Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 749

Chapter 749

Antagondal certainly had a personality befitting a magic criminal.

He kept laughing as if truly delighted even while looking at a pitiful boy about to die soon.

"...Couldn't I succeed?"

"Sure. And I'll soon become an immortal being."

"Pardon?"

"Oh my. Wasn't this a time for talking about impossible things? I thought so!"

"..."

Seeing Antagondal's sneering appearance, Yi-Han sincerely vowed.

That he would definitely complete it within today!

  *

Antagondal stepped out of the workshop with a much more cheerful mood than before.

Nothing pleased this magic criminal more than seeing young novice mages perish due to their excessive greed.

"Perish, young mages. Haha. Perish!"

"You're noisy."

"...I'm sorry, Master."

Antagondal was slightly surprised to see the mad doppelganger waiting close to the workshop unexpectedly.

Given that doppelganger's personality, he had thought he would have lost interest by now and be wandering elsewhere, but to think he was waiting nearby.

"Do you have anything else to order?"

"..."

"Master?"

When the other party didn't answer, Antagondal cautiously raised his head.

The mad doppelganger was just glaring at some distant place without saying anything.

Seeing this, Antagondal realized that the other party had gone mad again.

Although he wanted to probe about magic, the scars left by the dark blade were still throbbing. Antagondal decided to just be cautious this time.

"Is this right?"

"..."

Antagondal didn't get beaten by saying things like 'What do you mean?' like Yi-Han.

He just waited quietly.

Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't get hit.

Thud!

Even in his strange state, the mad doppelganger sent Antagondal flying. While recovering his crushed bones, Antagondal answered.

"That's right, Master."

"What is?"

"Everything!"

The mad doppelganger sent Antagondal flying again.

At the much stronger attack than before, Antagondal seriously considered fleeing.

If the mad doppelganger had really gone severely mad and was trying to kill Antagondal today, this might be the last chance.

"Don't flatter without knowing what the royal is thinking. Trash."

"..."

"I'm not sure if this is the right way to raise a disciple. Trash. What do you think?"

"Of course it's right!"

Antagondal wasn't particularly interested in what the mad doppelganger was thinking.

He just focused on the current situation and flattered.

And in fact, Antagondal's own philosophy wasn't much different from the mad doppelganger's.

Wasn't raising a disciple for a mage like raising a lion that could bite the master's neck?

This relationship where the master taught while keeping the disciple in check, and the disciple stole the master's secrets while looking for gaps, was the true succession of magic.

"But is it really right?"

"...?"

Antagondal couldn't even guess what the mad doppelganger was worrying about.

Why did he keep throwing the same self-questioning?

'Is this the limit of a thought entity composed of high-density mana? It might start disappearing soon.'

The world originally rejected things other than its own existence.

Like other beings from different realms, the mana thought entity before his eyes was the same.

Although he was said to be deceiving the world's rejection and extending his stay time with ancient magic, seeing the frequency of nonsense increasing, the limit might be approaching soon...

"The disciple inside?"

"!"

When the mad doppelganger's voice became even colder, Antagondal realized that the other party had returned to his senses, or rather, his usual mad doppelganger state.

"He's practicing magic, Master."

"I can feel contempt in your maggot-like voice."

At the mad doppelganger's words, Antagondal felt a chill as if a blade was pressed against his nape.

Dealing with this mad doppelganger made him feel like he had returned to his powerless childhood.

The chilling tension where his head could fly off with just one small mood change of the other party.

Antagondal admitted frankly.

"I'm sorry, Master. It seems he won't be able to do it after all."

"He won't be able to do it?"

Originally, he would unconditionally agree with the mad doppelganger's will in most cases, but this time was different.

No matter how he thought about it, a mere 2nd year student from Einroguard couldn't possibly master the entire telekinesis area corresponding to 5th Circle.

Antagondal was much more knowledgeable about Einroguard's level than the mad doppelganger.

Not only the overall level of students, but even some Einroguard graduate professors rumored to be geniuses couldn't reach such a level at that age.

Moreover, it might be understandable if he gave ample time, but to threaten him to learn it within a day.

Even geniuses had difficulty displaying their abilities in such pressured situations.

'If I agree unnecessarily and the one I brought fails, he'll vent his anger even more severely.'

Antagondal made a cool judgment and threw his answer.

"Yes."

"Alright. If he fails, you trash kill him."

'?'

Antagondal hesitated at the mad doppelganger's words spoken with an evil smile.

Some ominous sensation crawled up his spine.

'What is this, what is he thinking?'

He didn't understand well why he wanted Antagondal to personally kill the student.

Was he trying to make Antagondal into Einroguard's public enemy?

But anyway, even death was denied in this territory. The Imperial Mage Administrator wasn't so idle as to put his name on the seat of public enemy for such a fake death.

Thud!

While Antagondal was pondering, the mad doppelganger shattered his whole body once more.

The old magic criminal groaned and answered.

"I understand. If he fails, I'll kill him."

Antagondal didn't particularly mind killing young mages. Rather, he preferred it.

How difficult could it be to kill such a 2nd year student?

"If he succeeds, I'll kill you instead."

'As expected.'

Antagondal shuddered at the mad doppelganger's rough nature.

He seemed to have gotten angry at Antagondal's denial. At this rate, he might try to kill Antagondal even if that boy failed.

"Forgive me, Master. To think you want to take my lowly life... How could I put my judgment above yours? Now that you've said so, I'm as good as dead."

Antagondal prostrated himself while making sobbing sounds.

The mad doppelganger replied with disgust.

"If you spill that nauseating liquid from your eyeballs one more time, I'll kill you. Trash. As a reward for your trivial effort, I'll give you two arms."

"Yes, yes!"

Hearing the answer, Antagondal felt relieved.

Seeing him act like that, it seemed his anger had subsided a bit. Even if that 2nd year boy failed, it didn't seem like the anger would fly to Antagondal.

"Get lost."

"Yes! Thank you, Master."

The mad doppelganger looked at a distant cliff.

He wasn't looking at an empty cliff. He was looking at the flow of numerous lives moving beyond sixteen mountain peaks.

Those lives were trying to break through and find the great magic of the doppelganger himself.

And the lord's gaze settling secretly like a veil over those lives.

If the mad doppelganger came out of the mountains' magic and touched those ant swarms, it seemed to say there would be no more compromise and war would begin.

Although he usually called them dregs, the mad doppelganger didn't underestimate the other party. After all, weren't they beings that came from the same root as himself?

He had no intention of provoking them unnecessarily. If he could achieve his desired goal, there was no reason to mix hands with dregs.

But...

Why on earth did those dregs cherish ant swarms so much?

"...I don't understand."

  *

"The time has come, Master."

The mad doppelganger nodded as if giving permission.

When Antagondal waved his staff, the cave door covering the workshop opened.

"Come out. It's execution time."

"..."

The boy walked out without answering, as if angry at the mockery.

It was a natural reaction for someone young.

"Did you achieve magic?"

Again, no answer came. As Antagondal didn't particularly expect an answer anyway, he nodded and looked at the mad doppelganger.

"May I begin, Master?"

"Attack with all your might."

The mad doppelganger spoke firmly, looking at Yi-Han, not Antagondal.

"With the intention to kill."

Even if Antagondal, who wasn't a student, died, he wouldn't be able to revive with the territory's power, but he didn't really care.

Antagondal spoke while spinning with his staff grasped.

"Whenever you're ready..."

Bang!

Suddenly, Antagondal was surprised to see three defensive magics protecting his body activate in succession.

A strongly compressed force flew in like a storm, much faster than Antagondal had expected.

"Not bad! Barrier of elements, split!"

As expected of an experienced magic criminal, Antagondal responded immediately even while surprised.

It seemed the opponent had become quite familiar with telekinesis magic that shot in a straight line.

As it was the easiest and simplest form, it would have been advantageous to learn within a limited time.

It was praiseworthy to be able to make such choices and focus in a precarious situation like walking on a knife's edge, but that didn't mean he had any intention of going easy on him.

A barrier tightly woven with various elements blocked between the two. Yi-Han didn't lose concentration and swung his staff.

Then the telekinetic force curved long like a whip, bypassing the barrier and striking Antagondal.

Thud!

'This much shape transformation even non-verbally?!'

This time, even Antagondal couldn't help but be surprised.

This was an area with much higher difficulty than before.

It felt as if the boy before his eyes had completely embodied telekinesis.

'But that's impossible!'

As Antagondal was about to bring out evil magic, the mad doppelganger lightly sent a warning.

It was a warning that he would kill him the moment he tried to overpower without judging success.

Although annoyed at the interference, Antagondal understood what it meant and quickly changed his magic to attack the boy.

Buzz buzz buzz!

Poisonous insects that appeared in the air scattered in various forms and flew in to bite Yi-Han.

These poisonous insects formed by this magic were optimized for attacking simple defensive magic.

Originally, even defensive magic rarely blocked all directions of a mage without gaps.

These fast and ever-changing poisonous insects instantly dug into the gaps in defense and poisoned mages.

However, Yi-Han swung his staff twice to create a solid barrier without any gaps, then struck back at the poisonous insects.

The poisonous insects that had been rubbing, trying to find gaps in the telekinetic barrier while making wing sounds, were swept away by the precise strikes.

'An even more difficult form...!'

At this point, even Antagondal started to break out in a cold sweat.

The moment he admitted that boy had completely embodied telekinesis, his own two arms were set to be cut off.

Antagondal's form distorted and transformed into a complex monster.

Most of his body was covered in armor made of ore, making it difficult to strike weak points from the outside.

Thud!

However, the boy controlled telekinesis into a thin, sharp form and sharply stabbed the weak point.

The mad doppelganger was satisfied at that sight. The result was as good as decided already.

"You understood the teachings well."

"..."

Yi-Han almost lost concentration for a moment.