Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 294

Chapter 294

League of Spirit (7)

***

Time flew by, and the Stella Academy League of Spirit qualifiers began.

In truth, rather than having a single match in the spotlight as in other competitions, qualifiers involved three or four teams competing simultaneously to efficiently manage time.

Instead of a tournament, a point system was used, where teams with more points earned the right to participate in the national competition based on their ranking.

Only two to three teams were granted this privilege each year, making the competition fierce even within the school.

With 32 participating teams, most of which had received scientific training, every match promised to be exciting, and none could be easily overlooked.

[Red Team Victory!]

“Damn it, losing to guys who haven’t even played a proper game of League of Spirit…”

“This can’t be…”

Dejected students shuffled out of the arena, and Flame felt a pang of guilt.

Having assembled a team of four overpowered characters, they had effortlessly defeated teams of amateur trainees.

“Are you still doing that, mister?”

“Yeah. I told you not to destroy the enemy towers. I was trying to do something.”

“Geez. There’s no time for that. We need to finish when we can. We’re not experts; we’re even more novice than they are.”

Meanwhile, Baek Yu-seol was engrossed in combining items, seemingly researching a new item build even during the match.

It seemed he was having a lot of fun, experimenting even in the qualifiers.

And that was a relief.

‘What did Baek Yu-seol usually do?’

‘I don’t know. What did he do?’

‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen him study…’

‘Right. He’s always exercising. If you want to find him, just go to the physical training room or the training grounds.’

‘And when he’s not there, he’s nowhere to be found. I heard he goes out.’

‘Where does he go all the time?’

‘Ah, maybe he’s out enjoying his hobbies?’

Out enjoying his hobbies.

That’s unlikely.

All of his outings were essential to the world. He almost never went out for personal gain.

Yes, Baek Yu-seol had no hobbies.

He had no personal life, always leaving school to go out or, on days when he didn’t need to, holing up in the training grounds all day.

It could be considered a natural lifestyle for an elite magic warrior, but this was too extreme.

Even the S-class geniuses didn’t study all day. Aiselle had her gourmet food and board games, and Hong Bi-yeon had recently taken an interest in Soul Chess and black tea.

Other students also had hobbies; they couldn’t just study all day.

But Baek Yu-seol had no such personal life.

He relentlessly pushed himself to the limit, never wasting a single moment.

It was as if someone were whipping him from behind.

Therefore, seeing Baek Yu-seol genuinely enjoying this game brought Flame a sense of calm.

“Phew, I think I’ve got it.”

“Got what?”

After the match ended, Baek Yu-seol finally stretched and stood up after staring at the item window for about 30 minutes.

“Something usable in matches. I had been thinking about it before, but I stopped when I quit League of Spirit.”

There are two types of ‘experts’ in games.

One was the ‘research type’ who mathematically analyzed skills and items to find the optimal results, and the other was the ‘skill type’ who honed their senses through countless hours of gameplay.

Occasionally, there were individuals who combined both, but usually, the skill type adopted the research type’s findings.

Unfortunately, no one had researched the ‘character Baek Yu-seol,’ so Baek Yu-seol, a pure skill type, had to experiment on his own.

Fortunately, he had some leftover research from his novice days when he wanted to improve at League of Spirit, and he had roughly combined those findings into something usable.

But Flame, unaware of this, was simply astonished.

“…Already?”

Creating an item combination in less than two weeks was impossible since Baek Yu-seol was completely new to League of Spirit.

“Yeah. It took a while, but I can use it in the next qualifier.”

Unlike Flame’s surprise, Baek Yu-seol seemed unfazed, his expression calm.

“Well, that’s good.”

It was a waste of energy to be surprised by such trivial things. It was Baek Yu-seol, so he just accepted it.

[Match in progress, Marun White Team]

Leaving the arena and checking the team matches, Baek Yu-seol realized that the team Laydin had mentioned was currently playing.

‘Hmm. How should I get those guys up…’

The 고민 was short, and the conclusion was simple.

‘Should I throw the match?’

It was a mindset lacking in sportsmanship.

* * *

In the Heavenly Flower Cradle, the city of fairies nestled in the Heavenly Spirit Tree, which stretched its roots through the Primordial Mountains and soared above the clouds.

The city was formed by intertwined branches that created roads and buildings, making it inconvenient for wheeled vehicles.

Dwarves, who favored wheels due to their flat terrain, often grumbled loudly when visiting the Heavenly Spirit Tree’s cradle.

“This place is so inconvenient.”

Duamri, the translator and diplomat of the Dwarf Emperor ‘Geumgangpaljeong,’ constantly frowned, clearly displeased that their proud invention, the aerial train, could not be used here.

Dwarves and elves didn’t have a good relationship, so he wouldn’t normally visit, but he had no choice since the Emperor had ordered it.

“Ah, hello?”

Meidi, the elven king’s aide.

Having replaced the former aide Oranha, she was favored by Flowerseorin and highly capable, but her timid nature made her awkward when meeting strangers.

“Tsk, so clumsy.”

“Eek!”

Meidi gasped as Duamri shook his large head, disproportionate to his small stature.

The knights guarding Meidi stiffened, but Duamri wasn’t one to care about such things.

“Hey, lift your head.”

“Y-yes?”

Thump!

“Eek?!”

“Straighten your back! Lift your head! Eyes sharp and alert! Do it, you frustrating elf kid!”

Duamri forcefully straightened Meidi’s back and shoulders, then pried her eyes open with his hands.

“Huh? A king’s aide needs this much spirit. That Oranha fellow, at least I could talk to him…”

“P-please stop talking about former aide Oranha. He’s a major criminal.”

“I know, you idiot. I’m furious that I could even talk to that trash.”

Duamri leaned back on the sofa and spat out the tea he had just tasted.

Then he asked.

“No black beer?”

“…We don’t drink during meetings.”

“How boring.”

“Please state your business.”

“Ah, right.”

Duamri snapped his fingers, and a dwarf who had been waiting behind him approached and placed a black bag on the table. He entered the combination, opened the bag, and turned it to show Meidi.

“Is this… mud?”

The bag was filled with soil, and Meidi sensed a living mana within it.

“Yes. Mud. Specifically, the mud of the Twelve Divine Moons, ‘Damgaltoiwol’.”

Twelve Divine Moons. Meidi’s eyes widened at the sudden term.

“Want a taste, kid?”

“N-no.”

“Just kidding. Show this to the elven king quickly.”

“Is there… a reason?”

“Yes. Damgaltoiwol, who was asleep in the ‘Land of the Dead Giant,’ seems to have recently become angry. As you know, that place is sealed by the power of the elven king and the Dwarf Emperor. But even though the seal hasn’t weakened, Damgaltoiwol’s emotions are reviving.”

“That’s a bad sign…”

“Indeed. He’s one of the Twelve Divine Moons who hates all life on earth.”

Damgaltoiwol was the most violent of the Twelve Divine Moons, infamous for his terrible temper, even surpassing the incarnation of rage. Many countries and cities had been destroyed overnight by him in the distant past.

“So…”

Click!

Just as Duamri was about to speak, the door opened, and Flowerseorin appeared. Meidi quickly stood up and bowed, and Duamri reluctantly followed suit.

“Your Majesty. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Flowerseorin, the elven king, had unexpectedly arrived.

Duamri was quite surprised. He had come as a diplomat, but he hadn’t expected the king to personally appear.

“I’ve heard much about you, Duamri.”

“It’s an honor.”

“I received a message from the Dwarf Emperor. He said you would bring important news.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

As Duamri’s expression hardened, Flowerseorin shook her head.

“There’s no need to be nervous. The Dwarf Emperor apologized for not being able to come in person.”

“I understand.”

Flowerseorin moved Meidi aside and sat comfortably on the sofa.

She wasn’t wearing her usual white mask, only a veil covering her face, which subtly revealed her silhouette, adding to her mysterious aura.

“Are you… not wearing the mask anymore?”

“Are you curious?”

“I apologize for the rude question.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Flowerseorin gently touched her veil and smiled faintly.

“I no longer need the mask. But… the curse is still active, enchanting anyone who looks at me, so I wear this veil.”

“Isn’t it good to be liked by others? Especially for an elf, I would think.”

“No.”

She was firm.

“I… only want to show my face to the person whose heart I want to win. I don’t want to forcibly steal the hearts of others.”

“Hmm.”

The person whose heart she wants to win.

Duamri couldn’t think of anyone who would fit that description for the elven king.

‘Is she going to wear a veil for the rest of her life?’

That part didn’t matter, so Duamri continued.

“Do you recognize this mud?”

“…Yes. It’s a fragment of Damgaltoiwol’s emotions.”

“That’s right. So, I have a question… You recently fought against the ‘Absolutely Invincible Cheollibeun.’ Did you notice anything strange about him?”

Anything strange.

‘He was always strange.’

Specifically, his abilities were strange.

The earth seemed to protect him, making him impossible to attack, and he attacked so violently, as if trying to kill everything around him, that it was incredibly difficult to fight him.

“The one loved by the Twelve Divine Moons…”

It was still a mystery.

Why did Damgaltoiwol, who hated all life on earth, come to love a dark mage?

Seeing how he attached his soul to the dark mage, preventing any other life from approaching, it was clear how deeply he loved him… but why?

“Elven King.”

Duamri murmured softly.

“Actually, I didn’t come here just to ask you questions on the Emperor’s orders. It’s more of a…”

Warning, advice, counsel.

Many words swirled in his mind, but none seemed appropriate to say to the elven king, so he carefully constructed his sentence.

“I came to inform you of a crisis for your safety.”

“You mean…”

“Damgaltoiwol’s anger is because Cheollibeun was injured. He will blame you and Mage Arumun, the chairman of the Magic Academy. Or…”

He trailed off slightly.

“He might hate the boy named Baek Yu-seol, who dealt the final blow to Cheollibeun.”

Flinch.

At the mention of Baek Yu-seol’s name, Flowerseorin’s hand, which had been caressing a teacup, trembled.

Duamri noticed but looked away, respecting the elven king’s emotional control.

‘Damgaltoiwol’s anger…’

It was something she had never considered.

Cheollibeun traveled the world in hiding, and besides the Dark Mage King, no one could harm him, so Damgaltoiwol had never had a reason to be angry before.

“…Your Majesty. Our Dwarf Emperor is searching for a way to appease Damgaltoiwol’s anger, but the situation is difficult.”

“I know. Soon, the ‘Geumgangchilwol’…”

Flowerseorin was about to say something but stopped, realizing that the knights and Meidi were present.

“…Anyway, it would be best to discuss this with Chairman Arumun separately.”

After saying that, Duamri bowed respectfully and left, and Flowerseorin bit her lip, her expression troubled.

‘Damgaltoiwol’s anger, and…’

The Witch King.

Recently, Flowerseorin had been hearing rumors that the Witch King was on the move. The news that the Witch King was targeting Baek Yu-seol chilled her to the bone.

‘Why does this always happen to him…’

Her expression hardened as she stared blankly at her reflection in the teacup, and Meidi cautiously approached.

“Your Majesty… are you alright?”

“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”

Flowerseorin forced a smile, trying to appear strong.

As a ruler, she couldn’t show her emotions to her subordinates over personal matters.

“You didn’t hear anything about this. I’ll handle everything, so don’t mention it to anyone until I call a meeting.”

“We obey.”

Everyone would soon learn about Damgaltoiwol’s anger anyway.

When the ‘birth’ began in the Land of the Dead Giant, disasters like massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions would occur.

It had been over 100 years since the previous elven king and the current Dwarf Emperor had managed to appease him.

They had hoped he would never awaken again.

Flowerseorin closed her eyes tightly, praying that Baek Yu-seol, who was so small and fragile compared to the enormous forces that could shake the world, wouldn’t be swept away.

‘May the protection of the World Tree be with him.’

End of Chapter