I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 180

Doo! Doo! Doo!

A single offensive helicopter crossed the airspace of Incheon City. The ground below was partially destroyed and set ablaze as a monstrous creature roared atop it.

Kuoooo!!

Despite the terrifying shockwaves, the helicopter didn't falter, for they knew there was someone to protect them.

Mage deployed at that point.

The entity confronting the monster wasn't a fighter jet, a tank, or a missile. It was just an ordinary schoolgirl.

As they jumped out of the slowly descending helicopter onto the ground, the high school girl, Flame, swung her staff.

Flash!

“Oh that's magic…”

“It’s my first time seeing it in person, but as expected.”

“Impressive.”

The clash of light and the monster.

As beams of light poured from the magic circle engraved in the sky, they pierced the monster. It resisted and spewed flames in all directions.

What!

The helicopter hastily evaded, but Flame didn't move. She stood on her ground with a barrier of light in front, and raised her staff high.

Flash!

Penetrating through the storm clouds, a giant pillar of light descended, severing the monster’s neck.

Kugung!!

“Oh!”

“She did it!”

“Flame killed the monster again!”

Monsters were protected by special barriers on their skin, making them incredibly difficult to deal with, but Flame appeared unfazed. Her arrows of light effortlessly pierced the monster’s skin, and there was no monster that could resist them.

"Whew..."

Successfully completing the hunt once again, Flame turned around and waved her hand towards the sky, where countless drones with cameras were capturing her actions.

It was a fan service gesture towards the many fans watching her.

Though unheard, she could feel their enthusiastic cheers. She was the only mage on Earth, their savior. Such treatment was only fitting.

Click! Click!

Shralalalak!

"Flame! You've successfully completed another monster hunt. Can we have a few words from you?"

“How do you manage to balance your studies with your duties as a hero?”

"Principal of Ilwol High School has publicly praised you. Can we have your response?"

On the way back in the helicopter, journalists had already gathered at the landing site, equipped with their cameras and microphones.

Flame answered their questions one by one.

She felt a bit tired, but it was not too difficult.

Besides, it was something appreciated by fans.

'Academics...’

She didn't want to give up on it completely, but in the end, she had to give up halfway.

With monsters appearing all over the world, Flame had to travel the globe.

But did her grades suffer?

Not at all.

[National Rank 1, Mage Flame!]

[“How did I get the top spot with no time to study? I focused on the textbooks.”]

[Love calls from top universities worldwide! What will she choose?]

Flame barely studied, but ended up at the top domestically and received offers from prestigious foreign universities.

Maybe entering a prestigious university wasn't that hard even without studying.

She was on a winning streak.

Every endeavor, whether it was studying, dancing, singing, or magic, she succeeded without fail.

If Flame bought a lottery ticket, she'd win first prize, and when she donated it lightly, she received high praise as if she were an angel.

The clothes and accessories she wore became trends, attracting explosive popularity worldwide.

The world was watching her.

It felt like she became the center of the world.

She walked down a path without any obstacles.

Would others understand this feeling of pure bliss?

Flame was happy.

She believed she could continue to unfurl a bright future just like before.

That's what she thought.

“Flame! Can you deploy right now?”

One day, during class, Flame hastily left school after receiving a call.

Her schedules were managed under government leadership, so skipping school became a routine, but at least she could maintain minimal academics.

Lately, monster appearances had become more frequent.

“Monsters have appeared simultaneously in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, and Okinawa, Japan. You’ll need to handle the monster in Gangwon first and then move to Japan. If you’re late, we’ll have to resort to missiles.”

"Ah..."

Simultaneous monster appearances?

That was unprecedented.

“Missiles are not an option.”

——-

Okinawa, Japan.

It was a popular tourist destination with a considerable population.

The decision to use missiles implied the possibility of the city collapsing, so it was a measure to be reserved until the very end.

Furthermore, since it was uncertain whether the monster could be reliably defeated with missiles, there was a need for urgency.

"Hurry up. Please."

Flame felt a sense of duty in what she did. If not her, no one else could save the people of Earth.

The people needed her.

... But things didn't go as planned.

Boom!

"Gah...!"

“Flame! Are you okay?”

"I-I'm fine!"

15 meters tall.

Red skin.

Single iris.

These were the characteristics of the second monster encountered.

After defeating the one in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, she headed towards Okinawa, Japan.

If there was anything unusual... It was that it could shoot lasers from its eyes.

"It's too strong!"

Half a year into her activities as a mage, Flame was beginning to notice something.

The fact that her magic wasn't progressing at all.

Well, it couldn't be helped.

"... I don't even know where or how I learned magic."

Magic knowledge just suddenly appeared in her mind, and she used it as if it were her own, but further growth seemed impossible.

She objectively assessed her level as 'Stage 4.'

The monsters encountered so far were at best at Stage 2 to Stage 3 level.

They hadn't been difficult to deal with so far... but…

Ziiing! Thud!

"Ah!"

Avoiding the fiercely raging laser, debris from a nearby building poured down.

"It’s at least Stage 5...!"

Even she couldn't easily withstand this level of destruction.

Fortunately, the giant monster couldn't control its massive size properly, so its agility was lacking, but the destructive power of the laser from its eyes was formidable, making it difficult even for fighter jets to approach properly.

"Can I... win?"

Ziiing~! Thud!

Each time the giant's gaze swept by, traces of civilization crumbled one by one.

Amidst this, Flame could do nothing.

The behemoth was at least two levels stronger than her, and she had no way to withstand the attack with any shield she could muster.

“What should I... do...?”

With the staff firmly in hand, just when Flame was hesitating...

Whoosh!

A breeze, lighter than a feather, scattered. She felt something brush past her ear.

Realizing, she found a young boy standing behind her.

A familiar figure.

“Baek... Yu-Seol...?”

He glanced at the giant, then turned to Flame.

“My mistake.”

"Wha...?"

"You drew happiness too quickly, upsetting the balance of the world."

"What... are you talking about...?"

"... Just wait a moment."

Baek Yu-Seol produced a small, short staff unlike her, and as mana emitted from it, a blade of white light surged forth.

"Wait. That won't...!"

But before Flame could finish, Baek Yu-Seol soared high into the sky.

He transitioned between buildings in an instant, and had already reached close to the giant.

Ziiing!

Upon spotting Baek Yu-Seol, the giant fired a laser, but it missed.

Evading the laser expertly while guiding it away from hitting the ground, he swiftly approached.

"What...?"

It happened in the blink of an eye.

He manoeuvred through the air effortlessly, and rushed towards the giant's neck and deeply pierced it at the blue spot located there.

Immediately after.

-Kuwaah....

The giant lost its strength and collapsed to the ground lifelessly.

Kugung!!!

"Ugh!"

Being such a massive figure, the aftermath of its fall was formidable.

As Flame hurriedly erected a barrier and shielded herself with both arms, she heard footsteps nearby.

Hastily raising her head, she found Baek Yu-Seol looking down at her with a troubled expression.

Just moments ago, he had faced the giant, but his attire remained undisturbed as if nothing had happened.

"H-How...?"

He defeated a monster that she couldn't even dream of withstanding a single blow

"You could have done it too."

He glanced briefly at where the giant had fallen.

"It'll be harder from now on. Stronger monsters will come pouring in."

"Wait! What do you mean?"

"Just what I said."

Afterward, Baek Yu-Seol remained silent for a while.

He didn't vanish like before, swift as the wind.

He was waiting.

Waiting for Flame’s question.

"..."

Her mind was in turmoil.

Now that she finally met Baek Yu-Seol, she couldn't grasp what question to ask.

'Who are you?'

'Are you another mage?'

'Why do you wear our school uniform?'

Countless questions came and went.

Finally, the question she managed to bring up was this.

"... What's going to happen from now on?"

More powerful monsters will appear, he said.

Modern scientific weapons wouldn’t be able to stop them.

Why?

He didn't know.

The barriers of the monsters hadn’t been explained by science yet.

“This world is going to be destroyed.”

"W-What...? Are there... no other mages? Like you, and well me...?"

‘Can I really be called a mage?’

Flame hesitated slightly when referring to 'me,' but Baek Yu-Seol didn't seem to care much.

"No. It's just you and me."

"T-That can't be..."

Flame gazed at the ground with a bewildered expression, slowly parted her lips and asked, "Then... what should we do?"

Why did she ask him that question?

Why did she think Baek Yu-Seol would know the solution to this situation?

She didn't know.

But 'instinct' was telling her.

If she asked Baek Yu-Seol, he might be able to solve anything.

He hesitated for a while, then finally, he spoke as he took a step away.

"You have to choose death yourself."

Whoosh...!

She lifted her head again, about to ask what he meant, but Baek Yu-Seol had already left.

'I... have to die...?'

Ridiculous.

Who would stop that monster if she died?

How could she give up such a happy life...?

"Ah..."

Flame remained seated for a while, unable to move.

—

That night, Flame had a terrible nightmare.

Terrible and yet horribly realistic.

In the dream, Flame was a wanderer.

Dodging the pouring rain, Flame walked through the devastated streets.

Civilization was now nothing but a trace.

Once brilliant and noble human scientific achievements had crumbled under the monsters, and now they lived a life hiding like mice to survive.

It was no different for Flame.

She traversed the ruined city.

Perhaps to find the meal of the day, she walked endlessly.

"...

In her dream, she hid behind a building.

A huge monster passed through the debris of the collapsed building.

She held her breath and waited for the monster to pass.

Flame, who was once the center of the world, was now gone.

In hee dream, she was just prey for the monsters, nothing more or less.

-Kuoooo!

-Kyak!

Right nearby, monsters engaged in a massacre.

The sky was occupied by monsters with devil wings, and the underground was filled with dreadful toxic gas, making even breathing impossible.

If there is a living hell, it must be here.

Crawling between the buildings, she discovered something.

[Ilwol High School]

It was her collapsed school.

Everyone was dead.

On the day the monsters occupied the world, the school collapsed first.

Above it.

Baek Yu-Seol was sitting there.

He opened an umbrella and said while looking at the sky pouring rain.

"Because you became happy too quickly... The balance of the world has been disrupted."

In her dream, she knew.

In her dream, he blamed her.

"Damn..."

In her dream, she was crying.

"It's because of me. It’s because of me..."

She wept and wept endlessly.