Episode 1163
Episode 1163
Lee Han reflected once again.
He shouldn't be fooled by a neat exterior - how many times had this happened now?
'From now on, I should just assume any mage is crazy by default.'
And truth be told, Garko was among the more refined types of crazy mages.
Compared to claims like an ancient mage actually belonging to one's own magical tradition...
'My claim that the Skeleton Principal was once a benevolent prince in his youth would probably sound just as insane to Empire citizens.'
"Indeed. I had no idea. I only knew it as an Enchantment Magic tradition."
When Lee Han played along, Garko gained momentum. Even the gentlemanly voice that had maintained perfect etiquette until now carried a hint of resentment.
"Enchantment Magic practitioners are always like that. Pretending to be masters while slyly acting like they know nothing. Not all enchanters are like that, but there certainly are some unscrupulous ones among them!"
"Is Professor Verdus on that list... Ah, never mind."
Lee Han barely stopped himself from asking 'Is Professor Verdus also on that list of unscrupulous mages?' out of curiosity.
While it might be fine among fellow Einrogard students, he couldn't badmouth professors to an outsider mage.
"Do you know why among all the northern ruins, I entered this particular one? It's precisely because of this ancient text."
Garko produced an old book. On its well-bound cover were green letters reading <On the Secrets of Transmutation Magic>.
"This text deeply analyzes locations where lost transmutation spells might lie dormant."
Mages' goals varied widely. Sometimes even a single mage's objectives could change capriciously.
In that regard, Garko's goal was clear - to excavate and restore lost transmutation spells.
Recovering such lost magic was never easy. There were reasons why these spells remained undiscovered for so long.
At best, unexplored ruins were relatively less dangerous, but sometimes one had to force through treacherous lands untouched for centuries.
'No wonder. I thought his response seemed unusually skilled.'
That level of expertise in subduing a chimera on first encounter without prior information wasn't developed overnight.
"Lee Han. I have no greed regarding this ruin's magic. I want just one thing."
Garko's eyes blazed with intensity. Lee Han grew slightly tense. In these situations, those who claimed to have no ulterior motives were often the most frightening.
"What is it?"
"If Bakwantalana's magic turns out not to be Enchantment Magic, please don't hide that fact! If you publish it later, I beg you to reveal the truth."
"...A-alright."
Though the request seemed surprisingly trivial, Garko was completely sincere.
What if Bakwantalana's undiscovered magic wasn't Enchantment Magic?
What if it was Transmutation Magic???
'That's entirely possible.'
Unlike Lee Han - a mageless mage who studied all traditions - Garko came from a Transmutation Magic lineage and had deeply analyzed Bakwantalana's magic, even developing his own hypotheses.
Looking at spells like <Bakwantalina's Lament>, one could sense profound expertise in Transmutation Magic.
No mage unfamiliar with Transmutation Magic could have created such spells.
There must be powerful Transmutation Magic among Bakwantalana's spells!
Without pause, Garko leveraged his sociability to launch into an explanation about the tangled history between Enchantment and Transmutation Magic.
Lee Han regretted not having Catten or Giselle by his side. There was no one to interrupt the conversation.
'Angrago. Come over here and cut this off.'
When Lee Han gestured subtly, Angrago - who had been waving his staff while searching for patterns - tilted his head in confusion.
Then, as if understanding, he clapped his fist against his palm.
"Wardanaz says don't disturb him here. Let's check the other side first."
"......"
Fortunately, after thirty minutes, the pattern was discovered.
As Lee Han moved forward, he was plagued by the thought that some of the enchantment magic he knew might actually belong to the transmutation magic school.
"Then... I'll open it."
A gulping sound came from Saratan inside the staff.
If the descent password didn't work here, there would be no greater humiliation.
Unlike organisms vulnerable to corruption, mechanical or magical devices like this didn't deteriorate much, so it would probably be fine, but...
'If it doesn't open, I'll pretend to be dead.'
Saratan had even resolved to become a dead staff and keep his mouth shut if it didn't open.
Rumble—
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario didn't happen. The pattern glowed, the wall split apart, and a downward path revealed itself.
-It worked! Kehaha, it worked! It worked!
"...You're being noisy. Keep it down."
Lee Han was grateful that only he could hear the voice of the spirit inside this staff.
If others could hear it too, it would've been quite embarrassing.
"What should we be cautious of from here onward?"
-From this depth onward, it's nature in its purest form.
The upper levels started with spaces used by workers, technicians, or visiting fellow mages, extending to storage areas for various equipment and magical tools—truly diverse facilities.
But the lowest level didn't need such superficial adornments. All that was required was to extract the necessary mana in a purely natural environment.
-That doesn't mean it's without danger, though. There are three major things to watch out for. First, spirits.
"Everyone, be wary of spirits."
At Lee Han's words, the students and adventurers grew tense.
Spirits that appeared in places rich with natural mana like this were often powerful and vicious, making them extremely dangerous.
What kind of spirit would it be?
"Given the many rock formations underground, it's likely a rock-type spirit."
"It might be a dark spirit."
"...I don't sense any spirit presence?"
Lee Han, who had been straining his senses alongside them to detect the surrounding mana, felt something was off.
Regardless of spirits disliking Lee Han, he was a mage with an exceptionally sharp ability to detect mana, and this sense applied to detecting spirits as well.
Yet, he couldn't feel any trace of a spirit's presence in the vicinity.
-They must... they must be hiding somewh...
"If the Watchers above were corrupted, isn't it possible that the corrupted energy gathered here and drove the spirits away?"
-...That's highly likely!
Saratan exclaimed in surprise.
Now that he thought about it, that made sense.
"......"
Lee Han seriously considered whether he should smack this spirit or not.
How absurd would the mages and adventurers find this?
'Is this bastard acting like this on purpose because he doesn't care about his own dignity?'
"What's the second thing?"
-The second is magical traps. Bakwantalana was an exceptional enchantment mage.
There was no obstacle as threatening as an enchantment mage's trap.
Lee Han's expression turned serious again as he surveyed the surroundings.
While there were various movements of mana in nature, identifying a magical trap required detecting a patterned, deliberate flow.
It might take some time, but...
-No need to rely on your senses. Like I said, I've built these ruins multiple times.
"How many times?"
-...Don't nitpick. There. Bakwantalana often used haphazardly stacked stone towers as markers. Carefu...
Lee Han cautiously reached out and touched the stone tower.
Immediately, a massive surge of mana erupted from beneath the tower, coursing through Lee Han like lightning running through a person's body.
The difference was that this mana surge didn't harm Lee Han in the slightest. No matter how vast the quantity, compared to Lee Han's mana, it was insignificant.
-...I was going to say to be careful when touching it. Obviously.
Saratan spoke in a dazed voice.
'I never thought a cunning mage like Wardanaz would recklessly grab that without caution.'
"You should've told me not to touch it first."
Lee Han grumbled.
Truth be told, aside from Saratan's warning, Lee Han had grabbed it because he was confident in himself.
Traps that dealt pure magical damage without any physical effects could hardly affect someone like Lee Han.
...Though he hadn't expected all the connected traps to be completely destroyed like this.
Lee Han searched for the remaining stone towers and systematically destroyed them. His friends behind him didn't even seem to notice what had happened.
"Wardanaz. What are you doing?"
"Destroying the traps."
"...Are you joking?"
His friends stared at him in confusion.
It was rare for Wardanaz to joke like this, but even considering that, the sight was incomprehensible.
Disabling magic traps was usually a louder and more spectacular affair. At the very least, there should've been magical energy scattering in all directions.
But Wardanaz simply approached the seemingly ordinary stone towers—with no trace of magic—and casually scattered the stones as if playing around.
'Were those even traps to begin with?'
Garko stepped in to explain.
"Absolutely brilliant. I never imagined one could bypass magic traps like that. The reason you couldn't sense any traps near those stone towers is precisely because Bakwantalana's magic was that exceptional. The ground you're stepping on right now may feel like ordinary rock, but it's actually a magical substance created through Transmutation Magic. That's why it's so hard to detect the traps beneath."
"I-Incredible...!"
"Amazing!"
The students gasped in astonishment after hearing the explanation.
Though they were White Tiger Tower students—who often got scolded by Lee Han, Giselle, and sometimes even Catten with "Show some interest in magic!"—they were still mages of Einrogard at their core.
No matter what, they weren't completely lacking in magical knowledge.
Which was exactly why they understood just how extraordinary this was. To weave magic so seamlessly that intruders wouldn't even notice it.
As Lee Han finished disabling the traps, a thought suddenly struck him.
'Wait. If the ground was created through Transmutation Magic, then it's not natural at all.'
He gritted his teeth in frustration at how Saratan kept omitting crucial details.
That damn Saratan!
And then he had the nerve to whine about not being trusted. When it came to shamelessness, this spirit surpassed even Gainando.
"What about the third one?"
-Truthfully, there might not even be a third one. Not everything is in these ruins.
"Is that so."
Lee Han nodded, then turned to the group.
"Everyone, be prepared. There's a high chance something dangerous is coming."
-......
Saratan seethed in silent rage, his mouth twitching—though, of course, no one could see it from inside the staff.
-I'm serious! Bakwantalana would sometimes layer additional magic even in these depths for spells he particularly treasured. Occasionally, rivals or enemies would attempt theft or destruction. The third one is a duplicate. A magical copy of Bakwantalana. But since the number of treasured spells was limited...
"Everyone! There's a high chance Bakwantalana's duplicate will appear!"
"!!"
-...And if it doesn't, don't you dare blame me!
Despite his outburst, Saratan still explained the duplicate's capabilities.
It would sequentially cast predetermined spells of Bakwantalana. Those familiar with the spells could prepare accordingly, but intruders who didn't know would be swept away.
Are you the master?
Suddenly, a telepathic wave reverberated throughout the depths. Lee Han, who had been listening to Saratan's explanation, asked in confusion.
"What part of the process is this?"
-...Uh, I've never heard of something like this before.
Saratan was utterly flustered.
It sounded like the duplicate's voice, but did duplicates even speak to intruders like this?
Spirit slave confirmed. Match detected. Race confirmed... Mismatch. My apologies. You are not the master.
"......"
-......
'Did it mistake me for the master because it saw me treating Saratan like a slave?'