I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy

Chapter 318 - Dusk Soil Moon (6)

Amid the blazing red and yellow flames, Hong Bi-Yeon’s silver hair whipped around as she incinerated an entire black wraith. With sheer destructive power rivaling that of a class 5 mage, her attack was unleashed in full force, leaving the wraith no chance of survival.  

"... Disgusting."  

As a mage highly sensitive to mana, she could perceive mana through her senses. While other, less attuned students might not notice, Hong Bi-Yeon could clearly smell the stench of the negative mana emanating from the wraiths, making her grimace in disgust.  

Thud! Boom!

Just as she had finished dealing with one, another giant wraith materialized out of the black mist in the air and crashed to the ground.  

“AAAAHHH!!”  

“Run for your lives!”  

Seeing the so-called ‘magic warrior cadets’ panic and flee made her sigh. A few students at least tried to stand their ground, gripping their staves with shaky hands, but their magic power was nowhere near enough to deal with a wraith.  

‘Even the smaller ones require firepower equivalent to at least class 5 magic…’

And the larger wraiths? They seemed impervious to anything less than tremendously powerful magic.  

Clutching her staff tightly, Hong Bi-Yeon rushed toward the students attempting to fight the wraiths. She felt as if her veins were about to burst from the strain of channeling her mana so explosively earlier, but she couldn’t simply stand by. If she left these fools alone, things would get far worse.  

“Move.”  

Her voice was low, almost a murmur, but it somehow rang clearly in the ears of the students fighting the wraiths.  

“W-wait a second!”  

“That crazy human girl—!”  

Whoosh!!

Before they could even react, Hong Bi-Yeon unleashed another torrent of flames, forcing the students to scatter as if to say, 

‘Get out of my way already.’

Screeeeech!!

“Ugh…!”  

Yet, despite being struck by her flames, the wraith only faltered momentarily, showing little sign of significant damage. The problem wasn’t just her inability to fully summon her mana—it was also the sheer size and resilience of the wraith.  

‘At least I bought some time.’

She had created enough of a window for the other students to escape. Now, it was time for her to make her own retreat.  

Just as she turned to run—  

Thud!  

Another giant began materializing right behind her.  

“Ugh!”  

The shockwave from its landing sent Hong Bi-Yeon flying backward, slamming her into a pillar. She coughed violently, nearly gagging.  

Thanks to the protective barrier she had cast on herself, she avoided any direct damage, but her head throbbed, and dizziness momentarily clouded her vision. 

‘Get a grip…!’

Forcing her eyes open, Hong Bi-Yeon focused on the scene ahead. The large wraith she had been fighting was now joined by a smaller one that had just landed and both charged toward her.  

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

With every step, the ground beneath them cracked and collapsed. Their massive frames moved at a speed that seemed impossible, resembling freight wagons barreling at full sprint. The sight sent a chill through her legs.  

‘Dodge. To the left.’

Instinct struck her like a hammer, and Hong Bi-Yeon threw herself to the left with all her strength. Suddenly, a massive tree shot up from the ground, its branches tangling around the wraiths’ ankles and sending them crashing to the ground.  

Roar!!

Unable to withstand the force of their own weight and momentum, the wraiths fell, collapsing the spot where Hong Bi-Yeon had been lying just moments ago.  

"This magic…"  

There were many mages at Astral Flower who specialized in manipulating trees, but only a handful could extend branches so quickly and use them effectively in combat.  

To Hong Bi-Yeon’s knowledge, Flame was the only student who could skillfully use tree magic in battle. However, this spell seemed too intense, too impersonal, to have come from her.  

"Glad you're safe. Let's move to a safer spot."  

Hearing a voice from behind her, Hong Bi-Yeon immediately recognized who it was.  

"... Jeliel."  

"Quickly, now."  

"Did you ever consider I wouldn’t need saving from those things?"  

Hong Bi-Yeon snapped irritably, but Jeliel indifferently replied.  

"I figured you'd dodge just fine."  

It sounded like she was expressing confidence in her abilities, but something about her tone was irritating. Perhaps it was their clashing personalities.  

Still, Jeliel had saved her, so Hong Bi-Yeon chose to let it go and hurriedly exited the classroom.  

"The nearby students are heading to the underground shelter. It should be safe there."  

"Where is the shelter, exactly?"  

"The connecting hallway collapsed, so it’ll take at least 30 more minutes of running. Assuming that the ground hasn’t collapsed in the meantime."  

"This academy is huge, and there’s no warp hall gate?"  

"This isn’t Stella. Even if we had one, it probably wouldn’t be functional right now."  

"The system here is a mess. There’s no proper disaster response plan. And where are the professors? What are they even doing right now?"  

"They’re probably fighting somewhere." 

As Hong Bi-Yeon conversed with Jeliel, she found herself experiencing a strange feeling. At first, she thought their personalities were similar, which had given her a slight sense of camaraderie. But now she realized that their personalities were entirely different.  

If she had to describe it, Hong Bi-Yeon’s personality was like a blazing, fiery flower, which always burned brightly, while Jeliel’s was like a quiet candle waiting to explode.  

"This way."  

Following Jeliel’s lead, they ran, only to find themselves at a dead end.  

"... Are you sure this is the right way?"  

"Yes. As of three months ago, there was a small path here. It looks like it’s been under construction."  

"What? And you’re just saying that now?"  

"Unfortunate. Let’s find another path."  

"Do you even know where you’re going?"  

"Well, not really. If you add up all the days I’ve actually attended academy this year, it’s less than three months."  

"My god."  

To think she’d trusted this woman to lead the way. While Hong Bi-Yeon acknowledged Jeliel’s magical prowess and quick thinking, it was becoming clear she had one glaring flaw.  

"This path has collapsed."  

"Looks like stairs were supposed to be built here, but they canceled it."  

"Not this way either. Let’s try another route."  

Jeliel, as it turned out, had a terrible sense of direction. Discovering this unexpected weakness left Hong Bi-Yeon unsure whether to laugh or cry.  

"Move aside. I’ll lead the way."  

With no other choice, Hong Bi-Yeon decided to take charge. Finding the way was simple enough. The structure of the buildings wasn’t overly complicated.  

Even though the signs were broken and the buildings had twisted and collapsed, making it hard for even local students to navigate, Hong Bi-Yeon visualized the layout of the academy in her mind. She mentally pieced together their current location and simulated possible paths.  

The process took barely three seconds.  

"Follow me."  

Hong Bi-Yeon sprinted ahead, pointing toward a blocked passage.  

"Clear a path with your tree magic."  

Jeliel responded by lightly waving her staff, causing trees to sprout and form a small bridge. As they crossed, the trees withered and disappeared behind them.  

"Can’t you keep it up so other students can use it too?"  

"That’s not possible. It would require continuous mana to maintain."  

For a moment, Hong Bi-Yeon thought of Flame, who could sustain her trees for an entire day, but she quickly dismissed the thought and focused on the task at hand. 

The path found by Hong Bi-Yeon seemed to be leading smoothly toward the underground shelter. However, as the collapsed and twisted paths delayed their progress, and as they widened their route to avoid fighting the wraiths, the number of wraiths surrounding them only grew.  

The wraiths were appearing faster than they could be defeated.  

"Be careful. There’s a wraith ahead."  

"... I see it."  

Bathed in sweat, Jeliel stared tensely at the massive wraith across the hallway.  

It was the largest one they had encountered so far. Its feet were planted on the first floor, yet its height reached the roof of the academy building.  

Hong Bi-Yeon peeled the strands of hair stuck to her sweaty face and caught her breath. She had expended too much mana and stamina just getting this far, leaving her unable to take on such a gigantic wraith.  

"This is bad..."  

"What is?"  

"That wraith is guarding the shelter."  

"What did you say?"  

Hong Bi-Yeon’s face turned pale at Jeliel’s words.  

The wraiths were drawn to life energy, attacking anything that moved. Yet, this one seemed uninterested and wandered idly near the shelter.  

‘Does that mean there’s no one left in the shelter?’

Boom! Crash!

Explosions echoed in the distance, causing the massive wraith to briefly glance toward the sound. However, it quickly returned to aimlessly circling the area near the shelter.  

"That’s the professors fighting."  

It seemed that the faculty had finally mobilized and were working together to eliminate the wraiths while making their way toward this location. But waiting for them to arrive would take too long.  

Students were hiding all over the area, and the wraiths were attacking as they sensed their presence.  

How many students had already been hurt or killed? And how many more would fall before this was over?  

"... We can’t wait any longer."  

"I know."  

Jeliel grimaced in frustration. She tried calculating every possible solution to the situation, but nothing seemed feasible.  

Screams echoed from all directions.

"AAAHH!"  

"Please save me!"  

"HELP!"  

It was the cries of students. They were discovered while hiding and now begging for their lives.  

Wraiths were closing in from all sides, tightening the net. 

If they stayed like this, they would only be surrounded and slaughtered by the wraiths.  

“Don’t tell me… Are you planning to fight the wraiths?”  

“It’s the only option.”  

“Your magic is far too flashy. It’ll definitely draw the attention of all the wraiths. If my calculations are correct, you’ll—”  

“I don’t need your calculations. I’m not planning to win on my own anyway.”  

“You can’t mean…”  

Jeliel took a step back, a trace of respect in her voice as she spoke.  

“You’re planning to sacrifice yourself? Incredible. I won’t stop you.”  

“... Could you cut the nonsense?”  

She had no intention of dying here. No careful calculations. No elaborate strategy.  

This was… A gamble.  

But one she could rely on with near certainty. A gamble with a 99% chance of success.  

Whoosh!

The flames conjured by Hong Bi-Yeon erupted, burning bright red as they shot through the ceiling of the academy.  

Jeliel’s face turned slightly pale as she asked cautiously, “If you release your flames here, then surely…”  

“It’ll draw attention.”  

All the wraiths circling the area would be drawn to the signal.  

And… Those people out there running around… they would see it too.  

“What’s your plan once you’ve drawn their attention?”  

“I don’t have a plan. That’s enough.”  

It was an act anyone would consider suicidal. Yet Hong Bi-Yeon’s expression showed no trace of fear, which only deepened Jeliel’s confusion.  

What on earth could she possibly trust in, to pull off such madness with such confidence and composure?  

To Jeliel, who had never once entrusted her back to anyone, this unfamiliar sense of reliance was almost impossible to comprehend.  

“Let it burn.”  

“What…?”  

BOOM!!

A massive flare exploded high into the sky, carrying its fiery message across the entire academy.  

It was more than just a signal. It was a call that resonated with meaning. It reached everyone on the campus. 

------

Hello everyone!

I’m beyond excited (and a little emotional) to share that we’ve reached an incredible milestone: 300 chapters of Flashing Genius! When I first started translating this novel, it was just me, my laptop, and a passion for this story. Back then, I never imagined that this book would receive so much attention. Now, here we are—thanks to your support and love!

Translating these chapters has been quite a journey. When I first picked up this project, I was still a full-time student juggling classwork, late-night study sessions, and translation all in one go. Many of times, I found myself hunched over my laptop, half-asleep, debating whether to finish my homework first or translate just one more chapter. 

Now, I’ve graduated (yay!) and can devote more time and energy. Along the way, your support through comments, encouragement, and even constructive criticism helped me refine the book. 

To celebrate this milestone, I’m setting a Kofi goal for 20 bonus chapters of Flashing Genius. Once we reach our target, I’ll release these bonus chapters. Every tip, pledge, or share makes a difference.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, supporting, and coming along for all 300 /zenith677/goal?g=0

Your Beloved TranslatorZenith