Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Admission (3)

The magical city, Arcaneum.

Located not on the ground but in the sky, the city gave the illusion of a gigantic carousel flying through the air.
T hi s wa s co p i e d f r o m k i n g m tl . or g

A carousel brilliantly shining with multicolored lights.

Arcaneum, floating by magic, was said to be about half the size of Seoul in terms of area according to the setting.

Seeing the dazzling city casting vibrant lights in the night sky made me truly feel that I had arrived in another world.

That magical city of Arcaneum housed prestigious magic towers, magic knight orders, and five renowned schools, with the most powerful mages and the most outstanding students being at Stella Academy.

As the top school in the world, it attracted geniuses and nobles from all over the globe, and I still wondered how someone like Baek Yu-seol managed to get admitted here. A dragon rising from a ditch should have its limits.

“Already awake?”

“Yes.”

“We’re almost there, and you woke up like a ghost.”

A different mage was driving than the one from last night. They must have changed shifts on the way.

Leaning my head back against the rear seat, I summoned the system into the air.

Last night, I was promised one of three rewards.

A downgraded item, a downgraded skill, or a small amount of experience points.

What should I choose?

I had countless items and skills. While it wouldn’t be bad to get a body enhancement skill for the long term, I could probably learn those separately later.

First, I chose the item I cherished the most.
T h i s wa s c o p i ed f ro m k i n g mt l. o rg

‘Can I get the ‘Returning Light’ or ‘Praise of the Flash’?’

[Search result: The item’s grade is too high, and it will be significantly downgraded.]

‘Hmm. Then what about ‘Hyperspace Blink’?’

[Search result: The skill is a higher-level skill of Blink and cannot be obtained. However, you can use the reward to slightly enhance the Blink skill.]

‘Do I really have to downgrade? Can’t it just stay as it is?’

[Your ‘Narrative Power’ is insufficient, making it impossible for us to materialize it fully.]

What the heck is that?

[Narrative Power refers to the strength that drives the story. If Baek Yu-seol continues to pave unknown paths in the story as he did yesterday, Narrative Power will accumulate.]

Ah, I see.

To put it simply, ‘You’re too much of a newbie for us to give you top-tier loot,’ but they sure like to explain things in a complicated way.

So, what should I choose…

Most of my equipment items were high-grade, and even if I downgraded them by several levels, they’d still be significantly downgraded, limiting my choices.

‘What a shame.’

Of course, an item doesn’t have to be high-grade to be good. There were plenty of low-grade items and skills that could be highly effective in my current situation.

There were skills like ‘Emergency Evasion,’ which had a long cooldown but allowed me to dodge or block an attack once, ‘High Frost,’ which let me escape far from the spot, and ‘Spirit Form,’ which made me invincible for a short period while greatly increasing my movement speed…

If you’re wondering why all the skills are about escaping, it’s because I don’t have any decent attack or defense skills. My character’s survival rate is ridiculously low, so I focused on survival skills.

I rarely used them once I became a veteran, but now that this is reality, they’d be incredibly useful.

But not yet. Right now, there is one item more urgently needed for progressing through the [Episode].

‘The Bulbul Glasses.’

A term particularly familiar to Korean men, the Bulbul.

Back when I was serving in the military, someone created a ‘Bulbul Secret Folder’ on my administrative computer, causing me to get scolded by my commanding officer.

‘Did you stash porn here? What’s the password? Spill it now!’

‘It wasn’t me.’

‘You’re asking for it! Want to get punished?’

‘I really don’t know.’

The shouting still echoes vividly in my mind. But I was innocent. I really had never created such a folder.

It turned out that the administrative officer had created the Bulbul folder, and it actually contained confidential information, making the whole situation awkward for everyone.

Since then, I have always used ‘Bulbul’ to store information or take notes in any game I played.

[…System review results indicate this is possible.]

As soon as the confirmation message appeared, I clenched my fist in excitement.
T h i s was c o p i ed f r o m k i ng m t l . o rg

‘Great. Give me that one.’

[All functions of the item ‘Bulbul Glasses’ such as ‘Phenomenon Analysis, Situation Summary, Information Search, Binoculars, Infrared Vision, Night Vision, etc.’ are deleted.]

Plop! A pair of round glasses with black frames fell into my hand. Designed to imitate the look of fashionable celebrities, they weren’t tacky even when worn.

Though the main functions were significantly downgraded and deleted, the most important feature remained.

* Grade: –

* Description: Can’t remember what you had for dinner last night? Forgot the account number you just heard? Don’t worry! These glasses store all the knowledge you see, hear, and read!

* Special Function

A Bulbul Folder

A Sealed

* Activates by consuming Mental Power.

In the game Aether World, it was strangely impossible to reread information on monsters I hunted or knowledge I acquired. If I forgot, I had to revisit the map to read it again.

What materials come from where, what conversations I had with which characters, and my contributions to various kingdoms.

T h i s w as co p i e d f r o m k i ng m tl . o r g
None of that information was provided.

So, players developed top-tier systems like these Bulbul Glasses to store information.

And the reason I chose these glasses now was simple.
T h i s was c o p i e d f rom k i n g m t l .or g

‘I’ve forgotten most of the in-game information.’

Which hunting ground had what items, what rare items were found in which dungeon, and so on. All these valuable pieces of information were recorded.

Moreover, this was the same set of glasses I used while playing the game, containing all that information.

[Opening Bulbul Folder.]

[A Alchemy Materials]

> Hunting Grounds

[A Dungeons]

[A Monsters]

> Characters

[A Magic Techniques]

[A Miscellaneous…]

T his wa s c o pi ed fr o m k i n g m t l. or g
When I put on the glasses, numerous information folders were displayed. Unfortunately, the storyline wasn’t recorded, and the character folder was nearly empty due to my lack of interest, but it was still a satisfactory result.

‘The reward is good enough.’

Now, I just need to think about how to use these glasses.

The information I have is vast.
T h i s wa s c o p i ed fr o m k in g m tl . o r g

After wandering this world for 10 years, I gathered only the most valuable pieces. Getting this is beyond mere good fortune.

‘While I can’t regain all the abilities of my 10-year-old character, I can catch up to about half that level fairly quickly.’

Come to think of it.

These glasses also had a function to summarize and record information about characters.

So, maybe I could find out the identity of that grey-robed person still sleeping in the seat next to me.

“We’ve arrived.”

However, as soon as the automacar arrived in the city of Rezoica, the grey-robed person quickly got off, preventing me from doing so.

“So quick…”

* * *

After thanking the mage squad, I quickly parted ways and headed to the airship dock.

“Do you have a ticket?”

I must’ve looked like a country bumpkin.

“Of course.”

The crew member scrutinized my ticket for a long time. Did they think I would smuggle myself into Arcaneum, the world’s greatest magical city?

“Pass.”

The crew member reluctantly let me through. Though I stood tall with my shoulders and neck straight, the moment I boarded the airship, I couldn’t help but feel relieved.

“Wow…”

I’ve been on airplanes, but an airship? The term and atmosphere felt entirely foreign.

The airship was almost like a cruise ship but luxurious, considering it was just heading to nearby Arcaneum. But then, it was an airship bound for the prestigious Stella Academy.

Most passengers were elite students heading to enroll at Stella Academy.

Bwoo!

As I waited, the airship’s horn blew, and it took off.

A refreshing breeze brushed my cheeks. Unlike an airplane, where you’re stuck looking out a tiny window, the airship allowed a full view outside.

Maybe that’s why there were more students out than I expected.

“Hey, look at that idiot gawking around.”

“First time on an airship?”

“Must be a bumpkin.”

“Tsk, Stella is the world’s best academy, but I don’t get why they let commoners in. It’s degrading.”

“I can’t understand it either.”

My sensitive hearing caught all the surrounding conversations.

‘Sigh, kids are the same everywhere.’

Whether on Earth or in this world, teenage gossip is all the same. I considered dragging them to the restroom and dunking their heads in the toilet but decided against it. What would be the difference between me and a teenager then?

“Excuse me, those kids are smoking.”

So, I handled it maturely.

“What?! Arcaneum is a no-smoking zone for minors!”

The crew member rushed to the students I pointed out.

Luckily, I had seen them smoking before boarding. Even if they weren’t smoking on the airship, finding cigarettes in their belongings would be interesting.

“This is… a cigarette!”

In the end, the students were caught with cigarettes during the inspection. Typically, students respond predictably in such situations.

If they were commoners, they would deny ownership.

“This isn’t mine! I am the heir of Baron Dennington from the Kingdom of Adolevit!”

If they were nobles, they would emphasize their noble status and threaten.

However, on the airship to Stella Academy in Arcaneum, it didn’t matter if you were a noble or not. The school’s strict rules applied as soon as you boarded. The crew member opened his mouth to say something but didn’t need to.

Click!

The heir of Baron Dennington suddenly shut his mouth. The crew member stepped back, and the students parted like the Red Sea.

Amidst the silent atmosphere, a girl appeared.

Even her silver hair fluttering chaotically carried an air of elegance, and her deep red eyes, more intense than blood, seemed to draw you in upon meeting them. Her beauty, which blurred everything else around her, was fittingly called unparalleled.

While others lived in a low-resolution world, she seemed to have come from a 1080p60 Full HD world.

Her clear and distinct beauty made it easy to guess her identity.

Hong Bi-yeon Adolevit.

Princess of the Kingdom of Adolevit.

My first thought upon seeing her was ‘Wow, a celebrity.’ But then, I felt a twinge of pity.

Hong Bi-yeon holds the ‘villainess’ position in this world. It means she’s destined for unfortunate endings.

She would engage in countless confrontations with the protagonist ‘Flame’ and meet her end in many ways across numerous branches.

In some endings, she’s brutally murdered. In others, she’s bullied by the entire school and expelled. In yet others, she suffers such humiliation that she can never raise her head again. In some endings, she’s imprisoned in the countryside forever.

It’s as if she was purposely given an unfortunate fate.

“Y-your Highness…”

The heir of Baron Dennington trembled at the sight of his country’s princess. But Hong Bi-yeon didn’t respond to the commotion he caused inside the cabin.

She just looked at him and walked past.

With eyes full of disdain.
T hi s w a s c opie d f r o m k i n g mt l . o r g

That ended the situation lightly.

Swish—

I watched Hong Bi-yeon’s silver hair flutter as she walked away. She indeed had a commanding presence from her first appearance.

Even with the ‘villainess’ title, there was a reason she was popular among many male players.

‘She’s quite intimidating.’

Beautiful, but she seemed like she’d cut you down if you spoke to her. After seeing her disappear, I went into the cabin.

It was already lunchtime. There was a kiosk or convenience store-like area in the cabin where many students were grabbing snacks.

‘Prices are ridiculously high.’

With that money, you could have a full meal and even grab a coffee outside. I decided to skip and wait to eat in Arcaneum, plopping down on a chair and staring blankly out the window. Then, I overheard the students next to me whispering.

“Hey, isn’t that girl over there Aiselle?”

“Huh? Yeah, it is. Aiselle, the eldest daughter of the traitor Duke Morf…”

“Shh. Don’t talk about that. What if she hears?”

“Right, sorry.”

Aiselle? The name sounded familiar, so I looked where the students were glancing and saw a girl sitting in a corner, reading a book.

Like Hong Bi-yeon, she had a divine beauty with sky-blue hair and a noble appearance that forbade ordinary people from approaching. I recognized her but couldn’t quite remember who she was.

I quickly pulled out the ‘Bulbul Glasses’ to check the information.

[Aiselle Morf]

Fake Protagonist

Thunder and Ice Mage

Drinks pickle juice before eating pizza

Eldest daughter of Duke Morf

But her father died, and the family fell

T his w a s c o p i e d fr o m k i n g m tl . o rg
Later dies

What? She’s that ‘fake protagonist’?

I thought of the grey robe I parted with early this morning. Though unsure, it was likely the same person as Aiselle.

‘You really only noted the essentials.’

The information in these glasses was a compilation of the most valuable details from the community users.

Though I hadn’t recorded much due to my lack of interest in the game characters, the summary was still helpful. However, Aiselle was particularly unfamiliar.

But what caught my attention more was ‘Later dies.’ Community users never easily tag a character with ‘dies.’

Given that it’s a simulation game with many routes and possibilities, if there’s even one route where the character can be saved, they’d leave out the word ‘dies.’

But it seemed Aiselle was deemed ‘absolutely unsaveable’ after ten years of many players’ efforts.

In other words, no matter where or how she dies, her death is inevitable.

‘Her father was probably killed by the Dark Mages.’

Dark Mages. Those who handle magical power and transform into monsters by accepting an otherworldly force.

Able to freely transform their bodies, they possessed immense power and could use magic, representing the evil in the story and the true enemies of the players.

The Dark Mages constantly opened ‘Persona Gates’ or liberated ancient ‘dungeons’ to invade the magical world, leading to the establishment of Stella Academy to train magic warriors to counter them.
T h i s w as c o p ie d f ro m k i n g m t l . o rg

And the one with the power to oppose the Dark Mages was the ‘real female protagonist’ of this world.

But honestly…

I didn’t want to get involved with the protagonist or the main characters around her.

Although the protagonist had a unique ability to purify Dark Mages, she also had a knack for wreaking havoc on the lives of those around her.

I didn’t care what the protagonists did.

My goal was solely to achieve the ‘True Ending.’

‘Let them play their games while I do my thing.’

End of Chapter