Academy's Gumiho is a Magic Genius

Hell had descended.

The once lively atmosphere of the academy was nowhere to be found. The scene resembled a battlefield.

"Seungho! Seungho! Save meeeee!"

"Stay right there! I'm coming to get you!!"

"Move, move out of the way, you lunatics!! Those who can survive should survive!!!"

"Ahhhh!!! Where, where is my leg?!!"

Screams echoed from all directions.

Pleas for help and agonizing groans filled the academy.

It was hard to believe that just an hour ago, this place had been filled with laughter.

"...Ugh, this feels disgusting."

I felt a sense of guilt. But I didn't try to justify myself.

I already knew, didn't I?

I had stood by, using the excuse that the protagonist needed to awaken.

My desire to survive had blinded me.

This disaster was the result.

I had a responsibility to watch this scene unfold without saying a word. No matter how painful it was, I couldn't look away.

This was the scene I had chosen, and no matter how hard it was, it couldn't be worse than what they were going through.

"..."

Silently, I looked down from the top of a tall building.

The rooftop offered a clear view of the chaos below.

The cold night wind carried the stench of blood.

"Contact the professors! Tell them to come back immediately!!"

"They're overseas right now! We should call the nearby guilds instead!"

"An A-rank guild is sending support! Just hold on for 20 minutes!!"

"Damn it. I'm going to die without even confessing."

"Save the kids at least! Leave me behind and get the kids out...."

As I looked down, a thought crossed my mind.

In the original story, ten students had died. All of them were students who had been with the protagonist on the outskirts.

What about the guards and teaching assistants? Did they all die, or did some survive?

Well, judging by the scene before me, they probably all died.

"Everyone seems to be in chaos."

From the rooftop, I could see all sorts of students.

Some prioritized their own lives, others tried to save their friends, and some fought back with weapons.

The majority, however, were those who prioritized their own survival.

Students were running toward the shelters in a panic.

In their frantic rush, many tripped or collided with each other. Fractures and bruises were common, and in the worst cases, some pushed their classmates or fainted from the chaos.

"What a disorganized mess."

I understood their actions.

The desire to survive is one of humanity's most primal instincts. But to survive, one must act rationally.

At this point, the best way to increase survival rates wasn't to run but to fight back.

But they couldn't even make such a simple judgment. I had expected more from the elite group known as Seven Stars Academy, but I was sorely disappointed.

"...Is it because it's their first real battle? Well, I've been there too."

Watching them made my chest feel heavy.

After some thought, I realized it was because their behaviour reminded me of my younger self. I, too, had been a child soldier once.

Old memories flashed through my mind like a slideshow. The children running for their lives reminded me of myself back then.

"..."

As my thoughts deepened, my gaze shifted downward.

I stared blankly at the scene below when I suddenly sensed something.

The setting sun cast long shadows, and something clung to one of them. It was a decent attempt at stealth, but not enough to fool an S-rank senses.

The shadow began to move closer to me.

Just as the shadow revealed massive fangs and wings, preparing to pounce—

Whoosh!

A fiery spike erupted from the ground, piercing the monster's wing. The intense heat travelled through the wing, burning its grey skin black.

The monster was weaker than I had expected.

But the consequences of its weakness were unexpected.

Thud───!!!

The massive monster fell from the rooftop.

The impact was loud, and the ground cracked under its weight, sending up a cloud of dust. Instantly, all eyes turned to the scene.

"...We're screwed."

Everyone stared at the monster that had fallen from the rooftop.

Then, their gazes shifted upward.

Naturally, they landed on me.

'How did it come to this...?'

At first, I had planned to kill it quietly.

I was going to cut its throat and leave it on the rooftop. But without realizing it, I ended up killing it in a much more dramatic fashion.

I scratched my head in frustration.

Then, I extended my right hand.

A vast amount of magical energy surged, and a massive fireball formed in my palm.

Looking at the students who were startled by my sudden appearance, I thought to myself.

I hadn't planned to intervene.

But now that everyone's attention was on me, I had no choice but to fight.

'If I get dragged into a class trial for being a bystander, it'll be a disaster.'

So, this was something I had to do.

It wasn't my choice at all.

With that thought, I jumped down from the rooftop.

'I want to live.'

Just as much as I want to live.

The kids who are dying probably want to live too.

That's why this is an unavoidable action.

"Hey, someone's falling!"

"Huh? Isn't that Baek Seung-woo, the teaching assistant? He's a legend in our lab."

"Who cares about legends right now?! Catch him!"

The ground was in chaos.

The teaching assistants and guards were too busy fighting monsters to notice.

I landed as far away from them as possible to avoid getting in their way.

Normally, a fall from that height would have paralyzed my lower body, but I used telekinetic magic to mitigate the damage.

Still, my ankles took quite a beating.

I'll never do that again.

As soon as I landed, I surveyed my surroundings.

In my attempt to land as far away from people as possible, I ended up right in the middle of a horde of monsters.

Ugh, the stench was worse than that of wild beasts.

"You smell disgusting, so why don't you shut your mouth?"

As soon as I finished speaking, dozens of monsters charged at me. What, do they have ears or something?

As they rushed toward me, I rolled my foot against the ground.

Boom!

Magical energy spread out, creating a massive shockwave.

Then, flames erupted from the ground. The flames bound the monsters' movements, and soon, giant spikes pierced through them mercilessly.

Dozens of monsters within the range of the flames fell helplessly.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The larger monsters, whose internal organs weren't pierced by the fiery spikes or whose skin was too tough, barely survived, but in an instant, dozens of monsters had died before my eyes.

The monsters began to retreat.

People swallowed hard as they watched the scene.

It was a fearsome display of power.

With just one move, I had taken down dozens of monsters. In a chaotic battlefield like this, such a feat was no easy task.

But the person responsible for it felt nothing special.

"...Ugh, that hurt like hell."

While others might have been amazed, all I felt was pain.

That little stunt had made several joints and bones in my legs scream in agony. If I had known it would hurt this much, I wouldn't have done it.

My body is really too weak.

How am I supposed to overcome this crisis with such a frail body? I can't afford to stomp my feet again.

If I do, I might really break my legs from the pain.

I glared at the horde of monsters and pondered.

Most of the monsters here were low-level creatures with weak defences.

The students' area-of-effect magic should be enough to kill them. But the few stronger monsters mixed in among them were the real variables.

If I could just deal with those, the people here should be able to handle the rest. Then, a good idea suddenly came to me.

If I kill those, the rest will be disorganized, so I can leave without hesitation.

Once I finished thinking, I immediately put my plan into action.

Suddenly, fireballs the size of human heads floated into the air, obstructing the monsters' vision. As the fireballs moved erratically, burning the monsters' skin, I channelled magical energy into the ground.

The chain reaction of embers I had triggered in the training room before.

I planned to recreate it on a larger scale.

Hoo, I took a deep breath.

Releasing a large amount of magical energy from my body caused my blood to flow rapidly.

My blood pressure rose, and my oxygen supply became insufficient. My skin turned slightly pale, but I ignored it and completed the magic in my mind.

"Grrr!"

The monsters sensed something was wrong and let out cries.

At that moment, a massive explosion shook the ground.

The monsters lost their footing, and a second explosion erupted among them.

Kaboom──!!

A huge explosion and a massive cloud of smoke followed.

Most of the monsters were within the blast radius.

This level of explosion wouldn't kill all of them, but since I had concentrated the firepower on the stronger monsters, they were almost certainly dead.

With that, I no longer had to worry about the variables. I could leave now.

"Cough, I guess I can leave this place now."

Without hesitation, I started walking forward.

I couldn't run.

My stamina was too poor, and the continuous use of magic had left me feeling dizzy. Fortunately, there were only a few monsters on the path ahead.

Just one or two, which I easily dispatched with a few skewers.

'...This is strange.'

I had only killed about a hundred monsters.

That's a significant number, but in the original story, nearly a thousand monsters had invaded. Less than a tenth of that number.

Maybe the other teaching assistants or guards had taken care of some. Or perhaps the few third-year students still at the academy had handled them.

But I didn't entertain such naive thoughts.

'That's unlikely.'

The academy grounds are vast.

Even if the monsters were weak, it's natural that they would seem fewer in number. At worst, there were probably around 900 monsters left.

If I had to take care of all of them, I'd be in trouble. I could probably pull off the same stunt once more, but killing 900 monsters was out of the question.

I hoped the guards, teaching assistants, and remaining third-years would handle the rest.

As I was running with those thoughts in mind.

I sensed a human presence in the distance.

Speeding up in a panic, I saw a fallen female student and a monster in my line of sight. It wasn't exactly a beauty and the beast scenario.

Without hesitation, I reached out my hand.

Flames erupted in the air, forming a giant hand.

The blazing hand lifted the monster effortlessly. The monster flailed in the sudden sensation of floating, but the fiery hand clenched tightly.

The intense flames cooked its flesh, crushing it easily.

I tossed the now-crushed monster aside and checked on the student.

She seemed to have injured her leg, but thankfully, she was conscious. After giving her some basic first aid, I prepared to leave.

"Why are you...?"

If only the girl in front of me wasn't Seo Yerin.

'Of all people, I had to run into her.'

I hadn't expected to meet her here.

She seemed to have a lot to say to me, but I quickly administered first aid. I used magic to wrap her injured area like a cast.

That should at least prevent her wound from worsening.

"Hey, Seo Yerin. Can you run away on your own?"

"...Yes."

"Then get out of here. There were no monsters on the way to the first-year dorm, so don't worry and just move."

She looked at me as if surprised I could say such things.

Well, every time we've met, my image has been a mess. But that's not important right now.

I hurriedly tried to send her to the shelter.

But then she grabbed my pants tightly.

Hey, my pants are going to fall off.

"...Where are you going?"

"...I don't know."

I wasn't sure either.

After being forced into the battlefield, I had just been running forward aimlessly. There was no destination.

Then, she pulled my pants even harder with her small hand.

Is she really planning to report me for public indecency?

I had that ridiculous thought, but her expression was more serious than ever.

Swallowing the pain in her leg, she spoke.

"Then, help me... My, my friend is over there."

"...Where?"

"Near the third-year dorm."

"...!"

That's definitely where the protagonist would be.

In the original story, when the protagonist awakens, the nearby third-year dorm is partially destroyed by a massive wind pressure.

...Huh?

'Why do I know that?'

A question arose about the knowledge that had suddenly come to me.

But that wasn't important right now.

There was something more important at the moment.

It seemed Seo Yerin's friend was one of the sacrificial lambs.

A sacrifice needed to awaken the protagonist.

When I didn't respond, she clung to my leg like a cicada on a tree.

"Please help me... Please. She's the first friend I've ever made..."

It was the first time I'd heard her use honorifics since we met.

In fact, it was the longest sentence she'd ever spoken to me.

She was pleading with me.

The girl who had boldly entered the training room, snatched the book I was about to read right in front of me, and unintentionally got caught in an explosion.

What could I possibly say to her?

That her friend had to die for a happy ending?

That I had to utter such nonsense?

I gritted my teeth so hard they might have cracked, and I patted Seo Yerin's head.

"...Alright."

Her hair was long and beautiful.

Though it was covered in dust from rolling on the ground and had become dry from the heat, making it less pleasant to touch. But as I stroked her head, I could feel her warmth.

"I'll handle it. You go to the shelter."

At first, I had planned to stand by, thinking it was just a novel.

But now, I couldn't just stand by anymore.

It wasn't just to avoid being dragged into a class trial.

There was a girl before me, her eyes red, begging me to save her friend.

She pleaded with me to save her.

How could this be the world of a novel?

"...Please..."

"I got it, so go."

After hurriedly sending Seo Yerin away, I ran toward the third-year dorm.

My low stamina and agility held me back, but I used magic to enhance my leg strength and managed to increase my speed.

The cost was that I could feel my ankles slowly breaking.

But I couldn't afford to be late.

To avoid being late, I ignored the pain in my ankles and sprinted across the vast academy.

***

Meanwhile, near the third-year dorm.

"R-Run away!!"

"There's nowhere to run! Defend! Defend!"

"Ahhh, ahhhhhhh!"

"Yura!"

The children screamed.

One girl tripped while running and fell. The monster, seemingly enjoying the sight, slowly moved its massive body toward her.

In its path was the fallen girl named Yura.

"Hey, No Yura! Get up!"

"I-I twisted my ankle!"

"Damn it!"

Yura tried to get up, but her twisted ankle made it impossible.

Her friends tried to help her up, but.

"Ugh, ugh...!"

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I-I can't move... my legs are shaking...!"

One friend turned pale and stepped back.

He breathed heavily and pointed.

At the end of his finger was a massive monster. The creature grinned with an eerie smile, its mouth corners impossible to discern.

"T-That thing is using the ambient magical energy to press down on me...!"

"...What?"

It was unbelievable.

A monster using ambient magical energy to pressure its opponent.

This could only mean one thing.

"...Could it be, Fear?"

Fear, is the symbol of high-level monsters that can pressure their opponents with magical energy alone.

Only a handful of monsters can use this ability. If it can use such a high-level skill, it must possess considerable intelligence.

Enough intelligence to toy with its prey.

Hehe, the monster grinned with its massive mouth.

At the same time, all the students felt their legs go numb.

They couldn't fight back. There was no way they could stand against something like that.

"Ru, run away! Hurry!"

"But what about Yura!"

"So what?! Should we all die together? I want to live!"

"Are you even a friend?! Stop talking nonsense!"

The group was divided by the monster's overwhelming presence.

The monster, seemingly pleased with the scene, didn't interfere and simply took slow steps.

Until a cold gust of wind targeted it.

──Swish!

Kyle, trembling, grabbed his weapon and swung it.

It was a thin, portable sword.

Kyle, who had imbued his sword with a gust of wind, was prepared to bisect the monster.

But the monster only looked annoyed.

His sword couldn't even scratch the monster's skin. Not a single drop of blood was drawn.

It was a weaker strike than an A4 sheet of paper.

Thud───!!

The monster lazily swung its front leg.

The half-hearted strike shattered the sword and sent Kyle crashing into a wall. He felt as if every bone in his body had broken.

He was barely conscious, but he had lost too much blood and was feeling faint.

The monster, not missing this, seemed to have a good idea.

Its slow movements gradually sped up.

Half a step, one step, two steps.

Its stride widened, and its speed increased.

The students who had been trying to flee were now trapped by the monster's Fear.

Bound by the pressure, the students screamed and cursed.

Yura, lying on the ground, clenched her eyes shut, but tears and snot streamed down her face as the footsteps grew closer.

Kyle, embedded in the wall, could only watch.

'Move.... Move!!'

Kyle screamed internally.

He was disappointed in his weak and powerless self.

Why am I so weak?

Was it because I was the 1,999th out of 2,000 freshmen? Because my parents abandoned me? Because, unlike my siblings, I didn't even have a shred of talent?

All of those were correct.

He felt a sense of self-loathing. It was disgusting.

His first friends at the academy were about to be helplessly slaughtered before his eyes.

Yet, his limbs refused to move.

'Please! Please move!!'

At that moment, the monster reached Yura.

The monster raised its huge forelegs.

Then he stretches out his legs.

The monster intends to crush Yura.

She tried to crawl to escape, but the guy's front legs were bigger than an elephant's. There was no way she could escape.

Then the monster's eyes turned to Kyle.

"…!!!"

Only then could he understand the monster's thoughts.

The guy is mocking Kyle right now. He wants to have fun by killing Yura in front of his eyes and killing the rest of his friends.

Kyle felt something stirring in his chest.

It was not yet conscious because it was indistinguishable from anger. It would be only when all the friends before my eyes were dead that I would realize it.

At this very moment, the first episode of the novel is about to come to fruition.

Everyone dies, and only Kyle survives.

Through this, the world will be saved and lead to a happy ending.

Except for the children in front of you.

"Pyrokinesis"

Can we just sit by and watch that fact?

A man intervened on the battlefield.

At the same time, the burning desire subsided and something else burned. It was as vivid and hot as a flame before my eyes.

A kind of self-loathing, wondering why I am so weak.

"Hey, I almost missed this."

A man approached me with his fox tail swaying behind his back.

It was a face I didn't want to see.

As soon as I saw his face, I remembered something very old. Even back then, he had a smiling face.

At that moment, something inside Kyle shifted slightly.

In a negative way.

Kyle gritted his teeth until they broke.

***

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