Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 90

“Gather up everyone! Dolgyu’s been taken!”

 

“?”

 

It seemed that Gainando was not the only one who had been captured. Yi-Han turned his head towards the noise he heard nearby.

 

In the courtyard a small distance away, the White Tiger Tower students were flailing around, looking like a hot mess.

 

“Dolgyu from White Tigers Tower got captured too? Could it be those punks who purposely threw Gainando off?

 

Yi-Han asked, just in case.

 

He wondered if the White Tiger Tower had swarmed over in anger because Dolgyu got captured, and in their frustration, grabbed Gainando and threw him down.

 

“No. Gainando just tripped over his own feet and fell down.”

 

“I see…”

 

While Yi-Han and Yonaire got caught by the two professors and heard the story that “Real mages don’t go into a bureaucratic job but instead go to grad school,” the students who finished the <Fundamentals of Imperial Geometry and Arithmetic> class hurriedly left the lecture hall.

 

Since it was such a suffocating class, once it ended, everyone would rush outside to breathe in the fresh air.

 

– Pull yourself together! You can’t collapse now! We have another lecture!

 

– I… I’m just gonna leave it be… Gotta sleep here…

 

Students on the brink of collapse were not only from the Blue Dragon Tower.

 

It was a tedious and torturous lecture for students from any tower.

 

– But is it for real that Wardanaz and Maykin are fine? What if the professor noticed? What then?

 

– Even if monsters sat in for us the professor wouldn’t notice and just teach.

 

– Well, true…

 

– It’s no joke. It’s deadass serious. If I endure a few more of these classes I feel like I’ll fall into eternal sleep.

 

– If the assignments are already this much, how the fuck/hell will I handle the midterm exams? Should I just submit a blank sheet? If I get dragged to the punishment room…

 

– To be fully honest with you. I was thinking of setting something on fire while in the class.

 

– Me too. I even wished the Freed Summon would show up instead.

 

Bam!

 

As if hearing the students’ words, or due to the coincidental noise, a summon actually appeared from the bushes.

 

Some students screamed in surprise upon seeing the vine monster they had seen before.

 

– Everyone run!

 

– Get inside the buildings!

 

– Someone call a professor!

 

– No! The professor won’t help even if we call them! Just run now!

 

There were students who escaped quickly, but there were also students like Gainando who tripped over their own feet and fell down.

 

The vine monster did not bother to chase after the students who were running away.

 

It leisurely tied up a few of the fallen students with vines and carried them off before leaving happily.

 

“Hold up. Dolgyu fell too? Tripping isn’t like him.”

 

“That orc friend from the White Tiger Tower tried to save Gainando and got caught.”

 

“……”

 

Yi-Han felt sorry for Dolgyu. To get in trouble just because he tried to help a friend…

 

One White Tiger Tower student ran out of the main building, panting heavily.

 

“What happened?! What about the professors?!”

 

“He said to handle it ourselves…”

 

“……”

 

“……”

 

The absurd response brought back by the student left to call a professor rendered not only the White Tiger Tower students, but also the students from the other towers speechless.

 

That was too much, wasn’t it??

 

However, Yi-Han remained calm.

 

‘He acted too hastily. He should have chosen the professor more carefully.’

 

When in a hurry, you shouldn’t have grabbed just any professor and asked, ‘Please help!’. You should seek out a professor with a conscience that you were on good terms with…

 

‘Wait. There are no such professors.’

 

…Then maybe a relatively friendly professor that may have a bit of a conscience left.

 

The White Tiger Tower student probably grabbed just anyone in his hurry and asked for help.

 

“What do we do now? Wardanaz? What should we do?”

 

The Blue Dragon Tower students looked at Yi-Han desperately without a clear idea of what to do next.

 

Should they give chase now?

 

Or find another method?

 

It was too difficult a choice for them to decide.

 

“Let’s chase after them. We don’t even know where the professors are right now and if we lose the trail it’ll be annoying to find them.”

 

Right now, the Summon left a long trail ahead, and the distance was not very far either, but if they gave it more time, the likelihood it would become difficult to chase grew bigger.

 

And Yi-Han had one more ace up his sleeve.

 

‘Perkunthra!’

 

Reacting to Yi-Han calling their name, a part of Perkunthra sleeping inside resonated in response.

 

Right now, the contractor bound in the contract was properly invoking a spirit as a legitimate right.

 

“Sing of thunder, o’ spirit! Of lightning and bolts! The bell ringer protecting the ruins of the fallen kingdom. The lookout wandering the blue seas fears your name. You are summoned by one who rightfully commands you!”

 

Seeing Yi-Han recite the incantation, Princess Adenart was surprised.

 

As the mage who summoned spirits the fastest here, she could guess which spirit Yi-Han was calling upon.

 

The incantations used to summon spirits reflected their dignity and status.

 

With such a long, complicated incantation, surely…

 

Zzap!

 

Lightning bloomed where Yi-Han had planted his staff, and the spirit began taking shape.

 

‘A Lightning Spirit!’

 

Rowena, the knight standing beside Adenart, was even more shocked than her.

 

It was one thing for Yi-Han to have a contract with a more powerful spirit than the princess could; after all, Wardanaz was known to be a monstrously talented mage…

 

But Lightning Spirits were among the most unruly and ferocious of spirits.

 

And summoning it with such a long incantation, it surely would not be weak.

 

‘How? How did he manage to contract them?!’

 

“Arise!”

 

At Yi-Han’s request, an avatar of Perkunthra appeared.

 

A fist-sized orb of lightning crackled into being.

 

The students were baffled by their appearance.

 

“???”

 

“…Oh, I get it! A spirit’s power has nothing to do with their size!”

 

He had heard even Professor Uregor’s rabbit-shaped spirit was insanely strong.

 

This spirit probably concealed extraordinary power behind its mundane appearance as well.

 

Otherwise, Yi-Han would not have struggled so hard to summon it just now.

 

Wardanaz would not make such a mistake!

 

The students nodded in understanding, but Yi-Han felt differently.

 

It was too different from the Perkunthra he had first met.

 

Even for an avatar…?

 

– What’s this? Only a part of you came?

 

– Did you forget I’m still trapped under your orders…?!

 

Perkunthra telepathically shouted at Yi-Han in frustration.

 

Of course, Perkunthra had told Yi-Han, “Don’t forget to summon me when you get out! My abilities aren’t limited to this!”

 

But that was obviously meant to happen a few days later, not now.

 

Yi-Han had ordered Perkunthra to ‘Stay trapped here for now’ so he could get out of detention.

 

That period had not ended yet, so it was impossible for Perkunthra to be freely summoned outside.

 

Given that Perkunthra was a mighty spirit, it could manage to appear outside in this limited form, but normally, for other Spirits, it would not be possible until the end of the confinement.

 

Normally, he shouldn’t have been summonable at all until after it ended.

 

Despite Perkunthra explaining all this, Yi-Han’s eyes were cold.

 

– You don’t believe me…?!

 

– It’s not that I don’t believe you, but if things keep going wrong like this whenever I need help, why would I keep summoning you?

 

Perkunthra found himself missing the old mages.

 

Arrogant, hot-tempered, completely irrational, screaming and forcing their way…

 

Perkunthra could clash strongly with guys like that and burn them to death.

 

But this young mage politely spouted unkind words.

 

The more frustrating part was that these were hard to refute.

 

– Don’t worry. I don’t know why you summoned me, but my power should still be enough to handle it. Watch me!

 

‘Will it really though?’

 

– I told you I can sense your emotions!

 

– Can’t I even have private thoughts?! Let’s respect each other’s privacy, shall we?

 

***

 

Yi-Han quickly chased after the trail with the Blue Dragons Tower students.

 

Upon glancing forward, it became apparent that the students of White Tigers Tower had also opted to give chase and were sprinting ahead.

 

“These punks! Stop following us!”

 

“That’s our line! You guys back off!”

 

“Can’t even use magic properly… huff… huff…”

 

And the outcome of this footrace was pretty much set in stone.

 

It was physically impossible for the Blue Dragons Tower students to keep up with the White Tigers Tower students, who took separate swordsmanship and physical training classes.

 

Yi-Han looked at his fellow students with sympathy.

 

“Don’t you guys normally work out?”

 

“They… Those brutes have unreasonable stamina… Huff, huff.”

 

“I’ll go first. Follow me as much as you can keep up.”

 

“No! Wardanaz! If you go alone, the White Tiger punks might…!”

 

‘They probably won’t though.’

 

‘They probably won’t though…’

 

Friends like Rowena and Asan, who knew Yi-Han relatively well, thought to themselves.

 

While it would be dangerous for another student to clash with the White Tiger students alone, Yi-Han’s case was a bit different.

 

Wouldn’t the White Tigers Tower students be in danger instead?

 

“I’ll be fine. Follow me when you’ve caught your breath.”

 

– Why are you so physically fit?

 

Seeing Yi-Han sprint off, Perkunthra wondered.

 

He did not look like he was from a knightly family or anything… so why…? – Thought Perkunthra.

 

But before Perkunthra could get an answer, he urgently shouted.

 

– Enemy! There’s an enemy hiding!

 

“I hide unseen beneath the night’s shade!”

 

Yi-Han instinctively chanted out the spell. But no attack came.

 

– Where are they hiding? There’s nowhere to hide around here?

 

Right now there was no large vegetation or obstacles around this path you could hide behind.

 

You would have to run further towards the mountain to find something you could conceal yourself with.

 

– Below!

 

“!”

 

Yi-Han immediately leapt aside

 

If something had been hidden underground, Yi-Han using invisibility would not have mattered; the noise and vibrations would likely have given him away.

 

But the vine monster had not targeted Yi-Han. Bursting out from the earth, it grabbed another White Tigers Tower student up ahead instead.

 

“Angrago! No!”

 

A goat demi-human got wrapped up in the vines and lifted into the air.

 

– How was it hiding there?

 

– Those mages must’ve given it some useless ability. It’s not originally a monster that can phase into the ground and ambush!

 

‘Not just the professors, even the seniors prank around here huh.’

 

Yi-Han gripped his wand and focused on the vine monster.

 

The captured White Tigers student went limp as if his strength had been sapped away.

 

– It absorbs magical power. Be careful not to get yours drained… Well, it’s fine if just some of yours gets taken, but still be careful! It’ll be annoying if you get grabbed!

 

– I wasn’t planning on letting that happen in the first place.

 

Yi-Han was not stupid enough to let himself get grabbed by vines when he had so much magical power. Yi-Han swung his wand to summon flames.

 

“Ignit…!”

 

– No!!!! You absolutely can’t!!!!!

 

Perkunthra, traumatized by Yi-Han’s flames, desperately tried to stop him.

 

They could not allow Yi-Han to use fire magic until they were absolutely sure it was safe.

 

– I can’t?

 

– It’s dangerous! You might burn the other students to death too!

 

– It’s not for attacking, just so it can’t get close…

 

– Still risky!! No!!

 

‘Is it really that dangerous?’

 

Yi-Han was puzzled.

 

He figured some fireballs floating around to blockade access wouldn’t be an issue…

 

– Normally I could subdue it in one go, but right now I don’t have the strength.

 

Yi-Han looked at Perkunthra with a mix of betrayal and accusation in his eyes.

 

 – Didn’t you just say that your current amount of powerwas enough?!

 

Perkunthra hastily added.

 

– But I’ll teach you a spell! For you to use in my stead.

 

– Can’t you just somehow use it directly? I’m a bit worried about learning it from you right away and immediately having to use it…

–
Translator: Kaiser | Editor: Gleru