How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 11

The sound of a pen scratching against paper filled the air.

“E is flow, A is breath. =∝ is proportionate, ^2 is squared.”

As I wrote in my textbook and notebook, I absorbed the knowledge into my mind as well.

“Combining flow and breath squared makes it proportionate…”

I quickly and meticulously organized the vast amount of magic-related content in my notebook.

Finally.

“Finished.”

My notebook was filled to the brim with notes, underlined sections, and annotations. A near-perfect compilation of basic magical theories and formulas lay before me.

“This guy has a killer brain, doesn’t he?”

It wasn’t difficult at all to memorize the entire contents of the textbook after just one or two readings. The speed was a bonus.

“Alright, I’ve memorized the basics.”

I had swiftly and efficiently grasped the fundamentals of magic. However, there was a minor problem. A tiny, insignificant issue.

“What the hell is this nonsense?”

Despite looking at my notebook, the one I had personally written and organized, I couldn’t understand a thing.

What do you mean?

“So… flow and breath are proportionate, but what does that even mean?”

I had memorized the material, but I couldn’t comprehend it. How does that make sense?

“…”

Damn.

I barely managed to suppress a curse, shaking my head in frustration. I had misunderstood something.

I am not Kamon Vade. I’m Kang Hyunsoo, possessing Kamon Vade’s body.

The intelligence, creativity, and talent belong to Kamon Vade, but the soul inside is Kang Hyunsoo’s.

“So, memory belongs to the body, understanding to the soul. Is that it?”

I felt a deep sense of emptiness and futility, unable to grasp the situation with my common sense.

“…There’s no hope. Damn it, what am I supposed to do now?”

“Eek!”

…Huh?

Oh, right. I’m in the library.

Realizing the scene I had caused, I turned my head to apologize.

“Huh?”

The person startled by my outburst, the one glancing at me from over there, looked strangely familiar.

‘Who is that? Do I know anyone here?’

Oh, that’s…

‘Bren… is it?’

The guy who tore out his notes for me in the last class.

‘His notes were well-organized and easy to understand. They helped me a lot.’

Indeed, model students are recognizable anywhere. Such meticulous note-takers study in the library until this late hour. In Korea, someone like him would be immediately picked up by a professor and turned into a graduate school slave…

Huh?

Graduate school slave?

My eyes narrowed.

‘Wait a minute. But how do I…’

Just then, Bren, who had been glancing at me, jumped when our eyes met, hitting his head on the desk.

“Eek!”

But I had already stood up and approached Bren.

“Hey, Bren. Studying?”

“G-gah!”

Wow, what a reaction.

It almost makes me want to sponsor him.

“K-Kamon. H-hi? I-I’m…”

“Ah. Studying hard, I see.”

“Y-yeah. Exams are coming up soon. S-so, why are you here…?”

“What do you mean why? Is it weird for me to be in the library?”

“O-of course it’s weir…”

“Huh?”

“N-no! It’s not weird! J-just a moment.”

Rustle, rustle.

Bren hastily searched through his bag and pulled something out.

“H-here, Kamon! Here you go.”

“What’s this?”

“T-the notes. Isn’t this what you came for? You said you didn’t have them last time.”

“Did I?”

“Yeah. Here!”

Rustle.

I naturally opened the notebook he handed me.

Detailed annotations on various magic formulas and dungeon studies filled the pages. An invaluable A-grade, no, S-grade set of notes.

It even made a bit more sense to me.

‘This guy…’

His chubby face, bright eyes, and trembling cheeks from fear.

I like it.

I really like it…

“T-this is all the notes for Dungeon Studies. I-I really didn’t have them last time. Is this enough?”

“Hm.”

I suppressed a smile that was about to break out.

“Ah, thanks. Really, thanks a lot.”

“Huh?”

“But Bren.”

I casually sat next to Bren and put my arm around his shoulders.

“W-why are you…?”

“Shh. Shh. Quiet. This is a library. We have to be considerate of others.”

Bren started trembling under my arm.

“Bren, we’re friends, right?”

“F-friends?”

“Yeah, friends. Friends help each other when they’re in trouble, don’t they?”

At my words, Bren’s face crumpled, and he hurriedly pulled something out of his pocket.

Clink.

The sound of a few silver coins clinking together.

“T-this is all I have right now…”

What? Money?

Although it seems surprisingly tempting… no, this isn’t it.

“Hiss!”

“N-no?”

I almost instinctively took the money, but managed to suppress the urge and gently pushed Bren’s hand away.

“What do you think I am… That’s not it, Bren.”

“Huh? N-not that? Then what…”

Bren’s face filled with anxiety. He seemed unsure of what I was about to demand.

I gave him a faint smile.

“Teach me magic.”

“Huh?”

Bren stared at me with wide eyes.

“M-magic?”

“Yeah.”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

“Teach you?”

“That’s right.”

I squeezed Bren’s shoulder tighter, wearing a bright smile.

“What do you say, can you do it?”

And so, I gained a great ‘friend.’

A very good friend.

* * *

“This formula, when applied like this…”

As Bren continued his enthusiastic explanations, I couldn’t help but feel satisfied.

I had really hit the jackpot with this.

A great slave… no, a great friend. Haha.

“…Um, Kamon?”

“Yeah?”

“I-I’m explaining this well, right?”

“Of course.”

Everything was becoming clear, thanks to Bren’s thorough explanations of basic magic, step by step.

‘Tutoring is definitely more efficient than self-study.’

However, there was one problem…

“So, applying this formula here will gather the mana.”

“Wait, Bren.”

“Y-yes?”

“What exactly does it mean to gather mana?”

“Huh? Gathering mana? Well, as you know, you have to transform the surrounding mana according to the formula and then, while rotating the circle, change E to A…”

“No, no. I understand the formula and the transformation. That’s not what I’m asking.”

“Huh?”

There was a fundamental aspect I couldn’t grasp, something I couldn’t understand at all.

And without understanding this, no amount of memorizing formulas would be meaningful, something I realized a long time ago.

“How do you gather mana?”

“Gather mana?”

“Yeah.”

“H-how to gather mana?”

Bren looked at me with a slightly perplexed expression.

What? Why is he looking at me like that?

Did I ask a forbidden question?

“Sigh, okay. So…”

Step by step, Bren approached me and started waving his arms vigorously.

Swish, swish.

“Do you see it?”

“Huh?”

“Can you see it?”

“See what? Bren, I can see you waving your arms…”

“No, the mana around my arms! It’s circulating and moving as I wave them.”

What?

Mana?

“Focus on my arms. As I wave them, the mana reacts. Do you see it?”

“Haha. Yeah, sure. I can see it. The mana is going wild!”

“Now, as I slowly draw it into my body… breathing deeply…”

Bren explained, his face suddenly serious, and looked at me again.

“How is it? Can you see the mana entering my body?”

“…Yeah, sure.”

Sigh.

All I see is a guy flailing his arms around.

“Alright, now I’ll apply the formula…”

As Bren continued, a peculiar light began to emanate from his arms.

‘A light?’

Poof!

Then, with a strange sound, a small flame appeared on Bren’s hand.

“See? By absorbing the surrounding mana, rotating the circle within my body, and applying the formula, I can create fire.”

Ah, so that’s how magic works.

But I can’t see any mana, so what should I do?

“…”

Alright.

I guess I just need to sense and absorb the surrounding mana and release it, right?

‘Let’s give it a shot.’

There’s nothing to lose. Maybe you don’t need to see it to use it.

Trying isn’t a bad idea.

“I’ll give it a try.”

“O-okay.”

I closed my eyes and…

“Slowly breathe and feel the surrounding mana,” Bren guided.

I concentrated, trying to sense the ‘mana’ that supposedly surrounded me.

‘Bren’s arms were glowing.’

That means there’s definitely ‘mana’ around me too.

Focus, Kang Hyunsoo.

Immerse yourself deeply, feel the energy around you.

Become one with your surroundings.

“Whew, inhale, exhale.”

At that moment, when I could even feel a single thread of breath…

Tickle.

Huh?

For a moment, I felt something.

A slight tickling sensation around my arms and legs.

‘Is this mana?’

Whatever it was, I felt some strange energy, so I started to absorb it.

Slowly, without haste.

Carefully and cautiously.

The tickling sensation began to spread throughout my body.

‘Got it.’

I could feel the ticklish energy inside my body.

I directed this mana to my fingertips.

Then, gathering it all at once, I chanted a powerful spell.

“Fireball!”

“K-Kamon. What are you doing?”

“Huh?”

When I opened my eyes at Bren’s call, there was no fireball at my fingertips.

‘What? Why didn’t the fireball appear?’

Maybe I wasn’t focused enough?

Let’s try again!

“Inhale! Fi…reball!”

“…”

“…”

Nothing changed, amazingly.

Why? Why isn’t it working?

I definitely felt the mana energy!

Why?

“Hey, Bren.”

I asked Bren, who was staring at me blankly.

“Mana… it’s supposed to feel ticklish and like something is touching you, right?”

“Huh?”

“Is it supposed to feel ticklish and like someone is touching your body when you sense mana?”

“…”

Bren hung his head low, saying nothing.

I realized instantly from his reaction.

‘No, it’s not that.’

Then what the hell did I just feel?