The Academy Regressor is Obsessed

Loss of memory.

Regression, or a miracle equivalent to it, achieved by using the memories and soul of “Sihyeok” who lived a past life, not the existence of “Asel”, as the price.

Who could have achieved such a miracle? What’s certain is that it wasn’t a simple miracle that could be accomplished by a swordswoman unable to use magic. Even if hundreds or thousands of magical tools were used. Reversing time was impossible unless one was a transcendent being with authority.

‘Then who on earth?’

Asel quietly thought while looking at the rapidly changing scenery outside the window.

Currently, there are no magicians who can handle time-related formulas. From the start, the concept of time itself was a power not permitted to humans. Even high-level magic, when manifested, only results in acceleration or deceleration at most.

Power that could interfere with the world only existed in theory as extreme-level magic. Moreover, even some of those records have been lost.

Even if the formula existed intact in the first place, there was no way mortals could use such magic. This wasn’t a matter of talent or ability.

It’s a matter of ‘permission’. While brief time manipulation might be possible, magic that affects the world line itself was not permitted to mortals.

Then are transcendent beings who have surpassed the limits of species, like demons or gods, able to freely manipulate time?

“……”

Asel momentarily assumed so, but soon shook his head.

If that were the case, the timeline would have been in chaos long ago. There’s no way gods or demons wouldn’t have tried to manipulate time in their favor. They too must have had to pay some price to handle the concept of time.

And someone took a person’s memories, their soul, as that price.

…Is that really the case?

“…sel.”

It’s a miracle that reverses this entire world. It doesn’t make sense that the price for that is just one person’s soul. The scales don’t balance.

There must be something more. Either an additional price was paid, or it wasn’t a miracle of handling time in the first place.

Either way, it was equally impossible to grasp right now. Asel let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes.

“Asel!”

At that moment, someone called his name from across. Asel slightly opened his eyes and glanced at the owner of the voice.

Warren, with a spirit on his knee, was staring at Asel with furrowed brows.

“Are you listening? You seem to have been distracted for a while now.”
“…I just had something to think about. Sorry.”
“Is it something serious?”
“It’s a personal matter. I’ll focus from now on.”
“Alright. Then I’ll continue explaining.”

Warren said this and took out a piece of paper, spreading it on the small table installed in the center.

Inside the carriage heading to the village where the incident occurred for the first assignment. A high-quality item even among the carriages used by Saya’s merchant group.

As if to prove its status, the paper spread on the table didn’t show even the slightest shake. Despite running on rough stone roads, not only the seats but the entire interior of the carriage was utterly quiet.

However, Asel’s vision shook slightly from fatigue. It was natural to be tired, having talked with Grace all night in a situation where they were already departing at dawn.

Although he was drinking stimulants and suppressing fatigue with magic, it was inevitable to feel exhausted when accumulated fatigue from several days burst out together. He kept rubbing his drooping eyelids with his hand and glared at the paper with a black figure drawn on it.

“Did you draw this?”

Quill asked. Warren nodded with an expressionless face.

“This is what a doppelganger looks like when not imitating the appearance of other living beings.”

Asel let out a small sigh while listening to his words.

The drawing on the paper was predominantly black. Only the eyes shone red, and there was no nose or ears.

Instead, the mouth was attached to the belly. Red paint, seemingly depicting blood, was thickly applied around the mouth, and the tip of the protruding long tongue was slightly curved, looking like a hook.

“Ugh, you drew it so grotesquely.”

Whether he deliberately drew it like this or not, honestly, it wasn’t a very pleasant picture to look at. It was somewhat understandable that Quill was disgusted.

Warren spoke without paying any attention to Quill’s reaction.

“I think everyone has already looked up information about doppelgangers individually, but to explain once more while we’re all gathered like this. Doppelgangers basically don’t have any of the five senses except for sight and taste. The same goes for touch. But they do have a sense of pain.”
“……”
“However, since the degree of pain felt is minor, they don’t show such extreme reactions. Their teeth are quite sharp, and they use their hook-like curved tongue to catch or break prey. Their main diet is living beings like animals or humans.”

For Asel, who hadn’t looked into doppelgangers in much detail due to personal circumstances, Warren’s explanation was quite informative.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and listened attentively to his voice.

“But all of this is about the main body. When they transform their body, they use the characteristics of that living being as is. What’s interesting is that doppelgangers that have survived for over a hundred years can even use magic when they take on the form of a magician.”
“…What?”
“There’s already a discovered case. A water flow magician who ate people. When they subjugated her and looked, there’s a record in the Raymond Magic Tower that she was actually a doppelganger.”
“…That’s not very welcome news.”

Saya said with her brows slightly furrowed. Her gaze briefly turned towards Asel.

Asel noticed what she was worried about and smiled bitterly.

Even if it’s a doppelganger, it probably can’t imitate an elemental magician. Since elemental magic can’t be used without a contracted spirit. Thanks to this, there wasn’t much to worry about even if a doppelganger transformed into Warren’s appearance.

But Asel is different. If a doppelganger transforms into Asel’s appearance and uses magic, the situation becomes a bit serious. It probably won’t be to the extent that the four of them can’t subjugate it, but it’s true that it would be somewhat troublesome. Saya was worried about such a thing happening.

Still, there was no need to worry too much. Even a doppelganger wouldn’t be able to use lightning formulas, Asel’s main magic.

Moreover, Asel knew all the ways to break down the magic he uses. There’s absolutely no way he would lose against a magician using the same magic.

“More importantly, where are we now?”

Asel asked, receiving the gazes of the three people. Saya glanced out the window and answered.

“We still need to travel for two more days. It’s quite a distant region.”
“Outside the empire?”
“Not that, but it is on the outskirts. It’s a village without even a name, it seems.”

A village without a name. Asel closed his eyes, needlessly recalling his hometown.

If it was still far from arrival, there was no reason to forcibly suppress fatigue and stay awake. Asel told his companions that he would take a short nap, then manifested a sleep magic on himself.

Not long after, his breathing became even.

On the fourth day of traveling by carriage.

The group arrived at the foot of the mountain written in the request. They got off the carriage and each packed their belongings, and Asel lifted all the food and water into the air through telekinesis magic.

The coachman was to stay with the carriage in the city closest to the village and return when the time came. He gave a brief greeting to the group, then slowly disappeared driving the carriage. Saya watched his retreating figure, then turned her head.

Looking at the mountain that somehow felt dark despite being daytime, she swished her tail left and right.

The village was located somewhere on that mountain. There was something drawn on the request paper to indicate the village, but it was unrecognizable, so they had to find the village’s location themselves in the end.

Fortunately, since there were two magicians among the group, they didn’t have difficulty with searching.

Asel manifested a detection magic to find the exact location of the village, and Warren used elemental formulas to pioneer the path.

Warren took the lead. He put his spirit at the forefront to create or carve out the ground, making the shortest route to the village. Asel walked right behind him, observing the elemental formulas Warren was using.

‘It’s more powerful than I thought.’

Elemental formulas were famous for using small amounts of magical power. But their power was strong unlike the magical power. Considering that the spirit Warren was handling was a low-level spirit, it was quite an impressive result.

Imitating it… seemed possible. However, since it’s elemental formulas used without a spirit, the magician himself would have to bear both the magician’s and the spirit’s share of magical power, so the consumed magical power would be at least twice as much.

This way, there’s no point in using elemental formulas. It would be better to use earth-based elemental magic instead.

It’s not that he’s not interested in elemental magic itself, but for now, Asel had no plans to contract with a spirit. If the opportunity arises he would, but he had no intention of running around looking for spirits himself. It would be more helpful for achievement to research other magic in that time.

“Wait.”

While thinking, Warren suddenly stopped the group. Quill, who was walking at the very back, stuck out his head and asked.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“There are bandits gathered ahead.”
“Bandits? Are you sure?”
“An aura mixed with the smell of blood is spreading from the ground where they’re standing. And my spirit almost hates them. Considering that spirits basically like good people and hate evil people, it’s obvious. I’m sure.”
“Then we just need to push through, right?”

Quill said while slinging his spear over his shoulder. Warren turned to look at him with furrowed brows.

“I know that too. But anyway, we should follow the leader’s opinion, so I stopped.”
“Oh my, thank you. So you were thinking that?”

Saya didn’t particularly intend to assert her authority as the leader, but there was no reason to miss such an opportunity if it came. She briefly left the formation and stared blankly at the huddled bandits.

The number wasn’t small. But they wouldn’t lose if they fought. It was a low-level group of thieves that even Saya alone could handle all of them.

If they clash, they can sweep them away in an instant. Moreover, the other side hasn’t noticed them yet. If they surprise attack, it won’t take long either.

‘It’s ridiculous to take a detour because of them, so should we just push through?’

While Saya was thinking this, Asel, who was watching the bandits with magical power concentrated in his eyes, spoke with his brows slightly furrowed.

“They’ve captured people inside.”
“What? …Hmm, I can’t see them though?”
“They’ve captured them inside the cave. Three women, two men. There are no external injuries, but they seem to lack strength, probably from starving for days. There are arms and legs in the cooking pot, I wonder if they practice cannibalism”
“Is that so?”

Imprisonment invisible to Saya’s eyes. But since it was Asel speaking, there was no possibility he was lying. She thought for a moment, then looked up at Asel and said:

“We should save them, right?”
“If we hadn’t discovered them it would be one thing, but we can’t pretend we didn’t see now that we have. Anyway, to pass through quickly, we need to break through head-on.”
“Alright. It’s decided then. So Quill will take the vanguard and-”
“No, I’ll do it alone.”

Asel said with a grin. The gazes of the group all turned towards Asel at once.

Asel knew very well what they were thinking.

There was no need for a magician to handle it alone. It wouldn’t matter if he did, but right now Asel was moving the food and water alone with magic. For an ordinary magician, to chant and manifest another magic here, they would have to release the formula they were maintaining and weave a new magic.

Rather than that, it would be faster to end it by having Quill take the lead and rushing in as a group. There was no reason to accept Asel’s opinion.

Saya and Quill thought so.

But Warren didn’t.

He looked at Asel drawing up magical power with interested eyes and took a step back.

As a fellow magician, Warren understood Asel’s feelings.

“Are you feeling itchy? I think I’ve read a paper about magicians who have learned combat magic often experiencing withdrawal symptoms if they can’t use magic.”
“Withdrawal symptoms… that seems right.”

Asel chuckled and drew the formula in his mind.

It’s true that he had been feeling frustrated for not using proper magic for days. But the reason he stepped forward uncharacteristically was elsewhere.

He wanted to test a new magic created through inspiration that came while examining the properties and characteristics of flame magic, which he was researching simultaneously to handle freezing magic.

There was no need to hesitate when the opportunity came. Asel ignored Saya and Quill, who were opening their mouths to stop him, and manifested a new magic while maintaining the telekinesis magic as is.

Flames begin to blaze in his grasp.

[Red Cloud Fire Rain]

Whoosh!!

The flames that arose according to Asel’s hand gesture gather together like a cloud.

The large cloud thus created rushes towards the bandits, and simultaneously as they are bewildered by the sudden magic, a rain of flames begins to pour from the cloud.

Sizzle!!!

The fallen rain melts and burns the bandits’ skin, muscles, and even bones. The flames that spread in an instant advance, meticulously burning only where the bandits are.

“Aaaaargh!!”
“S-save me, fuck!!!”
“Aaaaah!! My leg, my leeeeeg!!”

Screams fill the mountain.

There was no need to hold back against bandits who kidnap and eat people. Asel poured down the rain of flames even more fiercely and explosively injected magical power.

A scene so gruesome that even Quill, who had witnessed quite a lot of death while living as a mercenary, frowned. He stared at Asel as if looking at a monster and clicked his tongue.

Not long after, the screams abruptly stopped.

Asel shook off the remnants of magical power remaining on his hand and turned to the group, saying:

“Let’s go.”