Episode 1164

“Is it because you’re commanding a spirit…”

-Don’t ask.

Saratan muttered in a voice full of anger.

‘This guy! He knows and still asks again!’

What else could make a clone mistake Lee Han for Baquantalana?

No.

-What? No?

Saratan was even more flustered by the response.

He assumed, of course, it was because he was being treated as a slave.

I mistook you for my master because of the way you were interrogating the spirit with your mana.

-……

Saratan’s expression twisted.

It would have been better if they’d just said it was because Lee Han was commanding a spirit.

To think he was mistaken for Baquantalana because of torturing with mana.

“I had no idea this method was so traditional.”

Lee Han said curiously.

He’d simply used his overflowing magic without thought, but to think it was a traditional method used by Baquantalana.

-Calling that a tradition! Is menacing with raw power without a shred of intelligence something a magician should do?!

It sounded strange coming from a spirit who loved violence more than anyone, but Saratan’s words were full of sincerity.

Magicians and spirits should communicate; violence was not the way.

‘Didn’t you try to kill me the first time we met?’

I will now initiate the qualification test. If you lack confidence, please withdraw.

-The clone is about to use magic! Be careful!

“Didn’t you say there probably wouldn’t be any earlier?”

-…Is that important right now?! Just pass it on!

Apparently embarrassed, Saratan shouted even louder.

Honestly, this was a bit unfair.

Baquantalana only set these clones in ruins where she stored her valued magic.

How many such ruins could there be? To hope that this small northern entrance ruin would be one of those rarities…

-Statistically speaking…

“If you start talking about anything other than the clone magic, I’ll communicate with you in Baquantalana’s style.”

-……

---

“Listen up, everyone. The information I’m about to give you is worth referencing, but not totally reliable. So, be careful not to trust it completely!”

‘Bastard.’

Saratan cursed inwardly.

Admittedly, he had wasted a little time on self-justification.

But hadn’t he done his utmost to pass along all the information he knew afterward?

Rather than being scolded, he deserved praise…

“How do you know this?”

“I heard it from a spirit who participated in the construction of many ruins.”

“…Isn’t that quite trustworthy?”

Giselle and the other friends murmured.

Caution was a good habit, but if it was information from a spirit involved in building Baquantalana’s ruins, it seemed reliable.

“If you can’t help but trust it, pretend that spirit was prone to mistakes, like Gainando.”

“Ah!”

“Of course!”

-……

Saratan didn’t fully grasp the magicians’ analogy, but he could tell he was being insulted.

‘If only Baquantalana were still alive, I’d ask to be taken away.’

“First, the clones always use the magic -Baquantalana’s Mystic Eye- on their eyes. It’s an information absorption spell, so standard illusion magic generally won’t work.”

Artificial summons like clones that follow preset commands are always weak to illusion magic.

So equipping his clones with a rapid-info-absorption spell to support them was only natural.

Without it, the test would be too easily completed.

“Damn, that’s a shame. If not for Mystic Eye, illusion magic could’ve worked.”

“Really unfortunate.”

A few White Tiger Tower students said jokingly, and Garco looked at them with admiration.

“As expected, Einrogard students are different after all.”

One could usually estimate a magician’s friends’ skills by their reputation.

It was already widely known how outstanding Lee Han of the Wardanaz family was, so his friends must be comparable geniuses.

Even now, their casual talk showed they could actually resolve it.

“…N-no, it’s just…”

“Jok… um…”

The White Tiger Tower students were flustered when an outsider responded instead of Wardanaz, whose job it usually was to scold them.

“We’re not that skilled, really.”

“Yes, we’re just ordinary…”

“So humble!”

Garco looked even more pleased.

You could find talented magicians or humble ones in the Empire, but not often both in one.

“Why do you say such unnecessary things?”

Lee Han scolded his friends before continuing the explanation.

The spells following Mystic Eye were various.

An invincible spell that nullifies all others, -Baquantalana’s Lament-.

-Baquantalana’s Binding-, said to be impossible to escape once caught.

And more, -Baquantalana’s Screech-, -Baquantalana’s Suppression-…

The clone would use one of the magic here, in accordance with Baquantalana’s commands left behind.

‘Baquantalana really did create a lot of magic.’

‘She annoyed me when reading the grimoires and now it’s even more annoying to face her spells directly.’

The assembled magicians all had thoroughly blasphemous thoughts.

But it was unavoidable.

No matter how worthy of respect a Senior magician was, being forced to face their spells was always infuriating.

We get that you’re a genius, but did you have to make so many spells!?

“Look at the magicians over there. Such remarkable concentration.”

“Yes, even Garco, and those are Einrogard graduates, it seems. The best magicians in the Empire aren’t at a different starting level from ordinary magicians.”

The adventurers who stood guard glanced over with a hint of respect.

They’d ended up here with the wrong employers, but seeing such magicians focused so solely on their task made them reflect.

Those who pressed on, regardless of whatever dangers and hardships, having devoted everything to magic!

“Junior.”

“?”

“It seems the test is taking too long to start.”

“…!”

At Catten’s comment, Lee Han realized what had been bothering him.

The test should have started a while ago.

-Could it be you look so similar to Baquantalana, it’s giving you a break?

“Is this the time for jokes?”

-……

Saratan felt wronged.

He was being genuinely thoughtful.

If the clone was really Baquantalana’s, it could be acting leisurely, thinking they looked alike…

Whoosh!

“Baquantalana’s Binding!”

Garco recognized the spell instantly just from the sound of magic moving.

It was a cruel restraint spell, where tightly woven, highly condensed magic appeared as nets and chains to bind the foe.

-So that’s why! There were so many subjects it took a long time to prepare!

Lee Han wanted to berate Saratan for being wrong again, but now was not the time.

The binding shot up from the floor, and even knowing what spell would emerge, it was still hard to dodge. Several friends were already caught, stuck flat against the ground.

“Ugh!”

“How cowardly, launching a surprise while we’re talking…!”

But not all Einrogard students were caught helplessly. Some, as previously discussed, moved quickly.

“Rise, O pillars!”

“This way!”

As Bartrek cast a spell to summon rock pillars, the White Tiger Tower students leapt vertically up the sides.

The binding was fast, but with several enhancement spells already active, the White Tiger Tower students couldn’t be caught.

Lee Han also dodged quickly. He didn’t use Bartrek’s pillars, but with Telekinesis Magic, it was enough.

He ran and lifted himself with invisible footholds in the air, and the binding passed by harmlessly.

“Are you all right?!”

“Thank you for your concern!”

Garco calmly replied, returning from bird to human. Standing unfazed even on the top of a narrow pillar, Garco prepared to transform again.

Now that Baquantalana’s Binding had started, it wouldn’t end easily.

“Still, luck is with us!”

“Yes? Is that so?”

Lee Han, checking on his friends who were caught, was startled and asked back.

He said luck was with them.

‘What does he mean?’

Truthfully, Baquantalana’s Binding was more like a dud. Of the possible spells, Binding was the one Lee Han had hoped could be avoided.

Lament was solid but could be dodged or bypassed; Screech greatly favored Lee Han (though it would torture his friends).

But luck?

Could Garco, as a more experienced magician, see something Lee Han missed?

“Binding is, for all intents and purposes, so akin to transformation magic! Since the clone used Binding, the chance that the undiscovered magic inside is transformation magic has gone up even more!”

“…Wow! That really is lucky!”

Lee Han, remembering his counterpart was a Senior magician and an outsider, did his best to sound positive.

If not, he really would have hit him.

“Wardanaz! Look over there!”

“!”

At his friend’s shout, Lee Han looked over in shock.

Everyone else was either moving or caught on the ground, but one person was acting separately—Senior Catten.

“Senior! Come up!”

“This binding is… just too much…!”

Catten was neither going up nor caught. Instead, he tried swinging his sword at the incoming binding magic.

“That spell can’t be cut! You should hurry up here!”

Garco shouted advice to Catten.

Baquantalana’s Binding, now unfolding, looked like a net or chain but that was an illusion.

Its essence was an endless chain of self-renewing magic. Even if you cut a strand, countless small segments instantly reconnected and continued to bind.

This was why Garco believed Baquantalana was a brilliant transformation magician.

Who but an outstanding transformation magician could create such a spell?

“Ngh!”

Slice!

Lee Han and Garco simultaneously witnessed a strange sight.

The Binding Magic, once cut, did not regenerate, but instead hardened in place.

Lee Han wasn’t too surprised, knowing how Catten always did all sorts of weird things with just a sword. But not for Garco.

“Inconceivable!! How!!! What kind of spells are on your sword?!”

“Garco!”

Lee Han warned in fright.

The Binding, having missed Catten, now shot toward Garco. Caught off-guard by shock, he was late to transform.

‘Saratan!’

As Lee Han pulled him with Telekinesis Magic, he called for Saratan: do something.

It was only a brief instant, but Saratan did his best with his limited intellect. As the power of life was invoked, nearby plants grew rapidly to protect Garco.

Luckily, Garco composed himself immediately. He transformed again and evaded the Binding with an acrobatic flight.

Thud!

‘Now it’s me!’

Lee Han, borrowing the power of Enhancement Magic and telekinesis, began to dash through the air. At the same time, he prepared to use teleportation magic.

He didn’t know how far the Binding would pursue, but he had to prepare in advance.

Pursuit and escape.

From the way the clone chased with a tenacity on a different level from the others, Lee Han could tell he was being seriously targeted.

-The clone clearly considers you the greatest threat!

“I know that already!”

Dodging frantically, Lee Han suddenly found himself alone in a new, never-before-seen space.

In the center was a stone tablet he’d never seen before. The moment Lee Han saw it, he instinctively knew.

‘Baquantalana’s legacy!’

Beneath it was an inscription.

To the successor who has reached this stone, I grant you black magick.

‘…Is that not it?’