Episode 1207
Episode 1207
'What the hell is this guy? Which faction raised this mage?'
"I apologize. That was somewhat rude."
The Undead was the first to yield.
In a situation where he hadn't even achieved his desired goal yet, he couldn't afford to confront a formidable opponent.
Of course, there was no guarantee he would lose if they clashed head-on, but there was no telling what means the other party might possess...
"What should I say?"
Lee Han whispered to Hamster, slightly flustered.
It was the first time he'd ever heard such a polite apology from an Evil God Worshipper.
Until now, every Evil God Worshipper he'd met had either shrieked, spat out incomprehensible curses, or screamed things like "Eek! Monster!"
-He's scared.
Hamster immediately grasped the situation upon seeing the opponent's reaction.
Evil God Worshippers were the embodiment of the strong preying on the weak. They never showed such an attitude so easily.
Even though this one seemed to hold a fairly high position, the fact that he was behaving like this meant he must have misunderstood something after seeing the formidable magical defenses Wardanaz had just displayed.
"A misunderstanding?"
-Authority doesn't usually get deflected that easily. It wasn't even a case of resisting after it had partially taken hold. From his perspective, he probably can't tell what kind of monster you are.
"I see..."
Lee Han nodded at Hamster's advice.
It was true that his mana often led others to misunderstand him. Clearly, this Evil God Worshipper was overestimating him unnecessarily.
-Act as arrogantly and domineeringly as possible. There's nothing to gain from letting him look down on you.
"Ah, understood."
Before the opponent could grow suspicious, Lee Han quickly followed the advice.
"Tch. What a worthless Authority, like trash."
-I told you to act arrogant and domineering, not to pick a fight?!
Hamster was aghast.
There was a world of difference between acting arrogant and domineering and outright provoking and insulting someone.
He should've just casually boasted about his magic, but why did he have to call the Authority trash and pick a fight?
"No, you told me to act arrogant and domineering!"
Lee Han was genuinely indignant.
The arrogant and domineering mages around him usually acted like this!
Hamster realized that Wardanaz had been surrounded by so many insane mages that his sense of normalcy had been dulled.
He should've had moderately arrogant and domineering mages around him, but instead, he'd only been exposed to the extremely arrogant and domineering ones.
"I shall overlook your words, for they come from one ignorant of the truth."
Fortunately, instead of crushing the insolent fool with his hammer of retribution, the Undead took a step back.
He had sensed the hidden confidence behind the opponent's aggressive provocation.
Perhaps this was an intentional provocation. The Undead coldly assessed his enemy.
"What brings you to this domain?"
"The same reason as you. You must have made a contract with The Crone as well."
"...So you're the one who made a contract with The Crone?"
'Huh?'
Seeing the Undead's surprised expression, Lee Han was puzzled.
Since the opponent had been speaking politely from the moment they met, he'd assumed they had both recognized their mutual connection to The Crone...
He didn't know?
"That's strange. If he didn't know, why was he being so polite? It might be a trap."
-He probably saw you fight and assumed you were a powerful figure he couldn't afford to underestimate.
Hamster spoke as if it were obvious.
If the opponent had been polite despite not knowing about The Crone, there was only one explanation left.
He had misunderstood after seeing the fight.
Wardanaz's signature firepower, much like his mana capacity, was excellent at deceiving those who didn't know better. They were likely overestimating him by several levels beyond his actual capability.
"...Ah. I see."
"I was surprised when I heard The Crone had made a contract... but seeing you now, it makes sense. Impressive."
The Undead quickly regained his composure.
Though the fact that this mage had contracted with The Crone was surprising, there were also aspects that made sense.
Where else would you find a mage intriguing enough to catch that finicky monster's attention? If the mage before him was such an existence, it certainly explained things.
"So that means you've also come to attack Sanguiros's followers."
"That's right."
Lee Han answered while racking his brain.
How could he best make use of these people?
"How did you find this location?"
"?"
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Lee Han hesitated.
-This one wasn't invited by Sanguiros. It's highly likely he doesn't even know Sanguiros's true nature.
'Ah.'
That was certainly the case.
Unlike Lee Han, who had spoken directly with Sanguiros and even received a key, these Evil God Worshippers must have painstakingly tracked down clues one by one to enter this domain.
Of course, he couldn't just say that outright...
"How pathetic. You're asking because you don't even know that much?"
Lee Han deliberately twisted his words with an air of displeasure. The Undead's eyes flickered at his insolent attitude.
'This is why mages are all the same. Every last one of them is arrogant and conceited.'
Mages were all alike.
Fools who didn't even know the true path, puffing themselves up over their shallow scraps of knowledge.
And the most humiliating part was that The Undead himself didn't possess even those shallow scraps.
How the hell had they found this place so precisely?
'Did The Crone tell them? Damnable little wretch. Since when did she start handing out favors to her contractors like that?'
The Crone was absolutely not the type to be so generous.
Even if she wanted the heads of Sanguiros's worshippers, she'd order them to collect the heads themselves—she wouldn't personally track down the location and hand it over.
"Enough of this trivial conversation. Any more would just be a waste of time."
Having made up his mind, Lee Han swiftly cut off the discussion.
Originally, he had intended to use them, but his opponent didn't seem like an easy mark.
Rather than risk exposing his true nature or having information extracted by prolonging the conversation, it was better to part ways now.
'How dare he? What an insufferably arrogant bastard!'
The Undead seethed inwardly at his dismissive attitude.
Who dared to act so brazenly in his presence?
It had been so long since he'd dealt with such insolent fools that he could barely remember.
Still, The Undead controlled his emotions. There would be ample time to repay this rudeness later.
"Then we should each go our separate ways! Give my regards to The Crone."
Lee Han didn't answer. His priority was putting distance between them before his limitations were exposed.
But then, an unexpected situation arose.
-How dare outsiders trespass upon the sacred lands of the Vampire Clan?
With a sinister voice, a group emerged from deep within the swamp.
The sheer intensity and twisted aura they exuded sent shivers down Lee Han's spine. This was an entirely different level of power compared to the undead he had just defeated.
Even in life, they must have been a formidable force. Just the armor and weapons they wore hinted at their former stature.
Now, though worn, rusted, and decayed beyond recognition, the corrupted mana flowing through the domain clung to them like a curse.
'Are they something like the personal guard of the Western Vampire Clan?'
-Be careful. These ones won't be as easy as before.
Hamster immediately warned, having assessed the situation.
They clearly looked like warriors seasoned in fighting mages, and with the added power of the Evil God, their resistance to magic would be even stronger.
Lee Han might even have to prepare for close combat.
"The Vampire Clan? How grandiose for slaves abandoned by their masters and stripped of their reason."
The Undead sneered without hesitation.
Since this bishop didn't know what kind of beings these undead were or how the domain's rules worked, he spoke without restraint.
In the domains of Evil God Worshippers, those who lost their reason and became undead were usually the defeated.
"Those who have strayed from the path of evil worship, betrayed, or succumbed to greed."
It was hard not to feel contempt for such losers who dared to flaunt their former authority and threaten others.
"...I am a noble from the Vampire Clan. Can't you tell?"
"?!"
At Lee Han's words, the Undead, who had been preparing for battle, was taken aback.
He couldn't comprehend what that meant at all.
It wasn't as if a mage of that caliber would avoid a fight out of fear...
Was there some hidden meaning behind those words?
'There's no way these twisted and corrupted undead would fall for such words. What the hell is he scheming...?'
-Indeed. You do seem to be a noble from the Vampire Clan.
"!!"
Yet once again, the undead overturned the Undead Bishop's expectations.
Creatures who should have ignored such words outright were now accepting them without resistance.
The Undead sensed something amiss. There seemed to be some unknown rule in this domain that he wasn't aware of.
-Then wipe out those disgusting vermin!
"...Prepare for battle! Turn those slaves into cosmic dust."
As the two factions faced off, Lee Han let out a sigh of relief. He had no desire to engage in a direct confrontation with such enemies.
'I should thank the Crone.'
Perhaps the Crone had foreseen this from the beginning and suggested cooperation for this very reason.
Given how belligerent Evil God Worshippers tended to be, the slightest push was enough to make them the perfect scapegoats.
'That doesn't seem quite right...'
Hamster quietly thought to himself.
No matter how powerful an extra-dimensional entity was, could they really foresee something like this?
"Um, this is taking longer than expected. Wouldn't it be better to check on things?"
Professor Garcia cautiously asked the Yaksha King.
The king of these yakshas was such an exalted figure that even Professor Garcia found it difficult to address him casually.
A professor of Einrogard. Os's disciple is handling the trial well on his own. If real danger arises, I would sense it. Yet you still ask—is it because of your own insecurity about your combat abilities? If you're projecting that insecurity onto your disciple...
Professor Garcia felt as though her very soul had been thoroughly shaken before she snapped back to reality.
Gathering her scattered thoughts, she wondered:
'How on earth does Lee Han manage to get along so well with that guy?'
No matter how she looked at it, it was astonishing.
Sure, befriending all sorts of bizarre beings was the disciple's specialty, but the Yaksha King was on a whole other level.
"Professor. Professor."
"What is it?"
Professor Kirmin replied warily.
Given how intimidating Professor Garcia had been lately, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"Wouldn't you like to sneak out and observe?"
"Hmm."
The unexpected suggestion made Professor Kirmin pause.
Admittedly, he wasn't too pleased with the Yaksha King's current orders.
Logically, he knew that Lee Han was the only one who had received the key, and it was better to let him find his own way rather than recklessly provoke a mad Evil God...
...But as a professor, it didn't sit right with him to just sit back and do nothing.
"Well, if we help from afar, we should be able to conceal ourselves before the Evil God detects us."
"That's exactly it!"
Once the two professors reached a consensus, they called for another accomplice.
Namely, Professor Voladi.
"Professor Bagrak. What do you think?"
Professor Voladi didn't respond.
"??"
"Voladi. Why aren't you answering—"
Professor Kirmin's expression darkened.
Don't tell me...
Thud!
Professor Kirmin immediately kicked his friend's leg, producing the sound of rock hitting rock instead of flesh.
He had already left a doppelgänger behind and slipped away.
"......"
"H-how?!"
"Damn angel's dimension. Angel! We need to talk!"
Professor Kirmin gnashed his teeth as he called out to Apazragon.
Thanks to that idiot angel losing control of the dimension, his friend was now backstabbing him in ways more creative than ever before!