I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 53

"In the end, it was a complete letdown."

Kaen nodded in response to Hyejin’s remark. If there had been any signs of intense emotions, the sensors would have reacted. Yet, the devices designed to detect dark mana fluctuations remained eerily silent.

"Well, the psychometry of New Moon Tower isn't perfect either, right? How many times have we drawn blanks? Oh, I thought I was going to die of boredom! Well, you seemed to enjoy it, though.”

In response to Hyejin’s words, Kaen nodded silently.

It was enjoyable. As someone who had pursued the path of alchemy with a master’s degree, he possessed deep knowledge in this field, allowing him to appreciate just how remarkable this woman, Alterisha, truly was.

Though the mission ended in vain, a lingering sense of intrigue remained.

Even as he stood separated by nearly an entire hall, Kaen couldn’t help but keep his eyes on Alterisha.

"By the way, that kid who was listed as a co-author. Isn’t he a high school student? That little brat looked quite cute, didn't he? Right?"

Kaen turned his gaze towards the boy named Baek Yu-Seol. It was impressive that a high school student had contributed to solving a 300-year-old unsolved problem, and as someone who had an interest in alchemy, Kaen became curious, but it wasn't significant enough to pay him special attention.

However, what happened next was suspicious.

‘Please exclude my name from the article.’

Amidst the chaotic aftermath of the presentation, Baek Yu-Seol had insisted on refusing recognition.

As a result, the article would only mention Alterisha and an anonymous alchemist. 

Of course, the anonymity wouldn’t last forever. Those who truly wanted more details would eventually uncover the truth.

Still, the public’s focus would remain solely on Alterisha. Any sponsorships or support from corporations and towers would be directed entirely toward her.

Why, though?

Kaen found himself unable to dismiss the question.

"Did you investigate him?"

When he asked Hyejin, she stared at her palm and replied, "Yeah. I just received a message, and there's nothing special about him except for the fact that his hometown was destroyed by dark mages right before his enrollment. He’s from a commoner background, and his grades are the lowest. But strangely, he’s in Class S? I haven't been to the academy, so I don't know, but isn't it extremely difficult to get into that class?"

"... That's true."

"And here’s the strangest part. He attends the most prestigious magic academy in the world… but he can’t use magic. Talk about peculiar."

The word ‘peculiar’ seemed insufficient to describe that boy.

"But apart from this, there's really nothing special. It’s something that Matra mentioned, so it must be accurate, right?"

"Yeah, I got it."

Despite Kaen’s lingering curiosity, the Extermination Squad of New Moon Tower wasn’t idle enough to waste time worrying about a single high school student.

Thinking about this, Kaen was staring at Baek Yu-Seol when he suddenly turned his head.

In that instant, their eyes met for a brief second.

But just as quickly, Baek Yu-Seol averted his gaze, as though it had only been a fleeting glance.

Kaen frowned slightly. Recognition reduction and Hyejin’s shadow veil barrier were still active. There was no way a mere high school student could have pierced through them.

‘It must’ve been my imagination.’

Thinking so, Kaen turned his head and spoke, "Let's go. We're done here."

"Yeah! I'm tired of this boring place too!"

They swiftly left as if carried by the wind, leaving no trace behind.

***

While Alterisha was surrounded by swarms of journalists and businessmen, Professor Maizen slipped out unnoticed through the back door.

It was a humiliating turn of events.

Professor Maizen had come in through the main entrance, while Alterisha came in through the back door.

But when they left, Alterisha walked through the front door, while Professor Maizen was forced to use the back door.

‘Damn it, damn this…’

Maizen, who boarded her self-driving carriage, bit her nails. Her neatly arranged hair was now disheveled and unkempt.

"Ugh...!"

Thud, thud!

As Maizen banged her head against the window, expressing his anger silently, a low voice echoed from beside her.

"Calm down, Maizen."

"You, you!"

Seated in the carriage was a man with spectacles and moss-green hair that shimmered faintly under the light. Calmly flipping through a notebook, he looked as though he had been there all along.

It was Professor Raiden of Stella Academy from the Divine Moon Department. He sharply rebuked Maizen. "You caused an accident."

"This… This wasn't an accident..." Maizen stammered and sweated. Could someone have witnessed this spectacle?

"You nearly lost control. The only reason you didn’t go berserk was because of the restraints placed on you. If you had, everything we’ve planned could’ve been ruined."

"... I'm sorry."

"Hah, sorry?"

Raiden let out a bitter laugh.

"Do you think a simple apology is enough? The cult leader is extremely disappointed. You have lost both of your values."

The first value was that she was a professor at Stella Academy.

The second value was that she had the potential to solve the Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique.

However, the first value was soon to be lost as she plagiarized her assistant's paper, and the second value was now meaningless as someone else had already completed the formula.

"No, no! It's not over yet. I have connections in the plagiarism committee. I can easily resolve this incident. I... I won't be expelled!"

Upon hearing this, Raiden closed his notebook with a snap and turned his head, locking eyes with Maizen.

Under his cold gaze, which seemed to see humans as nothing more than insects, Maizen gulped hard.

"Shut up and stay quiet. The most helpful thing you can do is keep your head down and stay still. Got it?"

There wasn't a single word Maizen could say in response to that demeaning remark.

"Stay quiet until the cult leader gives further orders."

Raiden left those words behind and vanished into thin air.

Left alone, Maizen clawed at her hair with her nails.

‘Baek Yu-Seol, Baek Yu-Seol...!’

She did her best to suppress the overwhelming urge to go on a rampage. She bit her nails, plucked her hair, and tore her skin to suppress herself.

‘Not yet, not yet!’

She couldn't express her anger now. When the opportunity would come to corner that person, she had to unleash it all at once.

To achieve that, Maizen harshly endured.

‘Just wait a little longer, Baek Yu-Seol...!’

***

[Dark Magic Corruption Progress: 49%]

Monitoring the data through his specs, Baek Yu-Seol noted that Maizen’s corruption rate had stopped just shy of the critical 50% threshold.

‘So, I have no choice but to sit tight until the rampage episode plays out.’

No matter how hard he tried to alter events, the storyline remained stubbornly unchanged.

‘I thought that if I could forcibly raise Maizen’s corruption rate to 50%, I might somehow prevent the dreadful disaster of the eighth episode.’

Still, the preparations were in place.

The situation had ended on a positive note, and the activation of the resentment even succeeded.

The cheat-like item would undoubtedly make it easy to breeze through the eighth episode.

Furthermore, from now on, the direction of alchemy would revolve around Alterisha. There was no need to worry about her safety.

With such a significant incident having erupted, she had become an invaluable presence at Stella Academy as well. Guards would quietly accompany her to ensure her protection.

Baek Yu-Seol took a deep breath, feeling relieved.

If things had gone according to plan, it would have been another year before the mages obtained the existence known as the item.

However, thanks to Alterisha awakening much earlier than in the game, the potential for Baek Yu-Seol’s growth had opened up wide.

Of course, the dark mages would also acquire information about the Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique. 

However, their skills couldn’t match up to Alterisha’s. Even in the original game, she effortlessly surpassed the dark mages who were already a year ahead in terms of their skills.

Moreover, this was not the only achievement.

[The direction of the main episode has undergone significant changes.]

[Your narrative power is greatly enhanced.]

[You can regain the functionality of a downgraded item. You can inherit some of the abilities and skills that the character Baek Yu-Seol possessed.]

Even though Baek Yu-Seol hadn't progressed through the episode, he was rewarded as if he had completed one.

Although he didn't receive any EXP, it was satisfying enough. The rewards were still pending, but in reality, he had already decided in his mind what he wanted to receive.

"Haaa…"

Alterisha moaned as she lay down on the train seat. All the first-class and VIP seats were available, and for the first time in her life, she was treated with such luxury, obtaining those expensive seats for free.

"It feels like a dream..."

"In the future, even more dream-like things will happen. No, perhaps we’ll even be able to make things that were only possible in dreams a reality."

So far, despite only presenting theories, there hadn’t been as much sponsorship and interest as expected. The general public recognized that solving this problem was remarkable but failed to grasp what made it extraordinary.

Soon, when the first invention would be created and presented, Alterisha would receive an overwhelming amount of attention and calls. It would be a moment when she possessed powers surpassing entire nations.

Alterisha smiled brightly, seemingly lost in a happy daydream, and tapped her feet excitedly.

Watching her, Baek Yu-Seol leaned against the window and thought about the person they had just encountered.

‘That was undoubtedly Kaen.’

There were two magic towers recognized as the best in the world.

In the light was the Full Moon Tower.

In the shadows was the New Moon Tower.

The Full Moon Tower was the world's tallest and most famous magic tower and was known to the world as the only magic tower to have been given the title of ‘Great Tower.’

Its immense influence and the dominance of the Magic Elders’ Council were balanced only by the presence of the New Moon Tower.

This shadowy order was composed of elite magical forces… supreme hunters of dark mages and corrupted beings.

They were phantoms, masters of stealth and combat, feared even among those who wielded dark magic.

Among them, the leader of the 13th Extermination Squad was Kaen. He was the most elite of them all.

Even now, despite his proximity, his mastery of concealment was so absolute that if not for the faint magical pulse his sixth sense picked up, Baek Yu-Seol would never have noticed his presence.

‘Why are those dangerous guys here?’

Could they have noticed Maizen Tyren's Dark Magic corruption?

But as far as Baek Yu-seol knew, they had never intervened in any events in any timeline.

‘If only I could be positively involved with them. With their knowledge of all the world's information and dynamics coupled with their formidable forces, they would be the most reliable allies. But if they were to turn against me, they would become the most fearsome adversaries.’

‘Of course, the chances of considering them as allies or enemies are extremely slim. To reach that point, one must undertake numerous affinity tasks and various subsidiary quests. Back on Earth, only very few players succeeded in making contact with the eradication team.’

‘Anyway, I need to be cautious.’

Knock! Knock!

As Baek Yu-Seol was sorting through his thoughts, a knock came from the door.

The VIP compartments were sealed off, so no one could enter unless the door was opened from the inside.

"Who...?"

He was about to ask who it was.

But as Baek Yu-Seol turned his head and looked out the window, he was startled and his eyes widened,

Creak! Creak!

Even with the swaying of the train, he recognized the figure standing outside without difficulty.

‘That person, could it be...?’

A brown-haired man with a fedora, pointed elf ears, and golden eyes behind gold-framed glasses stood not far away. Dressed in a sophisticated suit, he wore a mysterious smile that betrayed nothing of his intentions.

‘The president of the Starcloud Trading Company, Melian.’

As the game's episodes progressed and the game world expanded beyond the boundaries of the academy, protagonist, Flame, became a full-fledged adult, and the number of playable characters naturally increased.

Players could freely explore relationships with various characters across the world, but four figures drew the most attention:

The guardian of the Glacial Spine Mountains, Great Duke Selpharm.

The heart of the Southern Waning Moon Plains, President of the Starcloud Trading Company, Melian.

The commander of the Eastern Sea’s Dragonwave Fleet, Admiral Halicevale.

The pillar of the Western Desert, Tower Master of the Full Moon Tower, Hae Seong-Wol

Among them, Melian, President of the Starcloud Trading Company, was known for his trait [Golden Rule of Fate], making him the richest person in the world. 

"C-Could it be...!" As Alterisha recognized him, her mouth opened wide in shock, while Melian grinned in response.

"Pardon the intrusion, but might I request a moment of your time?"

“Yes, um, what brings you here?"

"I have some business with both of you. I hope I’m not interrupting."

Baek Yu-Seol steadied himself before opening the door.

"Please, come in."

"Thank you."

With a height surpassing 190cm, he seemed like he would hit his head on the ceiling if he didn't slightly lower it.

"Nice to meet you, Alterisha the alchemist, and... you must be the alchemist who chose to hide his identity, right? Both of you are extraordinary individuals. It feels like my eyes are being purified. Oh, if it's not too much to ask, may I know your name?"

"I’m Baek Yu-Seol, a first-year student in Stella Academy's Combat Department, Class S."

"Oh, you're a student from Stella? Nice to meet you."

Although he already knew everything, Melian still asked Baek Yu-Seol for his name and pretended to be ignorant.

"W-What brings you here?"

Alterisha asked with a mix of excitement and nervousness. She had dared to dream that her discovery would attract attention, but never did she expect someone of Melian’s stature to approach her directly.

Major corporations and magic towers seemed to be holding off on contacting Alterisha until there were tangible results.

But Starcloud?

Melian?

Her heart pounded with excitement, and she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"As you might’ve guessed, I’d like to establish an exclusive contract with Starcloud for your talents."

Her breath hitched, and she clutched her hands tightly to calm herself.

"Naturally, I’m very generous with my terms. Would you care to look over the contract?"

Nodding, Alterisha affirmed, and Melian took out several pages of the contract from his pocket and handed them over.

'Oh my god!'

She read it with trembling hands.

The conditions were tremendous, far beyond anything her poverty-stricken self could have imagined. It was truly an overwhelming offer that could make her worries vanish in an instant, explaining why he had the nickname ‘Perfect Bargain.’

Alterisha calmed her pounding heart and finished reading the contract.

The contents included unlimited sponsorship of materials and technicians as well as an astronomical amount to be paid as an advance.

Of course, there were certain constraints that came along with it, but…

‘With these conditions, I can create all the inventions I’ve dreamed of!’

A golden cushion? A waterfall of diamonds? A house adorned with jewels? These were no longer mere fantasies.

Perhaps, even more extraordinary things were possible.

'Yu-Seol will surely be pleased too!'

Excited, she turned to Baek Yu-Seol, expecting to see him overjoyed.

'Oh...?'

But instead of excitement, his face held a grave expression.

'Is there a problem?'

The exclusive contract with Starcloud was undoubtedly an exciting opportunity, so why was he looking at her with such a serious expression?

‘... There must be a reason.’

It was the first time she had seen the boy with such a serious look. Even when he solved the problem of the Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique or confronted Professor Maizen, he always wore a smile.

'Don't get excited.'

After taking a deep breath, Alterisha gently placed the contract down and spoke to Melian.

"I'm sorry. Could you give me some time to think?"

"Hmm, is that so?"

Her words caught Melian off guard.

"If the conditions are not sufficient, please let me know if there is something you want."

"It's not that! The conditions are more than enough, even overwhelming... but..."

She looked at Baek Yu-Seol as she spoke.

"I need some time to consult with the co-author of this technology."

"Oh, I see..."

Co-author.

He had assumed it was just a meaningless title. Perhaps not.

Setting aside such doubts, Melian put on a welcoming smile and said to Baek Yu-Seol, "Would you like to take a look at the contract?"

Yes, it was clear that he was an extraordinary genius who had helped solve a 300-year-old unsolved problem as a teenager.

But still, he was just a high school student.

He knew this from experience. No matter how skilled Baek Yu-Seol was in magic and alchemy, when it came to negotiations, he had to be inexperienced.

Moreover, based on the preliminary investigation, Baek Yu-Seol was a commoner who would never reject such conditions.

That was what he thought.

‘... Hmm?’

Melian couldn't help but stiffen when he faced Baek Yu-Seol’s blank expression.

He was thinking about something.

Thinking.

Anyone could do it, but it was not something one could easily do in front of his proposal.

To instantly get an amount that could support even future generations.

He still had some doubts even when faced with that.

‘This is...’

Melian changed his perspective.

He had met many people, and most of them would give up on their thoughts in front of his wealth. But very rarely...

There were cases where it wasn't so. And usually, they would turn the tables.

It was frustrating and left a bitter taste, but sometimes, their counteroffers were eye-opening.

And now, Baek Yu-Seol spoke up, "I decline."

“What? Really?” Melian's mouth curled into a smirk as he heard the words he had anticipated. "I see. Well then..."

He retrieved the contract and clasped his hands together, saying, "Let's start the negotiation again."