I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 338

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It seemed like an exceptionally long time since Baek Yuseol had returned to Ha Taeryeong’s secluded hideout. After acquiring most of the things that could be learned here, he had immediately returned to Stella, so it couldn’t be helped.

"...Should I clean up a little?"

Though he had never met the person in question, Ha Taeryeong was both a teacher and a lifesaver to Baek Yuseol. After all, he had provided a groundbreaking revelation to Baek Yuseol, who had struggled to grow, restricted by the game system.

Ha Taeryeong's hideout, which was practically a storage room, was covered in layers of dust. The bed, desk, and other furniture that had been used centuries ago were too old and rusty for modern use.

Cleaning and reusing such things was out of the question, and there was no one here who would even need a desk in the first place. So, he removed the useless objects and tidied up the dust and clutter.

Looking closely, there were a variety of old cold weapons scattered around. These were traces of Ha Taeryeong’s attempts to master not only swords but also spears, axes, and other types of weapons in the past.

In the end, however, he seemed to have settled on a sword capable of cutting through both magic and shields.

While sorting through the mess, Baek Yuseol discovered a book.

**"On Mana Leakage Physique"**

*Authored by: Ha Taeryeong*

The handwriting was crude, and the title was simple.

This was the very book that had imparted all the teachings Baek Yuseol had received. Since all the contents had been recorded into his sparrow glasses, there had been little reason to look for the original. But seeing it again now brought back memories.

Opening the book, he noticed a section he had read before, where the corner of the page was slightly folded. There, Baek Yuseol found a puzzling line.

*"All life runs toward death the moment it is born."*

His body was a little unusual. From the moment it began to run, the finish line was already right in front of him.

She had said:

*"You will die before you turn twenty."*

**Mana Leakage Physique.**

Those born with this condition were exceedingly rare, appearing perhaps once in a generation.

*"...She?"*

Thinking about it now, there was a figure referred to as "she" who kept appearing in Ha Taeryeong’s book. Up until now, Baek Yuseol had thought nothing of it and had naturally assumed it was Iphanel. But...

*"Is this you?"*

*"Hmm?"*

Iphanel’s tone was vastly different. While Iphanel spoke in a timid and endearing childlike manner, the "she" in the book exuded maturity and confidence in her words.

Considering how much ten years could change someone—let alone a millennium—it was possible that Iphanel’s tone had evolved over time. However...

*"It’s not me,"* Iphanel denied.

"Really?"

With her direct denial, Baek Yuseol became convinced that this "she" was an entirely different person.

"Then who could it be...?"

After pondering for a moment, Baek Yuseol activated his sparrow glasses, tapping on them lightly.

"Activate text clipping. Show every instance of the word 'she.'"

The glasses whirred to life, rapidly flipping through the pages and capturing every occurrence of "she," projecting the passages into the air.

The volume was not as overwhelming as he expected, but nowhere in the text was her name mentioned. However, there were passages that hinted at her identity.

*"I know her heart. But to accept it... is impossible."*

Even as he wrote this book, Ha Taeryeong was already dying. He could feel the flames of his life flickering and fading with every passing second. And so, he had said to her:

*"The enemy of my enemy is an ally, but we can never be closer than that."*

After that, she had left. By the time she came looking for him again, he would likely no longer be in this world. And for him, that was enough.

There was one particularly incomprehensible line:

*"The enemy of my enemy is an ally..."*

Ha Taeryeong's enemy had undoubtedly been mages. "She" was likely an enemy of the mages as well, aligning with Ha Taeryeong as an ally.

It seemed that, in order to reject her feelings, Ha Taeryeong had drawn a line, stating, *"We have come together solely to oppose a common enemy, nothing more."*

This meant that if he could identify the mages’ enemy, he might be able to uncover her identity. However, there was one significant issue.

"How many enemies do mages have?"

The sparrow glasses displayed an overwhelming number of keywords as they zipped past.

"...Too many."

Even off the top of his head, Baek Yuseol could think of numerous groups and races that harbored resentment against mages. Counting them all was impossible.

"Hey, sparrow. Do you know anything?"

*"I lack deductive capabilities."*

"Of course."

If there were a computer capable of deduction, life would certainly be easier.

"This makes it seem like mages are the root of all evil..."

It was a frivolous mutter, but Iphanel, perched on his shoulder and dozing off, suddenly raised her head.

*"Hmm? What did you say?"*

"Why? Did that wake you?"

*"That phrase... Ha Taeryeong always used to say it."*

"Really?" That made sense. During that era, magic was monopolized by a privileged few, leaving the majority of ordinary people powerless. The discrimination was immense, far beyond what Baek Yuseol could imagine in the present day.

Still, even under such circumstances, Ha Taeryeong’s group must have been a small minority. After all, mages were also humanity's greatest defenders against the dark forces of the Black Demons. Few would dare to openly oppose them.

This led Baek Yuseol to suspect that Ha Taeryeong’s group consisted of individuals with abilities akin to magic—a rare breed who could challenge mages on equal footing.

And then, suddenly, a word flashed in his mind.

*"Witches."*

Why had the idea of witches crossed his thoughts?

Baek Yuseol hastily turned the page.

*"She did not love me. She loved my fate."*

Their story ended there, with no further mention. But the phrase stuck with him. Witches were known for their longevity, living for centuries. Could this be the Witch Queen Scarlett?

*"She loved... fate?"*

What an incomprehensible phrase. People might love another’s appearance or their inner self, but loving their fate? What could that mean?

Moreover, according to established lore, witches were strictly forbidden from falling in love.

"Hmm, even if I figure it out, what does it matter?"

Baek Yuseol dismissed the idea and erased Scarlett’s irritating face from his mind.

A thought crossed his mind: shouldn’t a man’s heart race for something more tangible?

Even if they were a mage who couldn’t wield a sword at all, their heart would surely flutter upon witnessing the brilliance of the radiant silver sword before him.

In the distant past, this mysterious sword had been crafted by Ha Taeryeong himself to oppose mages.

It had never appeared in the original novel or the game, but it was clear this weapon was created for someone with **Mana Leakage Physique**, like Baek Yuseol.

However, until now, he had never been able to touch the sword. The barrier surrounding the silver blade completely restricted any approach.

If so, there was only one way.

"Iphanel, get down for a moment."

*"Okay."*

After setting Iphanel nearby, Baek Yuseol sat cross-legged. Sitting in a lotus position would probably have been better, but it felt too uncomfortable to focus.

"Hoo..."

Even though he possessed **Natural Qi Physique**, he could barely use one-hundredth of its potential under normal circumstances. Only by activating the **Heavenly Qi Integration** mode could he unlock even a fraction of its true power.

He slowly drew his presence from his heart, circulating it through his blood vessels and body, before releasing it into the world.

*[Entering Heavenly Qi Integration.]*

*[Synchronizing with natural energy.]*

*[Strength, agility, and sensory stats increase by 2 stars.]*

A sharp gleam flashed in Baek Yuseol’s eyes as a blue light radiated from him. The blue aura surrounding his body indirectly revealed the flow of natural energy.

He clenched his fist, focusing the energy into his hand.

In the distant future, either Ha Taeryeong or a future version of Baek Yuseol would have been able to clad their entire body in this energy, shaping it into armor and forming it into a weapon. But for now, he could only manage a single gauntlet.

*"This should be enough."*

Cautiously, he reached out toward the barrier.

*Ziiing...!*

"Ugh!"

A sharp, tingling sensation coursed through his arm as if millions of volts of electricity were surging through it. But the barrier could not stop his approach.

*"I did it!"*

Although rough and unstable, akin to digging into sand with bare hands, he managed to push through the barrier.

From there, Baek Yuseol carefully maneuvered the natural energy armor around his arm, wrist, and shoulder. Any slip-up could cause parts of his unprotected body to touch the barrier, which would be catastrophic.

It was a life-threatening process. Concentrating to the limit, sweat dripped from Baek Yuseol’s forehead.

Unbeknownst to him, the natural energy armor surrounding his body had subtly become thinner yet broader, allowing it to cover more of him.

With his neck, chest, abdomen, and waist through the barrier, he finally passed the lower half of his body as well. The rebound from the barrier caused him to tumble forward in a roll.

"Hoo... I thought I was going to die."

Even though he had failed to execute a proper landing, his head barely hurt from hitting the ground. Rubbing his forehead, he approached the silver sword, taking a deep breath before reaching out.

"Ugh! It’s heavy..."

He had thought he could easily lift it with one hand, but it didn’t budge. Baek Yuseol quickly concentrated the natural energy into his right hand, pouring all his power into the attempt.

*Creeeaak...*

Slowly but surely, the radiant silver sword began to rise.

*Shing!*

Finally, the blade was drawn, its light illuminating the dim, artificial space. Even in this shadowed room, the brilliance spread like moonlight.

---

**"Cheongpung Myeongwol (Clear Wind and Bright Moon)"**

*Grade: Relic*

*Description: A sword that can only be wielded by one who has mastered the ultimate essence of Natural Qi Physique and become one with nature.*

**Effects:**

- *Strength: +61%*

- *Agility: +47%*

- *Senses: +97%*

**Requirements:**

- *Natural Qi Physique*

- *Heavenly Qi Integration activated*

**Special Abilities:**

1. **Like the Clear Wind**

*Blend into nature, erasing your presence. Increases natural mana circulation by 99%. Attributes change depending on the environment.*

2. **Like the Bright Moon**

*Identifies critical weak points that can be cut. The user's skill determines whether they can strike those points.*

---

Reading the detailed description, Baek Yuseol's jaw dropped.

"This is insane..."

This weapon was only one step below *Flash Reverie*, a weapon used by "Character Baek Yuseol" in the late stages of *Aether World Online*. While it wasn’t as overpowering as the guaranteed one-shot kill of *Flash Reverie*, its ability to pinpoint critical weak spots made it a fearsome tool.

Essentially, it was a weapon capable of delivering fatal blows with the right skill.

Of course, such extraordinary power came with a cost. Considering how much recoil Heavenly Qi Integration already caused him—leaving him bedridden for days—he couldn’t recklessly wield it.

But for someone like him, who lacked overwhelming attack power, even the possibility of a decisive strike was invaluable.

*[Heavenly Qi Integration is deactivating!]*

As soon as he lost focus while reading the description, the energy dissipated, and the sword fell to the ground.

"...So this is how it feels."

Without Heavenly Qi Integration, the sword felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, impossible to lift.

Carefully storing the blade in his dimensional pocket, Baek Yuseol collapsed onto the ground.

Even though he had only used the ability briefly, the recoil hit him hard, leaving his entire body drained. Unlike before, he hadn’t recklessly overexerted himself, so his bones remained intact. However, the strain of using it made it clear he couldn’t overuse this power in the future.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

*"...That’s not the issue, though."*

Baek Yuseol raised his right hand, recalling the sensation of the immense natural energy flowing through it.

*"It’s because my body can’t handle the overwhelming power yet."*

Even a brief activation of Heavenly Qi Integration raised his stats by 2 stars. For someone with 5-star stats, it was an extreme leap that his body couldn’t yet endure.

There were two solutions:

1. Strengthen his body to 6 stars.

2. Limit the output of Heavenly Qi Integration for stable use.

The first option would take years of relentless training. Achieving just a single star of improvement could require years of dedication.

Thus, the most realistic choice was the second.

*"I need to reduce the stat boost from Heavenly Qi Integration... so I can use it freely anytime, anywhere."*

But there was one glaring problem.

"...How do I even do that?"

The natural energy from Heavenly Qi Integration was still a mystery to him. At best, he could only guide it based on how it felt as it flowed through his body. Adjusting its power was an entirely different challenge.

And this wasn’t some muscle he could simply "flex."

Baek Yuseol let out a deep sigh. His path forward seemed impossibly daunting.