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Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 59
🕑 Added 2024-01-01 12:30:12 +0000 UTCChapter 59
Anxiously, Asan posed a question, "Can't we just leave it behind? There's a 90% chance it'll endanger us too, right?"
His words caused a stir among the students of both the Black Tortoise and the Blue Dragon, who looked at Asan with shock.
How could he say such a thing?
“Hey, even if we leave the White Tiger guys behind, there are still the priests,” one student remarked.
"We can't just abandon the priests," another added.
"How can you think so coldly?" a different voice chimed in.
These reactions made Yi-Han wince; he, too, had harbored the same thought as Asan.
"It's too late to leave it behind now! Everyone, scatter!" Nillia urgently shouted.
Having faced dangerous monsters in the mountains numerous times, Nillia was well-versed in such situations. She knew that blindly fleeing with the monster at their heels was more perilous. They needed to disperse, slow the creature down, and then make their escape.
While running, Rowena urgently asked, "Can you use the <Yumidifus's Water Bullet> spell again?"
"What? I don't know what that is, but I can't use it right now! Just focus on evacuating everyone!" Yi-Han responded, recalling too late that Yumidifus was a famous imperial mage known for creating several water-based spells.
But regardless, the spell wasn't immediately available. It had taken him almost half an hour to complete last time. With the mud golem rapidly approaching...
"I hide in the night!" Yi-Han muttered a spell and disappeared into the rain.
He had already confirmed that the mud golem relied on sight to find its prey.
'It's a pity, but...'
Approaching the mud golem, Yi-Han retrieved a smoke chalk from his pocket, an imperfect artifact he had bought from the Black Tortoise's black market.
'Go!'
With a crack, smoke billowed near the mud golem, momentarily blinding it.
Yi-Han drew the Morning Star, a sword given to him by the academy principal, known for its anti-magic properties. The sword, made of black purplestone, absorbed the surrounding mana, emitting a strange sound. Even the bone summon recoiled from it.
'Aim for the legs!'
With a thrust, Yi-Han didn't intend to capture the mud golem.
'Just blinding it and binding its feet is enough. Mud golems are different from other monsters. They won't keep chasing if the students disappear.'
The effect of the Morning Star was better than expected. The golem, struck at the ankle connecting its thick legs, couldn't recover immediately and lost its balance, kneeling on one knee. Then something fell from above.
"?"
Instinctively, Yi-Han caught it.
It was a dwarf from the White Tiger.
"???"
Bartreck Bark, who had been gripped in the fist of the mud golem, looked around in confusion. He was being held by someone invisible.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to get up?"
Startled by the nonchalant voice of the unseen person, Bartreck hurriedly stood up.
"Could it be... Wardanaz?"
"?!"
Now it was Yi-Han's turn to be surprised.
'How did this White Tiger guy know?'
"How did you know?"
"I just thought... there's no one else from the Blue Dragon who would do something like this..."
"..."
Yi-Han was speechless. How could that even make sense...
"Help Bartreck! Assist Bartreck!"
"Bartreck! We're coming!"
As the mud golem paused, the students of the White Tiger regrouped and prepared for an attack. Despite being beaten and fleeing, their spirits were unbroken, which was truly remarkable.
Certainly, Yi-Han was furious. He muttered, "Seriously, these useless fools!"
Bartreck, for the honor of Wardanaz who had just saved him, pretended not to hear.
'These guys can't even evacuate properly?!'
Yi-Han's plan was simple. Using the weakness of the mud golem he had found earlier, Yi-Han confused its sight and bought time. Meanwhile, the students were supposed to evacuate on their own. Once all the students had disappeared, Yi-Han would use the power of his invisibility belt to vanish effortlessly. It was a straightforward and quite decent plan, but it was completely ruined by the students of the White Tiger. Of course, the White Tiger students hadn't heard Yi-Han's plan, so there was some room for understanding, but that was of little significance to Yi-Han.
"Hey, run away!"
"Everyone, get out of here! You don't need to come to help me!"
Bartreck was puzzled, but he did as Yi-Han instructed. The person who had just blocked the mud golem's vision and saved him wasn't another student, but Yi-Han. With his tower's pride and conscience, it was a situation he couldn't refuse… However, the students of the White Tiger ignored Bartreck's words.
"Bartreck! We're coming to help!"
"Bartreck, we're on our way!"
"..."
Bartreck involuntarily looked for Yi-Han, who, of course, was invisible.
Thud-
The mud golem, which had been stopped to recover its legs and had smoke around it, slowly started to move again. It seemed that the students of the White Tiger, coming through the smoke, had agitated the golem. The creature appeared to turn its head, staring intently at them.
'It looks like it's identifying a target and pursuing it.'
"Hey. How did you manage to get through here? The mud golem wouldn't have easily let you pass," Yi-Han asked Bartreck. Yi-Han could turn invisible and get behind the mud golem, but the White Tiger students didn't have such means.
"We threw a mud-dissolving potion. Priestess Siana knew how to make it..."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised. Such a thing existed. If such a potion was available, it wasn't impossible to weaken the mud golem itself.
"Great! Where is that potion?"
"We've used it all..."
"..."
Yi-Han restrained himself from smacking his own forehead, invisible as he was. Such a precious potion, wasted so carelessly.
Are their heads just helmet holders?
'Sigh.'
After a deep sigh, Yi-Han refocused.
The White Tiger students showed no signs of backing down… Given the circumstances, he had to inflict as much damage as possible on the mud golem before the smoke cleared entirely.
The best method now?
'Slicing with the Morning Star would be too small a wound for its size, and water beads would take too long.'
Without time to ponder, the White Tiger students were nearing. The mud golem had already raised its fist.
'Damn it!'
"Blaze!"
More out of instinct than thought, Yi-Han cast the spell. Being close to the mud golem, he was within range, and the spell was more aggressive than others… But the effect was far greater than Yi-Han had anticipated.
Whoosh!
Bartreck ducked in surprise. Suddenly, a fierce flame surged, engulfing the mud golem. The flame, which should have been extinguished by the pouring rain, kept burning, fueled by Yi-Han's mana.
"Amazing!!"
Bartreck was honestly impressed. Many students from the White Tiger may have disliked and envied Wardanaz, but this was undeniable. Among the new students, it was astonishing to see one burn down a mud golem with a single spell. The disparity was so vast that it inspired more awe than jealousy.
"I can't believe this!"
"??"
However, instead of admiration, Yi-Han let out a curse.
'I'm sorry, Professor Garcia!'
Yi-Han now physically realized why Professor Garcia had advised him to practice fire element magic later. In his haste, he had poured more mana into the spell than he could control, and the flames quickly became wild, escaping his grasp.
He had been too arrogant with his earlier success. Fortunately, the mud golem absorbed the frenzied flames with its own body. Otherwise, the fire would have spread in other directions.
Crackle!
'What's that?'
Yi-Han looked up at the sound of cracking. The mud golem was crumbling, being baked by the flames. Commonly, one might think that fire would harden clay, but if the earth wasn't properly prepared, it wouldn't harden when baked. Instead, it became fragile and crumbled like this.
“…You… You were aiming for this…!”
Bartreck was beyond admiration now. And Yi-Han found it hard to respond further.
—
Yi-Han dispelled his invisibility spell. Then, he joined the students of the White Tiger, who had rushed over, coordinating with them to slash and stab at the mud golem. Already brittle and crumbling, the golem couldn't withstand any longer. It collapsed and fell apart.
"Woahhhhh!"
"We got it! We did it!"
"It's all thanks to you! Well done!!"
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled by the White Tiger students who crowded around, expressing their gratitude.
'What's this?'
He understood the joy of defeating the golem, but why were they suddenly so friendly after the fight?
"...But who are you? I don't remember seeing you before...?"
"Which family do you belong to?"
"???"
The White Tiger students, while expressing their gratitude, sensed something was off. They had assumed Yi-Han was one of them since he was fighting alongside Bartreck, but the more they looked, the less he seemed like a student of the White Tiger. Unable to bear it, Bartreck stepped in.
"He's not from our tower. He's Wardanaz from the Blue Dragon."
"...Ugh...agh...!"
The students who had just been thankful now recoiled in shock, some even falling over.
'They seem more startled than when the mud golem attacked.'
"What... What are your intentions? Helping us?"
"No, how did you deceive us? Using the rain? But that doesn't make sense?"
"Did you use magic to trick us??"
As the White Tiger students indulged in wild speculation, Yi-Han shook his head in disbelief. Bartreck, limping, interjected. He had been injured when the mud golem grabbed him.
"Wardanaz came here to help us. He saved me. Stop talking nonsense, everyone."
"Bartreck! Are you okay?"
"It's just a sprain, but I'm fine. Can you gather the other students? Before we scatter too far, it's better to regroup."
At Bartreck's words, the White Tiger students nodded. Not all were recklessly brave students. The priests and priestess from the Immortal Phoenix or the more cautious (and in Yi-Han's view, smarter) students of the White Tiger had chosen to flee rather than fight. They needed to be called back before they lost their way in the mountains.
"But..."
"?"
"Are we just leaving Bartreck behind? Wardanaz, you won't do anything to Bartreck, right?"
"..."
"Ah, no, it's not that I don't trust your honor, but Bartreck is injured, and..."
Confronted by Yi-Han's cold gaze, the students of the White Tiger became subdued, stuttering out their excuses.
—
"Is everyone accounted for?"
"Yes, we've checked. No one's missing."
Yi-Han confirmed the headcount of the students from both the Blue Dragon and the Black Tortoise. Looking around, he saw that the students from the White Tiger and the Immortal Phoenix had also gathered. While Yi-Han's group had no injuries, the White Tiger students had the most casualties. Given their reckless charge at the mud golem, it was rare to find a student without bruises or fractures.
The priests and priestess from the Immortal Phoenix were busy providing first aid to these friends. Priestess Siana, in particular, true to her Flameng Order heritage, produced and distributed pain relief and bruise treatment potions. Yonaire marveled at her skill.
"She's amazing indeed! Being from the Flameng Order, she knows a lot of recipes, and her speed and craftsmanship in making them are just..."
"..."
However, Yi-Han, who had heard stories of jealousy involving Priestess Siana, was troubled.
-If only you weren't here, I would be the top!-
...Such thoughts suddenly flashed through his mind.
'I've already made enemies with the White Tiger, I don't want to make enemies with the Immortal Phoenix as well...'
As Yi-Han was pondering this, Priestess Siana approached him.
"I heard you fought the mud golem directly. Please, drink this. It's a bruise treatment potion."
"Yi-Han isn't injured..." Yonaire started to kindly explain, but Yi-Han was quicker.
He swiftly took the potion, downed it in one shot, and then expressed his admiration with all his might, "This is... the finest potion I've ever tasted!"
"Huh?" Yonaire was puzzled by Yi-Han's intense reaction. Sure, Priestess Siana was skilled, but a potion made in haste couldn't be that remarkable, could it? But Yi-Han's fervent response was just beginning. The skills honed by forcibly listening to the professor’s boring stories were spewing fire.
"Did you make this potion yourself? Unbelievable! This should be sold for money! By the gods!"
As Yi-Han continued to express his amazement, he glanced sideways. There, he could clearly see it. Priestess Siana's face was brightening with a beaming smile!
