I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 47

Baek Yu-Seol rarely dreamed. When he did, it was usually when he was utterly exhausted or unable to sleep properly.

He would find himself back in his childhood days. It wasn't necessarily a happy time, but at least he had a family. Feeling a happiness he already lost and could never reclaim again wasn’t a joyful dream… It was a sad one.

"Cadet Yu-Seol."

Baek Yu-Seol opened his bleary eyes at the sound of the voice.

"Are you okay?"

“Ouch, my back hurts. I must have dozed off for a moment."

“It’s already morning. Will you be okay for class?”

"I can sleep during class."

“You shouldn’t say that as a cadet…”

"But I still keep up with my studies," he replied, though he was referring more to his use of the Sentient Specs.

Alterisha said with a small smile, "You look like a different person when you wear your glasses and stay quiet. You're usually a troublemaker, but in those moments, you seem like a smart and model cadet."

“That’s the real me, actually.”

"Y-Yeah... It's good to be positive."

"Right. Are you making progress with the problem?"

They were currently in Alterisha’s laboratory. The reason he had stayed so late was to assist her with solving the Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique. In truth, though, he had only given her a few hints while she had practically done all the work herself.

"Yeah, there's progress. After solving the remaining parts through repetitive calculations, we should be able to see the end soon."

"That's good. Hang in there a little longer."

"... Yeah, I will."

She smiled as if happy, but suddenly her expression turned gloomy.

"But... is this really okay? The professor dedicated half her life to this research."

"Huh."

Baek Yu-Seol couldn’t tell if she was just kind-hearted or plain naive. Even after having her paper stolen, she still said things like that. If it had been him, he’d have grabbed the professor by the collar long ago.

“Stop worrying about useless things like that. Who cares if she spent half her life on this? It’s not like you copied her research. We’re simply more skilled than the professor, and that’s not a crime, is it?” Although Baek Yu-Seol said that, he felt a slight pang in his conscience. But he couldn't help it. He had to calm Alterisha down.

"Yeah... Thank you."

"Once someone finds out I’m here, I'll be penalized, so I'll go before sunrise."

“Alright, be careful. See you later in class.”

"Oh, right." 

‘Come to think of it, today’s Friday.’ 

Since Baek Yu-Seol had some tasks to do, he took out what he had been putting off.

“A club… application form?”

"Yes. My friends and I want to start a food exploration club, but we need a faculty advisor. Can you do it for us?"

"Of course. How many times have you helped me until now?"

Without hesitation, she signed the form.

"I'll try not to bother you too much."

"It's okay. Include me in the food exploration later."

“Of course.”

With that, the conditions for establishing the club were met. Baek Yu-Seol suppressed a grin and left the lab.

Since the last incident, cadets’ access to ‘special purpose outings’ had been restricted. They couldn’t use airships or warp holes without official permission. Even attempting it in secret left records, so it wouldn’t take long to get caught.

That’s why he had been so determined to secure approval.

"Hmm... Training, you say? Getting an outing permit under the guise of a food exploration club?"

"We're also training for purposes other than food exploration. It’s a multipurpose outing."

Lee Han-Wol gave him a suspicious look but didn't press on further. 

Despite Baek Yu-Seol’s past mistakes, Lee Han-Wol knew that he had genuinely gone out to train and had only taken a detour when his friends were in danger.

"Well, fine. Just don't cause any trouble."

Thanks to Ma Yu-Seong’s help, their club was successfully established, and now they were able to go out freely. 

Moreover, as the club president, Baek Yu-Seol could even leave alone without any issues.

‘This is perfect.’

He never expected to receive this much help from Ma Yu-seong. 

‘I'll definitely repay the favor later.’

"Hooh." 

After escaping Stella, he took a deep breath. It was suffocating to be confined within the academy grounds.

If he took a train a little further from Stella, he would reach Arcanium's Rodeo Street.

Starting Friday lunchtime, this place was bustling with energetic cadets. Those without afternoon classes often came here to unwind. The streets were lined with couples, likely because it was spring and cherry blossoms were in bloom.

Rodeo Street, also known as the street of culture and arts, was similar to Korea's University Belt. It was a place where various performances like drama and music took place. It had well-equipped leisure facilities like theme parks, magic parks, and arcades. 

With its art-filled walkways and music-filled cafés, it was a favorite weekend dating spot for cadets, creating a lively atmosphere.

Of course, Baek Yu-Seol was not in a relationship, and he didn't go out with the intention of having fun, so he completely ignored those things and went to take an airship.

[Welcome to Angeline.]

Arcanium, the floating city, had twelve satellite cities orbiting it. Four of them were also floating cities, while the other eight were perched on mountaintops or built upon massive lakes.

Among them, Baek Yu-Seol often passed through Angeline, the eastern floating city, as it was the easiest hub for traveling to other parts of the city.

"Yawn…”

“Cadet, this is the final stop. Wake up."

He had fallen asleep with his face pressed against the train window, and before he knew it, they had reached their destination.

“O_O”

Despite the considerable distance, thanks to smooth transportation routes - warp holes followed by the train - it took less than two hours to get here.

As he slowly disembarked from the train, he opened his mouth in astonishment and gazed at the scenery before him.

"This is insane... It's unbelievable."

Towering before him was the Third World Tree, its massive branches spreading out like an enormous umbrella. Beneath it lay an expansive garden.

The unique green aurora of the world tree, also known as the divine tree, gently enveloped the area, making everything beneath it seem blissfully happy.

It was a park known as the ‘Orchard of the Dreamtree.’

The orchard was open to everyone, allowing visitors to pick and enjoy its fruits freely.

The view from the top was breathtaking, making it not just a popular resort but also a hotspot for taking screenshots in the game.

‘No game graphics could ever compare to this.’

Wandering along the colorful paths and admiring the vibrant fruits, Baek Yu-Seol was completely captivated.

"Welcome, Stella's mage. We welcome human mages." 

A man with pointed ears and slightly tanned skin approached and greeted him.

An elf.

It was no surprise. After all, this was their domain.

Baek Yu-Seol greeted the elf with the formal salutation he had memorized. "I offer my gratitude to the Mother of the Earth and the World Tree for blessing us with this magnificent garden."

“May your heartfelt words reach the Mother,” the elf replied in a deep, resonant voice. With his broad shoulders and commanding presence, he unmistakably gave off a masculine aura.

Elves, however, were unique beings. They were born without defined genders. Though they might adopt masculine or feminine appearances, they lacked reproductive organs. Only upon experiencing true love would they solidify their gender, aligning with their chosen partner.

Because of this, it wasn’t uncommon for a delicate, feminine-looking elf to later become male, or for a strong, masculine elf to transform into female.

Before their gender was set, most elves had similar body types and slightly androgynous voices, making it possible to distinguish them.

Baek Yu-Seol wandered slowly, taking in the surroundings.

Many elves recognized his academy uniform and approached him, mostly to express gratitude. In the past, Elthman had saved the Second World Tree from almost burning and dying. 

The age of conflict between humans and other races was long past. Stella’s mages now maintained amicable relations with other species. Bonds were further strengthened through the annual exchange program between Stella Academy and the elves’ prestigious Astral Flower Magic Academy.

‘Exchange program…’ 

The Astral Flower Magic Academy was also an enormous institution, and a significant event would occur there in the future. 

He hoped to visit someday, perhaps even as an exchange student, since such an opportunity could play a vital role in his plans.

"Nice to meet you, Stella mage." 

"Nice to meet you too, beautiful madam." 

"Oh my, hoho."

Baek Yu-Seol had heard tales of magic warriors being treated like heroes by civilians, and now he was beginning to wonder if those stories held some truth.

However, as a cadet, he was treated kindly by many people. 

After all, few mages specialized in offensive magic, and the tests required to become a magic warrior were notoriously difficult. As a result, their numbers were scarce, adding to their prestige.

‘They really are elves. It’s like walking through a gathering of models.’

The abundance of stunning men and women around him was a visual feast. Of course, elves weren’t so dazzling that their beauty felt divine, but they undeniably had a higher ratio of attractive individuals.

That said, there were still plenty of average-looking elves mixed in.

If he were to draw a comparison, it was like visiting Uzbekistan on Earth, a country known for its strikingly beautiful people, yet not without its share of ordinary faces.

Even in the game, when describing the appearance of major characters like Ma Yu-Seong or Hong Bi-Yeon, they often used the phrase ‘beauty surpassing that of the elves.’ 

However, there was one elf who had a unique buff in terms of appearance. 

The Elf King, Florin.

She possessed a demeanor akin to a benevolent goddess, captivating the hearts of countless male players. 

As one of the most popular characters, Florin inspired endless fan art and happened to be one of Baek Yu-Seol’s favorites… perhaps due to his preference for older women.

She assumed a female form but had never experienced true love, so she was still without gender. After Flame saved her, she fell in love and eventually chose to be male.

No matter which route players pursued, Florin’s transformation into a man was unavoidable, much to the despair of many fans who had hoped otherwise.

‘Hmm, I wonder how the Elf King looked before becoming a man... But it's not worth risking my life out of mere curiosity.’

Unless he had the blessing of the Pink Spring Moon(the divine moon representing the month of March) to purify her curse, facing her directly in a sober state would be fatal.

The cursed trait [Absorbing Affection] would cause anyone who made eye contact with her, regardless of age or gender, to fall for her irresistibly, eventually wasting away and dying from heartbreak. 

Pushing aside those thoughts, Baek Yu-Seol continued his exploration of the World Tree’s outskirts until he stumbled upon a narrow, concealed path.

"Ah, it must be around here."

He entered one of the countless branches of the world tree and ventured into a hidden passage. Typically, this area was off-limits, but there were no guards anyway. 

If anyone tried to harm it, the World Tree would defend itself and alert the elves to the danger.

Sweating slightly from the climb, Baek Yu-Seol finally arrived at an oddly spacious clearing where the roots twisted and curved in strange patterns.

"Let's see, it should be around here. No, maybe here. Yes, that's right."

He tapped the transparent map hovering in the air with his finger, and his location appeared.

“Hmm, yep. I found it.”

He took out the Leafanel's green key from his pocket and approached the tree that had grown gray like stone. It was the hidden entrance to the hidden dungeon, Divine Spirit Leafanel’s Garden.

For a moment, Baek Yu-Seol hesitated. A cautionary note engraved on the key gnawed at the back of his mind.

[Caution! Opening the entrance to this place may alert someone else who possesses the key.]

Of course, it had been proven through numerous players' tests that this warning had no real significance.

Even in the game, the key carried the same ominous message, but no one had ever encountered a linked event, leaving most players disappointed.

"Yeah, right. What’s the worst that could happen?"

With that thought, Baek Yu-Seol inserted the key firmly into the slot and turned it.

Clank!

[The door to the Divine Spirit Leafanel’s Garden, is now open!]