Episode 719
Episode 719
Ominous premonitions always had a way of coming true.
After rejecting several suggestions from Professor Voladi (some of which involved ambushing, blinding, or knocking out juniors on sight),
Lee Han immediately regretted his decision.
'Should've asked another professor instead!'
"Professor. I'd prefer to choose the most peaceful method possible."
"Why?"
"..."
'Because I don't want to be remembered as some weird rumor among the juniors? And I don't want to get payback when they become second-years either.'
"Hmm."
Professor Voladi privately wondered if someone of Lee Han's skill level really needed to worry about juniors retaliating, but he didn't voice that thought aloud.
After all, it never hurt to be cautious.
For a combat mage, reducing the number of enemies was always a sound strategy.
"What I want is... something like quick invisibility magic or a detection spell that activates when juniors approach. Professor."
"But that would be far too easy."
"..."
'Painful as it is, I suppose I'll have to endure it. Sometimes you just have to learn spells like that too.'
Lee Han couldn't understand why the word "far" had to be added to "too easy," nor why there had to be a "but" attached to it.
And he was too afraid to ask.
Respecting Lee Han's wishes, Professor Voladi nodded.
"Understood."
"Thank you."
"You do know chantless magic, don't you?"
Lee Han was stunned when Professor Voladi casually brought up one of the most advanced magical techniques.
In magic, the process of chanting incantations was an essential step that solidified the mage's will and focused it into the spell.
Even if gestures or reagents weren't used, there was no such thing as magic without incantations.
This seemingly simple act of spellcasting was, in fact, the core element of the Empire's current magical system.
'Are you telling me to die?'
This kind of incantation wasn't something you could just skip to save time. Even for a mage's safety, such practices were strictly forbidden.
If magic could be cast solely by a mage's will without incantations, then spells could be triggered simply by dreaming or experiencing intense emotions.
In fact, one of the recurring incidents reported in the Empire's newspapers involved mages who, while clumsily practicing chantless magic, ended up summoning extradimensional monsters or demons.
To cast spells without incantations, one needed near-perfect self-control—otherwise, it was impossible...
"Impossible!"
"I know. It's dangerous, so don't attempt it in secret."
"......"
Lee Han marveled at Professor Voladi's ability to infuriate people even more effectively.
Who knew he could outdo last year's record of being insufferable?
Unaware that his student was cursing him internally, Professor Voladi continued with his meticulous warning.
"What you should practice is spell shortening."
Spell shortening—or compression—was exactly what it sounded like: a technique to condense incantations into shorter forms.
Though far safer than chantless magic, it required immense concentration and mana compared to standard incantations.
Fortunately, Lee Han had the advantage of ample mana reserves.
"Wait. What about concentration?"
Human mental stamina wasn't infinite, and no matter how much mana one had, if focus became impossible, the spell wouldn't cast. In fact, the mage might just collapse outright.
Professor Voladi misunderstood Lee Han's question and answered differently.
"It's fine."
"......"
Lee Han, who had actually been asking about ways to protect his concentration or recover mentally, stared at the professor in disbelief.
What exactly was "fine" supposed to mean?
"Along with spell shortening, you should also practice magic storage."
Magic storage.
Simply put, this encompassed all methods of pre-storing magic.
Primitive as it was, even magic scrolls fell under this category—inscribing spells onto scrolls and activating them by tearing them apart.
However, since each scroll required considerable cost and took up space, it wasn't the preferred method for combat mages.
Exceptional combat mages would draw patterns on their skin using magical pigments, expending them during battles, or store magic in their cloaks or objects.
Spirits or summons could also serve as good storage vessels if one could persuade them...
'That does make sense.'
Professor Voladi's words were logically flawless.
If he didn't want to beat up his juniors or knock them unconscious, he simply needed to cast Invisibility Magic faster.
Pre-loading spells in advance would allow for much quicker responses.
"What method do you use for storage, Professor?"
"The lower forearm."
From the elbow to the wrist—a region easily accessible for mages and ideal for pre-storing magic.
Professor Voladi rolled up his sleeve to reveal several spells drawn on his wrist. They were so complex and powerful that one couldn't grasp them at a glance.
"These activate the moment I'm attacked. In order: <Bagrak's Retaliation>, <Random Teleportation>. And this one... I can't tell you about."
At the mention that the third spell couldn't be disclosed, Lee Han grew puzzled.
"Is it that dangerous a spell?"
"It's a spell that attacks if its identity is revealed."
"!"
Combat mages who roamed battlefields were both objects of terror and targets for elimination.
A mage's strength lay in the spells they wielded—the mage themselves was merely a mortal of flesh and blood.
As such, it was wise to keep some of the spells a mage could use hidden to some extent.
Even Lee Han had spells he reserved for later when beating up his White Tiger Tower friends, just in case.
But a spell that attacks simply for being identified?
'Does one have to go that far to make a name as a combat mage?'
Interpreting Lee Han's shock as curiosity, Professor Voladi encouraged his student.
"You'll have a chance to learn it someday."
"Yes... well... Wait, Professor. If I ever happen to learn that spell, wouldn't I realize its identity the moment I see it?"
"That's correct."
"Then I'd be attacked by that spell, wouldn't I?"
Professor Voladi nodded. Lee Han cursed inwardly.
'Is this guy insane?'
It was the kind of situation that warranted wishing death upon someone.
After a round of silent curses, Professor Voladi explained in detail the method of storing magic by inscribing it onto the skin.
3rd-Circle Spell, <Lesser Magic Storage>.
A spell that allowed the storage of two spells of equal or lower circle.
This spell originally incorporated principles of Enchantment Magic at a fairly deep level, making its casting difficulty higher than other spells of the same circle.
The more principles from different schools were combined, the higher the spell's difficulty rose.
However, Professor Voladi, well aware of Lee Han's skills from his training under Professor Verdus, didn't bother with additional warnings.
True to expectations, Lee Han grasped the technique almost immediately after a few reagent-consuming attempts.
"Am I doing this right, Professor?"
"Yes. You're doing well."
"Is the difficulty on the lower side, by any chance?"
Instead of answering, Professor Voladi offered a faint, dewdrop-like smile. Lee Han took it as kindness.
'So it is an easy spell.'
But what followed was unexpectedly tricky.
Despite perfectly inscribing the spell, strange deviations occurred every time he tried to activate it.
"?"
Lee Han wondered if even a supposedly low-difficulty 3rd-Circle spell was still too advanced for him to master easily.
Professor Voladi, who had been observing quietly, finally spoke.
"You have many markings."
"Huh?"
"Many markings left by powerful beings."
Whether they were spirit markings or those of other entities, such symbols naturally held power.
The stronger the being who inscribed them, the more potent the markings became.
For a mage like Lee Han, who bore the markings of great spirits like Perkuntra and Uphinum on his wrist, deviations were inevitable when trying to inscribe spells over them.
"I never even thought of that."
"Normally, people don't engrave that many."
"......"
"Is there no solution?"
"Calculate the margin of error."
"......"
At Professor Voladi's words—which essentially meant he should account for the error and draw accordingly, or in other words, just do it well—Lee Han barely suppressed a grimace and asked again.
"Isn't there an easier way?"
"Move the position upward."
It was such a simple yet effective solution that Lee Han wondered why he hadn't thought of it himself. He nodded.
"That sounds good. Then..."
"Here."
Professor Voladi pointed with his staff to the crook of Lee Han's arm, between the upper and lower arm.
Lee Han replied with an awkward expression.
"There's a phoenix sigil there, so it would overlap."
The professor moved his staff slightly higher up the arm. Lee Han's expression grew even more awkward than before.
"There's Verdus' sigil there..."
"......"
Wardanaz. It's been quite a while since we last met after the new semester started. Though we're in different towers and not exactly on the best terms, we can't deny that we respect each other as fellow mages. If you'd like to meet briefly to catch up and exchange information, come to the place where we all gathered last time.
—Salko Tutanta
"Not a trap, right?"
"Salko isn't the type to set up traps like that... Well, he is, but probably not this time?"
Lee Han spoke while moving with his friends from the Blue Dragon Tower.
Truthfully, not just Lee Han but all his tower-mates felt a similar need. Barely any time had passed since they became second-years, and already, an overwhelming flood of information had poured in.
Last year, they could have met up casually to exchange information, but this year, even that was difficult.
-If those White Tiger Tower bastards ambush you, let us know. We'll retaliate.
-Thank you, seniors.
-No need. As seniors, this much is only natural.
-In that case, could I have a piece of the bread you're eating, senior?
-Are... Are you insane? How dare you say something so rude?
The seniors of the Blue Dragon Tower weren't usually seen as particularly kind, but when it came to fights with other towers, they were extremely proactive.
To the point where things like this happened:
-Oh. Angoroda's waving.
-That bastard dares to make an insulting gesture at my junior?!
-Uh, senior. Angoro was just waving...?
-You must have seen wrong. White Tiger Tower bastards don't just wave. He definitely flipped you off when you weren't looking!
Because of this, from the juniors' perspective, openly gathering was a bit conspicuous.
There was a reason Salko had suggested meeting at the second-floor storage room where they'd gathered last year.
Lee Han and his friends checked their surroundings before entering the storage room, verifying the basement door before descending.
It was a place filled with memories—where they'd dealt with the teleportation statue last year and attempted their great escape to the Skeleton Principal's villa.
"Wardanaz!"
"Wardanaz. Is it true you joined every single club? Seriously?"
"......"
The moment they met, the first question from the other tower students made Lee Han pull a bitter face.
His friends were already wearing expressions that said, If it's Wardanaz, we can believe it.
"......"
"Yeah."
"That's insane. Wardanaz doesn't even have two bodies!"
"Would two even be enough?"
"Everyone, over here! Stop crowding around there!"
Salko's gruff voice called out.
Lee Han stepped inside.
There, he saw most of the second-year students from each tower gathered and deep in conversation.
"Moradi. Good to see you."
"Likewise."
"......"
"Uh, what, did you eat something bad?"
"Hey, switch seats with me..."
Giselle stood up irritably, but then realized that switching seats would mean sitting next to Salko.
Salko openly growled, making it clear she should scram.
"......"
"On second thought, Wardanaz is better. Sit."
"Can't I just sit somewhere else?"
Lee Han asked, thinking it would be noisy sandwiched between them, but Salko and Giselle each grabbed one of his arms and forcibly seated him between them.