Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 79

However, for a trap, the posture of the Backbone Hand was excessively polite.

As soon as Yi-Han took a step forward, the Backbone Hand began to tremble and rolled backward, lying down.

It was as if it was trying to prove that it had no hostility.

“…?”

Just as Yi-Han was starting to get confused, Professor Mortem spoke up.

“Cough. It’s easy to be fooled by the beautiful and magnificent appearance of undead summoning, but in reality, it’s never easy.”

Mages who designed inanimate objects to learn summoning magic were often prone to this kind of trouble.

– Must we summon only inanimate objects? Can’t we just summon something that has its own will?

Well, even if you guys were to summon a magic sword right now, you would need to determine its attributes in advance and how to make it move autonomously.

Then, as the complexity increased, it required autonomy close to that of artificial intelligence. You could imagine how much agony the mages studying summoning magic would go through now, right? 

– Why do we have to design each and every one of them?

– Can’t we just summon something with a consciousness from the beginning?

Of course, there were clear disadvantages to summoning beings with their own wills, so they designed it that way.

Having consciousness meant that the summoned entity might not listen to the summoner’s commands.

And undead monsters generally tended to be ‘slightly’ less cooperative than other monsters.

From the beginning, the attributes were completely opposite…

Because summoners were mostly alive, while the undead were, all dead.

So, it was only natural that it would be difficult to become close to the undead even if the summoners tried.

So, necromancers¹In previous chapters we used ‘Black Magic’, but decided that ‘necromancy’ flows better, so we will be changing it. used various methods to get close to the undead.

They would try living in tombs, smearing decaying substances on their bodies, wearing various bones or flesh as necklaces…

These things weren’t done because necromancers were perverts.

It was a painstaking effort to bridge the gap between the living and the undead by harnessing the vitality of the living.

“….”

“….”

The expressions of the students listening to the story grew as pale as the undead, but Professor Mortum seemed oblivious to their reactions.

“Cough. So, for now, try to get friendly with the Backbone Hands and explore various means and methods. If you can befriend them, you’ll eventually be able to befriend other undead monsters as well.”

As you became intimate with undead monsters, it was inevitable that their energy would permeate your soul.

If you spent time mingling with low-level undead monsters like the Backbone Hands, you could eventually control more powerful undead monsters.

“Sir!”

“?”

Yi-Han, who had been quietly waiting for Professor Mortem’s speech to end, raised his hand and called out to the professor.

“Um, are there any undead that are a bit timid?”

Undead monsters were generally fearless.

Not being alive made that a given.

Professor Mortem, who snorted as if to say ‘what kind of question is that’…

Was startled upon seeing the undead monster, the Backbone Hand, trembling in front of Yi-Han.

“?!”

Professor Mortem looked at the Backbone Hand Yi-Han had summoned with a look of disbelief.

‘I told you to deal with the students. What are you doing?’ Thought Professor Mortem

The Backbone Hand bowed its head in front of Professor Mortem as if it was ashamed.

‘You, can’t you come here quickly?’

Despite Professor Mortem’s order, the Backbone Hand was trembling and reluctant to approach Yi-Han.

Professor Mortem wondered if something was wrong with the potion he had used.

Slap! Slap!

Another Backbone Hand was happily slapping Gainando’s cheek. They all seemed perfectly fine.

‘Did it feel close to him because he was traveling with a skeletal summoner? No… then there’s no reason for it to be scared.’

Only one conclusion remained.

Professor Mortem was inwardly horrified.

Could it be…?

“Cough. Try summoning one yourself.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes. The advantage of necromancy is that it gives you this kind of practical experience. If it were summoning magic, you’d just be studying for a year.”

“……”

Professor Mortem threw a bone fragment and engraved a magic circle on the ground.

Yi-Han concentrated, holding his wand. It was worrying to see Professor Mortem act this way.

‘It seems like he’s rushing the curriculum to show that necromancy is better…’

Fortunately, it seemed like Yi-Han could suppress the Backbone Hand if it attacked.

Yi-Han chanted the spell.

“Arise! Backbone Hand!”

As he threw the bone fragment and swung his wand, the fragment absorbed magical power and, with eerie smoke surrounding it, began to transform into a Backbone Hand.

It wasn’t the Backbone Hands that had been summoned earlier, which Professor Mortem controlled with an iron-clad sense of control.

It was a new Backbone Hand that Yi-Han had summoned himself.

While the summoning magic’s spell acted like a chain around the neck of a beast to control the undead monster, inexperienced novice mages couldn’t handle that chain well.

Professor Mortem watched the Backbone Hand closely.

If the Backbone Hand overcame the chain and attacked Yi-Han, he planned to recall it first.

RUMBLE-

“……”

“……”

The new Backbone Hand summoned by Yi-Han showed even more intense obedience than those summoned by Professor Mortem.

The Skeletal Summon hanging on Yi-Han’s belt shook its body out of jealousy.

***

“You have too much magical power.”

The real Professor Mortem calmly explained.

Come to think of it, there had been signs of this since the curse.

He hadn’t realized it would be so serious that undead monsters would be subservient due to fear…

Yi-Han asked seriously, like a patient diagnosed with an incurable disease.

“Too much magical power… Sir, is there a way to fix it?”

“Cough. Why fix it? It’s a blessed talent.”

“??”

Yi-Han was puzzled.

After all…

It made magic difficult to use, and spirits would flee, right?

“Cough. If you have such talent, there’s no need to befriend undead monsters. Just subdue them with power. What a great talent.”

Necromancers did not roll around in tombs for fun.

They did it because they had to somehow become friends with undead monsters.

But what if there was no need for that?

To Professor Mortem, subduing the undead monsters required a much higher level of control of magic than befriending them…

Because it was harder.

“But, sir, it’s one thing to summon and subjugate undead monsters, but spirits can’t be treated that way.”

Before becoming friends with a spirit, it wouldn’t respond to a summon, so having a talent for intimidating was useless.

Professor Mortem kindly answered Yi-Han’s question.

“Cough. There’s a good way.”

“What is it, sir?”

“Give up on summoning spirits.”

“……”

Yi-Han was thankful for the table.

Because his hands were under it, he could clench his fists without being noticed.

But Professor Mortem was serious.

“Cough. Why waste those fine fangs and clawed assets on something as mundane as munching on grass? What suits you best is necromancy. I don’t usually say this, but you’ve got a knack for necromancy.”

“Oh…I see.”

“?!”

This time, Professor Mortem was taken aback by Yi-Han’s indifferent response.

It was a precious compliment he rarely gave, but the student was too nonchalant.

Maybe because he’s from the Wardanaz Family, his reaction was different from expected – Professor Mortem thought to himself.

‘I’m past the point of being fooled by professors’ compliments.’

Originally, professors often gave compliments when they needed to. One had to be especially careful when it came to unpopular fields.

Misled by compliments, one’s life could get twisted.

Yi-Han changed the subject.

“But sir, I have a hard time casting magic because of the amount of magical power I have.”

“You’ll be fine once you get used to it… Cough. I’ll help you.”

‘Damn. Professors really are no help.’

They only looked out for their own interests while dragging students along.

They aren’t supposed to be this way…

Come to think of it, the professors were originally like that.

“Oh… Thank you very much.”

Said Yi-Han, who had just wrapped up his expression management.

Of course, he had not decided on necromancy as his career path for sure, but he had to prepare for the future in case he failed to learn other magic, and only necromancy was left.

Considering that situation, it would be bad for him to sour his relations with Professor Mortem.

The professor and the student smiled pleasantly at each other, both with different thoughts in mind.

“Fuck. I’ll crush you!”

Gainando, with his swollen cheek, grabbed his wand and struck the Backbone Hand.

Raphadel, also having been hit hard, drew a wooden sword to strike the Backbone Hand.

The only one who was fine was Imirg.

He grabbed the Backbone Hand that was lunging at him with force and pressed it down, but he didn’t know what to do next, so he was struggling.

Feeling Yi-Han’s bewilderment, Professor Mortem spoke up.

“Cough. Just because you have a talent for necromancy doesn’t mean you’ll quickly become friends with the undead. That’s not a good way. It’s a typical mistake young necromancers make.”

“But wouldn’t beating them up like that make the undead monsters respect the summoner a bit more?”

Professor Mortem looked at Yi-Han as if he was insane.

Yi-Han felt unjustly accused.

‘You said subduing them was a good method…’

***

After the extra class, Gainando grumbled as he applied the ointment Professor Mortem gave him to his cheek.

“Those creatures, they have no understanding of nobility… Hey Yi-Han.”

“?”

“Let’s go to the summoning magic class. If it’s not undead monsters, it might be better.”

“……”

Really?

‘Other than spirits, demons will be more ferocious than undead monsters, and monsters will basically be wild.’

While Yi-Han was thinking, Raphadel shouted with a swollen face.

“You darn necromancer brat. Just wait. I’ll be watching you.”

“Come on. It seems that there’s a misunderstanding between us. Do we really need to fight as friends attending the same necromancy class?”

“You son of a bitch! You hit my cheek earlier!”

“That was a mistake.”

While other friends were striving to befriend undead monsters, Yi-Han followed Professor Mortem’s instructions to see what kind of orders he could give to the undead monsters.

When Yi-Han successfully executed a difficult command for the Backhand Bone to self-destruct, Professor Mortem was so impressed that he even applauded.

However, there was also a mistake.

In the middle of it, due to a mistake in his orders, Raphadel’s cheek was slapped by the Backbone Hand Yi-Han had summoned. That was why Raphadel grumbled, “You darn necromancer brat,” to Yi-Han’s face…

It was, a regrettable mistake.

“Come on. Why won’t you believe me…”

“Yi-Han. He’s already gone.”

“That’s too bad.”

Gainando looked up at Yi-Han with eyes mixed with fear.

…Is this why the undead monsters obey you so well?!

“See you in the next class, Imirg.”

“Uh, yeah. Yi-Han, don’t tell anyone…”

Yi-Han felt slightly hurt but didn’t show it.

***

Tower of Spirits.

The workshop and tower used by Professor Milay, known as the Tower of Spirits, had a completely different atmosphere from the Tower of Darkness.

‘It’s like a library.’

In fact, the magic school’s library reminded them more of a bankrupt company’s disordered warehouse rather than a library. However, this Tower felt more like a library than an actual library.

The path to the Tower was well paved with bricks, and there was even a pond and a walking trail nearby for people to take a walk.

‘The Tower of Darkness also has a pond.’

It was a purple pond with poison bubbles rising, though…

Gainando stood at the door of the Tower of Spirit, knocking carefully. Then, he looked at Yi-Han and asked.

“Wait. What’s our excuse then?”

“Just tell the truth.”

“That I got hit by an undead monster so I’m late…?”

“…Okay, leave it to me. Professor Milay! We apologize for being late. Another professor had made a prior appointment…”

“If there was a prior appointment, it can’t be helped. No need to apologize.”

Professor Milay responded and opened the door of the Tower.

Professor Milay, who walked down to the first floor to greet the late freshmen, raised an eyebrow when she saw Yi-Han.

It was as if she was surprised to see Yi-Han there.

‘…What?’

Yi-Han suddenly felt an ominous premonition.

Could it be that Professor Mortem had told the other professors something like, ‘This guy is going to be my disciple, so all of you stop paying attention to him’?

–
Translator: Kaiser | Editor: Gleru