Episode 1067
Episode 1067
Though the spirit's shouts could be heard, they didn't reach the ears of the young prince, who was deeply focused.
Right now, the most important task was passing on magic to his disciple.
Compared to that, what some evil spirit was blabbering about wasn't particularly important.
If they were truly lucky, they might repent and reform, but most couldn't overcome their inherent nature. The prince didn't hold much hope for wicked beings.
'Alright! I'll endure a bit longer!'
'Though situations like this won't come around often...'
Ignoring the spirit's words once more, the prince pondered.
The theory that appropriate tension enhances a mage's learning ability had been proven since ancient times, and his current disciple had particularly outstanding aptitude.
Therefore, when a situation like this arose, he had to make sure they learned as many spells as possible.
Opportunities like this wouldn't come around so often, after all.
If it were the Skeleton Principal, he would've said, "If a crisis is needed, I'll just create one myself!" But the young prince, still inexperienced and naive, didn't have such wicked ideas yet.
He simply thought about how to teach his disciple as much as possible when such a rare opportunity presented itself.
'Is there really no other way?'
"GAAAAAAAAH!"
Awakened by Lee Han's energy and the prince's encouragement, Saratan endured through sheer willpower.
Though his physical form kept collapsing and regenerating, a high-ranking spirit like Saratan wasn't accustomed to pain.
For such a spirit to stubbornly hold on like this was truly astonishing.
"T-teacher! Could you perhaps lend a hand?"
Even Lee Han, who had trusted that the prince would step in if things got truly dangerous, couldn't help but panic slightly as he shouted.
The sheer intensity of Saratan's screams was on a completely different level now.
-Understood, disciple. Now, what did you feel when you performed the teleportation earlier?
"Huh? No, uh... Saratan here is—"
"AGOGOGOGOGO!"
The young prince gestured, and as if casting some spell, Saratan's screams were suddenly muted.
-There we go.
"Muting the sound doesn't actually solve the pro—"
-Now, disciple. What did you feel when you performed the teleportation earlier?
"......"
"Well... Considering the casting speed and precise coordinates, I thought it was quite difficult."
-Correct. Even if you succeed in casting spatial magic once, reaching true mastery isn't easy.
As one of the most difficult schools of magic, spatial magic required an immense amount of time and effort to truly master, even after a successful casting.
Moreover, there were numerous advanced attributes to learn on top of that—standard teleportation, penetrating teleportation for targets with anti-magic properties, displacement teleportation to swap objects between locations...
'But what does this have to do with anything right now?'
Lee Han, who was simultaneously pouring mana into the spirit while supporting him with various enhancement spells, grew impatient.
His teacher's explanation didn't seem immediately relevant to their current crisis.
Of course, the lesson on spatial magic was undoubtedly valuable, but was this really necessary to withstand the pressure from the refraction magic?
"Teacher! I understand. Where should I cast the teleportation?"
Lee Han cut off the prince and shouted.
Though his skill was still lacking, he had no choice. Saratan's body was literally twisting into knots.
At this rate, Saratan's will would shatter before Yukveltire could complete her magic.
-Not yet, disciple. Listen a little longer.
The prince skillfully dragged out the time.
Now that things had come to this, he figured he might as well teach a few more spatial spells.
If possible, he wanted his disciple to learn personal teleportation as well...
CRACK!
"!?"
Startled by the loud snapping sound, Lee Han whipped his head around.
Had Saratan's spine snapped? But no—Saratan was still holding on.
It wasn't that side that had broken. Lee Han noticed Yukveltire's face had turned paler than he'd ever seen before.
A thin adamantite plate had cracked.
The core component that needed to hold and inscribe all this magic had cracked. Lee Han was horrified.
"H...how?! No. I definitely calculated all the load distributions correctly?!"
The whole reason Lee Han and Saratan were going through such hell was precisely to distribute the pressure from the spellcasting.
No matter how reliable adamantite was as a material, it couldn't possibly bear the entire magical load alone.
Yet it had cracked like that—it was unbelievable.
'The adamantite purity isn't as high as we thought. There must be other impurities mixed in.'
"Huh? Of course it's an alloy!"
Lee Han shouted in surprise at his teacher's response.
It wasn't like Yukveltire was some continent's emperor who could use pure adamantite plates.
Even the Skeleton Principal wouldn't waste resources like that...
Well, he could, but he'd never dare do it in front of students.
"It's practically impossible for an Einrogard student to obtain high-purity adamantite!"
'Indeed, disciple. A regrettable miscalculation. Who would have thought the quantitative properties of what we assumed to be identical materials would differ...'
"...Master, you're not laughing right now, are you?"
Lee Han sensed something odd.
Of course, the Young Prince always wore that perpetual cheerful smile.
But his current smile felt like it carried some ulterior motive.
Almost as if he was welcoming this situation... 'Must be my imagination.'
'Disciple, listen. Given how things have turned out, you'll have no choice but to learn another new spell.'
The Young Prince's voice brimmed with happiness at the prospect of teaching one more thing.
"Abort! Fall back now!"
Yukveltire coldly shouted from behind.
She felt like wringing Professor Verdus's neck out of frustration, but that wouldn't undo the failed magic.
Now wasn't the time to force things—they needed to retreat.
'Be quiet.'
"We need to retreat qui—"
'Now, disciple. Listen closely.'
Even Yukveltire's voice had been muted. Truly astonishing illusion magic. 'How did he even do that?' Lee Han was a magic student himself, yet he couldn't begin to fathom the principles.
It wasn't cast directly on Lee Han, nor on Yukveltire either...
"M-Master, Senior told us to retreat. Shouldn't we just fall back without pushing ourselves?"
'And do you really think that mage will leave you alone? Won't she come back to ask for your help again?'
The Young Prince tilted his head briefly mid-sentence.
Come to think of it, wouldn't that be better? 'No. She might not ask again.' While the prince pondered, Lee Han was already convinced. That senior definitely seemed the type to pester him relentlessly afterward...
And Professor Verdus needed to be put in his place too!
"You're absolutely right. What should I do?"
'That Melody Spell I showed you at the tower—do you remember it?'
"Melody Spell, you mean..."
Lee Han recalled his conversation with the Great Artist.
Melody Spells were incantations that incorporated the principles of Music Magic to amplify a spell's power.
There were several methods to refine incantations and boost a spell's potency, like repetitive chanting, but few reached the heights of Melody Spells.
In fact, hadn't Lee Han completed the complex Enchantment Magic <Vible's Flying Sword> by borrowing the power of a Melody Spell?
Originally, it would've been far too intricate and finicky to cast.
'Use that to cast the spell I'm about to describe.'
Royal Pure Gold.
This was a Transmutation Magic passed down through the Young Prince's lineage—the royal family.
All the Transmutation Magic Lee Han had learned so far had predetermined outcomes. <Zarun's Inelastic Rubber> created swamp-like rubber, and <Rock-to-Sand Transmutation> ultimately produced sand.
In transmutation magic, this fixed outcome was an unavoidable choice. Otherwise, the difficulty of the spell would skyrocket.
However, the magic the Young Prince had just brought up wasn't actually related to gold, despite having the word 'gold' in its name.
"Oh no!"
-?
"It's nothing."
A spell that temporarily transformed a substance into a near-omnipotent, fictional material that didn't exist in reality.
That was the true nature of Royal Pure Gold.
It was easier to understand if one thought of the Philosopher's Stone or Dragon Stone.
Of course, compared to those two, any reagent would pale in comparison, but...
"...I see. So you're saying we can use this to replace the damage done to the adamantite?"
-It only needs to hold until the spell ends, Disciple. Once the refraction magic is complete, there'll be no need to endure the pressure anymore.
"But what circle is this spell?"
-Hurry, Disciple! Quickly!
Lee Han glanced at Saratan.
It seemed he couldn't teleport with this spell either, and he'd have to leave Saratan behind for a moment.
"Are you oka—"
-He says he's fine. Go!
The prince covered Saratan's mouth and took the burden off him, gesturing for Lee Han to hurry.
'Is he really okay?'
With that doubt lingering, Lee Han moved quickly. He noticed Yukveltire's lips parting.
"Senior, what are you doing?"
"Mmmph mmmph mmmph!"
Yukveltire, who usually kept her emotions in check, waved her hands furiously, her face twisted in anger.
She pointed at Lee Han, then at the exit of the basement.
She was going to stop the spell, so he needed to get out now—
-Disciple!
"Ah, got it."
Lee Han moved the adamantite plate toward the painting under the prince's urging. Yukveltire stomped her foot in frustration before glaring at the prince.
The Young Prince simply grinned back, unfazed.
At that sight, Yukveltire internally raised the Young Prince's danger level to the absolute maximum.
Maximum
-Young Prince <— Extreme
-Skeleton Principal — High
-Professor Verdus
Meanwhile, a song began to play from behind. The sound, completely out of place in the tense situation, made Yukveltire turn around in confusion.
'The refraction...!'
Ahriman's Refraction was slowly etching itself onto the plate.
The adamantite plate, which should have cracked or even vomited out the spell by now, was somehow holding its form.
When she looked closer in shock, she saw pure gold shimmering in the cracks of the plate.
Not real gold, but gold formed by magic—existing outside reality.
That gold was sustaining the spell in place of the lost adamantite. Realizing the principle, Yukveltire turned to stare at her junior in amazement.
No matter how she looked at it, how could he cast such a high-level transmutation spell so effortlessly?
"Master! Is this really holding?!"
-Just hold it a little longer, Disciple. You're doing well.
"No, it's not holding—"
Lee Han panicked as he saw the pure gold threatening to lose its form and revert at any moment.
No matter how much mana he poured in, it kept demanding more, like a greedy baby basilisk.
To maintain just a handful of gold, he had to pour in an absurd amount of mana.
'Am I casting this wrong??'
Even in his confusion, Lee Han trusted his master and kept the spell going. At least he didn't have to worry about running out of mana.
Watching this, the Young Prince smiled.
Originally, he should've cast a few mana-securing spells beforehand, but his disciple was holding on just fine as it was.
Honestly, he wouldn't have minded if just one or two more accidents happened.
-Are you alright, Spirit?
Ye... Thank you for your concern...
-Are you really alright? You're not about to collapse or anything, right?
I'm fine! If that guy can hold on, so can I!
The Young Prince sighed invisibly.
This spirit was really no help at all.