Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 103

Academy Gumiho is a Magical Genius – Episode 103

Otherworld (3)

Amidst teachings focused more on survival than skill, a week flew by relentlessly.

During that time, I ran around day and night.

By day, I taught survival skills to the students, and by night, I visited Gu Yaja’s smithy to check on the progress of the equipment and grease his palms [bribe him] with money.

Late into the night, I learned spells and studied magical texts, accumulating knowledge.

Finally, all preparations were complete.

“Did you pack everything?”

─Do you realize you’ve been saying that over and over? You’ve packed weapons and equipment in the ring, and you sent the students a list of supplies last night.

“I can’t help but worry.”

This scenario is different from the previous ones.

It’s not just the lives of a few students at stake.

I estimate at least millions.

Depending on the situation, it could be an episode with tens of millions of casualties. Failure is not an option under any circumstances.

‘I must deal with that egg somehow.’

The focus of this scenario is an egg of some creature.

Only by dealing with that egg can we eliminate the predetermined damage.

As if to affirm my thoughts.

Ding.

A newly updated quest appeared.

[Main Quest: The Egg of the Apocalypse]

[Description: A future apocalypse is predetermined. At its center is an egg that spawns the end. In the Otherworld shrouded in eternal winter, find the egg and twist the predetermined apocalypse and massacre.]

[Clear Conditions: 1. Destroy the ‘Egg of the Apocalypse,’ 2. Achieve more than 51% capture of Temil Village.]

[Success Reward: Rank 3 Top-Grade Magic Stone, Trace of the Apocalypse, +20 Points (P)]

[Failure Penalty: Minimum 30,185,076 deaths in 5 years]

A shorter description than usual, and even simpler content.

“Ha… they’re openly intimidating me now.”

The success reward isn’t much.

But the price for failure is abnormally high.

I don’t know who sent this quest, but I need to study alchemy first.

The balance between success and failure should be an equivalent exchange, like in alchemy.

This is too much.

─What’s the quest about? Is it like a dungeon?

“Think of it as a mission. As you can see, it’s a mission I have no choice but to take.”

─Hmm~ I think I get the gist. But if you refuse or fail, will that many people really die?

What does she want to ask now?

I looked at her, who seemed to have a question, and said.

“So, what do you want to say?”

─Well, I’m already a dead spirit, so I’ll just watch from afar while eating fried tofu… no, I’ll pray for your success as much as possible, but doesn’t something seem off?

“You mean the number of expected deaths is too specific and unrealistic?”

─That too, but why do you seem to be following the words written there without a single doubt?

“……!”

Tamamoe’s question struck a nerve.

Yes, from her perspective, it’s a valid question.

What credibility is there in just a few lines written in the system and quest that she should trust it? If I fail, tens of millions of people will die.

It was a number that ordinary people would ignore or question, but I accepted it calmly in front of her.

Without any doubt.

As if I already knew.

‘……This is a checkmate.’

I have no excuse to give her.

For a moment, cornered, I thought.

If I lied, my relationship with Tamamo would become distant, and if I told the truth, I had no idea what the Gumiho [nine-tailed fox spirit], who would question my existence, would do with her magic.

Even if I mixed a spoonful of ambiguity into the truth, she would easily find the lie in my words.

─Oh my, isn’t that look in your eyes a bit too passionate for me? I’m so embarrassed, what should I do?

Tamamo laughed it off nonchalantly.

It seems she intends to ask about this later or find out on her own.

Seriously, what’s with this strange ghost sticking to me?

‘I can’t let my guard down in front of her.’

I’ve never relaxed before, but I need to steel my resolve.

And in that sense, there’s nothing like new clothes.

─It’s still early morning, and there’s still time before the exam… are you going to wear it already?

“Well, I’m just checking it out.”

I took out a wooden box placed in a corner of the room.

The wooden box, which was larger and heavier than expected, was made by intricately carving luxurious wood, showcasing the excellent craftsmanship of the artisan.

Clunk.

Opening the wooden box revealed several sets of clothes neatly arranged inside, forming a single set.

The first thing that caught my eye was a simple design suit.

It wasn’t much different from the white shirt and black pants I was currently wearing.

But the lining told a different story.

The lining was filled with blue dye and seals carved with my blood.

“Fortunately, the enchantment was properly applied.”

Enchantment. A type of minor magic system that imbues objects with magic or special effects. How much did I suffer going back and forth to Gu Yaja’s smithy every night for these?

Seeing the finished product like this, I felt a new sense of emotion.

─That’s an amazing fabric. It seems to have high magic resistance, and at the same time, the spells I taught you are almost perfectly engraved.

“That’s the characteristic of equipment made with ‘Arachne’s Silk’.”

─I roughly understand. You’re using the silk’s magic resistance to maximize the efficiency of the spells engraved on the fabric, right? It must have been difficult due to the repulsion. Hehe… it must have been a real struggle.

“Yes, ‘Arachne’s Silk’ is difficult to enchant due to its unique magic resistance. You didn’t experience it because you were just watching, but thanks to that, I suffered for a week.”

Hammering, sewing.

Gu Yaja, who ran around here and there, suffered, but I also did a lot of work engraving magic and spells on all the fabrics and weapons.

I sometimes fainted, but as long as the items turned out well, that’s all that mattered.

I took out the suit with anticipation and examined it.

「Arachne’s Black Ceremony Suit」

Rank: S

Description: A suit made by the artisan, Gu Yaja, by tailoring ‘Arachne’s Silk.’ The top and bottom are a set, and Gu Yaja added the tough hide of a dark lion, which even a knife can’t properly penetrate, creating a suit with convenience and durability on a different level from ordinary suits.

And the lining of the suit is engraved with magic and spells that Baek Seung-woo divided and engraved on the top and bottom.

*My Own Small and Precious Treasure

Defends against a fatal attack once, no matter where it hits. Based on the common anecdote of a necklace, coin, ring, or dictionary in the chest saving a life from a bullet, it is a new formula born by combining the magic of the progenitor’s spells, especially those related to defense and protection. The formula is recharged once a day.

*Pure White Clothes and Fresh Blood

A function that activates with the ‘Title: Successor of the Vampire’ and other skills related to ‘Race: Vampire.’ Washes away impurities on the pure white shirt during the ‘Blood Absorption’ process. At the same time, it washes away impurities in the blood, so the user only absorbs pure fresh blood, not murky blood.

“!!!”

I couldn’t help but be shocked when I saw the suit.

No matter how much it’s a suit made of ‘Arachne’s Silk,’ it’s clothing, not armor.

Even if it’s a suit, there are clear limitations.

It’s bound to be weak in terms of durability or defense.

The significance of expensive ‘Arachne’s Silk’ lies more in its extravagance due to its rarity than its unique magic resistance.

From the beginning, it wasn’t a material intended for combat, so I didn’t have high expectations.

In fact, I mainly wanted to get a decent piece of equipment and supply good materials to Gu Yaja to maintain an ideal relationship.

But Gu Yaja maximized the defensive functions I had engraved on the lining to compensate for these shortcomings.

It wouldn’t even be scratched by most attacks, and the power to block even a fatal blow once was truly a masterpiece.

It was a moment when I once again felt deeply about Gu Yaja’s skill.

─Don’t just stand there and watch, shouldn’t you try it on to see if it fits?

“…I suppose so.”

As Tamamo said, I took off the clothes I was wearing.

There wasn’t much difference in design between the clothes I was taking off and the clothes I was about to put on.

But the moment I put it on, I could tell that the fit was different from the start.

Not only did it fit my body perfectly.

Compared to a typical suit, it was much lighter to move in.

A very excellent piece.

It was hard to believe that this was just a part of the several pieces of equipment in the wooden box.

─Why don’t you try on the clothes underneath it?

Under the suit was a large coat.

The long coat, which came down to below the knees when worn, was generally a simple black color, but that simplicity exuded a unique sense of luxury.

And as a special feature, there was some kind of animal fur around the neck.

「Arachne’s Night Devouring Coat」

Rank: S+

Description: A coat made by the artisan, Gu Yaja, by tailoring ‘Arachne’s Silk.’ Inspired by solar and lunar eclipses, it has the property of obscuring light, and the fur on the neck is made of Hwagwangsu’s fur, giving it resistance to heat and flame.

*Permeating New Moon

Just as the sun hides behind the moon, it wraps itself in darkness to hide itself. Conversely, by giving up hiding and using darkness, it can also be manipulated. What is hidden in the darkness is limited to appearance, sound, and heat, but it is detected by mana detection. The more you use it, the more the magic engraved on the lining of the coat becomes familiar with the user’s mana circuit, reducing mana consumption.

*Surging Flame

The ability of the 7th Rank monster, Hwagwangsu, has been altered by the progenitor’s magic. The fur of the Hwagwangsu, which does not burn in fire and turns pure white even when dirty if put in fire, turns black like a shadow surging in the flames, and the more it burns, the more it turns black, dyeing the surroundings with lacquer.

A very luxurious-looking coat.

I immediately put on the coat, and Tamamo, who watched the scene, blushed and said.

─W-Well, it suits you.

A short but intense word.

She, who had been teasing me all along, stuttered.

I wondered if it suited me that well, so I checked through the mirror, and it was understandable.

The clothes hanger [me] is excellent, but the clothes are just as excellent.

I took out the remaining works from the wooden box with a happy heart.

His work didn’t end with these two.

How much money did I feed him? It would be disappointing if it ended with just this.

I took off the gloves I was wearing and put on new gloves.

The simple-looking black gloves felt more like moving bare hands than adding leather or cloth.

[You have equipped ‘Arachne’s Black Hand Gloves’.]

[The flameproof and poisonproof magic engraved on the gloves is activated.]

The magic to prevent the gloves from melting or burning when implementing fire magic with hands or coming into contact with poison was activated, emitting a blue light inside the gloves.

I immediately took out the next work from the wooden box.

It was a protective gear to protect the body, especially the joints such as the wrists, elbows, and shoulders.

It was closer to the form of an elastic black cloth than armor.

[You have equipped ‘Arachne’s Magic Armor’.]

[The strengthening and elasticity spells engraved on the armor are activated.]

The moment I put it on over my shirt, I realized.

This armor was so elastic that it could easily deflect most swords.

Even if you put magic power into it, the armor assists the role of bones and muscles, strengthening your strength.

The three armors connected to the wrist, elbow, and shoulder minimize the physical burden caused by muscle strengthening, appropriately distribute damage, and minimize pain.

Due to the characteristics of my weak body, I cannot completely eliminate pain and damage, but if I can reduce it to a minimum, there is no other armor like this.

「You have equipped Arachne’s Magic Leg Dress.」

[The blink magic and acceleration spell engraved on the dress are activated.]

Next are the shoes.

It felt quite unique when I wore them.

In many ways, it felt like it was between dress shoes and sneakers.

The exterior has the form of dress shoes befitting the name, but the fit and functionality were closer to sneakers.

Even if I ran for a long time wearing them, my feet wouldn’t hurt.

Well, in my case, my stamina would reach its limit before my feet hurt.

“Is this all that has magic and spells engraved on it?”

After putting on the shoes, all that remained in the wooden box were a pair of layered belts and a black tie.

Those were accessories made by adding leather to the remaining Arachne’s Silk.

They had magic resistance and a simple style, but they didn’t have any special abilities.

Then, I could have spent a lot of money to wear other artifacts instead of the belt and tie, but the reason I wore these was.

[You have equipped the ‘Arachne’s Magic Equipment’ set.]

[As a set effect, the power and efficiency of all mysteries built into the equipment are upgraded by one level!]

It was to enjoy this set effect.

Equipment with set effects that even artisans with quite a name find difficult to make is important for the resonance and combination between the equipment.

A masterpiece that is difficult to create with ordinary work.

They are usually equipment between A+ and S+ on average, but if they receive the set effect, they may be comparable to anecdotes or secret stories.

─By the way, the belt is quite unique. Is the fact that two are crossed because of the style?

The appearance of two belts crossed in a layered manner.

It may be a rather unfamiliar design to Tamamo, but it was a very familiar shape to me.

“It’s a device to hang a sword on each side of the waist. It reminded me of the old days, so I ordered it just in case.”

I can’t even dream of holding a sword now, but until 5 years ago, I used to wear a belt like this every day.

And there was a sword in this corner of the room.

A sword that is currently hanging on the wall.

Above it, a curse in the shape of a small snake coiled and glared at me.

[The vengeful spirit, ‘Yamata no Orochi’ [an eight-headed serpent from Japanese mythology], is glaring at you.]