Chapter 570

"Ah. That's right."

'What do you mean that's right...'

The skull principal glanced at his crazy disciple once and continued.

"Being able to hold a lot of mana means you can also engrave a lot of magic. Moreover, you have a bit too many artifacts right now."

At the skull principal's words, Yi-Han looked over himself once.

He did wear bracelets, rings, belts, necklaces, and such like an accessory merchant.

"I do have a bit too many."

"Actually, you just have a lot. These days, you rarely come into contact with high-level magic, but it's not a good habit to wear artifacts in such a disorderly manner."

Artifacts were objects that inherently held magic, so they tended to create their own mana flow and order around them.

Naturally, from the perspective of a mage who controlled the flow of mana and created a new order, such artifacts couldn't help but have an influence.

Especially as the number of artifacts increased, that influence grew.

Even if it didn't lead to accidents, right away...

It could affect magic casting.

"Fortunately, I was lucky, so it was fine."

Yi-Han answered as if it was fortunate.

Perhaps because the performance of the artifacts was simple and there was a lot of overlap, there were no cases where it affected magic casting.

"Right. Haha. How fortunate."

The skull principal was about to say, 'It probably did affect you, but you just didn't notice and cast it,' but he stopped himself.

There was no need to stop someone who was going to wear sandbags and improve their skills on their own.

"But considering next year, you should organize your artifacts at once. It would be good to put them all in the Behemoth's bone this time."

"I understand."

Yi-Han nodded his head at the skull principal's advice.

Although he was a malicious, evil, and despicable person, the principal had never said anything wrong about magic.

And originally, experienced mages knew exactly the dynamics between the artifacts they wore.

How to use them to create synergy, and how to use them to avoid side effects.

'Huh?'

Yi-Han, who was about to agree, suddenly felt puzzled and asked a question.

"But Principal. Next year, I'll be a 2nd-year student. Do 2nd-year students have occasions to come into contact with such dangerous high-level magic?"

"You are absolutely right. Just as 1st-year students usually don't meet the King of Ghouls."

"..."

Yi-Han became gloomy because he couldn't refute it.

The skull principal made the Behemoth's bone into a crude necklace form.

"I deliberately made it sloppy. So that you can continue to fill it."

The ample capacity of the Behemoth's bone was also suitable for engraving multiple spells in it.

The skull principal wanted Yi-Han to have the experience of directly completing the artifact by adding spells one by one to this bone necklace whenever necessary.

"Principal..."

Yi-Han was slightly moved.

He didn't know the skull principal would give such thoughtful consideration.

"By gaining experience like this, later on, when I make artifacts, you'll be able to act as an assistant instead of Beavle."

"Principal..."

Yi-Han became serious.

Trying to improve the disciple's skills for selfish reasons!

Woong-

First, the iron bracelet that Professor Garcia had temporarily made was extracted.

The skull principal rounded the magic circle engraved on the iron bracelet into a small sphere-shaped core and embedded it into the bone necklace.

"You're watching how it's done, right? From now on, you have to do it."

"Wait, a little slower..."

"You're exaggerating. I know. Now, next is the belt. This is too crude. Isn't it about time you graduate?"

The skull principal clicked his tongue while looking at the invisibility magic belt.

It was a belt that could cast invisibility magic in exchange for having a curse of mana absorption.

The problem was that this invisibility magic was crude.

It was a method of surrounding it with a camouflage that refracted light to confuse vision, but the skull principal preferred a method that confused the concept of another existence to make it unrecognizable.

"I'll change it to another method and put it in."

The skull principal similarly extracted the pattern engraved on the belt, made it into a core, and embedded it into the bone necklace. The previously installed core and the newly installed core resonated and found stability, becoming quiet.

"Ah!!!"

"Why?"

When Yi-Han screamed, the skull principal looked at him as if asking why he was doing that.

"That belt could have been sold, but you just broke it!"

"What kind of crazy bastard would buy a cursed mana absorption item..."

The skull principal was dumbfounded.

Sometimes, among eccentric dark mages, there were crazy ones who said, 'Spit out my bones!' because someone stepped on the bones in front of their tower, but this disciple was even worse than them.

"But it could have been sold..."

"I didn't just break it, I made it better and put it in the bone necklace."

"The bone necklace can't be sold."

"Then are you saying I should leave the belt as it is and copy the same magic separately to put it in the bone necklace?"

"Oh. Will you do that?"

When Yi-Han threw an expectant gaze, the skull principal ignored it and moved on to the next task.

Invisibility magic necklace.

This was the work of the Spirekeeper who worked under the skull principal.

It was the same magic as the one added just now, but it was meaningful to add the same magic to artifacts.

Sometimes, the same magic amplified each other.

In the case of invisibility magic, its range expanded to the surroundings (originally, it only protected the wearer), and Yi-Han knew this, so he often used it when walking around with his friends.

The skull principal said while adding the core.

"You'll be able to cast invisibility magic on others too, right?"

"Pardon? No."

"What? Didn't I give you a book? Didn't the book teach you?"

"...Yes..."

"Hmm. Maybe I should have made it more cruel and violent..."

"..."

Yi-Han slightly pondered whether he should bury the skull principal's book deep in the ground as soon as he returned.

"It's not bad to use artifacts, but it's not good to rely on them too much. Learn it."

"Ah. Yes."

"No, why are you carrying around so many flame absorption artifacts? Are you a member of the Fire Surveillance Squad?"

"In case the fire magic goes out of control..."

"..."

The skull principal clicked his tongue instead of getting angry at the unexpectedly pitiful answer.

'Wait. No.'

Come to think of it, wasn't he the one who wore multiple artifacts to increase the difficulty and then wore them in case the fire magic went out of control?

He was a really funny guy.

The skull principal abandoned his sympathy and compressed the cores of the flame absorption artifacts and embedded them into the bone necklace.

"Underwater breathing... Well, it's not bad. You can take it out later if you run out of space. Mana emission suppression? Why are you carrying around such a cursed artifact? Are you a curse collector?"

"Wearing that makes fine control easier, so I use it sometimes."

The skull principal just broke it. Yi-Han let out a mournful scream.

"No!"

"What do you mean no? How would such a paper-thin constraint help? It's just your mental problem. Overcome it with willpower."

The skull principal mercilessly finished organizing the rest of the artifacts and compressed them into the bone necklace.

What remained were non-wearable artifacts like the ten thousand demons bracelet, the skull principal's signal ring, and the silver spoon that detected poison.

"You don't need this kind of detoxification artifact, do you want me to break it?"

"Absolutely not. I'd rather sell it."

Yi-Han spoke seriously.

The skull principal didn't seem to have any serious intention of breaking it either, as he roughly cleared the debris and snapped his fingers.

Then, a crimson core that Yi-Han had never seen before appeared in the air. He could tell that it was a core with compressed magic, just like when the artifacts were compressed earlier.

Clack!

The skull principal neatly inserted the core.

"What is this?"

"It's a secret. I'm putting it in for you to figure out. I shouldn't be giving you such special treatment. Haha."

"Then you can just take it out..."

The skull principal ignored him as if he hadn't heard.

It was annoying that he acted cranky even when given a treasure, but it was the law that talented disciples were always cranky.

It was also the role of a mentor to understand with generosity.

"Try pondering and deciding on the next magic to put in yourself. Personally, I recommend defensive magic."

Most of the magic in the bone necklace now was of the support type.

And this boy from the Wardanaz family had more than enough means of attack, so defense was the most suitable.

If artifacts had to be classified, the most in-demand were defensive artifacts.

Mages could handle attack or support magic on their own, but it was difficult to block attacks that penetrated the mage's vigilance and flew in unexpectedly.

As defensive artifacts easily covered such weaknesses, they were bound to be in high demand.

"Like a water shield?"

"Not bad. But it will be a bit difficult to make it automatically cast when attacked. Ask Professor Verduus."

"Hmm. I don't think I need defensive magic..."

"I understand very well that you don't want to talk to Professor Verduus, but even with your genius-level talent, it won't be easy for you to make this alone."

"I understand. I'll ask..."

"Come to think of it, you've only learned attack magic."

The skull principal looked at his disciple with a fresh perspective.

Originally, many mages learned defensive magic first.

Unless they were combat mages who roamed the battlefield, there were few occasions to fight, so defense took priority over attack.

After all, they would have escorts later, so why would they try to attack themselves?

"The principal keeps sending enemies."

"I don't quite understand what you mean. And your seniors learned defensive magic well even in such situations. You attack-minded kid."

"Wasn't the blood-sucking monster also sent by the principal?"

"I have my own tastes too. If that was sent by me, I swear on my true name that I will hand over the principal position to you."

"No... I don't want it."

"You brat. There's no need to be humble. You'll get used to it as you do it. Anyway, have you learned any other defensive magic?"

"Ah. I learned the lightning cloak."

"..."

The skull principal looked at Yi-Han with eyes similar to the ones Professor Bagrak had sent.

Is he really deliberately choosing only difficult magic to learn?

***

From the Greenbel family, a master of dance.

Yi-Han's face brightened when he spotted Professor Crinbal beyond the corridor.

Originally, there weren't many professors who made one feel at ease when encountered beyond the corridor.

Professor Garcia, perhaps?

The skull principal and Professor Bagrak were classified as very dangerous individuals, and Professor Verduus, although not dangerous, was classified as a very tiring individual.

In contrast, Professor Crinbal was not yet a dangerous or tiring professor.

If he was really lucky, Professor Crinbal could also enter the position of a safe and kind professor like Professor Garcia.

"Hello. Professor."

"..."

"??"

When Professor Crinbal, who had always greeted students with the brightest and most excited attitude among the professors, made a serious expression, Yi-Han was startled.

"Professor?"

"Ah! Wardanaz! Sorry! I was thinking about something else for a moment!"

"Is it because of the final exam?"

"How did you know?!"

"...?"

Yi-Han was even more perplexed.

'Is there something for the professor to worry about regarding the final exam?'

Professor Crinbal had long ago declared (by Yi-Han's standards) that he would breeze through the final exam.

-If everyone dances and everyone is happy, everyone is a winner!-

-Hurray for the professor!!-

Wondering if the skull principal had raised an objection to the educational policy, Yi-Han carefully asked.

"Is there a problem?"

"Ugh! Wardanaz! As a professor, I shouldn't be talking about this! But I have no choice!"

Professor Crinbal flapped one leg, telling Yi-Han to enter an empty lecture hall.

Yi-Han went in, checking the path so that he could escape at any time.

"Wardanaz! I think you know the giants of the mountain range. The giants know you well!"

"I know them a little. But why...?"

"I sometimes teach dance to the giants, and the giants are saying strange things! That they have to fight with you during the final exam!"

"..."