Episode 576
Episode 576
On Monday, the students stepped out of the dormitory tower carrying a mix of emotions—tension, frustration, fear, regret, resignation, and anticipation.
"Are you looking forward to it now, Nilia?"
"Goodness. How confident are you...?"
"Ah, no! I was just excited because the semester ends after this week!"
"No need to be modest, Nilia. Since we didn't study, you can afford to be confident."
"I told you I'm not confident...!"
As if blessing the final week, thick snowflakes began falling from the sky.
"It's snowing."
"Now that we're dressed warmly, it actually looks kind of pretty."
"Right. It wouldn't hurt if it snowed even more."
The students were noticeably more at ease. When they used to wander around in tattered coats, no amount of magic could stop the cold wind from seeping in. But now, properly armed with winter gear, things were different. Wrapped in thick fabrics scavenged from outside and with heated potions tucked in their coat pockets, they remained composed even in the heavy snowfall.
"Don't say such foolish things." Nilia's expression turned stern. Having spent nights in the coldest parts of the northern mountain ranges, she knew all too well how terrifying snow could be. What reckless talk!
"Everyone, pray that the snow doesn't get worse by next week. Understood?"
"S-sorry, Nilia."
"We were wrong..."
The Black Turtle Tower friends grew sullen under Nilia's sharp gaze. They had only thought the white snow was beautiful, but Nilia was far too strict.
Lee Han was the first to arrive at Professor Garcia's lecture hall. He had woken up early to stop by the stables and placate the sulking Ponlig before returning to the dormitory to prepare breakfast. Thanks to the priests rising early to help, everything had finished much faster than expected.
"Good morning, Professor."
"Lee Han. Why are you here so early?"
Professor Garcia, who had been conducting a final check on the prepared final exams, looked at Lee Han in puzzlement.
"I wanted to help."
"I gave you time to rest—what am I supposed to do if you come early?"
Waving his hand, the professor gestured for Lee Han to sit down beside him.
"Just prepare for your other exams. The finals are already set anyway."
"Understood. But if you need any assistance, please call me."
As he walked, Lee Han glanced around the examination area. Professor Garcia's final exam was designed to test all the practical life magic they had learned this semester—using <Underwater Breathing> to dive into deep waters, <Lesser Detoxification> to neutralize poison, <Vision Amplification> to navigate underwater... Since the professor had demonstrated it himself last week, Lee Han already knew the drill.
But...
"Professor. Shouldn't the water be darker?" Lee Han asked, puzzled. He was certain he had mentioned to Professor Garcia that the water should be darker.
"Ah, that. After checking, I thought this level would be fine."
"Really...?"
'It should be darker, though.'
No matter how much he thought about it, Lee Han still believed it needed to be darker. But he decided to accept it for now—if Professor Garcia said so, there must be a reason.
"By the way, Professor. Were fake passages added?"
"No. I didn't think it was necessary to go that far."
"Ah, but wouldn't fake passages make it better?"
Though dissolving dark element into the water was out of the question, Lee Han still thought fake passages would add value. It would undoubtedly make the exam more exciting.
"It would make it too difficult."
"I see..."
Lee Han grew slightly restless. Just like last time, Professor Garcia was being overly considerate, and Lee Han hadn't been able to repay him at all.
'I have to find some way to improve it.'
"What about the poison...?"
"Lee Han. Sit down and study something else."
"Yes..."
With a reluctant sigh, Lee Han took his seat. As he pulled out a book to study, Professor Garcia suddenly spoke up, as if struck by a thought.
"Lee Han."
"Ah! Is there something I can help with?"
"Not that. Do you, by any chance, grow giants?"
"?!?!!"
"Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that Lee Han is sitting over there?"
Gainando asked his friends while preparing for the exam. From the moment they entered the lecture hall, Lee Han had been sitting in the chair next to the professor, reading a book from another school of magic.
"It's not weird."
"He probably took it early."
"Or maybe he just passed already. Hey, Gainando, did you cast <Underwater Breathing> properly this time? Don't spit out water like last time."
"That was one mistake!"
"One becomes two, two becomes three. Go on, get in."
Splash! One by one, the students dove into the water to take their exams.
Meanwhile, Lee Han, who had been squeezing out every last word for his paper on <Wardanaz's Water Prison Bomb and Its Fundamental Principles>, paused briefly. Then he approached Nilia as she emerged from completing her test.
"Gasp... Hah... That was close!"
"Nilia. Nilia."
Nilia brightened at the sight of Lee Han approaching. Professor Garcia's final exam had been far more exhausting and mentally draining than expected. Navigating the dim underwater maze without falling for traps while searching for the correct path required constant focus—there was no room to relax.
In that exhausted and weary state, seeing a friend waiting to cheer her up made her think—perhaps this was what true friendship felt like.
"Here. Drink this."
"..."
"Thank you." Niliaria softened her usual sharp demeanor, slightly touched. As she sipped the steaming coffee, Lee Han casually asked,
"Was the water too bright by any chance?"
"What? What kind of question is that?"
"Like... were the pathways too easy to find when you went in?"
"No. It was dark and hard to navigate." Niliaria shivered as she spoke. The water had been colder than expected, and the physical toll was no joke.
"Really? You didn't miscast your spell or anything?"
"..."
"Wardanaz, you... what are you doing right now?" Nilia stared at Lee Han with a highly suspicious look in her eyes. At first, she had been touched, but the more she listened, the more it seemed like this conversation had some sinister ulterior motive.
"No. Nothing. Here, have this too."
"Are you trying to placate me with snacks right now—"
"By the way, it snowed a lot today. Does the Shadow Patrol still move around even in weather like this?"
"That's usually the case."
"Wow. That's really impressive."
"It's not that impressive. Just basic. People from the northern mountain ranges are used to snow. There was this one time—we got stuck in a small hut used by mountain rangers, and a blizzard raged for a whole week. There was absolutely no way to get out..."
Lee Han nodded and glanced sideways. Another friend was approaching.
"Yoner. Yoner. Here, have some coffee."
"Huh? Thanks—"
"Was the water too bright by any chance?"
"......"
Yoner, who had been sipping the coffee while lost in thought, suddenly stared intently at Lee Han before asking in return, "Did you tell Professor Garcia to increase the exam difficulty?"
"...?!"
Lee Han was startled and looked at his friend in shock. Yoner shook her head vigorously.
Alchemy Final Exam.
Professor Thunderstep was utterly baffled as he watched students lugging in bundles of reagents.
"Among all the students I've taught, I've never seen ones as relaxed during an exam as you lot."
"Thank you, Professor."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"Then we take back our thanks, Professor."
Professor Thunderstep hung Ratford upside down and continued speaking.
"Normally, the exam starts with gathering materials, but you've already prepared everything in advance..."
"Isn't preparation also part of one's skill?"
"Wardanaz, this is all because of you!"
Professor Thunderstep was exasperated by his shameless apprentice's attitude. This brat had gone out with his friends and swept up all the reagents in one go!
"Fine. Preparation is part of skill. I won't say anything more. The headmaster might dislike you going out, but I don't really care."
"Then please let him down..."
Professor Thunderstep dropped Ratford with a thud. Then, he moved the chalk and wrote on the blackboard.
Resistance Potion
'Got it!'
Lee Han felt relieved upon seeing the potion's name. Students who had prepared well for the exam reacted similarly.
<Resistance Potion> had been one of the topics they suspected might appear on the final.
"What's a Resistance Potion?"
"......"
Of course, not all friends had studied equally hard.
Professor Thunderstep gave a disdainful look to the student who asked, despite having explained it multiple times during lectures, and answered,
"As I've said before, this Resistance Potion must act in a broad spectrum. Some half-baked alchemists make potions that only work in one area and delude themselves, but don't you make that mistake."
The Resistance Potion was a concoction that boosted the drinker's endurance—something akin to defense. The reason it wasn't called a Defense Potion was simple: it was a slightly different concept.
A Defense Potion would harden the skin to deflect an incoming arrow, but a Resistance Potion would reduce the pain even if a powerful shockwave from the arrow rattled the body internally.
Sometimes, peculiar monsters inflicted damage through sight or hearing. Creatures that made you vomit blood just by looking at them or collapse just from hearing their cries fell into this category.
Even without going that far, illusion mages often cast spells by targeting the opponent's five senses.
For situations like these, something like a Resistance Potion was essential.
'Crush the bear stone in a bronze mortar, sift it three times, stir twice with a wand, then boil until the water turns golden...'
Lee Han and the other top alchemy students proceeded with their work without hesitation.
Professor Thunderstep watched them and asked,
"Seems like you forgot to measure in advance?"
At that, the students pulled out newly purchased balance-scale Artifacts.
Watching the self-adjusting scales measure the ingredients automatically, Professor Thunderstep's face twisted in displeasure.
'Now I understand why the headmaster hates letting them go out so much!'
Seeing the freshmen easily brew potions with Artifacts made him want to nitpick for no reason.
"Hmph. The Resistance Potion isn't that easy. If you rush like that, you'll definitely—"
Boom!
Flames erupted from Nilia's cauldron.
Only then did Professor Thunderstep's expression soften into satisfaction.
"There. That's what happens. Reviving that will be quite the challenge."
But Nilia paid no mind and dumped the entire contents of the cauldron. Then, she pulled out fresh reagents from her bag and immediately resumed work.
Since she had enough to fail several more times without issue, it wasn't a big setback.
"......"
Professor Thunderstep resolved that next year's first-year final exam would use reagents impossible to obtain commercially.
"Wardanaz. I need to test the effects—any recommended spells?"
Batrek approached Lee Han. Given his excellence in alchemy, it seemed he intended to help test the potions for other White Tiger Tower students.
"Normally, you'd drink it and then cast a spell to deliver impact, but if that's not possible, you'd have to stimulate the five senses instead."
Loud noises, strong smells, or spicy tastes could be used to check if the potion worked.
Batrek fell into thought upon hearing that.
"Stimulation, huh..."
"Here's an onion. How about this?"
"Might be a good idea."
"Did you drink the potion? Try eating this."
Lee Han fed Batrek a slice of onion. Batrek grimaced.
"This one was made wrong."
"Too bad. Try the next potion. Did you drink it? Here."
"Ugh."
Batrek drank a potion, ate onion, drank another potion, ate more onion. Before long, tears welled up in his eyes.
"Batrek! I remade it!"
"..."
"Hey, this one seems to be working. The onion isn't spicy."
"Really?!" Lee Han, who had been watching from the side, tilted his head in confusion. "No way? The color looks murky."
"..."
"Thank you so much, Wardanaz. I almost overlooked this by mistake."
"Don't mention it." Lee Han cheered Batrek on. Seeing him finish his own potion and then help his fellow White Tiger Tower students was truly admirable.
"Wardanaz, if you're done, get out."
"I was planning to filter it a bit more to increase purity..."
"It's perfect. Leave."
"You didn't even check it?"
"It must be perfect. Move aside. Yep, full marks."
"But I worked so hard on it..."
With a wet squelch, the Thunderstep Professor used the ladle he was holding to shove the reluctant Lee Han out of the classroom.