Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 550

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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 550

“P-Professor.”

Lee Han gestured upon hearing Professor Thunderstep’s voice.

The professor turned his head to look at his disciple.

And was even more shocked.

“Did a real war break out?!”

His disciple looked like a complete mess, as if he had rolled around on a battlefield for three days.

His cloak was half torn, his hair disheveled, his face covered in mud and dust with dried blood…

He couldn’t understand how they had fought so fiercely in such a short time.

Lee Han coughed and said.

“I had no choice.”

“What do you mean you had no choice?”

“The Contaminated Ones were trying to attack the spirits.”

“That… wait, wait.”

Professor Thunderstep, who was about to be slightly moved by his warm-hearted disciple’s consideration for the spirits, pulled himself together.

There were some strange points.

“You guys should have been inside the cabin, right? The magic circles should have been protecting you?”

“That’s right.”

Yoner and Priest Siana answered in tired voices.

Though they weren’t as much of a mess as Lee Han, they were also covered in dust, showing it had been quite a difficult fight for them too.

“But we came outside to fight.”

“…Why?”

“To protect the spirits.”

“I see. …Why???!”

Professor Thunderstep was confused because no matter how much he listened, he couldn’t understand.

They could have stayed safely inside the magic circle, yet they rushed out like this to save the spirits.

Did they owe some debt to the spirits or something?

* * *

‘I still have a long way to go.’

When the squirrel spirit showed affection, Lee Han gained deep insight.

The reason spirits had disliked Lee Han until now was because his efforts were insufficient.

If he just put in effort, there was no reason for spirits to avoid Lee Han.

‘I had to put the spirits in danger.’

Come to think of it, the existing spirits had no reason to feel favorable toward Lee Han.

But what if they were in a dangerous state?

What if Lee Han saved them in that state?

“They might develop favorable feelings toward me.”

“Lee Han… I want to help with whatever you’re trying to do if possible, but I’m worried because you seem to be having strange thoughts right now…”

Yoner looked at his friend with sincere eyes.

Listening to Lee Han’s new spirit contract theory made him very worried.

Of course, spirits were beings sensitive to gratitude, and it was true that they might develop favorable feelings if saved.

But the friend before his eyes seemed to be declaring that he would forcibly put spirits in danger to compel gratitude, even if artificially.

‘It must be my imagination, right?’

“Come on. It’ll be fine. What we’re doing now is good work. We’re helping spirits in crisis, aren’t we?”

Priest Siana spoke as if she wasn’t worried.

“That’s true, but…”

“And there’s no way Wardanaz would forcibly put spirits in danger.”

Lee Han, who was walking ahead, hesitated at those words.

Seeing this made Yoner even more worried.

“Contaminated Ones. Everyone be careful!”

Lee Han moved thoroughly, proving he was being rigorously trained as a combat mage.

He put his friends inside the invisibility magic’s range, and not satisfied with that, he even cast 【Ogonin’s Mist】 and 【Penguerin’s Cold Elemental Clone】.

As illusory fog spread over a wide area and clones moved within it, it became even harder to focus from outside.

Following that came enhancement magic.

“Wardanaz. What about the nimble step spell?”

“That has severe side effects, so no.”

“?”

Priest Siana was about to ask ‘Then what about the White Tiger Tower students?’ but Lee Han immediately swung his staff without rest.

“Rise, skeletal warriors!”

Taking out black bone fragments from his pocket and throwing them while swinging his staff, skeleton warriors appeared on the opposite side from where the students were.

These weren’t ordinary skeleton warriors, but skeleton warriors influenced by bone fragments compressed with dark elements.

The Contaminated Ones reacted sensitively, perhaps sensing the aura of elements similar to their own.

“Everything’s ready. Attack!”

The allied side was fully protected with various magic, and with summoned creatures deployed behind the enemy to block their vision, it was time to begin the full-scale attack.

Lee Han and his friends poured out sharp magic spells, striking the Contaminated Ones.

“Strike forth, lightning of Perkuntra!”

Flashing lightning struck the Contaminated Ones.

Though they were low-grade undead that would normally burn up in one hit, some managed to endure thanks to their fusion with dark spirits.

Some stuck their bodies together to increase their bulk and thicken their armor, others dug into the ground to avoid attacks, and some spewed dark elements like fog to reduce the power…

Yoner watched his friend’s magical bombardment with narrowed eyes, then swung his staff as soon as he caught an opportunity.

“Shatter, amplify!”

Alchemists like Yoner consumed much less mana from spells if they prepared well in advance.

The bottle containing the potion spun as it flew, then shattered in mid-air, exploding with power.

Whoooosh!

“The fire’s power has weakened!”

“Can’t help it!”

Yoner and Priest Siana felt sorry seeing the ignition potion’s power weaken, but it couldn’t be helped.

The power of the season was suppressing the flames.

“The fire’s power weakened?”

“Huh?”

“Burn!”

Lee Han immediately incinerated a nearby Contaminated One with fire.

The Contaminated One, hit directly by the suddenly blazing flames, collapsed without even resisting.

Yoner looked at his friend maintaining firepower even in this season with an expression of shock.

What the…?!

“Everyone hold on a little longer! The spirits are escaping!”

Priest Siana shouted with delight.

While the Contaminated Ones were surrounded on both sides and getting beaten, the spirits being chased had found a path to escape into the forest.

Though the enraged Contaminated Ones merged with each other, swelled their bodies, and swung their claws after being one-sidedly beaten, the initial surprise attack had been fatal.

The mages in the back couldn’t properly position themselves due to the fog, and the dark skeleton warriors in front were persistently holding on thanks to their elemental enhancement.

“Wait. They’re escaping?”

“Yes? Yes.”

“…”

Lee Han pondered for a moment.

Seeing this, Yoner called his friend, hoping it wasn’t what he thought.

“Lee Han? Lee Han… surely not, right?”

“I should help the spirits!”

Lee Han dispelled his invisibility magic and burst out from the mist.

Then he ran toward where the spirits were escaping well.

■… ■■???

The Contaminated Ones naturally reacted in that direction when a mage suddenly popped out from the mist.

Swish!

Like a whip, a long thorn sprouted from the Contaminated One’s forehead and aimed at Lee Han.

Such irregular attacks from Contaminated Ones, who had no fixed physical form, were a strength that was difficult to counter in close combat.

But unfortunately for the Contaminated One, Lee Han was the top student of the Black Magic Academy.

“Darkness, gather here!”

Lee Han immediately chanted the dark element absorption incantation while swinging his staff.

Originally it was an incantation to concentrate dark elements from the air at the tip of his staff, but in the current situation it was closer to a battle for control over dark elements.

It was truly terrifying brute force.

The Contaminated One, whose body was mostly composed of dark elements, flailed as it suddenly felt its flesh being torn away. It was a strange sensation that could rarely be experienced. Lee Han didn’t wait and drew Dawnstar with his other hand and swung it.

Against such magical constructs, few weapons were as effective as artifacts like Dawnstar.

Swoosh!

The Contaminated One that had been staggering from having its dark elements absorbed collapsed as it was.

Lee Han shouted loudly toward the spirits.

“Everyone run away! I’ll hold them off!”

■!

■■■! ■■!

The spirits of various forms turned their heads at Lee Han’s shout, then spotted the mage and made sounds.

‘It worked!’

Lee Han felt his heart swell with emotion as the spirits sent him looks full of goodwill.

It had been worth dispelling his invisibility magic and running over!

Crash!

In an instant, the dark skeleton warriors were sent flying to the side and reverse-summoned.

■■■■■…

“…”

A giant Contaminated One with a size in a different dimension from the other Contaminated Ones appeared in front.

Lee Han looked at the Contaminated Ones and then looked back at the spirits.

“…Run away! I’ll hold them off!”

“Lee Han! Please stop this and come back!”

* * *

“So?”

Professor Thunderstep threw some ointment to Lee Han and asked.

“How did you avoid it?”

“I caught it though?”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

“How??”

“I just kept dodging and rolling while casting magic until it collapsed…”

“…”

Professor Thunderstep was shocked by the brutish method that was unbelievable for a mage.

A mage engaging in a war of attrition against a monster.

Basically, when pitting a mage’s mana against a monster’s vitality, the latter was unconditionally advantageous.

But he had ignored that and just went with a war of attrition to catch it.

No wonder this area was a mess as if a war had broken out…

“I swear by my beard, where is there a guy who does such things just to look good to spirits!?”

“I didn’t do it to look good to spirits, Professor. I just wanted to help the spirits…”

“Yeah right!”

Professor Thunderstep clicked his tongue at his disciple who boldly spouted unconvincing lies.

Of course, there were mages who put effort into various things to contract with spirits.

But among them, no one courted as aggressively and intensely as the boy before his eyes.

To show such a fight risking his life just to gain favor with spirits.

“Ugh. Thank you.”

Lee Han, who had roughly wiped away the blood and applied ointment to his wounds, got up from his seat.

“Where are you going?”

“The spirits ran away into the inner part of the forest earlier, won’t they come out if I call them?”

“…Wait. Hold on.”

Professor Thunderstep grabbed his disciple.

“Seeing that Contaminated Ones are coming out now, there’s definitely trouble somewhere on Einroguard’s grounds. It would be better not to go near the forest for a while.”

“I understand. I’ll just meet the spirits and come back.”

The basilisk and squirrel spirit clung to both of Lee Han’s wrists as if telling him not to go.

Yoner and Priest Siana also grabbed both his shoulders.

“Lee Han. Your current condition is dangerous. From the fight earlier, both your stamina and mana must have been consumed.”

“My mana wasn’t consumed…”

“Be quiet. Anyway, your stamina must have been consumed.”

Yoner’s voice was a bit colder than usual.

Priest Siana was also serious.

“Honestly, spirits aren’t that important, and is there a reason to risk your life going in now?”

“Is that so… Wait. Priest Siana, how many spirits are you currently contracted with?”

“Three?”

Lee Han looked serious and pushed away Priest Siana’s hand.

From her usual attitude, he thought she had no interest in spirits!

“Ah, no. It’s not the number that’s important, but the affection that matters. Wardanaz. Look at the spirits here.”

“…”

As Lee Han softened a bit, Yoner quickly picked up the conversation.

“Lee Han. Think about it carefully. The spirits won’t forget your kindness anyway. It’s fine to wait until the Professor hunts all the Contaminated Ones.”

“Huh?”

Professor Thunderstep was staying quiet but panicked when an arrow flew his way.

The one who wants it should hunt the Contaminated Ones, why him?

“…That might be so.”

When everyone except himself opposed it, Lee Han also changed his mind.

“When all the Contaminated Ones disappear, I can go in. The spirits won’t forget the kindness.”

“Uh. But the spirits will also return to their own dimension, right? Since they weren’t formally summoned in the first place, who knows how long they’ll stay.”

Professor Thunderstep pointed this out without much thought, then realized his mistake when Yoner and Priest Siana both looked at him urgently.

“Professor.”

“Ah, no. They might stay for a long time…”

“Let’s go together.”

Lee Han spoke with his eyes blazing, prepared to persist until he was heard.

“No…! Why would I do such a thing…!”

“Let’s go together.”

Professor Thunderstep was completely overwhelmed by his disciple’s blazing eyes.

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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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