I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 482

At the highest point of the Wandering Green Tower, Toa Legron stood, lost in thought as he gazed beyond the horizon.

As expected, this isn’t enough to trap my master.

He had anticipated that it wouldn’t be easy, especially since his master was accompanied by Ludric, the Tower Lord of the Waning Moon, and Baek Yuseol. He knew that conventional methods would be ineffective.

“Khh, khh, why didn’t you try something more extreme?”

A voice echoed from behind. Turning his head, Toa saw a man cloaked in black priestly robes grinning sinisterly. Although Toa had permitted his entry, the man’s presence remained deeply unsettling.

First the Dark Magic King’s son, now the Church of the Dark God?

Both the Dark Magic King’s faction and the Church of the Dark God sought Toa Legron’s power. As a 9th-Class Dark Mage, his allegiance could significantly alter the course of the war.

The emissary sent by the Dark Magic King had left without protest when Toa refused him, but the Church of the Dark God was another matter entirely.

They won’t stop at anything to secure me.

But Toa had no intention of aligning with them.

“I handle my own affairs. Is that all you came here to say?” Toa asked coldly.

“Not at all. I didn’t expect you to comply so easily,” the man replied, his tone laced with mockery.

“‘Comply?’ Such a trivial word is unfit to be spoken to me. Choose your words carefully.”

“I’m aware... that you still hold affection for your master. That’s why you used such a half-hearted method.”

“...What did you say?”

The man in the priest’s robe began pacing slowly around Toa Legron, his tone laced with malice.

“Isn’t it obvious? With your current power, you could summon countless monsters from the Hidden World to attack ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) them. Yet, you chose to trap them using an incomplete spell. Isn’t that far too... merciful?”

“Of course. She’s my master. I have no intention of killing her. I only meant to confine her in the Hidden World until this matter is resolved.”

“And that’s precisely why you’re weak!!”

The priest tore off his robes, revealing bloodshot eyes as he strode toward Toa and grabbed his shoulders.

Damn! What strength...!

Toa resisted the urge to unleash his magic and cut the man down. The man’s name was Twilith, one of the Church of the Dark God’s most favored agents. Killing him would undoubtedly invite troublesome retaliation.

“...You’d best release me while I’m still holding back, Twilith.”

“Oh, my apologies. Hu-hu-hu, it seems I got a little carried away.”

Twilith let go of Toa’s shoulders, spun around, and took a few steps back before twisting his neck at an unnatural angle to look back at him.

“In that case, how about this?”

“If you’re going to spout nonsense, leave.”

“No, no. It’s a very compelling offer!”

Twilith raised his index finger, flashing a grin that revealed a conspicuous gap between his teeth.

“Your master’s life... in exchange for your cooperation. How does that sound? Isn’t it a fantastic deal?”

“...Ridiculous.”

Toa Legron’s master, Scarlett, was the Witch Queen, ruler of all witches.

No matter how powerful Twilith might be, the idea of threatening Scarlett was laughable. Taking her hostage was an impossibility.

Even in her weakened state, there’s no way he could know that.

Scarlett had only recently been freed from her seal and had yet to recover her full strength. In her current state, she was vulnerable, and if targeted by another Dark Mage, she could be in real danger.

Fortunately, Scarlett’s condition was a secret known only to a select few, including Toa Legron and Baek Yuseol.

Confident in this fact, Toa decided he could afford to act boldly.

“Do you truly believe someone like you could lay a hand on my master?”

“Well, I thought so too...”

Twilith stepped back, widening the distance between them.

“...Until I glimpsed into your thoughts!”

Toa’s eyes narrowed as he realized why Twilith had grabbed his shoulders earlier.

“In that moment, I saw it! Yes, your master! Weakened and utterly feeble, no more significant than dust!”

Thump!

Danger. Toa’s instincts screamed at him.

How did he... read my thoughts?

The ability to swiftly read the thoughts of a 9th-Class mage was terrifying, but what alarmed Toa even more was that Scarlett’s secret had been exposed to the Church of the Dark God’s inner circle.

“Now do you understand? So, what do you say? Are you ready to make a deal?!”

A deal? There’s no time for that.

He must be killed.

If Scarlett’s secret were fully revealed, the Church of the Dark God would exploit her as a hostage, forcing Toa into submission before disposing of her quietly once her usefulness had expired.

To them, a restored Witch Queen would be a nightmare.

I can’t let him leave.

Toa’s mana surged, his eyes glowing with a vivid green light. The air grew heavy, and thunderclouds gathered in the skies above the Green Tower, rumbling ominously.

Crack!

Amidst the thunder, Twilith laughed as though amused.

“Oh my! You really mean to oppose me.”

With exaggerated theatrics, he clutched his cheeks and screamed like a melodramatic actor.

“And yet! Surely you didn’t think I came unprepared!”

Of course, he hadn’t.

Rumble—

Toa glanced up at the sky. Among the storm clouds, a massive black shadow began to emerge, shrouding the world in dread.

“A bird that devours death...”

“Hah-hah! That’s right!”

As the storm clouds parted, the creature revealed itself—a skeletal dragon, its form constructed entirely of bones. The ancients had called it the Dracolich.

But it was no true dragon.

Without a brain, it lacked intellect. Without eyes, it could not see. Without organs, it could not nourish itself. Without limbs, it could not act on its own.

It existed solely to obey the commands of the mage who had imbued it with life, creating death in its wake.

Yet, it was far from a simple creature.

Creating a Dracolich required the sacrifice of 100 pure humans and the combined mana of twelve 8th-Class mages. The one holding its reins now was none other than Twilith.

“I’ve learned, Toa Legron, that the Dark Magic King’s son visited you! I can smell their vile stench, even without reading your mind. It’s nauseating!”

“...And what of it?”

“Do you really need to ask? I know everything! You’re planning to side with them, aren’t you? Aren’t you?!”

Toa had no such intention.

But there was no need to clarify. Twilith had summoned the Dracolich, fully intent on killing him.

If he failed to stop Twilith here, his master’s life would be the next target.

As Toa unleashed a whirlwind of mana, the storm intensified, and Twilith, with his hair whipping wildly in the tempest, spread his arms wide.

“Hah-hah-hah! This is it! We were always destined to kill each other! Your abilities are far too dangerous to leave unchecked!”

Toa Legron’s mastery extended beyond 9th-Class magic—it also encompassed the innovative use of magical tools that were decades ahead of their time.

If his technology bolstered the Dark Magic King’s forces, it would pose a significant threat to the Church of the Dark God.

Thus, the Church had decided: if they couldn’t claim him, they would eliminate him here and now.

“By the decree of the High Priest, you shall face divine judgment! Repent, mage! Pray to your forsaken god!”

Twilith raised his finger to the heavens before bringing it down sharply. A crimson bolt of lightning struck the pinnacle of the Green Tower.

Flash—!

For a moment, it felt as though the world itself had been split in two.

***

Crack!

“...It’s thundering.”

In the capital of Adolevit, Tehalan.

From the Frostcliff Palace, Hong Biyeon could hear the booming thunder so clearly that it even reached her chambers. She leaned her head out the window.

Outside, snow was falling heavily, and the city was alive with the festivities of the ongoing festival. The streets were filled with people drinking, eating, dancing, and celebrating as if shouting to the world, "We are happy!"

Yet to Hong Biyeon, it all felt unnatural—an artificial display of joy and peace, designed to force the idea of happiness onto someone. Because of this, she could never enjoy festivals.

Can such contrived happiness truly be considered real?

‘Well, what’s the harm? If it’s fun in the moment, isn’t that enough?’

Baek Yuseol’s voice brushed past her memory, but Hong Biyeon shook her head.

“No, words like that won’t convince me...”

Her personality was never one for mingling with others, dancing, or forging bonds.

Baek Yuseol once told her, “If you weren’t royalty, you’d definitely be an outcast.” Though she hadn’t fully grasped the meaning of his words, she understood enough to know it wasn’t a compliment.

It meant she lacked the social skills others her age possessed. However, she had no intention of changing that.

While others squandered time in leisure, she believed that dedicating herself to study and training was the only way to grow stronger and move closer to her own definition of happiness.

Knock knock.

A knock came at the door. Hong Biyeon snapped her fingers, and the door opened on its own, revealing a startled maid outside. The maid had not expected the door to open without help.

“What is it?”

“Ah, uh... I have a letter...”

“Leave it.”

“Ah!”

As Hong Biyeon waved her hand, the envelope flew into her room, and the door closed behind it.

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She opened the letter to find a notification about a revised schedule for the Elder Council meeting—a trivial matter.

Recalling how she had embarrassed Hong Siwha at the last meeting, a slight smile tugged at her lips.

Knock knock knock!

Another knock interrupted her thoughts. Annoyed, she frowned slightly.

“What now?”

The door opened suddenly, and Yetherin entered in a hurry.

“Yetherin? What’s the matter?”

“Princess, you need to evacuate immediately. There’s an unusual magical catastrophe approaching near the capital.”

“...What did you say?”

Magical catastrophes were exceedingly rare, but no one was ignorant of what they entailed.

Whenever they occurred in history, they left countless casualties in their wake.

“But the festival is still ongoing...”

“There’s no choice. The festival is being canceled, and an evacuation order will be issued to the citizens within half a day. This is by Her Majesty’s command.”

“What kind of magical catastrophe are we dealing with?”

“We’re not certain yet... but strange storm clouds have formed in the sky, and hundreds of strikes of murky-colored lightning have started falling. The clouds are now moving toward Tehalan, but the exact path is still being confirmed.”

“That something like that is heading for the capital...”

This wasn’t the kind of problem that could be solved simply by evacuating.

If this disaster wasn’t stopped, the entire heart of Adolevit—Tehalan—could be wiped out.

“What about Her Majesty?”

“She’s formed an expeditionary force to assess and respond to the situation. A special disaster response team is being organized...”

“Let’s go.”

“...What?”

“This is an opportunity.”

“W-Wait a moment, Princess! This is a disaster! It’s not something anyone can handle!”

“Hong Siwha... has already evacuated, hasn’t she?”

“Of course she has. That’s why you need to evacuate too!”

“Which is why I’m going.”

Hong Biyeon saw this as a chance.

She didn’t think it was possible for human power to contain a magical catastrophe. However, just stepping forward and confronting the disaster would greatly win over public favor.

Moreover...

If the catastrophe truly reaches here, the festival will be utterly ruined.

Though she had mocked the festival earlier, she was fully aware of how much effort had gone into it—how many people had worked tirelessly to bring it to life and how the hardworking citizens had eagerly awaited this one event.

She wasn’t planning to stop it, nor was she willing to risk her life recklessly.

But... I can’t just stand by and do nothing.

Hong Biyeon made up her mind.