Episode 517
Episode 517
For a moment, Lee Han's momentum was so fierce that one could think that.
However, Phil soon regained his composure and sensed something amiss.
"No. He's not just angry! It's something completely different...!"
Before his words could even finish, Lee Han had already finished off all the ice orangutans clinging to him and launched a counterattack.
The ice orangutans charging from behind, perhaps tense from witnessing Lee Han's martial prowess, quickly formed a defensive formation to block his advance.
Long ice spears stretched out like dense thickets, obstructing his path.
Moreover, these spears weren't merely made of ice—they were enchanted with freezing energy, making it impossible for anyone to recklessly approach.
"What's your plan?"
Lee Han asked Anpursas.
Against an opponent entrenched in such a defensive stance, like a hedgehog, rashly charging in wasn't an option.
They needed to disrupt the enemy with various tactics before breaking through.
Though Anpursas was a noisy and irritating demon, it was undeniable that he was an exceptional and seasoned warrior.
Frankly, Lee Han was curious how Anpursas would handle this.
Crash!
"......"
True to his reputation as an outstanding and experienced warrior, Anpursas charged straight ahead.
He unleashed his aura, slicing through the ice spears repeatedly to create an opening, then plunged into the gap to engage in fierce close-quarters combat.
At first, the ice orangutans held their ground, but once Anpursas got close and began wildly swinging his aura-enhanced strikes, they couldn't withstand his momentum and eventually crumbled.
'This bastard... I should never summon him from the bracelet again...'
Lee Han was dumbfounded by Anpursas's brute-force tactics.
To waste mana and stamina like that when it wasn't even his own!
No wonder he was a demon.
Thud!
As the blazing aura of Morning Star grazed an ice orangutan, half of its body was obliterated.
It wasn't just the raw power of the aura—Morning Star's mana absorption had drained the ice orangutan's strength as well.
Watching this, Lee Han suddenly had a question.
"Wait. How did you coat Morning Star with aura?"
Anpursas didn't answer.
He merely muttered like a man possessed.
-Give me the next enemy, and the next, and even more enemies!
"......"
Lee Han reaffirmed his vow to never summon Anpursas again.
Upon closer inspection, the blazing aura enveloping Morning Star wasn't stable—it flickered continuously, reforming over and over.
Realizing the truth, Lee Han was speechless.
'No way...!'
Morning Star was a sword that absorbed mana.
Naturally, it would also absorb aura, the essence of mana.
But Anpursas kept pouring mana into the aura faster than it could be absorbed.
The simple, brute-force logic was that if the mana input exceeded the absorption rate, the aura would remain intact.
Watching this, Lee Han thought:
'Maybe I can do that too later.'
Anpursas might be a crazy demon, but he was undoubtedly a formidable warrior.
* * *
Boom!
By now, more than half of the ice orangutans had been wiped out.
Lee Han's body shot forward like a cannon and dashed like lightning.
Where he had stood moments ago, sharp icicles hurled by the ice orangutans embedded themselves menacingly.
With a sound like tearing air, one icicle flew back in the opposite direction.
Lee Han had caught it mid-flight and hurled it back, sending three ice orangutans flying.
"What the?!"
Balpatan of the Moradi family, a third-year student locked in a fierce sword clash with the penguin swordsman, was startled by the spectacle unfolding beside him.
Even within Einrogard—let alone the northern regions—finding a swordsman of that caliber was no easy feat.
Sizzle—
When one ice orangutan raised a thick shield to block an attack, the aura flared up momentarily before exploding.
The shockwave sent the ice orangutans tumbling away.
Merely shaping aura was already an immensely difficult feat, yet this swordsman was displaying all kinds of techniques with fully formed aura.
Only a swordsman who had reached the pinnacle of mastery could accomplish such a thing.
Crash!
The swordsmanship also captured Balpatan's attention.
If the aura was a fully bloomed flower, then the swordsmanship was the stem and roots supporting it beneath.
No swordsman could fail to recognize the value of such swordsmanship.
Though wild and tyrannical, the oppressive swordplay completely crushed and shattered the Ice Orangutans.
"Was there someone like that?"
"What the hell is that guy?"
"A first-year... wasn't he? Just now, a first-year..."
"Must've seen wrong. Or maybe the principal's lackey disguised himself as a first-year."
Listening to his friends' chatter, Balpatan tilted his head in confusion.
Strangely, the face looked familiar.
He's gotten even stronger!
The King of Frost Giants marveled.
Mortals were always astonishing beings.
They grew at unbelievable rates in the briefest spans unseen.
But even knowing that, the mortal before his eyes was truly astounding.
How could he be like this?
Watching him now, charging through the horde of Ice Orangutans, he resembled a battle-hardened warrior.
Even across dimensions, such warriors were rare.
"Give me... your neck!"
What splendid fighting spirit!
The King of Frost Giants wasn't offended by Lee Han's glare and demand.
A warrior who had grown to such heights had every right to speak like that.
You deal with him.
-Understood.
The Ice Orangutans halted their attacks and began retreating. As the oppressive presence rippled around him, Lee Han frowned and raised his sword.
What appeared was a penguin several times larger than the other penguin swordsmen.
-Let's have a good match.
"Why waste words on someone who'll fall beneath my blade anyway?"
-No one knows who'll be left standing when the battle ends!
Baron Penguin swung one wing, conjuring a whirlwind. Though called a whirlwind, it was a vicious attack that shredded everything around like blades.
Naturally, Lee Han didn't fall for it. In an instant, he created distance, then kicked and launched the remaining ice shards around him.
Baron Penguin stepped on those shards, leapt into the air, and summoned aura into his other wing before thrusting toward Lee Han.
Lee Han blocked the attack by turning Morning Star sideways. Even so, the force of Baron Penguin's assault buried Lee Han halfway into the ground.
Instead of dodging, Lee Han willingly put himself at a disadvantage—a move that made Baron Penguin suspicious.
A seasoned warrior wouldn't take such an attack head-on so unfavorably.
What is he planning—?!
The answer came immediately.
Lee Han's body, half-buried in the ground, suddenly shot forward—far faster than Baron Penguin had anticipated.
Like an arrow loosed from a tightly drawn bowstring, Lee Han lunged. Baron Penguin was stunned. 'Wasting mana like this?!'
If mana could be infused into the body to strengthen it, other techniques were possible too.
Compressing mana into his own body and launching himself like this was one of them.
But this was excessive waste.
Just to lure him in by making him drop his guard—was this reckless act worth it?
Magnificent!
The King of Frost Giants was impressed.
Getting that close to Baron Penguin was no easy feat.
Baron Penguin was a swordsman who wielded powerful magic with one wing and formidable swordplay with the other.
Instead of dragging out a tedious battle of attrition, this mortal had provoked Baron Penguin into closing the distance.
A mortal who couldn't overcome fear would never have done such a thing.
Only a warrior who truly understood bravery and honor could achieve this.
Boom!
A series of dull impacts resounded as the two warriors, now at close quarters, exchanged brutal blows.
Not just swords—shoulders clashed against shoulders, legs against legs. Shockwaves erupted, and blood sprayed.
The victor soon became clear. Baron Penguin lowered his wings and stepped back.
The first strike had done too much damage, and his opponent's attacks weren't just aura—they absorbed mana too. Dragging it out wouldn't lead to victory.
"Magnificent, mortal. I shall remember your fearless name. May the day come when we cross paths again!"
'...?'
Lee Han, who had been listening, froze for a moment.
What did he just say?
Unwanted guests have arrived.
The King of Frost Giants turned his gaze.
From the distance, an enraged lord was approaching.
Retreat! Send the withdrawal signal.
The remaining penguin forces and Ice Orangutans quickly began their retreat.
Not wishing to fight the Skeleton Principal, the King of Frost Giants retreated through the remaining dimensional rift.
I won't forget today's display. Don't disappoint me next time!
"......"
"I am satisfied!"
Oblivious to Lee Han's troubled thoughts, Anpursas cheerfully shouted before being sucked back into the bracelet.
The fierce battle today had satisfied Anpursas.
"..."
I won't summon you again." -???
He had no idea how many future enemies he'd made today just by trying to save his seniors.
Lee Han resolved to avoid icy places or anything penguin-related for a long time.
The Skeleton Principal floated over and surveyed the devastated surroundings with indifference.
Though the seniors had been fearlessly fighting moments ago, they tensed slightly at the Headmaster's appearance.
"Headmaster. We didn't cause any trouble."
"We even sealed the rift."
'Hmm. Amateurs.'
Lee Han sighed at his seniors' unnecessary excuses before being asked.
That was amateur behavior.
Professionals keep quiet and wait for opportunities.
Instead of answering, the Skeleton Principal scanned the area again.
Not knowing what he was looking for, Balpatan cautiously asked:
"Are you searching for something, sir?"
There was no way the Headmaster would act like this just because the area was wrecked. This level of chaos was normal at Einrogard.
Is there something you're looking for?
Yes.
"May we ask what it is?"
I was considering who to send to the Punishment Room.
"......"
"......"
"Ah, no. This was just a festival, and the rift wasn't really..."
"No buildings collapsed..."
"The walls are fine..."
"We didn't loot the Headmaster's storage... right? If anyone did, just come forward now."
"......"
Lee Han was speechless at his seniors' conversation.
And the Skeleton Principal seemed equally exasperated.
Making a first-year fight like that—what were they thinking?
"Huh?"
"Where's the first-year?"
At the confused reactions, the Headmaster made a clicking sound.
At first, he considered locking up everyone involved in the festival, but upon reflection, there were mitigating circumstances.
With that Wardanaz brat causing such chaos, how could the seniors have known he was a first-year?
Fine. Let those who don't know remain ignorant.
"...?"
But there are still those who deserve the Punishment Room. Those who asked a first-year for magical help—step forward now!
Balpatan chuckled upon hearing that.
"Who would even... huh?"
"???"
The students gasped as Coholti and Anpagon stepped forward with bowed heads.
"What?"
"What in the...?"
What else? Shameless brats.
The Skeleton Principal floated away, taking the offenders and Lee Han with him.
The remaining students stared in utter confusion at their retreating figures.
"Did you already use the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Demons? How much mana did you pour into it?"
The Skeleton Principal grasped what had happened just by looking at the scene.
"I didn't pour any in, though?"
The Headmaster summoned a Bone Hand and extended it toward Lee Han.
Coholti, who happened to be in its path, got smacked and looked bewildered.
"Huh?"
See? What did you just witness?
"Um... that the Headmaster was angry at Senior Coholti?"
I had no intention of hitting anyone, but you got struck just for being in the way.
'You definitely looked like you meant to hit him...'
"Yes."
That's what your mana does. You should've checked the bracelet's changes yourself.
"......"
Coholti, listening nearby, muttered without thinking:
"How would a first-year know to...?"
Silence!
"Eep, eep."