I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 436

As the sound of something falling and breaking loudly echoed from outside the office, followed by hurried footsteps, Flowering set her pen down.

Without even looking, she already knew who had arrived.

It wasn’t because of her heightened senses.

Rather, anyone could have guessed as much.

The office door burst open, and a man in the blue-petaled uniform of the Elven Knights rushed in, saluting hastily.

“Your Majesty! We’ve detected consecutive uses of magic near the World Tree at levels approaching Class 8! I have immediately activated the large-scale magical defense system, but the mage in question appears to be exceptionally powerful...”

“It’s fine.”

“...Pardon? But we must prepare immediately... what?”

Before the magic knight could finish his report, Flowering shook her head.

With a slight smile, she turned her gaze toward the window.

There were no visible pillars of light near the World Tree, but she could clearly sense the massive magical ripples resonating from there.

The reason the light pillars weren’t visible to the average person was likely because “the individual responsible” had concealed their magic, perhaps disliking unnecessary attention.

It was indeed a remarkable skill.

“That person... is a friend of Baek Yuseol’s.”

“R-really? I don’t understand. What exactly is happening?”

Truthfully, Flowering didn’t fully understand either.

But if not for the self-proclaimed “great, noble, and beautiful teacher of Baek Yuseol” who had gracefully descended from the sky a few days ago—and shared vivid stories of her experiences with him—Flowering wouldn’t have believed it either.

“In any case... we’ve gained a valuable ally, so you can rest easy.”

Despite her reassurances, Flowering had no intention of remaining idle.

The ones threatening her and the World Tree were Black Mages. Leaving everything to an outsider was not an option.

‘I’ll handle the conclusion myself.’

With that thought, Flowering rose from her seat. Despite her exhaustion from sleepless nights and constant toil, her exceptional mental strength allowed her to persevere.

Gripping the Elven King’s staff, crafted from the roots of the World Tree, Flowering left the white castle.

Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of unease swept over her, causing her to stop in her tracks instinctively.

As she stood with her back to the white castle, she slowly raised her head. The air shimmered as a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness.

“You’re a sharp queen. The former Elf Kings were never this perceptive.”

The figure’s identity was a cloak.

A massive, fluttering cloak, making it impossible to discern whether the wearer was male or female.

Although they surely had hands, feet, and a face, their form was obscured by a black mist, rendering it impossible to glimpse their true appearance.

‘A shadow-cloaked Black Mage... and that ominous purple glow emanating from their staff. There’s only one person with such traits.’

“Black Kaon...”

“Kahaha, that’s right! You know me well.”

The man called Black Kaon slowly turned his head, gazing beyond the barrier of the World Tree.

Even now, invisible light pillars rained down, slaughtering the Black Mages.

“Although I planned everything meticulously, I never trusted those fools! They’re nothing but idiots! I knew Baek Yuseol would have a contingency plan, and as expected, I was right! I’m perfect!”

Indeed, his judgment was accurate.

Even though Baek Yuseol was tied up in Hawol Plains, an unknown ally had appeared to disrupt their plans.

“But since I’ve caused such a big scene, I have an obligation to see this through!”

Raising his hand dramatically, Black Kaon spoke.

Long ago, he had betrayed the Black Magic King and fled before their duel even began, earning himself the label of a coward among Black Mages.

His counterpart, Black Kingdom, had boldly faced the Black Magic King’s might, earning the title of the second-strongest Black Mage.

Coward. Traitor.

Black Kaon was burdened with every dishonorable title imaginable, and he despised those who called him such.

‘I have skills rivaling Black Kingdom’s!’

Even though he currently served the Black Magic Sect’s leader with minimal activity, he firmly believed that once he took action, he could surpass Black Kingdom and reclaim his honor.

And today would mark the beginning of that grand ambition.

“Capturing you, the Elf King, will be my first step!”

“...I see.”

With a composed demeanor, Flowering gripped her staff and ascended into the air. Black Kaon found her calm attitude unsettling.

“You, why aren’t you afraid? Don’t you know my name? I’m Kaon of the ‘Black’ lineage!”

“I expected someone of your strength to show up.”

“W-what?”

Someone of your strength.

That’s exactly what she said.

‘Hmm, does she acknowledge me?’

Despite his immense power, Black Kaon had never been truly recognized by anyone, leaving him with an insatiable craving for validation. Even praise from an enemy felt like a refreshing oasis in the desert.

“Hmm, hahahaha! Yes! Only someone as strong as me would come alone to capture the Elf King! Now, behold my true power—”

“Light, come forth.”

Zap!

“Gaaaahhhh!!!”

As Black Kaon raised his staff and began posturing, Flowering wasted no time. She commanded the World Tree’s leaves to generate a massive beam of light, striking him down.

‘Fighting within the World Tree’s vicinity puts the citizens at risk.’

While the World Tree granted her full control over her powers, she had to protect her people while battling, putting her at a disadvantage.

It was an ironic condition.

However, even slightly outside the World Tree’s range, she could still unleash her strength, so driving Black Kaon out of the city became her top priority.

“You insolent wretch!!”

Screaming in {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} rage after being hit, Black Kaon’s cries were nothing but compliments to Flowering. Calmly biting her lip, she flew toward him.

“W-what is that look in your eyes!?”

“Anyone who dares touch my World Tree...”

From Flowering’s back, pink petals burst forth, transforming into fairy-like wings. The sky around them turned into a lush green hue.

“...will never leave here alive.”

With those words, Flowering raised her hand. The World Tree’s roots sprouted in all directions, forming a massive jungle in an instant.

‘W-what...?’

Was the Elf King always capable of such power?

Black Kaon knew that previous Elf Kings couldn’t wield the World Tree to this extent. Even their classification as Class 9 was more a reflection of their broad range of power than its depth.

He knew this because he had witnessed past Elf Kings with his own eyes.

But the strength before him was something else entirely.

‘The strongest Elf King... in history.’

Swallowing hard, Black Kaon pointed his staff at her.

What he thought would be an easy task had turned into facing someone clearly stronger than himself.

‘This isn’t part of the plan...?’

While he enjoyed tormenting the weak, he hated struggling against someone stronger. Getting hurt was terrifying!

‘...I should run, right?’

He began scouting for an escape route.

Truly, he was a man who lived up to the title of coward and traitor.

***

On the southern edge of the Aither Continent...

...there lay a small landmass, reachable only after a grueling 40-hour sea voyage.

Its name was Kyrn Continent.

Derived from ancient magical language, the name Kyrn, meaning "Forgotten," perfectly embodied its reality—a place long forgotten by the modern world.

“This place remains as desolate as ever.”

Whiiishhh!

As dry winds blew fiercely, Rudeoric, the master of the Tower of Waning Moon, used magic to hold down his windswept hair.

He wasn’t one to enjoy such dreary atmospheres.

As his gaze wandered, he spotted the massive corpse of a beast lying ahead.

Behind it, the remains of dozens of Black Mages were scattered.

At first glance, it might appear that Kyrn Continent was home to fearsome monsters, but that wasn’t the case at all.

Kyrn Continent, after the catastrophic events of long ago, had become a lifeless wasteland. Every living creature had gone extinct, leaving it an uninhabitable ruin.

Even Black Mages were no exception.

Thus, the corpses scattered here must have originated from the Aither Continent for some reason.

Rudeoric easily surmised that the cause was Persona Gates.

Though located on another continent, Kyrn was still part of the same world. With its isolation from the prying eyes of mages, it was an ideal location to construct a Mega Persona Gate.

However, the Tower of Waning Moon meticulously managed Mega Persona Gates. Regardless of how remote the location, leaving such a threat unchecked was unacceptable.

“To go to such lengths to secretly build a Persona Gate in a place like this...”

Still, the Black Magic Sect Leader must have known that no amount of cunning would deceive Rudeoric’s senses.

So, what was the purpose of such an audacious act?

Although Rudeoric had immediately teleported to this location upon detecting the presence of a Mega Persona Gate and eliminated all enemies without hesitation, now that he had time to reflect, something felt amiss.

‘...It seems there’s more to this.’

Even as a Class 9 spatial mage, teleporting to a distant continent like this wasn’t instantaneous.

Perhaps the true objective was to tie Rudeoric down while something else unfolded elsewhere.

The realization left him with an unpleasant feeling, knowing he had no choice but to play into such a petty scheme.

Still, Rudeoric prepared for another teleportation, his thoughts settling on the situation.

‘The Black Magic Sect Leader... he underestimates mages far too much.’

This world didn’t revolve around Rudeoric alone. He considered himself insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Whether he was present or absent, the world would move on.

‘Even without me... they have the strength to save themselves.’

Expending vast amounts of energy to trap Rudeoric in this remote wasteland was ultimately a pointless endeavor.

With that thought, Rudeoric disappeared into thin air.

***

The so-called "Core Gate," named by Baek Yuseol, only allowed about 50 mages to enter.

Though it was referred to as a Core Gate, it wasn’t a true Mega Persona Gate, which meant there was a strict limit on the number of participants.

However, Baek Yuseol thought even 50 was excessive.

Honestly, he believed that just ten people would suffice.

But making such a claim—“Ten will be enough”—without even entering the gate would sound utterly unconvincing.

Besides, wasn’t it better to have more troops when heading into unknown dangers?

“It’s reassuring to have you leading the team directly,” said the expedition commander, extending his hand for a handshake.

Baek Yuseol grasped it firmly.

“The team members are so capable that I’m not sure if I’ll even be needed,” Baek Yuseol replied.

“Haha, you’re too modest. I’ll leave it to you, then.”

“Of course.”

After a brief moment of familiarizing himself with the team members, Baek Yuseol led the 50 mages into the Core Gate.

From a distance, Jellyelle crossed her arms and observed, her expression sour.

‘Why didn’t he take me along?’

The association’s expedition commander had allowed Baek Yuseol to choose his team members, implying that he could select a few individuals he specifically wanted.

Jellyelle had secretly hoped she might be chosen, but Baek Yuseol had apologized with a regretful expression.

‘It’s too dangerous. I can’t take you along.’

Jellyelle had protested.

After all, she had already ventured into dangerous Persona Gates multiple times without any issue.

‘Does he not trust me?’

Thinking this, she continued to watch the gate with a dissatisfied look when the expedition commander approached her from a distance.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I didn’t expect to encounter the vice president of Starcloud Trading Company here.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jellyelle.”

She extended her hand for a handshake, which the commander accepted with a somewhat sheepish smile.

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood.”

“...Is that so?”

Jellyelle quickly tried to compose her expression.

‘Was it that obvious?’

When had she become so lax? No matter how upset or angry she was, maintaining her composure had always been her strength.

At some point, her facial expressions had become far too transparent.

“Well, I must say, compared to the last time I saw you, your current demeanor feels much more human and approachable. Perhaps... it’s thanks to Mage Baek Yuseol?”

When she didn’t respond, the commander stood beside her and continued.

“You know, when there was one spot left on the team, he deliberated for a long time. It was almost agonizing to watch. So I subtly asked if he would write down Jellyelle’s name.”

Jellyelle stiffened, her head instinctively turning slightly away in embarrassment.

“But in the end, Mage Baek Yuseol didn’t do so. When I asked why, he just smiled.”

“...He smiled? And what did he say?”

“He didn’t answer. Instead, he wrote down another team member’s name instead of yours.”

She still couldn’t make sense of it.

If he hesitated over her name for so long, surely there must have been a special reason...

“We can’t know for sure, but maybe Mage Baek Yuseol sensed something unsettling—something that didn’t sit well with him.”

With that, the commander walked away, leaving Jellyelle standing there. Though her dissatisfaction hadn’t entirely dissipated, his words did ease her mood somewhat.

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.

At the very least, she now knew Baek Yuseol had agonized over the decision.

‘...Maybe he already knows what’s in there and just how dangerous it is?’

Normally, there was no way to discern the dangers of a Persona Gate without entering it first.

That was the general rule.

Yet, for some reason, she couldn’t help but feel that Baek Yuseol, of all people, might already know.

Jellyelle found herself unable to explain why she held such ungrounded faith in him.

***

Meanwhile, as Baek Yuseol entered the Persona Gate, he couldn’t help but think that leaving Jellyelle behind was indeed the right choice after seeing the scene before him.

“This... this is revolting.”

Even the team members, all of whom were men, visibly recoiled at the sight.

“It certainly is. You don’t come across tentacled monsters like these every day.”

“Argh! Burn them all to ashes!”

“Burning isn’t as effective as cutting. Use wind magic instead—”

“Fire!!”

Whoosh! Boom!

As tentacles flailed wildly in every direction, the male mage team members panicked, unleashing magic in a frenzy. Flames and explosions tore through the air, leaving severed and burning tentacles disintegrating in their wake.

The team was undoubtedly skilled, showing no signs of yielding to the tentacle creatures. Yet, Baek Yuseol couldn’t entirely dismiss the faint "what ifs" lingering in the back of his mind.

‘Even though these are just tentacles, and there’s no actual obscene scene happening, it’s still... unsettling somehow.’

The tentacle monsters were horrifying in their own way. They impaled human bodies to drain their blood but didn’t commit any indecent acts.

Still, Baek Yuseol couldn’t shake the oddly discomforting thoughts, which was why he had ultimately decided to leave Jellyelle behind.

‘I’m sorry, Jellyelle. I’ll buy you something delicious when I get back.’