I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 32

[Episode 4 'The Necromancer's Attack' begins.]

As the notification sound chimed, an ominous wave of mana spread in all directions. Moments later, the ground shifted in front of Baek Yu-Seol, and something reached out.

It was a skeletal hand.

Moreover, it belonged to a skeleton radiating a sinister concentration of mana.

Judging by the overwhelming mana, this wasn’t an ordinary skeleton but a skeleton general.

This type of skeleton, granted direct command authority by the necromancer, was a sub-boss-level monster. In this episode, only three of them appeared.

If he fought it conventionally, he’d be dead in seconds, but Baek Yu-Seol had no intention of following the usual approach.

Crack! Creak!

As the skeleton general’s head emerged, Baek Yu-Seol unsheathed his Teripon Sword.

It's an unwritten rule to not interrupt magical girls or heroes while they transform, and similarly, when a boss monster is summoned, it’s considered respectful to stand by and watch.

‘What if I ignore the rule sometimes? After all, my life is way more important than my pride.’

Roaaaar—ugh?

Thud!!!

The skeleton general suddenly raised its head and extended its arms. It twisted its neck before attempting to pull the lower half of its body out of the ground.

It was at that moment that Baek Yu-Seol struck its head with the Teripon sword.

"Back in you go. Go on."

Whack, whack! Thwack!

When a game has been around for a long time, veteran players eventually find ways to recycle old content.

Aither World had been around for ten years, and there was a time when mass-producing secondary characters to clear the 'main episodes' faster than anyone else was hugely popular among veteran players in communities and live streams.

Although Baek Yu-Seol preferred PvP and had never focused on secondary characters, he had benefited from the records created by other players searching for faster and easier routes.

Defeating this skeleton general before it fully spawned was one such hidden route.

The skeleton general, capable of commanding skeleton soldiers within a certain radius and relaying their senses back to the necromancer, posed a significant threat. Eliminating it early dealt a severe blow to the necromancer.

Crack...!

After completely dismembering the helpless skeleton general, which was still half-buried in the ground, he extracted its remaining spine and skull.

“Spine blade complete.”

Crackle!

The skeleton attempted to resist with its remaining teeth, but it was futile.

Baek Yu-Seol had no intention of killing it like this.

This strategy exploited the necromancer’s weakness. Reclaiming command authority over a general required physical contact. Moreover, carrying this immobilized general incapacitated nearby skeletons, making it a crucial advantage.

That was the player's way.

Baek Yu-Seol had no intention of ignorantly navigating between the skeletons.

So he used his head to make the most of the information he had.

“Alright, let’s move.”

***

Crack!

As the skeletons burst from the ground, Flame was greatly surprised to see Eisel.

'Now, wait a minute... Why is she hanging out with them? What about Ma Yu-Seong?'

She knew this episode because she had read it in the novel.

In the original story, Ma Yu-Seong had nearly resolved the incident single-handedly, but he sustained grave injuries and collapsed. Fortunately, he had prepared meticulously, bringing Hae Won-Ryang as support and stocking holy potions.

Regardless of how skilled others were, Ma Yu-Seong was always the one to resolve this episode.

But now, Eisel, who should have been with Ma Yu-Seong, was here with some unfamiliar upperclassmen.

'Where the hell is Ma Yu-Seong?'

They were already deep in the forest. Despite the world’s advancements, long-distance communication here was primitive compared to modern times. Summoning Ma Yu-Seong was impossible now.

'Could it be... we have to get through this with just these people?'

She thought about it while biting her nails, but in the end, she had no answer.

The reason Ma Yu-Seong was able to successfully block the necromancer's attack was because of one of his overpowered traits: [Battle Frenzy].

The more he fought and enjoyed the fight, the stronger he became.

He thrived in chaotic battles, cutting down skeletons with power beyond his level. Even the necromancer, despite being Class 5, fell due to his overwhelming battle strength.

'What about seeking cooperation from other mercenaries?'

Impossible. They never undertook uncommissioned tasks. They were probably too busy running away by now.

‘How should...!'

Thud!

Hae Won-Ryang incinerated a skeleton that had sprung from the ground and placed a hand on Flame's shoulder.

"Calm down. There’s nothing to be afraid of. You learned enough about skeletons in class, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I've already sent a distress signal to Stella Academy.”

Stella's pocket watch had numerous functions, one of which was a rescue request in emergency situations.

‘Okay. If we wait a little bit, Stella's professors will come.'

Flame cleared her mind. Although it would be impossible to defeat the necromancer, it would be possible to escape if one tried.

“F-Flame...? What’s this all of a sudden?”

She looked at the anxious Jecky.

Originally, she and Hae Won-Ryang had planned to hunt alone, but Jecky had insisted on joining them, so they reluctantly allowed her to tag along.

She thought it wouldn’t be too dangerous, which was why she decided to bring Jecky along...

'It's my responsibility. I have to save Jecky and take her out.’

She forced a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry. Stay calm. I’ll handle this.”

“Who said I’m scared?”

Seeing the smug Flame, Jecky gritted her teeth and poured mana into her staff.

'I can do it too.’

Soon, after completing a magic circle, the icicles froze the feet of three skeletons to the ground.

'Good! That's enough...'

Suddenly, Flame spun her staff skillfully and thumped it on the ground.

Crack!!!

Vines rose from the ground and bound at least ten skeletons, lifting them up into the air.

Then she twirled the staff one more time.

Crash! Crack! Crack!!!

In an instant, all of the skeletons' skulls were shattered.

‘What?' The overwhelming sight shocked Jecky.

'This... is absurd...'

Though they were the same age, the gap in their magical abilities was staggering.

Unbeknownst to Jecky, Flame had been relentlessly honing her skills daily to survive the grim future ahead. Jecky, ignorant of those struggles, could only clench her fists, silently cursing the world’s unfairness.

“Everyone knows how to kill a skeleton, right?”

"Of course."

“Even an elementary school student knows that!”

There was only one way to kill a skeleton!!

Shatter its skull completely.

Dark magic like necromancy was considered one of the most powerful, and countermeasures against it were taught from elementary school. So even in their first real battle, they weren’t entirely unprepared.

But instinctive fear and disgust were harder to erase.

The sight of animated bones walking around was inherently unsettling. Some skeletons were especially horrifying because they weren’t completely cleaned and still bore remnants of decay.

"We’re securing a retreat route this way!"

“Okay!”

Dok Cheol-Gwang hit the floor with his fist.

The ground caved in and a few skeletons were instantly buried. But even then, for a while, the skeletons dug up the soil and forced their palms out of the ground.

They looked grotesque, but Flame avoided glancing at them as she hurried along the path created by Dok Cheol-Gwang.

“This is a cemetery, so the more time we take, the more skeletons will come! We must hurry back to base camp!”

A necromancer's fundamental strategy was territorial control. They had to infuse an area with their own mana completely in order to summon skeletons. It was a straightforward concept.

In other words, it was similar to acquiring territory.

Gradually, as the necromancer extended their domain, their opponent’s chances of victory diminished.

"They're all over the place!"

“Ha! It's fun!”

“What fun! Try to understand our grim situation!” Ban Di-Yeon yelled, scolding Dok Cheol-Gwang. However, Dok Cheol-Gwang’s confident and powerful strikes at the vanguard quickly put her mind at ease.

Eisel said with a firm expression, “Looks like a necromancer who came prepared. Their level isn't that high, but... it's highly likely that they made a force vessel.”

“Yeah, it seems that way. This is a real headache.”

A force vessel was a technique where necromancers continuously injected and stored their mana over days or even years.

Even for necromancers, mana had its limits. A Class 3 or 4 necromancer could summon at most a dozen skeletons.

“The skeletons themselves aren’t that powerful, but for them to take control of such a large area... they must’ve stored an enormous amount of mana in the force vessel.”

In other words, this current situation was not an impromptu performance but a planned event.

Creak! Clatter! Clatter!

The number of skeletons grew steadily. It became apparent that the skeletons were surrounding them.

"...It looks like they're trying to capture us."

Capturing students from Stella Academy could yield a high ransom, or worse, they could be turned into undead mage skeletons with immense potential.

“Just because I put myself on a hard diet doesn’t mean I want to become a skeleton!” 

Ban Di-Yeon shouted, summoning a fierce gust of wind that swept the skeletons away. Though it didn’t destroy them completely, Eisel followed up by summoning lightning to shatter their skulls.

Despite it being their first encounter with skeletons and their first real battle, the students were fending off the threat admirably.

However, there was always one weak link.

“AAAHHH!”

Thud!

Kashif Derek, frightened by a skeleton rising from the ground, screamed and fell down.

As a bishop, he was typically responsible for casting large-scale attack spells. But if a spell was interrupted mid-cast...

"Rebound! Get down!"

Hong Bi-Yeon quickly realized what was happening and shouted a warning, but Eisel and Dok Cheol-Gwang, who were closest, were caught in the blast.

Boom!

At the level of a gunpowder bomb, the explosion wasn't much of a big deal. However, the most frightening thing about the rebound phenomenon within a group battle was that the rebound happened in a chain. 

“Kyaaak!”

“Keugh!”

Eisel’s magic, along with the others, was swept away by Kashif’s explosion and canceled, causing rebound after rebound.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

One explosion after another disrupted their formation. Flame, who had retreated quickly, avoided the chaos, but several members of Hong Bi-Yeon’s group were thrown aside.

Though none of them were unconscious, the mana rebound temporarily disabled their ability to use magic.

'That idiot!'

Hong Bi-Yeon raised the group members who were deadly pale due to the rebound phenomenon.

“P-Princess, I’m sorry…”

One of the most affected was Arshuang, who had been performing the best and consuming significant mana to outperform Hong Bi-Yeon. Her collapse was a severe blow.

"No. There’s nothing to be sorry about, so get on Meradin’s back.”

“But Meradin is the knight—”

“Shut up and get on! Are you trying to be a burden?!”

Now was not the time to argue. She had no intention of abandoning even a single member of the group, so she had to force herself to take care of them.

"Yes..." Arshuang said, biting her lip with a shocked expression and letting the boy named Meradin carry her on his back. Since Meradin was the only knight except for Dok Cheol-Gwang, the situation turned even worse.

That fact made Arshuang's heart even heavier.

Crack! Snap! Snap!

More skeletons gathered, and their escape route was completely cut off. The plan to retreat was now impossible.

“Hold them off as long as you can! If you get caught, you'll all become skeletons!”

“Haha, now this is a challenge! I’ve never fallen in my life!”

"Will you stop spouting nonsense already?!"

Fortunately, Ban Di-Yeon and Dok Cheol-Gwang, the second-year seniors, provided strong leadership, proving far more effective than expected.

Although Ban Di-Yeon’s wind magic and Dok Cheol-Gwang’s earth magic seemed mismatched, their synergy was outstanding, creating a dynamic that surpassed the first-year elites.

However…

It was not enough.

No amount of magic, planning, or teamwork could overcome their dire situation.

Their opponent was a Class 5 necromancer, fully prepared, while they were just novice Class 2 and 3 mages with no combat experience.

'This is hopeless.'

Flame bit her lip tightly and held Jecky’s hand. Jecky hadn't even been able to properly use magic, and her body trembled nonstop for a long time.

“We… What’s going on…?”

“...”

As usual, she couldn't reassure her by saying, “Don't worry,” because she was also in a situation where she couldn't do anything properly.

"Haa… Haaa…”

Her mana was almost depleted, and she could only recover a small amount in the time available. Though her Qi Regulation trait allowed for quick recovery, it wasn’t fast enough.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Right next to her, a skeleton barreled towards her with its entire body, but it was blocked by Hae Won-Ryang's shield that unfurled just in time. However, the shield did not last long and quickly shattered. His mana reserve was very small and was already reaching the limit.

However, he put his hand on Flame’s head with a firm expression on his face.

“Flame... I’ll protect you no matter what, so even if you have to abandon me, you must escape.”

“Ha. Suddenly talking like a romantic? Didn’t you learn that lines like that mean you’ll die?” she joked. However, Hae Won-Ryang was sincere. She couldn’t sacrifice him, since she was the one who brought him here in the first place.

"Don't do anything reckless. I know better than anyone that you're out of mana."

“No, I—”

When Hae Won-Ryang seemed unwilling to agree, Flame yelled, “Don't be pretentious! Think of a way to get out of the situation slowly. You’re smart, aren’t you?”

At those words, Hae Won-Ryang lowered his head. No strategist could break through this situation. However, Hae Won-Ryang's magic was no longer helpful. Therefore, Flame wanted him to live as long as possible and come up with a plan to boost his self-esteem.

He had no choice but to realize the fact that he felt resentful of himself and wanted to die.

He couldn't protect the one he liked, and the feeling of receiving pity on the contrary was the worst.

Emotions were running high, and his head was turning into a mess as the situation grew worse.

Creak! Snap! Snap! Snap!

"Ugh, there are too many of them!"

“We can’t use magic anymore...”

The skeleton army, which had already grown to the point of filling all sides, could no longer be controlled by the tired students, and even Dok Cheol-Gwang, who had been a strong support in the front, had no choice but to retreat.

Suddenly, all the skeletons stopped moving.

"Huh?"

Like puppets with their strings cut, the skeletons stopped in unison.

When they stopped, the boys and girls panicked.

Creak...

Slowly, the skeletons raised their heads, looking in the same direction.

Suddenly, the horde parted, creating a path.

Between the skeleton army, someone walked out, slowly paving his way through the undead beings.

That silhouette was so familiar that everyone present was astonished.

“Baek Yu-Seol?”

He held a skeleton with only a spine and skull left in his right hand.

As long as the skull remained, the skeleton was alive, so it constantly made a clicking sound, but it did not do any damage to him.

Belatedly, everyone seemed to have grasped the situation.

“I can’t believe that…”

"A General level… Skeleton?"

At first glance, a necromancer might seem to command an army of hundreds or thousands of skeletons by himself, but in fact, they couldn’t do it all themselves.

They had to have a chain of command through a skeleton with command authority and a certain level of intelligence.

Therefore, one of the most effective ways to deal with the necromancer's army was by finding the skeleton with command authority to hunt or subdue!

A skeleton general was a key element that served as a kind of receiver, control tower, antenna, etc. It became the necromancer's eyes, ears, and sometimes brains.

Knowing this weakness, a skeleton general was particularly strong and would typically be guarded by elite skeletons.

'He faced and captured a general-level skeleton alone...?’

A sight that was hard to believe.

But thanks to that…

“If we can use that, we might actually make it out alive…!”

A faint glimmer of hope returned to the students.