Episode 205

-■■■■■…!

The winter wraith writhed in agony from the flames formed by magic.

No matter how vulnerable its attribute, a winter wraith that had grown so strong by absorbing magic was not greatly affected by 1st-circle spells.

Nevertheless, the reason the winter wraith was twisting its whole body in pain was…

‘How many spells is he casting?’

“Burn, burn, burn, burn!”

Lee Han chanted the spell in rapid succession, continuously summoning flames.

The pervasive cold in the area actually helped him control the fire.

He summoned flames.

He moved those flames.

He repeated this process.

It was very simple, but if you repeated it quickly and countless times, that alone produced overwhelming firepower.

Direte forgot about having to protect the juniors from the monster and stared, entranced.

‘This is…’

Normally, upper-year students at Einrogard were not impressed by low-circle magic.

Not just them—any skilled wizard was the same.

Low-circle magic was not without potential for development.

You could train and train, shorten the casting time, increase the destructive power, and improve control…

But strictly speaking, that was not the orthodox path.

That kind of skill was something battle mages who specialized in magical combat would hone, not what a proper wizard was supposed to do.

Wizards researched higher-circle magic to explore the truths of the world and step into the unknown realms that magic as a discipline had yet to uncover.

Compared to that purpose, training low-circle magic to this extent was almost a deviation.

However…

Not only Direte, but the other fourth-year students had to admit it.

Depending on how you used it, even low-circle magic could overwhelm other wizards!

“What are you all doing?”

Direte snapped out of it and urged her friends. They nodded quickly.

“Y-yeah.”

The fourth-year students raised their staffs.

The orthodox way to deal with a winter wraith was to raise the temperature around it to suppress its movements, then attack.

If you provoked it without binding its movements, things could get complicated.

Winter wraiths had tricks to confuse a wizard’s senses with mist, sleet, and other means, and for inexperienced first-year students, such tricks could be fatal.

…But now, it seemed there was another way.

Attack the winter wraith, and then, without giving it a chance to react, keep attacking it relentlessly!

“…Should we even butt in? Looks like he’ll take it down.”

“Still, it feels wrong to just watch… Let’s do something.”

“Maybe I’ll try putting up a barrier.”

Kumandas raised his staff.

He intended to surround the winter wraith with a barrier of heat to suppress its movements.

Tap!

At that moment, an ice orb flew in and struck Kumandas’s hand.

Kumandas clutched his stinging hand and looked at Professor Voladi with a bewildered expression.

“D-did I make a mistake?”

“You’re interfering.”

“Excuse me?”

Kumandas didn’t understand why he’d been hit on the hand.

Surely it wasn’t because he tried to help a first-year junior…

“In this situation, with the cold so pervasive, if you cast a wide-area spell like a heat barrier, you might provoke and summon other monsters, right?”

“I-I see.”

Interpreting his friend’s words in the best possible way, Kumandas accepted it.

Indeed, a poorly executed area attack spell could be dangerous in a twisted dimension like this.

It could provoke and summon other hidden monsters.

“I’m sorry, Professor. I lack combat experience….”

Professor Voladi did not answer. Kumandas felt awkward.

“Is he mad because of my mistake?”

“It’s fine. Just make up for it next time. Show us your skills.”

But Kumandas didn’t get the chance to make up for it as he’d hoped.

Frost corpse beetle.

-Burn, burn, burn, burn!

-J-Junior… you’re amazing.

-Thank you.

-Then I’ll try a projectile spell this time… Maybe a fire arrow…

-Hey. He already took care of it.

Strigoi.

-Burn, burn, burn, burn!

-Junior… aren’t you running out of magic?

-I’m fine.

-Still, maybe I should step in…

Tap!

-?!

-Don’t shamelessly steal the junior’s credit—if you wanted to do it, you should have taken care of it from the start.

-I-I see. …But isn’t that junior a bit too fast?

-Then use a faster spell.

-……

Kumandas hesitated and watched Lee Han.

In truth, unless you specialized in magical combat, casting speed wasn’t that important.

Why would you need to cast quickly for research or experiments?

Naturally, Kumandas hadn’t paid much attention to casting speed.

Until he was overwhelmed by a first-year junior today.

‘…I’ll have to practice when I get back…’

‘Is this okay?’

The fourth-year seniors were watching Lee Han, and there was no way he wouldn’t notice.

Lee Han sensed the subtle atmosphere.

‘Could it be…’

Do they want to hunt the monsters here?

Lee Han thought it couldn’t be, but no matter how he considered it, there was no other reason.

Why did they want to hunt so badly?

For Lee Han, it was because Professor Voladi was behind him with a sword—no, a staff—pointed at his back…

‘Anyway, I should yield a bit.’

“Professor.”

“I know.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re dissatisfied because the monsters aren’t as strong as you thought, right?”

“……”

Lee Han was momentarily speechless.

Other friends were marveling, ‘Look at Wardanaz, burning monsters to death without changing expression, he’s a great mage,’ but Lee Han was giving his all in every fight.

Monsters had their own strategies and abilities.

If an inexperienced Lee Han got caught up in a monster’s strategy, he could really get hurt.

In the end, the safest method Lee Han could choose was only one.

Preemptive strike.

With the first attack, launch an overwhelming offensive that gave the opponent no chance to counterattack!

If he was even a little late, he could die, so he fought fiercely with that in mind, and yet…

‘Calm down.’

Lee Han regained his composure.

“More than that, I think others want to hunt as well.”

Not only the fourth-year seniors, but even the White Tiger Tower students were watching.

As expected of those from knight families, seeing Lee Han hunt made them want to join in.

Professor Voladi kindly offered a solution.

“Tell the riffraff to get lost.”

“…How about giving them a little chance?”

Not wanting to be the first-year who told seniors to “get lost,” Lee Han spoke as politely as possible.

Professor Voladi sighed regretfully.

“The principal was right.”

“Excuse me?”

“He said your weakness is your timidity.”

“…I see.”

If nothing else, Lee Han resolved that if he ever had to beat up the skeletal principal or Professor Voladi, he would definitely overcome his timidity.

• * *

Still, Professor Voladi did not refuse Lee Han’s request.

When Lee Han stepped back, the fourth-year students and White Tiger Tower students began to hunt.

“Everyone, don’t overdo it!”

“Don’t move before I cast my spell. Don’t provoke them recklessly!”

Without Lee Han, the mages’ hunt was textbook perfect.

The fourth-year seniors took the lead, using powerful magic to greatly weaken the monsters’ abilities.

The White Tiger Tower students, whose physical abilities had been greatly enhanced by Professor Voladi’s magic, charged in.

The White Tiger Tower students’ wooden swords were not ordinary. They were imbued with magic cast by Kumandas.

This magic caused heat to surge every time the wooden swords struck, dealing extra damage to the monsters.

Seeing them move organically, like interlocking gears, Lee Han couldn’t help but be impressed.

Experienced seniors led from the front, while passionate juniors pushed from behind—this kind of hunt…

‘…Suddenly, I feel sad.’

Lee Han tried not to think too deeply.

Watching this picture-perfect hunt made him seriously question what all his solo hunting had been for!

“Professor. I’d like to learn how to fight as a group, too.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Professor Voladi praised him with a blank expression.

“Then…”

“If you become skilled at fighting alone, you’ll become skilled at fighting in a group.”

“…Ah. Yes.”

“Those who know how to fight in a group can’t fight alone, but those who know how to fight alone can fight in a group.”

“Yes…”

Lee Han had never really envied the White Tiger Tower students, but seeing them hunt so cheerfully today, he felt envious for the first time.

What was so great about that…

“!”

Lee Han’s expression changed as he grumbled inwardly. Professor Voladi noticed at the same time and nodded.

The next to notice were the fourth-year students.

A significant magical distortion was felt from deeper in the corridor.

A monster much stronger than any that had appeared so far!

“Professor.”

Direte and the fourth-year students called Professor Voladi with serious expressions.

Such a monster could be dangerous not only for first-years, but even for them as fourth-years.

A professor had to step in.

Professor Voladi nodded as if he understood.

“Understood.”

“Thank you.”

Professor Voladi gripped his staff and swung it.

Fwaaaaaaah!

With a tremendous flow of power, the fourth-year students and White Tiger Tower students were pushed back.

Direte could feel it.

Several spells overlapped in an instant, creating a massive barrier that pierced the area ahead.

No ordinary monster would be able to break through this magical barrier and reach the students.

‘As expected of the professor.’

Direte couldn’t help but be impressed.

By the fourth year, magic school students naturally became proud and confident.

Even first-years, if they left the school, would be treated as wizards wherever they went, and by the fourth year, they couldn’t help but think, ‘Aren’t I a core talent of the Empire’s magical world?’

But when they saw the true skills of the professors, such arrogance vanished.

The professors who could lead Einrogard, which gathered the Empire’s top geniuses.

They were the faculty…

“…Huh? Huh?? Professor?? Professor??”

Direte raised her voice in confusion.

A black magic junior had been left outside the barrier.

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh… that junior didn’t get inside.”

“I know.”

“…Excuse me? No, but…”

Direte almost blurted out, ‘If you know, bring him in, you crazy bastard, what are you saying?’ but caught herself.

He was a professor, after all.

Direte decided to try persuading the crazy professor later and called out to Lee Han.

“Junior! Run back!”

“Huh? Why?”

“…Because it’s dangerous?”

“Thank you. I’ll be careful.”

“No, not just be careful…!”

Direte wondered if she was the weird one and looked at her friends.

Of course, the other fourth-year friends were also shocked.

What was going on??

“Snow, pierce the darkness.”

Lee Han recast his enhancement spells and waited for the monster to come.

Since it was stronger than anything he’d faced so far, he had to give it his all.

‘Strike first.’

The moment the charging monster appeared at the end of the corridor, he’d unleash every spell he could!

“……”

At that moment, Lee Han’s face hardened.

The opponent’s magic, which had been emanating from that direction, suddenly multiplied dozens of times.

For some reason, the opponent had clearly been hiding its magic.

That changed the calculations.

‘Should I break through the barrier and retreat? Can I break it? How sturdy did Professor Voladi make it?’

Who dares to seek an audience with the King of Frost Giants?

“…!!!”

A majestic voice rang out.

Even the first-year students beyond the barrier could feel the overwhelming magic.

But even more overwhelming was the opponent’s presence.

A head bowed so as not to touch the high corridor ceiling. A massive greatsword held in one hand.

‘Is that a relief?’

Lee Han thought to himself.

If it had been a moderately strong monster, it would have been more dangerous.

If it had been a ferocious monster that couldn’t communicate, Lee Han would have been beaten up for misjudging its magic.

He wouldn’t die with Professor Voladi behind him…

…Probably…

But the stronger opponents were, the more likely they could talk.

With intelligence and curiosity, they would ask questions.

Like this.

You are…

“O King of Frost Giants. A talented challenger has come here. I challenge you.”

“……”

Lee Han turned his head to look at Professor Voladi. The fourth-year students also turned to look at Professor Voladi.