Episode 516
Episode 516
'What Kind of Bracelet Is This?'
Lee Han cursed the Skeleton Principal for gifting him such an absurd artifact.
An artifact where the demons inside could jump out and steal his body?
No sane mage would have any reason to wear such a thing.
However, the Skeleton Principal did have his reasons.
Fundamentally, the demons sealed within this Bracelet of Ten Thousand Demons weren't just imprisoned—their very existence was bound and sealed.
Meaning while they could emerge briefly, they couldn't last long and would soon be forced back into the bracelet.
Moreover, just think of how many demons were sealed inside.
With all those demons mixed together in the seal, recovering one's ego and climbing out on their own was an incredibly difficult task.
Even if one attempted it, there would be signs, and it would take considerable time—something no mage could possibly miss.
Yet Anpursas immediately regained his ego, recovered his consciousness, and burst out of the bracelet before Lee Han could even react.
While the surrounding atmosphere of war had stirred Anpursas—a demon of strife and battle—the fundamental reason was actually the immense mana of the mage wearing the bracelet.
Even without Lee Han consciously channeling it, the sheer volume of mana that flowed whenever he cast spells or utilized his power was staggering.
Of course, unaware of this fact, Lee Han cursed the Skeleton Principal.
"Stop talking nonsense, demon. Do you really think I'd compromise with a demon?"
-You underestimate me, mage! Though I may be sealed here now, I was once the nightmare and terror of all my enemies!
Anpursas scoffed at Lee Han's words.
Though his existence was bound and sealed within the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Demons, forcing him to return eventually, Anpursas was still a powerful demon.
Powerful enough to easily seize the body of a mage like this.
-I won't treat you too harshly, given that you're the seal's master and have generously bestowed your mana upon me.
"...Wait. 'Generously bestowed your mana'? What do you mean by that..."
-Behold, and fear me, for I am Anpursas!
Ending the conversation, Anpursas focused his strength to seize Lee Han's body.
He intended to borrow it briefly to showcase the true combat of a warrior.
"......"
-......
Yet nothing happened.
Both Anpursas, straining with all his might, and Lee Han, who had tensed at the demon's declaration, were left bewildered.
-Have I not fully recovered my strength?
Anpursas swelled his presence once more.
But the human mage's body felt like an insurmountable mountain range to an ant—an overwhelming weight.
After struggling for a while, Anpursas finally exhausted himself and retreated.
-...
I won't return inside until you give me a chance to fight!
'Is this guy insane?'
Lee Han was taken aback when Anpursas, despite being utterly drained, stubbornly refused to return to the bracelet.
Come to think of it, why would a demon have any conscience or shame?
"Fine, stay out then."
-I won't return inside until you give me a chance to fight! I won't return inside until you give me a chance to fight! I won't return inside until you give me a chance to fight!
"......"
Lee Han felt the urge to find the Skeleton Principal and ask, "Would it be possible to just annihilate all the demons inside the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Demons, seal or no seal?"
"Gainando. Listen carefully."
-I am Anpursas!
"Ah. Sorry. It just slipped out... Anyway, Anpursas. Listen carefully. Of course, I'd like to grant your wish. As the master of you sealed demons, why wouldn't I honor such a request?"
With the demon yammering in his ear, Lee Han opted for persuasion rather than ignoring him.
"But right now, this isn't a battle—it's a festival. Look closely."
-They're shedding each other's blood?
"...If a festival gets lively, a little bloodshed is to be expected."
-But look at all the shattered debris and corpses lying around?
"...Those aren't corpses, just people who collapsed from the festivities being too exciting."
Though the demon didn't fully understand Lee Han's words, as the bracelet's owner, it decided to accept them for now.
-So you're truly saying I won't get any chance for battle? How bitterly disappointing...
KRRRRRUMBLE!
A dimensional rift tore open, and suddenly a bone-chilling cold began spreading everywhere.
The seniors, sensing the approach of a worthy opponent from another dimension, hardened their expressions and began chanting spells. 'Ice magic...' 'If it's the Snow Sage, we're in trouble.' 'Please don't let it be the Penguin Army. Please don't let it be the Penguin Army.' Each recalling their worst experiences with ice-related foes, the seniors tensed up.
Is this another one of you wizards' territories? Why do you mages live so dangerously?
"......"
Lee Han deeply bowed his head upon recognizing the familiar figure.
The intelligent giant wearing the Blue Ice Crown who appeared through the rift.
It was the King of the Frost Giants.
Seeing the murmuring seniors around him, Lee Han collected himself. 'What's important now...' was to stay still while the seniors dealt with the Frost Giant King.
If the Frost Giant King recognized and called out to Lee Han, things would become unnecessarily complicated.
-I won't return inside until you give me a chance to fight! I won't return inside until you give me a chance to fight! I won't return inside until you give me a chance to fight!
"...Shut up already."
Lee Han growled lowly at the demon screaming in his ear.
He resolved that once Anpursas returned to the bracelet, he would never call it out again no matter what happened.
No matter how much help he needed, he would absolutely never summon it again!
'Young challenger. Have you been well? You haven't aged much.' '...Great.'
"......"
The Frost Giant King immediately recognized Lee Han and greeted him.
Come to think of it, there was a stone embedded in Lee Han's staff that the Frost Giant King had given him—there was no way it wouldn't recognize him.
Then how much had he grown since then...
"Damn it."
Even without using Divination Magic, Lee Han tightly shut his eyes against the future his intuition showed him.
"Seniors! Get out of the way!"
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
Phil retorted as if telling Lee Han not to joke around.
What kind of senior would run away while bringing along a junior?
"And no matter how strong that guy is, this is Einrogard."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Coholti deployed his undead army.
As the senior who best understood the relationship between the Frost Giant King and Lee Han—the culprit, no, the responsible party—he felt the weight of responsibility heavily upon him.
"King of Frost Giants, do not lay a hand on our young mage!"
A black mage? Your energy feels familiar...
"...Stop spouting nonsense!"
Coholti led his ghost army to strike at the Frost Giant King.
But the Frost Giant King wasn't to be underestimated either. Immediately summoning the Penguin Army through the rift, it began pushing back Coholti's ghost forces.
Some seniors screamed upon seeing the Penguin Army.
"Dear gods! It's the Penguin Army!!"
"Of all things!"
"?"
Though confused by their reactions, Lee Han immediately understood when he saw the Penguin Army in action.
Clad in murderous ice magic, they tore through the ghost army with their teeth, attempting to break through—even that formidable ghost army was being pushed back.
"Reinforcements! We need reinforcements!!"
"If they break through there, we're in trouble! Deal with the Penguin Army first!"
The seniors, horrified at the sight of the Penguin Army, rushed to handle them first.
Anpagon also didn't dare aim his artifact at the Frost Giant King. Sweating cold bullets, he instead targeted the Penguin Army, clearly ready to fire at the slightest movement toward them.
The Frost Giant King turned its gaze back to Lee Han.
"......"
Go.
As the King of Frost Giants gave the command, ice orangutans appeared and began charging forward with roars.
A path made of frigid energy formed in midair, stretching straight toward Lee Han. The ice orangutans grew even more powerful upon it.
The healing magic students had prepared for battle as if daring their opponents to come, but from Lee Han's perspective, the matchup was terrible.
'To use healing magic offensively, the opponent must at least be alive.'
The combat application of healing magic involved analyzing and twisting the enemy's nerves, organs, and other vital systems to maximize destructive potential.
But against these ice-elemental spirits from the Otherworld, such methods were meaningless. It was like fighting with one arm tied behind his back.
If only the King of Frost Giants had summoned attacks he could dodge like last time—but it seemed the king had raised the bar significantly after Lee Han passed the previous trial.
Those ice orangutans didn't look like opponents he could handle carelessly.
'If I unleash fire magic uncontrollably... Damn. The seniors would take more damage.'
-Lend me your arm, Anpursas!
"I told you to shut up."
Lee Han's voice grew icy as his patience wore thin.
But Anpursas, true to his demonic nature, paid little attention to the other's emotions.
-I swear upon Anpursas's true name—if you let me destroy that horde, I will leave!
"Can you even destroy them?"
Lee Han was skeptical.
Of course, if Anpursas were in his original state, he might have been capable.
Judging by his boasts, he was a fairly powerful demon.
But right now, Anpursas had to fight by borrowing Lee Han's body.
Even if he lent it, there was no guarantee he could fight effectively.
-If I fail to annihilate them, I will become the mage's lowliest servant and slave. I, Anpursas, as a warrior—
Anpursas rambled on about how exceptional a warrior he was and how many foes he had defeated in his own dimension.
Lee Han wasn't convinced. He could embellish like that too.
'I've felled royalty, captured a basilisk, slain the Ghoul King...'
But time was running out. The ice orangutans were breaking through the healing magic students' defenses.
When one tore free of the vines restraining it and lunged at a senior, Lee Han gritted his teeth and shouted.
"If you fail, I swear I'll erase you myself. Go!"
* * *
Phil clicked his tongue in irritation at the sight of the ice orangutans.
They were better than the Penguin Army, but these enemies were still the worst possible matchup.
Being made of ice, the usable magic against them was limited.
"Let's call over the ones fighting the Penguin Army! It'd be better if we handled the penguins instead!"
"Understood. I'll signal them now—"
Before he could finish, a black streak shot from behind and cleanly split an ice orangutan in half.
"?"
"???"
The healing mages' physical abilities were currently enhanced by magic.
Yet an attack had slipped past their perception, leaving them stunned.
"What in the—"
But the shock had only just begun.
Lee Han, gripping Morning Star, began cutting down the ice orangutans with a murderous aura.
Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish—!
The sight of the Wardanaz junior resembled a swordsman who had reached mastery more than a mage.
The ice orangutans swung their spiked clubs in fury, but the junior vanished, leaving afterimages, and cleaved them apart in single strokes.
'That's Aura!?'
A senior from White Tiger Tower was horrified to see Lee Han manifesting Aura.
The pinnacle of swordsmanship—something only the most talented swordsmen could achieve after dedicating their entire lives!
Realizing Lee Han was no ordinary warrior, the ice orangutans changed tactics. The moment one was split by his blade, the others rushed in simultaneously, trying to grab him.
But Lee Han swung his remaining fist, shattering the ice orangutans with brute force, and roared.
"......"
"...Our junior is really, really pissed today... huh?"