Episode 542
Episode 542
Meanwhile, down below, Professor Voladi and Ikurusha grew puzzled as Lee Han took longer than expected to return.
"He's late."
-Hmm.
Ikurusha's expression darkened, clearly worried.
Of course, judging purely by the combat prowess of the giants who had gone with Lee Han, they were a reliable force—one that would struggle to find worthy opponents even in these treacherous mountains.
But Ikurusha also knew just how capricious giants could be.
If they spotted a behemoth along the way and thought, 'That looks tasty!', they might swarm after it, and a young student like Lee Han could easily get swept up in the chaos.
-Still, if that student ran into trouble, he probably would've contacted us. He's likely fine.
"I think you're misunderstanding."
-??
Ikurusha turned to stare at the professor, wondering what he meant.
"What I mean is, it's far more likely that Wardanaz is the one leading the giants around."
-What... Are you even hearing yourself?
Ikurusha was dumbfounded by Professor Voladi's words.
Was he seriously suggesting that a young student was forcibly dragging the giants around?
Like, the giants would be going, 'W-we wanna go back now...', and the student would be barking, 'No! Move to the next location!'?
No matter how he thought about it, the idea made no sense.
"He enjoys challenges."
-No, even if he enjoys them, leading giants around isn't just a challenge—it's absurd.
Even for a mage who loved challenges, being stuck with giants would make anyone reconsider their life choices—like, 'Actually, I think I prefer a peaceful life.'
Ikurusha was 100% certain of that.
That was just how rough and wild the daily lives of giants were.
-We're back!
-!!
Ikurusha, still mid-conversation, jolted in surprise as he spotted the giants returning from the distance.
They were covered head to toe in swamp mud and debris, with minor injuries scattered across their bodies.
For giants to sustain that level of damage, there weren't many suspects in these mountains.
-What the hell did you do?
-Went to clear out a Ghoul Dragon with that old yaksha.
-We weren't gonna do it, but the mage made us.
-!
Ikurusha turned to Lee Han with a shocked expression.
Under normal circumstances, he would've assumed, 'The yaksha requested it, and the student helped persuade the giants to agree.' But thanks to Professor Voladi's earlier remark, Ikurusha momentarily fell into a misunderstanding.
-Seriously?!
-Huh? Yeah.
'Why's he acting like that?'
Lee Han tilted his head, puzzled by Ikurusha's unusually stunned expression.
Then again, thinking about it, it made sense.
He had gone up there just to do some light work with the giants, only to end up accomplishing something far bigger.
"My apologies. The yaksha elder insisted, so we had no choice—"
"It's fine."
Professor Voladi cut off his student's apology, as if he had already expected this.
"What's done is done."
"Ah. Right."
"But try to avoid excessively reckless challenges. I believe I warned you before."
"......"
Lee Han stared at the professor, speechless.
Who was the one saying that to whom here?
* * *
Later, Ratford looked at Lee Han, who was unusually limp and sluggish, and asked:
"Did you not sleep well?"
"No... I just caused a ruckus climbing the mountain this morning..."
"Oh dear. Was it because of the White Tiger Tower?"
A White Tiger Tower student passing by flinched.
'Gasp. Was it really because of us?'
"No. It was because of a Ghoul Dragon and some giants..."
'Phew. Not us.'
The relieved White Tiger Tower student took a few more steps before suddenly shrieking.
"Wait, what?! A Ghoul Dragon?! Giants?!"
"Why are you eavesdropping on other people's conversations?! You thieving scoundrel!"
"N-no! I just overheard it while passing by! Just passing by!"
While Ratford bickered with the White Tiger Tower student, Lee Han stuffed a thick chicken sandwich—loaded with pickles—into his stomach.
He needed to recover his energy before the Illusion Magic lecture began.
"Yuck!"
At the sharp sound, Lee Han turned to see Ymirg tearing into a thick chicken leg whole.
When their eyes met, Ymirg hesitated before asking:
"W-want some?"
"I'm good with this. But... never mind."
Lee Han almost asked why Ymirg wasn't sitting with his Turtle Tower friends but beside him and Ratford, then stopped himself.
Ratford had always been friendly, but Ymirg was usually more reserved.
'Heh. All that effort feeding him during the flood is paying off.'
Lee Han felt a warm satisfaction at seeing his efforts triumph over the Wardanaz family's notorious reputation.
Even after helping the Black Turtle Tower students when he first entered Einrogard, their reactions like "Eek! The Wardanaz monster—I mean family!" still lingered faintly in his mind.
"Huh? Why's Ymirg sitting there?"
"Oh no...! We're too late! We should've sat by Wardanaz!"
The Black Turtle Tower students, belatedly remembering the nature of Illusion Magic lectures, slapped their knees in frustration.
Having someone like Wardanaz—unshakable and steadfast—amidst sensory chaos was immensely helpful when various illusions assaulted their senses.
To anticipate and prepare for that in advance... Top students truly were different.
"Damn it. I should've taken the seat behind him."
"Move! I was here first!"
"White Tiger Tower bastards, are you that desperate? After all your insults about Wardanaz, now you want to use him?"
"N-no way! The thought of using Wardanaz as a shield never even crossed my—!"
"......"
Listening in, Lee Han felt a pang of betrayal.
'Ungrateful wretches.'
"Now, now. Good to see you all!"
The classroom door opened, and Professor Kirmin entered. His attire was so impeccable it could rival the most fashion-conscious professors in Einrogard.
From the front pocket of his deep-blue velvet vest, Professor Kirmin pulled out a small stone fragment and tossed it to the nearest student.
Bang!
"Ugh... Aaah! AAAAAH!"
"Stop, no! Stay calm. Stay calm."
Though Professor Kirmin had taught basic, fascinating spells in the first semester, by the second semester, he gradually shifted to countering Illusion Magic.
And to learn how to counter illusions, one had to experience them—repeatedly.
"Not just in Einrogard, but anywhere in the Empire, you'll encounter illusions and enchantments. If you're unprepared, you could suffer greatly. Remember that unfortunate dwarf Gruianggeum I told you about, who fell hard for an illusion?"
"Yes!"
"Gotcha! Weak spot!"
With shameless timing, Professor Kirmin blew smoke from a glass bottle at the student who'd just inhaled to answer.
The smoke scattered the student's mana, briefly paralyzing their resistance before dragging them into an illusion.
"Headmaster! Aaah! It's the Headmaster!!"
Watching the student succumb to an illusion of the Skeleton Principal attacking them, Professor Kirmin smiled apologetically.
"Sorry. This is how you learn."
There were two main ways to resist Illusion Magic.
The first was preventing the illusion from taking hold in the first place.
Like Lee Han, with his strong resistance. Or equipping multiple artifacts for defense. Or staying vigilant to avoid contact altogether.
Illusion Magic wasn't like verbal spells—it couldn't be cast without constraints.
Some form of contact was usually necessary, and blocking that contact alone could be effective.
"Huuuuh...!"
As the professor approached, one student held their breath and shut their eyes.
Professor Kirmin chuckled and waved his staff. Magic flew out, plunging the student into an illusion.
"Ah. Wardanaz, could you do me a favor?"
"Yes, Professor."
Lee Han stood warily. Professor Kirmin waved his hand dismissively.
"You have a natural resistance, so you don't need to be so wary. It's not like I'm Professor Bagrak or anything."
"The headmaster always says we should trust him too."
Professor Kirmin Ku made a genuinely hurt expression.
"Hey, I'm trying to teach you all how to deal with illusion magic here. Comparing me to the headmaster is just too much, don't you think?"
Lee Han carefully took the note and stepped out into the hallway. Fortunately, there were no further attacks until he left. 'What kind of errand is this?' Standing in the hallway while the other students get attacked.
Professor Kirmin Ku: "......"
-Damn it! Wardanaz! You stupid Wardanaz brat! What am I supposed to do if you just leave like that?!
-Haha, you shouldn't let your guard down like this! Did you forget that illusion mages must always maintain their vigilance?
While Lee Han was briefly away, Professor Kirmin mercilessly slaughtered all the students who had trusted him.
As everyone broke out in cold sweat and snapped out of the illusions, the professor spoke with a tone of regret.
"Completely avoiding illusions is practically impossible. Especially when your skills are still low. So..."
Mid-sentence, Professor Kirmin locked eyes with Lee Han.
"Right. Except for you, Wardanaz."
"I didn't say anything, Professor."
"You need to learn how to calmly break free even if you do get caught."
The second method to counter illusion magic was to calmly dispel it after being ensnared.
It began with awareness.
Once aware, you gradually amplify the sense of dissonance around you. Accumulate enough of that dissonance, and you can analyze the structure of the magic affecting you to reverse and dispel it.
At this stage, the more you knew about various magics, the better. After all, identifying the nature of the magic was easier when you already understood its principles rather than relying solely on instinct.
"Illusion magic favors experienced mages, but that doesn't mean you can skip practice. Wardanaz. Just so you know, today, brute-forcing your way out is prohibited, understood?"
"Professor. I'm truly sorry about last time when I destroyed all the magic circles. But I really didn't know what would happen—it was an accident..."
Lee Han grumbled inwardly at Professor Kirmin's petty grudge over the incident where he had accidentally obliterated the magic circles during the previous lecture.
How was he supposed to predict that?!
"Right. Accidents happen. Though with someone like you, Wardanaz, I suspect you knew what you were doing."
"Yeah."
"You really did it on purpose?"
The nearby students looked at him with admiration and awe.
Could it be that Wardanaz had destroyed the magic circles for their sake?
"No, you idiots."
"Aww..."
At Lee Han's stern expression, the students immediately deflated.
Thud!
As the professor waved his staff, a mountain of chests piled up before the students.
The crudely carved wooden boxes all had intricate and sharp-looking locks.
The mana emanating from them made the students groan.
They could guess what they'd be doing today.
"When exploring ruins or dungeons, you'll often encounter illusion magic combined with mechanical traps. A skilled mage can disable the mechanisms just by analyzing the illusion magic's structure."
"Professor. I don't plan on ever entering a dungeon in my life..."
"Such confidence! But you might want to set that aside for now. At Einrogard, dungeons aren't something you choose."
The student who had grumbled and received this ominous prophecy about their future clutched the box with a sorrowful expression.
Pfft!
"Gahk!"
A student who mishandled the box was hit by the smoke inside and fell under an illusion.
The others recoiled in even greater disgust.
Who would enjoy such tedious and meticulous work?
Most mages loved only the glamorous aspects of magic—few appreciated the bothersome details.
"Hey. This is actually fun! Ratford, can you check? Did I solve it correctly?"
"Absolutely splendid, sir."
"How skilled do you need to be to enter a dungeon without bringing a technician?"
"I believe this level is more than sufficient, but...?"
"What are you saying, Ratford? You're great, but your tendency to overestimate me is a flaw."
"No, really, it seems sufficient..."