I Became the Genius Mage of the Martial Academy

Chapter 132 : Psychokinesis (1)

‘This is?!’

As I was reading for a while, I grasped the true nature of the secret manual.

Its main content was the mastery of an area using formless energy.

It was psychokinesis, an application of telekinesis.

The Heaven-Shattering Demon, who was a Hwagyeong-level master at the time, seemed to have had a profound interest in the phenomenon of telekinesis itself.

To the point of writing a whole book about it.

When my thoughts reached that point, I could understand how the Blood Demon could use such an absurd blood art.

‘To think it was really a secret manual related to magic.’

The 4th circle was a realm where one could try psychokinesis. It was a useful secret art for me, who used the Art of Controlling the Fan with Qi with the Daoist Scholar's Fan.

I chewed on the contents of the secret manual and focused on my inner mind.

A martial artist is, after all, one who utilizes qi, intervening from the body to the sword, and finally to the external qi.

At this time, the act of imbuing ‘thought’ (念) into the qi is an extension of that mastery.

When the ‘thought’ (念) at the level of interfering with the world meets a profound internal energy and forms a physical force, it realizes the principle of ‘movement’ (動).

‘Psychokinesis goes a little more systematically from here.’

Three of the four rings of the 4th circle rotate, forming the x, y, and z axes.

At this time, if the last remaining ring creates a fourth interference and realizes a vector value…

Sreung-

The First Blade of the Daoist Scholar's Fan is drawn from my bosom.

This wasn't using the power of the divine object as I usually did with the Daoist Scholar's Fan. It was drawing the First Blade using psychokinesis.

Gu Ja-beom was sleeping in front, but I didn't mind.

Anyway, if they interpreted the original, the leaders of the Martial Academy would all find out, and above all, I wasn't so narrow-minded as to be suspicious and hide things even in front of those who were supporting me like this.

Because that was a different matter from being cautious.

I focused my consciousness and tried to move the First Blade or change its trajectory.

It was certainly my first time handling it, so control was not easy.

It felt like controlling a drone floating in the sky.

Of course, it wasn't just the feeling of controlling it with a remote control.

It felt like I had to do everything from the power source to the simple control program, specific command signals, and even power control on my end.

The difficulty was different from the magic I had used so far, which was just setting a target and firing with matching firepower.

It would gradually get better as I got used to it, but as Gu Ja-beom said, the threat was approaching in real time.

I needed to adapt quickly and become stronger.

I operated my mana with a high level of concentration. Then, the First Blade, which had been shaking a little, began to fly in the air, drawing a figure eight.

However, I didn't stop there.

‘In this state, I’ll draw the Second Blade.’

As I focused with cold sweat on my forehead, the trembling Second Blade was drawn from the Daoist Scholar's Fan. But I couldn't move both at the same time.

‘Is it still just one?’

The limit of psychokinesis targets that could be used in a real battle was one.

So, as I had done before, I operated the First Blade and floated the Second Blade with psychokinesis, and tried to cross the two blades in the air.

‘Not being able to use magic is a big deal.’

Psychokinesis used all four circles, and since it was a principle similar to the telekinesis used by Hwagyeong masters, it was trickier than I thought.

‘If I increase my proficiency more, I can use it in many ways.’

Thinking so, I retrieved the First and Second Blades. The consumption of mental energy was quite large.

I caressed the Daoist Scholar's Fan, looking at Gu Ja-beom who was still snoring and sleeping.

‘Should I practice a little more?’

While I was struggling with the Daoist Scholar's Fan and continuing my practice for a while, a few days passed, and we were able to return to the Martial Academy again.

The first place I visited was the grand conference hall where Cheon Mu-jin was waiting, sitting in the seat of honor.

A tense atmosphere filled the grand conference hall, where the leaders of the Martial Academy, such as the head of the secret manual library and the head of the mountain keepers of Yeongsan, Go Du-gyeong, were gathered.

"So, where is the secret manual?"

Among them, the elderly head of the secret manual library looked at our side and asked.

At that, I took out the Heaven-Shattering Demon's secret manual from my bosom and handed it to the vice-head of the secret manual library, who had been waiting on the side.

"Chief Professor Gu Ja-beom! Weren't you a little careless?! To hand over the Heaven-Shattering Demon's secret manual to a student!"

At that sight, the head of the secret manual library got angry.

"Who to entrust it to is the discretion of the on-site person in charge. I judged that student Zhuge Cheonwu was more suitable than me, who was internally injured. Is there a problem?"

When Gu Ja-beom answered without backing down, the opponent's expression crumpled.

"...There should be no problem with the secret manual."

The office worker couldn't grumble any more at Gu Ja-beom, who had taken on the difficult task and retrieved the secret manual while getting injured.

The head of the secret manual library looked at the Heaven-Shattering Demon's secret manual with a look full of longing and then raised his voice to Cheon Mu-jin.

"Academy Head. Before we discuss the awarding of merits, may I say a word?"

"Go ahead."

Cheon Mu-jin granted permission to speak, as if he had expected it.

"Although student Zhuge Cheonwu has merits, I am against giving him a transcribed copy of the secret manual."

"What did you say?"

Then, from the opposite side, Go Du-gyeong objected.

"Are you changing your words in front of a student who risked his life to fight? Did your conscience rot along with you from being cooped up in a small room? Since you seem to have forgotten, let me teach you what righteousness is. A promise made should be kept, unless you're a damn beast."

In the argument, a tense tension was felt between those who would not give it and those who would.

Of course, I had already read and memorized it all, but I decided to watch how things went for now.

And so, after a round of debate, Cheon Mu-jin finally stepped in to mediate.

"That's enough. Since it was a promise made in the name of the academy, it must be kept. Of course, I also understand the concerns of the head of the secret manual library."

What the head of the secret manual library had said was because of the concern of it being leaked to the outside.

It might seem strange for the Martial Academy, which was famous for disclosing all its martial arts, to be like this about whether to disclose a martial art now.

However, now that the Heaven-Shattering Demon was gone, while the old martial arts were already widely spread, in the case of new martial arts that had been differentiated through each person's efforts and research, it was a world where it was natural to claim exclusive rights.

For the survival of the Martial Academy in an era where new martial arts were rampant, it was also important to hide the secret manual for now.

‘Although it seems selfish, this is the flow of the times. Because the absolute existence called the Heaven-Shattering Demon is gone.’

In the end, the human nature called desire was designed to inevitably pursue competition.

"So, I would like to ask for student Zhuge Cheonwu's understanding. What do you think?"

Cheon Mu-jin said so. Even if it was a transcribed copy, it could be burdensome to give it to a student.

It might be unpleasant, but after calmly facing the current situation, an idea came to mind.

‘Perhaps I can use this opportunity.’

“I fully understand the concerns regarding the secret manual.”

“Hey?!”

Go Du-gyeong added, as if to say, "What are you talking about?", but I also have a plan.

“Therefore, I would like to replace the reward with access to the underground floor of the secret manual library.”

“How can you do that?!”

I heard the astonished voice of the head of the secret manual library.

“Although I am lacking, I have some knowledge of formations and mechanisms, so I was able to know that there was something on the underground floor. Judging by the even stricter security than the advanced library, I was just convinced that there would be something more valuable there.”

In fact, it was just that I knew the content of the original story.

“Heo.”

At the words that he had grasped the reality of the underground floor, which was difficult for even a decent super-master to detect, a sound of admiration was heard from the other side.

Cheon Mu-jin, who had organized the atmosphere of the buzzing conference hall, asked me.

“Are you sure that access to the underground library instead of a transcribed copy of the secret manual is enough?”

“Yes.”

Since I had memorized all the content of the original anyway, I didn't need it now.

It was much more advantageous to get the right to access the underground library, which could only be entered by graduating with the highest grades.

And so, just as the reward processing was about to proceed as planned.

“Even so, to let a mere intermediate student access it, not even a grand graduate?!”

It was the head of the secret manual library.

As expected of a person who had been there since the establishment of the Martial Academy, he was the type of person who deified the Heaven-Shattering Demon somewhere.

"You don't like this, you don't like that. Have you finally gone senile? Old man?"

Go Du-gyeong criticized, faintly raising his momentum. Ignoring this, the head of the secret manual library appealed to Cheon Mu-jin.

“…Still, doesn’t he not have the qualifications? We must keep the principles of the establishment.”

Originally, the underground library was like a privilege given only to grand graduates, that is, university graduates. The opponent was pointing that out.

“It is a merit for retrieving the secret manual. Moreover, the task entrusted to that child is close to the purpose of the establishment.”

“I cannot accept that…”

“Don’t be presumptuous. I will be the judge.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

When Cheon Mu-jin pointed it out coldly, the head of the secret manual library bowed his head. The reason he was opposing me so much was one thing: he was dissatisfied with the special treatment I was receiving.

Although I had established merits during the war and had shown achievements in various fields such as the Great Blood Art, he was worried that the organization would not collapse due to excessive favoritism.

Although his method was inflexible and stubborn.

This type of person is bound to be obedient to rank.

In the end, he couldn't stand up to the push of his superior, Cheon Mu-jin.

Moreover, with the added influence of the on-site executives, including Gu Ja-beom and Go Du-gyeong, he couldn't even present any more counterarguments and had no choice but to be crushed.

“…Then I will give you an access pass, so apply whenever you want.”

When I finally received the underground library access pass from the head of the secret manual library and came out, it was dark outside.

It was a long-awaited return, but there was still a place to visit. The medical center where Go Won-tae was.

I had already handed over his daughter's body on the way to the grand conference hall.

Go Won-tae, who faced me with sunken cheeks and eyes, as if he had composed himself in the meantime. After a long silence, he finally said a word.

“…Thank you.”

“It’s alright.”

As I was about to turn around after saying so, he grabbed me.

“I told you before that I was the Divine Doctor’s last disciple.”

“Yes.”

I have such a memory. At that time, I just listened and let it go, but thinking about it again, it was a quite meaningful remark.

Because he might be a person who knew the whereabouts of the Divine Doctor, who had disappeared decades ago.

“In the past, my master said he had investigated the dantian of the previous Blood Demon.”

“The Blood Demon’s dantian? How?”

“He said that the Heaven-Shattering Demon had requested an autopsy from my master, saying that he wouldn’t die even after being killed.”

The Divine Doctor had told Go Won-tae at that time that the dantian in the corpse itself had been transformed and was like the will of the Blood Demon, and in his later years, he had left him a map with the location where the Blood Demon’s dantian was hidden.

“I was able to research the blood arts with that. Though I can’t go there now.”

“Pardon?”

“The headquarters of the Heretic Alliance has been established in that area. I can’t even go in secretly now. But you are different.”

Go Won-tae looked at me and then held out an old map.

“So you want me to bring that this time?”

“No. I want you to ingest that blood dantian.”

“Pardon?”

“I examined your constitution once more while treating your wound this time. It was gruesome. To have such adaptability in your blood without even having learned the blood arts. It was like the dantian of the previous Blood Demon. You can do it. No, only you can!”

“But why are you giving that to me?”

It was the dantian of the previous Blood Demon.

Something incomparable to the spirit core of a spiritual beast. Aside from the danger, since it was an incredibly precious thing, I couldn't help but be curious about his intention.

“You are the contributor to the subjugation of the Blood Cult this time. You are young and can become stronger at any time. The Blood Demon will return someday. At that time, I want you to kill the Blood Demon.”

In the cold late winter, the old man's two eyes were flickering. All that was left in that place was now revenge against the Blood Cult.

Noticing this, I listened to a few questions and answers and specific information, and then I accepted the map.

He said that in theory, if I ingested the blood dantian, I could obtain the power of the previous Blood Demon, that is, his physical abilities, and become dramatically stronger.

‘No matter how much it’s refined, I don’t think I can get power that easily.’

Of course, I wouldn't refuse if it helped my growth.

I also have some guesses regarding the blood dantian.

However, apart from that, there was a separate point that was bothering me.

“If it was the power of the Heaven-Shattering Demon, he could have just annihilated it, so why did he go so far as to research it?”

“He asked my master if he could also become like that.”

“Pardon?”

It was a bewildering answer. Why on earth would the Heaven-Shattering Demon say such a thing?

When I asked back with bewilderment, Go Won-tae shook his head.

“I don’t know any more than that. The only thing that is certain is that the blood dantian, which has sealed and refined the dantian of the previous Blood Demon, is hidden in that map. So, what will you do?”

Since I had already accepted the map, the answer was set.

“If I get the chance, I will definitely take care of him. The Blood Demon.”

At those words, Go Won-tae showed a dry smile for the first time since I had known him.

(End of Chapter)