The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 31

“Ugh…”

Dragging this thing all the way here was tougher than I thought.

Using magic to reduce its weight was a stroke of genius.

Still, I feel like I’m going to die.

Sweat poured down like rain, so I gulped down the last bit of water I had left.

Behind Ardel Academy, on the wooded hillside…

Since the professors often take morning walks here, even if this experiment is discovered, it should be resolved quickly.

And if not, our protagonist will take care of it for sure.

Well, my job is done here.

I can start going back to the lab as usual from tomorrow.

But…

Something’s been bothering me for a while.

“Adela.”

“Hm?”

We were looking down at a Frankenstein-like figure lying peacefully as if in a coffin.

A ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment. Its artificially created heart was glowing with a blue light.

That was likely the core point of the kobold, probably the source of its magical power.

It was swollen to the point where it wouldn’t be surprising if it exploded at any moment.

And that was the problem.

“It wouldn’t be surprising if it exploded anytime…”

It was regrettable that the exact date wasn’t recorded in the academy’s records, but judging by the intensity of the magic, I could make a rough guess.

Kiiiing. Kiiiiiing.

Plus, judging by how our Basilus has been going crazy since earlier, this isn’t leading to a good conclusion.

“Isn’t this going to explode today?”

No way.

***

In the early dawn, when everyone was still asleep, the plan was to quietly abandon the experiment and come down without anyone noticing.

But on the way down from the hike, we ran into an unwelcome face.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

Professor Ernst, with his seemingly kind face but still unreadable expression, looked back at us.

I’m doomed.

So, I guess he’s wondering why students who should be sound asleep in the dormitory are out on the mountains at this hour.

“Oh, Professor, we were just…”

Adela, with her surprised eyes, tried to come up with a strange excuse, which I quickly stopped.

Professor Ernst suspiciously looked up toward the top of the mountain.

His lips moved as if he had something to say.

“Is there perhaps…”

It was only a moment, but I quickly weighed my options.

Ardel’s Frankenstein, the culprit behind this case, wasn’t revealed in the original story, leaving only hints behind.

Therefore, I don’t know who the culprit is.

But at least the Professor Ernst I know is a good person.

The fact that the place where the experiment was sealed is Ernest’s lab bothers me, but that alone isn’t enough to suspect him.

‘It doesn’t seem like Professor Ernst is the culprit.’

I trust him.

But that doesn’t mean I should reveal all my cards.

I gave an awkward smile and opened my mouth.

“Well, we heard that there’s a full moon tonight, so…”

“There’s no need to make excuses.”

What?

At Professor Ernst’s words, with a sly grin, Adela and I tilted our heads in confusion.

And then…

“I’ll keep it a secret for you. Hehe”

What is this old man talking about?

“No, I didn’t think you two would be that kind of couple. Hehe, you’re at that age.”

“….”

“Professor, it’s not like that…”

Stay quiet.

“Mmmph.”

“Why would I be with him…”

“You got us, haha.”

“Right? That’s what I thought.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“As I thought, my eyes never deceive me.”

Holding back Adela’s mouth, I smiled and bowed toward Professor Ernst.

“We’ll head back now. Please take care, Professor!”

“Hehe, don’t stay out too late. There are rumors of goblins around here. Ah… but I suppose with the arrow of love, you could probably take out a goblin or two with one shot?”

Stop with the nonsense and just go back already.

Professor Ernst, apparently not interested in hiking any further, laughed heartily and turned back toward the school.

“Have a good night!”

It was only after Professor Ernst had disappeared that I let go of Adela’s mouth.

“…Do you want to die?”

That was the first thing she said.

Wow, with that expression, she could bury me in the ground with no hesitation.

But unfortunately, I want to live.

“Now’s not the time for that.”

“What? There’s more?”

I frowned as I looked down at Ardel Academy.

It seemed my guess that Professor Ernst was unlikely to be the culprit was somewhat correct.

If he were the real culprit, he would certainly target the lab at this hour.

“The lights are on.”

At my words, Adela’s expression turned cold.

We could see that the lights in Professor Ernst’s lab, which had been dark until a moment ago, were now on.

There was no way Senior Betty would have visited the lab at this hour. We needed to check it out before Professor Ernst returned.

“Let’s head down to the lab.”

Adela, understanding the situation with just one sentence, slowly nodded.

“…Are you going up?”

“I have to.”

If the experiment is indeed waking up today, the culprit will likely show up at one of two places.

Swallowing my nerves, I waved at Adela.

“See you later.”

***

“Grrrr…”

Oh my, you woke up a bit early.

I chuckled as I put my hand in my pocket.

I wasn’t laughing out of joy.

Yes, I’m a bit out of my mind right now.

Why is it waking up now?

And at the worst possible timing, with Adela not around.

Can I hold out? Or should I go back now and ask Professor Ernst for help? But isn’t there still not enough evidence to trust him completely?

I wrestled with these thoughts but soon shook my head.

Dragging the professor into this when the enemy isn’t clear would be the worst choice. This is something I have to handle myself.

“I’m not sure if I can do it, but…”

Ardel’s Frankenstein.

The eerie yellow eyes, reminiscent of Odopteon, stared menacingly in this direction.

“kuu!”

And then there was Basilus, bravely baring his fangs without a hint of fear.

Why do you have to make it angry?

Please, don’t do that.

It was too late to try and stop it.

“Hey, that thing’s mad.”

It must be hungry after being buried for so long. It was probably already looking for prey, so it must be thrilled that one has walked right up to it.

Screeeeech—

The creature let out a sharp cry, its eyes gleaming as it spread its shoulders.

Boom. Boom.

With each step it took, the ground trembled. Its grotesquely stitched limbs creaked as they swung back and forth.

It had already unleashed its magical energy once, and the trees nearby were shattered beyond recognition.

If that thing caught me, I’d end up just like those trees—crushed to pieces. I wasn’t eager to hear my spine scream in agony.

So…

“Basilus!”

“Kuu!”

Today isn’t your turn to make it angry, so…

Run away.

Screeeeech—

The excited Frankenstein of Ardel Academy began chasing after me with its massive legs.

Thud.

The ground shook with every step it took.

As the giant creature advanced, the trees shook violently as if they were about to be uprooted.

This was no ordinary opponent. It was a monster created by combining the best traits of various other monsters.

It possessed incredible intelligence, endless stamina, and a body optimized for combat.

Honestly, I had no chance of winning.

But even when the odds were against me, I had faced countless opponents before.

So, I ran.

“Huff… Huff…”

I ran down the hill without looking back.

“Please.”

I just needed to make it down there.

Even as branches caught on my feet and I stumbled over rocks, I gritted my teeth and kept running. The creature was relentlessly pursuing me.

Its speed increased as it grew accustomed to the chase.

“Ugh.”

I lost my balance and tumbled down the slope.

That hurt.

It felt like I twisted my ankle—sharp pain like needles pricked at my consciousness.

“Kuu!”

Basilus grabbed me by the collar, pulling and urging me to get up.

I grabbed him and forced myself to stand.

I had a plan, but if I got caught here, it would all be for nothing.

I pulled a staff out of my leather bag. The symbol of Ardel Academy.

There was nothing better to face a creature that mindlessly unleashed its magical power.

“Bind.”

I cast a spell to bind the creature temporarily.

It seemed to work as it froze in place, letting out a furious roar.

It looked ridiculous, like it was tied up with ropes, but there was no time to laugh.

“It’ll only last a minute.”

I gritted my teeth and ran again.

Huff. Huff.

I felt like I was going to die.

I was almost there…

But the Frankenstein had already broken free from the binding spell and was fuming, emitting black smoke.

Thud.

Now it was picking up massive rocks and hurling them at me.

“Damn it.”

I froze in my tracks as a huge rock landed right in front of me.

It was smarter than it looked, trying to trap me.

Even though it was only at the level of a first-circle mage, the creature had been modified to cast simple spells.

The air around me grew so cold it was almost suffocating.

It seemed this was its second tactic to immobilize me. My limbs were starting to sting from the cold.

“Basilus!”

Whoosh.

Thanks to Basilus’s breath attack, I managed to endure the creature’s assault. I almost ended up frozen solid.

I quickly gathered my thoughts.

The longer this dragged on, the worse it would be.

Because of its modified body, the creature was drawing its magical power from an external source. No matter how much more magical power I had compared to my peers, I was no match for it.

I called out urgently to Basilus.

“If this drags on, we’re dead. Basilus, you can handle this, right?”

Nod.

Basilus rolled his large eyes and immediately charged at Frankenstein.

The experiment, which had been fixated on me, hesitated momentarily before instinctively chasing after Basilus.

“Grrr.”

I assessed its movements and identified its elemental attributes.

Judging by its ability to freeze the air, it seemed that even though it was a crude amalgamation, its core attribute was ice.

“Magic Arrow.”

I grabbed a flaming arrow with one hand.

Thanks to Basilus, the creature had turned its back to me.

I just had to shoot.

Carefully.

I drew the bowstring.

Screeeech!

A piercing scream echoed through the air.

The first arrow struck its heart, causing the creature to writhe in pain as its limbs creaked and groaned.

It started to turn toward me, aiming to target me again.

But it wouldn’t get what it wanted.

Swoosh.

I quickly dodged to the side and ran. The fear was so overwhelming that the pain in my twisted ankle was almost forgotten.

The creature, charging toward me with the ground shaking beneath it, stretched out its arms to grab me.

But I was a step ahead.

I threw myself to the side and rolled across the ground.

“Ugh!”

Frankenstein roared as it followed my tracks.

But…

I didn’t know.

Right in front of it was a trap Adela had set up.

Screeeech!

The massive creature was sucked into a large pit.

Even at a glance, it was incredibly deep.

It was a depth that couldn’t have been achieved by mere digging, but thanks to Adela, we made it.

I believed in this.

Knowing we couldn’t win by physical strength alone, we were thoroughly prepared for the possibility of Frankenstein waking up.

“Huff… Huff…”

We had planned two steps ahead.

Gasping for breath, I hugged Basilus tightly as he ran to me.

“Grrr!”

Frankenstein, unable to catch me, raged and spewed all sorts of curses.

I couldn’t understand exactly what it was saying, but it sounded nasty.

But so what?

“…This hurts like hell.”

I gritted my teeth and picked up the bow again.

I’d been running for my life, and my ankle was messed up too.

All I had left for the creature writhing in pain were three arrows.

I drew the bowstring once more.

“Rest in peace.”

Swish—

The sound of a short burst cutting through the air echoed.

With its final, dying scream, silence fell over the hillside.

“…”

In the now quiet night, I anxiously glanced at the research lab’s flickering lights.

I wonder if they’re doing okay over there.