Episode 509
Episode 509
For some reason, the distance between him and Diret seemed to have grown. Lee Han called out to his senior once more.
"Senior?"
"I didn't know you were practicing Bone Explosion Magic..."
Black Mages who specialized in bone elements exhibited tenacious power in multi-target combat.
Not only could they strengthen various undead, but they could also engage in direct offense and defense.
Especially once they mastered Bone Explosion, they became the Black Mages that enemies prioritized subduing first.
When it detonated properly, the destructive power was truly overwhelming.
But where there were strengths, there were also weaknesses.
Even excluding the massive mana consumption, Bone Explosion Magic was difficult to wield.
If miscast at close range, the Black Mage could be knocked out, and attempting to cast it from maximum distance exponentially increased the difficulty.
The farther the distance, the more a mage's interference ability diminished.
The best method was triggering Bone Explosion against summoned undead creatures, but even summons weren't particularly fond of such self-destruction.
Yet this junior had overcome those limitations with ancient necromancy and an immense mana pool.
Protecting himself with a Water Shield and ruthlessly detonating undead—it was a feat even seasoned Black Mages would struggle to replicate...
But did a first-year really need to go this far???
"Ah. Professor Mortum told me to practice Bone Explosion."
"Hmm... So when he said to practice Bone Explosion... Never mind."
Diret had been about to say, 'Usually, practicing Bone Explosion means doing it carefully in a workshop, not live combat in a dungeon,' but for his junior's sake, he held back.
"Bone Explosion is the magic with the highest accident rate, and you're combining it with Dark Element, so you need to be extra cautious."
"Understood. I'll always keep at least one shield up and maximize distance to only detonate summons."
Diret could feel his undead summons trembling in fear. He soothed them.
—I won't make you self-destruct like that, so don't worry.
"So, you want to try combining it with poison element?"
"Yes."
While combining it with the rare and finicky Dark Element was unusual, bone element was typically paired with other elements.
Among them, poison element was the most representative.
Bone element fused with various poisons boasted lethally potent effects.
"That's the standard approach. You might not have many poison types available now, but practicing early won't hurt."
Diret pushed aside his earlier thoughts and effortlessly resumed discussing magic.
"But there are some precautions when using poison element—you'll need to drastically reduce Bone Explosion's power... Try lowering it once. No, lower it more. Again! Wait, why can't you reduce the power? That's the easiest part!"
After clearing out Professor Verdus' puppet dungeon with his junior, Diret returned to Black Rock Hall.
Professor Mortum, who had finished his lecture earlier, was assembling flesh golem parts when Diret arrived and asked,
"Cough. You're back later than expected. Was there some trouble in the Blood-sucking Weasel dungeon?"
"Ah, no. We went to the puppet dungeon to practice necromancy combined with Dark Element."
"...?"
Professor Mortum fell silent for a long moment before asking, as if unable to comprehend.
"Cough. I only told you to make a Cursed Doll—was there a need to teach him so harshly? Did the Wardanaz boy somehow provoke you?"
"Huh? No! What... Wait?"
Diret was about to deny it in surprise, but upon reflection, he realized something was indeed off.
Uh...
Huh??
'Why did I do that??'
Gainando, seeing Lee Han in a good mood for the first time in a while, found himself inexplicably excited too.
Usually, Lee Han would mutter with a tired face, 'I wish Einrogard and the professors would just hug each other and disappear into that lake,' startling Gainando. But today, he was cheerfully stirring the pot's ladle with a bright expression.
"Did something good happen today?"
"Ah. Gainando. I succeeded in controlling multiple undead."
"......"
Gainando frowned as he stared at Lee Han.
He hadn't expected that to be the reason for such cheerfulness.
"Controlling undead doesn't seem like something to be that happy about..."
"Gainando. Don't you understand what it means for a Black Mage to control multiple undead?"
Unlike other mages who always needed bodyguards for protection, skilled Black Mages proficient in Undead Summoning could move around alone without any issues.
That meant they could take on requests alone without having to split rewards with other adventurers.
"Huh... But isn't that lonely?"
"Gainando. Magic is inherently lonely."
"And the professor said if a Black Mage walks around alone with multiple undead, they'll get reported."
"......"
When Gainando hit a sore spot, Lee Han hesitated.
It was a surprisingly valid point. 'I'll have to summon them after entering dungeons when outside.'
Within Einrogard, summoning undead and walking around with them just elicited reactions like 'Must be a Black Magic student,' but outside, it was more likely to trigger screams of 'Ahhh! Guards! Guards!!'
"Then will you give me just one chocolate?"
"No. Don't fill up on snacks before dinner."
Lee Han firmly refused. Gainando grumbled and went to sit at the dining table.
Students had already gathered around the long wooden table placed in front of Phoenix Tower.
Not just the Phoenix Tower priests, but also friends from the Blue Dragon Tower, and even a few students from the Black Turtle Tower and White Tiger Tower...?
"Why are you all here?"
Lee Han asked in bewilderment.
Sure, they'd eaten together during the flood, but the flood was over now—why?
"Hmph. Wardanaz."
"?"
A White Tiger Tower student approached with a frown.
Then, as a bribe, he pressed a rare piece of Light Spirit Ink into Lee Han's hand.
"Take good care of us."
"Uh... sure."
The White Tiger Tower students winked as they took their seats. Lee Han pocketed the bribe but was utterly baffled. 'What kind of people are these?'
"Wardanaz. Take good care of us too."
"Wait. You can eat at your own tower. Today's meal isn't anything special."
"It's tasteless..."
"......"
The Black Turtle Tower students' voices were dripping with genuine despair.
Even the usually indifferent Lee Han was overwhelmed.
"Uh... fine. Sit down."
His earlier words hadn't been empty. Tonight's dinner was fairly simple.
Just a stew made by roughly chopping leftover vegetables and chicken and simmering it thoroughly, buttered toast, skewered game birds caught by the priests, and rice balls...
Slurp! Chomp!
"Hey, someone go report this to the White Tiger Tower."
"I'll do it."
The Blue Dragon Tower students were horrified by the way the White Tiger Tower students were devouring their food like starved beasts.
Lee Han, however, focused on his meal regardless. He had a lot to do after dinner.
"Wardanaz. Wardanaz."
"Yeah. Nilia."
Lee Han turned his attention to Nilia, who had called him.
Just moments ago, she had been eating the skewered game birds with her hands, but now she was using a knife and fork to eat the meat separately.
"Why aren't you eating with your hands?"
"What are you talking about? I've always eaten like this?"
Looking around, he saw all the Blue Dragon Tower students using knives and forks.
"But just using your hands..."
"That's not important right now. Did you hear the rumor?"
"What rumor?"
"The professor is preparing a portal. To let us contract with stronger summons than last time."
"!"
That was welcome news.
Even if the Empire gathered only the most outstanding talents, first-year students still had many shortcomings.
The best way to compensate for those shortcomings was, without a doubt, summons.
"That's great. If I can contract with stronger undead—"
"Huh? No... It was about spirits..."
Nilia hesitated as she spoke.
The rumor was that Professor Millay was searching for a new connection to the Spirit World for first-years learning Summoning Magic—she hadn't heard anything about the Undead Realm.
"Won't they open the Undead Realm?"
"I only heard about spirits."
Nilia glanced cautiously at Lee Han's expression.
"They'll probably open the Undead Realm too. They did last time."
"Y-yeah! Of course!"
Nilia agreed with Lee Han while praying fervently in her heart.
Please let Professor Milei have prepared the Undead Realm too!
"We've recently discovered a suitable Spirit World that can be safely accessed. After inspection, I confirmed it's safe enough for students to explore."
Professor Milei stood with impeccable posture as he surveyed the students.
Lee Han raised his hand to ask.
"Professor. May I ask a question?"
"What is your question?"
"Will there be an Undead Realm...?"
"There won't be an Undead Realm this time."
"......"
Lee Han's face visibly fell. Beside him, Nilia fidgeted nervously and whispered.
"You don't absolutely have to contract with an undead, right? You could make a contract with a spirit!"
"Yeah, sure. And while we're at it, maybe I'll stumble upon a treasure vault piled high with gold and become the richest man in the empire."
"......"
As Nilia fell speechless, Professor Milei addressed Lee Han.
"Lee Han. It's prejudiced to assume you can't contract with a spirit. While spirits generally avoid mana-rich beings, there are exceptions with unique traits."
Slightly encouraged, Lee Han asked again.
"So if I keep searching the Spirit World without giving up, I might find a good spirit?"
"Sometimes knowing when to give up is important, Lee Han. Even if you don't find one, you must learn to accept it."
"......"
"......"
At Professor Milei's blunt honesty, Lee Han turned to look at Nilia again. She hastily buried her face in her book, pretending to read.
"The types of spirits you may encounter in the Spirit World are as follows..."
As the prepared students stepped through the magic circle one by one into the Spirit World, Lee Han's turn finally arrived.
Nilia, standing behind him, cautiously asked.
"Should we go in together?"
"Don't bother. If we go together, you might not find one either."
"......"
Nilia couldn't immediately refute him—she had been worrying about the same thing.
'He was worried I'd say yes if he asked!'
Seeing Nilia's poorly concealed expression, it was obvious she had been thinking, 'What if he agrees?'
"I'll go first. See you later."
Lee Han stopped tormenting Nilia and stepped toward the magic circle.
Though it was disappointing not to achieve results in this lecture, it wasn't like he could excel in every single one.
Of course, he'd have to compensate for today's setback by studying even harder in other lectures—but Lee Han had already accepted that.
'Guess I'll just clear my mind and explore today.'
Pop!
A floating sensation, as if his soul was crossing into another realm.
The vast, open sea stretched before him, accompanied by the briny scent of seawater. It felt like being stranded alone on a deserted island.
'Sea, water, or marine-type monsters?'
The environment was the first clue given to mages seeking to negotiate with beings of another realm.
Experienced and knowledgeable summoners could even guess a spirit's name just by observing their surroundings.
Splash!
In the distance, a dolphin-like spirit poked its head above the water.
Lee Han cautiously greeted it.
"Hello, Mr. Dolphin?"
Instead of answering, the dolphin submerged and didn't resurface.
"......"
Lee Han felt bitter.
'Should I just try capturing it by force?'
Though forcing a confrontation with a spirit in the Spirit World was reckless and dangerous, it still seemed better than aimlessly trying to talk to them...
Fwoosh—
"?"
The mark Lee Han had received from Upinum after stopping the Spirit Flood began to glow.
Simultaneously, the sea before him split apart like a receding tide, revealing a path.
It looked like an invitation.
'The spirit is repaying its debt!'
Lee Han was deeply moved.
Even insignificant creatures repaid kindness—how much more so for a Great Spirit like Upinum...!
Professor Milei, seated in his chair, frowned as he noticed the magic circle rippling.
Since it was a protective circle reinforced with complex spells and blessings, any disturbance couldn't be a good sign.
'What's this?'
Upon checking, he saw one student had stepped beyond the protected area into the outer regions.
'It's Lee Han.'
Even before confirming who it was, Professor Milei immediately knew the culprit.