The Academy Regressor is Obsessed

The taste of magicians’ blood varies depending on what branch of magic they have mastered. To ordinary people, it all tastes the same – just fishy. But vampires could clearly discern the differences.

The blood of a fire mage tastes spicy, while that of an ice mage tastes cool. Those who use destruction magic have a tingling taste, and while unique magic users all have different tastes, they all share a sweetness.

Among these, the most preferred mage’s blood is undoubtedly that of magicians who have mastered unique branch magic. Because various flavors flow in between the intense sweetness, it’s generally liked by everyone without preference. However, due to low supply, it’s traded at very high prices, and even with money, it’s hard to obtain. It’s such a rare resource that even nobles might only taste it once in ten years, if at all.

That ecstatic blood taste swirled on Elena’s tongue.

“…It’s delicious.”

Elena had just come of age by vampire standards. She had only tasted the blood of a unique branch magician once or twice in her life, and even then, she couldn’t drink much as it was something the prince treasured. But she remembered how good that blood tasted.

However, the taste of Asel’s blood far surpassed that level. Not only had he mastered unique branch magic, but he also used many branches of magic. It was natural that the various magical powers blended in his blood would produce a better taste than other mages.

Of course, Elena didn’t know these background details, but such things weren’t particularly important to her. What mattered was that the taste of Asel’s blood was extraordinarily good beyond imagination, and that just a few drops had filled her with magical power.

“More… I want to eat more…”

With an ecstatic expression, she licked the drop of blood formed on the tip of Asel’s finger. Asel withdrew his hand in shock at that slippery and hot sensation.

“…What are you doing?”
“Ah, ah. My blood bag…”
“Who’s a blood bag?”

Asel looked at Elena with drooping corners of his mouth, roughly treated the wound, and stood up. Elena also got up, smacking her lips. Even though there should be hardly any blood left, seeing her constantly opening and closing her lips, it seemed she liked it quite a bit.

‘I hope I won’t get pounced on later.’

Beasts that have tasted human blood tend to crave human flesh. Asel felt that her eyes looking at him seemed somewhat ominous for some reason, and opened his mouth.

“Now it’s your turn. Use any blood art.”
“……”
“Answer.”
“Ah, ah! Alright! I’ll show you!”

Elena, who had been blankly staring at Asel’s face, seemed to come to her senses and said urgently as she bit her finger slightly to make a wound.

A small wound. From that wound, which should have ended with just a slight bleeding, blood flowed out like a waterfall and formed a round sphere next to Elena. When Elena put her will into that sphere, it began to change into an elongated spear shape.

[Blood Flow Molding]
[Blood Spear]

The created spear was grasped in Elena’s hand. Elena immediately gripped the spear in reverse and threw it beyond the undergrowth.

[Blood Flow Acceleration]
[Body Enhancement]

The explosively flowing blood increases her physical abilities. Throwing a spear drawn out like magic with a warrior’s body. There was a sound of not just cutting but tearing through the wind, and a huge impact sound rang out from beyond the undergrowth. Asel concentrated magical power in his vision to confirm what she had hit.

It was a golem. The lower half of a golem that had been stealthily crawling towards them was thoroughly shattered and rolling on the ground.

After confirming that sight, Elena stretched out her hand to retrieve the thrown spear. The blood-colored long spear settled smoothly into her grasp.

She shook off the stone powder on the spear and looked at Asel with a triumphant expression.

“How about that, how about that? Isn’t it amazing?”
“…It is amazing indeed.”

Asel frankly acknowledged it. Honestly, it was amazing.

He knew that blood arts were a completely different power from magic. The power they handle as a race was closer to a supernatural ability. A miracle that can freely control blood under one’s dominion and arbitrarily twist its form and properties. That’s why they are not bound by things like magical power or aura.

The techniques Elena just used were the same. Drawing out the spear was similar to magic, and enhancing the body was similar to aura. The race’s unique ability was a blessing that allowed the use of all these different powers.

‘Blood magic would be closer to blood flow molding.’

He had never seen their magic directly. However, since blood flow molding was the power closest to magic among blood arts, he could guess that it would be related to that. Asel recalled the blood flow molding Elena had shown and established a magic formula in his mind.

“Hehe, I am pretty amazing!”

The moment Elena said this while looking at Asel who was lost in thought, someone appeared from across the river.

It was a girl with impressively long blonde hair and pink eyes. She had a huge double-bladed axe on her back, and blood stains on her robe were dripping down. In her right hand was a wild boar with its head cut off.

It was an eerie sight. Asel caught her neat aura and turned his gaze. The girl, seeming to have felt that gaze, briefly looked towards Asel before turning to Elena and speaking.

“Elena. So you were here.”
“Ah, Ellen!”

Elena waved her hand with a welcoming voice. The girl called Ellen nodded, concentrated aura in her legs, and leaped. In an instant, she crossed the river and stood between Asel and Elena.

“I got food. Just need to light a fire.”
“I’ve already eaten!”
“…? Weren’t we supposed to eat together?”
“Were we?”

Elena tilted her head. Ellen also tilted her head.

“Then I’ll eat this alone. More importantly… who is that man?”

Ellen said, pointing at Asel. Her gaze was not much different from before, but the emotion contained in it was. Slight wariness and hostility. Asel burst into laughter feeling those blatant emotions.

He opened his mouth, looking at Elena.

“You had a companion?”
“Yes. We met yesterday and decided to move together. This is Ellen!”
“…What’s your name?”

Ellen asked. Asel answered obediently.

“Asel.”
“You have no weapons. Not a martial artist… a mage?”
“A magician.”
“A valuable talent.”

Ellen muttered, looking Asel up and down as if appraising him.

“An aura so well-contained it’s difficult to gauge the exact level. Seems to be a high-level magician. Do you have companions?”
“No. This exam is sufficient alone.”
“That’s true, but it shouldn’t be easy enough for a magician to pass alone. Are you perhaps a summoning branch mage?”

Asel shook his head. He stretched out his palm towards a golem that was poking its head out from the undergrowth.

[Lightning Net]

Crackle!!

A net made of lightning is fired at high speed towards the golem. The golem, instantly covered by the net, struggles, but as soon as the output of the net is increased, it immediately turns to ashes and disappears. Asel fished out the core left lonely among the scattering ashes with a magic thread and put it into his backpack.

“I’m a mage who uses this kind of magic.”
“…Lightning. So you were the disciple of Revelation that they said would participate.”
“Has the rumor spread?”
“Some know. Not all.”
“Hmm…”

To think rumors had spread even before entering the Academy. It was unexpected. But it’s not a bad thing. There’s nothing to lose by being known. It didn’t seem like something to worry about much.

“Let me make a proposal.”

Ellen spoke towards Asel, who was unraveling his magic thread.

“How about moving together?”
“…You mean accompany each other?”
“The magic you just showed. There’s nothing to refuse if you’re a mage strong enough to deal with a golem in one hit. Currently, we’ve obtained 15 cores. I’ll hand over some of these, so let’s cooperate during the exam.”

15 cores. It was quite a lot. But Asel didn’t feel much merit in her proposal. There was no particular reason to cooperate.

“Alright. I’ll cooperate.”

But Asel accepted her proposal.

If it were just about cores or passing the exam, it’s true that there was no need to accept her proposal. But Asel was greatly interested not only in Elena’s blood arts but also in the aura Ellen handled. He wanted to see how they actually manipulated and handled mana.

He had seen Paul and Sevia’s aura last night, but it ended so quickly. It was regrettable that there wasn’t a chance to observe in detail, so there was no reason to refuse now that such an opportunity had come. Originally, he had planned to accompany Elena during the exam to observe blood arts as per their agreement, so there was nothing bad about Ellen being added to that.

“Thank you. Let’s distribute right away.”

Ellen immediately took out 5 cores from her pocket and handed them to Asel. Asel didn’t particularly refuse and took them, putting them into his backpack. Shouldering the backpack that now felt quite heavy, Asel nodded towards the undergrowth and said:

“Let’s go right away. There are golems gathered over there.”
“Did you use detection magic?”
“That’s right.”
“When?”
“When I pointed.”

An unbelievable answer. Ellen momentarily doubted if Asel was lying, but she let out a hollow laugh when she detected the presence of golems with her expanded senses.

“…Amazing. Is it magic that can be used just like that, without any magic formulas or anything?”
“Instead of being surprised, how about we go quickly?”

Asel asked, turning his head. Ellen pointed to the wild boar lying on the ground and answered:

“We need to eat first.”
“…Ah.”

As if he had just realized, Asel uttered shortly and scratched his cheek.