Surviving as a Con Artist at the Academy

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99th Chapter. Magic Fight vs Agari Fight (3)

Finding the core location of Mosria isn’t that difficult.

If you dig deep into the underground of the sanctuary, you’ll eventually come across the center, so you just need to barge right in.

In the main story, several professors work together to sense the direction of the artificial spirit’s waves to finally figure it out.

With a body that can’t draw out mana, they push through with sheer force, collapsing from exhaustion while leaving the aftermath to the students.

After that, the arduous journey to the core of Zaha begins. Fortunately, thanks to Lyman’s aggro, a powerful golem doesn’t swarm us, but there are still some obstacles in our way.

Facing these obstacles without mana… well, physically, it might be nice.

Even though there aren’t many faculty members available, it’s not like there’s no threat at all.

-Radon Crawler. Why does a scammer like you have such a gentle-looking face?

“Just get lost!”

-Jenny Chain Silver. You’re far more ghostly than I am.

“I want to die!”

-Crona Delaware. Didn’t your great family teach you proper sexual awareness?

“Shut your mouth!!”

Kaboom! Crash!-

Sun Red appeared, scattering feathers and causing explosions that destroyed the golems.

They shattered and flew apart, but they just kept regenerating.

Once again, the unsettling sounds of incessant mocking filled the air.

-Hahaha…

-Hahaha…

-Hahaha…

A dry, emotionless laughter that felt disturbingly unpleasant enough to induce dizziness.

“Ugh! I’m going crazy! I feel like I’m losing my mind!”

Crona scrunched her face and screamed like a pterodactyl.

“I too… feel like my head is spinning.”

Jenny also walked while her legs gradually weakened, and I felt the same way.

It was as if we’d walked a long way, our complexions aging decades in an instant.

No matter how much we destroyed, they would resurrect again and again. Even if we didn’t gain an advantage in battle, this combination was enough to shatter a person’s spirit.

“This is the first time I’ve ever thought about losing my hearing. Why are these guys endless?!”

“Ha… Well, at least they’re not attacking us. Let’s just focus on finding it quickly.”

Leaving the despondent Crona behind, we made our way into the underground of the sanctuary.

Perhaps it could be hidden down here, and the girls accepted my suggestion.

As we arrived in the underground, the first thing we saw was a massive sewer.

“Still, it’s quite an unusual place. I thought an underground sewer would reek of filth and be crawling with rats, but it’s so clean.”

“This looks like it wouldn’t even be a problem to drink.”

“Really?”

Crona’s curiosity peaked at Jenny’s remark as she dipped her index finger into the water.

“Wow, it’s really amazing. It seems cleaner than the water in the 1st Star Hall.”

Though I’ve seen this place multiple times in the game, it’s undeniable that it’s a unique area. If there’s such a clean sewer, it’s worth showing off.

`The Great Sage who built this alone seems really impressive.`

The water that Jenny and Crona are tasting now has turned into what we commonly recognize as sewage over the years.

It’s a natural result after such a long time.

[Radon Crawler. Where are you right now?]

At that moment, a voice echoed in my head. It seemed Jenny and Crona experienced the same phenomenon as their eyes widened.

The voice belonged to Kent, the representative of the first-year students. Currently, a communication network had been established through the alchemical magic of the magic department students.

This function appeared in the main game to update each other on their situations.

“We’re in the underground of the sanctuary. Usually, something is hidden in places like this.”

“How about everyone gather and search here first? It feels a bit suspicious.”

The moment I spoke, Jenny suggested sending the others this way.

That was an unexpected help. If they followed those words, I’d be eternally grateful.

[Right now, I don’t know where the target is. But if we focus our search all in one area, we might end up wandering aimlessly.]

Kent replied quite sternly. But he wasn’t wrong.

Unlike the main story where professors helped and figured things out in one go, with our ignorance, we had to search for everything one by one.

Thanks to this, he was helplessly pushing for a fruitless search as well.

[But don’t worry. The areas that look like foreign villages are nearly finished. As soon as that’s done, I will head your way.]

“How are the others doing over there?”

[I can’t explain everything one by one, but if I had to mention the key figures…]

There were still plenty of students arguing with golems.

Mary apparently fainted after hearing their rapid-fire complaints, and Luska smashed her head against trees multiple times.

She claimed the fallen trees were over fifty.

“What about the professors?”

[If we’re talking about the two of them…]

As expected. Professor Stella had also completely lost her mind after hearing the golems hurl insults.

She was indiscriminately casting flash magic until Radian stepped in to stabilize her.

“What kind of insults did she hear to unleash magic like that without being able to distinguish friend from foe? It’s not like she’s Mary or something.”

[That’s a rather sensitive topic.]

Old maid, never married, soon to be thirty, childish tastes that make her the object of mockery for the kids; so the men steer clear of her, hahaha…

Hearing it was quite daunting for me, let alone for the subject of those words. The pen is mightier than the sword, and spouting insults is no different.

There’s a reason people say words can kill.

[Is that Radon?]

“Professor.”

Suddenly, the voice shifted to Professor Radian. He looked full of concern as he took over from Kent.

[If it’s Professor Stella, she’s currently in my arms. She stopped crying as soon as I held her tightly. But honestly, it feels like I’m holding a child.]

A child?

Thinking about what kind of cosplay Professor Stella was doing, it feels like a fitting metaphor.

While she claims her little brother made it for her, it’s far too childish for a woman about to hit thirty.

Considering that Radian seems like a goblin on the outside but actually likes children, it might be a decent combination… wait, what am I thinking?

[Anyway, I’ll keep the communication line open. If anything happens, make sure to inform me.]

“Understood.”

With that, the communication ended. The golems couldn’t attack despite their strength, and over here, the professors and students were in peak condition. It was prime time for a free ride.

‘But I can’t be too careless.’

I’d be in trouble if I stumbled into some unexpected variable.

Since everything has already unraveled since the start of the chapter, there’s a good chance the core location of Mosria differs from the main story.

“How about we split up here? If we keep sticking together, we’re just going to waste time.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

“That makes sense. Instead of wasting time together, it’d be better to scatter.”

They seemed to share my opinion. I was really grateful they were moving according to my thoughts from earlier.

“But you know.”

At that moment, Jenny hesitated and said with a serious expression.

“Do you think… something ghostly might come out?”

“What ghost would pop out in such a clean place?”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

As Jenny’s hesitant reaction faded, three paths appeared. As discussed earlier, we split up, one by one.

There are many benefits to going solo. Initially, Professor Radian emphasized safety and insisted on sticking together, but now I can look for the core location without having to be cautious.

As soon as I parted ways with them, I moved based on the knowledge I gained from the game.

Just going deep into the sewer doesn’t guarantee you’ll find something. You’ll reach a dead end, and no matter how much you knock, this seemingly ordinary wall is actually a barrier.

To pass through, I need to solve a puzzle pattern that forms when touching the barrier. The frustrating and cruel part that annoys users in RPG games.

No matter how experienced I am, this part takes a while. So, I have no choice but to skip over it.

“At times like this, this is what I need.”

I held up my student ID’s archive mirror against the wall. The mirror emitted a yellow light like a flashlight, illuminating the wall.

The yellow stamp that neutralizes all mana and harmful entities. At the moment it shines, the barrier becomes ineffective.

‘Thankfully, it’s an area created by Mosria, so the effect is killer.’

With just a slight shine, that complicated barrier disappeared. Here, it seems like I could use other effects without restrictions.

The barrier vanished, revealing the hidden path behind it. The waterway gradually faded, and a conspicuous spacious chamber came into view.

It felt like I was sailing smoothly, enjoying a free ride.

‘I feel like I’ve overlooked something.’

Did I leave something behind? Did I forget someone? Nothing seems to be amiss.

Yet, that oddly urgent feeling pricking at my back—what could it mean? Everything’s going too smoothly, which I had anticipated.

In fact, the core of Mosria is just ten footsteps away. It seems like we’ll hit the end soon, so there shouldn’t be anything to trip me up.

If only no one was in front of me…

“Vice President?”

At the entrance leading to the room where the core is located stood Heidern, the Vice President.

I finally realized what I had overlooked—the fact that he was here, considering I’d heard he was on duty.

‘But why is he just standing there?’

He looks like someone dead on his feet, neck limp. I can’t see his expression, creating a foreboding atmosphere.

In the main story, Heidern falls into Mosria’s trap and becomes a shell of a person. He ends up watching the students’ fights while remaining passive.

It seems he was also ensnared by Mosria’s schemes here. Otherwise, he wouldn’t look like this.

Step by step—

Heidern moved a foot.

That slight movement emanated a strange energy. Suddenly, my “crisis detection” skill activated, freezing my body.

Why is this happening all of a sudden?

I take a glance at his condition using ‘Mana Eye.’

———————

[Lawrence Maruk]

Race: Human

Occupation: Archmage

Magic Class: 7th Circle

Mana: 200/200

Alignment: Extreme Devotion/Empty

Emotion towards User: Hostile (High)

———————

I drew in a breath at the emotion displayed at the bottom. It’s highly likely that, unlike the main story, it won’t just end with being manipulated.

“Professor Radian, we’re in big trouble!”

[What’s wrong, Radon? Did you find something…?]

Feeling uneasy, I immediately cast alchemical magic… but suddenly, it was cut off.

In front of me was Heidern, now holding a staff and activating ‘Alchemical Cancel.’

It was a deliberate move to prevent me from calling for backup. Plus, he unleashed a wind spell, directly attacking me.

“What the hell…!”

I barely turned my head to dodge, but the wind carved a deep groove into the ground beneath me.

This was completely insane.

At least in the main story, he remained idle and didn’t cause any trouble… but now he clearly stood as an enemy.

That damn old guy has crossed the line.

I glared at Heidern, who looked completely calm despite my seething anger. I could see his lips moving.

“Father… where are you…?”

Surviving as an Academy Scammer.