“No, not all mages care about spirits.”

The squirrel spirit nodded in agreement from its perch on I-han's shoulder.

Even if they weren’t as extreme as the skeleton principal, it was still rare to find a mage genuinely dedicated to spirits. Some might make contracts with a few, but they wouldn’t risk their lives venturing deep into a corrupted forest just for the spirits’ sake.

“But, Senior, how did you appear in front of us like this…?”

“There’s a potion that can temporarily halt the principal’s magic.”

“!”

“...!!!”

All three students, who were exceptionally skilled in alchemy, immediately grasped the significance of what Illendil had just said.

Even if it was only temporary, to stop the skeleton principal’s magic…

Moments earlier, they’d been eyeing Illendil as a “crazy senior” or a “suspicious senior.” Now, their expressions transformed into looks of admiration.

“That’s amazing!”

“Truly incredible…!”

“Huh?”

Illendil looked at them in confusion, unsure why they were reacting this way.

“What’s wrong?”

“Senior, forgive us, but we need to save the spirits. We’re running out of time…”

“I’ll help. The potion’s effects are still active.”

“Uh…”

I-han hesitated, wondering if it was really necessary to travel with this suspicious senior, especially since he was the cause of this whole mess.

Besides, he still needed to make a contract with the spirits…

“Aren’t you worried about the professor returning? Isn’t it dangerous for you?”

“Hmm. The forest and the spirits are more important than I am.”

“Amazing…!”

“Maybe I misjudged you, I-han,” Siana Priest murmured.

As Siana and Yonir looked at Illendil with even more respect, I-han thought to himself, ‘Did everyone forget this guy caused all the corrupted creatures?’

But they didn’t have time to waste.

“Alright, let’s go.”

In the end, Illendil was still a senior and a much more skilled alchemist than I-han. He would surely be of some help…

…even if it was unsettling that he was the root of the whole problem.

---

“Why did you want to create an artificial dark spirit?”

While ordinary students would chat about their evening plans while walking, alchemically inclined students discussed alchemy.

To Siana’s question, Illendil replied in his characteristic slow tone.

“I wanted it as a forest keeper.”

“A forest keeper?”

The forests around Ainlogard were nearly primeval, imbued with immense power.

However, not all of the Empire’s forests were like that.

One of the elements forests were particularly vulnerable to was dark energy.

Sometimes, a single mistakenly summoned dark spirit could pollute an entire forest.

Seeing such instances pained Illendil, so he had an idea: why not use dark spirits as forest keepers?

“Wow! That’s really…”

“That’s insane, isn’t it?”

Siana had been about to express admiration when she heard I-han muttering under his breath and felt embarrassed.

“Isn’t it a good idea?”

“Siana, look at the corrupted creatures ahead.”

Illendil seemed downcast, the leaves connected to his hair drooping as if they shared his mood.

“It would’ve been nice if it had worked.”

‘Oh, right… he’s a senior.’

I-han realized his mistake.

Anxious about the spirits, he had made a rare blunder.

Illendil was, after all, his senior.

If word spread of his rude behavior among the senior circles…

‘Could I make use of the Moradi family name? No, that wouldn’t work; I’ve already introduced myself by name and family.’

“Apologies, Senior. I think it was a meaningful experiment.”

“Hm? Weren’t you just calling it insane?”

“Well, pioneers are often seen as crazy. It was a compliment.”

“You’re really a kind person.”

Illendil’s leaves perked up again, a sign of his restored mood.

“But isn’t it better to consult an expert when working with something as difficult as dark energy?”

“You offering to help?”

The dryad hybrid senior looked at I-han intently.

Without a pause, I-han responded.

“I was referring to the seniors in the dark magic department.”

“Mm. But the dark magic students are all scary and a bit eccentric.”

“Pardon?”

I-han stopped, wondering if he had misheard.

“Hold on. The spirits are that way.”

Illendil extended a finger to correct their path.

“Can you sense the spirits?”

“Yes. I’ve been close to spirits since I was young.”

“......”

Yonir shook his head when he saw his friend gripping his staff tightly.

What was so special about spirits, anyway?

---

“We’re here. The spirits are gathered over there.”

I-han had to admit the senior’s guidance was impressive.

Spirit hybrids were known for their unique attributes passed down through contracts made by ancestors.

Some hybrids were as sensitive as to flinch upon seeing I-han, while others were entirely unphased.

Since Illendil claimed to have been close to spirits, he clearly had an affinity for them.

“Wait.”

Illendil’s expression suddenly changed.

“A homunculus is coming this way.”

“!”

I-han’s eyes narrowed.

Unlike other corrupted creatures, an artificially created dark spirit— the cause of this incident—was a different story.

“I’ll hold it off. You all take the spirits and go.”

I-han almost nodded, but then he paused.

If Illendil sacrificed himself, wouldn’t that put them back to square one with the spirits nearby?

“No. I’ll stay and fight with you.”

Illendil looked at I-han with admiration, thinking, ‘What a genuinely kind person.’

“Hmm. What was your name again?”

“Mor—”

“It’s Wardanas.”

“Right. I-han of the Wardanas family.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Wardanas I-han. Wardanas I-han. Got it. I’ll remember that.”

The dryad hybrid senior waved his staff.

The densely packed trees twisted and grew, forming a solid wall.

*Thunk!*

The oncoming artificial dark spirit crashed into the wooden prison.

But it wasn’t defeated so easily. It shifted its form freely, slipping through the cracks in the wooden barrier to wriggle out.

“Gather here, O darkness!”

Even without prompting from his senior, I-han quickly took action.

As Illendil held the spirit with his tree barrier, he nodded at I-han’s swift response, precisely what was needed.

Absorbing the dark energy continuously emitted by the artificial spirit.

Dark energy gathered at the tip of I-han’s staff.

■!

Sensing its essence being torn away, the spirit reacted sharply.

When the spirit realized it couldn’t match I-han’s control over dark energy, it shifted tactics.

‘This is…!’

The dark energy condensed at the end of I-han’s staff, flickering as if about to explode. I-han quickly reached into his potion pouch and retrieved bone fragments, compressing the energy urgently.

Some of the bones burned away, but there was no choice.

‘<Dark Wave Expansion>!’

I-han recalled the spell from the tome Professor Voladi had given him.

Condense dark energy, then release it in a wave to affect the surrounding area.

For most elements, this attack wasn’t particularly potent, but with dark energy’s properties, it could be deadly.

Mages with living bodies would find their life force rapidly drained with direct exposure to dark energy waves.

The spirit was instinctively attempting a similar move.

“Absorption… difficult?”

Illendil gasped, his breath labored as he struggled with the massive spell. Though using potions to reinforce the barrier, the scale was draining his mana and stamina.

Yonir and Siana were also helping, but sweat dripped from their faces.

I-han realized that retreating would only complicate things further.

‘If it comes to it, I’ll have to use magic.’

He hadn’t practiced <Dark Wave Expansion> before, but in this situation, he had no choice but to try it out from memory.

If Direct were here, he’d be closing his eyes at I-han’s recklessness. Still, I-han waved his staff.

“Gather here, O darkness!”

Once more, the dark energy gathered.

This time, the spirit—familiar with the move—reacted even faster.

The dark energy flickered, about to explode before I-han could contain it with potions.

Following the tome’s instructions, I-han cast <Dark Wave Expansion>.

“Darkness, sweep them away!”

In the air above him, the dark wave swelled and surged. I-han had cast the spell just before the spirit could unleash its own energy.

Illendil asked, puzzled.

“Earlier, why…?”

“This is my first time using this spell, so I had no choice!”

“What?”

I-han had no time to explain further.

The spirit, realizing it couldn’t match him in dark energy control, altered its approach again.

Grass and branches melded with dark energy, forming doll-like figures that rose around them.

Illendil screamed in frustration.

“Damn it!”

“Hand of Steel, sever my enemies!”

With no time to draw his Morning Star, I-han muttered a spell as the dolls pressed closer.

The skeleton principal’s close-range spell, <Gonadaltes’ Sharp Hand>.

He’d wondered when he’d ever use such a spell… and here it was!

*Slash!*

“Spark!”

After slicing with one hand and casting with the other, I-han could see they were getting overwhelmed.

This skirmish was wearing him down.

“Spark

!”

Just as lightning formed, another doll charged forward. I-han fixed the lightning at the tip of his staff, wielding it like a spear.

If only he had a moment to summon his skeleton warriors and gain time, but that moment wouldn’t come.

Just one moment!

*Crackle!*

Responding to his silent plea, the lightning at the staff’s end swelled, covering it entirely.

Preoccupied with striking down the encroaching dolls and focusing on the trapped spirit, I-han hadn’t noticed.

The moment he did, all the dolls around him lay defeated.

“...?”

Looking down, he realized the staff had transformed into a spear of lightning.

‘Wait… how did I do that?’

It was clear he’d fixed the lightning to the staff as a spear.

Seeing how often Professor Voladi emphasized stabilizing elemental forms, I-han recognized it immediately.

But he had no recollection of actually performing this. He’d done it instinctively…

‘There’s no time to think about this!’

He quickly summoned Sharcan and his skeleton warriors.

With the lightning spear, he struck down the advancing grass dolls, while his summons held the rest back. He charged forward with his spear.

■!

Realizing its fate, the trapped spirit let out a terrified scream.

Unlike the impact and discharge of a single bolt, the lightning spear’s sustained attack was sharp and relentless.

The lightning didn’t fade, continuing to burn the spirit.

I-han drove the spear again.

*Crackle!*

He was prepared to keep stabbing until the spirit was forcefully dispelled.

Being a creation of Ainlogard seniors, it wouldn’t be easily dismissed like an ordinary spirit.

But that didn’t matter.

In terms of endurance, I-han’s magic wouldn’t give out first.

*Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!*

■! ■! ■! ■!

With the echoing sounds of lightning and the spirit’s pained cries, the artificial spirit finally surrendered, dropping to its knees.

It stopped resisting, a mark appearing on I-han’s hand.

This was a sign of complete submission, entrusting its fate to a mage.

“???”

I-han was dumbfounded, as he had no intention of forming a contract with it.

After all, wasn’t it a rampaging monster?

No mage in their right mind would contract with a spirit that might stab them in the back.

Unless they were completely obsessed with spirits…

“Wardanas! Make the contract! You said you wanted to contract with a spirit!”

“Is that true? It’s a good idea! It’s a bit mischievous, but it’s actually quite nice!”

“......”

Hearing Siana and Illendil’s enthusiastic cheers, I-han frowned.