Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 669

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

Chapter 669

When electrical discharge occurred in the air and lightning bared its teeth, the poachers were startled.

The poachers were currently disguised as injured people.

Injured people who had been attacked by monsters while wandering around the mountain range!

It was a disguise that always worked well in dangerous places. Especially when the opponents were inexperienced young mages.

But…

Why does the magic seem to be targeting us?

Crack!

When lightning struck down, the poacher wrapped in bandages screamed and threw himself to the side.

The lightning just now had been aimed precisely at the poacher. If he hadn’t dodged, it would have been a direct hit.

‘Cr-crazy bastard!’

“M-Mage sir! Why are you doing this— Aaagh!”

The lightning didn’t end with one strike.

As if the mages had prepared in earnest, lightning poured down like rain.

The poachers, who had been wrapped in blood-stained bandages as if severely injured, felt that if they stayed still any longer, they might really die.

“Urgh!”

“Run!”

“Crazy mage bastard…!”

The poachers hurriedly fled into the darkness. Lee Han watched them with an expressionless face.

‘…They were poachers, right?’

Seeing how quickly their movements became, they seemed like poachers.

If they were really injured people, it would have been hard for them to react like that.

Of course, they might have unleashed their potential after feeling a threat to their lives, but…

‘Hmm. They must be poachers.’

Although Lee Han had only attended Einroguard for just over a year, he had encountered too many strange outsiders during that time.

Evil god worshippers, anti-magic extremists, a dragon forced to be emperor, no wait the dragon wasn’t…

Anyway, after dealing with cunning demons and magical criminals who were worn and weathered, Lee Han had learned one thing.

If something seems suspicious, attack first!

If Lee Han, who lacked both experience and combat power compared to his opponents, also lost the initiative, there would really be no answer.

It was right to think about the consequences later and shoot first if something seemed suspicious.

After all, hadn’t they said that so many poachers had entered the Bitong Mountain Range?

The opponents might have really been hunters, but it was more likely that they were poachers.

Lee Han decided to think that way.

“What happened?!”

His friends came running out in surprise.

They had rushed out after hearing magic and shouting while resting in the tent.

“Poachers were approaching, so I kept them in check with magic. They all ran away, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“As expected of Lee Han!”

Gainando was delighted, but Nilia was puzzled.

Most poachers were persistent and tenacious, and they were ruthless in achieving their goals.

To approach so clumsily like this?

“They just came over?”

“Yeah.”

Lee Han answered shamelessly.

Nilia, having no idea what parts Lee Han had omitted, pondered with a serious expression.

“It’s fortunate we blocked them, but more poachers might come.”

“Even after casting magic like that??”

Gainando pointed to the ground outside the campsite. The soil was charred black from Lee Han’s magic.

“Poachers are all fearless. And they’re even more so until they experience it directly themselves. Everyone get up! It’s better to stay awake.”

The students went to their respective positions to check around the campsite. Just then, they could see explorer Seorigugeol-eom returning from far away.

“Students, are you all alright?”

“A group of poachers approached.”

“There are definitely many poachers.”

Seorigugeol-eom, having also discovered several traces of poachers in the vicinity, warned the students not to let their guard down.

Then, after hearing about the poachers who had approached while he was away, he was dumbfounded.

“They must be inexperienced rookies without much experience. Actually, even with just a little experience, few would walk straight up to a campsite made by mages.”

“Maybe they looked down on us because we’re still in lower grades?”

“If so, they’re even more inexperienced. To ignore Einroguard students just because they’re in lower grades.”

“Hehe. That might be it.”

* * *

Unaware that his gang was being treated as inexperienced rookie poachers, Jyulban was scolding his returning subordinates.

“Hey, you idiots as stupid as earthworms! How could you fail to deceive kids younger than arrow shafts and get caught!”

“Those guys didn’t even listen and just blasted us with magic!”

“Nonsense! Would an Imperial mage attack injured people without even listening? Your acting was terrible. So, what did you do when the magic came flying? Seeing that you’re fine, you must have run away!”

“B-Boss. If we just took the magic…”

“You should have taken it, you idiots! If you had been hit, they would have been fooled too. Since you dodged it, they caught on!”

At Jyulban’s words, his subordinates finally realized and made frustrated expressions.

To think they would lose in a battle of nerves against a much younger mage.

“Follow me. Rather than leaving it to you guys, I’ll have to do it myself.”

“B-Boss. We’ll admit we made a mistake. But if we go now, it might be dangerous. They’ll be on guard too…”

At his subordinates’ words, Jyulban sighed and shook his head.

How was it that there wasn’t a single one who knew how to use their brain.

“If you make excuses like that, there’s nothing you can do. Stupid bastards. Follow me! I’ll show you myself.”

Jyulban mobilized a large number of subordinates who hadn’t participated earlier.

Then he actually injured several of them.

“Kragh!”

“Urgh!”

“Bear with it. We need to show wounds. When magic comes flying, take it! If anyone dodges, I’ll kill them myself.”

Certainly, even when using the same scheme, Jyulban was on a different level. His subordinates, feeling this too, regained their morale.

Following a violent and fierce boss was ultimately because that boss had ability, wasn’t it?

At Jyulban’s instructions, his subordinates followed their boss with swelling hearts, thinking of getting their share this time too.

“P-Please save us!”

“Please save us! A Wailing Boar attacked us!”

They walked trudgingly toward the front of the campsite’s main gate, carrying torches.

Unlike before, they were completely defenseless. If attacks poured from the campsite, more than half would be annihilated in an instant.

When quite a large number of them walked over without any defense, dripping blood, even Seorigugeol-eom, who was watching the main gate, was flustered.

‘Are they really injured people?’

Poachers didn’t act like that.

Even when using deception, they would send fewer people to test the waters, and even when approaching, there should be signs that they were ready to flee at any moment in case of emergency.

But those currently approaching were large in number, showed no signs of fleeing, and even appeared to be actually injured.

Even the experienced Seorigugeol-eom couldn’t help but be confused.

And this was exactly what Jyulban had aimed for.

‘The more experienced and seasoned they are, the more confused they’ll be.’

Jyulban gave a signal. The poachers took another step closer.

“Everyone stop!”

“P-Please save us. Our companion’s injuries are deep…”

At that moment, Lee Han, who had been standing guard on the opposite side, belatedly ran up next to Seorigugeol-eom.

Seorigugeol-eom was about to speak while looking at Lee Han.

“Right now we need to confirm whether those guys are actually injured or not…”

“Flash forth!”

“!!!!”

Both Seorigugeol-eom and Jyulban were startled.

Without asking or listening, he went straight to casting magic.

Jyulban was convinced by his instincts.

That mage bastard was the one who had fooled his subordinates with bluffing earlier!

‘Do you think I’ll fall for it?’

Jyulban blinked his tired and weary eyes, trying to glare at the incoming lightning.

If he endured to the end, the opponent mage would surely break off the spell…

Crack!

“!!!”

“Jy, Jyulban!!!”

When their leader took a direct hit from the lightning, screams erupted among the poachers.

It might be different if he were properly equipped, but taking a lightning spell head-on while defenseless like that would leave him unable to move for quite a while.

Sure enough, Jyulban’s legs gave out and he staggered. His eyes were filled with disbelief and shock.

“This can’t be…”

“Flash forth!”

The mage mercilessly fired another lightning spell and brought Jyulban down.

With their leader fallen, the poachers didn’t know how to react and their response was delayed.

“They’re poachers! Attack!”

At Lee Han’s shout, his friends moved to their respective positions and began casting spells. Various attack spells and curses flew like a storm.

Yoner and Siana threw shock potions toward the front. The poachers hit directly by the shockwave had their sense of balance paralyzed and staggered.

Gainando and Ratford delivered follow-up attacks to the poachers with curses and illusion magic. With their muscles stiffening and sudden surges of fear, the poachers collapsed even further.

Nilia aimed her arrow, trying to pierce through the one running away the farthest. That’s when Durgyu asked.

“Lee Han! How did you know those guys were poachers?”

‘That’s right?’

Nilia, who was about to shoot her arrow, hesitated.

Come to think of it, it was strange. Nilia had also been confused about whether those guys were poachers or not.

“I got it!”

Seorigugeol-eom exclaimed instead of Lee Han.

“The wound marks! You figured it out from the wound marks! Truly impressive!”

“Wound marks?”

“They said they were attacked by a Wailing Boar! If you get attacked by that huge boar, you don’t get wounds like that! Those are wounds forcibly made with a blade!”

At Seorigugeol-eom’s words, Durgyu and Nilia finally realized their friend’s insight.

To realize the wounds were suspicious in that brief moment and launch a counterattack.

Seorigugeol-eom bowed his head, seemingly quite impressed by what had just happened.

“Thank you, Wardanaz. I should be the one looking after the students, but I’m ashamed. To think those poacher bastards would exploit the preconceptions that explorers naturally have!”

“I was just lucky.”

Lee Han was about to say that he had just attacked all suspicious people approaching regardless of wounds or anything else, but held back.

‘I should tell them later when Seorigugeol-eom isn’t around.’

He didn’t want to seem like a strange person in front of Seorigugeol-eom yet.

* * *

“Capturing these poacher bastards is also troublesome.”

Looking at the bound poachers, Seorigugeol-eom wore a troubled expression.

Unlike the poachers at the entrance of the mountain range earlier, these guys roaming around this area weren’t the type to obediently leave just because you confiscated some equipment.

“Can’t you just lock them up?”

“They’re guys who could do anything. We’d need to assign guards, but from our position of having to find the unicorn…”

“Heh, if you just let us go, we’ll never set foot in the mountain range again.”

The poachers tried to speak while reading the mood, but Seorigugeol-eom ignored them.

“Then let’s lock them in the stables?”

“Locking them in the stables won’t solve… Ah.”

Seorigugeol-eom paused.

He belatedly remembered what was in this campsite.

“…Is it alright? If that friend’s wild nature explodes and it attacks…”

“Even though Ponrig has quite a strong appetite, it’s not the type to secretly eat what it’s told not to eat. Please trust it.”

“Hmm. Then I’ll ask you to handle it.”

The poachers’ faces brightened at the conversation going back and forth in front of them.

They thought they might be able to escape if things went well.

Since there were fewer than ten mages, if they stayed in the stables, they might be able to slip out of their bonds and escape outside…

“Go in this way.”

“Th, thank you.”

“Mm. Right. Don’t do anything unnecessary.”

Lee Han opened the stable door and pushed the poachers inside.

The poachers hurried inside but then stopped.

They felt something like hot breath.

Grrrowl.

Ponrig made a very displeased sound as some random guys came rushing into the stable that had been generously built for it.

Its beak clicked together and its claws scraped the stable floor.

“…”

“…!!!”

Desperate screams erupted from inside the stables.

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