Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 842

Chapter 842

Professor Garcia felt a slight regret, wondering if she had spoken too coldly.

"I'm sorry, Student Yi-Han. I got angry for no reason."

'Hmm. She's not apologizing to Professor Verduus.'

Yi-Han thought inwardly.

Professor Garcia apologized for speaking curtly to Yi-Han just now, but she absolutely didn't apologize for assigning work to Professor Verduus.

And in fact, Yi-Han agreed with that.

'It's true. There's no reason to apologize.'

Apologizing here was something only an Einroguard freshman would do.

A professional Einroguard student or professor would never apologize.

Even if they hadn't assigned work, Professor Verduus would have found other excuses to postpone work anyway.

"But can I do this?"

"What trick are you... No, what do you mean, Professor?"

When Professor Verduus spoke up, Professor Garcia was about to get irritated but held back.

There was a student listening beside them, after all.

"It seems like Yukbeltire wanted to do this."

Originally, Professor Verduus wanted to do interesting things himself whether his disciple was interested in the topic or not, but there were a few exceptions.

One of those was when an angry Professor Garcia was in front of him.

If she later found out that this staff creation was actually a topic his disciple Yukbeltire wanted to do...

At that time, it might not be just his collarbone, but all the bones in his body that would be crushed.

Professor Garcia's brute force awakened the common sense sleeping inside Professor Verduus.

"Didn't I tell you not to play tricks?"

But Professor Verduus's sincerity didn't get through.

Professor Verduus screamed at the sound coming from his shoulder.

"It's, it's not a trick!"

"What do you mean Yukbeltire wanted to do it? You don't even know what your disciple wants to do, Professor."

"That's true, but this is really something Yukbeltire wanted to... Ack! Aack!"

"Stop it. Stop. Don't try to pass it off to Yukbeltire."

Professor Verduus, who had succumbed to brute force, shut his mouth.

He didn't intend to speak again, as he hadn't brought it up wanting to pass it off to his disciple in the first place, but because he was worried about being thoroughly shaken by Professor Garcia later.

'I definitely said it. It's not my fault.'

"Then shall I start?"

"Yes."

"Can't you take your hand off my shoulder?"

"No."

"Okay..."

Professor Verduus started working with a drooping back posture that evoked sympathy.

Fortunately, Yi-Han and Professor Garcia weren't shaken at all.

  *

"The professor's skill is amazing."

Despite everything, Yi-Han couldn't help but admire.

Special metals that absorb mana like black purplestone were quite difficult to smelt or process. It was natural since even blacksmiths who don't use magic use magical tools.

But despite such adverse conditions, Professor Verduus was shaping the black purplestone like putty.

'Of course, it's partly because Professor Garcia has her hand on his shoulder, but even considering that, it's still amazing.'

Whoof-!

Professor Verduus took out a necklace with a small glass cube hanging from it and blew on it. Flames flickered inside the glass cube.

'Small world!'

Yi-Han was surprised, wondering if the enchantment magic hanging in that necklace was perhaps small world magic.

He might have misjudged, but he felt such powerful force from it.

The flames inside the glass cube escaped on the outside wind and wrapped around the black purplestone, licking it.

If it were flames mixed with mana, it should have died down instantly, but instead, the flames blocked the properties of the black purplestone and softened the ore.

'To refine like that while changing reality itself would be difficult without a small world.'

"Professor Verduus is an outstanding craftsman."

Professor Garcia nodded as if agreeing.

The small world magic Professor Verduus was using now, the Flames of Magnum Opus, could melt and burn all kinds of rare and special materials.

There would be very few mages in the empire who carried around such a production-specialized small world stored in the form of enchantment magic.

"Mmph!"

Professor Verduus grabbed the heated black purplestone with his hands and refined its shape.

The second method of smelting mana-absorbing metal was simply to endure it.

Just keep casting magic and endure with strength every time mana is absorbed!

It seemed a bit difficult, as Professor Verduus turned his head slightly. Yi-Han, whose eyes met his, was puzzled.

"Is there something I should help with?"

"Yes! ...Ack! Aack!"

"Turn your head back to the front, Professor."

Professor Garcia cut off the conversation with force before he could even speak.

Yi-Han, who still didn't understand the situation, asked a question.

"Why are you doing that?"

"Student Yi-Han. Professor Verduus looked over trying to borrow your mana. Ignore it."

"Ah."

If there was a disciple with infinite mana, he could make them do such work instead of constantly recovering himself with artifacts and potions.

Yi-Han finally understood and called out to Professor Verduus.

"Professor."

"?"

"Hang in there."

"..."

Professor Verduus pouted and continued his work.

The third method of smelting mana-absorbing metal.

Whirrr-

A huge magical equipment connected to a forging hammer appeared.

In ancient times, to forge metal, the craftsman had to directly enchant the hammer with magic to control it to pound.

However, modern imperial craftsmen didn't use such primitive methods. There was no need to cast magic one by one when they could use huge blacksmith magic equipment with built-in magic gears and devices.

Just pulling a rope would make the hammer automatically pound the metal while emitting steam from mana combustion.

"Won't the mana be absorbed because of the black purplestone?"

"That's why it was modified. Look, Student Yi-Han."

Professor Garcia pointed upwards.

The role of magic was only to amplify the mass of the huge hammer and float it above the ceiling.

Even if the mana disappeared due to the black purplestone the moment it fell from there, the force would be maintained.

'Aha.'

Yi-Han admired differently from before.

Using small world magic or just using it while accounting for mana absorption were sufficiently amazing methods, but this was admirable in that it struck a gap in thinking.

'I should have thought of it before hearing it, have I been relying too much on magic recently?'

"I reflect on myself, Professor Garcia. I learned from the time I entered that I shouldn't rely too excessively on magic, but to think I couldn't come up with such a method."

"Don't be too strict, Student Yi-Han. Rather, it's amazing that you reflect like this. It's not easy for a mage to forget magic."

"Haha. I guess that's true too."

Yi-Han and Professor Garcia chatted happily.

Meanwhile, Professor Verduus, who had been working while sweating profusely, turned his head while panting.

"Can't I rest a little?"

"No. Rest after you finish."

"Hng..."

'She's really so cool.'

Yi-Han sent the hottest gaze of respect this year once again.

He wanted to become a mage like that!

  *

"Hmm."

Yi-Han looked over the completed staff as he walked.

Originally, he would have liked to leisurely test the staff for a few days, taming it and checking it, but Einroguard's tight schedule (especially in Yi-Han's case) didn't allow that.

-Huff, huff. I finished it all. Save me.-

-Is it really all finished? If there's anything you left out because you were lazy, your bones will come out too, Professor.-

-I don't do that for works I'm interested in! There's no flaw at all!-

-You shouldn't have flaws in works you're not interested in either... Forget it. Just tell me the precautions.-

-As with any powerful new staff, it takes a while to get used to it. Anywhere from a few days to a few months. This will be even more so because both materials are so strong and unique. You need to try various things.-

'The tree spirit's powers were <Power of Recovery>, <Power of Life>, <Power of Tenacity>, right? Since that Gambling Tree King woke up, they probably increased. It would be nice if I could use <Power of Cutting> too.'

Just because Yi-Han was taking all school lectures didn't mean he was really learning all magic equally.

Among elemental magic, there were relatively less used types of magic, such as earth or wood elements.

In that sense, the Mad Wood King's branch was certainly useful. It would be advantageous when using wood element or earth element magic without Yi-Han having to invest time separately.

'As the two elements have quite a close relationship, they influence each other. The problem is...'

The time Professor Verduus mentioned it would take for the staff to become familiar.

It might be different for a basic staff Einroguard gives to new students, but there would inevitably be trial and error with such strong materials.

How troublesome would it be if he accidentally buried himself in a wooden coffin while trying to summon a wooden wall in front?

'...I should practice a few things.'

Yi-Han, who took his eyes off the Mad Wood King's branch, looked at the black purplestone.

This ore, which emitted a faint glow mixed with black and purple, was maintaining one axis of the staff in a strange form.

At first, it was a material chosen to control the Mad Wood King's branch, but as this material wasn't an ordinary ore either, it would surely have an influence.

"Water."

Along with the incantation, a familiar water mass appeared.

'It has become faster. The magic has become stronger too.'

Yi-Han was about to control the water mass but accidentally focused his mind on the black purplestone part of the staff.

Immediately, the water mass scattered into the air.

'The control has become more tricky, but... not to the point where I can't do it.'

Another student might have groaned, but Yi-Han had gone through too much hardship to struggle on this path now.

When he entered the <Poison, Bone, Blood> classroom, Direth, who was sitting reading the <Monthly Dark Magic Trends> magazine, raised her hand cheerfully.

"You came, junior?"

"Hello, Senior Direth."

Yi-Han, who bowed his head in greeting, discovered various dark magic reagents located at the front of the classroom.

<Bone of a Giant Monster>-Skeleton Golem

<Shrunken Toad Skin>-Demon Toad

<Soul Fragment of a Hungry Ghost>-Hungry Ghost

...

...

Like the clever junior he was, Yi-Han noticed the intention behind the reagents Direth had prepared.

"Is it undead enhancement?"

"That's right."

Direth smiled contentedly.

Her efforts in preparing and bringing these had paid off.

Whether using ancient orthodox dark magic or current imperial dark magic, there was no dark mage who disliked enhancing and evolving the undead they controlled.

Just as an outstanding ballgame club player would raise a mount from when it was a baby, dark mages would enhance their undead summons by adding various things.

'Is this a quiz? I should work hard.'

Yi-Han looked over the reagents with a careful expression.

Currently, the skeleton warriors Yi-Han controlled were being enhanced by adding dark elements or blood elements.

Both were rare and powerful methods, but it was still difficult to escape the limitations of being skeleton warriors.

It might be time to learn how to find and create new undead.

'Skeleton golem... Hmm. It has similarities with skeleton warriors, but I'm not sure if I can summon such a medium-sized or larger summon for the first time. Is the demon toad what Senior Direth summoned when kidnapping the duke last time? It's not bad, but I'm not sure if I have the skill to implement muscles. Tsk. If I choose an easy one, Senior Direth will probably give me a low score?'

'Huhu. I like it. I like it.'

Direth was delighted at the sight of her junior pondering carefully.

She had prepared this to let him rest a bit, since there had been various incidents recently and there would be quizzes this week too, but it seemed to have worked well.

To think he would like it this much!