Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 378

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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 378

Lee Han gritted his teeth at the detestable enemy’s proposal.

“Those despicable bastards. They want us to go up first and trigger the traps above.”

-There are no traps above.

“What?”

-I said there are no traps above. This upper area isn’t a prison, so why would there be traps?

“…?”

Lee Han became confused.

“Then why are they telling us to come out? Maybe it’s some deception to prevent us from using magic?”

-They’re not that kind of guys.

“Then what is it?”

-…I don’t know.

The Undead Mage honestly admitted it.

This was the first time he’d seen those prison warriors acting so obediently.

Lee Han cautiously poked his head out.

The watching Undead Gladiators gestured with stiff movements for him to come out.

‘For a trap, this is way too brazen.’

Feeling uneasy about just going out, Lee Han waved his hand.

It was a signal to move back.

Then surprisingly, the Undead Gladiators actually moved back.

“…?!”

-They’re backing away?!

Both the Undead Mage and Lee Han were shocked.

Were these really the same group as that crazy bastard who charged at them earlier?

“I’ll go check it out.”

Ogoldos said, supporting himself with his staff.

Ever since falling here, he felt terribly uncomfortable just being a burden to his junior.

If he could at least do something like this…

“What? That’s fine. Let’s all approach together under cover of fog.”

“…”

Ogoldos felt his resolve deflating.

* * *

They approached cautiously, but the Undead Gladiators really didn’t charge at them.

They just stood there watching Lee Han’s group climb up to the ceiling.

-Interlock and become a bridge… I really didn’t think they’d come up.

“Do we need magic to climb up by any chance?”

-The magic has already been dispelled. Normally, the ceiling couldn’t be broken through.

The Undead Mage said while climbing up the bone-made slope.

The underground prison that held prisoners was protected by powerful mana. Normally, it would be impossible to break through no matter what you did.

The explosion earlier was impressive, but if the underground prison had been normal, the ceiling would have remained intact.

The Undead Mage now had to acknowledge what Lee Han had said.

Something had happened to the master of the palace!

-How surprising. To think something happened to the King.

“…”

Lee Han broke out in a slight cold sweat. Ogoldos saw this and worried inwardly.

‘Is he really okay? Did he use too much mana after all? Should I ask, or would that make me sound like I’m saying something useless?’

“So… do you still pledge loyalty to the King? From what I saw, he seemed to have quite a lot of personality problems.”

He started speaking to sow discord, but the Undead Mage didn’t seem to notice Lee Han’s intention and answered readily.

-Kings are naturally violent.

“Is… is that so?”

‘If someone’s violent enough to imprison people when bored, shouldn’t their head be cut off?’

-Of course, whether I resent the King or not is a separate matter. I resent him for ignoring my loyal advice, but I’m loyal because he’s my king. Originally, strong beings have the right to rule.

“…Wait, then what happens if they become weak?”

-Then they should die. A weakened king has no qualifications as a king.

There was a nodding sound from behind.

Lee Han’s group turned their heads. The group of Undead Gladiators had been following behind them, stopped, and were nodding their heads.

Ogoldos made a choking sound.

-When did those bastards get so close… what the… what…?

“They don’t seem to be trying to attack right now. Right?”

-That’s how it looks. Don’t provoke them.

Contrary to the Undead Mage’s words, the warriors quietly followed them.

When Lee Han’s group stopped, they stopped too, and when Lee Han’s group started walking, they started walking too.

When fear repeats, you naturally get used to it.

Lee Han began to get curious about what kind of behavior would work on those Undead Gladiators.

“Could you perhaps pick up some bone fragments for me?”

-I told you not to provoke…

The Undead Mage almost shouted, but the warriors surprisingly complied obediently.

-!

“Oh…”

-This… we need to experiment with this.

The Undead Mage’s eyes changed too. The mage said to Ogoldos.

-You try asking too.

“…Please pick up some bone fragments.”

At Ogoldos’s request, the warriors just stood there blankly.

Their look seemed to say ‘who are you to give orders?’ Ogoldos glared at the Undead Mage with an embarrassed face.

-This is…

“What is it?”

Lee Han expected wisdom from the Undead Mage.

-It seems they’ve accepted you as part of their group.

“…”

For a moment, Lee Han thought he had misheard.

Passing a test, winning recognition through battle, or at least not being touched because of having too much mana.

There were so many other good possibilities, so why was he hearing about being accepted as part of their group?

“Does that make sense?”

-Those guys themselves are a bunch who gathered together because they like fighting, so it’s not that unreasonable…

“What do you mean I like fighting?”

-Maybe they misunderstood that you caused the undead explosion earlier?

Lee Han protested angrily.

“This mage here did it!”

However, the Undead Gladiators just stared blankly as if asking what he was talking about.

The Undead Mage spoke as if telling him to give up.

-If they were the type to listen when spoken to, there would have been no reason to suffer all this time. They’re not ones you can communicate with.

“What the…”

Lee Han, who had suddenly become part of their group, looked at the warriors with a displeased expression.

-It’s not urgent right now, so let’s keep moving. Actually, being treated as part of their group isn’t bad, right? If not, you would have had to fight to the death down there earlier.

“If it’s not bad, then you can be part of their group, Mage. Go tell them yourself.”

At Lee Han’s venomous words, the Undead Mage was slightly intimidated and backed away.

-Those guys just won’t listen to reason…

“Sigh… I understand. So, how much is left now?”

The undead mage who had escaped the underground prison and climbed up into the palace interior had one goal.

To check the throne in the palace’s deeper levels and find out what had happened to the king.

Lee Han didn’t strongly oppose this. After all, Lee Han also needed to find the other people and escape.

If the undead mage, who was skilled in this palace’s geography, reached the throne in the deeper levels, he could use the palace’s power to find the other people scattered throughout various places.

‘The king isn’t there.’

And Lee Han was confident that the king wouldn’t be there.

…Because Lee Han had beaten him!

-We’re almost there. This is truly surprising. I never thought it would be this empty. Has the king really departed…

The mage muttered while tapping the wall with his staff.

Then the wall opened and a path appeared. The place that had been a path just moments before disappeared underground.

“!”

Lee Han’s complexion changed.

At some point, the quality of mana felt in the air had changed.

The undead mage noticed Lee Han’s changed complexion and spoke.

-Sharp indeed. You must be feeling pressure from the powerful mana, right? Especially since you’re still a young mage.

‘I don’t feel it though.’

Due to his abundant mana, Lee Han never felt pressure from such things, but he played along casually.

“Yes.”

-It’s because of the mana emanating from the king’s space. It’s the power and core that maintains this palace. When the king was sitting inside, one couldn’t even breathe.

Creeeeak-

A massive stone door opened, revealing a vast audience chamber. When it was confirmed that no one was inside, the undead mage made a clicking sound by rattling his bones.

-This is truly surprising…

Get out.

“!?”

The undead mage was also surprised by the voice coming from the throne, but Lee Han was the most shocked.

The King of Ghouls he had defeated before.

The voice was exactly the same as that king’s.

‘Has he already fully recovered!?’

He knew that the king had been driven from the continent and returned to his original dimension, but to think he had already recovered from that blow.

Lee Han bowed his head deeply. Ogoldos looked puzzled, not understanding.

-Are you the king?

That’s right. How dare you enter my audience chamber. Even the most terrible punishment wouldn’t be enough, but I’ll forgive you this once. Get out.

“Let’s get out.”

Lee Han whispered.

Fortunately, it seemed the other person hadn’t noticed Lee Han’s identity.

If they left when he said he’d forgive them…

However, the undead mage responded with a sarcastic voice.

-You don’t seem to be the king.

What did you say?

-All the king’s subordinates have disappeared, the flames that illuminated the palace have been extinguished, and the walls that guarded the prison have vanished. What kind of king has no subordinates, no palace, and no dignity?

“Do you really have to provoke him?”

Lee Han tried to persuade the undead mage, but it was meaningless.

What the beings of the undead dimension pursued was the logic of power.

The King of Ghouls being a tyrant was acceptable because he had the power to match it.

However, in the current weakened situation, that logic was applied in reverse.

How dare you act so arrogant when you’re weakened?

-You seem to be quite severely injured. I don’t know how you ended up in such a state, but…

If you want to die, I’ll kill you.

-Try it.

Not only the undead mage but also the warrior monks behind him suddenly stepped forward.

Their eyes held not a trace of loyalty. Only competitive spirit filled them, wanting to test how strong the one who had been above them was.

And the warrior monks patted Lee Han’s shoulder and pointed at the throne.

“…No, wait. Don’t tell me now…”

Were they asking him to fight as part of the same group?

Lee Han pondered how to convey ‘I’m human and you’re undead.’

Meanwhile, the undead mage began his attack.

-Now, fake king! Let’s see you demonstrate your abilities once more!

‘Damn it. Why are all mages different from their outward appearance?’

The undead mage who had been calm, composed, and rational until just now immediately turned aggressive upon seeing the King of Ghouls’ weakness.

It was a logic of power that only undead could understand among themselves.

The mana in the vast audience chamber began gathering toward the throne. The King of Ghouls, who had forcibly absorbed the mana inside to recover his strength, growled.

Even if I’m severely wounded and recovering, do you think I’d lose to a mage like you?

As the undead mage had guessed, the King of Ghouls was drawing in all the palace’s resources to recover from the serious damage he had suffered on the continent.

From the flames outside to his subordinates.

Having been sealed for so long and then defeated right after being freed, the damage was severe.

However, he didn’t think he would lose.

He was confident that the power he had recovered in this palace alone was enough to deal with those prisoner bastards.

-Poison…

When the warrior monks charged, the King of Ghouls looked at them with annoyance.

Those prisoner bastards from the underground prison wouldn’t die and kept crawling out, making things troublesome.

He had left them alone because it was admirable that they attacked other prisoners…

Die.

Crack!

The King of Ghouls concentrated his wavering form and appeared in front of one of the warrior monks.

Then he delivered a vicious blow. The thick warrior monk’s torso was penetrated completely.

“…!”

It was a spine-chilling attack, but the undead mage and warrior monks didn’t seem frightened at all, as if they had expected this.

“…Spread as mist!”

A terrible poison cloud spread around the throne area. The King of Ghouls distorted his form and tried to quickly escape the poison cloud.

Then the warrior monks chased after him and unleashed attacks. The King of Ghouls nimbly transformed his body to dodge the attacks.

“Blaze up!”

At that moment, flames flew after the King of Ghouls. Their size wasn’t impressive, but the heat felt from those small flames was tremendous. The King of Ghouls felt threatened for a moment and pulled his body back.

You are…?

The King of Ghouls felt a familiar unpleasant sensation rising for some unknown reason. The opponent mage was covering his face with a bone mask.

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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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