I Became a Terminally Ill Magic Genius at the Academy

The professors who had been watching Yohan and Cecilia’s battle through the crystal orb let out a breath as soon as the battle concluded.

“Did I see that correctly?”  

“Cecilia lost? This is quite surprising.”  

Most of the professors had anticipated Cecilia’s victory in her clash with Yohan.  

It was inevitable. 

Considering the rumors surrounding Yohan and the performance Cecilia displayed during the entrance exam, it was natural to assume Cecilia would win.  

“Wasn’t it simply a lack of preparation on Cecilia’s part?”  

“Indeed. For her golem to be neutralized by just a Spark spell… it must have been because she was careless.”  

Hence, the professors concluded that Cecilia had been caught off guard. 

They judged that her defeat was due to her complacency in not preventing the golem’s neutralization by the Spark spell.  

However, one person, the professor who brought Cecilia to the academy from the West, shook his head at the comments from his peers.  

“If that were the case, Cecilia wouldn’t have been able to defeat the Crow member during the entrance exam. In fact, she even attacked them with a 3-star lightning spell.”  

“What? And the golem was still intact?”  

“It only hesitated for a moment but was otherwise fine. I suspect she used Cold Iron in the crucial parts of its construction.”  

Cold Iron was resistant to magic. 

It was a metal greatly favored by swordsmen who frequently had to face off against magic users on the battlefield. 

However, Cold Iron was challenging to mine and had a complex refining process, making it expensive. 

Given how much Cold Iron would have been required for such a large golem, this showcased the immense wealth of the Diaz family.  

“Then how do you explain what we just saw?”  

The professor from the West responded to the inquiry from his colleagues.  

Indeed, Yohan had taken down the golem with a mere 1-star spell, Spark.  

Given the properties of Cold Iron, this didn’t make sense.  

“It seems Yohan targeted the mana reception device precisely.”  

As mentioned, Cold Iron was resistant to magic. 

Thus, the mana reception device, which was necessary for the golem to receive commands, couldn’t be made from Cold Iron. 

In fact, it would have been crafted from a material that conducts mana well.  

“But how would Yohan have known that?”  

“Well, after all, he’s from the Hart family, isn’t he? It seems he defended himself at first while searching for the weak point and only went on the offensive once his shield was completely shattered.”  

“Huh.”  

The professors let out small exclamations of admiration.  

Sure, the Hart family had a history of producing exceptional mages.  

But no one is a prodigy from birth, and in this case, they were dealing with the notorious troublemaker, Yohan Hart.  

Their expectations were naturally low, so seeing him stay calm and effectively counter the golem was truly impressive. 

“As expected, he was capable of defeating Violet. To remain calm and find a way out in that situation…”  

“It’s unfortunate for Cecilia.”  

The professors gave their evaluations and were about to observe the other students when someone interrupted.  

“Wait a moment. About the shield Yohan Hart used just now.”  

“Yes, Principal.”  

“Was I the only one who saw it as red?”  

“I saw it as red too…”  

All the professors had seen that the shield was red. However, they didn’t attribute much significance to its color.  

After all, all magic manifested according to how the caster envisioned it.  

While a typical shield wasn’t usually red, the caster could add color if they so desired. In fact, accidental occurrences like this weren’t uncommon.  

“A red shield…”  

Serhen stared intently at Yohan within the crystal orb, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.  

———-

The key to the dormitory placement test was finding and using the teleportation devices scattered around the island to escape.  

Yohan had a rough idea of the location of one of these devices.  

It was the same teleportation device Cedric used in the original story.  

While the exact spot wasn’t described in detail, he wouldn’t be wandering around aimlessly for too long.  

Initially, this was his plan.  

“But…”  

There was no longer a need to do so.  

Even though he had a vague idea of where it was, he still would have had to search for it and probably struggle a bit to find it.  

“Now, I’ve ended up with the magic formula that shows the location of the teleportation device.”  

Yohan unfolded the note Cecilia had handed him.  

On it was a complex magic circle.  

Normally, any first-year student would have taken quite a while to decipher it.  

It would be challenging to focus solely on interpreting the magic circle while being in the middle of Aaron Island, with potential threats looming around every corner. 

They would need to stay vigilant of their surroundings while deciphering, making the process even more difficult.  

In many ways, this task was quite challenging for the students.  

“But that’s from the students’ perspective.”  

For Yohan, deciphering it wouldn’t take that long.  

He had created the settings for the magic circles himself and had drawn numerous magic circles with his own hands.  

While it would be impossible to recall every single magic circle perfectly, analyzing and interpreting them was not a problem at all.  

‘From this point, it’s to the north.’

Yohan leaned against a tree for a moment and analyzed the magic circle.  

The magic circle was like a navigation system.  

If he could interpret it perfectly, it would guide him to the nearest teleportation device from his current location.  

He began walking in the direction indicated by the magic circle.  

———

A short while later:  

“Is this the place?”  

Yohan murmured as he gazed at the towering cliff and the cave below it.  

He drew his magic pen from his belt and cautiously headed into the cave.  

The sound of his footsteps echoed faintly in the cavern.  

‘It’s getting hotter.’  

The deeper he ventured into the cave, the more intense the heat became.  

The rising temperature compelled Yohan to raise his magic pen.  

“Blood Shield.”  

Applying temperature control magic would have been ideal, but unfortunately, that would require adding another layer to the spell.  

While he was a 3-star mage, casting a 3-star spell came with severe aftereffects that Yohan preferred to avoid.  

‘Especially after the mana I used during the fight with Cecilia. This is the best I can manage.’  

Surrounded by the Blood Shield, Yohan pressed forward.  

He walked some distance when…  

“Welcome, little human.”  

A deep voice resonated through the cave.  

The voice lacked a physical form, but Yohan knew who it was.  

Although the locations of the teleportation devices varied, the guardian was always the same.  

‘The Ancient Spirit of the Volcano.’  

Aaron Island was inspired by Jeju Island, a volcanic island.  

In a way, the entire island was the spirit’s body.  

That’s why Aaron Island could observe all the students and assign them to the dormitory that suited them best.  

“Do you wish to leave this place?”  

“Yes I seek to leave Aaron Island.”  

“Then you must prove your worth.”  

Each time the spirit spoke, cracks formed on the cave floor and flames flickering like a snake’s tongue.  

The fire surged as if it would engulf Yohan, threatening the Blood Shield surrounding him.  

Whoosh.  

Whoosh!  

The Blood Shield was powerful, but constant exposure to these attacks would inevitably wear it down.  

‘This is getting difficult.’  

Yohan observed the mana forming the Blood Shield dissipating bit by bit as it resisted the flames. 

He lifted his head.  

The Blood Shield was reaching its limit.  

Concealing his growing anxiety, he continued to speak as calmly as he could.  

“Very well. Please grant me a chance to prove myself.”  

He already knew how to prove his worth.  

The Ancient Spirit of the Volcano was essentially a…  

‘A Sphinx-like entity.’ 

It meant that the ‘proof of qualification’ mentioned by the spirit essentially meant solving a riddle posed by the spirit. 

Fortunately, Yohan knew what the riddle was.  

‘What is eternal in this world, that will never disappear?’  

The answer was mana.  

In the original story, Cedric answered without hesitation and was then transported to the Golden Lion dormitory.  

Yohan just needed to do the same.  

He stood before the closed teleportation device, ready.  

– An interesting human. It’s difficult to judge.  

“Pardon?”  

Yohan was startled by the spirit’s words, but the Ancient Spirit of the Volcano continued speaking, ignoring him.  

– Prove your worth, little human.  

“Yes. I’m ready.”  

Yohan nodded at the spirit’s words, which simply instructed him to prove himself.

‘Alright. As the question.’

‘I’ll answer it right away.’

The spirit flickered with flames as it posed the riddle to Yohan.  

– Which came first: magic or the mage?  

Huh?  

“What did you just say…?”  

– Which came first: magic or the mage? Answer.  

‘Wait. This isn’t the question.’

Yohan’s face twisted in confusion.  

“Hold on a moment.”  

– You have time. Take as much as you need.  

The spirit spoke calmly.  

Yohan was on the verge of losing his mind.  

He had assumed the question would be the same as before, but now he was faced with a completely different riddle. 

It was only natural to be caught off guard.  

‘Looks like I’ll have to solve this one on my own.’  

‘Alright. Let’s think this through.’

After all, most of the spirit’s questions had multiple answers.  

As long as he could provide a convincing argument, the spirit would recognize his qualification.  

Which came first: magic or the mage?  

‘This is like asking which came first, the chicken or the egg….’  

‘Isn’t this a question with no definitive answer?’

Yohan furrowed his brow, deep in thought.  

When asked what is eternal and will never disappear, Cedric answered mana and was recognized as worthy. 

Love, friendship, trust…  

It’s not those things, but mana.

“What comes first?”  

This must also be related to magic or mana…  

As he pondered, Yohan’s eyes suddenly lit up.  

What must a mage do to cast magic?  

They must draw a magic circle first.  

The answer lay within the magic circle.  

No matter what type of magic circle it was, it always had this one thing.  

The outermost circle of the magic circle, the circle.

The beginning, and in essence, the end of magic that a mage drew to cast a spell.  

“A circle has no starting point.”  

Yohan answered while looking at the teleportation device’s door.  

– Ho. An interesting answer.  

The spirit seemed to mull over Yohan’s response for a few moments before speaking again.  

– Very well. Your qualifications have been proven. Go forth.  

The spirit stepped aside, making way for him.  

Yohan finally moved toward the teleportation device.  

‘This seems like a pretty fast time.’  

Maybe he even arrived quicker than Cedric.  

Imagining the crimson and gold decorations of the Golden Lion Dormitory, which he had been drawing for years, Yohan stepped forward.  

At that moment, the world turned upside down.  

———-

“Welcome, new student.”  

“Yes, hello—”  

Yohan started to reply to the greeting he received as soon as he opened his eyes, but then he abruptly fell silent.  

His pupils were trembling intensely.  

And for good reason.  

‘Why… Is this not the Blazing Golden Lion Dormitory?’ 

No matter how many times he blinked, the place before his eyes was not the Golden Lion Dormitory.  

A banner with a silver wolf was smudged on a blue background.  

The symbol of the Solitary White Wolf Dormitory.  

‘Ah! This is driving me crazy.’  

The story had deviated from the original plot.