“King of Yachas. I know your authority well. You cannot interfere with royalty forever.”

The insane duplicate spoke coldly.

On the surface, it looked like nothing more than a large warrior restraining a mage. Beneath that, however, a ferocious clash of higher authorities was raging.

The hamster watched their confrontation in a daze, unable to say a word.

A struggle of power between mythical beings.

‘Incredible!’

The hamster already knew the tyrant’s magic was extraordinary, but this King of Yachas was a being it had never seen before.

What kind of mystery did he possess, to seal the tyrant’s magic like that?

Hmm. You are correct. While I am sealing you, Osu, I cannot do anything either.

“You understand that well. The world will reject you. How long can you endure?”

I will likely disappear first.

The King of Yachas admitted it readily.

Unlike Osu’s duplicate, who was hiding from the world by maintaining great magic nearby, he was merely a guest who had forcibly opened a dimensional path and descended through sheer power.

Naturally, he could not last longer than that projection.

That is why you must accomplish it, Osu’s disciple.

“...”

Lee Han stared blankly at the King of Yachas.

From their conversation, he had briefly wondered whether this situation might actually be manageable.

Apparently not!

But there was no time to argue. Lee Han asked immediately.

“What do I need to do?”

You must persuade your master. Hmm. Even now, have you had any thoughts about discovering new possibilities within the Vision of Dynamus and attempting to cast Despotis?

“I don’t even know what those are.”

One is a Miniature World, and the other is a Unique World. Since the latter is extraordinarily difficult, the former would be used to amplify the mage’s authority—

“Another method. Is there another method?”

Hmm. Would it not be more accurate to hear the full explanation before judging?

“Another method!”

Lee Han shouted, suppressing the anger rising inside him.

What was this nonsense about Miniature Worlds and Unique Worlds?

Seeing this, the hamster felt a deep fondness for the King of Yachas.

“To cower and tuck your tail before magic, when you are one who must rule and govern the continent—know shame, disciple.”

Even the insane duplicate sternly rebuked Lee Han.

But Lee Han did not waver.

‘What nonsense are you spouting?’

Being told to immediately accomplish the unfulfilled wish even his master had failed to complete, and then use that to persuade him, was harder than conquering Einroguard right now.

Very well. Osu’s disciple. If you wish, I will tell you another method. But from what I see, you are acting impatiently and emotionally.

“...How could anyone not act impatiently and emotionally in this situation?”

The other method is Yeongnak.

“Isn’t that the method you just mentioned?”

When the King of Yachas brought up the idea of gathering the world’s suffering into one place through magic again—a feat even the insane duplicate had failed to achieve—Lee Han’s eyes sharpened.

However, the King of Yachas was not stupid, even if he had a habit of saying whatever he wanted.

I am not speaking of the world’s suffering. Osu’s disciple. I am telling you to draw out your master’s madness through Yeongnak.

“!”

Lee Han flinched.

Although he had learned the magic, this was a method he had never even considered.

“Is that possible?”

Of course.

<Gonadaltes’s Yeongnak> was magic that transferred another person’s downfall onto oneself.

If curses, pain, and wounds could be transferred, then madness could be transferred as well.

Lee Han immediately raised his staff to cast it, then hesitated.

“What happens if I go insane after absorbing the madness?”

Osu’s disciple. If that happens, Osu and I will subdue and confine you, so do not worry.

“...”

Besides, that madness only has meaning for Osu himself. It will not affect you much, his disciple.

“Shouldn’t you normally say that part first?”

He should have been relieved to hear there would be no major problem, but no pleasant words came out.

‘Well, no matter how much pressure I feel about eliminating the world’s suffering, I probably wouldn’t try to conquer the continent.’

Lee Han cast Yeongnak along with the incantation.

He had used it before while treating a patient who came to the healing magic school, so there was no hesitation in his cry.

“...”

“...”

-...

Silence.

‘What?’

When nothing seemed to change, Lee Han cautiously asked,

“Master. Are you all right?”

“Can you remove this King of Yachas at once and conquer Einroguard?”

“...It didn’t work.”

Then you must not have cast it properly.

The King of Yachas said this casually.

“What do you mean, I didn’t cast it properly? I clearly mastered the spell...”

Magic is sometimes like that, Osu’s disciple. Even when you believe you have fully mastered it, encountering an unexpected formidable opponent can reveal how shallow your understanding truly is.

‘This person really doesn’t teach properly at all!’

Lee Han was furious.

Come to think of it, hadn’t he suffered badly last time because of the King of Yachas and that nonsense with the star contract?

What if he was wrong about this too—

‘No. Don’t think ominous thoughts. This isn’t the time.’

“Are you saying there’s a problem with Yeongnak?”

Did you not fail to absorb it?

Suddenly, Lee Han remembered a conversation he had when learning magic from the insane duplicate before.

-Become familiar with this magic.

-Was there a mistake in my casting?

-No.

-Then what does becoming familiar mean?

-That is something you must realize on your own.

Back then, too, his casting had been flawless, but the insane duplicate had spoken as though Lee Han still had a long way to go.

Lee Han frowned, wondering what he had missed.

Ruuuuuumble!

“?!”

A roar echoed from outside.

When Lee Han looked confused, the King of Yachas kindly explained.

That is the army Osu summoned. Hmm. Most likely a demigod legion using the Black Emperor? It would be best to stop them before the summoning completes. I will hold Osu here—

“Thank you so much for your kind explanation!”

Lee Han swallowed his curses and ran out of the workshop.

The insane duplicate was still only a projection, but the situation outside had to be handled first.

“Ah!”

Lee Han, who had just run out, suddenly came back.

Everyone in the workshop looked at him in confusion.

Why is he doing that?

“I’ll take this with me!”

Lee Han grabbed the hamster’s cage in one hand and ran out again. The hamster squeaked frantically, but Lee Han ignored it.

***

-Do you truly wish to die?!

“Mage sir. Look at me right now. Do I look like someone who cares what happens later?”

At Lee Han’s words, the ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) hamster found itself nodding before it realized what it was doing.

Indeed, in an emergency like this, it would be strange to be picky about methods. Even the hamster would have done whatever was necessary.

-All my power has been stripped away. I cannot do anything.

“But you still have wisdom.”

-...That is true.

The hamster was a magical criminal, but also an archmage. Hearing praise from a younger mage gave it a renewed sense of satisfaction, and it stroked its whiskers.

“And if necessary, you can also serve as a sacrifice.”

-...

“That was a joke.”

‘Is this boy insane?’

In all its life, the hamster had never seen anyone make such jokes to one of the Empire’s most notorious magical criminals.

They said all mages trained at Einroguard carried madness somewhere in their hearts, but this one seemed especially severe.

-...Gasp!

However, the hamster had no time to curse him.

The moment they exited the cave through the workshop passage, an unbelievable scene unfolded before them.

A massive black coffin hung fixed in midair, emanating sinister power.

That power did not belong to mortals. It belonged to thought-forms, or gods.

Even more shocking was the coffin door, which was already half-open.

Something inside was pushing its head out.

‘Not only did he summon a demigod, he tamed it and brought it outside?!’

The hamster had dozens of questions about how such a thing was even possible, but it squeaked and screamed first.

-Attack! If it comes out completely, things will become hundreds of times harder!

The hamster had heard of ancient magic that artificially created demigods from the worship and thoughts of living beings in order to extract their power.

But dragging such a demigod out of its shrine, making it descend upon the continent, and using it as an army far exceeded the limits of the hamster’s imagination.

‘Is this a mage from mythology?’

“I know! Damn it. I don’t know if this attack will be enough... Everyone!”

Lee Han spotted a ray of hope in the darkness and rejoiced.

The giants were waiting nearby with a campfire lit.

-Wardanaz! We were waiting!

-Are we attacking Einroguard now?

“...That is absolute nonsense! You’ve all been deceived!”

-?!?!

The giants were shocked.

They had not gathered here to attack Einroguard?

“What you need to fight is that! That monster trying to come out of the coffin!”

-Huh? Isn’t that our friend who’s going to help us?

“No!”

At that moment, the demigod that had pushed its head out turned toward Lee Han.

Strictly speaking, it could not be called staring. The thing had no organs that could be called eyes.

It looked somewhat like a demon and somewhat like a dragon, resembling a grotesque chimera whose form continuously shifted.

-If that thing really is a demigod, be careful what you think!

“What do you mean?”

-If it was artificially created, then it is a thought-form. Where do you think those thoughts came from?

Among monsters and spirits, some fed on fear and emotions to grow stronger.

Demigods were incomparably higher in rank, but the basic principle was similar.

A demigod’s nature changed according to the thoughts condensed within it.

“...Isn’t it a demigod created by Master? Then shouldn’t its nature be fixed according to what Master wants?”

-No! You only say that because you do not know the ancient rules, boy. A disciple has that much authority! Moreover, he must have ordered you to conquer the continent!

The insane duplicate had intended to conquer the continent by making his disciple a commander.

Naturally, he would have granted that disciple some degree of authority over the demigod.

If they had to attack a tower full of mages, the demigod would need to transform into something specialized against magic.

If they had to assault a castle full of knights, it would need to become the opposite.

When will the continent be conquered?

“!”

The question flowed into Lee Han along with that eyeless stare.

Lee Han shouted immediately.

“That order has been canceled!”

When will the continent be conquered?

‘Damn it. I can’t touch the higher command?’

Lee Han realized there were limits even to his authority as the disciple.

Because the insane duplicate had given a higher-level command first, Lee Han could not order the demigod to stop or destroy itself.

-Stop wasting time and weaken it before attacking! Who knows how strong it’ll become once it’s fully out of the coffin!

“Weaken it...”

-Think of it as weak as possible!

The hamster squeaked desperately.

It was even more anxious than usual, since if things went wrong, it might be absorbed by the demigod as well.

The reason the demigod kept taking forms like demons and dragons was probably because of the perception of the Wardanaz boy standing in front of it.

Weren’t those the typical races people imagined when they thought of powerful beings?

Somehow, they had to make the opponent weaker.

“Like a ham... hamster?”

-...Yes! Even that will do!

It was a strangely unpleasant choice, but the hamster agreed for now.

At least a demigod hamster would be much easier to deal with than a demigod demon.

Lee Han focused his mind.

‘Change that demigod’s form. Change its form...’

As his powerful thoughts connected, the demigod’s shape rippled once more.

Then it transformed into a giant Skull Principal.

The hamster let out a despairing squeak.

He had made it even stronger!

‘I told you not to be afraid...!’