Episode 1190
Episode 1190
Professor Thunderstep responded maturely to his student's unreasonable criticism without getting angry.
He softened his gaze and smiled as gently as possible. That very expression made Lee Han even more wary.
-I... I feel some kind of sinister energy.
"I think so too."
Lee Han agreed with the baby basilisk's assessment.
True to being a serpent among serpents and venom among venoms, the monster was highly sensitive to malicious auras.
Regardless, Professor Thunderstep focused intently on the blueprint below.
'This... could definitely shatter Professor Verdus's sanity!'
If Lee Han's blueprint was practical and rational, the one below was a continuous parade of dazzling black magic spells.
A grand compilation of high-level black magic spells—<Ahrag's Eye>, <Living Wall>, <Boiling Darkness>—that even Professor Thunderstep had never heard of before!
He couldn't even begin to guess which black mages had participated in this.
'Descendants of Ahrag? But those eccentric bastards wouldn't help with a student's request. The Legion of Oondorgu? Those lunatics are the same. And isn't that the Obsidian Magic Tower's magic? Those stubborn folks wouldn't offer something like this without compensation...'
No matter how much he thought about it, no black mages came to mind. In the end, Professor Thunderstep gave up.
It seemed there were black mages in the black magic factions that he didn't know about.
"But how exactly is this supposed to finish off Professor Verdus?"
Lee Han asked out of slight curiosity.
It wasn't that he particularly wanted to destroy Professor Verdus—it was purely a wizard's curiosity.
How could this possibly defeat Professor Verdus?
"It's simple. These high-level black magic spells here are secret techniques that haven't been revealed to the public, right?"
"Probably so."
He vaguely remembered the black mages chattering about it, but his memory was hazy.
Since it was almost certainly correct, Lee Han nodded.
"You must have heard separate explanations for these spells."
"Yes. But I haven't fully understood them yet. The magic is just too difficult..."
Naturally, the blueprint didn't include detailed explanations, comprehension, and casting methods for such high-level black magic spells.
If it had, even several volumes wouldn't have been enough.
Blueprints typically simplified the content to include only the most essential information, leaving the rest for the mage to figure out.
Wasn't that why the black mages gathered in the North had made such a fuss trying to teach Lee Han even one more black magic spell?
"That doesn't matter!"
"It seems important though..."
"What matters is that Professor Verdus doesn't know much about these spells."
No matter how much of a mad genius Professor Verdus was, he couldn't reverse-engineer black magic—which wasn't even his main field—just from these simplified explanations. These spells were anything but easy.
"What if we submit this together, huh? Just as one of the proposed solutions in an appendix? Do you really think Professor Verdus could just glance over it?"
"......"
Lee Han began to waver slightly.
He could sense Professor Thunderstep's sinister intentions, but regardless, it was tempting.
Wasn't Professor Verdus the type of madman who, when faced with a magical obstacle, would never compromise?
If they threw an unsolvable black magic puzzle at someone like that, what kind of reaction would they get?
"I'll think about it. Since this wasn't something I created with my own abilities, I need to consider it carefully."
"Haha. Right. Think it over. Though it's a bit unfair that you're only doing this now, when you could have consulted the young Headmaster anytime. Haha."
"...I'll do my best to submit it together."
Lee Han decided that even if he sought the Young Prince's help in the future, he should keep it hidden.
Seeing Professor Thunderstep's current demeanor, it seemed like this wasn't just ordinary resentment.
'It would've been better to just say I got advice from a being from another dimension.'
"By the way, have you prepared for Professor Leji's exam?"
"Huh? Uh..."
Professor Thunderstep, not noticing Lee Han's hesitation, chuckled and turned away.
"You're not planning to transform into a dragon, are you? Don't do that."
"......"
"?"
When the expected reply—something like 'Who would transform into a dragon, haha, Professor, you're so funny'—didn't come, Professor Thunderstep paused.
For some reason, a chilling sense of foreboding crept up from behind where his student stood.
That foreboding took concrete form in sharp, flying words.
"...Um, is transforming into a dragon not allowed?"
Professor Thunderstep nearly let out a scream.
"You want to see the professor?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Anpagon, a senior from the Enchantment Magic department, looked at Lee Han with clear confusion.
Even meeting during lecture hours felt like a waste—why would he want to meet outside of them?
"I have something to submit early regarding the exam."
Come to think of it, Professor Verdus's midterm was just a submission-based assignment.
There was no need to wait until lecture time to demonstrate the magic and leave.
As the two conversed, Sigunting, a junior senior, approached.
"Oh. What brings you here?"
"I came to see Professor Verdus."
"Why on earth?"
"......"
Lee Han was slightly moved by the warm atmosphere of the Enchantment Magic department.
To think they cared so much about their juniors.
'I should definitely become a senior like this.'
"I have something to submit early regarding the exam."
"Hmm. That might be difficult right now."
"?"
"Come over here and see."
The seniors pointed to the entrance of Professor Verdus's workshop.
Hanging in front was a sign that read:
Compensating for lost work time—
Currently focusing.
DO NOT DISTURB!
"He always hated interruptions, but he never blocked off the space before. But lately, with all the divine punishments..."
"Divine punishments?"
"Ah, divine punishments, I mean. Wrong choice of words. He's been attacked so often he's gotten a bit sensitive."
Lee Han focused his senses to examine the area around the professor's workshop entrance.
There was definitely an unusual sense of dissonance compared to usual.
It wasn't just a matter of reinforcing the door or sealing the gaps. It felt as though the space itself had been twisted and tangled to block access.
'I can't even begin to guess how to unravel this.'
Lee Han, who could usually discern the structure of most magic just by sensing it, found this barrier utterly inscrutable—so much so that he couldn't even get a feel for it.
'If I try forcing it open...'
Thud!
A surge of fierce mana crashed like a wave, but the twisted, tangled space flexibly dispersed the mana in all directions.
Then, a pre-recorded voice of Professor Verdus echoed:
-Don't try to break it by force, Wardanaz! I'll just have to remake it!
"......"
"...I didn't expect it to have that kind of feature."
The seniors, though annoyed by Professor Verdus, couldn't help but be impressed.
The magic itself was impressive, but the fact that he'd anticipated Lee Han trying to force his way through was truly remarkable.
If only he'd used that ability for good...
"Seniors. Please help me."
"Sorry, but even I'd have a hard time breaking through. You'd be better off waiting until the next lecture starts. He'll come out by then."
Breaking through that sealed space wasn't impossible, but it would take a considerable amount of time.
Rather than attempting it, it would be faster to wait for the lecture to begin and for Professor Verdus to crawl out.
"Wait, he will come out, right?"
"Surely... after such a harsh experience, he wouldn't hold out again, would he?"
Yet, they couldn't entirely dismiss the possibility—such was the terror of Professor Verdus.
While the seniors murmured among themselves, Lee Han fell into thought.
'Hmm. I just need to slip the assignment in.'
Truthfully, Lee Han didn't particularly want to have a deep conversation with Professor Verdus either.
Any conversation would likely just end with something like 'Why are you here?' and leave him frustrated.
Since everything he needed to say was written in this thick document, if he could just get it inside somehow...
"Is there any way to just get this inside?"
"Hmm. That seems difficult. As you know, the spatial blockade..."
"No. For something that small, it might be possible."
"!"
At Anpagon's words, the two juniors turned their heads in surprise.
"Is that really true?"
"Yes. Of course, it won't be easy. There are a few more conditions—we need someone who's learned spatial magic. It doesn't have to be piercing-type, but at least Intermediate Teleportation..."
Since they were trying to bypass spatial magic to insert the item, they naturally needed a spatial mage with a certain level of skill.
Anpagon frowned as he tried to recall if anyone in his year had trained in spatial magic.
"I can cast it."
"......"
"...I had a feeling you would."
'Didn't you just look like you had no idea?'
Sigunting glanced at Anpagon with a slightly suspicious look.
"Next, we need equipment that can weaken Professor Verdus's spatial magic."
"Does such equipment exist?"
"There's an artifact made by Senior Yukveltire. It's called <Yukveltire's Long Spear>, an artifact that temporarily unravels spatial distortions. It won't completely undo them, but it'll be enough to weaken the magic."
Anpagon's plan was simple.
Weaken Professor Verdus's magic, then use spatial magic to throw the item inside during that opening.
Given that the object was small and Wardanaz wasn't lacking in raw magical power, it was entirely possible.
"You're sure this isn't some kind of item meant to attack Professor Verdus, right?"
"It's just submitting an assignment early."
"I know. I heard you. But if it were an assignment with a function to attack Professor Verdus, I'd feel a bit more motivated."
"...Where is the <Yukveltire's Long Spear> artifact?"
Lee Han redirected the conversation. The two seniors shrugged.
"Obviously, Senior Yukveltire has it. We'd need to get her permission."
"That's probably the biggest obstacle in this plan."
"......"
That was undeniably true.
Yukveltire was absolutely not the type to kindly lend out her artifacts.
Lee Han pondered again before standing up.
"Please wait a moment."
"???"
As the junior left after saying that, the two were left bewildered.
He said to wait just a moment.
"Did he seriously go to borrow it?"
"He's not a first-year—he wouldn't be that stupid. He must've gone to negotiate."
At the mention of negotiation, the two made deeply displeased expressions.
Memories of being tricked by Yukveltire resurfaced.
While seniors from other schools looked out for their juniors, the Enchantment Magic school operated on ruthless transactions—getting swindled a few times was practically a given.
How much time had passed?
Lee Han returned, exhaling heavily.
"I got it!"
"...Did you agree to help the senior with something? The loss seems too severe."
"Ah, no. I stole it and brought it out."
"?!?!?"
The two were stunned.
How?!
"How did you get it?! Senior Yukveltire is definitely not someone who'd let it go easily?!"
"I can't tell you the details, but I got help from someone close to the senior."
"Senior Diret?"
"No. Someone else."
"Isn't Senior Diret the only one?"
"I said it's someone else."
Lee Han, unusually, sounded irritated.
Why couldn't these seniors just take his word for it?!
"R-right. Fine. You got it, so that's that. I'll prepare the activation. Wardanaz, you get ready to send it inside immediately."
"Yes. Understood."
Magic was complicated in its preparations. Once everything was set, things often moved quickly and simply.
Indeed, as soon as Anpagon activated the spear and weakened the twisted space, the assignment was teleported inside in an instant.
"Thank you!"
"Don't mention it. You were the one who got the spear, and you were the one who cast the magic. Just make sure to return it without getting caught."
"Yes!"
Lee Han nodded and ran off with the spear.
Watching his retreating figure, the two seniors of the Enchantment Magic school unconsciously smiled faintly.
Perhaps enduring a wicked senior was the price for getting a junior like this...
-Aaah!
"???"
"Was that Professor Verdus screaming just now?"
"S-so it really was an assignment with a function to attack the professor after all!"
"What in the world...?"