Episode 834
Episode 834
'I was being naive. Trying normal methods against a crazy forest.' What kind of forest gives you a branch just because you give up?
To make matters worse, I heard that Gainando just sat down near the forest as soon as he started and a branch fell right on top of him.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to challenge it with evil magic."
"Hehe. I told you, you just have to keep walking."
"You're saying that now..."
Even Lee Han, who was usually good at letting things slide, felt a slight surge of irritation after hearing this repeatedly.
Was he supposed to keep walking indefinitely until the forest decided to gift him something?
But Lagesa was quite serious.
Aside from teasing students, she never lied when it came to magic.
"There really is no other answer but to keep walking. Didn't I tell you? The forest judges your resolve. So how do you think it measures that resolve? The forest isn't omniscient. In the end, it's watching to see when you truly give up. When you abandon all hope without a single shred of lingering attachment—that's when it sends you a tree."
The Forest of the Broad-Eyed King judged a mage's resolve by their endurance.
Only when you gave up without a single thread of persistence left in your heart.
That was the true measure of a mage's resolve.
"...!"
Hearing this explanation, Lee Han shuddered.
Then he looked at Gainando. 'Wait, so this bastard genuinely gave up right from the start??' To be precise, it had been about an hour after starting, but that was essentially the same thing.
How could someone give up so cleanly, without even a speck of persistence left in their heart?
"When you said I had to keep walking, you meant that even if I declared I was giving up, the forest wouldn't believe me."
"Exactly! Do you understand now?"
Even if Lee Han shouted "I give up!", the forest wouldn't accept it if there was still reluctance in his heart.
To truly, sincerely give up, he had to walk and walk, pushing himself to the absolute limit.
Only when he was exhausted, on the verge of collapse, and genuinely wanted to give up.
That was when the branch would appear.
"Hmm. Master? Master?"
Lee Han immediately gave up and called for the Crazy Doppelganger.
This kind of giving up was so easy!
Surprisingly, the Crazy Doppelganger didn't get angry and instead listened seriously to Lee Han's words.
After all, the chance to visit the Spirit King's forest and receive a branch was rare.
As a mage, it was only right to obtain the best branch possible and craft it into a staff.
"Is there any way to threaten the forest?"
How exactly do you threaten a forest?
"...With a powerful and mighty ancient magic?"
At his disciple's absurdly pathetic question, the Crazy Doppelganger looked at him with contempt.
What did he think magic was?
'He really knows how to hit where it hurts.' Lee Han reflected.
After all the lessons at Einrogard about "magic not being omnipotent," here he was making such irresponsible demands.
But there is a way. The royal family will advise you.
"!"
Lee Han brightened at this reassuring advice.
As expected, an ancient archmage was anything but ordinary.
Keep walking. Until you collapse.
"......"
Don't eat, don't drink, don't rest, don't sleep. It'll be a good experience.
'He's really talking like his undead self now.'
Since his main body had become a lich and the doppelganger himself was more of a thought-form than a living being, he probably had no need for food or sleep.
But Lee Han was still very much alive, so that would be tough.
How long would he have to walk before he was truly exhausted and collapsed?
"Yes. Understood."
Lee Han decided he'd just let the Crazy Doppelganger's words go in one ear and out the other, just like with Lagesa.
But the Crazy Doppelganger, ever the master, was a step ahead of his disciple.
Brat. Once you get the branch, report back. I'll inspect it personally.
"...D-do you really need to go that far?"
Seeing the Crazy Doppelganger take this more seriously than expected, Lee Han was taken aback.
"What kind of midterm exam is this, why do I need to be tested for this?"
"It's worth doing. This is about crafting a new staff. If you collapse from laziness too early, I won't forgive you."
The Crazy Doppelganger spoke with several times more pressure than usual.
Even though the other party had been accommodating and patient with his demands, Lee Han grew tense knowing this.
After all, this Crazy Doppelganger was someone who, if his patience snapped and he went berserk, could do who-knows-what.
"Of course. Who do you take me for? Aren't I your disciple? If I can't obtain the best branch here, I'd rather refuse outright."
"That's wrong. Fool. What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
'Ugh. For a royal, why are you so petty?'
Lee Han had tried speaking like royalty to match the mood, but being corrected made him grumble internally.
"However, fool... I also understand your concern. The higher one's realm, the harder it is to exhaust oneself. Just as enlightenment becomes more difficult the more knowledge one accumulates."
"That's true. What should I do then?"
"Inflict pain upon yourself. Asceticism."
"......"
As only unexpected advice kept coming, Lee Han regretted being summoned today.
At the very least, he should have cut the connection earlier...
Regardless, the Crazy Doppelganger began explaining various spells.
Making Lee Han's limbs heavy, hunger and thirst, fatigue, the sleep demon...
"But, Master. I have abundant mana, so curses like these don't work well on me."
"I understand. The struggles of the naturally gifted."
"Thank—"
"I'll teach you how to channel curses into your marrow and then into your soul."
"......"
Though Ancient Magic couldn't persuade the Forest of the Broad-Eyed King, Lee Han knew how to channel curses deep into his own soul.
"Why on earth was such magic even developed?"
"You should remember—you learned this before. Your memory is lacking."
"Huh? Ah..."
Lee Han, wondering what he meant, finally realized.
If it was magic learned before, it was <Gonadaltes' Downfall>—a spell born from the transcendent concept of absorbing the world's suffering, curses, and decay.
'Ah, right. If you can absorb others' wounds or curses, then channeling curses into your own marrow or soul must also be possible.'
Since it was fundamentally a spell for absorbing and controlling pain, curses, and decay, it was only natural that various derivatives would emerge.
Though why one of those derivatives involved stuffing curses deep into a mage's own soul was beyond him...
Even using it offensively made some sense, but this was just pure self-harm.
"Focus. You're applying Withering. I'm cursing myself. Not externally—absorbing an unborn curse and burying it deep in my marrow, like..."
Following the Crazy Doppelganger's instructions, Lee Han made repeated attempts.
It was a truly bizarre sensation.
This entire process of exploiting the vulnerabilities of oneself—the mage—to somehow cast a curse.
And Lee Han once again realized how irritating an opponent he himself could be.
'What kind of damn mana...'
An impregnable fortress without the slightest gap.
Casting curses from the outside was like throwing an egg at a castle wall—it just shattered.
He had to create and absorb the curse inside the wall, not outside.
Skin, muscles, flesh, blood, mana, bones, and within them—the soul...
What he'd simplistically considered "himself" turned out to be a collection of fragmented elements.
At that moment, Lee Han realized he could cast the curse directly on his own bones.
Bypassing his mana's interference entirely.
"Become heavy!"
Lee Han was startled by the unpleasant sensation of the curse taking effect—the first time he'd ever felt it.
After the curse was cast, before his mana could extract and process the foreign discomfort, <Gonadaltes' Downfall> had hidden it deep within his bones.
His arms and legs were definitely growing heavier. Lee Han exclaimed joyfully:
"Did you see that?!"
'So noisy. Next is the soul.'
Though a mere second-year mage was objectively observing himself, dividing his components to cast spells, the Crazy Doppelganger offered not a single word of praise. He remained utterly and ruthlessly indifferent.
Originally, a mage becoming consciously aware of their own soul was considered significant across all schools of magic.
Especially for disciplines like Illusion Magic that dealt with spiritual bodies or astral projections, this soul awareness was absolutely essential.
But for a mage to distinguish each individual organ, flesh, blood, mana, and bones within themselves was by no means easy.
The concept of 'self' was surprisingly difficult to view with detachment.
Having accomplished this, Lee Han could now distinguish and target the components and souls of others as well.
"Wait. Master. This...couldn't it be applied when casting spells on other people too?"
Lee Han belatedly realized this and posed the question.
He'd thought it was just a self-targeting curse, but upon reflection, its applications seemed much broader.
This perspective could clearly be applied to others as well.
'Don't act like a fool who's just discovered the sun rises for the first time today.'
'That's too harsh,' Lee Han grumbled inwardly.
Of course it would seem obvious to someone like the Crazy Doppelganger who'd learned all this in ancient times, but for Lee Han, each revelation was unavoidably astonishing.
He could feel how a single ancient spell was influencing the Empire's current magical practices.
"Master. I have one more question."
'I said cast the curse on your soul.'
Despite the Crazy Doppelganger's warning, Lee Han pressed on with his inquiry.
Having dealt with the Crazy Doppelganger for so long, he'd learned to distinguish between genuine and feigned anger.
Not that the feigned anger meant he wasn't irritated—it just wasn't to the degree where he'd actually kill Lee Han.
"Wouldn't it normally be easier to practice this by restraining someone else?"
Lee Han's question unexpectedly struck a keen point.
Originally, discerning the components and soul of another person was indeed easier.
While most spells were simpler to cast on oneself, this kind of soul awareness and perception was actually more difficult when applied to oneself.
That's why masters of the Illusion Magic school typically had their students analyze the master's own components and soul first.
Even if the student made mistakes, the master could easily compensate.
'I said cast the curse on your soul. Don't make me repeat myself a third time.'
But the Crazy Doppelganger had no interest in what was easier or harder.
He just wanted Lee Han to quickly cast the curse deep into his soul and start walking.
"Yes. Understood."
Realizing he couldn't delay any longer, Lee Han prepared again.
It was similar to what he'd just done, but considerably more difficult.
Beyond the bones buried deepest within, he had to cast the curse somewhere even deeper in his soul, then firmly bind it using Gonadaltes' Downfall.
It felt excessive to go this far just to cast a single curse on himself, but there was no choice.
"Grow heavy!"
The effect was noticeably stronger than before.
As expected, a curse engraved upon the soul was far more potent than one etched into bones.
Following the Crazy Doppelganger's instructions, Lee Han layered curses one after another. His limbs grew heavier, fatigue and drowsiness pressing in.
'Now walk. Think as you walk.'
"What should I think about?"
'The suffering and curses of this world.'
What must be done to eradicate this detestable suffering and curses? Reflect on your own weakness too. It might even be good to rage against your own powerlessness. Transform those thoughts and emotions into strength and draw them forth.
"......"
Even as his mind grew hazy, the Crazy Doppelganger's voice rang through with perfect clarity.
Suddenly, Lee Han recalled something he'd once heard about the Skeleton Principal's disciples.
They either burned themselves, burned the Skeleton Principal, or burned the continent.
He was pretty sure that's what they'd said...
'...Strangely, I think I understand why now...'
Lee Han still didn't fully grasp what kind of 'strength' the Crazy Doppelganger wanted him to draw forth, but part of him suspected that strength might very well end up being directed back at the Crazy Doppelganger himself.