Episode 220
by CristaeContrary to the White Tiger Tower students’ misunderstanding, Lee Han had not the slightest intention of taking down the Rock Drake.
Knowing the Rock Drake’s toughness, there was no way he’d do something so reckless.
‘I’ll lure it away.’
There was no need to fight head-on, nor just give up and run.
Lure it away.
This is exactly why wizards are considered top-tier personnel wherever they go—because of their flexibility.
Other adventurers would have to risk their lives fighting or just give up and run, but wizards could come up with third or fourth options.
And Lee Han was especially good at this.
Even among wizards, he studied an unusually wide range of fields.
‘If I provoke it and redirect its attention…’
Deorgyu aside, since the White Tiger Tower students were at the path leading down, he couldn’t just hand it over to the Rock Drake.
He had to secure it somehow!
“W-W-Wardanaz. Just promise me one thing.”
“?”
“That you won’t try to kill the Rock Drake.”
“……”
Lee Han looked at the trembling White Tiger Tower students with pity.
‘I said I’m not going to kill it…’
“Fine. I promise.”
“…R-really?”
“Of course.”
“……”
The White Tiger Tower students stared at Lee Han’s face.
His expression was so stiff, like a statue, that even when he said that, it wasn’t convincing.
“…Really, really…”
“If you ask one more time, I’ll use you as bait.”
“!”
At Lee Han’s words, the White Tiger Tower student clammed up in fright.
It didn’t sound like a joke.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have brought these guys…’
Right now, Lee Han had left his other friends on the back hill and only brought the White Tiger Tower students with him.
After all, not many people were needed to lure the Rock Drake. The more people, the harder it was to maintain the invisibility spell.
He brought the White Tiger Tower students because they were agile and quick, so they’d be easier to manage if something went wrong, and…
‘If I go alone, no matter if Deorgyu is there, they won’t listen to me.’
If needed, he could give orders to the other White Tiger Tower students stationed on the hill.
Even those who wouldn’t listen to Lee Han would be forced to follow his orders with their friends next to him.
Basically, they were half-hostages!
Of course, the White Tiger Tower students with Lee Han didn’t realize their situation.
They just looked on nervously at the Rock Drake.
“But will just a water orb get a reaction from the Rock Drake? Most magic doesn’t work on it…”
“That’s why I hit its weak spot.”
“……”
‘Why would you do something like that?!’
The White Tiger Tower students cried inside.
They thought it was just a provocation, but he’d even gone for a vital spot without them knowing…
Thud, thud, thud, thud—
The Rock Drake turned away from the hill and started moving in the completely opposite direction.
It seemed to be searching for the culprit who hit its nose.
‘Please, Sharkan.’
Whap!
At Lee Han’s signal, Sharkan, who had been waiting elsewhere, leapt out.
The Rock Drake, startled by the appearance of the green-form panther, turned its head.
-■■■…
Sharkan didn’t overdo it.
Instead of charging at a much larger, sturdier monster, he provoked it with a sharp sound.
Then, without hesitation, he turned and ran. The Rock Drake, angered, tried to chase after Sharkan.
“Bone, bind the enemy.”
Lee Han murmured an incantation.
The unique dark energy of black magic swirled, and bone shackles appeared on the Rock Drake’s foreleg.
Clatter!
Of course, it was meaningless.
You can’t bind a giant by tying a rope around its finger.
Even if you summoned bone shackles on the Rock Drake’s foreleg, it could break them in a second.
But Lee Han didn’t care and kept chanting.
“Bone, bind the enemy. Bone, bind the enemy. Bone…”
If one isn’t enough, then two.
If two isn’t enough, then three.
In an instant, bone shackles multiplied, clinging all over the Rock Drake’s foreleg.
It was still meaningless, but it definitely irritated the Rock Drake.
It had been hit with a water orb, provoked by some undead monster, and now had annoying bone shackles.
-■■■… ■■■…
“Heat, warp the air.”
As a wizardly figure shimmered in the air, the Rock Drake finally snapped.
Its sluggishness vanished, and it began a near-berserk charge, tearing up the ground.
KWA-DOOOOM!
To the students nearby, the charge felt like an earthquake.
“Is… is it gone? It’s gone, right?”
“Yeah.”
The White Tiger Tower students sighed in relief.
Thank goodness—Wardanaz kept his promise and didn’t do anything reckless like hunting the Rock Drake.
Really, what a relief!
“Go up the hill and tell them the Rock Drake’s been chased off. They’ll be confused up there since they don’t know the situation.”
“R-right. I’ll go now.”
“I’ll go gather the others…”
As Lee Han spoke, he froze.
From the direction where the Blue Dragon Tower students were waiting, another Rock Drake appeared.
“……”
“……”
Faced with the unexpected, all the students’ minds went blank.
But Lee Han sprang into action.
“Tell them the Rock Drake’s been chased off. I’ll distract that one and be back!”
“Wa… Wardanaz!”
The White Tiger Tower students called Lee Han’s name without realizing it.
No matter how absurdly reckless or masterful in dark magic he was, the sight of Wardanaz charging to save his friends without hesitation could only be respected.
“…Be careful!”
“Stop saying pointless things and go up to report!”
“S-sorry.”
When Lee Han got truly stern, the White Tiger Tower students averted their eyes.
No need to get that mad…
- * *
Even though his friends were camouflaged on the other hill, Lee Han couldn’t relax. He dashed off with Sharkan.
But the distance was too far.
‘Damn.’
“Heat, warp the air!”
Lee Han summoned an illusion in the area, trying to attract the Rock Drake’s attention.
“Oh, Light!”
A huge globe of light appeared. The intensity was so great that even the distant Rock Drake flinched in surprise.
‘Good. Now its attention…’
-Grrr.
Sharkan growled in alarm.
Right before their eyes, the Rock Drake began to disappear into the ground.
“……”
Even Lee Han was startled by this unfamiliar sight.
The books said that Rock Drakes would face off directly against an opponent they could beat, but if threatened, they’d go underground and wait for an opportunity…
So it was true!
‘Did I overdo the light magic!?’
From the Rock Drake’s perspective, the globe of light was so strong and dazzling that it felt threatened.
Sharkan suddenly started frantically pawing the ground and tugged on Lee Han’s sleeve with his mouth.
-Grrr! Grrr!
“!”
Lee Han wasn’t so slow as to miss the signal. He immediately tried to get away.
But the Rock Drake’s movement was far faster than expected.
KWA-DOOOOM!
With a thunderous roar, the Rock Drake erupted from underground.
The ground’s balance collapsed, and debris and dust flew everywhere as Lee Han hurriedly chanted.
“Move!”
A steel orb anchored itself in midair. Lee Han grabbed it with all his strength.
‘If I lose balance, I’m dead!’
How long did he hold on?
Suddenly, the ground rose up beneath him as if to support him.
‘Wait…’
It wasn’t the ground.
It was the Rock Drake’s enormous back.
“……”
Lee Han was appalled to find himself on the Rock Drake’s back.
He’d dodged the Rock Drake’s leap from underground only to end up on its back.
‘…Well, could be worse.’
He was dizzy at first, but quickly composed himself.
Fortunately, it seemed the Rock Drake hadn’t realized anyone was on it.
Plus, perhaps smashing the suspicious light orb had calmed it, as it began striding away.
‘I’ll jump off at the next hill I see.’
Lee Han resolved that he needed to look up a slow-fall spell as soon as he got back.
After today, who knows what could happen if he didn’t…
-■■…
-■■ ■■■…
“……”
Lee Han couldn’t find a hill close enough to jump off.
Of all times, the Rock Drake he’d mounted ran into the one that had charged off earlier.
No wonder they’d been going in the same direction…!
Tap, tap.
Tap, tap, tap.
The two Rock Drakes glared at each other. The tension was clear: ‘You yield first.’
And neither did.
“…Wait—”
CRASH!!!!!
The two Rock Drakes collided violently.
As the Rock Drake’s back shook like mad, Lee Han thought,
‘…If Professor Ingeldel ever wants a good place to train swordsmanship, I’ll have to recommend the back of a Rock Drake.’
- * *
“Hurry up! Why are you guys so slow?!”
“Huff, huff… Why are they… so… much stamina…”
The Blue Dragon Tower students, having regrouped, mercilessly hurried the White Tiger Tower students.
None of the White Tiger Tower students who’d heard the situation refused to go rescue Wardanaz.
-Hah. You Blue Dragon Tower guys just stay here and rest.
-You’re too slow.
That was more the attitude.
But surprisingly, the Blue Dragon Tower students were much more energetic.
It was only natural.
The White Tiger Tower students had to ration water while exploring and had just done all sorts of work to block the Rock Drake’s approach.
The Blue Dragon Tower students, who’d moved around more comfortably, were less exhausted.
“Moradi, thanks. I thought you’d refuse.”
At Deorgyu’s words, Giselle shrugged.
“Did you get close because you were in the same group during swordsmanship class…? No, guess not. Sorry.”
When Giselle glared like she’d kill him, Deorgyu shut his mouth.
“Wardanaz risked his life to lure the Rock Drake away. If we didn’t go help, these idiots wouldn’t sit still. That’s why I’m going.”
“I see.”
“So please, stop saying stupid stuff, Choi. Got it? Even before school, why are you always…”
“……”
Deorgyu regretted it.
‘Shouldn’t have said anything…’
After Giselle had thoroughly insulted (idiot, pushover, moron, pickpocket victim, etc.) Deorgyu’s character, she seemed a little better and changed the subject.
“One thing. There’s something I don’t get.”
“What?”
“Why did Wardanaz help us?”
“……”
Deorgyu didn’t bother mentioning that he’d told Lee Han the location of the way down.
He figured Giselle’s insults would get several times worse if she found out.
“Uh… Well, Wardanaz might look cold, but he values friendship…”
“Didn’t I tell you to stop with the BS? He’s definitely got an ulterior motive. There’s no way he’d help for no reason.”
People always judge things by their own standards. Giselle was no exception.
If he didn’t have an ulterior motive, there’s no way he’d help!
Giselle frowned, deep in thought, trying to decipher Wardanaz’s wicked mind.
Of course, there was no such motive.
“Th-there! Look!!”
“Stop making a fuss. It’s not like water’s gushing out. Why do you have to shriek at everything…”
Giselle’s curt reply trailed off.
Deorgyu, too, stared ahead in shock.
Up ahead, two Rock Drakes lay collapsed.
“……”
“S-see?! I told you Wardanaz wanted to hunt a Rock Drake from the start!”
In the silent aftermath, one White Tiger Tower student’s voice rang out especially loudly.