The direction of magic is incredibly diverse.
Some, like Nam Hwa-yeon, focus on the path of magical research, while others specialize in combat or conflict-oriented magic.
Seung-woo was clearly the latter.
Isabelle, who had been taught magic by her great grandmother since childhood, couldn't have been mistaken in her judgment.
No, even someone completely unfamiliar with magic would have reached the same conclusion after witnessing what just happened.
Seung-woo's magic was truly combat-oriented.
"How can he produce that level of power with intermediate-level magic?"
All the magic her former fiancé wielded was at an intermediate level.
Although his exceptional sense for handling magic far surpassed the intermediate level, the spells themselves remained intermediate.
Watching him, Isabelle felt a strange sensation, as if he were a veteran in skill but still physically immature.
"Of course, it's not impossible for intermediate-level magic to produce advanced-level power..."
But what she had just witnessed, in terms of sheer power and efficiency, was beyond advanced-level magic.
If the lethality were increased further, it might even reach the level of grand magic or mass destruction magic, spells that are considered only for the purpose of 'destruction.'
Well, unless you're Professor Nam Hwa-yeon or my grandmother, reaching that level would be absurd.
But what if?
It was impossible not to wonder.
From her perspective as a mage, the recent battle left her with no choice but to think that way.
'Even so, he's still just an A-rank.'
Isabelle glanced at the license in his hand.
A rectangular card with his face and the large inscription "A-rank."
The rank written on it was a bit disappointing, but it was still a solid path guaranteed to reach S-rank. No, actually, starting from the higher ranks, personality tests also become important evaluation criteria, so it might not be that easy.
In that sense, her former fiancé might become a ranker faster than he would become an S-rank player.
"Teacher, are we leaving now?"
"Yeah, we've had dinner, and Ji-han left early for his part-time job, so let's head out."
While Isabelle was lost in deep thought.
Noh Yura and Baek Seung-woo were talking.
She suddenly looked at him.
As he reached into his jacket pocket to pay for dinner, she caught a familiar scent.
At that moment, it hit her.
Her former fiancé was heading toward a secret building outside the academy yesterday.
And the scent of drugs from that underground place was now coming from his pocket. Her pupils trembled.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Do you have something to say?"
"Ah, no... nothing."
Isabelle hesitated to speak.
If he had obtained that grass, which seemed illegal and was banned on a national level, from a shady place...
In other words... if he had bought drugs, what could she even say to him?
There was no need to think long.
Collapse.
Literally, a collapse.
His position as an assistant, his temporary teaching position, and even his position as the head of the family.
Everything would collapse.
In her mind, there was no thought that the forbidden grass might be a poisonous plant.
And why would anyone buy poisonous plants from such a place? She didn't even consider such an absurd assumption.
Whether it was drugs or poisonous plants didn't really matter.
What mattered wasn't the truth, but her rationalization.
He was everything to the girl. So, she secretly thought it would only be fair if Seung-woo lost everything too.
However, Seung-woo had made a promise to her.
He had promised to tell her about the flaws in the magic passed down from her grandmother.
It was a ridiculous promise, but she didn't want to break even that.
Because it was that kind of promise.
It was the first promise she had made with him in a long time.
Even though the biggest promise, their engagement, had been broken, she didn't want even this small promise to be shattered. Part of her wished Seung-woo would never discover the flaws.
A very foolish thought.
Yes, foolish.
She knew she was being quite foolish, but what could she do?
That's just how the human heart is.
"Shall we get going now?"
Naturally unaware of her thoughts, Seung-woo hailed a taxi and headed to their destination.
Since they were all moving together on the weekend, while the other students chatted in the taxi as if on a picnic, Isabelle's gaze was fixed solely on Seung-woo.
It couldn't be.
Yes, it couldn't be.
The girl who still believed in love.
She could only pray.
Please, don't let him fall so far as to touch drugs.
Her heart, still longing, remained in the flower garden of her childhood.
Only, to protect herself from getting hurt, she had grown thorns around the flowers.
Nothing had changed.
***
Night fell.
They took a taxi to Jongno, where the auction house was located, to purchase the Life-Killing Stone.
"Alright, sir. This is as far as the taxi can go. It should take about three minutes on foot to reach the place you mentioned."
At the taxi driver's words, I paid in cash and got out.
"So, this is the underground auction house? With no streetlights around, it seems more suited for human trafficking than an auction house."
"Well, that's just how the rich like it. You're dark and gloomy too, aren't you?"
"You're a rich girl yourself."
The coordinates Ou Yezi had given led to a place with nothing but a large tree and a forest. There was no sign of the opulence one would associate with the games of the wealthy.
Hmm, on second thought, the name "underground auction house" itself sounds illegal, so the atmosphere fits.
My students and I walked into that gloomy forest.
Deep in the forest, there was a man-made structure.
[Welcome to the Jongno Underground Auction House!]
The sign was translated in real-time into various languages.
I looked at the sign, which translated into the native languages of those present—Korean, Chinese, Russian, and so on.
Indeed, it's all for show, but they certainly spared no expense for the rich.
Real-time translation signs aren't that rare.
But to detect and translate our native language based on the magical energy emanating from us, without any prior setup, is no small feat.
It's not an impossible technology, but it must have cost hundreds of millions.
The maintenance costs wouldn't be trivial either.
"Please show your invitation."
As we approached the auction house sign, attendants emerged from the passage beside it.
They were clearly from the underground auction house.
They bowed their heads, and in their hands were trays with letter envelopes and knives to cut the wax seals. It seemed only invited guests were allowed entry.
"No, I don't have an invitation."
"Then entry is not possib——"
"But isn't my face the invitation itself?"
I leaned in close to them.
As I did, the fox ears on my head and the fluffy fox tail came into their view.
The moment our eyes met, my pupils flashed a deep purple, proving my identity.
The purple eyes and fox pupils, along with the fox tail swaying as if enjoying the situation.
Only then did the attendants recognize me and began frantically communicating through their radios.
The attendants glanced nervously at the tail swaying left and right. Like a metronome, their eyes followed the tail's movement.
They couldn't look away.
After waiting for about three minutes, they finally escorted me underground, as if they couldn't leave me outside any longer.
"You may stay here, Head of the Cheonho Baek Family."
"...Hmm."
Though it was a seat separate from others, it didn't feel particularly luxurious.
"We had no prior notice of your arrival today. We would have preferred to seat you in the VVIP section, but it's fully booked. We apologize, but we've placed you in the VIP section."
"Well, I came without an invitation, so it can't be helped."
"Ah, yes, Head of the Cheonho Baek Family. Thank you for understanding."
As I waved my hand and nodded, the attendants bowed and went to greet other guests in an orderly manner.
There was still time before the auction.
To quench my thirst, I reached for the wine glass and bottle on the table.
Just as I was about to pour myself a glass of the moderately chilled wine, a hand stopped me.
It was Isabelle, with her dazzling golden hair.
"Are you crazy? Don't you know why there's wine at the VIP seats in an auction house?"
Of course, her way of speaking wasn't particularly charming.
I casually replied to her.
"Yeah, there's nothing more foolish than getting drunk in a place where you're spending money. Alcohol dulls your cognitive abilities and financial sense."
"So? What are you doing with that glass in your right hand?"
"Well, in my case, I can handle alcohol pretty well. A glass of whiskey should be fine."
It's not about constitution or mental strength.
Hunters can easily cure a simple hangover by circulating magical energy throughout their bodies to filter out impurities.
I took it a step further, having immunity to poison.
The skill [Weak Body Resistance] integrated with [Hundred Poisons Immunity].
A constitution that grants resistance to a hundred types of poison and generates antibodies and resistance to equivalent levels of toxins. Some might say a hundred poisons are too few.
'This is more than enough.'
I was quite satisfied.
How many poisons do we encounter in life that we'd need resistance to more than a hundred?
Of course, there are exceptions among villains who use poisons even [Thousand Poisons Immunity] can't handle. But those are truly exceptional cases.
In most situations, [Hundred Poisons Immunity] is sufficient.
Even at this very moment, my body is building resistance to alcohol.
Alcohol is also a type of poison.
So, there's no way I could get truly drunk. This is just to lighten the mood.
Of course, Isabelle, who had no way of knowing about my abilities, grabbed her head and sat down beside me.
Then she snatched the wine bottle. Her movements were quite skilled.
She must have taken her dad's wine bottles many times at home.
"This is confiscated."
"...Don't you think we should talk about something more realistic than wine right now?"
"Yerin's right. Teacher, you're rich, so you might be used to this, but we're not."
"Exactly. Isn't this place dangerous? Everyone looks so strong..."
"Don't worry. This will be a good opportunity for you."
It's a rare chance to observe the gatherings of true, not just nouveau riche, wealthy people. In my case, I've been to such auction houses before and even participated, so it's nothing new.
But for them, it's different.
The raw, unfiltered side of the wealthy's lives.
Witnessing it firsthand is invaluable.
It might not be the best scene for the kids' sensibilities, but it will certainly be valuable fertilizer for their personal growth.
And I get the Life-Killing Stone.
The students learn, and I, as their educator, get what I want. Where else would you find such an opportunity?
This is a curriculum only I can offer, something other temporary teachers can't replicate.
"..."
"Teacher, is something bothering you? Should I freeze it for you?"
"...No."
Isis spoke, noticing my expression.
I glanced at a masked man passing by and replied.
"Just a foul stench."
The smell of rotting flesh and blood, enough to twist your nose.
And worse, an indescribable stench of demonic energy.
***
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