I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 346

"What is this now?"

The man with fiery red hair—**Jeok Ha Yu Wol**, one of the Twelve Moons—smirked as he looked at Hong Bi-yeon. She remained on edge, pointing her staff at him with a wary gaze.

It became clear that the phenomenon that froze his wrist and the surrounding water had nothing to do with her. There were no traces of magic nearby that could explain what had happened.

"This energy... Oh, I see," he muttered, the realization dawning on him. "Another one of the Twelve Moons must be protecting you."

Hong Bi-yeon, too, was at a loss as to why Jeok Ha Yu Wol’s wrist had frozen. The man stroked his chin thoughtfully, then chuckled as if he had unraveled the mystery.

"No, it’s not that the Twelve Moons are directly protecting you."

"...?"

"Someone beloved by the Twelve Moons... someone who values you deeply must be influencing this. It’s the resonance of their power attempting to shield you."

"Beloved by the Twelve Moons..."

When she heard those words, only one person came to Hong Bi-yeon’s mind. And that realization allowed her frozen body to move again.

"Yaaah!"

Hong Bi-yeon raised her staff high and swung it fiercely.

"Are you trying to use fire magic?" Jeok Ha Yu Wol taunted, his grin widening. "Fire won’t work against me, the master of—"

*Thwack!*

Before he could finish, the staff struck his cheek hard.

Jeok Ha Yu Wol stood in stunned silence, blinking in disbelief.

Hong Bi-yeon didn’t wait—she turned and bolted.

Jeok Ha Yu Wol’s expression shifted from shock to amusement. He couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

"A mage who strikes with their staff? I haven’t seen something like this in over a thousand years..."

Even more unbelievable was that this mage was a descendant of Adolevit, the family most deeply connected to the fire element.

"Well, no matter," he muttered.

Perhaps it was the novelty of encountering such a bold human that had made him lose his composure and play along.

The frozen lake covering the Adolevit cemetery began to crack and melt as Jeok Ha Yu Wol lifted his trapped foot. The ice dissolved into water, forming a shimmering lake.

"Huh!"

Hong Bi-yeon, running at full speed across the ice, stumbled as the ground beneath her turned back into water. She quickly infused mana into her feet to regain her balance and continued sprinting across the water’s surface.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

Jeok Ha Yu Wol was already in front of her, blocking her path.

Hong Bi-yeon turned and dashed in the opposite direction, only for a massive wall of fire to erupt in her way.

"Ah!"

She fell backward, staring in disbelief at the towering flames.

"Let’s stop this pointless game of tag," Jeok Ha Yu Wol said with a sigh. "I don’t have all day."

He walked leisurely across the watery cemetery, closing the distance between them.

"And let’s not have any more charming antics like swinging your staff or stomping your heels at me. I’ll gladly accept those playful acts later when—"

He paused mid-sentence, noticing her trembling shoulders.

"Eh?"

Jeok Ha Yu Wol crouched slightly to meet her eyes. She was shaking, her hands clutching her staff tightly.

"Ah... I see."

He looked around. The flames he had conjured painted the sky a fiery red and yellow, their oppressive heat dominating the space around her.

"So, that’s it..."

Hong Bi-yeon raised a trembling hand toward the flames, as if trying to extinguish them, but her efforts were in vain.

"You’re afraid of fire, aren’t you?" Jeok Ha Yu Wol said, amusement lacing his voice.

Hong Bi-yeon didn’t respond, turning her face away from him.

"Interesting. A descendant of Adolevit, terrified of flames? What memory could have scarred you so deeply?"

He waved his hand, and vivid memories surged into her mind—memories she had tried so hard to bury.

"Mom! Mom! It hurts so much!"

She remembered the inferno that had engulfed her, the crimson flames that surrounded her small frame.

Through the curtain of fire, her mother’s cold, indifferent gaze pierced her.

That look was one of disdain.

Why?

The answer was simple.

"You weren’t born with the blessing of flames."

But her mother’s voice had been deceptively sweet.

"Do you want my love?"

As a child, Hong Bi-yeon had nodded desperately.

"Then swallow the flames."

Hong Bi-yeon gritted her teeth and shook her head vehemently, snapping herself out of the memory.

"Ah, so that’s how it is," Jeok Ha Yu Wol said with a bemused expression. "Humans these days really are something else."

He chuckled, finding the thought absurd.

"To forcibly implant the blessing of flames... You should be grateful to your mother. That blessing is something only the Twelve Disciples of the Ancient Wizard were born with a thousand years ago."

"I don’t want it," she muttered.

Her voice was low but firm.

"I never wanted this so-called blessing."

"Really? But thanks to that blessing, you’re qualified to be my bride. You should be thankful!"

"I don’t need it," she spat.

"Then how about this?"

Suddenly, something ignited.

Hong Bi-yeon dropped her staff in shock and clutched her chest.

"What... What is this?"

Flames flickered, burning relentlessly from within her, though their source was invisible and intangible.

"The flames of Adolevit slumbering in your heart," Jeok Ha Yu Wol said. "They’ll make your fire the strongest in existence, but they’ll also consume your life."

Hong Bi-yeon gasped, overwhelmed by the searing pain. She had never experienced the curse of Adolevit so vividly before.

"And now, I’ve stoked those flames even further."

"What?!"

She glared at him, tears welling in her eyes.

"You’re more beautiful than I imagined," Jeok Ha Yu Wol mused. "But it’s fine. In ten years, your flames will be unstoppable."

"That is... if you survive," he added with a smirk.

Hong Bi-yeon could feel the flames ravaging her from within, burning away her lifespan.

Two years? No, at this rate, she wouldn’t survive another six months.

She clenched her fists, recalling the suffering of her sisters—both Hong Erin and Hong Si-hwa.

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"Do you want to live?"

She didn’t answer, lowering her head to hide her tear-streaked face.

"I won’t kill you," he said. "You’re too beautiful, too precious. Come to me, and I’ll remove the curse of Adolevit entirely. It’s simple."

His words were sweet, a temptation laced with poison.

"Go to hell," she hissed.

"What did you say?"

Even as her body trembled, Hong Bi-yeon raised her head, her ruby-red eyes burning with defiance.

"Is this how you get a bride? By causing pain, by coercing them into submission? Pathetic."

She leaned on her staff, forcing herself to stand. Her silver hair gleamed in the fiery light, streaked with sweat and tears.

"The noble bloodline of Adolevit does not bow to threats."

"Hah! At this rate, you won’t last six months."

"Better to bite my tongue and die now than to succumb to you."

Jeok Ha Yu Wol scowled, his fiery hair swaying as he stepped forward.

"If that’s how it is, I’ll take you by force."

Before he could act, a freezing aura spread through the cemetery, solidifying the water once again.

"What now?" Jeok Ha Yu Wol growled, his flames faltering.

A boy with jet-black hair and piercing black eyes appeared, driving a sword imbued with the aura of the Bronze Twelve Moons into the ground.

The chill was so potent it snuffed out Jeok Ha Yu Wol’s fire.

"Who are you?"

The boy smirked.

"That’s my question. Who are you to mess with her?"

"Ah, so you’re the one beloved by the Twelve Moons," Jeok Ha Yu Wol muttered, stepping back.

As his form began to dissolve into flames, he pointed at Hong Bi-yeon.

"The curse of Adolevit burns her heart. Can you extinguish it?"

With a final smirk, he vanished, his ominous words lingering in the air.

"Baek Yuseol... One day, you’ll deliver her to me yourself."