Episode 222
Episode 222
"It's true that the Wardanaz are remarkable."
Even the students of the Blue Dragon Tower, who had grown accustomed to Lee Han's usual displays of skill, couldn't help but murmur in surprise.
Unlocking the mechanism was one thing, but how had he done it so effortlessly?
"Your Highness? Your Highness?"
When Neblen of the Kirak family called out again, Adenart finally snapped out of her daze.
The Princess apologized, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"Not at all. You were just contemplating how he unlocked it, weren't you? I'll ask him about it later."
While Neblen was speaking, Gainando shook the lock mechanism.
From inside came a rattling sound, followed by something breaking.
"Huh? Did this thing just break?"
"Gainando. High-difficulty magic locks usually make sounds like that."
"Really? It sounds like the noise toys make when they break..."
Gainando tilted his head skeptically as he stepped back.
Yoner, watching him, asked,
"You did unlock it, right?"
"No. I broke it. Just don't go around telling people."
"......"
He actually broke it?!
The students cautiously descended the long, dark staircase leading underground.
The stairs were so lengthy and dim that they couldn't see the bottom, making the descent incredibly tense.
"Light."
Lee Han summoned a sphere of light ahead of them.
Honestly, he would have preferred casting a darkvision spell rather than summoning a light source.
If they could see clearly, that meant whatever was down there could see them just as well.
Not knowing what awaited them at the bottom, this light was a considerable gamble.
'But walking in complete darkness with this many people would be even more dangerous...'
Thud.
Fortunately, no Rock Drake was waiting at the foot of the stairs.
Instead, the familiar sight of bookshelves and corridors greeted them.
It was the same scenery they had seen around the library entrance when they had entered before.
"Phew!"
"Whew...!"
The students, sensing the relief, let out sighs.
"Here! There are chairs next to the bookshelves! And tables too!!"
"There are lanterns hanging on the walls!! Can you see them?!"
'Anyone watching would think these students have lost their minds.'
The way they were exclaiming over such mundane things as if they had made a grand discovery was oddly touching.
In truth, this was what a normal library was supposed to look like.
Walls and passages lined with tightly packed bookshelves, tables and chairs scattered throughout, warm and cozy lighting...
A wasteland infested with Rock Drakes was not what anyone would call a normal library.
"Wardanaz?"
A familiar voice called from a distance.
At the far end of the corridor stood Nilia alongside priests from the Phoenix Tower. The dark elf, a former member of the Shadow Patrol, greeted Lee Han with a welcoming expression.
"What took you so long? I was waiting for you. Did you see the markers I left?"
"?"
Lee Han felt a sense of unease.
Neither Nilia nor the priests looked the least bit exhausted.
'What's going on?'
"Nilia. How did you get past the Rock Drake?"
"What Rock Drake? Why would a Rock Drake be here?"
"......"
A chill ran down Lee Han's spine.
The students behind him seemed to share the same dreadful realization.
Don't tell me...
Don't tell me...?
"...Did you all come straight here as soon as you entered?"
"Yeah. Huh? Wait. Did you guys land somewhere else?"
"......"
The faces of the students from the Blue Dragon Tower and the White Tiger Tower twisted simultaneously.
How utterly unfair...
While the students from the Blue Dragon Tower and the White Tiger Tower had been dropped into the Rock Drake's wasteland, those from the Black Turtle Tower and the Phoenix Tower had landed directly in the Library Labyrinth Zone.
The Library Labyrinth Zone was a place densely packed with books of all kinds.
Thanks to that, the students from these two towers had been able to locate the books relatively quickly.
"That was way too close for comfort."
Other students from the Black Turtle Tower, arriving late, joined the conversation.
"Do you guys even know what spawns in this Library Labyrinth Zone?"
"What spawns here?"
A White Tiger Tower student asked in a cold voice, though his expression made it clear he wasn't asking out of curiosity.
"The Shadow Wraiths come out."
Shadow Wraiths.
Among ghost-type monsters, these were creatures with relatively strong dark attributes—monsters that could possess those who carelessly made contact with them.
Though the Library Labyrinth Zone wasn't completely devoid of lighting, its complex structure filled with countless bookshelves and many dimly lit areas made Shadow Wraiths particularly troublesome opponents.
If luck wasn't on your side, you couldn't even avoid them and would get possessed immediately.
Of course, that being said, they still weren't as troublesome as something like a Rock Drake.
"Yeah. Lucky us. We just dealt with a Rock Drake."
"What kind of nonsense... Wait, seriously?"
The Black Turtle Tower students, who had been scoffing at what they assumed was another boast from the White Tiger Tower guys, paused and looked at Lee Han.
Lee Han nodded.
"A Rock Drake showed up."
"...Well, seems we've all had our share of suffering!"
"What do you mean 'share of suffering'?!"
The White Tiger Tower students flared up in anger, but the Black Turtle Tower students deliberately ignored them, pretending not to hear.
After all, it wasn't their fault if the others had chosen poorly and suffered for it!
At least Nilia gave Lee Han a somewhat sympathetic look.
"Uh... That's rough. What now?"
"Doesn't matter. It's already over. If you've got any records of book locations, mind sharing?"
"I can do that, but shouldn't we set up camp first?"
"Camp? We're tired, but everyone should still be able to move for a few more hours."
Nilia pointed at the ceiling.
The lights hanging from the ceiling and walls were gradually dimming.
"It's been getting darker little by little. The number of Shadow Wraiths has been increasing too. If we wander around carelessly..."
"Gainando got possessed by a Shadow Wraith!!"
"Stop it before it fully takes over!"
"Too late! It's already possessed him!"
"Hit him! Until the possession wears off!"
"Priest! The priest should do the hitting!"
"...That could happen."
"I see."
Lee Han nodded as he watched Gainando getting slapped while being held by both arms by his friends.
Though Shadow Wraiths seemed weak compared to the Rock Drake they'd just faced, they were undoubtedly annoying monsters.
Especially in terrain like this, the more people there were, the more dangerous they became.
One friend gets possessed and starts causing chaos, the formation breaks, another nearby friend gets possessed, and just as you barely free them, more Shadow Wraiths drawn by the noise swarm in...
In an area where other monsters also appeared, it wouldn't be strange for an entire party to get wiped out.
'If the number of Shadow Wraiths increases periodically, then there must be a time when their numbers decrease again. Is that why they set the duration to over a day?'
"Nilia, I'd like to hear some advice about setting up camp."
"...Of course!"
Nilia answered with the most enthusiastic expression Lee Han had seen all day. Durgyu, standing beside her, flinched slightly, overwhelmed by her energy.
"Don't overcomplicate it just because it's the Library Labyrinth Zone. The basics are what matter. Remember what I told you last time?"
'I think she's talking too fast to breathe.'
Lee Han nodded.
"First, find an open area big enough for several people. The entrance leading there should be as narrow as possible. That way, monsters won't come in. You know Shadow Wraiths are drawn to light, right?"
"I see..."
'Did he actually understand all that?'
Durgyu was astonished once again.
Honestly, he hadn't been able to follow what the Black Turtle Tower student was saying at all.
Was it because he was just that sharp?
"Done?"
"Mostly."
Following Nilia's advice, the Blue Dragon Tower students found a suitable spot to camp.
They unpacked their gear in a wide, open-like area and hung cloth over the narrow passage leading there to prevent light from leaking out.
In the distance, flickering lights could be seen down the corridor.
"Where was that again?"
"Probably the Black Turtle Tower guys? Looks like they're preparing well too."
"A bit further away, but all the students from the other towers were scattered around preparing to camp."
Given how complex the Library Labyrinth Zone was, the farther one strayed from the center, the easier it was to get lost.
Moreover, there were several advantages to staying near this central area.
Starting with the water fountain, various convenient facilities were located here.
"Alright. Everyone, draw lots. As agreed, we'll take turns standing guard in pairs."
Gainando extended his hand to draw a lot. His turn ended up somewhere in the middle.
"Midway. Is that good?"
"If you think so, then I guess it's fine."
Lee Han deftly dodged the question.
Truthfully, in such camping situations, being first or last was preferable—being stuck in the middle meant waking up at awkward times, making it more exhausting.
"I should go fetch some water."
"No need. 'Spring forth.'"
The student who had been about to scoop water from the fountain to wash up looked at Lee Han with a touched expression.
Unlike the wasteland where the Rock Drake had appeared, Water Creation magic was possible here, but no one wasted their limited mana like that.
Except for Lee Han.
His mana reserves were so vast that wasting some didn't matter!
"Wardanaz... If I ever hear adventurers asking for recommendations on an outstanding mage for their party, I'd definitely name you."
'What kind of terrifying nonsense is this?'
Lee Han was appalled at his friend's backhanded compliment after providing water.
"Wardanaz, the lights have dimmed a lot."
"We should probably turn off our side soon too."
The library's lights had noticeably weakened compared to earlier.
In such conditions, the roaming Shadow Wraiths would surely be drawn to the students' light.
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower finished a simple meal of bread, ham, a few candies, and water before settling into their spots.
Though they were essentially lying on the hard library floor with only thin blankets, no one complained.
Whoosh—
"Lee Han. Asleep?"
"No."
"Wanna play a round of cards?"
"No."
"The Shadow Wraiths won't come here, right? I hope they go after the White Tiger Tower guys instead."
"......"
"What if the guards fall asleep? What if the wraiths get in while we're sleeping?"
From another corner, someone threw an empty candy box. Gainando got hit.
"Who was that?!"
"Just sleep. Seriously."
"Yeah. Shut up and sleep, Gainando."
Complaints came from all around. Grumbling, Gainando finally shut his mouth.
'It should be fine.'
To prevent any monsters from sneaking in, two students were standing guard outside the passage leading to the clearing.
Of course, Lee Han didn't rely solely on his friends. He had also summoned Sharkan and stationed him nearby.
It was a bit of a mana drain, but this much was manageable...
'Maybe I should've just told them to rest since Sharkan's on guard... No. Better to be thorough. No need to do everything myself.'
Lee Han imagined the indignant "Hey!" his friends would've let out if they'd heard his thoughts.
Truthfully, with Sharkan around, guard duty wasn't even necessary.
"!"
Lee Han's eyes snapped open without him realizing. Checking his pocket watch in the dim ceiling light, he saw it was dawn.
Grrr—!
Sharkan tugged at his sleeve insistently. Lee Han instantly knew something was wrong.
'What the...'
"Guys!! Wake up!! Wake up!!!"
The friends standing guard outside the passage came rushing in, panic-stricken.
"The wraiths are swarming!"
"Y-you woke us up for that?"
A barely awake Blue Dragon Tower student rubbed his drowsy eyes and asked.
"Swarming happens, so why—"
"This isn't normal! Look!"
A few students staggered toward the passage.
Then, with faces drained of sleep, they stumbled back in shock.
"...!!!!"
"Th-the Shadow Wraiths are... what?!"
The passage outside was barely visible.
The sheer number of wraiths had increased to that extent.
At this point, calling it a sea of wraiths wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"They're coming this way!"
From the end of the narrow passage, the wraiths began pushing forward in a relentless tide, like a raging wave.
Lee Han gripped his staff, preparing his magic.
"Bur—"
"Lee Han!"
"What?"
"Are we allowed to use Fire Magic in the library?!"
"...If there's a problem, we'll just say it's the headmaster's responsibility. Burn!"
"!?"