The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 36

“Get that bastard!”

They were slower than I expected.

Maybe it was because I’ve been running around so much lately, but this was a piece of cake.

Easily dodging the three clumsy students chasing me, I hid behind a large tree.

Frustration mixed with anger echoed from behind me as one of them yelled, probably still smarting from getting hit.

“Did he really just screw us over like that?”

“Hah… Just wait until this is over.”

It’s a competition, so let’s do it properly.

There’s no better chance to hone my combat skills than in this safe environment where all the professors are watching.

Besides, I did give Basilus a potion, so I needed to get my money’s worth. I whispered a spell, aiming at the guy who was looking around nervously.

It was a lightning attack.

“Aaagh!”

That must have been a shocking experience.

Basilus wagged his tail and then took off running.

Thanks to him, the Necromancy students, already enraged, grabbed their wands and started chasing after him.

“Nice running.”

That potion’s really kicking in.

Driven by the desire to squeeze out every last bit of experience over the next hour, Basilus was more energetic than ever.

Whoosh—.

Flames shot out from Basilus’ mouth, catching on one student’s hair. A scream immediately followed.

“Aaagh! My hair!”

In weather like this, that must feel pretty warm.

Time to step in.

“Someone put this out! Hey, hey! You idiots!”

“It’s hot!”

Thud.

One of them, knocked aside by Basilus’ body slam, flailed helplessly on the ground.

Meanwhile, the fire spread to the bushes, burning them to a crisp.

Three of them were struggling to deal with a single hatchling. I couldn’t help but click my tongue.

Weren’t these supposed to be some of the top students in their department?

Maybe they were chosen just because they were Seymour’s lackeys.

Whistling softly, I climbed up the base of the tree, kicked the struggling Necromancy student in the back, and landed perfectly.

The guy rolled on the ground with a groan, clearly in pain.

Meanwhile, the screaming in the background grew louder.

“Hey… Hey, someone put this fire out!”

Is he still whining about that?

“Put it out! Put it out now!”

“If that’s your wish, I’ll grant it.”

“H-Han Siha?”

I held my wand and whispered another spell.

“Wh-what are you…!”

Splash.

This time, it was water.

Drenched from head to toe, the guy shivered in his soaking wet clothes.

“What the hell? Did I just get slapped by water?”

“You asked me to put the fire out.”

“That bastard!”

I mean, I did exactly what he asked for. Why is he so mad?

I granted his wish, after all.

Idiots.

“Argh! My shoulder’s broken!”

“Shut up. I-I’m freezing.”

“Hey, you idiot! Just grab him already!”

While they were busy yelling and self-destructing, I leisurely made my way to Zone C.

I took a deep breath and stepped in. There didn’t seem to be any traps, but there was a problem.

“What’s this?”

There seemed to be a dark barrier in place, because as soon as I stepped in, I was pushed back.

I needed to knock down the statue inside to secure the zone, but I couldn’t even get in.

Now that I think about it, the Magic Department’s zone was also protected by a barrier of light to keep the other team out.

“So this is why they needed Solia.”

I couldn’t bring the others over since they were busy in Zones A and B, so there wasn’t much choice.

I guess I’ll just have to make do.

I patted Basilus’ head and whispered.

“Should we just burn it down?”

Capture it or destroy it—those were the options.

“Blowing it up seems much cleaner.”

“Hey… Hey! Stop that thing!”

“Just block it already!”

I saw the Necromancy students limping toward me. One had burnt, frizzy hair, another was twitching like an electric eel from the lightning attack, and the last one couldn’t even get up after taking a direct hit of mana.

In that miserable state…

How exactly do they plan to stop me?

“Argh!”

Boom—

Whoosh.

“Zone C of the Necromancy Department has been destroyed”.

“Uh….”

The guys who had been running toward me stopped in their tracks, dumbfounded.

Eventually, they collapsed to the ground, looking like they’d lost everything.

“….”

“We’re screwed.”

“My hair….”

I wonder if the audience saw that clearly?

That was a visually stunning display.

Ah, moments like this call for good fan service.

Those guys were cheering like crazy earlier.

Gotta give the fans what they want!

I lifted Basilus up and waved toward the stands.

“Alright, Basilus, it’s photo time. Say ‘Kimchi’!”

“Kimchi!”

* * *

“What’s wrong with that maniac?”

Professor Grint muttered, tearing at his hair.

One crazed Red Dragon and a Tamer who was just as wild.

Meanwhile, the Necromancy Department’s Tamer was struggling, completely outmatched by Han Siha.

He couldn’t even get near Zone A, as Solia Arkenent swept through everything in her path.

“The Magic Department students are certainly formidable.”

It was no wonder—the lineup of the Magic Department students this year was exceptional.

Lee Han, Adela, Solia.

These were second-year students that the academy could proudly present anywhere.

Aside from Seymour Parker, no one in the Necromancy Department could match up against them.

“Everyone, get into formation properly! Where the hell are the students from Zone C?”

Even Seymour Parker, who often carried his team, was struggling. His face was so red with frustration that it looked like it might burst.

Up to this point, everything was as expected.

But then there was Han Siha.

The student council president, who was commentating on the flow of the match, raised the tension in his voice with excitement.

“Yes, Han Siha is advancing! Wow, that attack was perfectly timed. He takes down a Necromancy student—this is insane!”

“Oh, is he really just going to… destroy it?”

“He blows up Zone A! What a bold move!”

“Ohhhh…!!”

As the thrilling commentary continued, the students’ cheers grew even louder.

Before long, more than half of the students were chanting Han Siha’s name.

“Magic Department! Magic Department! Magic Department!”

“Is that even magic?”

“…Maybe just lightning magic?”

“Han Siha, you’re amazing!”

Wherever he went with his dragon, he scorched the earth, recklessly pouring mana into every student he encountered.

“Aaagh!”

“Stop… Stop it! This is just a match!”

“Since it’s a match, I’ll make sure to finish it properly. I’ll let you off easy.”

“…!”

Thud—.

It wasn’t technique.

It wasn’t advanced magic.

But the sheer quality of his mana was comparable to that of top students. Even if his attacks seemed crude, their direction and intensity were precise.

While Adela used her telekinesis to block the Necromancy students from even approaching, and Solia purified the dark magic as she pushed forward, Han Siha stood out with his unique style.

His attacks, though calculated, lacked any distinct color or flavor.

—Basilus, it’s time for another photo op!

—Kimchi!

If anything, his strange poses after knocking out each opponent could be considered his signature.

“Everyone, make some noise!”

And with that, the fan service was complete.

“Kyaaaa!”

“Han Siha! Han Siha! Han Siha!”

That… that maniac.

Han Siha, flashing a bright smile, made a peace sign toward the audience as he leisurely took control of Zone A.

Once again, he secured the zone by simply blowing it up.

[Zone A of the Necromancy Department has been destroyed.]

“Oh….”

They should have noticed his potential back when he single-handedly defeated Odopteon in the Taming class.

While it was true that he was a student who drew attention, no one had realized he was this crazy.

Assistant Professor Selene spoke up with a perplexed expression.

“Has he always been this good at handling mana? I distinctly remember he was pretty much failing in mana control.”

“No.”

After a brief pause, Professor Grint sighed and responded.

“He still can’t.”

“That’s not mana control?”

Professor Grint, who had been carefully observing the blue energy streaming from Han Siha’s wand, quickly came to a conclusion.

That wasn’t proper mana control at all.

Selene looked shocked as she asked, “Then how does he produce such destructive power?”

“It’s innate.”

Professor Grint recalled when Han Siha first entered the academy.

It was similar back then.

He possessed a natural strength in his mana, but his control over it was clumsy and unrefined.

It was hard to believe that with only slight improvements in control over the past year, he had grown this much.

The magic he used was basic, at best 1st or 2nd class spells. Despite learning only the basics, he easily defeated most of the Necromancy students.

And on top of that, he displayed an extraordinary level of control over his dragon.

Dragons were among the most difficult monsters to control.

‘A creature like that shouldn’t be so obedient.’

If that natural talent were to be properly honed…

“If he learns to control his mana properly….”

Gulp.

Professor Grint swallowed hard, his eyes gleaming with interest.

He had watched countless students closely, but discovering a new raw talent always felt exhilarating.

It was hard to believe that a student he once thought was hopeless had made such tremendous progress.

A satisfied smile spread across Professor Grint’s face.

“I think I need to meet with him.”

“Who are you talking about?”

Startled by the sudden voice, Professor Grint turned his head.

Unlike the neatly dressed Professor Grint, Professor Ernst, with his tie hanging loose, laughed heartily and waved his hand.

Professor Grint’s expression immediately turned cold.

“What brings you here?”

“I have to watch our students compete, don’t I? They’re doing exceptionally well.”

Professor Ernst clapped his hands and leaned back. At that moment, Han Siha was in the middle of pummeling several Necromancy students.

“Heh, that’s one of my students. Not only is he good at anatomy, but he also has a talent for combat.

He’s the one who got rid of the experiment that had been lurking in my lab without me even knowing.”

“Ah.”

“I had an inkling of his combat skills back then, but I never imagined he’d be this good. After today, the students’ perception of him will definitely change.”

Han Siha, who had long been dismissed as a perpetual failure, was now steadily climbing the ranks, landing in third place despite not pushing himself to the limit or taking unnecessary risks.

Professor Ernst’s praise didn’t stop there.

“That’s not all. Dean Ernest praised him highly, saying that boy has immense potential.”

“How long do you plan on doing this?”

“….”

Professor Grint’s words caused Professor Ernst’s face to grow cold.

The remark he had held back for the past ten years finally slipped out.

“…Don’t even think about trying this time, Professor Grint.”