Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 222

Princess Adenarte watched Lee Han, also known as Wodahnaz, with wide eyes. “I must admit,” she said, “Wodahnaz is quite remarkable.”

Even the students from the Blue Dragon Tower, who were usually not surprised by anything Lee Han did, whispered in amazement.

Opening the lock was impressive, but how did he do it so fast?

“Your Highness? Your Highness?” Neblen from the Kirak family called again. Princess Adenarte blinked, as if waking up from a dream.

The Princess blushed slightly and apologized. “Oh, forgive me,” she said, a little flustered. “It’s nothing important. I was just thinking… how did you open it so quickly? Perhaps you could tell me later?”

While Neblen was talking, Gainando grabbed the lock and shook it hard. A loud rattle came from inside, like pieces of metal falling apart.

“Huh? Did I break it?” Gainando asked, surprised.

“Gainando,” Yoner said, rolling his eyes, “Magical locks that are very strong are supposed to make noises like that.”

“Really? It sounds like one of the toys I broke a long time ago…” Gainando tilted his head, then moved on.

Yoner asked, seeing this, “You did unlock it, right?”

“No. I broke it. Don’t tell anyone.”

Yoner stared at Gainando, speechless. *He actually broke it?!* Yoner thought, shocked.

Carefully, the students went down the stairs into the darkness below.

The stairs were long and dark. They couldn’t see the bottom, which made going down very worrying.

“Let there be light.”

Lee Han summoned a sphere of light in front of him.

Actually, Lee Han wanted to use a spell to see in the dark without light, but he knew he had to make a light for everyone else.

The light helped them see, but it also meant anyone else down there could see them easily.

Since they didn’t know what was at the bottom, making light was risky.

‘But it’s more dangerous for this many people to walk in the dark…’

*Thump.* They reached the bottom of the stairs. Luckily, there was no Rock Drake waiting for them.

Instead of danger, they saw a familiar sight: shelves full of books lining long hallways.

It looked like the entrance to the library they knew.

“Phew!”

“Hah…!” The students sighed in relief, feeling the same way.

“Look! Chairs by the bookshelves! And tables!” one student shouted.

“And lamps on the walls! Can you see them?” another yelled, pointing.

*These students are acting like they’ve lost their minds,* Lee Han thought, shaking his head slightly.

The students were shouting about things that were normal, as if they were amazing discoveries. It was a little sad to see.

In truth, this was how the library was supposed to be.

Walls and hallways filled with bookshelves packed close together, tables and chairs here and there, and soft, warm light from lamps…

The wasteland where the Rock Drake appeared was not what one would usually call a library.

“Wodahnaz?” A familiar voice called out from a distance.

Nilia, a dark elf who used to be in the Shadow Patrol, stood at the end of the hallway with the priests from the Phoenix Tower. She smiled and called out to Lee Han, “Wodahnaz?”

“Wodahnaz! You’re late!” Nilia said, smiling. “I’ve been waiting. Did you see the sign I left?”

Lee Han felt a sense of unease.

Neither Nilia nor the priests looked particularly exhausted.

‘What’s going on?’

“Nilia, how did you get past the Rock Drake?”

“What Rock Drake? Why would there be a Rock Drake?”

Lee Han felt a sudden chill.

The other students behind him seemed to feel something similar.

Could it be…

Could it be…?

“…Did you guys come straight here as soon as you entered?”

“Yeah. Oh? What? Did you guys end up somewhere else?”

The students from the Blue Dragon Tower and White Tiger Tower went pale. Their faces all changed at the same time.

They had never felt so cheated.

The students from the Blue Dragon Tower and White Tiger Tower had ended up in the wasteland with the Rock Drake. But the students from the Black Tortoise Tower and Phoenix Tower had arrived straight in the archive maze area.

The archive maze was full of books, packed very closely together.

Because of this, the students from those two towers could find the books they needed quite fast.

“That was really a close call.”

Other Black Tortoise Tower students, who had arrived late, joined the conversation from behind.

“Hey, do you guys know what comes out in this archive maze area?”

“What comes out?” a student from the White Tiger Tower asked, his voice cold. He didn’t look curious at all.

“Shadow Specters appear.”

Shadow Specters. They are a type of ghost monster that really likes darkness. People say they can take over your body if you are not careful around them.

The archive maze had some lights, but it was still confusing and had many dark corners. This made Shadow Specters very dangerous there.

If you were unlucky, you could be attacked without even realizing it.

Of course, Shadow Specters were still a problem. But they were not as hard to fight as a Rock Drake.

“Well, good for you. We just fought a Rock Drake.”

“What nonsense… Wait, are you serious?”

The Black Tortoise Tower students, who had been laughing at the White Tiger Tower students because they always bragged, stopped and looked at Lee Han.

Lee Han nodded.

“A Rock Drake did appear.”

“…Well, looks like we all had a hard time getting here!”

“What do you mean, ‘we all had a hard time’!”

The White Tiger Tower students were angry, but the Black Tortoise Tower students just ignored them, acting like they couldn’t hear.

It wasn’t the Black Tortoise Tower students’ fault that the others had made a bad choice and suffered!

At least Nilia looked at Lee Han with some sympathy.

“That’s… too bad. What will you do?”

“It’s okay. It’s finished now. If you have any maps showing where the books are, it would be great if you could share them.”

“I can do that, but it might be better to prepare for camping first?”

“Camping? We’re tired, but everyone can still move for a few more hours.”

Nilia pointed to the ceiling. The lights hanging from the ceiling and walls were gradually dimming.

“It’s been getting darker slowly for a while now. And there are more Shadow Specters appearing. If you walk around without being careful…”

“Gainando! Shadow Specter!” someone screamed.

“Stop it! It’s trying to take him over!”

“Too late! It’s inside him!”

“Hit him! Keep hitting him until it leaves!”

“Priest! Help us, Priest!”

“…That’s what could happen.”

“Indeed.”

Lee Han watched as Gainando’s friends playfully patted his cheeks, trying to cheer him up. Gainando was still pale and shaky after their frightening encounter with the wizard Locke Drake earlier. But even without powerful wizards, the Shadow Wraiths were a serious problem.

These shadowy creatures were especially dangerous in this confusing library. The twisting passages and crowded bookshelves seemed to make them stronger, especially when so many people were together, attracting their attention.

Just moments ago, chaos had erupted when a student at the back of their group had suddenly screamed and lunged, eyes glowing with a strange, dark light – possessed by a wraith. Then, as they struggled to help him, it had happened again to someone else. The panicked shouts and flailing movements had only drawn more of the shadowy monsters.

Lee Han knew that in this dangerous zone, filled with not just wraiths but other unknown creatures, they could easily be overwhelmed and defeated if they weren’t careful.

‘If the number of Shadow Wraiths increases regularly, there will be a moment when their numbers decrease again. Is that why they set the period to be over a day?’

“Nilia, I’d like to get some advice regarding the camping preparations.”

“…Of course!”

Nilia answered with more excitement than Lee Han had seen from him all day. Derqyu, who was next to him, flinched slightly, overwhelmed by Nilia’s enthusiasm.

“Just because it’s the Restricted Archive labyrinth area doesn’t mean you have to think of it as particularly difficult. What’s important is the basics. You remember what I said last time, right?”

‘I wonder if he’s going to run out of breath.’

Lee Han nodded.

“First, find an open area big enough for several people to enter. The narrower the passage leading to it, the better. That way, monsters won’t come. You know that Shadow Wraiths come for the light, right?”

“I see…”

‘He understood all that?’

Derqyu was surprised once again.

He honestly couldn’t understand what the Black Tortoise Tower student was saying.

Is it because he’s smart?

“Is it done?”

“Mostly.”

The Blue Dragon Tower students, following Nilia’s advice, found a decent place to camp.

They unpacked their luggage in a wide, open space and covered the narrow passage leading to it with cloth to prevent light from escaping.

A faint light flickered in the distant hallway.

“Where was that again?”

“Those must be the Black Tortoise Tower guys, right? Looks like they’re preparing well too.”

Although they were a bit far apart, all the students from the four towers were scattered around this area, preparing for the night.

As complex as the Restricted Archive labyrinth area was, the further away one got from the center, the easier it was to get lost.

Besides, there were several advantages to being near this center.

From the fountain where water came out to various convenience facilities, they were all located here.

“Alright. Everyone, draw lots. We’ll take turns standing guard in pairs as decided.”

Gainando reached out and drew a lot. It was roughly in the middle.

“Middle, huh? Is that good?”

“If you think it’s good, then anything is good.”

Lee Han subtly avoided answering.

In fact, the beginning or the end was better for such camping, as the middle required waking up at an awkward time, making it more tiring.

“I should go get some water.”

“There’s no need for that. Spring forth!”

The student who was about to fetch some water from the fountain looked at Lee Han with an impressed expression.

Unlike the wilderness where Locke Drake appeared, water creation magic was possible here, but no student wasted their scarce mana like that.

But not Lee Han.

Mana at a level where it didn’t matter whether he wasted it or not!

“Wodanaz… if I ever hear other adventurers asking for a recommendation for an excellent magician needed in a party, I will definitely recommend you.”

‘What terrible thing is he saying?’

Lee Han was appalled by his friend’s behavior of cursing him after he made water for him. (Wodanaz was a mythical figure known for being unpredictable and sometimes foolish, so this was not really a compliment.)

“Wodanaz, the light has become much weaker.”

“It’s better to turn off the lights here soon too.”

It was felt that the library’s lights had become significantly weaker than before.

The more this happened, the more the Shadow Wraiths wandering around would see the students’ lights and come.

The Blue Dragon Tower students finished their meal simply with sliced bread, ham, a few candies, and water, then each lay down in their places.

In reality, they were just lying on blankets spread on the hard library floor, but no one complained.

Huff-

“Lee Han, are you asleep?”

“No.”

“Wanna play a round of cards?”

“No.”

“The Shadow Wraiths won’t come here, right? I wish they’d go to the White Tiger Tower guys.”

“……”

“What if the guards fall asleep? What if a Shadow Wraith comes in while we’re sleeping?”

Someone threw an empty candy box from the other side. Gainando got hit.

“Who was that?!”

“Just go to sleep. Please.”

“Yeah. Shut up and sleep, Gainando.”

Complaints were heard from all over. Gainando grumbled and shut his mouth.

‘It’ll be alright.’

To prevent monsters from possibly entering, two people were standing guard outside the passage leading to the open space.

Of course, Lee Han didn’t just trust his friends. He had also summoned Sharkan and kept him on standby next to him.

Mana was being wasted, but well, this much…

‘Should I have just told Sharkan to stand guard and let them rest… No. It’s better to be thorough. I don’t need to do everything myself either.’

Lee Han thought about the reaction his friends would have if they heard that: ‘Hey!’

In fact, if Sharkan was there, there was no need to stand guard.

“!”

Lee Han opened his eyes without realizing it. He checked his pocket watch in the dim ceiling light and saw that it was dawn.

-Grrrr!

Sharkan pulled at his sleeve, tugging him. Lee Han sensed that something had happened.

‘What…’

“Guys!! Wake up!! Wake up!!!”

The friends who were standing guard outside the passage began to rush in, flustered.

“The wraiths are swarming!”

“A-are you waking us up because of that?”

The Blue Dragon Tower student, barely awake from his sleep, rubbed his sleepy eyes and asked.

“They can swarm, so what…”

“It’s not just that level! Look!”

Several students staggered and moved towards the passage.

Then, with expressions that showed they were wide awake, they backed away.

“…!!!!”

“T-the Shadow Wraiths, what…?”

The outside of the passage was so crowded that it was hard to see properly.

The number of wraiths had increased to that extent.

At this point, it was no exaggeration to call it a sea of wraiths.

“They’re coming this way!”

The wraiths began to pour in through the narrow passage. It was as if a strong wave was crashing in.

Lee Han grabbed his staff and prepared his magic.

“Burn…”

“Lee Han!”

“What?”

“Is it okay to use fire magic in the library?!”

“…If problems arise, let’s say the headmaster is responsible. Burn!”

“!?”