Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Th i s wa s copi ed fr o m kin g mt l. o r g
The Necromancer’s Attack (2)

It took about three hours to reach Martavis Cemetery. Thankfully, the Arcaneum had a well-developed airship and warp hole system; otherwise, the trip would have been unbearably long.

First, I took the warp hole to the transfer station, then an hour-long train ride, followed by a 30-minute wait in line for another warp hole, and finally, an hour-long bus ride.

“You’re lucky, student. Normally, buses rarely go there. You almost had to ride a horse.”

I smiled at the bus driver’s lighthearted comment, thinking I really was fortunate. If the timing had been off, I would have had to ride a horse indeed.

Unlike Earth, not all lands here were safe, and roads didn’t connect every place. Hence, in Aether World, horses were still a primary mode of transportation.

When I arrived at Martavis Cemetery, I found it more crowded than I had expected.

Half were mercenaries, and the other half were rookie mages of around 2nd to 3rd class. The rest were traders who came to deal with mercenaries, combat supplies, and monster carcasses.

‘Why is it so crowded?’

It was strange to see so many people in the cemetery. In the game, apart from NPCs, there were hardly any people here.

After the ‘Third Dark Mage War,’ most cemeteries legally had to undergo purification work after being ravaged by necromancers…

Th i s w a s co p i e d fr o m k in g m t l .or g
“Ah, that? This place hasn’t undergone purification.”

“Why?”

I asked an adventurer passing by, and that was his answer.

“If we purify the place, ghouls won’t appear anymore, right? If ghouls don’t appear, vampbats won’t show up either, and if there are no vampbats, there won’t be any predatfish to hunt.”

“Uh… That’s true.”

“Our main prey is predatfish. If the purification makes ghouls disappear, vampbats disappear, and predatfish disappear, what do you think will happen? The workers in the neighboring village and those traders over there will starve.”

In summary:

Purification work → Ghoul extinction → Vampbat extinction → Predatfish extinction → Mercenaries out of work → Traders out of work → Small business owners starve → World ends.

“Got it now?”

“Ah, yes….”

So, the locals protested loudly, saying, ‘We’ll all starve!’ and thus the priests of the Holy Nation couldn’t approach.

Now that I think about it, despite the regulations, Aether World had an unusually high number of cemetery fields.

I hadn’t paid attention to this in the game, but there were surprisingly realistic reasons behind it.

‘Still, aren’t people afraid of necromancers…?’

T h i s was c o p i e d f ro m k i n g m t l . o r g
Anyway, it’s going to be hard to find anyone in this crowd.

‘Or maybe it’s a good thing?’

With so many people, it might be easier to thwart an attack.

I started asking other mercenaries and mages.

“Excuse me, have you seen mages wearing the same coat as me?”

“Stella cadets? There’ve been quite a few lately. I saw some heading into the cemetery today.”

It seemed Hong Bi-yeon, Aiselle, and Flame’s group had already gone hunting.

They likely ventured deep into the northern forest to hunt predatfish. I decided to follow them.

[Martavis Cemetery]

[※Caution※ Do not enter alone]

‘Spooky…’

Ignoring the creaking, swaying old signs, I passed through the rusty iron gates and entered. The damp mountain air filled my lungs.

As I moved away from the base camp, the presence of people quickly dwindled, and only the sounds of various beasts and birds echoed.

The wind rustling through the branches could sound like wailing ghosts, but in this world, it could be real, so caution was necessary.

Rustle! Something stirred in the forest. I tensed and swiftly moved towards the trees.

‘Predatfish.’

It was a peculiar monster, shaped like a fish but flying through the air, thanks to its ‘floating’ attribute.

Without any ranged attack methods, I was weak against aerial battles. However, in a terrain dense with tall trees, I had a fighting chance.

Snap!

Screech!

A fish-like creature about 2 meters long, with dark, scaly skin, charged at me, baring sharp teeth. Predatfish had a particularly long, sharp tongue.

Whoosh! Its tongue darted at my neck, but I had already used Blink to jump upward.

In that position, I aimed my Terivon Sword downward, using Blink again to drive the blade into its neck.

Thud!

Screeech!!

It howled and thrashed. I missed a fatal blow. Twisting the blade didn’t work, so I kept stabbing until I lost my footing and fell to the ground.

“Ugh!”

Crash! The immense impact on my back made me want to puke, but I quickly rolled to the side.

Splat! The sharp tip of its tongue stabbed the ground. I swiftly swung my sword, cutting off the tongue.

Screeeech!!

It let out a hideous wail but was no longer a threat. It had lost one of its main attack methods.

Jumping between the trees and charging my Blink, I used it to get above the creature and stabbed its eye, finally killing it.

Thud!!

[Skill experience has increased.]

[Stat experience has increased.]
T h i s w as c opi e d f r o m k i ng m t l .o r g

Landing on the ground with the dead predatfish, I took a deep breath.

“Damn, this is tough…”

Predatfish were 2-risk monsters. They were in the same class as Firemane Lizards, but their attributes were a poor match for me.

Their scales were tough, they had ranged attacks, and they flew, making them more challenging.

‘Aerial control is still tough.’

The dense forest terrain wasn’t particularly advantageous for me either. Any slip-up in controlling Blink could result in serious injury, requiring maximum mental focus.

“Sigh, I wish I could use magic.”

Dusting off my pants, I dissected the predatfish to retrieve its mana core. Normally, I would store valuable parts in a cold storage box, but there was no time now.

As I moved forward, I began to see scattered, half-broken tombstones. Among them, I found what I was looking for.

A particularly large tombstone, larger than the others. According to legend, it marked the grave of a ‘general.’ The letters were worn off, but I could verify it with my Bulbul Glasses, so it didn’t matter.

‘I don’t have the power to sweep away a skeleton army like Ma Yuseong.’
T h i s w a s co p i e d f r o m k i n g m tl . o r g

Fighting skeletons like Ma Yuseong would be suicidal for me.

But that doesn’t mean there’s no way.

Players have their own methods.

* * *

Aiselle stood there, absentmindedly listening to the club president, Kashif Deric.

“See this section marked on the map? It’s from a mercenary who’s been living around this cemetery for seven years. We plan to hunt at least three predatfish as we descend the northern hill, but you guys….”

Blah blah.

The club president loved to talk. But she didn’t tune him out.

Not only because it would be disrespectful, but also because being a special club president at Stella meant having the authority to lead students on real monster hunts.

After explaining the plan, Kashif turned to Aiselle.

“Aiselle? Just trust your seniors. We’ll handle everything.”

Currently, she wasn’t part of any club. She was simply tagging along because there was an opening in a second-year senior’s club for this hunting trip. She had to join club activities after this hunt.

Many freshmen joined this club, as ‘special outings’ were rare and highly popular.

Being able to join temporarily and hunt with seniors was indeed lucky…

“Just trust us. There’s nothing to be scared of.”

“…Yes.”

But it was irritating how Kashif subtly hit on her.

‘Kashif Deric’

Wasn’t he the eldest son of the Deric family? I heard they recently made a fortune in business.

Using his family background, Deric tried to woo Aiselle, knowing she had nothing.

Though she was bullied in school, her striking looks attracted male attention. Being openly hit on was something she had gotten used to.

‘You’re nothing without me.’

While his approach was annoyingly patronizing, she didn’t show it. To maintain her scholarship, she needed hunting records, and finding a club willing to take her was rare.

First-year students couldn’t form their own clubs. Especially clubs that allowed special outings for external activities like hunting were even less possible.

If she got kicked out here, there would be no second chance.

‘Just endure it for three years.’

With that thought, Aiselle forced a smile.

“Yawn~ When are we starting?”

“Shut up, idiot. Haven’t you learned how important briefings are?”

“I know… but how many times is he repeating the same thing~ He’s not even pretending to be smart.”

She heard a hushed conversation nearby and felt relieved.

‘Senior Dokcheolgwang and Senior Bandiyun…’

They were the only ones in the club who saw her as a ‘freshman’ rather than a ‘traitor’s daughter.’ She felt at ease around them.

Th is w a s c o p i e d fr o m k i n g mt l . o rg
“What? Dokcheolgwang! Do you think you can survive long with that attitude?”

President Kashif shouted at Dokcheolgwang’s sarcasm, but he ignored him, flexing his muscles.

“Enough. I’m sick of listening. Let’s just go.”

He stood up and started walking in the opposite direction of Kashif’s well-thought-out plan.
T h is w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m tl . o rg

“Hey, wait! That’s an order from your president!”

“Ugh, that idiot. Let’s just follow him. We’re all Bishops, so we can’t do much without a Knight.”

“Ugh…”

Knights were rare, with one in every ten mages. Few mages wanted to lead battles.

Their club had four members, including Aiselle. Having even one Knight was a blessing.

“Anyway, Aiselle? Don’t worry. Even if that idiot causes trouble, I’ll handle it.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

She didn’t care about the senior but wanted to hunt quickly. She grabbed her staff and followed Dokcheolgwang, who was already making loud noises as he fought.

Dokcheolgwang uniquely used ‘Magical Martial Arts,’ an old-fashioned fighting style. While not as chivalrous as Baek Yu-seol, he had his principles.

Magical Martial Arts, which involved fighting with magic circles on the fists, was less efficient than other magic.

But his exceptional reaction speed and physical abilities made him top-ranked among second-year students.

Crunch! Boom!!

“Hey, you brute! Watch where you’re hitting!”

“Huh? Oh, sorry! Haha!”

Dokcheolgwang’s punches were powerful and destructive, causing collateral damage as he chased and attacked flying predatfish.

Though the changing battlefield and obscured view were slightly annoying, the presence of a Knight made a significant difference in a Bishop’s effectiveness.

With enough casting time, a Bishop could unleash powerful magic.

Crackle!!

Six bolts of lightning struck from the sky, hitting six predatfish.

All six were instantly killed.

Sizzle…

“Wow, what…?”

“Hey, the newbie’s pretty good.”

Kashif, who had been casting spells frantically, looked astonished, and Dokcheolgwang laughed.

It wasn’t a typical first-year spell.

Casting speed, destructive power, accuracy—everything was perfect.

“Looks like we got a great newbie. We’re getting a free ride!”

Bandiyun patted her back jokingly, and Aiselle smiled faintly.

‘This level of hunting is a piece of cake.’

She was a 3rd-class mage. In this 2-risk hunting ground, she could easily rack up records if given enough time.

With Dokcheolgwang’s brute strength leading the way, they continued hunting while casting spells leisurely.

Boom! Rumble!!

A loud crash erupted nearby. It was clearly not the work of mercenaries. Aiselle sensed it was mages of her level from the mana waves and noise.

“It’s a heated battle.”

“Looks like someone’s nearby. We should show ourselves. We don’t want overlapping hunting grounds. President, agreed?”

“Uh, yes, let’s do that.”

In reality, Dokcheolgwang led the battles, and Bandiyun made decisions. Kashif was just a figurehead.

They headed towards the noise through a path between trees and found eight people gathered.

More accurately, five and three mages were facing off.

Some faces were familiar.

‘Hong Bi-yeon, and Flame…?’

On one side were Flame, Hae Wonryang, and an unknown girl. On the other side were Hong Bi-yeon and her group.

“Hey! What nonsense! I cast the spell first and took it down!”

“Stop babbling. It was in our hunting zone. It’s ours.”

They were arguing over the ‘Big Predatfish’ carcass, a rare 3-risk monster, lying on the ground. Neither side wanted to lose the record.

‘Hong Bi-yeon…’
T h i s w a s c op i e d f r o m ki n g m t l . o r g

Aiselle bit her lip.

The enemy who killed her father was none other than the magic knight order led by Hong Bi-yeon Adolevit’s sister.

But she didn’t show her emotions. It wasn’t time to reveal her fangs.

T hi s w a s c op i e d f ro m ki n g m t l . or g
‘I hope we can pass quietly…’

Despite both being in S-Class, Flame and Hong Bi-yeon felt uncomfortable.

However, there was one busybody who couldn’t leave this situation alone.

“Hey, juniors! Calm down and talk it out. Haha.”

President Kashif.

“Ugh, that idiot.”

“Hmm? What’s he doing now?”

Bandiyun frowned in annoyance, and Dokcheolgwang looked puzzled, but Kashif didn’t read the room.

He probably just wanted to step in because his pretty juniors were fighting.
T h is wa s c op i e d fr om k i n g m t l .or g

“What’s going on? If you have any concerns, you can talk to me—”

“Senior? Just shut up and continue your walk.”

“What…?”

Stella’s hierarchy must be upheld, come hell or high water… but there are exceptions.

Princess Hong Bi-yeon wasn’t in a good mood to tolerate an incompetent senior’s meddling. Flame didn’t voice her thoughts, but she wasn’t looking friendly either.

“You guys, how dare you—”

Aiselle sighed deeply, expecting Kashif’s ridiculous seniority complex, when suddenly.

Something.

An unpleasant sensation took over her body.

She tried to inform Bandiyun, the most reliable person there, but a change occurred first.

Creak! Crack!

Dozens of white skeletal hands burst from the ground, reaching for the world above!

Just that alone was enough for everyone present to comprehend the situation.

“S-Skeletons…”

The ultimate and worst magic that makes the remnants of the dead breathe again—Necromancy.

End of Chapter