Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 870

Chapter 870

'This place is...'

Yi-Han mentally checked the two magics stored in his <Lesser Magic Storage> while spreading a barrier made with <Wardanaz's Telekinesis> around him.

After finishing the most urgent preparations, the next was enhancement magic.

Starting with foresight, he quickly raised his physical abilities and lowered his posture. He grasped his staff with one hand and the collar of his defensive cloak with the other.

"..."

After completing all tasks quickly without a moment's waste, Yi-Han suddenly felt dumbfounded.

'...Why have I become so good at this?'

They say practice makes perfect, but wasn't this too perfect!

Even he was astonished at himself.

'Don't think about anything else.'

Yi-Han carefully returned to his original posture and looked around. There were no endless falling traps or ambushes by angry spirits as he had worried.

Instead, what greeted Yi-Han was an infinite horizon and skyline whose ends couldn't be seen.

Even Einroguard's mountain range was quite impressive in scale, but compared to the mountain ranges visible far below, it would feel like a hill.

The sea below those mountain ranges was similarly surreal.

It moved quietly and eerily like a dark blue living being, so vast and deep it was dizzying.

Mountains behind the sea, and sea behind the mountains...

Overwhelmed by the sensation, when he looked up, stars and planets he had never seen before were slowly floating in the air.

He hadn't noticed while looking around, but the place where Yi-Han was standing was also a mountain.

It was just so huge that he couldn't feel the steep slope.

As a mage, everyone had to learn more or less about realms, and Yi-Han, who was taking all schools' lectures, had naturally learned more than most, but the sight before his eyes now was honestly surprising.

Even among the realms he had seen and learned about so far, there wasn't one with such a transcendent scale.

'What kind of realm is this?'

As he was pondering, the black book flew in from behind. It had clearly followed Yi-Han through the realm gate.

Yi-Han greeted it cheerfully.

"Die!"

As befitting a skilled combat mage, Yi-Han utilized his black purplestone staff.

The opponent was clearly a being made of magic, so he struck at its weakness.

But the black book was not to be underestimated. As if it had expected Yi-Han to attack, it quickly fluttered away to create distance and immediately cast a spell.

The black book multiplied into dozens of copies, and pages flew through the air like snow.

It wasn't simply an illusion to hide its main body, but each page contained a strong force that bound Yi-Han's movements when touched.

As the colliding pages tried to wrap around him like bandages on a mummy, Yi-Han immediately swung Baldoorn's mana hammer to blow them away and focused power on the black purplestone part of his staff.

Pop!

Unlike the mana hammer swung at close range, the black purplestone could interfere remotely if it just made contact with the opponent's magic. Dozens of pages scattered.

The black book fluttered its pages as if it found it absurd that a mage would use such a vicious staff. Realizing it couldn't stop Yi-Han like this, the pages began to transform into an army.

Seeing the familiar knights of the skull principal, Yi-Han gritted his teeth.

"You dare push me into a realm gate and shamelessly summon an army?"

-...-

The black book felt truly wronged.

Of course, it hadn't stopped the Gate of Nine Mountains and Eight Seas from approaching.

But that wasn't something the black book could stop in the first place. Only those qualified could approach that realm originally.

And it hadn't pushed him either!

"Hmph. It doesn't matter. I'll show you the power of a dragon."

-!?-

When Yi-Han made such an eerie statement, the black book was slightly scared.

What on earth had he done in the meantime to say he would show the power of a dragon?

-An outsider.-

"...!"

At the gruff voice coming from behind, Yi-Han deeply blamed the black book.

It was because of this bastard that he hadn't noticed the approach.

"It's because of you!"

-...-

The black book fluttered again as if to say it was wronged once more.

The one who had spoken from behind had a somewhat familiar appearance.

A huge body rivaling a giant, with a vicious appearance reminiscent of a ghost.

It was a Yaksha race he had seen once in Einroguard.

The difference was that the Yaksha in Einroguard was old and dressed simply, but the Yaksha before his eyes was young and dressed in majestic attire.

Yi-Han's voice naturally became polite.

"Are you perhaps... a Yaksha?"

-I am and am not a Yaksha. Are you really human? I don't see humans that often, so I'm confused.-

"I am."

-I see. Then call me the Yaksha King. You humans would find 'king' easier to understand, right?-

"So you're a king!"

Yi-Han's politeness increased even more.

He had felt many times how powerful beings with the title of king from other realms were.

-Hmm. Are you perhaps Os's disciple?-

"..."

Yi-Han pondered for about a second at the question.

Apart from the mental pain of acknowledging being the skull principal's disciple, what would be the most beneficial way to answer right now?

'First of all, I heard this realm was visited by the skull principal in his youth. Then he probably didn't cause too much trouble. Surely he didn't go around picking fights here.'

The black book beside him also fluttered as if to say he should acknowledge it. Yi-Han glared at it once before speaking.

"I might be able to say that I am... but I can't completely deny that I'm not... and if we're being precise, the concept of disciple..."

-You're an unusual human. Perhaps the kingdom you were born and raised in has a custom of speaking like this?-

The Yaksha King analyzed Yi-Han's answer with an attitude that blended dignity and coolness.

Feeling embarrassed, Yi-Han just admitted it.

"Actually, I am his disciple."

-Is that so? Then was your roundabout speech just now due to emotions of not wanting to acknowledge being Os's disciple? There are several reasons a disciple might not want to acknowledge their master, but in my view, your reason is...-

"..."

  *

The Yaksha King gave Yi-Han, whom he had just met, about 30 minutes of psychological counseling before standing up.

During that time, analyses like 'You might have been twisted because of an overly caring master' came out, but Yi-Han endured with superhuman patience.

Thud!

The Yaksha King took off his huge armor and helmet that gleamed with a reddish-gold color and put them directly on Yi-Han. Yi-Han asked in surprise.

"What is this?"

-This realm is vast. I know you mages have the talent to wander realms, but even considering that, it's an expansive place. You might get lost or meet enemies, so I've given you my helmet.-

"...Thank you."

-Come to think of it, mages like knowledge, don't they? I should tell you something interesting. According to records, mages who visit this realm, unless it's an extremely rare case, visit by accident. And they don't survive for 3 days.-

"You're really kind."

Yi-Han answered artificially.

What kind of person gives such information to a guest?

'I really shouldn't associate with the skull principal's acquaintances in the future.'

-I'm not kind. I'm helping because you're Os's disciple. If I were kind, would I have let those mages die?-

"Were you close with my master?"

The Yaksha King pointed to his own eyes that burned with a golden light in response to Yi-Han's question. They were eyes that emanated a powerful magical aura.

"Did my master give them to you as a gift?"

-Os took out my eyes and made new ones.-

"Actually, as I said earlier, I'm not on good terms with my master."

Despite Yi-Han's words, the Yaksha King tapped the scabbard at his waist as if he didn't care much.

-I see. Do you think I might take out my grudge against you, as grudges built by masters are often inherited by disciples among humans? I don't care at all.-

Yi-Han didn't answer immediately.

After dealing with Yukbeltire recently, he had felt with his whole body that the words 'I don't care at all' might actually be a lie.

-Os took my eyes for a test. I had become curious.-

"You mean how well he could take out eyes??"

-Is that a joke? Jokes are often quite different depending on regional customs, so they're hard to be effective.-

"Haha. That's a shame. It was my best joke."

The Yaksha King continued his story without any change in expression.

This realm was one of the most vast, endless, infinite, and only accessible to those qualified among countless realms.

The Yaksha King had also been ruling over Yakshas and several races since time immemorial.

Then one day, a young human mage visited the realm. Not by accident or mistake, but with qualification.

Normally, he would have left him alone, but the Yaksha King became interested and approached.

The good karma the other had accumulated was truly surprising, like nothing he had seen before.

"Not bad karma?"

-Hmm. Perhaps the kingdom you were born and raised in has severe noise pollution, weakening your hearing?-

Yi-Han firmly resolved never to speak carelessly in front of this Yaksha King again.

"That might be the case..."

-I'll keep that in mind from now on. I became curious about how strong he was and challenged him to a match...-

"You injured one eye, I see."

-To be precise, I was injured much more.-

"..."

Yi-Han was starting to wonder if he should run away or not.

For a Yaksha who said he didn't care about grudges, he seemed to remember too well.

"But why did my master visit here?"

-You don't know?-

"Uh, no."

-Hmm. This is unusual too. Usually, when a master sends a disciple to such a dangerous place, they give as much caution and explanation as possible. To send you without such explanation. The most likely possibility is... you stole your master's secret arts and found out how to visit on your own?-

"Absolutely not."

Yi-Han became serious even though he was facing the Yaksha King.

-Is that so? Then how did you come to visit?-

"There's a truly sad and evil circumstance behind this."

Filled with resentment, Yi-Han explained what had happened.

The skull principal gave him a book and he learned some magic from it, but then that bastard...

The black book fluttered its pages as if grumbling. It felt it was too much to blame it for not being able to stop one realm gate after all it had done well so far.

After hearing the explanation, the Yaksha King tilted his head as if he didn't understand.

-Surprising. I can't believe it.-

"Right?! I can't believe it either."

-Ah. It seems you and I are talking about slightly different things. You, human, probably meant it's unbelievable for a master to do this? I was talking about Os. Os would have certainly been considered kind and good-natured by human race standards. To treat a disciple like this.-

Yi-Han looked at the Yaksha King as if he were looking at Gainando.

"You've been deceived."

-Hmm. Time can change personalities.-

"I'm telling you, you've been deceived."

-Even so, it's surprising. To think a mage who accumulated so much good karma would change personality like this.-

"Can you perhaps not hear my voice?"

-I'm listening. But your statements lack credibility due to having too much emotional resentment towards your master.-

'Wow. This person has the qualities of an Einroguard professor.'

His skill at flipping Yi-Han's composure was extraordinary. He seemed like he would be similarly good at flipping students' composure.

-Anyway, if that's the case, I don't know why Os visited here either. Look over there.-

The Yaksha King stretched out his finger and pointed upwards.

Above the stars, planets, and all sorts of bizarre spaces.

At the very top of the mountain they were standing on, a point of light was visible. Though it was just a point in size, it shone brightly enough to be seen from here.

"What is that?"

-Everything.-

"Pardon?"

-It's exactly as I said. If one reaches there, any being can obtain everything they desire.-

"I see. Is that so."

Yi-Han answered without much thought. Then the Yaksha King said as if interested.

-Hmm. It's impossible for a human mage to stay still after hearing this. Perhaps your soul has been greatly injured by an accident?-

"..."