I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 476

After the revival of the Incarnation of Malicious Flames and the attack by the 9-Risk Dark Mage in the Seven Stadium, the magical world was thrown into a state of emergency.

Black Code Nine.

Just one step below the highest-level alert, the "Dark Mage Defense Protocol" required all registered towers to adopt mandatory combat readiness.

The mere fact that a 9-Risk Dark Mage had appeared in Arcanium, the very heart of magical society, was enough to warrant Code Nine. However, the true cause lay elsewhere.

“We must now acknowledge this reality: Dark Mages are hiding among us. They could be family, friends, colleagues, or neighbors.”

“We live in a world where no one can be trusted.”

“The head of a prestigious school, a Dark Mage!”

“Can you truly say that you, hearing this, are not a Dark Mage yourself?”

The revelation of Crown’s identity as a Dark Mage had plunged society into chaos.

For those affiliated with Kaon Magic School, it was a catastrophe that left many shedding tears of blood.

What once was a source of pride—the prestige of being a Kaon graduate—had now become a stain that many desperately wanted to hide.

Withdrawals from Kaon were surging, and one of the five major magic schools in Arcanium was on the verge of collapse.

All because of a single Dark Mage.

“Clicking his tongue, Eltman tossed the newspaper he had been reading onto his desk with a thud.

Thud!

Across from him sat Aki-Hayden, his head bowed so low his expression couldn’t be seen.

“What do you think, Aki-Hayden? This happened because you approved it without my permission.”

“When the principal is absent, it is my duty to act on urgent matters. Especially in this case—”

“No, you know better. There are boundaries you shouldn’t cross. The joint practice was not something you should have interfered with.”

Eltman pinched the bridge of his nose, his face visibly weary but still laced with anger.

“Aki-Hayden.”

“Yes, Principal.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“...?”

Aki-Hayden instinctively raised his head at Eltman’s sudden and cryptic remark, only to freeze upon seeing his expression.

“Why have I kept you alive?”

“W-what do you mean...?”

Eltman’s lips curved into a faint smile as he approached Aki-Hayden and lightly placed a hand on his shoulder.

“We’ve been together for a very long time... You’ve been with this school since its founding, the longest-serving professor here.”

“Ugh...”

Aki-Hayden flinched as Eltman’s magic began to coil around his body, constricting him until it choked his breath.

Sweating profusely, Aki-Hayden forced himself to ask through clenched teeth, “H-how long... have you known?”

Because Aki-Hayden’s secret was this: he was a Dark Mage.

For years, he had hidden in Stella Academy as a Dark Mage infiltrator, leaving no trace or evidence of his true identity.

Yet—

“Why are you even asking that now?” Eltman responded, his voice indifferent, as though it was hardly worth addressing.

“There was no way I wouldn’t know.”

“Grr...”

As the pressure intensified, Aki-Hayden felt as though his body was being crushed. Magic slowly began to radiate from him as he prepared to resist.

If Eltman had uncovered his identity, his fate was all but sealed.

But if he was going to die, he would not go down without a fight.

At that moment—

Whoosh!

The overwhelming magic binding him abruptly dissipated, and the pressure choking him vanished.

“Cough!”

Aki-Hayden staggered backward, clutching his neck as he gasped for air.

“Human bodies are inconvenient, aren’t they? When your throat is blocked, you can’t even breathe,” Eltman said, his voice almost mocking.

“Haa... What is your intention...?”

“I asked you earlier, didn’t I? Aren’t you curious why I’ve kept you alive despite knowing your identity?”

“Why...?”

“It’s simple. I wanted to reform you.”

“Reform? How laughable.”

Now that his identity was exposed, Aki-Hayden no longer bothered to hide his disdain. He staggered to his feet, visibly drained but defiant.

“There is no reform for a Dark Mage. To become human is to regress into an inferior species. That’s all it means.”

“Is that still what you believe?”

Eltman stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back, his movements measured yet leaving no openings.

Aki-Hayden suppressed the urge to cast a spell.

‘The moment I cast... I’m dead.’

Eltman’s most terrifying trait was his mastery of spatial magic, capable of folding space in an instant. It was his trademark, a skill that even surpassed his mentor, Rudrick.

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“You’ve lived as a human for a long time, haven’t you? Your dark magic is no longer a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. You’ve even learned to sustain yourself without consuming human blood, despite being an 8-Risk Dark Mage.”

“And yet, you’ve chosen to remain here, living as a human. Isn’t that proof enough?”

“The problem is, I don’t need to remain human...”

“No. You’ve already felt it. Whether you remain a Dark Mage or continue as a human... you’ve already decided which path you lean toward.”

Aki-Hayden had been born a Dark Mage, emotionless and bred to survive the brutal law of the jungle.

To someone like him, the survival games of Stella Academy’s elites were mere child’s play.

Even when defeated, they didn’t face death. At worst, they dealt with career setbacks or a bruised ego.

A world where death wasn’t a constant fear.

To Aki-Hayden, it was a reality he couldn’t even imagine.

“Do you truly believe your Dark Mage Cult Leader or the Dark Magic King can create a better world than this?”

Eltman’s words pierced through Aki-Hayden, though his own thoughts were uncertain. While his spellcasting was complete and ready to be unleashed at a moment’s notice, he hesitated.

‘If he had infiltrated a private enterprise instead of the academy, this conversation would mean nothing. But here...’

Eltman was determined to keep him alive.

Aki-Hayden smirked bitterly and spoke, “Why go to such lengths to spare me? If it’s out of sentiment, you’re wasting your time. Dark Mages don’t feel such things.”

“Pfft.” Eltman chuckled, a knowing glint in his eyes.

At Aki-Hayden’s words, Eltman couldn’t hold back his laughter.

It was such an absurd statement, completely unfitting for someone who had spent so much time with Eltman.

“Sentiment? That’s funny,” Eltman chuckled, shaking his head. “After all this time together, you still don’t understand me, Aki-Hayden?”

“I suppose not,” Aki-Hayden replied, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. “But I assume it’s because I still hold some use to you...”

“Exactly. You’re incredibly valuable to me. You’re the only one who stands at my side while also having one foot in the circles of the Dark Magic King and the Dark Mage Cult Leader.”

That, Aki-Hayden thought, was a delusion.

Never once had he considered himself aligned with Eltman. He wanted to boldly declare as much but swallowed the words instead.

“I need to preserve my life right now...”

Clutching his neck, Aki-Hayden rose from his seat.

“Now I have to make a choice.”

Until now, he had been playing both sides, straddling the line between two powerful factions—those of the Dark Magic King and the Dark Mage Cult Leader.

Both sought to dominate, and Aki-Hayden, with his cunning mind and deep roots in human society, was a vital asset to many Dark Mages.

It had always been his plan to align himself with whichever side secured victory.

But now, a third force had emerged, and he needed to reconsider his options.

Finally, Aki-Hayden made his decision.

“...What is it that you want from me?” he asked.

Seeing the scenario unfold as planned, Eltman smiled with satisfaction and stepped closer.

“Isn’t it obvious? The downfall of the Dark Mages.”

This was the dream Eltman Eltwin had harbored since the day he first learned to walk.

The eradication of every Dark Mage in existence—that was his ultimate goal.

But there was a caveat.

“You... you wouldn’t hesitate to watch the world burn to achieve that, would you?” Aki-Hayden said, his voice trembling with both understanding and fear.

Eltman’s unwavering dedication to his goal came with a price. He was not a defender of justice, nor was he fighting to save the world. His war against the Dark Mages was purely because their ambitions for world destruction opposed his own.

If a button existed that could simultaneously annihilate the Dark Mages and destroy the world, Eltman would press it without a second thought.

The means didn’t matter to him. The consequences didn’t matter to him.

As long as the Dark Mages were erased from existence, Eltman Eltwin ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) would stop at nothing.

***

After the battle with the Incarnation of Malicious Flames, Baek Yuseol was required to stay in the infirmary.

The school insisted on this precaution, suspecting that the powerful dark magic emitted by the Incarnation might have affected the younger students.

Although Baek Yuseol wasn’t seriously injured, being confined for even a single day felt like a significant waste of time for him.

“With this much free time, I could at least work on strengthening my lower body.”

While he couldn’t leave the premises, he figured he could still train even during his hospitalization.

Thus, he decided to sneak out in the middle of the night. However, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he was caught by none other than Hong Biyeon waiting right outside his room.

“What are you, a ghost or something?”

In truth, Hong Biyeon hadn’t been intentionally waiting to catch him.

She, too, had been trying to sneak out, unwilling to comply with the school’s mandatory rest orders.

“Ah... I see.”

Hong Biyeon’s attire consisted of nothing more than her hospital gown hastily covered by a coat.

Just from that detail, Baek Yuseol could guess that she was in the same situation as he was. A sly grin spread across his face.

“Well then, let’s agree to ignore each other’s actions.”

“Hold on.”

Baek Yuseol had tried to casually walk past her, but of course, she wasn’t about to let him off that easily.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Just some exercise. Sitting still is a waste of time.”

“Exercise?”

Although Hong Biyeon occasionally did basic physical training, she wasn’t particularly fond of it.

“Nothing more than that?”

“Why? Not much else to do. You want to join me?”

When Hong Biyeon nodded, Baek Yuseol chuckled.

It seemed she was just as bored as he was. Understandable, given that she’d spent most of her time confined to the infirmary after sealing the Incarnation of Malicious Flames.

“Well then...”

As Baek Yuseol pretended to think seriously, Hong Biyeon’s expression showed a hint of anticipation.

“How about we have a logical and physical discussion about how to better handle the flames we encountered last time?”

Her face instantly fell into a cold, disappointed glare.

Seeing this reaction, Baek Yuseol quickly waved his hands in a flurry of apologies.

“No, no, I’m joking! How about a walk instead? The winter night sky in Arcanium has an unusually clear view of the moon.”

The sky, of course, was covered with heavy clouds.

“I don’t think we’ll see the moon tonight...”

“You really think so?” Baek Yuseol said confidently, grabbing her wrist.

“You’ll see soon enough. The third full moon is so powerful it’ll clear the clouds away in no time.”

That was something Hong Biyeon, despite her love for reading and memorization, had never heard before.

But Baek Yuseol, armed with knowledge of the future, was certain.

“Tonight will be the brightest night of the year.”