Episode 99
Episode 99
Without any chance to stop or change direction, the ferryboat ran straight onto the soft sandy shore of the island.
Yet Angrago and Dukma, far from realizing the situation, kept desperately rowing with their heads bowed low against the sand.
They were terrified that the enraged water spirits might launch another attack.
Lee Han was beginning to regret why, of all the White Tiger Tower bastards, he had to share a boat with these idiots.
Even if not as bad as Durgyu, someone like Moradi would at least be smarter than these two...
"We're grounded. You morons."
"!"
Only then did Angrago realize his oar was paddling through soft sand.
His face flushed with embarrassment as he spoke.
"Ahem. Well... at least we escaped successfully."
"That's right, Wardanaz. Look on the bright side. We managed to shake off the enraged water spirits on the lake."
In response to the two White Tiger Tower students, Lee Han merely twitched his staff instead of answering.
It was a signal to quickly disembark and push the boat back.
The two students figured pushing the boat from shore would be better than continuing to resist.
...And come to think of it, they'd only escaped the water spirits thanks to Wardanaz...
"Wardanaz."
Angrago spoke cautiously after stepping off the ferryboat.
"Speak. I'm listening."
"Can we rest a bit on the island before going? Not that I'm tired, but my arms are a bit fatigued from all that rowing..."
"I'm not tired either, but Wardanaz, you must have used a lot of mana... and there might still be spirits around..."
In short—let's rest!
Lee Han clicked his tongue inwardly. These bastards had a talent for pointlessly beating around the bush when they could just say what they meant.
"Do as you like."
"Th-th-thank you!"
Angrago expressed gratitude to an almost bizarre degree.
'Did this punk really think I wouldn't allow it?'
Lee Han felt oddly unsettled by the reaction.
After all I did to protect their lives...
"?"
Lee Han frowned as he looked at the dwarf student, Dukma. Something felt off.
"Hey."
"Wh-what? Why? Are we leaving already?"
"You seem... a bit shorter."
Dukma jumped up in fury, his face red and trembling with rage.
"How d-dare you?! Just because no one's watching, you insult me?! You think no one will stop me if I attack you?!"
'Should I just beat him up?'
Lee Han felt his grip tighten around his staff.
If he knew no one would intervene, he should at least watch his mouth...
"No, Dukma! You really have gotten shorter!"
"??!!"
Only after hearing Angrago's shout did Dukma realize something was wrong.
He hadn't gotten shorter.
Dukma was sinking into the sandbar.
"...!"
Lee Han's expression hardened. While he'd been distracted surveying the island's interior, the ferryboat had already sunk nearly halfway.
'Dangerous!'
Lee Han realized his booted feet were sinking smoothly into the sand. Angrago panicked and tried to run.
"Everyone, jump forward! We need to get off this quicksand!"
"Wai—"
Before Lee Han could stop him, Angrago recklessly stepped forward—and sank even faster.
In moments, he was waist-deep, flailing like someone trapped in a swamp.
'Too late.'
Lee Han quickly gave up on Angrago and Dukma.
The only telekinesis-type spell Lee Han could currently use was <Lesser Manipulation>.
This spell's limit was barely enough for a small metal ball—far too weak to lift someone as large and heavy as Lee Han.
The spell structure itself would shatter under the strain.
But...
"Move!"
Lee Han anchored an iron ball in midair as if nailing it in place. Gripping it tightly with one arm, he pulled his body upward.
Like doing a one-handed pull-up, Lee Han's body rose from the quicksand.
Professor Voladi would have loved this sight.
Originally, the <Lesser Manipulation> spell—designed for manipulating small objects like quills and beads—was never intended for combat in the first place.
If one wanted to use telekinesis-based magic in battle, there were plenty of more practical spells available, even if their casting time was slightly longer.
No one stubbornly insisted on repurposing a foundational teaching spell for combat.
...Except for Professor Voladi, that is.
Professor Voladi had taken notice of the fast casting speed of low-circle spells like <Lesser Manipulation>.
Whether it was a low-circle or high-circle spell, as long as it pierced the enemy's vital points, it could be lethal—so why obsess over high-circle magic?
What mattered was efficiency.
Even <Lesser Manipulation> could become sufficiently powerful with enough training!
And now, Lee Han was proving it with his own body. The iron bead remained firmly fixed in midair, supporting his full weight.
Gritting his teeth, Lee Han slowly floated across the quicksand.
From maintaining the bead to gripping it with his arm and back muscles, not a single part of this was easy.
Thud!
Finally escaping the quicksand and climbing onto solid rock, Lee Han turned his head.
The ferry had already sunk beneath the quicksand.
"Damn it..."
Lee Han let out a sigh of regret.
Come to think of it, Angrago and Duke Ma were gone too. That was also unfortunate.
'Must be the Headmaster's trap.'
—There are no coincidences. Everything is inevitable.
If Lee Han could inscribe a phrase on the school's main gate, that would be the one.
Just to keep new students from being fooled.
This was the island the Skeleton Principal had sent them to, the very one where he had personally thrown the Outing Pass.
Which meant that inescapable quicksand was undoubtedly another one of the Skeleton Principal's traps.
Sluurp—
Huh. A new student actually managed to escape.
Right on cue, a Summon emerged from the quicksand with a low voice.
The dark energy radiating from its entire body—
Lee Han immediately recognized it as an undead.
"Pleasure to meet you."
...Wasn't he supposed to be startled or panicked?
The undead Summon, which resembled a large bipedal turtle, was taken aback by Lee Han's reaction.
New students usually screamed, wailed, or even fainted at the sight of an undead Summon...
Yet the one before him remained eerily composed.
"I was startled. So, why are you here? What am I supposed to do?"
The undead Summon faltered, losing its composure again at Lee Han's questioning.
It was supposed to explain things first, not get interrogated like this.
After a moment of regaining its bearings, the undead Summon spoke.
Originally, you should've sunk into the quicksand along with the others.
"......"
Lee Han had absolutely no intention of doing that, but he decided to hear it out.
Seeing the new student nod expressionlessly, the undead Summon continued.
Once you sink into the quicksand, the trial begins—where new students must cooperate with each other.
"I see..."
Lee Han gripped his staff.
Not a shred of gratitude stirred in him for the Skeleton Principal's "kindness" in preparing such a bonding experience.
After all, the Headmaster was the root cause of this mess.
While Lee Han seethed internally, the undead Summon spoke again.
Since you escaped the quicksand, I'm explaining this to you directly.
The turtle-like undead Summon spoke as if doing him a favor.
And it genuinely meant it.
Normally, it would've dragged him back by force—but his skill was impressive enough to warrant this exception.
Now. Go back in. You must complete the trial.
"What happens if I don't?"
The undead Summon responded as if Lee Han had said something absurd.
Do you want me to drag you in by force? Get back in there.
"Understood."
Lee Han obediently rose from the rock. The undead summon nodded approvingly, as if pleased with his compliance.
At that moment, Lee Han swung his staff.
"Move!"
With a flash of light, an iron pellet shot forth and struck the undead summon's skull with perfect accuracy.
Lee Han's ambush on the undead summon wasn't solely because of its arrogant and condescending attitude.
'Those two aren't trustworthy.'
If it had been Durgyu, Lee Han might have chosen to descend beneath the sand pit.
But those two?
No matter how he thought about it, obediently going down would be madness.
It seemed far more promising to seriously ambush and take down the undead summon instead.
Crunch!
A dull sound echoed as bones shattered.
But of course, an undead summon—already not alive—wouldn't collapse just because its skull was cracked. The summon roared in fury.
Freshman, how dare you do this?!
"My apologies. That was my mistake. An accident."
When Lee Han sincerely apologized, the undead summon briefly wondered if it really had been an accident.
But the next attack came immediately. Iron pellets surged forth like artillery, relentless and deadly.
The undead summon hastily summoned sand to form a barrier.
Yet the pellets curved sharply without hesitation.
And struck the undead summon's already damaged skull once more.
Crunch!!
The undead summon staggered. And seethed with absolute fury.
How dare a freshman mock me?!
"I am the night's shadow!"
Lee Han cast an invisibility spell and sprinted sideways, simultaneously chanting his next spell.
"Feet, wrinkle the earth!"
As the principal's magic took effect, the undead summon—created by the principal—recognized its energy and was aghast.
How dare a wretch like you use our master's magic... Did you steal it?! Such insolence!
'Summons really do idolize their masters too much.'
Lee Han dashed forward swiftly.
The physical prowess activated by <Gonadaltes' Agile Footsteps> invigorated him.
Staying still while invisible would be like asking to be caught.
"Go!"
Lee Han summoned the bone panther. Much larger than before, the bone panther roared fiercely as it charged across the sand.
You dare attack me when you can't even find my body?!
The undead summon swung its forelimb in rage, sending both sand and the bone panther flying.
It then began scattering sand toward where Lee Han had been.
I'll admit, you've got some nerve for a freshman. But that's as far as it goes!
As it flung sand in all directions, the undead summon advanced toward Lee Han's last known position.
Even if he fled deeper into the island, it was determined to catch him.
Here? Or... here? No. Here!
The undead summon made loud noises to pressure Lee Han.
It wasn't actually tracking him—just trying to scare him into revealing himself.
It kept scattering sand over potential hiding spots while making a racket.
But the summon didn't realize one thing.
Lee Han had never intended to flee deeper into the island in the first place.
Why would he run blindly into the unknown?
Swish—!
Lee Han, who had been hiding nearby, lunged out.
The black magnetite sword, Morning Star, slashed through the leg supporting the summon's massive body.
As Morning Star absorbed the negative energy mana, the undead summon's leg destabilized and was forcibly unsummoned.
Losing its balance, the undead summon toppled sideways with a loud crash.
Y-you damn freshman...!
The undead summon shrieked, utterly bewildered by the ambush.
A mage using an anti-magic weapon?! Have you lost your mind?! Are you even a mage, freshman?!
'......'
Lee Han decided to ignore it.
Not because he had no retort—but because he had planned to disregard it from the start.
Truly.