Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 994
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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 994
Still, Lee Han threw the remaining grape he was holding. The telekinesis magic activated without incantation traced a dazzling trajectory and hit its mark.
Rolling in the sawdust, the hamster shuddered at the fact that his opponent’s telekinesis magic control had improved even further.
Originally, precisely controlling small, light objects was much more difficult than roughly controlling large, heavy objects.
To hit a hamster running away in quick zigzags so accurately.
-Just how much have you practiced this magic?
“Stop beating around the bush and give me a proper method.”
Lee Han said curtly.
What was this about telekinesis magic in an urgent situation, trying to change the subject?
The hamster brushed off the grape stuck to its back and squeaked.
-I told you! You need to cut off its lifeline. Do you think I’m saying this to deceive a greenhorn like you?
“Yes.”
-…
The hamster trembled its whiskers in anger and began a slightly longer explanation.
-Listen well, you immature greenhorn. Thought-forms aren’t convenient beings you can control as you think. They’re beings fundamentally incompatible with the world.
Beings from other dimensions had to bear tremendous burden when descending to the material plane.
This was because the world rejected things that weren’t originally supposed to exist.
Thought-forms, composed not of the flesh and soul that humans should rightfully have, but of pure power and information, were beings that caused the most violent rejection among such foreign substances.
The hamster had also approached this thought-form to extract secrets before it went berserk, never intending to keep this thought-form alive for thousands of years.
That was impossible from the start.
-You wouldn’t know, greenhorn, but Gonadaltes’s projections have descended several times before. Do you know the tale of the endless winter sleep? The entire territory fell into slumber…
“Ah. You mage criminal bastard. You’re being noisy, so tell me the method!”
Lee Han fired the remaining grapes rapidly. The hamster screamed and rolled around.
“Are you stalling now? Should I interrogate you Einroguard-style?”
When Lee Han, who had been treating him with some courtesy as someone from a great noble family, started growling, the hamster received a great shock.
Whether it was because the places hit by grapes hurt, he felt even more wronged.
-What…
“You definitely infiltrated to dig up secrets. Someone like you wouldn’t have failed to prepare for contingencies. You must have prepared at least delaying tactics.”
-!
The hamster was startled.
He hadn’t expected such a greenhorn to see through his inner thoughts.
Naturally, the hamster had prepared methods for when the thought-form went berserk.
…Though he hadn’t prepared for the case of being turned into a hamster and trapped in a cage…
-…There is something, but it’s literally just a delaying tactic. A method for escaping, not for healing and recovery… No stones! No stones!
When Lee Han picked up a stone, the hamster squeaked urgently.
-And even if I tell you, I can’t do it in this body!
The method the hamster had originally prepared was as follows.
Prepare several subordinates whose bodies had been enhanced and modified, then when the thought-form seemed about to go berserk due to the world’s rejection, disperse that overload among the subordinates.
Of course, an overload that even an archmage could barely endure couldn’t be withstood just by enhancing bodies a bit. This was merely a method to buy time.
-I can’t use that method in this body either. All connections have been severed. If that madman hadn’t turned me into just a hamster…
“What about the Descent?”
-What did you say?
“You must know about it too. 【Gonadaltes’s Descent】. Using that to let me handle the overload…”
-…Impossible. I knew you were arrogant, but I didn’t know you were this arrogant. You’re not at that level!
The hamster was so dumbfounded that he forgot about being hit and snorted.
The hamster also knew about the Descent. While there were many heterogeneous and bizarre ancient magics, the Descent was certainly unique among them.
But that didn’t make it a solution.
Wasn’t it like a first-time ferryman trying to cross a flood-swollen river on a stormy day?
“You were trying to solve it with a similar method, weren’t you?”
-What I prepared was a much more delicately prepared advanced magic. There were seventy-eight supporting spells alone. You greenhorn are saying you’ll replace that with one spell. Even if you succeeded, what about that overload? I know you have a lot of mana. But overconfidence is forbidden!
“There’s no need to argue.”
“!”
Before they knew it, Intarendals had come outside. Both turned their gazes in surprise.
“Is Master alright?”
“Yes. He took the prepared elixir.”
“…?”
-!
The hamster noticed first, and Lee Han realized later.
There was too much dissonance for it to be called a medicine that improved one’s condition.
“…By any chance… is the elixir you’re referring to poison?”
“As expected of Lee Han. That’s correct. Lord Gonadaltes predicted and prepared for this situation.”
Intarendals spoke calmly with a face rarely seen, steeped in sorrow.
Lee Han was horrified.
“No…! You said you were loyal to him?!”
“Some loyalty involves personally feeding poison to one’s master.”
-Calm down. It’s rather well resolved, greenhorn.
Lee Han telekinetically slammed the hamster against the cage wall. The hamster rolled around mercilessly.
Squeak squeak squeak!
“I’ll explain everything. Starting with what Lord Gonadaltes entrusted…”
Crack!
A breaking sound came from inside.
The workshop was currently situated inside a cave, and the walls were made of solid rock.
When such rock made a sound like crackers breaking, all three hesitated.
“What…?”
-…Wait. Could the poison not work? Did you check the amount?
The hamster struggled out of the sawdust and asked a question. At that question, the chamberlain answered indignantly as if greatly insulted.
“Lord Gonadaltes prepared it himself, how could it be wrong?”
-You foolish chamberlain…! How can you trust the calculations of a thought-form in poor condition and just go with it!
“!!!”
Lee Han and Intarendals looked as if they’d been hit in the head with a hammer.
Intarendals whipped the hamster once with a magic whip then hurried to go inside. But it was already too late.
Crack!
The inner rock was torn away as mana of unprecedented density began surging out like a storm.
The hamster forgot the pain of being beaten and squeaked.
-The Descent! Prepare the Descent, greenhorn! If you don’t stop it now, we’ll all die!
“It’s not too late yet. I’ll…!”
At the chamberlain’s words, the hamster flew into a rage.
-It’s too late! It’s already going berserk! The crude poison accelerated it! You need to reduce the world’s calamity itself!
The opponent was already half-berserk.
In this situation, clumsy attacks were meaningless unless they could defeat that madman. He would never go down easily.
They had to somehow restore him close to sanity and then appeal to reason. Right now, only that greenhorn could do both.
“Shut up, slave!”
Squeak!
Intarendals ignored the hamster’s words and tried to evacuate Lee Han. He couldn’t risk the master’s disciple by listening to a mere criminal slave.
However, Lee Han was already holding his staff and casting magic.
‘No!’
Intarendals, about to scream, froze at the sight before his eyes.
A familiar crown was appearing above the disciple’s head.
A crown woven from bronze, copper, and tree branches.
There was no way Intarendals could fail to recognize that simple yet beautiful crown.
“Basilios!”
Despite the chamberlain’s cry, Lee Han couldn’t hear it as he was completely focused on his magic.
It wasn’t simply a matter of not hearing the surrounding shouts. As all his senses concentrated solely on magic, he fell into the illusion that time had stopped and only he and magic existed in the world.
‘A perfect microcosm. When did he achieve this…!’
Intarendals felt ashamed of himself for thinking Lee Han was undisciplined.
Without being a true disciple, one couldn’t inherit that microcosm.
Essences engraved across countless parallel dimensions.
Power was summoned from those concepts, strongly controlling the surroundings. The hamster witnessed dozens of ancient magic circles instantly appearing on the ceiling and floor, broken walls and in mid-air.
As a mage who had prepared something similar, the hamster could now understand what the microcosm was doing.
‘Magic circles to disperse overload?! In such a short moment!?’
Even though it was a microcosm passed down from ancient times, to think it was this powerful. The hamster felt goosebumps rise on his small body.
However, the most surprising thing was the novice mage himself.
To think he was standing firm while using such a microcosm and even absorbing the world’s calamity fire.
‘No. That’s…’
The hamster belatedly realized Lee Han’s condition.
He had been fooled by the intact mana, but blood was already flowing from his mouth, nose, and eyes.
Indeed, even with infinite mana, there was nothing that could be done about mortal flesh.
-Disperse more! Activate more magic circles! Don’t absorb directly, scatter it!
Even knowing he couldn’t be heard, the hamster squeaked.
And even if he could be heard, response would be impossible.
The ancient magic circles were already dispersing the calamity fire to their maximum capacity.
Just looking at how space was distorting and mana was swirling wildly made it clear. If the mage himself dispersed instead of absorbing here, it was impossible to predict what disaster might occur.
Click!
What saved the master was the microcosm.
The small flask-shaped necklace hanging on Lee Han’s chest forcibly opened and flowed its contents to the master’s lips.
That wasn’t all. The overload also flowed to artifacts like the necklace made of Behemoth bone and the Dawn Star. As it flowed into Manma’s Bracelet, inaudible screams of demons burst out like a chorus from within.
Finally, the microcosm rolled up the baby basilisk and threw it far away. The baby basilisk, who had been struggling to endure together with its master, whipped its tail in anger.
The hamster buried his head in the sawdust and prayed.
‘You brat, please!’
If this catastrophe ended and an even more insane thought-form revealed itself, he couldn’t even imagine what would happen.
“…Basilios has strict conditions for its use.”
-!!!
At that familiar cold voice he’d heard so often, the hamster felt like crying.
The Insane Doppelganger walked out of the ruins and looked at his disciple, still lost in magic, with troubled eyes.
“It cannot be summoned and used without nobility for others. I never thought royalty would qualify for that condition…”
“Master!”
“I apologize, Intarendals. The royal’s mistake has caused trouble. But… it can be resolved immediately.”
The hamster was about to shout ‘hurry up and kill yourself’ but closed his mouth.
It seemed like he would handle it well on his own, so there was no need to provoke him.
“There’s no need for that.”
-?!
“!”
Not only the hamster but even the Insane Doppelganger was greatly surprised.
Before they knew it, Lee Han had regained consciousness and was speaking.
-How, how!? Wait. What did you drink?
Reading abnormal intelligence in the brat’s eyes, the hamster panicked.
Having drunk the wine of wisdom, Lee Han spoke with deep conviction.
“Look. The world’s calamity fire, the great calamity, in the end they’re no different from other magical phenomena. To fear them and act rashly would rather disqualify you as a mage, wouldn’t it?”
“You speak well for someone who became tattered from just a brief encounter.”
Though the Insane Doppelganger spoke as if displeased, Lee Han paid no heed.
“If Master is a mage, you should properly step forward to prevent it! Otherwise, what could your disciple learn? If you still can’t prevent it after all considerations, then I won’t try to stop it either. But preparing secretly like now and failing is no different from being a thief! Where has the royal dignity you always taught me gone?”
-You, you crazy bastard. Say it in moderation…!
The hamster was anxious.
Whatever relic he had drunk, the abnormal wisdom seemed to have brought boldness as well.
However, the Insane Doppelganger didn’t get angry. Rather, he couldn’t say anything at all.
Silence.
After a long silence, the Insane Doppelganger finally opened his mouth.
“…You’re right. If I trust my disciple, I shouldn’t have hidden the plan. I acknowledge it. This is the royal’s mistake.”
“Ma, Master!”
“I’ll try to prevent the calamity fire as much as possible. Without hiding it from my disciple…”
No.
A familiar telepathy came from behind.
When everyone present turned their heads, a familiar skeleton was floating in the air, looking at them coldly.
You’ve thought quite well, but that’s not the correct answer.
-Gonadaltes!
The terrified hamster squeaked, but the Skeleton Principal paid no attention to a mere mage criminal.
Focusing his burning gaze solely on the doppelganger, he declared.
The correct answer is to seal it away forever.
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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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