I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 494

Scarlett, emerging from the Blood Palace of the Grand Dragon Vein, savored the lightened mana pressure as her body rapidly recovered.

Despite sustaining severe internal injuries—her organs ruptured, and blood streamed from her ears and eyes—her wounds healed almost instantly, as though they were trivial.

The Blood Palace itself was a space constructed using Scarlett’s body and mana. Here, she was virtually invincible.

Clad in a plain white dress, clutching a single broom, Scarlett soared high into the sky. Her expression soured slightly when she noticed an unexpected figure.

“...Returner of the Void. How did you find this place?”

“You told me once before.”

“What? When did I...?”

“That detail is unimportant. Scarlett, I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

Scarlett's face twisted in disbelief.

Her initial reaction was to prepare for battle, and she had been tense ever since spotting the Returner of the Void. Hearing him ask for a favor only added to her bewilderment.

“What kind of favor...? And why should I help you?”

“You should. It benefits not only Baek Yu-Seol but also you and the entire world.”

“...?”

Hearing Baek Yu-Seol’s name out of nowhere deepened Scarlett's suspicion.

“Ha. Why should I believe you?”

A gust of wind blew past. The Returner of the Void’s long, gray hair fluttered, revealing his calm, unshaken expression.

He took a step forward, as if walking on solid ground, even in midair. With unhurried steps, he closed the distance and stood before Scarlett.

“The world is on the verge of destruction. You know this, don’t you?”

Of course, she knew. Baek Yu-Seol’s frantic efforts to prevent it made that clear.

“Originally... it was set to end eight years from now.”

Scarlett didn’t know such specific details, but she nodded to avoid revealing her ignorance.

“That timeline is being accelerated.”

“...Why?”

“Every time Baek Yu-Seol alters the flow of the world, its lifespan shortens.”

“Alters the flow of the world...?”

Scarlett couldn’t grasp the meaning behind his words, and her expression hardened. The Returner of the Void offered a concise explanation.

“For instance, you.”

“What about me...?”

“Originally, you were supposed to remain sealed within that world, gradually dying. That was the natural course of events—your destiny. You were meant to fade away, forgotten by everyone. Even the stars in the sky wouldn’t remember you. You were supposed to vanish... as though you never existed.”

“What are you talking about...?”

“But that didn’t happen. Baek Yu-Seol pulled you out of that world. Do you know what that means?”

As Scarlett fell silent, the Returner of the Void spoke in a detached tone.

“It means your destiny was twisted and altered. That shift pushes the flow of the world in another direction. How many people has Baek Yu-Seol saved so far?”

She didn’t know.

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

There were undoubtedly countless individuals Baek Yu-Seol had saved without ever mentioning it.

Even among the people Scarlett knew, the number was already too large to count.

And ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) especially those with significant influence on the world—what about them?

If Baek Yu-Seol’s acts of kindness continued to alter the world’s flow, saving influential figures would amplify that distortion even further.

“An intriguing theory. But I still can’t trust you.”

“You mean you won’t believe anything unless it comes from Baek Yu-Seol himself? Very well. After this day, you may ignore my request. But you must hear it directly from Baek Yu-Seol whether my words are true or not.”

Scarlett pressed her lips together tightly and glared at the Returner of the Void.

What was he scheming by coming here?

“Remember this. The end is near.”

With those parting words, the Returner of the Void stated his ‘request’ unilaterally and vanished without a trace.

“Just what...?”

Left alone, Scarlett remained lost in confusion, unable to make sense of it all.

***

The winter break ended, and the new school term began. Baek Yu-Seol, who had been a second-year student, was now a third-year, entering his final year at Stella Academy.

Around this time, many conversations and events unfolded.

For example, Arain, Stella’s knight captain, suggested that he forgo his third year entirely to focus on knight training. Meanwhile, the Magic Society of Scalben apologized for their previous disrespect toward Baek Yu-Seol by sending him expensive gifts.

Additionally, during Stella’s opening ceremony, none other than the elven king, Flower-Serin, appeared to congratulate Baek Yu-Seol as he stood on stage as the class representative. It was a spectacle that shocked the world yet again, though such surprises had become almost routine at this point.

As the new semester began, the most significant change for Baek Yu-Seol was the increase in free time.

Third-year students at Stella had even fewer scheduled classes than the second-years, allowing them more opportunities to venture into the outside world. After all, any time spent working as magic warriors would contribute to their career development, a welcome benefit for the students.

“Whew, it’s cold,” muttered Althericia, wrapping herself tightly in a coat. Baek Yu-Seol looked at her with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

“What happened to that heated coat you developed?”

“Huh? Oh, that thing runs on mana stones for batteries. It’s not freezing enough to use it yet. You gotta save it when you can.” She chuckled sheepishly.

“...It’s not like it costs a fortune. You make so much money.”

“Hey, research costs are killing me.”

Althericia was notorious for her stinginess, to the extent that even the Golden Alchemist Cordent would shake his head in disbelief. She had been wearing the same lab coat for years, refused to buy new casual clothes, and relied solely on gifts Baek Yu-Seol had given her.

The coat, skirt, and even the stockings she currently wore were all pieces he had carefully coordinated after consulting fashion magazines. Otherwise, she would have shown up in shabby sweatpants.

Yet, despite being so frugal...

“...You’re telling me the same person who claims to have no money managed to prepare such a massive project in just one month?”

Baek Yu-Seol stared in astonishment at the bulldozers in front of him.

The Forest of the Abandoned World Tree was an extremely hostile area, but if you burned it and bulldozed through, it wasn’t insurmountable.

Still, the trees in the forest were much larger and sturdier than ordinary ones, requiring significant equipment. Althericia had boldly prepared dozens of bulldozers.

“Well, I got a big discount thanks to Starcloud.”

Now that he looked closely, all the bulldozers bore the Starcloud logo. He knew the trading company was vast, but he hadn’t expected them to have such equipment readily available.

Standing beside them, Jelliel was wrapped in a luxurious coat that radiated mana to keep her warm. Although her growing magical prowess at twenty years old made such a coat unnecessary, she seemed to be wearing it purely for its extravagance or to show off.

Baek Yu-Seol turned to her, questioning, “Are you sure it’s okay to spend this much money?”

“In return, I’ll have a monopoly on Vanarium. The profits will far exceed the costs. You vouched for the raw material, so success is guaranteed, isn’t it?”

“You’re putting a lot of faith in me...”

In truth, Baek Yu-Seol’s main goal wasn’t the Vanarium but rather the quest involving the Sleeping Forest Elves, so her confidence made him feel a bit guilty.

“By the way, there was an unusual clause in the contract,” Jelliel said, pointing to a section in the document.

Near her fingertip was a sentence stating that any small mansion discovered in the forest should be left intact and reported to Baek Yu-Seol.

Feeling slightly exposed, Baek Yu-Seol maintained his composure and replied, “It’s a house someone I know lives in. We can’t just bulldoze it.”

“...I see.”

Though she didn’t seem entirely convinced, Jelliel let it go. The condition was too minor to argue over, and Vanarium’s potential was genuine.

—Humans are incredible...

Observing the array of bulldozers, Twilightis, who was in his translucent state, clicked his tongue.

—This is the first time I’ve seen humans solve the problem of a dangerous forest by deciding to bulldoze it entirely. Baek Yu-Seol, you truly are unique in a thousand years of history...

“That’s a compliment, right?”

—O-of course!

While chatting with the invisible Twilightis, Baek Yu-Seol noticed that the clearing operation had begun.

...Wasn’t the forest contaminated when the Persona Gate opened long ago?

About a hundred years ago, this tranquil and beautiful forest was struck by disaster. A colossal Persona Gate had opened within it.

At the time, they lacked the manpower even to consider closing such a massive gate. Elven mages ventured inside to challenge it, but not one returned. Eventually, the gate synchronized with reality.

A strange phenomenon occurred.

Every tree in the forest developed sentience.

While the trees could speak, their language was utterly alien, leaving no one capable of understanding them. Humans didn’t bother trying. The moment they approached, the trees lashed out with sturdy branches, attacking indiscriminately.

Humans retreated, seeing no benefit in fighting for the forest. The elves tearfully abandoned their homeland, and the fairies and animals scattered across the world.

Such was the fate of the forest.

Now, it was a meaningless tale. The forest had been corrupted by the synchronization with the Persona Gate, rendering it irredeemable.

Will everything contaminated by the Otherworld end up like this?

Lost in thought, Baek Yu-Seol felt a vibration in his chest. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved the source—a shard of the Otherworld.

The vibration grew stronger as he instinctively stepped closer to the forest.

“...Hmm.”

Although his instincts warned of danger, the frustration of weeks of fruitless research pushed him forward. This was the first time the shard had reacted so strongly. How could he ignore it?

With that, Baek Yu-Seol quickened his pace toward the forest.

Woong!

“Huh?”

Suddenly, the world flipped upside down.

“...The forest?”

Before him lay a forest—not the blackened, corrupted Forest of the Abandoned World Tree, but one entirely purified, restored to its natural state.

Whirr...

Feeling the breeze, Baek Yu-Seol turned around, startled.

“Althericia...!”

The first person he called for was Althericia, who was smart enough to explain this situation.

But she wasn’t there.

The vast field where the forest’s edge once lay, along with Althericia, Jelliel, and the bulldozers, had all vanished without a trace.

“Sigh...”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Baek Yu-Seol looked at the shard of the Otherworld in his hand.

It was no longer the colorless black sphere he had always seen. Instead, it resembled a miniature planet, painted with green and blue hues like a globe.

Studying its map, Baek Yu-Seol understood.

This sphere was Aether World.

In other words, he now stood within the shard’s world.

“Well, this is inconvenient...”

Facing yet another crisis, he no longer felt fear or anxiety.

Instead, he was oddly calm.

His only thought now?

“I could really use a strong cup of coffee.”

For Baek Yu-Seol, solving this situation required nothing more than a good cup of coffee.