Surviving at the Magic Academy

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I was nothing but food to them.

These treasures desired nothing more than to stuff other lives into their bodies. That was their reason for existence.

But within this space, they had gone a long time without feeding. From the traces I surveyed, it seemed that the last life had vanished at least several hundred years ago.

So, they must be wandering around searching for me. After all, I was a meal that could fill their long-standing hunger.

I gripped the key tightly in my hand. The energy flowing from it reassured me. This was the reason I stepped out with such confidence. With this, I wouldn’t meet my end.

At that moment, something pierced my body. It was a hook-like magic. Before I even realized it, it had already wrapped around me.

Having experienced this once before, I instantly recognized the magic. It belonged to the Eye. Sure enough, it had come to the surface first. It was only natural since it had been circling around us all along.

The magic began to pull me in. At its source was a gigantic eyeball. The eye, positioned where the ground had cracked, gazed at me with a bizarre glow.

The key repelled that magic, emitting light in response. The magic of the eye was gradually pushed back. But I held it back for a moment. It wasn’t time yet.

Then the eye’s magic tugged at me forcefully. I gave in to that strength without resisting. The eye slowly drew closer.

As I gazed at it up close, I realized it was enormous. It could even encompass my turtle. Its surface gleamed with a strange light.

Looking closely at that sight, I was somewhat startled. The inside of the eye was endlessly transparent. It almost felt like clear water.

Inside it, strange things flowed, gazing at me. They sometimes took on human faces, sometimes the forms of monsters, and appeared in shapes of things I couldn’t even identify.

These translucent beings created a steady flow, forming a single pupil. Meeting their gazes began to make me dizzy.

The magic pulled me right into that eye. It was only once I was submerged inside that I realized this was not merely an eye. It was something that couldn’t be considered a body part.

Rather, it was closer to a natural object. A gigantic lake made of magic. That magic sensed me and began to ripple violently.

Within that magic, my mind slowly started to melt away. My body fell apart in the same way. This strange magic was rapidly attempting to digest me.

When all of this digestion was over, I would end up like those forming the pupil. Just a part of this lake, creating a massive current.

As I began to dissolve, I started sensing many things within this lake. I could understand why the professor referred to this as the eye torn from a star.

A star, small or large, could be seen as a world in itself. Being here, I felt the will of such a star. A faint desire for perfection was contained within.

I understood why it sought to devour life. It had been captured by the professor and reconstructed into a treasure. It had fallen from perfection into imperfection.

It was consuming lives to fill in such imperfections. To fill every hole and one day be reborn as a perfect star.

The sensation of my soul cracking and my mind melting was extremely bizarre. But it was somewhat familiar. I had experienced the pain of having my soul extracted several times.

Yeah, this was enough. I gripped the key tightly. Then I breathed my will and magic into it. The key radiated a golden light, starting to push back the eye’s magic.

But this process was not as easy as before. The magic had already begun to invade my body. Therefore, the key started to tightly bind it, preventing it from digging further.

The eye’s magic gradually embedded itself into my body as it slowly clashed with the key. The key was holding it back, but it was already quite late. At this rate, I was sure to be consumed.

This situation was exactly what I desired. A faint smile crept onto my lips.

I couldn’t escape from it. But thinking about it the other way, it meant that it was bound to me as well.

The key had firmly grasped its magic. As long as it didn’t release that magic, it could never escape from it.

Of course, it was a serious situation. I could no longer escape on my own. But I hadn’t called just for it.

Suddenly, a terrifying magic engulfed the eye. I felt the powerful flow that constituted the lake begin to break apart. I could also regain a little freedom within it.

The magic resembled ragged fabric. Inside it lurked the bizarrely formed connections of countless magical energies.

I slightly opened my eyes. In my hazy vision, I could see a gigantic hand. It was tearing apart the eye, forcing itself inside. Its fingertips were, of course, aimed at me.

The fingers lifted my body. The magic the eye had embedded also came along with it. The hand tried to forcibly sever them, but the eye never easily let go of the connection.

Within that grip, I could feel the movements of numerous fingers.

Those fingers began to explore my body, brushing against me. Soon, they gripped my hand. I started to feel strong pressure.

This hand was attempting to rip away my fingers. I gnashed my teeth as an ominous pain began to set in.

This wasn’t simply a physical theft. The bizarre power within those fingers was pulling away all contained knowledge, soul, and mind.

This thing was the same. Just like when it melted into the eye, if I were torn apart, I would undoubtedly join that massive cluster of fingers.

I quickly focused my will on the key. As it radiated light, the fingers flung back.

Is this all that exists here? I forced a wry smile as I looked at the vast number of wriggling fingers beyond the golden veil. They were more bizarre than I had imagined.

At that moment, a strange magic began to flow. It came from the eye’s pupil. Numerous lingering spirits within it slowly began to approach the hand.

They tried to burrow between the fingers, attempting to grab me. The fingers were crushed under the fierce assault of the eye. The sounds of bones breaking and flesh splattering echoed everywhere.

The hand could not withstand that power and lost me. Once more, the eye’s magic enfolded me. The smell of blood and magic filled the air.

The eye flicked its magic irritably. It struck down towards the gigantic hand like a whip. The hand was preoccupied with warding it off.

The difference in power was evident. If this continued, the eye would surely reclaim me.

But suddenly, something else snatched at my neck. Something sticky and cold coiled around my throat, starting to squeeze me.

It happened in an instant. If the key hadn’t quickly intervened, my neck would have been torn off. Looking down, I saw a necklace. A necklace made of unknown teeth.

The teeth were spewing pale magic, gnawing at the barrier created by the key. In that moment, I realized how bizarre this place truly was. I understood just how precious the key was.

Though it couldn’t break through my barrier, it contained enough power to sever the connection made by the eye. Under that gnawing, the magic of the eye shattered into pieces.

The eye poured spirits into that necklace. The necklace turned the teeth around, beginning to carve through those spirits.

Thus, they began to battle each other. The eye poured magic like a waterfall towards the necklace while the necklace bit deeper and deeper.

The hand didn’t remain idle either. It persistently moved with its reconstructed body, burrowing between the eye and the necklace.

As each being fought to possess me, they clashed, entangled, and pressed against one another. That battle began to grow larger as other treasures joined in.

Inside it all, I curled up, desperately trying to protect myself. I focused entirely on the key. In this horrific fight, I had to keep myself safe.

If this grind continues, it would be ideal.

But soon, the situation changed. The eye began to withdraw.

It slowly retreated, even giving up the magic it had embedded in my body. The other treasures didn’t care about it. They just poured their power towards me.

The eye began watching the battle among the other treasures. The flow of magic was serene.

This eye also had intelligence; it seemed like it intended to reenter only after the power of the others had been exhausted.

If that’s the case, then I should halt here. I focused my mind in my chest. The light opened from the Shadow Tree responded to my will.

It was the Mirror Bug positioned beside the Mist Heart. It received my signal and announced the end of the situation.

Then the mist began to slowly rise. The mist started to envelop the battlefield. So did I, inside it.

The hazy mist, just as the Mist Heart promised, began to obscure the gaze of the other treasures. They couldn’t quite figure out where I was, beginning to wander aimlessly.

Eventually, something pushed through the mist, slowly approaching me. It bore a face resembling the professor’s, adorned with a broad smile as it supported my body.

Thus, I was drawn away by the hand of the Mist Heart. Though the treasures flailed through the mist, the Mist Heart naturally avoided them, leading me out.

In that mist, I could sense a gaze.

The eye was looking directly at us. It was clear that unless it was an exceedingly powerful mist, it couldn’t obscure that gaze. But this alone was sufficient.

It didn’t pounce on us. It seemed to be assessing the situation, fully aware that trying to capture me now would only lead me to be attacked by other things.

Leaving the gaze of that creature behind, we slowly departed from that place. How much time passed, I couldn’t tell; the Mist Heart released its hold on me, and I collapsed onto the floor.

“Heh, you look quite a sight.”

The Doll laughed as it looked at me. I also allowed a faint smile in return.

Perhaps from exerting itself, the Doll had slight cracks in its body. But the trace vanished quickly, restored in an instant. At that level, it would still be able to scatter mist without issue.

I checked my condition. The key’s protection was surer than I had imagined. Just as the professor had assured, it had completely prevented my death.

Of course, that was all it prevented. As a result of that battle, my soul, mind, and body were all in a terrible state.

But it was a very satisfying outcome. Since I had gotten hurt this badly, the eye must also have suffered considerably.

I began to recover using magic. The magic flowing through the trees spread throughout my body, gradually returning my torn and split form to its original shape.

As I did, I surveyed the situation. While we had escaped, the battlefield had already settled into a calm state. The treasures that realized I was absent ceased their fighting and were now searching for me with their magic.

But I had already left that place behind. I could feel the eye brushing over where we were, trying to gain a general sense of our location. For now, I needed to avoid its gaze as well.

“Shall we move a bit farther?”

I said as I got back on my feet. The Doll nodded leisurely.

As we distanced ourselves, the treasures also started to gradually spread out. The Doll laughed as they observed such behavior.

“I was like that before too. Moving on pure instinct while my reason was hazy. I suppose soon they’ll forget what they were chasing after and begin wandering this place again.”

True to those words, the treasures soon abandoned their positions and scattered in all directions. Among them, the eye began to sink back into the ground, starting to follow us again.

I moved my body for a moment. At least my limbs were functioning properly. However, the fatigue lingering in my mind was quite heavy. It was the result of absorbing those powerful magics. I opened my mouth weakly.

“You’re not in great shape at the moment, and you’re moving right away?”

The Doll tilted its head in confusion. I forced a wry smile. I wanted nothing more than to rest right now. But that wasn’t possible. I moved my steps as I explained my reasoning.

“Hmm, that makes sense. You’ll have a tough road ahead.”

The Doll smiled brightly. It seemed amused by this situation. Straining my heavy body, I headed towards the place the Doll pointed out. It wasn’t far from the Eye.

Once again, the same situation unfolded. Magic flowed, and the eye attempted to ensnare me. Other treasures attacked it, following my magic, and the eye withdrew. This process repeated several times.

It appeared the eye sensed something was odd during these exchanges, as it stopped pursuing me. But just because it gave up didn’t mean it would stop. On the contrary, I dove right into it.

As it tried to pull me out, the key prevented that. I forced my way into that pupil, lying down inside.

Having grown accustomed to its magic, I found it easy to ride its flow. I held onto it firmly, and the other treasures began to gather.

In the end, the eye started to fight with them. Since I held onto it tightly, the eye couldn’t easily escape. Thus, an endless depleting battle ensued.

As I was worn down, so too was the eye’s power. The same went for the other treasures. In fact, they began to go even more wild.

I watched them rampage silently. I hadn’t expected other treasures to be this rambunctious. It was an unforeseen circumstance. The Doll beside me smiled at me.

“These friends seem quite excited.”

“Indeed.”

“Heh, perhaps it’s because of this scent.”

The Doll approached and stroked my arm. The scent, I could barely smell the metallic tang of blood wafting from my body.

“It’s not just the scent from my body. There’s a very sweet scent wafting from the cracks in my soul. I’m almost tempted to taste it myself.”

The Doll licked its lips. The scent from the soul; that made certain sense.

I had reincarnated. Of course, most of my previous memories were scattered in fragments, leaving much of it unclear.

Ojo had said that the souls of reincarnators were special and could potentially dissolve them entirely into elixirs. Perhaps that intense flavor residing within me was why the others were getting so riled up.

I wasn’t simply food. In their eyes, I was an exquisite delicacy.

This was, in fact, a good thing. The more they rampaged, the quicker the eye would tire out. I straightened my body once more.

And so, I continued to be worn down. The eye, too, was in the same predicament.

“Congratulations.”

The Doll clapped its hands. I gazed towards it, my eyes slightly blurred from not fully regenerating yet. I struggled to maintain my body as my magic was nearly depleted.

“Thank you.”

As I muttered that, I glanced down at my palm. A tiny eye, about the size of my palm, was gazing back at me, attempting to wield its magic to escape.

But its strength was extremely weak. Countless barriers surrounding it restrained its power. This was a seal I crafted with great effort.

I took a look around. I could see other treasures wandering, searching for me. But they hadn’t been able to find me thanks to the mist. They appeared to be quite fatigued as well, showing signs of exhaustion.

The fact that I managed to catch this thing was the result of everyone working together. A wave of gratitude washed over me. It would have been impossible alone.

“So, can I just head out now?”

The Doll leaned against my body and asked. I nodded. Trembling, I brought the key to the air.

In fact, escaping had always been a possibility. I simply couldn’t leave without capturing this thing. Leaving would make it impossible to create a better situation than this.

But now, it was all over. I felt a bit anxious, yet I chuckled bitterly as I checked the treasures that lay sprawled about. It was a complete mess. I wondered how the professor would react.

But this was my best outcome. After all, this was a result I obtained after not fleeing, just as the professor said. So surely, she wouldn’t scold me too harshly.

As the key dispersed magic into the air, a door began to manifest. It was identical to the door I had entered through.

The key plunged into that door. As it did, the seal that had surrounded it began to unravel, and it started to open.

“Is it just crossing this to get through?”

The Doll approached and reached out. However, the door projected a golden veil, bouncing it back. Even in that state, it strongly barred the treasures from approaching.

The Doll stroked its hand, displaying a disappointed expression, then looked at me. Its face was filled with anticipation.

“I will keep my promise.”

At those words, the Doll’s eyes sparkled with a smile. It was easy to guide a being with a singular goal just like this. I had learned that from others at the auction house. I had almost fallen victim to it myself.

“Not now; next time. I’ll see you again then.”

The Doll’s expression became slightly dazed. I quickly dashed towards the door, leaving behind its astonished face. The mist tried to clutch me, but the barrier emanating from the door repelled it.

“Wait for me!”

I heard the Doll’s voice calling from behind. Within that voice, I sensed a tinge of anger and confusion. With a wry smile, I didn’t look back and simply crossed the threshold.

As I stepped through, a familiar scenery unfolded. I looked around. A large hall with countless doors drew my attention.

It was an image of the 6th floor. Relaxation washed over me, causing my body to sway. When I turned back, I saw the door shimmering behind me. It was sealing itself off once more.

I could vividly imagine the scene beyond. The Mist Heart would surely be rampaging in anger.

I felt the eye in my hand squirming. If left as it was, it would recover soon enough. I needed to rush and bring it to the professor before that happened.

With a satisfied smile, I set my steps toward the staircase. It was a perfect plan.

How could I trust that thing? After all, it was constantly trying to take my body. For now, we had cooperated to keep our promise, but nobody knew what would happen later.

That was a creature I couldn’t tame. Even pouring my magic into it wouldn’t suffice; the difference was too vast for me to handle it properly. I wasn’t a mage, making contracts impossible as well.

How could I release a creature I couldn’t control? Though the Doll seemed unfortunate in this situation, there was nothing to be done.

I had one chance to choose a treasure. I could not waste it like this.

Still, a tiny possibility remained that I might be able to draw it out. We would find out once I made it up there.

Climbing the stairs, I made my way to the professor’s room.

And then, I was hit. I collapsed onto the floor.

“No, that’s not how it should be!”

The professor shouted at me as I lay on the ground.

“Don’t you feel sorry for that thing?”

She pointed at a gigantic mirror. There, the Doll was gazing back with a dumbfounded expression, an intense air of despair radiating from it.

Somehow, it felt as if our eyes had met through the mirror. A pang struck my heart, and I subtly shifted my gaze away.

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