Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 92

Academy Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Episode 92

Academy Gumiho is a Magic Genius 92

First Practical Assessment (2)

A desolate atmosphere filled the barracks.

Amidst the palpable tension of impending war, young boys and girls sat around a book.

More precisely, they surrounded a worn-out, tattered notebook that had been opened too many times.

“So, why exactly did you call me here again?”

Seungwoo couldn’t fathom why he had to be here, novels or not. They had retreated from the Eastern Front, pushed back by the demonic forces.

In the process, tens of thousands were killed and hundreds of thousands were injured.

Even for a military state with a national population serving as soldiers, it was the worst possible situation, one that couldn’t help but lament the damage.

They had even lost key areas with strategic weaponry.

All they could do was pray that the highly intelligent, high-ranking demons wouldn’t activate the weapons. The silence and desolation surrounding the barracks,

and the tension of war, were due to the anxiety and unease about that.

“Is this to get you checked again?”

“……Aren’t you tired of this yet? You had me do it last month too.”

“Nope, not tired.”

“Even if you’re not tired, I hope you’ll fulfill your role responsibly in this situation.”

A stiff tone, like an old man.

Despite his handsome looks, his manner of speaking was extremely soldier-like. Kindness was a meaningless poison on the battlefield.

It was a natural attitude, if anything.

“……I can only spare you 10 minutes, no more.”

“I don’t expect more than that. I just asked for a favor to take a breather.”

“So, what’s it about this time?”

“It’s about Nam Hwayeon, the one I mentioned before. It’s something to add as a side note, and I need your advice on that part.”

Insignificant content.

A conversation that he couldn’t even remember now.

What he had said, what he had heard.

He couldn’t remember even a speck of it, but the reason he still recalled the current situation was.

Immediately after.

The chaotic scene caused by a suicide bombing demon’s aerial assault, the stench of blood and the spectacle of human remains scattered everywhere.

A shocking sight that he couldn’t help but be etched in his mind, even if he wanted to forget it.

……This battlefield was new every day.

And that feeling of newness.

Was probably due to the soldiers dying every day, and the new recruits enlisting over and over again. Soldiers filling the empty spots as soon as they died.

He found it disgusting to see the positions being filled without a gap.

Good grief, he wondered when this damn war would ever end.

And, even if everything did end.

He wondered if he could live with his sanity intact.

* * *

Before he knew it, about a week had passed since his training with Seo Yerin.

Even after the time to teach the other children after lunch was over. Her lessons were not yet finished.

Moreover, tomorrow was the long-awaited day of the martial arts performance evaluation.

She and he had to finish all the preparations by today.

“Is it easy to wield the spear with your will?”

“……How does it look to you, teacher?”

“Not at all.”

“……You know it well.”

He had been splitting and dividing his remaining time to invest in Seo Yerin.

Precious time that could have been spent reading six magic books.

However, compared to the investment, the results were terrible.

The investment had failed.

“……Teacher, I, I have a question.”

“What is it? Tell me.”

She raised her hand and asked a question, so he put his impressions aside for a moment and nodded, telling her to speak.

Then, Yerin voiced what she was curious about.

It wasn’t a difficult question.

“According to the curriculum you originally planned…… when would you have taught this if you were only teaching us after school with the other kids?”

“Will. Are you talking about will power?”

“……Yes.”

“I wasn’t planning on teaching it.”

“……Pardon?”

Why so surprised?

Will power is not a field that can be entered with determination alone.

More precisely, it is not a field that should be entered in that way.

Wielding something with will to strike means that you must always have the mindset of hurting and killing someone in your heart.

With a half-hearted mindset and determination.

It is a realm that should not even be looked at.

That is will power.

“Your speed of learning my lessons and teachings is fast. But even at that speed, it would take at least a year to handle will power. So I didn’t even think about teaching it.”

“……So, does that mean I’m lacking……?”

“Well, you could say that.”

“I see.”

At his answer, Seo Yerin lowered her head and raised her spear.

Her eyes were now full of fighting spirit.

He could feel her strong will to quickly master will power no matter what. Well, if a student is this passionate.

He, as a teacher, couldn’t just stand by.

“Charge at me as usual today. But instead─.”

As he rolled up his sleeves and approached.

He could see Seo Yerin’s flustered expression.

Well, it is a bit strange to tell her to charge with a spear with these thin arms and legs. But even with this body, he can easily handle one of you right now.

“─From here on out, it’s practical.”

“Yes……?”

“Didn’t you hear me? Then I’ll tell you again and again.”

Because he doesn’t have to use his hands.

He took a stance.

At the same time as he took a stance, flames filled the ceiling of the training hall.

「Pyrokinesis」

The flames placed in the air became a tangible, thin flame with telekinesis, embroidering a spear.

“I don’t move. Only the spear moves with telekinesis.”

Wielding the spear without touching it.

This is not a skill like controlling swords with one’s mind. It’s just moving the flame spear here and there with telekinesis.

Mysteries and principles can be unfolded if one sets their mind to it, but it won’t be easy.

Perhaps the only thing he can unfold in this state right now is a Form.

“Charge. Come on, break this spear.”

A spear style that is neither swordsmanship nor spear technique.

You just have to break through the spear style unfolded with the flame spear.

With your talent, you can definitely break it.

The problem is time.

‘At least a month or two. I hope it doesn’t drag on until summer vacation.’

Kaga Gaga Gang─!!

He thought as he watched Seo Yerin exchanging blows with the flame spear hanging in the air.

He hoped it wouldn’t take too long.

By the time this act is over, you will definitely be stronger than you are now, but he hoped you would realize that this is just the beginning.

He sincerely hoped so.

* * *

As expected, Seo Yerin was struggling against the flame spear that unfolded the set spear style. Although her movements and methods of breaking through were improving as time passed.

As expected, the performance evaluation was approaching before she could break the spear.

Since all 1,991 first-year students were taking the exam on the same day, there were no other lectures today. Is that why everyone doesn’t have lectures?

Professors and teaching assistants from other subjects also came to observe.

He was also among them.

“Wow, the teaching assistant looks really handsome today too.”

“Is it because he’s among the other teaching assistants? He feels even more radiant today.”

“Hey, that sounds like you’re saying they’re being compared. You’ll get on the bad side of the other teaching assistants if you say that?”

“If I had to get on someone’s bad side, I’d want it to be Teaching Assistant Baek Seungwoo…….”

Today, he was once again attracting attention for his beautiful appearance, putting his personality aside.

At first, he was flustered, but after hearing it repeatedly, he didn’t feel anything anymore.

So he walked around with a blank expression, but his tail seemed to be delighted with the attention.

Wagging~ Wagging~

It was shaking diligently from side to side, providing proper fan service.

Of course, he couldn’t see it this time either because his tail was behind his back.

“……I want to touch it just once.”

“You too? Me too.”

“I like this kind of thing.”

He didn’t know what the students were saying, so he roughly responded by waving his hand.

It wasn’t easy to say anything because there were dozens of teaching assistants and all 1,991 first-year students gathered in this place right now.

He should just wave his hand.

“That…… he’s waving at me, right?”

“Bullshit. He’s doing it for me.”

“Wow, seriously, those slender fingers and tail are so hot.”

“Hey, you’re a guy. Why are you blushing? Just kidding……?”

Anyway, he can attract attention just by waving his hand.

To avoid attracting any more attention, he’ll seal his mouth.

That was his intention.

“That’s the teaching assistant I saw with Professor Nam Hwayeon back then. Did he come to see his students?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

Professor Namgoong Seongjin suddenly approached him and spoke.

Just as he was about to leave the uncomfortable atmosphere.

The wooden log in his hand caught his eye.

That’s the tree they use for the exam.

Let’s see, it’s not an apple tree or a birch tree.

The tree has many growth rings and feels sacred……?

Wait a minute, the log feels sacred?

This guy isn’t using a common log for the performance evaluation.

‘He’s going to use a sacred tree?!’

Sacred Tree.

A sacred tree symbolizing Korea.

A type of world tree that connects heaven and earth.

It even appears in mythology and is the most precious and expensive tree within the realm that humans can obtain.

Probably that size would cost hundreds of millions of won [Korean currency, approximately hundreds of thousands of US dollars]?

He looked at Namgoong Seongjin in disbelief at the ridiculous waste of money.

“Aha, that look. You knew what kind of tree this is?”

“……Why is a sacred tree here?”

Sacred trees are expensive.

Even if he bought them cheaply and got them for 100 million won each.

Assuming that all 1,991 first-year students break one each, that means he spent 199.1 billion won [approximately 166 million USD] on just one performance evaluation.

He looked at him with a look that said, ‘Does that make sense?’ and Namgoong Seongjin laughed heartily.

“Ahahaha! Yes, you’re surprised. It looks like a sacred tree and has a similar history, but it’s not actually a sacred tree.”

“If it’s not a sacred tree……?”

“It’s a subspecies. It’s a tree that was raised separately from a tree that had offspring on a sacred tree. However, it also contains the sacredness of the sacred tree. To put it simply, it’s like a Half-World tree?”

“!!”

He was speechless.

Well, if it’s a half-sacred tree, it’s several times cheaper than the original, so it’s affordable.

However, half-sacred trees are miscellaneous trees that have nested in sacred trees that soar high into the sky like parasitic plants.

These miscellaneous trees, which are not sacred trees but have faintly absorbed their nutrients, have unique properties.

That is, they easily respond to will.

They cannot be cut or processed in the usual way.

Only will is the only axe that can cut down a half-sacred tree.

“By the way, everyone has a good spirit. This year’s generation is worthy of being called the golden generation.”

“……Golden generation.”

“Ah, Teaching Assistant Baek Seungwoo didn’t know? This year’s first-year students have a particularly high level of skill.”

“I know. Three people came from the Gucheon family.”

“Yes, Leonhardt and Sirius. And I think there was one more family…….”

“You forgot the Iris family from Greece.”

“Ah, that’s right. The Iris family from Greece. The child from that family hasn’t shown any particular talent yet, so I forgot about it.”

“I wonder.”

How long will you be able to say that?

Perhaps today, the child from the Iris family will be deeply engraved in Namgoong Seongjin’s eyes. Not only that, but also in the eyes of all the students and professors.

He will spread the name and family far and wide.

No, in the first place, wouldn’t Namgoong Seongjin already know?

‘That guy was probably…… a setting obsessed with raising his level.’

I know that he has been growing rapidly since he was a child, but he gave up his comfortable position as the successor of the Namgoong family and joined the Seven Stars Order because he was blocked by the huge wall called Hwagyung.

The reason is somewhat absurd.

Was it to raise his level by using the process of teaching students and their growth as nourishment?

Probably that’s it.

Even if he’s wrong, it’ll be for a similar reason.

You can tell by looking at those eyes.

Various students took the exam, and soon it was Kyle’s turn.

As he approached, Namgoong Seongjin couldn’t hide his excitement and anticipation in his eyes.

Sparkling, very bright.

How excited is he?

‘Well, he’s so confident, I’m curious even if I don’t expect much.’

He also looked at the main character, following Namgoong Seongjin’s gaze.

The main character with determined eyes.

Where can you find the ‘idiot’ in that appearance?

‘Did I choose the wrong title?’

In the beginning, he was an idiot, but he quickly became a genius through mental growth, and maybe he just left out the process and adopted only the first part as the title.

Look at the dignity in that gait and posture.

Kyle’s appearance, walking comfortably as if this kind of exam was nothing, made the professors and teaching assistants guess that he had something to believe in.

Look at that boldness.

How bold is he that even the students waiting for their turn are staring at his hand, losing their composure.

“A wooden sword……?”

“He’s crazy, he’s crazy.”

“It looks like he’s planning to lay the groundwork for the bottom. Thanks, Kyle!”

What he was holding was a wooden sword,

A simple wooden sword with no edge.

Kyle, who brought a wooden sword that was really carved out of wood, wondering where he put the iron sword that was given out for the exam.

It’s not a wooden sword made of a special tree like a magic-infused tree, a world tree, or Yggdrasil [a mythical tree in Norse cosmology]. Judging by the color, it might be oak.

He brought such a wooden sword to the performance evaluation.

He brought it to the first practical evaluation.

While all the students and teaching assistants thought he was crazy.

Only four pairs of eyes were looking at Kyle with interest.

“Teacher! Teacher! That sword doesn’t look ordinary!”

“There’s…… no device or measure in the sword……. It’s purely his skill. That’s, that’s right, teacher……?”

“Oh, his spirit is extraordinary. Teaching Assistant Baek Seungwoo, what do you think of student number 97?”

“Why is everyone asking me? And why are you doing this again, Professor Namgoong Seongjin?”

There was Seo Yerin, Seong Yenhwa, Professor Namgoong Seongjin in order.

And me.

“Huh? Is it strange for a professor to ask a teaching assistant?”

“I’m not a teaching assistant under your command.”

“Ah, that’s right. His posture and spirit are so good that I often forget about the kids below me.”

He confuses martial artists and magicians.

Is that something a martial arts professor should say?

I’m grateful that he sees me, who is physically broken, as a martial artist, but that’s all in the past.

This person seems sharp at first glance, but he’s surprisingly clumsy.

And.

“Why are you guys here again?”

“I came to see it for a while!”

“Me too…… I followed Yenhwa.”

“Don’t you guys have exams to take?”

It’s your turn soon too.

You’ll see it in two hours.

……At that point, you can come to see it.

Trying to take the performance evaluation of all the first-year students in one day, the waiting time is no joke.

He patted the seat next to him, telling them to sit down quickly.

Then, they sat down like flowers on either side of him.

“Wow, I’m jealous…….”

“Who? The one in the middle, or the ones on the sides?”

“Of course it’s the kids next to you! Why are you asking something so obvious?”

Or was he the flower?

It wasn’t a very important fact, so he passed it over without much thought.

However, the tail, as if it had a separate ego, danced when it heard the compliment.

The female teaching assistants and some male teaching assistants sitting behind him continued to praise the scene, and he, who couldn’t see what was happening at all, suddenly realized that his tail muscles were tingling.

Why does his tail hurt so much?

He brushed it diligently with a brush today.

Maybe the lotion he bought for hair care before doesn’t suit him.

“The teaching assistant is cheering quite enthusiastically. I should follow his example.”

“Professor, what are you talking about out of the blue?”

“Are you not aware of it? Ah, it’s nothing. I’m just surprised that he’s cheering for such a student.”

He doesn’t know what Namgoong Seongjin wants to say.

However, one thing is certain.

He’s been making me laugh since a while ago.

He doesn’t know why he keeps looking down on Kyle.

He clearly saw with his own eyes that Professor Namgoong Seongjin took Kyle under his wing in the last group selection. He doesn’t know if Namgoong Seongjin takes the main character as his disciple in the original work.

Anyway, he didn’t know that Namgoong Seongjin, who was crazy about martial arts, especially swordsmanship, was growing up as a master and disciple.

‘Maybe he wants to test my judgment.’

He doesn’t have to do that, but he keeps saying strange things, so he keeps paying attention to him.

That’s because.

Swish───!

A long, drawn-out sword.

He cut the subspecies of the sacred tree with a dull wooden sword without any preparation or response.

He didn’t put magic power on the sword.

The strength of swinging the sword was only at the level of an adult athlete.

There’s nothing special about it.

Thud!

The log that was cut in half fell to the ground.

It was faintly visible that Kyle’s will, his will power, was contained in the wooden sword to cut it down in one stroke.

Will Power Manifestation.

The boy, who can put his heart into his weapon and wield it beyond the formidable power of magic power, has successfully completed the exam.

It was truly a main character-like, neat and clean performance.

“Excellent. The examinee is not even 100 yet, but we already have a grade 1.”

“!!!”

The thirtieth examinee of the performance evaluation.

Kyle Iris.

Grade 1 confirmed.