WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Surviving in the Magic Academy

Chapter 170

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170.

I slowly opened my eyes through the throbbing pain. A wide cavern came into view all at once. After confirming that, I let out a faint, bitter laugh. Apparently, I had lost consciousness for a moment.

Quite some time had passed, but the backlash from blowing up my body still lingered. Even so, I was doing a little better now. Compared to before, when I could not move at all, at least I could open my eyes.

The second round of the competition ended while I was pulling myself together. The place I was in now was where everyone had gathered for the final evaluation. It was also the cavern where the interim evaluation had taken place.

I looked around and lightly clicked my tongue. Ten people had advanced to the second round of the competition. But only five were here now. The rest had failed to pass the interim evaluation.

It was only natural. The time required to make a puppet varied wildly from person to person, but there was one common point. The more care one put into it, the longer it took.

Leaning back, I glanced up at my puppet. The one in Cassian’s form met my gaze and hugged me even tighter.

It had performed its role wonderfully in the first round of the competition. The same was true in this second round. In that sense, the three or so years I had invested into making it did not feel wasted at all.

It took a great deal of time to make a useful puppet like this. Preparing the materials, constructing the magic, connecting the circuits. Only by spending time on all of that could an excellent puppet be made.

In that sense, the one week given for this second round of the competition could be called both long and very short. And standing here meant they had successfully completed their puppets within that time.

From what I had felt during the interim evaluation, one thing mattered. It was important to create a core that the puppet could hold. The puppets of those who had survived must each contain their own unique qualities inside.

Then I felt someone approach my side. It was Gunda, the man in armor. He examined me, then rubbed his chin.

“Are you all right?”

Feeling Gunda stare at me, I gave a small nod. Gunda had also passed the interim evaluation and now stood here. While I was half unconscious, he had been evaluated.

What result had he gotten? When I looked at him with that question in mind, he gave a faint, bitter smile. Then he looked down at the armor he was wearing and scratched his head.

“I received 3 points. Professor On told me to keep improving.”

“Looks like I won’t be winning.”

After adding that, he burst into laughter. Perhaps because everything was over now, I could sense both regret and a bit of relief from him.

3 out of 5 points. Even so, that was a fairly good result. Among us newcomers, only he and Biogan had survived. At the very least, it was enough to show how outstanding his talent was.

I smiled faintly. That was also a kind of joke. I was already dead, after all. With my current body, it was hard to say I was alive. I shrugged.

I felt gazes pouring toward me. The sensations in my body were starting to return, if only a little. And those gazes were not coming from Gunda alone.

Facing eyes filled with curiosity, strangeness, and surprise, I lowered my head slightly. I understood why they were looking at me like that. I was in truly terrible shape.

The aftermath of the explosion I had created was tremendous. It had spread beyond the sealed room and even reached partway outside. That was the result of giving up my life.

Because of that, even now, I had to hang limp in my puppet’s arms like this. Perhaps it sensed those gazes, because I felt it hug me even tighter. It was filled with the urge to overprotect me.

I sent it the will that I was fine and closed my eyes. Perhaps because my senses had returned, pain was rising through my body again.

It was like a kind of phantom pain. It remained in my body and made my flesh tremble. Within that vibration, I felt distortion arise.

My recovery was still slow, so I needed to forcibly stop the flow of collapse. I focused my mind and moved my magical power with difficulty. At that, intense pain erupted from my twisted circuits.

I frowned, suppressed it, and forcibly adjusted my body. The bit of magical power that had gathered during that correction was quickly exhausted. Feeling that hollow sensation, I shook my head.

It seemed this backlash would last quite a while. I had forcibly blown up my own body, so that was only natural. I would need to be careful about using magic from now on too.

Mm, I could not imagine what Mira would say if she saw me like this right now. I heard she had tried to destroy the competition grounds after seeing my first death. That death had been unavoidable, so she must have calmed down a little.

But this death was something I had attempted alone. I had needed to offer my body for the puppet, so there had been no choice. Whether she would understand that was another matter. My life was not mine alone, after all.

I quietly scratched my head. Well, that was for later. For now, I needed to focus on this competition. Pushing those thoughts aside, I looked toward the platform.

Professor On and Tiena were seated there. The association heads were also looking down at us from behind them. In front of them stood one man.

He was the person being evaluated after Gunda. As if to show he belonged to the same association as Gunda, he wore thick armor, and his face was full of tension.

Beside him stood a massive suit of armor. That was likely the puppet he had prepared this time. The huge armor looked easily over five meters tall, and it felt more like a kind of golem than something a person would wear.

Professor On filled a finger with magical power and waved it. Then the huge armor in front of the man slowly floated into the air. It was placed on the platform and began emitting magical power.

“Is this the puppet you made?”

“Yes. I wanted to cast off the limitations of armor. By being submerged inside a giant puppet, another body...”

Professor On waved a hand and stopped the man as he tried to explain, then quietly looked at the puppet. After some time passed like that, Professor On calmly raised a hand.

I felt magical power gradually gather in that hand. Professor On pressed down on the armor puppet. Then the armor concentrated its magical power and blocked it.

Professor On paid no mind to that resistance and kept adding more magical power. Within that magical power, the armor’s magical power slowly began to waver. And at the end of it, I felt the magical power scatter.

Professor On struck the armor with a fist. A huge wave rose from the impact. The armor could not withstand the punch, and a small hole opened in it.

Professor On looked down at it and nodded. Then the professor raised a finger, traced the mark carved into the armor, and flowed magical power through it.

“The structure you made is usable. But perhaps you focused too much on the exterior, because it’s somewhat lacking. It would have been more effective if you had structured it like this.”

Professor On put a hand into the hole and lightly stirred it with magical power. Following the direction of the professor’s fingers, the complex circuits making up the armor began tangling together.

They gradually connected to each other, then soon drew a single line. It was an extremely simple flow. But the magical power felt within that flow was incredibly powerful.

Everything that made up the armor condensed into that line. Professor On continued the line and began carving a new circuit into the armor. Within that circuit, the magical power flowing inside moved with unmatched purity.

The power flowing through that puppet had become twice, no, three times stronger. Changing a puppet just by waving a hand a few times like that. As expected of a professor, I supposed. Even as I watched, I could not understand that flow.

Professor On lightly repaired the hole in the armor, then sent it below the platform with magical power. The man carefully received the puppet, and his eyes shone. His face was filled with excitement.

That was only natural. The new circuit Professor On had created was filled with knowledge even I could not imagine. Just by researching it, he would clearly be able to see the path he needed to take.

Even in the lectures we took, there was no chance to receive such detailed teaching. In that sense, that might have been the best result one could gain from this second round of the competition. Being taught directly by Professor On, that is.

“Mm, you get 2 points. You need to reflect on yourself a little. Your current puppet only has the required parts in place.”

Professor On spoke quietly. At that, the man nodded and slowly stepped back. I stared at the armor puppet. That puppet was 2 points? Even though it was fairly decent, it seemed Professor On did not like it.

Still, it was an understandable result. I had not seen it properly because I lost consciousness, but the puppet Gunda had made was better than that. I glanced at him.

Gunda looked very satisfied. He had received a higher score than that man. That also meant that he, who was nothing more than a newcomer in the association, had defeated a senior. That must have been why he looked like that.

The man returned to his place with a slightly disappointed face. He clearly knew he had received the lowest score. The remaining people would definitely present puppets better than his.

“Then who among you is next?”

Professor On looked down at us and spoke. The remaining people looked at each other. Meeting their gazes, I quietly shook my head.

In my current state, it was hard to step forward. I still needed a little more time to stabilize my body. I focused my mind and devoted myself to recovering again with the small amount of magical power that had accumulated.

Who went first did not matter anyway. The standard called Professor On had already been clearly established. Like that, one person moved first and stepped forward.

It was Biogan. He slowly walked ahead and stood in front of the platform. Then he met Professor On’s eyes above. Professor On gave him a light jerk of the chin. It meant he should take out his puppet.

Biogan closed his eyes for a moment, then pulled a small dagger from his chest. No, it was a little strange to call it a dagger. The handle was longer than the blade.

But before that odd shape, what caught my eye first was the cold and beautiful magical power it held. The magical power loaded into that small blade felt chillingly cold.

Feeling that, my eyes shone. It could be called an object that had taken the form of clear killing intent, almost like that of a swordsman. In that sense, it was a very interesting puppet.

To think he would make something like that. I already knew about Biogan’s skill. He had succeeded in every assignment in the lecture we took together.

Because of that, even if Biogan was a mage wearing the skin of a sword-user, I had been looking forward to the puppet he would make. And he did not betray my expectations.

That could be called the total sum of everything done in the last lecture. Inside that small dagger, I felt an enormous magical power ripple. It had a unique structure I could not even imagine making.

When Professor On reached out, the sword rose upward on magical power. Professor On took the sword in hand and rubbed their chin with interest. They lightly swung it and nodded.

“I didn’t expect to receive a puppet like this from a mage. Very interesting.”

Professor On concentrated even more magical power. Then the professor reached out and touched the dagger’s blade with a finger. That finger passed softly through the blade along with magical power.

Professor On filled it with magical power and stirred the inside. Even under that impact, the small sword only quietly revealed its magical power. The sword loaded magical power and struck down at Professor On’s hand.

That action almost felt like a swordsman.

That incomparably sharp magical power brushed past Professor On’s hand.

Professor On slowly pulled out the finger that had dug into the blade. A very faint cut remained on that finger. Looking down at it, the professor showed satisfaction in their eyes.

“You made it well. I understand its direction clearly. If you continue like this, you may be able to reach the end.”

Professor On rubbed the cut and looked down at Biogan. At that, Biogan deeply lowered his head. Professor On briefly stroked the blade, then flicked it with a finger. Then the professor tilted their head slightly.

“But there is something lacking too. It is good that you shaped the puppet, but your ability is insufficient. You couldn’t overcome the power inside, so it must have taken this form.”

Professor On flowed magical power into the dagger. That magical power ran through the dagger and began tearing out the circuits carved inside it. Within that magical power, I saw the sword tremble faintly.

Professor On checked those circuits and gently stroked the blade. Then, riding the professor’s magical power, the small blade slowly began to lengthen. Soon, it took the form of a long sword.

Seeing that, Biogan opened his eyes wide. That was probably the initial form he had wanted. That must have been why the handle had been longer than the blade.

The sword completed in Professor On’s hand scattered terrifying magical power. Professor On examined it for a moment, then sent it down.

Biogan carefully received it and lowered his head to Professor On again. On his expressionless face, I could glimpse a little excitement.

Professor On looked down at Biogan and spoke with a bored expression.

“You get 4 points. Keep in mind that even if you know the direction, you cannot move forward in the end if you stand one step away from it.”

Professor On folded their arms. At that, Biogan slowly stepped backward and withdrew. As he stroked the sword, Biogan fell into deep thought, as though feeling out the words Professor On had given him.

“It seems the interim evaluation was useful after all. Perhaps because you filtered them out, there don’t seem to be any lacking puppets. Good work.”

Professor On glanced at the association heads behind them. The association heads slightly bowed their heads at those words. Professor On narrowed their eyes at them, then turned back to us.

The message was clear. The professor wanted the next person to be chosen quickly. At that, I looked around a little. This evaluation hall had not changed at all from before.

As with the interim evaluation, Professor On simply observed the puppets and assigned scores. There was no empty formality in the process.

It was probably the result of Professor On’s personality showing through. Like that, the evaluation was moving very quickly. Only two people remained now, including me. Once those two evaluations finished, the competition would end.

I examined the association heads’ faces. They must have known this well too. That was why they had inserted the interim evaluation to keep Aronia in check.

That intention had been rather successful. I saw Aronia click her tongue softly and reveal a displeased look. The reason she was acting like that was clear.

Among these five, three were her association members. Because of the 4 points Biogan received, two of them had been beaten. If Biogan won the final victory like this, the bet between them would become void.

In that sense, it could be called a bit of a crisis. But Aronia soon regained her composure. I understood why. There was still one person left whom she had confidence in.

I met eyes with that remaining person. It was Miorang, a young man with a fresh smile. He smiled slightly at me. It meant he would go first.

He had noticed the condition of my body. I lowered my head in thanks for what could be called a considerate gesture. At that, Miorang lightly waved his hand and stepped forward.

While watching his back, I repeatedly clenched and opened my hand. My body’s stabilization was now reaching its final stage. Using magical power to sew back the collapsing parts, I nodded. This was enough.

Miorang stood in front of the platform with a confident face, then lowered his head to Professor On. Then he rummaged through his chest and pulled out a huge puppet about the same size as his own body.

It was an armor-shaped puppet like the ones his association members had made. After confirming its appearance, I narrowed my eyes. For some reason, it seemed a little strange.

I scanned the circuits carved into the armor puppet Miorang had made. It had a sturdy structure, and the magical power flowing inside moved with great stability. It was clear that no one could easily intrude into that solid flow.

But to put it another way, that also meant it was just like ordinary armor. I glanced at the armor Miorang was wearing. The many spells and circuits carved into it were extremely flashy.

In that sense, the new puppet he had made only looked inferior to the existing one. Its structure was simple enough for me to understand at a glance.

Why had he made a puppet like that? I recalled the puppets of the people from the same association who had come before. The man who received 2 points had made giant armor. Gunda had made a kind of transformation armor that covered his whole body.

Like that, their puppets had contained clear traits inside. Compared to them, what Miorang made was unimpressive. The circuits were simple, and the form was painfully simple too.

But Miorang’s face, as he presented it, overflowed with confidence. Why? I could not understand the reason at all.

With Professor On’s gesture, it floated toward the professor. Professor On began scanning the structure of the armor with magical power. Soon, a slight smile formed on the professor’s lips.

Seeing that, I blinked. Professor On was smiling, and while looking at a puppet other than Tiena, no less. It was the first time I had seen a smile like that.

Professor On flowed magical power and stroked the armor. Then the professor slowly nodded within that flow of magical power. They handed the armor puppet to Tiena beside them.

Tiena raised magical power and received it. Then, just as Professor On had, she examined its inside with magical power. Soon, she began to let out a faint laugh.

Her laughter carried deep satisfaction. Facing her expression, Professor On smiled gently. Then the professor lightly kissed her forehead and glanced at Miorang.

“Good. You made it well. 5 points.”

Professor On lightly nodded. Facing Professor On, Miorang revealed a confident smile. 5 points. There had been a reason he was confident in the puppet he made.

I stared at that simple armor puppet. To my eyes, it had seemed extremely ordinary. What part of it was so special...

Ah, I realized it in that instant. I looked at Miorang and clicked my tongue softly. I could not tell what made it special, but there was one thing I knew for certain.

I was not the only one who knew Tiena was important. In that sense, Miorang must have focused on Tiena rather than Professor On, just as I had. This score was the result of that.

Tiena tapped the armor and whispered something to Professor On. At that, Professor On glanced at Aronia sitting behind them.

“It seems you raised your disciple well. This is the best result that can be made at your current level. I didn’t expect him to build the foundation all the way to its very limit like this. It makes sense that Tiena would like it.”

Professor On filled a hand with magical power and lightly struck the armor. That magical power was terrifyingly fierce. But the armor endured that magical power well enough. It was a different result from the 2-point armor that had been lightly pierced earlier.

Only a small scratch had appeared on the armor, and it was perfectly fine otherwise. The magical power forming its circuits and the magic composed by those circuits had firmly endured Professor On’s magical power.

Watching that, I blinked. After being hit by Professor Irian so many times, I knew very well what kind of power a professor’s magical power possessed. Yet even if it was only a small amount of magical power, it had endured it.

That meant the armor was that sturdy. Professor On had said the foundation had been built endlessly. It was clear that making something comparable to that at our level would be difficult.

Only then did I understand what it meant to reach the limit. Tiena would like it. She liked those who built things up steadily. That simple structure could be called an object that matched her taste.

“I don’t really have anything to say to you. Just continue like this.”

Professor On tapped the armor and nodded. Then the professor restored the armor perfectly and handed it to Miorang. At that, Miorang lowered his head again and received it.

Professor On was not even giving advice. That was the same as saying Miorang had no shortcomings. In other words, it was the highest praise.

I glanced at Aronia. She looked extremely satisfied. I had not known Miorang was her disciple. No wonder he had been so confident. There had been a reason for everything.

I rubbed my chin. Well, if someone was in the position of an association head, they could have a disciple. Mauro had also taken Koite as his adopted son and raised him, had he not? In the same way, she must have raised someone too.

More importantly, 5 points... I lightly clicked my tongue. One could say first place had already been decided. This evaluation was scored out of 5 points, after all. I saw Miorang look at me and smile softly.

The fact that he had received that score meant, as Professor On said, that there was nothing more to accomplish on the fourth floor, the foundation stage. That meant he could move on to the next step.

In that sense, he might reach the fifth floor, the realm of the Complete Tree, before long. I was terribly envious of that talent. For me, even reaching the third floor was a hurdle.

Of course, even so, I would be the one to win.

5 points. That perfect score was ultimately only a number. Then I just had to show a result that surpassed it. I quietly raised my body.

Of the five, only I remained now. I sent a signal to the Cassian puppet holding me. It hugged me tightly and headed forward.

Like that, I passed by Miorang as he stepped back and stood in front of the platform. Then I looked up at Professor On, Tiena, and the association heads above it. I felt their gazes pierce painfully into my whole body.

Professor On looked at me and tilted their head slightly. I felt a hint of doubt appear in those bored eyes. Tiena beside the professor had the same expression.

It was probably because my appearance was very strange. Meeting that gaze, I scratched my head. It seemed they had come here without checking the process of me making my puppet.

If they had seen it, they would not be making those faces. I examined the association heads above them. They were scanning me with thoroughly horrified faces.

I lightly lowered my head to them and sent my will to my puppet. Since I was being evaluated, should I not stand on my own feet? It carefully set me down on the floor.

The moment I stood on the floor, I staggered slightly at the feeling of my body slipping out of place. I quickly used magical power to correct it and stood straight. Then I quietly looked down at my hand.

A slightly chubby arm came into view. It was an extremely tiny arm. This was the body I had entered right now. A frail form that held the appearance of my childhood.

“That lunatic. He blew up his own body, and now he’s gone and entered a puppet body. Mauro, what exactly are you raising? Don’t tell me you’re trying to make another bastard like yourself.”

Aronia glared at Mauro and muttered. At that, Mauro stroked his beard and gave an awkward laugh.

“Surely not. I didn’t expect this either.”

Aronia did not seem to believe him. Receiving that suspicious gaze, Mauro looked a little aggrieved toward me. At that, I smiled slightly and shrugged.

Well, I had learned this by watching Mauro, so Aronia’s words were somewhat correct. Through the fact that he had a puppet body, I had also realized this was possible.

Earlier, during the process of making the puppet, I had died in the explosion. My body had also completely collapsed. Every part of that process remained vividly in my memory.

But would I simply die? What was more important than my life, after all? Because of that, I had prepared a safety device for myself in advance. This current body was the result.

This was a kind of offshoot body separated from my puppet. A kind of emergency escape puppet that could let me escape death. Evron II, in other words. Of course, the escape process had not been easy.

I placed my hand on my chest. My tree was half destroyed. That was why it had been hard to gather magical power earlier. I felt resentment flow toward me from it.

I let that will pass with a dry cough. I could just build it back up, could I not? Of course, rebuilding it would take a long time.

Like that tree, my soul had also been torn away. Filling the soul fragments lost that way was impossible. I could still feel phantom pain rising from that empty space.

But that too was being repaired little by little. The other soul fragments sleeping inside me were awakening. Within the shock of this death, their number had increased even more.

I had no idea how many soul fragments were flowing inside me. Recalling the soul I had seen in the dream, and the countless soul fragments piled at the bottom of that lake, I gave a bitter smile.

Anyway, perhaps because my soul and tree had been damaged like that, I had taken the form of a child. This was also how I looked before I made my tree.

The reason I had taken this form was clear. It meant my current self could only handle a body of this level. So I needed to cultivate a body quickly too.

Once this competition ended, I intended to hole up in the tower and create a new body. My original body would be more familiar than a puppet body, after all. I had already secured enough body fragments to compose that flesh.

In that tiny child’s body, I faced Professor On. The professor used magical power and lifted me straight up. My body was pulled by magical power and rose onto the platform.

Professor On met my eyes and rubbed their chin. Then the professor felt over my body with magical power. Soon, Professor On narrowed their eyes and spoke.

“Mm, you... are very excellent. Did you decide to turn yourself into a puppet and submit yourself? What a commendable idea. Good. I’ll give you 5 points.”

Professor On’s eyes shone. That glow showed an interest deeper than anything I had seen before. Uh, mm. This was unexpected.

I quietly scratched my head. It seemed the fact that I had a puppet body pleased Professor On. I felt the others grow surprised at that. It must have been because I received a score of 5 points in one go.

But I could not be satisfied with that. I shook my head. Tied for first place was not what I was aiming for. I wanted an overwhelming victory.

Also, submitting this body itself went against the rules. This was an offshoot body that came from the puppet I had used in the first round of the competition. Naturally, it could not be used in the second round.

The puppet I would present was something else. I slowly focused on my chest. Then I awakened the puppet sleeping inside. It sensed my will and slowly raised its body.

Like that, a soul in the hazy form of a woman slowly tore through my chest and revealed itself. It felt like a small Sapling, as if it were mixed with a tree.

From that soul, a trace of life could be felt. It was my own puppet, created by offering my soul, my tree, and my body.

And this was also the new direction I had obtained. A path of growth where only I existed, one that existing mages could not advance through. Within my resonance with it, I quietly smiled.

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