I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy

Kneeling on the frozen ground, Eisel clung to the monument her father had left behind. Though carved from ice, it radiated an inexplicable warmth.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.  

Her sky-blue irises gleamed with an ethereal glow, their color deepening into a brilliant azure.

“... This isn’t the time tofor this.”  

Eisel rose to her feet, her gaze fixed on the air around her.  

“The Eternal Palace of Ice.”  

That was the name of the massive magic spread across the entirety of Reverse Mountain—a spell so immense and complex that it was beyond anything Eisel could comprehend at her current level.  

It was a miracle of magic, one that froze space itself and bent it to its will—the kind of spell that should only exist in legends.  

Yet here it was, governing the entire mountain.  

She could see Flame—wounded and fleeing from the Angel Hunter, as if it were happening right in front of her.  

The moment Flame appeared in her sight, Alpha fired a red arrow at her— 

The mana surging from it was so potent that even a glancing blow could leave devastating injuries. A direct hit would be fatal. 

'Danger!'

Without thinking, Eisel swung her hand—  

Crack!

A massive wall of ice erupted from the ground, intercepting the red arrow and deflecting its force.

“Ah…!”  

The barrier bought Flame the precious seconds needed to escape unharmed.

Eisel stared at her trembling hand, disbelief flickering in her eyes.

‘I can feel it. This connection is real.’  

Facing a Class 7 Angel Hunter, she had believed victory to be impossible.

But with this ability… The power to control Reverse Mountain—  

“I can do this!”  

Pressing her fingers to her lips, Eisel drew in her mana and commanded.

‘Rise.’  

In response, colossal ice spears erupted from the ground behind Flame, piercing Alpha’s torso.

Boom! Crash!

“Ugh…!”  

Alpha hastily deployed a shield to block the attack—  

But the damage could not be completely deflected.

Bleeding and enraged, Alpha turned his gaze toward the mountain, his fury palpable—

But against the might of nature itself, he was powerless.

‘Fall.’ 

Eisel’s command triggered a massive avalanche, burying Alpha beneath the snow.  

Then came a storm, slamming into him and throwing him off balance.  

Seizing the opportunity, Flame began to counterattack.  

Eisel could feel it—  

The momentum was slowly shifting in their favor.  

Had Flame not fled to Illa Jeridon Mountain, this outcome would have been impossible.  

Could this truly be a coincidence?

‘No… it’s fate.’  

It was fate that led Eisel to discover her father’s gift.  

But with that realization, a new question began to surface—  

‘… How is this even possible?’  

A magic inheritance?  

Fine. She could accept that.  

But leaving behind a spell of this scale, one that could still function after so many years—  

That shouldn’t be possible. 

Eisel was wielding magic that approached Class 8 levels, despite having only a fraction of the required mana.  

By all reasoning, this should have been impossible.

It felt as though—  

‘As though… Father had completely left his magic behind.’  

Could a mage give up their magic entirely just to pass it down?  

It wasn’t impossible.  

There were cases in history where mages had transferred their magic to successors.  

But why?  

Why would her father go so far as to sacrifice his magic for her sake?

Her gaze returned to the floating monument. Swallowing nervously, she reached out and turned it.

As it rotated, letters in a different handwriting shimmered into view—

Ancient Runes…  

Though the writing was old, Eisel, who held a Level 3 Certification in Early Magic Era Runes, had no difficulty interpreting it.  

[House Morph]  

[The Eternal Palace of Ice]  

[Only those with my bloodline may inherit this palace through magic.]  

Though some runes were cracked and incomplete, she managed to reconstruct their meaning.

“The twelve disciples of the Progenitor Mage… This is the Morph family’s inheritance magic...”  

She continued to translate, her eyes scanning the descriptions of the spell’s intricate mechanisms.

Then, at last, she found the part she had been seeking—

[However, there is a condition.]  

[On the day of the Shallierdon Phenomenon, in the year 127, the incantation must be spoken to inherit the palace.]  

“Shallierdon…?”  

She had read the term once in an astronomy journal.  

It referred to a celestial event when the third and strongest moon, Shalliermoon, reached its full phase, flanked by two crescent moons facing it.

On that day, cold mana surged out of control, often leading to bizarre natural events, such as snowfall in midsummer.  

“Wait…”  

The last Shallierdon Phenomenon had occurred approximately—  

37 years ago. 

Back when her father stood at the peak of his renown… as a grand mage and the revered head of the Morph family—

It had been long before Eisel was even born.  

A time so distant that it revealed a bitter truth:

To inherit the Palace of Ice, timing mattered more than talent.  

“… Could it be…?”  

At that moment, Eisel finally understood why her father had forcefully passed down this magic to her.  

‘The gift I wanted to give you… was too much for me to bear.’  

‘I… couldn’t wield it properly.’  

Her father’s bitter voice echoed in her mind.  

She couldn’t even remember when he had said those words, but now—  

They rang out with painful clarity.

“He gave up such an incredible magic… just to pass it down to me…?”  

Eisel’s vision blurred as emotions surged within her.

What if her father hadn’t relinquished this power?

What if he hadn’t severed the Palace of Ice from himself to leave it in her hands?

Perhaps…  

On that fateful day, during his final battle—  

He wouldn’t have lost control and descended into madness as a dark mage.

Having briefly wielded a small portion of this magic, Eisel could imagine what her father, an Class 8 mage, could have accomplished with it—  

And that thought tore at her heart.  

‘Because of me…’  

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Eisel bit her lip hard enough for blood to seep out of the fresh wound.  

“No.”  

“Father is still alive.”  

She shook her head firmly.  

She had seen it with her own eyes—  

Ten years ago, in that climactic battle, when Baek Yu-Seol had intervened and saved him.

Her father was still alive, somewhere.  

‘I can’t afford to waste time on doubts.’

Now, her only focus was to fully claim this final gift her father had left behind.  

‘With Father’s gift… I’ll save Flame.’  

Eisel pressed her palms together, summoning every last drop of her mana, forcing it to surge and meld with the Palace’s energy.

If she was to wield the Palace of Ice beyond Illa Jeridon Mountain, she first had to bind its mana to her own.

And as for the Class 7 Angel Hunter…  

He would make the perfect test subject.

Whiiiirrr…  

A cold wind swept through the temple, gently stirring Eisel’s silver hair as she prepared for battle. 

***

Princess Hong Bi-Yeon gripped her long hair tightly with one hand.  

There were times when she felt tired of her lengthy locks, but whenever she looked in the mirror, she was reminded of her eldest sister, and she couldn’t bring herself to cut it off.  

[Hong Erin Adolevit]  

[Gone like a flower scattered by the wind.]  

On weekends, Hong Bi-Yeon would sometimes visit the Adolevit Royal Cemetery to leave behind a pink needle flower—  

The flower her sister had loved the most.  

And now, it had become the flower she hated the most.  

“It’s not even her memorial day yet. Did you come again today?”  

Hong Bi-Yeon didn’t come too often, but at least until now, she hoped to not be disturbed.  

She hadn’t expected to run into Princess Hong Si-Hwa, yet she schooled her features, showing no hint of displeasure.

Surprisingly, Hong Si-Hwa had arrived first.  

When Hong Bi-Yeon approached the grave with the pink needle flowers in hand, she found Hong Si-Hwa already kneeling before the gravestone.

No one had known Hong Bi-Yeon planned to visit, so it seemed Hong Si-Hwa had come for the same reason—to see their sister.  

And for the first time in a long while...  

Hong Bi-Yeon saw Hong Si-Hwa with a serious expression.  

It lasted for only a moment.  

Before noticing Hong Bi-Yeon, Hong Si-Hwa had gazed at the gravestone with a cold, solemn look, just like in their childhood.  

But as soon as their eyes met, Hong Si-Hwa quickly plastered her usual annoying smile back onto her face.  

‘Is she really here to mourn?’

Even so, Hong Bi-Yeon felt no gratitude.

Instead, all she could think was—  

‘Now? After all this time?’

“Hmph~ So boring. It’s been a while since you saw her. Why not smile just once?”

“Whatever, I’m leaving first~ Enjoy your time here!”

Hong Si-Hwa muttered under her breath and strode away, as if she couldn’t leave fast enough.

Hong Bi-Yeon ignored her completely and knelt in front of the gravestone.  

But then—  

“Oh, right, little sister!”  

Hong Bi-Yeon turned her head.

Hong Si-Hwa didn’t even bother to glance in her direction as she said.

“You don’t have much time left, either.”  

Hong Bi-Yeon immediately understood what she meant. 

‘The Brand of Adolevit.’

All women born into the Adolevit family carried flames within their hearts… a power that burned brighter with talent, but at the cruel cost of shortening their lives.

With Hong Bi-Yeon’s level of talent, she likely had no more than two years left to live.  

Hong Si-Hwa, on the other hand, had resorted to grotesque methods, such as using Isaac Morph's body, to extend her lifespan. Yet even then, she must have been enduring unbearable agony, her body slowly devoured by the flames within.

“If you ever need help, just let me know. I’m your sister, after all.”  

With those parting words, she left. Hong Bi-Yeon clenched her fists tightly.  

“Disgusting…”

Even if she were to burn away completely in this moment, she would never seek help from Hong Si-Hwa.

To her, borrowing another’s life - even that of someone as detestable as Eisel - was a fate far worse than death.

Whoosh...  

A breeze blew, scattering Hong Bi-Yeon’s hair. Now that Hong Si-hwa was gone, the air felt strangely lighter. The wind, which had been sharp and oppressive moments ago, carried a rare sense of calm.

She gazed at her sister’s gravestone, her mind focusing on the heat smoldering in her chest.

Something inside her burned fiercely.

What exactly was fueling these flames, allowing them to burn so brightly? Was it her lifespan? Or was it her very soul being consumed?  

She couldn’t tell.  

‘It’s fine.’

‘I’m different.’

‘I have a plan.’

Calming the fire within, Hong Bi-Yeon rose to her feet. After offering one final farewell to the tombstone of her sister, she turned to leave.  

A strange sensation rooted her to the spot.

“What?”  

The world... was entirely in gray.  

The clouds above were frozen, as if hung in the sky like paintings, and the branches that had danced in the breeze stood rigid and lifeless.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t felt the wind at all since she first noticed the flames in her chest.  

Sensing something strange, Hong Bi-Yeon took a step back.  

Splash!  

The sound of water echoed beneath her feet.

"Ugh."  

When Hong Bi-Yeon looked down, she finally realized that the entire area around the tombstone was submerged in water.  

“H-How...?”  

The Adolevit family’s tombstones were located halfway up a mountain—an area where water could never naturally accumulate.  

And yet, the world around her was submerged, leaving only Hong Bi-Yeon standing above the surface.

‘Something’s wrong.’  

She had to leave immediately.  

Just as she turned to run, someone blocked her path.  

— Well, well. So this is the heir of the Adolevit family? Impressive. 

She hadn’t sensed his presence at all.  

Her grip tightened on her staff as she raised it, pointing it at the stranger.

He smirked, raising both hands in mock surrender.

— Whoa, whoa, calm down. I’m not here to harm you, little lady.  

He was tall, with wild, spiky hair the color of fire and dressed in crimson robes with Eastern patterns.

His eyes burned red… piercing and unrelenting.

— Hmm. I like her. This is the one, right?  

He directed his question toward someone.  

— Yes.  

“... Ugh!”  

But it wasn’t directed at Hong Bi-Yeon—it was aimed at someone standing behind her.  

Stepping sideways, she quickly turned to check—and saw a man in gray robes, exuding a suffocating presence.

“Ah...”  

Why?  

Why did he feel so familiar when she had never seen him before?

— Ahaha! I like her very much.  

— Good. Then I’ll take my leave.  

— Hmm! Be sure to thank me properly for helping you meet my future bride.  

Before she could react, the man in gray disappeared without a trace, leaving Hong Bi-Yeon alone with the man in red.  

He approached her, grabbing her chin and tilting her face upward.  

She struggled to resist, but her body refused to move.

It felt as though invisible chains bound her in place.

— I’ve waited for so long... in endless slumber.  

His red eyes burned, as though they were aflame.

— A woman just like Adolevit... Yet destined to walk a path completely opposite to hers.  

Hong Bi-Yeon had no idea what he was talking about. But there was one thing she could say for certain.  

“I... have absolutely no interest... in a vulgar man like you...”  

— Hmm? Vulgar? Haha! Looks like you don’t know who you’re talking to. I’m one of the Twelve Divine Moons. The greatest beings in the world!  

No. That wasn’t true.  

Hong Bi-Yeon knew someone far greater—someone far more extraordinary than the Twelve Divine Moons.  

Clang!  

Her staff fell to the ground.  

The man smirked, assuming she had given up.  

But in reality, Hong Bi-Yeon had dropped her staff to reach for the pocket watch hanging at her waist.  

— Well, it doesn't matter. Soon enough, you’ll come to see just how amazing and charming I am. How about falling into my arms right now?  

The man reached out toward her—  

Click!  

In that instant, the button on the pocket watch snapped shut.

Crackle!!!  

The water that had risen to her ankles, as well as the man’s outstretched hand, froze solid.  

— W-What the...!?  

Caught completely off guard, the man’s eyes widened in shock. 

—————

Hello everyone!

I’m beyond excited (and a little emotional) to share that we’ve reached an incredible milestone: 300 chapters of Flashing Genius! When I first started translating this novel, it was just me, my laptop, and a passion for this story. Back then, I never imagined that this book would receive so much attention. Now, here we are—thanks to your support and love!

Translating these chapters has been quite a journey. When I first picked up this project, I was still a full-time student juggling classwork, late-night study sessions, and translation all in one go. Many of times, I found myself hunched over my laptop, half-asleep, debating whether to finish my homework first or translate just one more chapter. 

Now, I’ve graduated (yay!) and can devote more time and energy. Along the way, your support through comments, encouragement, and even constructive criticism helped me refine the book. 

To celebrate this milestone, I’m setting a Kofi goal for 20 bonus chapters of Flashing Genius. Once we reach our target, I’ll release these bonus chapters. Every tip, pledge, or share makes a difference.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, supporting, and coming along for all 300 chapters. 

KO-FI:- https://ko-fi.com/zenith677/goal?g=0

Your Beloved Translator

Zenith