I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy

Chapter 99: Ha Tae-ryung’s Divine Art (2)

As the boy vanished from sight, Florin snapped out of her daze and regained her composure.

"Celestia...!"

"Eung."

Something surged within her chest.

How long had it been since she heard that voice? She was certain it was the voice she longed to hear, even in her dreams.

"How... How did you manage to regain consciousness...?"

"He... saved... my heart..."

Ah, just as she suspected.

The boy had indeed saved Celestia. She should have expressed her gratitude, but she disappeared before Florin could do so.

Where on earth did he vanish to?

"So glad to see you after such a long time."

"Eung... I'm glad too..."

Celestia weakly smiled and reached out her hand towards Florin. However, her form grew increasingly hazy, as if lacking strength.

"I... wanted... to see you..."

Florin tightly held her hand. Even as Celestia drifted off to sleep, she radiated a bright smile.

It was the same smile Florin had seen before.

Tears streamed down Florins face as she spoke.

There was no way to express this joy; even finding the words felt difficult.

Apart from shedding tears and laughing, she couldn't do much else.

She had so many questions.

Why did you leave me and fall into a deep slumber?

How did you manage to awaken?

There was so much she wanted to say.

Many things had happened during their separation.

Florin had become the queen of the elves and familiars, yet she was met with cautious gazes... and she had been cursed, unable to partake in any external activities.

Countless jumbled thoughts swirled in her mind, but as sleepiness overcame Celestia, she closed her eyes.

"I... am... too... sleepy..."

"Ah..."

Due to an overwhelming desire to express herself, she found himself unable to utter a single word.

Could there be anything more foolish than this?

Longing for a deeper conversation, they were hindered by circumstances that prevented them from even holding hands.

A profound sense of regret welled up in her chest, yet she made a conscious effort to suppress those emotions and embraced Celestia instead.

-.......

Celestia had drifted off to sleep unnoticed, her figure now resembling a faint, translucent shimmer of sunlight.

Florin gently laid her body on top of a pillar. It was undeniably adorable to witness Celestias persistent attempts to find solace in sleep, like a shrimp seeking refuge.

Only after Celestia had succumbed to slumber did she manage to regain some composure and organize her thoughts.

"Who is that boy exactly...?"

Perhaps Celestias weakened heart would necessitate an extended period of rest.

The situation prevented her from inquiring about the boy's true identity.

Numerous questions plagued her mind.

How did the boy come to know of this place?

Even if he was aware, how did he manage to gain entry?

Assuming he had entered, how did he become aware of Celestias longing for a heart?

And even if he had known, how did he acquire the means to procure a heart?

"Ah..."

Frustration mounted as she realized there was no way of knowing.

It felt suffocating.

Unconsciously, her lips pressed together, and in that very moment, a chill ran down her entire being.

"Is the mask... gone?"

Upon reflection, she recalled having removed her mask earlier to inhale the dawn's refreshing air, placing it delicately in her embrace.

And that boy, without a doubt, met her gaze.

In essence, he had fallen victim to the curse... Yet something felt peculiar.

Individuals ensnared by this "enchanting curse" were incapable of rejecting her; such an act became ingrained in their souls as a forbidden taboo.

However, the boy took a step back.

The reason behind his retreat was surprisingly simple, easily discerned even by Florin.

When using the solo warp hole, there was a risk of injury, such as being cut in half or swept away by someone else.

Perhaps the boy had considered that and took a step back...

"Strange."

Those ensnared by the enchanting curse often lost their reason and mindlessly focused only on themselves.

It was unlikely that such detailed consideration remained.

Then, a sudden thought arose...

Could it be that he was immune to this curse?

The boy emanated an unmistakable aura, and was far from ordinary.

There was no trace of the stagnant mana that any human would undoubtedly possess.

Florin hadn't even realized he was present until she saw him with her own eyes.

It was as if he was in harmony with Celestia, exuding a fantastical energy...

If that were the case...

Ordinary individuals would never be aware of the existence of this garden.

Even if it were marked on a map, they would never find it.

It was designed to be inconceivable.

And if the boy possessed the mysterious ability to communicate with the eternal slumbering Celestia, revive her heart, and had such enigmatic powers...

It was possible he truly possessed immunity to the enchanting curse.

Being Florin didnt mean she had seen everything in the world. She had never cursed the entire world.

Therefore, it was possible that at least one person might be immune to the curse.

"I have to find him."

*I don't know where he lives or who he really is. But I will find him.*

That... was partly driven by the desire to repay the debt owed to Celestia.

But perhaps, it was also because she believed the boy might be the only person in the world with whom she could have an honest and open conversation.

-

Thud!

"Ouch!"

Immediately after the warp ended, Baek Yu-Seol collided with a rough and hard stone floor, emitting a pained groan.

Unfortunately, his waist didn't make proper contact with the ground, making it difficult to alleviate the discomfort.

"If you're going to send me off, at least do it properly..."

He sprawled on the floor, voicing his frustration.

"Florin."

Why did that woman come looking for them here?

Were there similar events in the Aether World?

He couldn't recall it clearly, but it didn't seem to exist.

Well, he couldn't expect every intricate detail of this elaborate reality to be replicated in the game, so it wasn't surprising that there were unknowns.

Besides, his knowledge was limited from the start.

Nonetheless, he had a rough understanding of their relationship.

"Looks like they've become close friends."

He had thought that Celesita, who seemed like a slumbering spirit tucked away in a corner, would merely sleep and lounge around.

However, it turned out that she had a remarkable number of friends.

Even the Ancient Swordmaster with Mana Accumulation Retardation and even the Elven King were counted among her acquaintances.

It seemed she had quite an extensive network. Perhaps he should have paid more attention to that.

By the way...

"She was beautiful."

Even now, he couldn't shake off the memory of Florins startled expression.

Thanks to the Blessing of the Yeonhong Chunsamwol, he had successfully resisted the allure of the enchanting curse.

But in truth, she was naturally breathtaking. Even without the curse, he believed anyone, regardless of age or gender, would have been captivated by her charm.

"It would have been a disaster if I hadn't received her blessing."

Despite his time spent at Stella and the progress he had made, he nearly made a fool of himself by falling for Florin, who was treated as a mere supporting character rather than the protagonist.

Feeling a renewed sense of gratitude towards the Blessing of the Yeonhong Chunsamwol, a sudden thought crossed his mind.

"Wait, if Florin has the Blessing of the Yeonhong Chunsamwol, could it potentially eradicate her curse entirely?"

Although the Blessing of the Yeonhong Chunsamwol had currently lost much of its power, resulting in a significantly weakened blessing, there was still a glimmer of hope that it might offer assistance to Florin.

"Hm..."

Although Florin was merely an extra, he knew that she was a character who leaned towards goodness and possessed abilities that could rival Eltman Eltwin within the Heavenly Spirit Trees framework.

The future of her curse would diverge depending on the choices made in the branching paths.

There was also a grim future where Florin and Edna would never meet, and she was condemned to carry the curse for eternity.

While the actual future remained uncertain, he realized that he couldn't rely on such uncertainties and had to take matters into his own hands to release Florin from the curse.

"Well... I need another chance to meet her."

It wasn't as if he could simply arrange a meeting, and he had no idea how to utilize the Blessing of the Yeonhong Chunsamwol to remove the enchanting curse.

Nonetheless, it wasn't too late to consider Florins situation later.

At that moment, the place Celestia had sent him was of utmost importance.

"It's surprisingly ordinary."

While it lacked the mystical quality of Celestias garden, he had hoped for a somewhat intriguing location, but it turned out to be just... a cave.

Not just any cave, but one filled with descending passages.

However, it wasn't impassable, so he hastened hus steps, moving further down into the cave.

Flicker!

As he reached the very bottom, the torches hanging on the walls lit up one by one, illuminating the path ahead.

At the end of the narrow corridor, reminiscent of a mine, an old wooden door awaited them, emanating a faint magical aura.

Celestias presence confirmed.

As he approached, a voice resounded, and the door opened with ease.

It seemed to be thanks to Celestias necklace.

Stepping inside, he discovered a space that served as a storage area, with few items present.

Stacks of weathered bottles and old books were neatly arranged on shelves.

The desk, chair, and bed showed signs of someone having lived there, but they appeared too worn out for practical use.

However, the swords and books, surprisingly, were in remarkably good condition, allowing for effortless reading.

What caught the eye above all else was the gleaming silver sword positioned at the center of the warehouse.

Despite his attempt to approach, an intangible barrier surrounded it, obstructing his path and refusing to let him draw near.

He even held Celestias pendant to it, but there was no response.

It seemed as if it had been safeguarded, rendering it untouchable.

"I'll have to inquire about this from Celestia later."

However, what he truly desired was to find books pertaining to the mana leakage.

While the shelves were mostly filled with magical tomes, a closer inspection revealed a single handwritten manuscript nestled deep within.

[Regarding the Mana Accumulation Retardation]

[Author: Ha Tae-ryung]

The writing had a modest simplicity, and the title was concise.

As Baek Yu-Seol ran his fingers across the pages, he could discern their coarse texture.

Upon opening the book, he found it lacked an introduction and instead delved directly into the narrative.

[From the moment of birth, all lives embark on a journey towards death. Yet, my existence was different. From the instant I set forth, my destination lay just before me.

Someone said, "You shall perish before reaching the age of twenty."

The Mana Accumulation Retardationa rare condition bestowed upon only one individual per generation.

Unfortunate as it was, I had fallen prey to this unique trait.

Historically, those burdened with the Mana Accumulation Retardation met an untimely demise, and many presumed I would be no exception.

Yet, look at me now.

Despite surpassing the age of forty, I continued to live, albeit with death looming ever closer.

Curse it all, if only I had realized the truth about my body sooner, I might have prolonged my life.

Or perhaps, it was for the better.

With little time remaining, I found the courage to face my mortality and even dared to challenge those who held dominion at the pinnacle of humanity... ]

Initially, Baek Yu-Seol believed these writings were intended solely as a personal journal, not meant for others to peruse.

However, as he progressed to the next chapter, he discarded that notion entirely.

[Perhaps, even after my own demise, someone with the same inherent condition as mine will be born. If that someone happens to be you, congratulations.

By reading this text, you will be able to prolong your lifespan.

I have diligently recorded the findings of my research on the "Mana Accumulation Retardation" here.

Or rather, it would be more appropriate to refer to it as the culmination of my efforts.

The Mana Accumulation Retardation defies the grasp of any medical, scientific, or magical intervention.

Our physical bodies exist beyond the confines of conventional magic.

As the sole beings in a world governed by mana, we stand apart by contradicting its very essence.

Our choices do not involve scouring for elusive elixirs, seeking the counsel of esteemed authorities, or invoking unknown deities.

Rather, it boils down to self-trust and relentless self-discipline.

That is all there is to it.

To persevere with the Mana Accumulation Retardation, one must strive to become resolute and unwavering in their pursuit of strength.]