I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 402

As the first semester's finals concluded, summer vacation was just around the corner.

At a typical school, summer vacation would mean a sweet break filled with relaxation, but for the students of the prestigious Stella Academy, there was no such luxury.

For first-year students, vacations were less intense—many would take trips to enjoy their time as students of an elite institution. However, starting in the second year, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Most students began focusing on external fieldwork to sharpen their skills.

Second-Year Comprehensive Rankings (First Semester)

Rank 1 - Class S: MayuseongRank 2 - Class S: PrillaneRank 3 - Class S: Angel MorpheRank 4 - Class S: Hae Won-ryangRank 5 - Class S: Hong Biyeon

Prillane glanced at the comprehensive rankings displayed on the bulletin board and felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It was eerily similar to the rankings from the first semester of their first year.

Curious, she pressed the search button and typed in Baek Yuseol.

[Rank 679 - Class S: Baek Yuseol]

His ranking had dropped even lower than during the first year.

Despite achieving top scores in practicals and written exams, and even having his Blink magic formally recognized as a subject, which mitigated penalties for not using other spells, his overall rank was still low.

The reason wasn’t hard to deduce.

"How many assignments has he skipped...?"

Skipping assignments was one thing, but Baek Yuseol had missed entire classes, earning several F grades. It was a miracle he managed to stay within the 600s. If not for Headmaster Elteman, Baek Yuseol might have faced expulsion by now.

"...Well, an ordinary student would have been grateful just to avoid expulsion."

But Baek Yuseol was no ordinary student. No matter what chaos he caused, Elteman couldn’t expel him.

Baek Yuseol was one of the few mages capable of protecting Stella Academy.

"Still, Mayuseong is something else..." Prillane muttered.

Unlike Baek Yuseol, who had rewound time, Mayuseong maintained top grades purely on his own. She had never even seen him study.

"Must be talent."

"...Huh?"

Lost in thought, staring at Mayuseong’s name on the rankings, Prillane heard a voice behind her.

The name tag read Taseron.

His name and tan skin indicated he was likely a native from a desert region, probably the western or northern extremes. Instinctively, Prillane raised her fingers to her forehead and greeted him in the traditional desert manner.

"Oh, uh, hello?"

Taseron burst out laughing.

"You're an interesting senior. You use the desert etiquette but skip the traditional greeting. Why is that?"

"Uh... I didn’t think it was necessary. Was it rude? If so, I apologize."

"No, no. I appreciate that you acknowledged the etiquette at all."

Checking his name tag confirmed he was a first-year. However, she didn’t recognize his name or face.

He stepped closer to look at the rankings, specifically at Mayuseong’s name.

"What do you think of Mayuseong, senior?"

"Hmm, he’s impressive," Prillane admitted.

Unlike Baek Yuseol, Mayuseong had reached his rank purely through talent.

"Really? I think it’s unfair."

"Unfair?"

"You’re all true geniuses. You defied astronomical odds to gain heavenly talents, and on top of that, you were destined to learn magic. You’re the ones meant to reign at the top of humanity."

"...What?"

Prillane was taken aback by his sudden declaration.

She was well aware of her own talent and was always grateful for the luck that granted her such gifts. She knew her abilities were a blessing, nothing more.

"I think luck in gaining talent is also part of a person’s destiny and skill..." she began, but stopped herself. She realized arguing that point might put her at a disadvantage.

Instead, she fell silent as Taseron muttered to himself.

"But Mayuseong... he’s different. He’s not like you."

"I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I need to get going. I have plans with my friends," Prillane said, not wanting to engage with the odd first-year any further.

Taseron smiled kindly. "Of course. I’ve kept you too long. I’ll be on my way as well."

With a polite bow, Taseron disappeared. Prillane watched his retreating figure, idly twirling her hair.

"What the heck was that about...?"

She shrugged off her thoughts about Taseron and headed to the Red Hawk Club room, where Hong Biyeon was waiting.

Inside, Angel Morphe had claimed a seat on the expensive sofa, wearing her reading glasses, deep in discussion with Hong Biyeon. From the sound of it, their conversation revolved around high-level magical theory.

Even third-year seniors, who couldn’t keep up with their discussion, looked completely lost.

"I’m telling you, the overlapping circuits in Prochytex’s design don’t require reinforced shielding, especially since last year’s reverse-chain theory doubled efficiency."

"Still, it’s better to strengthen the shield unless you have precise detection for the enemy’s spell potency."

"If you waste mana on shields, you might not have enough to counterattack when an opportunity arises."

"Fair point."

"Do you get it now?"

"Sure, but you realize if you die instantly from a random spell, you can’t counterattack anyway."

"You...!"

As always, their logic and personalities clashed spectacularly.

"Enough pointless chatter. Are you ready?" Prillane interjected.

"Ah, Prillane!" Hong Biyeon greeted her.

Prillane casually joined in, grabbing a handful of the expensive snacks Hong Biyeon had prepared.

Today’s meeting wasn’t just a study session. They had gathered to discuss their upcoming mission.

"Some students have already left for their assignments," Hong Biyeon noted.

"Already?" Angel asked, startled.

As soon as summer vacation began, most second-years embarked on field training missions. It wasn’t mandatory, but it was crucial for gaining experience, earning points for graduation, or meeting expectations set by influential connections.

For Prillane, Hong Biyeon, and Angel, the primary reason was to gain experience.

Hong Biyeon, with her royal background, could secure recognition simply by graduating from Stella. Yet she wasn’t content with that—she sought greater achievements than her sister, Hong Si-hwa, and had no intention of resting.

Angel, who dreamed of establishing her own mage tower after graduation, was similarly motivated. In a competitive world where even securing a basic mage tower position was difficult, she needed to stay ahead.

Their mission? A 5-risk dungeon extermination.

In truth, considering their current level of magic, the mission wasn’t particularly dangerous for them. However, from an objective perspective, assigning second-year students to a 5-risk mission seemed highly perilous. As a result, the school had stressed the importance of thorough preparation.

"We know your magical abilities are exceptional for second-years, but you must be cautious. Be extra careful out there!"

The professors had ultimately approved their 5-risk mission with these warnings.

"So, as long as we’re careful, we can take on 5-risk missions?"

Having confirmed this fact, Prillane wasted no time. She eagerly applied for multiple 5-risk missions, eventually securing assignments for seven different expeditions.

It was a grueling schedule that would consume almost the entirety of their summer vacation, but neither Hong Biyeon nor Angel regretted it.

If they wanted to catch up to Baek Yuseol, who was racing ahead, they couldn’t afford to do any less.

"All right then, shall we get going?"

***

As the girls embarked on their grueling schedule of missions at the start of summer vacation, Baek Yuseol, in contrast, chose to remain on campus.

He had no immediate need to earn points or leave the academy. Staying and training with Scarlet was far more beneficial.

"Ugh, I’m dying..." Scarlet groaned, staggering as though she might collapse, the glowing, star-patterned headband on her head flickering faintly. But Baek Yuseol wasn’t moved.

"Just one more time. I feel like I’m getting the hang of it."

Despite the scorch marks and frostbite visible across his battered body, Yuseol was as energetic as ever. He raised his wooden sword, and Scarlet reluctantly lifted her staff.

Fine! If I can’t stop this training, I’ll just defeat him so thoroughly he won’t even want to continue!

Baek Yuseol had imposed restrictions on himself—no Blink magic and only using a wooden sword. Meanwhile, Scarlet wielded 5th-class magic, courtesy of a specialized staff Alterisha had crafted for her. She had even gone to Elteman to request adjustments to the academy's wards, allowing her to use stronger magic.

While her more powerful spells drained the antenna’s battery rapidly, Scarlet no longer cared. She was determined to put an end to this relentless training.

"...Scarlet Bindings of Life."

With a short incantation, crimson flowers bloomed from the floor. Though their hue was fiery, they radiated an icy chill. The flowers froze everything they touched, designed to immobilize Yuseol, whose strategy relied heavily on mobility.

This was a 6th-class spell, one that Baek Yuseol had never seen before. Even his enchanted glasses couldn’t analyze it immediately. Yet, as soon as he saw the spell, he reacted instinctively.

Step.

"What...?"

Scarlet was shocked.

Not only had Yuseol avoided the flowers’ life-draining touch, but he stepped onto one of them as though it were solid ground.

And that wasn’t all.

Step by step, he advanced slowly at first, then broke into a sprint as he realized the flowers couldn’t harm him.

What in the...?

For the first time in centuries, Scarlet was genuinely startled.

Exactly 897 years, 6 months, 17 days, 7 hours, and 19 minutes had passed since she last felt this way.

Time seemed to freeze.

In the brief, imperceptible instant that only a 9th-class mage could experience, Scarlet entered a state known as Thoughtspace. It was a phenomenon only the greatest mages could utilize to think at unimaginable speeds.

Analyze. I have to analyze this...

Baek Yuseol’s movements weren’t threatening in the conventional sense. He wasn’t attacking her but seemed completely confident in his approach.

Yet his actions were strange—unnervingly so.

No mage could simply step onto or walk over a spell. It was different from treading on solid magic constructs like ice or stone. These intangible flowers were supposed to reject touch altogether.

It was as absurd as a non-mage walking on air.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

And yet... Baek Yuseol was running on pure mana itself.

This wasn’t just a reflection of Ha Tae-ryeong’s techniques, the legendary swordsman who had once fascinated Scarlet. Yuseol’s method was fundamentally different.

Ha Tae-ryeong had never walked on magic. He was a swordsman who specialized in cutting magic apart. Even against 9th-class spells, he could slice through them and reach his target.

Baek Yuseol, however, wasn’t cutting the magic. He was analyzing, understanding, and pinpointing its weaknesses to maneuver through it.

That was the difference between them.

Ha Tae-ryeong was a prodigy of swordsmanship, a destroyer of magic. Baek Yuseol, with no innate talent in either magic or swordsmanship, had honed an extraordinary analytical ability instead.

He’s a genius.

Though talentless in traditional skills, Yuseol was a prodigy in analysis, calculation, and decision-making.

What he displayed now was clear proof of his growth from their training together.

Scarlet had seen this before: the miraculous phenomenon unique to those with Mana Leakage Syndrome. Growth driven by pure insight and understanding, unbound by the limitations of mana circles or magical constructs.

Baek Yuseol’s development had likely been blocked for years. No matter how hard he trained, his lack of natural talent prevented him from advancing further. With time—perhaps decades—he might have reached Ha Tae-ryeong’s level.

But Scarlet had been his catalyst. She had cracked open the smallest hole in his mental barriers, and now that dam had burst wide open.

The result was now evident.

"What are you doing? Aren’t you going to counter?"

Baek Yuseol frowned as he held the wooden sword to Scarlet’s neck.

Scarlet, still dazed, gave him a bright, foolish grin.

"Nope. I can’t counter that. You win."

"What...?"

He was baffled. They had barely exchanged a single strike, yet she was conceding?

While Yuseol looked confused, Scarlet seemed oddly content. Smiling warmly, she reached out and cupped his cheeks with both hands.

"For now... focus on reviewing what you just learned. Continuing to train won’t help as much as solidifying this moment will."

"Uh, okay..."

Her words carried an unexpected weight, despite her usual light-hearted tone. Yuseol couldn’t bring himself to argue.

This feels... strange.

As Scarlet walked away, Yuseol flexed his hands, replaying the fight in his mind.

For the first time, he felt as though he could accomplish things that had seemed impossible before.