Chapter 360: Twelve Divine Moons (1) |
The guardians of Stella Academy's freshman candidates were allowed to observe the entrance exam from a designated area.
Although Baek Yu-Seol wasn’t an adult, he took on the role of guardian as a senior in the second year.
Typically, having a senior student act as a guardian was nearly impossible. However, since Anella’s original guardian, Jeliel, had relinquished the role, someone had to step in.
Fortunately, Baek Yu-Seol was highly favored by both the principal and the head knight commander of Stella Academy, which likely led to some bending of the rules.
‘Well, it’s me, after all.’
While such favoritism had once made him uncomfortable, Baek Yu-Seol now accepted it with ease.
Munching on potato chips instead of popcorn, he focused intently on the movements of Scarlet and Anella.
Two floating monitors displayed their actions.
Scarlet unleashed magic, her white hair flowing like silk in the wind, while Anella moved with deliberate care, radiating a calm and calculated demeanor.
He had explicitly told Scarlet to restrain herself, but it seemed his words had already slipped her mind.
Scarlet was casually firing Class 3 level spells with both hands, something that was far beyond what a seventeen-year-old student should be capable of.
To compare, Scarlet’s performance rivaled the shockwaves caused by the appearances of Ma Yu-Seong and Hae Won-Ryang during their entrance exams.
Back then, countless mages had been left speechless by those two prodigies—who had not only reached Class 3 magic by sixteen but could also wield three or more elemental attributes.
And now, Scarlet was following exactly the same path.
She manipulated fire, ice, and lightning with precision. While it seemed she was making an effort to restrain herself, avoiding additional elements, even this display was overwhelming.
“Hey, did you see that girl?”
“Dr. Kim, it looks like another genius has appeared.”
“Unbelievable! A new golden generation appearing right after the previous one?”
“And why are all these geniuses so beautiful, too? Seriously…”
“The gods are unfair.”
Mages attending as guardians, including directors of magic societies, vice tower masters, and other high-ranking figures, watched Scarlet’s performance in awe, unable to suppress their exclamations of admiration.
‘This is crazy.’
Scarlet’s personal information listed her background as unknown, with no ties to any established organizations. Because of this, it was inevitable that high-ranking mages would soon start vying to recruit her.
There were even whispers that when a commoner girl possessed exceptional beauty, nobles or influential figures might attempt to approach her under questionable pretenses.
If anyone dared to pull such a move with Scarlet, however, it could easily lead to chaos.
On top of that, her abilities and appearance would make her an irresistible target for the media, which thrived on gossip and scandals.
‘Maybe I should just announce myself as her guardian.’
Baek Yu-Seol considered stepping in, but one concern lingered in his mind:
‘Does my name carry enough weight?’
Would nobles and high-ranking mages really back off just because Baek Yu-Seol claimed to be her protector?
Probably not.
Despite his rising reputation, Baek Yu-Seol was still just a young mage when measured against the true titans of the magical world.
However, there was one strange advantage working in his favor—
Rumors had tied him to several powerful organizations, including Starcloud Trading Company, Adolevit, Sky Flower Cradle, and Alchemy Castle.
Even though these connections were mostly misunderstandings, the rumors had created an illusion of power around him.
‘It’s worth a shot.’
Baek Yu-Seol resolved to take the gamble.
With no one else to rely on, he planned to claim Scarlet as his responsibility the moment the exam concluded.
Turning his attention to Anella, Baek Yu-Seol noticed something unusual.
Unlike Scarlet, few people were paying attention to Anella’s performance.
That much was understandable. Anella had yet to showcase any standout abilities, making her seem like just another ordinary mage.
“Hmm?”
Baek Yu-Seol tilted his head as he observed the monitor.
‘She’s with Young Lady Mirinae?’
Earlier, he had carefully tracked the positions of Young Lady Mirinae and her group. At that time, Young Lady Mirinae had been far away… in the lava zone, on the opposite side of the exam area.
He had assumed there was no chance the two would cross paths during the exam.
And yet, within such a short time, the two had already encountered each other.
‘…How?’
Had Mirinae used tracking magic to find Anella?
If so, Baek Yu-Seol hadn’t noticed it at all and that worried him.
If tracking magic had been used, Baek Yu-Seol’s Sentient Spec, designed for special magic detection, would have picked it up immediately.
‘What if it wasn’t magic?’
There were rare individuals born with special talents—abilities that couldn’t be explained or analyzed even through magic.
The likelihood of Young Lady Mirinae possessing such a talent was extremely low, but… Hadn’t there always been something suspicious about her?
‘I’ve analyzed Young Lady Mirinae thoroughly.’
She bore no traces of dark magic whatsoever. In other words, there was no direct means for her to attack Anella within the Stella Dome.
But… Baek Yu-Seol couldn’t ignore one possibility.
‘What if harming Anella isn’t her direct goal?’
Baek Yu-Seol’s expression gradually hardened.
If Mirinae planned to torment Anella through ‘legal methods’ allowed within the exam’s rules, Baek Yu-Seol would be powerless to stop her from the observation room.
***
“Let’s lure them.”
About 40 minutes after Anella and Mirinae joined forces—
Perched atop an ancient tree, Young Lady Mirinae was the first to speak.
Anella blinked in surprise.
“Lure them?”
“Yeah.”
Anella glanced down nervously at the ground below.
Three monsters were prowling nearby, having tracked their scent all the way to this location.
While the two had managed to escape to the treetops, pressing forward through this monster-infested terrain would be no easy feat.
‘Tsk, the summoner’s location must be just ahead…’
Approaching the monster summoner proved to be even more difficult than expected.
Ever since the exam began, the summoner hadn’t moved from their spot. Instead, they had been continuously summoning monsters at fixed intervals.
As a result, the area near the summoner had become densely packed with monsters.
Any ordinary student would choose to avoid danger and take a detour.
After all, Instructor Lee Han-Wol had emphasized survival above all else. There was no need to take unnecessary risks.
Only a handful of students, those with extraordinary insight, would dare to plunge into the heart of danger and confront the summoner directly.
“But… Going straight into such a place is just reckless.”
That was Mirinae’s assessment.
“We already got hints from Baek Yu-Seol. We need to stay one step ahead of the others.”
“That’s… True, but…”
Anella hesitated.
If they had received hints yet failed to produce exceptional results, Baek Yu-Seol would undoubtedly be disappointed.
He was a once-in-a-generation genius, and his standards were undoubtedly high.
Anella feared that if she couldn’t keep up, she’d end up disappointing him.
Of course, Baek Yu-Seol had given her the hints purely out of a desire to help her, but this thought was purely Anella’s misunderstanding.
Even so, the pressure to succeed weighed heavily on her, and Mirinae’s suggestion began to sound appealing.
“How exactly do you plan to lure the summoner?”
Anella absentmindedly twisted her hair, deep in thought.
Summoners were notorious for their immobility.
Lacking direct combat skills, they typically fortified themselves within protective zones, avoiding confrontation at all costs.
“I’ll lure it out.”
Mirinae’s sudden declaration made Anella freeze.
“What? Seriously? That’s dangerous! You might get disqualified.”
“It’s fine. I’ve thought this through—I have to do it.”
“What method are you planning to use?”
“It’s a secret spell from my family’s archives. If I use it, even a virtual summoner like this one will respond.”
“A special spell?”
Anella frowned.
She couldn’t recall any magic - special or otherwise - that could force a reaction from a summoner.
Even as someone who used to be a dark mage, this was the first time she had heard of such magic.
"What kind of magic Is That?"
For a moment, Anella felt a flicker of doubt.
But she quickly brushed it aside.
Why would Young Lady Mirinae lie in a situation like this? There was no reason for her to do so.
"I’ll explain the plan. Can you trust me and follow along?"
"Of course!"
Anella nodded brightly, her uncertainty giving way to determination.
Mirinae pulled out a map and spread it out before them.
Pointing at a specific area, she began explaining the details.
"Taking the summoner into a cave would be too difficult, and we might be at a disadvantage during the fight. But here—look at this cliff."
She traced her finger over the map.
"Three sides are blocked off, and below the cliff is a spiked gorge. It’s the perfect place to trap the summoner."
"… Is that so?"
Anella frowned slightly.
She prided herself on being smart. After all, she had studied magic and strategy manuals extensively.
Yet, she couldn’t quite understand why the cave would be a bad choice or why the cliff was such a strategic spot.
"Alright."
In the end, she chose to trust Mirinae.
Anella had spent much of her life unable to trust anyone.
But now, she had Baek Yu-Seol and Jeliel—not just as allies, but as friends.
Through them, she had begun to understand the value of connections and wanted to nurture those bonds.
‘Don’t say things that might upset others.’
She recalled a passage she had read—not in a magic tome but in a book about social relationships.
‘I haven’t been human for very long.’
Having spent most of her life entrenched in the world of dark mages, Anella felt the need to study human behavior to better blend in.
Despite having been human for only six months, Anella had already developed a blind trust in people.
"I’ll go ahead and hide at the cliff."
"Okay. Once I lure the summoner there, we’ll trap it together. We’re probably going to be the first ones to get there. You can look forward to it."
"… Alright. I’ll be ready."
As Anella gripped her staff and set off toward the marked cliff on the map, Young Lady Mirinae’s bright smile faded.
Her head drooped, and—
Throb!
A piercing pain shot through her skull.
A relentless, splitting headache.
— Don’t you envy that girl’s talent?
The voice echoed in her mind, smooth and tempting.
‘Talent? It’s not something that simple.’
Mirinae responded internally, and the alluring voice replied in turn—
— Correct. Anella is Baek Yu-Seol’s specially crafted strategic weapon!
‘Strategic weapon…’
Mirinae couldn’t deny that it might be true.
Baek Yu-Seol was rumored to possess unique forms of magic unknown to other mages.
His mastery over Flash and alchemy-infused spells was said to be only the surface of his capabilities.
He was believed to have hidden true magic away, using it only for himself.
— All you’re doing is uncovering just one of his secrets, right?
‘… You don’t need to tell me.’
— Don’t feel guilty. You’re not killing anyone—you’re just putting her in a little danger. You never really thought of her as a friend, did you?
‘Friend? That vulgar commoner? Don’t make me laugh.’
— Exactly. So…
The voice erupted into soft, echoing laughter—
Like flowers blooming in her mind, dangerously sweet and entrancing.
For a moment, Mirinae’s vision blurred.
— Uncover Baek Yu-Seol’s secrets—one by one!
When Mirinae came back to her senses, the situation had already escalated.
— ROOOAAR!!!
— KRRRAAAAK!!!
— SCREEECH!!!
All around her, risk level 3 monsters began to move unnaturally, ignoring even the summoner’s commands.
They surged forward as if drawn by an invisible force.
Their target?
The cliff where Anella was heading.
Mirinae’s heart pounded.
She struggled to calm herself, but the truth was clear—
She had just unleashed chaos.
"I’m sorry, Anella. Failing to get into Stella isn’t the end of the world, is it? Unlike you… I’m in a hurry."
Young Lady Mirinae’s homeland was at war.
To gather stronger magic and greater forces, she needed to secure exceptional talent—something far beyond ordinary abilities.
This was the mission she carried.
And what about Anella?
She was just a commoner with nothing.
Sure, passing the entrance exam could change her life.
But failing it wouldn’t ruin her.
"Unlike you, I’m desperate. I have to protect my homeland."
So… please forgive me.
Mirinae swallowed her final words and lowered her head, unable to meet Anella’s gaze.
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