Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 172

Chapter 172

The 7th Main Tower (3)

The sub-event in Malentires progressed rapidly. Following the predetermined future, Poongryujin reached the final destination quickly.

Finally, he learned the whole truth.

“Ahh, Ryujin…”

Watching the woman who had collapsed and was shedding tears, Poongryujin looked at his own hands.

Through his semi-transparent hands, he saw the pattern engraved on the floor. For some reason, his reflection didn’t appear in the mirror.

“Ah…”

Only then did his memories return.

The fact that he was dead.

The reason he died and the existence of the woman he loved, who was now sitting in front of him, crying.

He remembered everything.

“I… was already dead…”

Even in death, unable to find peace, Poongryujin wandered to protect his beloved, hunting ghosts. He finally realized that he was the cause of all these incidents.

I approached the woman and whispered quietly.

“Go, give him a hug.”

“Ah…”

Despite her tears, she stood up and approached the ghostly Poongryujin.

Then, they embraced warmly, exchanging words of love. As time passed, Poongryujin’s body became more transparent, and the moment the woman confessed, “I loved you,” he found peace and disappeared into the light.

“Ah…”

And so, the story ended.

Leaving the sobbing woman behind, I stepped outside the mansion and leaned against the wall.

In Aether World, there are countless sub-events. Each event has a protagonist at its core, and the player helps resolve the incident by getting involved in the storyline.

However…

It is impossible to participate in all sub-events.

Even at this moment, incidents and accidents are happening all over the world. Players called these ‘events,’ but they were real stories of reality.

Experiencing it firsthand made me realize even more how insignificant my influence on this world was.

I thought the stories of the protagonists at Stella Academy were the most important, but outside the small boundary of that school, there were countless twinkling stories like stars.

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“Sigh…”
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n gm t l . org

I picked up Poongryujin’s pipe.

A drop of water fell onto it.

Plop! Plop!

Shhh…

Suddenly, rain began to pour.

It wasn’t unusual for it to rain in summer, but the timing felt so peculiar.

Come to think of it, did it also rain after the event ended in the game?

I didn’t bring an umbrella. Unlike other mages, I couldn’t create a mana shield, so I had no choice but to get soaked in the rain.

I put on the Stella coat modified with Alterisha’s technology, which provided some waterproofing.

I walked through the streets of Malentires one last time.

With the powerful aura of Poongryujin, the vengeful spirit, gone, the village’s atmosphere felt much clearer despite the overcast weather.

Ah, right.

The final line of this event was something like this.

[As the woman shed her tears, the sky cried with her. The rain did not stop that night.]

I fiddled with the wet pipe. Poongryujin kept telling me.

He said he would retire after this.
T h i s wa s c opi ed f r om k i n g m t l . o r g

Settle in a small cabin in a remote area and spend his remaining days farming.

I didn’t respond.

Because I knew it was an unachievable dream.

In the end, he was fated to leave, leaving only this pipe behind.

…And this pipe, the Amulet of the Vengeful Spirit, was a great help in the episode [Dark Mana Erosion].

If the Resentful Branch I used against Maizen Tiren was useful offensively in boss battles, the Amulet of the Vengeful Spirit was extremely helpful for survival throughout the entire episode.

‘The best scenario is not having to use this…’

Anyway, having an insurance policy is reassuring.

Next, I need to go to the ‘villa’ that Poongryujin always mentioned, clear the hidden dungeon buried in the ruins, and return to Stella.

The dungeon had no monsters, only quizzes and traps to clear, and with a strategy guide, the difficulty would be very low.

“…Shall we go?”

Crossing the deserted, rainy street, I stepped quickly.

* * *

Talking to a mirror isn’t a pleasant feeling. It’s eerie, evoking an atmosphere of madness.

But for Dark Mages, talking to mirrors wasn’t unusual or strange.

The world inside the mirror was a complete reversal of reality.

Right is left.

Left is right.

A world entirely opposite.

So for Dark Mages, mirrors were gateways to the ‘Other World.’

In a dark, empty hall.

In this vast hall where there was nothing and no one, there was only a full-length mirror.

Professor Laydin spoke to the mirror.

“…The child of the stars is on their way now.”

Laydin’s reflection didn’t appear in the mirror. Of course, because it was a world different from reality.

The mirror didn’t respond immediately but eventually spoke to Laydin.

-You are… a useful errand boy.

“Is that so.”

-Yes. You sent the child of the stars and another descendant of the Twelve Disciples…

The voice’s owner sounded pleased.

“What do you plan to do with the child?”

-I will devour them.

It was an obvious statement.

-But, I will fail.

For the first time, the voice’s owner said something negative.

-I am but a fragment of a shattered soul. I can’t absorb the child of the stars…

A shattered soul.

Such a sorrowful term.

“Then why are you making such a choice?”

-By absorbing part of the child, I can suppress them enough to prevent them from awakening their ‘past life’ abilities…

The voice fell silent.

It seemed to be deep in thought.

* *So, you plan to die.”

-…I will be extinguished here, but the true ‘me’ remains, bearing the name of the king.

“Indeed.”

-That is enough.

Professor Laydin closed his eyes.

The being inside the mirror couldn’t even maintain its form and had no memories of its life.

It was a mere imitation, a fragment of someone’s soul.

Yet, its strong will from its previous life remained, continuing steadfastly for over half a century.

It spoke unwaveringly.

-Remember. Constellatio does not wish for the world to end.

“…Yes. I understand.”

-To correct the mistake of the Progenitor Mage, this is an unavoidable choice…

The conversation ended there.

The presence in the mirror disappeared entirely. Now, only Professor Laydin stood with a troubled expression, staring at the mirror.

He looked at the mirror for a long time before turning and leaving the hall.
T h i s w a s c o pi e d fr om k i n g m t l. o r g

And shortly after…

…Crash!!

The mirror shattered into pieces on its own, scattering into powder.

It would never reflect anything again.

* * *

“Should we go this way?”

“No, this way.”

“I think it’s in the opposite direction.”

People often use the term ‘possessed by a ghost.’ But how many who use that term have actually been possessed?

Even geniuses like Flame and Aiselle, or even Anella, who lived as a Dark Mage, had never been possessed by a ghost.

Therefore, while following the ghost story, no one knew exactly where or how to go.

Whoosh…

A chilly wind brushed past their ears.

-Hehehe…

-Haha…

Children’s laughter echoed from somewhere like a reverberation.

Simultaneously, the girls stopped walking.

They didn’t say anything, but they clasped each other’s hands tightly and continued walking.

No matter how brave they were, ghosts were still frightening.

‘Cute…’

Jeremie, maintaining a distance of dozens of steps, felt a sense of longing as he watched Flame.

A longing born of possessiveness.

He knew the pleasure of ‘conquest.’ The thrill of acquiring what was unattainable or difficult to obtain.

It was a feeling that those who hadn’t experienced it could never understand.

Jeremie felt a sense of rivalry with Flame. Always rejecting him, he wondered how satisfying it would be to make her body and heart wholly his.

Having never experienced this situation before, Jeremie felt a strange excitement.

‘Hmm…’

But recently, a bothersome group had appeared at school. It wasn’t just Baek Yu-seol.

Jeremie was curious about Flame’s every move, wanting to know what she was doing at all times, so he had his underlings watch her from afar.

In doing so, he noticed something rather troubling.

Others, besides himself, were also watching Flame from a distance.

Those watching Flame included old janitors, research lab managers, and staff of various occupations and genders, making it impossible to identify a common thread.

However, he knew they didn’t look at Flame with kind eyes.

He didn’t like that.

To be honest, it made him uncomfortable.

The idea that others were targeting his chosen prey was ridiculous and infuriating.

Regardless of his feelings, Jeremie coldly analyzed the situation.

‘The reason they are watching Flame.’

Recently, she had been investigating ghost stories throughout the school. Could that be the reason?

No, many students were doing that.

Even the ‘Mystery Club,’ which had a considerable size at Stella, had been causing a fuss to uncover the ghost stories of the 7th Main Tower.

But…

Flame’s method of investigation was slightly different. She wasn’t just uncovering the ghost stories but also searching for the person who spread them.

Jeremie easily discovered this fact, so surely some professors would have noticed. They must have been annoyed by her backtracking.

‘Were they watching Flame because of that?’

There was no need to monitor her for such a reason. It would be a conspicuous action. Therefore, he had to think the opposite.
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They intended to use Flame, who was investigating them.

‘…They want to involve Flame in the ghost stories.’

That was Jeremie’s conclusion.

So, he secretly followed her out of the dormitory at dawn to this place. He wouldn’t entrust anyone else with protecting Flame.

He would handle this himself.

“…Huh?”

“What… is…”
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The girls walking ahead suddenly stopped. No one had noticed, but the surroundings had changed.

“Wait a minute. Are we really inside? For real?”

“Yes. From now on, it could be really dangerous, so let’s be careful.”

“I’ll take the lead.”

Jeremie quietly looked outside the window as the girls fussed.

A black moon cast its light over the world, and the sky glowed white.

It was late dawn just before they entered.

Not only that, but everything outside the window also had its colors completely reversed.

It was as if the world itself was trying to tell them that they were in another world.

‘…Beautiful.’

A reversed world. Jeremie found it aesthetically pleasing. If possible, he wanted to cut out this world and display it.

But more than that, the unsettling movements distracted him, preventing him from fully appreciating the scenery.

Whoosh—

The wall rippled, and the corridor shimmered.

The space itself moved slowly, like it had gained flexibility, pressing in on them.

Jeremie instinctively knew.

They were already within the enemy’s designed territory.

Any resistance would be meaningless.

But to protect Flame, he was willing to do anything.
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Whoosh.

From the floor, golden blades rose and spiraled around Jeremie’s body, protecting him.

The golden light slowly devoured the blackness covering the corridor walls.

Little by little.

It consumed the blackness.

‘…Weak.’
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It wasn’t enough yet.

Jeremie objectively assessed his own level. At best, he was a 4th-class mage. He was still far too weak compared to his ‘brothers.’

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But the reason he survived after killing all his brothers wasn’t due to his magical prowess.

‘Ruthlessness.’

No matter what stood before him, he could cut it down without hesitation.

Shadows flickered and rose before his eyes. They crept along the space, heading towards Flame and the girls.

Swish—!!

The golden blade cut through the air, splitting the shadow in half and causing it to crumble.

‘…Manageable.’

Jeremie drew more of his mana, summoning more golden blades and walls.

To win a girl’s heart, he had studied many things, and that led him to one realization.

‘Women fall for reliable men who can protect them.’

This was a common theme in most romantic books, so it must be true.

And Jeremie possessed the strength and power to protect someone. Today would be no different.

…Or so he thought.

Flash!

Suddenly, the world turned white. Jeremie instinctively closed his eyes, then quickly summoned a golden shield.

When he opened his eyes again… all the shadows had melted into powder.

The light still permeated the surroundings, and at its center stood a single girl, Flame.

She twirled her raised staff, then struck it against the floor with a thud.

“Is everyone okay?”

“Yes, yes…”
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“That was amazing…”

“Okay. You seem fine. Shall we continue?”

Flame glanced at where Jeremie stood to confirm his safety, then turned and led the way.

Watching her walk confidently, Jeremie felt a subtle emotion.

To think that a 1st-year student could use such magic to melt all those shadows… was it even possible?

No.

A fundamental question began to creep up.

‘Can I really protect her?’

It wasn’t because he was weak.

The girl was too strong… so she didn’t need protection.

“Huh…”

He burst into laughter for the first time in a while.

Someone might think it was because he was dumbfounded, but that wasn’t it.

He laughed because he was happy and delighted.

It was the first time he experienced such a strange feeling in his life.

‘Interesting, fun… and attractive.’

Flame, who always showed more than Jeremie imagined, was… the more he saw her, the more he wanted to possess her.

End of Chapter.