Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-531

"Wh-what? What's going on?"

"The artifact is operating? Wardanaz. Did you activate it?"

Yi-Han frowned and answered.

"No. It activated on its own."

"What? That's impossible. An artifact activating on its own. What kind of idiot made it like that?"

Salko spoke as if it was hard to believe.

Safety that only activated when the caster wanted was the basics of the basics for artifacts.

An artifact that activated on its own without being wanted was not called an artifact. It was usually called a trap.

"The seniors."

"..."

"..."

The students were speechless with absurdity.

Are they really seniors?

"No... This is absurd."

"Yeah. Salko. I'm also at a loss for words."

Yi-Han sighed as he looked at the realm gate artifact that was flickering as if it was burning.

It was hard to believe, but the seniors who made this didn't care about safety at all.

Originally, to operate an artifact, a clear chant and movement were required.

However, the seniors had completely omitted all of that in order to squeeze out even a little bit of efficiency.

They had completed it in a simple and crude way that forcibly absorbed mana the moment one set foot in the vicinity of the artifact and operated it.

This was a simple and crude method, to put it nicely, but it was a very dangerous method.

The seniors could immediately back away if they felt it was dangerous since they had designed it and had a lot of experience, but juniors with little experience could collapse from mana exhaustion with a single mistake.

At the very least, when graduating, shouldn't they have added more safety devices for the sake of the juniors?

'Are all seniors just bastards?'

"No. Wardanaz. The one I'm calling absurd is you.”

"?"

Yi-Han looked at Salko as if asking what he was talking about.

"Why didn't you notice while the artifact was absorbing this much mana?"

"...You might not notice either if you were the one who read the journal. You bastard."

Yi-Han grumbled at the attitude of his mean friend who didn't let the mistake pass.

Of course, the students who were listening to the enchantment magic lecture didn't agree with Yi-Han's words.

'What is he saying when he can feel even the faint flow of mana from a few meters away...'

Woong. Woong. Wooooong-

The realm gate artifact continued to emit a huge roar while flickering.

The light gradually became stronger and sparks flew in the air, but the realm gate artifact continued to operate without stopping.

"Wardanaz. Are you sure it's okay? Why is it doing this? The artifact is operating, but...?"

"It seems like it has just started."

Even after absorbing the enormous mana that could shake this area, the realm gate artifact had only just started operating.

To properly form a gate, it had to absorb dozens of times more mana than it had just absorbed.

Realizing the structure of the artifact that was greedily absorbing mana, Yi-Han gestured to his friends.

"Don't come close. If the area that absorbs mana expands unnecessarily, you guys will also suffer from mana exhaustion."

"Wardanaz..."

"What. It's natural to worry about this much."

Yi-Han spoke in a warm voice to his friends who seemed touched.

Since he had overworked his friends a bit earlier, he needed to show a little concern now.

"No. Aren't you coming out...?"

"..."

The friends were whispering and looking at Yi-Han.

They were whispering whether it was right to leave Wardanaz alone now, no matter how much mana he had.

No matter how they looked at it, the amount of mana the artifact was demanding was too abnormal.

If that enormous amount of mana earlier was just to activate it, then how much mana would be needed to properly form a gate?

"I'm fine."

"Usually when someone says that, they're not fine."

Gainando muttered.

There were rarely any good outcomes when Gainando said, "I'm fine!"

"You bastard, don't say ominous things!"

"You're talking nonsense!"

The Blue Dragon Tower students fiercely hit Gainando's back.

'I'm worried about something else.'

Yi-Han wasn't actually worried about the mana being absorbed like a waterfall.

If he had felt the suffering of mana exhaustion, he was going to get out right away, but his body was very fine. It was embarrassing enough for his friends to worry.

What Yi-Han was worried about was the durability of this artifact.

It was an artifact that had been completed by removing all kinds of functions for efficiency and performance.

What if it exploded while charging mana?

'The skull principal would really laugh a lot.'

After finally defeating that powerful enemy and finding the treasure inside, they would be wiped out because of an artifact the seniors had made strangely.

It would be a story that the skull principal would giggle about for a week.

"Can everyone set up the tables over there?"

"Ye-yeah."

"Got it."

At Yi-Han's words, the students hurriedly set up the tables.

Preparing cover in case the artifact exploded was a wise thing to do.

"Hmm. Salko. I'd like you to cast magic and fill the space with earth."

"Understood."

Salko cast earth element magic and reinforced behind the tables.

With this, even if the impact flew, it wouldn't easily be blown away.

"Hmm. Princess. Can you summon spirits and make it even sturdier?"

Adenart quickly summoned spirits and strengthened the barricade.

The barricade mixed with sand, water, and gravel became so solid that it wouldn't budge with a light kick.

"Hmm. Is this a bit ambiguous? Gainando. Try summoning some bone elements. Let's mix it more and strengthen it."

"..."

"..."

The expressions of the students gradually became subtle.

If the barricade needed to be strengthened to this extent...

...Shouldn't we just run away?

Noticing his friends' expressions, Yi-Han quickly made an excuse.

"It's just in case. It's still fine. There's no particular problem with the mana flow."

"Earlier, you didn't notice while the artifact was absorbing enough mana to kill several mages..."

"Salko. Do you feel good constantly harping on your friend's mistake like that? Huh?"

"Ah, no. That's not what I meant."

When Yi-Han appealed to emotions, which he didn't usually do, Salko was slightly flustered.

If he said it like that, there was nothing more to say, but...

Crack, crackle!!

"!"

"Lo-look at that! Cracks!"

The students widened their eyes.

Surprisingly, cracks were forming in the air!

As if a powerful being from another realm was crossing over to this continent, cracks appeared in space and a completely different scenery from the underground warehouse rippled beyond it.

"Wa... Wardanaz!!!"

"You're a hero!!! You're our hero!!!"

The White Tiger Tower students, who had been grumbling until earlier, "If that bastard Wardanaz drinks one more bottle of divination potion, we'll all die," shouted cheers.

Although they had been skeptical, the current cracks in space were proof that the realm gate artifact was functioning properly.

"Check it out! Check! Where does it connect to?"

"I-I'm looking. I'm looking, but... I can't see! Ugh! Wardanaz! Can't we get closer?!"

"If you want to die from exhaustion, come closer."

"Th-there's no need to say it like that."

Yi-Han tried his best to memorize the scenery visible through the crackling realm gate.

'Is it inside a mansion?'

At a glance, the place the realm gate was connected to was quite an old-fashioned mansion.

Yi-Han thought this gate might be connected to a mansion of a noble family in a village or city not far from Einroguard.

If there was a Blue Dragon Tower student among the seniors, connecting it to the family's mansion would have been the safest choice.

Creak-

"!"

At the eerie sound coming from the artifact, Yi-Han quickly turned his gaze.

The realm gate artifact, which looked like it was made by haphazardly weaving together odds and ends.

The skeleton of that artifact was twisting and creaking, unable to withstand the overload of mana.

He was worried about the durability, but for it to be like this already.

Yi-Han gritted his teeth and quickly got away from the artifact.

"Ex-explode!? Is it going to explode!?"

When Gainando saw Yi-Han running, he asked almost screaming.

"No. For now, it's stopping!"

"I... I see."

Gainando nodded his head and asked in a slightly smaller voice.

"Explode?"

"...It won't explode."

After giving Gainando, who thought he would deceive the others and only tell him, a flick on the forehead, Yi-Han turned his gaze to the artifact.

Fortunately, as calculated, the artifact that had lost its mana source was slowly cooling down.

The realm gate disappeared, the cracks in space closed, and it became quiet as if what had just happened was a lie.

"..."

"Th-thank goodness. It didn't break down."

The students treated the dimensional gate artifact as preciously and dearly as a final exam paper.

"Wardanaz. When are you going to activate it again?"

"...Do you guys even know where it's connected to?"

Yi-Han was dumbfounded by the eyes of his friends who were trying to go in recklessly without even knowing where it led.

But the friends also had their own logic.

"Who cares where it is? Anywhere would be better than Einroguard."

"..."

Yi-Han was momentarily at a loss for words.

That...

Is that so?

"Wait a moment. I'll read the journal again."

Yi-Han, who had stopped reading earlier due to the forced mana charging, stretched out his staff and brought the journal.

'Where did they connect it to?'

Yi-Han's face suddenly hardened as if he had encountered a basilisk while rummaging through the journal.

Yonaire looked at the journal curiously.

'Why is Yi-Han acting like that?'

[The crazy skull won't even imagine where we are targeting. Haha. If it's completed, your villa in the city will be ours! After scraping up all the treasures to the bottom, we'll set it on fire!]

"..."

"..."

Yi-Han let out a deep sigh.

Why did it have to be this damn place of all places?

'The seniors are not helpful in life.'

"Yi-Han. We're still going, right?"

"Wardanaz. Think of it as a good thing. If it's the principal's external villa, it will be empty!"

"Quiet. Everyone close your eyes."

Yi-Han tapped the floor with his staff, making his friends shut their mouths.

Gainando tried to open his eyes slightly but got hit.

"Now. As you know, this realm gate artifact may be able to operate a few more times. We should use it with the thought of gaining the maximum benefit each time... I'd like to hear your honest opinions."

There were some students whose eyes had turned red from wanting to go out now, but Yi-Han was cold.

If they entered the skull principal's villa by mistake, there was no telling what kind of situation they would face.

Although he could pretend to be tough and act strong in front of his friends, not everyone would feel the same way.

Yi-Han didn't want to forcibly take friends who didn't want to go.

"Anyone who wants to go through the realm gate and go outside, even if the destination is the principal's villa?"

Slowly, all the students raised their hands.

"..."

Yi-Han was dumbfounded.

'No, these guys...'

Aren't you too accustomed to Einroguard?

***

"It was a really tough day."

"Everyone worked hard."

Yi-Han and his friends walked out yawning.

Having stayed up all night fighting, by the time they walked out of the main building, dawn was already breaking.

"Wardanaz. We're going together on the weekend."

"Yeah."

"Wardanaz. We must go together on the weekend. You can't leave us behind."

"Yeah."

"Wardanaz. On the weekend... Ack! Ack!"

Yi-Han swung his staff and chased away the White Tiger Tower students.

They had made a promise to gather again this weekend and try again, but they kept being annoyingly clingy.

"There are no morning lectures, right? Let's all go in and rest a bit."

"I feel like I can't sleep thinking about going out on the weekend."

"Certainly. The principal's villa won't be easy."

Yi-Han nodded and said.

"So I have one thing in mind."

"Oh. What is it?"

The friends were curious about what Yi-Han had thought of.

What kind of secret plan had he come up with?

"The divination potion will be completed soon, so if we drink that..."

"No!"

"Don't do that!"