Magic Academy's Genius Blinker Chapter 541: Green Core (6)

Even though Baek Yu-Seol assured Scarlet he'd handle it solo, he actually planned to get some backup instead of tackling it all by himself.

Managing the Green Core proved tricky by nature, and stealing it straight from the Green Tower showed the thieves possessed serious might and structure.

Florin popped into his thoughts first. She could effortlessly deal with tough artifacts like the Green Core, boasting top-tier skills.

Regrettably, her schedule was packed.

Summoning the Elven King for the Green Core felt overkill, akin to smashing a walnut with a massive hammer. His presence alone boosted nature's recovery far beyond what the Green Core achieved.

Right now, she juggled kingly responsibilities alongside cleansing the natural realm. No longer shy of the spotlight, she sometimes left her domain to heal the environment.

Leafanel was the next candidate on his list.

This millennium-old fairy had been silently rebuilding her power inside the World Tree. Lately, she'd started stirring more.

"So sleepy..."

Yet, upon visiting Leafanel, Baek Yu-Seol found her groggy and reluctant to budge.

Compared to earlier, her development stood out; she appeared more grown-up, almost shifting from a teen look to that of a full-fledged woman.

The sight of her sprawled on a bloom, draped in billowing clothes and slumbering serenely, painted a picture of stunning allure. But to Baek Yu-Seol, eager for her to join him, it was pure aggravation.

"Leafanel, you're really not joining? This'll be super exciting."

"Mmm..."

Her sleepy murmur was faint, showing she hardly registered his words.

She probably didn't even notice his arrival. After all, the deeply tired often blur dreams with waking life.

"Sigh, no choice then. I'll swing by again later."

— Hmm...

With Leafanel drifting into slumber once more, Baek Yu-Seol departed the garden. A formidable barrier enveloped the spot, erected by the World Tree itself for her safeguard.

Despite Leafanel's past corruption that tormented the World Tree, the venerable entity cherished her still. Maybe due to her being a thousand-year-old divine spirit.

Leafanel's intimates could slip in freely, but intruders faced the World Tree's fierce light magic retaliation.

Since that dark mage's unlawful breach caused her downfall, the World Tree had ramped up security. Thus, leaving her solo felt far safer now.

Childlike in mind though Leafanel was, after one such ordeal, she'd never repeat the mistake.

In the end, she remained a thousand-year-old spirit.

The task wouldn't drag on forever, regardless.

It seemed rude to request, but enlisting Soft Green Spring Moon's aid would solve the Green Core hassle easily.

Since the Green Core was her own divine artifact, she'd probably gladly lend a hand.

Whoooosh...!

Vibrations from the flying craft hummed through him as Baek Yu-Seol headed back to his exclusive VIP quarters. He sat lotus-style on the bed, centering his focus.

Time being short, he seized every free instant to train mastery over the Twelve Divine Moons' energy or simply meditate. Oddly, these brief bursts outperformed marathon sessions.

Likely because a key energy pathway had unlocked fully, his advancement surged impressively.

He'd mastered the Silver Autumn Moon energy notably, enough to decelerate time at will.

[The ’Resting Time’ of Silver Autumn Moon has been activated.]

Following intense concentration, Baek Yu-Seol amassed the silver power and triggered the skill. Abruptly, air's motion crawled to a halt.

In that slowed realm, he peeked open his eyes and gazed outside.

The airship's propellers churned like they were almost stalled, rotating at a glacial speed.

This time-dilation spell, once reliant on Silver Autumn Moon's aid, now stemmed from his own strength.

Still, it fell short.

Time's pace had dipped, yet not as much as he craved—the propellers crept along visibly. Worse, the effect partly bogged down his body, hindering his actions awkwardly.

His speed outpaced normal folk's even then, but it remained woefully inadequate.

His goal was flawless control like that displayed by Silver Autumn Moon, where the entire world froze solid, permitting movement only to him.

"Hooh..."

Deactivating Resting Time, Baek Yu-Seol brushed away the icy sweat beading on his forehead.

He then chose to experiment with Pink Spring Moon's ability [Your Emotions].

With his eyes shifting to a gentle pink hue as he concentrated his mana, the feelings of those aboard the airship started surging toward him.

Anger, sorrow, happiness—the primary trio of emotions—mixed together, spawning endless secondary sentiments. They manifested as hues, crafting a complex emotional chart within Baek Yu-Seol’s thoughts.

This let him locate every person's precise spot on the airship without visual confirmation. It proved much sharper and more intense than mere Sixth Sense for sensing presences.

While Baek Yu-Seol kept honing the Twelve Divine Moons’ abilities, the airship's speakers buzzed to life, broadcasting the captain’s panicked tone.

"Ahem, attention passengers. This is an announcement. Flight Duelis No. 3, which was originally scheduled to dock at Brightly Port, will instead be landing in Bahana City, located approximately 30 minutes from here."

"Once again, this flight was originally scheduled to land at Brightly..."

"What’s going on?"

Baek Yu-Seol knitted his brows and exited the VIP room. For those bound for Brightly, himself included, the news hit like a thunderbolt, sparking a massive outcry from the passengers.

Forcing his way through the whispering throng, he reached the cockpit area, where folks clustered, fiercely disputing with what looked like the co-pilot.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"There’s no direct transportation between Brightly and Bahana City! It’ll take at least six hours to get back!"

"W-we’re very sorry, passengers, but this is the only way to land at the closest location."

"Damn it! I have no reason to go to Bahana! Why not turn the ship around?"

"We don’t have enough power in the magic engine to make the return trip..."

"Is making excuses all you’re good for?!"

Middle-aged nobles, men and women alike, bellowed furiously at full volume. Their fury ignited the rest of the crowd to pile on, intensifying the mayhem.

The co-pilot couldn't provide a firm rationale, finally mumbling excuses before fleeing back to the cockpit to manage the helm, abandoning the female flight attendant to face the irate mob.

The female flight attendant, of course, lacked superior responses for the passengers. Even before she uttered a word, they screamed demands to head to Brightly, rendering her powerless.

Seeing no answers would come like this, Baek Yu-Seol let out a sigh and advanced.

"Excuse me for a moment."

"And who are you supposed to be?!"

A middle-aged noble whipped around and snapped at him after catching his youthful tone. Yet, spotting Baek Yu-Seol’s Stella Academy cadet uniform, he faltered and recoiled a bit.

Stella Academy cadets were seen as elite from the top echelons of society, after all.

"Let’s listen to the explanation first, shall we?"

"What’s there to listen to?!"

"If you don’t want to hear it, then feel free to leave."

The airship bore clear blame. Switching the landing from Brightly to Bahana was certain to rile up passengers—it was inevitable.

Thus, calling the man a problem maker for his rage wouldn't quite fit.

Still, grasping the circumstances and maybe securing recompense required dialogue. But he hadn't bothered with even the basics.

"What did you say... leave?"

The middle-aged man flushed with outrage now. Face crimson, he jabbed a finger at Baek Yu-Seol, poised to unleash a tirade. Yet Baek Yu-Seol casually flicked his hand and posed a query to the flight attendant.

"What’s the reason for not landing at Brightly?"

"Oh, um... it’s because four dark mages of risk level 7 have appeared at Brightly Port, and a suppression operation is underway. If civilian airships were to land and risk being taken hostage, it would be dangerous. That’s why the order was given to redirect all airships during the conflict."

With a quivering voice, the female attendant detailed it all, her face betraying imminent tears. She appeared grateful at last for an opening to speak.

"Dark mages?"

Dark mages popping up in a backwater like Brightly wasn't odd, but four at risk level 7? That was bizarre.

Dark mages of that caliber had zero motive to venture into such an out-of-the-way spot.

"Mages from the association have been sent to resolve the issue, yet air routes remain sealed off. It'll require at least an hour, so orders came to save on engine fuel and touch down at the closest airport."

"The association sent mages only moments ago? And what's this about an ongoing conflict?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Didn't you mention a fight happening at Brightly Port earlier?"

"Y-yes... that's the info I got..."

The attendant's face showed no sign of detecting any issue in her statement.

She appeared oblivious to the inconsistency in her report.

"...So you're telling me the primary magical team hasn't shown up yet. Then who's clashing with those four risk level 7 dark mages?"

Baek Yu-Seol spoke calmly to make things clear, yet the attendant merely shook her head.

"I-I don't know. I'm only passing on what my bosses instructed me to say."

"Hmm..."

Baek Yu-Seol mulled it over briefly.

At that point, the middle-aged man figured the talk had ended and seized Baek Yu-Seol's shoulder to shout.

"You insolent kid, how dare you...!"

"Here's a proposal: after checking the leftover engine power, we fly straight to Brightly Port, with me taking responsibility for all the risk level 7 dark mages."

"What?"

Baek Yu-Seol flashed his Honorary Mage ID card, causing everyone's eyes to bulge in astonishment.

The title of Honorary Mage went exclusively to individuals with Class 7 magic prowess and expertise at minimum. A Magic Warrior bearing that honor meant their power surpassed the Class 7 mark without question.

Yet a Stella Academy cadet carried such prestige?

A teen with an Honorary Class 7 Mage qualification was an extraordinary phenomenon.

Truth be told, just one individual across the globe matched that profile.

"Ba-Baek Yu-Seol...?"

The middle-aged noble yanked his hand back from Baek Yu-Seol's shoulder, fussing over his attire in unease.

"Haha... Just thought I spotted some dirt on you, nothing more..."

Baek Yu-Seol utterly disregarded the man, fixing his stare on the flight attendant instead.

Rattled and at a loss for words, she stammered an excuse before dashing to the cockpit.

Shortly after, the captain emerged personally, offering his hand to Baek Yu-Seol for a shake.

"Honored to meet you. I'm the captain of the Duelis No. 3 airship. Forgive me, but... did you say you have an Honorary Mage certification?"

Baek Yu-Seol presented his ID, prompting the captain to exhale in relief and nod approvingly.

"Heading to Brightly Port with you aboard still carries dangers. Our engine reserves allow only about an hour of flight. We can't descend until the clash concludes."

Put simply, upon reaching Brightly, the airship would linger overhead, forcing Baek Yu-Seol to leap down solo and confront the Corrupted Ones.

Precisely his intention.

Though it felt harsh, the captain's choice stood as the wisest and most thoughtful for Baek Yu-Seol.

Touching down at the port would complicate matters, requiring airship protection amid the fray.

"Yes, that's acceptable to me."

"The conflict... needs to wrap up in 30 minutes max. Should it drag beyond, we'll retreat to Bahana due to engine limits."

"20 minutes."

"Pardon?"

"20 minutes suffices. If unresolved by then, proceed to Bahana. Lingering the entire 30 could jeopardize the engines."

"...Understood."

Baek Yu-Seol's assured presence eased the captain, who flashed a faint grin before heading back to the cockpit.

"We'll set off right away. Get ready for the fight ahead."