Chapter 73

Chapter 073

The spirits did not unconditionally welcome guests. Though they did not speak, the spirits had personalities and preferences.

Naturally, there were guests the spirits feared.

Professor Thunderstep recalled a story he had heard before.

It was about a magician who, having no particular interest in spirits, became a grand mage and once tried to summon a spirit by contacting the spirit realm.

While contacting the spirit realm was easy for a mage with considerable skill, the spirits did not like this grand mage.

The intense aura emanating from his soul frightened the spirits.

A veteran mercenary, a swordsman who had felled dozens of opponents, or anyone who had lived a tumultuous life could not help but have a changed soul.

From Professor Thunderstep's perspective, it was hard to understand why a mage who had comprehended all kinds of mysteries would be treated the same as those people...

What could be done?

The spirits didn't like him.

Therefore, it was better to become friends with the spirits from a relatively young age. The older one got, the harder it became to befriend them.

"But why me?"

"Perhaps the spirit read your meticulousness."

"......"

"Just kidding. It's probably because of your mana."

Li Han, a member of the Wodanaz family, couldn't have killed someone to enter school, so the only thing left was his mana.

A wild and uncontrollable mana that could overwhelm even the average spirit!

"Fortunately, there is a solution. The grand mage in the story I told eventually succeeded in befriending the spirit."

"Oh, what method?"

"He used magic to forcibly capture the spirit and then befriended it."

"...Don't spirits in the spirit realm tend to be stronger?"

Like how a beast is stronger in its own yard, fighting a spirit in the spirit realm was a matter of life and death.

"There is that minor issue. Anyway, try your best!"

"......"

Li Han was not disappointed.

Disappointment would please Professor Thunderstep.

'I should steal more food when I go to the cabin next time.'

* * *

Fortunately, his friends worried about Li Han's misfortune as if it were their own.

"That's a big problem, Mr. Wodanaz."

"??"

The students of the Blue Dragon Tower were so natural that Sianna, the deacon, seemed like a student of the same tower for a moment.

'When did you get here?'

'I don't know...'

"Sometimes, due to misunderstandings, there are people the spirits fear. Our church has had such cases."

"Is there no way to solve it?"

In response to Yoner's question, Deacon Sianna pondered deeply.

"If the spirits are afraid and avoid you when you enter the spirit realm... one method could be to meet and befriend the spirits in the real world first. If you gain the spirits' recognition or friendship and receive a sigil, their wariness might lessen."

Li Han looked at the wooden staff he was holding.

...Now that I think about it, this is a staff inhabited by a wood spirit, isn't it?

Li Han sighed inwardly. It seemed that the staff of the wood spirit wouldn't solve the problem.

"Is there any other method? Perhaps in the Phlemang Church...?"

"In our church, we often solve it with potions."

As a church of alchemy, the Phlemang Church used alchemy to solve problems.

Li Han was delighted at Deacon Sianna's words.

"Can it be solved with a potion?"

"Of course."

The potion he drank during Professor Thunderstep's lecture was a spirit affinity potion.

It made it easier to contact the spirit realm and allowed one to stay for a longer time.

Since that was a low-level potion, using a more powerful potion could erase the spirits' fear and make one more attractive to them.

"Oh...!"

"That's possible!"

The students of the Blue Dragon Tower were amazed.

The reputation of the Phlemang Church was not unfounded. Yoner also spoke with eyes full of expectation.

"I've heard of it. Among the vision potions of the Phlemang Church, there are potions specialized for spirits..."

"You know well, Mr. Yoner of the Makin family. I have helped in the production of one of those vision potions. If you wish, I can make it for you."

Deacon Sianna spoke kindly.

Though it was a vision of the Phlemang Church, it could be bestowed upon someone like Li Han, who knew and respected the greatness of the Phlemang Church.

That was the ideology of the Phlemang Church.

"Would it be possible for us as well if it's completed?"

"Of course."

Even when the Blue Dragon Tower students cautiously mentioned it, Deacon Sianna nodded.

If it was completed, it wouldn't be difficult to share it with other students.

"But a lot of materials are needed. Here, take a look."

Deacon Sianna took out a piece of paper and began listing the required materials with a quill pen.

The list quickly filled up, showing just how many materials were needed.

Galphiri

Naisins Flower

Dadudak Beetle

Rubyized Ore

...

...

...

"Can we gather all of these?"

"Indeed, it might be difficult to find them directly. But there is a way. In Professor Thunderstep's laboratory, located on the upper floor of the Jaksugwan, all the items listed here should be available."

"......"

"......?"

Li Han, who had been listening silently, was taken aback for the first time.

...What does this mean?

'Ah, he means to get Professor Thunderstep's permission.'

Li Han reflected.

Deacon Sianna wouldn't suggest stealing.

"If you are determined, I will sneak into the laboratory with you and bring out the materials."

"......"

Li Han was shocked.

No...

No...!

However, the other students of the Blue Dragon Tower were deeply moved.

"Deacon Sianna!"

"I always wondered why Wodanaz received so much praise, but now I understand!"

"Deacon, you are the light and salt of the empire!"

Li Han asked to calm down his wild friends.

"Deacon Sianna, I appreciate your words, but isn't this method a bit... dangerous?"

"But, Mr. Wodanaz, this is something the school encourages."

"......"

That's true!

Li Han couldn't argue.

It was a fact that the skeleton headmaster had said so.

Deacon Sianna, with her elongated, snake-like pupils, smiled.

"Oh, you must be worried. But it's fine. Mr. Wodanaz, you've wandered around the school at night many times without ever getting caught, haven't you?"

"Wodanaz has done that."

The Blue Dragon Tower students were proud as if it were their own achievement. Ashan wiped his nose, feeling embarrassed.

"Even if we get caught, I won't complain at all."

"We feel the same, Wodanaz."

"...Thank you very much."

"What's the big deal about this?"

Apart from the friendship of his friends, Li Han thought that Deacon Sianna's words were quite tempting.

Why did the bank robbers in the story keep going for the big score instead of just retiring?

Because one big score would make life easier.

The same went for Professor Thunderstep's laboratory.

'Considering the future semesters, the alchemy class is likely to become a hell of assignments.'

Not just the alchemy class, but other lectures could suddenly turn into assignment hell at any time.

If he had a large stock of alchemy materials, he could respond flexibly to such assignments.

One big score...!

Chuckle

"?"

Li Han turned his head.

Nilia was poking his side.

This made Li Han slightly come to his senses.

'Oops. Was I thinking too wildly?'

"Why are you doing this, Nilia?"

"...This time, don't leave me out and only take Ratford, really."

"......"

Li Han looked up at the sky.

Regardless of Li Han's complicated feelings, the sky of the magic school was cloudless and blue.

* * *

Even if a summoned creature escaped within the school, and professors pondered what assignments would torment the students, a few things never changed.

One of them was Professor Vrady's teaching style.

Thud!

'Ugh.'

Li Han gritted his teeth as another bead broke through his defense and hit his back.

Li Han had become somewhat accustomed to it, but Professor Vrady's control was impossible to follow.

The beads twisted in unpredictable paths, striking at the weak points, creating a terrifying pressure that only those who experienced it could understand.

Moreover, the penetration power was not ordinary.

If Li Han slightly reduced the cohesion of the water bead, the bead would attempt to penetrate as if it had a mind of its own.

"You're not concentrating."

"No, I am."

Li Han was concentrating.

It was just that Professor Vrady kept increasing the difficulty.

His skills were improving, but every time they did, Professor Vrady raised the bar even higher, making it impossible not to fail.

However, Professor Vrady, who was giving it his all, did not think that Li Han was breaking through.

'Why is this happening?'

Professor Vrady was confused by the sudden change in Li Han, who had been doing well so far.

If it was a student who couldn't do it from the beginning or gave up and ran away, it would be understandable, but this boy from the Wodanaz family had been doing well so far.

Of course, what Professor Vrady considered 'doing well' might be seen by other professors as 'something that should be reported to the emperor along with the skeleton headmaster,' but that was how Professor Vrady saw it.

Snap

The bead stopped in mid-air.

"?"

Li Han was on guard, thinking it might be a trap.

'Is this a new pattern?'

The bead stopping to pretend it was a break before attacking again...

It was something Professor Vrady would do.

"I know why you're not concentrating."

"!"

Li Han was surprised.

Could Professor Vrady have figured out that he was planning to raid Professor Thunderstep's laboratory?

"Are you trying to add a rotational attribute to the water bead, like you did with the golem?"

"......"

Li Han thought he knew where the story had leaked from.

'Skeleton headmaster...!'

Since Professor Thunderstep and Professor Vrady were not particularly close, the only person who could have told Professor Vrady was one person.

"No, I don't have that kind of ambition..."

"It's overambition."

'I know that.'

Li Han sighed inwardly at the absurd misunderstanding.

He had not deluded himself into thinking, 'I'm a genius, I should add rotation to the water bead from now on,' just because he had luckily defeated the mud golem.

"Don't be impatient."

If someone knew Professor Vrady, they would be shocked to hear advice like 'it's overambition' or 'don't be impatient.'

Professor Vrady was fundamentally a person who had been castrated of the concept and common sense of teaching.

-If I can do it, you should be able to do it. Why can't you? Do it.

That was what Professor Vrady sincerely believed.

For such a person to say 'it's overambition' or 'don't be impatient' was like the sun rising in the west.

Li Han, of course, did not understand the weight of those words.

'I'm not doing it...'

He really had no intention of doing it, but Professor Vrady's words made him feel absurd.

Professors, really!

"Hold on."

"?"

However, Professor Vrady extended his hand and fell into thought again.

For the first time, Professor Vrady tried to think from the student's perspective.

It was a great step forward, even if he didn't realize it himself.

-If I were that boy from the Wodanaz family...

He wouldn't feel reassured just by hearing 'don't be impatient.'

A person who had a path ahead but didn't take it didn't deserve to be a mage.

"I see."

"What do you mean...?"

Li Han felt a sense of foreboding. It was rare for a professor to come to a conclusion on their own and have it turn out well.

"From now on, you can be impatient. I'll make you concentrate."

"Wait...!"

Before he could say 'what,' Professor Vrady's storm began again.