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Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 824

Added 2024-09-08 11:10:58 +0000 UTC

Chapter 824

The mad doppelganger affirmed, not knowing that his disciple was considering turning off the Echo Stone again.

[That's right.]

"...Uh, why on earth does such magic exist?"

<Gonadaltes' Decline> was magic that transferred the other party's decline, that is, curses, pain, wounds, etc., to oneself.

No matter how he thought about it, Yi-Han couldn't understand why the mad doppelganger would use such magic.

The mad doppelganger wouldn't want to transfer the world's pain or wounds to himself...

That...

"Ah! I understand!"

Yi-Han realized.

Come to think of it, it was a simple matter.

"To transfer curses, pain, or wounds to others, one must be able to control them. And the easiest stage of control is absorption. This magic is the basic magic learned before transferring decline to others, right?"

[What nonsense are you spouting so confidently?]

"Ah, isn't it?"

Yi-Han was flustered when the mad doppelganger threw a contemptuous gaze.

He couldn't think of any other reason at all.

[This mystery was researched to gather all the pain, wounds, and curses scattered in the world in one place. To be precise, it's the beginning of that.]

"??"

Yi-Han tilted his head.

"What do you do after gathering them? Use them as a weapon?"

[...If you gather them in one place, wouldn't the world's pain disappear?]

The mad doppelganger's gaze was now directed somewhere beyond contempt, somewhere that couldn't be expressed in words.

Yi-Han shouted in surprise, the most shocked he had been by anything he'd heard today.

"Th-then did you research this mystery with truly pure good intentions, Master?"

[Lowborn, I feel like I sense suspicious intentions in your voice.]

"No. I was just amazed because it's so impressive."

Yi-Han, who had overcome the shock and regained his senses, quickly tried to smooth things over.

'It's amazing. Not only the scale of the magic but its intention is even more amazing.'

The scale of the magic that would erase the concept of pain for an entire realm was amazing, but its intention was even more so.

To research such magic to erase the world's pain.

No matter how he thought about it, it didn't seem like research that suited the skull principal.

'Could it be that he's mistaken someone else's doppelganger for Gonadaltes?'

While Yi-Han was having this crazy thought, the mad doppelganger calmly continued his explanation.

[This research ultimately failed. It was impossible to overturn and seal a concept scattered throughout an entire realm. That resignation is still humiliating...]

"No. You judged well. There was a mage in the past who tried to fly towards the sun..."

[Be quiet, lowborn. If one doesn't try to fly towards the sun just because the flames are fierce, they can't be called a mage.]

Yi-Han, who had tried to comfort the ancient being by bringing up an old story, was immediately suppressed.

The mad doppelganger looked into the distant void, reminiscing about the past.

[In the end, only a few mysteries remained like this.]

"Isn't that still an amazing achievement?"

[Well. The dark mages of the Three Kingdoms stole this mystery and used it on their enemies. Utterly vulgar.]

"How did they use it on enemies?"

[Lowborn. Isn't it about time you stopped asking foolish questions? If you can absorb this decline yourself, you can also transfer it to enemies.]

"..."

Yi-Han felt indignant inwardly.

Wasn't what he said earlier correct after all?

'It is basic magic...!'

First, you learn to absorb it yourself, then you learn to transfer it to enemies.

There must surely be magic to transfer this decline at higher Circles too.

Wouldn't the names be something like <Gonadaltes' True Colors> or <Gonadaltes' Hidden Heart>?

"I'm sorry. I asked a foolish question."

[It's fine if you understand. Prepare yourself.]

"Master. Please wait a moment."

Yi-Han, realizing he hadn't said the important thing because he was listening to the shocking past story, hurriedly called out.

[What is it?]

"If I cast this, won't I absorb the other party's curse?"

[Has your intelligence decreased?]

"...Please listen to the end. If I take the other party's curse into my body, won't it be painful?"

[So?]

"..."

Yi-Han decided to think of the other party as either a 3-year-old baby or Professor Verduus.

'Explain from the beginning without wavering.'

"Haha. So, if a curse enters the body, it would be painful, right? If it's painful, daily life becomes difficult, and it would be hard to learn magic too, wouldn't it?"

The mad doppelganger, disgusted by his disciple's sudden nauseating tone, answered.

[Lowborn. First, fix that complacent attitude of finding it difficult to learn magic just because the flesh declines. You can't learn magic that way.]

"Ah, yes."

Yi-Han was indifferent.

As a young imperial mage, the ancient mage's mentality lacked persuasiveness.

[You must be able to control yourself even if all kinds of decline and decay torment you. Understand?]

"Yes... I'll try."

[Pain is not the enemy of a mage.]

"Then is it a friend?"

[It's not a friend either. Lastly, lowborn, you don't need to worry about that.]

"Why is that?"

[Because it won't affect you.]

Yi-Han, who had been wondering what he meant, belatedly understood.

Then he retorted in disbelief.

"No, Master. This isn't an ordinary curse, some crazy mage..."

[Shut up. It's just a hodgepodge made by mixing fourteen curses at most.]

The mad doppelganger refused Yi-Han's explanation and strongly ordered him to just learn the magic quickly.

Yi-Han grumbled inwardly as he grabbed his staff.

Is he perhaps suggesting I become a lich if I can't endure the flesh getting cursed?

"..."

Yi-Han, who had cast <Gonadaltes' Decline>, looked himself up and down.

The mad doppelganger asked in a voice full of boredom.

[How is it?]

"I feel a bit dizzy... and slightly feverish..."

[Wrong. You're fine.]

'Then why did you ask?'

Yi-Han complained, but in fact, he couldn't refute.

Because he really was perfectly fine.

When the Water Horse Mountain Range magic tower mage took out and opened his soul, and Yi-Han accurately absorbed the curse inside, the curse bounced off feebly and disappeared.

No matter how many times he checked, there really was no effect at all. Yi-Han felt embarrassed.

He felt like he should at least have some dizziness or fever to save face...

"I seem to be fine. Thank you."

[As you should be.]

The mad doppelganger fell into thought for a moment and then said.

[If you want, you can continue the research, lowborn.]

"What?"

[This mystery, I mean.]

"..."

Yi-Han was about to say 'Do I look stupid enough to take on research that even you failed at, Master?' but he caught himself.

He was able to do so because of the other party's expression.

Surprisingly, the mad doppelganger was wearing an expression full of melancholy and regret.

It was shocking enough to make one think this couldn't be the mad doppelganger who usually showed only limited emotions like contempt, disdain, irritation, anger, rage, and scorn.

'No. It must have really been a cherished research.'

Originally, everyone had something they cherished regardless of success or failure.

Just like how Gainando tried to somehow use the lousy mage card deck he had made before getting into curse decks, this decline magic research starting from this was such a sore spot for the mad doppelganger.

'Damn. Then I can't refuse.'

Originally, refusing would have been the cleanest option.

But looking at the atmosphere, it seemed unpredictable what would happen if he did.

Yi-Han quickly made a decision.

"I'll work hard on it!"

[Good. Then I'll tell you another mystery next time. First, get used to this magic.]

"?"

Yi-Han felt puzzled.

It might sound a bit arrogant, but Yi-Han thought he had just completely mastered this decline magic.

And he had actually completely absorbed the other party's curse.

"Was there a mistake in my magic casting?"

[No.]

"Then what do you mean by getting used to it?"

[That's something you have to realize yourself, lowborn.]

The mad doppelganger lightly waved his hand with an attitude of not saying any more. It was a signal to end the conversation.

[Ah.]

As if he had just remembered, the mad doppelganger called Yi-Han.

"Do you have more to say?"

[From now on, pay your respects every day like you did today. It's truly satisfying to see you engraving even a little reverence for your master into your flesh.]

"Haha. Yes. I understand."

The Echo Stone turned off.

Yi-Han, enraged, immediately threw his staff at the wall.

"Im-impossible!"

Bajun, the Water Horse Mountain Range magic tower mage who had regained his senses, checked his condition and shouted in shock.

No matter how he looked, the curse had completely disappeared.

"What trick did you use! Tell me!"

Bajun shouted as he usually spoke.

Originally, Water Horse Mountain Range magic tower mages would say things like 'This is impossible! It's a trick!' when they saw truly outstanding magic.

However, this was Einroguard.

"What?"

Yi-Han glared at the other party with a serious expression.

His eyes were full of killing intent.

Somehow, it seemed like a fierce hissing sound could be heard from somewhere.

Bajun came to his senses with a sudden feeling of his heart shriveling.

"N-no. I was... surprised. I just can't believe it."

"Do you know all imperial magic? Ha. I just learned. I don't know why someone who knows so much was brought here."

"No... I'm sorry, I said."

Bajun tried to appease the arrogant and prickly Einroguard student.

He had made a slip of the tongue, but more than anything, he was too curious about how the curse had been cured.

A mage who could use such magic might naturally be this arrogant.

Yi-Han, who had been grumbling, soon softened his temper.

Strictly speaking, the other party wasn't at fault.

No, more strictly speaking, he was at fault for creating and getting caught by the curse...

At least calling the mad doppelganger to ask was Yi-Han's choice.

'Right. It was my choice. Don't get angry at the other party.'

"You said your name was Os, right? Your skill befits a mage using the Imperial Mage Administrator's name as an alias. It's really amaz..."

"..."

Yi-Han almost strangled the other party with telekinesis for a moment but came to his senses.

"You remember opening your soul, right?"

"I opened my defenses and completely exposed it. Did you perhaps blow it away with mana?"

"If I had, you wouldn't be able to have this conversation now. I extracted the curse."

"...What? How?"

Curses were basically made to have strong attraction to the soul, so it wasn't easy to pull out a properly attached curse.

Especially if it was a curse that had settled deep inside the soul.

Unless you erased or annihilated the curse itself, how could you extract it?

"If there's a soul that the curse is more strongly attracted to, wouldn't it move on its own?"

"That's right."

"That's what I did."

"??"

Bajun was shocked. Then he looked around and whispered quietly.

"Where is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"...You didn't bring a prisoner and transfer the curse to them, did you? Shh. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. Rather, I'm grateful. To break imperial law for my sake."

"...I transferred it to myself."

"What?"

"I said I absorbed it."

"..."

Bajun doubted his ears for a moment. Then he started pondering deeply.

Seeing the other party suddenly fall silent, Yi-Han became worried and asked.

"Are you alright?"

"I understand."

"...What do you understand now?"

"You... must be a saint."

"I think we need to check your head more. You might not be fully cured yet..."

"I'm serious!"