Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 835

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

Chapter 835

How long had he been walking?

Lee Han realized at some point that he could no longer hear the Insane Doppelganger’s nonsense.

‘What? Did I turn it off?’

Thinking he might have unconsciously turned off the Echo Stone because he was so sick of listening to it, Lee Han checked his staff.

However, there was no staff in his hand.

“?!”

Before he could be startled, the fluttering Black Book revealed itself above Lee Han’s hand.

Unlike before, thanks to having just learned how to contemplate his own soul, Lee Han could feel the Black Book connected to his soul.

‘Ah. I see. So it was connected to my soul like this, which is why it could appear in my dreams whenever needed.’

Lee Han extended his mana to try touching the connection. The Black Book fluttered in surprise.

If the connection was damaged, it wouldn’t be able to appear before this mage and help him in the future.

“You’re telling me not to?”

Agreement.

“Fine. I understand… Wait. Did you usually listen to what I said? Why should I listen to you?”

…

The Black Book trembled at the mage’s growth.

To start with threats the moment he grasped the sword…

“More importantly, I think you’re mistaken about something. I’m not asleep. I was walking through that crazy spirit’s… the Spirit King’s forest.”

Deciding to address the misunderstanding first and deal with his usual grudges later, Lee Han made up his mind.

It seemed like this Black Book was mistaken about something.

Right now, Lee Han wasn’t asleep but walking through the forest.

‘I’m already dying from exhaustion, so if you tell me to learn magic now, I’ll have to cut the connection.’

The Black Book fluttered as if it knew Lee Han wasn’t asleep.

“You know? Then you called me to learn magic while I’m suffering from a curse? You’re as wicked as your master…”

Before Lee Han, whose tongue had become sharper than usual due to the curse, could pour out vicious insults, a powerful presence was felt from ahead on the empty horizon.

Lee Han turned his head.

There was another being in the wasteland where only the Black Book had existed before.

“…!”

Lee Han was startled by its appearance.

The powerful presence was one thing, but the strangeness of its outward appearance was extraordinary.

The other was a tree.

A tree that seemed to have condensed the very meaning of the word violence!

‘Are there… trees that look like that?’

Most of the wood spirits Lee Han had seen so far had gentle, generous, and soft images.

It was natural since spirits couldn’t completely escape from their roots either.

Just as fire spirits and lightning spirits were often intense, while wood spirits and earth spirits were often calm.

But the wood spirit before his eyes had an appearance that completely shattered preconceptions about wood spirits he had seen so far.

It looked as if someone had carved and twisted wood to create the form of a giant bipedal monster.

Crack!

When the other moved, the sound of wood clashing rang out. Even that sound, which would normally be cheerful, somehow felt threatening and belligerent.

Hey. Thanks. I got freed from the seal thanks to you.

The wood spirit spoke with the attitude of a back-alley mercenary or thug.

Lee Han asked back in confusion.

“Who are you?”

What? Who? This bastard… Never mind. It’s a good day today, so I’ll let it slide. I am Saratán, the Victorious Wooden King. Remember that well.

‘What nonsense is this?’

Lee Han, who couldn’t understand and was tilting his head, realized belatedly.

The Ice Giant King’s blue gemstone, spatial movement ore, and Echo Stone were embedded in the other’s head.

‘The staff!’

A high-ranking wood spirit that had been sealed in the staff.

The other was definitely that wood spirit.

“How did you get free…”

Before he could finish speaking, a fist came flying.

A fist made of gnarled wood pierced through space, extending as it struck Lee Han.

Bang!

However, Lee Han didn’t cough up blood or collapse.

Having met so many crazy bastards this year, he had been on guard from the moment he saw it.

As if he had predicted it, he angled his telekinesis to block it, then quickly bounced away to deflect the impact. The Black Book, which was substituting for the staff’s role, fluttered as if praising him.

What? You didn’t die? You’re pretty good at holding out for your size.

“…Why are you doing this?”

For rudely opening your mouth while I was speaking. Be careful. I won’t overlook it a second time.

“…”

Lee Han was dumbfounded by the wood spirit’s arrogant words.

It wasn’t like he had interrupted mid-sentence – he had listened to everything and then spoke, yet this guy was angry saying he had more to say.

‘Gwangmok King should drop the Gwang character. It seems like it should go to that guy instead.’

He could see why this one had been sealed by the good-natured wood spirits.

While Lee Han cautiously cast wary glances, the wood spirit paid no attention and kept running its mouth. It seemed quite excited to be freed.

Hey. Do you know how frustrated I was? Being held by a weak and stupid human brat, unable to use my authority or resonate. I thought I’d die from frustration.

“Indeed. I’m sorry. I was lacking.”

Good that you know, human brat.

Lee Han thought he’d have to grab the Talking Oak Trees by the collar when he returned.

How could they give such a thing to a student?

And Professor Willow Tree should get grabbed by the collar too.

-No, giving me something like this. What grudge do those oak trees have against me?

-Ah. It’s not like that. There’s a misunderstanding. After reflecting for so long, his temper would have cooled down, so they probably gave it to you meaning for him to follow the Young Mage, help, and atone. From what I can see, with your abilities, you should be able to persuade this spirit and become friends. Haha…

If you’re a professor, you should say ‘This isn’t an ordinary vicious one, so don’t wake it even if you have to give up its authority,’ not spout such nonsense.

Of course, Professor Willow Tree had also said ‘It would be better not to rush into awakening this one,’ but that didn’t come to mind in Lee Han’s head.

Professor Willow Tree probably hadn’t expected Lee Han to awaken the sealed spirit this quickly either.

‘But that guy. How did he wake up? I didn’t even use any authority.’

Lee Han, who had been pondering, soon realized the reason.

The only reason could be Gwangmok King’s forest.

‘But the seal isn’t weak enough to recover just from entering the forest… Wait. This isn’t reality but the world of souls. In reality, did a tree branch come into my hand?’

No matter how much he thought about it, nothing else came to mind.

Who would have known that getting a tree branch would break the crazy spirit’s seal!

Lee Han almost laughed bitterly at this absurd misfortune.

Who could have known that a gift from the forest would turn into a disaster instead?

Then get lost. Let’s not run into each other again. If you go around telling people you used me as a staff, I’ll rip your tongue out.

Far from being moved and grateful that a mere second-year student had freed him from his seal, the wood spirit spewed curses and threats.

Lee Han cursed inwardly but politely bowed outwardly.

Yeah, get lost!

‘I already have enough weirdos around me, I don’t need another one like that.’

While it was a shame to lose a high-ranking spirit’s authority, he’d rather pass on such a personality-defective bastard.

However, the Black Book fluttered and gently shook its head.

“?”

Seeing it rise above his hand as if telling him to prepare, readying magic, Lee Han heightened his vigilance.

…What? Why won’t it work? Damn it. The seal wasn’t completely broken? Those damn spirit bastards!

The wood spirit tried to whoosh away but when his body didn’t move as if bound, he spat out curses filled with rage.

He had suddenly regained consciousness and thought the seal was broken, but now he saw that the seal wasn’t completely undone.

If it had been another spirit, it might have reflected and been grateful that even this much was released, cheering on the mage. That would shorten the time until the next seal release.

However, Saratán, the Victorious Wooden King, being a sealed tree spirit, thought in reverse.

Hey. This won’t do. I need to crush you.

“Why on earth?”

At the very least, I should be able to move where I want to go, right?

Attacking the mage wouldn’t break the seal or restore his power, but at least he could escape to somewhere else.

Right now, since his true form was bound to that mage, escape itself was impossible.

The tree spirit approached swaggeringly. He planned to easily smash this frightened young mage.

“Your Majesty the Victorious Wooden King! Please just listen to one word!”

What? Go ahead. Sure.

The tree spirit paused at Lee Han’s polite shout.

At that moment, Lee Han borrowed the power of the Black Book and slammed maximum output telekinesis into the tree spirit.

!!

Flying backward, the tree spirit was shocked.

It was surprising that the mage’s level was much stronger than expected, but more shocking was being fooled by a mere human’s deception.

How could he be defeated by a young human whose blood hadn’t even dried?

I’ll kill you…!

Flutter!

The Black Book moved in the fastest and most urgent manner Lee Han had ever seen.

It clearly meant the opponent was that threatening.

“…Kugh!”

The tree spirit hadn’t even started attacking yet, but Lee Han was already spitting blood from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.

The Black Book had forcibly cast high-level magic, causing mental overload.

It was fortunate that his body could endure thanks to his infinite mana, otherwise his body might have turned to powder from the rebound.

Even though this was a world of consciousness made of souls, the damage taken here couldn’t be taken lightly. If the soul was severely damaged, it would affect the main body too.

‘This bastard…’

Lee Han cursed the Black Book. However, the Black Book had no choice given the opponent.

‘…This is Gonadaltes’ Downfall…!’

When the Black Book cast Gonadaltes’ Downfall through Lee Han’s hand, the overload Lee Han had just experienced transferred to the opponent.

Sarataan was displeased by the uncomfortable sensation that was hard for a spirit to feel.

Hey, release it! If I catch you, I’ll kill you!

Lee Han, whose condition had improved considerably, breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, the magic that the Black Book had just completed by overworking Lee Han’s mind revealed itself.

Miniature World, Dendrobium!

!!!

Sarataan panicked at the unidentifiable magic and retreated.

Miniature World-level magic shook reality itself, so even a powerhouse from another dimension had to be cautious.

Crack!

A massive tree that took root and grew in mid-air.

When challenged with tree-based magic despite being a tree spirit himself, Sarataan let out a scornful laugh as if it were absurd.

Are you insane?

Sarataan ended his wariness and created a giant wooden club. He planned to smash both that pathetic magic and the mage in one blow.

Then die!

With a battle cry, the tree spirit began his fierce attack.

At that moment, black flowers bloomed at the tips of the tree’s branches growing in mid-air.

?!

Sarataan panicked when he felt no impact from the wooden club he had swung.

He should have blown away both this mage and his magic in one strike, but…?

‘…It’s nullifying nearby physical attacks!’

Lee Han realized it first.

Miniature World magic changed the reality of a localized space, so there were new rules.

This tree was making all surrounding physical attacks as if they never happened.

Since he couldn’t shatter the magic itself with his own power due to being sealed, normally he should have calmly figured out the distance the domain didn’t reach and then dragged the mage outside.

But Sarataan, enraged by the fact that he had been hit by a novice mage, kept swinging his club. The more he did, the more his attacks only cut through empty air.

Thunk!

It’s over! You’re really dead now, you human bastard!

When the wooden club that had been swinging through empty air hit the ground, Sarataan was delighted.

That strange magic seemed to have finally ended.

However, in his excitement, Sarataan failed to notice that the flowers at the tips of the tree’s branches had changed.

Red flowers had bloomed.

…Graaahhhhh!

With a desperate scream, Sarataan’s essence was viciously drained away.

Lee Han breathed heavily as he watched the scene, then suddenly remembered something and asked.

“…Wait. Wasn’t this the magic the Skeleton Principal used to use in his youth?”

The Black Book fluttered as if it hadn’t heard.

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