Surviving at the Magic Academy

It was Hongryeong. I quickly stood up and bowed to greet him. He nodded back and resumed talking to the people next to him.

I turned my gaze away quickly. I still couldn’t forget the exams. Sometimes, I woke up in a fright from dreams where his disgusted face haunted me.

It was best not to give him any attention or interest. Seeing Hongryeong over there meant the surrounding area was likely filled with people from noble families. It was an entirely different world from mine, so I didn’t need to worry about it anymore.

I continued to observe the other groups of mages. They each had distinct outfits and characteristics, forming alliances even before the entrance ceremony began.

While I was people-watching, someone poked me on the shoulder. I hadn’t sensed anyone approaching. I winced and turned around to find Aili waving at me with her trademark smile.

“Hello!”

“Long time no see, Aili.”

“Hehe, it’s been a while!”

She glanced at the tent. “What’s over there?”

“Our professor is over there. Another professor has come by, so I stepped outside.”

She looked a little surprised. After staring at the tent for a moment, she turned back to me. “Was what you said during the exam true?”

“How could I lie?”

Smiling softly, I manipulated my magic. A doll appeared before us with a chair and table. As she sat down, the doll smoothly moved the table closer to her.

The doll then poured tea and placed it in front of her. It was the same tea she loved during the exams. After tasting it, Aili’s smile widened even more.

“It tastes better than before.”

“Yes, I’ve enhanced the magic a bit.”

We enjoyed our tea in silence. Aili only spoke after finishing her cup. “Did you see Hongryeong?”

“Yeah, I saw him with some others in that mansion.”

“What about the Shaking Rope?”

She lowered her voice, full of curiosity.

Surprised, I reacted strongly. The Shaking Rope—was she here? I had kept an eye on the open field but hadn’t spotted her.

“No… Did she pass?”

“Yes. She’s reportedly hiding among the other witches and keeping an eye on Hongryeong. She’s probably doing everything she can to not be detected. Hehe, it sounds like it’s going to be fun later.”

A bitter smile crept onto my face. This was precisely why I had been careful not to draw anyone’s ire during the exams. Grudges tend to linger, as seen with the Shaking Rope.

Of course, Hongryeong wouldn’t care. He was from a noble family, after all. This was more of a concern for drifters like me.

Thus, the Shaking Rope passing was extremely annoying. To succeed in such a challenging situation meant her talent was nothing short of extraordinary.

“I’m glad she passed. Did you see Siggeo?”

“No, that guy probably failed.”

Aili shook her head. It seemed like he had sensed his fate ahead of time. He was the only one from our group to fail. Conversely, that meant four of us had passed.

Should I be happy to have someone I recognized among us? Perhaps not, considering the case of the Shaking Rope. We sipped our tea, aimlessly watching the bustling open field.

Hmm, is this my chance? There was no one around, and Hongryeong was ignoring us.

“Aili, aren’t you heading over to that mansion?”

I nudged Aili lightly. The reaction was immediate. Her smile evaporated from her face. She narrowed her eyes, glaring coldly at me. In that instant, the air froze, and her magic began to constrict around me like a rope.

“Um, I’m not going.”

She leaned closer over the table, resting her arms, her sharp gaze scanning my face. I just managed a stiff smile, trying to endure the pressure. The scent of blood emanated from her magic.

“Who told you that?”

Her voice hissed softly, brimming with menace.

“It was Hongryeong. He mentioned it when the exams were over.”

“Hmm, I see. That kid said that, did he?”

A smile returned to her face, but it felt off. I couldn’t discern what was behind her smile. However, the bloodthirst had shifted from me to Hongryeong.

I took a deep breath inwardly. I had no idea what kind of relation these two had or what intentions they held in approaching me. My only options were to keep everything hidden or to spill everything. I chose the latter, believing it to be the safer route. If Hongryeong came by, I planned to relay this incident too. The more secrets I kept, the more I would become an irritation, so it was best to lay everything out from the start to avoid suspicion.

The atmosphere calmed again, and we started discussing mundane matters. After sharing how she had spent the past month, she naturally brought up the mage she had killed—reportedly one who had passed the university entrance exam.

“Haha, you really know how to joke.”

I tried to brush off her comment with laughter. But cold sweat trickled down my back. I genuinely couldn’t understand why she would bring up something like that. Perhaps I looked like a handy tool to her. If that was the case, I’d prefer it that way. Being a tool meant she wouldn’t kill me.

I quickly needed to change the subject. The longer I stayed entangled here, the more likely I was to intertwine with her affairs.

Right now, her biggest interest seemed to be the tea. So I would embellish that topic as much as I could. I began to exaggerate how I had improved the magic of brewing tea over the past month.

I didn’t just narrate; I infused the changing colors and aromas of the tea into my display for her.

More and more cups began to fill the table. Her eyes sparkled, following each one. I had finally caught her interest. With a small sigh, I poured my stories into the cups that she sipped from.

We were lost in conversation when the open field began bustling around us. People filled the space, even in this outlying area. I checked my watch; it was almost noon.

“Looks like it’s time.”

As soon as those words left my lips, the shadows draping over the tent were sucked into the ground. From within, Professor Heisen slowly walked out. I quickly stood and bowed.

He glanced at me and then melted back into his own shadow.

“Is that your professor?”

Aili asked. I shook my head gently.

“No, he’s here to see our professor. His name is Professor Heisen.”

As I explained, Professor Ilian burst out of the tent. Whatever conversation had been happening inside had clearly drained her, and she emerged grumbling fiercely. She leaned close to Aili and whispered as she hurriedly departed.

“That’s our professor.”

I rushed to the professor, bowing my head. “You’re out.”

She looked at me, smirking with an expression full of discontent. “You, sign up for their class during course registration. That’s how it’s been decided.”

“The class?”

My eyes went wide in surprise. She glared at me with dagger-like eyes. It was a mistake to talk back to a professor in such a foul mood. Had it been any other time, I’d have been struck immediately.

“Oh, are you upset?”

“No, I’ll sign up right away.”

I had no idea what classes she taught or how to register. But I kept my mouth shut. Adding anything now would surely result in a punch.

Aili had already stood up from the table. The professor gracefully regarded her with her hands folded in front of her. The professor’s eyes scanned her top to bottom.

“And who’s this?”

I cautiously pointed at Aili while carefully introducing her. “She’s a member of my group who took the exam with me. I received quite a bit of help from her.”

The professor’s gaze deepened as she studied Aili. After a while, she slightly shook her head.

“The smell of blood is too strong. Not my type. Keep your distance.”

Aili kept her smile despite that remark. She calmly bowed her head in acceptance. “Yes, Professor. I look forward to seeing you again. Ebron, feel free to reach out whenever you need my help.”

With that, she slowly walked away. I watched her retreating figure, waiting for the professor’s words. The professor fixed her intense gaze on me, a mix of mischief and sharpness glimmering in her eyes.

“You seemed to have passed comfortably, but did you charm a girl?”

“No.”

I forced an awkward smile, trying to hide my fluster. There were the barriers of status and skill, monstrous obstacles that loomed large. How could I have managed that? Moreover, that dangerous energy of hers was a bad match for me. I was someone who valued safety and comfort.

The professor seemed to lose interest and turned away. “Anyway, after the entrance ceremony, you must head to my tower immediately. I have a mountain of work to process.”

Her face was filled with dissatisfaction and malice. I bowed my head quietly; crossing the professor at this time could mean more than just a broken bone.

Then, from the distance near the podium, people began murmuring. Standing atop was Professor Heisen. Many hadn’t even noticed his appearance. He led a lad who looked like an attendant behind him while scanning the area.

Slowly, all eyes in the open field turned toward him. Professor Heisen, with a weary face, finally opened his mouth.

“Congratulations to all of you for entering the university. I am Heisen, who oversaw this entrance examination.”

His words dripped with exhaustion and listlessness. After scanning the surroundings, his gaze fell on Professor Ilian. After staring at her for a moment, he continued with an even more tired expression.

“I have little to say. Now you all can do what you want in university. Just keep the rules, and everything is a free-for-all. As for the rules, you’ll find out later.”

As he spoke, a growing annoyance crept into his face.

“You can’t use the existing currency anymore. From now on, everything will be calculated in points. The results of this exam are the same. The top ranks will receive more points, and the lower ranks will receive fewer.”

Professor Heisen’s voice gradually lost its energy. By the end, it was almost inaudible, as though even speaking had become a chore.

Just then, the lad behind him stepped forward with a big smile. Professor Heisen said briefly, “You can listen to this kid from now on.” He then disappeared into the shadow. He soon appeared next to us, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

“I didn’t know what else to say, so I just came. The rest, this kid will handle.”

Professor Ilian chuckled upon hearing that, a smile spreading across her face as if all her discontent had melted away.

“Hello everyone!”

A sturdy man declared, spreading his arms wide. His voice carried immense magic, causing the entire open field to vibrate. It wasn’t just a simple sound; it was a grand sorcery that carved his presence into my very soul.

“I won’t beat around the bush. Honestly, it’s all pointless chatter. I’ll just add to what Professor Heisen said about points. Let’s take your first transaction, which is a celebration for your entrance.”

He pulled out a paper full of writing, the parchment flapping in the breeze from his fingertips.

“The monsters you faced during your exams were all provided by our organization, Beast Corporation. You slew quite a few beasts during your examination, right? So, since you messed with our products before making a purchase, you owe us an appropriate fee.”

His words stirred the crowd in confusion. What kind of extortion was this? Professor Ilian seemed to find this scenario amusing as she simply chuckled to herself.

“To save you busy folks time, we’ve already collected that fee in advance! It’s one thousand points per person. When you check your scores, you’ll see this transaction there. Now, would everyone please accept this? It’s a little keepsake from our first transaction.”

Saying that, he pulled something out of his pocket and sprinkled it into the air. Was it a space pocket? Items began pouring infinitely from it. What landed in my hand was a ring.

“We call this a point wallet. It syncs with your soul, so if you lose it, just retrieve a new one. When you imbue your magic into it, you can check your scores!”

I looked at the ring, which was made of a dark mineral, intricately inscribed with magical circles. As I cautiously infused it with my magic, it reacted, displaying numbers.

—


50


—

Is this my score? When I tapped the numbers with my fingers, it revealed a record of transactions displayed in the wallet.

—


+1,100/Entrance


-1,000/Beast Corporation


-50/Beast Corporation


—

I received 1,100 points for my entrance score. But it was all gone. Wait, they must’ve deducted the price of this souvenir ring as well. I felt my stomach churn with growing rage.

“Did everyone check? This is also a lesson for you all. Don’t trust people too much! Since it’s already operational, I can’t refund it.”

Discontent filled the open field. Small gasps and sighs echoed throughout. But no one dared to protest. The man on the podium was stronger than any of the incoming students present.

“I am Luo, the customer service director of Beast Corporation. How did everyone feel about your first transaction?”

He scanned the surroundings, chuckling heartily. “You all look quite displeased. I believe I’ve perfectly illustrated what this place is about. Here, power matters, and points matter. That’s all, and you all have none.”

Though he laughed, the message was as cold as ice.

“So, work hard to earn points. You’ll need points for classes and for living. The entrance ceremony ends here. I wish you all the best in surviving!”

Luo floated away into the air, but then hesitated. He returned, smiling awkwardly, and shouted, “Anyone interested in Beast Corporation is welcome to visit us anytime! This year, we have priority for the newcomers, so don’t get caught off guard by other organizations!”

Finally, he seemed done with all his chatter and vanished without hesitation. People looked at each other in a daze, appearing unsure of what to do next. Some were flustered, wandering aimlessly.

The first to leave were those from the noble families who had been talking in the ice mansion. They formed a group, leaving the open field together. Their walking was so confident and unrestrained that nothing threatened them.

Many were hesitant, watching, before following suit behind them. I clicked my tongue at their naivety. What if those nobles suddenly turned and snatched their points? I remained still, holding my ground.

Professor Ilian stretched, her face beaming with amusement over the whole situation.

“So, how many points do you have left?”

I showed her the ring on my finger. She snickered upon seeing it.

“Heh, you’ll be out of that with just a meal. Didn’t I tell you? Make sure to sign up for this kid’s classes next registration, or you might just end up taking a beating.”

Hearing this, Professor Heisen laughed just like Professor Ilian. He also seemed to find this situation amusing.

“Then I’ll take my leave. See you next time.”

Professor Heisen said that and melted back into the shadows.

“Shall we go too?”

The professor pulled me with her magic, lifting me into the air. In an instant, her magic thrust us skyward. The wind slapped my face hard, making it difficult to open my eyes.

As we sped forward, I finally caught a brief glimpse of the university’s landscape.

Mountains.

A massive range with dozens, even hundreds of towering peaks spewed forth powerful magic.

I was swept along by her magic, my gaze fixated on the sweeping scenery. It was vast, untouched nature, absent of civilized traces.

The university’s appearance and the entrance ceremony differed greatly from my expectations. I never thought points would hold such importance. I definitely didn’t expect to lose all of it right away. It was a crisis I had to deal with at the very moment.

This was an entrance ceremony I would remember for a lifetime.