I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 94

With the sudden arrival of the dark mage, the students began to inch backward.

Even though they had been trained to handle dark mages, most first-year students lacked real combat experience.

To make matters worse, their opponent was estimated to be a Class 5 or 6 dark mage. Worse still, it was a fallen dark mage… someone who had once been their teacher.

"Professor, why?"

Looking at the trembling student, Maizen smiled faintly.

“Do I still look like a professor to you? What are you? Blind?"

Maizen’s gaze swept over the students, sharp and unrelenting.

They were young and frail now, but in a few decades - or perhaps just a few years - they would outshine her with their extraordinary talents.

Is that fair?

‘Don't they realize how much effort I put into this?’

She had honed her magic, studied endlessly, and practiced without rest.

However, despite her efforts, the ultimate achievement she could reach in terms of talent was around Class 4.

She had aspired to greater heights. She wanted to rise above others, to dominate them with overwhelming power.

That was why Maizen reluctantly chose the path of alchemy, as there were clear limits to magic.

She hoped to excel as an alchemist by solving the Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique she was most confident in.

But even there, her talent had proven to be painfully average.

In a strange way, it was almost fortunate.

Maizen possessed a natural gift for flattery, an art she had honed to perfection, allowing her to curry favor with nobles and bend to the desires of the powerful.

Through connections rather than skill, she had secured her position as a professor at Stella Academy.

Still, she believed herself to be a competent alchemist.

She had written remarkable papers, participated in significant research, and had become a professor at Stella, after all.

With her dual expertise in magic and alchemy, she had carved out a respectable reputation within the Academy.

Was it so wrong to aim even higher?

That ambition crumbled shortly after she set foot in Stella.

Eisel Morph, who displayed alchemical talent far beyond her own.

Baek Yu-Seol, whose inventive ideas seemed limitless.

And Alterisha, who effortlessly overshadowed her in every field.

She couldn't understand.

Why were they better?

Hadn’t she studied just as hard?

Why was she left trailing behind those younger than her?

That burning sense of inferiority.

That unrelenting jealousy.

All of it coalesced into the person Maizen Tyren had become.

"Ha...."

Now it was fine.

Before her stood a gathering of geniuses… individuals destined to become grand mages.

There was no need to envy their talents anymore.

Wouldn’t it be simple to take everything from them and make it her own?

"Ugh!"

"Kugh...!"

The dark magic emanating from Maizen gradually turned the surrounding space black.

It wouldn’t take long before everyone present was corrupted by her dark magic.

The mere thought of it made Maizen lick her dry lips.

"We must stop this."

For a week, the space here would be sealed by an impenetrable barrier, which meant that no one could escape.

Within that time, Maizen planned to hunt the students down at her leisure.

It would surely go down as the most horrific massacre in Stella Academy’s history… a tragedy never to be forgotten.

The brightest talents in the world would meet their end here, and the future would be plunged into eternal darkness.

By chance, many key figures were gathered in this place.

Eisel, Ma Yu-Seong, Hong Bi-Yeon, and Baek Yu-Seol who was probably wandering around the fourth layer by now.

It was unfortunate he wasn’t here, but Maizen couldn’t count on such perfect circumstances every time.

"Princess!"

"Please go! We'll hold them off!"

"Ahh..."

Hong Bi-Yeon cast a weary glance at the members of her faction.

Some were deathly pale, paralyzed by fear. Others were already scheming ways to flee and save themselves.

But there were also those who stood firm, shields raised, vowing to protect her.

She looked at Arshuang, who lay unconscious on the ground.

‘For my sake…’

Only moments ago, she had teetered on the edge of being swallowed by the dark magic. Yet, she had managed to reclaim herself.

And it seemed her transformation had stirred something in the others.

Her faction members now stood firmly by her side, wholly devoted.

This was an opportunity she couldn’t afford to waste.

There was no escape.

Death awaited them all.

So she had to play the role of a brave leader who wouldn't retreat from this place.

She clenched her staff and stood up, pushing past the faction members and stepping forward.

"No. We fight. If we retreat, we'll eventually be hunted down one by one."

"P-Princess..."

"I'll fight at the forefront."

Even those faction members who trembled at her words forced themselves to rise, swallowing their fear.

Most of the students here were her subordinates, so with her words, the battle formation was quickly established.

When Ma Yu-Seong, Eisel, and Flame joined forces with Hong Bi-Yeon, Maizen smirked confidently.

"If you had quietly surrendered your mana, you could have lived out the rest of your lives as ordinary people. But instead, you chose death of your own accord."

Saying that, she raised her right hand high. A dark mage required no staff… they drew their power directly from the realm itself.

As soon as she began casting, Flame shouted, "Block it!"

At that instant, Ma Yu-Seong propelled himself upward with a power jump, descending like a thunderbolt upon Maizen and hurling a massive spear of stone.

Boom!

However, a crimson shield blocked the attack, causing the spear to disappear in an instant.

Ma Yu-Seong didn't stop there and conjured dozens of pillars of flame from the ground, which enveloped Maizen’s body. He then created a rock barrier behind her, blocking her path of retreat.

Then, a colossal orb of fire descended from the sky—

Hong Bi-Yeon’s signature spell, Fire Beam.

Bang!!!

The shield formed by Class 5 magic instantly cracked, and when Eisel’s lightning struck, it was completely destroyed.

"What?!"

Maizen’s eyes widened in disbelief. This was the price of underestimating the talent of those blessed by magic.

"Ugh!"

Flame unleashed a massive beam of light. Maizen's body, which had grown to nearly three meters in height, retreated backward from the impact.

In that massive form, hitting her wasn’t difficult.

Hong Bi-Yeon’s faction, having finished their incantations, unleashed their magic, raining down attacks on Maizen from all sides.

Up to this point, it seemed as though the battle was tilting in their favor.

But Flame knew better.

Maizen hadn’t retaliated yet. 

It wasn't that she couldn't. 

She hadn’t struck back because she was biding her time—

Preparing something devastating.

Testing their strength.

Despite the relentless barrage of magic raining down upon her, Maizen’s casting had never faltered.

"No... I can't stop it." Flame gritted her teeth and shouted. "Everyone, brace for impact!"

The students, already trembling at the ominous energy gathering around Maizen, hesitated before halting their attacks and hastily deploying their shields.

Shield magic, in its original form, involved combining multiple small shield fragments to create a stronger defense.

Shields deployed by different mages lacked cohesion, but when so many Class 2 mages deployed their shields simultaneously, it provided a reasonably effective defense.

A massive blue magic circle appeared in front. Earth-attribute mages lifted the ground to create a defensive barrier, and Flame unfolded a shining shield specialized in dark magic protection.

And in an instant, they all shattered.

Not even a sound reached their ears.

All they saw were massive, dark flames surging toward them before their vision blurred into chaos.

"Kkuhh...!"

Despite their efforts to absorb the impact, the students were flung aside like leaves in a storm, scattering in every direction.

Flame groaned, clutching her aching back as she lay against jagged rocks. The collision had left her body wracked with pain.

"Guh... Darn it..."

Biting back the agony, she forced recovery magic into her wounds, struggling to rise as she tightened her grip on her staff.

Her gaze darted across the field. Students lay sprawled, groaning, but Maizen hadn’t moved.

"Hmm, this is quite impressive. I didn't know you could defend against it. Our first-year students are certainly not ordinary, huh?" She laughed as if genuinely delighted. "I look forward to absorbing that talent."

Thunk!

As soon as Maizen took a step forward, some students forcibly used their staffs to stand up.

Remarkably, even in the midst of all this, they were igniting the determination to resist, knowing that the enemy was still right in front of them.

"Hahaha... Indeed, no matter how young, Stella is Stella, huh?"

Maizen’s eyes swept over the gathering crowd, but as her gaze lingered, her expression twisted into a sneer.

“Kids these days. Why are they so earnest about irrelevant matters?"

Flame quickly confirmed Ma Yu-Seong's position. His academy uniform was tattered and dirtied, but he looked relatively unharmed.

No, he wasn't just relatively unharmed.

Sparks were gradually emanating from his body, but it wasn't the typical blue and red mixture of magic.

It was pure black.

Ma Yu-Seong was attempting to use his inherent ability, [Dark Magic Domination].

However, the condition for that was extremely strict, requiring the complete release of [Dark Magic Form].

It was no simple feat, especially given his current condition.

Moreover, once he revealed his dark magic, he would no longer be able to stay at Stella Academy.

Even so, the fact that he was willing to take such a risk spoke volumes.

At this moment, surviving the battle mattered far more than preserving his place at the academy.

But before he could act, Maizen advanced toward him.

Ma Yu-Seong instinctively retreated, hastily raising a wall of stone to block her path.

Bang!

But Maizen effortlessly pierced through even the Class 3 barrier and charged forward.

Ma Yu-Seong desperately activated a power jump to evade, but Maizen gave him no respite, pursuing him immediately.

"Ugh...!"

With no other choice, Ma Yu-Seong detonated a burst of flames mid-air, using the explosion to propel himself away. He crashed hard onto the ground, the impact sending shockwaves through his body.

Boom!

Maizen lunged to finish him off, but the students, having regained their composure just in time, unleashed a barrage of magic.

Their combined attacks succeeded in halting her advance.

Taking advantage of the opening, Ma Yu-Seong scrambled to widen the distance between them.

However, Maizen ignored the onslaught of spells, raising a hasty shield and pushing through the damage as she relentlessly chased him.

"She’s figured it out!"

The [Dark Magic Domination] ability had a morale-boosting trait that could have some impact even on higher-level dark mages.

Maizen knew this from the beginning and forcefully pursued Ma Yu-Seong to prevent him from unleashing dark magic.

"You damn bitch!"

Flame summoned a whip of light to bind Maizen’s body. While her speed decreased slightly, it didn't have a significant effect.

Maizen tore it apart and continued advancing.

Even though Ma Yu-Seong was receiving Maizen’s attacks, she was still a dark mage with a power level over Class 5.

Yet, even against such odds, Ma Yu-Seong demonstrated uncanny reflexes, dodging and deflecting blows while counterattacking whenever an opening presented itself.

Rocks erupted, lightning struck, and walls of fire obstructed Maizen’s vision.

In other words, Ma Yu-Seong was excellently ‘tanking’ Maizen.

He was more impressive than they thought. Even without unleashing his full power, Ma Yu-Seong was managing to tank the attacks of a Class 5 dark mage, proving himself a true knight.

While Maizen remained locked in combat with him, the other students poured everything they had into preparing their strongest magic.

Thanks to Ma Yu-Seong's excellent tanking, the casting was successfully completed.

Boom! Thud!

At the moment when various elemental magic poured down, Eisel finished chanting her spell in the corner.

"Crystal flower.”

It was her ultimate magic skill developed through collaboration with Baek Yu-Seol, showing effects equivalent to or greater than Class 4 magic in an instant.

But it came at a price.

The spell drained her mana to dangerous levels… so much so that she rarely used it unless the situation was truly dire.

And now, there was no better moment to unleash its devastating force.

Crackle!!!

Massive ice flowers bloomed, their crystalline petals scattering in every direction before shattering into countless shards that pierced Maizen’s body.

Each shard, sharp enough to cut through steel, froze everything it touched… digging deep into flesh and bone.

And then…

"Devour them."

A tidal wave of fire erupted, engulfing the battlefield in flames.

It was a spell Hong Bi-Yeon had developed after witnessing Eisel’s magic during the mock battle, refined through countless hours of grueling training.

"Wave of flames."

The blazing inferno surged forward, targeting only its intended foes while leaving the natural surroundings untouched.

Rumble!

With a thunderous roar that could be compared to an explosion, Maizen’s screams echoed.

But the assault didn’t end there.

Flame raised her staff high and poured every ounce of her strength into her next spell.

"Oh darkness, dissolve away."

A golden gate materialized in mid-air, slowly rotating as it opened.

Creak!

Blinding beams of light poured forth.

At first glance, it seemed like ordinary lighting with no apparent effect, but it was a purification magic that had a devastating effect on dark magic.

Fire exploded, ice shattered, and pillars of light illuminated the sky.

The battlefield transformed into a spectacle of beauty and destruction… a masterpiece created by young geniuses pouring out every last drop of mana.

In that moment, they fought without thought for themselves, wielding magic that would one day be remembered in legend.

If all their magic harmonized, they could undoubtedly deliver a meaningful blow to Maizen Tyren.

Crash!

"Huh?"

Creak!

Flame’s breath hitched. A sharp, unnatural sensation gripped her chest, as if her heart had suddenly stopped. She staggered, clutching at her ribs, and fell to her knees.

"Ugh, cough!"

Blood spilled from her lips.

Her mana… gone.

Mana dispersion. A terrifying phenomenon that occurred when magic was forcibly interrupted, causing all the mana within the body to evaporate.

Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the sweat of exertion as pain unlike anything she had ever felt wracked her body.

"Cough, ugh..."

She wasn't the only one.

Hong Bi-Yeon, Eisel, and other students also experienced the same thing. With their magic canceled, they collapsed to the ground, unable to even think about moving.

Some vomited blood and fainted, unable to continue the battle.

"Damn… it..."

Flame fought to stay conscious, her vision wavering as she gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand on trembling legs.

Dizziness.

The world spun violently, and her body begged her to surrender… to collapse into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness and escape the endless torment.

But she couldn’t.

If she fell here, she would lose everything… her life, and the future of this world.

"I can't… I can't possibly..."

Exhausted, Flame gripped her staff and lifted her head.

Soon, her eyes became filled with despair.

Swish!

From Maizen’s fingertips, a magic circle emerged and began spinning.

It was the dark flame that all the students had barely managed to stop by pooling their strength.

"Haha... Truly impressive. To possess this level of magic at such a young age, the top 10 geniuses..."

Maizen chuckled, but her amusement quickly turned to hunger as her fingers curled possessively around the flame.

"I really can't help but want to take it away from you."

The dark flame expanded, growing larger and more menacing than before.

Its estimated level… Class 6.

Even if everyone was at their peak condition, they couldn't possibly stop it.

The sky above them darkened, as if mourning the bleakness of their future.

Flame strained to summon her mana for a light-based counterattack, but her body betrayed her.

There was nothing left.

"Damn it..."

Her gaze darted around the battlefield.

Ma Yu-Seong, slumped against a wall, struggled to his feet, his staff barely supporting his weight.

Like her, he was pushing his broken body beyond its limits.

Eisel and Hong Bi-Yeon also supported themselves on their staffs and forced themselves to rise.

The others lay motionless… unconscious, or too injured to move.

They were all going to die.

The brightest talents - the ones meant to shape the future - would be snuffed out here.

It was too cruel. Too tragic.

But if this was fate, there was nothing they could do.

Flame blankly gazed at Maizen’s approaching dark flame.

[The special function of the item 'Pendant of Marekan' is activated.]

[Marekan Shield]

[Once, it will unconditionally defend against magic of Class 6 or lower.]

A massive round shield with intricate machinery-like circuits unfolded before her.

Boom!

The dark flame completely vanished.

"Ah..."

In that brief moment of stillness, Flame saw him.

A boy - smaller and more slender than his peers - yet his presence felt larger, steadier, and more resolute than anyone else’s.

His silhouette stood against the chaos, unmoving.

"He's damn late..."

And with that final thought, Flame’s knees gave out.

Her eyes fluttered closed, but a faint smile lingered on her lips… relief, at last.