The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 175

“These bastards are insane.”

They suddenly appeared, flinging magical spheres and swinging swords.

And it wasn’t just one or two of them. As I watched the swarm of dark mages descending upon us, that was my only thought.

There were multiple nobles involved here, and among them was Han taesu, an expert in dealing with dark mages.

They were attacking a place packed with powerful individuals in broad daylight, right in the heart of enemy territory?

And with considerable firepower at that?

“They’re definitely insane.”

Clang—

I deflected a magical sphere flying toward me.

Even a glancing hit would be enough to make me cough up blood; the magical energy packed into each sphere was that potent.

It wasn’t my first time facing a fight where dodging at the right moment was crucial, so I kept my body low and moved fiercely.

I had faced many battles, including the tense fights with the Archant, where even a single misstep could be fatal.

This level of attack was still manageable.

Basilus roared, unleashing a blast of fire.

The moment he charged at full speed, a dark mage was sent flying.

He had grown large and now possessed enough brute strength to use his own body as a weapon.

“Kloshti.”

“Pwee!”

Kloshti took my signal and soared high into the sky.

While Basilus specialized in head-on assaults, burning and knocking away robed enemies, Kloshti stayed above, surveying the battlefield and assessing enemy movements.

She targeted those who were too focused on slicing down the people in front of them.

Boom, boom—

Kloshti’s ice storm struck a dark mage squarely.

With a sharp grinding sound, the ice shattered and lodged into the man’s throat.

Kloshti wielded her ice as if it were shuriken, and with a single cry, she recalled the shards.

Thud, thud—

The ice fragments Kloshti had launched fell to the ground.

I stepped over the shards, crushing them underfoot, and raised my staff.

“Solia, cover the left side.”

“Got it.”

No matter how sudden the ambush, Solia wasn’t someone who’d panic in the heat of battle.

She effortlessly neutralized the incoming black magical spheres and unleashed a blinding light from her staff.

Solia, the most powerful against dark mages, proved her title as the Light Magician by taking down those who charged at her.

In the background, the panicked orchestra members ran in all directions.

“Kyahhh!”

The civilians, caught in the chaos, were screaming desperately.

I was pouring every ounce of energy into preventing the robed figures from attacking the non-combatants.

Thwack—

Panting heavily, I deflected a sword aimed at my neck with my staff.

It cracked slightly, but it was still usable.

Boom—

I aimed a concentrated burst of magic at a troublesome dark mage.

“Ugh!”

With a scream, the robed man collapsed.

Another attack followed, but I was able to fend it off with my barrier, smashing through it with sheer magical force.

Without the need to summon Dongle, enhancing the Sensory Cube alone was enough to dodge most of the incoming strikes.

Dodge and counterattack.

It was a simple routine repeated endlessly.

As I kept pushing back the onslaught of dark mages, it dawned on me that something was off.

“Hey, this is too much firepower.”

“Huh?”

“No, it’s not just too much…”

“What?”

“They just keep coming.”

Solia, gritting her teeth, seemed to notice it as well.

“That’s definitely the case.”

“…It’s clone magic, I think.”

They were all wearing the same black robes.

While there were slight differences in build, it was nearly impossible to distinguish those subtleties during combat.

“Damn it.”

I glanced around at the enemies.

Even amidst the chaos, I had to fend off arrows flying toward me.

Some of them hurled magical spheres, others wielded bows, and the rest charged at me with swords.

They looked like different people, but they were the same individual.

Puppets controlled by someone.

“Ugh….”

I blocked a sword tainted with dark magic and took a small step back.

“We can’t afford to drag this out.”

“The longer this goes, the worse it gets.”

I scowled and turned to Solia, realizing another critical detail.

The cloned puppets were overwhelmingly concentrated on our side.

Controlling those puppets would undoubtedly consume a lot of magic, so their number wasn’t limitless, but the dark mages had deployed half their forces toward Han taesu and the other half toward me.

Given the disparity in our combat abilities, it was clear that an excessive number of enemies had been sent my way.

The intent was glaringly obvious.

“So, they’re really targeting me, huh.”

Since they weren’t real humans, they didn’t retreat in fear.

Whoosh—

Even after taking Basilus’ full-on breath attack, a robed man, with his robe on fire, continued approaching us like a specter straight out of hell.

A truly grotesque sight.

Without time to marvel at the strange spectacle, another wave of attacks came crashing down on us….

“Han Siha, watch out!”

Boom—

Solia shot a beam of light into the air.

The robed man collapsed right next to me.

I hadn’t noticed when he raised his spear to stab me.

“Damn it.”

Activating the Sensory Cube completely was too risky.

Using only a fraction of its power meant there were limitations.

My judgment was becoming increasingly clouded.

Even a skilled outfielder wouldn’t miss a baseball flying from a distance, but it’d be a different story if dozens of baseballs were being hurled from all directions.

That’s what this felt like.

Han taesu, who was relentlessly cutting down enemies, kept glancing in my direction, but he wasn’t in a position to help me immediately.

“Ugh!”

This time, a magical sphere from afar grazed my shoulder.

I had instinctively twisted my body before impact; otherwise, it would have hit me squarely.

There was no time to relax.

An arrow quickly followed, and I blocked it with a barrier.

“Huff… huff.”

Humans, of course, have limited stamina, and they run out faster than those puppet clones.

Whoever could cast such extensive clone magic was undoubtedly a high-level magician.

He would likely outlast me.

“We need to find the original.”

“I can’t see them anywhere!”

“Any suspects?”

“They’re probably not even near us. Not if they’ve got any brains.”

“Damn it.”

The hope that I could fend off the endless tide of enemies was fading fast.

Even Basilus and Kloshti’s movements were beginning to slow.

“Kiieek!”

Eventually, a magical sphere from the other side struck Kloshti, sending her crashing down.

“Kloshti!”

Basilus rushed forward and caught the falling Kloshti.

Without time to even process the dire situation—

Boom—

I instinctively blocked the incoming attack.

I disintegrated the magical sphere midair and demanded, “Did you come for me?”

The figure in the robe, whether original or a clone, halted its attack and stood still.

As if answering my question, a strange, eerie voice echoed through the air.

“We don’t intend to kill you. We need you alive to find out the whereabouts of the Cube.”

My unsettling suspicion was right on target. Solia’s face darkened as she listened.

“If you come with us, we’ll spare the others.”

The robed figure’s gaze slowly swept around.

Even if Han taesu could somehow hold them back, it was clear that many people would die.

The robed figure looked at Won, Seymour, and Solia, his eerie eyes finally settling on me.

He waited for my response as if asking, “What will you do?”

Even if I killed him here, another puppet would appear, identical, posing the same question.

Resigned, I opened my mouth, feeling repulsed.

“Thanks for not killing me.”

“….”

“But sorry, captivity isn’t really my thing.”

Swish—

Without hesitation, I slashed at the robed figure with my dagger.

Immediately, the once-paused magical spheres resumed their bombardment.

“Urgh!”

Instinctively, I threw myself to the ground.

The spot I’d just vacated was gouged out as if struck by a meteor.

“Crazy bastards.”

Even if it was a fight I was bound to lose, I had to hold on.

Just like when Basilus found me while I was trapped in the mansion.

Just like when Han Si-hyuk and Adela came looking for me.

Holding on was the only way to create a chance for someone to save you.

Knowing that, I couldn’t put down my staff.

Boom—

Boom—

Boom—

Explosions echoed continuously as magical spheres pelted the ground like meteors.

The relentless assault shook the earth. Any attacks I couldn’t dodge, I had no choice but to take head-on.

I avoided only the most lethal hits.

My once-neat attire, suitable for the engagement, had long since been reduced to tattered rags amid the chaos of battle.

I cursed under my breath.

“Haa… Damn it. Why are there so many of them?”

“There are… too many….”

Solia’s condition was no better.

I didn’t have the luxury to help her as she staggered.

The scene was nothing short of miserable.

I thought they had recklessly thrown all their forces at us.

Maybe this was their masterstroke.

It was clear they were determined to end everything with this battle.

As I struggled through this hell, a thought crossed my mind.

Who exactly was I waiting for?

Wasn’t it just wishful thinking?

“Ugh.”

Even after holding out for so long, there was no one coming to save me.

“Ah….”

I thought I had dodged the worst of it, but it seemed I was wrong.

“Han Siha! Pull yourself together!”

Han taesu’s voice, urging me to stay strong, became increasingly faint as he tried to maneuver closer.

“We have to hold on!”

Thud—

I stumbled and collapsed to the ground.

My shoulder, which had taken a direct hit from a magical sphere earlier, had gone numb, but the searing pain was still vivid.

My hands trembled violently. Even gripping my staff was becoming an unbearable task.

“Haa….”

I might not be able to hold on much longer.

I probably won’t make it.

Just as that certainty set in—

Clang—

The sound of a sword slicing through the air snapped me back to reality.

The figure moved with a speed that made “flying” seem like the only accurate description.

The silhouette wielding the sword cut through the swarming enemies. Each attacker was buried or neutralized within just a few strikes.

Dust rose from the ground, and rocks flew like missiles, taking down the enemies.

It was a fierce and reckless onslaught, as if driven by desperation.

Such aggressive attacks usually leave openings, but the enemy was killed before any gaps could be exploited.

The overwhelming force was undeniable.

It was a display of strength only possible for someone not yet exhausted.

After dispatching three of the clones in rapid succession, the figure turned towards me.

Step, step.

The faint silhouette made its way toward me.

Short, dark brown hair. Blue eyes that shone brightly. A familiar, elusive smile drew closer with every step.

Even as I teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, I knew exactly who it was.

“Ah.”

The reason I had been holding on.

The person I had desperately been waiting for.

They spoke to me.

“You’ve saved me countless times.”

“You gave me a reason to keep living.”

“You showed me that there’s more beauty in the world than revenge.”

That person smiled at me.

“This time, it’s my turn.”

So—

“Rest easy, Han Siha.”

Adela was looking down at me, her eyes filled with sorrow.