The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 213

“No.”

It was not common for Lucy to adamantly refuse a request from me.

“You could die.”

It was obvious that she was refusing because she was worried.

She had been leaning against the tree, reading a book. Then she jumped down onto the ground, her hair flying around. Looking up at me with blank eyes, she casually spoke about something horrific.

“I don’t want to kill you. It’s not easy to control the firepower of Advanced Magic.”

“Obviously, I don’t want to die either.”

It was such an obvious statement that I shouldn’t have needed to say it.

“I already made the magic engineering product ‘Dell Heim’s Hourglass’ in advance. As long as I have it on me, I won’t be able to die from an attack.”

“But you’ll get hurt.”

“If I can achieve a massive result in a short amount of time, naturally I need to do all I can. Anyone would do the same.”

Lucy understood my desire to grow as quickly as possible.

The Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok’s descent wouldn’t take place when we were ready. After all, most disasters were like that.

“I don’t have time. So, duel with me. At least until I have learned advanced magic, keep attacking me. If I were the same as before, I wouldn’t stand a chance in a duel against you… At least now, I won’t die from a single attack.”

In the world of magic, experience became skill. However, no one would want to learn by walking a tightrope with their life on the line against her. Though, in the first place, there weren’t any other magicians who could cast dozens of advanced magic spells.

For Lucy Mayreel, it was something she could easily do if she wanted to.

When she went all out against the Evil God Mebula, she wielded an insane amount of magic power—enough to cast more than fifty advanced magic circles while also using ultimate magic.

And after a good night’s rest, she was able to take on the magic power of dozens of people in a single night. There was no one better to face off against than her.

Not just anyone would be blessed with the opportunity to duel against one of the most gifted magicians in history.

When I had first come into this body not long ago, I wouldn’t have survived a single attack, so I didn’t even try facing her… But now, everything was different. My growth had already progressed quite far.

And if I wanted to learn advanced magic with my weak body—one that had taken a long time just to raise its magic power resonance—the only choice I had was to charge forward recklessly.

“Rather, if you hold back while I’m holding the hourglass, it won’t activate, and I’ll only get injured. So, it’ll be better if you raise your firepower as if you were really trying to kill me.”

“That’s not hard to do, but I don’t want to. I refuse.”

It was rare for Lucy to be so resolute.

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Lucy, please understand how desperate I am. You know as well.”

“……”

And like that, we stared at each other in silence. Neither of us showed any sign of backing down.

Eventually, Lucy let out a heavy sigh and pressed down on her large witch hat.

“Fine.”

***

The cliffside was located at the northern tip of Acken Island.

Tall rocky cliffs stretched along the coast. Standing at the edge and looking straight down would give anyone goosebumps.

Around the time of the Student Council Election, I had been stabbed there and fallen all the way down. Thinking back on it now, I must have been out of my mind.

Walking a little farther along the cliff, there was a large open meadow. Since it was the furthest spot from Silvenia, barely anyone came there. There were probably only a few students who had ever walked through the North Forest all the way to this place.

The wind blew through the meadow, making my collar flutter.

Lucy, who was facing me from a distance, also had the hem of her skirt flutter in the wind. She held down her hat to keep it from flying away as she slowly began to gather her magic power.

I was in perfect condition. Not only physically, but my magic power had also fully recovered. I could use and manifest any of the spirits I had available.

On the dagger I gripped tightly, I had engraved a new spiritual skill. On the dagger that was already imbued with Mugg’s spiritual skill, Explosion, I added Merilda’s spiritual skill, Crosswinds.

I had carried that dagger with me ever since I started living in the wild. Now, not only my weapon proficiency, but even my magic power resonance had risen dramatically. I could even use the spiritual skills of high-ranking spirits without difficulty.

Merilda’s spiritual skill, Crosswinds, was a destructive spell that instantly destroyed or weakened an enemy’s magic power.

Magic attacks were extremely fast, so casting it at the perfect timing was difficult. However, even considering its defensive capabilities alone, it was already an incredible spell.

Still, I wasn’t certain whether it would be able to block Lucy’s advanced magic. It seemed far more likely that her magic would simply break through it. Even so, it was better than being hit directly.

“……”

Amid the passing wind, Lucy raised one hand.

Casually, she clenched her fist, gathering an insane amount of magic power—far beyond what a normal magician could achieve no matter how hard they tried.

Any magician would feel that it was utterly unfair upon witnessing her magic power efficiency.

Without changing her expression—

Boom!!!

Lightning struck.

I couldn’t even see the flow of the magic she cast. The only reason I managed to respond was thanks to my reflexes and Merilda, who had manifested in her human form and was hastily deploying magic circles to defend against the attack.

Boom!!!

Whoosh!!

Crash!

I raised the dagger in my hand and thrust it forward with my other arm.

For the sake of magic efficiency, I had manifested Merilda in her human form. Even so, she was still a high-ranking spirit. Her white hair fluttered violently in the wind as she began to sweat, rapidly pouring her magic power into the spiritual skill engraved on my dagger.

Thanks to her, I managed to defend against the attack accurately.

Surprisingly, my response was perfect.

However, blocking the attack didn’t mean I escaped its aftereffects.

Though I defended myself, every bone in my body trembled violently from the recoil.

Smoke filled the air. My collar and hair, which had been tossed around by the attack, finally settled—but my legs continued to shake.

“Keuk…”

I frowned as I looked down at the dagger in my hand. Magic power leaked out, overflowing past the spiritual skill’s capacity.

“Still… I handled that better than I thought…”

Were all those days of training not in vain? Even though Lucy was one of the most gifted magicians in history, her magic hadn’t ended me in a single blow.

But that thought—

“That wasn’t advanced magic.”

“……”

“I used an intermediate spell first to test the waters.”

Intermediate Lightning Magic: Lightning Spear.

The spell that pierced its target with a spear of lightning. Thinking back on it, that was indeed what she had cast—it had simply been too fast to recognize at the time.

All around me were traces of its aftermath. The grass within several meters of where I stood had been scorched.

That was not the power of an ordinary Lightning Spear.

Even as intermediate magic, Lucy Mayreel’s casting made it something entirely different. I already knew that.

“Then… now I’m coming.”

Lucy wore an unwilling expression. Still, since she had agreed to help me, she intended to do so properly.

Advanced Lightning Magic: Divine Judgement.Advanced Explosive Magic: Destruction.Advanced Ice Magic: Permafrost.Advanced Fire Magic: Scorching Sphere.Advanced Light Magic: Light Cutter.Advanced Dark Magic: Nightmare Swamp.Advanced Earth Magic: Ant Hole.Advanced Wind Magic: Eye of the Typhoon.

Learning even one of those spells would place a magician at a level respected by all others.

Unless you were personally struck by them, it was impossible to truly understand the flow and principles of that magic power.

I smirked. Reckless or not, there was no surer way.

I closed my eyes briefly, then opened them again. The smile vanished.

Clenching my teeth and tensing my body, I stared back at her with unwavering resolve.

I tightened my grip on the dagger.

***

“You have all done an excellent job preparing for the festival. Finally, starting tomorrow, the Grand Crestle Festival will begin.”

“Let us continue working closely with the school to ensure that no unfortunate incidents occur.”

Obel Hall, a grand structure built beside the student square, was a relatively new building.

It had been constructed to provide a workspace for the student council, whose authority and responsibilities continued to grow. As such, its interior consisted primarily of offices.

In the conference room, where all the council members were gathered, Student Council President Tanya addressed them through voice amplification magic.

The gist of her speech was simple: they had worked hard over the past month, and now they should enjoy the festival while continuing to fulfill their duties.

The student council members applauded and cheered. The hellish preparation period had finally ended. As long as the festival ran smoothly over the next week, they would soon return to their normal lives.

“Time really flew by.”

Ziggs muttered to himself as he leaned against the back wall with his arms crossed.

The past month had kept him so busy that he barely had time to breathe.

While attending classes, he had reviewed the details of every club’s activities, mediated conflicts, provided support where needed, and coordinated schedules.

At the same time, he couldn’t neglect Elka. With how busy he had been, he often wished he had two bodies. He was grateful that Elka willingly followed him around during council work.

“Ziggs, you worked hard during the preparations.”

Tanya stepped down from the podium amid applause, smoothing her skirt as she spoke.

After thanking everyone, she headed toward Trix Hall with Anise for her next appointment.

“No, you’re the one who’s worked the hardest, Tanya. From now on, our responsibilities are what really matter.”

“Haah… That’s true. In any case, please make sure the committee members don’t relax too much. His Majesty Emperor Kroel will be visiting personally.”

“Have you finished reviewing his schedule?”

“Yes. He’ll arrive at dawn in a few days but won’t enter Silvenia until after lunch. He’ll attend several events, give a speech, and then watch the joint competition. Pelbrain will handle lunch, while Klenic and Anise inspect the route.”

“In that case, I’ll review the competition schedule one last time.”

“Please review the participant list and announce the details so everything proceeds smoothly.”

“Understood, Student Council President.”

Ziggs nodded with a smirk.

“By the way, you’ve been looking good lately. Dividing the workload seems to have helped.”

“Yes… Organizing the workflow definitely made things easier. Structuring work properly is harder than it looks.”

“We’re all still learning. It’s just a shame you haven’t had time to catch up with people. Your brother will be facing Daike, right?”

“I’ll confirm his schedule once more.”

After that, Ziggs fell into thought.

Everyone around him had been busy.

Tanya always was.Taylee was consumed by training.Ayla had locked herself in the library, researching the Great Sage Silvenia—Elka had told him so.

Yennekar Palerover was struggling to act like an aristocrat after becoming a baroness. Ziggs had seen her practicing strange poses and muttering to herself. Approaching her would only kill her with embarrassment, so he avoided her quietly.

Lucy Mayreel had been spending more time at Ed’s camp than at school. He had heard she looked exhausted lately—which was strange, given her immense magic power.

Lortel, on the other hand, seemed brighter than ever. The Elte Company was profiting heavily from festival preparations, and Ziggs had been seeing her frequently at Obel Hall.

Clevius was the only one who seemed worse than usual. Always gloomy, he had become even more withdrawn. When asked, he blamed issues with his house—nothing new for him.

Despite his workload, Ziggs tried to keep track of his friends.

“Once the school finalizes Emperor Kroel’s route and schedule, we’ll proceed. Don’t go hiding somewhere again—I’ll need your signature immediately.”

“I’ve graduated from hiding in dark places. What do you think of me?”

“Weren’t you hiding under a bathroom cabinet yesterday?”

“…Did Anise tell you?”

“Senir found you. She even injured her ankle.”

“…I should apologize.”

Tanya fidgeted awkwardly but soon regained her composure.

“Please prepare for tomorrow’s opening ceremony. I’ll finish preparations for the competition.”

Ziggs straightened up and smiled. “I’ll go check on the contestants.”

“Good work. Submit your report through Anise.”

He nodded and left the hall.

***

“He should be by the northern cliffs. After school, he always goes there and doesn’t return until late.”

Ed wasn’t at the camp when Ziggs arrived.

Yennekar, sitting by the campfire, told him Ed’s location with a worried look. After thanking her, Ziggs headed north through the forest.

Though the northern forest was vast and unpaved, his daily jogging helped him navigate part of it. The farther north he went, the more unfamiliar it became.

This was Ed Rothstaylor’s domain.

Eventually, the forest opened into a meadow—and Ziggs froze.

The residual magic power in the air was overwhelming.

“Oh my God…”

A massive rock stood at the edge of the meadow.

Leaning against it was Ed Rothstaylor, blood dripping from his battered body.

The ground around him was devastated. Grass was torn apart. Trees had been uprooted.

“E-Ed…”

“Oh… Ziggs…”

Ed opened his eyes. He wasn’t unconscious—just resting.

“I was… training…”

His clothes were shredded, but what stunned Ziggs was the magic power he felt.

It was on an entirely different level.

And the look in Ed’s eyes—sharp, feral.

‘Beware of wolves covered in scars.’

Those who survived countless near-death experiences were far more dangerous.

Ed slowly stood. His magic power far exceeded that of a student.

Surviving Lucy Mayreel’s attacks alone was impossible for most.

Yet through relentless training—borderline self-abuse—Ed had reached a level where he could endure her magic.

That was why he was always on the brink of death.

And why he now possessed the power to wield advanced magic.

Even Ziggs swallowed hard.

“Ah… It’s almost time for the festival…”

Ed wiped the blood from his face.

“I should… clean up… and get ready…”

Those born without talent had only one path.

To smash their heads against the wall until it broke.

That was the fate of those born as duds.

TL’s Note – 2026 Roadmap

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