I stepped forward and headed toward the empty lot.
It should have been a grassy field, but since I burned everything down, it turned into an empty lot. The smell of smoke still lingers.
Crack, crack!
I stretched my stiff shoulders and fingers as I entered the scene.
"What a mess."
Perhaps because only two days have passed. The corpses of magical beasts were scattered everywhere.
There were several that could be sold for money, but no one dared to think of selling them.
Of course, since these were the beasts that drove the academy students to their deaths, it's understandable.
They aren't meant to be sold but will be thoroughly dissected and then burned to ashes.
"If you're going to cremate them, give them to me."
I understand why they aren't selling them.
But among the fallen beasts, 10% were taken down by me. I'd like to use them for my experiments.
Recently, after devouring various magic books, I've felt my magical depth and worldview expand. Didn't I handle flames like they were my own limbs during the fight with Yuren?
Now, I'm starting to feel the urge to experiment and test my magic.
'Should I suggest it to the chairman later?'
The probability is low, but there's a possibility.
After all, I'm the one who minimized the potential damage that could have grown even larger. I'm even the one who killed the main culprit before things escalated.
At this point, shouldn't I be rewarded with the corpses of these beasts?
If they don't give them to me, they're just being stingy.
Rustle!
Using a medical pole as a walking stick, I noticed that caution tape was plastered everywhere.
The assistants moving busily proved that they were controlling the scene and clearing the debris. It seems they were all dragged here from the magic society.
They look quite tired.
"Um, this area is dangerous, so only authorized personnel are allowed to enter..."
"I'm the one who made this mess, you know?"
"Huh? What?"
An assistant tried to stop me from ignoring the no-entry rule, but I confidently walked past them. The new assistant, who had no real authority, just stared blankly at my back as I entered.
Once I crossed the caution tape, the full extent of the chaos came into view. It seems I really went all out.
"...Everything's burned."
The once lush green field was now pitch black.
The plants, burned beyond recovery, couldn't even be used as fertilizer. If a forest fire were to spread like this, there'd be no way to restore it.
By the way, where's that guy's body?
I'm sure I killed him around here.
"Uh, this area is off-limits..."
"Ah, don't worry about me. I'm fine."
"But the orders from above..."
"By the way, where's the body? It couldn't have been sent out of the scene already, right?"
The man blocking me made a puzzled expression.
Well, it's only natural to find it strange that a man in a hospital gown, with multiple IVs attached to a pole, would enter the crime scene.
Reluctantly, I pulled out my ID from my pocket and shoved it in the man's face.
The ID used within the academy had my face and identity written on it.
"Ah, so you're..."
"I'm involved, so it's fine if I enter, right?"
"But according to regulations, only designated personnel..."
"I've already seen the body. If there's any problem, I'll take responsibility, so let me in."
At my confident words, the man reluctantly stepped aside.
Life really is about being bold.
As I entered the restricted area, the smell of blood and ash hit me strongly. It must have been a day or two since the incident.
The foul stench was still the same as that day.
They say smell triggers memories.
That's exactly right. In my case, it wasn't a memory, but the brawl from that day felt vivid.
My right finger bones, still not fully healed, ached.
I rubbed my right hand with my left and lowered my head.
What lay there was a gruesome corpse. Not much different from how the beasts had torn apart the students.
It hits me again.
I really fought fiercely, didn't I?
"I never thought I'd see such horrifying corpses one after another in my lifetime."
"But isn't this better? It's not an innocent student but a despicable criminal who died horribly."
"His arms were torn off, his heart and brain were pierced. His eyeballs were gouged out, leaving no trace. And you call this better?"
"...Yeah, it's horrifying as hell."
"Ugh, I feel sick. They say this was done by an assistant who stayed at the academy. Who on earth could have done this to the body?"
Who else? The person standing right behind you.
There were several people around Yuren's corpse.
Judging by their attire and demeanour, they weren't curious onlookers but experts. Experts related to corpses.
It seems they're trying to identify Yuren and piece together the events based on his body.
From what I can see, it's impossible unless they use some high-level magic.
The corpse is too severely damaged.
Well, it's my doing, but the body was torn apart, and I burned various parts with [Foxfire], cooking not just the skin but even the blood.
Most importantly, one part is completely missing.
The eyes—eyeballs hold a vast amount of information.
Depending on a mage's ability, they can even recreate the last moments of a corpse by extracting information from the eyeballs.
And those crucial eyes are now with me.
[Demon Eye]
[Grade: A]
[Description: One of the powers derived from Eastern legends. Using it allows the user to see things that were previously invisible, establishing a new perspective. It is said that ancient, forgotten races used this to accumulate spiritual wisdom. An additional skill has been added through Energy Drain.]
[Spirit Eye]
[Allows the observation of mana flow and spiritual concepts.]
[Gap Detection]
[Enhances vision, allowing the user to see the "gaps" in objects or targets that are normally invisible.]
[Future Sight]
[Glimpses into the future. The further the future seen, the greater the mana consumption.]
Somehow, an additional ability has been added.
Yuren's most troublesome ability, [Ten-Mile Eyes].
His ability to glimpse into the near future has been integrated into my skill.
This is good.
Having diverse abilities means I can employ various combat strategies. But it seems there are more restrictions compared to the original.
'Mana consumption, huh…'
In a way, it's natural, and maybe even a good thing.
After all, I possess a high-grade mana of A+.
'I wonder how much it'll consume?'
Curious, I activated it.
My red eyes turned amethyst, showing me a new world.
And beyond that was Nam Hwa-yeon.
'Why are you here? Oh, right. Do you happen to know where this guy's eyes are? I've figured out his identity and purpose, but I want to know the mastermind behind this.'
It was about 40 seconds into the future.
The cost was significant.
"Ugh, ugh... This is driving me crazy."
A whopping 30%.
30% of my total mana and that's based on A+ grade. It's an absurd amount of mana consumption. It's equivalent to using [Foxfire] continuously for an hour.
How on earth did Yuren use such a mana-inefficient ability?
Did he have that much mana? No, that's not it.
The answer came easily.
He had it as a trait, while I have it as a skill.
A trait is a kind of talent or constitution.
It's fundamentally different from a skill that requires mana to use.
I guess I'll have to seal this ability for now.
The mana consumption is a problem, but the strain on my body is even greater. Drawing out mana from my blood accelerated my blood flow, putting a strain on my heart.
While I was thinking this, Nam Hwa-yeon approached from afar.
I already knew from peeking into the future. She came to find out about the mastermind behind this incident.
With her magic, uncovering someone's identity and the details of an incident would be a piece of cake.
"Oh, why are you here? Shouldn't you still be confined to your bed?"
"I have an IV, but I can't just not go to the bathroom. Though I haven't eaten anything."
"Well, it's good timing. There's something I wanted to ask you."
"About that guy's eyeballs?"
"Yeah, how did you know? Did someone around here tell you?"
How? I saw it in the future.
Of course, I couldn't say that, so I told a half-truth.
Naturally, I didn't go into detail about what ability I gained.
"So, you absorbed it unknowingly due to an energy drain skill?"
"Yes, will it cause any issues in the investigation?"
"Hard to say. Cases like this are rare, and since you're the one who burned this guy, it's a bit ambiguous."
Nam Hwa-yeon created a chair out of thin air and rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
After pondering, she spoke.
"Can you show me the skill details? The energy drain skill."
"Can you show that to others?"
"I should be the one asking that. How did you not know that at your age?"
I had no idea the status window had such a feature.
Following Nam Hwa-yeon's instructions, I manipulated the status window, and the skill details appeared before her eyes.
[Energy Absorption]
[Grade: A]
[Description: One of the powers derived from Eastern legends. Many foxes bewitched humans to drain their spiritual energy. Spiritual energy is akin to the soul, so manipulating it means two things: guiding the soul to a proper funeral or exploiting it as an energy source. It's entirely up to your choice.]
[Soul Exploitation]
[Spiritual energy is the soul, and absorbing it is no different from exploitation. The caster can exploit their own soul or others to fill their spiritual rank or steal skills. It can also store firewood needed for [Foxfire], adding it as needed.]
[Mana Drain]
[Steals mana from the target upon contact. The output can be adjusted based on the caster's will.]
An A-grade skill like [Foxfire] and [Demon Eye].
Nam Hwa-yeon's reaction after reading the skill was unexpected.
"This is really good."
"...Is it?"
"Yeah, many energy drain skills come with side effects. But this one has no side effects, only advantages."
I didn't know that before.
Now that I see it, it's definitely a useful skill.
Have I been sitting on such a treasure?
I felt my own inadequacy.
While I was lost in thought, Nam Hwa-yeon took out a report, saying the matter with the eyes was settled. With a flick of her finger, a fountain pen filled the paper densely.
Her telekinesis is always awe-inspiring.
She's on a completely different level from me.
That thought suddenly crossed my mind.
If Nam Hwa-yeon had been there if I had somehow managed to hold her back—
Would everything have been different?
No matter how much I thought about it, no answer came.
What caught my eye then was my frail arm and the medical pole. My body, now a wreck.
Did I really try to save the students and kill the villain with this weak body?
I let out a hollow laugh, feeling my own weakness acutely.
This won't do. I need stronger power, the power to replace the protagonist.
I approached Nam Hwa-yeon, who was writing the report.
Standing before her, I opened my mouth.
"Ah, Professor, can I ask you for a favour?"
At that, Nam Hwa-yeon stopped.
The fountain pen and report hovering in mid-air. And the moment I looked into her eyes, a vast ocean stared back at me.
Eyes devoid of focus, empty.
The pupils, like an ocean, regained a hint of interest.
It was the same look she gave me when we first met.
"What's the favour? Let's hear it."
With a flick of her finger, objects appeared.
Two chairs and a wooden table between them. Nam Hwa-yeon rested her chin on the table and stared straight at me.
Why is she like this?
Perhaps the word "favour" piqued her interest. But there's no need to dwell on that.
Time is of the essence now.
"I want to take a leave of absence."
I need to get stronger as quickly as possible.
Once I've decided, there's no time to hesitate. I'll have to push through with my body.
"I'd agree to a vacation, but do you have somewhere you want to go?"
"Yes."
I mentioned the place I had in mind. A place I decided on after much deliberation and agony.
"I'm going to conquer a dungeon."
"A dungeon?"
One of Korea's three impregnable dungeons.
I plan to retrieve a hidden piece that the protagonist would obtain from the first dungeon.
***
"So, you're going into a dungeon in this state?"
"Ah, yes, that's correct...!"
Slap!
A crisp sound and a red handprint appeared on my back.
Perhaps because my injuries haven't fully healed. I was sensitive to external stimuli.
"Seems like the elixir's effect is quite good. I never thought a wreck like you would dare to enter a dungeon."
The woman who slapped my back was wearing a white lab coat over a suit.
A design fit for a doctor or scientist.
Clearly, she was the health teacher.
She replaced the bandages on my body with fresh ones.
The bandages soaked in red blood starkly showed how severe my condition was. This must be the fifth time they've been changed.
Fortunately, the wounds are starting to heal.
"The torn muscles have reattached, and the shattered bones have been restored. Though I can't guarantee their durability yet."
"That should be fine."
"Fine, my foot."
Several bandages shot out from the health teacher's hands.
The bandages, wriggling like snakes, bound my body tightly with mana.
So tightly that I couldn't move.
My wrists were cuffed.
My legs were shackled.
I don't know if the bandages were reinforced with mana or made of special material. There was no way to break free.
"Uh, Teacher? I can't move."
"How about you retract that insane statement about going into a dungeon to die before your body even recovers?"
"Haha, you're so funny."
"Does it really sound like a joke?"
Squeeze!
The bandages tightened around my body.
Depending on my answer, I got the feeling she wouldn't let me go at all.
"Thanks to the elixir, most of the external injuries have healed, but the internal damage is still severe. You should know that well yourself."
Most of the scars and burns healed after drinking the elixir, recovering in less than a day. But the shattered bones and damaged organs weren't so easily fixed.
They required at least a week to recover.
And that's with absolute rest.
"Going into a dungeon in that state. How is that any different from suicide?"
"But it's just a D-grade dungeon."
"Yes, just a D-grade dungeon, and one of Korea's three unclaimed dungeons at that."
I scratched my head at her words.
A D-grade dungeon is a difficulty level that even freshmen can clear if they form a team.
However, in my case, I'm planning to enter the dungeon alone, in a half-crippled state. Of course, the health teacher couldn't accept that.
But I judged that even in my current state, I could clear it.
'There's a reason why that dungeon has remained unclaimed until now.'
A dungeon where knowledge is more important than strength.
Of course, I'd need enough strength to protect myself.
But it's not absolutely necessary to clear 'Efnell's Garden'.
"Well, I guess there's no point in arguing with someone who got injured saving students. It'll only hurt my reputation."
With a flick of her finger, the bandages loosened.
I put on the clothes I had taken off for the examination.
As I straightened my attire and prepared to leave, I heard a worried voice.
"Let me give you one piece of advice."
The health teacher, sitting in her chair and sipping cold coffee, spoke.
"I've seen many students in this position. And among them, there were some I got to know quite well."
Those kids trained like crazy every day.
That's why they often came to the infirmary.
Perhaps because of their diligence, they became famous soon after graduation.
Her eyes, still youthful, gleamed faintly.
Like an old woman who had experienced everything in the world, her eyes showed weariness.
"But, perhaps because they were too focused at a young age. Some of them took the wrong path."
Her finger pointed to the TV hanging on the infirmary wall.
The news that had been broadcasting continuously.
At the centre of it was Seven Stars Academy and me.
"So be careful. Attention is like poison."
With those final words, her gaze left me.
Waving her hand behind her, it was a clear sign of dismissal.
Honestly, if you're going to worry about me, can't you send me off a bit more kindly?
With such trivial thoughts, I looked up at the TV.
There, I was still on the screen.
***
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