Episode 74
Episode 74
How do you stop a student who has just awakened to a new magical attribute and is about to pursue that path?
You simply make them understand that stepping onto that path now could mean death.
Professor Voladi swung the orbs like a madman. It wasn't a joke—his killing intent was genuine.
Moreover...
'The weight of the orbs has increased!'
From the sensation of the orbs colliding, Lee Han realized that Professor Voladi had increased their weight.
It felt like a message: stop obsessing over pointless rotations and compress the Water Orbs further.
...Though, if he had just said that outright, Lee Han would have understood.
Sparks flew inside the nearly empty lecture hall. Amidst the tension, different from before, only the sounds of explosions echoed.
In silence, their eyes locked as they manipulated their respective spheres of magic.
'...Should I kill the professor?'
A thought surfaced in Lee Han's mind—not for the first time, admittedly.
Of course, "killing" was an exaggeration. It was closer to breaking a bone or two to make him hurt.
This wasn't an emotional judgment.
Right now, Professor Voladi was seriously hurling orbs with lethal intent.
But while Lee Han's magical control had improved drastically in a short time, he wasn't at a level where he could win a one-on-one against a seasoned veteran like Voladi.
In this situation, how could Lee Han survive?
Even if not outright killing the professor... he at least needed to disrupt his focus enough to throw him off.
'Can I do it?'
Lee Han concentrated with all his might. While maintaining the compressed, spinning Water Orb before him, another incantation flowed from his lips.
"Spring forth!"
With the chant, new water began taking shape in the air.
For a freshman with little magical experience, simultaneous spellcasting was nearly taboo—but to Lee Han, it meant nothing.
He had already proven to himself multiple times that wasting a bit of mana wasn't an issue.
And right now, Professor Voladi was a far greater threat to his life than any mana expenditure.
"!"
A glint flickered in Professor Voladi's indifferent eyes.
'Is he trying to increase the number of orbs?'
It was the kind of desperate move expected from a cornered freshman, but it wasn't a good idea.
Increasing the number of orbs would only make control harder, and Voladi could easily break through the gaps.
Acting instead of staying still was good, but the approach was wrong...
"Shield, unfold!"
Lee Han shouted with fierce determination. Instantly, a massive mass of water solidified into the shape of a sturdy shield, enveloping him.
At the sight, the corner of Professor Voladi's mouth twisted ever so slightly upward.
<Water Shield> was a 2nd-Circle spell that summoned and solidified water into a shield.
The spell itself wasn't particularly difficult.
But the boy from the Wardanaz family had never formally learned <Water Shield>.
He had deduced the magic himself.
The method of summoning water came from the 1st-Circle spell <Water Creation>.
And the method of shaping and moving that water came from the 1st-Circle spell <Lesser Manipulation>.
Some couldn't grasp a spell even when taught its incantation and gestures, but the ability to independently deduce and develop magic was an excellent sign.
To become a great mage, one couldn't just follow spells written in textbooks—they had to be able to refine and create their own.
'Better than increasing the number of orbs, but Water Shield still isn't the best choice.'
Impressed as he was, Professor Voladi prepared to deliver his lesson.
The mana-infused orb hurtled toward the shield with deadly speed.
A hastily made shield could be pierced in an instant...
BANG!!
"!"
Professor Voladi's pupils dilated ever so slightly.
The water shield was far more durable than the professor had anticipated.
Only then did Professor Voladi realize the true nature of the water shield.
It contained several times more mana than an ordinary water shield.
Since it didn't need to move as swiftly as the water orbs, Lee Han had poured mana without restraint—increasing the water volume and compressing it to reinforce the shield.
While water orbs required precise control, water shields could shine more easily with overwhelming mana quantities since they demanded relatively less control.
Before the professor could even express admiration, another water orb curved around and flew toward Voladi's head to smash it—the offense and defense had switched.
Professor Voladi tilted his head slightly to evade. Not a trace of panic showed on his face.
"Go bite him!"
Lee Han commanded the bone summon. The bone summon, which had been waiting on his belt, lunged forward.
Simultaneously, Lee Han kicked a chair from under the water shield, sending it flying. His determination to somehow crush Professor Voladi was palpable.
Professor Voladi smiled at all these attacks. Lee Han grew uneasy, as if he had encountered a Great Duke of Hell.
Behind the professor, who had only been handling a single orb until now, an additional orb materialized.
The newly appeared orb shattered the bone summon (Crunch!), smashed the flying chair (Crash!), and cleanly bisected the water shield in one stroke.
Professor Voladi looked at Lee Han. Lee Han watched cautiously, wondering what this Great Duke of Hell would say next.
"Well done."
"......"
Was this not a Great Duke of Hell but perhaps the Demon King himself?
Only after asking seventeen questions did Lee Han finally grasp—or rather, make an educated guess about—what Professor Voladi was thinking.
No, he would probably never fully and perfectly understand the professor's thoughts.
'Ah. So...'
Though the current lesson focused on controlling water orbs, Professor Voladi fundamentally appreciated students' creative attempts (if they were effective), which was why he had praised Lee Han despite him summoning a water shield, kicking a chair, and sending a bone summon.
Hearing that, Lee Han grew slightly curious whether Professor Voladi would still say "Well done" even if he set the classroom on fire.
Next time his life was threatened, he might actually consider burning the classroom down...
'No. In that case, the Skeleton Principal would kill me.'
Lee Han lamented the missed opportunity.
"You seem to have reduced your fixation on rotation."
"Thanks to you, Professor."
Lee Han had to consciously suppress the murderous edge in his voice.
"It's only natural that the rotation attribute seems appealing now. But don't be impatient. You'll focus intensively on it someday. Sometimes, the roundabout path is the shortcut."
"......"
Coming from any other professor, this would have been touching. But hearing it from Professor Voladi—who chased students with a blade at their backs to force them onto "shortcuts"—was far from inspiring.
'Though I feel like I'm already taking plenty of shortcuts as it is.'
"Yes. I won't even dream of the rotation attribute and will focus solely on what I'm learning now."
"You've probably guessed already."
"...?"
Lee Han wasn't surprised—Professor Voladi omitting parts of his speech was nothing new.
'Let me calmly decipher this.'
"The next training you'll attempt is precisely that."
"...Pardon me, but what do you mean?"
"What you just demonstrated."
Once control over a single orb became serviceable, it was time to move forward.
A mage must never stagnate, even briefly. They must constantly evolve and explore.
Professor Voladi gestured. All the surrounding tables and chairs rose simultaneously, as if threatening Lee Han.
"From now on, you'll learn to concentrate amidst chaotic surroundings."
"...Wow."
"You may reuse the methods you just demonstrated."
"Is that so?"
Lee Han was slightly surprised.
He had expected Professor Voladi to say something like, 'Block everything with just the orb to improve your skills.'
But to allow the use of shields...
"Right. I'll adjust the difficulty accordingly, so don't get impatient and just focus on the task at hand."
"......"
If Lee Han could handle the orb while using other spells, there was no need to stop him.
In fact, it would be more beneficial if he could control the orb while simultaneously casting other spells.
"Wouldn't it be better to give up on shields or summons, just like I gave up on rotation, to focus better?"
"No. Rotation directly affects your control over the Water Orb, but shields and summons don't. The sooner you adapt, the better."
Lee Han felt grateful to the Skeleton Principal.
After all, he hadn't mentioned the incident in the mountains where he had incinerated the Mud Golem with flames.
If he had brought up the flames, he couldn't even imagine what kind of horrific situation might have unfolded.
Evening.
Professor Lightning Step grew concerned when he noticed Lee Han's unusually tired face as the boy tended to the garden behind the cottage.
Of course, exhaustion was something all students at this school carried, but the boy from the Wardanaz family was far more resilient compared to the others.
Yet here he was, looking utterly drained.
"What have you been doing lately to be this exhausted?"
"Really? I'm fine."
Lee Han dug up potatoes and placed them in a basket. Even as he tried to remain composed, his fingers twitched greedily around the potatoes.
"Tell me your daily schedule."
"I'm really fine, though."
Lee Han, as if wondering why he was being asked, listed his daily routine.
First, he woke up early in the morning and went to the stables, where he forcibly coerced the unruly horses into eating, bathing, and getting groomed before taking them for a walk and returning. Then, he picked out perishable ingredients from the stock and prepared breakfast in a way that maximized quantity.
After feeding the students of the Blue Dragon Tower generously, he attended morning classes, returned to prepare lunch, and then went back for afternoon classes...
"......"
"Why do you ask?"
"Ah, no. Go on. What classes do you take? Actually, I'm curious now."
"Today, I attended Professor Voladi's lecture on the <Repetitive Training in Basic Magic Combat>."
"......"
Professor Lightning Step's face twitched violently.
Of all the classes, why did it have to be the madman Voladi's...?
"...Anyway, after finishing the lecture, I came back to tend to the garden like this."
"You were truly born to be the representative of the Blue Dragon Tower."
"?"
"Never mind. So... you spend your day like that, exhausting yourself, and you don't have any complaints about working in the garden?"
Lee Han instantly grew suspicious.
When professors usually said, 'Speak up if you have any complaints,' suspicion was the first reaction. The likelihood of it being a trap was high.
And even setting that aside, he didn't really have any complaints about the garden work itself.
"Not really?"
Lee Han held a potato in one hand and a carrot in the other as he spoke. The rewards from the garden were more than satisfying.
Professor Lightning Step suddenly felt an unwarranted pang of guilt at the sight.
...Is this really how the empire's finest talents should be living??
"W-well. Right. There's a cow I brought over behind the cottage. If you want, you can milk it whenever you need and take some."
"Professor...!"
Lee Han looked at Professor Lightning Step with unprecedented reverence. The professor, at a loss for words, held back whatever he was about to say.
While Lee Han worked in the garden, Professor Lightning Step, seemingly bored, kept asking questions.
Stories came up about spirits fleeing in fear (even though there was a tree spirit?), and how the garden's crops grew surprisingly well thanks to the tree spirit, prompting discussions about expanding cultivation (just don't give them to Thunder Step)...
As Lee Han finished his work, washing his hands in the flowing stream and shaking them dry, a sudden thought occurred to him.
"Professor. By the way, is there any flying mount available at the school?"
"...Why, why do you ask that?"
Professor Lightning Step's voice cracked oddly, but Lee Han didn't notice.