Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 928

Chapter 928

Direth pretended not to hear and opened the door.

A cool breeze blew from the empty doorway where nothing was visible, absorbing the prepared reagents in front.

When the triangular bone made of gold and the spinal cord of the spirit tracker disappeared, the empty doorway changed to a view of the undead realm.

"Can you see?"

"Yes. It's amazing."

By utilizing the artifact, exploration was possible without entering the undead realm or sending a doppelganger.

This door acted as a kind of proxy.

"Approaching like this would avoid scaring spirits away."

"...Is, is that why you want to use such an artifact?"

Direth was flustered by her junior's words.

Among the dangers one could face in other dimensions, spirits getting scared and running away was a very trivial problem.

In fact, it couldn't even be called a problem. Spirits attacking was a problem, not them running away.

Yi-Han spoke, looking slightly dejected.

"I suppose it would be a waste of reagents?"

"No! You can use it!"

Direth hurriedly comforted her junior.

Knowing her junior had suffered several ordeals because of spirits, she couldn't treat him coldly.

If it had been another junior from the dark magic school, she would have admonished 'Stop whining and accept it', but the junior before her had done too much for the school.

"The reagent costs seem expensive though."

"It's fine. I'll bring some from the professor's reagent vault. He won't notice once or twice."

Direth naturally sold out Professor Mortum's reagent vault as she proceeded with the exploration.

It was difficult to move between areas in other realms with ordinary maps like when exploring imperial regions. This was even more so for the capricious undead realm.

Direth took out a scroll-type map and chanted a spell.

"Pale horse with eight legs, guide us to where up and down are reversed and poisonous mist is thick."

Along with her words, a ghost horse with eight legs appeared beyond the door.

The ghost horse seemed to have mounted the artifact on its back as the view suddenly flipped. Yi-Han watched with interest at the rapidly passing scenery of the undead realm.

In the distance, a giant skeleton dragon was swimming through the dark sky of the undead realm, spewing ice in all directions, while a nearby swamp sucked in darkness and reversed its position to become a new sky.

Without deep knowledge and appropriate reflexes, most areas of the undead realm were quite dangerous places.

"Pale horse with eight legs, guide us to where smoke is exhaled."

Direth chanted again, holding the map Professor Mortum had personally written.

This could be considered a simple artifact containing Professor Mortum's memories and intentions, not just a simple map.

Such work was almost essential to find one's way in the complex undead realm.

"Found it."

Direth gestured as she discovered obsidian mirrors exhaling smoke beyond the door.

Seeing the appearance of the constantly shape-shifting palace, it seemed to be the place Professor Mortum had mentioned.

"We need to be careful from now on, junior."

Even with the artifact's protection, negotiating with a powerful being of the undead realm was dangerous.

One could be attacked out of anger for a single word or action mistake.

"I'll keep that in mind. What should I do?"

"All you have to do is watch, junior."

Direth spoke with confidence.

She wasn't harsh enough to give work to a second-year student using the artifact for the first time.

Her junior just needed to play a supporting role on the side.

"Now, beast that rules death and darkness. Hello."

-Get lost.-

"..."

"..."

The beast's growling voice from inside the palace.

Direth felt shame for the first time in a while. To be so coldly driven away with her junior watching.

'N-no. This is strange!'

Something was off.

Usually, powerful beings didn't hastily drive away those who had contracted with them or had connections.

Shouldn't they at least ask what purpose they came for?

"Senior?"

"Th-this is strange. Haha."

"It's natural for an undead realm being to act eccentrically and rudely. I'll definitely get revenge someday."

Yi-Han glared at the undead realm being who had insulted his heavenly senior.

No matter how strong they claimed to be in the undead realm, how dare they insult like this?

"...No! There's no need for that!"

Direth became even more flustered when her junior started planning revenge against such a powerful being.

Though it was embarrassing, she didn't want her junior to form a grudge with a big shot from another realm.

"This level of talk is just common in the undead realm. Understand? Don't think about revenge."

"Hmm. I understand. Then shall we just withdraw?"

"Ask if there's anything you want to ask lastly."

In Direth's view, there was only room to throw one more question. After that, they had to withdraw whether an answer came or not.

"I'd like to ask how Sharakan is doing."

"Alright. Please let us know about Sharakan's condition and we'll withdraw."

No answer came. Direth shook her head slightly.

"We should withdraw. Sorry, junior."

"It's fine. The other party is just bad."

Yi-Han further increased the grudge in his heart.

Just you wait and see!

It was then.

The constantly shape-shifting palace suddenly stopped and took the form of a main gate.

And from inside that main gate, a huge four-legged beast leaped out.

"!!"

"?!!"

'Did they read my inner thoughts?'

Yi-Han was startled.

Unless they had read his mind about getting revenge later, there was no reason for the palace's master to rush out like that.

To read Yi-Han's inner thoughts when he wasn't even present but in Einroguard.

-Grrrr!-

The four-legged beast that had leaped out suddenly lay down on the ground and started rolling left and right.

Direth shouted in confusion at the unidentifiable action.

"What on earth is that movement?"

"...It looks like it's playing? Senior. Can I ask directly?"

"Go ahead. Just absolutely don't reveal your name or location. You could face retaliation if you're not careful."

"Understood. ...Sharakan?"

No sooner had Yi-Han's words ended than the huge four-legged beast rose up, welcoming him.

Direth was even more flustered.

"Is that... Sharakan? Your summon, junior?"

"It seems so..."

In fact, Yi-Han was just as flustered.

What was before them was clearly a powerful undead being to anyone's eyes, not a mere summon.

But what this powerful undead being was doing now was undoubtedly Sharakan.

Seeing it roll around excitedly and dig at the ground...?

Thud!

The four-legged beast suddenly stopped moving.

Then it stood up majestically and slowly went back into the palace.

-Get lost.-

"...What was that just now?"

Of course, Einroguard students wouldn't simply get lost in such a situation.

Yi-Han stood his ground, determined to get an answer somehow.

-I said get lost.-

"I won't withdraw until I get an answer."

-Mage. How dare you test the patience of the beast that rules death and darkness...-

The words cut off and suddenly the beast rushed out of the palace again.

And it barked, looking for Yi-Han like before.

"..."

"..."

Thud!

The four-legged beast regained its senses again. As expected of a powerful being of the undead realm, it didn't lose its dignity even after showing such an unseemly display.

-Get lo... Grrrr!-

But that dignity couldn't hold up for the third time.

After rolling left and right on the ground for the third time, the four-legged beast no longer told them to get lost.

-...You vile mage. To trap the beast that rules death and darkness with such a trick!-

"?!"

Yi-Han was at a loss for words, flustered by the unexpected false accusation.

  *

In the end, the beast gave up and started explaining.

As the doppelganger grew stronger, the main body naturally recovered its power too.

Every time Sharakan absorbed mana, the beast, as the main body, had steadily recovered its power.

The quality of the mana was so pure and excellent that the recovery period, which should have taken much longer, was shortened in an instant.

The problem was that in the process, Sharakan also gained a self.

Originally, the beast that rules death and darkness had intended to give out a fragment-like doppelganger without a self for a while, not create a new lower doppelganger with a personality like this.

Up to that point was still fine. Even if it was a newly personified doppelganger, as the master, it could embrace it with a generous heart.

But Sharakan was more stubborn than expected.

-You, Sharakan. You are a doppelganger split from the beast that rules death and darkness. You should tear apart enemies with proper dignity.-

-Grrrr!-

-...You, Sharakan. I understand having affection for your contractor, but the beast that rules death and darkness submits to no one. Reconsider.-

-Grrrrrr!-

-...Grrrr! How dare you when I've been so generous!-

The beast finally gave up persuading and captured Sharakan, imprisoning it within its own being.

It planned to release it if it repented and lowered its tail.

This was why it had coldly treated the mage's visit.

If it carelessly contacted mages and heard news of the contractor, wouldn't the rebellion period just get longer?

However, Sharakan exceeded the main body's expectations not only in stubbornness but also in ability.

It had been quiet so the beast thought it was repenting, but as soon as the contractor came, it went wild and briefly seized control of the main body.

Normally, this would have been growth worthy of great praise.

For its doppelganger to become so strong in the undead realm full of numerous enemies.

It was certainly something to be proud of.

...The problem was that all it did with that strength was show an unseemly display in front of the contractor.

-Do you understand, vile mage? Your gift has corrupted the beast's doppelganger.-

"I didn't force it on you, and you could have stopped absorbing it midway."

Yi-Han naturally protested.

To complain now after happily eating it to recover their own power.

They couldn't be more shameless if they tried.

'Do all undead lack conscience?'

The beast growled lowly.

Normally, it would have lightly dismissed the mage's protest, but the current situation didn't allow that.

It couldn't keep fighting with its own doppelganger when it had just recovered its power.

-Mage. State what you want. In exchange, I shall persuade Sharakan.-

"Is it possible to return Sharakan?"

-That is impossible. Remember that Sharakan is no longer the trivial undead monster it was before.-

While weak undead monsters could be summoned relatively easily, it wasn't easy even to cross the realm barrier for powerful undead monsters.

Now that the main body beast had recovered its power and awakened, Sharakan was both beast and doppelganger. Enormous compensation would be needed to summon it.

"If it's mana, I can pay each time I summon."

-...-

The beast growled lowly, struck in an unexpected place.

Come to think of it, the other party was a mage who had somehow recovered the beast with great mana. Such a mage might be able to pay the cost needed for summoning with mana.

Suppressing Sharakan trying to break out from inside with superhuman will, the beast spoke.

-Mage. If you make a new contract, you may regret it. The price to summon the beast that rules death and darkness would be insufficient even if you scraped offerings from the depths of your soul... Fine. Mana will do.-

"???"

Yi-Han was perplexed when the other suddenly conceded.

What on earth was this?