Episode 531

“What, what is this? What’s going on?”

“The artifact is working? Wardanaz, did you activate it?”

Lee Han frowned and replied.

“No. It activated on its own.”

“What? That’s impossible. Artifacts don’t just activate on their own. What kind of idiot made it like that?”

Salko said in disbelief.

The basic of basics for artifacts was safety: it should only activate when the caster wanted it to.

If an artifact activated on its own without intent, that wasn’t called an artifact; it was usually called a trap.

“The seniors.”

“……”

“……”

The students fell silent in disbelief.

Were those really their seniors?

“No… This is ridiculous.”

“Yeah. Salko, I think so too.”

Lee Han sighed as he looked at the flickering, blazing dimensional gateway artifact.

Unbelievable as it was, the seniors who made this paid no attention to things like safety.

Normally, a clear incantation and gestures were needed to activate an artifact.

But the seniors, to squeeze out even a bit more efficiency, had omitted all such measures.

They simply made it so that the moment a foot crossed into the artifact’s adjacent area, magic power would forcibly be absorbed to activate it—a crude, brute-force design.

Calling it brute-force was being generous; it was really very dangerous.

The seniors could back off immediately if it seemed risky since they had designed it and had experience, but the inexperienced juniors could pass out from magic depletion with just one mistake.

Shouldn’t they have at least added more safety measures before graduating, out of concern for their juniors?

‘Are all seniors just bastards or what?’

“No, Wardanaz. When I said I was dumbfounded, I meant you.”

“?”

Lee Han looked at Salko as if to ask what he was talking about.

“How did you not notice while the artifact was absorbing this much magic?”

“…You can miss things if you’re reading a journal, you punk.”

Unwilling to let the mistake go, Salko scolded him, making Lee Han grumble.

Of course, the students studying enchantment didn’t agree with Lee Han.

‘What’s he talking about, when he can sense even a faint flow of magic from meters away…’

Wuuung. Wuuung. Wuuuung—

The dimensional gateway artifact kept flickering, emitting roaring sounds.

The light grew steadily brighter and sparks flew in the air, but the artifact kept operating without pause.

“Wardanaz. Is everything alright? Why is it doing this? The artifact is running, but…?”

“It seems like it’s only just begun.”

Though it had absorbed an immense amount of magic that made the whole area shake, the dimensional gateway artifact had only just started.

To form a proper gateway, it would need to absorb several dozen times more magic than it just had.

Realizing how greedily the artifact was absorbing magic, Lee Han waved his friends back.

“Don’t come closer. If the absorption field grows, you could get magic depleted too.”

“Wardanaz…”

“What? This is basic concern.”

Lee Han said warmly to his friends, who seemed touched.

Having worked his friends hard earlier, it was good to show a bit of concern now.

“No, I mean—aren’t you coming out?”

“……”

The friends whispered as they looked at Lee Han.

No matter how much magic he had, they wondered if it was right to leave Wardanaz there.

The amount of magic the artifact demanded just didn’t feel normal.

Even the massive magic it just sucked up was only enough to start it up.

How much would it really need to fully open a gateway?

“I’m fine.”

“Usually when someone says that, they aren’t fine.”

Gainando muttered.

Usually, when Gainando said, “I’m fine!”, things rarely worked out well.

“You’re jinxing it, you punk!”

“Don’t say useless things!”

The Blue Dragon Tower students smacked Gainando on the back.

‘That’s not what I’m worried about.’

Lee Han didn’t actually worry about the ridiculous magic absorption.

If he felt any pain from magic depletion, he was ready to get out, but his body was fine—his friends’ concern was almost embarrassing.

What Lee Han really worried about was the artifact’s durability.

It was an artifact with all sorts of functions removed to maximize efficiency and performance, barely completed.

What if it exploded while being charged?

‘The skull principal would really laugh at us.’

After defeating such a powerful foe and finding the treasure, if they all died due to a weird artifact made by seniors…

The skull principal would laugh about it for a week.

“Would everyone set up the tables over there?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“Got it.”

At Lee Han’s request, the students hurriedly put up tables.

Preparing cover in case the artifact blew up was a wise move.

“Hm. Salko, could you use magic to fill in some earth behind the tables?”

“Understood.”

Salko cast earth elemental magic to reinforce the back of the tables.

Now even if a shockwave came, it wouldn’t knock them over easily.

“Hm. Princess, could you summon a spirit to make it even sturdier?”

Adenart quickly summoned a spirit to reinforce the barricade.

With sand, water, and gravel mixed in, the barricade became so solid that it wouldn’t budge from a normal kick.

“Hm. I wonder if that’s enough. Gainando, try summoning some bone element. Let’s mix that in for reinforcement.”

“……”

“……”

The students’ expressions became increasingly awkward.

If you had to reinforce the barricade this much…

…Shouldn’t you just be running away?

Noticing their looks, Lee Han quickly made an excuse.

“It’s just for precaution. It’s still okay. The magic flow is normal.”

“But just now, while the artifact was absorbing enough magic to kill several mages, you didn’t notice…”

“Salko, do you feel good harping on your friend’s mistake? Hm?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant.”

Not used to Lee Han making emotional appeals, Salko became a bit flustered.

If you put it that way, he couldn’t argue further…

Crackle, crackle!!

“!”

“L-Look! There’s a crack!”

The students opened their eyes wide.

A crack was opening in midair!

Just like when a mighty being from another dimension crossed into this continent, a rip appeared in space and through it shimmered a scene completely different from the underground storeroom.

“War… Wardanaz!!!”

“You’re a hero!!! You’re our hero!!!”

The White Tiger Tower students, who had been grumbling about how they’d all die if Wardanaz drank another foresight potion, now shouted in excitement.

They had been doubtful, but this fissure in the space was proof that the dimensional gateway artifact was actually functioning.

“Check it! Check! Where is it connecting to?”

“I-I’m looking, but… I can’t see! Ugh! Wardanaz, can’t you get closer?!”

“Come try, if you want to shrivel up and die.”

“You… You don’t have to say it like that.”

Lee Han tried his best to remember the scenery visible beyond the crackling dimensional gateway.

‘Is that inside a mansion?’

At a glance, the portal seemed to connect to a rather old-style mansion.

Lee Han wondered if the gateway connected to a noble family’s mansion in a village or city not far from Einrogard.

If there had been a Blue Dragon Tower student among the seniors, they’d have chosen to link it to their family’s mansion for safety.

Creak—

“!”

At the ominous sound from the artifact, Lee Han quickly turned his gaze.

The cobbled-together frame of the dimensional gateway artifact was twisting and creaking, unable to handle the overload of magic.

He had worried about its durability, and now, already, it was starting to fail.

Lee Han gritted his teeth and quickly moved away from the artifact.

“Is—is it exploding!? Is it really exploding!?”

When Gainando saw Lee Han running, he nearly screamed.

“No. I’m just stopping it!”

“O-Oh, okay.”

Gainando nodded, then asked in a much smaller voice,

“Exploding?”

“…It’s not exploding.”

Lee Han flicked Gainando on the forehead, since he seemed to think Lee Han would tell only him and not the others, then looked back to the artifact.

Fortunately, as he’d calculated, with the supply of magic gone, the artifact was cooling down.

The dimensional gateway disappeared, the spatial fissure closed, and things quieted down as if it had all been a lie.

“……”

“Thank goodness. It didn’t break.”

The students treated the dimensional gateway artifact with the tenderness and care of a final exam sheet.

“Wardanaz. When are you going to activate it again?”

“…Do you even know where that connects to?”

Lee Han was speechless at their attitude, wanting to rush in without even knowing the destination.

But the friends had their own logic.

“Who cares. Anywhere’s better than Einrogard.”

“……”

For a moment, Lee Han was lost for words.

That…

Is that so?

“Wait a sec. I’ll read the journal again.”

Lee Han, who had stopped reading earlier due to forced magic charging, stretched out his staff to bring the journal over.

‘Where did you connect it to?’

As he flipped through, Lee Han’s face suddenly hardened as if he’d seen a basilisk.

Yoner peered at the journal, wondering.

‘What’s wrong with Lee Han?’

The crazy skull will never imagine what our target is. Haha. Once it’s done, your city villa is ours! We’ll scrape up every treasure to the last coin and set it on fire after!

“……”

“……”

Lee Han sighed deeply.

Of all places, why here?

‘Seniors are no help in life.’

“Lee Han. We’re still going, right?”

“Wardanaz, this could actually be great. If it’s the principal’s outside villa, it must be empty!”

“Shut up. Everybody, close your eyes.”

Lee Han banged his staff on the floor to silence his friends.

Gainando narrowly avoided getting hit for peeking through slitted eyes.

“Listen. As you know, we don’t know how many more times this dimensional gateway artifact will work. We should use it to maximize our gains… I want your honest opinions.”

Some students’ eyes were already bloodshot with yearning to get out, but Lee Han was calm.

You never knew what might happen if you entered the skull principal’s villa by mistake.

You could act tough in front of friends, but not everyone felt the same.

Lee Han didn’t want to force a student who didn’t want to go.

“Even if the principal’s villa is the destination, who wants to go outside through the dimensional gateway?”

Slowly, every student raised their hand.

“……”

Lee Han was speechless.

‘Are these guys…’

Aren’t they too far gone with Einrogard-itis?

• * *

“It really was a rough day.”

“Everyone did well.”

Lee Han and his friends yawned as they walked out.

Having fought through the night, by the time they walked out of the main building, dawn was already breaking.

“Wardanaz, we’re going together on the weekend.”

“Yeah.”

“Wardanaz, you have to go with us on the weekend. Don’t leave us behind.”

“Okay.”

“Wardanaz, on the weekend… Argh! Argh!”

Lee Han chased the White Tiger Tower students away with his staff.

Though they’d already promised to gather again this weekend and give it another shot, they kept hanging around and pestering him.

“We don’t have morning classes, right? Let’s go in and get some rest.”

“Thinking about going out this weekend is making me wide awake.”

“Definitely. The principal’s villa won’t be easy.”

Lee Han nodded.

“So I’ve got an idea in mind.”

“Oh? What is it?”

His friends were curious what Lee Han had thought up.

Just what clever plan did he have?

“The foresight potion will be ready soon. If I drink it…”

“No!”

“Don’t do it!”