[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Chapter 12
"How did you know I was the new professor?"
Hyunsuk, who had seed rooted to the spot for a mont, widened her eyes and let out a wry laugh.
"Oh, I've worked at this academy for years. I can tell at a glance just by looking at soone, don't you know?"
Really?
Hyunsuk had said the maintenance worker was suspicious, but the thief's footprints I had tracked led from inside the library to the lobby.
There was no reason for the thief to go back into the maintenance room once they had left the lobby...
'They could just change their shoes.'
At first, I hadn't suspected anything because the thief's footprints didn't match Hyunsuk's shoes, but now things were different.
I used the remaining energy to cast the spell again.
[13% of Do Jin-hak's essence is activated.]
[Do Jin-hak's spell "Reality Perception" is cast.]
[ENP increases from 90/180 to 110/180.]
[Your brain begins to perceive multidinsional space.]
As I cast the spell, secrets that had been hidden began to reveal themselves.
'Her heart rate is gradually increasing. The muscles around her smiling lips are about 23% more tense than usual, and her pupils are dilating abnormally...'
Additionally, due to the sudden activation of blood circulation, blood flow has increased, and sweat glands are secreting bodily fluids.
According to Do Jin-hak's knowledge, all these symptoms commonly stem from one psychological state.
'It's when soone is hiding sothing.'
The student in front of was lying.
I canceled the spell and pointed to Hyunsuk's handbag with my hand.
"Ms. Hyunsuk, what's in your bag?"
When I pointed it out, Hyunsuk blinked, looking bewildered.
"Oh, our professor is so curious about everything. What's in it? It's just my stuff. You're not really that curious about what's in a lady's bag, are you?"
She said that, but I didn't believe her. I could clearly see the muscles in Hyunsuk's hand, gripping the bag, tense by about 30% the mont I pointed at it.
"Gianluca."
"Yes?"
Arche looked surprised when I suddenly called her na.
"Is there a rule about taking books out of Hwadam Library?"
"Oh, no. Books in Hwadam Library are not allowed to be taken out. The rule is to read them in place."
"Then, what are the penalties if soone is caught trying to take a book out?"
"For students, a disciplinary committee will be held, and depending on the severity, penalties can range from a deduction of points to suspension or expulsion. And for staff mbers... they will be held legally responsible, regardless of the reason."
Arche looked bewildered as she continued to recite the rules. Hyunsuk's expression grew increasingly tense.
"What are you doing? Are you accusing an innocent person of theft? You're so strange!"
"Ms. Hyunsuk, please show what's in your bag."
"Ha! Why should I?"
Hyunsuk's face turned red, and she was furious as she tried to pass.
I blocked her path and said again, "As a professor of the 13th departnt of the Masterclass, I have the authority to prevent theft on campus. This is your last warning, so please show what's in your bag."
"You're asking to show you, so you're not a professor, you're crazy! Get out of my way!"
Hyunsuk tried to push away roughly.
A warning was enough. I cast a spell as I had been waiting for this mont.
[Casting the Blood Demon's spell "Hungry Claws".]
[ENP increases from 110/180 to 125/180.]
[Your ferocity grows as much as your hunger for blood.]
Crack-!
With a swing of my enchanted hand, the thick leather bag was torn open, and its contents spilled out.
To be exact, dozens of books.
"What is this? How did so many books co out of such a small bag?"
Arche's eyes widened in amazent. The bag was a rare item that had the [Dinsional Inventory] spell cast on it.
'It's also a favorite of the Phantom Thief.'
I would never have noticed it if I hadn't played this quest in the ga.
I never thought she would be a thief and still be disguised as a librarian. You have to be pretty bold to be called the Phantom Thief.
"All these books were stolen today... Senior Hyunsuk, what's going on?"
Arche looked at Hyunsuk incredulously, examining the scattered books on the floor.
"...Tch."
Hyunsuk glared at silently. Her eyes, filled with coldness, were completely different from those of the person who had been joking just monts ago.
"You're really annoying."
Cornered, Hyunsuk, or rather, the phantom thief, no longer pretended to be naive. She took a wand from her pocket and quickly drew a circle.
Whoosh-!
A magic circle quickly ford in the air and a hot fla erupted from it!
'That's... the [Fla Blast] spell.'
It's a spell that soldiers often use for attacks, so I could recognize it just by looking at the end of the magic circle.
Since I had experienced this spell so many tis, I instinctively squeezed my palm, squeezing out a lot of blood, and imdiately cast a spell.
[The conditions for casting the spell have been t.]
[Casting the Blood Demon's spell "Bloodstorm Barrier".]
[ENP increases from 125/180 to 140/180.]
Whoosh-!
Flas erupted from the thief's magic circle, and at the sa ti, I scattered my blood.
A large amount of blood scattered in the air, swirling around like a whirlpool.
"Tch, what a waste of ti!"
When the flas failed to penetrate the barrier, the thief imdiately prepared for the next spell.
That was exactly what I wanted. Because the [Bloodstorm Barrier] is both a defensive and an offensive spell.
'I want an opponent who attacks the barrier like that, giving an opportunity to strike when they're off guard.'
Zing-!
A spear made of blood, struck directly by the flas, shot out towards the thief.
The blood spear pierced her chest precisely.
"Ha! How dare you!"
However, the thief, whose chest had been pierced, simply clicked her tongue.
Upon closer inspection, it wasn't that her chest had been pierced, but that her body had beco translucent, allowing the spear to pass right through.
That was quite a surprising sight.
'An interdiate-level non-physical spell? The Phantom Thief is using a spell like that?'
This spell, which places the body on the boundary between the physical and astral planes, minimizes physical damage.
Many soldiers want to learn it, but it's a difficult spell that not just anyone can master.
'So she can use a spell like that.'
I didn't know that because I had never directly fought the Phantom Thief when I played the quest in the ga.
Soone who can cast a spell of that level would be more than welco on the battlefield, so why is she resorting to theft?
"Why are you doing such useless things?"
The Phantom Thief, who seed to find it amusing, began to chant a new spell. Freed from physical attacks, this spell was longer and more focused.
A golden magic circle drawn in the air with highly concentrated pure magic.
As soon as I saw that unusual light, my head started to throb.
'Could it be... is she casting [Argonian One-Point Radiation]?'
Argonian, a soldier known for having the most outstanding fire-based abilities in history.
Many soldiers still use the various fire-based spells he created, but among them, [One-Point Radiation] is the ultimate technique of the Fire Departnt.
A large-scale spell that concentrates the nature of spreading fire to a single point, maximizing its power...
This spell, which can penetrate deep underground bunkers from the surface in a single shot, is a headache for many villains unless there is a defensive spell of equal or higher level.
'The [Bloodstorm Barrier] won't work this ti.'
If my trait level was a bit higher, maybe.
Now that I'd barely reached trait level 2, my defensive spell would be torn to shreds in front of Argonian's One-Point Radiation.
'There's no way I can escape alone...'
I glanced at Arche behind . She was so focused on reciting a long spell that she couldn't move an inch.
'If I run away, Gianluca will die.'
I had just found a way to prevent Arche from leading the rebellion, and it would be a huge loss if she died now.
So I have to think of another way. A way to block the One-Point Radiation without moving an inch from this spot.
'...Should I try that?'
Luckily, I wasn't completely out of options right now. I have one secret weapon that I can only use in my current state.
"I didn't want to waste my ti on sothing so pointless. Bla yourselves."
The Phantom Thief finished chanting the spell and swung her wand.
A burst of golden light and a beam of fire shot out of the magic circle like a laser...!
In an instant, the surrounding air beca so hot that it was hard to breathe, and I cast two spells simultaneously.
[Casting Do Jin-hak's spell "Reality Perception".]
[Casting the Blood Demon's spell "Hungry Claws".]
[ENP increases from 140/180 to 175/180.]
[You feel extrely tired due to your ENP being close to its maximum!]
Woong-!
It felt like a boulder had been placed on my shoulders.
Overwhelming fatigue clouded my mind, but I had to endure it.
'I only have one chance.'
As part of my brain responsible for vision activated, I entered the multidinsional world again.
At this mont, the flow of ti could be slowed down as much as I wanted, and the sa applied to the flas flying towards now.
'From Do Jin-hak's perspective of decomposition, that fire is composed of ionized high-temperature gas and plasma.'
A spell that concentrates extrely high-temperature heat particles into one point, exerting extre physical force.
But fire itself is essentially a gas. No matter how much it is concentrated into one point, gas, unlike solids and liquids, has almost no interaction between molecules.
'In other words, the bonds between particles are weak, so it's easy to scatter.'
Just like this.
Whoosh-!
I gathered my hands and stabbed the [Hungry Claws] into the blurry weak point in the fla of the One-Point Radiation.
An excruciating pain as if my hands were about to eviscerate washed over .
[Your hands burn intensely in the face of extrely intense heat.]
[Due to the influence of your ENP, which is currently close to its maximum, your body is desperately craving blood.]
[The effect of the spell "Hungry Claws" is greatly enhanced.]
A ssage appeared in front of my eyes, and my fingertips began to harden like stone. I tore through the flas with a loud sound.
Crack-!
The flas split in two and narrowly missed and Arche.
Seeing the tail of the flas disappearing through the thick concrete wall, the thief's eyes widened.
"My, my One-Point Radiation?!"
She seed to be buffering, as she hadn't expected this result at all.
'It would be completely incomprehensible with common sense.'
With my ENP close to its maximum, I was now so hungry for blood that the power of "Hungry Claws" was several tis more ferocious than usual.
In addition, by using Do Jin-hak's [Reality Perception] to find the weak points between the particles in the gaseous fla, this miracle beca possible.
Of course, my hand is half-burned as a result.
"No way! Sothing must be wrong!"
The thief, unable to accept reality, began to chant a spell again.
But this ti, I didn't prepare any counterasures. I didn't need to anymore.
Because Arche, who had been hiding behind until now, had just completed a spell.
"Karpi!"
As Arche's wand summoned a creature, a dazzling glare flashed from the creature's eyes.
With a flap of its wings, the summoned creature flew up to the ceiling, and a loud roar echoed.
Beep-! Beep-! Beep-!
An ultrasonic sound wave echoed throughout the library.
The sound was so loud that it made people lose their minds for a mont.
'That frequency...?'
I imdiately realized what spell Arche had cast using the summoned creature. The [Hungry Claws] and [Bloodstorm Barrier] spells were canceled involuntarily.
'It was a [Forced Spell Cancellation] spell using the characteristics of the summoned creature.'
I was truly impressed.
Dispel spells are high-level spells that are difficult for students to cast.
To succeed in doing that through a summoned creature...
"This, this...!"
Hyunsuk was also greatly surprised as her non-physical spell was canceled and her body returned to normal.
Moreover, it seed that the spell she was casting was also canceled, and Hyunsuk was probably in an [Abnormal State] where she couldn't cast spells for a while.
'She truly has the talent to beco the leader of the rebels...'
For so reason, I started to get excited.
When was the last ti I felt this excited in this damn ga?
This appearance was no less than the potential of the [Dragon Mage] Gianluca I encountered in previous playthroughs.
It was definitely worth taking the risk to help her.
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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