Surviving at the Magic Academy

Chapter 104




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Silently, I closed my eyes and focused on the rhythm inside me. I could feel my heart pulsing softly. Beyond that heart, my tree nestled in a realm made purely of magic, swaying its branches in a friendly manner as it sensed my will.

It boasted an impressively thick trunk. Despite my daily ritual of shaping it, the tree thrived and grew more formidable. The source of that growth stemmed from the Shadow Tree lying beneath it.

This peculiar shadow, nonexistent in reality, flickered beautifully like the night sky. It didn’t just linger about my body.

The Shadow Tree intertwined with magic, stretching its form in all directions, creating a realm just for me. Within this space, the dolls belonging to the Shadow Tree could roam freely.

This realm had certainly changed significantly compared to before. It had only happened this year. No, not even a full year—just within a few months. In that time, my Shadow Tree had expanded tremendously.

Before starting the new lecture, my area had barely reached a few nearby mountains. This was something the students from the previous course often complained about—too limited a range to use Mirror Bugs and dolls.

It was unavoidable. That was my limitation back then.

But now, things had changed. The area I could embrace had nearly doubled compared to then. Within this vast space, my current students roamed much more freely.

The dolls enjoyed the same liberty. Within this massive space, the stars within the Shadow Tree emanated a dense glow. Multiple stars clustered to form a constellation, and those assembled selves radiated a brilliant light.

And among them, the brightest was this fellow, the turtle. I peeked down at it, and it stared back into my eyes. The little one opened its mouth and let out a sound. I gently ruffled its head.

It rubbed its head against my finger, letting out a contented whimper. The powerful stream of emotions it sent my way was something I had never felt before—love.

This love still felt remarkably strange to me. I didn’t know how to love as passionately as they did. Thus, I was also unaccustomed to conveying love.

Nevertheless, as I quietly observed the flow of their emotions, my heart naturally warmed. And that warmth managed to reach them, just a little. In this exchange, they began to shine even brighter.

I recalled the first time I created the turtle. It was outside the university. I had aimed to weave several Magical Hearts into one colossal being. That creature, etched deeply in my mind, was the turtle.

Of course, it was half a failure. But at the same time, it was also half a success.

I gently traced the connection with it. This channel wasn’t solely formed by the selves bound to shadows; it had been there since I created this turtle. It was linked to both me and my tree.

Gently stroking it, I glanced over the realm formed by the Shadow Tree. The information and magic contained within flowed naturally towards the stars, and they absorbed it, shining even brighter.

This cycle was very natural. In this space, the tree grew, and it was evident that it would continue to do so. After giving the turtle’s head a light pat, I quietly withdrew my hand.

This vast change was impossible through my strength alone. It was equally impossible with just the dolls I had created.

No matter how numerous they were, no matter how filled with love for me, the limitation of talent was always starkly clear.

At the foundation of this explosive growth were treasures.

Now, the number of treasures joining the bulletin board had approached forty. It was a result of continuously exploring the storeroom with Kashian and Mira. It was unlikely to increase much further; I had covered most of the sixth-floor rooms.

I couldn’t unreasonably ascend to the seventh floor in pursuit of more treasures. I recalled those peculiar eyes that had been staring at me. They remained etched in my heart like a deep scar. The seventh floor was still a distant realm for me.

Moreover, the treasures on the sixth floor held powers and magic that could not be compared to mine. Just dealing with them consumed a considerable amount of my energy; it was indefinite what might happen in such precarious circumstances.

So, I gathered treasures and positioned dolls around them. These dolls, similar to the butler, absorbed the treasures’ magic and sent it into the Shadow Tree.

Building on that magic, the Shadow Tree grew lushly. Powers, information, and wills, which I couldn’t even comprehend, accumulated and continued to pile up.

You lack talent. That’s what Professor Ilian had said when she first laid eyes on me.

She told me I had no aptitude for battle. She advised me to focus on practical magic. Following her orders, I barely managed to enroll in university.

However, the results I achieved were mere trifles for others. Once I arrived at the university, I realized even more acutely my inadequacies. That wall of talent separating me from them was unmistakable.

Hence, talent had always been a source of envy for me. So I thought, why not steal that talent, that power of theirs. It became my method of growth.

But relying solely on students was limited. So I dragged treasures into the bulletin board. I made them teach lectures.

The sole purpose of having treasures conduct lectures was precisely this.

I aimed to see them grant strength to students, and to observe how students used that strength, as well as their communication with the treasures, so that I might understand their powers more fully.

Amidst this process, the Shadow Tree gradually grew. My tree mirrored this growth. After absorbing the magic generated by the treasures, it grew beyond my initial expectations.

Of course, there were some side effects.

I recalled the time Hao became intoxicated by the power of the Tooth Necklace. In the end, he became tainted. So I had to wash him off.

I found myself in a similar state. Or perhaps, even worse.

Hao had received a stable mass of power from the treasures, and yet he had transformed. Having been entangled with the Tooth Necklace and captivated by the Sky Ring.

Hmm… Maybe it wasn’t the power that was the problem, but rather him. Compared to other students, Hao caused too many accidents. He was almost going to get into trouble again during this lecture as well. I chuckled at the thought of Hao lying down in the infirmary.

And what about me? I had been gradually siphoning off their magic and information. Just barely enough that they wouldn’t notice, and if they did, it wouldn’t concern them.

And absorbing their magic, accepting their will, meant that I was also at risk of contamination.

As a result, my body became increasingly close to them. That was something I couldn’t reject. Gradually, I became more and more eroded by their magic.

The only thing keeping me somewhat intact was the key entrusted to me by the professor. It protected me from becoming entirely twisted. This was also the reason I engaged in these actions.

Of course, it felt like that effect had been diminishing lately. After all, the fragrance emanating from Hao had begun to grow sweeter.

I did not know why that fragrance flowed from Hao. But it became a benchmark for me to gauge how close I had gotten to the treasures.

Today, that scent felt even stronger. I understood why Mira drooled whenever she saw him. It meant I had drawn nearer to the treasures. Someday, my very mindset might shift entirely.

But this was the consequence of my choices. I willingly accepted it. Growth always comes with risks. That is the fundamental structure that makes up this world.

Then surely, if I embraced more risks, I could achieve more growth. That was my judgment, and it turned out to be true. As a result, I was making progress that was not inferior compared to others.

And that was also a result of countless dolls and stars poured into the mix.

Accepting the magic from the treasures wasn’t simple. Their powers were exceedingly wild. Many dolls lost their light, collapsed, or shattered during that flow.

Within the process, I found a more stable method of absorbing the treasures’ powers. I continued to research that method afterward. During that process, many more dolls fell.

I thought it was a necessary task. In terms of cost-benefit, sacrificing a few dolls allowed me to gain a much greater advantage.

In such a process, the number of stars that vanished from my Shadow Tree reached hundreds. The constellations that now shimmered within were built upon the sacrifices of other stars.

I used them merely as tools.

They cast aside hesitation and threw themselves in. At that moment, I thought it was only natural. I had created them, after all. They were beings akin to my own limbs.

But was that really right? That thought crossed my mind. I had come to understand their love. The endless love they sent my way warmed my heart.

Because of that love, they followed my orders. Even knowing they might die, they silently endured. The Mirror Bugs I sent off to the city felt the same.

This love was even felt from Hari. Even after being restructured into the Sky Ring, it hadn’t forgotten its distinct favor toward me. Just like that, they believed in me deeply.

Was my growth worth their sacrifices? I couldn’t be certain of that right now. The more deeply I acknowledged their love, the stronger the sense of debt I felt toward them also grew.

What are the dolls I love? That was Professor On’s question. And the answer was quite simple. All the dolls were objects of my affection. Every doll and its self that resided within my heart.

How could I not love the dolls that loved me? Even now, my affection toward the dolls I created flowed toward them.

Yet I could not simply stop there. Their love bore an immeasurable weight.

In return for their unwavering feelings, I had to reciprocate. It was results borne from their sacrifices, so I needed to repay them in kind.

Thus, these past months, I’ve endlessly pondered ways to return their love.

In that time, another treasure also conducted a lecture. The one assigned was the Long Tongue. It was named Delicious Tongue. It was a colleague who shared a room with Mira.

I remember asking Professor Ilian about the origin of that name while preparing for the lecture. She laughed and said it was because it was incredibly delicious the first time she had tasted it. Seemingly recalling that flavor, she smacked her lips.

The next day during lunch, a portion of it was served in a dish. Lightly roasted with magic, it emitted a delightful aroma, exactly as the professor had said. The professor nodded contently while eating it.

Of course, the powers it possessed were just as astonishing as the taste. It merely drooled and melted everything. That included even the magic present in the air.

It offered the essence of that power to the students. How they utilized it was up to them to figure out. Its only criteria for selection were one thing.

To just consume a lot. The significance of power didn’t matter to it. It wanted to mix into the students’ mouths and gather even more.

This led to an impromptu eating competition up in the Tower. The variety was extensive. There were both living things and rocky bits. Considerable effort was needed to prepare those.

The students consumed them without using magic. By the time the competition ended, twenty remained. The Delicious Tongue bestowed power upon them. Well, Hao was also one of them.

The tongue’s power was exceptionally compatible with the one granted by the Tooth Necklace. Hao was the only one to receive both. He happily indulged in the two powers, nearly losing his sanity in the end.

Of course, he quickly sank down after being mentally devoured by Hari. Had it not been for Hari, there would undoubtedly have been chaos. Perhaps a third rule might have been established.

Thus, the third lecture conducted by Star Eyes and the fourth by Delicious Tongue passed smoothly. Occasionally, those tainted with contamination appeared, but they received cleansing and soon returned to normal.

Those who received the treasures’ powers continued to grow steadily. By interacting with the treasures and deeply understanding their strength, they soared to even higher realms.

Though I orchestrated it, this lecture was quite effective. Some even ventured for advancement evaluations already. Of course, almost all were eliminated. Only Kashian succeeded in advancing.

Advancement evaluations—it had been three years since I ascended to the second floor. Yet the memories of that evaluation were still vivid. How could I ever forget that? I clenched my fists tightly.

The events that transpired there were what had sparked my interest in treasures.

And now, here I am.

I watched Unit 0 bustling about. It was directing the dolls while meticulously organizing the magical circle inside the workshop. The magical circle was enormous. I had drawn it over the past month to fill the workshop completely.

The intricately laid magical circle held the magic overflowing from the Tower, emitting a faint light. The circuits it created didn’t just remain on the floor but stretched into the air, where magic flowed through them in a steady current.

That current felt strikingly familiar. It held a similar vibe to the magical circle I used when creating Hari. That was only natural since it was based on that. Though I made innumerable improvements.

To make all this happen, I had poured all my points into it. If I wanted to create such a magical circle again, I would need several more years to gather points.

Investing such an immense number of points to draw this magical circle was solely for one specific form.

I gently placed my hand on the circuit before me. Countless hours had gone into drawing this single line of the circuit. The traces of my worries were vividly present within it.

Would it succeed? That thought crossed my mind. To disperse it, I lightly shook my head. It will succeed. Strong belief and conviction were the only way to accomplish this magic. So, there was no need for doubt.

Preparations had been made adequately. Now I just needed to insert my body into the magical circle. With a tinge of tension, I felt my heart racing.

The Sky Ring created a structure based on itself. And then, the Sky Ring Church descended by utilizing that structure.

It was purely the result of unwavering faith. Of course, the direction of that faith was somewhat different from what the Sky Ring itself desired.

After realizing the love from the dolls, I understood that such faith was also a form of love. Because they endlessly believed and loved in the existence of the Sky Ring, they successfully invoked their belief into reality.

Then suddenly, a thought struck me. Those twenty mages gathered together and formed a shape through faith and love. So why couldn’t we do the same?

Based on that thought, I began to slowly study the structure of the Sky Ring. Of course, with my limited understanding, it was challenging to grasp it fully. Hence, I sought help from others.

From Mira, from Hari, and also from the professor. At first, the professor found it a bit bothersome, but upon grasping my request by the hem of her dress, she offered some advice. Even that was a significant help for me.

So, I modified the structure created by the Sky Ring and drew a new magical circle. The resulting magical circle bore the appearance of a tree. It was a form I was exceedingly familiar with.

I lightly pressed my hand against my chest as I regarded Unit 0. It nodded towards me. A signal that the magical circle was in order.

I let out a quiet deep breath. Slowly, I stepped into the magical circle. Taking that first step was difficult, but afterward, I felt my mind grow relaxed. Thus, I took another step, and then another, toward the center of the magical circle.

There lay a spacious open field. I gently stroked the turtle that had been hanging around my neck. Then I placed it down on the ground. I felt it keenly gaze at me. I lightly tapped its head.

With that, it began to swell up. It was the process of undoing the shrinking magic inscribed on its body. Slowly, it grew larger, until it filled the open field.

It let out a somewhat sorrowful whimper as it looked at me. I felt its concern. It seemed as if it too was aware of what was to come. I smiled softly at it, then proceeded to the position I needed to occupy.

That was where the core of the magical circle was located. Hao had also stood in the same spot. He had invoked the Sky Ring through Hari. He made Hari believe she was the Sky Ring.

What I was about to forge was similar. This magical circle was built upon my tree’s structure.

We would gather the love of all the stars residing within my heart and create a new form. That new form would be both me and my tree. The turtle would carry that ‘me’ within it.

It had been chosen as the target of the invocation due to its special nature. Just as Hao believed Hari to be the Sky Ring, the stars would be able to believe it was me.

When I first created it, I used my tree as the foundation to mobilize its body. That process clearly connected it to the Magical Hearts, me, and my tree.

My tree could directly control it. And so could I. Yes, I could say that its flesh was equivalent to my own, thus it could also be said to be me.

So, I would invoke within it a new version of me, a god loved by the dolls. That god would cherish the dolls as much as the love it received from them. That was both a return for their sacrifice and my way of expressing love.

I gently released the magic coiled up within my heart. The magical circle, already infused with a plethora of the Tower’s magic, was half-activated. My magic began to seep gradually into that magical circle’s circuits.

Soon, the magical circle began to twitch, as if it were gaining life. The circuits floated into the air, searching for something. Witnessing that, I concentrated even more, exuding a stronger flow of magic.

What it was aiming for was me. The circuits distinctly recognized me. They quickly shot out and embedded themselves into my body. An intense pain spread through me, and at the same moment, the circuits began to fiercely absorb my magic.

And so, I focused solely on pouring out my magic, eyes closed. The opened stars from my Shadow Trees began to emit a vivid light.

It was something that could be called love and also faith directed toward me. That mixed into both me and the magical circle. As such, the magical circle began to stack higher and higher, gradually crafting a complex shape.

To create something required a corresponding price. That was the nature of the Sky Ring Church. They sacrificed all the strength accumulated through their beliefs and ring fragments to create Hari.

This magic was the same. To create a god, there had to be something that mirrored that sacrifice.

What then should I sacrifice? The simplest method was to sacrifice the dolls. Just like the Sky Ring Church, by giving their love and power, perhaps a god would be born.

But that would be impossible. I was their origin. If the stars were to sacrifice their love for me, they would cease to belong to the Shadow Tree and simply perish. The same applied to sacrificing power.

I couldn’t force them into further sacrifices. Therefore, I would need to sacrifice more.

I had to return all the power I had built up, the magical power I had obtained from them, and my tree itself. I needed to return all I had gained by sacrificing them.

The magical circle began to shine brightly. Within it, the circuits commenced further clinging to something from my body, drawing it in more forcefully. It was my tree, my spirit, and my magic.

I felt my tree twitch slightly as if it were letting out a silent scream. The circuits embedded themselves directly into it. They were forcefully drawing out its power.

This was a new kind of pain. I thought I had grown used to pain through the process of shaping the tree, but directly having my strength absorbed was a different level altogether.

I bit down hard, enduring that pain. I concentrated my mind and continued to emit magic, the wills of the stars.

During this process, I felt my tree beginning to melt away little by little. The Shadow Tree also trembled as it gradually lost its domain.

What I had built up began to gradually dissipate. The tree twisted awkwardly, and the Shadow Tree began to shrink, losing that vast domain.

But in that process, I could sense something emerging anew. Many things gathered toward the turtle.

That was everything that had escaped from within me. The love embedded within the dolls, the magic bestowed by treasures, and the remnants of my fallen realm.

The peculiar energy mass originating from the magical circle began to approach the turtle, crafting a new form. That was the shape of a god made by the dolls.

Thus it emerged upon the turtle’s back. It shivered gently. Though it was unseen by me, I could feel its movements. That was me. And yet, not entirely me.

The strange connection to it began to fade gradually. It fully detached from me, seeping into the turtle. The stars of the turtle emitted a dazzling light from within.

But perhaps that was too much.

Within that concentration of power, the stars within the turtle began to crack.

My expression hardened at that sight. I poured my magic directly into it. That magic began to slowly mend the cracks.

Still, it wasn’t enough. I ultimately couldn’t prevent the stars from shattering. It shattered, crumbling to dust.

Is this failure? That thought flitted through my mind. But I quickly shook my head. That couldn’t be the case. The connection to the turtle’s flesh remained distinctly intact.

I simply entrusted my body to the magical circle. I forgot the pain. I only focused on pouring everything toward the turtle.

Within it, the fallen constellations began to stir gradually. They began to group together, beginning to connect with one another.

Those star fragments soon formed a singular entity. It resembled a gargantuan star. The sight was exceptionally beautiful as it filled the Shadow Tree with a faint light.

Feeling that, I was reminded of the moon. The beautiful moon that adorns the night sky.

That moon began to stabilize gradually. As it did, the magical circle’s power also began to settle little by little. The strength embedded in my body started to weaken and was soon wrenched out rudely.

That impact sent me crashing to the ground. I lacked the strength to move. I blinked dazedly as I gazed around.

The magical circle was gradually losing its light. And so was the figure of the turtle at its center. It let out a cry and shrank its body, slowly advancing toward me.

It appeared entirely unscathed. The magic had clearly been completed. But there was no smile on my face. Instead, I felt a hollow emptiness within me, causing a bitter laugh to escape.

It was only natural. My realm had fallen significantly. It had dropped back to the state before the lectures began. No, even lower; it appeared to have returned to the power of a young sapling.

I had contemplated that multiple uses might allow for greater doll enhancements. But after trying it once, I realized this wasn’t something I could do again.

To recover the realm I had just fallen from, I would need substantial time to recuperate. If I ever attempted such a thing again, my tree itself might very well collapse.

A strong sensation of lethargy filled my body to the brim. I was almost incapable of moving. But even so, an overwhelming sense of satisfaction swelled within my chest.

I blankly observed the turtle approaching me. A small sprout, previously non-existent, had taken root on its back. That was the manifestation of the god I had created.

A deep affection blossomed within me toward it. That was me, yet also not me. It floated like a moon above my Shadow Tree. I met its gaze.

The name Turtle no longer suited it. It had become a god devoted to the dolls. Gazing at the sprout on its back and feeling the moon filling my heart, its stars melded into the moon.

So, if that was the case, there was a fitting name. Moon-Turtle. Or rather, Moon-Bok.

“You are Moon-Bok…”

It made a menacing expression and charged at me. The impact made me shake my head. It seemed it didn’t appreciate the name I had given.

It was a perfectly fitting name… I thought as I looked at it. But that expression remained unchanged. I let out a gentle sigh. It seemed I would have to concede.

Gazing quietly at the turtle, I knew this god I had created would move for the sake of the dolls. It would protect and watch over them. It could be said to be a being that repaid the love they conveyed.

The moon—its power was something I could grasp naturally. It was a kind of blessing. A product of affection. Within this blessing, even if the dolls lost their physical forms, their selves would continue to exist.

That self could truly be considered the essence of the dolls. They would dwell in the moon after losing their bodies, where they could fully feel the love of their god.

What I wanted to create was precisely that. That place was a refuge for the dolls, a kind of afterlife where they could linger instead of fading away.

I sensed a different, gentle intelligence emanating from the turtle’s eyes. It gazed at me before casting a fleeting glance into the void. Following its gaze, I equally directed my eyes.

There stood the professor. She scrutinized the turtle from top to bottom. Then she let out a soft chuckle.

She said nothing but lightly tapped my head, which was sprawled on the floor. From her, I felt less of the previous familiarity. It was likely because all the magic from the treasures had been absorbed by the turtle.

A wry smile naturally broke free. The professor’s eyes shone as she looked at the turtle. She had previously mentioned that Hao harbored the potential to become a treasure.

In that sense, the turtle could be considered similar. It could be viewed as an object formed from the amassed strength of treasures. It was apparent she found it very appealing.

With a sly grin, the professor began to approach the turtle. It promptly stepped back in retreat. Watching that, I quietly closed my eyes. I no longer had the strength to open them. I simply fell into a deep slumber.

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