WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Surviving in the Magic Academy

Chapter 13

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Five people gathered at the intersection. The moment we did, the surroundings suddenly brightened, and an unfamiliar scene unfolded before my eyes.

We were standing in a wide clearing. A heavy pressure hung in the air. The magical power here felt twice as thick and sticky as it had outside. Was this the magical power zone I had only heard rumors about? It felt like the magical power was gripping my body.

The clearing was surrounded by dense forest. Huge trees towered far over our heads, stretching dozens of meters upward and blocking out the sky. Beyond them, visible through the trees, one mountain rose high above everything else.

That mountain made no effort to hide its presence. It had planted a flag of enormous magical power at its peak, as if advertising, “This is the destination.”

“Let us move right away.”

The young man with an elegant air spoke. He was smiling, but his magical power wrapped around the area with a murderous edge. Sharpened to a keen point, it felt sharper than any blade. He was clearly strong. It was a level of magical power someone at the Sapling stage like me could not even feel in myself.

“Yes, let’s hurry!”

A muscular man laughed as he patted his stomach. He looked a bit more ordinary. Even so, strong magical power radiated from his entire body. I quickly nodded too. The young man was right. We did not have much time. Whatever we did, it would be better to think while moving.

I quietly took the spatial pouch from my money belt and hid it inside my clothes. I could not pull it out in front of these people. What would I do if they tried to steal it? Some of them looked stronger than me, so I had to be even more careful. I planned to bring out the turtle only after everyone else had set off.

The young man at the front climbed onto a fish spirit made of wind. The fish shot into the sky in an instant, then flew forward, cutting through the air. Starting with him, the group members began heading toward the mountain in their own ways.

Once all of them had disappeared, I finally took out the spatial pouch. I opened it and tried to connect with the turtle sleeping inside. Receiving my signal, the turtle woke. The pouch’s tiny opening widened, and its enormous bulk began to emerge.

First, the turtle’s head appeared. Magical power flickered like fire inside its golden eyes. Thick folds of scale gathered around those eyes, revealing the turtle’s dignity and strength. Its large jaw looked hard and heavy, and sharp teeth packed its mouth.

Next, its two front legs pushed out. The pillar-thick legs were covered in steel scales. Like hammers, they looked heavy enough to crush anything in their path. When the turtle planted them on the ground, a deep vibration spread out, strong enough to make the earth rumble.

Its shell emerged after that. It looked like a giant shield, with several rough protrusions on top that made it seem as if it were carrying a rocky mountain on its back. Huge spike-like ridges jutted out from both sides of the shell, and standing beneath them, I was swallowed by their shadow.

Last came the turtle’s hind legs and tail. The creature completely filled the wide clearing. Look at this massive fortress. Incredible vitality pulsed within its sturdy form. The Sapling in my chest was excited too, resonating with the turtle.

I climbed onto the turtle’s back. Then part of the shell beneath my feet slowly sank, drawing me deep into the turtle’s body. Soon, a wide space appeared. It was my own little workshop, located deep inside the turtle’s belly.

I settled in and had a puppet bring me tea. I took a sip of the tea the puppet brought. Warm fragrance wrapped around the tip of my nose, and its beautiful flavor slid down my throat. Mm, shall we move?

Through Magical Deep Breathing, I sent an order to the turtle along the connected circuit. My will became the turtle’s movement, and the turtle’s body began to advance. Its huge bulk moved heavily as it started toward the forest.

Over the past ten months, I had steadily modified this turtle with all sorts of magic I had learned. Even Professor had admitted it was fairly useful. Through those modifications, the turtle had become a sturdy fortress that nothing could easily approach.

Of course, there were things I regretted. The issue was the materials. Most of the turtle was made of wood, and the parts other than its shell had relatively weak defense. Especially the four legs. If I had a larger budget, I would have gotten harder wood. That still bothered me.

I looked around through the turtle’s eyes. The trees I had thought were so tall did not even reach the turtle’s head. The others were already far ahead.

The turtle moved its legs. Thump. A vibration rang beneath my feet. The trees blocking the way were crushed under the turtle’s feet just like that. It was such a satisfying sight. The turtle swallowed several fallen trees whole. Since they had grown under this tremendous magical power, they should be fairly useful if made into puppets. The trees soon came down to the workshop.

I did not know what would happen on the path ahead. It would be better to make more puppets. I had already left most of my puppets back at the shop because I had brought the turtle. The more options I had, the better. I started making puppets at once.

The turtle simply kept knocking down trees and swallowing them as it strode forward. Because of its enormous stride, the others soon began drawing closer. The people who had been far ahead came into view.

“Oh my, may I ride this too?”

One of them had somehow climbed onto my turtle. I had not sensed her presence at all. She had definitely been flying far away just a moment ago, but at some point, she was already on the turtle.

The woman gave off a captivating air. A dangerous light flashed in her deep, dark blue eyes. The corners of her mouth, naturally raised a little, were full of interest.

She was the person I had been most wary of among the group members. All four of the others looked stronger than me, but the one who gave off the most unusual smell of blood was this woman. Now that woman was on my turtle.

My heart pounded a little. She leisurely examined the turtle. A thick scent of blood came from her, one I had never felt even from the sword-wielders in the slums. Even though I was hiding inside the turtle, I could feel that dense murderous intent.

“Of course. I will prepare a seat for you.”

One of the many protrusions on the turtle’s shell trembled, then gradually flattened. I sent up one of the puppets I had just made. The puppet rose through the protrusion, took out a chair and table, and set them on top.

She smiled and sat there, relaxed and light. A puppet approached naturally and offered her a cup. Then the Perfect Black Tea spell was cast. Flowers floated up inside the cup, adding fragrance to the black tea.

She looked at it with interest, then lifted the cup. After taking a sip, her eyes widened. Then she slowly sipped it a few more times. Before long, the woman nodded.

“You’re an interesting one. I like you.”

Good. I had scored points. I felt relieved inside and calmed my mind. Her interest seemed to be moving in a positive direction for now. The turtle kept advancing. After pushing forward without hesitation and trampling trees, the turtle soon came close behind the other group members.

“The sunlight is strong, so I will make you a shade and walls.”

I spoke through the puppet. The terrain moved again, creating walls and a roof. But now that I had made it, it felt a little stuffy. The enclosed space seemed to steal away the leisure.

“Would you like to enjoy the scenery? Then I will make a window for you.”

“Heh, sure.”

She laughed and nodded. I half-collapsed the wall and made a square window. Beyond that window, I could see the others. The one farthest behind approached while riding a broom. It was a woman wearing a witch hat. With her eyes lowered, she examined me through thick glasses, her timid manner full of shyness.

“Um, c-could I ride too?”

“Of course. I will make a seat for you.”

Another protrusion vibrated and cleared its top. I sent another puppet up. Like I had done for the woman who smelled of blood, I asked the witch her preferences and decorated the spot accordingly. They were group members I would spend the exam with, so there was no need to get on their bad side.

But this witch was lower priority than that woman. If I made their seats the same height, the woman might feel uncomfortable. With that in mind, I placed the witch’s seat farther away and a little lower.

I tried to subtly create a slight hierarchy and make them aware of one another. The witch did not seem to have any complaints. She seemed quite cautious. Even though I had arranged it this openly, she wore a harmless expression. For a mage, she looked far too kind.

“Oh, so that is how you think. Interesting.”

At some point, the young man had also climbed onto the turtle. Since he had been moving faster than the turtle, I thought I would not catch up to him, but somehow he had come aboard. Just as I had first felt, he was clearly an expert no less skilled than the woman. The young man smiled as he looked over the turtle.

“Would you let me ride as well?”

“Of course.”

I prepared a seat for him too. For a moment, I wondered if my judgment had been wrong. Perhaps this young man was the strongest. Every action of his carried a dignity that came from blood. It was an old-fashioned grace steeped in long years. He was definitely someone from a family with deep roots.

“Tell me what style you want, and I will match it accordingly.”

“I just need it open on all sides.”

“Yes, then I will prepare it.”

He just needed it open on all sides. Unlike his dignity, the young man was dressed quite practically. His outfit seemed designed for combat or long travel, prioritizing efficiency over display.

I thought about how to make it not excessive while still maintaining a sense of luxury. After that short but deep consideration, I kept the structure open on all sides and made a huge shade to block the sun. The huge awning spread like a fan over the protrusion, carrying both the openness the young man wanted and a sense of refinement.

Then I carefully adjusted the height. I made it nearly the same as the woman who smelled of blood, while adding a slight visual illusion so that when they looked at each other, the other person would seem to be positioned slightly lower.

After everyone else had climbed aboard, the muscular man approached last. The man, who had been running without hesitation by smashing through trees with his body, looked sulky for some reason. He climbed onto the turtle without saying much.

I observed him carefully. Mm, it seemed this man was the weakest after all. Still, there was no need to antagonize him. There was no reason to create unnecessary conflict.

I made him a seat too. It was at a position similar to the witch’s. The man checked the height and frowned. But he did not say anything. He probably acknowledged it inwardly too, that the unknown young man and woman were stronger than him.

For all mages, strength was truth. Accepting one’s position was not shameful, but a way to survive. The man could not hide the sulkiness on his face, but the fact that he did not voice his complaint proved exactly that.

Now every group member had settled in. To be honest, I had predicted this situation from the moment I took out the turtle. If a group member fell behind, we would receive penalty points, so we would eventually gather in the same space for one another’s safety.

And to make my turtle that gathering place, I invested plenty of magical power and made it move faster than usual. In the end, that idea worked, and everyone took their place on top of the turtle. This turtle had become the center of this task. I felt satisfied. I was now definitely safe. The group members on top would do their best to protect the turtle.

“I will escort you perfectly to the destination. I would appreciate it if you handled any possible obstacles along the way.”

I said that to the group members and served each of them tea through the puppets assigned to them. The group members tasted it and made different expressions. The witch pursed her lips and frowned slightly. Mm, it seemed this tasted a bit bitter to her. I should add some sweetness to the next cup. The muscular man seemed to like it. The young man kept smiling, so I could not tell. Same with the woman.

The turtle continued forward. With its huge body, it pushed through trees and ran in a straight line toward the mountain without hesitation. Even though we were moving quickly, the mountain showed no sign of getting closer.

It was definitely farther away than it looked. Even so, at this speed, we should arrive within ten hours. But that was only a simple measurement of distance. Which meant something definitely lay between here and there. There was no way the task would be this easy.

After sipping tea and looking around the turtle, the group members soon nodded and settled down comfortably in their own ways.

“Then shall we introduce ourselves?”

The young man said.

“I am Hongryeong of the Zhu family of Taepyeong Territory.”

The Zhu family? I had vaguely heard of them before. Where had I heard that? I quickly searched my memory.

“You’re from a great family!”

The muscular man shouted. I remembered. It was just as the man said. They were a great family ruling the area around Taepyeong Territory, one of the 108 regions that made up the Empire. I raised his priority in my mind. He would definitely pass, so I had to serve him to the best of my ability.

The others also seemed quite surprised by Hongryeong’s status. As soon as I heard it, I slipped out of the workshop and climbed onto one of the peaks. He might take offense if I kept hiding, so I had to behave properly.

“I am Sieger. I serve as a centurion on the Empire’s central front.”

The muscular man spoke. So he was a soldier. But he was not someone to look down on. If he had risen to centurion, he was fairly capable. Still, his importance was low. Being a soldier meant he had no clear talent or background in the end.

“I, I am... Shaking Rope of the Eastern Witch Society...”

The witch said. She was exactly what she looked like, a witch. But the Eastern Witch Society was a fairly large power, even if not on the level of a great family. I had met a witch once before, and dealing with all those curses scattered around had been extremely unpleasant. I had almost been fooled by her timid appearance. I needed to treat her a little better.

I spoke next. Since Hongryeong, the young man, had gone first, it felt right for the woman who smelled of blood to go last.

“I am Evron, and I run a puppet workshop near the university city. Those close to me all call me Ron. Please feel free to treat me comfortably!”

I said it with a bright laugh. At first, I had thought about hiding my identity. But after seeing that someone from a great family was here, I changed my mind. I did not know what might happen if I hid it for no reason. It was better to reveal everything and deal with them openly.

“Ailey. A wanderer.”

The woman said.

“Let’s get along during the exam. While being careful not to kill each other.”

She smiled coldly. For a moment, the smell of blood seemed to grow stronger.

“Of course. We are comrades now, are we not?”

I accepted her words with a smile. Inside, though, I was thinking something else. Comrades? In name only. This was no different from competition.

I recalled the fifth task. The fifth contributor would receive a deduction. First of all, Hongryeong would never have his name placed as the fifth contributor. Who would dare write someone from a great family? If even one person did, that moment we would be making enemies of a great family.

Then what about the rest of us? Right now, we were all sizing each other up. Figuring out whether the others were people we could afford to touch. If they looked down on me, my name would be put there that moment, regardless of how much I actually contributed. I absolutely could not be underestimated. The moment I was looked down on, I would be devoured.

After everyone revealed their names, they all rested without speaking. Nobody discussed how we would cooperate in the exam ahead. Mages were never used to cooperating with others in the first place. Since they had all lived by their own abilities and pride, sudden cooperation was not easy.

Besides, this was our first time meeting. It would be stranger to coordinate when we knew nothing about each other, so it would be more comfortable to have everyone move on their own.

The space on top of the turtle was quiet. Each person maintained tension in their own way. They watched one another without speaking, and nobody spoke first. When the necessary moment came, they would carry out the necessary role on their own. That was the most natural way for mages. I quietly went back down into the workshop as well and focused all my attention on making puppets.

I did not know how much time passed like that, but the closer we went toward the mountain, the thicker the magical power became.

Eventually, it became a kind of fog and began covering the area. That magical power fog made all magical detection impossible, so we could not tell where we were or what was around us.

“Are we really going the right way?”

Sieger shouted anxiously.

“Yes, just trust me. We are going straight toward the mountain.”

Others would have a hard time finding the path in this fog, but I could actually see the route more clearly inside this magical power. The grain of mana I always thought about when making puppets appeared thickly inside the fog.

This was not magic, but a kind of technique, so it did not suffer any interference. I only had to follow this flow and move toward the place where the thickest magical power was coming from, probably where the mountain stood.

Following that grain, the turtle moved without hesitation. The farther we went, the thicker the fog became. Later, it turned so whitish that we could not see an inch ahead. But because of that, the path looked even clearer.

As we advanced like this, something suddenly charged toward the turtle’s flank. An enemy! Whatever it was avoided the spikes and stabbed straight into the turtle’s side. But there was no need to worry. The unknown thing bounced off, and the shell was not scratched at all.

Do you know how much effort I had put into making this shell? How could it be pierced that easily? Strengthened with all kinds of defensive magic and materials, the turtle’s shell could even endure a little inside Professor’s magical power.

At the same moment the creature bounced off, Hongryeong cast magic. Sharp wind swept over the unknown attacker. The turtle’s spikes changed shape and hooked it. The corpse fell onto the shell.

All the group members gathered and checked the corpse. It was a monkey covered in pale gray fur. Mist flowed from its wounds instead of blood. Its cloudy pupils were a faint red. The mist leaking from the corpse’s wounds gradually thickened, and before long, the corpse turned to powder and disappeared.

“It is a fog monkey.”

Hongryeong said. His eyes shone with magical power as he looked around.

“It seems they have no intention of letting us go comfortably.”

Beyond the extremely thick fog, countless red lights appeared.

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