“Why do you look like that?” 

“It seems you’re ready to train in more dangerous conditions.” 

“!?”

Lee I-han felt a surge of dread, wondering if he had made a mistake.

Professor Voladi, unfazed, continued talking about the bloodthirsty monster.

“A poison that limits regeneration may not be effective.”

There were conventional methods for handling monsters with strong regenerative abilities—fire, acids, and poisons among them. 

Of these, poison was the most convenient; once it made contact, it could infiltrate deeply and cause significant damage. 

“I see. So its regeneration is so powerful that poison alone wouldn’t suffice?” 

Professor Voladi nodded. 

“I suspected as much, so I prepared a different type of poison. One that induces regeneration to go berserk.”

“Can it be made?”

“With the help of some seniors, I could manage it.”

“I see.”

Professor Voladi sipped his tea with one hand and waved a rod in front of the baby basilisk with the other.

Lee I-han suddenly doubted his own words.

‘Wait. Should I have kept that to myself?’

Thinking back, he could have just said he’d get it from the seniors, but Professor Voladi’s phrasing made him answer reflexively.

*Thud!*

The baby basilisk collapsed on its side, panting.

Professor Voladi noted this and said, “That should be enough exercise.”

-...

Lee I-han wondered if the basilisk was using an evil eye, judging by the murderous glare it directed at the professor.

“Take this with you.”

Professor Voladi handed Lee I-han a crate filled with toys.

“If you indulge it too much, the basilisk won’t grow properly.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Lee I-han responded while avoiding the pitiful gaze of the basilisk clinging desperately to his arm.

‘What else could I say here…?’

“And this as well.”

“What is it?”

Lee I-han watched as Professor Voladi fetched a container of crossbow bolts from inside the lecture hall, puzzled.

Were these bolts meant for him?

“A monster that fast might not fall to flames easily. Use these bolts.”

The bolt shafts and arrowheads were intricately inscribed with runes. Despite having trained rigorously under Professor Verdus, Lee I-han couldn’t decipher all the magic infused in these bolts.

‘Fire magic?’

They were primarily fire-enchanted but had additional spells layered on, like duration, ferocity, and curses.

“If it hits, it’ll keep burning until the end of the semester.”

“Thank you!”

The monster’s regeneration was formidable, but even it must have a weakness. An eternal flame could be that answer. Plus, with other poison-tipped bolts, the enemy would have a hard time predicting what was coming.

Professor Voladi, as if resigning himself to his student’s reckless nature, added, “Just don’t chase it too far. The giants will be waiting for you.”

“...”

Lee I-han truly had no intention of pursuing the bloodthirsty monster, but even if he did, those words wouldn’t have stopped him.

* * *

Despite the commotion over the monster, classes continued as usual.

“And so, we must take caution from the tragic example of the mage Cladrel, correct?”

“Yes, Professor!”

“Well, that’s all for today—”

“Professor, I have a question. What if Cladrel had sealed all the demons in his house after making a pact with an angel?”

“Interesting question. Hmm! Normally, I’d end class here, but since finals are next week, let’s delve into it a bit.”

“Thank you, Professor!”

Asan’s request for an encore lecture earned glares from his friends, but that was a minor issue.

The real concern came when the Skull Principal summoned Lee I-han to lecture him on the tricks of magical criminals and how to counter them.

“Do you remember the counter-magic against the forbidden spells we discussed before?”

“Yes.”

“And the magic patterns in the artifacts they used?”

“Wait, you didn’t cover that part because we ran out of time.”

“Ah, so you didn’t study it on your own.”

“...”

Lee I-han stared at the Skull Principal, speechless. Did he expect a student to secretly investigate artifact patterns in their spare time?

“Well, learning those patterns is for today. Also, there’s one more thing.”

“Principal, I did my best for the school’s honor. Please take that into consideration.”

“I wasn’t talking about the group outing, fool.”

The Skull Principal’s face twisted as he glared at Lee I-han.

He had been willing to let it go, but this clueless student had just rubbed salt into an old wound.

How did he even manage to get that many involved...? No, a mage never reveals their secrets. Anyway, do you remember this?

The Skull Principal revealed a white bone.

Lee I-han tilted his head in confusion.

“Is that your bone, Principal?”

Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten the King of Ghouls.

“Oh.”

Lee I-han remembered. It was a bone obtained from the domain ruled by the King of Ghouls during the last vacation. Not just any bone, but one the King of Ghouls had personally presented.

He’d forgotten about it after the Skull Principal took it for examination amidst all the other hectic tasks.

“I mistook it for something else because it looks so extraordinary. Haha.”

The Principal’s expression softened.

Unlike other flattery, compliments about the bone’s appearance always pleased the Skull Principal.

After interrogating the King of Ghouls further, I found some useful clues. This might be a bone from the Duke Behemoth.

“Behemoth... isn’t that a monster?”

The Behemoth was a colossal beast mentioned in legends, capable of stomping the ground while swallowing the sky’s clouds. It was so massive that calling it a “monster” seemed inadequate—it was closer to a walking natural disaster.

Yes, a monster. There are none left on the continent. I caught the last one long ago.

“...”

Before Lee I-han could ask more about this fascinating piece of history, the conversation shifted.

But there are still Behemoths in other dimensions. I once heard that one holds the rank of Duke in a demonic realm.

“Can monsters hold titles like that?”

Of course. If you’re powerful enough, you can be a king. If you’re feeling bold, go tell the demons, ‘I’m your new emperor.’

“Why would anyone do something so insane?”

I did once.

“...”

Most beings from other realms had immense pride, but demons lived and breathed by it. Titles among demons held immense significance. If an unworthy demon called themselves a Count or Duke, they’d be attacked by every rival around.

And yet, this Principal had faced demons and said, ‘I think I’ll be the Emperor,’ and survived.

‘This man is truly insane, isn’t he?’

“So, there was a Behemoth who became a Duke? Then how did this bone end up here...”

It was probably hunted down. Behemoths are too brutish to survive in demon realms for long.

According to the Skull Principal, to endure in a demon’s domain, power wasn’t enough; one needed cunning and diplomacy—like the Principal himself.

In contrast, Behemoths, though mighty, were simple-minded. If hungry, they’d eat other demons; if bored, they’d trample territories, making enemies until they were inevitably hunted.

Sealing its power and erasing its name must’ve been humiliating for the demons.

“Did the King of Ghouls participate in that hunt?”

Ha! He’s not capable of that. The only reason he could claim kingship was because he hid away in some remote corner. If he’d declared himself a king in front of other demons, he’d have been torn apart immediately.

For the first time, Lee I-han felt a little sorry for the King of Ghouls. If he’d heard this conversation, he might have wept.

He must’ve stumbled upon this bone after the hunt was over.

“I see. Does this mean we can summon Behemoth with it?”

What?

The Skull Principal stared at Lee I-han as if he were looking at a future magic criminal.

Summon something like Behemoth? Are you serious? The entire area would collapse. You’re not secretly imagining the Empire’s fall before bedtime, are you?

“No, it was just an academic question...”

Well, technically, it’s possible. But summoning Behemoth with this won’t work. There isn’t enough bone to even reconstruct a fraction of it. You’d be better off making an artifact.

“Another one?”

Having many artifacts is beneficial, isn’t it...

The Skull Principal trailed off as he glanced at Lee I-han up and down.

Necklace, rings, bracelets, belt—he already had quite a lot. And that didn’t include the additional artifacts he wore only when needed.

It was impressive that he managed without causing magical interference.

...You do have a lot. Still, this Behemoth bone is valuable for making an artifact.

“Why is that?”

It’s sturdy and can hold a lot of magic.

“...?”

The plain explanation surprised Lee I-han.

“That’s all?”

For you, it’s significant. Even now, the bracelet Professor Garcia made for you must be straining to hold up.

“It’s not that bad...”

Though Lee I-han knew the bracelet’s absorption wasn’t effective, hearing it put that way stung a bit.

Actually, it was worse. It couldn’t even scream. Your magic overloads it.

“Understood. I’ll make one.”

Lee I-han grumbled as he changed the topic.

Despite his complaints, the prospect of creating a new artifact stirred excitement.

“Wait. If I wear an artifact made from Behemoth’s bone, will spirits that fear my magic come near?”

Having abundant magic had its downsides. Lee I-han shared the struggle with the Skull Principal.

The Principal raised an eyebrow.

Don’t most mages consider the difficulty of fine control the biggest downside?

This was a real issue for mages. No matter how much magic one had, it was useless if they couldn’t control it.

Seeing naturally powerful mages struggle and face countless failures during their training, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Lee I-han had complained about nearly dying every time he used magic.

“I’ve managed to overcome that.”

Well...

The Skull Principal nodded, unfazed.

As always, it was an unusual talent. But even more remarkable was the personality behind it.

‘True insanity lies in that,’ the Principal thought.

Unaware of the Principal’s musings, Lee I-han looked hopeful.

“So, would it block them?”

No. That’s impossible.

The Principal answered definitively.

For that to happen, you’d need artifacts embedded all over your body, drawing magic out at full force.

Even then, there was no guarantee it’d keep up with your recovery rate. One artifact wouldn’t suffice.

“Then what good is it?!”

...For its primary purpose?

The Skull Principal looked at his student like he was unhinged.

Artifacts were meant to enhance magic, not solely absorb it.