I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 98

"You’re cleared for discharge. You can attend classes immediately."

When he finally opened his eyes, three days had already slipped by.

"Three days...?"

He couldn't help but feel a sense of disorientation. He had no idea that he had been sleeping for such a long time.

‘Why?’

Initially, he thought he was just a little exhausted from the excessive activation of his skill, [Breath of the Spirit].

However, it seemed that his body had suffered more strain than he had anticipated.

Although numerous status messages were displayed, he couldn't muster the immediate mental clarity to check them.

Looking at the room filled with gifts piled high, Ma Yu-Seong wore an expression of perplexity and asked him, "Yu-Seol, how are we going to move all of this?"

In response, Baek Yu-Seol couldn't help but smirk.

"What's the big deal? They're all your gifts. I'll help you move them."

Confused, Ma Yu-Seong replied, "What are you talking about? These are your gifts. Figure it out yourself."

Startled by this revelation, he muttered, "Huh?"

The sheer number of presents felt surreal.

Sure, he’d pulled a few pranks on his second-year seniors recently, but that hardly seemed enough to warrant such generosity.

He was even considered the ultimate outsider among outsiders.

However, as he carefully inspected each gift, it turned out that a significant portion of them were indeed intended for him.

He had never experienced receiving this many gifts, not even in his previous life.

He wasn’t exactly a celebrity back then either.

Baek Yu-Seol’s vision grew hazy for a moment.

While receiving gifts should have brought him joy and gratitude, he found himself faced with the daunting task of moving them all.

While the two of them stood staring at the mountain of gifts, the hospital room door swung open with a loud bang.

Eisel appeared, wearing an eager expression.

"I knew this would happen, so I prepared a cart."

"A cart?"

Baek Yu-Seol raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

Eisel responded, "Four years ago, I was so good at pulling carts at a construction site that my nickname was Cargo Master!"

"...?"

Baek Yu-Seol couldn't help but wonder if that nickname was indeed related to her cart-pulling skills.

"Well then, let's get going!" Eisel declared enthusiastically.

She grabbed a stack of gifts, her slender wrists belying the strength of her grip.

Perhaps it was a result of her rough labor during her younger years, but her ability to carry the load seemed even more formidable than girls the same age.

"Hand over the rest. I’ll take them all."

"But I'm stronger than you," Baek Yu-Seol retorted.

"But I'm in my prime."

"So, are you saying I'm old?"

"Well... sometimes you do seem a bit old..."

Eisel shot him a peculiar glance and then smirked sarcastically, leaving him utterly baffled about her true intentions.

Thanks to her, however, they managed to transport the gifts back to the dormitory without much trouble.

Though they had to share some of the gifts - mostly fruits - with the dormitory supervisors and staff along the way, there was still a substantial haul left.

Click!

"Whew... It feels like moving house. After a long struggle, we finally managed to bring all the luggage in.”

As the flurry of activity came to an end, the reality of the situation finally sank in.

Baek Yu-Seol had successfully defeated Maizen Tyren.

Even in this markedly altered episode, he had somehow managed to save the main characters and secure his own survival.

'Come to think of it, there was talk about a reward...'

A sudden realization struck him.

Without delay, Baek Yu-Seol eagerly examined his abilities, eager to discover the completion reward for the episode.

[Baek Yu-Seol]

• Stats

[Physical Strength: 2 stars, 89%]

[Senses: 2 stars, 77%]

[Agility: 2 stars, 63%]

[Stamina: 2 stars, 21%]

[Endurance: 0 stars, 99%]

[Mental strength: 3 stars, 01%]

[Magic Power: ~]

• Skills

[Flash Lv.2]

[Breath of the Spirit Lv.1]

• Traits

[Mana Leakage Delay Lv.3]

[Blessing of the Pink Spring Moon Lv.1]

And then, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"What on earth is this?"

All of his stats had experienced a significant boost.

But what caught his attention even more was something else altogether.

It was a new special trait.

[Blessing of the Pink Spring Moon Lv.1]

[12% increase in Senses]

[90% increase in Mental Strength]

[Psychometry: Expends Mental Strength to partially read the memories of specific objects.]

[Telepathy: Expends Mental Strength to transmit or receive thoughts to/from others.]

[Mentalist: Expends Mental Strength to perceive information about a target's actions and gestures.]

[Mental Shield: Expends Mental Strength to resist spiritual attacks.]

'Even if the world turns its back on you, your heart, like the blossoming spring, will remain unshaken.'

There was no mistaking it.

This blessing, which could only be obtained by completing a quest of utmost difficulty in the original game and gaining recognition from Pink Spring Moon of the twelve divine moons, had firmly found its place in his skill roster.

"This is insane... What is happening?"

They say that when you hold something so extraordinary in your hands, it feels almost unreal.

And that was exactly how Baek Yu-Seol felt at that moment.

In the ame, acquiring the Blessing of the Pink Spring Moon required completing an arduous favorability quest.

The process demanded patience, persistence, and an immense amount of effort, solidifying its reputation as one of the most difficult achievements.

Yet somehow, he had received this blessing without lifting a finger.

The effects were beyond comprehension.

Mana leakage disorder came with devastating penalties… the inability to store mana, the inability to cast spells, and a drastically shortened lifespan capped at twenty years.

But in return, it provided compensations such as heightened senses, accelerated cognition, and additional attribute boosts.

This trade-off was a common theme among special traits.

Traits with no drawbacks typically offered mediocre benefits, whereas those with powerful effects carried crippling limitations, making them extremely difficult to utilize.

But the Blessing of Pink Spring Moon defied this trend by boasting legendary-grade effects without any penalties.

'This must be the majesty of the twelve divine moons...'

Although Baek Yu-Seol had encountered this trait once in Aether World, it was still overwhelming to obtain it for real. He couldn’t help but let his emotions take over.

"HAAH...!"

Clenching his fists, he punched the air and even rolled around on the floor in triumph.

Furthermore, with the trait level being only 1, he could expect even greater effects as the level increased in the future.

Finally, he realized why he had been hospitalized for three days.

It was because the blessing of Pink Spring Moon had been bestowed upon him while he was unconscious.

The sheer force of the divine energy must have been too much for his fragile human body to endure all at once.

In other words, Pink Spring Moon had acknowledged him...

'...Perhaps?'

His thoughts raced as he hurriedly opened the box containing his old clothes.

As he rummaged through the fabric, something tumbled out of the inner pocket… a small, glowing bead.

[Familiar’s heart]

"Heh, heh..."

Baek Yu-Seol couldn’t suppress his grin.

He never expected to receive it - especially after she had stubbornly refused - but now, it was his.

In other words, he could use it as payment to win over Leafanel, learn how to efficiently control mana leakage delay, and receive training in ancestral swordsmanship.

Rewards seemed to rain down on him, and he could barely contain his excitement.

[To you, who led the story in the most ideal direction, the Constellation Project promises additional rewards.]

It felt as though all the dust that had settled in his life was swept away in an instant, leaving behind a sense of clarity and renewal.

Baek Yu-Seol’s heart brimmed with elation.

And then, a dilemma surfaced.

"What should I choose?"

This time, there was an additional special reward.

While he couldn't ask for equipment he had used in the game, maybe he could aim for something quite valuable this time.

He tried to avoid items that could be crafted, considering that now he could create almost anything with Alterisha’s help.

"Hmm, how about something like the White Dragon Armor?"

[You cannot receive a unique item that is one-of-a-kind.]

"Darn it."

The White Dragon Armor, an item with one copy in the entire setting.

As expected, it was impossible.

'If that’s the case, I’ll have to let go of most of the items my character equipped just before the ending...'

By the time his character reached the final chapter, the gear he wielded was composed entirely of unique items… prized artifacts with no duplicates in the game world.

"So... what should I get?"

He pondered on what to choose, but once again, he realized that it was skills rather than items.

Until now, he had relied on items to compensate for his insufficient attack power, but that wouldn't be possible in the future.

He had been fortunate this time, using a special item to overcome Maizen Tyren.

Therefore, the most crucial stat for him, which was attack power, could only be enhanced through skill development.

However, it was a problem that he couldn't predict when the circulation rate of magical power would increase enough to penetrate a mage's shield.

So unsure of whether it would work or not, he decided to request a special skill as a reward.

"I want the derivative skill mana concentration added to the mana leakage delay skill."

After that, the system message fell silent for a moment.

[Upon checking, it is possible.]

[The derived skill mana concentration has been activated for the trait mana leakage delay.]

‘Excellent.’

Baek Yu-Seol couldn't help but let out a sigh of excitement as he tightly clenched his fist.

Mana concentration.

Its significance would be impossible to grasp in a world devoid of mana, but here, it was a game-changer.

His body naturally breathed mana and couldn't contain it, meaning it dissipated into the external environment.

This unique trait elevated his physical abilities to superhuman levels, yet it barred him from wielding magic like ordinary mages.

Mana concentration, on the other hand, allowed him to focus the mana that escaped through his entire body into a specific area.

Initially, the skill only worked on his fist, but he knew it could be refined further… to channel mana through his head, shoulders, knees, and even feet.

And what would happen then?

If all that mana converged into a single point, wouldn’t its power skyrocket?

While mana leakage delay was supposed to evolve into natural mana manipulation in the future, eventually accompanied by skills like mana coating, he couldn't afford to wait that long.

‘I need to practice this... now.’

The burning desire to test his new skill was almost unbearable.

It was the weekend, and he had just been discharged from the hospital, but resting was out of the question.

He was eager to hand over the heart to Leafanel and learn the art of controlling mana leakage delay from her.

From this moment on, through the practice of mana concentration, he could finally possess the attack power that had eluded him before.

The thought sent his heart racing, and he couldn't suppress his exhilaration.

***

Meanwhile, Kaen, the leader of the 13th Extermination Squad, made a long-awaited return to the main tower and confronted the Tower Master.

From the outside, the place resembled a humble hut rather than a grand magical tower.

A lush green meadow stretched around it, rippling gently under the breeze. A lone rabbit grazed peacefully nearby, and the sky shone brilliantly overhead.

But appearances were deceiving.

Despite its simple exterior, this was the New Moon Tower… a structure that connected countless hidden spaces into one seamless domain.

It was the ultimate masterpiece of Rudrick Hollow, who had sacrificed all other forms of magic to master one of the forbidden spells of the ancestor mages… Hollow Connection.

"Kaen, I heard you reported the successful completion of your mission in the Sky Flower Cradle."

"Yes, as instructed by the Tower Master. Although a dark mage emerged, it turned out to be a mere student of Stella, not Maizen Tyren."

"I see. And instead of eliminating them, you allowed some students purify them."

“Yes."

"You've done something quite unexpected. I never thought you were capable of such actions.”

Rudrick remarked, disguising himself as an old man. He frequently changed his appearance, attributing to having forgotten his true age.

"I apologize, but... I saw potential in it."

Kaen’s words hung in the air… a daring statement about the possibility of restoring a dark mage to their original state.

Even as he voiced it, he doubted the Tower Master would ever trust such a notion.

‘Every dark mage must be eradicated.’

It was Rudrick, the Master of New Moon Tower, who instilled this belief in him.

"Is that so..."

Surprisingly, Rudrick responded nonchalantly.

"You don't plan on interrogating?"

"What good would it do to interrogate? Time keeps flowing, eras constantly change, and the world evolves. My words can't always be right."

"I thought you wouldn't believe me..."

"I don't."

Taken aback, Kaen looked up.

Rudrick remained composed, stroking his beard with a resolute determination.

"But I sensed a shift in the times. If I couldn't do it, and even if you couldn't do it... there's no law saying that the younger generation can't."

Kaen fell silent at his words.

He still found it difficult to place his faith in the younger generation.

The magic of the girl named Flame and the abilities of the boy named Baek Yu-Seol were remarkable enough to make a slight crack in his unwavering convictions.

"Oh, by the way... Despite your successful mission in Sky Flower Cradle, Maizen Tyren succumbed to dark magic and made an appearance."

"What?!"

Kaen’s eyes widened, his pupils trembling in disbelief.

So this meant it was a failure, not a successful mission.

He had never anticipated the emergence of another dark mage.

"No need to blame yourself. It was my mistake for not providing information about a second dark mage.”

Rudrick spoke, his gaze fixed in the distance.

"At some point, I became unable to foresee the future,” Rudrick continued. "No, to be more precise... it became as hazy as mist.”

"Isn't that a serious problem?"

Rudrick simply chuckled.

"Not at all. In fact, not being able to foresee the future makes it all the more interesting. Humans who rely too much on foresight forget how to look in other directions," Rudrick explained. "I was no different. That’s why, now that the fog has settled in, I feel... relieved."

What could cause the future to suddenly cloud over?

Was it truly freedom… or something far more ominous?

Yet Rudrick seemed at peace with it.

"Don't worry about the Sky Flower Cradle. Ah, the boy you encountered... Yes, Baek Yu-Seol, was it? I can envision a scene where that child defeats Maizen Tyren."

"Is that so…?"

Baek Yu-Seol.

The boy’s name kept resurfacing, weaving itself into Kaen’s recent experiences.

Maizen Tyren was estimated to possess Class 6 power as a dark mage.

With Kaen's abilities, he could easily eliminate her with a few strikes.

However, the fact that a single student could defeat a Class 6 dark mage...

It simply defied logic.

There had to be something about him.

"Do you truly believe so?"

Rudrick’s words caught Kaen off guard, prompting him to raise his head.

Rudrick nonchalantly shrugged and spoke, "You're mistaken. That child is indeed a 17-year-old student. He simply has many things hidden within him."

"That can't be... It's impossible."

"The world is filled with things beyond human understanding. But don’t try to unravel them all. We’re too weary for that. Sometimes, it’s better to simply accept what we cannot explain."

Despite the fatigue in Rudrick’s expression, there was also a sense of satisfaction… as though he had finally uncovered something he had been searching for all his life.

"The future will change rapidly from now on, beyond what you can handle. So, prepare your mind and brace for it.”

Rudrick faded away along with the surroundings, leaving behind those words.

Left alone in the serene meadow, Kaen silently gazed at the sky.

The clouds drifted lazily towards the distant horizon, their movements seeming preoccupied with important matters.

Meanwhile, he remained rooted in place.