Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 503

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

Chapter 503

Before the terrified basilisk could bite Priest Siana, Lee Han quickly spoke.

“I didn’t raise it to extract venom.”

“What? Then what are you planning to use it for?”

Priest Siana tilted her head in confusion.

For Priest Siana, who had grown up in the Plemang Order, raising animals was only done when there was a specific use for them.

Raising cows was to obtain their milk.

Raising chickens was to obtain their eggs.

Moreover, there could only be one reason for diligently raising a dangerous and difficult animal like a basilisk.

It was to harvest the precious venom of the basilisk.

“I didn’t raise it to extract venom, but because the professor wanted to attack me with… hmm.”

Lee Han, who was about to speak, hesitated because it sounded too crazy.

It would sound less insane to just say he raised it to extract venom.

“What?”

“…Anyway, I didn’t raise it to extract venom, so could you please put that syringe away?”

“Understood.”

Though Priest Siana didn’t understand, she moved the syringe back when Lee Han said that.

Only then did the baby basilisk let out a sigh of relief.

“Don’t scare it too much. It’s still a baby, so if you frighten it like that, there’s no telling what it might do.”

“We need to get it accustomed, don’t we?”

“…”

When thinking of priests, one easily imagined kind and faithful people, but that didn’t necessarily connect to a weak personality.

Kind and faithful people could become filled with madness whenever necessary.

Priest Siana spoke with a very serious attitude.

“The other professors will extract venom anyway, so does leaving it alone make any difference? We need to get it accustomed so it won’t be scared.”

“…Huh?”

“Professor Thunderstep mentioned it once before too. He said if a basilisk really hatched, he’d need to extract some venom.”

The baby basilisk trembled again and tried to burrow into Lee Han’s embrace.

Lee Han stroked it soothingly and said.

“Wait. Are there other professors besides the professors?”

“Professor Garcia was there too at the time, and when the basilisk really hatched, she asked if she could get some venom.”

“!”

Lee Han was greatly shocked.

It was fine for Professor Thunderstep or other professors to do that, but he never expected even the kind Professor Garcia to say such things.

‘Indeed, when magic is involved, mages show no mercy!’

When magic was involved, even the kindest mage would have their eyes roll back.

Lee Han learned another great lesson.

“Oh right. Professor Verdus also…”

“Ah. I’m not curious about that professor. He probably asked for some.”

Professor Verdus wasn’t surprising.

Given his personality, he was the type who would ask if he could skin the basilisk once it hatched.

‘This is serious.’

Lee Han fell into thought while stroking the basilisk.

The professors were more interested in the basilisk than he had expected.

Of course, once the basilisk grew up strong and healthy, he might be able to lend out its venom.

But extracting venom by sticking syringes into it while it hadn’t even fully grown yet was a bit…

‘It might create wickedness that wasn’t there before.’

Even a good monster would become an evil monster trying to exterminate all life forms if subjected to such treatment.

Lee Han had to live with the basilisk anyway. He didn’t want to make the basilisk’s personality like that.

“The always outstanding and trustworthy exceptional talent of the Plemang Order, Priest Siana. Could you possibly keep the basilisk’s birth a secret?”

“Oh my. Of course.”

At Lee Han’s flattery, Priest Siana readily nodded.

“But won’t the professors notice?”

“It hatched much faster than expected, so if everyone keeps quiet, they won’t know. …Except for one person.”

Professor Boladi was interested enough to periodically ask about the basilisk egg, making it impossible to easily deceive him like the other professors.

Lee Han stared intently at the basilisk.

‘Will it really be okay?’

Professor Boladi wasn’t interested in extracting the basilisk’s venom, but he was very interested in other aspects.

And perhaps that interest might be more dangerous.

Since he had raised it to use diligently for a semester as Lee Han’s opponent…

“Can you fight me by any chance?”

-…

The basilisk that received the question showed the most intense reaction it had shown all day.

Priest Siana was amazed at how it trembled and burrowed in as if it absolutely couldn’t do such a thing.

“Are baby basilisks originally docile? From what I know, I heard they’re wicked and violent from when they’re babies.”

“Well, if you point a syringe at them like that… no, never mind.”

Lee Han first soothed the basilisk. If he left it like this, it seemed like it would burrow into his neck like the rope on a gallows.

“I’ll talk to him properly, so don’t worry too much.”

Priest Siana spoke as if she didn’t have high expectations.

“Oh right. Mr. Wardanaz. If you need to extract venom, please call me. I’ll help you.”

“…”

At the priest’s quiet madness, Lee Han felt a slight fear of the Plemang Order well up.

* * *

“Professor.”

Monday morning.

While others were basking in sunlight and loosening their bodies stiffened by the chilly air, Lee Han went down to the main building basement to face Professor Boladi.

The professor sat at a table assembling a mechanical trap of a form Lee Han had never seen before. Lee Han tried his best to memorize the trap’s structure.

That trap might target Lee Han someday.

“You came.”

“I have something to tell you.”

Professor Boladi nodded.

It was a nod like a merciful master indulging a thoughtless disciple’s whims.

“What magic do you want to learn?”

“…Professor. Do I really look like someone obsessed with new magic?”

Professor Boladi stared at Lee Han quietly.

It would have been less annoying if he had just answered ‘yes’. Lee Han gave up and changed the subject.

“First, I hope you’ll keep this story secret.”

“If it’s reasonable.”

Professor Boladi was strict.

If Wardanaz declared he was secretly leaving school on weekends to hunt anti-magic extremists or mage criminals, he couldn’t keep even that secret.

“…Why would I do such things… No. That’s not it.”

After hearing the professor’s explanation, Lee Han tried to object but gave up.

Come to think of it, he had attempted to sneak out in front of Professor Boladi and had secretly fought enemies, so it was his own doing.

‘But it’s really unfair.’

“Well, the basilisk has hatched.”

Professor Boladi put down the trap he was assembling and immediately stood up.

“Congratulations.”

‘What is he congratulating me for?’

Lee Han swallowed his question and quickly continued speaking.

“But Professor. The situation is a bit different from what you expected. The basilisk hatched early, so it hasn’t grown properly.”

The professor’s eyebrow curved. Then he cast his gaze toward Lee Han’s arm.

The basilisk hiding in the long sleeves of his coat trembled violently.

“The petrification gaze? That shouldn’t be related to size.”

“Since it hasn’t fully grown, wouldn’t its power be weaker accordingly?”

Lee Han threw out casually.

In truth, whether the power was weak or not could only be determined by having the basilisk petrify something, but that wasn’t what mattered right now.

“The poison? If only the toxicity of the stone poison is maintained…”

“That too, since it hasn’t fully grown, I think its power would be weaker accordingly.”

Professor Boladi glared at the basilisk in the sleeve.

He didn’t say anything and showed no change in expression, but Lee Han somehow felt like Professor Boladi was shouting ‘You ungrateful snake, how much I had hoped for you.’

But staring like that wouldn’t suddenly make the basilisk stronger or more ferocious.

And in the first place, looking at its current state, it was questionable whether the basilisk would actively attack Lee Han even if it grew larger.

“I’ll ask Professor Lightningstep to find a way to help it grow.”

“Professor. Actually, that’s why I asked you to keep it secret.”

Lee Han reported that the evil professors were coveting the basilisk’s poison.

Especially Professor Bur, who was coveting not just the poison but absolutely everything.

“If they harvest it like that before the basilisk becomes strong, wouldn’t it have a huge negative impact on its growth?”

“Indeed.”

Professor Boladi understood what Lee Han was saying.

Considering the greed his disciple possessed, it was natural that he wouldn’t want to allow even an inch of weakening when raising the basilisk.

“Understood. I’ll keep it secret.”

Professor Boladi threw the mechanical trap into the basement pantry. Whether spatial magic was cast on it, no sound came from inside.

Then he opened the floor door leading underground and went down the stairs. Lee Han and the basilisk trembled together at the sounds coming from inside.

‘What is he trying to bring out by doing that?’

Fortunately, Professor Boladi came back with an old book instead of a secret weapon that could kill them both at once.

The book’s title was none other than 【Forbidden Arts for Raising Evil Monsters】.

Professor Boladi slowly dusted off the book, then placed it on the bookshelf next to the table. He planned to read it slowly after the lecture to find methods.

“…”

-…

Lee Han and the basilisk prayed that the old book would contain sensible content.

* * *

“How much of the book have you written?”

“…About 1/3.”

Lee Han made a slight excuse.

1/2 seemed like too much, and 1/4 seemed like too little.

And there had been too many other things to do over the weekend. From finding the hidden secret base to guiding the bard.

‘Is it too little? Should I have said more?’

“The progress is faster than expected.”

‘Damn.’

Lee Han regretted it.

Looking at Professor Boladi’s reaction, he could have gone slower.

Getting scared for no reason and digging his own grave!

“You’re learning various combat magic but still not satisfied.”

“I’m satisfied…”

“You must have felt it during the sea serpent hunt.”

‘Felt what?’

Lee Han was puzzled.

What he felt during the sea serpent hunt was resentment toward the professor who had dragged Lee Han to the front while leaving other friends behind.

“The lack of evasion methods.”

“…Uh, not to that extent…?”

Honestly, with illusion magic, enhancement magic, and even the short-term divination magic that Professor Boladi had made him learn (by beating him), his evasion methods were more than sufficient for a 1st year student.

Adding elemental magic defense to that would make his balance very solid at his current level…

“Have you thought about the reason?”

“Yes? Uh…”

“Right. It’s because the balance of your magic training is off.”

“…”

If you’re going to ask and answer yourself, why ask in the first place?

Lee Han thought this but endured quietly.

Professor Boladi pointed out the imbalance in Lee Han’s current magical state.

While he was accumulating experience and growing his skills in some elemental magic, dark magic, enchantment magic, and summoning magic, his abilities in fields like transformation magic and healing magic were stagnating.

“But the professors didn’t particularly say anything like that…”

He meant ‘The professor in charge still says it’s OK, so why are you saying this,’ but Professor Boladi ignored it and only said what he wanted to say.

“I asked Professor Yoner, and there’s an event for students majoring in transformation magic. Participating would be good experience.”

“There was such a thing?”

Lee Han was puzzled.

He didn’t remember hearing about it from other friends.

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