Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 229

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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 229

“I’m surprised. I didn’t expect to encounter them so soon.”

“?”

Lee Han was puzzled by Professor Milay’s words.

He had been to the Spirit Realm once before when Professor Thunderstep had guided him, but beings from other dimensions were basically very curious about intruders.

‘Don’t they usually approach even if you stay still?’

…It was strange that they ran away upon seeing Lee Han, when normally spirits should have approached him.

“That would normally be the case. But as I mentioned, there are safety measures in place.”

“Ah.”

The safety measures put in place to prevent powerful beings from approaching also concealed the presence of the mages.

Since their presence couldn’t be felt, the number of beings from other dimensions they could encounter was naturally reduced.

“But we did encounter them?”

“It must be because of your mana.”

Professor Milay said, looking at Lee Han.

Even with the safety measures concealing them, the mana wasn’t completely hidden, so the undead must have crawled over after sensing that mana.

‘No. It wasn’t because of the other guys.’

He had thought it was because students talented in dark magic were traveling together, but that wasn’t the case.

Gainando looked at Lee Han with an expression full of betrayal.

No wonder the undead kept coming!

“As expected, it was you, Lee Han…”

“Do you have a complaint?”

“No, no. Thank you for calling the undead.”

Gainando resolved that if he ever had to go to a cemetery in the future, he would absolutely not bring Lee Han along.

“I’ll keep this magic circle maintained until the weekend. Students who didn’t succeed in making contracts today should keep trying.”

“!”

Lee Han was delighted to hear that the magic circle would be kept open until the weekend.

‘I might be able to get a Skeleton Mage.’

He had made a contract with a Skeleton Warrior, but having one more wouldn’t hurt.

Clatter-

Sharkan, who was inside the bone fragment, tilted his head.

He was wondering why Lee Han would waste mana unnecessarily.

“Gainando. Raphadael. This is great. They’re keeping the magic circle maintained. Let’s go back in and look for new undead. There should be undead willing to contract with you guys too.”

“War… Wardanaz. That’s a bit…”

Raphadael waved his hand with a slightly pale face.

Lee Han thought he was being lazy and spoke firmly.

“Raphadael. Don’t pretend to be tired.”

“…I really don’t have any mana left, you bastard!”

Raphadael was furious.

He had endured it because he didn’t want to sound weak in front of Lee Han, but originally, stepping into another dimension and returning was something that consumed considerable mana and mental strength.

Gainando beside him was also tired, sitting in a chair and munching on chocolate.

“Ah. Your mana is depleted.”

“That’s right!”

“Then let’s rest for today and go in during the next break. When is your next break? Tell me.”

“…”

Raphadael felt a creeping fear at Lee Han’s attempt to immediately check his class schedule.

‘This… this bastard!’

A qualitatively different kind of fear that even a large, fierce-looking knight couldn’t instill.

Feeling this unfamiliar fear, Raphadael’s body stiffened.

“Hurry up and tell me.”

“There’s… there’s no real reason you have to take me along, is there?”

“No way. I need at least one arrow catch… I mean, one frontline fighter to feel at ease.”

“Did you just try to say arrow catcher?”

“Don’t make false accusations. So when is your break? Don’t think about lying. I can just ask the White Tiger Tower students.”

Gainando took the opportunity to slowly back away. Lee Han spoke without even turning around.

“Gainando, I already know all your class times anyway, so you don’t need to say anything.”

“…!!”

* * *

After the lecture ended and all the students had left, Professor Milay cleaned up the remaining area.

Since various materials had been used to draw magic circles, the surroundings were quite messy.

‘Is this the magic circle he drew earlier?’

Professor Milay discovered the magic circle left at Lee Han’s spot and turned her gaze to it.

Since he was trying to summon a shield form, he probably hadn’t made much progress.

Still, failure would also be a lesson, so just that alone…

“?!”

Professor Milay was shocked when she saw the incomplete magic circle Lee Han had drawn.

A 1st year student who had never properly handled shield-type magic completed a magic circle of this level?

…Is he really a genius??

* * *

Raphadael wanted to keep his distance from Lee Han and rest until his mana was completely recovered.

And when they met again, he wanted to face him with at least four people.

However, that wish was not fulfilled.

“…”

“Hey. Good to see you.”

Less than two hours had passed when he encountered Lee Han in dark magic class.

“Cough. I sense different mana from you three. Did you visit the Undead Realm or something?”

Professor Mortum asked, unaware of Raphadael’s inner thoughts. Lee Han nodded and explained what had happened.

“Cough, very well done!”

Professor Mortum coughed and shouted. He shouted so forcefully that his body shook.

“Is it that significant?”

“Of course. Cough. While necromancy isn’t the only thing in dark magic, there’s no outstanding dark mage who can’t perform necromancy.”

Manipulating dark elements or handling poison and curses were also part of dark magic, but what most people thought of when they heard “dark magic” was necromancy – summoning undead.

The secret magic of raising the dead.

“Cough. It’s a bit unfortunate that you did this during summoning magic class… but still, this is something. Didn’t the other students look at you with envious eyes?”

“…”

Lee Han hesitated.

When he said he had contracted with a Skeleton Warrior, the students’ reaction was…

‘They weren’t envious.’

While they were amazed and impressed, there definitely weren’t any students saying ‘Wow, I envy dark magic, I want to learn it too.’

However, Lee Han couldn’t refuse the wistful look Professor Mortum was sending him.

“I think they were like that.”

“?”

“I knew it! I thought so. Cough.”

Professor Mortum was as happy as if it were his own achievement.

Raphadael sent a look saying ‘That’s not how it was, right?’ Lee Han ignored it.

“Among the various beings from other dimensions that you can contract and summon, the most magnificent and beautiful are the undead. A mage who discovers the charm of undead can’t help but become interested in necromancy. Cough. What’s the point of wielding swords and shields?”

The difference between a mage infusing mana and giving commands from one to ten, versus summoning beings from another realm who have their own consciousness.

No matter how he thought about it, the latter had to be much more convenient.

Of course, the latter also had its drawbacks.

Having consciousness meant that the summoned beings might not listen well to the mage’s words.

But this drawback could also be resolved if there were beings already subdued and contracted beforehand.

If not…

There were methods to eliminate the hostility of summoned undead, such as staying in graves or applying rotting substances to one’s body.

Professor Mortum didn’t bother mentioning this method and glossed over it.

“Cough. Anyway, you contracted well. Which of you two made contracts?”

“Oh.”

“Ah.”

“?”

“W-we haven’t yet…”

At Gainando’s words, Professor Mortum frowned.

“That won’t do. Cough. Opportunities to go to the Undead Realm and make contracts aren’t that common.”

“Don’t worry, Professor. I’ll take them by the weekend and make sure they contract.”

“Cough. It seems you’re the only student I can trust.”

“Not at all. You’re too kind.”

“…”

Gainando and Raphadael glared at Lee Han.

He was their friend, but today he was quite annoying.

“Cough. Student Ymirg should also go and try contracting for undead summoning.”

“M… me too?”

The giant hybrid student Ymirg, who had been quietly sitting when the spark flew to him, looked flustered.

Ymirg didn’t even take summoning magic classes and had little interest in necromancy.

‘Ymirg wouldn’t be necessary.’

Since Lee Han had already calculated everything with just Raphadael, he decided to show mercy to his remaining friend.

“If you don’t want to, there’s no need to participate…”

“No way. We should go together!”

“It would be better to go together. The Professor said so too.”

Gainando and Raphadael interjected like lightning. Lee Han thought to himself.

‘These trash bastards.’

Just because they didn’t want to go alone, they were forcibly dragging their friend along!

* * *

Professor Mortum taught them the characteristics of several monsters commonly seen in the Undead Realm and methods to deal with them in preparation for contracting.

And he asked that if there were any students among those learning summoning magic who showed interest in undead, to persuade them in order about how good undead were, how excellent necromancy was, and how great dark magic was.

‘My heart aches just listening to this.’

Lee Han clicked his tongue inwardly.

“Cough. Wardanaz.”

When Professor Mortum called Lee Han as the lecture was ending, Lee Han nodded as if he understood and answered.

“Don’t worry, Professor. I’ll guide my friends well so they can contract with useful undead monsters.”

“Cough. That’s not it.”

“?”

“Take this.”

Professor Mortum handed over a thick brown book. It looked considerably more worn compared to the books Lee Han had seen so far.

‘【Ancient Basic Necromancy – On True Undead Summoning】?’

“May I ask why you’re giving me this book?”

Lee Han was puzzled about why he was suddenly being given such a book.

Professor Mortum coughed and opened his mouth.

“Cough. How many methods do you think there are for necromancy, specifically undead summoning?”

“Isn’t it two?”

One was summoning beings that weren’t contracted.

Since they weren’t bound by contracts, they had to be controlled by magic and their hostility appeased through various methods, but the advantage was relatively free summoning.

The other was summoning contracted beings.

There was no need to control or appease them, but the contract itself was a drawback if anything.

“Cough. Wrong. Actually, there are three.”

“Three? …Don’t tell me?”

Lee Han hesitated.

“It seems you understand.”

There was something that came to mind.

‘Are you talking about a method like magic items?’

As he had learned from Professor Milay’s lecture before, items without consciousness like swords or shields required the mage to directly program each movement and action one by one.

But in the case of undead, it was waste among wastes.

When you could just summon undead, why would a mage have to build everything up from nothing?

From the mana required to the casting itself, it was an inefficient method where all the difficulty levels jumped drastically.

Naturally, it wasn’t a method used nowadays either. It wasn’t for nothing that Lee Han had said “Isn’t it two?”

“Cough. Correct.”

“I heard that hardly anyone summons this way nowadays…?”

“It’s not hardly anyone, but no one. Cough. It’s practically a method only used in ancient times. This book contains those ancient methods.”

“!”

Lee Han was surprised once again.

It was surprising that he was recommending magic methods not used nowadays, and also surprising why he was recommending it.

‘What advantages could there be… Wait. Isn’t there a reason why it’s not used now?’

“Why me?”

“Cough. It’s the Principal’s instruction. He earnestly requested that I make you able to summon undead using this method too.”

“…”

Lee Han’s expression became serious.

He had thought it might be recommended because of Lee Han’s hidden aptitude or his constitution with abundant mana, but…

“Yes. Well. I’ll try my best.”

‘I should just get through this casually.’

He was already managing his grades sufficiently in dark magic.

Even without learning magic to summon undead using such outdated methods, he would get perfect scores.

“Cough. I trust you. You should be able to learn it well. The Principal told me to check every week. He said to send you to the Punishment Room if there’s no progress, but what a joke…”

“…”

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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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