Chapter 1287

“The correct answer was <Microcosm, Euangelion>.”

This ancient outer garment, which divided space and caused approaching enemies to become infinitely farther away, shared the same roots as the Authority the Frost Giant King had just displayed.

It distorted spacetime to realize the result desired by the mage.

After hearing the correct answer, Lee Han made excuses like any student who had gotten a question wrong.

“Couldn’t <Microcosm, Dunamis> also dispel the curse by drawing in possibilities from the future?”

“Are you seriously saying that right now?”

“...It was a joke.”

Seeing the teacher’s expression twist ominously, Lee Han quickly changed his tune.

Professor Garcia was not particularly fond of the other microcosm spells either, but <Microcosm, Dunamis> was beyond merely being something Professor Garcia disliked. There was no telling what would happen if Lee Han were caught casting it.

Drawing in the possibility of magic that a mage could cast in the future was such a radical form of magic that even mages accustomed to twisting the rules of reality found it absurd.

Naturally, it also placed an enormous burden on the caster.

In Lee Han’s case, he had repeatedly unleashed <Microcosm, Dunamis> while bleeding profusely right in front of Professor Garcia, so the spell was especially deep in the professor’s bad books.

“Did you practice <Microcosm, Dunamis> while I wasn’t around?”

“No. How could I possibly have done that?”

“If it’s Student Lee Han, secretly escaping while I’m gone and going all the way to the capital wouldn’t be difficult, would it? Then practicing <Microcosm, Dunamis> probably wouldn’t be much of a problem either.”

“......”

Cold sweat streamed down Lee Han’s back.

He had thought Professor Garcia had forgiven him, but apparently there was still a lingering grudge.

‘But compared to the other professors, Professor Garcia is still by far the most generous and kind.’

If he were ranking Einroguard professors by how badly they held grudges, Professor Garcia would still be at the very bottom.

If Professor Verdus held a grudge, Lee Han thought, ‘What the hell do you want me to do about it?’ but if Professor Garcia held a grudge, he naturally thought, ‘I really did something wrong!’

Rather than harboring pointless dissatisfaction, Lee Han accepted it as the result of his own actions and repeatedly bowed his head.

“Heh heh. How could that possibly be true? Absolutely not. I have no idea why Professor Garcia would think something like that.”

‘What in the world are they talking about?’

Ivanna, still trapped inside the ice, could not contain her curiosity about the conversation taking place behind her.

It had already been shocking enough when spacetime magic came up, but the microcosm spells that followed were even more unbelievable.

That second-year junior had learned all of those?

Ivanna had thought he was insane when she heard he studied magic under Professor Bagreg, and she had thought he was insane again when she heard he was taking classes from every school of magic, but now she could no longer even think of a word to describe it.

‘It must be a misunderstanding. I must have misheard something.’

“Anyway, I wasn’t talking about a dangerous, sloppy spell like <Microcosm, Dunamis> that ought to be banned immediately. I meant Euangelion.”

“I agree completely. I don’t know why the bureaucrats haven’t added it to the list of forbidden magic.”

Professor Garcia glared at the disciple’s shameless flattery, but eventually relaxed.

Spitting in the face of someone who smiled at you was not something just anyone could do.

One had to be at least the Skull Principal or Professor Verdus to manage that.

“When Student Lee Han used <Microcosm, Euangelion>, you borrowed the power of the outer garment, but the actual sensation of the magic itself should still remain with you.”

Lee Han nodded.

Magic had theoretical aspects, but there were also many parts that depended heavily on sensation.

That was why, if a mage managed to cast a spell successfully even once by whatever means necessary, the success rate afterward would rise sharply.

The mage’s firm will, the mental image they formed, the sensations they had experienced, and everything else would all improve dramatically.

Lee Han had entered the field of ancient microcosm magic through the inheritance left by the young prince, but that did not mean he relied entirely on the inheritance.

Microcosm magic was not so accommodating that it would simply drag along a mage who refused to take the reins directly and tried to hand over all initiative.

“Yes. I know what it feels like.”

“That sensation is important. Student Lee Han, you’ve already learned intermediate spatial movement magic, so it’s about time you started using all of that accumulated experience.”

THUD!

Professor Garcia summoned a massive cauldron from midair.

A strange magical aura flowed from the three-legged cauldron. Lee Han looked at the unfamiliar artifact in surprise.

“What is this?”

“Professor Garcia’s Cauldron of Magical Inquiry.”

Professor Voladi answered from the neighboring room instead.

This strange cauldron was one of the artifacts that proved Professor Garcia’s genius.

There were artifacts with all kinds of effects throughout the Empire, but the effect of this magical cauldron stood out even among them.

It possessed the power to guide someone in learning a microcosm.

“Something like that is possible?!”

“It is possible because a new microcosm spell was designed and incorporated directly into the cauldron.”

“Professor Bagreg. I didn’t call you.”

Professor Garcia, still angry with the senior professor, snapped at Professor Voladi in the unseen neighboring room.

Unable to just listen, Lee Han defended Professor Voladi instead.

“Professor Bagreg was only trying to help.”

“...That’s probably true. Actually, Professor Bagreg did help me when I designed this.”

“What?”

Lee Han was greatly surprised by the unexpected remark.

“Did Professor Bagreg perhaps seize the materials for you?”

“Student Lee Han...”

‘Does that kid not actually like Professor Bagreg very much?’

Ivanna thought to herself as she listened.

She had heard not only that Lee Han studied under Professor Bagreg, but also that they were very close. Had that just been a false rumor?

Professor Garcia was left speechless for a moment by sheer disbelief before answering.

“Professor Bagreg does not always resort to violent methods. Professor Bagreg is also extremely accomplished in magic.”

“I’m sorry. That was simply the first thing that came to mind... So Professor Bagreg helped with the design rather than seizing materials.”

“...Professor Bagreg did gather some of the materials too.”

“......”

“(......)”

Both Lee Han and Ivanna, trapped inside the ice, were left speechless.

Then the junior was right, wasn’t he?

Noticing their reaction, Professor Garcia hurriedly spoke.

“Only a little! A very small amount. They weren’t things you could buy anywhere, and they belonged to evil magical criminals, so it was legal even under Imperial law!”

“I-I see.”

Feeling that saying anything more would only lead to badmouthing the senior professor in front of the disciple, Professor Garcia cleared the throat and changed the subject.

“Ahem. Student Lee Han. Let’s stop chatting and begin the lesson. Put your hand into the liquid inside the cauldron.”

“Professor. Do you really think I’m at a level where I can formally attempt a microcosm?”

‘Exactly!’

Ivanna shouted inwardly without realizing it.

So many absurd and unconventional things had been said here that the junior’s words suddenly felt wonderfully familiar and comforting.

It was an entirely reasonable and logical point.

Professor Garcia nodded as though understanding.

“The microcosm spells Student Lee Han has learned are somewhat unusual or limited. But looking at it the other way around, if you’ve experienced that many different microcosm spells, then you’re more than qualified to attempt one.”

“Even so, I don’t think it will be easy.”

‘Exactly!’

Ivanna shouted inwardly once again.

In truth, she would be the one in trouble if the junior failed to learn it, but strangely enough she found herself defending his position.

That was how badly the conversation taking place here had shaken Ivanna’s common sense.

“Don’t worry, Student Lee Han. I’m not saying you have to learn it perfectly in a single attempt. An incomplete microcosm spell is fine too. Like Hwidore.”

Lee Han had not yet completely finished <Microcosm, Hwidore>, but by refining the Water Jade Bullet, he had succeeded in imbuing it with a concept close to Hwidore.

The microcosm Professor Garcia was about to teach him was similar.

<Microcosm, Terminalia>.

This microcosm possessed exceptional power in breaking and penetrating spatial Authorities of this kind.

Like the first-circle spell <Spatial Perception>, it was a spell that secured the mage’s senses within a distorted environment, but as a microcosm spell, its scope and level were in an entirely different dimension.

If Lee Han could learn even an incomplete version of this microcosm, it would not only allow him to break the Frost Giant King’s Authority, but would also prove immensely useful in overcoming the many difficulties he would face while studying spacetime magic in the future.

“Ah. It’s all right even if it’s incomplete? Then I think I can do it.”

“That’s exactly it, Student Lee Han!”

‘......’

Ivanna decided to simply give up on everything and accept it.

The Empire was vast. Maybe there could be one mage like that!

...Even if she could not understand it at all...

***

When Lee Han put his hand into the cauldron, there was a soft SPLASH. The water inside offered no resistance at all, as though it had no mass.

“Student Lee Han. Recall what we talked about earlier.”

As Professor Garcia prepared to teach <Microcosm, Terminalia>, the professor instructed the disciple.

All the various forms of spacetime magic Lee Han had learned and experienced until now.

The plan was to have all of those spells surface and amplify inside the cauldron, then use that acceleration to lead him directly into the microcosm.

Just as Professor Garcia said, fragments of various spells began to appear.

<Microcosm, Euangelion>.

The various spatial movement spells of the spacetime magic school.

And <The Devil Hag’s Dimensional Phase Distortion>...

“?”

Professor Garcia snapped the head around and stared at the disciple.

There had definitely just been a spell Professor Garcia had never seen before.

‘When did he learn that one too??’

Lee Han pretended not to notice and focused on the magic.

In truth, he really did need to concentrate.

“Student Lee Han. You’re about to experience <Microcosm, Terminalia> directly, so focus! Here we go!”

“Yes!”

The microcosm Professor Garcia had unfolded inside the cauldron swirled like a storm.

Taking that microcosm directly into himself, Lee Han did not lose the flow and absorbed it deeply, as though it were his own experience.

‘Good. He passed the first stage!’

Professor Garcia looked at the disciple with relief.

The first obstacle of this Cauldron of Vicarious Experience was accepting an unfamiliar microcosm.

Without the proper experience and training, it was naturally impossible even to accept it in the first place. There was a limit to how much the cauldron could help.

The second obstacle was somehow unfolding the unfamiliar microcosm that had been accepted and placing it back into the cauldron.

Only by doing so would the sensation remain clearly within the body.

‘...It’s working! Keep going, Student Lee Han!’

Professor Garcia’s joy grew even greater as the disciple tried to unfold the microcosm spell without losing it.

At this rate, the second obstacle was essentially overcome as well.

At the very least, Lee Han should be able to cast an incomplete Terminalia.

“...????”

Professor Garcia, who had been so delighted, suddenly froze.

The microcosm spell the disciple unfolded was different from what had been expected.

‘What?’

This was not Terminalia.

Another tiny droplet swam among the water inside the cauldron.

Professor Garcia knew this microcosm spell far too well.

‘That’s Hwidore?!’

For a moment, Professor Garcia wondered if the transmission had failed.

Terminalia was supposed to appear, but Hwidore suddenly emerging instead was clearly an abnormal phenomenon.

But after thinking about it, that was strange too.

Lee Han had focused so intensely on spacetime magic, so why would an unrelated Hwidore appear?

‘...No. That isn’t Hwidore!’

Only then did Professor Garcia clearly understand what was happening.

This was not Hwidore, formed from destructive and ferocious concepts.

It merely had the same outward appearance of a droplet. The rules contained within it were closer to those of Terminalia.

In other words...

‘A new microcosm!’

Professor Garcia could not hide the shock upon realizing that the disciple was not inheriting an existing microcosm, but creating a new one.

“To think you would actually create a new microcosm...!”

“(Professor. Could you please turn the statue around?)”

Unable to contain the curiosity any longer, Ivanna sent a telepathic message, but the distracted Professor Garcia did not hear it.