The Legendary Programming Mage-Chapter 67: Academy Survival Guide (1) [Rewritten]

The movie that Quincy had suggested we watch was, well, cultured.

Honestly, I don’t even know who gave her the idea of watching that kind of film. And what’s even stranger was that we actually sat through it until the very end.

Afterward, things grew awkward, almost as if they suddenly realized I was male and they were female.

Because of this, we all went our separate ways the moment we stepped into the dorms.

I was already starting to miss Beatrice since, at a time like this, I would have gone to see her.

However, the quiet didn’t last long because Sylvia turned clingy once classes rolled around. Bet the system doesn’t even let her rest.

’This is why I hate those controlling systems.’

Well, I did have my death counter, so there was that.

Today I only had two classes to attend: Professor Mirabel’s magic lecture and a special class Quincy insisted I join with her.

Professor Mirabel’s class flew by quickly, and without wasting a second, I headed straight for an elevator, yes, an elevator.

The class Quincy wanted me in was Dungeon Survival, and to access it, all you had to do was press the button for the 90th floor in any elevator.

The doors opened with a faint hiss, a wisp of mist curling out as I stepped onto the floor, and just as I anticipated, it wasn’t like any normal building level.

A vast, lush expanse of greenery stretched out before me, like something drawn straight from a manhwa panel. The grass looked so soft I wanted to collapse on it and sleep.

But I resisted the temptation and made my way to where Quincy was.

Dungeon Survival took place in a sealed space that cycled through different climates. The class was all about learning how to survive in a dungeon environment alone.

Monsters, foliage, volcanoes, and everything else you’d expect from dungeons.

The moment I entered the forest, I spotted a massive blue spirit shaped like a wolf, made entirely of energy.

It gave me a glance before bounding deeper into the trees.

"That’s Quincy’s wolf, right?"

The creature dissolved into streaks of azure light, vanishing between the branches.

"So that’s my welcome committee, huh?" I muttered, pushing foliage aside as I followed.

"You’re late, Al."

At the center of the area, Quincy was lounging lazily against a tree, her wolf already trotting back to her side like an oversized puppy.

She wore only a crisp white shirt and her short uniform skirt, which did little to conceal her plump thighs.

"You know I had other classes, right?"

"Mmhm. I guess you’re right."

She fell into step beside me as we headed deeper into the forest, her wolf padding noiselessly across the grass.

"Oh." Quincy suddenly smacked her palm with her fist. "I haven’t explained what this class is about yet."

"So basically," she began, "Dungeon Survival is a kind of stress test and preparation course."

Without pause, she continued: "You’re thrown into different terrains—swamps, volcanoes, tundras, forests. With monsters, traps, and limited resources. The goal’s simple: endure. Build. Survive."

"Sounds like the Academy just wanted free labor to landscape their fantasy biome."

She chuckled softly. "Well, we just have to make ours the best one, right?"

I groaned. "You sound like you’re planning a picnic, not survival training."

"No, I’m treating this like a simulation for the future."

I gave her a look but stayed quiet.

We walked in silence for a while, the air filled only with birdsong and the faint static hiss of mana seeping through the atmosphere.

I had to admit... the place was stunning. Almost too stunning. Like a painted backdrop masquerading as a forest.

Which honestly made it a little unsettling.

"So," Quincy suddenly said, her eyes fixed on me, "what’s your plan? I’m not great at planning alone."

"Hm..."

Aside from the VR raids I’d promised Sylvia, I wasn’t really doing much.

Which meant our shelter here would need to be sturdy and beautiful so I could return anytime.

But... how does one even ’build’ a house?

Finding land.

Collecting wood.

Then...

’Can I code it?’

Manual labor was definitely not my thing.

But Quincy? I’d discovered she was an expert at this.

Still, first, we had to choose a site.

And so the search began.

"This one’s nice," she said, gesturing dramatically toward a clearing that reeked faintly of damp earth and regret.

"It smells like shit."

I knew I didn’t have many options, but I wanted somewhere I could actually ’live’ in, not just endure.

Next.

We walked deeper into the woods.

Hmm...

One spot had a massive tree with a fresh, shaded clearing beneath it.

"What about under that tree?"

Quincy shook her head fiercely. "I hate bugs, Al."

I nodded.

Next.

"Okay, then here!" She pointed at another clearing.

It was calm, quiet—only trees and flowers swaying gently.

But...

"There’s wood here. Already cut."

Quincy tilted her head. "Maybe someone left it behind."

Hell no.

That was basically screaming ’haunted.’

The mere thought of sharing space with lingering spirits made me recoil, while Quincy just laughed.

Finally, we settled on a small, shaded patch near a pristine lake.

There were plenty of flowers and trees surrounding it. The space was a bit cramped, but if we cleared it, it would be perfect.

It also had the major advantage of being flat and the minor one of not actively trying to kill us.

I felt oddly proud.

It was like founding my own country, carving out civilization from nothing.

’Maybe I should erect a statue of myself here.’

Quincy clapped her hands, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Now that we’re done with the first step, let’s get to the real task."

She pointed to the smallest clearing nearby, explaining with the patience of a kindergarten teacher.

"On to shelter."

A bubbling excitement rose in me.

A house.

"We’re going to make a tent with branches, rope, leaves, and whatever else we find. My spirits will lend a hand where needed."

With a snap of her fingers, two spirits appeared.

The smug blue wolf—and another, a red bat that flitted around her with almost manic energy.

After patting the bat, she turned to me. "Allen, you fetch water. I’ll gather wood." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

I placed my hand on my chin and nodded. "First, I need some wood to make a bucket."

Oh!

A sudden idea sparked.

’What if I inscribed magic circles onto the buckets and manipulated them like code?’

’Return to main route... or use blink.’

It wasn’t practical for most, since no one could actually read magic runes—but for me?

I rolled up my sleeves. "Leave it to me."

Things were finally starting to get fun.

Time to build a mansion.

Allen Vanderbilt Park’s Manor.