I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 429

Leaving Baek Yuseol, who was skillfully handling the energy of the Twelve Moons aboard the airship, Silver Twilight disappeared from view.

Returning to his true form, he began walking, heading westward to the farthest edge of the continent.

“The Temple of the Moons...”

There were nine known Temples of the Moons scattered across the world, each managed by a different nation.

Though called "temples," they were essentially ruins, relics left without purpose ever since the Moons had disappeared from the world.

Humans believed there were only nine temples because that was all that had been discovered. But in reality, there were twelve.

Two had been destroyed, leaving no trace of their existence.

And the final one...

The last paradise in the west: Dorothy.

Once, Dorothy had been a utopia where all happiness in the world could be found, but now, it was so contaminated that humans could no longer set foot there.

The final temple was hidden in that paradise.

“...It hasn’t changed.”

Silver Twilight clicked his tongue in regret as he arrived in Dorothy, now a desolate place nearly devoid of human presence. Stepping onto the ground, he took in his surroundings.

Dorothy was known for its unique architecture. Instead of low, sprawling buildings, the city featured hundreds of tall, slender structures that stood like pillars.

Now, all those structures had been broken or destroyed. The grandeur of the countless pillars that once symbolized the city's majesty could no longer be seen.

Yet, in Silver Twilight's memories, Dorothy remained a paradise, a utopia.

Once, long ago.

The people who lived here worshipped the Twelve Moons as gods.

Through this devotion, they inherited the divine powers of the Moons, becoming a unique race capable of manipulating elemental forces.

Thanks to this, they built a mystical civilization distinct from the magical societies of other humans.

But in human society, "different" often meant "wrong."

They were ostracized.

Simply because they manipulated the elements without being able to use magic.

And so...

Even when they were attacked by Black Mages, no one came to their aid.

Silver Twilight, bound by the rule that he could not interfere with the world, could do nothing but watch as they screamed in agony and perished.

He could only watch.

Centuries had passed since that day, yet his extraordinary memory ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) made it impossible to forget even a single moment of that tragedy.

As he wandered the streets of Dorothy, he finally arrived at the Temple of the Moons.

Unlike the other temples, which had fallen into disrepair without maintenance, this one remained as intact as it had been centuries ago.

“...O great Twelve Moons,” he murmured, kneeling with reverence before the temple.

The reason was obvious.

Even after all these years, those who had seized the temple still guarded it.

The Black Mages.

They hadn’t attacked this place without reason.

The people here had refused to share their knowledge of the Moons’ power, and the Black Mages, driven by envy and ambition, had retaliated.

To them, their actions were justified.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

Silver Twilight frowned in distaste as he looked at the Black Mages who now stood before him.

"Still guarding this place, are you?" he asked.

“It is our duty,” one of them replied, bowing deeply. “Those born on this continent must honor the Twelve Moons.”

“We have no need to be worshipped.”

“But we do. By serving you, we are granted mysterious power and intellect.”

Indeed, power and intellect.

These were the two things Black Mages desired above all else.

Even in the modern era, many Black Mages had learned how to retain their intelligence without sacrificing it for power. But their longing for even greater strength and knowledge remained insatiable.

“Step aside. I have somewhere to be.”

The Black Mages obediently moved aside.

“Our king always awaits your presence,” one of them murmured as Silver Twilight passed.

He ignored them and descended into the temple’s depths.

At the bottom of the temple, he released his energy to open the massive stone doors that had been sealed shut for centuries.

The door bore numerous scars, evidence of countless attempts to force it open with magic and brute strength. But the ancient spell cast by the First Mage could not be so easily broken.

With a loud rumble, the doors finally opened, revealing a stone chamber within.

Countless mages and Black Mages had hoped to find some divine relic here, but in truth, there was nothing extraordinary inside.

Only paintings adorned the walls and ceiling of the chamber.

The First Mage, unable to rely on language in an era when languages constantly evolved and overlapped, had chosen to leave his message in paintings imbued with magical power, ensuring their preservation for eternity.

Even the nine temples managed by humans contained such paintings, but none had been deciphered.

The murals depicted incomprehensible images: a sun and a giant dragon, humans engulfed in flames, a colossal being slumbering within an iceberg, elves overturning the earth with a spear, and a massive mountain at rest.

Even the Twelve Moons themselves did not understand these enigmatic drawings.

Silver Twilight had no idea what the First Mage intended to convey through these paintings.

However, the murals in this temple were different.

In this final temple, the ceiling bore a single, monumental painting:

A human reaching out with their hand, two dragons—one white, one black—swirling around them, and twelve radiant, iridescent colors spiraling together. At the center of it all was a swirling yin-yang symbol, half black and half white.

“Now I see... So that’s what it means,” Silver Twilight murmured.

The blending of all twelve colors...

When colors mix, they darken, turning black, symbolizing destruction.

But what about light?

When the colors of light mix, they shine brighter, creating pure, radiant white.

That was the key.

“When all the colors come together, will it be black... or white?”

Floating up, Silver Twilight touched the yin-yang symbol on the ceiling.

No doubt Hoegongsiyue had understood this all along.

That was why he had remained patient, uninterested in seizing the Twelve Moons’ power for himself.

Because the outcome of their convergence would decide everything.

Clenching his fist, Silver Twilight scowled.

“Baek Yuseol... I hope you’ll be white.”

***

Hawol Plains, Lotus Inn.

At the break of dawn, Jellyel prepared to board the airship in a simple dress, ready for her business trip. However, troubling news stopped her in her tracks.

“There are multiple traces of Black Mage activity detected across the plains?”

“Yes, ma’am. The local tribes are unable to handle them and have requested support from our company.”

The employee delivering the report wore an incredulous expression.

“We’re not a mage tower. Why are they requesting military support from us...?”

“Do it.”

“...Pardon?”

“I said, provide the support. Bribe the mages at the mage tower with money, hire every mercenary you can find, and bring them here.”

“Are... are you serious?”

Jellyel snapped her cold gaze toward the employee, who yelped in fear and stumbled backward as though he’d seen a ghost.

“Listen carefully. If the Hawol Plains die, Starcloud dies. If the Hawol Plains live, Starcloud lives.”

That was the truth.

Though no one had ever dared to say it aloud, Starcloud was essentially the monarchy ruling over the Hawol Plains.

For centuries, the plains had been engulfed in war, but Starcloud had bought the loyalty of all the warring tribes, finally establishing peace. They had built a system to protect the plains from external threats and introduced a financial market to stabilize the region.

If not a monarchy, what else could it be called?

It was only because they were a trading company that they didn’t dare use the term “kingdom.”

Thus, Jellyel, as the de facto princess of this vast land, bore the responsibility of protecting her people.

“I don’t know why the Black Mages are acting up again, but if we leave them alone, they’ll only gain confidence and push further.”

That was something she would never allow.

“Capture and kill them all.”

“...Understood.”

Her subordinate now fully grasped her orders. Satisfied, Jellyel leaned back in her chair. There were still about ten minutes left before the airship’s departure.

What’s gotten into the Black Mages lately?

From the moment they attacked the factory, she had felt uneasy. Yet, no concrete answers had surfaced.

The Black Mages she had captured and interrogated so far were all low-ranking grunts who knew next to nothing.

But one thing was certain: they had a purpose.

For the Black Mages to act so systematically, there had to be a larger force giving orders. This force was known to possess intelligence rivaling that of the greatest human archmages—an entity that could not be underestimated.

If they’re stirring up trouble in the plains, they must have a goal.

But what could it be?

Even if they caused chaos, many of their own would perish in the process. Was the cost worth it? What objective could justify such a massive sacrifice?

What are they after?

Lost in thought, Jellyel closed her eyes to organize her ideas. But her moment of peace was interrupted as the employee who had left earlier came rushing back, breathless.

“Miss! Miss Jellyel!”

“...What now?”

It couldn’t be an ordinary issue if he was in such a panic. Jellyel’s expression turned hard as she asked, and the employee stammered out his response.

“G-Gates... Persona Gates are opening all across the plains! Simultaneously!”

“...What did you say?”

Her face went pale at the mention of something she had never heard of before.

This was a large-scale event, something far beyond her knowledge or capacity to handle.