Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 156

The Grace of a Teacher Is Easily Forgotten (1)

The giant serpent didn’t need to cry out.

There was no need to announce its position.

Nor was there any reason to threaten anyone.

It was only natural, in a way.

‘So, this is the ultimate form of a monstrous being that an individual can face.’

3rd Class is the absolute limit for a human to handle alone.

Of course, in my case, I had the ability to deal with things stronger than that.

But that was all thanks to the uniqueness of ‘me’ as a human.

For ordinary humans, no matter how much they trained, it was nearly impossible to capture a monster above the 3rd Class alone.

“We have no choice but to lure it.”

“Teacher, what about defeating it?”

“It’s a whopping 3rd Class. 3rd Class. The lower the class number, the more disproportionately the level gap increases.”

Maybe the kids could combine their strength to fight a 5th Class.

If they were willing to risk serious injuries, they might even be able to fight and win against a 4th Class.

But not a 3rd Class.

‘Three has always been a number that signifies entering an important realm.’

Starting with lining up from first to third place.

The Trinity.

The one and only, the last number to decorate the finale, and so on.

In this world where superstition is believed and mystery is rampant, the significance of 3 is quite high.

“There’s only one reason why a monster is given a danger level of 3rd Class.”

“What is it?”

This was content taught to 3rd graders, whose dungeon practice was the main part of their semester.

It wasn’t knowledge to be taught to rookies yet.

But now was not the time to worry about teaching advanced material.

The students needed to know exactly what situation they were facing.

“The beginning of the high classes, from 5th Class onwards, they gain the power to stimulate fear called ‘Fear.’ 4th Class undergoes one metamorphosis, surpassing their limits.”

And above that.

3rd Class.

“Undergoes a transformation.”

“Transformation? Are you talking about the kind of transformation I know?!”

“No, it’s probably a different word from what you know.”

Transformation (變態) [In this context, referring to a significant metamorphosis or change].

A metamorphosis.

Transcending the defined standards as a creature, becoming a completely different life form from the existing one. Only monsters that have gone through that stage have proven their qualification to settle in the 3rd Class.

The black vapor emanating from that massive physique.

Fshooooo!!!

Proves a different level of existence from ordinary monsters.

“You guys should get out of the inner world and escape.”

“What about you, Teacher? What about the kids?”

Even after the situation has come to this point, are they still trying to take care of the kids who are already dead?

I looked back at the students who hadn’t lost their innocence yet.

There was still life in their eyes.

A completely different appearance from me.

Right, is it because they have eyes like that that they can become heroes who can save the world from its predetermined end?

So different from me, who has borne so many sacrifices.

So this is.

“I’ll take care of it. I’ll follow after fulfilling the promise.”

The work that I, who have already been pushed to the bottom, have to do.

In fact, even if I safely return the children to the village.

How long can a homeless child without parents survive in the northern cold that chills to the bone?

……That’s not an area I can interfere with.

“Go quickly.”

I hurriedly urged the students to go outside the underground with the children.

There was no answer.

Multiple footsteps at the same time replaced the answer.

Now, I, who have to succeed in my role as bait, looked up at the sky.

A gaping underground ceiling.

Above it, the sky containing the vast stars and the universe.

And the black-scaled sea serpent.

To think that a monster I had already killed once is targeting me again.

Good grief, why is my life so chaotic?

It’s a truly difficult life.

* * *

It wasn’t difficult to focus the serpent’s gaze on me.

The sea serpent with extremely developed hearing.

For a creature living in the dark depths of the sea, sight only needed to be developed enough to sense heat. Rather, Jormungandr needed the ability to eavesdrop on the ultrasonic waves emitted by other animals or monsters living in the sea to secure food.

But since I had already announced my position with hearing.

「Pyrokinesis」

If I had just a lump of fiercely burning flames, it wouldn’t take its eyes off me. Of course, in return.

Thump─────!!!

A giant tail was swung towards the underground.

It didn’t do anything else, but.

The giant tail destroyed the underground in one fell swoop with just one swing.

Destructive power of unbelievable mass.

If I hadn’t been careful and used telekinesis to keep the flame a little further away, there was a high probability that I would have been within range of that tail.

“……It’s not usually this hard to deal with this guy.”

In the past, I would have been able to peel off hundreds of scales with one slash.

I would have relentlessly dug into the gaps in the torn scales, gradually killing it in a way that dried up its blood.

Or I would have been prepared for the recoil and tried to split it in half.

But now, what I held in my hand wasn’t a sword, but magic.

Now that the effect of 「Conditional Sword Saint」 had ended.

I couldn’t overexert my body more than necessary.

‘Should I use the citizens outside instead?’

I wouldn’t have even considered it originally.

I don’t have the time or reason to consider even the dead.

My burden is saving people.

Not protecting the dead.

─Young Master is a bad man.

‘I don’t have the luxury to take care of the dead… at least, I don’t.’

From the beginning, the precepts and laws were structured that way.

It was a natural reaction.

And Tamamo felt sorry for that fact.

─A bad man, I wish it were that simple.

The fox with her eyes closed thought to herself.

She knew that her contractor was suffering from mental problems.

And that there was a terrible past behind those problems.

─There are so many intricately intertwined stories that I need to ask about one by one. Because of that damn eel…… No, I should call it a reptile.

─Are you saying that for me to hear?

─Oh my, the eel I was talking about was that sea dragon. Maybe…… Heh, did I hit a nerve?

The two were arguing again.

I didn’t care about their conversation.

More accurately, I didn’t have the time to say anything about their conversation.

The tail was lashing out.

The tail attack that continued to destroy the underground made my mind dizzy. I was barely dodging by constantly obstructing its vision with flames.

Even this was starting to become difficult due to the limits of my stamina.

─Can you answer my question in the midst of your busyness, Contractor?

“……Why did you call me?”

─That sea dragon in the form of a serpent. You spoke as if you remembered it, so do you also know its weaknesses?

“……Yeah.”

As the situation wasn’t good, Tamamo spoke to me.

She asked me about its weaknesses.

Clearly, Jormungandr was a monster that occupied a space in my memory.

But.

─You know? That’s great, then you should quickly find a way to exploit that weakness…….

“I don’t. I don’t know.”

─……Are you serious?

“Before I could figure out its weaknesses, I killed it by bisecting it with a sword. There was no time or need to know its weaknesses.”

I don’t know any weaknesses.

All I know is its combat abilities.

“All I know is that if it takes a certain level of damage, it sheds its skin and nullifies the injuries. It replenishes its stamina and magic by devouring itself. And its powerful venom and a stomach that swallows anything without chewing.”

Listing each ability, they are merely the maximized abilities of a serpent. But it’s not for nothing that it’s called a sea dragon.

It’s not because it lives in the sea.

Nor is it because it’s strong in the sea.

All that is unnecessary.

It received the name 「Jormungandr」, the origin of the sea dragon myth, because its pure size is overwhelming enough against humanity.

As if to prove this.

Thump.

Something huge was approaching.

It was already too late when I realized the source of that sound.

“……Ah.”

The filthy reptile brought its huge body closer to me.

At the same time as witnessing that fact, a giant tail flew fiercely towards me. A length and mass that were on a different level from before.

Above all, the fact that it was being swung with powerful magic gave me a great shock.

I can’t dodge this.

It’s impossible to block.

Even Teacher’s sacred 「Sign of the Cross」 contained in the earring can’t handle this level of mass.

I immediately stepped through space.

「Shun…

Space and space folded like paper.

I wriggled through the folded gap, traversing space with strides.

The mystical footwork was about to guide my body above the underground, at that very moment.

…po」

Bang!!!!!!

The tail struck the floor at a perfect moment.

No, it’s not the tail.

‘It’s using its head……!!’

The giant serpent’s maw was aimed at me.

It was the serpent’s head that crashed into the floor, destroying the underground.

The fact that it moved its body closer and swung its tail with magic was a bait from the beginning.

The footwork I stepped on halfway was only half successful.

My body was heading towards the ground, but it couldn’t overcome the massive force that was destroying the underground, and my body floated into the air.

At the very moment Jormungandr was about to spit venom at me.

At that exact point, my vision and mind blurred for a moment.

─────!!!

A ringing in my ears.

Having lost consciousness for a moment, I hurriedly got up from my spot.

My head was dizzy, and blood was obscuring my vision because I was hit in the head by a flying piece of rock.

But to survive, what couldn’t I do in any situation?

With the single thought of keeping my promise, I forcibly suppressed the blood boiling inside me and looked around.

The surrounding scenery was ruined, but I could tell that this was where the mansion was located from the remains of the building.

But somehow, the terrain felt a little lower.

It wasn’t just my imagination.

“……The remains of the mansion and the hill. All of that was instantly sunken by the attack just now?”

It’s not that I came up to the ground.

The ground collapsed, making the distinction between the ground and the underground meaningless.

……Good grief, nothing is more ridiculous than this.

‘Now, the key is no longer to escape.’

Judging from the speed at which its head moved just now.

It’s too fast for me, let alone the students, to escape.

Then, I have no choice but to hunt it.

At this moment, I decided to use every means at my disposal. That was the only way to survive from this world.

Whoosh.

Purple flames hung in the air.

[Skill, 「Foxfire」, burns with the souls wandering around as fuel.]

[Using 「Foxfire」 as a medium, summons 「Dawn Spear」 stored in the ‘Subspace Ring.’]

I reached out to the purple flames.

Then, I grabbed a red spear that burned fiercely, which had a very different texture from the cold iron spear.

「Dawn Spear」

Rank: S

Description: It is a holy spear made with the Fire-tipped Spear (火尖鎗) [Huojian Qiang, a mythical Chinese spear] as a motif. It burns the wicked and has the power to bloom the dawn in the twilight. However, it has been swung around so much that the spear is dyed bright red, and its original holiness has been degraded. Continuous exorcism is required to restore it to its previous state, and if left unattended, it may easily become a demonic spear.

*Twilight Manifestation (現化) [Genka, manifestation]:

Wherever it is, it can manifest like the fading twilight if there is a suitable medium. It is also possible to return the spear that has manifested like twilight to its original location.

*Ephemeral Flame

Contains the flames of the rising horizon in the spear. The flames drive away the evil spirits and bring a bright dawn. The power to drive away evil spirits has weakened due to the grudges and resentments dwelling in the spear.

“I think this is better than 「Baekseon Sword」.”

It’s 1 point cheaper than 「Baekseon Sword」.

But cheaper isn’t always bad.

In the first place, 1 point isn’t that big of a price difference.

Clang.

I grabbed the spear in reverse and threw it violently.

The lack of strength was compensated for by the enhancement magic engraved on the gauntlet.

Although the reckless enhancement strained my wrist, the clear red spear, burning red, drew a graceful curve and continued its throwing.

Like a meteor, the 「Dawn Spear」 flew with a tail of flames.

The spear, which was thrown at the cost of my wrist, accurately pierced one of Jormungandr’s scales.

And.

That was all.

It didn’t cause burns to the skin under the scales.

Nor did it scream.

Watching that, my pants gradually filled with water.

The wet pants gradually soaked the floor.

─Hey, Contractor…….

“I know. I didn’t pee my pants, so be quiet.”

Ha ha.

As I laughed weakly, I heard a voice calling me.

I neatly ignored that sound and stared blankly at my abdomen.

……Ah.

“A rock is embedded in me.”

The moment Jormungandr slammed its head into the floor.

Due to the completely collapsed boundary between the ground and the underground, numerous fragments scattered in all directions.

As a result of breaking through a miraculous probability.

It was properly embedded in my abdomen.

No wonder my body felt a little stiff when I got up, and my body felt hot.

Thanks to that, my pants were very wet.

─Young Master, are you okay……?

“……Hey, don’t ever misunderstand.”

This is blood.

I definitely didn’t pee blood.

Because there was a high possibility of misunderstanding due to the location of the bloodstain, I made such a joke and laughed.

No one laughed along with me.

That’s because the color was gradually disappearing from my face, which was actually laughing.