I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 434

The unprecedented simultaneous Persona Gate outbreak in the Hawol Plains.

The academic community called it the “Persona Gate Proliferation Crisis,” but honestly, what good is a pretty name when it comes to something like this?

“The situation is serious. The number of Persona Gates multiplying each day keeps increasing...”

The location wasn’t far—only a few dozen kilometers from the Lotus Inn, the central hub of the Hawol Plains.

Here, dozens of buildings had been erected instantly with magic, but considering that all of them were being used as temporary barracks, it was clear just how formidable the Mage Association’s capabilities were.

Even now, the Association was sending hundreds of battle mages to the Hawol Plains every day, but despite their efforts, the Persona Gates showed no sign of decreasing.

“If the speed at which the gates multiply continues to accelerate, there’ll come a point where we can’t keep up.”

“That can’t be... What are we supposed to do?”

“Well, haven’t our forebear mages always said that there’s no problem without a solution? We’ll have to figure something out.”

True to those words, the Mage Association was gradually uncovering the truth about the Persona Gates.

If things progressed as they were, it wouldn’t be long before they discovered the existence of the Core Gate, and realized that clearing it would cause all the gates to disappear.

This was one of the “predetermined events” that Baek Yuseol had categorized under “confirmed futures” in the Sparrow Glass Folder.

While the [Main Episodes] had been twisted beyond prediction, events like these were a different matter.

For example, if in one future the number 1 appears, and in the next the number 2 is certain to follow, then barring any special variables, it would happen without fail.

Take Alterisha, for instance.

As long as she stayed at Stella Academy, she was destined to develop a particular item within a year, no matter how much she struggled. Baek Yuseol had simply shortened that one year to a month, allowing her to develop it faster than the Black Mages.

Similarly, many other events had sequentially predetermined outcomes, and the current Persona Gate Proliferation Crisis was no exception.

In other words, the future in which the Mage Association would resolve the crisis and uncover the truth about the Persona Gates was already set in stone.

“Hmm, I’ll need to approach this from a different angle.”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“Well, instead of brutishly attacking and destroying every single gate like we are now... I feel like there’s a better way.”

“Come on, you’re kidding, right?”

Exactly.

Right now!

At this very moment, mages were on the verge of uncovering the truth behind the Persona Gates—a historic breakthrough.

“Wait a moment!”

“...Huh?”

“That boy...?”

Just when ideas were starting to flash into the mages’ minds, a boy suddenly burst into the barracks.

There wasn’t a single mage present who didn’t recognize his name.

“Baek Yuseol...”

Yes.

The mages were fated to uncover the truth of the Persona Gates on their own.

But why leave them to it?

Baek Yuseol could just swoop in, steal the glory, and claim the idea as his own. It would bring him massive achievements, after all.

“Well, what brings you here?”

“I just happen to have a brilliant idea.”

“An idea...?”

He silently apologized to the mages. By now, they were probably trying to come up with a different approach to solving the Persona Gate problem.

“Yes. It’s a very, very special idea I discovered while traveling through several Persona Gates recently. Would you care to hear it?”

“Hmm...”

“Well, considering it’s you, Baek Yuseol, I suppose there’s reason enough to listen.”

Jellyelle, who had been accompanying Baek Yuseol as he explored the Persona Gates for the past few days, was here too. A question mark hovered over her head.

“An idea...?”

The Baek Yuseol she had observed over the past few days had been like a crazed miner, madly harvesting materials from dozens of subspace realms. He certainly hadn’t looked like someone who’d stumbled upon any special ideas.

“There were slight changes, but still...”

It was strange.

There were occasional cases where mages would gain profound insights and grow significantly after clearing a Persona Gate, but those were so rare they were practically unheard of.

Yet, every time Baek Yuseol cleared a Persona Gate, he seemed to grow—if only a little.

Jellyelle couldn’t gauge exactly how strong he had become since his abilities were already far above hers, but she could tell that he was achieving something no one else could.

It was no wonder he had already earned the title of Honorary Mage, a rank bestowed only upon those possessing the knowledge and skills of a 7th-class mage or higher.

“Alright, then. Let’s sit down and hear you out properly.”

Meanwhile, as Baek Yuseol made his timely entrance into the Mage Association, two Black Mages quietly shadowing him kept their eyes on his every move. These two were Azmik and Kalaban, tasked with assassinating him.

“That lunatic...”

Azmik felt a chill run down her spine.

In order to assassinate Baek Yuseol, they had to gather as much information as possible. They had learned he was constantly traveling between Persona Gates, so they had planned to strike when he exited one.

Mages emerging from a gate were typically exhausted to the point of collapse, which was why guard teams were always on standby outside. Of course, Azmik and Kalaban were confident they could eliminate those guards in an instant, so all they needed to do was wait for Baek Yuseol.

But Baek Yuseol shattered all expectations.

“What kind of person clears a Persona Gate in just 30 minutes and immediately dashes off to the tower...?”

Thirty minutes.

It took him only thirty minutes.

It was a result so absurd it defied belief.

Because of that, Azmik had been caught off guard, thinking “There’s no way he’ll come out in 30 minutes.” By the time she realized her mistake, Baek Yuseol was already gone.

To make matters worse, his destination was completely unexpected.

“After running around the gates all this time, now he suddenly joins the Association mages...”

Clearing a Persona Gate in 30 minutes and rushing straight to the Mage Association—his actions were completely out of character.

What could this mean?

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“...He’s noticed us.”

Kalaban’s words made Azmik clutch her forehead with both hands.

“Damn it! How did he know? We’ve done nothing but observe from afar!”

“It’s possible. His senses are said to be far sharper than ordinary mages, even surpassing those of Black Mages.”

“Argh! So what are we supposed to do now?”

“There’s nothing else we can do. Baek Yuseol can’t stay with the Association forever. He’ll likely head for a safer area and devise a plan to deal with us.”

“So, assassination is impossible...”

“Exactly.”

Kalaban stood and said, “There’s no point in continuing to observe him. It seems we’ll have to confront him head-on.”

“What? A head-on battle against the Black Mage Slayer? That’s terrifying...”

“Maybe, but we might have a chance.”

“Why do you think so?”

“The moment he realized we were watching him, he fled the Persona Gate and rushed to the Association. That means he’s not prepared to face us yet.”

“...Ah, so that’s what you mean!”

“No matter how meticulous Baek Yuseol is, there must be a gap in his defenses. We’ll exploit that gap.”

With that, Kalaban left, and Azmik turned back one last time to look at the Mage Association barracks where Baek Yuseol was hiding.

“Baek Yuseol... No matter what plans you’re brewing, they won’t work on us!”

A sky as blue as the sea, bathed in sunlight.

Flying freely through that sky was a girl cloaked in white, none other than Scarlett, the Witch Queen.

The cool wind tousled her milky hair as she soared, and for the first time in a long while, she felt the simple joy of flying.

Although, truth be told, it had only been a few months since the last time.

"Stella is so stifling..."

Scarlett found herself bewildered. “How can students live in such cramped spaces, huddled together, repeating the same life day after day?

“If only they could all live freely,” she sighed, surrendering herself to the wind.

Currently, she wasn’t in her real body, so her senses were limited to only half of their usual power—vision, hearing, touch, and taste included.

Still, half was far better than nothing.

There was a time when summoning her astral form granted her barely 10% of her senses, making it nearly impossible for her to go anywhere.

"This body is still so inconvenient."

Compared to her original form, this body was smaller, slower, weaker, and far less perceptive. It was only natural that she felt frustrated.

“...I suppose wandering around in my true form will remain forever impossible.”

Scarlett’s original body was sealed in one of the deepest and most remote locations in the Aether World. Bound tightly and immobilized, it lay hidden where no mage had ever found it—not once in a thousand years.

Even if they had, no mage, not even those of the 9th class, would be capable of breaking her seal.

A special spell bound her there, so unyielding that even Scarlett herself couldn’t tamper with it after all these centuries.

“Ugh... As if abandoning my voluptuous body and living like this tiny brat isn’t humiliating enough...”

As Scarlett grumbled, soaring through the sky, her sharp eyes suddenly caught sight of something happening below.

Even at half strength, her perception remained that of the Witch Queen—a sense that transcended the mortal realm.

“As I thought...”

Scarlett gently landed atop the root of the World Tree of the First Realm, Cheonryeong Tree, its trunk piercing through the clouds.

The recent movements of the Black Mages had been suspicious, but for them to dare approach someone as significant as the Elf King?

Shadows cloaked the Black Mages, rendering them invisible to ordinary eyes, but they could not fool Scarlett.

The Elf King, who shared a connection with the World Tree, had likely noticed their presence as well.

“That must be bait.”

Under normal circumstances, the Elf King would have dispatched troops to deal with the Black Mages.

However, the situation was different this time. Three individuals had visited Flowering, the Elf King, not long ago.

“Since the Dark Elf showed up, the Elf King will be even more cautious. She might even take matters into her own hands...”

It was highly suspicious. A Dark Elf had been °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° captured, and now the Black Mages had infiltrated the World Tree?

The timing was far too coincidental.

“I just hope the Elf King has enough wisdom to handle this situation correctly.”

Historically, Scarlett had little regard for the Elf Kings. They were fools who cried for peace and love, extending their hands even to their enemies—right up until those very hands were severed.

It was precisely this incompetence that had brought Scarlett here. The current Elf King had a special connection with Baek Yuseol.

If anything happened to the Elf King, Baek Yuseol would be devastated. Scarlett simply couldn’t allow that.

“They’ll use the bait to test the Elf King’s response. So, where’s the main force hiding?”

Narrowing her eyes, Scarlett scanned the World Tree. However, with her limited perception, pinpointing the concealed Black Mages proved difficult.

If bait was being used, then the real culprits were certainly nearby. Yet ignoring the bait would mean missing the chance to expose them.

“In situations like this...”

As Scarlett pondered her options, something unexpected happened.

Thunk! Thunk!

“...Huh?”

Suddenly, sharp roots shot up from the ground, piercing the shadows where the Black Mages were hiding.

Shadow Cloaking was a technique requiring at least 6th- to 7th-class magic. Yet these Black Mages were slain instantly, without a single sound escaping their lips.

“...It seems this Elf King is quite bold.”

Scarlett reflected on the past Elf Kings.

How many of them had foolishly preached peace and love, only to lose their heads to their enemies?

But this Elf King was different. There was something about her—a presence, a confidence—that set her apart.

“This might actually be interesting...”

If her judgment was that sharp, it meant the Elf King likely understood the situation as Scarlett did.

Scarlett’s curiosity was piqued.

“How will she deal with the remaining Black Mages in hiding?”

And then, something completely unexpected happened.

A woman in a flowing black dress descended gracefully onto the corpses of the fallen Black Mages.

For a moment, Scarlett was so mesmerized by the ethereal beauty of the scene that she forgot to react.

“Is she insane...?”

The woman was none other than Flowering, the current Elf King.

As she gently waved her hand, the wind blew back her veil, revealing a face known as the most beautiful in the world.

Flowering’s serene eyes surveyed the area, and then she drove a tree root into the ground, standing quietly as if waiting for something.

It was clear—she was baiting the Black Mages to come out.

“That reckless plan... It’s just like something Baek Yuseol would do.”

But despite the seeming carelessness of her actions, there wasn’t the slightest hint of hesitation or failure in her demeanor.

Her confidence said it all.

“I know you’re hiding. Come out. I’ve deliberately walked into your trap.”

Scarlett almost found herself admiring Flowering’s boldness.

“I wonder how they’ll respond...”

And yet.

Thirty minutes passed.

An hour passed.

Half a day went by.

And still, no one appeared before Flowering.

...