Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 749
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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 749
Antagondals certainly had a personality befitting a mage criminal.
Even looking at the pitiful boy destined to die soon, he kept laughing as if genuinely delighted.
“…Couldn’t I possibly succeed?”
“That’s right. I’ll soon become an immortal being too.”
“Pardon?”
“Oh my. Wasn’t this the time for us to exchange impossible stories? I thought that’s what we were doing!”
“…”
At Antagondals’ cynical appearance, Lee Han made a sincere vow.
He would definitely complete it within today!
* * *
Antagondals stepped outside the workshop with a much more cheerful heart than before.
Nothing delighted this mage criminal more than watching young novice mages perish from excessive greed.
“Perish, young mages. Haha. Perish!”
“You’re noisy.”
“…My apologies, Master.”
Antagondals was slightly surprised to see the Insane Doppelganger waiting near the workshop unexpectedly.
Given that doppelganger’s personality, he thought it would have lost interest by now and wandered off somewhere else, but it had been waiting nearby.
“Do you have more orders for me?”
“…”
“Master?”
When the other person didn’t answer, Antagondals cautiously raised his head.
The Insane Doppelganger said nothing and only stared off into the distance.
Seeing this, Antagondals realized that the other’s madness had flared up again.
He wanted to pry about magic, but the wounds left by the dark blade still throbbed. Antagondals decided to just keep a low profile this time.
“Is this right?”
“…”
Antagondals didn’t invite a beating with words like “What do you mean?” like Lee Han would.
He just waited quietly.
Of course, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t get hit.
Thwack!
The Insane Doppelganger sent Antagondals flying even while in a strange state. While healing his crushed bones, Antagondals answered.
“It’s right, Master.”
“What is?”
“Everything is!”
The Insane Doppelganger sent Antagondals flying once more.
At this much stronger attack than before, Antagondals seriously considered fleeing.
If the Insane Doppelganger’s madness had truly flared up severely and it intended to kill Antagondals today, this might be his last chance.
“Don’t flatter me when you don’t even know what royalty is thinking. Trash.”
“…”
“I’m not sure if raising disciples like this is right. Trash. What do you think?”
“Of course it’s right!”
Antagondals had no particular interest in what the Insane Doppelganger was thinking.
He just focused on the current situation and flattered accordingly.
And in fact, Antagondals’ own philosophy wasn’t much different from the Insane Doppelganger’s.
Wasn’t raising a disciple as a mage essentially raising a lion that could bite the master’s throat?
This relationship where the master teaches while keeping the disciple in check, and the disciple steals the master’s secrets while watching for openings – this was the true inheritance of magic.
“But is it really right?”
“…?”
Antagondals couldn’t even guess what the Insane Doppelganger was pondering.
Why did it keep asking the same question over and over?
‘Is this a limitation of a thought-form composed of high-density mana? It might be nearing dissolution.’
The world originally rejected things other than its own existence.
Like other beings from different dimensions, the mana thought-form before him was the same.
Though it was using ancient magic to deceive the world’s rejection and extend its stay, seeing the increasing frequency of nonsense, its limit might be approaching soon…
“What about the disciple inside?”
“!”
As the Insane Doppelganger’s voice became even colder, Antagondals realized the other had returned to sanity – that is, to its usual insane self.
“He’s practicing magic, Master.”
“I can feel contempt in your maggot-like voice.”
At the Insane Doppelganger’s words, Antagondals felt a chill as if a blade had been pressed to his neck.
Dealing with this Insane Doppelganger made him feel like he’d returned to his powerless childhood.
The cold tension where his head could fly off from just the other’s slightest mood change.
Antagondals honestly admitted it.
“I apologize, Master. It seems he won’t be able to succeed.”
“Won’t be able to succeed?”
Usually he would unconditionally agree with the Insane Doppelganger’s intentions, but this time was different.
No matter how he thought about it, a mere second-year Einroguard student couldn’t possibly master the entire telekinesis domain equivalent to the 5th Circle.
Antagondals was much more knowledgeable about Einroguard’s standards than the Insane Doppelganger.
Not only the students’ overall level, but even several Einroguard graduate professors rumored to be geniuses couldn’t reach such heights at that age.
Moreover, threatening him to learn it within a day when even having ample time would be questionable.
In such pressure situations, even geniuses found it hard to display their abilities.
‘If I agree carelessly and the one I brought fails, he’ll take out his anger even more severely.’
Antagondals made a cold judgment and gave his answer.
“Yes.”
“Fine. If he fails, you kill him, trash.”
‘?’
At the Insane Doppelganger’s words spoken with an evil smile, Antagondals hesitated.
An ominous sensation crawled up his spine.
‘What, what is it thinking?’
He couldn’t quite understand why it wanted Antagondals to personally kill the student.
Was it trying to make Antagondals an enemy of Einroguard?
But anyway, even death was denied in this territory. The Imperial Magic Administration wasn’t idle enough to put names on the enemy list for such fake deaths.
Thwack!
While Antagondals was pondering, the Insane Doppelganger shattered his entire body once more.
The old mage criminal groaned and answered.
“Understood. If he fails, I’ll kill him.”
Antagondals didn’t particularly mind killing young mages. He actually preferred it.
How hard could it be to kill such a second-year student?
“Instead, if he succeeds, I’ll kill you.”
‘As expected.’
Antagondals shuddered at the Insane Doppelganger’s violent nature.
It seemed angered by Antagondals’ denial. At this point, it might try to kill Antagondals even if the boy failed.
“Please forgive me, Master. To think you wish to take my worthless life… How could I place my judgment above Master’s judgment? Since you’ve said so, my life is as good as dead.”
Antagondals prostrated himself while making sniffling sounds.
The Insane Doppelganger replied with disgust.
“If you spill that nauseating liquid from your eyes one more time, I’ll kill you. Trash. As reward for your worthless efforts, I’ll give you a head start with both arms.”
“Yes, yes!”
Hearing the response, Antagondals felt relieved.
Seeing that reaction, it seemed his anger had cooled somewhat. Even if that second-year boy failed, it didn’t look like the fury would fly toward Antagondals.
“Get lost.”
“Yes! Thank you, Master.”
The Insane Doppelganger looked toward that distant cliff.
He wasn’t looking at an empty cliff. He was gazing at the countless flows of life moving beyond sixteen mountain peaks.
Those lives were trying to find and break through his own great magic.
And above those lives, the lord’s gaze descended secretly like a curtain.
If the Insane Doppelganger came out from the mountain range’s magic and touched those ant swarms, it seemed to say there would be no more compromise and war would begin.
Though he usually called him dregs, the Insane Doppelganger didn’t underestimate his opponent. After all, wasn’t he a being that came from the same root as himself?
He had no intention of needlessly provoking him. If he could just achieve his desired purpose, there was no reason to dirty his hands with the dregs.
But…
Why did those dregs treasure that ant swarm so much?
“…I don’t understand.”
* * *
“It’s time, Master.”
The Insane Doppelganger nodded as if giving permission.
When Antagondals waved his staff, the cave door covering the workshop opened.
“Come out. It’s execution time.”
“…”
The boy walked out without any response, perhaps angry at the mockery.
It was a natural reaction for someone so young.
“Have you achieved success with magic?”
Again, no answer came. Antagondals didn’t particularly expect a response either, so he nodded and looked at the Insane Doppelganger.
“May we begin, Master?”
“Attack with everything you have.”
The Insane Doppelganger looked at Lee Han, not Antagondals, and spoke firmly.
“With the resolve to kill.”
Antagondals, who wasn’t a student, wouldn’t be able to resurrect with the territory’s power even if he died, but he himself didn’t particularly care.
Antagondals gripped his staff and spun around, saying,
“Whenever you’re ready…”
Bang!
In an instant, Antagondals was startled to see three defensive magic spells protecting his body activate in succession.
Powerfully compressed force had flown in like a storm, much faster than Antagondals had expected.
“Not bad! Barrier of elements, split apart!”
True to being an experienced mage criminal, Antagondals immediately responded despite his surprise.
It seemed his opponent had become quite familiar with telekinesis magic that shot in straight lines.
It was the easiest and simplest form, so it would have been advantageous to master within limited time.
Being able to make such choices and focus in such a precarious situation like standing on a blade’s edge deserved praise, but he had no intention of going easy.
A barrier woven densely with various elements blocked between the two. Lee Han didn’t lose concentration and swung his staff.
Then the telekinesis curved long like a whip, bypassing the barrier to strike Antagondals.
Thwack!
‘This level of form transformation without incantation?!’
This time, even Antagondals couldn’t help but be surprised.
This was a much higher difficulty level than before.
It felt as if the boy before him had completely internalized telekinesis.
‘But that can’t be!’
When Antagondals tried to bring out evil magic, the Insane Doppelganger lightly sent a warning.
It was a warning that he would kill him the moment he pushed with force without judging success.
Though annoyed by the interference, Antagondals understood the meaning and quickly changed his magic to attack the boy.
Bzzzzzzt!
Poisonous insects born from thin air scattered in various forms, flying to bite Lee Han.
The poisonous insects formed by this magic were optimized for attacking simple forms of defensive magic.
Originally, even defensive magic rarely had spells that blocked every direction of a mage without gaps.
These fast and ever-changing poisonous insects would instantly burrow through defensive gaps to poison the mage.
However, Lee Han swung his staff twice to create a solid defensive barrier without any gaps, then struck back at the poisonous insects.
The poisonous insects that had been buzzing and rubbing to find gaps in the telekinesis barrier were swept away by precise strikes.
‘A more difficult form…!’
At this point, Antagondals began to break out in cold sweat.
The moment he acknowledged that the boy had completely internalized telekinesis, his two arms would be cut off.
Antagondals’s form distorted and transformed into a complex-shaped monster.
Most of his body was covered by armor made of ore, making it difficult to strike weak points from outside.
Stab!
However, the boy controlled his telekinesis into a thin, sharp form and precisely pierced the weak point.
The Insane Doppelganger was satisfied by that sight. The result was already as good as decided.
“You understood the teaching well.”
“…”
Lee Han almost lost concentration for a moment.
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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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