected."
Magic Saint had me expecting more. My underwhelming results drew a sigh. First tries don't fill you up, right?
Build from basics slowly.
To that end, I shelved advanced stuff like Fireball or Burst. Focus solely on one spell.
Flame.
The most basic of basics: generate and control a flame.
Yet it was fire magic's core.
Fire spells' power and difficulty hinged on flame control.
Thus, Flame was essential to every fire incantation.
"..."
I closed my eyes and extended my right hand.
A tiny flame flickered above it. Now grow it to the desired level.
Head-sized. Perfect sphere...
Bit by bit.
I expanded the spark, refining its shape.
Like cracking a gas valve, slowly turning the knob.
About tennis ball size now? I cracked an eye to check
It felt like I'd cranked the knob to max without realizing.
WHOOSH!!!
From tennis ball to room-engulfing inferno.
Luckily, it hit the wall, lost momentum, flickered, and extinguished.
"...Damn it all."
But the spark in my chest blazed fiercer.
This was infuriating.
If there was zero progress, fine. But teetering on success only to fail barely? Maddening.
...Might as well call it here.
No time to grind a failing spell.
7:15 now. Time to prep for the lab.
Still, leaving felt regrettable.
Since I'm here, test my max output before going.
A+ grade mana.
What happens if I pour it all into one flame?
Forest fire level?
Protagonist hits this mid-novel. I knew it was high, but not the scale. Hope it's not disappointing as I condensedthen recalled a skill.
Double Helix, resonating mana for double amplification.
Should boost the firepower.
Vmmm!
Casually, I twisted my mana into helices.
Two mana strands intersected, resonating. I overlaid Flame's incantation.
"...!!"
Something was wrong.
I frantically dispersed the condensed mana, but too late.
The mass amplified into a massive blaze.
!!!
Gigantic flames rocketed out, recoil flinging me back.
Fire spread to scorch the room. But wall defenses snuffed it instantly.
"Hah, hah!"
Slamming into the wall, I gasped for breath.
No major injuries, luckily. Just startled by the shock.
Wall impact made me realize: my body was weaker than I thought.
This minor jolt sent me flying and spooked me.
I eyed the corner treadmill and dumbbells, but shook my head recalling my condition.
Solar Vein Blockage
Grade: Legendary
Description: A disease from legends. The patient's veins overflow with intense yang energy, gradually ruining bodily balance. Incurable by normal means, it restricts all physical growth.
With that illness, exercise was pointless for me.
That's what Solar Vein Blockage was.
If the common novel trope Nine Yin Vein Blockage filled veins with cold yin, Solar Vein Blockage crammed them with scorching yang.
Thanks to it, Baek Seung-woo's body got handsome looks and fire affinity talentbut the debuff made those moot.
Not just short lifespan; physical stats couldn't grow.
That's why his mana and senses outpaced his body so bizarrely.
Veins clogged with energy meant poor blood flow.
Poor circulation starved oxygen, making intense exerciseor even exertiongrueling.
Why I was still panting.
"Hah, hah... Gotta find a fix soon."
Can't keep getting held back by weak stats forever.
Solar Vein Blockage was "incurable," but not without treatments. A chance to heal would come eventually.
Or get strong enough to unleash devastating attacks without moving much, bypassing low stamina.
One or the other.
I raised my right hand skyward.
Frail, pitiful arm.
Couldn't even handle its own body.
Whoosh. Flame bloomed atop my hand.
Small and pathetic compared to before.
But this was undeniably my power.
"...If I could fully control this power."
I could survive.
As that self-mocking thought crossed my mind
Something hurtled toward my throat.
Whoosh!
I sensed it, but reacted too slow.
Pathetic agility below freshman average. Way too sluggish.
Before I could move, a student filled my vision.
"Who the hell are you...?"
A girl pressed fingers into my Adam's apple.
Her eyes urged a quick answer.
Nothat's my line.
Ambushing me out of nowhere? What the hell?