Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 112

Chapter 112

29. Item Presentation (3)

Officially, it had been a week since Baek Yu-seol and Flame started dating.

The issue of the relationship between the two commoners, which was expected to die down quickly, surprisingly didn’t seem to fade away, and as a result, they had to be mindful of their behavior.

They had been thinking about dating (pretending to) places and seeking advice from others, but honestly, the best place for a teen couple to date was ‘the library.’

The library of Stella’s Fourth Main Tower was so grand in scale that it could rival any national library, and it even housed ancient magic books written by legendary mages, making it look like a magical book museum.

Students from many departments, including the main ‘Magic Combat Department’ of Stella Academy, as well as Alchemy, Economics, Politics, Practical Magic, and Magical Sociology, had access to this library, which was rich in reference materials, so it was always crowded.

Baek Yu-seol and Flame tried to sit in the most inconspicuous corner of the library, but they couldn’t stop passing students from glancing at them.
Th is w a s c o p i e d fr o m ki n g m tl. o rg

They were whispering to each other, close enough that only they could hear, when by chance, Hae Wonryang happened to see them.

He watched Flame softly smiling at Baek Yu-seol with a slightly gloomy face.

He knew.

She had been in love with Baek Yu-seol, and she was sincere enough to have agonized over it for days, always relying on him and opening her heart more to him.

Of course, he knew.
T h i s was co p i e d f r o m k in g m t l .o rg

But seeing them like that, his heart ached even more. It felt like he had lost his entire heart.

What could they be talking about to make her show such a bright face to him?

‘Why do you look so dead in the morning?’

‘I have someone I want to bury in the back mountain.’

‘Group project?’

How happy must they be to smile so freshly and lovingly?

‘Can we recycle humans?’

‘Of course.’

‘Are you serious?’

‘Go ahead. I’m not the one getting caught.’

…Coincidentally, since he was watching from a considerable distance, Hae Wonryang couldn’t hear their conversation and ended up misunderstanding.

Of course, they were whispering so softly that others also thought they were just a fresh new couple on a study date, so he wasn’t the only one who misunderstood.

T h i s w a s co p ie d f r o m kin g mt l .o r g
Hae Wonryang quietly left the library. He didn’t feel jealous or inferior. After the previous incident, his mental strength had grown, and he came to think that negative emotions were for losers.

Still, it was inevitable to feel a bit of heartache and bitterness.

On one hand, it was also a relief. He had always had such thoughts while being close to Flame.

‘Maybe one day she will look back at me.’

‘Maybe she has some feelings for me.’

‘If we stay close like this, maybe one day I can win her heart.’

But, in the end, false hope only became a disease that gnawed at his heart.

So now that Flame had completely left… perhaps he could let go of all his regrets.

S-Class Exclusive Training Room.

‘Personal Magic Control Practice Room’

This small 20-pyeong space was Stella’s latest practice room where one could freely test magic.

Hae Wonryang sat on the floor, placing the staff on his knees, and took a deep breath. Each time he exhaled, the tiny amount of mana seeped into the air.

His mana control was astonishingly precise, with no waste, difficult to believe coming from a 3rd Class mage.

As he pointed his hand at the air, magic began to bloom like a flower. The casting was so quiet and delicate that there was no trace of mana movement.

Hae Wonryang immersed himself in magic. Previously, when he was eroded by dark mana, he burned his feelings of loss with jealousy and inferiority.

But the current Hae Wonryang channeled all those emotions into concentrating on magic.

When he focused on magic, he didn’t think about anything else.

Isn’t it fascinating?

The five elements that make up this world move according to my will.

What could be more exciting?

When he plunged into the world of mana, he forgot all the worries and concerns of the world.

Magic was the meaning of life, the driving force, and the reason for living.

‘Just a little more, just a little more…

His desperate attempt to forget the painful and bitter feelings became a surprisingly powerful motive, throwing Hae Wonryang’s consciousness into the sea of mana.

‘Ugh…!’

A strange sense of another mana thread connecting to the heart, the source of mana.

T h i s w a s co p i e d f r o m k i ng mt l . o rg
Hae Wonryang closed his eyes tightly.

It wasn’t unfamiliar. He had experienced it several times before.

It was… the ‘Path of Mana’ leading to the 4th Class.

* * *

The reason I had been going to the library frequently these days was simply to prepare for the presentation.

‘Item Presentation’

Although Alterisha’s faction had excellent experts to consult, Alterisha insisted on asking me, ‘What do you think?’

I appreciated her seeking my opinion on even the smallest details, but honestly, I wasn’t very knowledgeable in this area either.

No matter how great my Bulbul Glasses were, they couldn’t write or revise the presentation script for me.

So, this time, I had to move purely based on my own experience. Though I had some presentation experience in both my past and present lives, I never thought I was particularly good at it.

However, I did remember a few famous figures related to presentations. One impressive person was the CEO of the ‘Half-Eaten Apple’ company.

His presentations were not flashy, but they had explosive impact and effectively engaged the audience, delivering key points in a friendly and easy-to-understand manner.

Of course, this presentation style might feel a bit unfamiliar in Aether World.

When new magic or technology was developed in Aether World, they usually displayed a very complex and ornate magic circle and bombarded the audience with technical jargon.

This wasn’t wrong.

In fact, in Aether World, it was considered the most standard presentation method, known to have been started by Eltemon Eltrine.

But alchemy is a bit different.

Th i s w a s c opie d fro m ki ngm tl .o r g
While magic is familiar to everyone, alchemy and magical engineering are not, and even when explained, most people don’t understand it.

So I thought it would be better to express how great and revolutionary the technology is rather than just flaunting the technical prowess.

– If you present it like this, the stakeholders will fall asleep!

– They might leave out of boredom.

– This is definitely wrong.

Of course, the experts in Alterisha’s faction strongly opposed it, but what could they do?

– I like your idea. I’ll talk to Dr. Hwarseok Koden about it.

T h i s w a s c o p ie d f r o m k i ng m t l . o rg
Alterisha completely respected my opinion.

If they were unhappy, they could co-author.

Since I was the one suggesting this approach, I couldn’t simply pass the responsibility by saying ‘Let’s just do it simply and coolly,’ so I was systematically planning the presentation by referring to relevant books.

It was nearing the final stage, and now all that was left was to wait for the presentation day.

[Alchemy Castle: Golden Alchemic Show]

[Alterisha’s faction to fully unveil ‘Items’]

The media was already buzzing about Alterisha’s presentation.

Although I was only living within the school, so I didn’t feel it, I knew from the original game that when Alterisha showcased new technology by copying Dark Mage’s technology, royalty and great nobles would attend, making the response quite overwhelming.

It might be similar to the excitement gamers feel when a long-awaited game sequel is released.

“Ugh… I’m tired.”
T hi s w as c o pi e d f r o m k i ng m t l . o rg

Stretching after roughly finishing my review, I noticed it was already dark outside. Evening had deepened. I had already sent Flame back, and the students had finished studying and returned to their dormitories, leaving the library empty.

At 2:48 AM, even the librarian was dozing off. As I was about to head back to the dormitory, I noticed someone still at their seat.

‘What? It’s Hong Bi-yeon.’

She had tied her hair, which glowed softly like the moonlight streaming through the library window, into a ponytail and was diligently writing something.

Studying could easily be done in the dormitory or the study room. Coming to the library and staying late must mean she needed extensive resources that couldn’t be covered by her textbooks.

‘Does Hong Bi-yeon have a reason for this?’

As far as I knew, she studied solely for school grades.

Though rare, there were occasionally such types in real life too. They study exceptionally well and attend prestigious universities but lack common sense and seem foolish.

It seemed odd for her to study late in the library, so I approached her.

“Hey.”

Startled, as if she didn’t expect anyone to speak to her, Hong Bi-yeon stiffened her shoulders like a cat and widened her eyes.
T hi s wa s co p ied fr o m k i n gmt l . o r g

Then, making eye contact with me, she coughed awkwardly.

“…What is it, commoner?”

“I was just curious what you were doing studying this late.”

Glancing at the notebook she was writing in, I saw a complex magic circle intertwined here and there with jumbled explanations written around it.

It wasn’t organized, and the purpose wasn’t clear, but I could immediately sense it.

‘No way…

In the Aslan Seminar episode, there were rare instances where ‘Villain Hong Bi-yeon’ self-destructed without the player doing anything.

Though the cause was unknown, it was said that this episode occurred with a very low probability if ‘Hong Si-hwa Adolevit,’ known to be antagonistic with ‘Villain Hong Bi-yeon,’ happened to encounter the player.

From the player’s perspective, experiencing that episode was like hitting a jackpot, as they could get rid of a villain without any effort.

But reality is different.

In reality, Hong Bi-yeon is not a villain.
T h i s w a s c op i ed f r o m k in g m t l .o r g

Even without knowing the ‘Villain Hong Bi-yeon Self-Destruction Episode,’ I could instinctively understand why she self-destructed at the Aslan Seminar.

Why else would Hong Bi-yeon be holding onto a messy thesis until this hour?

“Just organizing my thesis…”

Hong Bi-yeon’s expression as she said that looked as if she was barely alive, which wasn’t pleasant to see. It seemed like everything had tangled up badly.

Life, relationships, thesis.

T h i s w a s c op i e d fr om k in g m t l . o r g
Everything.

“Is there anything you’re stuck on? Do you need help?”

I offered, not wanting her to fail either, but Hong Bi-yeon hesitated, stared at me for a long time, then slightly turned away and shook her head.

“…No. This is something I have to solve on my own. Thanks, but no thanks.”

Hmm.

When she puts it that way, it becomes awkward to help. It would be strange to give tips unsolicited, saying, ‘Hey, this is this, and fix it like this,’ when she said she doesn’t need help.

Sure, I could have helped like with Alterisha.

But I also had to consider their differences in personality and situation.

Back then, Alterisha had no ability to solve the Random Aeration Cross Formula on her own, so I had no choice but to help her forcibly.

Fortunately, Alterisha had entirely low self-esteem and pride, so she tended to rely on anyone. I could wedge into that mental gap and manage not to incur resentment.

But Hong Bi-yeon is different.

Though her self-esteem is low, her pride is quite high. If the few tips I gave turned out much better than her achievements so far… her mentality might completely collapse.

‘Darn, should I come back later when the timing is right?’

I skimmed through her thesis. Sensing my gaze, Hong Bi-yeon quietly asked.

“…Why do you look like that? Is it bad even to you?”

“Uh? No, it’s just, a bit…

Honestly speaking.

Without my Bulbul Glasses, I couldn’t understand a thing.

I thought it was some alien language.

It was awkward to put on the glasses and read thoroughly now, so I blurted out something vague.

“Whatever it is, it looks really complex. Isn’t this your style?”

“…This is my style.”

“Really? I didn’t know. I thought you used more explosive and flashy magic.”

“Ridiculous. Even explosive and flashy magic requires complex calculations and numerous combinations of magic circles and…”

About to dismiss my words, Hong Bi-yeon suddenly paused, looked at her notebook with a blank gaze, then looked back up at me, blinking her ruby-like eyes.

…Then, abruptly.

Tear! Fwoosh!

She ripped and burned the notebook she had stayed up nights writing.

“What, what madness is this?”

I jumped back in shock, and she replied with a visibly relieved expression.

“Thank you, commoner.”

“No, for what?”

But Hong Bi-yeon didn’t answer, packed her bag, and dashed out of the library. Left alone, I was simply dumbfounded.

Could the saying among Korean high school students that excessive studying might drive you crazy be true…?

End of Chapter