Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 836

Chapter 836

'Did he manipulate things to his advantage, saying there's no one who knows about the past?'

If there was one thing in common between the skull principal's doppelganger and himself, it was that they both shamelessly said, "I was quite excellent even in my youth."

And surprisingly, some magic created by the skull principal acted as plausible evidence.

Just recently learned <Gonadaltes' Decline> was the beginning of research to eliminate the world's pain, wasn't it?

But looking at this small world magic, Yi-Han suspected that the skull principal might have manipulated causality a bit.

Did he develop the decline magic to transfer pain to others and then say "I made this to eliminate the world's pain"?

Otherwise, it would be difficult for the effect of this small world magic Dendrobium to be so brutal.

'The rules of the world change according to the color of the flowers... Simple but powerful.'

Originally, small world magic didn't necessarily have to be combative.

Rather, small world magic developed solely for combat was rarer. Mages weren't a profession that aimed to fight in the first place.

Even Direth's Pentagrammaton was a small world developed for dark magic research...

In that sense, this small world Dendrobium was a flexible and versatile magic like the tree it symbolized.

Black flowers nullified physical attacks.

Red flowers absorbed the essence of nearby enemies.

And blue flowers...

"!"

Yi-Han was surprised when the red flowers disappeared from the branch tips and blue flower buds rose.

What effect would blue have?

Yi-Han was surprised out of pure curiosity, but from the perspective of the tree spirit being attacked, it sent chills down his spine.

It was already hard to endure the effect of the red flowers for long, so what did it mean that it changed to blue flowers here?

It felt like a death sentence, not giving any chance and ending it all.

With the intense sense of crisis, the Gambling Tree King Saratan's intelligence rose sharply.

As can be seen from the fact that he had lived for a while cowering in a 1st year student's staff before his power and consciousness returned, Saratan was a cowardly spirit who could be as servile as needed.

And it was the same with intelligence. He could use intelligence as much as needed.

Saratan, who had tried to compete only with brute force against the opposing mage, hurriedly drew out powers from his remaining strength.

His body was already heavy and many powers were bound because the seal wasn't broken, and now his essence was being absorbed, making his whole body languid.

Still, befitting his name as a former king, Saratan succeeded in drawing out one power.

The power of cutting.

In an instant, Saratan's huge body disappeared as if a tree had rotted and collapsed.

He wasn't dead.

Just as plants grow anew by planting a part of themselves, Saratan had also planted a doppelganger nearby and bloomed anew.

Usually, when the main body was attacked, the doppelgangers would also disappear, but the power of plant spirits ignored this.

The power of life that continuously regenerates as long as a doppelganger remains!

[Huff, huff... I thought I was going to die!]

Saratan got up far away and breathed heavily.

He had escaped from that unpleasant magic domain, but the damage taken was severe.

[You, know that your head will increase to two today! I'll increase it to two and then crush them both!]

Saratan warned, panting, seemingly quite upset about being beaten by a mage he had underestimated.

Yet he didn't rush in lightly like before. It was thanks to realizing he could get badly hurt if he acted rashly.

[Multiply!]

Seedlings sprouted around Saratan and each began to change to look like Saratan.

The power of cutting wasn't just about tenacious life force. Depending on the application, it was possible to create a powerful army of doppelgangers.

The opponent's small world magic seemed invincible at first glance, but no magic existed without weaknesses.

Saratan had already figured out how to attack Dendrobium.

[I'll wear you down by hitting and running! Are you listening! Hey! Mage!]

If he sent his doppelgangers and entered a war of attrition, that small world magic would be depleted first.

From nullifying physical attacks to remote essence absorption, these were not easy powers.

[Your mana... mana...]

Saratan, who was about to rage 'No matter how much mana you have, how long can you endure!', paused.

Come to think of it, that mage...?

Flutter!

The black book wasn't very flustered even though the opponent had escaped and was preparing a counterattack.

Having already bloomed one small world Dendrobium, it had the attitude that no matter how much that confined spirit rampaged, it was in the palm of its hand.

"...Kuk!"

Yi-Han, who had been off guard, screamed.

The same feeling of mental overload as before.

Surprisingly, this black book was trying to use another small world!

'This... crazy bastard...!'

Even though Yi-Han's mana was close to infinite, it should have seen him cough up blood, yet to do such a thing.

As expected of the skull principal's book, it was truly insensitive to pain.

Along with the decline, the pain was transferred to the enemy. When Saratan felt that uncomfortable sensation again, he froze while preparing his doppelganger army.

[Hey, stop!! What are you doing! Wait, wait a moment! Hey!]

Saratan babbled without dignity or pride, trying to somehow interfere with the opponent.

However, the magic was already complete.

[Small world, Basilios!]

A humble and modest crown appeared above Yi-Han's head. It was a crown made of bronze, copper, and branches woven together.

Saratan, who had been wary, burst into laughter as soon as he saw it, trembling.

[What is that! What kind of crown is that!]

The non-existent crowns that spirit kings put on their heads to establish their own authority were truly the pinnacle of luxury.

The rarest and most supreme treasures within the realm were invested.

But look at that crown.

How poor a king, with not only no jewels, but no gold or silver either.

Stab!

At that moment, Saratan's doppelgangers all stabbed Saratan at once.

At such an unexpected attack, Saratan couldn't even scream properly.

Even giving a hundred concessions, an ordinary and trivial doppelganger could be controlled by another mage.

A mage who had reached the realm could interfere even with an enemy's doppelganger.

But these weren't ordinary doppelgangers, but doppelgangers using the power of cutting.

In a way, they should be seen as just parts of Saratan.

Yet to have taken away such doppelgangers without even Saratan himself noticing?

[Y-you bastard..! It's not over ye...]

Saratan tried to move his heavy body in anger, but was shocked once again.

His body wouldn't move. As if he had become someone's servant.

'Indeed. I see.'

Yi-Han, freed from pain and overload thanks to the decline, could barely turn his head.

The effect of the small world Basilios was much simpler than Dendrobium.

Domination of enemies within range.

It was a simple yet truly powerful ability. Yi-Han guessed there would probably be a few conditions.

'Otherwise, there would have been no reason to bring out Dendrobium first to weaken him.'

[Hey! Release this! Release it! I said release it!]

Saratan, now having nothing else he could do, started just running his mouth.

The doppelgangers whose control had been transferred to Yi-Han wrapped around Saratan and completely neutralized him.

"...Wait, what do I do now?"

Yi-Han wondered if he should completely finish off the opponent.

Wouldn't that break the staff?

If he annihilated him beyond sealing, wouldn't Yi-Han's staff disappear too?

Then the black book fluttered and gave instructions.

[Ugh, uugh, kuaak, kuaaak! Kuak! Aak! I, I was wrong! I was wrong!]

Saratan's body, which had been so huge and ferocious, was trapped and shrank as if it had entered a compressor.

[Sa-save me! Mage! I was wrong!]

"...Is it okay for a spirit king to be like this even if sealed?"

Yi-Han was flustered.

Of course, it was Yi-Han's first time seeing such a fallen and sealed spirit king, but even so...

'Ferkuntra wouldn't become like that no matter how weak he became.'

Suddenly, Yi-Han felt respect for Ferkuntra's dignity.

When he goes back and meets him later, he should at least thank him!

The black book fluttered as if shrugging its shoulders.

In infinite realms, there are bound to be all sorts of beings.

[Uwaak! Ouch! Uwoo! Uwaah!]

Saratan screamed at the top of his lungs.

'His exaggeration is worse than Gainando.'

Of course, the pain the opposing tree spirit felt was incomparable to the pain Gainando had felt.

How could you compare it to the pain of having your whole body tightly compressed?

But even taking that into account, the exaggeration was too much.

"How long does this continue?"

At Yi-Han's question, the black book pretended not to hear and kept pressuring Saratan again and again.

Only when the arrogant tree spirit apologized for his arrogance while shedding sap from his eyes did the black book stop tormenting him.

Then it compressed Saratan further and made him into the original staff form.

"!"

Yi-Han was surprised.

The new staff made by the black book was very different from the original staff he knew.

First of all, not only had the color and material changed, but the shape itself was different too.

While the original staff was a plain straight form, the changed staff now was a spiral form with many empty spaces.

It looked as if two branches should be intertwined to form the shape, but one was missing.

'Ah. I see.'

Yi-Han belatedly realized.

First, the change in color and material must be because the branch itself had changed.

Why would Saratan, who had been sleeping all this time, suddenly wake up?

It must have been because the branch received from the Mad Wood King's forest was that powerful, allowing him to wake up borrowing its power.

Now that he had been properly sealed again using the black book's power, there was no need to worry about this anymore.

And the other side was probably...

'It must have created empty spaces to process and insert black purplestone.'

A staff with black purplestone and the Mad Wood King's branch intertwined in a spiral form.

Although the pursued goal was similar, the form had changed quite a bit from Senior Yukbeltire's advice.

"Is there a reason for recommending this form specifically? Senior Yukbeltire was going to put the branch as the core and cover it with black purplestone."

The black book fluttered its pages as if disgusted.

It was a disgust as if saying young people these days don't care about dignity or face.

  *

"Uhuhuhuhu!"

Gainando pounded the ground, wailing.

Jijel said to the Blue Dragon Tower students as if she had a headache.

"Make him shut up. I can't concentrate."

"We tried too, Moradi."

"Someone might think he's dead."

"De... dead...?! Waaah! Moradi, you've shown your true colors! You want Yi-Han to die!"

Gainando criticized Jijel with a face wet with tears and snot.

Jijel was momentarily at a loss for words, flustered by such an unreasonable accusation.

"What nonsense..."

"See that! See that! She's flustered!"

'Is that so?'

The Blue Dragon Tower students looked at Jijel suspiciously.

Come to think of it, it was suspicious that Moradi was worried about the collapsed Yi-Han.

Didn't she always tell him to die?

"Everyone be quiet. You're disturbing my potion making."

Yonaire, who was behind, lost her temper.

She was distracted because they kept crying loudly in front while she was making potions with her alchemy school friends.

Ratford whispered quietly.

"If you allow it, I'll secretly spray silence potion."

By the looks of it, Salko and Nillia had already half-drawn their silence potions. Secret glances were exchanged asking for permission.

"No. We need to hear opinions from others except Gainando... Gainando. You stop crying too. He just collapsed."

Yonaire, who was speaking, paused.

Gainando and Adenart, along with their Blue Dragon Tower friends, were directly supporting the collapsed Yi-Han and moving him to their side.

'...Oh. I think he was told not to contact royalty.'

Her heart sank as the friend who already seemed sufficiently unlucky seemed about to become even more unlucky.