Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 994

Lee Han tossed the grape. With a silent spell, his magic moved it perfectly. It flew in an amazing path and hit exactly where he wanted.

Rolling in the soft sawdust, the hamster shuddered. He realized Lee Han’s magic control was getting even better.

Usually, it’s harder to control small, light things perfectly than to move big, heavy things roughly.

To hit him so accurately as he darted back and forth—

—just how much has he practiced this magic?

“Stop changing the subject and tell me the real way to fix this.”

Lee Han said this firmly.

Why was the hamster talking about magic and changing the subject when things were so urgent?

The hamster shook off the grape from his back and squeaked.

—I already told you! You have to cut off its breath. Do you really think I would lie to a brat like you?

“Yes.”

—……

The hamster’s whiskers trembled with anger, and he started to explain in more detail.

—Listen carefully, you brat! A thought-form is not easy to use like you think. First of all, it’s against the world.

When beings from other worlds come to our normal world, it’s very hard for them.

This is because the world pushes away things that don’t belong here.

A thought-form is made of pure power and information, not a real body and soul. So, the world strongly pushes it away.

Even the hamster only wanted to take its power before it went crazy. He never planned to keep it alive for thousands of years.

That was impossible from the start.

—You wouldn’t know this, brat, but Gonadaltez’s avatar has come here a few times before. Do you know the story about the never-ending sleep? A whole area fell asleep…

“Hey, you magical criminal! Shut up and tell me how to do it!”

Lee Han threw the rest of the grapes. The hamster screamed and tumbled.

“Are you changing the subject right now? Should I make you talk?”

Even though Lee Han had been treating him with some respect, since he was from a noble family, the hamster was shocked when Lee Han snapped at him.

His body hurt where the grapes hit him, and he felt sad.

—What…

“You came here to steal the Vision. Someone like you must have planned for a problem. You must have a way to slow things down.”

—!

The hamster was surprised.

He didn’t think this brat would figure out his real plan.

Of course, the hamster had a plan in case the thought-form went crazy.

…But he didn’t plan on being turned into a hamster and stuck in a cage…

—…There is something, but it’s just a way to slow things down. It’s for escaping, not for healing… Not the stone! Not the stone!

The hamster squeaked as Lee Han picked up a stone.

—Even if I told you, I can’t do it in this body!

The hamster’s original plan was this:

He would prepare some helpers with strong bodies. If the thought-form seemed like it would go crazy, he would move the extra power to the helpers.

Of course, these helpers couldn’t handle as much power as a great mage. This was just to buy time.

—I can’t do that now. All the connections are broken. If that crazy guy hadn’t turned me into a hamster…

“The Engraver?”

—What did you say?

“You should know about it too. I can use that to overload myself…”

—…Impossible! I knew you were arrogant, brat, but not this arrogant. You can’t do it!

The hamster was so shocked that he forgot his pain and scoffed.

The hamster had heard of the Engraver. It was a strange and unique ancient magic.

But that didn’t mean it would work.

It was like someone trying to cross a flooded river in a storm when they had never rowed a boat before.

“Weren’t you trying to do something similar?”

—My plan was much more careful and used high-level magic. There were seventy-eight extra spells. You’re trying to do it with just one magic. Even if you can, what about the overload? I know you have a lot of mana. But don’t be too confident!

“There’s no need to argue.”

“!”

Intarendal had come in without anyone noticing. The two were surprised and turned around.

“Are you okay, Master?”

“Yes. I took the elixir.”

“…?”

—!

The hamster noticed it first, and Lee Han noticed it later.

It didn’t feel like medicine to make him better.

“…Could it be… is that elixir a poison?”

“As expected of Lee Han. Yes, you’re right. Gonadaltez planned for this.”

Intarendal said this calmly, looking sad.

Lee Han was shocked.

“No…! You said you were loyal?!”

“Some loyalties mean giving poison to one’s master.”

—Calm down. It’s good that it’s over, brat.

Lee Han used his magic to throw the hamster against the cage wall. The hamster tumbled.

Squeak squeak!

“I will explain everything. I’ll start with the item that Gonadaltez gave me…”

Crack!

A loud sound came from inside.

The workshop was in a cave, and the walls were made of solid rock.

The three of them stopped when they heard the sound of the rock splitting apart like a cracker.

“What…?”

—…Wait. Could it be the poison didn’t work? Did you check how much you used?

The hamster struggled out of the sawdust, whimpering, and asked the question. The head attendant answered, looking insulted.

“How could it be wrong when Gonadaltez prepared it himself?”

—That idiot head attendant…! How could you trust the calculations of a thought-form whose mind is failing!

“!!!”

Lee Han and Intarendal looked like they had been hit in the head.

Intarendal attacked the hamster with a magic whip and quickly tried to go inside. But it was too late.

Crack!

The rock inside broke apart, and mana, thicker and more powerful than anything they had ever felt, exploded outwards like a raging storm.

The hamster forgot his pain and squeaked.

“Young-rak! Prepare, Young-rak, you brat! If you don’t stop it now, we’re all dead!”

“It’s not too late. I…!”

The hamster became angry at the Head Butler’s words.

-Too late! It’s already going crazy! Your clumsy poison made it worse! We have to reduce the world’s Calamity Fire itself!

The opponent was already half berserk.

In this situation, a clumsy attack would be meaningless unless it could defeat that madman. There was no way he would easily give in.

He had to make him think clearly again and talk to him calmly. Right now, that brat was the only one who could do both.

“Shut up, slave!”

Thwack!

Intarendal ignored the hamster’s words and tried to get Ethan away. He couldn’t risk his master’s disciple by listening to a mere criminal slave.

However, Ethan was already holding his staff and casting a spell.

‘No!’

Intarendal, about to scream, stopped at the sight before him.

A familiar crown was appearing above his disciple’s head.

A crown made of bronze, copper, and woven branches.

There was no way Intarendal wouldn’t recognize that simple but beautiful crown.

“Basilios!”

Despite the Head Butler’s cry, Ethan didn’t hear it, as he was focusing all his mind on the magic.

It wasn’t just that he couldn’t hear the surrounding shouts. As all his senses were focused solely on the magic, he felt like time had stopped and only he and the magic existed in the world.

‘A perfect microcosm. When did he…!’

Intarendal was ashamed of himself for thinking Ethan was careless.

If he weren’t a true disciple, he wouldn’t have been able to inherit that microcosm.

Magic from many different worlds.

Power was summoned from that concept, strongly controlling the surroundings. The hamster watched as dozens of ancient magic circles appeared on the ceiling, floor, broken walls, and in the air in an instant.

As a wizard who had prepared something similar, the hamster could tell what the microcosm was doing.

‘Magic circles that spread out the overload?! In this short moment!?’

Even though it was a microcosm that had been passed down from ancient times, he didn’t expect it to be this powerful. The hamster felt goosebumps on his short body.

But the most surprising thing was the brat wizard himself.

To be able to withstand using such a microcosm while absorbing the world’s Calamity Fire.

‘No. That’s…’

The hamster belatedly realized Ethan’s condition.

He had been mistaken because his magic power was fine, but blood was already flowing from his mouth, nose, and eyes.

Even with infinite magic power, there was nothing he could do about his mortal body.

-Spread it out more! Activate more magic circles! Don’t absorb it directly, scatter it!

The hamster squeaked, knowing he couldn’t be heard.

And even if he could be heard, a response was impossible.

Right now, the ancient magic circles were already spreading out the Calamity Fire as much as possible.

You could see the air bending and twisting around them, and magic was swirling everywhere. It was impossible to predict what disaster would happen if the wizard himself didn’t absorb it and instead scattered it.

Click!

It was the microcosm that saved its master.

A small, barrel-shaped necklace hanging around Ethan’s neck forcibly opened, pouring its contents into its master’s mouth.

That wasn’t all. The overload also flowed into artifacts like the Behemoth bone necklace and the Morning Star. When it flowed into the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Demons, the inaudible screams of demons erupted from within like a chorus.

Finally, the microcosm rolled up the baby basilisk and threw it far away. The baby basilisk, who had been squeaking and trying to endure it with its master, swung its tail in anger.

The hamster buried his head in the sawdust and prayed.

‘Please, you brat!’

If this disaster ended and an even more insane thought entity appeared, he couldn’t even imagine what would happen.

“…Basilios has strict rules for its use.”

-!!!-

The hamster felt like crying at that familiar, chilling voice.

The mad doppelganger walked out of the broken building and looked at his disciple. His eyes showed worry as Ethan was still deep in magic.

“Basilios can only be used if you are noble and want to help others. I didn’t think royalty would also be noble enough…”

“Master!”

“I’m sorry, Intarendal. I have troubled you because of the royalty’s mistake. But… I will be able to fix it right away.”

The hamster was about to shout ‘Just kill yourself quickly’ but closed his mouth.

He seemed to know what he was doing, so there was no need to provoke him.

“There’s no need for that.”

-?!-

“!”

Not only the hamster but even the mad doppelganger was very surprised.

Ethan had already regained his senses and was speaking.

-H-How!? Wait. What did you drink?

The hamster was nervous as he saw an unusual brightness in the brat’s eyes.

Ethan, who had drunk the Liquor of Wisdom, spoke with deep conviction.

“Look. The world’s Calamity Fire and Heavenly Tribulation are really just like other magic. Shouldn’t a wizard be brave and think carefully, not act scared and fast?”

“You’re saying that after being torn to shreds from a brief meeting.”

The mad doppelganger spoke as if he was unhappy, but Ethan didn’t care.

“Master, if you’re a wizard, you should be thinking and planning how to stop this! What am I supposed to learn if you don’t? If you try your best and still fail, okay, fine. But hiding and then failing like this? That’s like a thief! What happened to the royal pride you always taught me about?”

-Y-You crazy bastard. Watch your mouth…!-

The hamster was worried.

He didn’t know what relic he had drunk, but his strange wisdom seemed to have made him bold as well.

However, the mad doppelganger didn’t get angry. Instead, he couldn’t say anything.

Silence.

After a long silence, the mad doppelganger finally spoke.

“…You’re right. If I trust my disciple, I shouldn’t have hidden the plan. I admit it. This is the royalty’s mistake.”

“M-Master!”

“I will try to stop the possible Calamity Fire. Without hiding it from my disciple…”

No.

A familiar telepathy was heard from behind.

Everyone in the room turned their heads, and a familiar skeleton was floating in the air, staring coldly at them.

You have thought well, but that is not the correct answer.

-Gonadal-tes!-

The hamster squeaked in terror, but the skeletal Headmaster didn’t care about a magical criminal like him.

He only focused his burning gaze on the doppelganger and declared.

The correct answer is to seal it away forever.