I Became the Academy’s Time-Limited Genius – Chapter 12

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Translated By Arcane Translations

Translator: Silverriver

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After defeating the Black Blood Wyrm, I rummaged through its corpse. Even in death, its scales were incredibly tough, so I had to reach inside its mouth to search.

I had used a whopping 250 days’ worth of lifespan to kill it, so I expected to find a core, but…

“You useless piece of snake shit!”

To my disappointment, there was no core. Frustration welled up, and I almost kicked the corpse before stopping myself. It would only hurt my foot.

I stared at the Black Blood Wyrm, pondering what use this tough snake could possibly have. Then, its fangs caught my eye. They were strong enough to have plowed through the dungeon floor, the solid stone, like it was farmland. And they were large enough to be crafted into swords.

I slowly cut out the fangs using Jeolyeong. I wanted to take some scales too, to be used for armor or daggers, but there was no way to carry them. I couldn’t even cut through them in the first place.

I carefully lifted one of the extracted fangs. It was about two meters long and incredibly heavy, making it difficult to lift.

“Well, I’ll be.”

But I managed to lift it. I flexed my hand, puzzled. The sensation of wielding Black Lightning still lingered. A power incomparable to ordinary Aura. Moreover, the more I used it, the more my body seemed to adapt to the Black Dragon’s mana.

‘I used 100 days’ worth of lifespan three times.’

Each strike became more powerful. The Black Dragon’s mana itself hadn’t changed, so it must have been my body adapting to the mana and utilizing it more efficiently.

In any case, it was a good sign. I might be able to reduce the lifespan cost from 100 days to 70.

With that thought, I moved my body. It felt incredibly light. It was partly due to having a full year of lifespan, but there seemed to be another reason.

‘Could it be the increased physical abilities?’

One of the system messages that appeared after consuming the Millennium Ice Essence. All injuries healed, and physical abilities enhanced overall. A different message from the one that appeared when I temporarily boosted my abilities by sacrificing lifespan.

I gulped and opened my status window.

My stats had increased dramatically. I finally understood the true power of the Millennium Ice Essence.

While the claim of it containing a millennia’s worth of chilling energy might have been an exaggeration, its effects were undeniable.

My body had finally reached the level of an average person. I couldn’t exercise properly, and my stats showed no signs of improvement even after consuming elixirs.

Yet a single year’s worth of elixir solved the problem.

‘But…’

There was something I found strange. I remembered the Millennium Ice Essence being consumed in the original story, but it hadn’t been this potent.

It was certainly a year’s worth of elixir in the novel, but I didn’t recall it enhancing physical abilities or healing injuries to this extent. Could it be due to the message about increased efficacy from the special method of consumption?

I scratched my head and approached Agnes. She was still unconscious.

“Agnes.”

“Agnes Bayern.”

I shook her a couple of times, and she finally regained consciousness. She groaned like a dying zombie and sat up.

She looked around, taking in her surroundings, then her eyes widened in realization.

“The Black Blood Wyrm? What happened?”

“I killed it. You did a good job binding it.”

I helped her up and handed her Jeolyeong. She took the sword and sheathed it.

“By the way, Agnes.”

“Y-Yes?!”

Why was she so surprised?

“Did you… feed me the Ice Essence I gave you?”

“The Ice Essence? Yes, I did.”

“How did you make me consume it?”

At my question, her face flushed. It was fascinating to see genuine emotion on her usually stoic face. But something felt… suspicious. She fanned herself with her hand, as if flustered, and replied,

“I… used my fingers to… to open your mouth and force it in.”

“That’s not what I… Never mind. There’s no reason for you to lie to me.”

“How did you… Never mind. There’s no reason for you to lie to me.”

I stared at her. It seemed suspicious, but the Ice Essence hadn’t been poisoned, and it only had positive effects, so I decided to let it go. Oh, and…

“Let’s take this fang with us. My sword is broken, so I need to forge a new one.”

“Oh, okay.”

We collected the Black Blood Wyrm’s fang and headed for the exit. Now, only the wyrm’s corpse remained in Lenox’s Dungeon, left to rot.

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We emerged from the dungeon into the darkness of the forest. Moonlight filtered through the dense canopy.

Agnes stood bathed in the moonlight. Her silver hair seemed to complement the moonlight perfectly. Despite her disheveled appearance, her beauty remained undiminished. Was this what clear ice looked like with a touch of color added?

Her eyes held clarity, and… a question.

Wait, a question?

“Um… what should we do with this fang?”

Her question made me realize my oversight. There was no way to bring this massive fang back to the dormitory, and Agnes was covered in wounds. Unlike me, she hadn’t been completely healed by the Millennium Ice Essence.

“Hmm…”

What to do? I couldn’t ask anyone from the academy for help. Students weren’t allowed to enter dungeons, and I didn’t want to risk revealing the fang.

I carefully took out a blue crystal from my pocket. I swirled my fingers over the crystal a couple of times, and its color shifted rapidly before displaying an image.

“Young Master?”

It was Petra. Another perk of the Philasia Dukedom’s wealth.

Agnes’s eyes widened. It was a portable communication device, after all.

An item so rare that even within the Dukedom, only a handful existed. They were difficult to create and only available to the Imperial Family and Dukes, so her surprise was understandable.

Especially since I, not the Duke, possessed one.

“Petra, bring a couple of people to the entrance of the forest near the academy.”

“The forest near… Understood.”

The communication ended after a brief exchange. I hadn’t specified the forest’s name, but there was only one forest in the vicinity, so Petra would understand.

As expected, Petra soon arrived at the forest with two servants. She rushed towards me and asked,

“What are you doing here at this hour?”

“No lectures. Just went to a dungeon with Agnes.”

I gestured towards Agnes. Petra’s gaze shifted from me to Agnes, and she bowed deeply.

“Thank you for protecting our Young Master.”

“No, no, it was Deron who helped me. I’m grateful he brought me along.”

I was completely unharmed, while Agnes was covered in wounds, so her misunderstanding was understandable.

It was no wonder they misunderstood, seeing me unscathed while Agnes was covered in injuries. As their heads lowered further, I let out a deep sigh and muttered under my breath.

“Enough. Petra, I’m not a child.”

“But your health…”

“It’s… better.”

I spoke casually, but the meaning was far from trivial. Petra’s eyes widened, disbelief evident on her face.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Well… my illness wasn’t cured, but my physical condition had definitely improved.

“How did… No, never mind.”

Petra abruptly stopped speaking when I glanced at Agnes. I instructed her to take care of the Black Blood Wyrm’s fang and approached Agnes.

“How was your first dungeon experience? Satisfying?”

“Very satisfying.”

She tightened her grip on Jeolyeong. She had not only mastered simultaneous activation but also acquired Lenox’s sword.

It must have been the best dungeon experience for her.

“Thank you for bringing me to Lenox’s Dungeon.”

“Forget it. I consumed the Millennium Ice Essence, as you should have. The Philasia family won’t forget the Bayern family.”

“But you were supposed to take all the elixirs. The Ice Essence was yours.”

I shook my head.

“I gave you the Ice Essence. I’m not shameless enough to claim ownership of a gift. The Ice Essence was yours, and I consumed it.”

“But…”

“Enough. Are you trying to make me look shameless?”

I was shameless, according to the rumors. Agnes looked troubled by my insistence. This way, the Philasia family would be indebted to the Bayern family, creating an opportunity for future connections. A small debt was a small price to pay for building a relationship with the future Magic Swordsman after Lenox.

I left Agnes and walked out of the forest. The moon was exceptionally bright tonight.

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Agnes, the surviving member of the Bayern Viscounty. She had always carried that burden. Ever since her family was annihilated by the demons and her exceptional talent was discovered.

She had always strived to become a Magic Swordsman. Like Lenox, the first Magic Swordsman, she sought to revive the House of Bayern through her own strength alone.

“A strange person.”

That was her assessment of Deron. He wasn’t the disgrace of the nobility, the trash, as the rumors claimed.

She had been worried he might say something to embarrass her, but he had even gone so far as to create a debt in the name of the Philasia family.

His actions completely contradicted the rumors.

Perhaps that was why she had made the choice to give him the Ice Essence in such a way.

Agnes unconsciously touched her lips. The sensation of placing the Ice Essence in his mouth was vivid. She had been so surprised when Lenox suddenly appeared and told her how to unlock the Ice Essence’s hidden potential.

She watched Deron’s retreating figure. His footsteps held a power far greater than before they entered the dungeon.

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