Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 244

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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 244

‘Oh no. What mistake did I make.’

Lee Han regretted his answer immediately after giving it.

Perhaps still not fully recovered from fatigue, his words had come out faster than his thoughts.

Asking if he had ever worked as a professor.

Such an insulting thing to say…

-I’m not quite that wise.

The giant answered with slight embarrassment.

“…Ah. I see.”

Fortunately, it passed without becoming a problem.

“I understand. Then shall we play another game of chess?”

Even if his opponent seemed somewhat like a professor, what could he do about it.

Given the debt of gratitude for being saved, Lee Han decided to respect his opponent even if he was being a bit unreasonable.

…And he also looked quite strong.

-No. A wager should be fair to both sides.

“What game could be more fair than chess…”

The giant ignored Lee Han’s words, pretending not to hear them.

-We need to find a different wager. What would be good.

“…I think we’ve gotten into trouble.”

Lee Han whispered to Giselle. Giselle nodded slightly in agreement.

“Isn’t there a way to suppress him?”

“Moradi. Can’t you see that build?”

Lee Han was incredulous.

Asking if there was a way to suppress such a powerful giant.

Why not just tell him to die?

“You charged at the Frost Giant King even though he was bigger.”

“…Then why did you move your rook earlier?”

Speechless, Lee Han cowardly changed the subject. Giselle was left without words at this petty attack.

“You’re bringing that up now…?!”

-What would be good… polo doesn’t have the right numbers, we did riddles last time… a drinking contest is…

Giselle listened quietly but couldn’t hold back any longer and snapped sharply.

“If a wager should be fair, how could a drinking contest possibly be a fair competition?”

-There seems to be a misunderstanding. It’s not about who drinks more.

“Then what?”

-It should be a wager that alchemists often engage in, though I suppose you wouldn’t know since you’re still 1st year students.

The giant kindly explained what kind of wager the drinking contest was.

When the competition began, alchemists would use various materials and potions to directly create alcohol for their opponent to drink.

The receiving alchemist had to drink this alcohol, then create new alcohol to pass back to their opponent.

-Whoever collapses first loses.

“…Wait. That’s not alcohol, that’s potions, isn’t it?”

Lee Han paused while listening to the explanation.

If you make it using materials and potions, wouldn’t it end up being a potion?

-That’s right? It’s a metaphor. And as I said, if you think it’s unfair, you don’t have to accept.

“Uh… no. Now that I hear it, it sounds quite doable.”

-Really?

The giant looked at Lee Han with puzzlement.

In fact, as the student next to Lee Han had said, this competition favored the giant.

While mages who handled mana also had strong resistance to potions, giants had even stronger innate resistance.

-I’ll give you another chance to choose.

“No. I may not look it, but I took first place in alchemy class.”

“…”

-…

Giselle and the giant looked at Lee Han with eyes that didn’t know what to say.

‘Wardanaz, this bastard… is he still not fully awake?’

-Hmm. Taking first place in a 1st year class doesn’t mean you’ve learned everything about alchemy.

The giant spoke with concern.

Of course, Lee Han’s real intention lay elsewhere.

‘In a contest of resistance, I absolutely won’t lose.’

Having experienced it several times before, Lee Han was confident.

Massive mana meant massive resistance.

But if his opponent caught on to this, the competition might change. Lee Han tried his best to appear like a foolish 1st year student.

‘Think of Gainando.’

“A genius like me can learn almost everything just from 1st year classes. What’s the point of studying.”

“…”

-…Right, right. I see. Still, objectively speaking, it’s an unfavorable wager for you… if you win, I’ll give you one additional reward. You can take anything you want from my home.

“!”

Lee Han’s eyes sparkled.

‘…No. It’s not that great after all.’

When he first heard it, he thought ‘oh?’, but looking around, he thought ‘oh…’

The giant’s home was more modest and messy than expected.

Even if Lee Han struggled to carry away some rusty large weapon…

“Hey.”

Giselle couldn’t stand it anymore and poked Lee Han’s side while whispering.

She had tried to maintain her expression but couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Are you doing this on purpose? Why are you acting like this?”

Lee Han was about to explain the situation but held back in case the giant might overhear.

“Moradi. Who am I? I’m a genius on a different level from other geniuses.”

“…”

Giselle felt like she was going crazy.

* * *

The giant was certainly knowledgeable in alchemy as well.

Rummaging through the chaos and piles of miscellaneous items, pulling out and pouring whatever he could grab, his movements were smooth and unhindered.

Just like how Gainando’s private room might look like a garbage dump but had its own order to Gainando himself, the giant’s cave surely had the same quality.

Of course, all these factors worked against Lee Han.

An alchemist who knew what materials were available versus an alchemist who had to hastily create in an unfamiliar place.

There was no need to say which would be more advantageous.

‘Should I abandon him and leave.’

Giselle thought quietly.

No matter how she looked at it, Wardanaz didn’t seem likely to win.

And above all, his current behavior was very worrying…

Thud!

-It’s done! I call this 【Giant’s Honey Wine】.

After an hour, the giant finally completed his potion.

“May I ask about the recipe?”

Lee Han threw out the question, thinking it might be useful later. Giselle had no more capacity left for losing her composure.

-I can’t tell you everything, but I can give you the basics. Honey and rose petals. Sleep grass and two-headed snake blood. Mud from acidic swampland. Just hearing this much should give you a rough idea, right?

“…Ah. Yes.”

No matter how he looked at it, Lee Han’s expression turned sour at the sight of what seemed more like deadly poisons than anything resembling alcohol.

At this point, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it 【Giant’s Poison】 rather than 【Giant’s Honey Wine】.

‘I trust you.’

Lee Han thought this as he lifted the large cup to his lips.

Gulp, gulp-

Surprisingly, the honey wine tasted better than expected. Whatever combination had been used, a sweet and refreshing taste flowed down his throat.

And at the same time, an enormous drowsiness began to surge up from within his body like a geyser.

“!”

This was completely different from any status ailment he had experienced before.

Previous status ailments had been nullified before Lee Han could even become conscious of them…

‘I see. Since I drank the potion directly…!’

Naturally, the power of a directly consumed potion would be stronger than external attacks. Lee Han concentrated his mind and drew up all the mana in his body.

A massive torrent of mana suppressed the drowsiness brought on by the honey wine and extinguished its spark.

Once.

Twice.

Thre…

‘Huh? Is it over?’

Lee Han, who had been tense, was slightly flustered when the honey wine’s effects disappeared in an instant.

He had been nervous because it surged up so suddenly, but it ended much more easily than expected.

‘Hmm. I feel like I lost out by being scared.’

It was definitely a potion that put everything into its initial effect. Once you got past that, the effect wasn’t very strong.

Lee Han thought this – something that would make the giant shed tears of humiliation if he knew – and opened his mouth.

“Then it’s my turn.”

-…

The giant just blinked his eyes and looked Lee Han up and down.

He was so flustered that he couldn’t even answer and could only nod his head.

‘How!?’

It was unbelievable.

To be so fine after drinking the 【Giant’s Honey Wine】 he had made himself.

That student couldn’t possibly be a mage with the mana of an undead or dragon…

There was only one reasonable explanation.

He had prepared and drunk an antidote that could withstand 【Giant’s Honey Wine】 in advance.

‘There’s no way magic school students have reached such a high level?’

But that was equally surprising.

For a mere 1st year student to see an unfamiliar potion and immediately prepare a counter-antidote. And in an unfamiliar place, not his own workshop.

The giant recalled what Lee Han had said.

-No. Even though I look like this, I took first place in alchemy class.

-A genius like me can know almost everything just by attending 1st year lectures. What’s the point of studying?

At first, he thought it was just the childish words of a young student, but now that things had turned out this way, his spine grew cold.

If arrogance is proven by results, then it’s not arrogance but justified confidence.

Could it be that among all the alchemists he had seen, this was the most outstanding geni…

“It’s done.”

-What!?

“What!?”

Not only the giant but even Giselle was shocked.

It seemed like he hadn’t even used ten minutes and he was already finished?

“Wardanaz. If you have complaints, say them with words! Don’t act stupid like those idiots from my tower! I’m already going crazy as it is!!”

Giselle finally exploded and grabbed him by the collar. Seeing this, Lee Han thought.

‘The White Tiger Tower students must be causing a lot of stress.’

-Since I’ve already declared it, I can’t take it back. What’s the name of this drink?

“Uh… it should be something like a potion to put giants to sleep.”

-An honest name. Let me try drinking it.

The giant smiled confidently and drank the entire cauldron.

Then his expression changed.

-…!!!

Suddenly, an unbearable drowsiness began to wash over him.

He was resisting as much as possible, but his instincts were telling him.

That he wouldn’t last long before falling asleep.

The giant staggered and looked at Lee Han. Then he spoke in a stammering voice.

-Such… such a genius…! Your… name…?

“It’s Moradi.”

“Not me. He was asking you.”

Giselle looked at Lee Han as if asking what he was talking about.

It seemed his fatigue hadn’t fully recovered yet.

“Oh right. That’s right. I’m Lee Han of Wardanaz Family.”

-I… see. I’m Ikurusha. Giant Ikurusha.

When Lee Han had asked for his name earlier, the giant had subtly changed the subject.

Originally, giants don’t reveal their names to opponents they don’t acknowledge.

He had changed the topic out of consideration for the mage’s pride, but…

…a genius of this level deserved to know his name.

-…It’s… your victory… take one… thing you… want.

Thud!

With a snoring sound that shook the cave, Ikurusha fell backward.

Lee Han let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Bartrek.”

The giant-sleeping potion that the White Tiger Tower students had been working hard to make in their hideout.

He had thought the students made it properly, but he had been nervous in case it might not work.

“Bartrek of Bak Family? Why is that name coming up now?”

“It’s a potion that friend made.”

Lee Han answered while taking out a potion bottle from his pocket and shaking it.

“…!!!!”

Giselle cursed herself for thinking just moments ago, ‘To make such a powerful potion in less than ten minutes, that’s… truly incredible talent!’

Such a con artist…!

“Ah. Sorry I couldn’t explain beforehand. I was worried Mr. Ikurusha might hear and change the betting terms.”

“…Let’s just get out of here.”

Giselle no longer had the energy to be angry.

“Wait. Since I won the bet, let’s take the reward.”

“Was there something you wanted…?”

Giselle asked with a frown. No matter how she looked at it, there didn’t seem to be any useful treasures in this mess.

Snip!

Lee Han carefully cut off just the tip of the sleeping giant’s hair.

He had been thinking about this since the topic came up earlier.

“With this, one final exam is finished.”

“You’re… really more crazy than me…”

“Why are you suddenly cursing?”

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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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