Episode 113
Episode 113
The students of the Black Turtle Tower were genuinely bewildered. Even Salko of the Tutanta family was taken aback.
They had been absolutely certain that the Wardanaz would be delighted with that forbidden Black Magic book.
"Huh... Why not? Wardanaz?"
"Ah! Is it because you've already read it all that it doesn't interest you? That kind of...!"
The Black Turtle Tower students began questioning among themselves, trying to find an answer.
Watching them, Lee Han thought to himself:
'I should throw every single one of those White Tiger Tower bastards who spread false rumors into the Punishment Room.'
The false rumors were polluting the sacred grounds of learning at the Magic School.
"Where did you find that book?"
Lee Han asked out of curiosity.
He knew the Black Turtle Tower students had been actively moving around searching for useful items, but he never expected them to unearth a Black Magic book spewing curses.
"There's an area called the Bottomless Pit on the fourth floor of the library—we found it there."
'Just hearing the name gives me chills.'
The Magic School's library was far from being a peaceful repository of knowledge.
While the first and second floors were at least places where people could set foot, the upper floors might as well have been dungeons or labyrinths.
An area called the Bottomless Pit—just the name alone gave him an idea of what kind of place it was.
"Why the library, of all places?"
"We're trying to complete a map of the school. Having a map would be convenient in many ways."
'Oh...'
Lee Han was impressed.
While the students of the Blue Dragon Tower were busy eating, sleeping, and playing cards, the Black Turtle Tower students were engaged in such constructive work.
'I kind of want to switch sides with them.'
"We were searching for a book that might have a map of the school when we found this one. It's a shame it's not up to your standards."
Lee Han considered clearing up the misunderstanding but gave up.
They wouldn't believe him even if he tried.
"Wardanaz. Couldn't you at least read it once?"
One of the Black Turtle Tower students asked in a voice dripping with reluctance.
They had worked hard to retrieve the book, and it pained them to see it treated as useless like this.
Under normal circumstances, Lee Han would have read it for them, but...
"Didn't that book spew out a curse when you opened the box just now?"
If it was a cursed book, that changed things.
It wasn't worth enduring a curse just to read a book of unknown origin.
"Someone of your level should be able to block the curse and read it, right?"
"......"
For a moment, Lee Han gave the speaker a suspicious look.
'These guys... They're not hired by those White Tiger Tower bastards to assassinate me, are they?'
"Sorry, but I'm not at that level."
"So you weren't after all..."
The Black Turtle Tower students were disappointed.
They had thought the Wardanaz would be fine despite the curse, even if they couldn't handle it for long.
"How do we lift the Curse of Mana Absorption?"
"At our current level, it seems impossible. Maybe if we ask a professor..."
"Do you think the professor would just let this slide?"
"Wait."
Lee Han, who had been listening to the Black Turtle Tower students' conversation, cut in.
"What curse did you say it was?"
"The Curse of Mana Absorption. This book absorbs mana."
The blood-red book absorbed the mana of anyone nearby just by being in proximity.
Several Black Turtle Tower students had collapsed from mana depletion symptoms after attempting to read it, making it a particularly troublesome curse.
"...Give it here. I'll at least try reading it."
"That's the Wardanaz we know. No need for false modesty. We're already aware of your abilities."
"We don't like it when capable people act needlessly humble."
Listening to the Black Turtle Tower students' nonsense, Lee Han opened the box.
The blood-red book truly emitted the Curse of Mana Absorption. Lee Han could feel his mana being slowly drained by the book.
And nothing happened.
'As expected.'
Even with the mana-absorbing bracelet and belt on, there was no change—what difference would one more blood-red book make?
Lee Han wasn't surprised in the slightest.
On Basic Blood Magic and Its Applications
In magic, the importance of reagents needs no further explanation. The higher the level of magic, the greater the significance of the reagents that serve as its price. Among all the complex and varied reagents, a mage's blood is considered the most potent and ancient. Blood Magic is a technique that uses this blood as a reagent to amplify mana, allowing the caster to wield powerful spells normally beyond their reach. Before we begin, let me first outline the safety precautions. The survival rate for novice mages attempting Blood Magic is less than 5%, but by following these precautions, you can increase your chances to 7%. First, the day before casting Blood Magic, you must consume iron-rich meat dishes and sleep early. Before casting, drink as much water as possible...
Lee Han was surprised for two reasons.
First, this wasn't a Black Magic book—it was a Blood Magic book.
Both might sound sinister at first glance, but there was a difference.
Black Magic was a legitimate branch of magic with its own place among the Empire's renowned magical traditions (though not particularly popular), while Blood Magic was closer to an auxiliary secret art that supplemented magic.
A technique that used blood to amplify mana capacity.
Of course, it was extremely dangerous—but a technique nonetheless.
Extremely dangerous, but still...
The second reason Lee Han was surprised was that the handwriting in this book was identical to On Basic Lightning Elemental Magic and Its Applications.
'Now that I compare them, even the titles are similar.'
Both On Basic Lightning Elemental Magic and Its Applications, which he'd received from Professor Voladi, and On Basic Blood Magic and Its Applications had similar titles and identical handwriting.
'At first, I thought Professor Voladi might have written it, but there's no way he'd write something this detailed. Who then? A disciple?'
"So? Wardanaz? Does it interest you?"
The Black Turtle Tower students asked nervously.
They seemed quite concerned about whether the spellbook would appeal to Lee Han.
"It's decent."
"!"
"As expected...!"
One of the Black Turtle Tower students nodded with a pleased expression.
They had assumed Wardanaz would never dislike such a Black Magic book.
'They're probably making unnecessary assumptions again.'
The reason Lee Han took an interest in this book was simple.
Because he felt a spirit of challenge toward the dangerous secret art of Blood Magic, which even Imperial mages avoided...
Of course not.
Lee Han had zero interest in Blood Magic. He already had plenty of mana—why go through the trouble of using blood to amplify it?
What caught his attention was something else entirely.
Here, we will introduce several spells that are normally difficult to cast due to their high mana requirements but can be used under the assumption that Blood Magic is employed. Most of these spells have fallen out of practice in the Empire due to their mana demands, but their effects are by no means weak...
Magic had trends and popularity.
Spells that other mages didn't use would soon be forgotten and vanish.
And spells with high mana requirements were bound to be unpopular. Who would willingly use spells that drained their mana heavily?
But Lee Han was different.
'High mana consumption spells might actually suit me better.'
Spells with high mana consumption were less likely to require meticulous control.
He had no interest in Blood Magic itself—only in the spells that required Blood Magic to cast.
"Alright. Let's go together."
Lee Han tucked the book into his robe. The Black Turtle Tower students inwardly marveled at how casually he handled a cursed book, slipping it into his pocket without a second thought.
"Truly, those from the Wardanaz family are extraordinary!"
'So the rumors about them enduring curses from childhood to train were true?'
"But there are a few more conditions."
"Go ahead. If it's something I can agree to, I'll hear you out."
"I'm also exploring the school, and I need the help of seasoned thieves... no, I mean, seasoned friends."
"Did you just call us thieves...?"
"Wait. Wardanaz."
Salko cut in, interrupting his companion's question.
"Aren't there students from the Blue Dragon Tower? Is this something that really requires our help?"
Lee Han was dumbfounded.
'Well, of course, it's because there's no comparison in skill...'
Students from the Black Turtle Tower, who'd spent their lives steeped in all sorts of criminal activities, versus students from the Blue Dragon Tower, whose greatest accomplishment was lounging around ordering servants—no matter how you looked at it, the former were bound to be sharper.
But he couldn't say that outright—it would hurt their pride.
"It might be dangerous."
At Lee Han's words, Salko nodded as if he'd expected as much.
"Not calling your friends because it might cause problems later? I respect that."
Getting caught wandering the school at night meant a trip to the Punishment Room.
As a Wardanaz, he must have known that, which was why he didn't call his Blue Dragon Tower friends.
'That's not it.'
"If you need help during your exploration, we'll assist you."
"Second, I want to share the information from the map you're making."
"......"
After a moment of hesitation, Salko nodded.
Though it felt wasteful to share their map with a student from another tower, Wardanaz was someone who deserved it.
And right now, the most important thing was accommodating Priest Muhaddin.
"Lastly..."
As Lee Han hesitated slightly, the Black Turtle Tower students tensed up.
What kind of request could make a boy from the Wardanaz family hesitate like this?
"...I'll also take a share of the ingredients we find in the kitchen."
"......"
"......"
All that hesitation just for that?
By evening, the thieves—no, the students—had gathered in front of the main building.
Everyone here had snuck into the Night School at least once.
Because of that, they carried themselves with ease, from their attire to their movements.
"We're counting on you, Lord Wardanaz."
Ratford, the most professional thief among them, greeted Lee Han warmly.
Of course, the Black Turtle Tower students wouldn't leave him out of something like this.
Lee Han, who had been returning the greeting just as warmly, suddenly paused.
"Did Nilia not come?"
"Why would we call her?"
Ratford stared at Lee Han as if he'd said something absurd. Lee Han made a mental note to explain later.
"Let's go."
Though he didn't want to inflate the Black Turtle Tower students' admiration further, the truth was that only Lee Han and Ratford had ever been to the underground kitchen.
Naturally, Lee Han ended up giving the briefing. Even the roughest of the Black Turtle Tower students gazed at him with a hint of awe.
Just how much of the school had he scouted in such a short time?
"Underground, there are storage rooms for ingredients and various other facilities, but the Keeper guards the place."
"Keeper?"
"He's blindfolded, but his detection skills are exceptional. Once he spots you, shaking him off or hiding is practically impossible."
Salko nodded, focusing on Lee Han's words.
Then, a sudden doubt struck him.
'...But how did Wardanaz escape, then?'
If it was impossible, how did he manage?
"How do you all shake off pursuit when you're caught exploring the library or other places?"
Lee Han asked curiously.
He had methods—like his belt of invisibility—but surely the Black Turtle Tower students didn't, right?
Was there some special trick?
"One of us acts as a decoy and gets caught. The rest slip away while the attention's on them."
"......"
Lee Han was impressed by the brutish simplicity.
Crude, but undeniably effective.
'I should try that if I ever run into students from the White Tiger Tower.'