Chapter 86

Chapter 086

"Did I, by any chance, come to the wrong place? This doesn't seem like a school..."

Unfortunately, Yoner couldn't accept the reality. Lee Han had a bitter expression as he said,

"It is a school. It's the punishment room."

"......?!"

While some of the new students had been there, for most students, the punishment room was only a rumor.

- If you get an F in three subjects, you'll be dragged to the punishment room during the break.

- I heard that the bottom ten students in the mid-term exams are dragged to the punishment room.

- This is a rumor, but I heard that some seniors were dragged to the punishment room after failing an experiment.

- If you try to escape from the school and get caught, you'll be dragged to the punishment room, but that must be a lie, right??

Most of them felt like lies, but rumors usually contain a grain of truth.

Click!

"!"

Lee Han, who was worried, grabbed the doorknob of the private room, but it soon became clear that his worry was unnecessary.

Surprisingly, the door of the room where they were standing was open.

'This is the punishment room, but...'

Lee Han realized that this punishment room was not currently in use.

The corridor was filled with dust and cobwebs, and the private rooms on both sides were all empty and open.

"It seems to be out of use now."

"It's not much of a comfort."

Yoner muttered in a frightened voice.

He was more afraid of an empty punishment room than one with people in it.

It would be better if there were people...

"Finding the way to the punishment room is quite difficult, it seems. This is going to be a headache."

"How do you know... Oh."

Yoner looked at Lee Han with an apologetic expression, realizing that Lee Han had been to the punishment room before.

"It wasn't as bad an experience as I thought."

"Did the principal threaten you?"

"No. If the principal ever threatens me to say something, I'll start with 'I swear.'"

"That's a good idea."

After confirming, the two walked to the end of the corridor.

But there were no stairs.

"......??"

"????"

There was only a solid brick wall.

Confused, Lee Han turned around. There was no other passage on the opposite side. They had to go this way.

'This...'

Lee Han instinctively knew what was happening. Although he had only been at the magic school for a few weeks, he had already adapted to the core.

'This is a magic passage.'

Just like the time he tried to escape from the underground warehouse, the path was hidden by magic.

There were two ways to deal with it.

Find it or force it open.

Lee Han took out a piece of charcoal powder wrapped in paper from his pocket. Yoner asked curiously,

"What's that?"

"In case we need it to escape, I made it with Rathford."

It works on the same principle as using graphite powder to find fingerprints on objects.

Yoner was speechless at Lee Han's preparedness.

From Yoner's strange gaze, Lee Han thought Yoner was envious.

'I should teach him later.'

Yoner would surely like such a skill!

"...It doesn't work."

However, this time it didn't work as easily as the last time in the underground warehouse. There were no traces to be found.

Lee Han didn't give up.

"Yoner, step back."

If the technique doesn't work, use force.

Lee Han intended to destroy the magic hiding the passage, just like he did with the defensive magic at the dormitory entrance.

'Don't hit too hard. Just enough to reveal the passage.'

Stop it, you fool!

"!"

The voice of a spirit echoed loudly through the corridor. It was a fierce and violent voice.

"Who are you?"

I do not reveal my name to the unworthy. Why have you come to my shadowy place? Answer quickly, or I will not forgive you.

"I was introduced by Parakis."

Parakis?

The fierce spirit's voice hesitated, seemingly caught off guard.

You seem quite strong, as befits a professor at this school, but that doesn't mean you have the qualifications to make a contract with me. I don't know what Parakis was thinking by sending you...

"I'm not a professor, but a student."

Yoner interjected.

?

"I'm a new student..."

......

An awkward silence ensued. Lee Han could feel the magical waves flowing through the walls and ceiling.

The spirit seemed to be verifying again.

A young magician... Wait, is he really a young magician? Is he in disguise?

"If you don't believe me, you can check."

The fierce spirit seemed to ponder and then decided not to doubt further.

Then it makes sense that Parakis sent you. He is kind to young magicians. But I will not make a contract. I do not contract with those I do not know.

"Of course..."

Yoner said regretfully.

"You're avoiding Lee Han because of his magic power, like other spirits."

...What are you talking about? No!

The spirit was taken aback by Yoner's words.

To think that I would be scared of someone with a lot of magic power and avoid them.

That is an unforgivable misunderstanding.

"But you're not showing yourself. I heard from Parakis that Lee Han's very presence makes spirits afraid."

"Yoner... I didn't say it was that bad..."

You're making me sound like a weirdo!

"So that's why you're not showing yourself?"

No! Do you think I'm a spirit who would be scared of a little magic power and hide?

"Then why aren't you showing yourself?"

This time, Lee Han asked curiously.

The spirit hesitated before answering.

I avoid... meaningless fights.

"......"

"......"

Lee Han and Yoner looked at each other and said,

"I see."

"That makes sense."

You young human magicians! Do you think I can't read the meaning in your voices?!

* * *

Perkuntra.

The name of the spirit they didn't know.

When a spirit is summoned by a magician, it usually performs the contracted tasks in the place provided by the magician or comes out when the magician calls to perform the contracted tasks.

The key here is the contract.

A magician cannot make a spirit do more than what was initially agreed upon, and the spirit would not comply with such requests.

However, it also means that the spirit would honor the initial contract with their own dignity.

Then why is Perkuntra here?

If it were a punishment room with people, it would make sense, but this is an empty, sealed punishment room.

The answer is that a proper contract was not made.

-I have summoned you, great spirit, Perkuntra. Submit to me. Bow to me. I know your true name, so you must kneel!

-Stop your barking. Smelly rat, you! Do you think I would kneel to a scoundrel like you, even if I respect the strong?

The principal, a lich, summoned Perkuntra using the name he learned from an ancient artifact.

Of course, Perkuntra did not submit just because the lich knew his name. He did not want to contract with the lich.

They fought for a week, day and night.

When the lich realized he couldn't make Perkuntra submit, he offered a compromise.

-If you don't want a contract, how about a compromise, arrogant spirit Perkuntra? If you do one thing for me, I will not give you any other orders. In return, I will offer you regular tributes!

-...What thing?

-I am raising young magicians. There is a building where these young magicians are educated, and I want you to prevent them from escaping!

-Just that?

-Just that!

Perkuntra was swayed by the lich's words.

Compared to the complex and detailed contracts, watching over a building and preventing young magicians from escaping was not difficult.

Moreover, without a formal contract, there was no need to be close to the lich's soul.

-If you refuse...

-Arrogant spirit. This is my final offer. If you refuse, I will tear you apart and seal you, and I will lock away the books with your name in a forgotten tomb. Will you enter eternal oblivion, or accept my offer?

-...Fine. I accept!

Perkuntra, realizing he couldn't defeat the lich, accepted the offer.

He thought the young magicians wouldn't try to escape much.

At most, they would just want to go outside.

...But the young magicians were more capable than he thought, and escape attempts were frequent.

Perkuntra later realized why.

The lich was actually encouraging escapes.

-If you succeed in escaping, that's a talent. Use your talent to escape.

The lich, a madman, should have made a rule to prevent escapes when the young magicians made mistakes, but instead, he canceled the punishment room if they succeeded, leading to continuous escape attempts by the students.

As a result, the time in the underground prison was much more arduous and difficult than Perkuntra had imagined.

The only time he could rest was when he was alone in this sealed punishment room.

But even this peace would be shattered if the students tried to escape.

Still, when there were no students, this sealed punishment room was quite pleasant.

But today, two young magicians suddenly appeared where Perkuntra was resting.

'Parakis. This guy!'

He knew Parakis cared for young magicians, but he didn't expect him to send them here.

Perkuntra wriggled and said,

I am not showing myself as a courtesy to you young magicians!

"Ah... I see..."

Yoner didn't openly anger the spirit like Gaian, but the sincerity in his words made Perkuntra even angrier.

A spirit of Perkuntra's level could read the thoughts of a novice magician.

Yoner thought Perkuntra was scared.

It was a truly absurd misunderstanding.

Of course, the young magician next to him had immense magic power, but Perkuntra was not a spirit who would be scared and run away because of that.

Lee Han, growing tired of the conversation, politely asked,

"I understand. Spirit, I know you don't want to make a contract. Can you open the way for us?"

Wait!

"?"

You two young magicians are doubting my strength in your hearts. Do you know how insulting that is?

"No..."

Lee Han protested, feeling wronged.

"We were being polite, weren't we? Why are you having these paranoid thoughts?"

Do you think I can't read your emotions?!

Lee Han and Yoner felt slightly stung. But Lee Han didn't back down.

"But we can't control our thoughts. Regardless of what we think, we believe we have maintained our honor and been polite."

Yoner nodded