Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 168

Lee Han answered in a cold voice. He had thought for a moment about sacrificing the students from the Black Tortoise Tower.

It was something he had already experienced.

If I sacrifice one person, it will open the path a little, and then ask for another sacrifice. I won’t fall for such tricks.

What are you even saying? Who would do something so unfair?

However, the labyrinth’s stone statue responded to Lee Han’s words as if it were silly.

I have been working in this school for so long that I cannot remember. According to the rules set by the wizard who created me, there is only one rule in this labyrinth: If one person goes to the punishment room, another person goes to the opposite side. There are no other rules besides that. Who would do such a ridiculous thing?

‘The headmaster of this school.’

Lee Han thought to himself.

But in any case, he could understand two things: the stone statue was telling the truth, and the skeleton headmaster was even less honorable than the statue.

What’s wrong? Why did you stop walking…

Salco, who was behind him, moved his feet and heard the same telepathy.

Then he looked at Lee Han and nodded.

‘We need to pair up and send at least one person forward.’

Salco didn’t say things like, ‘How can I abandon my friend!’

He already knew that thinking about friends was something they couldn’t afford in this magic school.

In order to get what you want, some sacrifice is necessary!

The Black Tortoise Tower friends who went to the punishment room would surely understand.

What is it? What’s wrong?

Nilia also moved her feet and heard the telepathy.

Then her eyes flashed with anger. Her voice rose, shaking with fury. “Dare to ask us to sacrifice a friend!?” she yelled, her hand already reaching for her bow.

!

!!

Lee Han and Salco flinched.

Uh…

Uh oh?

Wait. Nilia.

Salco tried to stop Nilia.

He didn’t know how much the difficulty would increase if he rejected the offer.

It might be wiser to accept the offer now…

Why?

Think about it. We don’t know how picky that statue will be if we reject the offer now. We might not be able to get through that path. The friends who went to the punishment room can come out later and try again. Wardanaz would think so too. Wouldn’t he?

Salco looked at Lee Han. Nilia also stared intently at Lee Han with a shocked expression.

Lee Han cursed Salco.

‘How can you ask in front of Nilia when you should ask where Nilia can’t see?’

No. I can never accept such an unfair proposal.

See!

Indeed…

Nilia, as well as Ratford, were impressed.

Salco’s gang also had surprised expressions.

As expected of Wardanaz…

There’s a reason why the leader of the Blue Dragon Tower is the leader.

Even though they knew he could be bad, they had to admit Lee Han was a dignified leader.

Such strong will that he wouldn’t give up, even a little bit.

I’m watching, labyrinth’s stone statue! We will not respond to such dirty deals!

Nilia immediately notched an arrow and fired it. The labyrinth’s stone statue answered firmly.

-Then prove your honor with your skills!

With a rumbling sound, the appearance of the corridor began to change.

‘I’m already starting to regret it…’

When the change in the corridor was over, Lee Han was standing in the middle of the labyrinth.

He wasn’t alone. Fortunately or not, he had fallen into the same area as Salco.

Salco looked at Lee Han and asked.

Do you still think we shouldn’t have accepted it?

“…Of course,” Lee Han answered, his face still serious. *(Inside, he was starting to panic. Had he made a mistake?)*

Salco nodded as if acknowledging that cold face.

Well, I can’t argue with your honor, that’s for sure.

Thank you for understanding.

‘Can’t I sacrifice Salco now and get out?’

Lee Han thought inwardly, but the labyrinth’s stone statue did not answer.

Salco raised his wand and chanted a spell.

Gather, earth.

Salco was so talented in earth magic that even Lee Han, who was from another tower, had heard rumors.

Earth gathered under the labyrinth wall, creating a slope that could be climbed.

Salco closed his eyes, his face strained with effort. He moved his wand slowly, whispering the words of the spell. Slowly, dirt began to rise from the ground, forming a slope.

Excellent, Salco, Lee Han said, nodding in approval.

Huff… Huff.

But Salco himself knelt down with a pale face.

He had used up all his magic power to create the pile of dirt.

Are you okay?

I’m… I’m okay. Let’s go up and see the way.

They climbed onto the wall and looked out. Before them stretched a maze of towering stone walls, stretching as far as they could see. Shadows danced in the narrow paths between the walls, and a strange silence hung in the air. It was a world of stone, cold and confusing.

……

……

The two students were speechless. Lee Han quickly regained his composure and said.

It’s a little wider than expected, but let’s create a path with magic and move in a straight line.

It’s… It’s impossible. It takes this much magic power to get over one wall.

No,

Lee Han said, a hint of confidence in his voice. “I’ll do it. Don’t worry about it.

Does it make a difference if you do it?

Salco said as if asking what he was talking about.

No matter how good Lee Han was at magic, it wasn’t a problem that could be solved.

It takes this much magic power to get over one wall, so what would be different if it was Lee Han?

At best, he could get over two or three walls…

Gather, earth. Gather, earth.

Lee Han checked the spell and waved his wand.

He had never handled earth magic because he had been training other elements first, but fortunately, the magic Salco was using now was not that difficult.

He should be able to learn 1st Circle >Earth Creation> on the spot.

Salco asked curiously.

I thought water and lightning were your main attributes, but you had already learned earth too?

No. I’m learning it now.

“,,,,,”

Salco stared at Lee Han, his mouth slightly open. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. ‘You… you just learned that now?’ he stammered, completely amazed.

Gather, earth!

!

He was lucky. The spell was successful in one try.

‘It’s easy because I suffered so much from other elemental magic.’

It was a good thing that the things he suffered from Professor Volardi and other villains were not completely useless.

The ground trembled slightly, and then, with a low rumble, dirt began to rise from the floor. It wasn’t just dirt; it was as if the earth itself was waking up, pushing upwards in a growing mound. The air filled with the smell of damp soil.

Salco thought as he watched the scene.

‘To be at that level when learning it now… He’s really amazing.’

It was nothing new to be impressed by Wardanaz’s magical abilities now, but it was still amazing.

The guy who’s learning it now succeeded in one try.

Salco, who was proud of his earth magic, had no choice but to admit it.

Rumble!

…?

Salco’s expression changed strangely as the pile of dirt piled up more gigantic than he had expected.

Uh…

How long will it keep growing?

Creak!

The surrounding labyrinth walls could be heard shaking.

Wardanaz! What on earth…?!

The pile of dirt, which was piled up enough to bury several people, knocked down the wall with its weight, and to make matters worse, it knocked down the weakened surrounding walls.

The pile of dirt grew bigger and bigger, pressing against the wall. Cracks appeared in the stone. Then, with a loud CRACK, the wall broke and fell inwards! Dust and stones rained down as the walls around it started to shake and crumble, falling one after another like dominoes.

…Was this what you were aiming for?!

Salco had no choice but to be thrilled beyond horror.

To aim for this and create a path in such a short time.

How could a student in the same grade think of this?

That’s right, Salco.

…!!

While Salco was thrilled, Lee Han breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

‘From now on, I really need to practice the elements I use for the first time carefully in a safe place.’

He almost died by being buried in dirt because he was being cocky.

Gather, earth!

Gather, earth!

Gather, earth!

“.”

Lee Han broke through eight more walls. Of course, not in the same way as before.

He quietly piled up a pile of dirt and climbed on it.

Salco asked, not understanding.

Isn’t it faster to do it like before?

I have to save magic power.

Ah. That’s right. That’s definitely true.

In the meantime, friends who had been scattered elsewhere joined them.

Wardanaz!!

You came to save us!

Gather, earth!

Wardanaz? Thank you?

Gather, earth!

Wardanaz…!

The Black Tortoise Tower students, who were happy to see Lee Han and Salco come to save them at first, gradually began to get scared.

Lee Han was just repeating the spell like a wizard possessed by some evil demon.

Wardanaz, are you okay?

Don’t talk to me. It’s distracting. Gather, earth!

Lee Han chanted the spell over and over again.

The students who joined later were embarrassed.

Doesn’t… Doesn’t he collapse?

How doesn’t he collapse?

Casting magic three or four times in a row was ‘Wow, amazing’, but when it went over dozens of times in a row, that kind of reaction didn’t come out.

It was just amazing.

Tutanta. Aren’t you surprised by that?

Not at all!

Tutanta had seen Lee Han vibrate the walls and create a path with a pile of dirt several times larger than that before coming here.

He wasn’t surprised by that kind of continuous magic anymore.

!

‘Tutanta…! He’s not surprised by that!’

‘Does that mean Tutanta can do that too!’

The Black Tortoise Tower students were just amazed. He’s not surprised by that continuous magic!

‘I should tell the White Tiger Tower guys that Tutanta can do that too when we meet them later.’

‘What is this?’

Lee Han, who was quickly breaking through the labyrinth in a straight line, stopped.

Surprisingly, the wall also started to rise as he piled up the pile of dirt.

The labyrinth’s stone statue spoke to Lee Han.

-I commend you for using your clever ideas to get through the labyrinth. However, if you don’t find the exit of the labyrinth and try to pass through the wall, there will naturally be restrictions.

‘Well, I was eating too much for free.’

Other students would have found their way with all sorts of wisdom and magic, but Lee Han just summoned an infinite pile of dirt with magic power and broke through…

-Now, if you break through this wall, you’ll be outside. Go ahead and try if you want, young students.

Salco, who heard what the labyrinth’s stone statue said, thought seriously.

Salco had a way to break through this last obstacle now.

‘Should I tell Wardanaz about the family’s magic?’

The Tutanta family, the empire’s leading stonemason family, had several special family magic.

Salco himself had not yet reached the level to learn it, but he had secretly memorized the magic in order to learn it someday when he had the skills.

He was a little reluctant to tell Wardanaz about the magic, but he couldn’t help Wardanaz break through the labyrinth alone.

After thinking hard alone, Salco came to a conclusion.

Wardanaz. There’s a magic I can tell you about.

Wham!!!!

Suddenly, a huge ball of water appeared in the air. It spun rapidly, making a loud, rushing sound like a waterfall crashing down. With a final, deafening CRACK, the water slammed into the wall, tearing through the stone as if it were paper.

The labyrinth’s stone statue praised Lee Han.

-Excellent. Young student. You have proven your honor with your skills! Pass on! May blessings be upon your path!

Thank you.

Lee Han waved his wand to shake off the water.

A labyrinth wall that just waited quietly was an easy opponent compared to the monsters Lee Han had faced so far.

He could prepare as much as he wanted and launch an attack.

……

But Salco. You were going to tell me about the magic?

…Uh huh.

Salco’s expression was dark. Lee Han was puzzled.

‘Why is he acting like that?’