Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 243

Academy Gumiho is a Magical Genius – Episode 243

Leonhardt (3)

All sorts of things were mixed in this small space.

Seung-woo Baek and I, who had become different entities as our paths diverged.

And the Nine-tailed Fox with red eyes, watching us intently from within the mental world that was losing its original color and turning black.

Too many things were in this narrow space.

“It’s going to explode at this rate.”

Originally, the mental world is a unique space for each individual.

One that no one can invade.

Solely one’s own world.

However, in that mental world, there were two of me, even though we were the same person, whose paths had diverged at some point. This alone puts a considerable burden on the mental world.

It was only possible to have this conversation because we shared the same roots.

I never imagined there would be one more in this space.

…No.

“It wasn’t one person, but one beast, right.”

“Don’t provoke him like that. You’ll get hurt.”

“Don’t worry. My skills haven’t deteriorated to the point where I’d be defeated by such a beast. Besides, that guy is just staring at us. He can’t interfere.”

Kuooh──!

In the pitch-black space, we couldn’t even see each other’s faces.

We couldn’t see the Nine-tailed Fox’s tail, the outline of its face, or its sharp teeth.

All that was visible was the glow of its eyes, shining like red blood.

That glow emanated eerily, maximizing its presence and imposing power.

Thud!

My knee hit the floor.

Before I knew it, I was kneeling.

An intangible force forcibly bent my knee. The force seemed unsatisfied with just making me kneel and gradually accelerated its power.

Crack!

The bones around my leg shattered.

At the same time, I felt something flowing down.

It was a sensation I had experienced a long time ago.

It’s been a while.

The elasticity of my leg disappeared.

As the bones shattered, the muscles and flesh were also damaged.

“Impressive.”

It immediately blocked my means of movement and sealed my actions.

Excellent judgment and choice.

To accurately break only my leg in this situation.

Truly impressive. More impressive than the demons I’ve fought outside so far.

Even if they had calm personalities, the demons were fundamentally arrogant, perhaps due to their racial traits.

That arrogance led to misjudgment in their choices. If you want to capture or kill someone, you should break their legs first, like this monster.

Why fight fair?

In that sense, this Nine-tailed Fox is truly…

I can’t help but admire it.

“Truly amazing. To think of breaking my leg instead of my head and immediately attempt it. I really want to let the guys outside know.”

But.

Press.

Slowly. Very slowly, I wiggled my toes.

Kuoong!

With the sound of something falling, the intangible energy that was pressing down on me disappeared without a trace. Well, it was intangible in the first place, so there wouldn’t be any traces.

What could the owner of that energy do when they were in that state?

Kuooh──!!!

A scream-like howl.

A power that demons of the 5th Circle or higher can learn. A power superior to Fear, which stimulates the opponent’s fear, shook my mind.

However, that shaking was gentler than a lullaby rocking a baby.

“It seems he knows his mental strength is lacking.”

If you fight in the mental world.

Well, fighting in the mental world is something that shouldn’t happen in a lifetime in the first place. In this case, the power or authority you can exert varies depending on your mental strength.

The mind is affected by the body.

This is why old people who have lived for at least 100 years whine like little kids when they experience a rebirth. However, mental strength trained to the limit is free from the influence of the body.

No matter how short your life may be.

You will never waver.

It’s like how kids these days often use the expression ‘unyielding spirit.’ You may break, but you won’t be defeated.

‘In the face of such an indomitable spirit, the fox’s cry is cuter than the whining of old men in the back room.’

At least those old men would throw a punch if they didn’t like something.

In this mental world, he can’t even put up a proper resistance against me.

That’s why, at least to me, the old men were much scarier than the black-furred Nine-tailed Fox who was proficient in mysteries.

…Of course, I made those old men’s graves too. Is that why I’m having these unnecessary thoughts?

Kuguguung──!!

The mental world shook violently, like a collapsing tiled house. No matter how unyielding your spirit is, it will break if you shake it this much.

“Don’t think about anything! It’s shaking even more violently than when that guy was rampaging earlier. It feels like it’s about to collapse!”

“Ah, sorry.”

As soon as I stopped thinking, the mental world became calm again.

In this place, mental strength is the most important thing.

I decided to deal with him later and decided to see him off first. This was the first order of business.

‘Baek Seung-woo’s body was turning transparent. It looked like it would break if I touched it. No, it might actually break.

“To think you’ve already subdued him. The original is different after all.”

“That remark just now. It sounds like you think of yourself as a fake?”

“Of course. I have memories of living as a prosecutor, but I’ve never thought of it as my real life while living here.”

The two shared the same roots, but the results were different.

And in the first place.

“I only inherited your memories that Eve copied. I’m not you at all. No, whether I was the real you or not doesn’t matter.”

I decided not to care about self-identity.

With death now reaching his throat, ‘Baek Seung-woo’ continued speaking with a calm expression. His face showed a resignation to death.

“In the past, the curse was naturally released from my body because of that Nine-tailed Fox in this mental world.”

“Is that why you cut off relationships with other people?”

“Yes. I tormented the servants to appear like a scoundrel to my younger sister and older sister. I compensated them with money, but it must have been a difficult time for them. The annulment with Isabel… her family head spoke to me first.”

“That grandmother?”

“Yes, she seemed to have lost interest in the weakened authority of the family head after my parents passed away. She offered me a huge compensation to break off the engagement with her granddaughter.”

‘Baek Seung-woo’ reveals his backstory.

The day these facts reach the ears of those involved will not come.

I even feel a sense of loneliness at that fact.

Only I am listening to his last words.

This place is a funeral without people. Although ‘Baek Seung-woo’ took these measures to prevent his loved ones from being cursed, he committed too many misdeeds.

The curse was an unintended and unwanted event for ‘Baek Seung-woo’.

Even if he compensated them, tormenting others and being called a scoundrel nationwide was solely the result of his choices.

Based on that result.

Only I attended this funeral.

“Maybe if this wasn’t the mental world, a few people might have come.”

Perhaps his younger sister.

His older sister might have come.

But in the first place, it was a relationship that he had severed first.

“…….”

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“…Actually, I have a little more, but I don’t have the time or energy to say more.”

His body is becoming more and more transparent.

Now, only a faint outline remains, like a soap bubble flying in the wind. No, it might actually disappear.

“Do you have any regrets?”

“I’m human, so of course I do.”

It’s not just a little.

It’s overflowing.

“I want to improve my relationship with my younger sister and older sister again. I want to go to my parents’ grave to pay my respects. I want to set fire to the beards of those damn elders. Finally, I want to say goodbye to Isabel. I want to offer a sincere apology, not just money, to the people I’ve tormented. Even just counting the things that come to mind right now, it’s about this much.”

“You’re full of regrets.”

“Isn’t it a lot for a dying man’s regrets?”

Not at all.

“If you combine all your regrets into one, it ultimately boils down to regret. It’s not that much. It’s rather neat.”

“That’s a relief. By the way, I’ve left the words I couldn’t finish telling you separately due to time constraints. It’s in the form of my diary. It’s in this mental world, so look for it later.”

“Okay, I understand.”

He had many regrets.

I didn’t say that I would resolve those regrets.

I didn’t rashly say that I would live happily in your place or make your loved ones smile.

I didn’t have the capacity to do so.

I didn’t deserve it either.

I was just quietly watching the soul of ‘Baek Seung-woo’ disappear.

Thus, the unexpected encounter disappeared silently like soap bubbles scattering in the sky. There is no feeling of sadness.

My tear ducts are dry to feel sadness at the death of others, and my relationship with him was a short meeting that lasted less than an hour.

Still, it was quite a dense meeting and farewell.

And once again.

The time has come for me to part with someone.

Krrr──!!

As if sensing his turn from the bottom.

The Nine-tailed Fox let out a low growl.

* * *

A void was created in the mental world.

The true head of the Cheonho Baekga [Thousand-Fox Baek Family]. The leader who leads the pure white foxes has disappeared.

As much as that, a gap was created in the mental world.

A giant skyscraper rising through that gap.

Various buildings rose up around the skyscraper that seemed to pierce the sky.

Many buildings were created, such as a large traditional Korean house, a tall clock tower, a narrow barracks, and an apartment that looked like ruins.

It is different from the pure white space or the dark space from before.

Most of the buildings were tall.

What they symbolize are Baek Seung-woo’s memories. The skyscraper that soared as grand and majestic as if it would pierce the sky was his spirit.

But that skyscraper.

Crack.

It was collapsing little by little.

Powder was falling little by little from above, and occasionally large stones also fell.

The proportion of powder and stones in the entire skyscraper is ridiculously small, but the problem is that it continues to fall.

That skyscraper is no longer promising.

It will only continue to collapse.

There is no need to reinforce it. Baek Seung-woo’s spirit has already been broken.

He is forcibly holding on to it, but the building that will eventually collapse will collapse.

The traditional Korean house collapsed due to the fallen stone.

His memories were trampled on.

Nevertheless, there were still many memories left.

The skyscraper was still standing.

At least until he dies.

He will be with it.

He will collapse together when he dies, and he will die together when it collapses.

This is why Baek Seung-woo is searching for a burial site suitable for his end.

Before his spirit completely collapses.

He will put an end to this hellish life.

He has lived with that one thought until now.

Is that why?

“I’m jealous…”

Baek Seung-woo said he was jealous as he watched his soul disappear into light. His end was not magnificent, but it had its own beginning, development, turn, and conclusion.

He was so envious.

I also want to face such an end.

I was repeating that thought several times in my mind.

In his heart, he felt envy for the death of others, but it is not that he is particularly insensitive to death. In the first place, Baek Seung-woo was the one who built the tombs of countless corpses with his bare hands.

Baek Seung-woo suppressed his envious heart and mourned for the departed.

Although he had wanted to die all his life.

‘Baek Seung-woo’, who shared the same face and roots as him, still seemed to have regrets about life.

So I will pray for him.

“…There is nothing better than the head of a beast to honor someone’s spirit.”

It’s the same logic as putting a pig’s head on the table [a traditional Korean ritual offering].

But there are no pigs here.

Instead, be satisfied with a fox.

It’s a rare black-furred fox in this world, and it’s a nine-tailed fox, so it’s quite luxurious.

Just wait a little.

“I’ll cut your throat soon.”

I have to eat Nine-tailed Fox Yukgaejang [spicy beef soup with vegetables] before I go.