A Genius Boy Who Was Exiled From His Family Home for “Not Being Able To Use Magic” Becomes a Witch’s Apprentice and Masters All Magic in the Right Way. This Is How You Use Your Magic, You Know?

Chapter 124.1. The Fangs Of Malice

“Hahahahaha! You can’t do a thing, can you?!”

Thus resumed the relentless assault of Clyde, who had turned into a black monster. The barrage of magic was far more powerful than any bloodline magic and came flying incessantly. Combined with other spells, the force was so great that even with barrier magic, it required ingenuity to fully block it.

Moreover, while they were pinned down, a tentacle would sweep in mockingly. These attacks destroyed even [Theur Gy], breaking through their defenses, followed by successive magic strikes.

Faced with a terrifying onslaught far beyond their capabilities, Hermes and Sara were forced into a defensive position, just as Clyde had said.

“Come on, come on! You must’ve been feeling cocky until now, right? Acting tough because I couldn’t use bloodline magic, thinking you’d win no matter what!”

However, strictly speaking, it wasn’t Clyde who was attacking. His body’s control had been completely taken over by the bat monster with superior manipulation skills. Clyde was merely conscious on the surface, mistaking its power for his own.

…And the fact that he didn’t question this revealed much about his nature.

In any case, the assault continued. Hermes and Sara managed to avoid any fatal blows through teamwork, but that was all they could do. There was no chance to counterattack. The joy of tormenting the man who had defied his will and the woman who had rejected his favor filled Clyde with glee.

“……”

But Clyde was unaware. Up until now, because he had far less power than Hermes, he couldn’t grasp the true essence of Hermes’ fighting style.

Namely, how to fight against an opponent of equal or greater power—Hermes’ true fearsome nature.

“…What…?”

By the time Clyde noticed, the tide of battle had already begun to turn. The frequency with which his magic shattered their barriers had drastically decreased. Their defenses had become more efficient and thorough. In that moment of realization, a fire spell came from the other side. It was their first counterattack in a while.

“Tch!”

Clyde blocked it with magic, but—he noticed something. This spell. Compared to the sporadic attacks earlier… its power had clearly increased.

“I see.”

As Clyde puzzled over it, Hermes’ voice reached him.

“No matter how monstrous you may look, you’re still using a human body. I was wondering how you were managing such powerful magic output with that…”

Despite the situation, Hermes remained terrifyingly calm.

“You’re intentionally injuring your magical circuits, aren’t you? And the body’s response to that injury, the overcorrection, is boosting your output. …A human, who naturally avoids pain, wouldn’t normally think of that. I see—”

Without changing his expression, Hermes’ emerald eyes gleamed brightly as he continued.

“—Not bad.”

“Guh…!”

The power of Hermes’ counterattack increased even more.

Finally, Clyde realized the truth. Hermes had been learning. While defending against the bat monster’s magic, Hermes had been analyzing how it controlled Clyde’s body and mana.

Viewing this rare, unique situation—‘a monster’s mind controlling a human body’—as a valuable sample, Hermes adapted, analyzing and recreating the same technique in his own magic. It was as if he was turning the tables, doing exactly what the bat monster had done to him.

Born with such traits, accustomed to dire situations, possessing incredible adaptability due to his dedication to magic, and, most of all—his unmatched observational skills, which revealed his purpose and approach to life.

Thus, Hermes learned and evolved. His magic continually advanced, utilizing one key principle: ‘Learning from those more skilled than himself.’ This was his essence.

Therefore—when someone had greater abilities than him, that was the very moment they should fear Hermes the most.

But naturally, Clyde was incapable of understanding this.

“Don’t get cocky!”

Frustrated, Clyde lashed out. In response, another tentacle lashed out at Hermes.

However… Hermes responded in an entirely unexpected way.

“!?”

This time, Hermes deployed [Theur Gy] diagonally. In doing so, he deflected the tentacle’s strike along the shield, diverting its trajectory.

This technique was something he had used in his battle against Rose and the Trakia family. It was a method of barrier magic designed to defend against attacks that would typically destroy a normal barrier with minimal energy.

However, using it against an attack that was ‘almost impossible to perceive’ raised the difficulty exponentially. Yet, Hermes succeeded in doing so because—

“…It’s fast, but its trajectory is simple. I guess that hastily constructed body can’t manage complex movements, huh?”

This was another result of his observation. He had perfectly analyzed the tentacle’s movements, a clear testament to his skills.

And with this comment, the tides of battle finally reversed.

“You…!”

Clyde desperately unleashed more magic, but every attack was blocked. Meanwhile, Hermes’ counterattacks grew in power and precision, and Clyde was soon unable to block them all. Although Hermes required time for casting due to his diverse magic repertoire, Sara provided cover, assisting him whenever needed.

Inevitably, the battle tilted further in their favor. At one point, Clyde’s body staggered under the aftershocks of Hermes’ magic. Hermes didn’t miss the opportunity. He began chanting a powerful spell while Sara held off the next attack.

“Ritual Reenactment—[Lunad Saraka]… Spell Combination—[Mistle Teinn]”

A combined bloodline magic, he prepared a lightning-fast strike, turning himself into a magic bullet. He planted his feet firmly, while in his heart, he held silent pride. It was something he couldn’t yield as the one who inherited creation magic from his master. It was his unshakable pride as a recreator.

In other words, ‘Don’t think you can beat me by simply copying and recreating my abilities.’

In a sense, it was a form of retaliation for having his own abilities analyzed. Hermes activated the magic, releasing the stored power, and charged forward.

He blasted away Clyde’s right half, ripping it off entirely.

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