Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 98

Chapter 98

26. Hospitalization (3)

“You can be discharged now. You can attend classes immediately.”

When I came to my senses again, three days had already passed.

“Three days…?”

T h i s was c o p ied f r om ki n g m tl . or g
I couldn’t believe I had slept for so long, so I was naturally bewildered.

‘Why?’

I thought I was just a little exhausted because the skill ‘Breath of the Spirit’ had been excessively activated, but it seemed my body had been more strained than I thought.

There were a lot of status messages, but I didn’t have the mental capacity to check them immediately.

“…Yu-seol, how are we going to move all these?”

Ma Yuseong looked at the pile of gifts filling the hospital room with a troubled expression, and I gave a mischievous smile.

“What do you mean? Aren’t they all your gifts? You figure it out.”

“Huh? No, half of these are yours.”

T h i s w a s c o p ied f r o m k i n g m t l. o r g
“What?”

No way.

Even though I had been flattering the second-year seniors lately, I hadn’t been kind enough to receive this many gifts. I was the ultimate outsider among outsiders.
Th i s w a s co pied f r om k i n g m tl .o r g

“…Really?”

T h i s w a s c o pi e d f r o m k i n g m t l . or g
But upon checking each name, it turned out that about half of the gifts were indeed for me.

I’ve never received this many gifts, not even in my past life. After all, I wasn’t a celebrity.

“Phew.”

Suddenly, my vision became dizzy.

Receiving gifts was undoubtedly pleasing and nice, but how was I going to move all of these?

As Ma Yuseong and I stared blankly at the pile of gifts, the hospital door swung open, and Aiselle entered with a triumphant expression.

“Knowing this would happen, I brought a cart.”

“A cart?”

“Four years ago, I was so good at pulling carts at the construction site that they called me ‘The Cart Puller’!”

“…”

Wait, was that nickname really related to pulling carts well…?

“Let’s get going!”

Aiselle gathered an armful of gifts. Despite her slender wrists, perhaps due to the rough labor she had done in her childhood, her movements were efficient, and she was exceptionally strong for a girl her age.

“Give them all to me.”
Thi s w a s c o p i ed f r o m ki ng m tl . or g

“I’m stronger than you.”

“I’m full of energy.”

“So you’re saying I’m an old man?”

“Well… sometimes you do look a bit old…”

Even as she said that, Aiselle was strangely watching my reaction. Then she suddenly smirked, but I couldn’t understand why.

Thanks to Aiselle, we managed to bring back the hospital visit gifts to the dormitory fairly smoothly.

Most of the gifts were fruits, so we shared some with the dormitory supervisor and staff on the way back, but we still had quite a few left.

Click!

“Phew…”
T hi s w a s c op i e d f rom ki n g m tl . o r g

It felt like moving houses. After a long struggle, we finally managed to unload all the luggage.

After the chaotic time passed and things calmed down, it hit me.

I had taken down Maizen Tiren.

Despite the significantly different episode from the original, I had saved the protagonists and survived myself.

‘Speaking of which, I remember there was supposed to be a reward…’

Suddenly recalling the episode completion reward, I checked my stats first.

[Baek Yu-seol]

* Stats

[Strength: 2-star 89%] [Sense: 2-star 77%]

[Agility: 2-star 63%] [Stamina: 2-star 21%]
T hi s w a s c o pi e d f r o m k i n g mt l.or g

[Toughness: 0-star 99%] [Willpower: 3-star 01%]

[Mana: -]

* Skill List

[Blink Lv.2]

[Breath of the Spirit Lv.1]

* Traits

[Mana Leakage Syndrome Lv.3]

[Blessing of Red Spring March Lv.1]

My eyes widened in surprise.

“What in the world…”

All my stats had significantly increased. But more notably, there was a new trait.

[Blessing of Red Spring March Lv.1]

* Sense increased by 12%

* Willpower increased by 90%

* Psychometry: Consume willpower to read some memories of a specific object.

* Telepathy: Consume willpower to transmit or receive intentions.

* Mentalist: Consume willpower to understand a target’s thoughts and gestures.

* Mental Shield: Consume willpower to resist mental attacks.

‘Even if the world turns its back on you, the heart resembling the spring red will not waver.’

There was no doubt.

It was the ‘Blessing’ that could only be received by being acknowledged by one of the Twelve Divine Moons, considered an extremely difficult quest even in the original game Aether World.

“Crazy, what is this…”

When something so unrealistic fell into your hands, it didn’t feel real.

That was exactly how I felt now.

Red Spring March was one of the Twelve Divine Moons for whom you had to put in a significant amount of time and effort, requiring a high level of favorability to achieve it. Yet, without any of that effort, I had received the Blessing, leaving me in disbelief.

And look at its effects.

Mana Leakage Syndrome had the penalty of ‘unable to contain mana within the body, unable to use magic, and lifespan limited to twenty years.’ In exchange, it came with increased intuition and cognitive acceleration among other stat boosts.

Most traits were like that.

Traits without penalties had low effectiveness, while traits with great effects often had severe penalties, making them difficult to use.

However, the Blessing of Red Spring March boasted legendary-level traits with no penalties whatsoever.

‘This is the true majesty of the Twelve Divine Moons…’

Even though I had obtained this trait once in Aether World, obtaining it in reality brought an indescribable joy.

“Wow…”

I clenched my fist and punched the air, feeling a shiver run through my body, and even rolled on the floor in exhilaration.

Moreover, the trait level was only 1, meaning that as it leveled up, even more effects could be expected.

That’s when I realized why I had been hospitalized for three days. After defeating Maizen Tiren, I must have fainted, and during that time, Red Spring March bestowed the Blessing upon me. A frail human body likely couldn’t withstand the Blessing.

This meant that Red Spring March had acknowledged me…

‘…Could it be?’

Hastily, I opened the box containing the clothes I had worn and found a small orb in the inner pocket.

[Heart of the Divine Beast]

Thi s wa s c op i e d f r o m ki n g mt l . o r g
“Oh, wow.”

I thought I had been rejected, but I managed to receive even this.

This meant I could now revive Leafanel with this and learn how to control Mana Leakage Syndrome and inherit ancestral swordsmanship from Leafanel.

With so many rewards pouring in, it was overwhelming.

[Showing you a perfect story, the ‘Constellatio Project’ promises you a special additional reward.]

A message appeared, promising another reward.
T h i s w a s c o pied f ro m ki n g mt l .o r g

Was this what it felt like to wash away long-standing grime in one go?

I felt my heart melt with joy.

And then, a dilemma.

“What should I get?”

T h is w a s c op i e d f ro m k ing m tl . o rg
This time, it was a special additional reward. While I couldn’t ask for the equipment I used in the game, perhaps I could aim for something quite good this time.

I avoided items that could be crafted. With Alterisha’s alchemy, I could create them anytime.

“Hmm. Can I get something like ‘White Dragon Armor’?”

[Unique items that exist only one of its kind in the world cannot be received.]

“Pity.”

The White Dragon Armor was an item with a story of being unique in the world. I wondered if I could bring it and make two of them exist, but it was not allowed.

‘This means I have to give up on most of my items as rewards…’

Most of the equipment worn by the ‘character Baek Yu-seol’ before the ending were unique items, one of a kind in the world.

“Then…”

What should I ask for? After much contemplation, I decided that skills were more important than items.

Until now, I had covered my lack of offensive power with items, but this couldn’t go on forever.

Even against Maizen Tiren, I could only defeat her because I obtained a special item.

The most important thing for me now was offensive power. Even though training slowly might eventually increase my mana circulation enough to break through a mage’s shield… it was uncertain when that would happen.

So, I decided to request a special skill as a reward, even though I wasn’t sure if it would be granted.

“Add the derivative skill ‘Mana Focus’ to the trait ‘Mana Leakage Syndrome’.”

After a brief silence, the system message responded.

[Confirmed possible.]

[The derivative skill ‘Mana Focus’ has been activated under the trait ‘Mana Leakage Syndrome’.]

Nice.

I clenched my fist tightly in excitement.

Mana Focus, huh. It might be hard to understand what this meant for someone without mana.

My body naturally breathes mana, but it cannot contain it and releases it outside. As a result, my physical abilities are enhanced to superhuman levels, but I cannot use magic.

This ‘Mana Focus’ was a skill that concentrated the mana being released into one specific area.

Originally, it would dissipate through the whole body—head, shoulders, knees, feet—but now it could be controlled to only release through a specific area, like a fist.

So what happens then?

Naturally, all the mana would gather in the fist, increasing its power and strength.

Originally, Mana Leakage Syndrome was supposed to evolve into ‘Natural Energy Syndrome’ in the future, where skills like mana coating would be realized naturally, but I couldn’t wait that long.

‘I want to practice this…’

Today was the weekend, and I had just been discharged, but I didn’t have time to rest.

I was eager to give Leafanel the heart and learn how to control Mana Leakage Syndrome.

Thinking about finally gaining the offensive power I never had before by practicing Mana Focus made my heart race with excitement.

* * *

Kaen, the leader of the 13th Extermination Squad, returned to the main tower of the Tower of the New Moon and had a private audience with the tower master for the first time in a long while.

On the outside, this place looked more like a humble hut than a great tower.

Green meadows swayed in the wind, rabbits grazed nearby, and the sky was clear and beautiful.

But despite the appearance of an ordinary hut on a hill, this was indeed part of the Tower of the New Moon.

The true identity of the Tower of the New Moon was a network of numerous connected spaces.

Mastering the forbidden magic ‘Hollow Connection’ of the Progenitor Mage, Rudelik Hollow had to give up all other magic, creating the final work, the Tower of the New Moon.

“Kaen. I heard you completed the mission at the Heavenly Flower Cradle.”

“Yes. As you said, the Dark Mage appeared, but it was not Maizen Tiren; it was a student from Stella.”

“I see. And you let the students purify it without killing it yourself.”

“…That’s correct.”

“That’s not like you. I thought you wouldn’t do such a thing.”

Rudelik appeared as an old man. He frequently changed his appearance, claiming he had forgotten his original age.

“I’m sorry. But… I saw a possibility there.”

The possibility of restoring a mage tainted with dark mana to their original state.

But even as Kaen said this, he believed that the stubborn tower master wouldn’t believe him.

‘All Dark Mages must be exterminated.’

This belief had been instilled by none other than Rudelik.

“Is that so…”

Unexpectedly, Rudelik responded calmly.

“…Aren’t you going to interrogate me?”

“What’s the point? Time flows, eras change, and the world evolves. My words can’t always be right.”

“I thought you wouldn’t believe it…”

“I don’t believe it.”

Surprised, Kaen looked up. Rudelik, still stroking his beard, frowned with a stubborn expression.

“I just feel the times are changing. Even if I didn’t do it, and you didn’t do it… there’s no law that says the new generation can’t.”

Kaen remained silent.

He still struggled to accept the new generation. His steadfast spirit had only been slightly moved by the magic of a girl named Flame and a boy named Baek Yu-seol.

“Ah, yes. It seems Maizen Tiren turned into a Dark Mage at the Heavenly Flower Cradle, as you reported.”

“…Really?”

Kaen trembled in shock at the unexpected news.

This meant the mission was not completed but failed.

He had never imagined another Dark Mage would appear.

“Don’t blame yourself. It’s my fault for not providing information about the second Dark Mage.”

Rudelik spoke while gazing into the distance.

“At some point, I lost the ability to foresee the future.”

“No, to be precise… it’s like it’s shrouded in fog.”

“Isn’t that a serious issue?”

Rudelik just laughed at Kaen’s words.

“No. The future is interesting because we can’t see it. That way, humans can think more flexibly. Those who distrust only what they see can’t look in other directions. I was exactly like that. So now, oddly enough, I feel relieved.”

Why the future was closed.

Why Rudelik’s [Future Vision] was losing its power.

Although the reason was unknown, he seemed oddly at ease.

“Don’t worry about the Heavenly Flower Cradle. The boy you met there… Baek Yu-seol, wasn’t it? He will defeat Maizen Tiren.”

“Really…?”

Baek Yu-seol. That name came up again. It seemed he had been hearing it quite often lately.

Maizen Tiren was estimated to be a 6-risk Dark Mage. Kaen could kill someone of that level in just a few moves.

But for a mere student to defeat a 6-risk Dark Mage… it was inconceivable.

‘There must be something.’

“…Is that what you thought?”

Startled, Kaen looked up at Rudelik, who had hit the nail on the head. Rudelik sipped his tea and spoke.

“You’re wrong. The boy is just a seventeen-year-old student. He just has a lot of secrets.”

“That cannot… be true.”

A mere seventeen-year-old student couldn’t possess such power.

“The world is full of unbelievable things. But don’t try to understand. We are too weary to understand such things now. We must… just accept them.”

Rudelik seemed more exhausted than usual, yet he looked strangely relieved. He seemed like someone who had finally discovered something he had been searching for.

“The future will change rapidly. More than you can handle.”

So, prepare your mind for it.

With those words, Rudelik and the hut vanished.

Whoosh…!

Kaen, left alone in the green meadow, gazed at the sky.

The clouds flowed towards the blue horizon, seemingly busy.

While he stood still, the world seemed to be changing too quickly.

End of Chapter