Chapter 550

"Pro-professor."

Yi-Han, who heard Professor Uregor's voice, gestured.

The professor turned his head and looked at his disciple.

And he was even more startled.

"Did a war really break out?!"

The disciple's appearance was a mess, as if he had rolled on a battlefield for three days.

His cloak was half torn, his hair was disheveled, his face was covered in mud and dust, and there was even dried blood...

It was incomprehensible how he had fought so fiercely in such a short time.

Yi-Han coughed and spoke.

"It couldn't be helped."

"What couldn't be helped?"

"The contaminants were trying to attack the spirits."

"That... Wait, wait."

Professor Uregor, who was about to be slightly moved by his disciple's warm heart that cared for spirits, held onto his sanity.

There were some strange points.

"You guys must have been inside the hut? The magic circles would have been protecting you?"

"That was the case."

Yonaire and Priestess Siana answered in a tired voice.

Although they weren't as messy as Yi-Han, they were also covered in dust, indicating that it had been a tough fight for them as well.

"But we came out and fought."

"...Why?"

"To protect the spirits."

"I see. ...Why???!"

Professor Uregor was confused because no matter how much he heard, he couldn't understand.

Why would they rush out like this to save spirits when they could have stayed safely inside the magic circle?

Did they owe the spirits something?

***

'I still have a long way to go.'

When the squirrel spirit showed affection, Yi-Han gained a deep realization.

The reason the spirits had disliked Yi-Han until now was because of his lack of effort.

With effort, there was no reason for the spirits to avoid Yi-Han.

'I should have put the spirits in danger.'

Come to think of it, the existing spirits had no reason to be fond of Yi-Han.

But what if they were in a dangerous state?

If Yi-Han saved them in that state?

"They might become fond of me."

"Yi-Han... I'd like to help you with what you're trying to do if it's not too much, but I'm worried because it seems like you're having strange thoughts right now..."

Yonaire looked at her friend with sincere eyes.

Listening to Yi-Han's new spirit contract theory, she became very worried.

Of course, spirits were sensitive to kindness, and if saved, they could gain favor, which was true.

However, the friend in front of her now seemed to be declaring that he would forcibly put spirits in danger, even if he had to, in order to forcibly bestow kindness upon them.

'It must be my imagination, right?'

"Nah. It'll be fine. What we're doing now is a good thing. Isn't it helping spirits in crisis?"

Priestess Siana spoke as if not to worry.

"That's true, but..."

"And there's no way Wardanaz would forcibly put spirits in danger."

Yi-Han, who was walking in front, paused at those words.

Seeing that, Yonaire became even more worried.

"It's a contaminant. Everyone be careful!"

Yi-Han moved thoroughly, as if proving that he was being harshly trained as a combat mage.

After putting his friends within the range of invisibility magic, he even cast <Ogonin's Light Fog> and <Pengerin's Cold Element Doppelganger>.

When the illusion fog spread over a wide area and the doppelgangers moved within it, it became even more difficult to focus from the outside.

And the following enhancement magic.

"Wardanaz. What about the Agile Steps spell?"

"That has severe side effects, so no."

"?"

Priestess Siana was about to ask, 'Then what about the White Tiger Tower students?' but Yi-Han immediately swung his staff without resting.

"Arise, warriors made of bones!"

As he took out black bone fragments from his pocket and swung his staff, skeleton warriors appeared on the opposite side of where the students were.

They were not ordinary skeleton warriors, but skeleton warriors influenced by compressed dark element bone fragments.

The contaminants reacted sensitively, perhaps sensing the energy of similar elements to themselves.

"Preparations are complete. Attack!"

The allied side was fully protected by various magics, and now that they had even mobilized summons behind the enemy to cut off their sight, it was time to start the full-scale attack.

Yi-Han and his friends bombarded the contaminants with sharp magics.

"Strike, Ferkuntra's thunderbolt!"

Flashing thunderbolts struck the contaminants.

Normally, they would have been incinerated in one blow as low-level undead, but thanks to their fusion with dark spirits, some of them managed to endure somehow.

Some stuck their bodies together to increase their size and thicken their armor, some dug into the ground to avoid attacks, and some spewed out dark elements like fog to reduce the power...

Yonaire narrowed her eyes as she watched her friend's magic bombardment, and as soon as she found an opportunity, she swung her staff.

"Shatter, amplify!"

Alchemists like Yonaire consumed much less mana from spells if they prepared well in advance.

The bottle containing the potion spun and flew, shattering in midair and exploding its power.

Whoosh!

"The power of fire has weakened!"

"It can't be helped!"

Yonaire and Priestess Siana were disappointed to see the power of the ignition potion weakened, but there was nothing they could do.

The power of the season was suppressing the flames.

"The power of fire has weakened?"

"Huh?"

"Blaze up!"

Yi-Han immediately incinerated the nearby contaminant with fire.

The contaminant, directly hit by the suddenly blazing flames, collapsed without resistance.

Yonaire made a shocked expression as she looked at her friend who maintained firepower even in this season.

What the...?!

"Everyone, just hold on a little longer! The spirits are escaping!"

Priestess Siana shouted with a bright face.

While the contaminants were being hit from both sides, the chased spirits found a way to escape into the forest.

The enraged contaminants merged with each other and swelled their bodies, swinging their claws, but it was fatal that they were caught off guard at the beginning.

The mages in the back couldn't even properly locate them due to the fog, and the dark skeleton warriors in the front were tenaciously enduring thanks to the elemental enhancement.

"Wait. They're escaping?"

"Yes? Yes."

"..."

Yi-Han pondered for a moment.

Seeing that, Yonaire called out to her friend, thinking it couldn't be.

"Yi-Han? Yi-Han... It can't be, right?"

"I have to help the spirits!"

Yi-Han dispelled the invisibility magic and rushed out of the fog.

And he ran towards where the spirits were escaping well.

■... ■■???

The contaminants naturally reacted towards that direction when a mage suddenly popped out of the fog.

Swish!

Like a whip, a long thorn protruded from the contaminant's forehead and aimed at Yi-Han.

Such an irregular attack from a contaminant without a fixed body was a strength that was difficult to deal with in close combat.

But unfortunately for the contaminant, Yi-Han was the top student in the dark magic department.

"Darkness, gather here!"

Yi-Han immediately chanted a dark element absorption spell and swung his staff.

Originally, it was a spell that gathered dark elements in the air at the tip of the staff, but in a situation like this, it was closer to a battle for control over dark elements.

It was truly a terrifying feat of strength.

The contaminant, whose body was mostly composed of dark elements, writhed at the sudden feeling of its flesh being torn away. It was a bizarre sensation that one could hardly feel unless it was extreme. Yi-Han didn't wait and drew out the Morning Star with his other hand and swung it.

There were few weapons as effective as artifacts like the Morning Star against such mana constructs.

Chwaaak!

The contaminant, which had been staggering after having its dark elements absorbed, collapsed on the spot.

Yi-Han shouted loudly towards the spirits.

"Everyone, run away! I will block them!"

■!

■■■! ■■!

The spirits of various forms turned their heads at Yi-Han's shout, noticed the mage, and made sounds.

'It worked!'

Yi-Han felt his heart swell with emotion when the spirits sent gazes overflowing with goodwill.

It was worth dispelling the invisibility magic and running over!

Kwadududuk!

Suddenly, the dark skeleton warriors were bounced to the side and unsummoned.

■■■■■...

"..."

A giant contaminant with a size on a different level from the other contaminants appeared in front.

Yi-Han looked at the contaminants and then at the spirits again.

"...Run away! I will block them!"

"Yi-Han! Please stop and come back!"

***

"So?"

Professor Uregor threw an ointment to Yi-Han and asked.

"How did you avoid it?"

"I defeated it?"

"...Really?"

"Yes."

"How??"

"I just kept dodging and rolling while casting magic until it collapsed..."

"..."

Professor Uregor was appalled by the method that was so crude it was hard to believe he was a mage.

A mage engaging in a battle of attrition against a monster.

Basically, if a mage's mana and a monster's vitality were pitted against each other, the latter was unconditionally advantageous.

But ignoring that, he just went for a battle of attrition and defeated it.

No wonder this area was a mess as if a war had broken out...

"I swear on my beard, where is there a guy who does this to look good in front of spirits?!"

"I didn't do it to look good in front of spirits. Professor. I just wanted to help the spirits..."

"As if!"

Professor Uregor clicked his tongue as he watched his disciple spout an unconvincing lie with confidence.

Of course, there were mages who went to great lengths to make contracts with spirits.

But among them, none courted as violently and fiercely as the boy in front of him now.

Risking his life and showing such a fight to gain the spirits' favor.

"Ugh. Thank you."

Yi-Han, who had roughly wiped off the blood and applied ointment to his wounds, got up from his seat.

"Where are you going?"

"The spirits ran into the forest earlier, so won't they come out if I call them?"

"...Wait a moment. Hold on."

Professor Uregor stopped his disciple.

"Seeing the contaminants coming out now, it's clear that something has gone wrong somewhere on the Einroguard grounds. It's best not to go near the forest for a while."

"I understand. I'll just meet the spirits and come back."

The basilisk and squirrel spirit clung to Yi-Han's wrists as if telling him not to go.

Yonaire and Priestess Siana also grabbed his shoulders on both sides.

"Yi-Han. Your condition is dangerous now. When I saw the fight earlier, your stamina and mana must have been consumed."

"Mana wasn't consumed..."

"Be quiet. Anyway, your stamina must have been consumed, right?"

Yonaire's voice was a little colder than usual.

Priestess Siana was also serious.

"Honestly, spirits aren't that important, and is there a reason to risk your life and go in now?"

"Is that so... Wait. Priestess Siana, how many spirits have you contracted with now?"

"Three?"

Yi-Han became serious and pushed away Priestess Siana's hand.

He thought she had no interest in spirits based on her usual attitude!

"Ah, no. It's not the number that's important, but the affection that's important. Wardanaz. Look at the spirits here."

"..."

As Yi-Han softened a bit, Yonaire quickly took over.

"Yi-Han. Think about it carefully. The spirits will never forget the kindness anyway. The professor can hunt all the contaminants first before you go, right?"

"Huh?"

Professor Uregor was startled when an arrow flew at him while he was standing still.

Why should I hunt the contaminants, you ungrateful bastard?

"...That might be the case."

When everyone except himself dissuaded him, Yi-Han also changed his mind.

"I can go in when all the contaminants are gone. The spirits won't forget the kindness."

"Yeah. But the spirits will also return to their own realm, right? In the first place, it's unknown how long they'll stay since they weren't formally summoned."

Professor Uregor pointed it out without much thought, and when Yonaire and Priestess Siana simultaneously looked at him urgently, he realized his mistake.

"Professor."

"Ah, no. They might stay for a long time..."

"Let's go together."

Yi-Han spoke with eyes burning with determination to persist until he was heard.

"No...! Why would I do such a thing...!"

"Let's go together."

Professor Uregor was overwhelmed by his disciple's blazing eyes.