WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Surviving in the Magic Academy

Chapter 109

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I thought back to when I first opened the lecture. There had been a few clumsy parts, since I had prepared it in a hurry. But before I knew it, ten months had passed.

In that time, short if you called it short and long if you called it long, the tower had changed a great deal. Each floor had been refined a little more, and many functions had been added to the students’ message board.

Well, the thing that had changed the most was probably the tower’s atmosphere. Just as I had intended, no major factions had formed in the tower. Of course, several large organizations existed, but brawls like the ones from before no longer broke out.

Instead, the students paid more attention to their individual rankings. Since I had made everyone’s ranking appear on the message board, that was only natural. That ranking was the indicator that decided whether they passed the lecture.

Over the past ten months, ten treasures had run lectures. Each of them chose servants they liked, and through that process, a great deal of power had been scattered among the students.

Amid all that, the tower rankings kept changing. Among the students who had settled in the top hundred, in other words, on the third floor, when the tower first opened, fewer than half still held their positions.

The students who took those places were the ones who had obtained the treasures’ power. Those who gained a treasure’s power grew as quickly as that power was dangerous, and they became stronger. As a result, their rankings rose sharply as well.

Some who had been stuck far below were chosen by treasures, used that power as an opportunity, and leaped into the upper ranks. Others who had already been near the top strengthened their positions even more.

One thing was certain in that struggle. If someone was chosen by a treasure, they could climb higher. Everyone used it as a foothold for growth.

That was why those who had not yet been chosen wanted to receive a treasure’s power. But every treasure had different tastes. Since there was no clear pattern, the students could only hope they would be chosen by one.

And that was exactly what I wanted. I wanted the students to lean on the treasures. Through that, I hoped as many of them as possible would obtain the treasures’ power. Only then would more things accumulate.

During that process, some people received several powers at once. Those chosen in that way had clear tendencies. Whether it was strength, looks, talent, or even entertainment value.

As I went down the stairs, I briefly checked the mirror bug. One post was flashing on the students’ free board. It was the post the students had viewed the most. When I checked it, a video appeared on the mirror bug.

In it, Cassian and Luciella were facing each other. Since it was a duel between first and second place, of course it had drawn plenty of attention.

Luciella was the one who had been chosen by several treasures. Perhaps this was what it meant to come from a great family. She instantly caught the eyes of treasures that wanted strong power.

In the video, she displayed truly outstanding strength. The fire magic she wielded was enough to draw admiration. Those flames, mixed with treasure power, burned the surroundings as they surged fiercely.

With that level of power, she might be able to reach the fourth floor by the time the lecture ended. That thought even crossed my mind.

Of course, in the end, she was cut down by Cassian’s sword. In the video, I saw Cassian smiling brightly as she stabbed her sword into Luciella’s chest.

Beside her, the bear puppet was waving its arms wildly. There was a handkerchief in its hand. The words Blood-Red Swordflower were clearly embroidered on it.

Like that, Cassian showed that she could deal with those who had received treasure power without any trouble. If anything, she was growing even faster than they were.

It made sense. During that time, while going through the storehouse, even if Mira had been possessing her, Cassian had still faced the treasures directly and dealt with them herself.

It had now been seven years since she entered the school. In that time, she had climbed to the third floor, just as I was seeing now. I envied that fast growth, but at the same time, I was happy.

The faster she grew, the sooner she would reach the 7th floor. Of course, that was still a matter for the distant future. Well, the video ended with Cassian hugging the bear puppet. The two of them looked quite nice together.

That was the most ideal relationship between master and puppet I wanted for the students. They cherished and cared for each other, and within that relationship, the puppet’s ego grew larger.

And the people in the place I was heading to now could also be said to have created that kind of ideal relationship. Though the form was a little different. I rubbed my eyes at the slight headache rising in me.

I took the stairs down again and headed to the second floor. I had to go to the infirmary. Hao would be there. When I opened the door and entered, a fresh fragrance brushed the tip of my nose.

Hao was at the center of that fragrance. He lay collapsed on a bed, unconscious and limp. Beside his head, Hari quietly stared at his face.

I lightly released magical power to let her know I had arrived. She looked at me and smiled faintly. Through the faint connection from her, joy at seeing me rippled toward me.

I approached her and looked down at Hao. His face was covered in cold sweat. Apparently, his body had been strained again. Hari was wiping Hao’s face.

“What happened this time?”

At those words, Hari pointed at the mirror bug resting beside Hao. Then she drew the shape of a tree in front of her chest. Along with that, a faint will flowed into me.

A runaway, she conveyed. Apparently, that tree had gone out of control again.

“Then I will begin cleansing right away.”

I touched the infirmary’s magic and raised its intensity. Then magical power began gathering around Hao, who had become the target of that magic. The magical power piled up in layers until it became visible, then poured down over Hao.

Within it, Hao let out a soft groan. But there was no clearer reaction beyond that. Perhaps because he had been cleansed too many times, he was used to the pain by now. I clicked my tongue at the sight.

Hao opened his eyes not long after. He held his head and slowly sat up. The moment he woke, Hari vanished like a mirage.

Hao began checking his body here and there. His magical power rippled lightly, and soon he nodded and smiled brightly. He bowed his head toward me.

“Thank you again today. This thing called cleansing really amazes me every time I experience it. Evron, you truly are incredible!”

Hao said that with sparkling eyes. It was an innocent face that did not match his bulky body, packed with muscle and flesh. I let out a small sigh and opened my mouth.

“I always say this, but cleansing alone cannot treat you completely, Hao. So please be careful until your body stabilizes. During that time, stop communicating with the treasures too.”

At those words, Hao scratched the back of his head. Then he gave an awkward smile and lightly shook his head.

“Ahaha... that will be a bit difficult. There are things I need to receive from them....”

Saying that, he watched my reaction. Things to receive, was it? Then it could not be helped. The reason he had collapsed was the treasures, after all. Of course, about half of it was also his fault. I looked at him with narrowed eyes.

“Then I will check your body first. After that, we can talk more.”

“Yes! Understood!”

Hao shouted that and threw his chest open. I placed my hand on his chest. A heavy heartbeat came through my palm. Magical power originating from me flowed through my hand and entered his body.

Hao opened his body and accepted my magical power. It quickly circulated through him.

It was a complete mess.

I frowned slightly while checking the inside of his body.

Even after cleansing, many parts of his body were misaligned. Still, it did not look like surgery would be needed. There had been no major internal deformation. It seemed only a little contamination had progressed.

Well, if he stayed in the infirmary, he would recover well enough. After finishing the inspection of his body, I focused on the tree floating in Hao’s chest. Then I carefully felt out its form.

Hao’s tree was emitting all kinds of colorful light from its entire body. It was an extremely strange shape. It looked less like a single being and more like a collection of many things. Like a single craftwork made from pieces of colored glass.

Perhaps because cleansing had been performed, the tree was full of cracks, as if it might shatter at any moment. Its growth had clearly been shaved away.

After confirming that, I quietly nodded. Its form was different from before. Even so, it seemed a little sturdier. That meant his method was working. I quietly stored that progress in my memory.

Cleansing was the forced removal of contamination.

Basically, the infirmary’s magic focused on making the target into its most perfect state. Because of that, the magic turned back time and guided the target to its purest state, before contamination had occurred.

And the person who had received the most cleansing in the tower was Hao. Aside from Professor, he was probably the one who knew the principles and process of cleansing best. I only used the magic without understanding it, after all.

During that cleansing process, Hao had apparently been struck by some inspiration and built up a great many realms based on the treasures’ power. Had it been roughly six months? The strange shape of that tree was the result of that attempt.

Like inflating balloons to make muscles, he had paid no mind to his unstable foundation and simply accepted a huge amount of power. The realm built up that way was nothing but unstable. Just like raising one’s realm through elixirs.

Like that, he simply accepted a large amount of contamination and forcibly created a path forward. If that became fixed, he would no longer be able to go beyond it.

That was why he melted that realm away in an instant through cleansing. As the contamination was erased, and as the power born from it disappeared, the realm built on that foundation naturally collapsed as well.

In that way, he returned to the state he had been in before he was contaminated. The power from the treasures was also weakened. But his tree remembered everything. It had experienced the direction it needed to move forward.

During that cleansing process, the tree gradually began to change. It changed so it could contain more power and endure more contamination. Each of those colored lights represented one treasure’s power.

After one cleansing, his tree held out more firmly. The realm he built up afterward also grew higher. But before long, it was stained by contamination, then cleansed, and collapsed again.

In that way, Hao delicately inspected the path, as if searching for an answer sheet. The most efficient path for building up power. Now that he had fully mastered it, it took him less than two days to roughly restore his realm.

And that method of his drew the treasures’ interest. The growth Hao achieved was the result of their powers being clumped together. So more treasures attached themselves to him.

Like that, out of ten treasures, seven chose him. It was not simply the result of being drawn by his fragrance. It could be called an achievement he had made. Based on that power, he repeatedly climbed to the tower’s third floor and fell back down.

“There is nothing wrong. So, how long will you keep doing this?”

At those words, Hao scratched his head again. Guilt showed clearly on his face. He seemed completely unable to hide his expression.

“I will probably keep doing it until I pass. I can only apologize to you, Evron.”

“Well, it is fine. I am learning a lot by watching, too.”

At my words, he let out a light laugh. Then he crossed his arms and nodded.

“I think it was a good thing I listened to Jun. He told me to seize the chance in Evron’s lecture, even if I had to stake my life on it, just as he did. He said Evron would help me then. Of course, I did not know it would turn out like this.”

Jun, huh. It had been a while since I heard that name. I had once briefly traced the remnants of the previous students. News of Jun had been fairly prominent among them. Something about winning a fight between lower organizations of the Throne Society.

Thinking about it, Jun and I had gotten along fairly well. He probably felt the same. I had not expected to hear about him from Hao. Well, Hao had also belonged to Jun’s former group, so he must have heard some advice.

There was nothing wrong with receiving that kind of advice. In any case, it benefited me. As Hao said, I respected him quite a bit.

Everyone in the tower knew Hao’s method. He stood out greatly, since he was carried to the infirmary again and again. But no one carelessly copied him. They could grow without going that far.

His method looked only toward passing. If he failed to pass, the treasures’ power would be reclaimed. The realm he had built through that power would clearly disappear as well. The other students did not want to bear that risk.

It was also a strangely familiar method. I, too, was repeating that process of emptying and filling myself. That was why I had come to feel a little fondness for Hao.

“Still, it is fortunate that the girl of Rule 2 is here. Thanks to her, I can receive cleansing on time like this. ...Can you still not tell me who that person is?”

Hao said. The girl of Rule 2, huh. He must have meant Hari. I gave a soft, hollow laugh. I had made rules telling them not to do something, yet I had not expected someone to use those rules in reverse like this. To think he would use her as a standard.

“Yes, I think it would be best for you to figure that out yourself.”

I shook my head as I spoke. This was also something Professor had asked of me. Never tell Hao about Hari. I could not ruin Professor’s fun while she was watching their relationship with such interest.

“I see.”

Hao’s eyes shifted slightly. Behind him, the air began to ripple. That ripple grew thicker and formed a single shape. It was Hari. She glared at Hao with a slight frown.

Hao did not notice her appearance at all. I glanced at the ring giving off faint light above Hari’s head. It seemed that was hiding her presence.

She looked at me and puffed out her cheeks slightly. Then she pointed at Hao’s mirror bug. I lightly shrugged. Apparently, she did not like seeing Hao continue to be contaminated by treasures.

It made sense. She was the one who kept bringing Hao to the infirmary.

Contamination was, in short, the same as being drawn toward that treasure. If it reached the limit, he would be half-assimilated into that treasure.

Hari absolutely refused to tolerate that. The Hao she wanted was someone who carried happiness toward “Ring of the Sky.”

Interest in other treasures was something she could never accept. So before he reached the limit, she ate away at Hao’s mind and cut off his interest in the other treasures. Then she made him undergo cleansing, like now.

From Hao’s perspective, there was probably no standard as useful as her. That was why he even wandered the first floor to meet Hari. Of course, that made more work for me.

The reason I endured this annoyance and continued observing him was simple. He was useful to me.

Just as Hari was a standard from Hao’s perspective, Hao was a standard from mine.

I had expected Hao to cause trouble from the moment I accepted him into the lecture. The sweet scent now lingering at the tip of my nose, the fragrance that even drew Mira in, was certain to attract the treasures’ attention.

He drew in treasures, and the treasures caused incidents in the tower through him. During that process, I also tested how much of that power this one mage could endure. That was the standard he provided.

Of course, I had not expected him to move with this much determination. By now, my head hurt every time an incident broke out. I had never thought four rules would be created in less than a year.

Still, I could not stop him. No, I had no intention of stopping him. When a test subject was working himself this hard on his own, how could I get in the way? He was becoming an excellent sample for me.

Hao called the mirror bug, unaware that Hari was glaring at him. The sleeping mirror bug received his magical power and flew into the air.

“Ahem, then I will offer my greetings to the treasures.”

Hao said while stealing a glance at me. I smiled bitterly at those words. It seemed he was about to begin that thing called communication again. When I nodded, Hao carefully operated the mirror bug.

Soon, the mirror bug’s screen shone brightly. Like a mirror, it began to show Hao’s face. Hao looked at the screen and briefly straightened his clothes.

He nodded, and the mirror bug began connecting that video to my shadow tree. Along with that, my own mirror bug vibrated lightly. It was the signal that Hao was beginning communication.

Hao lightly bowed his head toward the screen.

“Good day! I am offering my greetings like this as soon as I woke up!”

-Tooth Necklace: Aha, this one seems to have been too much for you. To think your body would burn! I liked it very much. Next time, let us make it even hotter. Kekekek!

-Star-Eye: Experiment, successful. Very satisfactory.

-Delicious Tongue: It was fun. Very much!

-Blood Axe: Me, me! Slaughter! You absolutely slaughter!

Text began rising quickly on the screen. What the screen showed was the treasures’ writing. It rippled beyond the screen and into the surroundings.

There were a great many of them. It was clear even treasures that had not bestowed power on him had gathered. Including ones that had not yet run lectures. Hao read them one by one, then nodded.

“Aha, thank you for cheering me on. As you said, this time, I opened a new path. Using only Delicious Tongue’s power! ...Ahem, so about that. If you watched with satisfaction, I would like you to give me the points you promised.”

Hao said that and scratched his cheek.

-Delicious Tongue: Good! Good!

-Blood Axe: Slaughter, me too slaughter!

Those messages rose, and points were sent to Hao.

“Thank you. I will use them well!”

Hao smiled brightly and bowed deeply toward the screen. I stared blankly at the sight, then shook my head. That was one of the functions added to the message board. The ability to send video in real time.

-Tooth Necklace: Then how about eating fifty magical beasts at once this time? With my teeth, it should be more than possible!

-Ring of the Sky: ...That is too barbaric. How about becoming drunk on happiness instead? After that... Ah, this is a secret....

Like that, Hao continued communicating with the treasures. It happened on the offering board. That board had also changed a great deal.

Several treasures, even treasures that had not yet run lectures, could now communicate with students all together. Of course, that meant more tribute had to be offered. Other students usually used the offering board that way.

Those who had been granted power asked the treasures for advice so they could use that power skillfully, and those who had not yet received a treasure’s power offered points to treasures that had not begun their lectures.

In that way, the offering board I designed was a place meant to strip students of points and items. Because of that, I had never imagined a case like this. Taking points from the treasures instead. It was a very fresh idea.

The treasures were satisfied because they could see an entertaining scene, and Hao was satisfied because he could earn points. I was satisfied too. In the middle of those heartwarming exchanges of points, I was taking a portion as a fee.

Only one person was uncomfortable. I glanced behind Hao. Hari, who was not reflected in the mirror bug, was quietly glaring at Hao.

She was not a treasure. Because of that, she could not join that offering room. If that room kept being maintained, Hao would be pulled around by the treasures as always. That must be why she kept looking so annoyed.

I had prepared something for her. I took a mirror bug from my clothes and sent it flying toward her. It had a translucent body. It rode magical power and flew toward Hari.

Then it seeped straight into Hari’s body. Hari looked down at herself with a slightly puzzled expression. Through the mirror bug, I wrote and sent her a message.

-Evron: Now, can you see it?

Her eyes went round, and she nodded. A small screen floated in front of her eyes. The message I had sent was inside it. It was a success.

It was a kind of mirror bug made exclusively for her, created after research based on the bear puppet’s case. Of course, she could not use this to join the students’ message board. But she should be able to peek into Hao’s.

Hari was half-connected to Hao as well, after all. She began looking into Hao’s mirror bug through that flow.

With that, Hari would be able to grasp Hao’s every move more easily. Then the incidents Hao caused would probably decrease a little too. Hari would try to control his actions, after all.

After confirming their state, I quietly left the infirmary.

Hari was also my puppet. I needed to repay the love she sent me. That was one part of that repayment. If she wanted Hao, I would bring Hao to her.

Binding him to the tower entirely would also be a good method. I smiled lightly as I thought of Hao’s strange tree. Hari would be happy, I would research, and the treasures would enjoy themselves. It was a path where everyone was happy.

I went back up the stairs. The matter in the infirmary was over. I checked the time through the mirror bug. The morning was nearly over. It was time to move again.

On the way up the stairs, I briefly thought about the assignment Professor On had given me.

Last time, I had failed the assignment. It was deeply painful. That could not happen this time. I had to analyze the assignment more thoroughly.

This assignment was to make a puppet different from mine. Professor On had not added any clear explanation about it. Then what did a different puppet mean?

For the next month, I had to find a clear answer. Only then would I be able to hold my head up at the puppeteers’ gathering afterward.

Like that, I entered the fourth floor, the workshop area. I glanced at the tightly shut workshop door. Mira and No. 0 would be beyond it. But I shook my head. That was not where I needed to go right now.

I headed to the room located deepest on the fourth floor. Then I opened the door. When I entered, cold magical power wrapped around my body and made my breath rise white.

In that state, I slowly looked around. This room was a huge storehouse. All kinds of things were arranged on the neatly standing shelves.

Most of them were living creatures. They looked as if they might come alive and move at any moment, but they were stopped without the slightest twitch inside that cold magical power.

I paused briefly and checked the state of the magic. Then I quietly nodded. There was nothing wrong. Time was still perfectly frozen.

Those creatures preserved the most ideal form they could hold within frozen time. Not as living creatures, but as ingredients.

I wanted to handle magic like this someday too. Well, as Professor had said, I had no talent at all for this kind of magic. Even so, I had been able to create a little magic based on this. I had remodeled Mira’s body with it too.

This was a kind of ingredient storehouse Professor had gifted to me. Inside it, the materials would always remain in optimal condition. I could tell what she was thinking right away. She wanted me to make many more delicious things with this.

I had to live up to her expectations. Then what should I use today? I swept a sharp gaze over the shelves.

The day before yesterday had been meat, and yesterday had also been meat. So today would be meat too. Professor had a weakness for meat, after all.

Mm, as expected. The rumor that dragons enjoyed meat seemed to be true.

I thought of that golden hair, fiddled with the carving knife in my clothes, and quietly nodded. Professor had to be a dragon. After a great deal of thought over the past while, I had finally become certain.

To think such a huge secret was hidden inside that tiny body. It was unbelievable.

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