I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 371

Northern Region, the Furthest End.

A polar area where snowstorms rage year-round, at the entrance of the Bingbaek Mountain Range.

Baek Yuseol and Ggotseorin were traveling to the Baekryeong Plateau Fortress to meet Grand Duke Seolparam, but they faced an unexpected obstacle.

"There’s no train heading to the fortress?"

"Not even one?"

"Not a single one. How could anything depart in this weather?"

That was the reality.

The relentless snowstorm was so fierce that all trains bound for the fortress were delayed. This seemed to be a common occurrence, as the locals simply turned back without much complaint upon hearing the news. Baek Yuseol, however, was not used to such inconveniences.

"This is... troublesome," Ggotseorin said, her voice muffled by the mask covering her nose and lips. Her worried eyes reflected her unease. "I didn’t expect the weather would delay the trains."

"Neither did I."

Baek Yuseol gazed beyond the platform. The raging snowstorm was indeed brutal enough to be life-threatening, but he had assumed that this region, accustomed to such conditions, would have some means to keep the trains running.

However, this storm seemed to be beyond even their usual capabilities.

Moreover, there were no warp gates in this area. The intense mana distortion emanating from the Bingbaek Mountains disrupted warp holes, rendering spatial magic completely ineffective.

This area was even nicknamed the graveyard of space magic users.

‘This must be... because of the Bronze Twelve Moons.’

The region contained a third dimensional space created by the Bronze Twelve Moons. No matter how well it was hidden, the immense magical energy radiating from it could not be completely concealed.

"What should we do now?" Ggotseorin asked.

"Hmm, let’s figure that out later."

Baek Yuseol glanced around. Just reaching the entrance of the Bingbaek Mountains had taken them a full week.

Due to the remoteness of this polar region, news from the central continent rarely made it here. This meant Baek Yuseol’s face wasn’t widely recognized, which was fortunate.

However, Ggotseorin was another story.

Even with her mouth and nose covered, the radiant aura of her beauty drew all eyes. It was impossible to fully hide her presence, and she inadvertently captured the attention of everyone nearby.

"More importantly, let’s stop by that general store for a moment."

"Huh?"

"You’ll need something better to cover your face."

"Ah..."

Baek Yuseol led Ggotseorin to a general store and purchased a thick wool coat with a hood that could effectively conceal her features.

Neither of them were particularly bothered by the cold due to their high magical prowess. However, individuals who could withstand harsh weather without any external protection were rare, even among high-class mages, so they dressed to blend in.

"You’re being unusually cautious about attracting attention," Ggotseorin remarked.

"There are hunters everywhere around here."

"Hunters?"

"Yes. Let’s go."

Although she didn’t fully understand what Baek Yuseol meant by "hunters," Ggotseorin followed him quietly.

The Entrance to the Bingbaek Mountains—Tralkanta, the Old Mining Town.

The town still retained the features of a mining community, despite its mines no longer being functional. This was why it was referred to as the "old" mining town.

"We have two options left," Baek Yuseol said.

"What are they?"

"One, we push through the snowstorm on foot."

"...That seems a bit too difficult."

"The second option is to go through that abandoned mine."

Hearing the options, the second one seemed like the obvious choice. It made one wonder why the first was even mentioned. But Baek Yuseol had a reason for presenting both.

"The abandoned mine is crawling with monsters."

"Ah..."

Pushing through the snowstorm also carried a high risk of encountering monsters. However, the mine was far worse, as it was infested with far more dangerous creatures. This made Baek Yuseol reluctant.

Being so far from the World Tree, Ggotseorin could barely use her powers. Baek Yuseol wasn’t confident in his ability to protect her while safely navigating the hazards of the mine.

"Well, we’ll figure something out."

Baek Yuseol turned toward the center of the town. Despite the harsh weather, the streets were bustling with activity. He noticed several individuals wearing white coats, which caught his attention.

"They’re students from Cheongseol Gyeong Magic Academy," he explained.

"Oh..."

The students were walking in orderly rows, likely as part of their training.

"There’s a magic academy here too?" Ggotseorin asked.

"The desire to learn magic exists everywhere."

However, Cheongseol Gyeong Magic Academy was quite different from other schools. Unlike Stella Academy, which consisted mostly of teenagers, this academy’s students ranged from their twenties to their forties.

It was a place where experienced mercenaries and monster hunters came to learn magic and become warriors. This practical focus gave the academy a reputation for its rigorous, hands-on training.

Given the constant threat of monsters just outside the town, this approach was essential for survival.

Baek Yuseol watched the academy students for a moment before speaking. "This might work. How about asking them for help?"

"Do you think they’ll help us? We’re outsiders, after all."

"And didn’t we decide not to reveal our identities here?"

"Well, it doesn’t hurt to ask."

Despite his casual tone, Baek Yuseol was fairly confident. He estimated a 50% chance they could join forces with the academy.

The Frozen Crystal Mine was a significant problem for Tralkanta. The frozen monsters that occasionally escaped from the mine posed a threat to the town, making it imperative to clear them out.

However, due to the maze-like structure of the mine and the monsters’ cunning tactics of ambushing mages, magic warriors were reluctant to take on the task. As a result, the mine had yet to be fully cleared.

Cheongseol Gyeong Magic Academy had been preparing a project to eliminate the monsters, assigning the task to their students as part of their training. Participation was optional, given the high risk.

The academy offered enticing rewards to incentivize participation, which attracted many young and impoverished students. Baek Yuseol recalled hearing that, during his time playing Aether World Online, some players joined the academy to complete this quest. However, the quest’s lengthy and complex nature made it unpopular despite the lucrative rewards.

"Let’s go," Baek Yuseol said.

Cheongseol Gyeong Magic Academy resembled a military base more than a school. It was surrounded by enchanted fences designed to prevent external intrusion, giving it an appearance more akin to a prison.

"Who goes there?"

As they approached the academy, a guard pointed a staff at them. Entry required strict identification, but revealing Ggotseorin’s identity would make access easy.

However, Baek Yuseol had no intention of disclosing her identity. Instead, he reached for his belt and pulled out a Stella pocket watch.

"I’m Baek Yuseol, a second-year student from Stella Academy’s S-Class."

"Stella... a student?"

The guard's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the golden hexagram insignia on Baek Yuseol’s Stella pocket watch. Hurriedly, the guard ran inside and soon returned with a superior.

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"Pleased to meet you. I’m Kalas, a third-class magic warrior."

"I’m Baek Yuseol."

Kalas seemed unsure, tilting his head slightly as though trying to recall if he had heard the name before.

‘Guess it’s too much to expect my name to have reached this far,’ Baek Yuseol thought. It didn’t matter. He had prepared for such situations. Among his belongings was a letter of endorsement from Arain, the commander of Stella’s knight division.

"What brings you here?"

"I was deployed nearby for practical training as a second-year cadet, but I got separated from my group and ended up drifting into this city."

"Ah... training, you say?"

Baek Yuseol infused mana into the Stella pocket watch, making the golden hexagram glow brightly, confirming its authenticity. While the guard didn’t outright dismiss his story, the remoteness of the location made them cautious.

"We were studying the behavior of White Werewolves."

"White Werewolves... quite the challenge for teenagers."

"We’re not here to hunt them. The assignment is simply to observe their behavior and understand their patterns."

"I see. Is there any way we can assist you?"

"The training site is in the northern forest. I was hoping we could get some help reaching it."

"Hmm... that’s something..." Kalas exchanged glances with a junior guard and nodded. "It’s not for us to decide. Come inside."

Even within the academy, the desolation persisted. Unlike Stella Academy, which trained mages, this institution focused on producing magic warriors. It almost felt as though Stella was the anomaly, and this was the norm.

Baek Yuseol was quickly ushered to the headmaster, a stern-looking man with small scars scattered across his face. After introductions, Kalas explained the situation.

"This is Baek Yuseol, a cadet from Stella Academy. He claims to have been separated from his team during training and is seeking assistance to return."

The headmaster frowned slightly. "Training, you say..."

After a brief moment of thought, he shook his head. "Under normal circumstances, we might have been able to help, but we’ve been stretched too thin lately. It’s difficult."

"I see," Baek Yuseol replied, nodding with mild disappointment. Still, he couldn’t help but feel something was off.

‘What’s going on here?’

The monsters escaping from the Frozen Crystal Mine should have been under some degree of control. Was the situation more dire than he had assumed?

"Still, since you’ve made it all the way here, let’s at least offer you some hospitality. It’s not every day we meet someone from Stella."

"Understood."

Baek Yuseol had been about to decline, but before he could, the door to the headmaster’s office burst open.

"Headmaster!"

"You’re interrupting a meeting. That’s rude."

"I-I’m sorry, but it’s urgent..."

"What is it?"

The man who had barged in was panting heavily, struggling to catch his breath. "Something... some kind of creature has appeared in the northern part of the city... It’s massacring magic warriors indiscriminately..."

"What?"

The headmaster immediately rose to his feet and bolted out of the office. Baek Yuseol quickly grabbed his coat and followed.

"Let’s go. We can help."

Even if they hadn’t received assistance, saving lives didn’t require an exchange.

Baek Yuseol sprinted northward, arriving at the scene faster than anyone else. The sight awaiting him was one of utter chaos.

"Argh!"

"Damn it, magic isn’t working at all!"

"Retreat for now!"

"If we retreat, what about the civilians?"

The once-pristine white city was now stained with blood. The scene was close to an apocalypse.

At the center of it all—

Hooorrrnn...

There it stood.

‘What is that...?’

Even Baek Yuseol was taken aback by the grotesque entity before him.

It resembled a mirage or shadow, its transparent form flickering with a hazy black hue. Its body was thin, its limbs elongated, and its entire figure was unsettlingly disproportionate, as though it were a mockery of human form.

The creature’s body stretched like a mirage before materializing elsewhere, slicing a fleeing mage in half with a single swipe.

"Ahhhh...!"

As if searching for its next target, the creature turned its head.

Its gaze locked with Baek Yuseol’s.

Despite its pitch-black body, its eyes glowed an eerie white.

‘There’s no monster like this in the game...’

He struggled to comprehend how such a being could even exist. This thing defied the fundamental laws of Aether World.

Was it a shadow? A ghost? A living entity? The creature didn’t fit neatly into any category. It was as if every definition of existence had collapsed within it.

It was light yet dark, tangible yet incorporeal, alive yet without form.

*Hooorrrnn...*

The creature let out a strange noise, tilting its head curiously. Then, it took a single step toward Baek Yuseol.

And that’s when it happened.

The creature’s body distorted as though it were a glitched graphic in a broken video game. In an instant, it extended unnaturally, appearing right in front of him.

Without time to react, its sharp right arm slashed at him.

*Swiish—!*

Baek Yuseol barely managed to dodge the attack, immediately drawing his sword and slashing at the creature’s torso.

But there was no resistance.

It felt as though he was cutting through air. In less than a fraction of a second, the creature’s form distorted again, pulling back and retreating a considerable distance.

‘What the hell is this thing?’

He had imbued his sword with the energy of nature, a force capable of cutting through shadow-based entities. Yet, it had no effect.

"Direct Sparrow Glasses. Can you analyze it?"

Lacking sufficient sensory information, he relied on the Direct Sparrow Glasses for analysis. A moment later, a message appeared before him.

[Error Detected!]

[Error Code: ???]

[Unable to analyze entity from this dimension.]

"What...?"

It was the first time he had ever seen the glasses report an error, let alone fail to analyze something.

‘I don’t know what this is, but...’

Baek Yuseol flipped his sword into a reverse grip, planting it into the ground as he channeled the surrounding mana.

‘I can tell it’s not from this dimension.’

Releasing his Terriphon Sword, he reached for a different weapon—a silver blade, glinting faintly in his grasp.

*Clink!*

Baek Yuseol drew the Cheongpung Myeongwol (Clear Wind and Bright Moon), his eyes flashing with a brilliant blue light.

[Heavenly Unity Activated!]

With just one sword, there was nothing in this world—or any other—that he couldn’t cut.

The only problem was... no one had yet discovered the exact method to do it.