Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 174

Lee Han kept his dungeon plan secret from Professor Voladi. Why? Because Professor Voladi was the most unpredictable teacher in the whole school. Lee Han had to be very careful.

“A picnic?” the White Tiger student asked loudly, scratching his head. “But we’re going to fight monsters in the dungeon, right?”

Lee Han groaned quietly, clenching his fists. “Just be quiet…”

“Huh? What did you say, Wodanaz? Picnic? Going back? I don’t get it!”

Lee Han wished he could magically silence him right now.

Just then, Professor Voladi appeared at the top of the stairs. The White Tiger student, who had been talking, saw him and stood up straight.

“Good morning, Professor,” he said quickly.

Professor Voladi’s voice was calm. “What’s happening here?”

Before anyone else could speak, Lee Han jumped in. “We’re just having a… picnic in the dungeon…”

But the White Tiger student interrupted again, “Wodanaz is taking us to raid the dungeon!”

*Maybe I should just make him disappear,* Lee Han thought angrily.

Professor Voladi listened to the White Tiger student, his face showing nothing. He slowly looked around the hallway, his eyes falling on each student, ready for the dungeon.

Then, a tiny smile, so small it was almost invisible, touched Professor Voladi’s lips. Lee Han’s anger at the White Tiger student disappeared instantly, replaced by a cold fear.

“Well done,” Professor Voladi said softly.

“…It’s really nothing much,” Lee Han said carefully, paying close attention to decipher what Professor Voladi was thinking.

“Practice is key to becoming a powerful wizard, but so few truly understand that,” Professor Voladi said, his voice low. “Good. Keep practicing.”

“We need materials for the midterm, Professor,” Lee Han explained quickly.

“Surely there were easier dungeons you could have chosen,” Professor Voladi said, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“We… we didn’t think we had time to look for another one,” Lee Han mumbled.

“I see,” Professor Voladi nodded slowly. *A truly skilled wizard can achieve many things at once,* he seemed to be saying without actually saying it. *A weak wizard would choose the easiest path for materials. But a strong wizard, a battle wizard, would choose a difficult place to test himself.* Professor Voladi’s eyes seemed to fix on Lee Han. *Wodanaz is trying to be that kind of wizard.*

“I have just… adjusted the dungeon,” Professor Voladi added, his voice almost too quiet to hear. Silence fell.

Normally, if a wild dungeon far away had monster problems, no one would worry. But dungeons *inside* the magic school were different.

If monsters escaped, they could destroy professors’ workshops! So, even Professor Voladi, who seemed to care about very little, checked the dungeons regularly.

He looked at the magic flow, counted the monsters, and watched for signs of trouble. But to Lee Han, Professor Voladi’s words felt like they meant something else entirely.

*Adjusted the dungeon?* Lee Han’s mind raced. *Wasn’t it because of his ‘adjustments’ last time that everything went crazy?* A cold feeling spread through Lee Han’s body.

Unaware of Lee Han’s feelings, his friends offered words of gratitude.

“Thank you, Professor.”

“We’ll be back!”

“He’s actually quite kind, unlike the rumors?”

“Rumors can’t be trusted, after all.”

“Burn!” A small flame, no bigger than two fingers joined together, appeared in the air. Fire magic was powerful, even simple spells like this.

The ghoul, hit by the flames from the Phoenix Tower priests, stumbled back, smoking.

“Burn!”

“Burn!” More flames flew, and when many students cast the same simple spell, >Flame Creation>, its power grew. The ghoul screamed, burning brightly, and fell to the ground in ashes.

“Excellent,” Lee Han said, nodding in approval. The priests smiled slightly at his praise.

The White Tiger students behind them snorted. “All that magic for *one* ghoul?” one sneered. “What a waste! Real fighters use swords,” another added, puffing out his chest.

They started chanting magic to strengthen their wooden swords, looking very pleased with themselves.

Lee Han, still annoyed by the White Tiger student’s earlier words to Professor Voladi, turned to them, his voice sharp. “Oh, really? Draw your swords then. Let’s see if you can block *my* magic.”

“…Woah, Wodanaz. Why are you so serious…”

“W-we were a bit rude to the priests, weren’t we?” The White Tiger Tower students were horrified by Lee Han’s expression. They hadn’t expected Wodanaz to get so serious just because they boasted a few words.

‘Oops. What have I done?’ Lee Han immediately came to his senses. He needed to work well with the students, but from the start…

“I’m sorry. I was too harsh.”

“Ah, no. We were too harsh on the priests too.” Asan smugly wiped his nose. A person who stood up for the honor of others was truly honorable. He was proud that such a person was his friend.

“I’m proud of you, Wodanaz.”

“??” Lee Han looked at Asan as if he were strange.

“Wait, not that way, this way!” Lee Han called out, pointing sharply. “Ghoul ahead! White Tiger Tower, deal with it!”

“Careful near that wall,” he warned. “Ghouls like to hide there.”

“Watch your step, the mud is deep here.” Lee Han, his mind focused, gave instructions quickly and confidently. The other students, who had been just following along, started to notice something strange.

*Huh?* one thought. *How does he know all this?* Wodanaz had found the dungeon, so knowing the entrance was normal. But they were deep inside now, and he still seemed to know every turn, every danger. It was like he had walked this path many times before.

“That Wodanaz guy knows this dungeon strangely well.”

“Wasn’t the professor who taught >Repetitive Learning of Basic Magic Combat< the professor from earlier? I heard that lecture is a bit strange, didn't he lecture here?” “Don't make such ridiculous jokes. What kind of crazy lecture would take place in a dungeon like this.” Nilia closed her eyes as she listened to the White Tiger Tower students chattering. Wodanaz was not one to seek sympathy from others, but this time, Nilia genuinely felt sorry for Wodanaz. How did he end up taking such a lecture… The narrow passage ended, and a wide square terrain appeared where all the students who had been going in a line could gather in one place. Lee Han spoke seriously. “Alright. Be really careful from here on out.” “Wodanaz. You can stop worrying now.” The confidence of the White Tiger Tower students, who had dealt well with the ghouls that appeared on the way down, was quite high. In fact, not only the White Tiger Tower students, but also the students from other towers had somewhat relaxed expressions. It was only natural, as they had come down more easily than they had expected when they first entered with such tension. “Rakshasa Ghouls from here on,” Lee Han announced, his voice serious. Silence fell. “…Don’t joke,” one student finally said, nervously. “I’m not joking,” Lee Han replied firmly. “Rakshasa Ghouls live deeper in. We need to avoid their territory.” He knew the dungeon layout from Professor Voladi’s… *lessons*. First, narrow tunnels from the entrance, where normal ghouls liked to jump out. Then, wider open areas, mostly empty of monsters. And then, deeper still, the Rakshasa Ghoul territory. Here, the dungeon changed. It opened into a huge, rocky valley, filled with caves everywhere. *If I didn’t know better,* Lee Han thought, *I’d say this was a natural valley, not a dungeon.* “There are caves everywhere on the way down. Some of these caves contain Rakshasa Ghouls. Rakshasa Ghouls are monsters with a lot of appetite, so they only sleep inside the cave until they notice the presence of prey. So, we'll avoid the caves with Rakshasa Ghouls. Then we won't have to deal with them.” “How can we tell?” “I'll give you a signal.” “How can we trust your signal, Wodanaz? How can you tell?” “Go in if you don't want to believe me.” “Ah… no, I was just asking.” The student lowered his tail when Lee Han became serious after being questioned for no reason. A Black Tortoise Tower student tilted his head and muttered. “Wodanaz seems unusually sharp.” “It must be because it's a dangerous place. He's a responsible guy.” The students couldn't even imagine that Lee Han had risked his life and rolled around in this underground dungeon valley first. After carefully avoiding every cave, the students were relieved to see a patch of strange, glowing plants. Priest Siana gasped, her eyes wide with excitement. “The Bonesal Flower!” she whispered. “You found them!” Lee Han nodded, a small sense of relief washing over him. Two or three students from each tower carefully moved forward to dig up the precious flowers. The rest of the students kept watch, their eyes scanning the shadows. They had avoided the Rakshasa Ghoul caves, but a nagging worry remained. “Wait… what’s that light?” A White Tiger student on guard pointed down a rocky slope. Behind a large boulder, a faint blue glow pulsed softly. “Is that… light?” he stammered. “Is it an artifact?” Deurkyu spoke cautiously. “I don't think it's a good idea to move rashly.” “Wodanaz said there are no Rakshasa Ghouls in that cave. It's okay there.” “That's true, but what if…” Before Deurkyu could stop him, the White Tiger student, torch in hand, scrambled down the steep slope. He peered behind the boulder. And there it was! A helmet, glowing with a soft blue light. “An artifact! I found an artifact!” he yelled excitedly. “Deurkyu, look!” “I see it! Now get back up here!” Deurkyu shouted back, his voice tight with worry. “Okay, okay, I’m coming!” The White Tiger student turned to climb back up. *ROAR…* A deep, guttural growl echoed from behind the boulder. The White Tiger student froze. A Rakshasa Ghoul, huge and terrifying, stepped out from behind the rock, its red eyes fixed on him. He gasped, his body locking up in fear. His hand slipped on the loose rocks, and with a sickening crunch, the path beneath his feet crumbled away. He slid down, trapped on a narrow ledge, face to face with the monstrous ghoul. Deurkyu’s voice was filled with panic. “LEE HAN!” Lee Han’s head snapped up. He heard the fear in Deurkyu’s voice, and he knew instantly. *Trouble.* He looked down the slope. The White Tiger student was trapped. And the Rakshasa Ghoul was ready to attack. 'Wait. It definitely wasn't in that cave?' Lee Han couldn't understand. Of course, the White Tiger Tower student had carelessly gone down, but how could there be a Rakshasa Ghoul when there were none around? In that moment, Professor Voladi's face flashed through Lee Han's mind. -I just finished managing the dungeon. What was the possibility that Professor Voladi had placed a roaming Rakshasa Ghoul for Lee Han to provide appropriate stimulation when he came in next time? “Hold on!” Lee Han shouted, his voice echoing in the dungeon. “I’m coming to help!” *Mistake. I made a mistake,* he thought furiously. He had to fix this, and fast. If he didn’t… Professor Voladi’s words echoed in his mind: *‘I just finished adjusting the dungeon.’* The White Tiger student below stared up at him, eyes wide with shock. He probably expected Wodanaz to just leave him there. Deurkyu yelled, as if he had known all along. “Hang on! Lee Han will save you!” Confusion rippled through the other students. “What’s happening?” “Someone from White Tiger fell!” “Why? What happened?” “No idea! Something about an artifact, I think!” “Idiot!” someone muttered. Lee Han turned sharply. “Enough!” he snapped. “Anyone can make a mistake. Just… be quiet and get ready to help.” Asan said softly, looking at him with admiration. “Wodanaz…!”