Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 217
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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 217
Now. Go and prepare. By the way, it would be good to prepare for camping inside the dungeon as well.
“No… Principal…”
The Skeleton Principal quickly pushed forward, taking advantage of the students being at a loss for words.
The students who were forcibly driven out of the lecture hall stood there blankly looking at each other.
“What should we do?”
“What do you mean what… we have to prepare.”
“Is it really a dungeon? Surely it won’t be that bad, right?”
Someone muttered hopeful words, but no answer came back.
The perceptive students were feeling it.
If the Skeleton Principal was saying it to that extent, it would definitely not be easy.
“Wardanaz. You’re close with the Principal anyway. Can’t you say something… Where are you going? Wardanaz?”
The Black Turtle Tower student who was about to ask was puzzled.
Lee Han was already walking down the corridor.
“Going to prepare for camping.”
“…Let’s go prepare too.”
At Lee Han’s answer, the students who couldn’t let go of their lingering hopes all gave up cleanly.
…Let’s just prepare!
* * *
“What do we need for camping inside a dungeon?”
The Blue Dragon Tower students who returned to the tower were in disarray.
They were shocked by the Skeleton Principal, but more than that, it was because they all lacked experience in this area.
Many students had never even experienced entering a dungeon, let alone camping inside one.
Conquering the inside of a dungeon was already difficult, but preparing for camping was several times more challenging.
Moreover, most of the Blue Dragon Tower students had never even experienced ordinary camping before entering Einroguard…
It was natural that they were more flustered than the students from the other three towers.
However, fortunately, the Blue Dragon Tower students had someone reliable to depend on.
It was Lee Han.
“Wardanaz. Should I take this axe?”
“A dagger is enough. No need to increase the bulk. Just in case, let’s also pack nails, a hammer, and rope. Put them in the backpack.”
“Do we really need to take this cloth and oil bottle? We can use magic…”
“It’s not like you have overflowing mana.”
At Lee Han’s words, all the Blue Dragon Tower students who were preparing diligently stopped their movements and stared at Lee Han.
Lee Han answered as if it was absurd.
“Is there any guarantee that I’ll stay with you guys the whole time?”
“That… that’s true.”
“Lee Han. Let me move together with you.”
Pushing away Gainando who was quickly lining up for a safe spot, Lee Han inspected his friends’ backpacks.
Before entering, from Knight Alarlong.
After entering, from Nilia, a hunter of the Shadow Patrol.
Having been consistently trained by professionals, Lee Han had now reached the level where even among experienced mercenaries or adventurers, they would think ‘That mage is quite seasoned.’
“Just in case, everyone put one can in your backpack. Don’t forget to fill your leather water bottles. Don’t remove tools from your backpack just because they’re heavy. You never know when you’ll need them. Gainando. Take out the cards. You’ll lose them. Your Highness. You won’t be able to eat all those snacks even if you pack that many in your backpack.”
“?!”
The Imperial Princess, who was packing snacks for her followers to help them, panicked and waved her hands.
However, Lee Han had already turned around and was inspecting other friends’ backpacks.
The Imperial Princess blinked her eyes full of injustice. Gainando said from beside her.
“Understand. I also wanted to take more snacks… Ow! Did he step on me?!”
“The common room is busy right now, so she must have made a mistake.”
“No! She stepped on me on purpose!”
“Would Her Highness do such a childish thing? Her noble bloodline…”
Asan, who was speaking, hesitated.
Gainando was glaring at him as if telling him to say more.
“…Well, Wardanaz says that what determines a person’s worth is not their bloodline but their actions.”
“Shut up.”
30 minutes later.
Looking at the Blue Dragon Tower students who had finished preparing and arrived again, the Skeleton Principal clicked his tongue.
They were too well prepared.
‘One loach ruins the whole tower…’
The Skeleton Principal lamented inwardly.
Originally, every year when new students entered the library, the Blue Dragon Tower students were always the most disorganized.
Unlike the students from the other three towers, they had grown up protected like flowers in a greenhouse, so it was natural.
As such, it was several times more fun to see them cry, roll around, and growl while clutching their hungry stomachs after entering the library…
He couldn’t see that pleasure this year.
Because of just one student!
‘I don’t understand why that guy has such good survival skills when he’s from the Wardanaz family.’
Why would someone from one of the Empire’s most prominent noble families have such strong survival skills?
It wasn’t just unusual, it was extraordinarily unusual.
Well. Go in and come back safely.
“Yes. We’ll go in and come back safely.”
At Lee Han’s answer, the Skeleton Principal felt unnecessarily spiteful.
Somehow, it seemed like the disciple in front of him would really go in and come back safely.
‘I hope he gets into an accident and gets separated from his group.’
‘Surely he’s not thinking that I should get into an accident and get separated from my group?’
Lee Han somehow felt that way, but he doubted whether the Skeleton Principal would have such petty thoughts.
‘But it seems like he could.’
“Principal.”
What?
“What about the friends from other towers?”
They all went in first. You guys are the last.
Lee Han was puzzled by that answer.
While the White Tiger Tower students could have rushed in saying ‘Let’s not get involved with that Wardanaz guy,’ the other towers weren’t like that.
“Weren’t there any friends who waited for us?”
Are you going on a picnic? I told them to go in first.
‘As expected.’
Lee Han wasn’t surprised.
Given the Skeleton Principal’s personality, it would have been stranger if he had allowed them to enter together with students from other towers.
It seemed like he wanted to tear apart even the current group…
‘But it doesn’t matter.’
Lee Han thought to himself.
He had already talked with several friends in preparation for this situation.
-Nilia. You know I’ve always respected the Shadow Patrol. But if we happen to enter the library separately, wouldn’t you cooperate with us later?
-Of course I’d do that, and it’s not even difficult, but you didn’t start by praising the Shadow Patrol thinking I might refuse, did you?
-Priest Tijiling. I don’t want to specifically mention the fact that I’ve served refreshments every time, but if you could have the tower priests…
-If you want to cooperate, you can speak comfortably. We would accept it even if you didn’t say it like that, so why do you need to…
Fortunately, friends from other towers readily accepted Lee Han’s proposal.
Even Durgyu.
-Durgyu.
-Lee Han. I’ll do my best, but don’t expect too much.
-I haven’t said anything yet… but thanks anyway.
‘The deeper levels would be too much, but the lower levels should be manageable.’
Lee Han had his own calculations.
Though the library had a notorious reputation, students like Lee Han had actually entered the library several times before.
During breaks or weekends, they had searched through the bookshelves near the entrance looking for books.
The lower levels near the entrance had relatively simple structures that were easy to understand.
If he met his friends in the lower levels…
“…”
“…”
Kuooooooooo-
Lee Han was shocked by the sight of a vast wasteland as he opened the library door and entered.
The familiar library filled with bookshelves was nowhere to be seen, replaced by some unfamiliar dungeon.
Asan, who had seen the old library before, gaped in bewilderment.
“This… this is impossible. No matter how many monsters were caught, for the appearance to change this much…”
However, Lee Han had no choice but to accept it.
He could feel the powerful flow of mana streaming through the air.
Whatever monster it was, the flow of mana within the library that had been blocked by that monster had returned to normal, and thanks to the blocked flow bursting forth strongly, the internal structure of the library was changing just as violently.
…Of course, why first-year students had to enter at such a time was questionable…
“Asan. Let’s pull ourselves together. We have to accept it.”
“But… but…”
“Everyone move! Make sure to observe your surroundings properly.”
Lee Han gathered his composure and shouted. The Blue Dragon Tower students came to their senses and each grabbed their staffs.
“There’s a bookshelf over there!”
There were bookshelves scattered throughout the vast wasteland. The students who arrived hurriedly skimmed through the books.
“Wrong. There’s nothing useful here.”
“What kind of bastard stuck their failed exam papers in here?”
“We need to find the next bookshelf.”
Exploration.
Movement.
Search.
It was simple work that shouldn’t be difficult, but it was also work that consumed more stamina than expected.
Moreover, in a wasteland like this that was close to another dimension, it was even more so.
Due to the flow of mana, visibility wasn’t properly secured as if dust had settled, and though the sun wasn’t visible, hot sunlight beat down, and whenever a dry wind blew, several students coughed.
“Lee Han.”
“I know.”
Lee Han nodded at Yoner’s words. No matter how urgent the need for books was, if they continued the forced march without taking breaks, his friends might collapse first.
“Let’s take a short break.”
The students sighed and plopped down. Several students immediately tried to fill their water bottles first.
They hadn’t found a water source yet, but such things weren’t important to mages.
The reason to somehow include at least one mage in a party!
“Spring forth!”
The staff was swung confidently.
And nothing happened.
“???”
“Hey. You’ve been learning for how long and you mess up water creation magic. Forget it. I’ll do it. Gush forth!”
But still nothing happened.
“…Was the incantation bad? But it worked fine outside?”
“Spring forth! Spring for… cough.”
Only then did the students realize.
Water droplets close to dew were forming in the air.
The magic hadn’t failed.
Due to the powerful mana flow in this area, the effect of water creation magic had been greatly weakened.
The faces of the students who realized this turned pale.
These were students who had suffered through an early cold snap just last week.
They knew well how tormenting such natural mana flows could be.
“How much water is left? Anyone have spare?”
“Not even a sip left…!”
“Take out the water bottles you brought separately!”
‘I made a mistake.’
Lee Han clicked his tongue.
Lee Han had packed a spare leather water bottle just in case, but his friends hadn’t.
He hadn’t mentioned it because he didn’t want to unnecessarily increase the weight, but he should have made them prepare for situations like this.
Really anything could happen inside the magic school.
“Won’t it work even if Lee Han does it?”
“Do you call that talking?”
When Gainando tilted his head and muttered, Asan scolded him.
“Don’t waste Wardanaz’s mana for nothing. He already has plenty to be responsible for.”
“But it wouldn’t matter if he wasted it…”
‘That’s actually true.’
His friends scolded Gainando saying ‘how can you call yourself a friend,’ but Lee Han unconsciously agreed.
Well, it wouldn’t matter if he wasted it!
“Spring forth.”
Lee Han swung his staff to check for sure before moving on.
Then a huge sphere of water gushed forth in the air.
“…”
“…Wardanaz. Did I ever tell you that I’ve always thought of you as a genius?”
“Lee Han. Don’t give those bastards water… mmph mmph.”
His friends quickly covered Gainando’s mouth with their hands and began lining up.
“Who said Wardanaz would fail at magic?”
“No way. I never heard that.”
‘I wonder if they’ll all be surprised when they return to their families later.’
While filling his friends’ leather water bottles with cold water, Lee Han thought.
If their families were surprised asking ‘what on earth happened at school to change their personality like this?’, it wouldn’t be Lee Han’s fault but the Skeleton Principal’s fault.
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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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