I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 105

As time went on, his proficiency with Tae-Ryeong's Godly Technique improved rapidly.

At first, Baek Yu-Seol had to remain still and focus intently to wield it. But now, he could activate it with relative ease, even while running.

Of course, using it mid-run still demanded more concentration, making it difficult to rely on during moments of urgency in battle.

He had thought that in martial arts novels, things like internal arts and movement skills were used freely like passive abilities that worked automatically. However, it required considerable effort and practice.

Furthermore, using both Tae-Ryeong's Godly Technique and mana concentration simultaneously in practical combat was almost impossible.

However, its power was undeniable.

He was certain that, should he channel mana into his sword, he could tear through shields as strong as Class 3 without much difficulty.

However, he was still far from catching up to the protagonists.

The three female protagonists displayed Class 4 magic.

Even achieving Class 3 was no easy feat.

Since they were already treading the threshold of higher magic, it was only a matter of time before they advanced to Class 4.

Spurred by his recent setback, Hae Won-Ryang was pushing himself to the brink and would likely break through to Class 4 soon.

It was the same for Ma Yu-Seong.

Despite various reasons, Baek Yu-Seol continued to train diligently, as becoming stronger was a sure way to secure the future.

The magical training regimen overseen personally by Instructor Lee Han-Wol was grueling, yet such lessons were a rare treasure. He eagerly embraced them.

They proved invaluable for honing Tae-Ryeong's Godly Technique.

It was extremely rare to find someone who could both fight well and teach as well as Lee Han-Wol.

That was why he was in charge of Class S.

The magic combat practice included various tutorials: understanding the range of target spells, seizing advantageous positions in adverse situations, casting spells to catch the opponent off guard, and more.

Baek Yu-Seol already knew everything.

Though his methods were imperfect, he had devised similar strategies during gameplay and had even shared them with the community on several occasions.

So, while the lessons weren’t exactly groundbreaking for him, the opportunity to train was what mattered most.

After completing his daily routine, he went straight to the training grounds.

He had scaled back his strength training to just an hour a day.

Breathing techniques, after all, were far more critical than raw physical strength.

"Hoop!"

Clang!

The barbell struck the ground with a resounding crash, its weight echoing through the training hall.

"You seem lively these days.” Smiling slyly, Eisel was covered in sweat, her hair neatly tied up in a ponytail.

"Oh, you know, health is paramount."

"Are you an old man?"

"Why not call me mature and wise instead?"

"Oh... Right..."

Lifting the barbell with all his strength, Baek Yu-Seol replied, "Huff! This is how health should be maintained... for a long, healthy life!"

Thud!

"Hooh, I'm exhausted." As Baek Yu-Seol wiped sweat with a towel, Eisel lowered her head with a dark expression.

"What now?"

"Huh? Oh, no. Nothing at all. I have to go."

"Suit yourself."

Baek Yu-Seol downed a protein shake and waved his hands dismissively, yet Eisel remained silent. The heavy mood lingered.

"What's up with her again...?"

‘I probably won’t ever figure out what’s going on inside women’s minds.’

***

Once they learned the basic theory of magic combat, students would start sparring with one another in earnest.

Different classes came together for these lessons, and sometimes Class F and Class S sparred, while Class D and Class C engaged in prideful battles.

Today, Class S and Class A had a joint session.

Some students in Class A seemed to be particularly conscious of Class S. There were quite a few students in Class S whose grades and ranks were lower than those in Class A. Because of this, some nobles in Class A, who didn't see anything particularly special about Class S students other than their status, were quite resentful.

It was not hard to understand.

Students hailed as prodigies from prestigious families during childhood would undoubtedly be disheartened to find themselves in Class A instead of the elite Class S.

One of them was Baek Yu-Seol’s opponent.

"Baek Yu-Seol, there's been a lot of rumors about you lately."

"Oh, thank you."

Yuslek Chekobeilen.

Heir to the illustrious Marquis Chekobeilen family of the Skalven Empire. Ranked 29th at Stella’s entrance ceremony.

That was his background, but from Baek Yu-Seol’s perspective, he was no different than one of Jeremy’s minions or even less.

In the Aether World, there were always players who tried to walk Jeremy’s path.

Snapshots of those attempts often surfaced, featuring moments so ridiculous they were hard not to laugh at.

Whenever Jeremy prepared a surprise gift or something similar, Yuslek and his attendants would appear in the background as errand boys.

Yet, despite that, he was still the heir of a renowned household.

And when Jeremy wasn’t around, Yuslek acted like royalty.

"Both sides, arm yourselves."

At the instructor's command, Yuslek and Baek Yu-Seol aimed their staff and sword at each other.

He was a novice mage in Class 3, and the old Baek Yu-Seol would have had to resort to some trickery to win.

However, things were different now.

Baek Yu-Seol’s goal for today was to completely defeat Yuslek.

It was going to be challenging.

He could handle Tae-Ryeong's Godly Technique to some extent, but whether he could use it effectively in actual combat was uncertain.

Still, Yuslek had gathered his cronies to harass him endlessly, pushing Baek Yu-Seol’s patience to its limits.

It was about time someone put Yuslek in his place.

After all, even an adult’s tolerance could only stretch so far.

"You’re going to regret this."

"What did you say?" Yuslek seemed dumbfounded, his expression as if he misheard.

Baek Yu-Seol was sick of his aristocratic and somewhat irritating demeanor, especially due to the Edmon Atalek incident.

"Begin!"

As soon as the instructor's signal dropped, Yuslek gripped his staff.

"Azure waves, rise!" With that, a blue magic circle was drawn on the ground, and a small whirlpool of water surged up under him.

'Not bad. Definitely skilled.'

His casting speed was much faster than the second-year senior Baek Yu-Seol faced before.

This training ground wasn't a proper dueling arena and was just an open field. It was advantageous to create favorable terrain first.

Baek Yu-Seol, however, lacked such magic. And with no terrain advantages to exploit, he couldn’t rely on the evasive tactics he had used last time.

Not that he planned to. He stepped sideways slowly without activating the Teripon Sword.

Yuslek kept a close eye on his movements, wary of any sudden attacks.

For all his arrogance, Yuslek wasn’t foolish enough to underestimate Baek Yu-Seol’s combat ability. That much deserved a bit of recognition.

But did Yuslek realize his excessive caution only played into Baek Yu-Seol’s hands?

[Tae-Ryeong's Godly Technique]

Mana was like the wind—always present but invisible and intangible. It merely brushed past Baek Yu-Seol.

He imagined catching the wind with his hands.

But catching the wind was impossible.

So he envisioned mana as water instead.

Holding flowing water was challenging, but at the very least, holding a little within his palm was possible.

The wind-like mana that grazed Baek Yu-Seol’s body suddenly began to feel like flowing water.

[Blood mana circulation rate is increasing.]

Even with just a tiny amount of mana accumulated in his body, his senses heightened dramatically.

Baek Yu-Seol’s senses became sharper, and the movement of mana became clearer.

"I won’t let you attack first!"

In the end, the impatient Yuslek unleashed a cascade of waterfalls toward Baek Yu-Seol.

"Azure waves, create a tidal wave!"

Like relentless waves crashing upon a rocky shore, blue torrents surged toward Baek Yu-Seol.

Summoning water from nothingness was certainly impressive for a Class 3 mage. Yet, to Baek Yu-Seol, the spectacle carried little weight.

Mana concentration.

Focusing mana into the Teripon Sword, he could normally only handle Class 3 or lower shooting-type spells.

But now, Baek Yu-Seol could attempt something different.

Waves surged toward him, resembling a minor natural disaster.

Baek Yu-Seol extended his sword towards the waves.

What he was about to do was simple. He would slash down without any sword techniques.

Just a single, unembellished vertical cut.

Swish!

Like a divine miracle, the roaring wave split in two, forming a clear path nearly four meters wide.

He didn’t just split the wave, he severed the threads connecting the structure of the magic itself, causing the wave to lose power and dissipate.

"Wh-What?!"

Baek Yu-Seol now had a rough idea of his capabilities. Handling Class 3 magic was manageable with proper concentration.

'Impressive...'

He was somewhat surprised by his own abilities, but the training wasn't over yet.

Flash.

As he darted within Yuslek’s range, water droplets burst out of thin air.

Deliberately entering his target magic range, Baek Yu-Seol aimed to exploit the advantage of quick casting and the vulnerability of delayed follow-up attacks.

Guiding the target magic intentionally, he sidestepped and swung his sword.

“Dragon Cascade Strike!”

Bam!

The flat ground churned as water resembling a dragon's form shot out, attempting to engulf Baek Yu-Seol.

But it too shattered upon meeting his blade.

"Ugh!"

Yuslek retreated slowly, and a blue magic circle appeared and disappeared as it rushed towards Baek Yu-Seol.

The whip of water could slice through armor, yet it couldn't touch Baek Yu-Seol. The water cannon could shatter rocks, but upon contact with his sword, it exploded harmlessly like a water balloon.

As all his attacks were thwarted, Yuslek grew uneasy and began unleashing stronger spells. While his magic was undoubtedly skilled, it also led to his downfall.

Never lose composure no matter how dire the situation. That was a key principle of magic combat.

However, it worked to Baek Yu-Seol’s advantage. Unfortunately, maintaining Tae-Ryeong's Godly Technique while using flash was challenging, so a prolonged battle could result in his defeat.

He needed to capitalize on Yuslek’s mistake.

"Smile!" As Baek Yu-Seol teleported behind him, Yuslek hastily summoned a water shield.

The shield could only block in one direction since it maintained a flat shape, but creating a protective barrier with elemental magic made it weak in defense and therefore meaningless.

The water barrier would have been effective against fire or wind magic, but it didn’t have much effect on Baek Yu-Seol.

Without hesitation, he rushed toward Yuslek’s back and swung his sword heavily, splitting the water barrier into two with the Teripon Sword enhanced with mana concentration.

"Gah!"

The match ended with the Teripon Sword aimed at Yuslek’s neck.

"Match over! Retrieve your weapons!"

Following the instructor's orders, Baek Yu-Seol deactivated Teripon.

"Damn..."

Grinding his teeth, Yuslek glared in frustration.

Meanwhile, Baek Yu-Seol turned away, his own fists clenched tightly.

Despite his victory, the duel laid bare his weaknesses. He had grown dangerously overconfident, relying too much on his newfound strength in swordsmanship.

It was fortunate that Yuslek, a novice in magical combat, was the opponent.

If he had faced someone attacking him systematically from the start, he could have lost.

Maintaining Tae-Ryeong's Godly Technique was already challenging, and it took considerable time to concentrate on using it, making it difficult to pull off in actual combat.

Thunk!

With that thought in mind, Baek Yu-Seol lightly tapped Yuslek’s shoulder as he passed.

"Thank you."

"What?" Yuslek asked, looking utterly baffled. However, Baek Yu-Seol’s gratitude was sincere.

Sparring partners like Yuslek - flawed yet skilled - provided invaluable opportunities to reflect, learn, and grow stronger.