I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 106

Flame often found herself lost in thought after stepping into her twenties and confronting the realities of society.

‘Ah, I wish I could go back to those days.’

Carefree days spent with friends, where every moment brimmed with freedom during her school years.

Back then, she didn't know that she would really get to relive her school life. And that too, in a different world from Earth.

‘This is hell…’

There was once a time in South Korea when all students were required to endure mandatory evening self-study sessions, and Flame had been part of that generation.

Looking back, those long study hours seemed almost blissful by comparison.

‘What's so hard about just sitting and studying? This damn practical training. It'd be fine not to do these practicals!’

Stella's schedule pushed humans to their limits, leaving no room for even a little rest.

Of course, her being in Class S and perhaps having signed up for too many courses could be reasons too.

Since the Familiar Contract Ceremony, Flame had faced grueling challenges every single day. Yet, she couldn’t help but dwell on the future. Many details had already shifted from the novel’s plot.

Nevertheless, the core storyline continued to unfold.

Among them, one of the biggest events that would happen in the future was undoubtedly the ‘Dark Magic Corruption Incident’ in the Seventh Tower.

But even Flame had no way of knowing how that incident would play out.

Maizen Tyren, who had been scheming to seize the Seventh Tower, had met an untimely death far earlier than expected.

‘But... the dark mages won't give up on it.’

The dark mages continued stirring unrest within the magical world, as if proclaiming, ‘We’re still savage beasts who know only destruction.’

However, behind humanity’s back, they were like serpents who were quietly sneaking into the magical society and cunningly proceeded with their plans to devour the magical society.

Something hidden within the Seventh Tower drew them out from their shadows.

To claim it, Maizen Tyren had forsaken her identity and seized control of the place.

Although Maizen died earlier than planned, the dark mages wouldn’t give up the item.

They needed to prepare, but accessing the Seventh Tower was currently completely impossible.

It wasn’t merely a matter of the academy barring access; the tower itself had faded into myth, spoken of as little more than rumor or legend.

So, even if someone were to cry out, ‘Dark mages will attack the Seventh Tower!,’ no one would believe it. They might even laugh it off as a dramatic retelling of an old tale.

‘But that's something for a bit later…’

For now, practical magic training demanded her focus. Though her body screamed with exhaustion, her mind remained sharp and alert.

Magic combat training.

At first, she had no faith in her abilities.

How often would she have to fight?

To her surprise, she discovered a natural talent for strategy and tactics.

While Flame wasn’t skilled in fistfights, she found it surprisingly easy to exploit psychological openings, predict her opponent’s moves, and devise even more advanced strategies.

"Cough! I surrender!"

After restraining one of the students from Class A with solid vines and summoning three light spheres, he surrendered.

Flame wiped the sweat from her brow and grinned. Though it wasn’t exactly exhilarating to spar against students, victory still carried a satisfying thrill.

Having secured an effortless win, she shifted her gaze to Baek Yu-Seol, who was engaged in a duel with another Class A student in the corner of the field.

Swoosh!

"Crazy."

A surge of power swept across the arena like a tidal wave.

It was the kind of attack no one could block without an iron-forged shield, yet Baek Yu-Seol cleaved it cleanly in two with a single swing of his sword.

‘So he’s finally putting his skills on full display?’

There was no reason to conceal his strength, especially not after helping Ma Yu-Seong take down Maizen.

After all, what he was really hiding was not his ability but his knowledge of the future.

Thud!

Flame’s thoughts were interrupted by a thunderous crash. Her head snapped toward the source of the sound.

A massive golden spear stood embedded in the field.

"Wow..."

"Crazy! What's that?"

Awed whispers rippled through the crowd of students.

'Golden magic.'

A peerless magical art with both attack and defense capabilities, and a top-tier morale-boosting magic in the world.

In the novel, it was Jeremy Skalven’s unique bloodline magic that received the evaluation of ‘the most expensive-looking magic.’

Since the magic dissipated once its mana was depleted, harvesting and selling the gold was impossible.

Still, its breathtaking craftsmanship and opulent radiance had garnered an enormous fanbase among readers.

With his unique [Artist’s Soul] trait, Jeremy Skalven had even used his magic to create decorative masterpieces, embellishing his golden constructs with intricate carvings and gemstones.

Casually and effortlessly, Jeremy defeated his opponent, brushed back his golden hair, and unexpectedly locked eyes with Flame.

Seizing the moment, he waved his hand with a glimmer in his eyes.

'Ugh!'

His greeting was so earnest and cheerful that ignoring him would have made her feel like a villain.

Flame instinctively tried to avert her gaze, but before she could, Jeremy had already closed the distance.

"Flame, are you done already?"

"Yeah, I'm leaving."

“Wait… Can you spare a moment?”

"No." Flame coldly brushed off Jeremy and quickly walked away.

She could hear his footsteps behind her, but conveniently, she met a professor who had come to the practice room at the perfect time.

"Oh, Flame. You're here."

"Yes? Do you need something, sir?"

"Absolutely! Your thesis on 'The Effects of Light Magic on Plant Life' that you submitted for the recent written exam has become a huge topic in academia! To think that through photosynthesis, you can enhance the growth of plants. Even the elven mages want to meet you."

“Really?"

Flame vaguely recalled scribbling down something along those lines during the written exam in a hurry.

“This is groundbreaking! The '12 Rising Stars' selection process hasn’t changed in centuries, but your remarkable thesis might finally break that tradition! If this continues, you could be the 13th Rising Star!”

The professor, practically trembling with enthusiasm, continued his impassioned explanation.

Flame, on the other hand, barely paid attention to his words. She understood the prestige of the '12 Rising Stars' and their privilege to attend the Aslan Seminar, but she had little personal interest in such things.

However, when she glanced behind her and saw Jeremy still lingering with a crestfallen expression, an idea struck her.

"Wow, this is exciting! Let's go, Professor!"

"Sure, you seem happy too! Haha, indeed, we shall!"

Flame glanced back slightly.

Jeremy was still standing there, staring in her direction, his expression clouded with disappointment.

***

The Skalven Club was in disarray.

Jeremy, who had returned to the president's private lounge, leaned back comfortably on his sofa, his expression cold and rigid.

With no one around, there was no need to strain his facial muscles artificially.

His gaze drifted to the bookshelf. After a long pause, he snapped his fingers.

Zap!

Golden energy flared as a blade of magic shot out, slicing through the expensive, custom-crafted bookshelf and shredding its contents.

Fragments of paper scattered across the floor… books all sharing a similar theme.

[17 Ways to Win a Woman's Favor]

[The Traits of an Irresistible Person]

[Dr. Kim Pal-Gu's Love Theory]

Despite various attempts, he was futilely trying to explore different strategies.

‘Why is none of this useful?’

Jeremy scowled, genuinely puzzled.

Since he used to effortlessly attract everyone's favor, it felt strange to encounter a situation in which he had to gain favor instead.

Frustration simmered beneath his calm exterior.

'Hmm...'

Perhaps it was time to consider a different approach.

Flame had built plenty of connections at Stella, so she never felt particularly lonely. With so many people around her, especially men, it hardly seemed necessary to focus on just one person.

As much as he wanted to assertively confine her, he didn't want to recklessly ruin something precious like Flame.

‘Breaking something you desire is far more satisfying when it’s already in your grasp.’

‘So then…’

‘What if I create the perfect setup? A way to isolate her without completely ruining her. A method that forces her to focus solely on me.’

‘Hmm, I have an idea.’

Once the thought took shape, there was no reason to hesitate.

Snap!

When Jeremy snapped his fingers, a student who had been waiting in the club room walked in.

It was Verazane, a second-year student who had been the head of the Skalven Club until the previous year.

“Yes, Young Master. Is there something you need?”

“Find a first-year female student who’s had some interaction with Flame.”

Although she was anxious about what schemes might be brewing in the young master’s strange mind, Verazane followed his instructions without a word.

"Understood."

With a relaxed mind, Jeremy leaned back on the sofa.

He wasn’t planning to break her… not yet. But if having her whole was out of reach, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to crack her just a little.

At least, that’s how he justified it.

***

Late in the evening.

Flame rubbed her tired eyes as she staggered back to the dormitory. The professor had eagerly shared the future plans for the rising stars. She thought about escaping a hundred times because it was so bothersome. “Damn, I thought I’d get some rest since classes were short today.”

When she finally entered her room, her friends were gathered together, chatting and playing as usual.

“Gosh, it’s a zombie.”

"Flame! We heard it too. They say you might be chosen as a rising star, right?"

"Ughhh..."

Flame buried her face into the bed, her voice muffled as she gave a half-asleep, half-hearted response. Meanwhile, her friends continued their lively chatter.

‘I should probably wash up…’

With a heavy sigh, Flame dragged herself out of bed and took a quick shower.

After drying off, she began putting on her pajamas when she noticed the girl sitting quietly beside her.

"Hey, Ramilka. Why do you look so serious?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah... Well..."

She was slightly flustered while touching the letter she was holding, confusion clearly showing on her face.

"This… I need to give it today... but the timing..."

"What is it? A love letter for your boyfriend?"

"I-I don't have a boyfriend! And it's… It's not a love letter either..."

"Is it a secret admirer? A potential romantic interest?"

"It's… It's something like that..."

"Oh… Things are getting interesting."

In the Aether World, where smartphones were rare, love letters were common and cherished tokens of affection.

Their contents were quite mundane as well, just casual conversations without any poetic verses, so to speak.

Still, the act of secretly exchanging letters added a touch of charm and mystery to teenage romances.

“Just hand it over. It’s not like anyone’s going to make a fuss.”

Romance wasn’t frowned upon at Stella. In fact, the academy was a hotspot for noble youths looking to secure marriage alliances and for commoners hoping to climb the social ladder.

While formally, visiting the opposite sex’s dormitories was forbidden, the rules were often overlooked when it came to romantic pursuits.

Even Stella, despite its strict environment, couldn’t entirely suppress the nobles’ penchant for matchmaking.

"Well, it's, um, embarrassing..."

"How do you usually handle this?"

"I ask a different friend to do it for me..."

"Did the other person accept it?"

"Uh, yeah? They… They accepted." Ramilka was strangely flustered.

Flame chuckled darkly, chalking up the reaction to embarrassment.

No matter how tired she was, listening to such romantic stories could be considered a source of joy in life.

“So, you’re saying...”

Ramilka hesitated, then glanced toward Flame, who was sprawled flat on her bed.

"Um, could you... maybe deliver this instead?"

"What? That's such a hassle."

"P-Please! It's a favor. If not you, then who?" Ramilka pleaded.

“Ask them.”

She pointed toward the other girls huddled on the dorm floor, munching on snacks.

Ramilka shook her head quickly.

"I've asked them too many times already, and I feel bad..."

"Ugh, fine, fine. I got it."

Although they weren’t particularly close, Flame felt a bit guilty about rejecting a young one's innocent request.

Besides, the boys’ dormitory wasn’t too far from the central hall. She figured she could just toss on a robe over her pajamas and finish the errand quickly.

[S-109X]

‘Hmm? What’s this? Isn’t that the Class S dormitory?’

She had thought of Ramilka as just an ordinary girl, but now she considered her to be quite capable as she knocked on the door of S-109.

Knock, knock.

"Who's there?"

Creak!

The dormitory door swung open, revealing Jeremy’s golden hair shining like polished sunlight.

"Hey Flame,” he said with a grin, greeting her as if it were obvious.

Flame froze. Her eyes flicked from the letter in her hand to Jeremy’s expectant expression.

‘No way. Her secret crush was Jeremy?’

It wasn’t entirely surprising. Jeremy was practically worshipped by the girls at Stella.

Given his personality, he probably received letters like this all the time… and judging by his smirk, he knew it.

"What's that? A letter for me?" Jeremy asked as he tried to step outside.

Anticipating his annoying behavior instinctively, she swiftly handed over the letter and turned away.

"No. My friend told me to give it to you. I'm leaving."

It was annoying to get involved for no reason.

‘Ugh, why did I even agree to this?’ With that thought, she quickly turned on her heel and headed back to the dormitory.

"Hmm..." Jeremy looked at the letter handed to him by Flame and smiled strangely.

Things were going according to plan from the first day, and his mood improved.

It was a shame she left before he could say anything, but it was still fine.

This should be enough evidence.

He quietly stepped out of the dormitory and said loudly, “It’s fine now. You can come out.”

“Yes, sure."

From behind a potted plant, a male student emerged, holding what looked like a small, camera-like device.

It was an expensive item that captured high-quality footage of scenes discreetly.

On the camera's film, the side view of Flame having a conversation with someone in the boys' dormitory was captured very clearly.+