I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 88

Hyejin Macaron wielded multiple magical attributes, yet her specialty was undeniably illusion magic.

But with her illusions completely dispelled, she had no choice but to retreat.

"Step aside, Deputy Leader," Kaen said, unusually referring to her by her title. He, too, sensed the gravity of the situation.

"State your affiliation."

"Stella Academy, first-year student, Class S, Department of Magic Combat—"

"No. State your true affiliation."

When Baek Yu-Seol failed to respond, Kaen's brow twitched.

"I won't ask where you're from or why you're at Stella. Just don't interfere with our business. I want to avoid unnecessary conflict."

"That's difficult. Aren't you planning to kill that student?"

"Yes. That’s how it must be done."

If anyone displayed even a trace of dark magic, they were eliminated without hesitation to prevent future catastrophe. Emotional appeals carried no weight here. Pleas like, ‘Would you do the same if it were your friend?’ or ‘Spare him, he means no harm,’ fell on deaf ears.

These people were colder than machines, driven solely by reason. They had to be. After all, they were mages of New Moon Tower.

However, Baek Yu-Seol couldn't back down. Even though he knew fighting them would get him killed in less than five seconds, Hae Won-Ryang was someone worth risking his life to protect.

'How did it come to this…?'

While everyone else was enjoying the festival, he was shopping at the market when a sudden message appeared.

[A variable has occurred in the episode.]

[Episode 8 ‘Hae Won-Ryang Dark Magic Route’ is in progress.]

Originally, only one student should have been affected by Professor Maizen’s dark magic.

Jecky, Hae Won-Ryang, and Arshuang.

In the original story, one of the three would randomly become corrupted during a specific event.

The [Jecky Dark Magic Route] occurred in Episode 6, the persona gate practical training.

The [Arshuang Dark Magic Route] occurred during Episode 7, the Familiar Contract Ceremony.

The [Hae Won-Ryang Dark Magic Route] occurred during Episode 8, the Dark Magic Corruption.

The Jecky dark magic route had already been smoothly cleared, and the Arshuang dark magic route was easy to clear.

But the Hae Won-Ryang route was different.

It was a branching event so rare and so brutal that a veteran player once wrote in an online guide:

[If you take the Hae Won-Ryang Dark Magic Route, there's a 99% chance of a bad ending. It's faster to give up and create a new character.]

[However, if you still insist on pursuing it, read this guide.]

[You'll realize it's all futile in the end.]

Why was the difficulty so extreme?

One reason was that Hae Won-Ryang possessed immense power, making him an incredibly difficult opponent to face.

Even after defeating him, the outcome depended entirely on which path was chosen… whether it led to a good ending or a tragic one.

‘Still, it seemed like Flame almost resolved it.'

The original protagonist of this world was Flame. Even if Baek Yu-seol didn't step in, the future would steadily progress in one direction.

Flame, amazingly, chose the 1% happy ending path in the [Hae Won-Ryang Dark Magic Route], which was known for having a 99% bad ending rate.

She didn't even realize she made such a miraculous choice. Baek Yu-Seol didn’t know exactly how she won over Hae Won-Ryang's heart, but all that was left was to use purification magic to finish it.

However, the mages of the New Moon Tower intervened.

'Hmm, I should have come a bit earlier to help...'

Because of Flame’s weak ability to detect dark magic, she had acted a little bit too late.

‘What can I do?’

If only he could persuade them, Flame’s magic could completely purify Hae Won-Ryang.

But the mages of New Moon Tower were utterly uncompromising.

To them, the only way to cleanse the stain of dark magic was to sever its source… by taking the dark mage’s head.

It was the only option they knew.

They were not evil.

Dark mages were evil, so if one were to judge, they would be guardians of justice.

Yet, in this moment, justice wasn’t the answer.

He just needed to make them hesitate… just one step.

He needed a way to force them back, even if only for a brief moment.

‘An idea like that isn’t going to pop into my head easily.’

Baek Yu-Seol wasn’t particularly clever. Unlike the heroes in comics, he didn’t suddenly come up with brilliant plans in desperate situations.

‘Looks like I’ll have to face this head-on.’

He drew his Teripon sword. Though no magic flowed from its blade, simply brandishing it was enough to declare his intent to fight.

"You’re planning to kill my classmate. I can’t just walk away and pretend I didn’t see anything. So, how about this? Why don’t you fight me first?"

"You gain nothing from fighting us. You’ll only end up dead."

"Maybe so. But even if I die, I can cause quite a commotion. From what I can tell, you don’t seem like the type who enjoys working in plain sight. What if I make a big enough scene to draw a crowd? I can be very annoying."

***

Kaen remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"What do you want?"

"Just believe in me and let me purify my friend just once."

"It's a futile endeavor. Even if you manage to purify the dark magic, his emotions won't return."

“That’s why I’m asking you to trust me. Her magic can restore emotions to their original state,” he said, pointing at Flame.

Flame’s eyes quivered. It wasn’t her magic itself, but the method she employed that mattered. Yet, there was no need to explain such details now.

She silently fixed her gaze on Baek Yu-Seol’s back, cold sweat trailing down her skin.

’How can he move?’

Hyejin would become the ultimate authority of illusion magic in the distant future. Currently, she was not at that level yet, but nonetheless, it was extremely difficult to break her illusion magic.

Even so, Baek Yu-Seol moved through the illusion as though it didn’t exist.

Ma Yu-Seong was severely shaken. He couldn't believe that Baek Yu-Seol could move so freely.

‘Since he's a regressor, he must have figured out a way somehow.’

The question was whether Kaen would accept Baek Yu-Seol’s proposition.

"If, by any chance, the purification fails?"

"I’ll withdraw."

“Fine."

To Kaen, it wasn't a bad proposal.

If they were to unnecessarily engage in a fight with someone who could easily bypass Hyejin’s magic, they would surely catch the attention of the fairy king and Elf King Florin. 

That was a risk Kaen couldn’t afford to take.

Backing down, for now, seemed like the wisest course of action.

"If you break your word, I’ll ensure your death is slow and agonizing—chaos be damned."

"Why are you so cruel?"

The sincerity in Kaen’s voice sent a shiver down Baek Yu-Seol’s arms, but he suppressed the reaction.

"Hyejin, release the illusion."

"Leader, do you trust his words?"

"I just don't want to cause unnecessary trouble. If he's lying, it won't be too late to kill him then."

"Fine, I got it..."

With a deep sigh, Hyejin raised her staff and waved it gently. The illusion unraveled, and Flame was freed.

"Ah..."

She forced her trembling legs to stand and approached Hae Won-Ryang, dragging her staff.

Then she collapsed in front of him.

Her legs had gone weak after resisting the illusion for so long. However, the purification spell had already been prepared, and there was no issue in casting it.

Bringing her staff to Hae Won-Ryang’s forehead, she recited the incantation. Her voice rang out like a celestial hymn.

Angelic magic manifested itself through singing. Although she sang alone, her voice was like that of dozens of choristers.

The melody was not in human language, so no one could understand it. However, they could all sense the rhythm that resonated in their chests.

"Squad Leader, is that light magic?"

“Yes."

"But she’s not from the Holy Order, is she? Her power is almost on par with saints and holy maidens..."

"I heard that among the peculiar students who enrolled this year is a freshman who wields angelic power."

"Wow. Seriously, wow."

The light surrounding Flame gradually solidified into seven towering pillars. Moments later, golden chains emerged, wrapping tightly around Hae Won-Ryang’s body as the pillars of light pierced through him.

"Kuh...!"

Dark magic erupted from his form, swirling chaotically in all directions. The sinister energy that had tainted his essence was forced out, breaking free like smoke dissolving in the wind.

As the corruption dispersed, it began to purify, transforming into streams of blue mana. At the same time, his grotesquely distorted body slowly reverted to its human form.

The purification process was swift. Within mere moments, Hae Won-Ryang was restored.

The purification process was swift. Within mere moments, Hae Won-Ryang was restored.

"Ugh...!"

However, Flame paid a steep price. Having pushed herself to cast a spell far beyond her current limits, she coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.

Kaen immediately restrained Hae Won-Ryang's body.

"Let's check."

As Hae Won-Ryang gradually opened his eyes, Hyejin aimed her staff at his forehead.

"Who are you?"

"Hae Won-Ryang."

"How do you feel right now?"

“Not bad…"

"Is there anyone you want to kill?"

"None."

"What do you hate?"

“Losing."

At first listen, it seemed like a weird interrogation. However, this was Hyejin’s specialty—extracting short, instinctive answers from her target’s subconscious mind. While it wasn’t a method that could unearth hidden truths or secrets, it was more than sufficient to gauge his present state.

"Then what do you like?"

“...”

"Tell me."

“...”

"Hmm, you really don't want to say this, huh? Well, can't be helped."

"What's the result?"

"Completely normal. It's hard to believe he was ever tainted by dark magic. He's just a regular human. Most of the negative emotions are gone. Actually, it feels like those emotions were never his, to begin with... It feels like they were forcibly implanted. The host seems quite strong."

"I see."

Kaen responded with an indifferent nod, but inside, he was anything but calm.

No. It wasn't just surprise.

What he had just witnessed was shaking the very foundation of his beliefs.

He had always believed that once a being was consumed by darkness, they could never return to their original state, so he killed them all without exception.

It was unimaginable and unbelievable that a mere 17-year-old girl could completely restore emotions. He couldn't believe it, and he didn't want to believe it.

Yet, the undeniable reality unfolding before him forced him to face the truth.

"Leader, what should we do?"

"We’re leaving."

"Okay!"

Noticing Kaen’s foul mood, Hyejin refrained from her usual playful antics. Instead, she maintained a careful demeanor, given the circumstances.

Still, she couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

‘Our leader seems quite flustered.’

What could they do now? They had devoted their lives to their beliefs, acting like holy crusaders, only to see their convictions shaken by a group of teenagers.

"Get rid of the traces."

With those words, Kaen turned away, showing no further interest in the scene.

"Well then, little friends. See you next time!"

Just like that, the members of the 13th Extermination Squad disappeared. Baek Yu-Seol immediately sat down on the spot, gripping his trembling legs.

"Wow… I really thought I was going to die…"

He met Kaen face to face and even dared to confront him, yet he survived.

But an uneasy feeling lingered, gnawing at him. Getting involved with such dangerous individuals left a bitter taste in his mouth.

‘Well, what’s the worst that could happen?'

Choosing to leave the worries for later, he lay back and stared at the sky, unwilling to move another inch.

***

After all the incidents had come to an end…

Florin, who successfully concluded the festival, returned to her castle and immediately without a moment's rest.

Of course, no one could recognize her because she had completely changed her appearance.

"Time… there isn’t much of it."

She had already exposed herself to the world for nearly an hour. If she wasn't careful, someone would become a victim of her curse, so she needed to resolve the situation quickly.

"It was undoubtedly dark magic."

It was subtle enough that even veteran magic warriors hadn't noticed. But for some reason, that dark magic completely disappeared midway through.

Whether someone had eliminated it or it had dissipated naturally, Florin couldn’t ignore the possibility of a lingering threat.

Finally, Florin arrived at the vacant lot where the dark magic had been detected and closed her eyes while extending her palm.

"Wind, tell me your memories."

A gentle breeze swirled around her, carrying fragments of past echoes to her senses.

"This is..."

But what she saw - or rather, what she didn’t see - unnerved her.

The memories were shrouded in black and white. Someone had deliberately erased the scene, using magic to conceal the truth.

Even with high-level spells, memories erased this thoroughly were impossible to reconstruct.

Yet Florin was no ordinary mage.

"Whisper a bit more clearly."

The ground, the wind, the flowers and leaves, the trees and rocks... Everything whispered to Florin about the situation at this scene.

Even though the ones who erased memories were thorough to the point where they left no trace, she could still see fragments of the situation.

She saw someone using purification magic on a person presumed to be a dark mage, while two mages confronted one mage.

Their faces weren't clearly visible.

However, it seemed like they were wearing Stella Academy.

"Ugh...!"

Forcing the memories to the surface strained her mind, triggering a sharp headache.

And then, a scent drifted past her.

"This...!"

It was a scent that she couldn't forget, no matter how much she tried. It was the fragrance of her long-time friend, Leafanel.

The scent was so strong it made her heart tremble.

"How...?"

Leafanel had fallen into eternal sleep. She couldn’t engage in any external activities, so how could her scent be in these memories?

‘No… there’s another explanation.’

’If the culprit stole Leafanel’s heart... If that person, the detestable one who stole the heart of my dearest friend, came here…’

Florin’s eyes sharpened, and rage boiled within her as she forced herself to probe deeper.

But the echoes of nature faded. The remnants of memory grew faint, and the power sustaining her vision crumbled.

Even worse, a splitting headache struck as if the lid of her mind had been forcefully opened. Florin could no longer read the memories.

"Haah, ha..."

Breathless and drenched in sweat, Florin collapsed to the ground.

She bit her lip until it bled, fury burning in her eyes.

"I’ll find the one who condemned my friend to eternal suffering. And I’ll return the favor… exactly as it was given."

Florin’s anger grew deeper and deeper.