Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 671

Lee Han was deep in thought.

What’s my best magic to use right now?

A swordsman might have one strongest move. But wizards are different.

Wizards are strong because they can do many things. Their best magic changes depending on what they face.

What if I’m fighting many enemies and need to wear them down?

Lee Han would use bone shards powered by dark magic to make skeleton warriors.

And now, he could even use the power of Sharkan, Gonadaltez, Von Rigne, and the Basilisk.

What if the enemy is fast and weak against elements like lightning?

Lee Han would use the Lightning Spear or Pergunta’s lightning.

They were fast, easy to cast, and powerful.

If he needed a strong hit, he would use the Water Bullet. It was slower than lightning, but it hit hard.

If he just needed to pierce something, even without much damage, he could use magic to make his attacks stronger over time. If the enemy was like a ghost, made of magic, he would use the Morning Star. And if that didn’t work…

I don’t really want to use the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Demons or Pergunta.

Lee Han had these hidden powers, but he didn’t like using them.

Wait. There’s one more thing.

“Intruders, get out! Or face the mountain’s anger!” a rough voice shouted from outside.

“I’m sorry, Professor,” Lee Han replied.

“It’s fine. I was joking. Wardanaz, you wouldn’t attack a professor, would you?”

Professor Lightning Gait knew Lee Han was loyal, even if he complained about the professors all the time.

Professor Begreck, for example, followed orders and didn’t stab him in the back.

“No, that’s…”

Lee Han was so surprised he tried to explain, but Professor Lightning Gait was busy with Professor Bendozol and didn’t listen.

“Professor Bendozol! I am Lightning Gait of the Choi Dahr family!”

“Who are you!”

Professor Lightning Gait clenched his fist. A deadly feeling filled the air.

Lee Han was worried.

He wasn’t worried about Professor Lightning Gait hurting someone, but about what would happen if Professor Bendozol came back to the school.

Maybe it would have been better if he had stayed missing.

“I’m teaching students in Einroguard in your place right now. We met once in the Einroguard Mountains three years ago.”

“You’re teaching students?! Why would you do such a useless thing!”

The students looked gloomy.

They were thinking about how this crazy professor might come back this semester!

“Professor Bendozol, it’s not important why I’m teaching students! I heard unicorns have appeared in the Bitter Mountains. Poachers are coming here. We have to work together!”

“What trickery is this, you dwarven swindler! Gonadaltez told you to catch a unicorn!”

“Are you out of your mind?” Siana whispered in shock.

The professors of Einroguard were all crazy in their own ways, but they usually respected each other.

There was no reason to make things even worse.

But Professor Bendozol acted like those rules didn’t matter.

Professor Lightning Gait sighed deeply.

“That’s wrong. He’s completely lost his mind over the unicorn.”

“Lost his mind?”

“I told you. He becomes a madman when rare animals are involved. He’s not usually friendly, but he’s especially bad now. Something must have happened to the unicorn.”

Professor Bendozol became half-mad when he was near a rare animal.

If anyone got close, he would get angry, thinking, ‘You’re trying to steal the animal I’m taking care of!’

If that rare animal was sick, he became even more sensitive.

“Isn’t it possible that the Headmaster told him to catch a unicorn?”

“…Wardanaz…”

“Ah, no. I’m asking seriously.”

“If you’re asking that seriously, it’s even more surprising.”

While they were talking in the campsite, Professor Bendozol shouted.

“I’ll bury all the poachers, so I don’t need any help. Get out!”

“What should we do?”

“What else can we do?”

Click!

Professor Lightning Gait took out a crossbow and loaded it. Then, he fired a shot outside.

“Bendozol, prepare to die by a dwarven swindler! I’ll make you disappear forever this time!”

Lee Han was shocked to see the arrow create a complex magic pattern in the air.

A magic interference field!

Lee Han hadn’t seen Professor Bendozol fight before. But he knew he must be a strong wizard. Otherwise, he couldn’t be a professor with that awful personality.

Professor Lightning Gait was from the Imperial Explorers, so he wasn’t as good in a head-on magic battle. So, he created a magic interference field to start the fight with an advantage.

“You poacher!”

Professor Bendozol growled and shook a short staff to break through the field.

Of course, Professor Lightning Gait didn’t let him.

“Space, pull him here!”

The gauntlet activated, and Professor Bendozol suddenly flew in as if pulled by a strong force.

Thwack!

“You disappearing made me suffer for a year, you son of a bitch!”

Professor Lightning Gait’s fist hit Professor Bendozol’s stomach. Professor Bendozol bent over.

“…Professor…”

“It’s not that teaching you guys wasn’t rewarding!”

Professor Lightning Gait explained to the students and punched Professor Bendozol again. He felt better.

But Professor Bendozol still finished his magic while being hit. He turned into a giant mole and burrowed into the ground.

“Acid, burn the earth!”

Seeing him throw a toxic potion into the tunnel, Frost Gait panicked.

“Isn’t that too strong of a potion?”

“He won’t die from this, so don’t worry. What are the hunters doing! Aim!”

The hunters were watching and moved late. But they were too slow. Professor Bendozol suddenly jumped out of the ground and grabbed a student.

It was Gainando.

Flash!

A fairy bug from Professor Bendozol’s pocket teleported the professor outside the campsite.

Seeing that, Professor Lightning Gait realized his mistake.

He thought Professor Bendozol had lost his mind over the unicorn, but he was making smart choices.

No matter how crazy Professor Bendozol was, he couldn’t beat Professor Lightning Gait’s group who had a plan.

Taking a hostage was the best move!

“Don’t chase me, you poachers! If you chase me, I’ll feed the hostage to the unicorn!”

“L-Lee Han! Save me! Mmph!”

“Be quiet!”

Professor Bendozol disappeared into the dark mountain. Professor Lightning Gait gritted his teeth and said.

“He’s smarter than I thought.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to chase him! He can never feed Gainando to the unicorn.”

Professor Lightning Gait never backed down.

Professor Bendozol can never feed Gainando to the unicorn!

“Why? Does the unicorn not like it?”

“Siana Priest… don’t say such crazy things…”

“It’s because of the Headmaster. Bendozol was making smart choices even when he was crazy. So, he knows who will come here if he feeds a student to the unicorn.”

That makes sense!

Lee Han was convinced.

Even crazy people sometimes make sense.

That was when a truly crazy person might show up.

The Headmaster’s madness might stop Professor Bendozol’s madness…

“From now on, don’t look for the unicorn. If we find Bendozol, we’ll find the unicorn too. Change of plans! Hunters, track him in pairs with the students. If Bendozol attacks, the student will be a shield!”

“Yes!”

Lee Han answered and stood up to move quickly.

But his friends looked at him strangely.

“What’s wrong?”

“W-we have to be shields, aren’t you scared, Wardanaz?”

“Don’t worry. Professor Bendozol will never attack us.”

Lee Han was sure, but his friends weren’t.

“Why are you so sure, Wardanaz?”

“Wardanaz has some connection with the professors.”

“Isn’t that an insult?”

While his friends whispered, Lee Han got ready to follow the trail.

He was paired with one of the hunters…

The hunter gave Lee Han a strange look.

Then, he went to Professor Lightning Gait and whispered.

“No way. What are you changing? Are you kidding me? The King of Monsters? This isn’t the time to worry about your superstitions. Let’s go quickly!”

This time, Lee Han looked at the hunter strangely.

The hunter shrugged and pointed forward.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, well.”

The hunters lived alone in the mountains, but they shared the same goals, lifestyle, and superstitions.

They spent their lives hunting, and their tracking skills were amazing.

Lee Han had learned from Nilia, but there was still much to learn.

Amazing!

“How did you find the direction here? There are no footprints?”

“Sometimes the lack of footprints is a clue. Small animals are always here, but this soil has no traces. It must have been covered up after the footprints were made.”

“Indeed…!”

“Lower your voice. Many monsters in the Bitter Mountains are sensitive to sound.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

The hunter was kind, even though he was wary of Lee Han.

He answered everything and carefully pointed out what Lee Han should watch out for while tracking Professor Bendozol.

He was a better teacher than Nilia.

Nilia taught me too roughly…

Lee Han shook his head, remembering Nilia, who would say things like, ‘Just like this, feel it! Whoosh whoosh!’

“Can I ask you something else?”

“Sure. It’s not a new moon, so go ahead.”

Lee Han didn’t ask, ‘Why not on a new moon?’

Instead, he asked what he was most curious about.

“What is the King of Monsters? I’ve never heard of it.”

“The King of Monsters is from the old tales of us hunters. A scary being who controls all sorts of demons and monsters.”

The King of Monsters was a common villain in stories.

If the hero was an arrogant hunter?

He became lazy, sold his bow and armor, and met the King of Monsters, meeting a bad end.

If the hero was a brave but young hunter?

He found weapons and defeated the King of Monsters.

A convenient villain, used to teach lessons and scare children!

“…No, isn’t that a being from fairy tales and old stories! Does it make sense that you’re wary of me because of that?”

“Of course, the King of Monsters is from old stories. But if someone tames griffins and basilisks, it’s bound to be frightening.”

That was true…