Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-510

Originally, Professor Millei preferred calculation and theory over intuition or emotion, but this time, she decided to be certain without separate confirmation.

It was rare to feel this level of certainty.

'But how?'

Arbitrarily leaving the area in another realm, not reality, was not something one could do right away just because they wanted to.

Basically, beings from other realms were not lenient towards intruders.

Even the spirits, who were the easiest to negotiate with, revealed their brutality the moment an intruder's attitude was even slightly irritating.

As such, to leave the area and move in another realm, very careful preparation was necessary.

Drawing a map of the surroundings, negotiating with the beings in the vicinity, contacting the leader of the area one wanted to cross over to...

These were not things that could be done quickly, no matter how talented one was.

Unless a powerful being from the spirit realm had invited them, it was impossible!

"?"

Yi-Han, who was walking through the sea path revealed below, felt something strange.

The atmosphere around him was becoming increasingly unusual.

Powerful spirits passed by, brutally exuding mana beyond the exposed deep sea.

If the sea path had not been fixed like a solid wall, a fight would have broken out immediately.

'Strange?'

At first, Yi-Han thought this pattern was a kind of letter of introduction.

He thought it was a pattern in which Upinum introduced him to other spirits in his name, saying, 'This person is trustworthy, so don't be suspicious even if he has too much mana.'

But the unfolding atmosphere was strange.

If it were such a letter of introduction, at least a few spirits should have come out and shown a favorable reaction, right?

But let alone such beings, the atmosphere around him was only becoming more hostile, and only brutal beings were loitering...

Yi-Han closed his eyes and recalled Professor Bagrak's teachings.

If it seems suspicious...

'Strike first!'

"Arise, warriors made of bones!"

Skeleton warriors immediately rose up.

The skeleton warriors exuding dark elements that he had learned yesterday surrounded and protected Yi-Han.

Then the spirits that resembled deep-sea fish swimming beyond the water wall revealed even more brutality.

Thud, thud!

They growled while colliding with the water wall, looking so threatening that if it weren't for the force blocking them, they would have rushed in right away.

Swish!

"Lightning!"

In the end, with the sound of splashing water, one that jumped over the wall appeared.

As a spirit resembling an anglerfish jumped onto the sea path, stirring up a spray of water, Yi-Han did not hesitate and struck lightning.

Even though it should have been a weakness in terms of attributes, the deep-sea spirit did not stop and recklessly charged. Rather, it shot water towards Yi-Han.

Kwaaak!

'It's not ordinary!'

The opponent was a powerful spirit, to the extent that the pressure could be felt on the skin.

In the first place, it was not an ordinary-level spirit to not run away after seeing Yi-Han and to burn with fighting spirit.

Yi-Han quickly dodged the attack with enhanced senses and future foresight. The pillar of water that grazed over his head tore the ground with a roar.

Clearly feeling that the opponent was several levels above him, Yi-Han clicked his tongue.

'I will never trust spirits again.'

What kind of hardship was this after trusting Upinum and stepping forward?

However, putting aside the betrayal of the spirit, he had to block the enemy in front of him first. Yi-Han advanced the skeleton warriors.

The deep-sea spirit swallowed the skeleton warrior right away as if it were absurd.

-?!-

The skeleton warrior, not an ordinary one but one exuding the energy of dark elements, dealt a blow from the inside.

Not missing the moment the deep-sea spirit stopped, Yi-Han immediately completed the spell.

"Strike, Ferkuntra's thunderbolt!"

A bolt of lightning several times thicker than before struck the deep-sea spirit.

The deep-sea spirit, which had hesitated due to the dark element, was pounded by the lightning and let out a sharp sound.

'One more time!'

Yi-Han, who had gained an opening once more, immediately summoned a water shield in between and exploded one skeleton warrior.

Kwaaang!

It was a huge blow to the extent that even the deep-sea spirit, which had lightly endured the basic lightning, had about half of its body blown away.

Thanks to the accumulation of magic damage in succession, the effect was better than expected.

However, what happened next was different from Yi-Han's expectations.

The deep-sea spirit instantly restored its body.

"..."

He had heard many times that fighting spirits in the spirit realm was dangerous, but he didn't know it would be this fraudulent.

Beings from other realms exercised enormous powers in their own territories. The deep-sea spirit restored its body as if scattered water droplets were gathering again.

Gulp-

Having tasted the bitter experience once, the deep-sea spirit engaged in the attack more cautiously than before.

Instead of underestimating and swallowing the skeleton warriors, it tried to get rid of the undead summons first by firing water bombs.

There was no need for complicated techniques or principles like Eumidiphos. Whenever a huge mass of water directly hit, the skeleton warriors were shattered and turned into bone fragments.

Boom boom boom boom!

Having cleared the obstacles, the deep-sea spirit charged again.

"Arise, warriors made of bones!"

-...?!-

However, the deep-sea spirit was still underestimating Yi-Han.

If it were a summoning method from the undead realm, they would not be able to summon again until the damage was recovered after being unsummoned once, but these skeleton warriors were summons that Yi-Han had assembled from beginning to end.

They were beings that could be summoned as many times as he had mana.

As the skeleton warriors clung to both sides of the deep-sea spirit, no matter how brutal the spirit was, it couldn't help but be distracted.

It seemed like that mage would cause another explosion at this rate.

But Yi-Han chose a different method instead of bone explosion.

Poof!

The paralytic poison magic he had learned in the King of Ghoul's palace seeped from the spearheads of the skeleton warriors.

Although the perfection was not yet complete, the powerful corrosive poison dealt a blow to the spirit.

The deep-sea spirit, having inhaled poison in addition to the dark element, let out a groan and retreated.

It thought he was a green young mage, but he was not ordinarily annoying.

Boom!!!!!

"!?"

Both Yi-Han and the deep-sea spirit were startled.

A huge magic spear like lightning had been stuck between them.

-What are you doing?-

A merman spirit hurriedly rushed over from behind.

As the merman spirit, wearing a unique style of medium armor, spewed out a sharp gaze, the deep-sea spirit lowered its head, intimidated.

-Why did you attack the mage invited by Lord Upinum?-

-■■■ ■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■ ■…-

-What kind of wordplay is that? The fact that he was allowed to enter this territory itself means that he was invited!-

The merman spirit was very angry at the deep-sea spirit.

The pattern that mage had was a pattern that allowed him to enter Upinum's territory, the guardian of the great sea and storms.

If a mage came in with such a pattern, of course, he should be considered Upinum's guest, but to ignore that and try to attack first.

If an accident had occurred, how embarrassed would Upinum have been?

"I have a question."

-Speak, mage.-

"But if it was an invitation, shouldn't preparations have been made in advance to prevent accidents?"

-...-

The merman spirit had nothing to say even if he had ten mouths.

-This is the Infernal Sea Corridor. It is a place where brutal spirits reside.-

"What about over there?"

-That is the Blade Sea Trench. It is a place where even more brutal spirits reside.

"Then what about there?"

-That is the Abyss Trench. It is a place where extremely brutal spirits reside.

"...Are there no non-brutal spirits?"

At Yi-Han's question, the merman spirit seemed a little embarrassed and said, putting his huge trident behind him.

-This territory is a place where brutal and powerful spirits reside in the first place…-

"Ah. Is it not possible to meet Lord Upinum?"

Yi-Han asked, wondering if he could meet Upinum.

Of course, his intention was not pure.

If he met him, he was going to hold him responsible, saying, 'Didn't I almost die because of you?'

If the professors of Einroguard had seen it, they would have exclaimed, 'That guy really listened well to the <Basic Imperial Language and Logic> lecture.'

-Hmm. Lord Upinum's residence is…-

The merman spirit looked Yi-Han up and down, pondering, and then shook his head.

-If a mage like you goes in, your body will be torn apart immediately.-

"Can't it be done with mana?"

-No matter how much mana you have... No. You really do have a lot. But what can't be done, can't be done.-

The merman spirit was surprised but then came to his senses and firmly dissuaded him.

Just as the water pressure increases as one goes deeper into the deep sea, a similar law applied to the spirit realm.

The pressure that an external intruder had to endure increased as one entered the territories of powerful beings.

"I understand. Rather, I want to make a contract with a water spirit."

-The spirits here are all brutal and aim for their master's back, so I can't recommend…-

"...Then why did you invite me in the first place?"

At Yi-Han's question, the merman spirit broke out in a cold sweat.

It was a thoroughly reasonable point.

Upinum himself might have given the pattern, saying, 'Mage, I will give you the key to my territory,' in a fit of emotion, but upon reflection, there was nothing good about a young mage coming here.

-Lord Upinum's actions may seem incomprehensible at first glance, but there is a profound mystery within…-

'Sounds like a lie.'

Yi-Han looked at the merman spirit with a gaze full of suspicion.

The fact that he couldn't speak specifically was already quite suspicious.

"Then can you persuade the calm and gentle spirits of other territories, not this one, to make a contract with me?"

-Hmm. That's a bit... The spirits of other territories are beings that are difficult to interfere with carelessly. They belong to their own territories. I can't interfere with them recklessly.-

"Hmm."

Yi-Han pondered and then asked the merman spirit.

"Then if you make a contract with me..."

-...Which territory's spirit do you want?-

Nillia glided between the mountain ranges on an eagle spirit.

"Aaaah I'm sorry! I won't catch and eat eagles anymore in the future!"

Nillia hurriedly apologized, thinking the eagle spirit was angry, but the eagle spirit was not angry.

It galloped excitedly several times, gently put Nillia down, and rubbed its head against her.

"...!"

Nillia was very happy when the eagle spirit that controlled the wind chose her.

Such eagle spirits were noble and picky, so they never chose a master who didn't suit them.

Yet it chose her.

'I'm glad I worked hard as a member of the Shadow Patrol...!'

Nillia, who came out of the magic circle with the joy of making a contract with a new spirit, flinched when she saw Yi-Han's tired face.

"Y-You don't necessarily have to make a contract with a spirit! Right?!"

"Huh? I made a contract."

"!"

Nillia was startled by her friend's answer.

Yi-Han made a contract with a spirit?

"What?! How?! Did you catch it by force?!"

"Why do you think that?"

"...Ah, no."

Nillia lowered her ears to the sides and felt awkward.

Come to think of it, it was very rude to her friend.

"I made a contract through persuasion."

"I want to hear about it. Tell me."

Nillia thought it was time for her to make Yi-Han feel good this time.

Didn't Yi-Han and Yonaire always console her?

This time, it was Nillia's turn to console Yi-Han.

When Nillia finished preparing to listen and looked at Yi-Han, Yi-Han opened his mouth with a face that seemed to be pondering where to start.

"So there was a territory of deep-sea spirits governed by a great spirit named Upinum."

"...?"

"I was called to the territory of those spirits..."

"Wait. Wait a minute."