Episode 1115
Episode 1115
Hidor...! No, not quite yet! But the form is similar!
Upon seeing the shape of the not-so-large water droplet, the General of Fire Heaven recalled the name of a spell he had once heard about in the spirit realm.
Though the world of mortals was fleeting, the achievements they left behind often had a more intense impact than one might expect. Extraordinary magic was one such example.
In a way, a water droplet was the least fitting tool for destruction.
Among the elements, wasn't it merely the weakest in destructive power, simply rounded into a sphere?
Yet the essence of Hidor lay in imbuing it with the most destructive and savage concept imaginable.
Though just a small droplet, the power contained within surpassed even vast mountain ranges—a paradoxical magic!
What the spirit-favored mage before him had cast wasn't the complete Hidor, but it was undeniable that he had mimicked it quite convincingly.
If he further refined his ideology and compressed it with experience, he might take one more step closer to the original spell.
The newly modified Water Prison Bomb traced a graceful arc.
Its trajectory was clean and elegant, but the result was brutal. The flames summoned by the General of Fire Heaven were swept away.
'To think it could tear through space itself!'
The General of Fire Heaven let out a bitter laugh in frustration.
A powerful spirit never underestimated even an ordinary pebble. A mere stone, when pushed to its limits, could slay a dragon.
How much more so a spinning orb of water? The conceptualized rotation—not merely physical—could interfere with and rend space itself.
And his opponent didn't just manipulate space in offense. The bastard was annoyingly skilled in defense as well.
Look at that outer garment.
The General had wondered why the flames he summoned had died out without any sign, but upon closer inspection, this too utilized space.
The outer garment, imprinted across countless parallel dimensions, endlessly fractured space to prevent approaching enemies from getting close.
A spatial mage who had reached mastery could outpace even the finest steeds while riding a tortoise.
But that outer garment was a step beyond even that level—it trapped approaching foes in an endless spatial labyrinth, forever pushing them away.
From the outside, it might seem like an instant, but the flames, unable to overcome time, merely pierced through empty space before fading away.
Such a powerful artifact wasn't something one could possess simply by being an exceptional mage.
It was likely a stroke of fortune granted by the favor of countless beings.
Truly befitting a mortal beloved by spirits. But this General of Fire Heaven doesn't give up easily! Let's see how you handle a strike from one hated by spirits and sta—
True to his infamous nature, the General of Fire Heaven was tenacious and relentless.
Other spirits—even the more violent ones—would have given up long ago after facing such resistance, having already suffered heavy losses. But he refused to retreat.
Every time he encountered a mortal blessed by fate like this, his very nature compelled him to charge forward.
However, the General of Fire Heaven, entranced by the magic displayed by the mortal before him, had forgotten about the enemies gathering around him.
This was a den of mages!
I'll kill you!!!!
Surprisingly, the first to counterattack wasn't the Tower Lord or Professor Voladi—it was Jowurin.
The seasoned mages, sensing the flow of the battle, instinctively knew Lee Han wasn't in immediate danger.
But Jowurin didn't.
Seeing some deranged spirit attacking her contractor, she completely lost her temper and charged forward with reckless abandon, whether or not a vicious wall of flames barred her path.
Had she been an ordinary creature, she would have burned to ashes in retaliation, paying the price in full. But the bloodline of the dragonkin—the mightiest of races—protected her.
Aside from a few scorch marks and lost scales, Jowurin was completely unharmed. It was hard to believe she had forcibly breached the flames of a King-class spirit.
The General of Fire Heaven muttered in disbelief.
"Have I grown so weak...? Or have dragons truly grown so much strong—"
Jowurin didn't bother attempting conversation. She simply crashed into him with all her might.
Though the General of Fire Heaven burned hotter than any flame she had ever experienced, Jowurin ignored it entirely, swiping with her forepaws before biting down. It was a savage assault reminiscent of a beast.
Despite having summoned his true power to reconstruct his body, only to see it heavily damaged, the General of Fire Heaven's spirit remained unbroken.
Rather, he was overjoyed at the discovery of an enraged dragon.
An enraged dragon! Who knows how long it's been since I last saw one!
Among all races, dragons were known for their minimal emotional fluctuations and rare interference in worldly affairs.
Unless it was the ancient times when demons swarmed from all directions, the current continent was in a period of stability, making the sight of a furious dragon even rarer.
And yet, here he was, witnessing one in such a state.
He couldn't help but wonder—what if that rage escalated further, giving birth to an evil dragon or a demonic dragon? The thought excited him.
Where else could he find a worthy opponent like a dragon that had shed its restraints on destruction due to severe wounds?
"Your Highness!"
Lee Han called out sharply to Jowurin.
Though it was a simple shout, it was anything but ordinary. His voice, laden with urgency and desperation, carried potent magical energy and intent.
Thanks to this, the fiery rage in Jowurin's crimson eyes subsided, returning to normal. The General of Fire Heaven clicked his tongue in disappointment, chastising Lee Han.
Why? Why such a weak move?
It wasn't just the General's own greed speaking—from a mortal's perspective, this was a foolish choice.
Why would anyone willingly reduce a dragon's combat strength in such a situation?
A true strategist would have poured fuel on the flames of rage.
"...Hah. You want me to be ruthless?"
Lee Han rarely lost his temper with extra-dimensional beings.
Not because he didn't feel anger, but because losing his temper was pointless.
Just look at the Yaksha King. What good did anger do? Nothing changed.
Yet the General of Fire Heaven had managed to pierce through that rationality and provoke him.
The sight of the mortal's icy glare only delighted the General further.
Yes, this was it!
"Good!"
Lee Han fixed the General with a frigid stare and pulled out the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Demons.
As an overwhelming surge of magic spread from the bracelet into the abyss below, the demons buzzed with eager anticipation.
Which lucky demon would seize this chance to break free?
But their luck ended right there.
No professor would stand idly by while their student wielded something as dangerous as the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Demons in front of them.
Thud!
A soundless rupture tore through space, striking at the very essence of the General of Fire Heaven in the spirit realm.
Professor Voladi delivered the blows with an impassive expression. The General would have praised the attack if he could, but he couldn't.
The enemy mage had severed his telepathic link first.
'Why?'
The General couldn't understand why his opponent had targeted the most trivial aspect first.
Meanwhile, Eullangdam, the Tower Master of the Daylily Magic Tower, also sprang into action. Swinging his staff and chanting, a modest Daylily Flower bloomed above the General.
Despite his violent and warlike nature, the General's ferocity suddenly waned, and he grew docile—like a patient who had forgotten everything.
Eullangdam gnashed his teeth.
"If I don't seal that damned spirit away forever today, this old fool deserves to be swindled by His Highness over and over again!"
Strictly speaking, none of the mages present had suffered any real damage.
The tower's facilities were intact, and Lee Han was unharmed.
But the greatest loss of all was the pride of the Daylily Magic Tower.
To barge into their prepared venue and wreak havoc?
Impressive... and infuriating...
The General was reluctant to leave this place.
Where else would he find such formidable opponents again?
And that mortal hadn't even unleashed the power of the other spirits or the stars yet.
He wanted to draw out that essence, like plucking a beating heart from its chest, and experience it firsthand.
Though the danger was mounting, the General stubbornly tried to draw more power from his true form.
Despite suffering fatal wounds, his tenacity was truly relentless.
Professor Voladi's eyebrow twitched slightly. The sensation at his fingertips told him the enemy was preparing a desperate last stand.
Eullangdam was no different. Seeing him somehow push back the Daylily Flower and maintain his sanity made it seem like the records had actually underestimated him.
The two mages quietly increased the intensity of their attacks. Rather than watch this spirit struggle, they intended to deal enough damage to forcibly Reverse Summon it immediately.
"How dare you!"
With a sharp shout, Professor Garcia appeared behind the General of Fire Heaven.
Unlike the other two mages, Professor Garcia, who lacked expertise in Combat Magic, took time to prepare a usable battle spell.
Moreover, choosing a spell suitable for the current situation was no easy task. She already had few Combat Magic spells at her disposal, and now she had to pick one that fit the moment.
Yet Professor Garcia did not back down. How could a teacher stay behind when her student was right there?
With a sound like tearing air, Professor Garcia's fist struck the General of Fire Heaven's vital point. The various spells layered on her fist exploded viciously.
Already battered by Jowurin's initial attack and the relentless assaults from Professor Voladi and Eullangdam, the General of Fire Heaven could no longer hold on and was immediately Reverse Summoned.
The mages watching from the sidelines buzzed in shock.
From an outsider's perspective, it looked as though a single punch had obliterated a spirit that had withstood countless attacks.
Flustered, Professor Garcia shouted,
"He was already on the verge of vanishing before I even hit him!!"
Of course, that didn't stop the mages from whispering among themselves.
As the battle ended and the mages began cleaning up the destroyed surroundings, Lee Han applied medicine to Jowurin alongside Professor Garcia.
Even though only a few scales had been lost, it was impossible not to worry.
Throughout this, Jowurin remained oddly silent, only rolling her eyes restlessly.
Worried by the unfamiliar behavior, the Baby Basilisk spoke up.
-You're not hurt somewhere, are you?
'I'm not hurt...'
-People who hide injuries usually say that exact—
The Baby Basilisk stopped mid-sentence when Jowurin let out a gloomy sigh.
Jowurin... would probably be grounded once she returned...
-......
So dumbfounded, the Baby Basilisk nearly let venom drip from its glands.
What kind of nonsense is this?!
But Jowurin was utterly serious.
After desperately begging her contractor to let her come out, she had forgotten the warning not to transform and ended up causing a huge incident.
Perhaps her sibling had been right.
'Maybe Jowurin should've just stayed inside.'
"What nonsense is this, Your Highness! You saved Lee Han!"
"That's right, Your Highness. You stepped forward for my sake—how could they possibly ground you? Do I look that heartless?"
A little... No, no! Jowurin trusted her contractor!
Jowurin had grown quite perceptive lately.
This situation didn't feel like punishment at all.
Could it be...?
Then Jowurin was innocent?!
"Of course, it's something I should be grateful for."
Hooray!
Jowurin flapped her wings joyfully.
As the old tales said, good deeds done with a pure heart were always rewarded.
Lee Han felt a slight unease at the sight.
...Surely this experience wouldn't backfire, right?
"Your Highness, but please don't transform and fight like this in the future."
'Even if Lee Han is in danger?'
"Yes."
'Even if Lee Han is really in danger?'
"...Your Highness, please write 'I will not recklessly transform and fight from now on' one hundred times. And no using magic to do it."
'Why, why?! You said I was innocent...!'
While Jowurin panicked, Lee Han suddenly felt a burning sensation on the back of his hand.
A sensation he had experienced a few times before.
It was the feeling of a spirit contract.
But to be precise, this wasn't the sensation after forming a contract—it was the sensation of a spirit requesting one.
For Lee Han, it was also an extremely unfamiliar feeling.
'What's this?'
Wondering if word had spread in the spirit realm after fighting an evil spirit, Lee Han opened his mind to the contact.
Ooooh... Could it be that his popularity among spirits was finally exploding?
"......"
At the sound of the General of Fire Heaven's voice, Lee Han immediately shut his mind and blocked all further contact from the spirit realm.