I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 10

The highlight of Stella Academy experience lay in its two grand ceremonies.

One was the Familiar Contract Ceremony, and the other was the Staff Inheritance Ceremony.

The latter, in particular, stood out, befitting the academy’s status as a prestigious institution.

“From this moment onward, you will inherit a staff to use during your time at the academy.”

Stella Academy’s vast resources allowed it to grant each student a staff without requiring them to return it later.

“However, once you choose, the process of changing it is very complicated, so make your decision carefully.”

Lee Han-Wol gave this warning, yet the irony was that students didn’t choose the staff… the staff chose them.

The staff would react to a deserving owner, resulting in a resonance phenomenon.

Classes F to S would choose a staff according to their level during this process, so the first contender matter was crucial.

Each staff had different grades, and Stella Academy had staffs of low, intermediate, and high grades.

In Class F, the majority of the staff were of the lowest grade, with only a few being of the low-intermediate grade.

On the other hand, the staff chosen by Classes A and S students started at the low-intermediate grade.

Was it unfair? No. Such was the nature of magical society.

Students had to choose a staff and work hard to become better mages. That was the only path forward.

As every senior mage said, becoming a high-ranking mage was the ultimate goal.

‘This is incredible.’

Some staffs were hovering mid-air, while others were stuck on the floor, piled up in drawers, or flying around.

Each had its own personality and ego, and an aura of mystery was stuck around them.

Baek Yu-Seol marveled at their beauty as he gazed upon them. They were even more enchanting than he had imagined.

“Which staff will you choose?”

“That one. I’ve known it was the right one for me ever since I entered the academy.”

“That’s a low-grade staff. Didn’t you say you were aiming for an intermediate-grade one?”

“I know my limits. My father bought me a staff once, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t resonate with it. I have to settle for this.”

On average, the staffs chosen by Classes A and S were excellent. As a result, Baek Yu-Seol was a little nervous.

It was the Staff Inheritance Ceremony.

Actually, this event proceeded in a fixed order depending on the character the player chose.

Therefore, he was already anticipating what the main characters, such as Flame, Ma Yu-Seong, Jeremy, Eisel, and Hong Bi-Yeon, would choose.

But as for himself, he had no idea which staff would call to him.

Unlike other characters who began in Class S, Baek Yu-Seol started from Class F in the first place.

‘If I have to choose one, I’d rather just go with a wand.’

The short ones were called wands, while the long ones were called staffs.

Wands were favored by knight-type magic warriors who specialized in swift movements and close combat. They excelled at breaking enemy formations and unleashing rapid-fire magic.

To briefly summarize a wand, consider it an object similar to an assault rifle.

Staffs, however, were wielded by bishop-type mages, who cast devastating spells across wide areas, albeit with long casting times.

To briefly summarize the staff, consider them a bazooka or sniper rifle.

However, neither of these suited Baek Yu-Seol. To begin with, he was not a staff user because he used a cold weapon.

“Hey, what will he choose?”

“Well, since he’s in Class S, wouldn’t he pick something amazing?”

Baek Yu-Seol found himself at the center of attention.

“You’re in Class S, but you can’t even resonate with a staff, can you?” said the gazes aimed at him.

He didn’t want anything too extraordinary. After all, the academy didn’t have exceptional staffs. Better gear could be found by exploring familiar dungeons.

Still, Baek Yu-Seol had to decide, and as he pondered his options, a boy approached him from behind.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

When he turned around, a boy who had already untied his cloak was staring at him with a boisterous expression.

A stranger.

“Who…?”

Hearing that, the guy's face stiffened momentarily, but he quickly smiled.

“Me? It’s Yuslek.”

“Aha!” he said, pretending to recognize him.

However, he saw right through the facade.

“This is… You…”

Though momentarily irritated, Yuslek composed himself. He wouldn’t press the matter.

“You. What staff are you going to choose?”

His cold tone suggested disdain, and Baek Yu-Seol quickly sensed Yuslek didn’t think highly of him.

Baek Yu-Seol glanced at his name tag which read Class A. 

‘Is he upset because I’m in Class S and he isn’t?’

It seemed Yuslek saw Baek Yu-Seol as an easy target among the elite students.

“Anything.”

“I don’t understand why you’re in Class S. You have no ambition, no drive.”

He scanned Baek Yu-Seol’s entire body from top to bottom and laughed.

“If you’re just a commoner, pick a staff that suits your level. Don’t cause trouble and embarrass the professors.”

“Yeah. Don’t cause any trouble.”

“You punk…!”

‘Why is he yelling at me?’

Curious, Baek Yu-Seol slipped on his Sentient Specs and checked Yuslek’s information.

[Yuslek Chekobeilen]

[Marquis Chekobeilen’s son]

[Crown Prince Jeremy’s lackey]

[A third-rate bully]

The details were sparse, but they told Baek Yu-Seol everything he needed to know.

‘A lackey, huh? What a sad existence. Maybe I should humor him next time.’

“Tsk, I’m going to pick that one, so watch carefully.”

The object Yuslek pointed at was a black colored wand. It was moderately curved, slim, and old-fashioned for a wand.

‘Oh, this guy’s ambitious.’

Baek Yu-Seol did not know who he was, but he was ambitious.

The wand’s name was Edmary Etemiri, and it was the highest level available, almost touching the upper-intermediate grade.

‘It’s upper-intermediate grade… Normally, it’s at the level where only professional magic warriors can use it.’

There were up to two upper-intermediate grade wands present. They were only there to motivate the students, putting a spark inside them so that when they grow up, it would fill them with the strong passion to hold a wand this strong.

The other ones were not as high-ranked as this, but many intermediate-grade wands were difficult to tame unless you were a veteran mage, which made one wonder why they were even here in the first place.

Low-intermediate grades would be the limit for students, no matter how talented they were. Even those with a professional magic warrior license could barely tame the low-intermediate grade ones.

However, this was Stella Academy.

This was where the best students from all over the world gathered.

“Everyone, go and stand with the staff that resonates with you.”

As soon as Lee Han-Wol’s words fell, each student moved to the front of the staff they desired. As expected, most of the elite Class A and S students resonated with their chosen staff immediately. Trembling sounds could be heard from all directions.

And among them, there were exceptional students.

“Wow, the staff tamed by Hae Won-Ryang… Isn’t that Heden Amicoton?”

“It’s an intermediate-grade staff, isn’t it? I can’t believe it.”

“That’s incredible.”

The main characters were beginning to claim intermediate-grade staffs that typically required years of training to tame.

“Hey, didn’t you pick an intermediate-grade staff too?”

“Did Prince Jeremy also choose an intermediate-grade staff?”

“Princess Hong Bi-Yeon chose Suavitera Lapon, intermediate grade!”

“Many licensed mages would struggle to resonate with the intermediate staff she picked!”

“This year has been crazy.”

Excited exclamations filled the room, and the students’ eyes gleamed with admiration and envy.

‘Can I do it too? No, maybe I can choose a better wand!’ some students thought.

For those hoping to catch the attention of magic tower scholars and grand mage professors, securing a higher-grade staff than the prodigies would be a dream come true.

Driven by ambition, many students gathered around Edmary Etemiri… an upper-intermediate grade wand spinning gracefully in mid-air.

Of course, most of them were mere extras. Lacking self-awareness, they were drawn to a wand they had no hope of taming.

“Move.” 

The students gathered around the wand turned their attention to one who spoke, and upon finding the arrogant Yuslek, they immediately gave way.

This was because he belonged to Prince Jeremy’s faction and his aura seemed quite strong.

With a confident expression, he reached out to the staff.

A powerful vibration rippled through the hall.

“Oh, oh…”

“No way. Is he going to succeed in resonating with an upper-intermediate grade wand?”

No way.

Yuslek, sweating profusely while wrestling Edmary Etemiri, soon closed his eyes tightly.

Baang! 

A small mana explosion occurred, and a light breeze blew throughout the auditorium.

“Cough!”

Yuslek, hurling backward from the impact, looked at the wand blankly.

“Uh, what…?”

Rejection wasn’t something he had prepared for. His shattered pride reflected plainly in his stunned expression.

One must learn to understand and accept their limits.

“Oh my god…” 

Yuslek slumped on the floor, unmoving, as other students hesitantly attempted to resonate with the staff.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Shortly after, the sound of explosions was heard repeatedly, and it was not until most students went out and failed that they realized the staff had not resonated even once. As a result, more and more students started giving up.

Indeed, quitting was the logical choice, Edmary Etemiri’s owner had been predestined.

Ma Yu-Seong stepped forward, and his twinkling eyes revealed rare enthusiasm.

The students stirred at his approach.

“Hey, it’s Ma Yu-Seong.”

“Is he going to try for Edmary Etemiri too?”

“But even for Ma Yu-Seong, that wand might be too much…”

However, the next scene slapped down their concerns.

Ma Yu-Seong succeeded in resonating with Edmary Etemiri almost immediately.

The students’ jaws dropped open as Ma Yu-Seong pulled out the wand and held it.

Even after witnessing his genius firsthand, it was hard to believe.

'As expected of him.'

While all eyes focused on Ma Yu-Seong, Baek Yu-Seol turned his attention to Flame.

According to the game’s storyline, the owner of another high-grade wand, Teripon, was Flame.

Here, however, it diverged.

If Flame conquered Teripon, it would trigger the Ma Yu-Seong plotline. He would become intrigued by her and the existence of another genius, prompting him to take an interest in her. If she acted otherwise, there would be other possibilities.

‘What are you going to do, Flame?'

That woman was not a part of the game. He had to keep in mind the possibility of her navigating in a different direction than she was destined to.

Again.

Flame moved.

‘Come on, pick up the Teripon. Come on!’

Ma Yu-Seong was the hope of this world, and if Flame comforted him well and brought him to the righteous faction, the future development would be easier. That said, there was a high probability of a happy ending, too.

'But why?'

‘She doesn’t seem to be very interested in Teripon…?’

Seeing the frown on Flame's face as she walked amongst the strange wands, it seemed she had no interest in Teripon at all. Or maybe she was unaware of its existence.

‘That can’t be…’

It was hard to believe. As the protagonist, Flame could resonate with any wand she desired. If she ignored Teripon and chose something else, it could erase Ma Yu-Seong’s arc entirely.

‘Should I give her a hint?’

But since she had read the original novel, she ought to have a rough idea early on.

She knew that she could choose a mysterious staff named Igolakov, which proved disadvantageous initially but showed its true power later on, or she could choose Tumultus, which Eisel chose in the original novel. She took the reverse harem route.

‘I guess I’ll have to nudge her toward Teripon myself.’

[Flash]

Sneakily, pretending not to, Baek Yu-Seol approached Flame.

“Huh?”

She seemed surprised when he suddenly appeared from behind. He did not want to be seen by the heroine, but he could not help it.

Baek Yu-Seol spoke in a voice that was as friendly as possible.

“I was wondering… What staff are you planning to choose?”

Flame took a step back, her expression guarded.

“Hey, why are you curious about that?”

“Huh? I was just looking around and thought I’d help.”

“Shouldn't you stay out of others’ business and choose your own staff?”

'What? Something’s off.'

Baek Yu-Seol knew that Flame was very sociable since she got along well with the nobles and commoners alike.

But why did she seem to draw a line with him? He did not think he had done anything particularly noticeable.

However, he could not back away now since he had already spoken.

“I was just trying to help you pick out a staff. Why are you being so mean?”

“Choose your staff instead of meddling.”

No matter what he said, Flame continued to respond with a harsh attitude.

'What should I do?'

“It’s just, I think there's a staff that suits you…”

“What would you know?”

Flame wore a sulky expression, though it hardly suited her adorable features.

‘What’s happening? Did I mess up? Or is she ignoring me because I’m not one of the main male protagonists?’

Baek Yu-Seol couldn’t figure out why she was acting so guarded, but he had to speak up anyway. He pointed at Teripon with his finger.

“I heard a lot of rumors about you. Since it’s you, shouldn’t you be able to hold a wand like that?”

The silver wand wasn’t flashy, yet it carried an undeniable air of nobility. When he gestured toward it, Flame’s eyes grew wide.

“… Teripon?”

“Yeah, that one.”

Flame’s expression twisted oddly, and Baek Yu-Seol suddenly felt an unsettling chill creep up his spine.

A strange weight settled in his hand.

“… What?”

He glanced down at his outstretched left hand.

Resting silently in his grip was the silver staff.

It was unadorned, but its elegance hinted at a regal essence hidden within its simplicity…

'… Teripon?’

'Why is this in my hand?'

Before Baek Yu-Seol could even make sense of the situation, Teripon made the first move.

Shoo!

A resonant hum, loud and clear as Ma Yu-Seong’s Edmary Etemiri, echoed throughout the hall.

“…”

“...”

The auditorium fell into a heavy silence, and every pair of eyes locked onto his left hand.

Baek Yu-Seol inwardly wept and broke into a cold sweat.

‘This is supposed to be Flame’s…?’

He was doomed.

And very badly, at that.