Episode 507
Episode 507
The crow beastman mage I was seeing for the first time picked up the straw doll with both arms and set it down.
"It may look crudely made, but it's actually a sturdy item that's undergone proper magical treatment."
While the Dark Element possessed powerful and unique characteristics, it wasn't an element that could easily inhabit just any object.
Even the relatively easier-to-handle Water Element already had objects that could be waterproofed, but with the Dark Element, it was faster to just find an object it would naturally inhabit.
Its powerful and unique properties, which were opposite to vitality, actually hindered this process.
That's why even this seemingly shoddy straw doll had to undergo its own special magical treatment to be created.
"Of course, even considering that, it still takes quite a while. You have to repeatedly soak it in Dark Element dozens of times."
To those who didn't know magic, it might seem all about flashiness, but in reality, magic involved far more tedious repetition and groundwork.
Even creating a simple straw doll for curses took much longer than one might think.
"Here. Try it."
"Yes."
Lee Han swung his staff to summon the Dark Element.
Since there was a straw doll right in front of him, it was actually easier than usual.
All he needed to do was summon the Dark Element directly toward the straw doll and let it absorb without worrying about controlling the output.
Yet despite the straw doll sucking in the Dark Element, an intensely visible mass of Dark Element manifested behind Lee Han, exuding palpable energy.
Diret shook his head vigorously and opened the window to let in some air.
Though Diret specialized in handling Dark Element and had strong resistance to it, he couldn't afford to let his guard down around this junior.
A single mistake could lead to Professor Mortum's Black Rock Hall being shut down.
"Reduce your mana. This is already enough."
"Huh? Really?"
"Your back... Never mind. Focus."
Diret wanted to tell him to look behind himself but decided to just ventilate the room more instead.
No point in breaking his concentration and risking an accident.
Crrackle—
The straw doll that had absorbed the Dark Element rapidly shrank in size.
Watching it reduce to nearly palm-sized, Lee Han looked amazed.
"Is this structure meant to compress the Dark Element and prevent external leakage?"
"No. It shrank because it's complete."
"......"
"......"
Though the cursed straw doll that should have taken weeks to make was completed instantly, Diret calmly took it in stride.
"Professor! I'll just pop into the dungeon next door for a moment!"
"Why?"
"The straw doll is complete!"
"What? Cough Why would you... Ah. I see. Go ahead."
Professor Mortum also coughed a few times before calmly accepting it.
All the black mages except Lee Han were taking this completely in stride.
"Does it normally complete this fast? Is there a problem..."
"No. You just overcharged it with Dark Element, so it finished quickly. The structure is simple, so there's nothing to worry about."
Diret paused mid-sentence.
"Wait, no. There could be a problem. Moderate your mana. If the straw doll bursts, we'll be in trouble."
"But you said it was a sturdy, magically treated item..."
Diret pretended not to hear his junior's question.
"Oh, cough. Diret!"
Professor Mortum opened the door again and called for Diret.
"Before you enter the dungeon..."
"You mean the defensive artifacts? I'll prepare them." Taking a first-year student into the underground dungeon made defensive artifacts and such equipment essential.
"Cough. No. Bring Atalab's bones from the second-floor storage. You can handle the defensive artifacts yourself... Honestly, you probably won't even need them."
"......"
Even so, isn't that too harsh to bring a junior in there like that?
Diret looked at Lee Han and said,
"Don't worry about it."
"But the professor just called the name of..."
"Why are you, a first-year about to enter a dungeon, worrying about that of all things?"
The numerous dungeons hidden throughout Einrogard, both large and small, were so numerous that even the Skeleton Principal couldn't keep track of them all.
Given the inherently strong mana, it was only natural that numerous dungeons would spontaneously form.
Some school factions, due to the nature of the magic they studied, artificially secured or managed dungeons—one such faction being the Black Magic school.
Given the nature of Black Magic, dungeons were an absolute necessity.
"..."
"Understand? I'm telling you this so you don't misunderstand—other factions manage dungeons too. It's not a lie, so you can go ask around. If they deny it, then they're the ones deceiving you. I can even prove it."
Unlike when explaining magic, Diret was unusually verbose in his defense.
Even among dungeon-managing factions, mentioning the Black Magic school's dungeons somehow made people wary.
"Of course, as mages, we should manage dungeons. It'd be hard to find them outside anyway."
Dungeons varied drastically depending on their location and environment, but they shared one fundamental trait: an excessive accumulation of mana.
Only when mana built up could peculiar phenomena occur, and only then could mages utilize them. Ironically, finding such dungeons was harder than expected.
"...Right?"
Diret's voice rose slightly, as if relieved.
Lee Han, wanting to encourage his senior, added:
"Yes. One professor I know even took me into a Rakshasa Hungry Ghost dungeon."
"...That's not it."
'Huh?'
Lee Han was slightly taken aback by Diret's stern denial.
He had meant it as reassurance...
Diret opened his mouth to say more but sighed and gave up.
What was the point?
The professors weren't going to change anyway.
"The dungeon here doesn't spawn Rakshasa Hungry Ghosts—it's Blood-sucking Weasels. The structure is simple. Just a straight path, not too deep."
Aside from using the graveyard pit as an entrance, the dungeon beside Black Rock Hall was fairly ordinary.
Compared to the dungeons Professor Voladi had taken him into—ready to kill him at any moment—there were no hidden terrains or ambush spots. It genuinely felt like a naturally formed underground space.
"Do you know about Blood-sucking Weasels?"
"Yes."
Though not particularly strong, they excelled at detecting the life force of living beings.
Some regional hunters even used them in place of hunting dogs...
"Their attacks aren't fatal, but they hurt if they bite you. Wear this artifact. It'll form a physical barrier to protect you."
Lee Han accepted the artifact from Diret.
But instead of activating, the artifact malfunctioned, emitting strange lights and noises.
"Why's it doing this? There's nothing around that should interfere with magic..."
Diret tilted his head in confusion.
Lee Han cautiously suggested:
"It might be because I'm carrying too many artifacts."
"How many? Two?"
"...Add a zero to that..."
Diret had vowed not to be surprised by this junior anymore, yet here he was, shocked again—so much so that the wings on his back stood on end.
"Why are you carrying so many artifacts?!"
There was a reason tales like "The Mage Who Wore Dozens of Rings and Exploded" existed in imperial folklore.
More artifacts didn't mean better.
Since they weren't designed to be worn together, the more you wore, the more conflicts arose.
Imagine dozens of magics clashing unchecked within one person—it was easy to see why malfunctions were frequent. The exploding part might be extreme, but frequent glitches were inevitable.
"But most of them are mana-absorption types, so it hasn't been a big issue."
Lee Han quickly explained, seeing Diret's concern.
Bracelets and belts for mana absorption.
Rings, bracelets, and necklaces for flame absorption.
Bracelets for mana emission suppression.
Though numerous, these artifacts followed simple, similar principles, so they rarely caused problems.
Besides, Lee Han often removed some depending on the situation.
"Wait—hold on. There are still more artifacts left?"
Diret, proving why he was an upperclassman, pointed out the remaining ones.
"What about these?"
"It's a necklace enchanted with Invisibility Magic."
"But this isn't regular invisibility...? Where did you even— No, that's not important right now. Anyway, this one's fine."
Though the invisibility necklace strangely reminded Diret of the Skeleton Principal, he decided to let it slide.
The magic was cleanly crafted, so it didn't seem like an artifact that would cause any external interference.
"This is a Ring of Underwater Breathing."
"That's fine too. Breathing magic like this usually doesn't cause any major conflicts."
"This is a silver spoon for poison detection."
"Why would you— Wait, have you ever been the target of poisoning or something?"
"Don't be ridiculous. This is a signaling copper ring."
"This shouldn't cause any conflicts either. Wait, who gave you this one?"
"The Headmaster?"
"......"
"And this is the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Demons."
"Right...Wait, WHAT?!"
Diret was horrified by the artifact, which looked suspicious no matter how he looked at it.
What kind of lunatic would give something like that to a first-year?!
After hearing the explanations, Diret spoke firmly.
"The Headmaster has truly lost his mind."
"Senior, walls have ears..."
"Yeah, I know. The Headmaster has truly lost his mind."
'So cool.'
Lee Han was slightly moved by the sheer audacity his senior displayed.
Now this was what a senior should be like.
'When I become a senior, will I be able to badmouth professors this boldly?'
"Giving this to a first-year... Sigh. Whatever. Anyway, we can't use this artifact together."
"My apologies."
"It's not your fault... And honestly, someone at your level should be able to handle Blood-sucking Weasels easily."
Diret turned away after saying that.
"?"
Lee Han wanted to ask what he meant, but the unfamiliar crow beastman mage had already started walking, making him miss his chance.
'Wait...'
"The reason we breed Blood-sucking Weasels in this dungeon is that there's no better monster for testing Dark Element-related effects. Hold up, stop right there."
Diret positioned Lee Han behind him before stepping forward.
After a few steps, something flashed in the darkness before thudding into Diret.
"See? They charge right at you."
"Yes."
"Now, let's test this."
Diret threw forward a Cursed Doll he had prepared earlier.
Immediately, the Blood-sucking Weasels hesitated, as if an invisible wall blocked them from approaching the doll.
"Since they're sensitive to life force, they can also detect the ominous aura of Dark Element just as keenly. If they can't even get close, that means you've succeeded in crafting it properly."
After finishing his explanation, Diret gestured for Lee Han to take his turn.
"......"
"......"
A heavy silence.
The moment Lee Han stepped forward, the Blood-sucking Weasels quieted down—even before he threw his Cursed Doll.
To an observer, it would seem like there were no monsters in the dungeon at all.
Instead of commenting, Diret motioned for Lee Han to come back.
"I'll test your doll myself."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me for something like this..."
Diret examined his junior's Cursed Doll.
Seeing the Blood-sucking Weasels retreat even further than before, the effect was undeniable.
"You did well. I was a little worried since we didn't have much time, but it seems that was unnecessary. Expanding on this basic process is the foundation of Dark Element application."
Modifying the Cursed Doll infused with Dark Element to specialize in curses, or embedding it elsewhere...
Diret tossed a blackened bone fragment into the air and summoned Skeleton Warriors.
Unlike their usual form, these Skeleton Warriors radiated Dark Element, leaving Lee Han in awe.
This was an Undead Enhancement Magic that combined other Elemental Magics.
It wasn't just about reinforcing bones or making them harder—it strengthened them with various attributes.
The magic was so refined that one might think this was the bare minimum to be called a proper necromancer.
"Amazing! Such a combination!"
"...You like it that much? You really are a weird one..."
Diret was taken aback by his junior's intense reaction to the undead summons.
It wasn't unpleasant, but people usually didn't marvel at undead summons like this.
Especially not nobles!
"Then I'll give it a try."
Lee Han pulled out a bone fragment from his reagent pouch.
"?"
Diret was puzzled.
He hadn't actually instructed him to try it today...?