How to Live as a Magical Genius at the Academy Chapter 15

Horizon first instructed the other students to step back.

He had said there was no need to worry about an outburst, but it seemed he still wanted to take basic safety precautions.

‘Since the professor ordered it, I don’t have a choice.’

I focused my mind and blinked once.

In an instant, the ordinary scenery around me transformed.

Just like last night, countless polygons came into view.

‘I used to worry that I’d have to see this for the rest of my life, but now I can switch it on and off at will.’

It seemed I could activate and deactivate this perception whenever I wanted.

I could keep it suppressed in daily life and only turn it on when I needed to analyze the surrounding elements.

‘I still don’t know why I gained this ability…’

It didn’t make sense to develop such a power just from reading an introductory textbook on elemental studies.

Even the professors in the Elemental Department probably couldn’t perceive elements at this level of detail.

‘If I use elemental magic in this state, I’ll end up drawing in too much elemental energy.’

The amount varied depending on the spell formula, but a mage who could precisely perceive the surrounding elements would naturally be able to harness more power.

However, the spell formula we learned yesterday was designed for beginners, who were only capable of drawing in small amounts of energy.

If I used that formula as it was, my magic would likely go out of control.

‘An out-of-control spell would be dangerous.’

The most common result was an explosion.

Unrestrained elemental energy could react chaotically, leading to an uncontrolled detonation.

Other unpredictable phenomena could also occur, making it extremely dangerous to wield magic beyond one’s control.

‘With my current skill level, I could easily cause a magical outburst.’

I had memorized everything from the elementary elemental studies textbook I read last night.

But memorization alone didn’t mean I could effectively apply that knowledge to actual spellcasting.

‘Even last night… my magic went out of control.’

I had carelessly attempted to draw in elemental energy, and before I knew it, the entire room had been engulfed in a whirlwind.

By the time I came to my senses, the bookshelves had toppled over, and the legs of my bed had snapped.

It had been the middle of the night, but Cain had heard the commotion from downstairs and rushed up.

‘I was lucky to survive that time, but there’s no guarantee it’ll go the same way this time.’

Still, this time, I had Professor Horizon, the head of the Elemental Department, with me.

He had told me to unleash my magic freely, so I had no choice but to trust him.

“I’ll begin, then.”

“Go ahead.”

Horizon nodded.

The other students had also stopped their practice to watch me.

“……”

I took a deep breath and focused on the surrounding elements.

Among the many polygons, I had already identified the tetrahedrons as representing the element of fire.

‘I need to draw power from those tetrahedrons.’

Despite being the element of fire, they weren’t floating flames.

To create a fireball, I had to extract the energy contained within them.

‘Constructing the spell formula.’

I began assembling a spell formula in my mind.

I didn’t just use what I had learned in class—I used the knowledge I had gained from the textbook as well.

Countless lines of spell language surfaced in my thoughts, gradually forming a complete formula.

And then—

‘Projecting the formula…’

The moment I externalized the spell formula that had existed only in my mind—

The surrounding tetrahedrons began to tremble subtly.

I could feel scorching energy radiating outward, as if a flame had ignited.

However, the rooms temperature didn’t rise.

That was because all of the energy was converging toward my hand.

‘This is… elemental magic.’

The power to harness the fundamental elements that made up the world.

The most traditional, the most fundamental, and the most profound form of magic.

Elemental magic was unfolding before me.

“……!”

BOOM!

With a thunderous roar, flames erupted.

Earlier, Horizon had instructed us to create a fireball roughly the size of a fist.

But the fireball I had just summoned was far larger than that.

It wasn’t something that could be held in one hand.

It was a massive sphere of fire, large enough to engulf two or three people.

Feeling the intense heat, I instinctively turned to Horizon.

‘Quickly…!’

I hoped he would suppress the outburst.

But Horizon simply watched with a smile.

“Well done, Eriol.”

“……?”

“You didn’t lose control. You maintained proper restraint.”

At those words, I examined the fireball again.

Despite its massive size, the flames retained their spherical shape, burning steadily.

It didn’t go off course or explode; it remained perfectly stable.

“Everyone, take a good look!”

Horizon raised his voice, addressing the other students.

“With the fundamental spell formulas you’ve learned, if you fully harness the surrounding elements, you can create a fireball of this size! This is the power of elemental magic!”

“Ooooh…!”

“Concentrate on the elements around you! You’re in the advanced class—if you focus, you can produce flames just as large! Understood?”

“Yes, Professor!”

After hearing the students’ responses, Horizon casually raised his hand.

The enormous fireball vanished in an instant.

“Wow…!”

A chorus of gasps echoed around me.

I was astonished as well.

‘I have no idea how he did that.’

This alone made it clear how incomprehensibly skilled Horizon was as a mage.

“Resume your practice.”

“Yes, sir…!”

The students refocused and resumed their training.

Among them, I spotted Cain giving me a thumbs-up.

“Eriol Valencia.”

At that moment, Horizon approached me and spoke in a low voice.

“Let me give you one piece of advice—don’t let this make you overconfident.”

“I understand, Professor.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Creating a fireball like that is meaningless in actual combat.”

All I had done was form a large fireball.

That alone didn’t mean I had successfully cast the attack spell ‘Fireball.’

“To use it in battle, I would need to launch the fireball at the right speed and ensure it accurately hits the target.”

“Good. You understand well.”

Horizon looked pleased.

“To throw a fireball of that size at an enemy, the basic spell formulas taught in elementary elemental studies won’t be enough.”

The elementary elemental studies textbook I read yesterday didn’t cover how to control magic infused with such a massive amount of energy.

I would need to construct a more advanced spell formula, but with my current skills, that was impossible.

“For now, just practice controlling a small fireball. There’s no rush to handle larger ones—you can do that after learning more magic.”

“But, Professor, creating smaller fireballs is actually more difficult.”

“Hmm, I suppose so.”

Horizon paused in thought before raising a finger into the air.

“For someone at your level, this spell formula should be just right.”

As he moved his finger, glowing letters appeared in midair.

It was a formula perfectly suited to my current abilities.

“With this… I should be able to control the amount of power I draw from the elements more easily.”

“You understood it at a glance.”

Horizon’s expression showed satisfaction once more.

“As expected of someone with a spiritual aptitude for Reading Comprehension. The reason you find it easy to channel elemental energy is likely because you can ‘read’ the structure of their arrangement, even if only a little.”

“……”

Hearing that, I fell silent for a moment.

I needed to reconsider the concerns that had been on my mind since last night.

‘Should I tell him that I can now perceive elements in the form of perfect polygons…?’

But I quickly erased that thought from my mind.

I had already reached a conclusion about this last night.

‘I need to keep it hidden for now.’

The reason for my decision was the writing I had found in Room 801.

A missing senior had left a note that read: I have discovered the way to reach the source of magic. But if they realize this, they won’t leave me alone.

I didn’t know what exactly that senior had discovered, but one thing was clear—there were things in this academy that should not be known.

‘If my abilities were exposed, I have no idea how the academy would react.’

Until I had more information, it was best to keep it to myself.

Not even Uncle Kaisel would hear about it.

“Professor, what exactly is Reading Comprehension aptitude?”

Instead, I asked a different question.

“I asked before, but isn’t it just an aptitude that helps with interpreting grimoires and similar tasks?”

“I already told you last time—it’s an ability meant for reading everything.”

Horizon smiled as he spoke.

“This is all I can tell you for now.”

“……”

“If you wish to learn more…”

Horizon reached out and patted my shoulder.

“Join the Department of Elemental Studies after your first year.”

“Horizon personally invited Eriol to join the Department of Elemental Studies?”

“Yes, I heard it myself.”

Professor Klein, the advisor for the top-tier freshman class, could hardly believe his ears.

But the one who relayed this information was a teaching assistant from the Department of Elemental Studies—one who worked directly under Horizon.

If they had heard it firsthand, then there was no mistake.

“Horizon extending a recruitment offer so soon… That’s unexpected.”

“I agree. He’s always been so cautious.”

Every year, the different departments engaged in a fierce competition to recruit the most promising freshmen.

However, a professor couldn’t just go around begging students, “Please join our department!”

Once a student was brought in, they had to be trained to fit the department’s needs. If the power dynamic flipped too early, it would be problematic.

Not to mention, other professors might mock them, saying, “Does that professor have no pride?”

Because of this, professors were usually very careful when recruiting students, even if they strongly desired them.

For someone like Horizon to extend a direct invitation barely a week after admission—it was highly unusual.

“He made sure no other students heard, though.”

“But you heard it. And now, so have I.”

Klein bit his lip.

He had recognized Eriol’s talent from the very first day and was determined to recruit him into the Transcendental Studies department.

But if Horizon, the head of the Department of Elemental Studies, was already making a move, Klein would have to adjust his strategy.

“This won’t do.”

“What are you planning?”

“I need to show him the appeal of the Transcendental Studies department.”

As the name suggested, the Department of Transcendental Studies focused on inheriting and preserving ancient knowledge.

As its youngest professor, Klein had grand ambitions—if he could successfully recruit Eriol, it would boost his standing within the department, potentially paving the way for him to become the youngest department head in history.

“Tell me, when do freshmen feel the most drawn to the Department of Transcendental Studies?”

“Hmm… It’s probably not when they’re poring over old grimoires… Ah.”

“Exactly.”

Klein grinned, spreading his arms wide.

“With the authority of the Department of Transcendental Studies, I’ll invite Eriol into a world that will set his heart racing.”