Episode 1214
Episode 1214
"This angel seems to be exhausted and talking nonsense. Don't pay it any mind, Wardanaz."
Professor Kirmin spoke with an utterly unchanged expression, completely nonchalant.
Anyone seeing this would have genuinely thought the angel was just tired and rambling.
-From the very beginning, I never suggested spying through dimensions. You mages forcibly seized and entered, then threatened me by saying I couldn't leave temporarily. Though I'm walking the path of ancient mages for enlightenment, this is excessively cruel.
"......"
"......"
......
The angel's sudden accusation in the presence of both the Spirit King and the demon made even the renowned professors of Einrogard hesitate momentarily.
The quickest to react was Professor Garcia.
"What are you doing, Professor? Make it shut up quickly."
-Eek!
"Y-yes, of course."
Professor Kirmin belatedly scrambled to cover the angel's mouth. Apazragon, whose spiritual communication had been blocked at the entity level, vibrated her body in protest.
'I can roughly guess what happened.'
Lee Han quickly assessed the situation.
It was clear the professors had likely used Apazragon's Divine Light Extinguished dimension to spy on Lee Han.
This secret dimension was convenient for observing someone without being detected by the Evil God. True to their nature as mages, they'd made excellent use of newly acquired artifacts without hesitation.
Then when the Evil God erupted in anger earlier, the dimensional shockwaves must have tangled or distorted the dimension.
Already on edge because Lee Han had recently entered the inner sanctum, the professors probably threatened the angel with something like, 'If you don't let us out immediately, we'll squeeze your soul between our left and right fists'...
'Wait. Isn't attack impossible within the Divine Light Extinguished dimension?'
Lee Han noticed something odd and was astonished.
Since mutual attacks were impossible within that dimension, there should have been limits to their threats.
Yet the angel looked completely battered like this.
Did they really reduce her to this state with mere threats?
'Incredible!'
"Lee Han. We're planning to join the king's main forces now."
Professor Garcia cleared her throat awkwardly to break the tense atmosphere.
Though they'd prioritized this side because of their student, the professors couldn't possibly be unaware of how urgent the situation in the domain had become.
With the Yaksha King's offensive begun, they needed to join and assist.
"Yes."
"Lee Han is currently extremely fatigued and injured..."
"I'm completely fine."
"...I really want to grab you by the collar, but I won't torment an injured person. Lee Han, you withdraw first."
Professor Garcia shattered her emerald-ornamented Scepter and opened a spatial gate. It was a gate leading to a safe zone outside the domain.
The three professors stared at Lee Han with an air that absolutely wouldn't tolerate any objections. Lee Han obediently nodded.
"Understood. I'll do that."
"You're really going to do that?"
Professor Garcia grew even more suspicious when her usually disobedient student suddenly became compliant.
Lee Han spoke as if wronged.
"Truly. How could I possibly follow you professors anyway? I don't even know where this place is."
"That's true..."
Even after accepting this, Professor Garcia kept side-eyeing Lee Han as if still sensing something fishy.
Lee Han worked hard to maintain an innocent expression. Seeing this made Professor Kirmin even more suspicious.
"Let's all depart first. We've wasted too much time. Angel, open the dimension. And make absolutely sure that Wardanaz can't enter."
-Dimensions aren't meant to be used that way...
Apazragon protested. For a celestial being, she seemed to be developing increasingly human emotions.
The three professors kept their student under surveillance until the very moment they entered the dimension. Lee Han politely saw them off.
...You're not planning to enter, are you?
Perkuntra cautiously asked.
It was instinctive.
This contractor clearly had no intention of obediently retreating to the safe zone!
"Yes."
-How do you plan to follow them? As I said, you don't even know where this place is!
Mahuda, also curious, questioned him.
Right now, this mage was in a sort of dimensional limbo. It was his own choice not to enter through the open door beside him, but that didn't mean he could easily find the Yaksha King's main force.
"I'll do it like this."
Lee Han used Dynamis for the last time that day.
In an instant, a sensation of his soul expanding washed over him, along with complex and profound knowledge about dimensions.
The Dimension of Divine Light Extinguished!
Fortunately, since the angel and the professors had used it multiple times, the overload wasn't too severe. Saratan and Mahuda hurriedly shared the burden.
-Hey! I told you to stop using it!!
-If you keep casting that spell, you'll collapse before you even arrive.
"This is the last time. Really, the last time."
...Maybe they should have dragged him along by force after all.
Perkuntra followed his contractor with slight regret.
When they first met, he hadn't realized the guy was this insane...
Pop!
When the professors returned, the Death Knights finally realized.
-!!!
-How could we have believed that?!
The Yaksha King had repeatedly unsettled them with remarks like, "He's Os's disciple, so it's fine," but upon seeing the professors reappear, a sudden clarity struck them.
There had been professors all along.
It was because the professors had secretly followed that the Yaksha King had been so confident!
-Professors! We knew we could trust you!!
"????"
Professor Garcia was bewildered by the enthusiastic welcome.
She had expected to be scolded for creating a doppelgänger and sneaking away, not to be greeted like this.
"Wh-what's this? A trap?"
-No. The King kept insisting without any basis that the successor would be fine, and we couldn't bring ourselves to believe it, so we were worried.
Tsk tsk. Despite having explained it clearly, they still couldn't accept it.
The Yaksha King genuinely pitied the Death Knights.
Such loyal and earnest souls, still trapped in such delusions.
Os must be truly exasperated.
"W-well, that's... Honestly, we weren't much help. We only arrived after everything was already over."
-It wasn't because of me, no matter how many times...
Apazragon reflexively retorted without realizing it.
No one had reprimanded him, but the words slipped out automatically. Everyone present stared at Apazragon in bewilderment.
-...It's nothing.
-R-really? Still, that's a relief. Dynamis is quite dangerous even among Small World techniques, isn't it?
"?"
"??"
"???"
The three professors froze. Seeing this, the Death Knights inwardly panicked.
Maybe they shouldn't have said anything?
Right before facing the Evil God, and now internal strife...
"Wh-wh-wh-what did you say he learned?"
Dynamis. That was the most likely possibility in that fortress.
"......"
After the Yaksha King's kind explanation, the professors fell silent.
The knights concluded that if Hierdan ever tried to assassinate the Yaksha King, there would be at least three powerful mages volunteering for the job.
"You... thought... he would... learn that... and you... didn't... say anything...??"
Why?
"Because it's dangerous??"
Professor Garcia's voice, at the peak of her fury, grew eerily calm.
At her demeanor, the knights thought to themselves,
'Who's in danger here?'
Was she saying the Yaksha King was in danger now?
As he said, he had it under control. Look. He's perfectly fine.
"????"
-?
Everyone was baffled by the way they were being told to look at Lee Han, who wasn't even there.
What was that about...?
Pop!
Belatedly, Lee Han revealed himself through the Dimension of Divine Light Extinguished.
Every single person present stared holes into Lee Han. Steeling himself, Lee Han spoke.
"I apologize. I entered the wrong dimension."
"...You're REALLY here!!!!!"
Professor Garcia couldn't hold back and roared.
Come here, Os's disciple.
The Yaksha King gestured. On his massive palm rested a small treasure pagoda that Lee Han recognized.
Compared to Os, this is pitiful craftsmanship. You'd do well to reflect on that.
"......"
Lee Han swallowed back the curse on his tongue.
Because the other party's demeanor suggested he might offer something beneficial.
'I can curse him after receiving it.'
As green light emanated from the pagoda, Lee Han felt the accumulated fatigue in his body and soul rapidly dissipate.
The aftereffects of using Dynamis earlier had completely vanished to the point of being unnoticeable.
"Your Majesty! We must send Lee Han back immediately. Please open the gate right now!"
I refuse, Professor of Einrogard.
"This isn't a request but a notice. Will you face us before battling the Evil God?"
Professor Garcia's voice remained polite, but her unyielding resolve flashed like a blade's edge, leaving no room for compromise.
The Death Knights hesitated before moving to stand by Professor Garcia's side.
Then the Yaksha King spoke.
It's fine if you knights act independently, but shouldn't you at least listen to your successor's words?
-!
The Death Knights froze, caught off guard.
This crazy old man's wisdom was indeed extraordinary.
After brief hesitation, the knights noisily regrouped behind Lee Han. Professor Garcia looked utterly flabbergasted.
"Indulging Lee Han's every whim is absolutely not good for him!"
-Well, loyalty is supposed to...
Cease your disputes, Professor of Einrogard. Halt all attacks.
"I wasn't casting any magic. I had no intention of throwing punches either."
Professor Garcia looked incredulous at the Yaksha King's absurd accusation.
She currently wasn't preparing any spells whatsoever.
Was he seriously suggesting she might throw a punch?
Not you—the other Einrogard professors.
The Yaksha King pointed at Professors Voladi and Kirmin as he spoke.
Professor Kirmin flinched, his scheme exposed.
He'd been considering launching a surprise attack with Professor Voladi while everyone was distracted by the conversation...
"Why is there no need for conflict?"
Because the duel is about to begin. Come forth!
The Yaksha King shouted toward empty space where no signs of anything appeared.
His golden eyes blazed with absolute certainty.
I'll slaughter you all!
Simultaneously, the sky split open as Sanguiros manifested.
Despite the grandiose title of 'god', his form was grotesquely alien and repulsive—like some massive chimera.
The souls of the dead writhed across his back and torso, screaming bloody cries, while his face appeared as a grotesque amalgamation of stretched vampire Moradi Family Heads' features, awkwardly combined.
He clearly wanted to project majesty but instead radiated an overwhelming sense of failure. The Yaksha King laughed heartily.
I knew cornering this rat would make it scurry out! Beast, this is what happens when you live without thinking things through!
BOOM!!!!!
As the two powerhouses clashed, the ground melted and the sky fractured. The Death Knights and professors immediately stabilized their stances before scattering to strategic positions.
Lee Han moved alongside Perkuntra.
The blood-colored debris raining from all directions was intensely threatening. Had the Thunder King not been fiercely wielding his lightning swords, maneuvering wouldn't have been this easy.
"Can I stab him with Thunder Spear one more time?"
What? Must you insert yourself into that battle?
Perkuntra showed clear reluctance.
With its summoning time running short, seeing its contractor act so aggressively was concerning.
-Excellent stance. A hunter's true weapon is a spear tempered by hatred. It fills me with pride to see you inherit this spear technique from me, Mahuda!
"Thank you!"
You enjoy praise from a demon now, huh? Really?
Perkuntra grumbled with clear dissatisfaction.
While it was doing all the heavy lifting, that damned demon in the bracelet just kept flapping its mouth!