I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 443

Once upon a time, the Witch Queen Scarlet stood at the pinnacle of the world, towering above all other beings with the title "Witch of Blood."

There was no other way to describe her.

She was, quite literally, at the apex.

Scarlet had reached the limits of humanity. She grew up never knowing what it meant to be weak.

Even without training, mana accumulated in her body naturally. Without effort, magical formulas and symbols etched themselves into her mind, manifesting before her eyes.

It wasn’t just talent—it was divinity incarnate.

Simply by existing, she grew stronger. Scarlet accepted her endless growth as natural, inevitable.

At one point, she thought, Perhaps one day, I’ll even surpass the gods.

But growth was not infinite.

Even Scarlet, who seemed boundless, eventually reached her limit.

One day, she stopped growing.

By then, she had already acquired enough power to be considered the strongest in the world. She could have conquered half the globe on her own.

Yet, she was not satisfied.

She knew of the existence of the Twelve Celestial Moons.

There were beings who had surpassed her growth, wielding even greater powers.

If they could achieve that, why couldn’t I?

And so, for the first time, Scarlet dedicated herself to training and study.

For nearly a century, she traveled the world, meeting countless people along the way.

She encountered Hatae Ryeong, a swordsman. She clashed with the Twelve Celestial Moons. She rescued persecuted witches, gave them sanctuary, and exchanged knowledge with mages to create new spells.

Yet, despite a century of effort, Scarlet grew not even a fraction stronger.

It was as if the heavens themselves had decreed, This is your limit.

It left her feeling empty.

Though she had immense power, she had attained it too easily. There was no joy, no sense of accomplishment.

She envied even the simplest of mages who, upon advancing from the first to the second class, celebrated their progress with genuine elation.

No matter how much effort she put in, Scarlet could not replicate that feeling.

But she did not give up.

I have time, she thought.

Hundreds, even thousands of years... if I keep trying, maybe I’ll experience that satisfaction too.

That was before she met him.

“You are an irregular in the plan,” the figure had said.

A person cloaked in white robes.

No gender, no age, no discernible features—only a shadowy void beneath the hood.

“You are a major disruption to the world’s flow. Therefore, you must slumber for a while.”

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“For a while? How long is ‘a while’?”

“A thousand years should suffice.”

“What?”

The idea of suddenly being forced into a millennium-long slumber was absurd.

But Scarlet, standing at the pinnacle of the world, could not imagine defeat. Unless the Twelve Celestial Moons themselves challenged her, she believed she was invincible.

For the first time, she unleashed her full power and fought with all her might.

“You’ve lost, witch. I’ll wake you in a thousand years.”

She was utterly defeated.

In their battle, the land shifted, seas split, and the heavens collapsed.

When meteors rained down from the cracks in the sky, it felt like the world itself might end.

Yet, Scarlet could not triumph over the figure in white.

How could this happen? I was the strongest... wasn’t I?

Though her foe’s robe fluttered in the chaos, revealing glimpses of what lay beneath, all she ever saw was a hollow shadow.

I lost... to someone without even a face?

When Scarlet regained consciousness, she found herself in a space of pure white.

“What is this place...?”

A vast crimson magic circle stretched around her for 100 meters, and twelve pillars rose to the ceiling.

It resembled a cage, a space meant to restrain and tame her. But there was no kind caretaker to feed her and tend to her needs.

Only silence.

Scarlet was alone in the void.

From that day, nearly a thousand years passed.

“Ahhh! Not this place again!” Scarlet groaned, lifting her leg to tap the floating round light above her head with her toes.

After a century in confinement, she had managed to extract faint traces of mana from her body. Using it, she began decorating her immense prison.

She created a desk, a bed, lights, toys, and even dresses, one of which she wore now.

Unlike her avatar, which appeared young, Scarlet’s true form radiated a mature beauty. Dressed in a short gown, lounging as she pleased, she exuded a striking allure—one that might have flustered an observer.

But in this eternal solitude, there was no one to see her.

And so, she acted as she liked.

The void was quiet.

For centuries, Scarlet had restrained herself, gathering mana in hopes of creating another avatar.

But could she truly endure until then?

Before her imprisonment, Scarlet had already been alone.

In isolation, she had not initially felt loneliness.

But after creating an avatar, after wandering the outside world, after meeting Baek Yuseol...

She had learned the warmth of companionship and the joy of shared laughter.

Now, she understood what it meant to be lonely.

To have no one to speak to.

To have no one to listen to her.

It was terrifying. It was painful.

“This is all his fault...” she muttered bitterly.

If not for Baek Yuseol, she might never have known what it meant to miss someone.

Even after losing her avatar, she might have carried on, thinking, I’ll just create another one in a few centuries.

But now...

“Centuries...”

Could she endure that long again?

Scarlet doubted it.

The human who had eased her loneliness had a fleeting lifespan, barely exceeding a century.

Even if she escaped, Baek Yuseol might not be there.

And even if he somehow remained, could she withstand the endless solitude until that day came?

“It hurts too much...”

Each passing day was excruciating.

How could she possibly endure such pain?

Scarlet shut her eyes tightly.

Perhaps, the mage who had placed this seal upon her had anticipated this.

Maybe they knew she would one day extract «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» enough mana to create an avatar and escape into the outside world.

And perhaps they also knew...

That she would eventually return, consumed by loneliness, unable to withstand the solitude.

Scarlet clenched her teeth.

"The pride of the Witch Queen... I won’t be undone by such—"

Her words trailed off as she buried her head in her bed, hands clasped tightly over her ears.

If she let her guard down even slightly, she could almost hear the voices of the people she had met in the outside world.

My disciples... I should be looking after them.

By now, they must have realized she was gone. They’d likely be scouring the world for her.

But they would never find this place.

Hadn’t they searched with her in the past, unable to uncover even the faintest trace of where she had been sealed?

Even Scarlet herself didn’t know where she was.

If only I knew the location... I’d break out of this place in an instant!

The seal extended a mere 100 meters.

A distance that was simultaneously vast and insignificant.

If only she could send her avatar beyond that boundary, dismantling the accursed prison would be effortless.

But what use was it?

No one will come here anyway...

As that thought crossed her mind, Scarlet closed her eyes.

Moments later, a shiver ran down her spine, jolting her awake.

"What... what is this?"

The sensation was familiar.

"A Witch Hunter..."

Occasionally, novice Witch Hunters had attempted to track her, sending ripples of mana toward her prison.

Ironically, these hunters, who sought her life, often came the closest to reaching her.

Yet, not one had ever succeeded.

Invisible wards beyond her prison eliminated all who tried.

After news spread that the Witch Queen hunted Witch Hunters in return, an unspoken rule arose among them:

"Do not provoke the Witch Queen."

For centuries, not a single Witch Hunter had dared to approach her.

But now, to feel the distinct sensation of a hunter’s pursuit...

"Could it be...?"

It had to be Baek Yuseol.

Who else would attempt something so audacious?

"Is he really coming for me...?"

She was certain this was a signal.

She could feel it.

I’m coming to find you.

It was as though she could hear his voice, even though it was impossible.

Scarlet found herself standing abruptly.

"A... ah..."

Staggering toward the cage’s entrance, she gripped the bars tightly.

Don’t hope. Don’t get your hopes up. If you expect something and it doesn’t happen, the disappointment will hurt even more.

No one had ever reached this place.

She couldn’t afford to hope.

He was just a young human, barely two decades old.

And yet—

Thump. Thump.

Her heart pounded wildly.

Don’t hope...

Scarlet clutched her chest, struggling to suppress her emotions.

Even as someone who once stood at the pinnacle of the world, managing her own feelings was a challenge she had yet to master.

She didn’t want to hope, but the excitement bubbling inside her was uncontrollable.

Finally, she surrendered to her feelings.

"...I don’t care anymore. This is your fault."

She pounded her chest, as if scolding her own heart.

If Baek Yuseol faltered, or if he met the same fate as the other Witch Hunters and perished...

The disappointment would be hers alone to bear.

But Scarlet decided to embrace this moment.

Because for the first time in what felt like an eternity, she wasn’t lonely. She wasn’t alone.

The mere knowledge that someone was searching for her was enough to bring her happiness.

I will savor this fleeting joy.

And when Baek Yuseol finally opened the doors of this accursed cage, she would welcome him with open arms.

Until then, Scarlet resolved to hold on, treasuring the warmth of this fleeting hope.