Academy's Gumiho is a Magic Genius

Seung-woo had turned the area into a sea of fire.

The red flames that had previously covered the surroundings were nowhere to be seen. They had long been consumed by the purple "Foxfire."

"How is it? It's a skill I've been too scared to use, so I kept putting off training it."

When I first possessed this body, I had four skills:

"Demon Eye," "Foxfire," "Energy Absorption," and "Charm."

I had just used "Demon Eye" for the first time in battle, and "Energy Absorption" required certain conditions to practice, so I hadn't been able to try it yet.

As for "Charm," it felt off, so I avoided using it.

But unlike the three skills above.

"Foxfire" was a skill I had avoided purely out of fear.

My only offensive skill, "Foxfire."

It's a rather abnormal skill.

[Foxfire]

[Rank: A]

[Description: One of the powers of a yokai originating from Eastern legends. The flames of a fox can burn even spiritual concepts like souls, and they are flames that honour the spirits of the dead.]

[However, honouring the spirits of the dead also means harbouring their grudges, so extreme caution is required when using this skill.]

[Ghostly Phosphorus]

[Flames that burn using souls as fuel. Since they are flames imbued with grudges, they do not distinguish between friend and foe and scatter curses in all directions.]

[Ghostly Lantern Flames]

[The fox wields lanterns that illuminate the funerals of the deceased. The lanterns, fueled by souls, split into nine branches and burn.]

Burning with souls as fuel, scattering curses with grudges.

The description is quite eerie, but it gives a rough idea of how powerful "Foxfire" is.

In fact, this is why I borrowed books on curses and sorcery from the library, along with telekinesis-related magic books.

If I could enhance the curses within "Foxfire" or increase their variety, it would become even stronger. But I later realized that was a clear miscalculation.

"...You're insane. Absolutely insane. Is this some kind of S-rank skill?"

"No, it's A-rank."

"I never expected you to have such a trump card..."

The curses were eating away at Yuren's body.

Of course, the same was happening to me.

"Foxfire" is a skill that doesn't move according to my control.

What good is power if it tries to consume its own user?

That's why I wanted to avoid using it as much as possible.

"I'm completely done for. My body won't move."

"Then why don't you just die quietly?"

"But I have a potion prepared for situations like this."

"...Damn it."

Is that coat of his some kind of fourth-dimensional pocket?

He keeps pulling out perfectly timed items.

He uncorked a red vial and chugged it down.

I immediately shot "Foxfire" at him, but he wasn't going to fall for it twice.

Yuren dodged with all his might.

Watching him move so quickly, I thought to myself.

Then I'll have to deal with him unconventionally.

I lit the cursed "Foxfire" again. The flames split into nine branches, following the lantern flames.

Whoosh, the nine branches of flames chased after him.

Meanwhile, Yuren used his "Ten-Mile Eye" to evade through the optimal path.

He's been dodging non-stop since earlier, probably waiting for my mana to run out.

Ha, as if A+ rank mana is something common.

I could keep these lanterns burning all day.

Of course, my frail stamina is a hindrance, but I'll endure it with sheer willpower.

Crack! Boom!

The nine branches of lantern flames tangled wherever Yuren dodged.

The purple flames, capable of breaking through walls or digging into the ground, showcased their destructive power.

They cleverly wove a net, tightening around his neck. Yuren looked up, trying to figure out how to get rid of them.

"Ouch...!"

While he was distracted, the "Foxfire" aimed for his legs.

Realizing he couldn't dodge, Yuren pulled out an item from his pocket.

An item that nullifies status ailments. But it's a one-time use.

Naturally, there's a limit to how many he can use.

'If this keeps up, it'll turn into a battle of stamina...'

He suddenly turned toward the source of the flames.

The nine branches of lantern flames were spreading from around Seung-woo's waist.

Where the tail would be.

The flames looked like nine tails.

It was as if he had become the legendary nine-tailed fox from myths and folktales.

Fighting something like that... It's clearly not going to be an easy battle.

"Close combat seems like it would be a life-or-death situation. I guess I'll have to try to persuade him."

Yuren's gaze turned toward Seung-woo.

Especially toward those purple eyes. The pupils, wide open with the "Demon Eye," showed no emotion.

But to Yuren, a seasoned mercenary, it was clear.

He could see that Seung-woo was gradually tiring. And that he was compensating for his lack of stamina with sheer willpower.

A memory flashed through his mind.

Hadn't Seung-woo just sent him flying with a single punch?

Maybe he could use that to persuade him.

As soon as he made the judgment, he acted. Yuren raised his hand and shouted.

"I surrenderrrrrrrrr!"

He stopped running and stood still.

The eerie flames chasing him stopped.

Instead, they began to circle around him, as if ready to pierce him if he made any sudden moves. Yuren immediately delivered his prepared speech.

"How about you become a demon too?"

"...What?"

The sudden statement made it hard to stay silent.

Become a demon together?

Did that mean he was close to becoming a demon himself?

I racked my brain, but there was far too little information.

Reluctantly, I withdrew the "Foxfire."

Seeing this, Yuren smiled with satisfaction.

He could tell that Seung-woo was intrigued by what he had just said.

"You know about demons, right?"

"Of course. They're creatures who've abandoned their humanity, no, even the slightest bit of human decency."

"Well, that's not wrong..."

Yuren scratched his head, seemingly flustered by the aggressive tone.

This wasn't the atmosphere he was aiming for.

It's not like I'd ever want to become a demon or anything.

"I have no intention of becoming a criminal, nor do I have even the slightest desire to be someone's servant or slave."

"Well, demons are particularly strict about their hierarchy. They're the ones maintaining the five-rank peerage system in the 21st century."

But where there are disadvantages, there are also corresponding advantages.

Yuren took a breath and continued.

"But in return, there are clear benefits."

His right hand folded.

Then he extended his index finger.

"First, you can gain demonic energy. As a mage, you'd be tempted, right?"

Demonic energy is a more potent force than mana.

It also enhances the power and speed of magic.

There's a reason the "demon" in "magic" is written with the character for "devil."

Yuren extended his middle finger.

"Second, if you become a demon, you can escape the influence of that damn system. Ah, maybe that's just a benefit for me."

He shook his head and then extended his ring finger.

"Ahem...!"

Yuren cleared his throat and spoke.

"Third, demonic energy is the most suitable energy for demi-humans. You're of the nine-tailed fox lineage, right?"

His finger pointed toward my tail.

Then he pointed at the fox ears on my head.

"Demi-humans are naturally drawn more to demonic energy than to holy energy. Especially if you're of the nine-tailed fox lineage. If you play your cards right, you could reach an even higher level."

Yuren extended his little finger.

But he didn't say anything, just stood there awkwardly.

Only after my face showed displeasure did he finally speak.

"...Actually, I wanted to list five benefits since I had my fingers out, but I couldn't think of anything after the fourth."

"...You're really pushing it."

What a ridiculous joke.

Even if there were five benefits, there's no way I'd become a demon.

Why would I, after stopping the protagonist's awakening and standing here now?

Listening to Yuren's words was simply to clear up my doubts.

And to catch my breath, if only for a moment.

"Hey, you might change your mind after hearing the fourth benefit."

"Stop talking nonsense. I don't want to waste any more time talking to a lunatic like you."

"If you become a demon, you can heal your body."

"..."

A pool of blood had formed on the ground. It was the blood I had just shed.

Yuren dipped his finger into it and licked it.

A disgustingly unpleasant scene.

While I frowned, he savoured my blood.

He looked at me with a knowing expression.

"Your blood is full of yang energy. You probably have a yin-yang imbalance. That's why you're skilled in fire magic, but over time, you'll suffer from pain and a shortened lifespan."

"...So, what's your point?"

"Your yin-yang imbalance can be cured if you become a demon. Well, more accurately, it'll be as if it never existed."

If you become a demon, the system abandons you.

The system only grants the blessing of a status window to humans.

This ties into the second benefit Yuren mentioned.

"If the status window disappears, the 'Status Ailments' section will be gone too. Then you can fully showcase your skills."@@novelbin@@

His gaze turned to my right arm.

The arm that had been destroyed after just one strike against Yuren.

Just one technique, and it had exploded from the inside.

Yuren dug into that.

"In this line of work, you see a lot of things. You were quite a skilled martial artist, weren't you?"

"..."

"Well, it seems like you've switched to being a mage now. But if you can send me flying with one hit, you must've trained hard."

He wasn't wrong.

Before I possessed this world, I was a martial artist.

Cold steel is more familiar to me than mystical magic.

Without confirming or denying it, Yuren made another proposal.

"If you become a demon, you can change that frail constitution of yours. And I came here to become a demon in the first place."

"...What?"

"If I successfully complete this mission, I'll be rewarded by becoming a demon. There's no limit to the number of rewards. If I talk it over, I can help you become a demon too."

I fell deep into thought at Yuren's words.

If I became a demon, as he said, there would be benefits that outweighed the disadvantages.

Most importantly, I was intrigued by the idea of curing my "Yin-Yang Imbalance."

So that's another way to heal it.

But that was all.

The thought of becoming a demon didn't cross my mind.

In fact, I felt deep disgust toward Yuren for even suggesting it.

Demons are always ugly.

They are evils that should disappear, worse than filth.

Creatures with no redeeming qualities, inferior even to wild beasts.

"Now, what will you do? If you take my hand, you definitely won't regret it..."

"...Get lost."

"Huh?"

I raised my middle finger.

A clear expression of refusal.

"Get lost. Can't you see this?"

"..."

"Ha, I thought you were making some grand proposal. I just wasted my time."

I could feel his gaze on me.

His proposal, which he thought was so great, had turned out to be a waste of time.

It was a statement that struck at Yuren's Achilles' heel, who had been carrying out missions to become a demon.

As Yuren radiated intense killing intent.

I realized something from our conversation.

'Demi-humans are drawn more to demonic energy than holy energy. That's true.'

If you trace the roots of demi-humans, you'll find races like vampires and elves.

They are beings fundamentally different from humans.

Their very composition is closer to that of demons.

So, does that mean I'm also immersed in demonic energy?

That's disgusting.

I've spent my life killing those entangled in demonic energy.

That's why I couldn't die and had to keep living.

For someone like me, urging me to become a demon is akin to a declaration of war.

I fell deep into thought at his words.

I closed my eyes, blocking my vision.

I observed myself.

It was a catalyst.

A kind of training to objectively observe and understand myself once more.

The continued doubts shattered my own existential composition, only to rise again. Like an empty cup being filled.

[Your training has reached a new level!]

[Through Nine Transformations and Nine Returns, the moonlight rises twice and falls twice.]

Crackle!

Something split apart, and my skin tore.

Like shedding a layer, my skin fell away. Then new flesh grew.

The process repeated once more.

The regenerated skin split again.

Soon, the missing flesh quickly filled in.

Thus, having transformed twice and returned twice, this is the "Two Transformations and Two Returns."

[Shedding the first layer.]

[Creating the second tail!]

Foxes are a race born under the moon's yin energy.

They undergo nine transformations and nine returns, imprinting the moon's attributes onto their bodies, becoming more complete beings.

I am now walking that path.

[Evolution complete.]

[You have become a Two-Tailed Fox!]

Two black tails swayed like shadows.

At the same time, nine branches of lantern flames ignited.

Seven of them branched out like tails near my waist, while two were held in my hands. It felt like I had become the legendary nine-tailed fox.

Now, I felt like it was possible.

I reached out with the sensation that I could do it.

The two flames in my hands crossed.

The flames spiralled in a double helix, amplifying as they crossed. Soon, they took shape, forming a long spear.

"..."

I was in perfect control of the double helix.

That fact brought a slight sense of relief.

Whether this was temporary or permanent, I didn't know.

Whoosh!

I swung the spear following the movements my body remembered.

At that moment, blood vessels burst into the air.

The blood evaporated in the heat of the atmosphere.

"...I've been thinking about it. You definitely need to die here."

I don't want to die.

But he's trying to kill me.

Then I'll just kill him before he kills me.

Why hadn't I realized such a simple truth?

Whoosh!

A spear technique that cut through the sea of fire.

The unexpected, intense strike shattered Yuren's form.

***

Hmm, Yuren's forehead furrowed.

Persuasion hadn't worked, and now the only option was a life-or-death battle. But the opponent had started to metamorphose like a pupa mid-fight.

'No, that's closer to shedding skin than metamorphosis.'

I've heard that some demi-human races evolve like that.

Of course, it's just hearsay. Unless it's thousands of years ago, there aren't even 1,000 demi-humans in the modern era.

Even Yuren, with decades of mercenary experience, had never witnessed a demi-human's evolution before.

The skin split.

As the fair, beautiful skin split, new skin filled the gaps.

The process repeated once more.

As the skin split, waste was naturally expelled.

Outwardly, it looked clean, but in reality, it seemed to be suffering from extreme fatigue. The shed skin turned black.

Whoosh, the fallen skin was consumed by the cursed flames.

The same happened to the other waste. Strangely, the flames only burned the waste.

Yuren observed this carefully. He swung the sword in his left hand, testing the waters.

'Can I stab him now...?'

It was hard to predict what Seung-woo would do during his evolution.

For a normal creature, this would be the perfect time to strike.

But with the blood of a nine-tailed fox, it was impossible to be sure. If I made a wrong move, I could become the target of those purple flames.

He enjoyed life-or-death battles.

But he couldn't die yet. He still had things to do for his daughter.

He had staked his life, but he had no intention of losing.

Yuren opened his eyes and raised his gun. The barrel pointed at Seung-woo's heart.

I'll shoot first and think later.

Click!

He finished reloading and placed his finger on the trigger.

Right at that moment. The "Ten-Mile Eye" sent a warning.

"...!"

He glimpsed a future where all his limbs were severed, or his head was blown off. Most of the futures he saw were like that.

Yuren chose the future with the least damage.

He dodged to the left. It saved his life, but not his right arm. The gun fell to the ground.

More accurately, the hand holding the gun fell.

Whoosh!

The rapidly moving foxfire severed his right arm.

There was no bleeding. The wound had been burned the moment it was cut.

"Haha..."

Yuren let out a hollow laugh as he looked at his now-empty right arm.

In his 24 years as a mercenary, had he ever suffered such a devastating injury?

He searched through his memories of horrific nightmares, but there was no precedent.

There were few who could inflict meaningful damage on Yuren with the "Ten-Mile Eye." Let alone being so helplessly overpowered.

It was hard to believe that this was the future with the least damage.

"Now it's your turn to taste the blade."

It was clear that his eyes were different now.

Now I understood.

The opponent didn't have the ability to glimpse the future like I did.

Instead, he had something else.

The "Ten-Mile Eye" allows one to glimpse the future and make choices, but the opponent's experience allows for instantaneous judgment.

Naturally, the former should have the advantage, yet his experience surpassed Yuren's eyes.

What kind of life had he lived?

Yuren was deeply curious but held his tongue.

"It's going to be hard to keep glimpsing the future and moving."

He didn't consider retreating.

Even without using the "Ten-Mile Eye," he knew there was no way out.

The only options left were to die or kill.

Extremely drastic, but it suited Yuren's taste.

A thrilling sensation ran up his spine, reaching his brain.

"Come at me, fox monster. I'll skin you and make a coat and scarf for my daughter."

Yuren took an aggressive stance.

He had made up his mind.

For my life. And for my daughter's safety.

I will definitely kill him here.

***

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