I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 26

“Huh.”

Professor Maizen let out a dry laugh in response to Baek Yu-Seol’s words.

It was completely understandable. 

He might have been able to enhance a potion’s performance by tweaking one or two ingredients, but this situation was different.

How could anyone create a potion with equivalent performance, let alone better, using entirely different materials in a completely different environment?

The Tyren Point Potion’s key ingredient was the atarix spider’s shell.

The potion was inspired by the unique behavior of atarix spiders, which shed their shells and lay eggs for their offspring. The shell, rich in nutrients, became the basis for creating the vitality supplement known as the Tyren Point Potion.

Using the tail of a fire-attribute lizard to craft a vitality supplement sounded far-fetched.

Professor Maizen smirked slightly and said, “How interesting. To think that the Tyren Point Potion could be made with such an ingredient. Even I, the one who invented it, didn’t know that.”

“Of course not. This is a recipe my team and I developed.”

His words left Group 12 visibly shocked.

Eisel’s expression could be interpreted as, ‘What do you mean, you madman?’

Clap! 

An alchemist from the Alchemy Castle clapped his hands, looking at Professor Maizen and Baek Yu-Seol with interest. “An alchemist’s journey is filled with unusual experiences, but this one is particularly intriguing. An alchemist must always be open to new possibilities. How about this? Let’s pause the disqualification process and proceed.”

The other two alchemists also nodded, thinking the situation was amusing.

Although Professor Maizen didn’t like giving Baek Yu-Seol another chance, she nodded, reasoning that the outcome wouldn’t change.

If he failed, the humiliation would only double.

“Fine. The time limit is one hour. Complete the Tyren Point Potion within the given time. And don’t misunderstand, Baek Yu-Seol… it’s not the D-Vitality Potion, but the Tyren Point Potion.”

"Of course. Unlike you, professor, my memory is quite good."

“Yes, shall we get started?”

Professor Maizen quickly waved her staff, as though unwilling to give Baek Yu-Seol even a moment of respite.

A timer appeared on the blackboard, and the countdown began.

Suddenly, all the students’ expressions sharpened as they turned their attention to their work benches.

Except for Baek Yu-Seol’s group.

“Are you insane?!” Eisel hissed at Baek Yu-Seol under her breath.

Maliwan added timidly, “Y-Yu-Seol… No matter what, I don’t think this is a good idea. Sometimes, you have to swallow your pride and back down. Attempting the impossible…”

'These kids worry too much,' Baek Yu-Seol thought with a smirk.

“Trust me and follow my lead. Just do exactly as I say. Can you do that?”

“Do we have a choice?” Eisel sighed, reluctantly agreeing as the clock ticked on.

Baek Yu-Seol had no intention of wasting time either.

“The reason the shells of the atarix spider are rich in nutrients is to lay their young. The tail of the fire-attribute lizard also has similar organs—its blood vessels.”

He extracted a particularly thick vein from the lizard’s tail. Unlike humans, creatures that manipulated mana naturally had large blood vessels, which were considered valuable magical materials by mages and alchemists.

“The Alaker Tribe in the southern desert uses these vessels to maintain their leaders’ health. In fact, as a result, their life expectancy increases anywhere between five to ten years.”

“Uh… Yeah, I once did some research on the Alaker Tribe.”

“Hmm?”

“So I’m somewhat familiar with their processing techniques… May I handle this part?”

“Go ahead.”

Baek Yu-Seol found Maliwan far more competent than he initially thought. Knowing that Maliwan was destined to become a genius inventor, Baek Yu-Seol felt confident in his abilities.

“We’ll use the desert’s unique magic drying technique to prepare this part of the tail. Does anyone know how to perform it?”

“Isn’t that the small-scale drying technique? I learned it while accompanying my father. For a blood vessel of this size, it should only take five minutes.”

“Uh… Yeah, that should work.”

Kasahun had just recited what was written on Baek Yu-Seol’s specs.

‘What is this?’

Something didn’t feel right.

Baek Yu-Seol explained the processing of other materials just in case, and finally, Eisel replied slowly, “I’ll take care of that.”

“Can you do it?”

“Yes. It was in a book I once read.”

He quickly detailed all the information about the Tyren Point Potion Type B recipe one by one.

'Could this be...?'

Baek Yu-Seol had a sudden realization but had no time to dwell on it. He had already spent over 15 minutes explaining and preparing the materials.

“From here on, mix them exactly as I instruct.”

He was about to begin right away when Eisel asked him one last time.

“This mixing technique… Did you come up with it on the spot?”

Exasperated, Baek Yu-Seol nodded. There was nothing else to say.

"For now."

Speechless, Eisel fell silent. Relieved, Baek Yu-Seol clapped his hands lightly.

“Let’s start.”

As Group 12 began crafting their potion, the alchemists from the Alchemy Castle watched intently.

“Young minds have such unique approaches.”

A professional alchemist from the castle might consider certain information basic, but for teenagers at a magic academy, such knowledge was rare.

"Indeed... if it’s that, hmm. Mmm."

"Quite unusual."

The alchemists paid little attention to the other groups. Some displayed exceptional skill, using intricate alchemy circles during their process, but Group 12 had captured their focus entirely.

“Group 3 is done.”

“Well done. Excellent work.”

Thirty minutes passed, then forty. Several outstanding groups presented potions that scored over 90 points.

This year’s students were exceptionally outstanding.

Nonetheless, the alchemists did not even glance at the other students. They seem to have no time for that.

“Oh, let’s see…”

The eleven other groups had completed their potions with ten minutes to spare. Meanwhile, the alchemists remained fixated on Group 12.

The potion they were crafting was beginning to take shape.

By now, Maizen Tyren was visibly uneasy. Group 12’s progress had far exceeded expectations.

'What is that... Where did they get such a method?'

Individually, their techniques were rudimentary. Their alchemy circles were poorly drawn, and their handling of tools amateurish.

Yet, without wasting a second, all four members of Group 12 were perfectly in sync, steadily achieving results.

Even Baek Yu-Seol, leading the experiment, was taken aback.

‘Who are these people? Why are they so good?’

Baek Yu-Seol could barely remember the original story, having even forgotten about Eisel, who had once been the female protagonist.

There was no way he could recall such a minor detail from the narrative.

However, Flame, who was watching the scene, knew.

In the original story, the members of Group 12 had managed to create a similar Tyren Point Potion Type B without Baek Yu-Seol’s involvement.

Of course, it was a partial success at best. The potion could not be completed due to time constraints and the lack of an effective mixing technique.

‘But how did he come up with that recipe?’

Flame recalled the original romance fantasy novel.

In the story, Eisel, sabotaged by Maizen Tyren, brought the wrong materials and desperately attempted to craft a Tyren Point Potion using what she had. She eventually produced a plausible Type B potion.

The problem, however, was that it was merely passable.

Maizen Tyren, initially shocked, ultimately disqualified Eisel for her incomplete potion. But she later took the unfinished product to her laboratory and conducted her own research.

That was how she made the perfect Tyren Point Potion Type B.

In other words, the invention was something Professor Maizen had effectively stolen from Eisel’s future work.

‘But they actually succeeded this time?’

Bubble! Bubble… Pop!

A halo burst out with a proper ductile reaction, and a small glass bottle was filled with a purple-colored liquid.

Tyren Point Potion Type B.

Finally, it was finished.

“Oh…!”

“Wait a moment. Let me examine it right away.”

"Ah-ah, you. Analysis is my specialty, so step aside."

"Hmph..."

An alchemist from the Alchemy Castle stepped forward, reaching for the potion. A glowing alchemical circle formed beneath his hand, probing the potion from bottom to top.

“Hmm. I see. The mixing method… It’s unique and innovative. Quite impressive.”

“What’s your verdict?”

After a moment, the alchemist turned to a completed potion from another group, the one crafted using Maizen’s original recipe, which had the highest level of refinement so far.

“Certainly! Although it’s not entirely efficient and uses a bit too much material, that can be improved. This potion…”

The alchemist glanced at Maizen Tyren’s countenance and concluded.

“… This is better than Professor Maizen’s potion. It’s also significantly more effective.”

Professor Maizen bit her lower lip at those words.

'Are these old fools losing their minds? What nonsense is this?!'

'Does it mean my invention is inferior to a potion made by students on the spot? It must be a joke. A very lame joke.'

“Let me see that!”

“Sure. You’d better check it out yourself.”

The alchemists handed over the potion to Maizen without a hitch, and astonishment soon colored her face.

‘What…!'

This potion clearly utilized Maizen Tyren's unique technique of extracting nutrients from monsters and converting them into vitality for humans. It was undeniably a Tyren Point Potion Type B.

In other words, nothing could stop them from calling it Tyren Point Potion Type B.

‘How the hell…?!'

The Tyren Point Potion had been the result of years of research. It wasn’t something that could be recreated by haphazardly throwing ingredients together.

She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t accept it.

How could the result of her years of hard work be surpassed so effortlessly by an impromptu creation?

‘This is ridiculous.’ 

Professor Maizen’s eyes turned red as if they were about to burst.

“This…” She wanted to accuse Baek Yu-Seol. She felt like she had to vent.

However, it was not possible.

“It’s more than enough for an A+. It’s not a level of creativity that students can think of.”

"Come on. In my day, we made things even better than this."

"Tsk tsk. For today’s standards, this is remarkable!"

"That’s true enough. Haha."

With the alchemists showering the potion with praise, Maizen had no choice but to remain silent.

There were many excuses to lower the score.

‘Disqualification because they couldn’t prepare the original ingredients properly.’

‘Disqualification for failing to create the original assignment.’

‘Simply disqualified.'

As the presiding professor, she could easily manipulate the results. But to insult the Alchemy Castle alchemists by doing so in front of them? That was out of the question.

“Oh, Professor Maizen, shouldn’t we evaluate you next? Your student just outperformed you! Haha! Just kidding, don’t be mad.”

“What do you think? Professor Maizen, you’ve taught so well that your student was able to refine your potion to such excellence!”

Everyone, even the alchemists of the Alchemist Castle, knew that Professor Maizen often acted out whenever there was a student she didn’t like.

So they were being sarcastic.

‘Now that you’ve taken a hit, why not get yourself in check?’

The humiliation was unbearable. Rage bubbled under her skin, her jaw clenched so tightly it hurt.

“... Group 12 has passed.”

Her begrudging declaration echoed like a forced admission.

"Ahh..."

"Phew..."

"We did it..."

Eisel and the others collapsed into their chairs in relief, exhaustion written on their faces. Meanwhile, Baek Yu-Seol twirled the potion in his hand, wearing a smug expression.

As though he had known this would happen all along.

[Professor Maizen Tyren’s Dark Magic Corruption Progression has increased.]