I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 322

Damgaltwoil’s power was commonly known as “absolute protection,” yet that only hinted at the broader abilities held by the Twelve Moons. They were beings of immense power and age, harboring personalities, dreams, and dislikes, much like humans, though few ever considered them in such terms.

The Twelve Moons were ancient, revered beings of overwhelming strength. For this reason, humans rarely thought to attribute to them emotions or a soul.

“...Am I really permitted to use this?”

Standing atop an altar larger than an Olympic stadium, Damgaltwoil hesitated in the center of a glowing magic circle, and Baek Yuseol contemplated his next move.

‘Is it really okay...?’

He wasn’t entirely sure. The Root of Life had been casually discarded by the Witch Queen, with no one knowing its proper use. Even Yeondurim Siohl, its supposed rightful owner in the game, had no idea of its function.

It wasn’t until a player happened to present the Root of Life to Damgaltwoil, unintentionally using it as a “favor item,” that its purpose was discovered.

“It’s fine.”

Truthfully, that background mattered little to Yuseol. Even if the Root of Life had another purpose, he was confident in his choice.

Damgaltwoil had been cursed since his birth, unable to create or touch any living being. Although he lived, he was denied the right to truly be “alive,” relegated only to watching life unfold from a distance.

Look at that radiant life.

So vibrant, so beautiful.

Though they lived only a short century or two, these creatures continuously moved and built their world, fueled by life.

While the Twelve Moons, with their endless lifespans, quietly dwelled on the fringes of the world, humans covered the entire continent of Aether with their marks—thousands of years of history, tales of peace and war, scientific advancements, and thriving civilizations.

And all Damgaltwoil could do, buried in an endless drought beneath the earth, was to admire their luminous souls from afar... enduring a thousand years of envy.

As the February Moon of the Twelve, bound in cold earth, he deserved to witness a flower bloom.

The sacred relic of Yeondurim Siohl—the Root of Life—was the most fitting gift for him.

“...I will begin.”

“Yes.”

Baek Yuseol stepped back as Damgaltwoil firmly planted the Root of Life into the ground.

*Fwoooosh!*

Waves of green energy surged outward, whipping Yuseol’s hair into a wild frenzy. He grimaced and steadied himself, feeling the intense surge of life force.

‘This... is dangerous.’

With no mana within his body, Yuseol could easily suffer mana poisoning from such a high concentration of life force.

Either unaware of Yuseol’s predicament or unbothered by it, Damgaltwoil activated the Root of Life completely, embedding it deep into the ground.

‘W-wait...!’

Yuseol tried to shout, but it was too late.

Silence.

For an instant, it felt as though the world had gone utterly quiet. In that moment, an enormous wave appeared in front of Yuseol.

Towering as high as a skyscraper, it was a massive wave of green life mana, shaped like a tidal surge. If that hit him, he would not survive. It was uncertain whether one could die from an overdose of life energy, but he was sure his body wouldn’t emerge unscathed.

[Yeondurim Siohl’s energy seeps into your body!]

“Urgh...!"

Swept up by the wave, Yuseol could no longer hold out, succumbing to the turbulent mana and the encroaching darkness.

The last thing he saw was...

[Bronze Moon’s blessing...!]

[Scarlet Spring’s protection...!]

[Silver Radiance...!]

A mixture of silver, scarlet, and blue light enveloped his body as he lost consciousness.

---

In the underground shelter beneath the Starlight Tree, things weren’t quite like a conventional shelter. Built by the finest magic academy, it was protected by an intricate barrier and restricted access, allowing only those authorized to enter.

“Argh!”

As Flame dove through the green barrier, a stream of students followed behind her, now numbering over a hundred—all trailing her lead.

“Pant... phew...”

Catching her breath, Flame leaned back against a pillar, only to find a silver-haired girl seated beside her, trying hard to hide her fatigue with a noble air. Seeing her struggle amused Flame, even amidst her exhaustion.

“Ha... hey, princess.”

Hong Biyeon, keeping her composure as the other students lay sprawled on the floor, pulled her hair back with a graceful tilt of her head, but didn’t respond. To Flame, who knew she was just as tired, the act was amusing.

"Why don’t you lie down like everyone else?”

Hong Biyeon turned away, ignoring her.

“Suit yourself,” Flame chuckled, glancing outside the barrier.

Dozens of wraiths were gathered, hammering against the barrier. The sight of the towering giants made her shudder. Reaching this place felt nothing short of miraculous.

"Because of your reckless move, we nearly got killed, you know. But, you should be thankful. I saved you from dying alone out there."

This time, there was no reply. She hadn’t expected one anyway; she just felt compelled to say something. Then, unexpectedly—

“...Thanks.”

“Huh?”

Hong Biyeon had actually replied.

“What did you say? I must have misheard. Say it again. I want to hear it.”

“Shut up. You’re too loud.”

Wiping the sweat from her brow with a handkerchief, Hong Biyeon stood up and moved to a different spot.

"Heh..."

Flame could guess why she’d moved away.

“Too embarrassed to stay, huh?”

Turning the other way, Flame saw Angel collapsed on the ground, panting. Her messy sky-blue hair glistened with sweat, almost like winter frost.

"Hey."

“Ngh...”

"Your belly’s showing."

Angel didn’t even flinch, too exhausted to care.

*Slam! Boom!*

With a sigh, Flame covered her exposed stomach. Just then, a loud noise sounded outside. A giant tree trunk crashed down, and a brilliant green light burst into the sky—a dazzling display of elven magic.

"The professors are here!"

“We’re saved...!”

“Thank goodness... I thought we were goners...”

As the students fled, both elves and humans fought side by side to clear the path. Flame had saved anyone in danger, whether an isolated elf or human student.

By the end, even elven students were running to help humans they saw stranded, and vice versa.

Just yesterday, they’d been separate, watching each other from across the room. Now, collapsed together, they were mingling, relying on each other to survive.

Seeing an elf and a human resting with their backs against each other, Flame mused, ‘At least it seems like a happy ending...’

Then, an eerie feeling crept over her.

‘A happy ending...?’

Who said that?

When she thought about it, Flame realized she knew nothing about the current situation.

Why had the giant wraiths appeared? Was it even possible to defeat them? No matter how many they took down, they kept coming.

*Thoom...!*

A deep rumble shook the ground, and Flame’s expression tightened.

‘This is... strange.’

The tremors grew stronger and closer, as if the earthquake’s epicenter was moving toward them.

"Don’t tell me...!"

"F-Flame...?”

Flame leaped to her feet, and as the professors’ magic struck down the remaining wraiths outside, she bolted out of the barrier.

“Student! It’s dangerous outside! Get back in here!”

A professor shouted after her, but she ignored them, racing upward.

A surviving wraith swung at her, but an ice spike speared through its chest, shattering it.

Looking back, she saw Angel, staff raised, casting spells to cover her.

“Angel! Summon an ice pillar to the top of the school! As high as you can!”

“N-Now?”

Angel’s face was pale, but there was no time to hesitate.

“Hurry!”

“O-Okay!”

Swirling her staff embedded with blue crystal, Angel cast the spell, and a towering ice pillar rose from the rooftop of Starlight Tree Academy.

Using the momentum from the spell, Flame climbed the pillar, reinforcing it with plants to keep it stable.

Follow current novℯls on ƒгeewёbnovel.com.

The ice pillar finally stopped growing, and from her vantage point at its peak, Flame saw it.

“...Ah.”

A figure the color of earth.

Its head pierced the clouds, its body covered half the horizon.

“Unbelievable...”

Only now did Flame realize the true cause of this disaster. She dropped her staff in shock.

“What... what is that?!”

“A giant... a giant!”

“Ahhhhh!”

The figure was so colossal that even the professors and students watching from below began to scream in terror.

*Boom! Thoom!*

With each step, the giant drew closer. If it reached the World Tree, what would happen?

Even someone without much imagination could easily foresee the result.

“We... we’re going to die...”

Some fell to their knees, others screamed and ran from the barrier, and a few faint-hearted students collapsed on the spot.

Flame closed her eyes.

There was no way to oppose a being that exceeded the bounds of human imagination.

And yet... why?

Why didn’t she feel as though they were about to die? Amid this advancing despair, why did she feel an odd glimmer of hope?

She already knew.

“W-What’s going

on?”

“What’s happening...?”

“The giant...!”

Voices echoed from below, and Flame opened her eyes.

The enormous brown giant, its hand outstretched toward the World Tree, was frozen mid-motion, like a toy with dead batteries.

Staring at the immobilized giant, Flame couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“Seriously, what kind of stunt are you pulling this time... scaring everyone...”

This time, she was determined to get a full explanation.