Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 871

Most wizards spend their lives searching for truth. It’s a hard path, full of study and struggle. For them, magic is serious business, not just a fun pastime. This dimension, they say, is one of the most powerful of all. At its very top, they believe, lies the ultimate truth. But Lee Han? He was different. He picked up his wizard’s staff for a much simpler reason: money and a bit of fun. He was definitely not your typical truth-seeker.

“It’s not about being scared,” Lee Han said, looking up at the bright spot. “It just looks… risky. And who knows if what I really want is even up there?”

“Hmm,” the Yaksha King rumbled, considering this. “That is… a fair point.” He seemed a little surprised by Lee Han’s words. “People say that light is everything, every wish come true. But no one has ever truly proven it.”

He paused. “Few who climb that high ever come back. Only your teacher, Oh-soo, that I know of.”

“Well, most wizards aren’t as sensible as me,” Lee Han muttered. “They hear ‘wish’ and they all rush in, greedy as anything.”

“Sensible?” The Yaksha King chuckled, a deep sound like stones grinding together. “Or perhaps… less driven by grand ambitions?” He tilted his head. “Did your teacher, Oh-soo, learn this… caution… the hard way? Did he fail to reach the top?”

Lee Han’s eyes widened. “Tell me everything!” he urged. The idea of a juicy story about his strict teacher failing was far more interesting than some distant, possibly fake, wish-granting light.

“It’s just a little story,” the Yaksha King said dismissively, as if brushing away dust.

‘Little story?!’ Lee Han thought, his temper flaring. ‘This Yaksha has no idea about the value of a good scandal!’

But before he could argue, the Yaksha King moved. He reached a hand the size of a small house up into the swirling, star-dusted sky. Lee Han gasped as he saw the King pluck a planet – a real, glowing planet – right out of the void. It hung in the air for a moment, impossibly small in the Yaksha King’s grasp, before he tossed it forward like a stone skipping across water.

As it flew, the planet shimmered and changed, growing larger, taking shape. In moments, it had transformed into a magnificent palace, built of dark, gleaming stone, towers reaching like jagged teeth towards the strange sky. Then, even more astonishingly, the Yaksha King seemed to multiply. One moment there was one, then dozens, then hundreds, all identical, each taking their place within the newly formed palace – some becoming stern gatekeepers, others bowing servants, still others musicians tuning strange, otherworldly instruments.

“But… where are the *Yakshas*?” Lee Han asked, bewildered. “I thought you were the King of the Yakshas?”

The Yaksha King chuckled, a sound like rocks tumbling down a cliff. “Down there,” he gestured vaguely downwards. “Only a weak king needs to surround himself with followers when he can create his own palace and servants with a thought.”

Lee Han almost blurted out, ‘Well, my teacher, the Skeleton Headmaster, uses loads of Death Knights!’ but he bit his tongue. He had a feeling the Yaksha King wouldn’t appreciate the comparison.

The Yaksha King gestured towards two chairs that appeared as if from nowhere. One was made of jagged lava rock, still glowing faintly red. The other was a throne of sharp, gleaming blades. “Choose,” the Yaksha King rumbled. When Lee Han just stared, horrified, the King sighed. “Humans,” he muttered, and with another wave of his hand, a simple wooden chair appeared. “There. As I said, I don’t see humans often. My memory of your… seating preferences… is hazy.”

“Are there any races that like to sit on blade chairs?”

Oh-soo sat in that chair.

After giving Lee Han enough time to be dumbfounded, the Yaksha King brought up the main point.

Well. Oh-soo’s disciple. I’m actually a little confused. You have the qualifications to visit the dimension, you have accumulated great good deeds, and you are also Oh-soo’s disciple. So I came here to help you achieve your purpose. But if Oh-soo didn’t send you, and you didn’t come here after hearing the rumors of truth…

The Yaksha King muttered with a deeply troubled face.

He was a Yaksha King who had lived for so long that he couldn’t even remember. During that time, the way of life that the Yaksha King had maintained was very simple and straightforward.

Help those who are qualified and banish those who are not.

But who knew that a wizard with no desire would just visit out of boredom.

“I didn’t visit out of boredom, I was kidnapped…”

Hmm. If you’re Oh-soo’s disciple, you should have been able to avoid being drawn in by the dimensional door.

“…That black book tricked me!”

Lee Han pointed to the black book fluttering next to him and was furious.

The black book flew behind Lee Han and avoided his gaze.

“More than that, if you’re worried about that, just send me back?”

Since he was forcibly dragged here, Lee Han had no reason to stay in this dimension for long.

From what he heard, it was a vast and dangerous place, and the longer he stayed, the harder it would be for Lee Han, who only liked the black book.

The black book fluttered that he should learn more while he was here, but Lee Han ignored it.

‘According to that logic, I have to visit the Ghoul King, starting with the Frost Giant King dimension.’

No. That won’t do.

“…Why!? Is it impossible to go back?”

Hmm. It’s not like that. The door back to the original dimension can be found easily. But I’m a principled person, so I can’t send back a guest who has the qualifications to visit without helping them get what they want.

“…I just said I wanted to go back.”

Since you have the qualifications to visit the dimension, your return is also guaranteed. That can’t be a wish.

‘It’s a good thing this person isn’t a professor.’

Lee Han felt dizzy.

If the Skeleton Headmaster had scouted the Yaksha King before returning, Einroguard would have become an even more hellish place.

I can’t help it. Oh-soo’s disciple. I’ll take out your wish.

“I just want treasure. Let’s do treasure.”

Hmm. You’re not good at lying. I know you’re Oh-soo’s disciple, so that kind of lie won’t work.

When he saw Lee Han’s fist clenching tightly, the black book fluttered as if to stop him.

The Yaksha King reached out to the distant palace tower as before and grabbed it. The huge tower became so small that it seemed to fit in the palm of his hand.

Then a black rat came out of the tower and whispered to the Yaksha King, squeaking.

Hmm. Hmm… I see. That’s right.

The Yaksha King sent the rat and the tower back and looked at Lee Han.

Oh-soo’s disciple. It seems like you’re taking an exam soon. Is it a very important exam?

“…It’s just a school exam…”

Lee Han had to explain for about 30 more minutes after that.

The Yaksha King couldn’t understand that a wizard who was Oh-soo’s disciple was concentrating so wholeheartedly on the Magic Tower exam.

It’s not like the wizards’ heads will be cut off if they fail, and it’s not like the Magic Tower will be burned down, is it?

“I might go to the disciplinary room…”

Hmm. I don’t know why you volunteered to be Oh-soo’s disciple.

“I didn’t volunteer!”

Anyway, I understand. I’ll help you with the Magic Tower exam.

The Yaksha King bent his huge body and sat in front of the table. Books soared above the table, which was as big as the owner.

Among them were books from other dimensions that Lee Han couldn’t read.

Let’s see… >Wand Materials and Magic Amplification>. Hmm. I think there’s some Blood Silver extracted by melting the King Slayer from eight hundred years ago somewhere. It might have a bit of evil energy, but if you’re Oh-soo’s disciple, you should be able to control it, right?

“No?”

Lee Han answered immediately.

Having already experienced it in front of the professors of Einroguard, he was convinced that he could really die if he showed confidence in this situation.

The Yaksha King pointed out as if telling him not to pretend to be humble.

Oh-soo’s disciple. Of course, this Blood Silver is a bit of a strong material. It drove dozens of owners crazy. But if you’re Oh-soo’s disciple…

“I have a wand here.”

Black Obsidian?

The Yaksha King was amazed at the unusual wand metal that ordinary wizards wouldn’t choose.

“Yes. Somehow…”

Indeed. Did you make it to specialize in dealing with wizards? You’re worthy of being Oh-soo’s disciple.

Lee Han was too tired to explain and didn’t answer.

I understand. Then the next exam… >Hideously Beautiful Creatures>?

“The professor decided to skip this one.”

Hmm. Why are you so anxious and worried about an easy exam that can be skipped?

“There are so many exams.”

Well. It doesn’t seem to make a big difference whether there’s one or ten exams below the standard. Maybe…

“?”

…You might be a needlessly worried person. Interesting.

“…Let’s look at the next exam.”

Next is >Poison, Bones, Blood>.

“That’s also been skipped.”

Hmm.

‘The opponent is a king. The opponent is a king.’

Lee Han showed superhuman patience at the sight of the Yaksha King nodding his head as if saying, ‘I knew it.’

>Prophecy Magic Good for Going Crazy>… Demons are good at this.

“Does Your Highness also capture demons and use them as slaves?”

No. I don’t do that. It’s not befitting of a king of various races, including the Yaksha.

“Haha. That’s right.”

Did you just say ‘also’?

“I’m emotional, irrational, bad at lying, and my soul is badly damaged, so I sometimes say the wrong thing.”

I feel like there’s a hidden metaphor in your words…

The Yaksha King was suspicious but let it go for now.

What’s important now was something else.

I was wondering what this >Star Guide> exam is.

“Yes. Do you know?”

It’s not difficult. If a human wizard uses stars, it’s an obvious thing.

Wizards were not people who changed the world crudely, but people who changed it cleverly and skillfully.

Of course, borrowing the power of other beings was also included in that clever and skillful method.

The power of spirits, the power of demons, the power of beings living in other dimensions…

And among them was the power of stars.

A symbol of unchanging stability far more stable than dimensions.

Lee Han nodded as he knew what he was talking about.

“I know that high-level wizards use the power of stars, but…”

Using the power of stars for prophecy magic or using the power of stars for contracts with spirits, etc.

Lee Han already knew these things.

But what he was curious about now was the content of the exam using that >Star Guide>.

As I said, it’s obvious. The exam will be to find a star using the artifact and then contract with that star to borrow its power.

“Indeed… …Oh, but that seems too much. Wouldn’t it be a little easier?”

Lee Han suddenly felt strange.

It sounded too difficult for a third-year exam.

Stars shouldn’t be as easy to contract with as spirits and demons…

Then the Yaksha King seriously lectured.

Oh-soo’s disciple. I have lived for countless ages that I can’t even remember, and I have met countless wizards and heard the secrets of their magic. How dare you doubt my wisdom so carelessly. Immaturity is a natural emotion, but you must also know how to control it.

“Hmm. I’m sorry.”

The slightly budding suspicion was overwhelmed by the authority emanating from the Yaksha King. Lee Han was persuaded by the other party’s words.