Episode 193

In fact, Lee Han’s choice was quite rational.

Right now, the corridor on this floor was in a state of dimensional chaos due to the rampage of multiple grand spells, artifacts, and spirits mixed together.

There was no telling what kind of evil being might slip in from inside and try to trick them.

Of course, calling for the professor without a second’s hesitation was a bit of a different issue!

You’ll regret this, young wizard. You’ll need power!

“W-wait. Isn’t it a waste? Can’t we at least hear what it’s offering?”

At Gaynando’s words, even Raphadael agreed without thinking.

What if that being inside was offering a good gift?

‘This magic school is ruining its students.’

Lee Han lamented.

They were being pushed so harshly that even suspicious offers like this sounded tempting.

“Gaynando. When someone you don’t know makes a plausible offer, always be suspicious first.”

“Cough. Well said.”

Professor Mortum, who had rushed over, agreed with Lee Han.

You never knew what was inside there, so you shouldn’t be tempted by the offer.

Other-dimensional beings like demons could approach wearing the mask of kindness.

“Begone, you worthless wretches!”

Kyaaaaaaah!

With Professor Mortum’s spell, the presences felt from deeper in the corridor quickly scattered.

Gaynando, coming to his senses late, nodded.

“I-I see. I’m sorry, Professor. I won’t be interested in places like that from now on.”

“Cough. That’s not it.”

“Huh?”

“Places where other dimensions have mixed in like that are places where you can gain precious knowledge, places no wizard can ignore.”

Demons, spirits, and even other surreal beings from unknown dimensions.

These were entities that knew things wizards didn’t.

Forgotten secrets and artifacts, spells and treasures—these were things any wizard would covet.

“I see.”

“Cough. That’s why you have to learn how to explore safely. Take this opportunity to go in and explore.”

“…What?”

Gaynando couldn’t believe his ears.

He was being told to explore a place where frozen undead crawled out, deadly frost pulsed periodically, and where they’d just heard a demon’s scream?

“Cough. You’ll learn a lot by seeing inside.”

Professor Mortum spoke with pure goodwill.

Sometimes, a single experience could leave a stronger impression than hundreds of words.

Some of the domains making up that corridor were composed of black magic.

If the freshmen could witness such places up close, they would feel the wonder of black magic even more strongly.

‘I was worried from the moment I brought them.’

Professor Mortum swung his staff and cast a protection spell. Once he finished preparing, he said,

“Cough, cough. Split into two groups and walk around once. Don’t get lost.”

Gaynando hurriedly said,

“I… I want to go with Lee Han.”

“I’ll go with Imirg.”

At Gaynando and Raphadael’s words, Professor Mortum flipped a coin.

“Wardanaz and Imirg, walk to the left. Cough. You two, go to the right.”

“……”

Both Gaynando and Raphadael got the unlucky result. The two set off with sullen faces.

“Shall we go too?”

“Y-yeah.”

• * *

Fortunately, thanks to the spell Professor Mortum had cast, no enemies approached.

Lee Han walked slowly.

‘Never let your guard down.’

If there was one thing he’d learned from Professor Voladi, it was to never let your guard down for even a moment.

Lee Han kept all his senses alert as he looked around.

Suddenly, on the frosted roadside, spirits gathered and formed a flower bud.

The bud twitched as if about to bloom, and the ground beneath it began to stir.

“That…”

Before Imirg could even speak, Lee Han was already casting magic.

Pop!

A heavy orb of water pounded the ground. Lightning rained down on top of it, and fire exploded.

Whatever was about to emerge from the ground quieted down immediately.

Papapapapapapap! Papapap!

But Lee Han didn’t stop and kept firing spells. The frozen ground was scorched black and deeply pitted.

“W-Wardanaz. Whatever it was, didn’t it already run away?”

Imirg said hesitantly.

Honestly, he was a little more scared of Lee Han than whatever had just tried to appear and disappeared.

“Maybe so.”

“Not maybe—it definitely ran away…”

Lee Han fired off one last lightning bolt. Just in case.

“Looks like it’s gone, right?”

“……”

“Imirg. We should close the distance a bit. The protection spell the professor cast might wear off.”

“Y-yes.”

“Why are you being so formal?”

“S-sorry.”

• * *

“Direte. Thank you so much.”

“Drop dead.”

“…Direte. Really, thank you again.”

“Just die.”

“…I said I’m sorry…”

Fourth-year black magic major Koholti apologized to Direte again.

Because of the huge accident Koholti and his friends had caused, Direte had been called in as well. If Koholti were Direte, he’d be angry too.

“How long has it been since you got out of the punishment room, and now this…”

“I already got an earful from the professor.”

Koholti looked thoroughly dejected from being scolded by Professor Mortum.

As a fellow black magic student and a friend in the same year, Direte could understand Koholti’s feelings better than anyone.

“So what. Just die.”

But that was that, and being dragged here to help clean up when he was already busy was absolutely unforgivable.

“Hurry up and go in and take care of it or die. The school’s covered in snow because of you guys.”

“We’ll… we’ll go in soon.”

The method to resolve the dimension corrupted by the incomplete summoning and environmental change was surprisingly simple.

Just go into the domain and defeat the summoned creature.

No matter how many spells and phenomena were mixed in, the core would be the summoned creature.

Of course, it was a simple method in words only—it was by no means easy.

You had to break through a corridor crawling with monsters from other dimensions and defeat a furious spirit.

Even for upperclassmen at the magic school, it was not something easy to attempt.

The wizards who caused the accident glanced at Direte and made excuses.

“We’re slowly draining the domain’s mana. The creatures inside are actually getting weaker.”

“If our calculations are right, in a little while it’ll be weak enough for us to go in.”

What the wizards were doing now was making holes throughout the corridor domain to let the mana leak out.

If the domain’s mana itself decreased, the strength of the beings inside would also decrease.

Once the work was done, it would be at a level where the students could go in.

Direte asked in a somewhat softer voice,

“How long will it take?”

“……”

“…Don’t tell me it’ll take more than a day?”

“……”

“…How many days, you cursed bastards. Spit it out!”

“A-a week or so?”

“Just go in and die! How much mana did you pour into the summoning for it to take a week?!”

“S-sorry! Direte! Sorry!”

Direte cursed and cast a phantom pain curse with his staff.

The draining work wasn’t easy.

During that time, upperclassmen including Direte had to stand guard to keep undead from leaking out of the corridor.

For a whole week!

“Aagh! Direte! Forgive us!”

“D-Direte! Look! Over there!”

“What kind of nonsense…”

Direte turned his head.

Freshmen were slowly walking around inside the domain.

“…Ah. The professor brought them.”

For a moment, Direte was almost overwhelmed by the surreal scene, but soon understood the situation.

It was clear Professor Mortum had brought the freshmen to show them this unusual sight.

Either way, it was a spectacular scene from a black magic perspective.

“Is it okay for freshmen to walk around here?”

“Professor Mortum cast protection magic. Most beings won’t be able to approach.”

“But they’re freshmen. Even if evil beings can’t approach, they might get scared and cause an accident…”

Before he could finish, one of the freshmen started firing spells like crazy.

Before the spirit flower banshee could even show itself, it was beaten and quickly burrowed into the ground and disappeared somewhere.

“……”

“Shouldn’t we stop him? He’ll collapse at this rate!”

It was obvious.

Loss of judgment due to fear, leading to a barrage of spells.

The most common mistake for freshmen.

It was fine for now, but once he ran out of mana…

“Leave him. He’ll be fine.”

But Direte knew that Lee Han had plenty of mana, so he was calm.

“That Wardanaz kid is naturally gifted with mana.”

“I-I see.”

Pop! Papapapapapapap!

“……”

“…Is he really going to be okay?”

The upperclassmen looked at Lee Han with anxious eyes.

No matter how gifted, at this rate he should be collapsing soon.

Even Direte was getting a little worried.

He knew Lee Han had a lot of mana, but wasn’t sure exactly how much.

“We really should stop him!”

“Damn that skeleton principal…!”

In the end, the anxiety spread to Direte as well. He grabbed his staff, ready to risk the punishment room.

As a senior learning black magic under the same master, he couldn’t just watch his junior collapse.

Pop!

But Lee Han returned to normal so nonchalantly that the upperclassmen’s fuss seemed pointless.

After firing his last spell, he resumed walking without a change in expression.

“……”

“W-what the hell is that guy?”

The upperclassmen weren’t fooled by the Wardanaz family name.

Freshmen might think, ‘It must be because he’s from the Wardanaz family,’ but the upperclassmen knew.

No matter how talented, having that much mana at that age was absurd!

‘Did the patriarch mate with a dragon?’

‘Did they sacrifice a thousand lives to make a pact with a demon?’

‘Is the principal disguised as a freshman?’

“Direte. I’ve got a good idea. If we use this method, we can shorten the time!”

“What method? Don’t tell me, as a fourth-year, you’re thinking of dragging that freshman in. Tell me.”

“…That’s actually right… P-please! Don’t point your staff at me, Direte! Don’t curse me! Don’t curse me! We just want to borrow his mana! Just his mana!”

• * *

“Cough. How was it?”

“It was truly moving and informative.”

“?”

Imirg looked at Lee Han as if he were a strange person.

‘We walked together, so why are our impressions so different?’

Imirg felt like he’d wandered through a frozen graveyard…

“I thought so.”

Professor Mortum said with satisfaction.

For a wizard interested in black magic, seeing that warped dimensional domain was bound to be inspiring.

“Cough. If you want to look around again next time, let me know. You might gain some valuable knowledge.”

“Yes, understood.”

Lee Han answered while managing his expression. Of course, he had no intention of ever coming again.

Crash!

“……”

Gaynando and Raphadael came rolling in from the other side, grabbing each other by the collar.

They were both a mess from fighting so much.

Professor Mortum clicked his tongue at the sight.

“Cough. To waste such a precious opportunity like that… Next time, maybe Wardanaz should guide you.”

“How rude. The professor gave you a chance, and you wasted it fighting! Get your act together and go look around again!”

“That’s not necessary… cough.”

Professor Mortum declined, but looked at Lee Han with a slightly pleased expression.

He was, after all, the most promising freshman.