Surviving the Magic Academy With Just Intelligence Stats-Chapter 57: Fox Girl (it’s not what you think)

Marcus moved through the dense foliage of Silvermist Valley, his blade cutting through low-hanging branches that blocked his path. Each swing brought a twinge of guilt - this wasn’t what his faithful weapon was meant for. "I’m sorry," he silently communicated to his sword, watching as another branch fell away. "When I reach B-rank, I’ll find you an upgrade stone. You deserve better than being used as a glorified gardening tool."

Sword: (;一_一)

His thoughts drifted to yesterday’s confrontation with Sebastian, specifically to that moment of breakthrough. The memory was still fresh - that divine voice echoing in his consciousness, one he recognized instantly as the Will of the World, or as some called it, the Way of Heaven. This cosmic force served as the world’s natural balancing system, typically manifesting only to acknowledge truly significant achievements, much like when he’d advanced his talent in his previous life.1

He recalled the exact words that had resonated through his being:

[The angel Gabriel has acknowledged your devotion towards mankind! You have received the Virtue Series light fragment, Kindness]

This new power - the Virtue Series light fragment - represented a perfect counter to Sebastian’s Sin Series. More importantly, it granted him access to divine power, a natural bane to demonic entities. He’d witnessed its effectiveness firsthand when his attack had torn through Sebastian’s corrupted form.

Finally breaking through the last barrier of vegetation, Marcus emerged into a sunlit clearing. There it stood - an undiscovered dungeon portal, its ethereal surface shimming with untapped potential. A slight smile crossed his face; this was one of the advantages of being a regressor. He knew exactly where to find these hidden treasures, and better yet, he could access them without a hero’s license since they weren’t officially registered yet.

In his previous life, this dungeon had yielded relatively little of note when finally discovered - except for one particular item: the Echo Collar. Most had dismissed it as worthless, scoffing at its ability to convert mental strength into physical power. After all, what fool would sacrifice their precious mental energy for mere physical enhancement? But Marcus knew better now. For someone like Ambrose, perpetually trapped by his physical limitations, such an artifact could be revolutionary. Even the Rothschild family’s vast resources couldn’t secure this item elsewhere - it was truly unique to this location.

Without further hesitation, Marcus stepped through the portal. The scene that greeted him on the other side left him momentarily stunned. Endless fields of emerald grass stretched toward the horizon, dotted with clusters of wildflowers in every imaginable hue. Crystal-clear streams wove through the landscape like silver ribbons, their gentle burbling creating a soothing melody. The air itself seemed alive, carrying the sweet fragrance of blooming jasmine and fresh morning dew. Butterflies danced between nodding flower heads while golden motes of light drifted lazily through the air.

"This... is inside a dungeon?" Marcus whispered, momentarily captivated by the paradisiacal setting. But he quickly shook off his wonder - he had a mission to complete. This peaceful garden could be hiding all manner of dangers, and he couldn’t afford to let his guard down, no matter how enchanting the scenery appeared.

…

Marcus leaned against a tree trunk, his breaths coming in measured pants. Hours had passed since he’d entered the dungeon, yet something felt fundamentally wrong. The pristine landscape stretched endlessly in every direction, an unchanging tapestry of verdant grass and vibrant blooms. Not a single creature stirred - no insects buzzed, no birds called, not even a wayward breeze disturbed the perfect stillness. Most concerning was how the uniform scenery had completely disoriented him; the entrance point had vanished among identical vistas.

As he contemplated his next move, a voice whispered directly into his mind, smooth as silk but carrying an unsettling undertone: "~Lad, do you want power?"

"Ambrose?" Marcus started, momentarily thrown by the familiar method of communication. But he quickly dismissed the thought - though similar to Ambrose’s mental communication, this voice carried none of his young master’s characteristic presence.

"No! Who are you?" he demanded, tension creeping into his stance.

"~Hehehe! That’s not important right now," the voice giggled, "just answer the question."

Something clicked in Marcus’s mind, pieces falling into place. "I see, so that’s how it is," he murmured, a knowing smile playing across his lips.

"~What are you talking about?" The voice’s confusion seemed genuine, but Marcus had already closed his eyes, focusing entirely on his other senses - the subtle vibrations in the air, the faintest whisper of movement.

He activated his skill:

[Edge Perception](B) - A passive ability that heightens the user’s awareness of all blade-like edges within their vicinity. The user can sense the position, sharpness, and movement of any bladed weapon within 30 meters. This awareness extends to potential cutting surfaces in the environment and grants intuitive understanding of optimal cutting angles. This ability becomes particularly potent when combined with Blade Resonance.

The reaction was instantaneous. Without opening his eyes, Marcus’s sword flashed through the air in a precise arc, deflecting three deadly daggers that had been aimed at his vital points. As the weapons clattered to the ground, he slowly opened his eyes - and the world transformed.

The idyllic garden vanished like morning mist, revealing the truth: a dimly lit underground cavern, its rough walls glistening with moisture. "I knew it!" he thought triumphantly. The revelation had come when he’d analyzed the voice’s transmission method. Mental communication over long distances required at least A-rank power, how could there be such a powerful person in a C rank dungeon - that meant that the transmitter had to have been close to him, yet despite exploring extensively for so long, he’d never encountered the speaker. The only logical conclusion? He hadn’t actually been moving at all, trapped instead in an elaborate illusion while the voice’s owner remained consistently nearby.

His gaze fell upon the source of the deception, and surprise flickered across his features. A small fox girl sat chained to the cavern wall, her furry ears pressed flat against her head in obvious frustration.

"Why are you pretending to be a man?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"H-how were you able to escape?" she stammered, clearly more shocked by his breakthrough than he was by her identity.

"Oh that?" Marcus shrugged, moving closer. "I figured it out when you spoke to me. But why try to kill me? Aren’t beastmen and humans allies?"

The fox girl clutched her head in dismay. "So I was the one who freed him?" Recovering quickly, she bristled at his second question. "What allies? The beastmen have been fighting the human race for as long as we know. As the fox clan princess, do you think I don’t know the status of the war? Don’t think you can trick me just because I’m not smart, okay!"

Marcus couldn’t help but chuckle. "You actually admit that you’re not smart?" His amusement faded as her words sank in. "Wait, the fox clan princess?" A disturbing thought struck him. "What year do you think it is?"

The fox girl turned away haughtily. "Of course I know the year, do you think I’m stupid?"

"You just said so like two sentences ago," Marcus pointed out dryly.

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"Well, it’s..." she huffed, "using the human calendar, it should be year 1000 of the Hero Rothschild Era."

Marcus regarded her with newfound understanding, his voice gentle as he delivered the shocking truth: "That was one thousand years ago."

A/N - "World" here doesn’t mean the human world but the entire verse.