I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 28

After school, during the free activity time.

Normally, Eisel would be studying in the self-study room, but today, she couldn’t.

‘Baek Yu-Seol…’

Her thoughts were in disarray.

It was true that she managed to break through Maizen’s trap thanks to his help. 

But what about her?

All she had done was clumsily follow one of Baek Yu-Seol’s instructions, purely by chance.

‘He came up with that recipe on the spot?’

It was unbelievable. With her own ideas, her own talents, and her own knowledge, she could never have reached such a solution.

Even though alchemy was considered a niche field... the problem was that his knowledge wasn’t limited to just alchemy.

Rumors had already spread throughout the department.

‘A genius who came in without any preparation.’

He had submitted the class placement test nearly blank, except for solving three unsolvable questions… a test impossible to complete without memorizing formulas and calculations.

If the questions had been at the level of an ordinary student, it might have been understandable. But Stella’s placement test was comparable to most college-level exams.

A regular high school student wouldn’t have been able to solve such problems.

However, Stella’s students were all gifted, and solving them was natural because they had received early education.

Baek Yu-Seol, on the other hand, had none of those advantages. Yet he had solved the three magical problems that stumped others without any preparation.

In addition to that, even though he was lagging behind others, he studied negligently and was already standing out.

He excelled in every subject, and his ideas earned the admiration and recognition of the faculty.

“Ah…”

Eisel clasped her face with both hands.

‘My daughter.’

Her thoughts drifted back to her father’s death.

‘My beloved daughter... One day, you too will learn the truth…’

Her father, who vanished like morning dew under the stigma of a traitor, had left her with those haunting words.

She still could not understand his final words. However, the reason she was still alive was for her revenge.

‘Adolevit.’

The vile and despicable family that branded her father a traitor and ultimately drove him to his death.

Even now, she couldn’t forget the face of that wretched woman who killed her father.

She had to exact her revenge.

She had to plunge the sharpened blade of vengeance into the hearts of those who drove her and her father into the abyss.

To do so, she needed to be the best.

‘Because I’m a prodigy. Because I’m a mage from the heavens, an unparalleled genius.’

Having lost everything, there was only one path left for her revenge.

To surpass the two princesses of Adolevit and ascend to the heavenly realm.

If she became the greatest mage, ruling over the magic world, she could return all the shame, pain, and despair she had endured.

However…

‘This time, what was my role?’

Wasn’t she merely a burden, relying on another student’s quick thinking and knowledge, shaking a potion like an amateur?

She needed to become the best, yet she had done nothing.

At that moment, she had not been able to think of anything. Before that, she had thought that she could overcome any hardship or adversity she faced.

'I must... change even more.'

Eisel clenched her teeth and stood up. There was no time for shame. Even now, Baek Yu-Seol was climbing higher, and Hong Bi-Yeon, her former rival, had already surpassed her with the elite education of the royal family.

No more. She would not fall behind anymore.

***

“Slurp!”

Since Baek Yu-Seol enrolled in Stella Academy, there was something he had always wanted to do: drink americano elegantly at Stellaria Cafe.

Drinking coffee brewed with high-quality coffee beans while admiring the night view on a spacious terrace was truly akin to living a luxurious leisure life of aristocrats, wasn’t it?

"Hmm. I'd like another cup."

But Baek Yu-Seol drank it all in one gulp without saying anything. 

Honestly, he couldn’t even tell what it tasted like. The 300-won mixed coffee he used to get from vending machines was far better.

“Hmm, it’s ridiculously expensive and pretty bland.”

Leaning back in his chair, he pretended to admire the night view as he activated his Sentient Specs.

[Maizen Tyren]

[Dark Magic Corruption Progress: 37%]

Despite being humiliated in the last group assignment, the corruption progress was still a mere 37%.

'How can I raise this further...?'

Over time, the corruption would naturally increase, but by then, it would be too late. If an incident caused the professor's corruption to spike, it would trigger an event before he had time to respond.

Baek Yu-Seol’s goal was to make it 50% so that the Dark Mage Extermination Squad would become aware of Maizen’s existence, but it was not going as planned.

'Is this destiny going as it's supposed to? An incident will occur within the next three months.'

Professor Maizen’s dark mage transformation would randomly affect one student.

Baek Yu-Seol did not know exactly who it would be.

It wasn’t because he hadn’t memorized the story but because, like a simulation game, each episode had multiple branching paths. Predicting the future in this world was impossible.

Still, there were likely candidates.

Jecky, Flame’s friend. 

Arshuang, from the Hong Bi-Yeon faction.

And Hae Won-Ryang.

‘It would be worse if Hae Won-Ryang is caught up in this.'

Among hundreds of thousands of players, few had witnessed Hae Won-Ryang’s dark magic corruption.

However, one had to be especially careful of it. His dark magic corruption immediately resulted in a bad ending.

‘But there’s a person I can roughly predict.’

Jecky.

She was the most suspicious. There was no particular reason, but she had become a dark mage 90% of the time. 

Of course, it wasn’t guaranteed, and there was no way to confirm it yet.

‘Sigh. Instead of worrying about it, why don’t I go work out?’

With that thought in mind, he got up.

As Baek Yu-Seol left the cafe and slowly walked toward the training ground, someone was sitting in the garden, staring at him.

‘Flame?’

She stared at him for a moment before springing up and walking toward him. She closed the distance uncomfortably, her short black hair swaying, and asked sharply, "Who are you?"

“What are you talking about?”

“You didn’t give me a proper answer last time. Who are you really?”

'This again?'

In fact, after the group project, he had been thinking about it.

The future knowledge he and Flame possessed was clearly different; she remembered all the minor details, whereas he barely knew any of them.

But what if he earned her trust and combined their knowledge?

It would undoubtedly make reaching the 'True Ending' much easier.

'Should I take the risk?'

Gulp. His throat moved.

The temptation of an easier path was almost irresistible, even though he hadn’t figured out her true motives.

But what stopped him was not his conscience.

[Warning! Narrative Power is lacking!]

[Warning! Don’t tell the person you’re a Transmigrator.]

[Warning! Do not share the knowledge and information you know with the person.]

‘I’m really going to be crazy.’

The sudden restrictions were alarming.

Baek Yu-Seol didn’t know what would happen if he ignored the warnings, but it didn’t seem like a risk worth taking.

So, once again, he had to come up with an excuse.

“There’s a famous saying that the Progenitor Mage said while teaching magic. Do you know?”

“I know.”

It was very simple, but it was the most famous line.

‘Mages, let the world only see half of your true form.’

Back in the day, mages defended their world from beings of another realm, despite being few in number.

As a result, they were almost worshipped like gods. But what would happen if people realized these near-deified figures endured immense pain while training their magic?

Mages had to maintain an image of perfection. They had to dress impeccably, show no signs of fatigue after casting powerful spells, never fall ill, and display unmatched courage.

That was why the Progenitor Mage said that.

Reveal only half of your true self.

“Let’s only show half our cards and reveal half our feelings. You and I have secrets we don’t want to reveal.”

"Alright. Fine." Flame quickly agreed and asked immediately, "You know the future, don't you?"

A direct hit.

Baek Yu-Seol decided to share part of the truth.

No matter how much she guessed, she couldn’t possibly know that he was a transmigrator armed with knowledge from a romance fantasy game. As long as he withheld that specific detail, she might assume he had read the original novel or was a transmigrator like her.

Originally, he didn’t want to reveal this to her, but now he had no choice.

Still, he wasn’t going to spill everything outright. By observing her responses, he could infer what she knew.

“For you to ask this… you mean you’re the same?”

Baek Yu-Seol affirmed by saying ‘the same,’ and Flame affirmed by not answering.

He already knew she was a transmigrator, but he couldn’t let her realize that. By keeping her guessing, he aimed to maintain an informational advantage.

“My turn. What’s your purpose in the academy?”

Honestly, he didn’t need anything else. After all, most people know Flame’s story. He was, nevertheless, still curious about what she thought internally.

She hesitated for a moment, but then her lips softened. "...To steer the world away from destruction. This world is on the brink of collapse."

Baek Yu-Seol wasn’t sure if she was being truthful, but it was a reassuring answer. At least she wasn’t aiming to actively destroy the world.

In the original story, a group of Dark Mages caused a supposed bad ending, and it seemed Flame didn’t want to head down that path.

"Next, my question. Why do you act the way you do?"

Baek Yu-Seol pretended to be agonizing over an answer while Flame waited patiently.

However, the problem was with the question. 

‘What the hell is she talking about?’

Baek Yu-Seol did not understand what behavior she was talking about. 

But admitting that he didn’t know could expose his lack of familiarity with the original novel.

That wouldn’t do. He needed to avoid any informational disadvantage.

“Because I think it’s best this way.”

Baek Yu-Seol thought it was a fairly satisfactory answer.

Suddenly, Flame’s pupils shook violently. “What…? Such… Why…?”

‘What?’ It was not the reaction he expected.

Flame lowered her head, shaking it as though processing something. Then she slowly looked up, meeting his gaze directly.

“I can’t believe it. How can a person be so stupid? There must be something… A purpose, something you want.”

“There’s nothing like that.”

“Just admit it already!”

‘Isn’t it my turn to ask a question now?’ He was a little offended, but he realized he could simply ask two questions later, so he answered, “If you ask what I want… Well, I really don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure there’s something, but I’m not sure if it’s right.”

He was still unsure whether or not finding the twelve divine moons was the right way to the true ending.

“So I guess for now… I just want to live. That’s all.”

Wasn’t that what everyone wanted?

“You… want to live…?” Flame’s eyes widened, and then she let out a hollow laugh. At that moment, Baek Yu-Seol couldn’t help but be confused.

‘Why?’ 

Why was there sadness and compassion in those eyes?

‘What’s this? Are you sure you’re not misunderstanding something?’

“I suppose so,” she muttered to herself deprecatingly. She stood silently for a long time with her head lowered, then abruptly raised her head and met Baek Yu-Seol’s eyes with tears in her eyes. His heart ached at the sight.

"I'm sorry. I was out of line."

After saying that, she turned around and ran away.

“Huh…?”

It happened so suddenly that Baek Yu-Seol couldn’t stop her.

‘Wasn’t it my turn to ask questions?’

Feeling incredulous, Baek Yu-Seol stood in a daze until a voice from behind broke his reverie.

“Baek Yu-Seol.”

It was a strange but familiar voice. When he turned his head, he found Hae Won-Ryang staring at him with a terrifying expression.

“What were you talking about just now?”

“Uh… It was nothing. Why?”

He was a little nervous that Hae Won-Ryang, the rival of the devilishly strong Ma Yu-Seong, was giving him such a cold look.

‘I’m not going to be dragged into a mess, am I?’

“Answer me correctly. Why did Flame run back crying?”

With those words, Baek Yu-Seol realized that there had been a misunderstanding.

‘Now that I think about it, wasn’t it canon that Hae Won-Ryang had a crush on Flame in the game?’

He still remembered it because there were a lot of players who took the Hae Won-Ryang’s route.

“Nothing happened. Especially not what you think.”

Although he wanted Flame to be closer to Ma Yu-Seong, he had to resolve the misunderstanding as he did not intend to interfere with Hae Won-Ryang’s love life.

Unconvinced, Hae Won-Ryang continued to stare at him, but he soon looked away and said, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m sorry for prying into your conversation. I apologize for trying to infringe on your privacy.”

“Oh, yeah…”

With that, Hae Won-Ryang headed back. Somehow, Baek Yu-Seol felt sorry for his drooping shoulders.

No, rather than feeling sad, he found it weird.

'He’s not usually like that.'

The Hae Won-Ryang he knew was more cynical, cool-headed, cold-blooded, and cold-hearted than anyone else. 

His current appearance seemed awkward and unstable because he was the personification of the word ‘chauvinist’ of this era, someone who would not reveal his true feelings even to the woman he loved.

‘It’s rather unsettling…’

Baek Yu-Seol had a bad premonition, but he tried to shake it off.