Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 205

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 205

-■■■■■…!

The winter specter writhed in agony from the flames formed by mana.

No matter how vulnerable it was to this attribute, a winter specter that had grown this strong by absorbing mana wouldn’t be greatly affected by 1st circle magic.

Nevertheless, the reason the winter specter was twisting its entire body in agony was…

‘What kind of magic number is this?’

“Blaze up, blaze up, blaze up, blaze up!”

Lee Han rapidly fired off incantations, continuously summoning flames.

The terrible cold that had spread around actually helped him control the flames.

Summon flames.

Move those flames.

Repeat this process.

It was very simple, but repeating it quickly and countless times created sufficiently powerful firepower by itself.

Diret forgot about the situation where he needed to protect his juniors from monsters and stared as if mesmerized.

‘This is…’

Originally, upperclassmen at Einroguard rarely admired low circle magic.

Not just them, but any skilled mage was the same.

It wasn’t that low circle magic had no potential for development.

Through training and more training, one could shorten casting time, increase destructive power, and improve control…

But strictly speaking, that wasn’t orthodox.

Such things were techniques honed by combat mages who specialized in magical combat, not what mages were originally supposed to do.

The reason mages studied higher circle magic was to explore the truths of the world and step into unknown territories that the discipline of magic hadn’t yet revealed.

Compared to such purposes, training low circle magic to that degree was close to deviation.

But…

Not just Diret, but the other fourth year students had to acknowledge it too.

Even low circle magic could overwhelm mages depending on how it was used!

“What are you doing? Everyone.”

Diret came to his senses and urged his friends. His friends quickly nodded.

“R-right.”

The fourth year students raised their staffs.

Originally, the orthodox method of dealing with winter specters was to raise the temperature around them to suppress their movement, then attack.

Carelessly provoking them without restraining their movement could complicate the situation.

Winter specters had the skill to confuse mages’ five senses in various ways, from fog to sleet, and such skills were quite deadly to inexperienced first year students.

…But looking at it now, there was another method.

Attack the winter specter, then pour countless attacks without giving it a chance to react!

“…Aren’t we just getting in the way? It looks like he can handle it?”

“Still, we can’t just leave him alone… let’s try something.”

“Should we try putting up a barrier?”

Kumandas raised his staff.

He planned to surround the winter specter with a heat barrier to suppress its movement.

Thwack!

At that moment, a flying ice ball struck Kumandas’s hand.

Kumandas grabbed his numb hand and looked at Professor Boladi with a bewildered expression.

“Did I make some mistake?”

“You’re interfering.”

“Pardon?”

Kumandas couldn’t understand why he’d been hit on the hand.

Surely he wasn’t hit for trying to help a first year junior…

“In a situation where cold air is strongly spread like now, casting wide-area magic like a heat barrier could stimulate and attract other monsters, couldn’t it?”

“I-indeed.”

Like interpreting a dream better than the dreamer, Kumandas was convinced by his friend’s explanation.

Certainly, clumsy area attack magic could be dangerous in a distorted dimension like this.

It could stimulate and attract other monsters hiding nearby.

“I’m sorry, Professor. I lack combat experience…”

Professor Boladi didn’t answer. Kumandas felt awkward.

“Are you angry about my mistake?”

“It’s fine. You can make up for it later. Show your skills.”

However, Kumandas’s chance to make up for it didn’t come as expected.

Cold corpse beetle.

-Blaze up, blaze up, blaze up, blaze up!

-Wow… junior, you’re amazing?

-Thank you.

-Then I’ll try projectile magic this time… shall I prepare flame arrows…

-Hey. You already finished it.

Strigoi.

-Blaze up, blaze up, blaze up, blaze up!

-Junior… aren’t you running low on mana?

-I’m fine.

-Still, should I step in a bit?

Thwack!

-?!

-Don’t pathetically steal a first year junior’s spotlight, catch one yourself from the start.

-I… I see. …But isn’t that junior too fast?

-Then you use faster magic.

-…

Kumandas hesitated while watching Lee Han.

Actually, if one wasn’t going to specialize in magical combat, fast casting speed wasn’t really necessary.

What need was there for fast casting ability in research or experiments?

Naturally, Kumandas hadn’t paid much attention to casting speed either.

Until today when he was overwhelmed by a first year junior.

‘…I should practice when I get back…’

‘Is this okay?’

With the fourth year seniors being so considerate, there was no way Lee Han wouldn’t notice.

Lee Han was sensing the subtle atmosphere.

‘Could it be…’

Do they want to catch the monsters here?

Lee Han thought it unlikely, but no matter how he thought about it, there seemed to be no other reason.

Why on earth would they want to catch them?

Lee Han had Professor Boladi pointing a staff, not a sword, at his back, so that was understandable…

‘Anyway, I should yield to them.’

“Professor.”

“I know.”

“Pardon?”

“You must be dissatisfied that the monsters’ level isn’t as high as expected.”

“…”

Lee Han was momentarily speechless.

While the other friends were admiring him, thinking ‘Look at that bastard Wardanaz burning monsters to death without his expression changing once, that’s an archmage for you,’ Lee Han was giving his all in every fight.

Monsters also had strategies and their own abilities.

If inexperienced Lee Han got caught up in a monster’s strategy, he could really suffer greatly.

In the end, there was only one safest method Lee Han could choose.

A preemptive strike.

An overwhelming preemptive strike that wouldn’t give the opponent a chance to counterattack along with the first attack!

When he fiercely unleashed attacks with the thought that even a moment’s delay meant death, what he heard was…

‘Let’s stay calm.’

Lee Han regained his composure.

“More than that, it seems the other people also want to hunt.”

Not only the 4th year seniors but also the White Tiger Tower students were watching for their chance.

As expected of those from knight families, seeing Lee Han hunt made them want to step forward too.

Professor Boladi kindly advised a solution.

“Tell those weaklings to get lost.”

“…How about giving them a little opportunity?”

Since he didn’t want to become a 1st year telling 4th year seniors ‘you weaklings get lost,’ Lee Han spoke as politely as possible.

Then Professor Boladi sighed as if feeling sorry.

“What the Principal said was true.”

“Pardon?”

“He said your weakness is your weakness.”

“…I see.”

Lee Han resolved that whatever else happened, if he ever got a chance to beat up the Skeleton Principal or Professor Boladi later, he would definitely overcome his weakness.

* * *

Professor Boladi didn’t refuse Lee Han’s request though.

When Lee Han stepped back, the 4th year students and White Tiger Tower students went out to hunt.

“Everyone, absolutely don’t overdo it!”

“Don’t move until I cast magic. Don’t carelessly provoke it!”

The hunt by the mages without Lee Han was truly flawless and solid orthodoxy.

The 4th year seniors stepped forward first, greatly reducing the monster’s abilities with powerful magic.

The White Tiger Tower students, whose physical abilities had greatly increased with Professor Boladi’s enhancement magic, rushed in.

The White Tiger Tower students’ wooden swords weren’t ordinary wooden swords. They were imbued with magic cast by Kumandas.

This magic caused heat to surge up each time the wooden swords collided, dealing additional damage to the monster.

Seeing them move organically together, cooperating like interlocking gears, Lee Han found himself admiring without realizing it.

This kind of hunt where experienced seniors led from the front and passionate juniors pushed from behind…

‘…I’m suddenly feeling sad.’

Lee Han tried not to think deeply about it.

Watching this picture-perfect hunt now made him seriously wonder what all the hunting he’d done alone until now had been!

“Professor. I’d also like to learn how to fight together as a group.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Professor Boladi praised with an expressionless face.

“Then…”

“If you become skilled at fighting alone, you’ll also become skilled at fighting in groups.”

“…Ah. Yes.”

“Those who know how to fight in groups can’t fight alone, but those who know how to fight alone know how to fight in groups.”

“Yes…”

He’d never particularly envied the White Tiger Tower students, but seeing them hunt so harmoniously today made him envious for the first time.

What was so special about that…

“!”

Lee Han’s complexion changed as he was complaining inwardly. Professor Boladi also noticed at the same time and nodded.

The 4th year students were the next to notice.

A considerable distortion of mana was felt from inside the corridor.

A monster much stronger than any that had appeared so far!

“Professor.”

Diret and the 4th year students called Professor Boladi with serious expressions.

Such a monster could be dangerous not only for 1st years but even for them as 4th years if they weren’t careful.

The professor had to step forward directly.

Professor Boladi nodded as if understanding what they were saying.

“I understand.”

“Thank you.”

Professor Boladi grasped his staff and swung it.

Whoooooosh!

Along with a tremendous flow of power, the 4th year students and White Tiger Tower students were pushed back.

Diret could feel it.

Several magics overlapping in an instant to create a massive barrier penetrating through the area ahead.

Even a considerable monster wouldn’t be able to break through this magical barrier and cross over to where the students were.

‘As expected of the Professor.’

Diret couldn’t help but admire.

By 4th year, magic school students naturally became arrogant and their shoulders filled with strength.

Even 1st year students were treated as mages wherever they went outside the magic school, so by 4th year, they couldn’t help but have delusions like ‘Aren’t I a core talent of the Empire’s magic world?’

However, when they saw the real skills displayed by the magic school’s professors, such arrogance would completely disappear.

Mages who could capably lead Einroguard, which gathered only the Empire’s top geniuses.

They were the faculty…

“…Huh? Huh?? Professor?? Professor??”

Diret raised his voice in panic.

The dark magic junior had remained on the outer side of the barrier.

“What’s wrong?”

“That… that junior couldn’t get in?”

“I know.”

“…What? No…”

Diret almost said ‘If you know then bring him in, you crazy bastard, what are you saying’ but came to his senses.

His opponent was a professor.

Diret decided to persuade the insane professor later and called out to Lee Han.

“Junior! Run back!”

“What? Why?”

“…Because it’s dangerous?”

“Thank you. I’ll be careful.”

“No, not careful but…!”

Diret wondered if he was the strange one and looked at his friends.

Of course, the other 4th year friends were also shocked.

What the hell was going on right now??

“Eyes. Pierce through the darkness.”

Lee Han cast enhancement magics again and waited for the monster to come.

Since it was stronger than the ones he’d faced so far, he had to do his absolute best.

‘Strike first.’

The moment the charging thing revealed itself from the other end of the corridor, pour out all the magic he could use!

“…”

At that moment, Lee Han’s face hardened.

The opponent’s mana pouring out from over there suddenly began amplifying dozens of times over.

He didn’t know the reason, but the opponent had definitely been concealing its mana.

This changed the calculations.

‘Should I break the barrier and retreat? Can I break it? How sturdy did Professor Boladi make it?’

Who dares to seek an audience with the Frost Giant King?

“…!!!”

A majestic voice that echoed thunderously.

Even the 1st year students beyond the barrier could feel the overwhelming mana that pressed down on them.

However, what was even more overwhelming than that was the opponent’s imposing figure.

A head bowed low to avoid touching the high corridor ceiling. A massive greatsword held in one hand.

‘Is this actually fortunate?’

Lee Han thought to himself.

If it had been a moderately strong opponent, it would have been more dangerous.

If it had been a savage monster that couldn’t communicate, Lee Han would have been helplessly beaten as punishment for misjudging its mana.

Professor Boladi was behind him, so he probably wouldn’t die…

…probably…

But enemies stronger than that were actually easier to talk to.

Having intelligence and strong curiosity, they would ask questions.

Like this.

You are…

“Frost Giant King. A talented challenger has come here. He challenges you.”

“…”

Lee Han turned his head to look at Professor Boladi. The fourth year students also turned their heads to look at Professor Boladi.

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