Episode 30: The Genius of the Fallen High Family (2)
Sang-hoon didn’t know it, but he was already on Min-hyuk’s radar before the group project began. Min-hyuk was planning on constructing his tower, investigating those enrolled in the magic department to prepare the jade stone, which would be added to the pagoda later. Even solely for his status as Chief, Sang-hoon was worthy of recognition. He certainly perceived himself as a genius…his studies into the simplified casting of Fire Bolts did suggest genius abilities, too. It was as rumored.
“How will we do it?”
Jeong Sang-hoon’s eyes gleamed, hoping for a passionate reaction. Kang Min-hyuk smiled inside. There are two ways to tame a genius. The first is to satisfy his wishes, and the second is to let them face an opponent stronger than they are. Min-hyuk had to gain the upper hand.
“It’s great.”
“Okay? I did struggle a little with the research. Fire Bolt is well-crafted magic – it was difficult to break down the existing system and introduce new methods.”
Sang-hoon was excited and talkative. He was a bit pink in the face and very happy to know that Min-hyuk acknowledged his work.
“By the way…” Kang Min-hyuk broke the atmosphere.
He drew a line with a ball-point pen over the data and began to write down a new system.
“What are you doing?!”
“Looking at your data, there seems to be an unnecessary process. This part: about the distribution of mana. Time is delayed there; the process is too complicated. We can introduce a new system and assign attributes that will allow it to be processed quicker.”
Swish. Min-hyuk’s pen moved quickly, causing Jeong Sang-hook’s eyes to shake as new formulae were added to the data.
“You…you can’t!”
Jeong Sang-hoon’s discovery was great. His father had witnessed the results, and saw that his son was a great talent, who would open up a bright future…and Sang-hoon had risked disclosing it to Min-hyuk, knowing that his masterpiece was inferior to Min-hyuk’s double casting and changing of forms. He wanted to prove his skill. Yet, it was an action spawned from pride and a triumphant spirit, born from the naivete of youth.
Kang Min-hyuk’s reaction was different from what was expected. He continued to scrawl across the page; the ripples spreading from Jeong Sang-hoon’s eyes increased.
“The magic will be more efficient if I change this…it hasn’t been tested yet, but perhaps the casting time can be reduced by twenty seconds with this system…there’s a little more fire, a little more power.” He dropped the pen.
The system suggested by Min-hyuk was that of an intermediate spellbook. On behalf of Sang-hoon, who was too shocked to read, Kim Chang-soo checked the data.
His mouth fell open again, even wider this time. “Wow…”
Compared to his two team-mates, his intellect wasn’t exactly dazzling, but he was recognized for his skill in the department of magic. He meticulously checked the proposed system and confirmed that the suggestions made by Kang Min-hyuk were possible. They resulted in a further ten-second reduction. The realization made Sang-hoon’s heart sink.
He hurriedly snatched the material from Chang-soo’s hand and checked the contents. His eyes almost fell out of their sockets as he stared at the paper.
“Yes…how on earth did you do it?”
* * *
Sang-hoon was embarrassed. He’d made out that the formula had taken a few short weeks to complete, but it had taken him several years. That he had done it at all was a great feat – to form a new magic system was impossible with an ordinary talent.
Kim Chang-soo, looking alternately at his team-mates, wasn’t sure how to react…”You’re both crazy…”
Sang-hoon couldn’t hear him. His lungs held onto his breath, and he worked hard to calm his trembling voice, “Hey, this, uh, how did you do it? Have you been studying from the beginning?”
If that was the case, there was a chance he could catch up to Min-hyuk.
“No…I just observed your data and found some complimentary points. So I modified it. It’s a working theory, but isn’t it worth experimenting with?”
Sang-hoon’s world collapsed, sky-over-sky. His body went numb in the face of talent he daren’t challenge. Min-hyuk spoke considerately to Sang-hoon,
“It’s only thanks to your results that I came up with the new formula.”
It didn’t help.
There was a message Min-hyuk’s father often taught in his successor class, “Never devalue what you have. If you have one, make it look like two; if you have two, make it look like four. If the situation works in your favor, whether through inevitability or coincidence, it’s something you created. It’s also your duty to use it.”
As long as Min-hyuk was trying to show Jeong Sang-hoon’s place within the team, modesty was out of the question.
“Hahaha…”
Sang-hoon laughed bluntly. He was forced to confess that Min-hyuk was a true genius. His work in double casting and changes in the form of magic proved as much. For Sang-hoon, who believed himself to be the brightest wizard of his age, this realization shook him to his core. He had wanted to prove himself to Min-hyuk by revealing his masterpiece, but it had failed. Even in the world of genius, Kang Min-hyuk was a rarity.
His father was right. He told him to spend time with Kang Min-hyuk, the genius who invented double-casting as though it was nothing. Even the small bean sprouts that fell from him would be tremendous for those beneath.
“Yes…it’s well worth experimenting. Let’s announce it.”
Jeong Sang-hoon said, but there was still a little resentment. He needed time to accept what had just happened. He would keep a close eye on Kang Min-hyuk.
* * *
Day 1 of surveillance.
Sang-hoon saw that most of the professor’s questions were directed to Kang Min-hyuk.
“Would anyone explain the system of the 3rd Circle Flame Magic Fire Wave? Kang Min-hyuk?”
“The principle of double casting is from the memory of mana… … It’s embarrassing to explain this in front of someone who studied double casting. Min-hyuk, can you explain about double casting for your friends?”
The attention was excessive. Among them, some questions revealed explicit intentions.
“Some time ago, I discovered the singularity of the Ground Wave. There could have been a fusion in the ground-shaking system. If this succeeds, the ground wave will be a really powerful attack. Min-hyuk, what do you think? Is there any magic that can be fused to the ground wave, and if so, how would you do it?”
As Lee Hak-beom and Kang Pil-doo achieved tremendous success through Kang Min-hyuk, other professors hoped for the same prestige. Each time he was asked a question, Min-hyuk didn’t hesitate to respond. He never offered up his research, but he often boasted a depth of knowledge inaccessible to his tutors, so the teacher and student roles were often reversed.
Day 2 of surveillance.
It was a similar situation to the first day. Kang Min-hyuk’s teaching attitude was perfect, and his professors treated him more like an equal than a student. Several affiliate magic groups sent gifts to the department:
“The Blood Moon Tower has gifted a set of cabinets!”
“The British Magic Association has provided snacks for you.”
“French Magic Association…etc…”
Nobody realized that the gifts they were profiting from were for Kang Min-hyuk. Jeong Sang-hoon saw how valuable Min-hyuk’s talent was, and it stretched beyond the school.
Day 3 of surveillance.
Jeong Sang-hoon breathed a deep sigh of defeat. He had to accept that he couldn’t catch up to Kang Min-hyuk. Nobody could. The media covered his progress; he was sword-trained until he was seventeen, but his true potential wasn’t unleashed until he turned to magic. Jeong Sang-hoon wasn’t stupid enough to deny reality. However, knowledge and skill exist separately…no matter the depth of knowledge; a wizard’s skills can fail him. There had to be a limit to Kang Min-hyuk’s ability and Sang-hoon wanted to discover it.
Before he sacrificed all pride and declared himself inferior to Min-hyuk, he wanted to be sure.
“But how?..how do I test him?”
Fortunately, an opportunity came quickly.
A few days later, Professor Baek Dong-Seok held a stand-up competition for the first-class students.
