I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 437
Azmik and Kalaban, Black Mages of the Dark Sect, had infiltrated the Core Gate where Baek Yuseol and his expedition currently ventured.
Unlike humans, Black Mages didn’t need conventional entryways to access a Persona Gate; they could use alternative spatial pathways. This method had been employed in the past to ambush mages exploring such gates.
For this reason, mages often trained to prepare for potential attacks by Black Mages.
“Do you think this plan will really work?” Kalaban asked from atop the head of a massive jellyfish-like monster.
Azmik, seated on the neck of a creature with 19 eyes, snapped back irritably.
“What other choice do we have? The mages are swarming outside. They’ll probably be under constant escort until they return to Stella Academy. It’s better to collaborate with the monsters here.”
“I’m not criticizing, but you’re a bit touchy, aren’t you?”
“Hmph!”
Perhaps it was the series of recent failures, but Azmik’s nerves were frayed.
“Shh. They’re coming.”
As the presence of Baek Yuseol’s expedition drew closer, Azmik and Kalaban concealed themselves.
Until now, the creatures the mages had faced were weaklings, allowing them to progress easily. But that was about to change.
The creatures in the Persona Gate were beings from another dimension.
Conventional logic didn’t apply to them. To defeat such creatures, one needed to analyze their weaknesses and characteristics through repeated encounters.
Azmik had devised a plan targeting that very process.
No matter how skilled Baek Yuseol was, it was impossible to identify a creature’s weakness instantly.
The strategy was simple: attack while the mages were busy analyzing the creatures.
It seemed straightforward, but it was unavoidable.
With two Class 7-risk Black Mages launching a surprise attack amid the chaos caused by the gate’s boss monster—a creature with hundreds of tentacles and an army of insect-like minions—Baek Yuseol would undoubtedly struggle.
The longer Baek Yuseol took to analyze the creature’s traits, the more the insect-like monsters would multiply.
And if Azmik and Kalaban hindered his analysis...
The expedition would inevitably be overwhelmed by hundreds of tentacles and exterminated.
“It’s humiliating to rely on such a tactic...”
“Focus, Azmik,” Kalaban said, clenching his fist.
“They’re almost here.”
“...Finally.”
Azmik swallowed nervously. If they could take down Baek Yuseol and return with his severed head, it would be a monumental achievement.
‘You can’t escape this, Baek Yuseol. Come in already.’
Just one step.
The moment Baek Yuseol set foot in the boss room, it would all be over.
Thud.
Finally.
Baek Yuseol stepped into the boss room.
“Huh, Mage Baek Yuseol?”
“Something feels... off.”
“Is this really safe...?”
Rumble!
The ground trembled as the massive space itself seemed to quake.
Suddenly, walls crumbled, revealing a grotesque face.
It was a human-like face without a nose, but from its jaw extended hundreds of writhing tentacles like roots.
And that wasn’t all.
From openings in the walls, black rhinoceros-like monsters began pouring in, charging straight at the expedition.
“D-damn it! We’re surrounded!”
“Mage Baek Yuseol! What should we do...?”
From their hidden vantage point, Azmik and Kalaban grinned.
‘Now’s the time. While Baek Yuseol panics, we’ll strike and take him down.’
Even if their attack didn’t finish him off, combining forces with the monsters would surely tip the scales in their favor...
“Let’s just burn it all down,” Baek Yuseol said casually.
“...What?”
“Burn it? Why?”
“Does there need to be a reason? Monsters like these are always weak to fire.”
“...Really?”
“Now that I think about it, that might make sense...”
“I don’t know! I’m trying it anyway! Flaming Ground!”
“Burning Pillar!”
“Burn everything! Let it all burn!”
Whoosh! Crackle!
As flames and lightning spread rapidly, the rhinoceros-like monsters shrieked in agony, scattering in all directions.
To top it off, Baek Yuseol pulled a canister of oil from his bag, teleporting around as he scattered it everywhere. This wasn’t ordinary oil—it was a specially crafted substance imbued with anti-magic properties, making it exceptionally effective against monsters with resistance to magical fire.
Screeeeech!
The tentacle monster, which had evolved to resist flames, had long since forgotten the agony of burning.
It had grown hundreds of additional tentacles as a result of this adaptation, but now those very tentacles became its downfall.
With so many tentacles, the searing pain of fire was multiplied.
Unable to put up any significant resistance, the monster was swiftly cut down by Baek Yuseol’s sword.
“...Let’s call it a day and head back,” Baek Yuseol said.
“Ahem, that sounds like a good idea,” one of the team members replied.
Azmik and Kalaban, who had been preparing to ambush Baek Yuseol, quietly exited the Persona Gate.
They had learned an undeniable truth:
No strategy, no matter how cunning, would work against Baek Yuseol.
***
Rumble...
The sky darkened, and thunderclouds loomed overhead. Scarlet, drenched in cold sweat, slumped to the ground, exhaling heavily.
“This is exhausting! I’m not what I used to be. I’m getting old, too old!”
Who would have thought that dealing with a few measly Black Mages could leave her so drained?
This was the limitation of her astral projection.
Lately, she had been spending too much mana while staying in Stella Academy and training alongside Baek Yuseol.
‘Still, since I’ve taken care of the last one, they shouldn’t bother us for a while.’
Scarlet struggled to her feet, attempting to take flight, but her mana was too depleted.
“Ugh. Looks like I’ll have to pull out my broomstick.”
Digging into the folds of her dress, she retrieved her broomstick and glanced up at the sky.
The sudden appearance of the thunderclouds was undoubtedly magical in nature.
Most likely, while the small fry Black Mages had been stalling her, the "main dish" had already begun clashing with Queen Flowering.
“Hmph. The Elf King will win, though.”
If it had been one of the previous generations of Elf Kings, the outcome might have been uncertain. But this generation’s Elf King was unique and incredibly powerful. Scarlet couldn’t imagine a scenario where Flowering would lose.
Her only concern was Flowering’s excessively kind nature—she had a habit of sparing even Black Mages.
In any case, the situation seemed settled.
‘Time for me to head back and recover.’
Her astral projection couldn’t regenerate mana permanently. To replenish her mana, she’d need to create a new projection, which was practically impossible.
‘There’s no way I can create another projection this good.’
While permanent mana regeneration was off the table, she could make an elixir with rare herbs and recover after a month’s rest. It wouldn’t completely restore her, but it would be enough.
She wouldn’t be able to use much magic in the meantime, but since she planned to lay low in Stella anyway, it didn’t matter. Skipping magic classes due to “headaches” wouldn’t be a problem.
She never cared about grades, anyway.
“Well then... maybe I’ll get a Rainbow Luxury Parfait on my way back—”
She froze.
Her pupils turned stark white as she sensed an ominous presence. Reacting immediately, Scarlet mounted her broomstick and retreated a step, but that was her mistake.
“...You’re overly cautious.”
“You... Hui Gong Shi Wol?”
Realizing her error, Scarlet’s expression darkened. But it was too late.
The fact that she had only detected Hui Gong Shi Wol’s presence belatedly and responded defensively was evidence of her diminished strength as the Witch Queen.
In the past, no matter what Hui Gong Shi Wol attempted, she would have confronted him with ease and confidence. The contrast now was stark.
“The plan at the World Tree isn’t proceeding as expected, so I came to investigate, only to find that the Witch Queen was involved. But... how pitifully weak you’ve become.”
“Hmph. This is just an astral projection. What does it matter?”
“For a projection, you’re awfully wary.”
Scarlet gritted her teeth internally.
‘Damn it, how could I make such a rookie mistake at my age!’
Hui Gong Shi Wol had likely known from the moment he sensed her that she had weakened significantly.
So, he had probed her, testing her reaction.
“Well, this is fortunate. You’ve always been a nuisance. In every future I’ve seen.”
“...What nonsense are you spouting?”
This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.
The corners of Hui Gong Shi Wol’s mouth curved ever so slightly into a smile.
A gray figure, with an expression.
Even Scarlet, who had lived for a thousand years, had never seen such a thing from him. It left her deeply unsettled.
“What are you planning?”
“This is an opportunity.”
“What?”
“A future without the meddling Witch Queen. It’s a first for me.”
Danger.
Even without her sharp judgment as the Witch Queen, anyone could tell this was perilous.
Realizing this, Scarlet immediately fired a beam of light magic into the sky, but it was too late.
Just one exchange.
A single clash of magic.
And it was over.
“Ah...”
The broomstick supporting Scarlet faltered, dropping her to the ground. Her body, too, began to slump and finally collapsed.
Gush!
A mouthful of blood spilled out.
Despite the gaping hole in her chest, the pain wasn’t severe.
Perhaps it was because only 50% of her senses were active.
‘Damn it... A Witch Queen, brought to this...’
If only she had a sliver more mana left, this wouldn’t have happened.
There were countless reasons for her depletion: the various perception-altering spells she had been maintaining in Stella, the mana she had spent teaching Baek Yuseol in earnest, and the energy she had expended to ensure that no Black Mage remained to threaten the World Tree.
If she had conserved even a fraction of that mana, she might have been able to sense Hui Gong Shi Wol’s presence earlier, perhaps even bluff her way through.
He might have deemed attacking her pointless and left.
‘...What’s the use of regret?’
Scarlet closed her eyes.
If her astral projection dissipated now, it would take at least a hundred years before she could return to the outside world.
How frustrating.
Humans didn’t even live for a hundred years. Even if Baek Yuseol became an 8th-class Grand Mage, extending his lifespan slightly, he wouldn’t last that long.
Perhaps...
Like Ha Taeryeong a thousand years ago...
‘Nothing ever goes my way, does it?’
Through her dimming vision, she saw Hui Gong Shi Wol open a portal and disappear. His lips moved as if he were saying something about “finishing the job,” but her hearing had failed, leaving his words inaudible.
It didn’t matter, anyway.
This was just an astral projection.
A hundred years later, she could return to the world and act once more.
And yet...
Even so...
She didn’t want to close her eyes like this.
A weak smile crossed her lips.
‘...How foolish of me.’
She had lingering regrets about Baek Yuseol.
She wanted to see his growth for just a little longer.
To witness him become the hero who would save the world, to stand by his side when that time came.
To see the peaceful world they would create.
Regret.
There was no denying it.
Despite knowing the chances were slim to none, Scarlet forced what little mana she had left into her staff.
Even if it was only 0.1% of her power, it might be enough to send a distant message.
‘Just a few words...’
She couldn’t /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ write much, couldn’t convey everything she wanted to say. But still, Scarlet used all her remaining strength to carve a message into the staff.
Thud.
With a satisfied smile, Scarlet’s body disintegrated into shimmering particles, scattering into the air.
Boom! Crash!
A massive bolt of lightning streaked across the blackened sky, which soon cleared to reveal the bright, serene heavens once more.
Queen Flowering had defeated Black Kaon, the 9th-class Black Mage and 9-risk Black Mage.
Contrary to Scarlet’s concerns, Flowering showed no mercy.
When Black Kaon tried to justify himself, Flowering decisively ended his life.
It was a cold, rational judgment as a ruler.
After all, he had dared to threaten her people.
As the day passed into evening...
Rustle.
To search for Scarlet, who had aided the World Tree, Flowering arrived at the scene.
‘Could she have already left after finishing her task?’
As she wandered near the last place Scarlet’s mana lingered, Flowering spotted a staff lying on the ground.
Picking it up, she examined it closely, her eyes widening in surprise.
“This...?”
On the staff was a simple message.
Just five characters.
"Find me."
It was Scarlet’s final message to Baek Yuseol.
