Episode 921

Episode 921

While the ancient archmage and the king from another dimension were baffled, Lee Han was taking the -Practical Healing Magic- exam.

Most exams for the Healing Magic School’s lectures were similar.

Endure by healing the incoming patients.

“Junior, congratulations! We’re so lucky!”

“Huh???”

Lee Han was bewildered by the senior’s words.

The hunter in front of him had been vomiting purple slime nonstop for a while.

What exactly was lucky about this?

But the Healing Magic School senior was grinning as if genuinely delighted.

“The patients came directly to the school! There were rumors that the roads were closed off because wild flying monsters had increased a lot this time!”

Patients from all over the empire visited Einrogard for various reasons, but that was only possible if the roads were open.

No matter how much one wanted to visit Einrogard, if wild wyverns were rampaging in flocks in the sky, it wasn’t easy.

If that situation continued, the worst would happen, such as:

-Bring your artifacts. I’ll have to visit in person.

-……

For Healing Magic School students who were already exhausted, breaking through external obstacles and reaching the patients was several times more strenuous.

But contrary to the rumors, the patients had arrived directly at Einrogard on mounts.

What luck!

“Y-yes, I see. We’re lucky.”

“Right?!”

The Healing Magic School senior burst out laughing with relief and ran to the new patient. The new patient’s left hand was constantly transforming into various metals.

‘Honestly, I think the senior also needs treatment as a patient.’

Lee Han thought to himself.

Of course, if the senior was happy, that was a good thing…

…But there were still limits.

“Ugh, ugh. Huurgh.”

The hunter, who had been vomiting purple slime, flailed both arms. Bartrek quickly picked up the bucket and threw it into the magical brazier to incinerate it.

“Here. Please throw up more.”

“Ggghhuuurgh.”

The hunter looked at Bartrek with a mix of resentment.

Shouldn’t a mage at least think about healing instead of just telling him to vomit?

But Bartrek was actually following the standard procedure.

‘Other than the slime vomiting, everything else is normal. In this case, it’s best to leave it alone.’

Bartrek checked the hunter’s condition again. There was nothing unusual in things like body temperature or pulse.

It seemed likely that some contaminated magic or a curse had taken hold, but unless the patient’s life was in danger, it was best to let the situation improve naturally.

If one poked around trying to identify it, the magic or curse could strengthen, endangering the patient even more.

“Bartrek. From what I see, there’s a weak parasite attached to his soul.”

“What? What did you say??”

The dwarf friend running over with a new bucket was startled by Lee Han’s words.

‘Did he check that just now?!’

Without using detection or sensing-type magic, there was no way to check someone’s condition.

Bartrek frowned, thinking his Wardanaz family friend had acted arbitrarily while he was moving the buckets.

“Wardanaz! We agreed, didn’t we! No magic because it can make it worse!”

“I didn’t use magic.”

“What?”

“I said I didn’t use magic. Look.”

Lee Han slowly reached out his hand.

Then, the weak parasite attached to the hunter’s soul began to be pulled out.

It wasn’t magic, nor was it any other method. He simply intervened in the opponent’s soul with pure will.

“There.”

With a gesture, the parasite drawn out from the soul evaporated into nothingness. The hunter blinked in surprise at the sudden lightness of his body.

“How… how did you know there was a weak parasite on the soul if you didn’t use magic? And how did you get rid of it??”

Bartrek shouted, staring at Lee Han in shock.

Even the hunter who had been vomiting purple slime gave a shocked look. He was so stunned that he didn’t even spit out the remaining slime in his mouth.

Not only did he sense the soul without special magic, he even interfered with it?

“Guuh?”

“Did you really not use any magic? Maybe it’s some kind of blessing?”

“Hmm. Well, about that.”

Lee Han hesitated, unsure where to begin the explanation.

Currently, there was some crazy sentient magic form in the mountain range, and by helping this being’s work, he’d come to realize an ancient magic, which then expanded his soul-related abilities…

‘This story will be way too long.’

“It might be a long story to explain. Is that okay?”

“Of course!”

“Gguuurgh!”

Both voiced their agreement.

Basically, recognizing and interfering with souls was a special talent, similar to recognizing and interfering with spirits.

Not only the Illusionary Magic School, but other magical schools also dealt with fields involving souls.

Everything from observing the colors or waves emitted by the opponent’s soul to deduce emotions and thoughts, to grabbing, tearing out souls, temporarily splitting one’s own soul, and the like.

However, the ability the Wardanaz family boy showed now was simple yet extraordinary.

To sense and interfere even without magic was an impressive influence.

“There’s something like an ancient archmage’s sentient form in the Einrogard mountain range right now…”

“……”

“……”

The two froze slightly, realizing the story was starting much further in the past than they’d expected.

• * *

“…So I was tricked by that evil king of the Yaksha and entered into a contract I didn’t have to. Do you understand up to here?”

“I’ll hear the rest next time, Wardanaz!”

Bartrek eventually gave up halfway through and had to return to care for the patients.

Professor Alcassis was glaring this way, eyes full of murderous intent.

“Thank you, mage! I won’t forget this favor.”

Meanwhile, the hunter who had finished vomiting all the slime in his mouth expressed his gratitude.

Lee Han took up his quill and asked:

“By the way, how did you get infected by that parasite? Parasites that attach to the soul are rare, aren’t they?”

Beyond simple curiosity, such records would serve as references for other students later, so he had to write it properly.

The hunter replied with an embarrassed look.

“Well, I made a bet with a friend… We bet on entering and exiting the ruins.”

“The ruins? What kind of ruins?”

Even ruins varied greatly in danger.

Ruins like an old lodge that hunters once used were perfectly safe, but ruins like an old mage tower used by past mage-criminals were as perilous as Einrogard’s upper floors.

‘Since the parasite wasn’t that strong, it was probably a small mage tower ruin at best?’

“I heard rumors that it was the site where an ancient evil god once stayed.”

“……”

Lee Han immediately straightened his expression.

The hunter, knowing he’d acted recklessly, lowered his gaze to the floor.

“Well… I’m sorry. Really. Alcohol, that’s what does it! A dumb bet!”

“If you get cursed on a bet like that again, go to Baldrogard next time.”

But thinking about it calmly, the likelihood of it actually being an evil god-related soul parasite was slim.

If it were something that incredible, it would have been far stronger and wouldn’t be dragged out by Lee Han’s will alone with no special magic.

‘Maybe the rumor was wrong, or it was contamination left behind by a mage who experimented in the ruins later.’

What even am I doing now?

“!”

When the vision of the Mad Clone appeared from the -Echo Stone- embedded in his staff, Lee Han greeted it cheerfully.

“Master! You’ve come to your senses!”

The royal never lost consciousness to begin with. As a mere disciple, don’t bother with such petty worries.

‘Hmm. If I brought up the old days, wouldn’t he get angry?’

Lee Han held back from asking, ‘How about regaining the gentle demeanor of the old days, as seen in the young ancient skeletal headmaster?’

Thinking about it, if Professor Verdus came and said, ‘Go back to the obedient days of your freshman year, Wardanaz!’, Lee Han would probably punch him too.

What was he even doing now?

“I’m taking an exam.”

You didn’t understand the meaning of my question. I didn’t mean what you’re literally doing…

-Wardanaz! Over here!

“Uh. I’ll get back to you next time. I’m busy now.”

Lee Han turned off the stone and quickly ran off. Judging by how the senior was calling, help was probably needed.

A short while later.

How dare you?

“Hey. I told you I’d get back to you next time!”

Lee Han was dumbfounded by the vision of the Mad Clone emerging again.

He’d even promised last time not to come out on his own, so what was this about?

‘Surely it’s not a matter of conveniently losing memory from the reversal shock?’

Look at the vast sea of magic spread before you and the wretched, pathetic ones lying around here before your eyes, disciple. Which is more valuable?

“The latter. I told you, I’m taking an exam!”

Lee Han admonished the Mad Clone as if to say, what are you talking about.

It was a relief the master had come to his senses, but perhaps still shocked, he kept spouting nonsense.

…No matter how great the contribution, this kind of attitude…

The Mad Clone was about to point out his disciple’s lack of manners with a cold expression.

Lee Han, unconcerned, checked the patient and chatted with the senior.

“Wait. How did the intestines turn into cotton?!”

“Calm down! It’s not the worst yet.”

“How is a belly full of cotton not the worst… We should call the professor!”

“No! The professor’s busy too right now!”

“Then… Ah. Master, since you’re here, can you help? Any idea what kind of magic this is?”

It’s a curse using triple transformation magic. Pathetic. To be fooled by such appearances.

“Aha…! Such trickery!”

Low-level wretches often use such tricks.

Lee Han promptly followed the Mad Clone’s advice, impressed.

Sure enough, the transformation magic was layered to confuse magicians trying to dispel it.

But now…

“Master. Should I heal this curse directly, or just use potions and let it be?”

Of course, let it be. Is that even a question?

The Mad Clone answered again.

He couldn’t just ignore it because his disciple was asking such foolish questions.

What the royal is saying is not to waste time on this pitiful exam and come back at once to receive the teachings, disciple.

“Yes, yes. I’ll contact you again for real after I finish this.”

Having gotten everything he needed, Lee Han turned off the -Echo Stone- without hesitation.

A Healing Magic School senior next to him asked curiously:

“What kind of artifact is that? Its performance seems amazing!”

“Haha. Thank you.”

There were plenty of wise artifacts that answered their master’s questions, but the stone embedded in Lee Han’s staff was among the best in capability.

Probably because of the identity of the one doing the answering…

With the annoying chatterer gone, Lee Han’s pace naturally quickened.

After treating the patients in his assigned area and clearing the beds, he found, to his surprise, a brief moment to rest.

“Rest! Rest!”

“Hurry down and collapse!”

The seniors rang bells and waved their arms.

If you didn’t seize a chance to rest, you could never endure. Lee Han and his friends dashed boldly down the stairs.

‘To the sleeping bags!’

As he ran, Lee Han even used telekinesis to unroll his friends’ sleeping bags by the warm spot near the fireplace. Bartrek and Tijilling gave him impressed looks.

“Wardanaz…!”

“It’s nothing.”

Lee Han quickly dove into his own sleeping bag along with his friends.

Just then, a familiar face popped up above.

It was the Mad Clone of the skeletal headmaster.

“……”

“……”