Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 143

Chapter 143

School Competition (1)

Sometimes, even the most trivial stories can make it into the news and become a topic of conversation.

[Girl Faints from Joy After Meeting Her Idol?]

[Stella Cadet Collapses While Getting an Autograph from Baek Yu-seol…]

The story of Anella fainting right after meeting Stella Academy’s famous young mage, Baek Yu-seol, is one such example.

There were quite a few paparazzi waiting at the cafe Baek Yu-seol frequented, and Anella was captured on camera fainting just as she handed him a piece of paper for his autograph.

Anella opened her eyes, squinting in response to the splitting headache. Then, the chatter of girls echoed softly around her.

“Hey, hey, Anella is awake.”

“Oh? Really?”

“Oh~ The princess has awoken.”

Slowly opening her eyes and turning her head, she recognized the girls sitting around her as somewhat familiar.

Then she remembered that she had infiltrated Stella Academy as an exchange student and activated ‘Resurrection of Nightmares’ on Baek Yu-seol…

“…Gasp!”

She quickly shot up, causing her head to throb painfully, but that was the least of her concerns.

“Wh-where am I…?”

“Whoa, you don’t have to get up so fast.”

“Yeah, you should rest a bit more.”

“Hehe, do you remember why you fainted?”

Her friends whispered mischievously, looking at her with sly and playful eyes.

“Wish granted, huh? Your knight in shining armor is waiting for you?”

“What…?”

At those words, Anella shivered and slowly turned her creaking neck. This was the infirmary. A pretty spacious one at that, and in the corner, Baek Yu-seol was sitting on a chair, reading a book.

Noticing she had woken up, he closed the book and looked over at her.

Anella felt an overwhelming sense of fear and helplessness emanate from him.

“I’m… I’m going to die….”

“So happy you’d die for it?”

“Baek Yu-seol is sweeter than I thought?”

“Yeah, he didn’t leave your side all day because you fainted because of him.”

“Wh-what…?”

By that time, Anella’s complexion had turned pale, but no one noticed.

He might look sweet to others, but to her, he was like a predator slowly tightening its grip on its prey’s throat.

When Baek Yu-seol stood up, the girls noisily fled the infirmary.

“Good luck!”

They even made a joking gesture of clenching their fists, but for once, Anella wanted to shout for them not to leave her alone.

“Clatter.”

Baek Yu-seol approached her bed and sat down on a chair, causing Anella to let out an involuntary high-pitched sound.

“…Anella di Polanche.”

“Y-yes…?”

“You’re from the Kingdom of Severun, currently attending Hanaleya Magic School, and have infiltrated Stella as an exchange student.”

“Yes…”

“And you’re a Dark Mage.”

Goosebumps covered her body.

What should she do?

Unlike other skilled Dark Mages, she couldn’t unseal her dark mana by herself. Also, her trait didn’t even work on him…

“…What, what is this.”

Moreover, she couldn’t feel any mana in her body. It was as if it had solidified.

She had never felt so powerless before. Actually, even if she had mana, could she have fought back against him?

“…”

As Anella trembled silently, Baek Yu-seol sighed.

He had intended to intimidate her.

But he hadn’t expected her to be this terrified.

‘Anella di Polanche…’

Infiltrating under her real name, not an alias, how bold.

Baek Yu-seol didn’t know much about her name, but his Bulbul Glasses did have records about ‘Anella.’

[An NPC that occasionally appears as an ally if you’re lucky.]

[Though initially an enemy, she can provide significant help if successfully influenced.]

Anella was a hidden NPC whose appearance depended on the player’s choices in ‘Aether World Online.’

Though the exact conditions for her appearance were unknown, it was noted that she appeared with a certain probability when the player gradually progressed with the character ‘Ma Yuseong.’

So, Anella infiltrated to monitor changes related to Ma Yuseong.

His Bulbul Glasses also confirmed this theory with the note: [Infiltrated Stella under the orders of Blackkingdon, the right-hand man of the Dark Mage King.]

Regardless of her circumstances, she had tried to destroy his mind by triggering his trauma, and he wasn’t going to let that slide.

“Anella.”

“…Yes?”

“Why did you try to kill me?”

Though he asked calmly, it was best to extract all the information he could.

As Baek Yu-seol asked nonchalantly, Anella swallowed hard.

“That’s…”

“If you don’t answer properly, I might really have to kill you here.”

“I don’t want to do that, so I’d appreciate it if you could tell me the truth.”

Anella, confused and hesitant, weighed her priorities.

Monitoring Ma Yuseong and eliminating Baek Yu-seol.

Having failed all her missions, going back now would mean certain death… or at the very least, a lowly life.

But she couldn’t betray them either. The seal on her dark mana bound her heart, and she couldn’t unseal it herself.

‘What should I do…?’

Betraying Blackkingdon meant living with a half-crippled body for the rest of her life.

“Speak.”

Faced with Baek Yu-seol, she decided that her immediate survival was more important and confessed everything.

She had infiltrated Stella under Blackkingdon’s order to kill him.

“As expected…”

Though she didn’t give all the details, it was enough for Baek Yu-seol to understand everything.

‘As expected, the Dark Mages are also concerned about my existence.’

That was the situation Baek Yu-seol most wanted to avoid. If the Dark Mage forces started moving in earnest, he couldn’t possibly fend them off with his frail body.

He had hoped to move quietly in the shadows, but somehow, he had become as famous as the main characters, making it impossible to escape their attention.

“…Enough about that.”

“Yes…”

He was more curious about her trait, ‘Resurrection of Nightmares.’

“I want to know about your ability, ‘Resurrection of Nightmares.'”

“My ability…?”

“Yeah. What exactly does it do? Showing me the traumas I experienced in the past, right?”

Nod, nod, nod.

That’s why Anella feared Baek Yu-seol. What kind of past did he have to have so many ‘deaths’ sleeping in his traumas?

The experience was so shocking that she couldn’t remember all the details but thought it might be the most horrific she had ever had.

At the same time, she had a thought.

Anella had always believed her life to be the most miserable, painful, and agonizing.

And she had a reason to think so.

By peeking into others’ traumas through her ability, ‘Resurrection of Nightmares,’ she could see who was more unfortunate.

However, until now, not a single person had a trauma that could truly affect her.

Other people’s traumas were just slightly painful and sad stories to her.

But after experiencing Baek Yu-seol’s past, she had to reconsider.

His traumas were… an unending series of pain so severe that her mind could hardly bear it.

Death, then death. Another death.

So, even while being threatened by Baek Yu-seol, she asked.

“Who… who exactly are you?”

But Baek Yu-seol didn’t answer. Instead, he looked into her eyes and stood up.

“I’ll let you go, so take care of yourself from now on.”

“…What?”

“Go back, if you can.”

“Th-that…”

Knowing she had lost all will to fight, it was pointless to threaten her further.

Besides, his Bulbul Glasses had already given the information [Harmless even if let go], and he knew Anella was inherently weak-hearted.

She had never killed or devoured a human properly, living off occasional blood to survive.

Her only somewhat useful ability, ‘Resurrection of Nightmares,’ made her work as an information agent, extracting information from others’ minds. So, even if she returned, she wouldn’t die immediately.

‘Whether she has the guts to abandon her mission to monitor Ma Yuseong and return… I don’t know.’

Thinking so, Baek Yu-seol left the infirmary.

‘Go back if you can?’

Left alone, Anella clutched her throbbing heart.

It sounded like, ‘Try to go back; you might really die.’

Trembling all over, Anella gulped.

She couldn’t leave Stella until she had completed all her education courses and received formal notice to return…

* * *

[Notice of Magic Survival Successful Applicants]

A few days later.

The evaluation results were announced.

As expected, none of the main characters who would be the stars of this sub-event participated.

It was an event where Ma Yuseong, Flame, Hong Bi-yeon, and Aiselle occasionally participated. Even Hae Wonryang and Jeremie occasionally took part.

But there was only one name on the list of first-year successful applicants.

T hi s w a s co p i ed f r o m ki n g m t l.o r g

Th i s w a s c o pie d f ro m k i n g m t l. org

[S-class Baek Yu-seol]

“Did you hear? This year, a first-year student is participating.”

“I know. It’s Baek Yu-seol.”

“He has an amazing win rate against seniors, even as a first-year.”

“Well, he has faced Dark Mages multiple times, so his practical experience is solid.”

Stories about Baek Yu-seol spread through the school. As the only first-year participant, his name shone even more.

For Baek Yu-seol, it was baffling.

The main characters hadn’t participated unexpectedly, so all the attention suddenly fell on him.

‘Should I call this a windfall…’

It didn’t feel good at all. Even the strongest contender, Ma Yuseong, had dropped out, making Stella’s victory almost impossible.

‘The reward for winning is quite useful in the next episode…’

It’s disappointing, but there’s no helping it.

I’ll just have to try without it.

Knowing full well that he couldn’t win with his current strength, Baek Yu-seol was forming a different plan.

“Uh, uh…”

As he was quietly looking at the class bulletin board, a small voice from beside him spoke up.

“What now.”

“Just wondering if there’s anything I can help with…”

It was Anella.

Her face was full of distress as she glanced nervously at Baek Yu-seol, looking quite pitiful, but he was just bewildered.

‘Didn’t I tell you to go back? What are you doing here?’

Or did the headquarters abandon her?

He had no intention of working with someone who had once threatened his life.

But he also didn’t want to directly kill Anella, who had become a Dark Mage due to her circumstances and had a weak spirit, so he had let her go.

She kept clinging, so he didn’t know what to do.

“Go back to the dormitory and do nothing.”

“Yes!”

Anella was about to head back to the dormitory, seemingly intending to hole up there.

“No, wait.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll allow you to hang out with your friends…”

“Yes!”

What a unique character. Well, in the original game, she was depicted as an obedient subordinate.
T h is wa s c op ie d f r om k i ngm t l .o r g

If I raise her favorability a bit more, she could provide significant information, or I could use her as a double agent on the Dark Mages’ side. Keeping her around might not be a bad idea.

“Baek Yu-seol.”

“…Huh?”

Wondering who it was this time, he looked over to find Hong Bi-yeon leaning against the wall, watching him.

She seemed quite displeased.

“Looks like you’re having fun.”

Her voice seemed to imply, ‘I’ve been struggling, and you’re having fun?’

‘What did I do wrong now.’

He wondered where she had disappeared to and why she appeared only now, but it was too awkward to ask.

“Who was that girl?”

“Huh? Oh…”

Something felt off.

He felt like if he didn’t give an explanation, there would be big trouble, so he hurriedly spoke.
T hi s wa s co p i e d f r o m k i ngm t l . org

“Just, a bread… shuttle…”

She didn’t seem to listen, just staring silently into Baek Yu-seol’s eyes.

T h i s w a s c o pied fro m k in g m tl. o r g
“Baek Yu-seol.”

Th i s w a s co p ied f r o m ki n g m t l . or g
“Yes… Speak.”

Something felt different. Though it wasn’t the first time he had talked to her, she seemed different from the Hong Bi-yeon he knew.

…She seemed more mature, closer.

‘What is this…?’

Did the future Hong Bi-yeon regress and take over her mind?

As he was having such wild thoughts, she approached him gracefully, lightly pushing his chest with her palm, making him lean against the wall.

Then, without saying a word.

She just… stared intently into his eyes, as if trying to read his thoughts.

He felt suffocated.

No matter how much of an adult Baek Yu-seol was, having the fairy-like and mysterious-looking Hong Bi-yeon so close was overwhelming.

‘Ugh.’

Eventually, Baek Yu-seol averted his gaze first, declaring defeat in their staring contest.
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k in g m t l . o r g

Hong Bi-yeon took two steps back and spoke in a low voice, as if driving a nail into his heart.

T hi s w as c o p i e d fr o m k i n gmt l. o r g
“Don’t even think about going anywhere alone.”

Then, bathed in the sunlight streaming into the corridor, she disappeared into the distance.

Th i s w as c o p ie d f r om k i n gmt l. o r g
“What the heck…”

He touched his chest, still warm from her touch, staring at the corridor where she had disappeared.

‘Why is everyone acting so strange lately…?’

T h i s wa s c o p i e d f r o m k in g m tl. o r g
The characters from the original story had changed so much that he felt like he knew less about them now than before.

End of Chapter