Academy's Gumiho is a Magic Genius

Late at night, I opened a book.

The title of the book was [Basic Elemental Magic You Can Learn in One Night].

Tonight, I plan to learn this book as the title suggests—in one night.

Elemental magic is one of the easier schools of magic to learn, yet it is highly powerful. Elemental magic is primarily focused on combat.

For an extra villain like me, who could be killed by the protagonist at any moment, this is a type of magic I must learn.

The book had only four chapters. Each chapter was based on one of the four elements: [Basic Fire Magic], [Basic Earth Magic], [Basic Wind Magic], and [Basic Water Magic].

Among these, the part I particularly wanted to learn was [Basic Fire Magic].

"In the original story, Baek Seung-woo was called a first-year prodigy just by mastering fire magic."

I don't know how objectively skilled a prodigy is, but if he was called that, he must have had a natural talent for fire magic.

Well, even so, he ended up being beaten like a sandbag by the awakened protagonist and reduced to a mere power-level gauge.

Recalling the novel's content, I flipped through the book. Naturally, I started with the first chapter, [Basic Fire Magic].

[Fire magic is all about burning things. But if it's all about burning, why is there a need to delve deeper? You could just grab a torch and throw it.]

A question posed by the magic book to the reader.

It was a truly appropriate and reasonable question.

Fire magic is ultimately all about burning. It's a simple, brute-force school of magic, different from high-level magic that manipulates space or objects.

Is fire magic really only for combat?

I know the answer to that question.

'Of course not.'

[Fire magic is all about burning. At best, you can control the size of the flames or increase their power. But like other schools of magic, the effects and power of fire magic vary depending on what you burn.]

Magic is a force that creates supernatural phenomena beyond common sense.

Fire magic can't just burn tangible things like ordinary flames.

[Those who have reached the pinnacle of fire magic can burn emotions or incinerate the mana in the air to restrict their opponent's movements. However, these are techniques that only those who have mastered advanced fire magic can learn. Since this is a basic magic book, it focuses on how to control flames. Now, let's talk about the most basic fire magic, [Flame]...]

I flipped the page, impressed.

The book was meticulously detailed, and my talent allowed me to understand all of it.

Even though I was learning magic for the first time today, it felt like I was reviewing something I had learned before. I perfectly understood every word and sentence written in the book.

Is this the power of 「Magical Aptitude」?

「Magical Aptitude」**

[Category: Traits]

[Description: An absolute talent for magic. It grants the qualifications to become a saint of magic.]

Among the many traits I possess, 「Magical Aptitude」 seems the most useful.

I didn't fully understand what the description meant by "granting qualifications," but after opening this magic book, I get it now.

「Magical Aptitude」 grants talent to its possessor, whether innate or acquired.

It's a talent capable of leaving a mark in the history of magic.

This incredible talent held such immense power that even someone like me, who was a complete novice in magic, could understand a magic book I was reading for the first time.

I must have already experienced the power of this trait when I obtained 「Double Helix」.

'But did Baek Seung-woo originally have this?'

The ability of 「Magical Aptitude」 was so overwhelming that I had momentarily forgotten.

No matter how similar the physique and appearance are, this body is one I've possessed. The tail on my back and the fox ears on my head prove that.

So, was「Magical Aptitude」also a trait that the original Baek Seung-woo possessed?

It's an excessive power for an extra villain. I don't know if Eve gave me this special power because she modelled the character after me.

'Whatever the case, it's good for me.'

No need to overthink it.

Right now, learning magic is the priority. The book I brought from the library wasn't the only one.

After quickly reading the book, I took notes on the important parts and continued reading. By the end of the night, I had read three magic books.

All of them were about elemental magic, particularly fire magic.

Though the content was basic, it was enough to build a foundation in one night.

[Flame], [Fireball], [Burst], and so on. Now that I've learned the basic fire magic in my head, it's time to practice it with my body.

"...It's too late to sleep now. Maybe I should head to the training room."

After finishing the borrowed magic books in a single night, I checked the window and the clock. The sky was still dark, but the clock showed 6 AM.

For those who don't sleep late, it's time to start the day.

Since work starts at 8 AM, I have two hours to spare.

It's too tight to sleep, so I should test the magic I learned today.

Swish.

I quickly changed into workout clothes suitable for training. The tail on my back was bothersome, but I managed to put them on.

Wow, just having one tail is tough. If I become a full-fledged gumiho later, getting dressed will be a hassle every time.

After neatly adjusting my workout clothes, I didn't forget to put on black gloves.

Black gloves are reminiscent of a medieval gentleman.

As I put on these luxurious gloves befitting a noble, I suddenly thought about my family.

Unlike in the real world, where nobles largely disappeared as society transitioned to democracy, in this world, nobles like me, who inherited the blood of foxes, continue to exist.

The Cheonho Baek family is one of the remaining nine great families.

Due to their uniqueness, there are many rumours surrounding the family members, especially me, the family head.

These rumours are a mix of truth and malicious lies.

But the family behind me is also playing a significant role.

'I'll have to deal with the family's internal issues later.'

Among the most annoying things in the world are politics and family problems, and Baek Seung-woo has both.

The elders covet the family head's authority, and family members covet the family head's position.

Just thinking about it makes my head spin.

Let's postpone these annoying worries for later.

Click.

I opened the dormitory door.

As soon as I opened the door, the cold morning air greeted me.

Ugh, it's cold.

I should hurry to the training room.

***

The distance between the assistant dormitory and the training room was quite far.

It took about 20 minutes to walk.

I guess it's because the assistant dormitory and the student dormitory are separated.

'Originally, the training room was built for students.'

There's no rule that only students can enter, but that's the general perception.

While security guards, assistants, and professors can use it, the training room is usually considered the students' domain. After all, training and becoming stronger is the students' role, so it's only natural.

That's why it feels awkward to use it during peak hours.

Of course, the Chilseong Academy grounds are vast, so there are many places to practice magic besides the training room.

'But none are as good as the training room.'

A spacious area that can accommodate hundreds, with individual rooms as the standard.

Classic training equipment like dumbbells, treadmills, and barbells are a given. The training room is also equipped with state-of-the-art mana training equipment worth billions.

That's why I have to go this early in the morning.

"...There are already students up and training."

I thought there would be no one at 6 AM, but a few individual training rooms were lit. At that age, they should be sleeping.

As expected, an academy ranked among the top five in the world is different.

Truly, the students of Chilseong Academy.

Their mindset is so different from the 17-year-olds I know.

Everyone is working hard.

'Then I should get started too.'

Seeing the students training hard early in the morning, I moved deeper into the training room.

I didn't want to run into anyone, so I headed to a less crowded area.

"There's someone here too."

The training room at the very end.

The lights were on there.

Ah, a bit disappointing. I wanted to train there.

I had no choice but to settle in the training room next to it and release my mana.

The blue mana, like smoke, wafted out of my body and swirled around.

I concentrated this mana into my right hand and lit a small flame.

Flicker!

A flame the size of a campfire flickered on my hand.

Now, I need to control it and throw it.

But how?

'Is it because I only learned from books? I can't get a feel for it...'

I understand the theory after reading it all night, but I don't know how to physically execute it.

The book said the first step is to create a flame and shape it into the desired form.

But mine doesn't work like that.

──Whoosh!!

Even when I try to increase the heat and shape it into a spinning circle, I keep making mistakes.

At first, I failed to control the heat and created a flame larger than my body. Then, when I tried to make a circle, it turned into an oval. It's been the same ever since.

Today, nothing seems to go right.

"I thought it would be easy since I have talent. It's tougher than I expected."

Because of the talent from「Magical Aptitude」my expectations were high, but my actual skill level was disappointing. Well, you can't be full after the first bite.

Let's think of it as building up from the basics.

With that in mind, I decided to exclude techniques like [Fireball] or [Burst] that require application and focus solely on one spell.

[Flame] 

A spell that creates and controls fire, the most basic of basics.

But while it's the most basic, it's also the most essential in fire magic.

The power and difficulty of fire magic depend on how you control the flame.

Since controlling fire is a common element, [Flame] is an essential spell for all fire magic.

"..."

I closed my eyes and stretched out my right hand.

A small flame flickered on it. Now, I need to grow it to the desired level.

'Make it the size of a person's head, and shape it into a perfect circle...'

Little by little.

I increased the size of the flame and refined its shape.

It felt like opening a gas valve and slowly turning the dial on a stove.

I think I've grown it to the size of a tennis ball. Just as I was about to open my eyes to check.

I accidentally turned the stove dial to the maximum.

───Whoosh!!!

A flame larger than a tennis ball, enough to turn the training room into a sea of fire.

Fortunately, as soon as it touched the wall, it lost momentum and fizzled out.

"...Damn it."

But the flame in my heart didn't go out and burned fiercely.

This is driving me crazy.

If there was no progress at all, it would be one thing. But repeatedly coming close to success only to fail is maddening.

'...Maybe I should call it a day.'

I don't have the luxury to keep struggling with something that's not working.

It's 7:15 AM. I need to start preparing to go to the lab.

But now that I'm about to leave, I feel a bit reluctant.

Since I'm already here, I should test my maximum firepower before I go.

A+ grade mana.

What would happen if I concentrated all this mana into a single flame?

'Maybe it could start a forest fire.'

The high level of mana that the protagonist only reaches in the middle of the novel.

I only know it's high, but I don't have a sense of how much. Hoping it's not disappointing, I condensed my mana, and a skill came to mind.

A skill that resonates mana to amplify it twofold,「Double Helix」.

Using this, I should be able to produce even greater firepower.

Whoosh───!

Without much thought, I twisted my mana into a helical shape.

Two spirals of mana intersected and began to resonate, and the moment I layered the [Flame] spell on top.

"...!!"

I realized something was wrong.

I hastily dispersed the condensed mana in my hand, but it was too late.

The large amount of mana condensed in my hand amplified and summoned a massive flame.

────!!!

A giant flame shot out like a rocket, propelling my body backwards.

The flames spread in all directions, threatening to burn down the training room. Fortunately, as soon as they touched the walls, the defensive magic on the walls extinguished them instantly.

"Haa, haa!"

I gasped for breath after being thrown back and hitting the wall.

Fortunately, there were no major injuries. My body was just startled by the sudden impact.

As I hit the wall, I realized something. My body is much weaker than I thought.

To be pushed back and startled by just this much impact...

I noticed the treadmill and dumbbells in the corner of the training room, but thinking about my physical condition, I shook my head.

「Solar Vein Severance」

[Grade: Legendary ]

[Description: A disease that only appears in legends. The patient's blood and fine veins are filled with excessive yang energy, gradually disrupting the body's balance. It's an incurable disease that cannot be healed by ordinary means and restricts the growth of all physical abilities.]

With this disease, exercise is meaningless for me.

That's what「Solar Vein Severance」is.

If the「Nine Yin Vein Severance」often seen in novels is a disease where cold yin energy fills the blood and fine veins, then「Solar Vein Severance」is a disease where blazing yang energy fills the body.

Because of this, Baek Seung-woo's body gained a handsome appearance and talent for fire attributes, but the severity of「Solar Vein Severance」overshadows those advantages.

Not only will I not live long, but I also can't improve my physical abilities.

It's no wonder my mana and senses are disproportionately higher than my physical abilities.

Moreover, having energy-filled blood and fine veins means that blood doesn't circulate smoothly.

If blood doesn't circulate properly, oxygen becomes insufficient, making strenuous exercise and even difficult actions burdensome.

That's why I'm still gasping for breath.

"Haa, haa... I need to find a solution soon."

I can't keep being held back by my low physical abilities.

Although「Solar Vein Severance」is an incurable disease, it's not entirely without treatment. Someday, an opportunity to cure this disease will come.

Or, I need to become strong enough to unleash powerful attacks without moving, so my low stamina doesn't become a weakness.

I need to do one of the two.

I raised my right hand to the sky.

A weak and pitiful arm.

It's hard enough just taking care of myself.

Flicker! 

A flame rose on my hand.

Compared to earlier, it's small and humble.

But this is undoubtedly my power.

"...If only I can perfectly control this power."

I can survive.

Just as I was having these self-deprecating thoughts.

Something flew swiftly toward my neck.

──Whoosh!

I noticed it, but my reaction was slow.

As expected, my agility is below average for a freshman. Too slow.

Before I could move, a student came into my view.

"Who are you...?"

Thud!

A girl holding a spear pressed it against my throat.

She seemed to be urging me to answer quickly.

No, that's what I want to ask.

What kind of behaviour is this, suddenly attacking me?