Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 525

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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 525

“That’s true, it was a strange question to ask. There wouldn’t be any for Wardanaz.”

“Uh… um. Yes.”

Lee Han quickly recalled the Skeleton Principal, Professor Boladi, Professor Verdus, and others in his mind before managing his expression and answering.

“In a way, this method might be difficult to use for a calm student like Wardanaz. This is more of a swordsman’s method than a mage’s.”

Both swordsmen and mages handled mana in the same way.

However, as could be seen from some extreme mages mocking swordsmen with ‘What kind of monsters are they, handling mana so crudely by instinct?’, the swordsmen’s methods were indeed somewhat rough.

Unlike mages who built foundations through theory and academics, discussing with each other, swordsmen were much more secretive.

Secret techniques and enlightenment were passed down only within families through oral tradition, and leakage was almost absolutely forbidden.

As such, they were inevitably much less systematic and less theorized.

When explaining the technique of circulating mana inside the body to the extremities to activate functions, a mage would say this:

-The minimum amount of mana needed next is equivalent to three cubic centimeters of mana stone, or the mana used for a 1st circle light generation spell. The most efficient movements to guide this mana are as follows. The incantation is…

In contrast, swordsmen conveyed it like this:

-Breathe deeply and feel the burning fire. Let that fire spread to your arms. Breathing out fierce wildfire…

However, the swordsmen’s methods that drew such ridicule also had advantages.

“As far as I know, no matter how much knowledge and wisdom one has, ultimately it’s the mage’s will that changes the order of the world. Swordsmen similarly call upon power through will. Imbuing this intent can be seen as amplifying that will.”

Will.

Even with complex theories, incantations, and reagents, ultimately the will to change the world was the core of magic.

The usual common method was to forge this will as hard as steel, making it unshakably firm.

However, Professor Ingoldel was proposing a different approach.

Make this will blaze hot like fierce flames and use that power!

‘Interesting.’

While the other White Tiger Tower students were listening to Professor Ingoldel’s words, intoxicated by swordsmanship and pride as knights, Lee Han had slightly different thoughts.

That method reminded him of several characteristics of magic he had heard from the Skeleton Principal.

‘Primitive magic?’

Magic outside the system that had been passed down from ancient times and was still occasionally discovered in the empire’s outskirts.

Many friends had little interest in it or ignored it, but Lee Han was far from such prejudices.

If it had advantages and could be used, why would he refuse it?

Professor Ingoldel stood up and stuck a solid steel rod into the ground.

Then he picked up a wooden sword and swung it lightly. He didn’t even imbue it with aura, the crystallization of mana.

Swoosh!

“!”

“…!”

The students’ eyes widened at the strange phenomenon of a wooden sword cutting through steel.

Unlike the students who were simply amazed, Lee Han felt something different.

‘Enhancement magic?’

He felt a flow of mana as if 【Cutting Power Enhancement】 magic had been cast on the sword.

“What did you feel?”

“I felt the profundity of swordsmanship!”

“…Other than that.”

“Isn’t that it?”

The White Tiger Tower student scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

“It seemed like the cutting power was enhanced for a moment, is that correct?”

“You observed well.”

Professor Ingoldel answered with a pleased face at Lee Han’s response.

“The intent to cut changed the nature of the mana contained in the sword.”

“…!!”

‘Amazing.’

Lee Han was surprised.

Though he spoke of it simply, what Professor Ingoldel had just shown was truly remarkable.

Wasn’t it like implementing magic that mages cast using theoretical study, memorizing incantations, and even using reagents, similarly with just sensation and will?

Of course, the time it took to achieve this would be much shorter for the former, but no one could deny the completeness of the latter.

“I know that anyone who holds a sword has interest in and dreams of aura. But aura is merely a place to pass through on the path of the sword. There’s no need to be too bound by it. When killing a chicken, draw a sword that can kill a chicken; when killing a cow, draw a sword that can kill a cow. Now.”

The White Tiger Tower students who had been listening to Professor Ingoldel’s story with impressed faces hesitated.

“Yes?”

“You’ve all rested enough, so get up. Originally, when you’re tired like now, emotions tend to arise intensely.”

“…”

Originally, with practice, one could skillfully control the direction while making emotions blaze when imbuing intent.

But since students couldn’t do such things, they first had to make emotions blaze.

The easiest method was to work them until they got angry.

“Get up. Come on. Get up.”

“Agh! Agh!”

“Wait, wait! Just 5 more minutes!”

Professor Ingoldel held a wooden sword and hit the sprawled students until they got up.

The students whose limbs had lost strength rolled around trying to dodge, but Professor Ingoldel persistently followed them and hit them until they got up.

Lee Han was grateful for participating in the festival for the first time.

‘Saint Iakchus. Thank you.’

* * *

Clang!

“Put more emotion into it.”

Clang!

“More!”

Clang!!!

“Still not enough. The mana hasn’t changed at all.”

“Aaargh! Aaargh! Aaaaaaargh!”

“Good. That’s how you draw up emotions.”

“Huff, gasp.”

When Durgyu knelt on one knee while breathing out, Lee Han spoke to him from the side with a worried voice.

“Should I cast enhancement magic on you?”

“No, no. I need to struggle… huff. Gasp. And the professor is also thinking of us… when doing this.”

‘With that kind of mindset, it would actually be disadvantageous.’

According to Professor Ingoldel’s theory, to change mana by arousing these emotions, one had to genuinely explode with emotion.

Thinking that way would actually be disadvantageous.

“Wardanaz.”

“?”

When Giselle spoke to him, Lee Han turned his head with curiosity.

Unless there was a flood at school or an evil mage appeared, it was rare for Giselle to speak first.

Giselle also seemed very tired, looking full of fatigue all over her body. With the tips of her twin swords pointing downward, she spoke in a rough voice.

“Look this way and watch.”

“What? Don’t curse me. Cursing me would only be a loss for you.”

“I’m not trying to curse you. I don’t even have the energy for that, so just look this way.”

Both Lee Han and Durgyu turned their gazes with curiosity.

Giselle stared piercingly at Lee Han’s face once, then closed her eyes and nodded.

Then she swung her sword.

Swoosh!

Unlike the other students, this strike dug into the steel rod and left a wound.

Seeing this, Professor Ingoldel clapped.

“Well done! You exploded with anger very well!”

“…”

“…”

Lee Han and Durgyu simultaneously lost their words.

“Hey. I should practice too.”

“Are you okay?”

“If I don’t practice because I’m not okay right now, your friend will make me even less okay in the near future.”

“Mo, Moradi isn’t that kind of guy… well, he is though.”

“…”

Giselle, who was catching her breath nearby, looked at Durgyu as if she couldn’t believe it.

This bastard?

‘I’m wondering whether to think of the Principal, Professor Verdus, or Professor Boladi. Come to think of it…’

Lee Han closed his eyes and fell deep into meditation.

There were surprisingly too many targets to explode his emotions against.

Professor Ingoldel, who was passing by, looked at him with interest.

‘Does he really have no opponents?’

Students from knight families inevitably had to grow up experiencing competition and conflict.

They had been experiencing confrontations within their families or through continuous exchanges between families.

It was natural for them to have such strong competitive spirit.

However, someone from a great noble family like Wardanaz had no particular reason to grow up through competition and conflict.

Such refinement, etiquette, and social skills were helpful in life, but this time was an exception.

It would probably be difficult to explode with emotions…

Crash!!!!!

“…”

“…”

Professor Ingoldel and the students looked at Lee Han with shocked eyes as they saw the shattered wooden sword and completely crushed steel rod.

What kind of anger was that?

“…I got it!”

“What?”

“That bastard Wardanaz. He’s definitely still furious because I kept talking about polo last time!”

‘I don’t think that’s it.’

No matter how he thought about it, it wasn’t the kind of anger that would come from just being a little disobedient.

* * *

Professor Garcia opened her mouth with delight when all the students had gathered.

“How has everyone been?”

“Yes. Professor!”

“The reason we’re having class in front of the lake instead of in the lecture hall today is…”

The students looked at the lake with tense gazes.

Don’t tell me we have to go into the lake?

‘The weather is cold too.’

‘Could the reason she taught us underwater breathing last time be…?’

“…it would be quite chaotic to use inside the lecture hall. I thought it would be better to do it in a spacious place.”

“Then we’re not going into the lake?”

“Huh? We’re not going in.”

The students’ faces brightened.

However, Lee Han remained calm.

“Are monsters going to come out of the lake?”

“No.”

“Ah. I get it. Wardanaz. The lake itself is a monster! It’s a lake monster!”

“…Should we just do this somewhere else?”

Professor Garcia, who had chosen a scenic location as the lecture venue to cheer up the students, felt slightly regretful.

Only after soothing the distracted students could Professor Garcia get to the main point.

“The magic we’ll learn today is close to self-defense. Some of you are separately learning magical duels or combat…”

The students all turned their heads in unison to look at Lee Han.

Lee Han said in a cold voice.

“Why are you looking at me?”

“Oh, no. Just…”

“…Basically, there will be students who aren’t familiar with fighting.”

The students nodded.

Using magic together with fighting was harder than expected. Even the White Tiger Tower students who were familiar with fighting felt this way.

There were times when they failed even when concentrating in peaceful situations, so wouldn’t it be even harder in the middle of a hectic battlefield?

“This is self-defense magic for such students.”

“Oh…”

‘This is what a professor should be like.’

Not only the other students, but Lee Han was moved.

In fact, suddenly throwing steel balls was closer to being a thug than a professor.

‘Is it defensive magic?’

“Now. First is the 【Undead Repelling】 magic. It’s magic that surrounds you with an aura that undead feel repulsed by, and if you have this magic cast, weak undead won’t easily approach.”

“Undead…”

“Repelling…”

The students moved their quills to take notes on the magic they would learn today.

“And one more thing. 【Undead Detection】 magic. It’s magic that catches the unique negative energy that undead emit, and if you cast it in advance, you can catch undead lying in ambush.”

“Undead…”

“Detection…”

“What else might there be. This is 2nd circle magic, but let’s also learn 【Lesser Undead Banishment】 magic together. You can collapse and defeat weak undead with this magic.”

“…?”

“???”

The students who were taking notes gradually felt something was off.

For self-defense magic, it was strangely centered around undead.

Why?

Among the students who felt something was off, Lee Han, who was the quickest to catch on, asked a question.

“Professor?”

“What is it?”

“Is the Principal going to attack us soon?”

“Wh, what are you talking about, Lee Han? People might misunderstand if they heard that.”

“…”

“…”

Even the White Tiger Tower students who had been taking casual notes suddenly stood up and started copying their friends’ notes.

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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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