I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 495

When Baek Yu-Seol fell into an unfamiliar dimension, there was always one thing he checked first:

"How vast is this world?"

It didn’t take long to figure out.

Beyond the outskirts of the forest he stood in lay a vast, empty void.

“This is... unnerving,” he muttered as he stared at the edge of the forest, where the boundary of the world shimmered strangely. It wasn’t black or gray but seemed to ripple with an inexplicable, otherworldly texture.

Time, space, light, darkness—nothing seemed to exist in that void.

"So, this space exists solely to house the forest..."

Baek Yu-Seol was familiar with such environments.

It reminded ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) him of the Persona Gates—a mysterious and chaotic realm frequently studied at Stella Academy.

“But a gate hasn’t opened here... Wait, hold on.”

He pulled out the shard of the Otherworld, now transformed into a miniature globe of Aether World, glowing with vibrant green and blue hues. Gazing at it, he formed a hypothesis.

Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.

"Could this shard have functioned as a gate to the Otherworld?"

It wasn’t certain, but no other explanation seemed plausible.

The shard of the Otherworld had every characteristic required to act as a gate.

But why?

Why now?

Why had the shard pulled him into this place?

After pondering for a moment, Baek Yu-Seol turned back toward the forest. If he wanted answers, he would have to see, hear, and touch for himself.

Step.

The forest was silent. Only the sound of his footsteps on the soil echoed in the otherwise lifeless world.

Rustle...

Occasionally, a breeze stirred the leaves, but there was no sign of life.

"Wasn’t this supposed to be a corrupted forest?"

Leaping lightly, Baek Yu-Seol climbed onto a tall tree nearby.

When he, Jelliel, and Althericia had reached the forest's edge earlier, it had been a grim, blackened wasteland. Now, the area before him shone unnaturally bright, almost dazzling in its pristine whiteness.

Just then, the data window of his hawk glasses appeared before him.

[Corrupted Twelfth World Tree, the Abandoned Forest]

[Unlike other World Trees, the Twelfth was known for its unique brilliance and beauty. The elves of this forest, called ‘White Elves’ due to their pale skin, primarily relied on its fruit for sustenance...]

[...However, the opening of a colossal Persona Gate caused the once-pristine forest to turn pitch black, and the White Elves vanished entirely.]

[Source: Starlight Wiki]

“...Starlight Wiki?”

Baek Yu-Seol's expression turned peculiar.

Back on Earth, the world’s largest encyclopedia was known as Rock Wiki. Starlight Wiki, on the other hand, was a much smaller site exclusively used by Aether World players. Its content often changed since it was written and edited by players themselves.

He was curious who had written this entry and when it was last updated, but he quickly pushed the thought aside.

It didn’t matter.

“So, the forest was originally white... Does that mean this is an echo of the past?”

Slowly, Baek Yu-Seol raised his head.

Towering above him, piercing through the clouds, was the dazzling white World Tree. Its brilliance seemed to beckon him.

At that moment, he froze.

A shadow.

The faint image of a person.

But it wasn’t an ordinary person.

"What the...?"

It was a boy with black hair wearing Stella’s uniform, his coat tails fluttering behind him. He clutched a staff tightly in one hand as he walked forward.

Baek Yu-Seol instinctively understood what he was seeing.

It was an afterimage of himself.

More specifically... the afterimage of a version of him who hadn’t hesitated just a second ago.

In a daze, Baek Yu-Seol followed the afterimage—himself from one second earlier. As he walked, the afterimage gradually dissolved, replaced by others.

One afterimage veered left. Another went right. Yet another marched straight ahead.

Then, they split further, branching into three, five, ten...

Soon, 67 different versions of Baek Yu-Seol were scattered throughout the forest, each wandering aimlessly.

However, they didn’t seem aware of one another.

In this world, only one person could perceive them: the real Baek Yu-Seol, holding the shard of the Otherworld.

"What’s happening...?"

As though entranced, Baek Yu-Seol continued to follow the afterimage that headed straight for the World Tree. It was not only the fastest path to his destination but also strangely familiar.

Then, suddenly—

Crunch!

A branch moved and pierced the heart of one of the afterimages. The figure collapsed without a sound, disappearing instantly.

The blackened branch, unlike anything native to this world, dissolved into nothingness along with the afterimage it had killed.

“This...”

Even as he watched himself die, Baek Yu-Seol merely bit his lip. He didn’t lose his composure.

He understood the situation immediately.

"I see... This is a trace of where I’ve died in the game world."

Such experiences were no longer new to him. He was familiar with the lives and deaths of his alternate selves across other dimensions.

And yet—

"Urk!"

Baek Yu-Seol clutched his chest as the pain radiated from his heart, forcing him to his knees. At the same time, memories flooded in.

The vivid recollection of the exact moment when the forest branch pierced his chest.

"W-why am I... remembering this?"

But that wasn’t all.

Crunch! Slash! Thud!

Horrific sounds of slaughter echoed from all directions. Along with them, countless memories of death surged into his mind.

"Urgh..."

As the memories of dying overwhelmed him, Baek Yu-Seol gritted his teeth and took deep breaths. Without the blessing of the Spring Dawn, he might have collapsed under the sheer agony.

“Hngh... Hah...”

In total, he experienced 66 deaths.

Those deaths belonged to the version of Baek Yu-Seol in the game who had challenged the notoriously difficult [Abandoned Twelfth World Tree’s Forest] alone, only to meet his end repeatedly.

During those times, the players who could clear such content solo were celebrated as “skill gods.” Baek Yu-Seol, seeking recognition, had taken on the challenge and learned just how bitter failure could taste.

At the time, countless thoughts had crossed his mind.

“If only I had shield magic... If only I had a better way to attack this forest...”

Watching other players clear the forest more easily and efficiently, he had considered abandoning the character entirely. But in the end, he persevered, finally succeeding, and received the admiration of many players.

"Wow, to think he could manage that with such a useless build!"

That was all it amounted to.

For the sake of such hollow praise, he had stepped into this forest—where there were no significant rewards—and faced 66 deaths.

"All because of useless pride and a need to show off... How many versions of me died because of that?"

His hands trembled as he gripped his chest, lifting his head.

Cold sweat drenched his shirt, clinging to him as beads of perspiration trickled down his face. Through his blurred vision, he caught sight of the one remaining Baek Yu-Seol—the only version of himself that had survived—walking toward the World Tree.

Forcing himself to his feet, he began following that afterimage.

Whoosh!

The afterimage flickered, and the world inverted once again.

Rumble!

Crash!

The sounds of burning, falling trees, and the mechanical roars of bulldozers surrounded him.

Though he quickly realized he had returned to the original world, Baek Yu-Seol didn’t turn back.

—"Oh, it’s Baek Yu-Seol!"

—"We were so startled when you suddenly disappeared..."

Voices from the Twelve Moons reached him, including Twilightis and the Autumn Crescent. Yet, Baek Yu-Seol paid them no mind.

For now, he needed to focus on the memories.

Memories crafted through the countless deaths of his other selves.

Swish!

A blackened tree root moved faster than the speed of sound, aiming for Baek Yu-Seol’s neck. He didn’t even need to swing his sword.

With just a subtle tilt of his head, the root sliced harmlessly through empty air.

Dozens of roots sprang from the ground, attempting to ensnare his ankles. Yet by sheer coincidence, they collided with other branches mid-flight and neutralized one another. A massive tree trunk fell from above, but pausing his step for a single second allowed him to evade it effortlessly.

This wasn’t the usual Baek Yu-Seol.

His usual combat style relied on rapid reflexes and calculated swordsmanship to dodge or parry attacks, as it was often his only option.

But here, in this forest, there was no need for such exertion.

The amassed memories of his other selves were guiding him, propelling him forward.

66 failures and one success.

Those experiences instilled equal parts fear and confidence, showing the real Baek Yu-Seol the precise path to take.

—"How is that even...!"

Even Silver August Moon gasped as he watched.

—"I don’t understand what’s going on at all..."

Dusky October Moon scratched his head in confusion. Beside him, Bronze December Moon crossed his arms and explained.

—"He’s accepted and understood the Otherworld."

—"Is that even possible? I don’t even know what the Otherworld is..."

Lime April Moon added to the conversation.

—"It’s not something anyone can truly understand. For beings like us, bound to Aether, comprehending the Otherworld is impossible."

—"Is that so?"

—"Yes. However... for someone like him, unbound by Aether, there was always the faintest hope that he might achieve it."

Silver August Moon, Spring Dawn March, Bronze December Moon, and Gold July Moon nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, the bewildered Twilightis, Dusky October Moon, and Autumn Crescent scratched their heads awkwardly, clearly out of their depth.

—"So, what happens now?" Twilightis cautiously asked.

—"No one can say for sure," replied Silver August Moon. "We can only hope that now, with his newfound insight, Baek Yu-Seol continues down the right path."

At this moment, all the Twelve Moons could do was place their faith in the man who carried their spirits, praying that he wouldn’t lead the world to ruin.

Still, Silver August Moon frowned slightly, an uneasy feeling settling in his chest.

"It all seems too perfectly timed, as if someone deliberately orchestrated this revelation for him..."