Surviving at the Magic Academy

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Aili was right.

A massive vibration was detected through the dolls scattered around the forest at the foot of the mountain. Something enormous was trampling the ground and charging toward the mountain.

Although I couldn’t see their movements directly due to the dense trees above, I began to feel the waves of magic undulating as they drew nearer.

The dolls quickly headed toward the source of the vibrations on the ground. I needed to ascertain exactly what kind of beings were approaching.

This was crucial so I could optimize my maze to better match their characteristics. Soon enough, they came into view of the dolls—a horde of wild boars bristling with massive spikes on their backs.

They were a type of monster I’d never seen before. The magic emanating from their bodies felt quite sharp. The wild boars charged headlong, completely indifferent to the dolls dangling from the trees.

At this rate, they would undoubtedly reach this spot within the next 30 minutes. Others would likely sense their approach soon.

I quickly began transforming the structure of the maze. The force displayed by their charge was extraordinary. I needed to reinforce the walls to make them heavier and sturdier, allowing them to withstand their assault.

The dolls lying in wait began using the magic embedded in them to widen and strengthen the walls while preparing for the impending threat.

I also minimized the number of crossroads. Considering I was expecting monsters to storm my fortress, I assumed they’d have at least some level of intelligence. But the wild boars charging before me appeared to possess none at all.

If the path were too complicated, they would undoubtedly crack their heads against the walls, trying to break through my maze. It would be better to lure them into traps as quickly as possible.

Eventually, the wild boars reached the mountain. The ones pouring in from all directions continued to rush into their respective fortresses, and my area was no exception. Because mine was the largest, it was inundated with the most monsters.

Up close, the wild boars resembled steel tanks. Their rush was swift and rugged, their bodies as massive as a human’s. The giant spikes protruding from their spines radiated magic, making them even more powerful and dangerous.

They crossed the foot of the mountain and barged into my maze. The first assault was met by already set traps. The moment they stepped down, the ground crumbled, sending them plummeting into a deep pit below. The spike traps impaled the bodies of those who had fallen.

However, there were just too many wild boars. Even as the ones in front fell and died, the others charged forward without a hint of fear. Despite the ground collapsing and spikes piercing them, they continued to throw themselves forward. No, it was likely they couldn’t stop because they were being pushed from behind.

Numerous wild boars fell into the pit, filling it to the brim with their bodies. The hundreds of meters long pit I had dug was instantly filled with their carcasses. In those wild boars’ eyes, there was a gleam of inexplicable excitement as they neutralized the traps with the bodies of their fallen comrades.

They didn’t stop but charged headfirst into the walls of the maze. The thick walls, which I had already reinforced, were holding up remarkably well. Moreover, the hundreds of thick spikes embedded in the walls impaled them with lethal precision.

But then, something unexpected happened. The spikes on their backs exploded, sending shockwaves through the surrounding walls. Most of the traps attached to the walls were rendered ineffective.

The wild boars that followed charged through, using the bodies of the dead as shields. They didn’t care about the spikes on the walls or the traps on the floor; they just kept running. My entire maze shook beneath their hooves.

In no time, hundreds had died. But they were still effective. This simple, brute-force charge was causing one trap after another to fall. The rate of trap depletion was faster than I had anticipated. Particularly those that were in direct contact with them were exhausting quickly. I needed to adapt the structure of the maze entirely to counter this rough and straightforward physical onslaught.

These creatures were so simple-minded that they only knew how to charge recklessly. They ran straight ahead, and if they died, they exploded. They were running bombs. Charging in, colliding, and exploding. Selected monsters to break down our fortress, albeit weak yet troublesome.

In that case, I needed to conserve this maze. To stand against their sheer strength, I too had to use immense power. I possessed greater power than them. I adjusted the flow of the maze very simply.

I eliminated the traps and complex paths in between. I simply directed the wild boars to run in a straight line. The intersections layered upon each other, coalescing into a single flow of magic. And at the very end of that flow, an open field, where a turtle quietly awaited their arrival.

The turtle stood in the open field, where all currents converged, waiting for them. From the turtle’s perspective, the flow of creatures that had seemed like a massive wave to human eyes felt like mere trickles of water.

The turtle looked different from usual. It had already removed its four legs. They were unnecessary for the operation about to take place. Thus, the turtle was left only with its shell and head.

As they began to approach, the turtle tucked its head into its shell and slowly began to rotate. Previously, this rotation had been for escaping from the monkey forest. However, that wasn’t the purpose for which this function had been created.

It was intended for now, to pulverize everything that comes close.

The wild boars, guided through various crossroads, naturally merged into a single flow, forming a large mass. They effortlessly reached the open field.

The turtle was the final wall they had to breach. The wild boars charged headlong into the rotating turtle without hesitation, and they ultimately burst apart. In the face of that explosion, the turtle swayed slightly.

However, it did not stop its rotation. Instead, it began to spin even faster, harnessing that very power. As the speed gradually increased, the spikes embedded in the shell struck down the spiked boars like gigantic maces.

Those wild boars splattered into gore, exploding in every direction. There was no time for the spikes to detonate. The leading wild boars, witnessing the horrifying spectacle before them, screamed, but their cries were drowned out by the turtle’s rotation and the pressure of the many that pushed from behind.

The spikes sprouting from the backs of the wild boars exploded the moment they touched the rotating turtle’s shell. Some were even dislodged by the turtle’s rotational force. The wild boars were swept away like leaves in a storm.

Bones shattered, and flesh tore apart. The rotation speed increased, causing even more of the spiked boars to be crushed and lie helplessly on the ground. The charge of the wild boars and the explosion of the spikes were all obliterated in the face of the turtle’s rotation.

I focused on clearing away the corpses that had died. It was imperative that the accumulating bodies did not interfere with the turtle’s movements. I sent the waiting dolls to clear the open field. The ground of the open field, except for the area where the turtle was, collapsed, carrying with it several spiked boars and the piled-up corpses down into a deep pit. Then the ground covered the hole back up.

The wild boars that fell into the pit were hunted down by the dolls. Some triggered explosions and blew up alongside the dolls, but the dolls pressed on, focusing on moving the corpses.

I needed to clear this place as quickly as possible. More corpses would continue to drop from the open field above. The dolls worked in tandem with the turtle to deal with the encroaching wild boars.

The turtle’s shell was stained with blood, glowing red, and the process of removing and stacking the corpses in the open field repeated endlessly. This immense power was precisely what I’d aimed for. Even if it wasn’t magic, such massive physical power held a destructive force that could surpass magic.

I approached the pile of corpses that had been expelled from the maze. The carcasses of the spiked boars continued to accumulate. In less than an hour, there were already over a thousand corpses gathered.

Blood and debris lay sprawled around like waves, with still-living flesh wriggling above them. All of it resembled a colossal altar made up entirely of monsters.

I slowly approached to examine the corpses. More than anything, I was incredibly curious about the spikes on their backs. When I dissected one, I discovered that the bodies of the spiked boars were not simply made of flesh and blood. They maintained their form through magic, and that power was left lingering on the remains. This was a common trait among most monsters. Up until this point, there was nothing unusual.

“These… are quite interesting.”

I murmured softly. The spikes on their backs were the intriguing part. Most of the magical energy embedded in the spiked boars was concentrated in these protrusions. Those spikes had exploded and destroyed all my traps. I extracted the spikes and examined the flow of magic within them.

My eyes widened. The configuration was unexpected.

The spikes on their backs were still pulsating as though they were alive, continually circulating blood within. They weren’t organs that originated from the wild boars. Instead, they were a type of parasite that inhabited the wild boars as hosts. They were siphoning magical energy from the bodies of the deceased wild boars.

This was a kind of biological bomb. Although the body of the parasite was composed of a fusion of magical energy, it essentially caused explosions not through magical properties but through brute force. To the parasites, magical energy acted as a sedative to stabilize their bodies.

This point was particularly fascinating. To suppress a collapsing body with magic. And if the body was to collapse, the magical energy that had protected it could be harnessed to trigger a larger explosion.

This was entirely opposite to the processes of explosion magic I had been aware of. I had only thought that the method of creating an explosion was simply to cause a collapse with magic, but such a marvelous alternative existed.

I pulled out my firefly. It was my prized possession imbued with explosion magic. However, I hadn’t found much use for it during this examination. No matter how many gathered, this tiny firefly would struggle to break through the magic used by others. I didn’t have a reason to pull it out in this situation.

But I wondered what would happen if I applied the characteristics of these spikes to my firefly?

No, what if I were to turn the spikes themselves into a doll? For the first time in a while, my hands began to itch. I had uncovered far greater potential hidden within this trashy, unsightly monster than I had expected.

From that moment forward, this mountain of corpses no longer seemed like mere garbage. They were treasures that could enhance my magic and make my little bugs more powerful.

I felt the flow of magic within the spikes. There was a precarious balance that seemed ready to crack at any moment. If that balance shattered, an explosion would undoubtedly follow.

Curious, I thought about triggering an explosion myself. On that whimsical thought, I drained the magic from a spike.

The moment the magic was drawn from the spike, it began to collapse rapidly. When a gap formed, the part exposed to the air erupted instantaneously. The explosions were explosive and happened in an instant.

Quickly, I cast a defensive spell. The shrapnel from the spikes that had been blown to pieces exploded in all directions. My heart warmed as I watched the pieces slide down, stopped by my defensive magic. I pulled out a scroll to quickly record the recent explosion.

There were plenty of corpses and many spikes. I would continue to explore further.

Long ago, I remembered the first time I escaped the island, how I used to develop my magic against monsters like these. In the course of that process, I eventually managed to pass even this troublesome professor’s scrutiny with my explosion magic.

Explosions were my hobby.

Even if they weren’t particularly suited for me, there was an irresistible charm within that magic that I couldn’t give up. It was the magic that had most helped me get to where I am now. Were it not for the combination of explosion magic and fireflies, I wouldn’t have made it this far.

Understanding the structure that comprised these spikes would allow my explosion magic to grow even more. I might even find a more effective way to deal with the spiked boars. There was no reason not to keep researching this.

And so, I began to dismantle the corpses one by one. The turtle continued to crush the monsters, and the bodies piled up high. I lost track of how much time passed as I stained my hands with blood.

That’s when I felt a deep well of magic from behind. I quickly composed myself and turned around.

“Oh, spiked boars!”

Hongryeong was inspecting the pile of corpses. When I checked the time, ten hours had passed. The wild boars had been attacking continuously during that long period. I wondered how many more would come. I thought they might keep coming for the remaining two weeks of this task.

“I didn’t know you were here, so I apologize for showing you such a messy sight, haha.”

I bowed my head and offered an apology to Hongryeong. He shook his head.

“No, I like spiked boars too. As you can see, the structure of their spikes is quite interesting. I remember there was a time when it was researched as possibly being a creature made through some form of synthesis by someone.”

So said Hongryeong as he pulled out a spike and began to inspect it. It started to dissolve in his hand. But there was no explosion. Its structure was revealed, enveloped in the magic. Hongryeong then placed it onto the scroll I had laid out, handing it to me.

I accepted the scroll with trembling hands, deeply moved. I had come to grasp the structure through my research, but examining a live specimen up close was a different matter entirely. I observed the scroll for a moment; it was accompanied by some brief notes that seemed to have been written by Hongryeong. It contained fascinating content.

“Given the situation, I can’t offer you proper hospitality, yet you gift me something so precious. I truly apologize.”

“You’re taking care of what I should be doing, so it’s only right that I treat you. I hope it helps you in some way, Ebron.”

Hongryeong remarked as he pulled out another spike from a corpse to examine.

“This is the first assault, so I wanted to check how things were going. But I didn’t expect you to fend them off this easily.”

Hongryeong gazed at the maze with a hint of curiosity. I revealed the modified maze structure before him. The flow that started across a large area gradually overlapped, converging into a singular endpoint. At that endpoint, the turtle rotated fiercely.

The rotation was already on a stable trajectory, maintained indefinitely with just a bit of magic. Unless someone managed to stop it with strength and mass greater than that of the turtle, it would continue to crush the monsters endlessly. Hongryeong observed the turtle intently.

“Is this the doll that we rode in?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

I expanded the view of the open field where the turtle resided. The turtle continued to rotate, using its sturdy shell as a weapon. That shell constantly absorbed blood, restoring its embedded magic.

“Hmm, in this case, I suppose there’s no need to worry until the very end.”

Hongryeong smiled as he spoke.

“Well then, let’s talk about the task rather than the monsters.”

At Hongryeong’s suggestion, I felt a twinge of anxiety. I cautiously asked what he meant.

“Are you referring to the task?”

“The fortress is sufficient as it is, and I believe you’ll last through the two weeks without issue.”

Hongryeong counted off on his fingers.

“Then now, there’s only one task left, isn’t there?”

I paused, hesitating.

“You mean the fifth task? I will follow through as promised.”

Hongryeong shook his head while smiling.

“Thinking it through, I believe there’s something more that should be added. Aside from the first contributor, don’t we still need to select one more?”

He must have meant the fifth contributor. This was unexpected. I hadn’t even dreamed that he had someone specific in mind.

“I would like to pick that person.”

Hongryeong lightly gestured with his chin. I looked in the direction he indicated, shocked.

The reason was completely unforeseen, but I didn’t need to know. I merely nodded silently. Hongryeong’s smile grew more pronounced, evidently satisfied.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way. I can’t interfere with your research any longer.”

Hongryeong summoned the wind and floated into the air. I lowered my head and politely saw him off. After he left, I pondered for a while. The possibility of creating the first and fifth contributors with just Hongryeong and me was significant. But if we had just one more vote, everything could swing in our favor. I needed to think of how to gather that crucial vote.

I had no need to guess why Hongryeong had made that choice or doubt his selection. As long as it didn’t affect me, that was all that mattered. I refocused my mind and began to research the structure of the spiked boar further. I had to thoroughly enjoy this living specimen left behind by Hongryeong. What mattered most to me now was advancing this maze and myself.

Corpses continued to pile up, and monsters pressed on relentlessly.

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