A moment later.

Lee I-han drank the *Red Poison of Ahrak* with a serious expression.

"By the way, senior, what kind of poison is this?"

He hadn’t thought much when drinking it, but afterward, curiosity struck about what type of poison he had just ingested.

The flow of magic within the poison was wild and complex, indicating it wasn't an ordinary toxin.

Deeret extended his index finger in warning.

"Stop overthinking and focus on the poison. Let me know as soon as you feel any reaction."

Even a dark mage skilled in handling poisons could be poisoned.

In fact, because they dealt with poisons regularly, they were at greater risk of severe intoxication.

Even if one developed resistance and immunity, a slight mistake while creating new poisons could be fatal.

Just look at Ahrak’s end for proof.

"How do you feel? Any reactions?"

"Hmm... No, nothing noticeable."

Lee I-han closed his eyes and focused, shaking his head after a moment.

Despite having given it ample time, there was no trace of the poison affecting his body.

The reason was that Lee I-han's magical resistance suppressed and neutralized the poison’s power.

"This one, too? Hmm..."

Deeret furrowed his brow lightly.

He had hoped that the *Red Poison of Ahrak* might break through this junior's poison resistance and induce a state of intoxication, but it hadn't made the slightest dent.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. More importantly, I need to teach you how to respond if you do get poisoned."

There was a reason Deeret was so determined to get his junior poisoned.

For a dark mage who wielded the element of poison, experiencing poisoning firsthand was quite important.

Understanding how to maneuver magic to halt its progression and attempt detoxification during intoxication was vital.

This knowledge not only ensured the safety of the dark mage but also greatly aided in the study of the poison element.

The problem was that this junior wouldn't get poisoned no matter what toxin he consumed.

"*Cough, cough, wheeze.*"

"*Gah, cough, hack.*"

In stark contrast, Gainando and Lafadel were pale and gasping for air.

Deeret calmly warned them.

"Don't try to breathe forcefully just because it's hard. You can last a minute, so give up on breathing and focus on detoxification."

"*Wheeze, gasp.*"

"*Huff, huff.*"

The two glared at Deeret while scratching at the desk.

It wasn't the first time he’d seen this, so Deeret remained unfazed.

"And you, are you okay?"

"Ah, yes, yes! Thank you."

Imirgue, enduring the pain in his arm, was waving his staff with determination.

A commendable response.

‘A bit lonely, though.’

Lee I-han felt a sense of isolation.

Of course, he didn't want to be poisoned, but it was awkward to be the only one not suffering while his friends were wheezing and struggling.

"Is there no stronger poison?"

"No. The *Red Poison of Ahrak* is already potent enough to be lethal."

"Is that so... Wait, *Red Poison of Ahrak*?"

Lee I-han’s ears pricked up in disbelief.

Was it really okay to use something like that?

"Anyway, we've confirmed your resistance is strong... let’s keep observing. It’ll be a few more years before you’re exposed to poisons potent enough to be dangerous to you."

"Understood. I’ll just stay cautious around poisons."

"It's not just about being cautious. Next year, you'll advance to the fifth year, so it’ll be harder to keep an eye on you like this."

"Why choose such a path, though?"

"..."

"Apologies. That was thoughtless."

"No, it's a fair question. Thank you."

Deeret suddenly had an odd realization.

‘Come to think of it, does this junior even have the right to ask that question?’

The first-year who was taking classes in every discipline—who was he to worry about anyone else?

If he reached the fifth year, he’d probably resemble the ancient form of a disciple dragged through trials...

"Senior?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing."

"...?"

Lee I-han looked puzzled at Deeret’s distracted response.

Was his mind elsewhere? His reaction was different from his usual sharp focus.

‘Maybe he’s stressed about advancing to the fifth year?’

Anyone would be, and Lee I-han nodded in understanding.

"Senior, look at this."

"An egg? I told you, you don’t need to bring me things like this."

Deeret grimaced slightly.

Though his junior’s skill at making desserts was unmatched—proving he was an alchemy prodigy—the last time, the souffle pancakes made from scratch within Einroguard had shocked Deeret so much that it felt like his feathers might fall out.

But as a senior, it felt wrong to keep accepting snacks from a junior.

"Were the souffle pancakes not to your liking? Would you prefer store-bought snacks...?"

"They were incredibly delicious, but I just feel bad accepting them. Coholty bought every egg in the school market and kept making souffle pancakes, trying to replicate your flavor."

"My, I should’ve just made more myself. But this isn’t a snack—it’s a reagent."

Lee I-han carefully pulled out an egg laid by a *Spectral Rooster* from the basket.

He had been raising a Spectral Rooster in the hut where the Basilisk’s eggs were kept.

The eggs laid by this rooster were rare ingredients for dark magic potions.

“A Spectral Rooster egg?!”

Deeret’s eyes widened as he took the egg from Lee I-han.

“This is... impressive. How did you even get this?”

“Please don’t ask about the methods. Anyway, I was wondering if I could sell these.”

“Of course, that’s possible. But…”

Deeret’s expression became contemplative.

Lee I-han tilted his head, wondering what the issue was.

“Is there a problem? If it’s about compensation for your help...”

“What are you talking about? It’s not that.”

Deeret looked at his junior in disbelief.

“I’m just worried the other juniors might fight over it instead of letting you sell them outside. You know rare reagents fetch much higher prices out there.”

The potion trade was governed by the laws of supply and demand.

Common ingredients were always available, but rare ones sparked fierce competition and high prices.

With Spectral Rooster eggs being so scarce and primarily sought after by dark mages, their availability was even more limited. Every time they appeared, dark mages would practically howl in frustration.

“If you need it, I’ll just sell to the seniors.”

“What? No way. Why would you make such a concession?”

“We’re all from the same school of magic.”

‘I better not tell anyone else about this.’

Deeret made a mental note. It’d be better to contact external merchants to sell these without causing a stir among the students.

“I’ll handle it, so don’t worry. Since you can’t get poisoned... let’s move on to practicing with poison elements. You’ll find out that applying poison to opponents is trickier than you’d think.”

No matter how potent or unrealistically created the poison was, it didn’t change that applying it to an enemy was difficult.

Poison didn’t move like lightning nor spread fiercely like fire.

Given its typically liquid form, successfully poisoning someone was a significant challenge.

“When you reach a higher level, you’ll be able to poison with just a glance, but that’s not easy. Until then, you’ll have to use your brain a lot.”

Using techniques like poison mist or poison clouds to leverage the environment.

Or combining it with water elements to shoot poison arrows, albeit with reduced power.

Or compressing it with elements like bone to form poison-infused projectiles.

“The method you should practice first is...”

“Poison mist or poison clouds, right?”

“...Actually, it’s compressing poison into the bone element. You’ve already succeeded with the dark element, so poison should be easier. The dark element is more difficult. Wait, what did you just say?”

Deeret was taken aback by Lee I-han’s unexpected answer.

“Why did you think of mist or clouds?”

“Well, since I’m highly resistant to poison, I thought it would be better to cover the surroundings, even if it affects me.”

“...That’s a creative and practical approach, but let’s start with embedding it in bone. It’s safer.”

Five minutes later.

Lee I-han successfully compressed poison into the bone element.

Deeret checked the time and spoke.

“Alright. Still interested in summoning poison mist?”

* * *

Throughout the semester, the students of each tower took turns handling duties.

In Einroguard, these tasks were never easy, and everyone had accumulated fatigue, knowingly or unknowingly.

Especially now, with final exams just around the corner.

The students on duty moved sluggishly, unable to help it.

Even the most diligent disciples of the Phoenix Tower were affected.

‘This is worrying.’

Lee I-han wasn’t concerned about the exams as much as he was about a potential attack by the Skull Principal.

Exams were based on what they studied, so there was no avoiding that, but the Skull Principal’s surprise attacks always came when they were at their weakest and most complacent.

Moreover, the Skull Principal had likely become more irritable recently.

The first-year students had set a new record for outings and returned with an abundance of supplies, indulging in luxuries.

-“Look! It’s a cloak with pockets! I bought it outside.”

-“Isn’t that a bit excessive?”

-“You’re wearing real leather gloves!”

-“

Haha, true! We deserve this!”

Lee I-han wanted to warn his friends not to provoke the Skull Principal, but it was impossible to stop them.

How could they restrain themselves after going without all year?

“Wodanaz, the clearing here is secure.”

“I’m coming.”

Lee I-han cast a spell with his staff and moved.

He and the disciples of the Phoenix Tower were currently clearing out bloodsucking bugs from the nearby bushes.

A single bloodsucker was weak enough to be dispatched without magic, but when dozens swarmed out of the bushes, they became a serious threat.

Hence, it was essential to scout the area and preemptively cast spells on any potential nests.

It was more a test of perseverance than skillful magic.

“Burn, burn, burn...”

And if you had immense magical power, it was easy work, even without patience.

Lee I-han moved quickly, incinerating suspicious spots as he went.

The disciples poured their specially-made repellent into pools and bushes.

It was also an effective method, weakening the bloodsuckers indirectly.

“Wodanaz, did you see this?”

“?”

Lee I-han turned at the call of Syana, a fellow disciple.

There was a huge footprint behind the bushes.

It wasn’t quite giant-sized but was significantly larger than a regular human’s.

‘What’s this?’

Lee I-han cast a light to check the surroundings.

Whatever monster it was, it had left some fierce traces. Claw marks were gouged into rocks and trees, along with the massive footprint.

-■■■■■■...

Lee I-han’s light shone far brighter than any of the other students’.

Because of this, a bipedal monster hidden among the trees revealed itself.

Its crimson eyes fixed on Lee I-han with a menacing stare.

It looked like a rampaging lycanthrope, but it wasn’t. It had likely devoured nearby bloodsuckers, as blood pooled around it like a shallow pond.

The killing intent and overwhelming presence made some of the disciples collapse, but Lee I-han sighed nonchalantly.

“Hah. Did the Principal send you again?”

-■■■!

“Doesn’t change a thing. Shadow, sweep them away!”

The dark element surged forward as a wave.

The bloodthirsty beast leaped unpredictably, dodging the spell.

‘Fast!’

But Lee I-han was already readying his next move.

He was always prepared for the Skull Principal’s sudden attacks during duty shifts.

*Bagrak’s Instant Insight* and *Gonadaltes’ Nimble Steps* heightened his senses, sharpening them to a fine edge.

“What’s going on?”

A patrolling Death Knight, summoned by one of the disciples, approached swiftly.

Lee I-han eyed the Death Knight warily, staff gripped tightly.

‘Is it an accomplice?’

“What kind of monster is this? First-year students, step back.”

The Death Knight blew a horn to summon reinforcements.

*Pwoo-ooo-ooo-*

“Isn’t this one of the Principal’s lackeys?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?!”

The Death Knights were startled and denied it vehemently.

This creature was not one of their allies.