Episode 700
Episode 700
"I didn't expect you to appear even though I didn't summon you."
-The dark energy here is truly abundant!
The undead mage, Verdus, took a deep breath of the overflowing power.
Originally, beings from other dimensions couldn't be resummoned until their power recovered after being summoned once.
Moreover, Verdus still bore wounds from his injuries inflicted by the Ghoul King.
Even Verdus himself hadn't expected to manifest without being summoned, repeatedly checking his surroundings in disbelief.
A mighty spider monstrosity was rampaging, exhaling increasingly venomous breaths.
-Wait. Surely this isn't another one of the master's tests like last time?
"Uh, about that..."
Lee Han hesitated.
He was the same Lee Han who had mistakenly summoned Verdus during the Black Magic midterm exam to block the seniors' Undead Wave.
After fighting hard for his contractor, Verdus had later unleashed a torrent of curses upon learning the truth.
'Is this another master's test?'
Strictly speaking, it was the headmaster's test, but since it was essentially an accident, one could argue it wasn't a test at all...
-Probably not. No master would use such a monstrosity as exam material.
"......"
-But why are those Death Knights staring at me like that?
The undead mage grew puzzled under the Death Knights' gaze.
These weren't rookie trainee knights but Death Knights who had experienced both the glories of life and the hardships of death—yet they were staring at him with unusual fear.
One Death Knight cautiously asked:
-Did you... turn the professor into undead?
"No, I did not."
Lee Han answered with a stern face.
No matter the misunderstanding, this was going too far.
The Death Knights seemed disappointed by his answer.
-Tch!
-We were... kind of hoping...
"......"
The undead mage beckoned Lee Han for an explanation. The Death Knights' behavior had been strange from the start.
"Ah. Well, there's a mage who bears the Verdus family name. The relationship between him and these Death Knights isn't exactly... amicable."
-I see. So that's it. How unbecoming of Death Knights to be so jumpy. No matter how matching the family name, to fear a mere mage...
"Haha."
Lee Han thought their opinions might change slightly if they met Professor Verdus.
There was a fear toward Professor Verdus that transcended mere strength.
-Besides, there must be hundreds of Verdus families across the continent, let alone other realms.
"Quite right."
-Tsk tsk. By the way, what species was that mage?
"Huh? Why do you ask?"
-Back when I still had this flesh-and-blood body, I was a beaver beastman. Just thought I'd ask since it's not a common species!
"......"
Lee Han felt a terror greater than when Anansi had been summoned. It was as if all the blood drained from his body, leaving him frozen.
Surely not?
'No. It must be coincidence.'
Though the undead mage before him was a lich who had worked in the Ghoul King's palace, at heart he was a decent and upright person.
There was no way such a person could be Professor Verdus's ancestor.
-Why are you still standing there unharmed?
"!"
Anansi, who had been clearing away the bothersome Death Knights, finally noticed Lee Han and flashed his eyes.
The Death Knights urgently cried out:
-Verd... Mage! Help us!
-Verd... Verd... Damn it, we request reinforcements!
-Understood! Let's cooperate!
Being an experienced lich, the undead mage wasted no more time on pointless chatter.
Snakes, bones, and dark elements moved as he drew a magic circle.
-You, get in here!
-Is this a protective magic circle?
When Lee Han entered the circle, the Death Knights asked.
It looked unusual for a protection spell.
-It's a mana absorption circle, no?
"It is a mana absorption circle."
-......
At the answers from the undead mage and Lee Han, the Death Knights froze momentarily.
They were torn between whether to subdue Anansi first or the lich attempting to drain their master's disciple's mana.
'Why is the honored disciple so calm while having his mana drained?'
'Well, one can't study under our master without a touch of madness, no?'
While the Death Knights hesitated, the undead mage finished charging his mana.
Since the contractor's mana was overflowing to begin with, preparing wasn't particularly difficult. Moreover, the surrounding area was saturated with dark elements...
-Engrave upon me, Pentagrammaton!
Overwhelmed by the surging power, the undead mage even deployed a Small World.
The mage and the nearby limits of black magic were lifted, and dozens—no, hundreds—of spells were completed even before the incantation finished.
A black aura enveloped the Death Knights, thickening their armor. Their swords, already burning with a ghastly negative energy, grew even sharper and more menacing.
-■■■■■■■■■■...
The spells were cast so rapidly—far beyond the limits of perception—that the words of the incantations couldn't even be heard.
Yet, despite this, the spells neither interfered with nor affected one another. Without the slightest error, they precisely strengthened the Death Knights and weakened Anansi.
-AAARGH!
Even Anansi, who had relied solely on its tough exoskeleton to recklessly charge through any attack, now writhed in pain as dozens of curses crashed into it like a tidal wave.
Properly reinforced, the Death Knights roared and surged forward.
-W-wait! Hold on!
-Too late. You should've listened when we spoke earlier!
Though they couldn't summon the vibrant mana they once wielded in life, the Death Knights' powers—sworn to the Lord of Death—far surpassed such limitations.
A vessel without limits, capable of endlessly channeling the power of darkness!
Borrowing the might of black magic, the Death Knights radiated a pitch-black aura and properly butchered Anansi.
-Excellent!
The undead mage watched the Death Knights' battle with satisfaction.
He had thought them pitiful knights, getting frightened by some mage with an overlapping family name—but seeing them fight, it was clear they had been truly valiant warriors in life.
THUD!
As the giant spider finally collapsed, the undead mage expressed his gratitude for the knights' devotion.
-You've all done well. May your blades be as eternal as your renown!
-Mage, may your magic too be everlasting!
-But... where did that spider come from?
-Sigh. The Headmaster must've unleashed it to test the students.-......
The undead mage gaped and turned to stare at Lee Han.
Lee Han quickly fled back toward the other students.
After the battle ended and the commotion settled (which included restraining and sending back the undead mage, who was excitedly spewing curses), the Death Knights resumed their inspections.
This time, unlike before, the process was quiet and peaceful.
All the students attempting smuggling had already been caught, and everyone was utterly exhausted.
-Proceed.
"Thank you."
-Proceed.
"Is that the same guy from earlier?"
-I said proceed, student. But to answer your question—yes.
"Wow..."
"Is he really a Wardanaz? I thought that was just an Einrogard rumor."
"So the Skeleton Principal didn't fabricate that story after all?"
Even amidst the earlier chaos, the seniors who had seen Lee Han darting through Anansi's toxic breath alongside the Death Knights murmured in amazement.
Lee Han lifted Gyeongnan-do to avoid their stares. Gyeongnan-do, displeased, flailed in protest.
-Proceed.
"Ah. Yes. Sorry! Hey, junior! Ever thought about joining the Polo Club... GACK!"
The Death Knights firmly disciplined any students breaking the rules.
Club recruitment, faction invitations, research proposals—they couldn't let unprepared second-years be so easily swayed.
-No club promotions. No faction pitches either.
-And honestly, faction pitches are meaningless anyway. Since, well...
"......"
Lee Han gave the Death Knights a wounded look. Realizing their blunder, the Death Knights coughed awkwardly and averted their eyes.
-Your bag, please.
"Here you go."
Lee Han handed over the confiscation-ready bag—one filled just enough to be plausible.
The warehouse keeper and Death Knights glanced around furtively before whispering.
-You may pass.
"Huh?"
-Just go ahead. Frankly, after all that suffering, you deserve to take this much in.
Even the warehouse keeper—whose eyes were bandaged and thus unseen—radiated sympathy.
Even among the Skeleton Principal's minions, there were few who didn't feel pity for Lee Han.
"...Ah, no. You can't just arbitrarily change school rules like that..."
Of course, from Lee Han's perspective, this was a bewildering situation.
Just in case, Lee Han cautiously asked,
"By any chance... are you letting me pass because I fought alongside Anansi earlier?"
His question carried desperation—
the desperation of someone trying to preserve the meaning behind all his suffering during the underground smuggling operation.
-That's not it. The Headmaster's direct disciple was always going to be allowed to bring in a few things.
-Just pass through quickly.
"...Thank you..."
With slumped shoulders, Lee Han gathered his backpack and trudged forward.
The Death Knights exchanged puzzled looks at his reaction.
-Why isn't he happier about this?
-Probably acting. The master's eyes are everywhere in this school, after all.
-Indeed...! This might sound somewhat rude, but it just goes to show the Headmaster's disciples aren't just anyone.
-Hoho. Naturally!
* * *
'...'
It wasn't a complete waste.'
Regaining his composure as he passed through inspection and headed toward the Blue Dragon Tower, Lee Han reflected.
Truthfully, the Death Knights had probably taken pity on him because it was just a backpack—had he brought an entire smuggling cart, even they would've likely said, "This is too much."
The underground smuggling operation hadn't been entirely pointless after all.
"You're absolutely right, Lee Han. That was definitely not a wasted effort."
Gainando spoke in an uncharacteristically serious tone.
Lee Han felt slightly moved.
"You think so too?"
"I literally ate poison as part of that sacrifice!"
"......"
Yoner whispered from the side,
"That makes twenty-three times now."
"...Just let it slide until we get inside."
Having finished the inspection, the second-year students gradually gathered before the Blue Dragon Tower and froze when they spotted an upperclassman waiting there.
The bored-looking senior from the Blue Dragon Tower—who had been idly tapping the tip of her snakeskin boot—rose from her seat as the second-years assembled.
"Everyone's here. I assume none of you second-years just came from the detention room? If any did, you can relay this to the others later. I'm Perse of the Quilberk family. I'll be advancing to fourth-year soon. I've been waiting here to explain what life as a bronze-year student at Einrogard entails."
"Senior... are you like... the fourth-year representative... student council president... or some kind of leader...?"
"No. The only reason I'm here is because I lost the drawing of lots. And forget what I just said. Don't be fooled even if the Headmaster says otherwise—unless you want to become a laughingstock. Back in my second year, I got tricked by the Headmaster into striving for a student council presidency that didn't even exist."
"......"
Perse was tall and muscular—a physique better suited to the White Tiger Tower than the Blue Dragon Tower.
Noticing the magic imbued in her snakeskin boots and the polo mallet slung across her back, Lee Han realized she either really loved polo... or used the mallet as a weapon.
"It's fortunate none of you participated in smuggling. Every year, there are always a few who fall for it."
"Shouldn't the seniors have stopped them?"
At someone's question, Perse shrugged.
"Whenever we tried to stop them, they just became more determined. Ironic, isn't it?"
"......"
"Anyway, shall we begin? As a fourth-year, I don't have much time to spare. The key things you'll need to know this year are clubs, lectures, and requests. Club recruiters will start explaining things tomorrow, so let's cover lectures first. Anyone here taking one academic faction?"
A few students raised their hands. Perse nodded approvingly.
"Not a bad idea to pick up a second specialization in your second year. It gives your research more flexibility. Anyone taking two?"
A considerable number raised their hands this time. Perse looked pleased.
"The Blue Dragon Tower students have always been the most scholarly and intellectually outstanding. By any chance... anyone taking three?"
Adenart raised her hand. Perse bowed respectfully in acknowledgment.
Even if he was a junior, any mage pursuing three academic factions deserved such courtesy.
"My respects. It's an impressive feat, but consider dropping one if it becomes too overwhelming. The professors would understand."
'Is that so?' Lee Han tilted his head inwardly.
That didn't seem right...