Chapter 1288

While Professor Garcia and the senior each showed different reactions beside him, Lee Han also fell into a state of extreme concentration.

‘I can feel it. I think I understand what Professor Garcia meant!’

The magical experience and sensations he had accumulated until now instinctively guided Lee Han without going through any calculations.

This was the ecstasy of wisdom that only mages could understand.

A droplet shaped like <Microcosm, Hwidore>.

As the powerful concept of spatial perception concentrated within that droplet, Lee Han became convinced that this was <Microcosm, Terminalia>.

It did look quite a lot like Hwidore, but Professor Garcia was also a disciple of the Skull Principal, so there had surely been some influence.

Pulling his hand out of the cauldron, Lee Han shouted confidently.

“Thank you, Professor. I think I understand what kind of magic <Microcosm, Terminalia> is!”

“Probably not...”

“!?”

* * *

Only after hearing Professor Garcia’s explanation did Lee Han realize that <Microcosm, Terminalia> was not a spell contained in the form of a droplet.

Originally, it was simply a powerful spatial-perception spell unfolded inside the mage’s own body.

Flustered, Lee Han asked again.

“Then why did it end up completed like this?”

“Student Lee Han must have unconsciously wanted to create a microcosm spell yourself.”

“How can you say something like that?!”

Lee Han was startled by the absurd accusation, but the professors remained unmoved.

Even Professor Voladi in the neighboring room quietly nodded.

‘I agree with Garcia’s opinion.’

“I swear on my house, my tower, and the supplies in the storage rooms that I have never once thought anything like that, Professor!”

“Student Lee Han, do you perhaps not know what ‘unconsciously’ means?”

Professor Garcia remained unmoved by the disciple’s reaction.

That was because Professor Garcia had seen this disciple behave like this far too many times.

And a mage’s subconscious was originally something difficult for the mage to understand personally. In this disciple’s case, perhaps...

‘After casting various difficult microcosm spells half-forcibly... No, actually, he did choose to do it. After voluntarily casting them repeatedly, he must have felt the need for it.’

As mages learned and trained in magic, they unconsciously drew up a blueprint.

After learning this magic, what magic would they learn next?

What would they learn after that, and ultimately, what goal would they achieve?

For someone like Student Lee Han, who had encountered numerous difficult high-level spells, the point he aimed for could only be correspondingly high.

The moment this disciple encountered <Microcosm, Terminalia>, he had unconsciously recalled the microcosm spells he had seen until now and improved it to suit himself.

“I was strongly impressed when I saw the Princi... the young Principal’s Hwidore.”

‘You don’t have to add “young” in front every single time for me to understand...’

“Even so, is there really a reason to deliberately improve an already completed microcosm spell into the form of another microcosm?”

Lee Han could not understand.

No matter what, could his subconscious really be that bizarre?

‘Maybe Professor Garcia is saying this because the anger from the evil-god subjugation incident still hasn’t subsided.’

“For other magic.”

Professor Voladi spoke again from inside. This time, Professor Garcia decided not to interrupt and listened.

“Other magic?”

“Yes.”

What made <Microcosm, Hwidore> remarkable was partly the fact that it condensed a destructive concept into a single tiny droplet, but Professor Voladi considered its form itself even more ingenious.

If a destructive concept could be condensed into a single tiny droplet, why would it be impossible to place other concepts inside one?

The disciple had surely made a similar judgment.

Since Lee Han was learning magic from many different schools, he must have decided that if he forced himself to learn other microcosm spells in Hwidore’s form now, he would be able to apply them in a similar manner in the future as well.

‘What kind of nonsense is he explaining so seriously and at such length?’

As Lee Han listened, he began wondering why he had not interrupted.

Actually, Professor Garcia should have interrupted. Hadn’t Professor Garcia sharply told Professor Voladi to be quiet just a little while ago?

“That makes sense.”

“It does.”

“......”

Lee Han looked around, wondering whether there was anyone in this punishment area who would take his side.

All there was were the senior trapped inside the ice and the Oculoguard student staring over here as though dying of curiosity.

‘There’s a reason foresight mages earned fear and hatred in the old days.’

Lee Han understood why Paridim was diligently recording everything, but it was also true that the sight was irritating.

Did foresight mages simply have no human heart?

“Student Lee Han. I understand that you want to deny it, but you can’t deny the result as well.”

“...For now, I understand that other microcosm spells can be applied in Hwidore’s form. Though I’m not sure whether that’s actually possible...”

“When that happens, you test it. Now. Shall we practice?”

‘It feels like Professor Garcia hasn’t been listening to what I say very much lately. That must just be my imagination, right?’

Lee Han thought inwardly.

In the past, even when he whined, Professor Garcia seemed to listen to him sincerely and carefully, but lately it felt as though the professor was listening only halfheartedly.

Just now, Lee Han had still been talking, yet Professor Garcia had not even listened to the end before immediately suggesting that they move on to practical magic training!

Perhaps it really was because of the evil-god subjugation incident.

Completely missing the mark, Lee Han prepared his magic. Since the senior was still trapped inside the ice, he had to practice as quickly as possible.

“Water...”

It was a spell he had cast so many times that he could no longer even remember how often he had used it.

A basic first-circle spell that summoned water in the form of a sphere.

In truth, if he seriously attempted it, he could cast it without an incantation, or at the very least shorten the incantation even further, but Lee Han did not do so.

That was because he wanted to leave open the opportunity to amplify the spell’s power as much as he liked through rhythmic incantation and repeated chanting.

Even though it was the same first-circle spell as last year, the depth of wisdom contained behind it was on a completely different level.

WHIRL!

The water compressed into the form of a small droplet began changing under increasingly powerful mana.

For an instant, it displayed the destructive nature close to the original Hwidore, then returned to the form of a droplet.

At that sight, Professor Garcia gave him a meaningful look.

It was a look that seemed to say, ‘What did I tell you, Student Lee Han?’

‘Ugh. It’s only because I used this spell like that before, so I’m used to it.’

Lee Han wanted to make an excuse, but since he was currently strengthening the spell by repeating the incantation, he could not say anything else.

Before long, <Microcosm, Terminalia> gathered into the water.

It was a truly strange sensation.

Even though the spell was not yet complete, Lee Han could perfectly perceive the surrounding space.

It resembled spatial-perception magic, but the sensation was far more transcendent.

He could even tell that Professor Voladi in the neighboring room was secretly watching through a magic mirror without Professor Garcia noticing.

Professor Voladi suddenly threw a small pebble.

Startled, Lee Han instinctively reached out and tried to catch it.

“!”

He caught the pebble, but only afterward did Lee Han realize the strange discrepancy.

The pebble had clearly been inside Professor Voladi’s solitary room, at an angle that should have been invisible from where Lee Han stood, yet Lee Han had casually caught it from here.

‘I see. It doesn’t end with simple spatial perception!’

If the spell only allowed observation but made any interference impossible, then it was only half complete.

The true power of <Microcosm, Terminalia> was not only perceiving nearby space, but temporarily allowing access to it as well.

CRACK!

The pebble Lee Han had caught suddenly burst out from somewhere else and shattered.

Because he had interfered with space using an incomplete microcosm spell, it was extremely unstable.

In that case, he had even more reason to hurry.

Instead of wasting time on pointless tests or checks, Lee Han immediately moved the droplet toward the senior’s ice statue.

As the droplet approached, he could tell exactly what the Frost Giant King had done.

Even while crossing only a very short distance, the sensation of space stretching farther away and pushing him back was truly bizarre.

‘Stay calm. Calmly break through.’

Lee Han repeated the incantation even more, strengthening the mana.

If the spell lacked completion, he would simply pour in more mana and settle things through brute force.

The droplet slowed, then slowed again, but it did not stop.

And the moment it finally touched the ice!

SHATTER!

With the sound of breaking glass, the ice collapsed completely.

Ivanna, who had been trapped inside until just moments ago, shouted in disbelief.

“You actually freed me! You crazy bastard!”

“Yes?”

“That was a compliment. Thank you!”

“......”

Lee Han looked at the senior with an uncomfortable expression.

He had forgiven her for trying to steal the bundle of papers his friends carried and had even rescued her, only to be called a crazy bastard in return.

Had she really been thinking that while trapped inside the ice statue?

However, Lee Han could not argue with the senior.

The shattered pieces of ice began clumping together into a familiar form.

The moment Lee Han saw it, he was horrified.

It was a form he was utterly sick and tired of seeing.

The Frost Giant King.

I believed in you, Challenger. I knew you would properly solve the difficult trial! Now, once again, amid the bitter cold where even space itself freezes...

Before the words could finish, Professor Garcia completed a spell.

Professor Garcia had already been casting it ever since Lee Han began preparing the microcosm.

Spatial vines wrapped around the Frost Giant King’s duplicate, instantly stopping its movement.

Wait, do not interfe—

Despite the Frost Giant King’s warning, Professor Voladi burst out from behind.

A pitch-black burning blade, composed of magic Lee Han could not even begin to identify, flashed and pierced through the Frost Giant King’s torso repeatedly.

You cowardly meddlers—

“One more strike, Professor!”

Professor Garcia shouted while binding the Frost Giant King even more tightly.

And even without being told, Professor Voladi was already preparing the next attack.

A gleaming dagger appeared in the empty hand and stabbed the Frost Giant King’s vital points one after another.

The Frost Giant King’s duplicate, already badly damaged by the penetrating wounds, could no longer endure.

The enraged king shouted as though declaring that it would never forget this interference.

The king will never forget those who interfered with the king’s actions today...

“You illegally trespassed into someone else’s territory without permission, and you still have the nerve to act shamelessly! Do you think calling it a challenge means you can do whatever you want?!”

Professor Garcia became angry instead.

Lee Han was startled by the sight of Professor Garcia exploding with fiery rage.

Because Professor Garcia had remained so calm until now, Lee Han had not noticed at all, but from the very beginning Professor Garcia had secretly been waiting for the Frost Giant King to appear so the professor could smash it to pieces.

The evil-god incident had barely passed, and now another wicked powerhouse from another dimension was prowling around the school!

“I’ll tell the Principal and have an expeditionary force sent, so stick your neck out and wait!”

...The King of the Frost Giants will withdraw for today.

Perhaps Professor Garcia’s threat was more intimidating than expected, because the Frost Giant King withdrew without provoking the professor any further.

Still apparently not having vented all the anger, Professor Garcia even threw a pebble at the crumbling figure.

The pebble pierced through the ice form and embedded itself deep in the wall of the punishment area behind it.

“...Student Lee Han. Student Ivanna. Are you all right?”

Once the situation had settled, Professor Garcia looked at the two students and spoke.

Ivanna was still too dazed to fully recover and merely nodded.

“I-I’m fine, Professor.”

However, the junior beside her reacted somewhat differently.

With a deeply moved expression, Lee Han shouted,

“Thank you, Professor!”

‘Huh? Is this really something to be that moved about? Professor Garcia was impressive, but...’

Ivanna wondered whether she had missed something.

She had been facing the opposite direction the entire time, after all...

But the junior’s next words went far beyond anything she had expected.

“I thought the professors would tell me to fight the king again!”

“...?!!!”