Episode 908
Episode 908
"Yaksha King. I'm well aware of your Authority. But you cannot obstruct the Principal forever."
The Crazy Doppelganger coldly pointed out.
At first glance, it might have seemed like a mere hulking warrior subduing a mage—a trivial sight. But within that confrontation, a fierce battle of high-level Authorities was unfolding.
In fact, Hamster was so entranced that he couldn't even speak, merely watching their duel in silence.
A clash of power between mythical beings—'Amazing!' He already knew the Despot's magic was extraordinary, but this Yaksha King was someone even Hamster had never encountered before.
What kind of profound mystery was he hiding to be able to suppress the Despot's magic like that?
"Hmm. You're right. While I'm restraining you, Os, I can't do anything either."
"You understand well. The world will reject you. How long can you hold out?"
"I'll probably disappear first."
The Yaksha King readily admitted again.
Unlike Os's doppelganger, who had cast a grand spell to conceal itself from the world, he was merely a guest who had torn through dimensions with sheer power.
Naturally, outlasting that doppelganger was impossible.
"That's why you, Os's disciple, must be the one to resolve this."
"......"
Lee Han was dumbfounded by the Yaksha King's words.
For a moment, seeing them converse, he had thought this situation might actually be salvageable—but of course, it wasn't!
Still, there was no time to argue. Lee Han immediately asked:
"What do I need to do?"
"You must persuade your master. Hmm. Perhaps you're considering invoking Despotis through the vision of Dynamis to find a new possibility even now?"
"I don't even know what that is!"
"One is a Small World, the other a Unique World. The latter is so difficult that amplifying a mage's Authority through the former..."
"Another method. Isn't there another method?!"
"Hmm. Wouldn't it be more accurate to hear the full explanation before deciding?"
"ANOTHER METHOD!"
Lee Han suppressed his boiling anger and shouted.
What kind of nonsense was this about Small Worlds and Unique Worlds?!
Seeing this, Hamster felt a surge of admiration for the Yaksha King.
"As someone destined to rule and govern the continent, cowering in fear of magic and tucking your tail—you should be ashamed, disciple."
Even the Crazy Doppelganger sternly reprimanded Lee Han.
But Lee Han didn't waver. 'This is beyond ridiculous.' Expecting him to immediately achieve an unrealized ambition of his master—something even more difficult than seizing control of Einrogard right now—was absurd.
"Very well, Os's disciple. If you insist, I'll suggest another method. But from what I see, you're acting impatiently and emotionally right now."
"...Then is it even possible to act calmly and composedly in this situation?!"
"The other method is Withering."
"Isn't that what you just mentioned earlier?!"
When the Yaksha King brought up the idea of gathering the world's suffering into one place through magic—something even the Crazy Doppelganger couldn't do—Lee Han's eyes sharpened dangerously.
But the Yaksha King wasn't foolish, even if he only spoke what he wanted to say.
"I wasn't talking about the world's suffering, Os's disciple. I meant drawing out your master's madness through Withering."
"!"
Lee Han was stunned.
Though he had studied magic, this was a method he had never even considered.
"Is that possible?"
"Of course. <Gonadaltes' Downfall> is a spell that transfers the target's Withering onto oneself. Curses, pain, wounds—all can be absorbed, so madness can be too."
Lee Han raised his staff to cast it immediately—then hesitated.
"What if absorbing the madness drives me insane?"
"Os's disciple, in that case, Os and I will suppress and imprison you. No need to worry."
"......"
"And that madness only holds meaning for Os himself. It won't have any significant effect on you, disciple."
"Shouldn't you have said that first?!"
Normally, he should have been relieved to hear that nothing was wrong, but no words of joy came out.
'Well. Even if I were under immense pressure to rid the world of suffering, I doubt I'd go so far as to try to conquer the continent.'
With the incantation, the Withering was cast.
Since he had used it before when treating a patient who visited the Healing Magic school, Lee Han's shout carried no hesitation.
"......"
"......"
Silence.
'What's going on?'
Seeing no visible change, Lee Han cautiously asked,
"Master. Are you alright?"
"Can't you just get rid of this Yaksha King right now and take over Einrogard?"
"...It's not working."
Then he must have failed to cast it properly.
The Yaksha King spoke as if it were nothing.
"What do you mean I failed to cast it properly? I clearly mastered the spell—"
Magic sometimes appears fully mastered, but when faced with unexpected obstacles, one realizes how shallow that mastery truly is. Os's disciple.
'This guy! He really doesn't explain anything properly!'
Lee Han gritted his teeth.
Come to think of it, hadn't he suffered greatly last time because of the Yaksha King's nonsense with the star contract?
If he was misunderstanding this too...
'No. Don't think ominous thoughts. Now's not the time for that.'
"Are you saying there's a problem with the Withering?"
Did it fail to absorb?
Suddenly, Lee Han recalled a conversation he had when learning magic from the Crazy Doppelganger.
-Get accustomed to this magic.
-Did I make a mistake in casting it?
-No.
-Then what does 'getting accustomed' mean?
-That's something you must realize on your own.
Thinking back, his casting had been flawless even then, but the Crazy Doppelganger had spoken as if he still had a long way to go.
Frowning, Lee Han wondered what he had missed.
KRRRRRRRUMBLE!
"?!"
Meanwhile, a deafening roar echoed from outside. Seeing Lee Han's confusion, the Yaksha King kindly explained.
That must be the army Os summoned. Hmm. Probably a Demigod Legion using the Black Emperor's Crown? It'd be best to stop them before they're fully summoned. I'll hold Os here, so...
"Such kind words, truly appreciated!"
Swallowing his curses, Lee Han immediately dashed out of the workshop.
The Crazy Doppelganger was one thing, but he had to deal with the situation outside first.
"Ah!"
When Lee Han suddenly turned back after running out, everyone in the workshop looked puzzled.
What now?
"I'll just take this with me!"
Grabbing the hamster cage in one hand, Lee Han sprinted out again. The hamster screeched madly, but Lee Han ignored him.
-Do you really want to die?!
"Mage. Look at me right now. Do I look like I have the luxury to worry about the future?"
At Lee Han's words, the hamster found himself nodding in agreement.
Well, in an emergency like this, it'd be weird to be picky about methods. He'd have done anything too.
-I've lost all my power and can't do anything.
"But you still have wisdom."
-...
That's true.
Though a Magic Criminal, the hamster was also a Great Mage. Stroking his whiskers, he felt a renewed sense of satisfaction at the junior mage's praise.
"And in the worst case, you can be a sacrifice too."
-......
"That was a joke."
'Is this kid insane?!'
He had never in his life met someone who'd joke like that with a notorious Magic Criminal of the Empire.
Sure, mages from Einrogard all had a bit of madness tucked away in a corner of their hearts, but this guy seemed especially severe.
-...
Gasp!
But the hamster had no time to curse.
The moment they exited the cave through the workshop's passage, an unbelievable sight unfolded before their eyes.
A massive black coffin hovered in midair, radiating sinister energy. This was no mortal power—it was the force of Thought-forms or even gods.
The power was that of a thought-form or a deity.
And what was even more astonishing was that the coffin's lid was already half-open, with the creature inside sticking its head out.
'Not only did they summon a demigod, but they tamed it and brought it out?!?!'
There were dozens of questions he wanted to ask about how this was even possible, but the hamster let out a frantic squeak instead.
-Attack now! If that thing fully emerges, the difficulty will increase a hundredfold!!
The hamster had heard of ancient magic that artificially created demigods—beings formed from the worship and thoughts of living creatures—and extracted their power.
But summoning a demigod from a coffin and then unleashing it upon the continent as an army was far beyond anything the hamster could have imagined.
'Is this the power of a mage from legend??'
"I know! Damn it. Will this attack be enough... everyone!"
Lee Han's face lit up as he spotted a glimmer of light in the darkness. The giants were waiting, having lit a bonfire.
-Wardanaz! We've been waiting!
-Are we going to attack Einrogard now?
"...That's complete nonsense! You've all been tricked!"
-?!?!
The giants were stunned.
They hadn't gathered to attack Einrogard?
"The thing you need to fight is that! The monster trying to crawl out of that coffin!"
-Huh? Isn't that our ally?
"No!"
At that moment, the demigod poking its head out fixed its gaze on Lee Han.
To be precise, it wasn't exactly a "gaze"—the creature didn't have anything resembling eyes.
In some ways, it resembled a demon; in others, a dragon. Its ever-shifting form reminded him of a bizarre chimera.
-If that thing really is a demigod, be careful with your thoughts!
"What do you mean?"
-If it's an artificially created demigod, it's a thought-form. And where do you think those thoughts came from?!
Some monsters and spirits grow stronger by feeding on fear or emotions.
Though demigods were on an entirely different level, the basic principle was similar.
The very nature of the demigod changes based on the thoughts it absorbs.
"...But isn't this a demigod created by the Headmaster? Then its form should be fixed according to his will!"
-No! That's just your ignorance of ancient rules speaking. A disciple would still have some authority! And he probably ordered you to conquer the continent, didn't he?!
The Crazy Doppelganger had intended to make his disciple a commander to conquer the continent.
Naturally, he would have granted Lee Han some degree of control over the demigod.
If they were to attack a tower full of mages, the demigod would need to specialize in anti-magic. If they were to storm a castle full of knights, the opposite would be necessary...
When will the continent be conquered?
"!"
Along with its gaze, the demigod's question flowed into Lee Han's mind. He immediately shouted back.
"That order is revoked!"
When will the continent be conquered?
'Damn it. Can't override the higher command?'
Lee Han realized that, even with his authority as a disciple, there were limits.
Since the Crazy Doppelganger had issued the primary command first, self-destructing or deactivating the demigod was impossible.
-Stop wasting time and weaken it before attacking! Once it fully emerges, who knows how strong it'll become!
"Weaken it, you say..."
-Think of it as weak as possible!
The hamster squeaked urgently. Given that he, too, could be absorbed by the demigod if things went wrong, his anxiety was far from ordinary.
The fact that the demigod occasionally took on demonic or draconic forms was likely due to Lee Han's subconscious associations.
Aren't those the typical races one thinks of when imagining powerful beings?
They had to somehow make the opponent weaker.
"A... a hamster?"
-...
Yes! Do that!
Though it was an oddly unsettling choice, the hamster agreed for now.
At the very least, a demigod hamster would be far easier to deal with than a demigod demon.
Lee Han focused his mind.
'Change that demigod's form. Change that demigod's form...'
As his powerful thoughts connected, the demigod's form rippled once more—before shifting into the massive figure of the Skeleton Principal.
The hamster let out a despairing squeak.
He made it stronger?!
'I told you not to fear it...!'