Terror (3)
The magical aura flowing from the magic circle within the Hall of Fame was remarkably intense. Numerous artifacts on display within provided an abundance of materials suitable for a bomb.
At first, I thought about deploying a Rune Barrier to contain the explosion. But if the mana from the artifacts within goes off too, the barrier wonât hold up. Crafting a sturdy barrier requires a substantial amount of mana, prompting the need to eliminate the artifacts beforehand.
The explosion caused by the artifacts lacking mana wonât pack much punch. Using the Rune Barrier to contain it should do the trick.
The building was littered with artifacts. Instead of dealing with the hassle of destroying each one separately, opting for the demolition of the entire building seemed like a more practical choice.
[Spiral]
? Unique Skill
? Condenses mana into a spiral form and compresses it into a rotating spherical form.
Requires highly advanced mana control. More effective in close combat than throwing, as it holds greater power when embedded.
Spiral was created to penetrate the ogreâs defense, involving a rotating spherical form colliding with the enemy at incredible speed, grinding them down. Itâs my favored skill against opponents or objects with strong defenses. This time, I plan to expand its hitbox.
The predicament couldnât be fixed by merely setting things ablaze, initiating a deluge, or conjuring a colossal ice or rock. Even though structures might collapse, tiny artifacts could persist and morph into explosive threats. Thatâs why I opted for Spiralâa skill adept at shredding even the smallest artifact. But the original Spiral, designed to pierce the ogreâs belly, is small in size.
To obliterate the Hall of Fame properly, the usual hand-sized Spiral wouldnât cut it. It needs expansion, obviously.
I envisioned the image of a typhoonâa wind that leaves nothing but ruins behind when sweeping through. Creating a flow in the surrounding air, it becomes faster and more extensive.
With a swift motion, I materialized Spiral in my hand. Thanks to my awakening, my spellcasting speed had truly transformed in the blink of an eye.
Wooongâ
Infusing mana into my Spiral, it began drawing in the surrounding air. Containing the destructive will in the core of the magic circle, I envisioned a tornado sweeping the ground.
âWhat⌠whatâs thatâŚ?!â Gil Steven, beside me, appears to have sensed that things are taking a strange turn.
CreakâWhooshâSssshâ
The sound of air colliding echoed as the Spiral in my hand expanded beyond my control. I raised my hand towards the sky, enlarging the Spiral while accelerating the airflow.
âPhewâŚâ
As the Spiral transformed into a massive disc, I couldnât help but think, âThis might really cause some serious damage.â
The Academy Hall of Fameâa place showcasing Victoria Academyâs operational history, footsteps of graduated seniors, portraits, statues, and donated artifactsâeverythingâs on display.
Although itâs on the verge of destruction, I might consider letting it be, but⌠itâs already too late. If I donât destroy it, it will lead to even greater damage. Honestly, I donât have any sentimental or prideful attachments to it.
âAh⌠Master⌠Somehow, IâŚâ
Even though Gil Steven is mana-deprived and on the verge of collapse, he grabbed onto the hem of my robe to stop me.
A fanatical lunatic.
Ssshaaaâ
I hurl the destructively rotating Spiral towards the Hall of Fame.
Bwoosh! Krassshk!
A fleeting moment.
The Spiral collided with the Hall of Fame, raising an enormous cloud of dust and beginning to engulf the building. Winds swept in all directions, blowing away nearby street vendors. Soon, with a crackling sound and the breaking of its supports, the Hall of Fame began to collapse. The pillars supporting the building couldnât withstand the Spiral.
âThis is insane⌠a mix of my masterâs magic and something elseâŚâ
âUgh, this crazy old man.â
Gil Steven, now clutching my shoe, started to collapse.
I canât kill him now that itâs come to this. Iâll have to capture him and hand him over.
With eerie sounds, the Hall of Fame was not just collapsing but turning into dust. Debris from the shattered building, statues, traces of paintings, and fragments of artifacts rained down from the sky. All of this happened in less than ten seconds.
âWhoaâŚâ
Amidst the colossal noise, people in disarray were gradually turning their attention in my direction.
âWhat, whatâs it?! The building collapsed!â
âTerrorist attack! Itâs terrorism!â
It was undeniably a tremendous force. A single skill had shattered an entire building. In the distance, professors were rushing towards us to see what was happening. Min Yeji and Im Sol were at the forefront.
I checked Gil Stevenâs belongings. This guy always carries a lot of things, prepared for every situation, just like someone who plans based on brainwaves. Heâs quite rewarding in the game as well.
Rustle, rustleâ
As I rummaged through his coat, I found a pouch inside. After hiding the pouch inside my student uniform, I faced Im Sol and Min Yeji.
âHoyeon, whatâs going onâŚ? Why⌠did the building collapse?â
I grabbed the fallen Gil Steven by the collar and lifted him. âI captured a Pandemic executive. I had to destroy the Hall of Fame to stop his terrorism.â
âWhatâŚ?â
Maybe I skipped too much.
CracklingâCrackling!
As I was about to continue explaining, a magic circle under the debris activated.
The magic circle, which I couldnât erase with the Spiral because it was beneath the building, now activated. Originally, I planned to contain it with the Rune Barrier, but with so many professors around, I didnât need to intervene.
âItâs an explosion! Take cover!â
Professors who sensed magic at my shout began layering shield spells.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Boom!
After a moment, an enormous explosion was heard from within the shield spells. Debris from the destroyed building shot into the sky, and a deafening roar echoed.
âAhh!â
âItâs okay! Itâs safe here!â
A massive explosion within the magic circle. Thanks to the preparations I made, the explosion ended by pulverizing the remains of the Hall of Fame.
âThe Academy Hall of FameâŚâ One of the professors murmured, looking at the debris.
The once proud Hall of Fame was now reduced to dust, to the extent that its original state was unrecognizable.
ââŚI dealt with the explosion by absorbing the mana from the artifact before it could lead to a larger explosion. In the process, I had no choice but to destroy the Hall of Fame.â
âYou handled it remarkably well, Hoyeon.â
No one else responded, so it felt a bit awkward, but fortunately, Professor Im Sol acknowledged my actions.
âThe rest of the cleanup will be handled by the professors. And donât worry, Iâll recommend you for commendation regarding the counterterrorism efforts.â
âThank you, Professor.â
Thanks to Professor Im Solâs consideration, I could leave the scene. Handling aftermaths like this is usually the most troublesome part.
***
Observing Lee Hoyeon disappearing, Min Yeji quietly whispered to Im Sol beside her, âSol-ah, have you seen Student Hoyeonâs magic?â
âOf courseâŚâ
âItâs triple attribute. It was definitely wind.â
âYeah, Iâm sure.â
The magic that demolished the Hall of Fame. It was undoubtedly of the wind attribute.
âAnyone else lucky enough to witness it, or is it just us? Among the professors, we might be the first ones to see it.â
âProbably not. The building collapsed within less than 5 seconds of the magic occurring.â
The professors were busy with rescue efforts and guiding people. Min Yeji and Im Sol could see Hoyeon first as they found him after the situation was under control.
âTriple attribute⌠Second in the world? Sol-ah, what do you think? Maybe itâs fate? It could match your ideal type. A man whoâs better at magic than you.â
Even in a serious talk, Min Yeji couldnât resist a joke. But it managed to lighten up Im Sol a bit.
âShut up.â
âSol-ah~ Since I put in the effort this time, can I contact Student Hoyeon?â
âDo as you wishâŚâ Im Sol licked her dry lips with her tongue.
Multiple attributesâthe exclusive playground of the genius mage Im Sol. Dual attributes were already a rare breed, and mages juggling three or more attributes were practically mythical.
Im Sol stood as the trailblazer, mastering more than three attributesâa woman bestowed with magical gifts, at least according to the World Magic Association.
HoyeonâŚ
Im Sol, who had never believed in the concept of a womanâs intuition, felt strangely today. For some reason, Lee Hoyeon seemed to have the same multiple attributes as herself. The Hoyeon she had seen so far was like thatâa man who always exceeded her expectations.
But this is probably just wishful thinking.
Even thinking that, Im Sol couldnât stop her yearning.
***
âI went through unnecessary trouble.â
Shouldâve just killed him quickly. I got tangled in a pointless chat, aiming for intel. But taking care of Gil Steven early was a win, and thankfully, I thwarted the terrorist plot.
Pouring too much mana into the Spiral seems to give me a headache though⌠UghâŚ
âOh right. The pouch.â
Thereâs a pouch I took from Gil Stevenâs pocket earlier. If this were a game, it would undoubtedly be a good drop.
I fished out the pouch. A red one with the familiar Chinese characters for âfortune.â Delving inside, my fingers met a piece of paper.
âWhatâs this? A paper? Carrying property deeds around, perhaps?â
As I unraveled the paper, a contract, all too familiar, caught my eye.
[Hellâs Contract]
? Grade: Intermediate
? A contract of Hell with a strong binding force.
? As long as the fiery flames of Hell exist, there is no one who can violate the contract.
Except for high-ranking nobles of Hell.
ââŚWhatâs this? Why does Pandemic have a Hellâs Contract?â