I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 90

Everyone dreamed of forming a contract with a divine beast, yet it was common knowledge that not everyone was destined to succeed.

Therefore, the main focus of this familiar contract event was one thing: ‘Who will succeed in getting a familiar?’

"And how extraordinary would that familiar be?"

Divine beasts were ranked from the lowest grade of 7-star to the highest 1-star just before becoming a spirit.

Successfully getting a 7-star familiar was already quite remarkable.

Even at Stella Academy, where geniuses gathered, only about 5% of them succeeded each year.

But Hong Bi-Yeon had no intention of settling for such a meager achievement.

“Wow…”

"Princess, the atmosphere here is really beautiful."

"Enough with the idle chatter. We’re moving."

As they stepped into the first layer, a verdant world blanketed in green stretched out before them.

The ordinary boys and girls found themselves enchanted by the picturesque scenery, yet Hong Bi-Yeon remained utterly indifferent. "Only 7-star divine beasts inhabit the first layer."

They had to leave this place as soon as possible.

Without sparing a glance at the students admiring the view, she pressed forward. Hong Bi-Yeon’s true objective lay deeper… where a 5-star divine beast awaited in the third layer.

Divine Beasts 5-star and above were considered very dangerous. They possessed self-awareness, intelligence, and distinct personalities.

Some harbored malicious tendencies and attacked humans without provocation, making caution a necessity.

It wasn’t going to be easy, but she had prepared herself enough for it.

"I've already finished studying about them in advance."

She had pored over books on their habits, traits, and temperaments until dawn, pushing herself to the brink of collapse.

What divine beasts suited her best? How likely was her success? Which ones had to be avoided at all costs?

Her preparation allowed her to narrow down a list of familiars with the highest compatibility.

The twelve members of her faction were all elite, ranked at the top of Class A. Among them, five had fought beside her during the necromancer incident, proving their strength.

With them by her side, securing a contract didn’t seem impossible.

Three hours passed.

Accompanied by her faction, Hong Bi-Yeon reached the innermost depths of the first layer, where a path leading to the second layer awaited.

The chaotic and labyrinthine layout of the area had slowed their progress considerably. The first layer was filled with wild animals and not many powerful divine beasts, so the faction members found it rather easy.

Just as Hong Bi-Yeon was about to enter the second layer, one of the boys said to her, "Princess, Arshuang doesn’t look so good."

Arshuang, a prodigy in flame magic like Hong Bi-Yeon, was known for her discipline and exceptional endurance. Her current state was unexpected.

Though surprised, Hong Bi-Yeon dismissed it as momentary fatigue.

"Let's take a short break. We’ll conserve food and replenish our stamina by drinking water and eating chocolate bars."

Arshuang looked up, her face pale and drenched in sweat. She wiped her lips, which were cracked and dry, before parting them to speak.

"If it's because of me that we're delaying, I don't mind—"

"It's fine. Just do as I say. We still have a week anyway."

"But..."

"It’s better than rushing in and exhausting ourselves at a crucial moment. I want to scout ahead. I’ll be back soon."

Leaving behind those words, Hong Bi-Yeon disappeared into the forest.

"Come on, even the princess said so."

"Rest up, Arshuang."

"Are you feverish? Is it a cold?"

"You looked completely fine before we entered this place."

"Ah, I read about this in a book. If the connection with familiars is weak, even a slight loss of energy can make the body frail."

Listening to their exchange, Arshuang clenched her trembling fist.

‘Damn, how did it end up like this?’

She couldn’t make sense of her condition.

She had eagerly anticipated the Familiar Contract ceremony and had taken meticulous care of her health. Everything had been fine when she first stepped inside.

Yet, at some point, it felt like an invisible hand was squeezing her throat. Her head spun, her emotions spiraled out of control, and her strength abandoned her.

Fragments of memories began to resurface.

“Arshuang, you are a once-in-a-century fire prodigy!”

“It's an amazing gift! You have the potential to become a great mage!”

“You have excellent magic skills. You will undoubtedly become a prominent mage even at Stella Academy.”

She had always believed herself to be the best.

With the power to wield flames as naturally as breathing, she thought no one could rival her gift… an unmatched talent that made her untouchable.

But it hadn’t taken long for that illusion to shatter.

When she entered Stella, she met a true genius. Hong Bi-Yeon… blessed by fire itself, a girl whose flames obeyed her as if enchanted by her very presence.

Without a doubt, Arshuang's talent was also remarkable. Yet, under Hong Bi-Yeon’s overwhelming brilliance, her own abilities were dismissed… barely a flicker compared to a raging inferno.

No one called Arshuang a genius anymore.

She was merely another student in Class A… one who happened to be slightly more skilled than the average fire mage. Nothing more.

‘I didn’t just stand still. Even when my mana ran dry, I pushed myself to conjure flames. I studied while others slept, trained alone at dawn, and poured everything into surpassing Hong Bi-Yeon. Blood, sweat, and tears… I gave them all. But the harder I tried, the clearer the truth became.’

Hong Bi-Yeon Adolevit was an immovable wall. No matter what techniques she used, how much she studied, or how tirelessly she trained, that wall never cracked. It loomed, cold and unyielding, beyond her reach.

The moment she realized that, she felt even more...

"We've rested enough. Let's move."

Hong Bi-Yeon’s firm voice snapped Arshuang out of her thoughts. As the faction members gathered their belongings and rose to their feet, Arshuang forced her weakening body upright, summoning what little strength she had left.

Unlike the vibrant green of the first layer, the second layer shimmered with a faint blue hue. The atmosphere felt heavier, and the creatures lurking within bore a stark contrast to those in the previous area.

The 7-star divine beasts in the first layer were mere amorphous figures, and even the wild animals there were extremely docile.

However, the 6-star divine beasts in the second layer had taken on animal forms, and the occasionally appearing wild animals were mostly carnivorous.

Thanks to the influence of the divine beasts’ aura, the wild animals displayed considerable power, but they were no match for Hong Bi-Yeon’s faction members, who averaged Class 2 or 3.

Swish!

A sharp gust of wind sliced through the air. One of the faction members wielded a blade of wind magic, cleanly severing the head of a charging wild boar.

Hong Bi-Yeon immediately issued an order.

"Let's save our provisions and rely on that for tonight's dinner."

The supplies they’d packed beforehand would only last about three days. Given the limited amount they could carry, hunting for food as they advanced was unavoidable.

Swish!

At the back, Arshuang emerged with another catch… a freshly killed animal she had hunted down herself.

Surprisingly, her condition had improved.

Her body felt lighter, her stamina more resilient than before. An inexplicable energy surged within her, setting her heart racing.

Even her magic felt sharper, more precise.

“This feels… amazing,”

With renewed vigor, the faction began their search for divine beasts within the second layer.

The 7-star familiars in the previous layer had proven difficult to contract due to their limited intelligence. Meanwhile, 5-star divine beasts imposed strict conditions, making contracts with them nearly impossible.

The divine beasts with the highest contract success rate were the 6-star ones.

Arshuang had her sights set on one as well.

"Look, it's a red deer!"

"I read in the guidebook that if you form a contract with that deer, your understanding of fire attribute magic increases."

"I have the lightning attribute, so it's not really useful to me."

"Wait, why’s it coming this way?"

A 6-star fire-attribute divine beast, the red deer.

Most familiars were wary of humans and kept their distance. Yet, this one approached without hesitation, its delicate steps carrying it straight toward Hong Bi-Yeon.

It nuzzled against her cheek, its crimson fur glowing faintly under the dim light.

"Oh my."

"The familiar is expressing affection first. You..."

"Princess, are you going to form a contract?"

The others watched with admiration and envy as the divine beast openly expressed its attachment.

But Hong Bi-Yeon merely stroked the deer’s forehead, her fingers brushing over its warm fur, and then gently shook her head.

“No, this isn’t the familiar I’m looking for.”

"As expected of you, Princess."

Arshuang clenched her fist tightly.

The red deer lingered near Hong Bi-Yeon, allowing the faction members to observe it closely.

Arshuang, being a fire mage, approached the red deer to attempt to establish a connection with it.

However...

Squeak!

Startled by Arshuang's touch, the red deer ran away.

"Huh? What just happened?"

"Why did it suddenly run away?"

"Maybe it was just startled."

"Don’t think too much about it, Arshuang."

It was painfully obvious to everyone… The red deer had fled because of her.

Yet the faction members offered hollow reassurances, their words doing little to ease the sting.

'What’s this...?'

Arshuang stared down at her trembling hand, an unsettling emptiness taking hold of her.

'Does the divine beast dislike me?'

She couldn't believe it. Perhaps the red deer was simply odd. Perhaps it was just a coincidence. But...

"Oh my, are the divine beasts gathering around the princess again?"

"I think they can sense a pleasant aura from her!"

Divine beasts of all kinds began flocking toward Hong Bi-Yeon.

Not one approached Arshuang.

In fact, some actively avoided her. Others bared their teeth or recoiled as though frightened, their movements screaming, ‘Stay away!’ ‘We don’t like you.’

The faction members’ gazes shifted toward Arshuang, filled with subtle disappointment. Low affinity between divine beasts and humans wasn’t unheard of, but no one had expected it from her.

And so, another day passed.

By the morning of the second day, Hong Bi-Yeon’s group stumbled upon a hidden path leading to the third layer.

The third layer was cloaked in a haunting shade of violet.

The beasts lurking there radiated a palpable aura of strength, their forms brimming with the divine energy that surrounded them. From this point onward, Arshuang knew she wouldn’t be able to act alone.

"They’re ferocious..."

"Hooh."

Surveying the weary group, who had just fended off a pack of wolves, Hong Bi-Yeon made a decision.

"Everyone’s exhausted. Let’s take a break before we press on. Distribute high-calorie snacks to each person and regain your strength."

The students busied themselves, either tending to tasks or resting while chatting away.

"By the way, that earlier fight was no joke. I thought my heart was going to stop when those 5-star divine beasts attacked."

"Even if it was a fluke, it was terrifying."

"Even the wild animals here are aggressive. How dangerous do you think the fourth layer with the 4-star beasts is?"

"Don’t even bring it up. Barely anyone who’s gone down there has ever come back alive. There’s a reason the fourth layer is sealed off."

While the group members were chatting, two students who had gone on a short patrol returned.

"Princess, we should avoid heading north."

"Why?"

"The barrier leading to the fourth layer is blocking the way. Do you want to see for yourself?"

"..."

She nodded silently and stood up. Though her usual principle was to avoid wasting time, a growing curiosity had begun to stir within her lately… a thirst to see and understand more than before.

"Lead the way."

After walking for a while, they reached a place where a translucent and massive red barrier was erected.

‘Beyond this lies the territory of the 4-star divine beasts…’

"Princess, there's a student over there," one of the members pointed out.

Hong Bi-Yeon narrowed her eyes and looked in that direction.

It was a familiar face.

"Isn't that Baek Yu-Seol?"

"Yeah. But he's alone. It looks dangerous."

Was he daring - or just a fool - to venture alone into such a perilous area?

"What do you think he’s doing?"

Baek Yu-Seol stood before the crimson barrier, staring intently at it as if his sheer focus might break through its defenses.

"Hmm. Looks like he’s completely clueless about it. Should I call him back? It’s too dangerous to wander here alone."

"That's right. Let me go and—"

"Leave him."

"Yes?"

The faction members blinked in surprise at Hong Bi-Yeon’s cold response. She casually turned around and said, "Even if that commoner were to enter the fourth layer alone, he would be able to come out alive."

"Really? That can’t be right."

Just as the girl's eyes widened in surprise, a wild animal suddenly appeared behind Baek Yu-Seol. It was a massive wolf that was estimated to be risk level 3.

Growl! Snap!

The beast lunged, but before anyone could react, it collapsed mid-leap.

A flash of light gleamed from the short dagger in Baek Yu-Seol’s hand, its blade wet with blood.

"He... took it down with a dagger?"

They experienced firsthand how tough, strong, and fast the wild animals were, so they couldn't help but be amazed.

Even Hong Bi-Yeon’s eyes subconsciously widened.

"Now that you see what he’s capable of, let’s go."

"Yes, Princess!"

With that, Hong Bi-Yeon led the faction back into the forest, her thoughts lingering for just a moment longer than she expected.

Meanwhile, Baek Yu-Seol inspected the dagger in his left hand.

"Hmm. Its destructive power really does outshine the Teripon Sword."

Yet its drawback was clear… its strength lasted for only five minutes.

The divine beasts here drew power from divine energy, granting them formidable magical resistance, though their physical defenses remained ordinary.

And that made Baek Yu-Seol their natural predator.

Taking down a risk level 3 beast with a single strike might seem miraculous, but in reality, it was nothing more than the result of an advantageous matchup.

"Well then, shall we?"

With calm determination, Baek Yu-Seol reached out and touched the red barrier guarding the fourth layer.

Flash!

A ripple of light shimmered, then scattered into nothingness.

Only silence - and a faint breeze - remained.