As Bijidek pondered, the trap revealed itself. Bijidek carefully inserted a lockpick into the mechanism buried in the ground.

Click!

With the sound of the device being disengaged, Bijidek slowly removed the pressure plate.

"We were lucky," Bijidek said.

"Lucky? It was skill," Yi-Han praised Bijidek's ability and took the pressure plate. Unique patterned letters were engraved on it.

"Why would a pressure plate have such a pattern?"

"I have no idea what those ancient folks were thinking," Yi-Han said, dumbfounded by his White Tiger Tower friends' words.

"This is the ancient script of the Seharin Kingdom."

It was a kingdom from a distant past, known for producing many golden artifacts during its time.

As someone who had studied anything potentially profitable while in the Wardanaz family, reading it wasn't too difficult for Yi-Han.

"...I meant I don't understand why they engraved letters on a pressure plate. Seriously, those Seharin folks."

"What were the Seharin Kingdom people thinking? In a cave like this!"

Raphael and Anglago quickly changed the subject.

Yi-Han and Dolgyu tried their best not to look at their two friends with disdain.

"What does it say, Yi-Han?"

"Those who touch the treasure... will face death."

"!!!!"

Dolgyu was genuinely surprised.

Then he whispered, "With this, could there really be treasure?"

"Sigh... Dolgyu."

At Yi-Han's reaction, Dolgyu felt embarrassed.

"S-sorry. I got too excited."

"If you were to do business, which location in Granden City do you think would be good?"

"..."

Yi-Han quickly came to his senses and stood up.

He couldn't let his imagination run wild with treasure he hadn't even obtained yet.

"Advance again!"

'No gaps. Disgusting mage bastard.'

Buldahak wracked his brain as he moved his feet.

Normally, he would have found an opening to counterattack or escape, but the mage was thoroughly meticulous to a sickening degree.

Not only were there bone restraints on his wrists and ankles, but a skeletal hand was attached to his neck, ready to strangle him at any moment...

-Do you desire power?-

"?!"

-Don't show any reaction. If they notice, you'll die immediately. I asked if you desire power.-

'I... I do.'

-At any cost?-

'...Yes...'

Buldahak unknowingly whispered.

The voice coming from somewhere held a strong, irresistible temptation.

-Good. I shall grant you power! An opportunity will soon come to you, so seize it.-

'Th-thank you!'

Buldahak deeply thanked the unknown entity in the cave.

If it were the usual cunning Buldahak, he might have been suspicious of such an offer.

However, Buldahak's current situation left no room for suspicion.

It was a situation where he had to swallow even poison if offered.

'What opportunity is coming? What opportunity?'

Buldahak endured persistently and waited.

And that opportunity soon arrived.

-■■■■■■■!-

A massive lump of flesh ghoul, with a build completely different from the ghouls that had appeared so far, revealed itself.

Sharakan barked sharply. It tried to sever the creature's ankles to restrict its speed, but the flesh lump ghoul reacted much faster.

Thud thud thud thud thud thud!

Before the mercenaries at the front could even scream, Yi-Han reacted first.

It was the quickest reaction among those present.

"Excavate."

First, a large pit appeared in front of the path where the flesh lump ghoul was charging. Unable to overcome its speed, the flesh lump ghoul's foot got caught in the pit, causing it to lose balance and fall.

"Heat, distort the air."

At the same time, Yi-Han cast spells without rest. Illusions resembling the mercenaries appeared in front of them, surprising them.

"Rise, warriors of bone."

It wasn't perfect yet, but that didn't matter. As he threw bone fragments, skeleton warriors appeared.

They were meant to divert the flesh lump ghoul's attention.

"Hand over the bow."

"Huh?"

Yi-Han snatched the short bow Anglago was carrying.

Then he cast consecutive enchantment spells.

"Become faster! Become heavier! Become sharper..."

When facing a sturdy monster.

And when there was no time to prepare.

There was no need to elevate lightning or water magic to a higher level.

As he had learned from Baishada, the hunter from the <Shadow Patrol>, it was sufficient to have firepower capable of penetrating the target.

'Thank you, Mr. Baishada.'

Of course, Baishada had never instructed Yi-Han to stack enchantment spells in such a manner and shoot. It was something Yi-Han figured out on his own.

Yi-Han gave up on aiming-related enchantments and focused on power-related ones. He cast as many spells as possible on the bow and arrow.

'The distance is close anyway. With this much...'

<Lesser Speed Increase>, <Lesser Weight Increase>, <Lesser Penetration Enhancement>, and other low-circle spells were rapidly stacked using Yi-Han's high mana, transforming the bow and arrow into a brutal weapon that vibrated the surrounding air and exuded the power of mana.

-■!-

The flesh lump ghoul roared in anger and lifted its body. It momentarily hesitated at the sight of the illusions spread across the cave's wide space and the skeleton warriors, unsure which one to crush first.

At that moment, an arrow flew in, shattering the air.

Thwack!

The arrow didn't just penetrate a vital point; it completely blew away the surrounding area. The flesh lump ghoul, with its head blown off, fell to its knees with a thud.

Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had timed it right.

"Got it."

"Wh... Wha-what...!!"

Not only the mercenaries but also the White Tiger Tower students were stunned.

They hadn't expected such a large creature to be taken down in one shot.

Anglago, the owner of the short bow, repeatedly pointed at the bow and arrow, saying, "Y-you! You you!"

"Did I use the bow well?"

"You!!"

"I'm sorry for borrowing it in a hurry, but it was an unavoidable situation, you know."

"That's not it! How did you achieve such power with this..."

Anglago knew the limitations of his short bow well.

It was a weapon meant for harassment, barely dealing damage to medium-sized monsters and above...

"Sigh. Anglago."

Yi-Han looked at Anglago as if he were frustrated. Anglago flinched, wondering if he had done something wrong. He felt like a student standing in front of a professor.

"It's enchantment magic."

"...You crazy bastard! I know that too!!"

Anglago momentarily lost control of his emotions and flared up.

How dare he question his intelligence!

"I'm asking how you achieved such power with just enchantment magic!"

"I quickly cast multiple spells and stacked them."

"But how?"

"Well..."

At Anglago's question, Yi-Han was at a loss for words for the first time in a while.

The answer was really just 'I did it.'

Cast one spell, maintain balance while casting the next spell so that the previous spell doesn't disperse, cast the next spell in the same way...

Cast spells as much as possible like that.

"...Forget it..."

Seeing Yi-Han's expression, Anglago bitterly retrieved his short bow.

He felt that hearing the answer would only make him feel miserable.

While the two were conversing, Buldahak was communicating with the voice in the cave.

-You idiotic fool. Someone like you wants to receive my power. You're not even worthy of it. To miss an opportunity like earlier.-

-Don't talk nonsense! You didn't even give me a proper opportunity!-

-How dare you?-

-How dare I? If that monster was sent by you, your ability is worse than a single arrow! Sending a monster that falls to an arrow, not even the mage's magic, and you talk about opportunity!-

Enraged, Buldahak growled.

If you're going to send something as an opportunity, at least give me a chance to escape. What opportunity are you talking about when it gets caught so stupidly in one go?

-You don't know your place. You're not even worthy of being used as material, yet when I showed mercy…-

At that moment, the voice in the cave was cut off.

"Wait."

Yi-Han raised his hand and stopped the group.

"I just felt a flow of mana, didn't I?"

"..."

"I didn't use any magic."

"Neither did I."

"Did you sense it wrong, Yi-Han?"

Dolgyu was puzzled.

None of the mercenaries or adventurers could use magic.

Moreover, the White Tiger Tower students hadn't sensed any flow of mana, so it was natural to think it might have been a mistake.

However, Yi-Han remained unwavering.

What he had learned at Einroguard was to trust his own senses.

'Even when crossing a stone bridge, you should tap it first, check if the skull principal is nearby, turn around, and take a different path.'

"I definitely felt it."

The artificial flow of mana that coursed through the cave.

It was absolutely not a natural flow.

"Who's there? Come out."

The White Tiger Tower students immediately drew their weapons. The two adventurers also drew their weapons. As the air turned chilly, the mercenaries cried out in terror.

"It's not us! It's not us, Mr. Mage! How could we!"

"Didn't someone use a magic item?"

"If we had something like that, we'd exchange it for gold coins, not carry it around!"

"Quiet. If you don't come out, I'll interrogate you one by one."

Yi-Han looked around at the mercenaries.

Then he called out the one with the most wicked nature first.

Crack!

"Speak. What did you do?"

"Cough, cough. Nothing."

"...?"

Yi-Han, who had been interrogating Buldahak without much thought, was surprised.

The <Emotion Perception> magic revealed that Buldahak's emotions were hiding something.

'What the hell. Was he really doing something?'

Yi-Han raised his guard.

Even if they couldn't use magic, activating an artifact or spell scroll hidden in their pockets could create variables.

There was nothing during the body search, but in life, there's always the possibility of the unexpected.

"If you won't speak, die."

Yi-Han increased the strength of the skeletal hand. Overwhelmed by that cold voice, Buldahak finally opened his mouth.

"Voi... ce...! Voice! A voice!"

"What voice?"

"A voice from inside the cave...! Offered me a proposal!"

“What a useless puppet, unable to fulfill its role properly.”

From deep within the cave, an eerie voice echoed, followed by an influx of overwhelmingly strong negative mana.

The mercenaries felt their strength draining away and their will disappearing. Even the White Tiger Tower students, who had resistance as mages, were brought to their knees.

Yi-Han paid no heed and immediately began preparing a spell in a low voice.

"Surge forth, Ferkuntra's..."

Instead of an instantly fired lightning bolt, condensed lightning discharged around him, creating sparks.

"Ack, cough, hahahaha! No! No!!!"

As the wave of mana ended, Buldahak screamed. His eyes rolled back, and the color of his entire body changed.

Yi-Han and Raphael, well-versed in dark magic, immediately recognized the phenomenon.

'Possession!'

The phenomenon of an evil entity without a body stealing a body.

However, it couldn't be stolen like this without any signs or contract.

'That conversation earlier was it!'

Yi-Han understood the situation.

He had wondered why the flow of mana was felt, but it was clear that the evil entity in the cave had sensed Buldahak's existence and tempted him.

Unlike the mages of Einroguard who thoroughly learned about contracts, Buldahak, a mercenary, had no way of knowing how dangerous such temptation was.

If their wavelengths matched and Buldahak even accepted...

It would be entirely possible to steal his body like this.

Buldahak's eyes turned an eerie color, and a deep, evil voice that couldn't be produced by a human flowed out.

“I am the King of Ghouls…”

"...Thunder, strike!"

Yi-Han unleashed the lightning with all his might.

And he didn't stop there.

"Blaze up!"

Ten flames were created in the air and flew in fiercely.

Buldahak's body, rapidly being destroyed by the lightning that no human body could withstand, burned once more and was completely incinerated.

"...???"

"Is... is it over?"