Dirette, completely absorbed in his task, didn’t notice Lee Han’s gaze had become a little less respectful. He was busy with the toad demon, muttering instructions.
“Croak! Wizard! Remember, only trap up to three!” the toad demon rasped.
“Don’t worry,” Dirette said, waving a hand dismissively. “I promised, didn’t I? I only need space for one anyway.”
“Croaak! Wizard keeps his word! Good!” the toad demon croaked, sounding slightly more trusting.
‘He must summon him often…’
While Lee Han was thinking about other things, Yookvelteereh spoke.
“Let’s begin.”
“Yes.”
Lee Han took a light breath and cast enhancement magic.
>Gonadalte’s Quickening Agility> and >Baegrek’s Instant Precognition>.
Both were spells that could provide a significant advantage in close-quarters magical combat.
“Is Dark Sight possible too?”
“Yes.”
When Dirette asked, Lee Han also cast >Gonadalte’s Dark Sight>.
Yookvelteereh, intrigued by the sight, asked further.
“Is Invisibility possible, by any chance?”
“Yes.”
When Lee Han cast >Gonadalte’s Cloak of Invisibility>, Yookvelteereh nodded slightly, scrutinizing him.
Normally, a wizard’s magic couldn’t be cast infinitely because of the limits of magical power and focus, but even if it could, stacking them continuously was nearly impossible.
Each new spell could clash with the spells already cast, making things complicated.
Therefore, to cast more than a few spells in one place, you needed exceptional senses and vast, pure magical power that didn’t care about the energy lost from those clashes.
Yookvelteereh knew Lee Han had incredibly pure and strong magic. But seeing Lee Han cast so many spells at once was still surprising.
“That’s enough.”
“Is Fire Resistance possible there, by any chance?”
“……”
Lee Han glared at his senior once and cast >Lesser Fire Resistance>.
If Dirette had been paying attention, he would have stopped him, but Dirette was too busy talking to the toad demon.
-Croak! Participating if battle happen, contract different!
-So, to the offering from last time, add five bull heads this time…
-Croaak! Don’t want to participate in battle! Wizard battle hurts!
-No need to attack. Just protect.
-Croak! All the wizards?
-No. Just that junior over there. No need to help him.
“And >Lesser Cold Resistance> too…”
“No.”
Lee Han refused, his face hardening at the repeated demands.
Frankly, looking at those White Tiger Tower students, even Fire Resistance didn’t seem necessary.
“Why not?”
“Their magic feels mostly like wind. So, we don’t need Fire Resistance, and definitely not Cold Resistance.”
The junior’s answer was very logical and reasonable, based on his senses. Yookvelteereh was disappointed but couldn’t argue and agreed.
Finally, Dirette, having concluded all contract agreements with the toad demon, approached them.
“Sorry. The conversation took longer than expected. Are you all ready? You didn’t cast Cold Resistance?”
As Dirette asked without much thought, Yookvelteereh tried to explain.
“Most of them are ba…”
“Yes. I’ll cast it now. Senior.”
Lee Han cast >Lesser Cold Resistance> without complaint.
At those words, Yookvelteereh stared intently at his invisible junior.
“…That action was illogical…”
“Let’s go! Senior! They’re all passing by!”
Yookvelteereh felt a strange emotion he had never felt before.
He didn’t know it yet, but that emotion was anger.
‘So, if you want to be respected, treat them a little better…’
Dirette thought to himself, feeling sorry for him.
Yookvelteereh didn’t take much damage from the ramblings of ordinary wizards, whom he regarded as pebbles on the road, but he was vulnerable to the harsh words of wizards he respected.
Dirette himself felt sorry for him and gave him some leeway, but this junior, having faced all sorts of evil enemies in Einrogaard, immediately retorted sharply when the other party talked nonsense.
“Yookvelteereh, if you’re going to get so angry, just do as I said…”
“What are you talking about? I’m not angry at all. Petty emotions like anger don’t affect me.”
“…Just hold your staff tightly and say that.”
Wham!
“Ambush!!”
As the corridor instantly darkened, Ivanna’s gang reacted immediately.
Even third-year students in Einrogaard knew from experience that such anomalies didn’t just happen.
“Protect the wooden cask!”
The White Tiger Tower students were already casting spells in preparation for battle.
Some of them had even enhanced their hearing to the point of capturing echoes bouncing back, using echolocation.
“Up the stairs! Up the stairs!”
“Wall, block the path!”
“Protect the wooden cask and get out!”
‘As expected of the seniors. They can’t even be compared to Baldrogaard.’
Lee Han was honestly impressed by the way they moved in perfect order as soon as the attack broke out.
Wizards moving quickly without wasting any time, as if they had practiced countless times.
He could see why the White Tiger Tower students were notorious in requests and brawls, even if their magical research and grades were a bit lacking.
Enhancement magic school often hears jeers such as it is simple and lacks creativity, and is merely a sub-school of the enchantment magic school, but…
Certainly, there were few magic schools that could produce that much efficiency with so little magical power in combat.
‘They’re enhancing their hearing to capture sound waves. Illusion magic mainly targets sight, so they’re countering it.’
The way they immediately grasped the situation and faithfully carried out their respective roles was like a well-connected machine.
The seniors in the rear pulled out corridor bricks to create cover, then grabbed their swords and charged forward with shouts.
Having created cover for their other comrades, it was now time to stick to the enemy and buy time.
“Go.”
However, the two fifth-year seniors were not at all flustered. Both belonged to the Blue Dragon Tower and the Black Tortoise Tower, so they were used to conflicts with the White Tiger Tower.
Screeeech-
Longswords that popped out of thin air flew in, making a sound like a siren’s voice.
It didn’t harm Lee Han at all, but the White Tiger Tower students groaned upon hearing the sound.
“Ugh!”
“Ack!”
Although enhancement magic was protecting their bodies, the illusion magic that immediately targeted their enhanced hearing shook the senses of the White Tiger Tower students.
“Stick together!”
The White Tiger Tower students eventually gave up their charge, retreated behind cover, and raised their shields.
Their intention was to defend against the attack until the illusion magic was dispelled.
Then, Yookvelteereh took out the next artifact. As the stone mirror emitted colorful lights, explosions erupted in the corridor with a loud roar.
“……”
The opponents were formidable, but this side was overwhelmingly overpowered.
An enchantment wizard who had prepared and brought plenty of artifacts was like a wizard with infinite magical power.
“Damn it! It’s Senior So Verduce!”
“Of all people, it had to be a fifth-year!”
‘So Verduce?’
The White Tiger Tower students seemed to instinctively recognize the identity of the force that was simply pushing through the corridor and its surroundings with firepower, including the cover. They seemed to have decided to focus on escaping instead of counterattacking.
“Dirette.”
“Got it.”
Dirette, who had been waiting, waved his staff and chanted a spell.
Then, a huge curse flowed like a torrent, beginning to rage from the opposite corridor.
The White Tiger Tower students were horrified to see a huge curse rushing towards them like a flood. They had never seen magic like this before.
“What… ?!”
Lee Han would have simply broken through with force, but the White Tiger Tower students were in their right minds.
They couldn’t throw themselves into a torrent of unknown curses.
“Now. Hand over the wooden cask.”
“Kuh…!”
“Dirette. Just subdue them and then…”
“You be quiet.”
Dirette felt a slight pang of conscience about taking the artifact from his juniors and didn’t want to subdue them more violently than necessary.
“Senior! Enemies are coming from behind!”
“?”
“?!”
The two seniors were surprised by Lee Han’s shout. They hadn’t yet sensed any enemies.
However, Dirette, knowing Lee Han’s talent, reacted before his friend.
“Towards the corridor?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“One, but the magical power is unusual…”
Before he could finish speaking, a student appeared from the corner at the end of the rear corridor.
Dirette and Lee Han simultaneously sighed at the sight of the cat-person student dressed smartly.
It was the last opponent they wanted to meet in this situation.
“Oh. Junior?”
Lee Han was taken aback when Senior Caton of the Jahan family greeted him cheerfully.
Currently, the corridor and its surroundings were completely dark, and…
…Lee Han was invisible.
‘How?!’
-Don’t answer.
Dirette sent a telepathic message.
-In this situation, the opponent isn’t sure either. They’re testing you.
“……”
Lee Han shuddered.
‘As expected, all the fifth-year students are unscrupulous!’
They should be considered half professors at this point.
To try to deceive a junior so brazenly with such a kind and cute cat face.
Dirette was definitely right. In a situation like this, it was difficult for even a swordsman’s senses to pinpoint Lee Han for sure.
Perhaps they were asking questions to confirm a vaguely felt sensation.
“Jahan. You have no use for sponsorships anyway. Don’t come any closer.”
“Is that Dirette’s voice? I envy you. Knowing how to darken the corridor like this.”
“…Even second-year students know how to do that…”
“I can only swing a sword. Hmm. But this time it will be different. Senior Ilendil promised to fully support potions that help with magic learning if I catch Junior Ilendil and bring him the artifact.”
“……”
“……”
Lee Han and Dirette simultaneously cursed Ilendil.
What cowardly behavior!
-The artifact is secured. Let’s get out.
Yookvelteereh, having secured the wooden cask, quietly shoved it into the toad demon’s mouth and sent a telepathic message. The two nodded.
At that moment, Caton moved.
Caton was a master swordsman, and his instincts were sharp. He started to move just because he felt something was wrong, even without seeing anything.
“Block him!”
The undead summons and artifacts placed around him just in case targeted Caton, who was rushing in from the rear.
Caton gripped his sword at a twisted angle and tapped the corridor floor with his boots as if hitting it repeatedly.
Lee Han didn’t know what the senior was doing at first, but his eyes soon widened.
‘Space… Space magic!!!’
“Haah!”
With a shout, Caton swung his sword, tearing through space and appearing ahead in a blink.
He had cast a short-range teleportation spell, a secret technique of swordsmanship that Lee Han couldn’t yet cast on his own!
‘Is he crazy?!’
Lee Han couldn’t help but curse.
Why was he learning magic when he had such talent?
He felt a sense of deprivation, as if he were seeing his second brother, Arsil.
Dirette seemed to think similarly, as a curse immediately popped out.
“Crazy!”
“I’ll block him! Retreat first!”
As the invisible junior accelerated and charged in from the darkness, Caton cautiously slowed his movements.
He couldn’t break through without identifying the enemy.
Clang!
“Byukam Sword? Are you a junior from the Wodanaaz family?”
“…You’re wrong. I’m from the Moradi family!”
“Oh? The Moradi family is like this… Ah, I see. It was a trick. Junior. You’re very clever.”
Caton took two steps back and circulated magical power throughout his body to enhance his senses.
He had to wait a moment to adapt to the situation, as the opponent had the advantage.
“But Junior, I don’t know why you’re there, but you’re mistaken about one thing. Which senior would leave their junior behind and escape on their own?”
“Haha. Senior Caton, you still don’t know! Senior Yookvelteereh has no blood or tears, so he can abandon me and escape first!”
“……”
Yookvelteereh, who was about to support Lee Han from behind, paused.