Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 1048

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 1048

 

‘Right. Let me ask why this is here first.’

 

Lee Han, having finished organizing his thoughts, asked.

 

“Why is this here?”

 

Huh?

 

Jowrin tilted her head, not understanding what Lee Han was talking about.

 

“…It’s not common for manor houses to have dungeon entrances, is it?”

 

…Really?!

 

Jowrin was genuinely surprised by her contractor’s words.

 

Looking at other dragons’ dwellings, it was common to have one or two such dungeons connected.

 

“…”

 

Lee Han realized there were still many things he didn’t know about the dragon race.

 

I didn’t know. I thought it was natural…

 

“How surprising.”

 

‘Shouldn’t Master be the one not surprised?’

 

The baby basilisk wagged its tail and thought to itself.

 

His master’s manor was also full of strange things like demons and golems, so why was he surprised that a dragon’s manor had a dungeon entrance?

 

All the other dragons work hard to cultivate their dungeons!

 

Jowrin excitedly began her explanation.

 

These dungeons, formed naturally or artificially, were always objects of both fear and excitement for the Empire’s adventurers.

 

The fear of not knowing what dangers might emerge from the strange environment different from the outside world.

 

And the excitement of not knowing what rewards they might obtain when they overcame those dangers and descended.

 

…But that was only the story of mortals, and dragons approached it a bit more coldly and calculatedly.

 

They managed dungeons like tending to a manor garden or courtyard.

 

Adding some mana to increase air density, casting some magic for internal circulation, putting in rare monster eggs, adding weapons…

 

Just like laying water plants, stones, and soil before putting fish in an aquarium, after making various preparations and letting it age over time, a fairly decent dungeon would be completed.

 

After that, they could just have their minions collect necessary items or reagents.

 

If they put in rare monsters, they could bring out monsters that had multiplied in number, and if they put in weapons, they could take out weapons strengthened by absorbing the dungeon’s mana.

 

In other words…

 

‘It’s like a dragon’s vegetable garden!’

 

Just like Einroguard students secretly tended vegetable gardens somewhere in their territory for self-sufficiency, dragons were doing something similar.

 

The scale was on a completely different dimension, but the fundamental principle was the same.

 

Jowrin had worked hard to cultivate it secretly from Gonadaltes. Other dragons helped whenever they visited…

 

‘This sounds even more ominous?’

 

Secret from the Skeleton Principal, help from other dragons.

 

Both sounded ominous. Lee Han asked cautiously.

 

“Have you ever gone down to see it yourself?”

 

I saved it to go together when Lee Han and his friends came!

 

Jowrin seemed like she was taking out a treasured snack she had saved to treat her friends.

 

Of course, Lee Han didn’t find that snack very appetizing. He already felt quite full.

 

‘Hmm. Come to think of it, the other dragons wouldn’t have made it that dangerous.’

 

While it was still somewhat unsettling that it was made secretly from the Skeleton Principal, dragons were fundamentally masters of this kind of dungeon gardening.

 

They wouldn’t have filled it with dangerous things when the curious Jowrin might enter at any time.

 

Glancing to the side, he saw Eandurude’s eyes sparkling brightly. He didn’t think he’d ever seen such sparkling eyes before.

 

“A dungeon…!”

 

“…”

 

Lee Han felt that the tide had already turned. Two out of four wanted to go in.

 

‘But this is exactly when I need to stay alert.’

 

As the leader of the Scale Adventure Group here, Lee Han needed to stay alert to ensure everyone didn’t get hurt.

 

“What’s inside the dungeon?”

 

I didn’t ask about that!

 

“Any warnings like it’s dangerous, or you shouldn’t go in?”

 

Jowrin shook her head vigorously.

 

‘Hmm. Is it really okay…’

 

Lee Han, who continued asking questions to assess the situation, gained some confidence.

 

If none of the dragons had warned or discouraged them, the possibility of danger was greatly reduced.

 

Jowrin also said she hadn’t put in anything strange, just infused some mana…

 

“Then, Your Majesty. Let me ask one last thing.”

 

Yes! Feel free to ask.

 

“But why is this my gift?”

 

Uh… because Lee Han likes danger?

 

Jowrin tilted her head and recited exactly what she had heard from the Skeleton Principal.

 

To be precise, it was something like ‘dying to get killed’ or something, but she forgot that part since it seemed a bit rude.

 

“I see.”

 

Lee Han could guess who the culprit was without having to ask.

 

The next time he faced the Emperor, an evil revenge letter would reveal itself!

 

* * *

 

“I hope there are ghouls or frost giants.”

 

“…Don’t say such creepy things, Eandurude.”

 

Lee Han, who had descended to the dungeon entrance (Jowrin, who went down first, caught them softly), said to Eandurude in horror.

 

Meeting frost giants, beings from another dimension, was not a good omen.

 

Especially since Lee Han had strange rumors like ‘a mage recognized by the king’ spreading among the frost giants.

 

-That’s not a false rumor, is it?

 

“Isn’t it time for you to sleep? Go to sleep quickly. You won’t grow if you don’t sleep.”

 

-…

 

The baby basilisk felt very wronged.

 

It was just asking!

 

“Let there be light.”

 

Lee Han cast the spell.

 

Since it was a dungeon cultivated by dragons, the passage was wide enough for Jowrin to roll around left and right, but the lighting was dim.

 

It was probably for the flora and fauna growing in the dungeon, but just in case, Jowrin might trip over a stone. Lee Han greatly amplified the light intensity.

 

“?”

 

Eandurude looked puzzled at the massive sphere of light floating in the air.

 

No matter how he looked at it, the scale and power were different from the 【Light Creation】 magic he and his friends used.

 

This wasn’t a level that could be achieved by casting regular magic more powerfully.

 

“How is this…?”

 

“Ah. I modified this magic. You don’t need to copy it. It’s not really a useful method anyway.”

 

Lee Han was applying what he had realized while trying to cut chains before entering the dungeon to other magic as well.

 

If he had to give it a name, it would be 【Wardanaz’s Light Creation】.

 

“…”

 

Eandurude stared at his senior who casually mentioned modifying and creating new magic.

 

His eyes held a mixture of shock and admiration in equal parts.

 

“Isn’t this strange?”

 

When he asked Jowrin, who was crawling along behind them, the gold dragon asked back as if wondering what was strange.

 

Lee Han was always like this, wasn’t he?

 

“R-right.”

 

Eandurude felt very sorry that he was the only mage present here.

 

If there had been another mage, they would have shared in this shock!

 

“Wait.”

 

Thanks to the strengthened light beam, visibility was secured all the way to the distance. Lee Han’s face became serious as he looked ahead.

 

“This is strange.”

 

“!”

 

Eandurude realized why his senior had stopped walking and was being cautious. A strange sense of unease was felt from the distant passage.

 

Part of the passage ahead was a natural, rough cave, but the passage connected behind it was clearly a well-carved and polished granite passage.

 

The sight of such passages alternating was clearly a bizarre landscape. Eandurude spoke in an excited voice.

 

“A monster might have destroyed it.”

 

Indeed!

 

Jowrin also joined in excitedly.

 

If a monster had appeared and destroyed it, such jagged passages would make sense.

 

‘Is there such a monster?’

 

Lee Han wondered inwardly.

 

Wandering around Einroguard naturally made one knowledgeable about monsters.

 

Especially someone like Lee Han, who was destined to get entangled with monsters, had to know even more to survive.

 

Among monsters, he couldn’t think of any that would destroy passages so precisely as if measured with a ruler and then leave.

 

“Everyone stay here. I’ll go check and come back.”

 

Lee Han cast combat divination magic and even performed crystal top fortune-telling as he moved.

 

No matter how he looked, there didn’t seem to be any danger around, but he had to be thorough just in case.

 

“!”

 

Lee Han, who had been exploring the passage ahead, widened his eyes when he saw letters carved on the wall.

 

Could this be a clue about the identity of this strange passage?

 

The passage was paved by Wuman. Since Sister might come down in the future and could trip, don’t keep saying nonsensical things and tearing up the floor. Paving the passage won’t pollute the dungeon’s environment!

 

-Wuman

 

I removed the paving from Aunina’s section again. The dungeon’s environment aside, it should be natural to be a dungeon! Sister would be more disappointed with it being paved anyway, right?

 

-Aunina

 

“…”

 

Lee Han staggered slightly. He was disappointed in himself for taking this seriously.

 

‘What the…’

 

Reading the text, it seemed there had been a conflict between two dragons regarding decorating this passage.

 

Wuman, a dragon Lee Han knew, was pro-paving, while Aunina, an unknown dragon, was anti-paving…

 

Look there! Lee Han must have figured out the identity!

 

From behind, he could hear Jowrin whispering excitedly to other Scale Adventurer companions.

 

They seemed very eager to know what kind of monster had appeared.

 

“…I’ve discovered the identity.”

 

Lee Han quickly covered the letters on the wall with magic before speaking.

 

“It’s a monster called Donaniga. It occasionally appears and messes up passages completely.”

 

As expected!

 

“I’ve never heard of it!”

 

“It’s a very rare monster. You’d hardly ever see one. Now. Let’s not let our guard down and move forward.”

 

Lee Han lied while avoiding their gaze.

 

He couldn’t bring himself to tell the truth to the two who were eagerly anticipating dungeon threats.

 

There! Look there, Lee Han!

 

Jowrin grabbed Lee Han tightly with her front paws and shook him. It was enough force to knock down an ordinary person, but Lee Han, already accustomed to Jowrin, was naturally prepared.

 

He didn’t budge as if he had roots planted in the ground.

 

“That is…?”

 

A side path branching off from the passage.

 

In the round clearing at its end, a single sword was embedded in a rock.

 

Jowrin and Eandurude were already filled with anticipation and excitement, but Lee Han remained calm.

 

‘No… this is a dungeon made by dragons.’

 

If it were another dungeon, it might really be an ancient relic, but since this was a dungeon made by dragons, the story was different.

 

Could they have built it on top of an existing dungeon?

 

“Wait. Let me go check it out.”

 

Lee Han approached cautiously. While doing so, he checked if there were any letters like the ones he saw earlier around.

 

This Kinnara sword was personally obtained by Wuman and planted here. It still needs to absorb more of the dungeon’s magic, so don’t touch it.

 

-Wuman

 

“…”

 

Why? Why?

 

“The trap here is too dangerous for us to approach at our current level.”

 

!!!

 

Jowrin’s eyes widened.

 

To think such a dangerous trap had appeared!

 

The… the dungeon seems much more dangerous than I thought…!

 

“Ah. Then shall we go back?”

 

Lee Han was delighted.

 

Actually, coming this far, Lee Han was also realizing it.

 

This place wasn’t exactly a dungeon, but rather…

 

‘It’s a treasure storage for Jowrin!’

 

It was essentially a vegetable garden that other dragons had cultivated in preparation for when Jowrin would be active later.

 

The treasure sword Lee Han had just discovered was written about like that too… so there would be nothing good about Lee Han’s group taking it out first. It still needed more maturation.

 

However, Jowrin shook her head.

 

Jowrin trusts Lee Han. And Eandurude too.

 

“…!”

 

Eandurude quickly turned his head. Though his face wasn’t visible, anyone could tell he was moved.

 

-…What about me?

 

Of, of course I trust Basil too!

 

Flustered, Jowrin hastily added. Fortunately, the baby basilisk giggled and was easily fooled.

 

“…I understand. Then let’s go deeper.”

 

Lee Han! There’s a treasure chest over there!

 

“Oh my. From what I can see, that’s a trap that kills instantly if touched.”

 

?!

 

There’s such a thing?!

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————