I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 404

The days of summer flew by.

While Prillane and Angel dragged an increasingly frail Hong Biyeon through their final mission, and Baek Yuseol secluded himself in intense training, Hae Won-ryang returned to Full Moon Tower to receive personal guidance from his master.

In the vast, empty hall of Full Moon Tower, illuminated only by a sprawling magic circle, Hae Won-ryang sat in meditation. His master, Haesung Wol, stood before him, speaking in a calm yet firm tone.

"You share many similarities with me."

Limited mana reserves compared to the average mage.

Yet an exceptional talent for wielding and adapting a variety of spells.

"Do you feel inferior because of your limited mana?"

At those words, Hae Won-ryang flinched, his brows furrowing slightly.

"There are likely those around you who possess greater mana while seemingly matching your talents."

Inwardly, Hae Won-ryang nodded.

Yes, there were such people.

For instance...

"Mayuseong, perhaps?"

The mention of that name nearly broke his focus. Hae Won-ryang suppressed the urge to open his eyes and remained still.

"But there is no need to feel inferior to him now. Once you reach the level of a 9th-class mage, you will possess mana as vast as the ocean. And, with your ability to wield multiple attributes, you will have advantages that even other 9th-class mages lack."

Not all 9th-class mages could wield multiple attributes.

For example, Elteman, the famous master of spatial magic, specialized in a single attribute.

"You have unique strengths. Keep that in mind."

"Does Mayuseong's talent seem extraordinary to you now? It isn’t. Among my peers, there were those just as remarkable. Yet some of them never reached the level of a 9th-class mage. Their arrogance in their natural abilities held them back."

Haesung Wol's words were meant to reassure, to ease the burden Hae Won-ryang felt.

But... Hae Won-ryang couldn’t fully agree.

Mayuseong’s talent wasn’t just extraordinary; it was otherworldly.

Compared to Mayuseong, even the likes of Prillane, called the one favored by the heavens, Hong Biyeon, known as the embodiment of fire and ice, Angel Morphe, and Baek Yuseol, the era’s most brilliant Blink mage...

...they didn’t compare.

Mayuseong felt as though he was crafted by the gods themselves, a perfect being.

"You don’t believe me," Haesung Wol said, his gaze sharp as he looked at his disciple.

Hae Won-ryang raised his head, startled.

"In the past, there was a student named Abeline Staverk. He was once a student at Stella."

"I’ve... never heard of him."

"You wouldn’t have. His records were erased, and all traces of him were wiped from Stella’s history. He was the most overwhelmingly gifted mage I’ve ever seen. His talent was so immense it made me question whether I should even continue pursuing magic."

Haesung Wol recounted how, in his youth, he had struggled with feelings of inferiority. Abeline had achieved in days what Haesung Wol had worked years to accomplish.

"Have you ever heard the name Abeline Staverk among the great mages?"

Hae Won-ryang shook his head.

"Exactly. He never became a great mage. Despite his overwhelming talent, he failed to reach the rank of 9th-class mage. Why? Because he didn’t put in the effort."

"Is that so..."

"Yes. Talent alone does not define a mage. To break through the wall of a 9th-class mage, immense effort is essential. If the world functioned on talent alone, how could someone like me, who grew slower than my peers, ever have reached this rank?"

Hae Won-ryang nodded, acknowledging the truth of his master’s words.

"So don’t be discouraged. Focus. You, too, can achieve greatness."

Haesung Wol smiled warmly, and Hae Won-ryang’s tense expression relaxed. He closed his eyes and delved deeper into his meditation.

But Haesung Wol didn’t tell him everything.

Abeline Staverk had not failed to become a great mage.

He had chosen not to.

Instead, Abeline had turned to darkness. He betrayed the world of magic, going so far as to cripple Haesung Wol’s own master, leaving him a mana-crippled shell of his former self.

If Abeline still lived, hidden somewhere in the world as a Dark Mage...

"He would be the strongest Dark Mage alive."

A genius blessed by the heavens.

With that unparalleled talent, Abeline had the potential to become the ultimate mage of darkness.

And that terrified Haesung Wol.

What did Abeline seek? Why had he remained hidden for so long? And if he had been training in the shadows all this time, just how powerful had he become?

***

Mayuseong spent his summer vacation in his own way.

For example, playing table tennis.

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"Ugh, I can’t beat you! I give up!"

Stella Academy had students from various disciplines beyond aspiring magical warriors, including those pursuing dreams like becoming professional table tennis players.

After developing an interest in the game, Mayuseong asked one such aspiring player for lessons.

Three hours later, he had defeated his own instructor.

"Wow, I’m sorry I couldn’t put up a better fight. But it was fun, wasn’t it?"

Mayuseong offered a faint smile and nodded.

But in truth...

"It’s not fun."

It was dull.

He hadn’t expected something as simple as ping-pong to be this unbearably boring.

Perhaps curiosity was best left as just that—curiosity.

"Still, with your skills, you could go pro! I used to be considered a promising player, you know."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you should think about it."

Becoming a professional athlete hadn’t even crossed his mind, but Mayuseong smiled and nodded politely.

This was how all of his interactions with others went.

A fake smile. A subtle distance.

Mayuseong never let anyone into his inner circle.

Leaving the table tennis hall, he wandered Stella Academy in search of something new to spark his interest. While other second-year students were busy studying, training, or earning points, Mayuseong felt no urgency at all.

Of course, he didn’t neglect training entirely.

But compared to others, he spent an absurdly small amount of time on it.

He simply didn’t need to put in the same effort.

Even without trying, he knew he would eventually become a great mage.

It was destiny.

Knowing that, he felt no desire to strive.

"Hmph..."

Mayuseong eventually ended up in the library, idly browsing through books. He wasn’t looking for anything in particular; he was just trying to kill time.

"You haven’t changed, have you?"

Just as he picked up an interesting-looking book, a voice came from behind him. Turning, he saw a dark-skinned first-year student smiling at him.

Taseron.

The name was unfamiliar.

"Ah, we haven’t officially met, have we? Sorry about that. I’ve been watching you from afar for a while now."

"From afar?"

"Yes."

The smirk on Taseron’s face made Mayuseong instinctively realize something.

‘A Dark Mage...’

He knew Dark Mages had infiltrated Stella, but to think one was hiding among the new students.

"And who are you?"

"Oh, isn’t it written on my badge? My name is Taseron."

"Your true name."

"Why should I? You haven’t shared your true name with us, have you?"

Mayuseong’s expression turned cold. A chilling aura filled the air, and Taseron felt as though heavy chains were constricting his chest. He suppressed a grimace, enduring the overwhelming presence.

"Is this... the aura of an emperor?"

It was fascinating.

Truly, a blessing from the gods.

Mayuseong had all the gifts—an existence crafted with perfection. The qualities of an emperor, said to appear in only one person per generation, seemed almost trivial when associated with him.

As Taseron studied Mayuseong, the latter was quietly analyzing him in return.

"Mana capacity... about 2nd-class. Dark mana likely isn’t remarkable either."

To blend in, Dark Mages had to seal their dark mana completely, but even without it, Mayuseong could easily gauge Taseron’s potential by observing his mana reserves.

Seventeen years old with a 2nd-class capacity—it was impressive but unremarkable by Stella’s standards.

"Mediocre as both a mage and a Dark Mage. Nothing exceptional."

So why had he approached?

Mayuseong frowned slightly, and Taseron smiled wider.

"Yes, I’m only at 2nd-class. I was at 3rd-class when I entered Stella, but compared to you, who surpassed 4th-class during your first summer, I’m nothing."

"But do you know something?"

Taseron clenched his fist, summoning a faint glow of mana.

"To reach 2nd-class, I slept less than three hours a day, worked until my eyes bled, and pushed myself relentlessly just to get into Stella. You wouldn’t understand what that’s like, would you? For someone like you, reaching that level must have been as easy as breathing."

He gestured toward the book Mayuseong held.

"That talent of yours lets you play around while others are working hard. No effort needed. How enviable."

"Is that a compliment? Thank you."

Taseron laughed, but his eyes were filled with resentment.

"That kind of talent... it’s not meant to be wasted. If someone like me had what you do, I’d become something extraordinary."

"Perhaps..."

Taseron’s words might have been true, but Mayuseong couldn’t agree.

Human limits were absolute.

Genius or not, everyone eventually hit a wall they couldn’t overcome.

Mayuseong understood this, which was why he didn’t try. Taseron didn’t, which was why he envied him.

"That talent of yours should belong to someone who deserves it."

With those parting words, Taseron walked away.

Mayuseong stared at the book in his hands.

A text on magical law.

He had no reason to read it.

He just... didn’t feel like doing anything.

"Why am I like this?"

Baek Yuseol, Prillane, Hae Won-ryang—all of them were working tirelessly for their futures. And here he was, doing nothing.

Mayuseong returned the book to its shelf and trudged toward the S-class training ground.

It was said that a first-year girl named Scarlet had claimed the secluded space, barring anyone else from entering.

Peering through the window, he saw Baek Yuseol, drenched in sweat, sparring with a petite, silver-haired girl.

Despite his exhaustion, Yuseol’s monstrous stamina kept him standing, though his legs wobbled as if he might collapse at any moment.

Even so, he didn’t kneel.

His eyes burned with determination.

"I thought you would understand me."

Mayuseong knew.

Baek Yuseol was like him.

Both understood that human limits were fixed and unchangeable.

Yet Yuseol kept pushing forward.

Mayuseong felt it then.

"...Jealousy."

He envied Yuseol.

He despised himself for being incapable of that same effort.

For someone cursed to feel no passion despite his natural gifts, the sight of Yuseol’s relentless determination was painfully beautiful—and utterly infuriating.

Turning away, Mayuseong walked off.

His favorite sparring partner, Hae Won-ryang, was gone. Yuseol was absorbed in training.

"Ping pong... wouldn’t be fun again."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his staff.

When was the last time he trained in earnest?

He couldn’t even remember.

"...Maybe it’s time to try again."

Watching Yuseol had ignited something in him—enough to make him want to move.