Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 817

I was wrong about what would happen.

“Senior! What are you doing?” Lee Han shouted. “Usually, you run away first!”

Lee Han was surprised by Yukbeltire’s actions.

Catton watched them. ‘Are they not friends?’ he wondered.

They were in the same Tower, worked on research, and did tasks together. Catton thought they were friends. But they didn’t seem like it at all.

“I stopped him,” Dirette said, looking embarrassed.

He couldn’t leave his junior to fight alone while he protected the Duke. Dirette had stopped Yukbeltire from running away.

“Oh, I wondered what happened. Thanks, Senior Dirette,” Lee Han said, as if he expected it.

Yukbeltire heard his junior’s words and felt that strange feeling again.

Catton was confused. He rarely saw someone tremble like that.

“Hey, are you mad?” Catton asked.

“…I don’t get angry easily,” Yukbeltire said. “I am Catton of the Jahan family.”

“Sure looks like you’re angry,” Catton said.

“I am NOT!”

Yukbeltire attacked again.

The swords Catton jumped over flew back. The undead monsters Dirette summoned charged forward, making savage growls.

‘Hmm, that seems right,’ Catton thought.

Catton blinked and focused his senses. He became more alert.

The darkness was all around them. The flying swords made strange sounds, like whispers in his ears, confusing his sight and touch. His junior was hiding, ready to attack…

But a trained swordsman could always find the way.

Some people think magic users are not smart or strong. But swordsmen who train their bodies are very powerful too.

Catton needed to rush forward, past the magic users, and grab the Duke…

He used his special swordsmanship. Then, the telekinesis from the front hit his sword.

Catton was surprised by the strong hit.

“Yukbeltire of the noble family, when did you learn magic like that?”

“I didn’t cast it,” Yukbeltire replied.

“A trick, then?”

Telekinesis hit again and again, very fast.

Catton blocked the fast, invisible attacks. Then, he realized something was strange.

Yukbeltire and Dirette were busy controlling the artifacts and summons. They couldn’t attack like this.

“It was the junior from the Wodanaz family! I was wrong about him!”

‘Tch,’ Lee Han clicked his tongue.

He wanted Catton to think Yukbeltire was attacking. But Catton knew it was Lee Han.

As a combat mage, Lee Han should be on the front lines. But he didn’t want to be.

“Got you!”

The undead monster roared and jumped at Catton. Dirette sighed in relief.

“I don’t know if this will work, but…!”

Lee Han felt a chill when he heard Catton’s voice.

Pop!

Suddenly, many copies of Catton appeared. They blocked the undead monsters and artifacts.

Catton himself charged at Lee Han. Dirette couldn’t believe it and shouted.

“Can you even make copies with swordsmanship?!”

‘Tell me about it,’ Lee Han thought.

Lee Han didn’t have time to answer. He used telekinesis three times and jumped back.

Catton raised his arm, the one not holding his sword, like a shield. He shouted and charged forward. His aura-covered arm hit the telekinesis.

Once, twice, three times!

He knew Lee Han would disappear if he stopped charging. So, he kept going, even though his arm was breaking.

Catton’s arm was twisted and broken. He had blocked magic as strong as the 5th Circle three times with just one arm. But he didn’t care. He had reached Lee Han.

‘I’m in sword range!’

Lee Han used Lightning Mantle and Gonadalte’s Boiling Power, two spells he had ready. Then, he threw his staff away and pulled out his sword.

From now on, the sword was faster than any spell.

Clang!!!

Catton laughed as his aura-filled sword was blocked.

“Junior, excellent! You have so much power without even using aura!”

Lee Han used special magic to make his body stronger. He learned this magic from the Skull Headmaster. It used a lot of his magic power. He also had his sword, Dawnstar. This sword could take magic power from enemies.

He used all of these things to block Catton’s aura-infused strike.

But Lee Han was shocked. Catton was full of admiration.

‘What a strong guy!’ Lee Han thought.

He was using enhancement spells, including Gonadalte’s Boiling Power. But he felt like he had been hit by a powerful impact. It was unbelievably strong.

Mages become powerful when they can use high-level magic. Now, Lee Han understood why swordsmen who used aura were so strong.

His precognitive magic warned him of the next attack. Lee Han gritted his teeth and charged, facing the attacks.

He knew that running away would be even more dangerous.

“Umm!”

Catton was about to attack with one arm. But Lee Han’s sharp counterattack made him step back.

‘Is he using precognitive magic?’ Catton wondered.

Catton knew a lot about magic, even though he couldn’t use it. Lee Han was taking classes from all the schools. It was possible he could use precognitive magic.

If that was true, then the counterattack made sense. It was hard for a junior to react so well if he didn’t know Catton’s swordsmanship.

‘Even a senior is still human. If I can stall, I’ll have an advantage!’

Lee Han made a decision.

Catton was human too.

He was injured and had used a lot of magic power to move and make copies.

If Lee Han could hold on, Yukbeltire and Dirette would help.

“Hmm.”

But Lee Han realized he was wrong.

This senior only practiced his sword in the disciplinary room. But he was a monster. He could still attack Lee Han, even when injured and without magic power.

Clang, clang, clang-!

‘The sword is twisting?!’ Lee Han thought.

Lee Han attacked with a powerful strike. But every time his sword hit Catton’s, it went out of control.

Lee Han realized something when his fourth strike wasn’t as strong as he wanted.

‘He’s deflecting my sword!’

It was hard to believe.

Normally, it would be possible. Lee Han could block Gainando’s attacks with his eyes closed. Catton was much better at swordsmanship than Lee Han. He could easily deflect them, even without strength.

But now, Catton was being attacked by magic from all directions.

Lee Han was using enhancement magic to make his attacks powerful…

Catton was calmly deflecting the attacks and putting Lee Han in a bad spot.

It was amazing swordsmanship. Lee Han saw Catton’s eyes. The cat-like eyes were looking for a chance to attack.

He felt like Catton would never let go of his prey, even when wounded, tired, and in a bad situation.

‘This won’t do!’

Lee Han made a desperate move. The pocket watch used magic power to make Lee Han faster.

Catton was surprised that Lee Han was faster than normal enhancement magic could make him.

‘I’m so jealous! He has such amazing magic!’

Even though he was surprised, Catton’s body moved on its own.

His aura-covered sword blocked Lee Han’s attack.

Lee Han didn’t know it, but Catton was using the secret technique of the Willow Sword, the Fallen Willow’s Residual Transformation.

It was like a trick! Catton could block attacks and make his enemy in a bad spot!

Catton was wounded and tired. But Lee Han couldn’t break through his defense with force.

Catton adjusted his stance. Three sword strikes came at him. He blocked them.

Two more sword strikes came. He blocked them again.

“…?”

Catton felt something strange from the sword.

Lee Han hadn’t moved where he wanted him to.

‘What is it?’

Lee Han’s invisibility magic disappeared. Catton was surprised to see Lee Han’s eyes.

He wasn’t scared by Catton’s sword. He was still looking for a chance to attack.

‘He broke free from my control, but he can’t break through my defense with that attack…’

Rumble!

Only those who knew magic could hear the sound. It was the sound of magic power being condensed.

Catton was horrified.

Aura was forming on Lee Han’s sword.

Danger.

Reinforcement.

Precognition.

Acceleration.

Lee Han’s will and other things combined to create a powerful energy that couldn’t be made with normal magic power.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed from Lee Han’s sword. It was like a white flame, crackling with power. It combined with the Boulder Breaking Sword that Lee Han had learned. That strike shattered Catton’s defense and sent his sword flying backward.

Bang!!!!

“!”

Lee Han was more surprised than Catton. He didn’t think he could break through his senior’s defense.

“Excellent, Junior!! You can use aura!”

Catton was happy, even though he had just lost.

Lee Han wanted to thank him, but he couldn’t. The magic he had used was hurting his body.

“Ugh… Ugh… Cough… Thank… But aura… What are you talking about…?”

“The attack you just used. That was aura. Hmm. I guess that’s why the invisibility magic disappeared,” Catton said.

He had heard that aura could affect the surrounding magic. Magic was truly mysterious.

Lee Han asked again, trying to ignore the pain.

“But the sword didn’t change…”

Shouldn’t there be a flame on the sword if it was aura?

Catton didn’t understand either.

“That’s what I’m saying. It was about to erupt, but it stayed inside… Ah.”

“?”

“…Junior, you’re holding a sword that absorbs magic power.”

“…Ah… I’m sorry.”

Lee Han was embarrassed.

He was holding Dawnstar, a sword that absorbed magic power. It was silly to ask why the aura wasn’t burning.

“Um, but, Senior.”

“Ask me anything.”

“I think you should look behind you first…”

Catton turned around.

The flying swords summoned by Yukbeltire were aimed at his neck and other important spots. The undead monster summoned by Dirette was staring at him with its mouth open.

“Ah, I lost. I give up.”

“Can’t you let me go? We’re students here.”

“Shouldn’t you offer something?”

Lee Han was worried. Dirette and Yukbeltire looked like they were going to attack Catton.

Catton said sadly, “Junior, I have nothing. I’m always in the disciplinary room. I can’t do requests or research.”

“…Give me your broken arm.”

“Junior, you’re amazing at healing magic… I’m not…”

“Please be quiet.”

Lee Han covered Catton’s mouth and watched the two seniors.