Episode 1201
by CristaeEpisode 1201
Hamster was momentarily shocked, but now wasn’t the time to ask about it.
It was enough to ask after that evil god’s voice disappeared.
-…It’s difficult. As I just said, that’s not its true body, just its voice.
If it had descended here via the bodies of its worshippers, it could have been damaged.
Of course, even if it had fallen, if it was an evil god, I would have to worry about my own life before even thinking of damaging it…
‘Wait. If I die, can’t I escape?’
Hamster wondered why he had even worried about that.
If only his currently cursed body collapsed, his soul could flee to another body he had prepared as backup!
‘Am I really going insane?!’
‘Are you referring to the voice?’
At Lee Han’s words, Hamster quickly pulled himself together.
-Ye-yeah. Even if you attack a paper bird, the wizard isn’t harmed.
The corpses of those worshippers were now a kind of paper bird.
A means for the evil god to convey its words.
No matter how much you attack the corpse, you can’t hit the evil god over there. To do that, you needed to find the evil god’s lair.
-Don’t feel humiliated. The fact that it’s acting arrogantly is actually fortunate for us.
Hamster warned Lee Han, worrying he might lose patience and cause an incident.
If he taunted for no reason and the evil god descended here, it would be really dangerous. This brat mage’s power was all scattered now, wasn’t it?
‘Right. Anyway, if I clumsily lie, it’ll notice, so I’ll just help this once.’
Thinking this, Hamster quickly pulled himself together.
‘Fortunate, what on earth does that…’
-Divine beings are powerful because of their unique perfection. Lacking an ego, they have no true existence. They exist only as laws do.
That’s why evil god worshippers have been able to exist on the continent for such a long time.
Even if a bishop was executed and a cult fell, as long as believers remained, this law would revive once more.
-But as you just saw it mock you, that thing is no longer a law. It has an ego and true existence. Therefore, it can be permanently erased.
“…!”
Even powerful multidimensional beings could meet their end if their true bodies were attacked.
If you attacked the Yaksha King’s palace among the Nine Mountain Eight Seas, surely…
-Yaksha King?
‘Hm. I don’t know why I used Yaksha King as an example, either.’
Lee Han changed the example. When he thought of a powerful dimensional being, Yaksha King strangely came to mind first.
If you attacked the base of Sangueros, you could erase him too!
‘Certainly… But isn’t the divine being acting too lightly? Wouldn’t it be better to hide its identity instead of mocking me?’
-Most powerful beings tend to have at least one crazy side. Look at your archmage. Strange that a monster who could have left for another dimension stubbornly clings to his domain, isn’t it?
‘If that’s madness, it’s a mild kind.’
Lee Han inadvertently defended the skeletal headmaster.
It was reasonable for an Einrogard student to mock the headmaster, but he couldn’t accept an evil magical criminal doing so.
-Its power is strong, but its thinking is simple and easy to read. It has realized its ego and gained strong power, but it’s no longer in as peaceful and perfect a state as before. Anxious, nervous, and full of all kinds of unknown desires. Otherwise, there’s no reason to mock like that.
Even without his magic, Hamster had read the psychology at the root of the evil god. As expected of a seasoned magical criminal.
The evil god, for all its power, was clearly disgruntled by the fact that the cult worshipping it had collapsed on the continent.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for such provocation…
“…Urgh! Truly Sangueros! You’re so powerful there’s nothing I can do! Now you don’t even need faith!”
-The hell are you doing???
Hamster was flustered.
He was so dumbfounded his normally refined manner of speaking flew out the window.
‘Didn’t you say it was unstable, being newly born?’
-I didn’t say it was newly born…
Even one just born wouldn’t fall for such flattery, would it?
That’s right! Has he finally realized it’s time to surrender?!
-……
Hamster was at a loss for words.
It actually fell for that kind of flattery??
-Now that it has intelligence, it loses intelligence. What a fool, bringing shame to evil gods!
‘Please say my flattery was excellent.’
“By any chance, does the great Sangueros not need any new devotees?”
If mortals served, he wouldn’t refuse. Hahaha… If in a good mood, he might bestow power, too.
“Not just an ordinary devotee. I’d like to come serve you myself. Where in the dimension are you?”
-……
Hamster wondered if even Wardanaz’s intelligence had dropped because the other party’s intelligence had.
So blatantly?
Fine!
Blood tangled above the corpses of the worshippers, merging into a single blood-red key.
It was a dimensional artifact radiating an ominous energy.
Come follow this key. If you pass the test, I’ll grant you the glory of an audience. Hahaha…
“Hahaha!”
Lee Han resolved inwardly.
As soon as he was ready, he would mobilize every dimensional connection he had to bring down this evil god!
Lee Han was even prepared to ask the Yaksha King for a favor.
Good thinking. That traitor, that beast, that sorcerer above— they all actually fear me. I am a god, a being who surpasses gods! Hahahaha…
As if Sangueros had said all he wanted, the red sigil lost its strength and vanished.
Enster asked in confusion.
“What is the meaning of this? And what do you mean, a Sangueros subjugation?”
“I told you, I like subjugating evil god worshippers.”
“Y-yes, but… This seemed on a different level than an ordinary clash… Wait. Did you say there’s a sorcerer up above?!”
Enster, realizing what Sangueros had said, reeled in shock.
Had enemies already swarmed in?!
“Ah! The assassins are still there!”
“Where… Urgh!”
Lee Han fired a Water Orb Projectile at full power. The opponent would at least have some defensive magic set up, so there was no need to hold back.
He then sent a signal upward.
-Professor? I think you can come down now.
The roles of the two professors and Death Knights waiting above in this operation were simple.
As soon as Lee Han sent a signal, they would strike downward.
As long as they blocked his means of escape, it didn’t matter how many golems or if the skeletal headmaster himself was down in the underground workshop.
“You’re late.”
Professor Voladi checked the time and spoke.
The first expected time had already passed, but there was no signal.
This was because Enster checked even the brazier, but this was not easy to know from outside.
Professor Kirmin and the knights immediately jeered.
“Trying to ignore the plan and act on your own again!”
-Overprotective fool! Why didn’t you keep your promises like you did back in school!
“I haven’t said we’ll storm in yet.”
Professor Voladi did not waver, even at jeers that would have made an ordinary Einrogard mage enraged enough to draw their staff.
Above all, if there was danger, they were supposed to receive a separate signal, and there had been none yet.
After venting all their usual resentment, Professor Kirmin and the knights whispered among themselves.
“What do you think?”
-It’s a problem if he runs off, but if the Young Heir brings out all his means, no matter how many golems are stored in the workshop, it can’t be stopped.
“Yes. That’s right.”
After a moment.
A faint wave of magic was felt.
It was because Lee Han had pumped excessive magic into the underground core where the workshop’s mana core resided.
“The mana just now…”
“So now you’re saying we should go down!”
-If so, he should have just used the evil god worshippers like the Heir said!
This time, Professor Voladi didn’t answer.
There was no new information in the jeers.
A moment later.
Some workers showed up at the workshop. Amrek, a bit intimidated by the mages’ sharp jeering, quickly explained.
“They are workers from a workshop nearby. They’ve worked in Enster’s workshop several times.”
“That’s odd.”
It was pitch dark in the middle of the night. There was little reason for workers to suddenly appear.
Professor Kirmin and the knights replied nonchalantly.
“Never seen workers move before dawn?”
-Probably just trying to move their things in advance.
There was no aura or hostile intent from the workers.
If they overreacted and laid hands on these workers, they could end up arousing Enster’s suspicion instead.
But Professor Voladi, feeling uneasy, fell into deep thought alone.
Beside logic, some instinctive intuition was bothering him.
Kugugugukung-
Then, an explosion sounded from within. Anyone could tell that multiple golems had exploded in an all-out war.
“!!!”
Professor Kirmin and the knights turned pale.
It wasn’t because of the explosion. Given Wardanaz’s skills, golem explosions could be dealt with on his own.
The problem was the workers they had missed.
The fact that such chaos erupted the moment they went down meant those workers’ identities were not as they had assumed!
“What the!? There was no magic used!!”
-Just who are these guys!
Confused, they immediately took action.
No matter how they thought about it, it was strange. There had definitely been no sense of any power from them.
Professor Voladi, leading the charge, glanced back at them once.
He then turned his gaze again and entered the workshop ahead.
“……”
-……
Professor Kirmin and the Death Knights were speechless, even with ten mouths.
They should just have gone down immediately earlier…!
“Ah. You’re here.”
“!”
Fortunately, the situation below was fine. Lee Han was surprised to see the group come down as soon as he sent the signal.
“You came faster than I thought. The workshop passageways are quite complicated and there should still be some defensive spells left above…”
-H-ha. That’s no obstacle whatsoever.
The Death Knights tried to change the subject, hiding that they’d been charging even before receiving the signal.
-Here’s the magical criminal! This guy! This evil, vile fiend! In the name of honor, I will not forgive you!
-Drag him away and lock him up forever! Bury him in Einrogard’s underground, where no one can find him!
“??”
Lee Han felt puzzled, as the knights seemed a bit different from usual.
They didn’t act like this before, did they?
“More importantly, Professor, there’s a problem.”
“It-it’s not a serious problem, is it? You’re not hurt, right?”
Professor Kirmin checked his student’s condition while watching his friend for cues. Maybe it was just his imagination, but the gaze from behind felt needlessly prickly.
“Ah. I’m not hurt, but…”
“Thank goodness! Truly, thank goodness!”
“…???”
Lee Han was even more confused.
Why are they acting like this?
“Is it because of Enster? He was a strong mage, but to begin with, I tricked him well, so it wasn’t dangerous.”
“This is a long story. Anyway, since you’re not hurt, there’s no major problem.”
“Actually, I just had a direct conversation with Sangueros…”
Professor Kirmin flew to the corridor wall beside him. His friend had shoved him aside.
Professor Voladi, who had rushed over, asked with a look of shock.
“How did you talk to it?”
“……”
Did something happen between the two professors while I was gone?