I Got a Fake Job at the Academy
Chapter 517

What was devouring the island was a giant eel.

It was so large that each time it opened its mouth, land the size of a massive mansion disappeared.

The giant eel devoured an entire island in an instant.

The creature, still not satisfied, moved to find its next prey.

The monster was heading toward the island where Rudger was staying.

"It, it's coming this way!"

"Everyone run!"

The students fell into panic and Rudger was just as bewildered.

Taking on something that feeds on sky islands head-on would be too reckless.

"You heard Teacher Rudger? Hurry, move!"

Rudger and Selina led the students running to the edge of the island.

While running, Rudger asked Julia.

"What's this giant eel?"

"It's an Island Swallower."

"I still can't get used to that naming sense."

"Complain to the previous Dream Walkers, not me."

"Let me ask one thing. Are monsters like this common here?"

"Not at all. It's rare even in the middle layer. I've never seen one in the upper middle layer."

Julia was just as perplexed.

There's no way such a monster, several times more dangerous than a nightmare subject, would suddenly appear like this.

"What was that old man's voice just now?"

"The culprit behind this incident."

"Just who is it that can even control an Island Swallower...?"

Julia didn't get an answer to her question.

By the time they reached the edge of the island, the opposite edge was already entering the Island Swallower's mouth with a crunching sound.

The entire island shook as if hit by an earthquake.

The trees and rocks comprising the island were sucked into the Island Swallower's black throat.

The Island Swallower kept moving its maw, quickly approaching where Rudger was.

"Everyone jump!"

"But, but it's too high..."

"There's no time!"

At Rudger's shout, the students closed their eyes tightly and jumped off the island.

After confirming everyone had jumped, Rudger jumped last.

Right after Rudger jumped, the massive maw swept through where everyone had just been.

-Aaaaaaah!

The falling students screamed.

Even the magic they normally used didn't come to mind in this moment.

"Everyone stay still!"

Julia pulled out her staff and drew a magic formula.

The formula was more concise and simple than usual.

In reality, it would have been insufficient to properly cast magic but this was the Dreamland.

Moreover, this was the middle layer where unconsciousness begins to affect the environment.

Here, magic isn't simply governed by theoretical formulas, mana distribution, and magical flow.

What's important is the user's will to use magic.

It was about manifesting that as a clear image in one's mind.

A translucent white wing spread wide.

It was a giant bird made of paper.

The bird spread both wings and caught all the falling students on its back.

"We, we're alive."

"Wh-what is this? Is this magic too?"

The students were bewildered by this magic they'd never seen before but Julia had no time to kindly answer them because the Island Swallower that had devoured the island started moving toward its next target.

Though it looked like a giant eel, its form writhing between the sky islands resembled a massive imugi.

The Island Swallower normally feeds on sky islands, but now it was targeting people unlike its name would suggest.

"Everyone hold on tight!"

Julia gave orders to the paper bird she created.

The paper bird flew at high speed and the way it nimbly maneuvered through the gaps between islands reminded one of a swallow but the Island Swallower had no intention of letting its marked prey escape.

-Kwaaang!

The solid island scattered into fragments.

The Island Swallower chased after them, destroying all islands blocking its path with its head.

"The distance is closing!"

Though the paper bird's flight was fast, it wasn't enough to escape from the massive Island Swallower.

Julia gritted her teeth.

This was the best she could do right now, and she couldn't increase the speed any further.

She understood now why her seniors had said to flee at the mere sight of an Island Swallower.

'Still, this is unfair. It's not like I approached it, it came to us.'

Her heart welled up unnecessarily at the thought that she might die here.

No matter how calm she tried to be, she was still a student of Theon and the same age as the children here.

"I'll drive it away with magic."

That's when Rudger said something unbelievable.

Julia whirled around to look at Rudger.

"What did you say?"

"At this rate we'll be caught, so we need to struggle somehow, don't you think?"

"Would magic work on a monster that feeds on islands?"

"We won't know until we try."

"Have you forgotten? This is the middle layer!"

The middle layer is different from the upper layer.

Using magic is much more difficult here.

Although Rudger could freely use magic even in the middle layer, that still wasn't enough to face an Island Swallower.

The Island Swallower chasing them now feeds on islands.

Even with powerful magic, it was so overwhelming that one would wonder if it could even scratch its tough scales.

There was a reason why previous Dream Walkers would flee at the mere sight of an Island Swallower.

Yet he was going to face it?

"We can't do nothing, can we?"

"..."

Julia couldn't offer any rebuttal.

Considering what Rudger had shown so far, it gave her hope that maybe this time too.

"Imagination!"

While focusing on flying, Julia advised Rudger.

"From the middle layer on, theory is useless. Like the magic I'm using now, what's important is human will. Don't try to manifest magic through formulas, incantations, and calculations - you need to unfold it with your heart."

Julia wondered what she was doing even as she said it.

Feel it with your heart? Isn't that an approach now treated as superstition?

In this urgent moment, it wasn't appropriate advice to give to a magic teacher.

It would have been natural for him to ask how to do that but that would have been natural, yet.

"Then it's simple."

Was that a well-intentioned lie to reassure us?

Or was it bravado trying to look strong even in this situation?

The conviction in Rudger's voice felt like neither of those.

Rudger stood on the tail feathers of the paper bird, passing by the students looking up at him with expectant gazes.

The Island Swallower had approached within reach, opening its massive maw.

The inside of its wide-open mouth looked like a long passage leading to an abyss.

"Magic unfolded with the heart."

The way Dream Walkers use magic in Dreamland.

To modern mages, it was beyond unfamiliar - it was a method from the distant past, now forgotten.

But that was precisely.

"My specialty."

A brilliant white light burst forth from behind Rudger.

The blinding light forced all the students to cover their eyes with their hands.

Those who managed to open their eyes couldn't close their gaping mouths at the sight of the massive divine general (神將) that appeared behind Rudger.

The divine general, holding a sword in its right hand and a rope in its left, glared at the Island Swallower with its fierce face twisted.

A massive energy gathered at the tip of its sword, bursting forth like a torrent of bright yellow flames.

"Acalanātha."

The divine general moved at the command and the sword carrying hot flames thrust into the Island Swallower's maw.

The flames shot from the sword's tip were sucked into the Island Swallower's throat.

────!!!

The burning heat scorched deep into its throat but the flames that punish all evil didn't just burn the throat.

From inside the throat, it flowed through the internal organs, all the way to the outer skin.

In an instant, the Island Swallower's body was engulfed in golden flames.

The Island Swallower twisted its body.

Islands hit by its wildly thrashing head, body, and tail shattered into pieces.

The scattered fragments flew toward the paper bird.

If Julia hadn't managed to change direction at the last moment, they would have fallen.

"I suppose we need to create some distance."

Rudger turned around and gazed at Selina.

"Teacher Rudger?"

"I leave the students to you."

With those words, Rudger leaped toward the Island Swallower.

"Teacher!"

"It's dangerous!"

Ignoring the worried calls from behind, Rudger controlled the divine general.

The Acalanātha floating behind him raised its sword and struck down on the Swallower's brow.

────!!!

The Island Swallower, wrapped in golden flames, tangled with Rudger as they fell down below.

Selina could only watch the scene with blank eyes.

Julia was shocked for different reasons.

'What was that magic just now?'

The fierce divine general that appeared behind Rudger was magic that even Julia had never seen before.

Burning an Island Swallower in one strike? Is there magic capable of that?

'Magic? Can that even be called magic?'

Rather, it felt like seeing something far superior to any magic she knew.

'No. This isn't the time for such thoughts. Other creatures have noticed our presence from the earlier commotion.'

Other presences could be felt in the distance.

Though not as threatening as the Island Swallower, they were middle layer life forms that would pose considerable threat if encountered.

"Everyone hold tight!"

Julia commanded the paper bird to quickly leave the area.

* * *

Rudger and the Island Swallower fell endlessly.

The Island Swallower was persistent.

Even with flames burning it inside and out, it struggled while screaming.

It destroyed countless islands as it fell but as all things have an end, the Island Swallower's struggles gradually subsided.

"What a stubbornly tough beast."

Standing on the completely charred corpse, Rudger caught his breath.

The method of directly manifesting what one imagines was connected to the method of real magic Rudger used outside.

In fact, since it didn't involve handling magical power, it could be said to have fewer restrictions than reality but perhaps because it was his first time using it, the mental drain was not insignificant.

Rudger jumped off the Island Swallower's corpse and flew toward a nearby island.

Wings made of shadows spread wide behind Rudger.

"This aspect is conveniently good."

Flight that would normally require using Aether Nocturnus was possible here with just simple imagination.

Rudger headed toward what appeared to be the largest among the nearby islands.

There was no special reason for his choice.

He judged that the larger the place, the higher the probability of encountering someone else.

Landing on the edge of the island, Rudger looked up.

Light filtered through countless islands, and the spray from falling waterfalls created rainbows.

'They should have escaped safely.'

Rudger thought of the people he sent ahead.

Though he was worried, it should be fine with Julia there.

After all, there were few mages as excellent as Julia when it came to Dreamland.

After recovering somewhat, Rudger walked toward the interior of the island.

Moderate hills and moderate forest, it was terrain commonly seen around Leathervelk.

Rudger walked slowly with his guard raised.

The forest was quiet. It seemed as if everything in this forest might be dead but Rudger didn't let his guard down.

You never knew when something strange might suddenly jump out.

-Rustle.

Rudger stopped walking.

The undergrowth was moving rapidly in the distance.

Something was quickly approaching Rudger from inside.

Rudger raised his senses and prepared magic.

Just as he was about to release magic the moment it showed itself.

"I'm, I'm alive!"

Rudger's hand hesitated when he saw a familiar face pop out through the leaves.

It was the same for the other party.

"Huh?"

A small-built dwarf girl with white hair, Seridan Ironfeet stared at Rudger with blank eyes, then let out a joyful shout.

"Sir! You came to save us!"

"Seridan. You're safe."

"I really thought I was going to die! What is this place anyway! Ah! This isn't the time for that!"

Seridan pulled Rudger's hand.

"Sedina is in danger right now!"

"What?"

"I'll explain as we go!"

Rudger ran following Seridan.

While moving, Seridan explained everything that had happened to her to Rudger.

"So, Sedina is facing off against some unknown monster right now?"

"Yes. She sent me ahead saying at least one of us should survive. I was trying to find someone to request help. Sir! If we don't hurry, Sedina might die!"

"Understood. Which direction?"

"There!"

"I'll go ahead."

Rudger spread black wings wide behind his back.

Wearing a crow mask on his face, Rudger flew low crossing the forest.

As Rudger advanced at high speed, he heard a massive noise from far away.

‘There it is.’

Rudger changed direction toward the source of the sound.

Arriving at the target location, he saw some black beast baring its teeth at a collapsed Sedina.

"How dare you."

Blue flames sparked in Rudger's eyes.

Without reducing his flying speed, he rather accelerated once more.

Rudger wrapped magical power around his leg and strongly kicked the beast's flank while exploding through the air.

-Kwang!

The massive beast was sent flying sideways.

Sedina, who received help in the moment of crisis, opened her eyes wide seeing Rudger.

"Te-Teacher!"

-Kwaaaak!

The beast that was hit by Rudger got up with rage.

"Save the thanks for later. I'll deal with this monster first."

As Rudger was about to use magic while emanating killing intent, Sedina hurriedly approached to stop him.

"W-wait! That's not just any beast!"

A shocking truth flowed from Sedina's mouth.

"That's Senior Hans!"