Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 228

Lee Han kept his thoughts hidden as the other students lined up, shuffling nervously before the shimmering magic circle. It hummed with a low, unseen power, promising a journey to the Spirit Realm. Professor Milrei smiled warmly, but her voice was firm as she announced, “Groups of five are best for entering.” She pointed to the protective runes glowing around the circle. “Even with these safety spells, stepping into another world alone is still risky for first-years. Stick together. It’s much safer that way.”

“But, Professor,” a student asked.

“Yes?” Professor Milrei responded.

“Does Wodanaz go in alone?”

Lee Han wasn’t sure if he should thank or be annoyed at the student from Black Tortoise Tower for mentioning him. He wouldn’t have minded going in alone, but the attention was making things awkward.

“The Undead Realm offers little to students unsuited to it,” Professor Milrei stated.

“Ah, but there are other students learning black magic.”

Professor Milrei’s eyes sparkled at that. “Really? Who?”

Gainando and Rapardel reluctantly raised their hands, glaring at the student from Black Tortoise Tower who had spoken up.

Professor Milrei announced, “The two of you will enter the Undead Realm.”

“Well, hello there,” Lee Han said cheerfully.

Rapardel ground his teeth, muttering under his breath at Lee Han’s greeting. “Deutseu…”

He was being sent to the vile Undead Realm instead of the refreshing Spirit Realm! Black magic was proving to be utterly unhelpful, and his resentment towards it surged once more.

“L, Lee Han. Can’t you send me to the Spirit Realm?” Gainando pleaded.

“Gainando, I think you’re more suited to the Undead than spirits,” Lee Han replied.

“But… you never know until you try…” Gainando mumbled.

“Alright, everyone, let’s go in,” Lee Han said, pushing his friends forward, not wanting them to somehow slip into the Spirit Realm. “Can you get your hands off me?”

Whoosh-

‘How eerie,’ Lee Han thought.

The Undead Realm felt like a darker version of Professor Mortoom’s workshop and the area around the Black Darkness Hall. As a place filled with yin and dark magic, the scenery was bound to feel similar: darkness all around, ownerless graves scattered everywhere, and rivers where black mud bubbled instead of water.

Gainando, having half given up, seemed to have changed his mind. “Lee Han, what kind of undead would be good? Any recommendations?”

“Undead are all trash,” Rapardel interrupted.

Gainando chuckled. “Hey, don’t be like that, Rapardel. We’re in this together.”

‘Huh? Why is he acting so mature all of a sudden?’ Lee Han wondered. While Lee Han was surprised, Gainando whispered, “Let’s ditch that guy in a grave and move on by ourselves.”

“I can hear you, you vile bastard!” Rapardel exclaimed.

“Tch,” Gainando clicked his tongue.

“Both of you, stop it. Rapardel, you need to cooperate since we’re in this together,” Lee Han said firmly.

“Why should I…” Rapardel started to protest.

Lee Han immediately held out his staff, stopping Rapardel before he could even grab his sword. “…On second thought, I suppose cooperation is necessary.”

Rapardel nodded, grinding his teeth. Lee Han spoke kindly and gently. “Thank you for understanding. Now, lead the way.”

“Why?!” Rapardel exclaimed.

“You’re a knight,” Lee Han stated simply.

Rapardel was dumbfounded by the brazen words of the two Blue Dragon Tower students. Of course, knights and warriors traditionally took the vanguard in parties, but the problem was…

“Wodanaz! You have better swordsmanship scores than I do!” Rapardel protested.

Gainando exclaimed, “Wow… to utter such pathetic words…” To Gainando, who didn’t attend swordsmanship classes, it seemed like Rapardel was just making excuses to avoid being in the front.

‘Why would he make such a ridiculous claim?’ Lee Han wondered.

“Shut up, you royal brat! That guy is incredibly skilled with a sword!” Rapardel retorted.

“I need to use my staff for this expedition. You lead the way,” Lee Han said.

“Ha…” Rapardel sighed.

“Do it,” Lee Han’s voice turned cold, carrying an oppressive weight that brooked no argument. Rapardel turned away, fuming, and vowed that if he ever had to face that Wodanaz, he would bring at least four friends with him!

“Everyone knows the rules, right?” Lee Han asked.

“Of course,” Rapardel replied.

“I didn’t hear them,” Gainando admitted.

Lee Han and Rapardel glared at Gainando as if he were trash. “Basically, it’s no different from spirits. Wander around and see if there’s anyone useful,” Lee Han explained.

Whether wandering the Spirit Realm or the Undead Realm, the method of contracting with beings from another world was similar: either wander around and call out to them, or find them and approach them. Of course, a mage like Lee Han, who either summoned them or made them run away, was a bit of an exception.

“But Lee Han, aren’t most undead hostile, unlike spirits?” Gainando asked.

“That’s right,” Lee Han confirmed.

Rapardel, who was leading the way, flinched. “It’s okay, Rapardel. I’ll support you from behind,” Lee Han reassured.

“That’s right, Rapardel. We’ll support you,” Gainando echoed.

“…How disgustingly kind,” Rapardel muttered.

If contracts in the Spirit Realm were made through persuasion and charm, contracts in the Undead Realm were more likely to be made through force and combat, since the undead were generally hostile and would attack until subdued.

‘It would be good to find a skeleton mage,’ Lee Han pondered, recalling the names of low-level undead monsters. In fact, whether it was a skeleton warrior, archer, or mage, it was unconditionally beneficial for a novice mage to make a contract. Especially for mages, summoning a minion like a skeleton warrior to fight in front of them was very useful. However…

‘If it’s a skeleton mage, I can learn magic,’ Lee Han thought. The pursuit of knowledge was also one of the goals of summoner mages.

Powerful beings from other dimensions often had knowledge that wizards either didn’t know or had forgotten.

Of course, you couldn’t expect smart ideas from simple undead monsters, especially not from those who couldn’t even talk or think clearly.

The Skeleton Wizard was one of the few magic users among the lower undead.

Though it used magic by instinct, it could be taught with time.

It’s always good to learn as much magic as you can, whether you master it or not.

After facing a Roc Drake just to find a single black magic book in the library, you truly appreciate how precious these easily learned opportunities are.

“I found one!”

Hearing the voice from ahead, Yihan looked up.

A skeleton was charging at them, swinging a rusty bone sword.

Raphael immediately drew his wooden sword and clashed with the skeleton.

“How dare an undead like you!”

Thud!

The swordsmanship of a mindless monster was easy to exploit. Raphael twisted the opponent’s sword, pushing it aside.

‘Got it!’

Raphael’s expression brightened.

He was in luck.

He hadn’t been in the undead realm long, and already he’d encountered an undead monster.

If things went well, he could subdue it and make a contract…

Whack!

Whack whack whack!

At that moment, a water orb flew from behind, smashing the skeleton warrior’s head and shattering its arms and legs.

The skeleton warrior could no longer maintain its form and began to disappear.

Fsssss…

“Oops. Too strong.”

Yihan clicked his tongue.

The undead that appeared were weaker than he expected, due to the restrictions placed upon them.

He had based his attack on the Skeleton Headmaster’s summons, but the difference was significant.

“It’s alright, Yihan. You were helping Raphael.”

“Sorry about that, Raphael. Did you perhaps want to make a contract?”

“…Of course not! Did you think I would contract with an undead?”

Raphael turned his head away sharply. Yihan asked, puzzled,

“You weren’t perhaps wan…”

“Let’s go quickly! To find the next one! I have no intention of making a contract, but you two need to make one to end this boring exploration!”

“……”

Beyond just luck, this group member’s black magic talent seemed decent.

After encountering two more skeleton warriors after accidentally destroying the first one, Yihan was convinced.

Come to think of it, Gainando also showed some talent for black magic.

With several such students, it was only natural that undead monsters would be drawn to them.

“What do you think?”

“…Uh… I just thought it was because you were outstanding?”

Gainando looked at Yihan as if he were talking nonsense.

If that were the case, it would be because of Yihan, not particularly because of Gainando or Raphael.

“…Is that so? No. It can’t be entirely that. Raphael, what do you think?”

“Don’t involve me in your pointless arguments.”

Weariness was etched deeply on Raphael’s face.

He had failed to make a contract with the two skeleton warriors they met again.

This time, it wasn’t because of Yihan but Raphael’s own problem.

When he tried to subdue and force the skeleton warrior to submit, the opponent chose to resist until it was destroyed.

‘Damn it! What’s the problem?’

Raphael had decided to learn black magic to counter black mages.

He couldn’t simply skip over a major aspect of black magic like undead summoning.

He needed to find a proper summon and gain Professor Mortum’s approval…

“Ah. Another one appeared. Yihan, you subdue this one.”

“Isn’t Raphael the front fighter?”

“But it seems like they keep resisting when he subdues them. You try subduing it.”

“…What difference does it make if I subdue it?”

Yihan was slightly taken aback. Gainando replied with a frightened expression.

“You… you’re good at everything? So you must be good at subduing too… right?”

“Ah. That’s what you meant. I thought you meant that beings from other dimensions are naturally afraid of me.”

‘Isn’t that right?’

Gainando thought so but kept his mouth shut out of fear.

“Raphael, switch.”

“Hmph. As if it will be any different if you do it…”

Whack! Bang!

-■■■■■!

Raphael’s mouth dropped open at the sight of the skeleton warrior collapsing after taking just a few hits.

Anyone could see that it was a 100% certain submission.

‘Th-that?!’

“Well done, Yihan! Will you make a contract?”

“Hmm. I’m considering it.”

Yihan was lost in thought.

Contracting with a being from another dimension when the opportunity arose wasn’t a bad idea, but he wanted a Skeleton Wizard, which bothered him.

Contracts weren’t limitless.

They directly affected the wizard’s own magical power and mental strength, and the more contracts one made, the more the contractors’ residue remained in the wizard’s soul, making other beings wary and avoid them.

And more than anything, the moment he made a contract now, the other undead nearby would notice and instinctively keep their distance.

A strong soul vibration in this area meant that a wizard had subdued and subjugated an undead.

Just as it was difficult to find spirits near where one had made a contract with a spirit in the spirit realm, the same was true for the undead.

Still…

‘This isn’t the only opportunity. I can find a new one elsewhere.’

Yihan nodded.

“Alright. I’ll make a contract.”

As he declared his intention, he felt the sensation of intertwining with the skeleton warrior’s soul, just like he had with Perkontra before.

Of course, he didn’t feel anything close to Perkontra’s intelligence or strength, but he was certain that he could summon it with this contract whenever Yihan wanted.

“I look forward to working with you, Skeleton Warrior.”

“Raphael, why do you look like that?”

“…I was frowning because I hate the undead!”

As soon as Yihan finished the contract, Professor Milrei’s magic circle sensed it and summoned the three of them.

The students who had returned earlier shrugged their shoulders, looking disappointed.

“…I’m telling you, it was definitely a spirit…”

“That was just a leaf. You were seeing things.”

Professor Milrei looked at the three of them, puzzled, and asked,

“That was rather quick. Did you perhaps make a contract?”

“Uh… yes, we did?”

Professor Milrei was unusually surprised.

First-year students, entering a magic circle with safety measures, and they encountered an undead so quickly?

That was even more surprising than making a contract!