Let’s think back to Baek Yu-Seol’s early days as a first-year student.


    Despite being unable to use magic, he was assigned to the prestigious ss S, earning the resentment and attention of many students.


    ‘How did an ipetent guy like him get into ss S?’


    However, as time passed, not only the students but also the professors came to recognize his abilities. He proved to possess the talent and skills befitting a ss S student.


    And it appeared that this would hold true at Astral Flower Magic Academy as well.


    “Cadet Baek Yu-Seol. What are you doing?”


    “Praying for the flower to grow.”


    “Cast the spell.”


    “I don’t know how.”


    … At least, it appeared like it would hold true.


    The reality, however, was quite different.


    Astral Flower’s teaching style diverged slightly from Ste’s, and even after a week, Baek Yu-Seol still held the image of an ‘ipetent human student.’


    Ste, as aprehensive academy of magic, had allowed Baek Yu-Seol to flourish as a unique sh Mage. But at Astral Flower, human exchange students were only taught nt and spirit magic, which left him at aplete disadvantage.


    Unable to master even a single elven nt magic spell, Baek Yu-Seol had earned the dishonorable title of being the first student in Astral Flower’s history to fail to germinate a seed.


    “So it’s true that he can’t use magic.”


    “How did someone like that even get into Ste?”


    “Is that the standard of human magic schools?”


    “He entered through a sh Magic specialty.”


    “Still, it’s impressive. No one has ever mastered sh Magic before.”


    “True. But he’s just a fool who can only use one basic spell and nothing else.”


    Opinions among the elves were divided.


    Some admired him for his record of defeating several dark mages at such a young age and his unique mastery of sh Magic. However, many others found his inability to use any other magic so pathetic that his reputation steadily declined.


    What the elves didn’t realize, however, was that Baek Yu-Seol wasn’t entirely inept at magic.


    “How much do Ste cadets know about Divine Beasts? At the start of the semester, you all must have encountered them, and I’ve heard that some of you even seeded in forming contracts. Excellent!”


    me stared nkly into the air, where her 4-star Divine Beast, ‘Shining Lilyflower,’ was floating gently.


    Alongside me, both Hong Bi-Yeon and Eisel had also sessfully summoned 4-star Divine Beast—a feat nearly impossible for 17-year-olds.


    However, the majority of the Ste cadets had barely managed to summon 2- or 3-star beasts, and some didn’t have any Divine Beasts at all.


    Contracting with a Divine Beast wasn’t mandatory, so there was no reason to feel overly discouraged.


    The real issue was that the elf cadets, who stood across them, had most contracted with 5-star or higher Divine Beasts, with many of them even boasting 4-starpanions.


    Though idle chatter was prohibited under the professors’ supervision, the subtle, condescending looks from the elf cadets were enough to raise the anger levels of the Ste students.


    It was then that the elf professor for the subject ‘Divine Beasts: Friends of Us All,’ Hyiran, began to speak.


    “Divine Beasts exist everywhere, but they are very shy and usually hide themselves. However, if you can summon them and ask for their help, they can assist with effective elemental magic with minimal mana, protect you, and even be your friends orpanions for conversation.”


    The exnation was long, but to sum it up, this ss was essentially about teaching ‘Spirit Communication’.


    While it was different from summoning spirits and forming contracts, ‘Divine Beast Studies’ and ‘Spirit Studies’ shared simrities in that they involved summoning andmunicating with mystical entities in nature.


    “This is a ‘Holy Spirit Tree.’ It holds divine energy and is often chosen as a home by spirits and Divine Beasts. Historically, spirit mages would search for such trees to establishmunication with spirits. Now, let’s have you try it yourselves.”


    The professor alternated her gaze between the elf and human cadets.


    “Cadet Tanya Bell, step forward.”


    The professor called her name without hesitation since Tanya Bell was apparently a prodigy in Divine Beast Studies. Even among the rare 4-star contractors, some students stood out as exceptional.


    “And next…”


    With only a handful of 4-star contractors among the Ste cadets, the professor deliberated. Her eyesnded on one particr student.


    “Cadet Baek Yu-Seol?”


    She recognized his name, but she hadn’t expected him tock a Divine Beast contract. The professor appeared pleased and called him forward.


    She thought that if she could help him awaken a Divine Beast, it might improve rtions between Astral Flower and Ste.


    “You’re skilled in sh Magic, but in Divine Beast Studies, emotional strength is more important. I’ll guide you.”


    “… Sure.”


    With reluctance, Baek Yu-Seol sluggishly walked forward.


    “It’s simple. ce your hand on the tree and whisper softly. If your heart is sincere, the Divine Beast hidden within nature will respond. If you’re lucky, it might even reveal itself. Tanya Bell, would you demonstrate first?”


    Tanya Bell confidently nodded and approached the tree, cing her hand gently on its surface.


    Closing her eyes, she whispered softly. It was inaudibly to most students. However, with his heightened senses, Baek Yu-Seol heard her words clearly.@@novelbin@@


    ‘Please,e out.’


    She seemed to be earnestly pleading, but the tree didn’t respond at first. The elves, however, appeared ustomed to this and waited patiently.


    After about five minutes, something finally happened.


    "Oh! Look!"


    “It showed itself!"


    Small, multicolored orbs of light, reminiscent of will-o''-the-wisps, emerged from the tree and hovered near Tanya Bell.


    "Very impressive!"


    It seemed that even eliciting such a response from the tree was a difficult feat for a student. The elven cadets were awestruck, their mouths agape in admiration.


    "See? When youmunicate sincerely, the Divine Beasts will surely open their hearts to you!" Professor Hyiran cheered and raised her fist in encouragement.


    "Now, give it a try!"


    However, Baek Yu-Seol hesitated to ce his hand on the tree. The reason was simple: he was already contracted with a ‘Divine Spirit’, a being at the pinnacle of all Divine Beasts.


    A 4-star Divine Beast?


    Compared to a Divine Spirit, it wasn’t even on the level of an infant. Even a 1-star Divine Beast would bow before a Divine Spirit, let alone anything higher.


    ‘Can I really do this…?’


    As Baek Yu-Seol continued to hesitate, Professor Hyiran encouraged him again.


    "There’s no need to be afraid. If you run away now, you’ll never be friends with a Divine Beast. You’ll remain a coward forever!"


    "Fine…"


    With no other option, Baek Yu-Seol reluctantly ced his hand on the tree. His sudden, almost careless gesture caused a wave of shock among the elves.


    Such a disrespectful attitude could be seen as highly offensive to the sensitive Divine Beasts.


    Professor Hyiran instinctively reached out to stop him, but then froze and stepped back in shock.


    Suddenly, the entire area was enveloped in a brilliant light.


    "Huh…?"


    It was as if countless colorful snowkes were falling. Dozens, then hundreds of glowing orbs emerged from the tree, swirling through the air.


    "Th-this… What is this…?"


    The warmth and gentle presence of Divine Beasts filled the space, leaving the students in awe as they gazed at the sky.


    Even Professor Hyiran, a seasoned schr of Divine Beasts, had never witnessed anything like this before.


    Of course not.


    How many Divine Spirit contractors existed in the world? Such a spectacle was exceedingly rare.


    Professor Hyiran covered her mouth with both hands, tears streaming down her face. Tanya Bell, meanwhile, stumbled backward in disbelief and fell onto her backside.


    "Cadet Baek Yu-Seol…"


    Hyiran finally managed to speak. She stared at him with wide, unfocused eyes.


    "Who… What are you…?"


    "Good question.”


    Baek Yu-Seol replied nonchntly.


    Baek Yu-Seol himself didn’t know the answer, so he couldn’t provide one.


    As the ss ended, the students left the lecture hall in a noisy rush.


    The elf cadets looked visibly displeased. After all, a mere human had aplished something that even the noble and pure elves couldn’t.


    The field of Divine Beast studies was supposed to be entirely dominated by elves, and seeing it encroached upon by a human was understandably vexing.


    As soon as the ss ended, me made her way toward Baek Yu-Seol, intent on asking him how he had done it.


    But before she could reach him, the path ahead of her was subtly blocked by the elf cadets. Meanwhile, Jeliel appeared out of nowhere, whisking Baek Yu-Seol away.


    "What? Again?"


    The students of both Ste and Astral Flower murmured among themselves, the sight sparking curiosity about the nature of their rtionship.


    ‘Wait. Did he not just inspire Jeliel? Did he actually... Seduce her?’


    It was a usible narrative.


    As a fan of romance fantasy novels, me’s mind naturally wandered in that direction. The trope of a viinous noblewoman falling for the male protagonist and subsequently bringing positive change to the world was a ssic, and for good reason.


    Why was it somon? Because people enjoyed it. It was entertaining.


    And in this case, it didn’t even seem like mere imagination.


    Jeliel’s sudden turn toward phnthropy, where she was donating her wealth worldwide, was already well-known. Her apparent deep interest in Baek Yu-Seol, whether romantic or business-rted, seemed to be a fact.


    ‘What is going on?’


    Feeling unsettled, me pushed past the elf cadets to follow Jeliel, but her path was blocked by none other than Serang of the esteemed Frost Petal family. He was the leader of the cringe-worthy ‘Blossom Trio.’


    “Ugh. What now?”


    “… Sorry. Did I do something wrong?” Serang asked hesitantly.


    me nearly scrunched her face in frustration. However, she stopped herself.


    Thinking about it, Serang hadn’t done anything wrong. All he did was follow her around because he liked her.


    She didn’t want to be the kind of person whoshed out at others for no reason, so she swallowed her annoyance. Then, a strange thought struck her, and she looked up at him.


    The situation felt oddly suspicious.


    Baek Yu-Seol had never approached Jeliel first. Yet, somehow, they always ended up spending time together after ss or at the end of the day. Strangely, no one else ever seemed able to approach them.


    ‘Wait… Could it be…?’


    me locked eyes with Serang. His buttery smile, as sickly sweet as ever, made her want to punch him, but she held herself back and asked, “Hey. You’re not actually interested in me, are you?”


    “Eh? What are you talking about?”


    “Admit it. Jeliel’s the one who told you to do this, isn’t she?”


    Serang’s expression stiffened slightly, but me didn’t miss the subtle change.


    “If you’re going to deny it, don’t bother. I may not have evidence, but I already know—”


    “You’re right.”


    “… Huh?”


    To her surprise, Serang admitted it without resistance.


    “Lady Jeliel asked me. She promised an appropriate reward. The other members agreed to the same terms.”


    The use of past tense—‘agreed’—stood out to her.


    “And now?” me pressed.


    “But it’s not like that anymore. Even if there were no reward, I’d still act the same way. When I saw your eyes, holding the light of the stars… At first, I was acting, but now I’m sure. My feelings are real. My heart beats for you, and—”


    “You insane idiot!”


    Thwack!


    Unable to endure his nonsense any longer, me smacked him over the head with her textbook.


    ‘Oh no!’


    Ste and Astral Flower students were strictly forbidden from fighting with each other, and here she was, hitting someone over the head without warning!


    Realizing the gravity of what she’d done, me panicked, her heart pounding wildly as she tried to calm herself.


    Meanwhile, Serang slowly lifted his head, brushed back his disheveled hair, and spoke in a low voice.


    “You’re the first person who’s ever hit me…”


    me felt her vision spin.


    -------


    Goal: 20 Bonus Chapters to Celebrate 300 Chapters of shing Genius!


    I’m beyond excited to share that we’ve reached an incredible milestone: 300 chapters of shing Genius! When I first started tranting this novel, it was just me, myptop, and a passion for this story. Back then, I never imagined that this book would receive so much attention.To celebrate, I’m setting a Kofi goal for 20 bonus chapters of shing Genius. Once we reach our target, I’ll release these bonus chapters. Every tip, pledge, or share makes a /zenith677/goal?g=0