Episode 503
Episode 503
Before the terrified basilisk could bite Priest Siana, Lee Han quickly spoke up.
"It's not for venom extraction."
"Huh? Then what are you raising it for?"
Priest Siana tilted her head in confusion.
For someone raised in the Flemeng Order, animals were only kept when they had a specific purpose.
Cows were raised for their milk.
Chickens were raised for their eggs.
So when it came to diligently raising a dangerous, high-maintenance creature like a basilisk, there could only be one reason—to harvest its precious, invaluable venom.
"I didn't raise it to extract venom. The professor was trying to attack me with it... um."
Lee Han trailed off, realizing how insane that sounded.
Frankly, claiming it was for venom extraction sounded slightly less deranged.
"Huh?"
"...Anyway, since it wasn't raised for venom extraction, could you put that syringe away?"
"Understood."
Though she didn't fully comprehend, Priest Siana withdrew the syringe at Lee Han's request.
The baby basilisk finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Don't scare it too much. It's still young—if you frighten it like that, who knows what it might do."
"It needs to get used to it, no?"
"......"
People often assumed priests were kind and devout, but that didn't necessarily mean they were meek.
Even the kindest, most faithful individuals could become utterly unhinged when necessary.
Priest Siana spoke with grave seriousness.
"The other professors will extract venom eventually anyway. What difference does leaving it alone make? We should help it get accustomed so it won't be scared."
"...Huh?"
"Professor Thunderstep mentioned it before—if the basilisk ever hatched, he'd really need to extract some venom."
The baby basilisk trembled again, trying to burrow deeper into Lee Han's arms.
Lee Han soothed it with gentle strokes as he spoke.
"Wait. Other professors? Who else?"
"Professor Garcia was there too. She asked if she could collect venom once the basilisk hatched."
"!"
Lee Han was stunned.
He wouldn't have minded if it were just Professor Thunderstep or others, but even the kind-hearted Professor Garcia had said that?
'So even the nicest mages become ruthless when magic is involved!'
When magic was at stake, even the most benevolent mages lost all restraint.
Lee Han had learned yet another harsh lesson.
"Oh, and Professor Verdus also—"
"Ah. Not interested in what that professor said. Probably just asked for some."
Professor Verdus wasn't surprising at all.
Given his personality, he was the type to ask if he could skin the basilisk once it hatched.
'This is bad.'
Lee Han stroked the basilisk, deep in thought.
The professors were far more interested in the basilisk than he'd anticipated.
Sure, once the basilisk grew strong enough, it might be possible to borrow its venom.
But sticking a syringe into it now, while it was still underdeveloped...
'That'd probably create evil where there was none.'
Even a good-natured monster might turn into a creature bent on exterminating all life if subjected to such treatment.
And since Lee Han had to live with the basilisk, he didn't want to twist its personality like that.
"O ever-outstanding and faithful exemplar of the Flemeng Order, Priest Siana. Could you perhaps keep the basilisk's birth a secret?"
"Oh, please. Of course."
Flattered by Lee Han's praise, Priest Siana nodded readily.
"But what if the professors find out?"
"It woke up way earlier than expected. If no one says anything, they won't know. ...Except for one person."
Professor Voladi had shown so much interest in the basilisk egg, asking about it periodically, that it was impossible to deceive him as easily as the other professors.
Lee Han stared intently at the basilisk.
'Will this really be okay?'
Professor Voladi had no interest in extracting the basilisk's venom, but he was deeply interested in other aspects.
And perhaps that interest was even more dangerous.
After all, he had raised it as Lee Han's rival, intending to make full use of it throughout the semester...
"Can you fight me, by any chance?"
......
The basilisk, upon hearing the question, displayed the most violent reaction it had shown all day.
Trembling violently as if to say "Absolutely not," it burrowed into Lee Han, which Priest Siana found fascinating.
"Are baby basilisks usually this docile? From what I've heard, they're supposed to be wicked and ferocious from birth."
"Well, if you shove a syringe at them like that... Never mind."
Lee Han quickly soothed the basilisk. If left alone, it would probably burrow into his neck like a noose around a professor's desk.
"I'll explain things properly, so don't worry too much."
Priest Siana spoke as if she didn't have high expectations.
"By the way, Wardanaz. If you ever need to extract venom, call me. I'll help."
"......"
At the priest's calm display of madness, Lee Han felt a flicker of fear toward the Flemeng Order.
"Professor."
Monday morning.
While others basked in the sunlight, thawing their stiff bodies in the chilly air, Lee Han descended to the basement of the main building to face Professor Voladi.
The professor was seated at a table, assembling a mechanical trap of an unfamiliar design. Lee Han strained to memorize the trap's structure as much as possible.
Who knew? That trap might one day be targeting him.
"You're here."
"I have something to tell you."
Professor Voladi nodded.
It was the kind of nod a benevolent master might give while indulging a spoiled disciple's whims.
"What magic do you want to learn?"
"...Professor. Do I really seem like someone obsessed with learning new spells?"
Professor Voladi stared silently at Lee Han.
It would have been less irritating if he had just said "Yes." Giving up, Lee Han changed the subject.
"First, I'd like you to keep this a secret."
"If it's reasonable."
Professor Voladi was strict.
If Wardanaz declared that he had snuck out over the weekend to hunt anti-magic activists or magic criminals, there was no way the professor could keep that a secret.
"...Why would I even— No. Never mind."
Hearing the professor's explanation, Lee Han tried to argue but gave up.
Now that he thought about it, he had tried sneaking out in front of Professor Voladi before and even secretly fought enemies, so this was his own fault.
'But it's genuinely unfair.'
"Um, the basilisk hatched."
Professor Voladi set down the trap he was assembling and stood up immediately.
"Congratulations."
'What's there to congratulate?'
Lee Han swallowed the question and quickly continued.
"But Professor, the situation is a bit different from what you expected. The basilisk hatched prematurely, so it hasn't fully matured."
The professor's eyebrows arched. Then his gaze shifted to Lee Han's arm.
The basilisk, hidden in the long sleeve of his coat, trembled violently.
"What about its abilities? Size shouldn't affect that."
"Well, since it hasn't fully grown, its power must be weaker too, right?"
Lee Han tossed out the excuse casually.
In truth, whether its power was weaker or not could only be confirmed by having the basilisk petrify something, but that wasn't the point right now.
"What about the venom? As long as the petrification toxin remains potent—"
"That's probably weaker too, since it hasn't fully developed."
Professor Voladi glared at the basilisk in Lee Han's sleeve.
He said nothing, and his expression didn't change, but Lee Han could almost hear him shouting, 'You ungrateful little snake, after all the expectations I had for you!'
But no matter how intensely he stared, the basilisk's power didn't suddenly grow stronger or more vicious.
And frankly, given its current state, even if the basilisk grew larger, it was doubtful whether it would actively attack Lee Han.
"I'll ask Professor Lightning Step for ways to help it grow."
"Professor, actually, the secret I asked you to keep was because of that."
Lee Han exposed how the wicked professors were coveting the basilisk's venom.
Especially Professor Bermo—he wasn't just after the venom but practically everything else about it.
"If they extract things from it like that before it even grows stronger, wouldn't that seriously hinder its development?"
"Indeed."
Professor Voladi understood what Lee Han was implying.
Considering the greed of the student before him, it was only natural that he wouldn't tolerate even the slightest weakening in the basilisk's growth.
"Very well. I'll keep it a secret."
Professor Voladi tossed the mechanical trap into the underground storage cabinet. Perhaps due to spatial magic, not a single sound came from inside.
Then he opened the floor hatch leading underground and descended the stairs. Lee Han and the basilisk both shivered at the noises coming from below.
'What is he bringing out now?'
Fortunately, instead of retrieving some secret weapon to kill them both at once, Professor Voladi returned with an old book.
The title was none other than The Dark Arts of Raising a Malevolent Monster.
Professor Voladi slowly dusted off the book before placing it on the shelf beside the desk. He planned to read it later and find a method after the lecture ended.
"......"
"......"
Lee Han and the basilisk desperately prayed that the old book contained only sensible information.
"How much of the book have you written?"
"...About a third, sir."
Lee Han made a half-hearted excuse.
Half would have seemed too much, and a quarter too little.
Besides, his weekends had been packed—from discovering a hidden secret base to guiding a wandering bard.
'Too little? Should I have stretched it more?'
"You're progressing faster than I expected."
'Damn it.'
Lee Han regretted it immediately.
Judging by Professor Voladi's reaction, he could have taken his time.
Why did he panic and dig his own grave like this?
"You're learning various combat spells, but I doubt you're fully satisfied yet."
"I am satisfied—"
"You must have felt it during the sea serpent hunt."
'Felt what?'
Lee Han was puzzled.
What he had felt during the sea serpent hunt was resentment toward the professor who had dragged him to the front while the others stayed safely behind.
"The lack of evasion methods."
"...Uh, was it really that bad...?"
Honestly, between his clone magic, enhancement magic, and the short-term future divination magic Professor Voladi had (beaten into him), Lee Han had more than enough evasion techniques for a first-year student.
And now, with elemental magic adding defense to the mix, his balance was rock-solid at this level...
"Have you thought about why?"
"Huh? Well..."
"Exactly. It's because your magical training is unbalanced."
"......"
If you're just going to ask and answer yourself, why bother asking in the first place?
Lee Han thought that but endured in silence.
Professor Voladi pointed out the imbalance in Lee Han's current magical development.
While he was gaining experience and improving in areas like elemental magic, black magic, enchantment magic, and summoning magic, his progress in fields like transformation magic and healing magic had stagnated.
"But the other professors never mentioned—"
He was subtly implying, "The professors in charge say it's fine, so why are you making a fuss?" but Professor Voladi ignored him and continued.
"I asked Professor Rezhi, and there's an event for students specializing in transformation magic. Attending would be a good experience."
"There was such a thing?"
Lee Han was surprised.
He didn't recall hearing about it from any of his friends.