I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 372

Bingbaek Mountains, Baekryeong Plateau Fortress.

Perched atop the snowy peaks at an altitude of 5,000 meters, the fortress stood as a symbol of resilience, enduring relentless blizzards 365 days a year.

The abundance of frost-element mana in the area meant that most soldiers stationed there practiced frost-based magic, granting them a certain resistance to the biting cold.

However, mastering frost magic alone was not enough to control or evade the fury of natural disasters like the brutal snowstorms.

To survive the razor-sharp winds and bone-chilling temperatures, only warriors possessing unyielding mental fortitude, exceptional magical skill, and physical endurance could reside within the fortress.

For 156 years, the fortress had stood firm, preventing the monstrous beasts and creatures of the Bingbaek Mountains from descending into the central continent.

Not once had it allowed an invasion.

This impenetrable stronghold had earned its reputation over two centuries of unwavering defense.

Yet now...

"This is... catastrophic," Grand Duke Seolparam muttered, his voice heavy as he surveyed the devastation.

A colossal staff, larger than any standard mage’s tool, stood planted in the ground beside him. The scene around him was one of utter ruin.

*The Fourth Blue Wind Forward Base.*

This critical outpost, which maintained the northwestern perimeter and acted as the fortress's eyes on the frontlines, had been completely annihilated.

Zero survivors.

When the routine reports failed to arrive, soldiers were dispatched to investigate, but they too vanished without a trace.

"General... What kind of monster could have done this?"

The destruction was beyond imagination. Not only were humans slaughtered, but even the buildings and magical weapons had been sliced apart with surgical precision. It was a massacre that no ordinary person could bear to witness.

Whatever had caused this carnage was no human—it had to be a beast.

But even that explanation left questions unanswered.

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No footprints. No bloodstains.

It was inconceivable that the elite soldiers of the Fourth Forward Base had failed to inflict even the slightest injury on the creature. There should have been some evidence—yet everywhere he looked, only the soldiers’ footprints remained.

"The magitech investigative team is working hard. They’ll uncover something soon," Seolparam said, though his voice betrayed his unease.

He was receiving real-time updates from the investigators, but the reports provided no progress or answers.

Could such a monster even exist?

It had annihilated an entire base without leaving a single trace.

"General, you should leave the rest to the investigative and search teams. You’re needed back at the fortress. The First Northern Base has been detecting unidentified forms repeatedly."

"You’re right."

Seolparam gripped his staff tightly.

In truth, this wasn’t the first time strange incidents like this had occurred.

Over the past few years, bizarre entities, unregistered in any bestiary, had begun appearing and vanishing across the region.

None of them had caused significant harm before, so the incidents had been largely ignored. But now, the situation had escalated beyond control.

"Do I have no choice but to seek their help...?"

As Seolparam turned back toward the fortress, he let out a sigh.

A mysterious voice had begun speaking to him some time ago.

Under normal circumstances, Seolparam would never have listened to such a voice.

But its words were too tempting to ignore.

"You... Your sister is ill, isn’t she?"

Seolparam’s younger sister, Sansaeram, had suffered from an incurable disease since birth.

He had been willing to give anything, pay any price, to cure her.

The voice’s temptation had been irresistible.

"All you have to do is what I ask."

The task it gave him was simple.

Almost absurdly so.

"What did I even do...?"

Suddenly, Seolparam realized that parts of his memory were hazy.

But he couldn’t unravel the mystery further. Without knowing what he had forgotten, he couldn’t even begin to think about it.

"Ugh... useless thoughts."

He shook his head to clear his mind. The situation was chaotic enough without wasting energy on idle worries.

Hastening his pace, Seolparam resolved to focus on solving the inexplicable mysteries plaguing the fortress.

He had to find answers—before it was too late.

***

This creature was perhaps the most challenging opponent Baek Yuseol had ever faced since gaining the ability to blink.

Until now, Baek Yuseol’s combat strategy had always revolved around superior mobility. Using blink, he could evade enemy magic, exploit their vulnerabilities, and strike precisely at their weak points.

No opponent had ever completely nullified this approach.

Well, with a few rare exceptions—some dark mages with exceptional agility had managed to trouble him slightly. But even they couldn’t match his speed and precision.

After all, he possessed the ability to fold space itself and move instantaneously.

But what if he faced an opponent with a similar ability?

*Hooorrrnn...*

That white, mirage-like creature before him was exactly that. It didn’t blink like Baek Yuseol, but its movements were equally confounding. Its form would dissolve into fragments, like a glitched computer graphic, before instantly extending to another location.

Fighting an opponent with the same mobility as himself...

It wasn’t just difficult. That word alone didn’t do it justice.

A more appropriate term might be something like... exhilarating.

*Slish!*

The mirage swung its shimmering white appendage at him. Baek Yuseol instinctively tilted his head to dodge. The attack left a massive scar on the ground mere centimeters from where he had been standing.

‘This...’

*Thump!*

His heart raced. A battle against an opponent with abilities similar to his own. A single moment of carelessness could mean death.

Had the situation been less favorable, he wouldn’t have had the luxury to enjoy this.

*Slash—!*

Baek Yuseol swung Cheongpung Myeongwol with force, and the edge of the blade tore through part of the mirage. The fragment dispersed, its ethereal form shrinking slightly as its abilities weakened.

To his surprise, the creature was vulnerable to his sword, even though it had resisted every other type of magic.

Each time a piece of the mirage dissipated, its main body shrank further, gradually losing its power. It was an ironic twist—Baek Yuseol, who usually struggled in wars of attrition, now found himself gaining the upper hand in such a battle.

After all, who would enjoy something just because it was difficult?

The joy came from being challenged and winning. That was the mindset of a true Korean gamer.

*Slish!*

Finally, Baek Yuseol severed the creature’s neck. As the energy of [Heavenly Unity] dissipated, he stabbed his sword into the ground to steady himself.

He hadn’t used the ability for long, but the recoil was significant.

“Phew...”

He watched as the mirage disintegrated into smoke and vanished into the air. Only then did he realize that their battle had carried them several hundred meters away from the city.

The speed of the creature had naturally forced the fight to shift locations.

As Baek Yuseol confirmed the mirage’s defeat, he saw magic warriors rushing toward him from afar. Putting on his Direct Sparrow Glasses, he quickly asked, "How’s the analysis? Any progress?"

A moment later, the device responded.

[Error Detected!]

[Error Code: ???]

[Unable to analyze entity from this dimension.]

As he expected.

The glasses couldn’t even recognize the entity, let alone analyze it.

‘What is this thing...?’

One thing was clear—it didn’t belong to this world. It wasn’t an ordinary monster. The strange, unsettling sense of alienation he had felt during the fight continued to nag at him.

"Are you alright?" one of the warriors called out.

"What happened to that creature?"

"Damn... The entire area is completely devastated."

The magic warriors clicked their tongues as they surveyed the aftermath. Even the hardy winter pines, which thrived in the bitter cold, had been utterly destroyed.

Half of the damage had been caused by Baek Yuseol during the fight, but he shamelessly declared, "It was all that thing’s doing."

"What a vile creature..."

"You’ve done well. We were completely helpless against it since our magic didn’t work at all."

"As defenders of Tralkanta, it’s a huge blow to our pride that we couldn’t do anything. Still, we owe you for saving us. Please, come with us."

"...Alright."

Baek Yuseol was about to follow them when a particular phrase caught his attention.

"Magic didn’t work at all?"

He paused. Wasn’t there a monster like that in Aether World Online?

A monster immune to 99% of magic. It was a bizarre creature for a game set in a magical world.

‘No... It couldn’t be related, could it?’

The dark mirage and the Black Dragon were entirely different entities. The Black Dragon was the ultimate being of magic, capable of analyzing, reversing, and nullifying all spells. In contrast, the mirage lacked a physical form, making it impervious to normal magic.

Besides, there was no logical reason for anything connected to the Black Dragon to appear here.

Logically speaking, they were completely unrelated.

"Hmm..."

"What’s wrong?" a warrior asked.

"It’s nothing."

And yet...

Why did this feel so unsettling?

‘...I need to think this through more carefully.’

***

The Northern Bingbaek Mountains.

*Baekryeong Plateau Fortress.*

The clinking sound of footsteps echoed through the gates as *Twilight of August* walked in, her golden hair flowing elegantly behind her. Her demeanor was both regal and commanding.

“Who is she?”

“No idea. The general ordered us to let her through...”

“Could she be his secret lover?”

“She’s stunning...”

In the northern regions, where beauty was a rarity, the sudden appearance of such an enchanting woman sent the fortress into a frenzy. What shocked the soldiers even more was that Grand Duke Seolparam had ordered her entry without any formal verification.

"Fufu, this is amusing..."

Her appearance was a masterpiece, sculpted to stir the primal desires of humans. Just locking eyes with her caused an uncontrollable surge of longing, regardless of age or gender.

It was a different kind of allure from Ggotseorin’s [Body of Captivating Devotion], and far more dangerous. Ggotseorin’s charm could leave people lovesick to the point of death, but Twilight of August’s power went further—she enslaved others completely, bending them to her will.

"This feeling... it’s exquisite!"

How long had it been since she had walked so openly, showing her true form?

As an entity that technically didn’t possess a "physical body," for Twilight of August to manifest herself in human form required an immense expenditure of energy. Every gaze that landed on her drained mana at an astronomical rate, making it impossible to use this form in heavily populated areas.

But here, in the sparsely populated north, it was finally feasible.

More importantly, the Baekryeong Plateau Fortress was a key strategic location she intended to claim as her own. Showing herself openly here wasn’t a loss—it was a calculated move.

Once everyone here became her thrall, controlling the fortress would be simple.

As she strolled confidently through the main road, hundreds of soldiers emerged, lining up on both sides. They slammed their staffs into the ground in unison.

At the end of the corridor of soldiers stood Grand Duke Seolparam.

His ashen-gray hair and piercing blue eyes gave him a commanding presence. Despite his strong and upright demeanor, his gaze carried a deep, almost melancholic weight, as if burdened by countless worries. He was a man of the north—unyielding, yet weary.

“...You’ve arrived.”

Mindful of the soldiers watching, Seolparam didn’t bow or acknowledge her presence with anything more than a subtle nod. They had to appear as equals.

"Yes. This is a fine place," Twilight of August said, her tone light and teasing.

"I’m surprised to see you manifest directly."

"Is that so? From now on, I’ll be visiting more often."

Time was moving too quickly for her to remain in the shadows, manipulating events from afar. Before Return to Silver Moon could act, she needed to accelerate her plans.

"I see. You’re always welcome here. Please, this way."

"Thank you."

As Seolparam escorted her into the fortress, an irritated thought crossed her mind.

"Tch. If it weren’t for that damn curse from the Archmage, I’d be ruling over Skarven’s Golden Palace by now."

But there was no use lamenting the past.

She had endured for over a thousand years, and now, she had even managed to manifest physically, overcoming the curse’s grip.

The day was near.

Soon, she would stand proudly atop Aether World, fully realized in her power.

"Return to Silver Moon... Whatever schemes you’re plotting, I’ll take what I can gain and leave you to your games."

Following Seolparam deeper into the fortress, Twilight of August let out a faint scoff.

"Until then, do as you please."

There was no way she would let that detestable being have his way.

Meanwhile, thousands of meters above the fortress, in a place higher than the clouds, Return to Silver Moon gazed down—not at Twilight of August, but at something far beyond.

He didn’t even spare her a thought.

“It begins,” he murmured.

After confirming his objective, he vanished without a trace.

Twilight of August had no idea.

Her arrival here was already part of Return to Silver Moon’s plan.