As the water spirit fled, Yi-Han also ceased his incantation and shouted.
"Halt right there!"
Upon reflection, all this trouble stemmed from those water spirits in the lake.
Had they not come first, Yi-Han could have leisurely tossed the White Tiger guys onto the sandy beach to thoroughly check them!
"Wardanaz, fighting a spirit in an injured state is a bit risky...!"
Dukma, intending to dissuade him, changed his words upon seeing the fleeing spirit.
"No, it's not dangerous! Let's chase! Onward!"
"Just, just a moment!"
Anglago hurriedly wrapped his food in leather. It was too precious to simply leave behind.
"Chase it! It must be an underling of the skull principal!"
Yi-Han commanded in a voice colder than the chill of the darkening night.
The two White Tiger students ran off, feeling as if they had become the villains.
Despite not doing anything wrong, they couldn't shake off the feeling that they were.
Anglago dodged to the left. A sharp water bead flew towards him, but he narrowly avoided it.
Dukma turned right. A water spike came at him, but he ducked just in time.
'The attacks of the water spirits are really simple.'
Yi-Han thought this as he approached from the center. The water spirit launched an attack at Yi-Han, who, instead of dodging, summoned a water bead and deflected it.
Giorvan the Second, an undead summon on the sandy beach, was a big and powerful creature, but such a low-level water spirit could not defeat Yi-Han in a frontal confrontation.
The water spirit shivered in panic as Yi-Han, exuding a fierce mana, approached.
"Do not flee, water spirit. I mean you no harm."
"...?"
Anglago, aiming his wooden sword at the water spirit, thought to himself.
'In such a situation, would anything be believed?'
If Anglago were the water spirit, he would certainly not trust easily.
"You're an underling of the skull principal, aren't you?"
The water spirit shook its head vehemently.
Though lacking the skill to converse with spirits, the White Tiger students somehow felt they understood what the water spirit was trying to say.
'Absolutely not,' it seemed to convey.
The water spirit, by its nature, evoked sympathy.
Its round, watery form, emanating a gentle water aura, softened people's hostility.
But Yi-Han was not swayed.
"Do not try to deceive me. The skull principal must have ordered you to do this."
"…!"
Dukma was astonished.
Was that the case?
Yet the water spirit again shook its head desperately. Yi-Han pointed out calmly.
"Then why did you attack us crossing the lake, and even when we were resting?"
"Indeed...!"
Confronted with Yi-Han's logical argument, the students had to agree.
Certainly, the water spirit's persistent pursuit and attacks were unusual.
The water spirit flailed, pointing at Yi-Han.
"?"
"What's that?"
Both were clueless as to why the spirit was behaving this way.
Of course, Yi-Han understood.
'It's saying it thought I came to attack them...'
With that, even Yi-Han had nothing to retort.
After all, it was he who had first unleashed his fierce mana over the lake.
"Wardanaz. What is this spirit saying?"
"It thought that your rowing was an attack."
"Ah."
Anglago was at a loss for words to the water spirit.
"It was a mistake," he insisted. "Had I known there were water spirits, I would have been much more careful. I hope you believe that..."
The water spirit looked perplexed at Anglago's excuse, as if questioning what he was talking about.
Was this some sort of joke after Yi-Han had just declared himself fearsome?
Instead of responding verbally, Yi-Han nodded in agreement.
"He says he understands that mistakes can happen."
"That's a relief...!"
"However, there's no excuse for attacking us while we were resting, even if the incident at the lake is overlooked."
Yi-Han quickly moved on from the incident at the lake, considering it fruitless to dwell on it.
The water spirit fell for Yi-Han's cunning ploy.
Forgetting to mention the incident at the lake, it pointed directly at the campfire.
"Are you saying you attacked us because of the fire we lit at night?"
"What nonsense...!"
The White Tiger students were infuriated.
From the spirit's perspective, intruders cooking and emitting smells might have been unpleasant.
But to attack without a warning was far too aggressive!
In its confusion, the water spirit trembled all over, indicating a misunderstanding.
It pointed at the campfire, the scorched marks, and Yi-Han's staff.
Both students were baffled again, but Yi-Han understood immediately.
'Hmm. It was angry because I burned the surroundings.'
The fire he had recklessly spread while battling the undead had polluted the nearby water, understandably upsetting the resting water spirit.
"What is the spirit saying, Wardanaz?"
"It's sincerely apologizing for its narrow-minded actions."
"Hmph... will we forgive it?"
"Yes, it's a spirit, after all."
The two White Tiger students decided to be magnanimous.
Unlike the undead, spirits were a more delicate entity to handle, especially water spirits.
The spirit, sensing the odd turn of the conversation, glared intently at Yi-Han.
Yi-Han chose to ignore it.
The water spirit was not an underling of the skull principal, but it had been a distant observer when the principal visited the island.
Following the spirit's lead, Yi-Han inquired.
"What exactly did the principal use in his spell?"
While Yi-Han might not know all of the skull principal's magic, foreknowledge of his capabilities could prove advantageous.
The spirit couldn't speak, but it inflated and transformed its body, earnestly trying to explain.
'A tomb? A seal? A lock?'
It formed a small tomb shape, added a few bands representing seals, and even something resembling a lock.
Yi-Han began to grasp what the spirit was trying to convey.
'The principal has imprisoned something.'
There was only one thing that could be imprisoned.
It was the leave permit.
'It wouldn't be surprising if something happened when we approached it.'
Yi-Han closed his eyes, trying to envision the principal's mindset.
'If I were the principal, how would I have designed it?'
'A dungeon of trials beneath the sandy beach, and a place with the leave permit accessible only after passing through that dungeon. Sounds like something the principal would do.'
And if that place was locked, it was even more in line with the principal's thinking.
Imagine the despair after struggling through the underground dungeon of the sandy beach, only to find the leave permit at the end locked away.
It was precisely the kind of situation the principal would relish.
"Wardanaz, over there!"
Anglago whispered in a startled voice.
Beyond where the water spirit halted, there indeed lay a place created by the principal.
It was a small but antiquely charming, stone-constructed area.
Yi-Han felt an inexplicable sense of it being akin to a temple.
Stone stairs leading underground (seemingly connected to the sandy beach's underground dungeon), large stone pillars geometrically arranged on all sides with hollow interiors, and a central altar.
Of course, what lay inside the altar was not a sacrificial offering, but rather, the leave permit.
'How do I send these two in first?'
Yi-Han pondered how to get Anglago and Dukma to enter ahead of him.
To uncover the principal's traps, a sacrificial lamb, or rather, an advance party was needed.
"Wardanaz. I'll go first."
"Anglago. Are you insulting me? I should go first."
"Dukma. It's my fault this situation arose. I was the one who angered the water spirit."
"Anglago. You've completed your duty by building and steering the boat. Compared to that, I haven't done anything. If I don't step forward now, my honor as a knight is..."
Yi-Han yawned, then tossed a coin.
Clack -
"Heads. Anglago Alpha. You go."
"...Uh, erm."
Anglago walked forward with a somewhat dazed expression.
He had initially planned to enter first for the injured Wardanaz, but why did he feel so confused now?
'Come if you dare!'
Swallowing his solemn feelings, Anglago surveyed his surroundings.
Even as a scion of a knightly family, one would have heard about magic traps.
Anglago was prepared to withstand whatever traps might be triggered.
Yet, no trap was sprung.
Not when he stepped on the well-fitted stone floor.
Not even as he passed between the stone pillars and approached the altar.
Yi-Han was slightly surprised at this sight.
'Could it be that the skull principal set it to activate only when two people ascend?'
The absence of traps was just as unsettling.
Yi-Han was also focusing all his power to detect any magic or mana around.
But he felt nothing.
Either it was truly absent, or the skull principal's skills were too advanced for Yi-Han to notice.
'It's probably the latter.'
In fact, there were no traps. Yi-Han could be confident in this sensory aspect, having even impressed the professors and the skull principal.
But Yi-Han did not think so.
Impossible!
The skull principal must have done something!
"Wardanaz. There's a note written here by the principal."
"What does it say? That the traps are starting now?"
"No, not that."
-Congratulations on making it this far, young freshmen. You may have been flustered by the sudden trials, but all of this is a process to nurture you young mages.-
'Annoyingly kind.'
Yi-Han thought to himself. The skull principal's kindness felt even more frightening.
-By coming here, you freshmen must have learned to cooperate with friends from different towers. Now, use that learned method for the ultimate cooperation. If you place someone inside these stone pillars, the seal on the altar containing the leave permit will be released!-
The trio turned their heads to look at the side. The large stone pillars, hollow inside, was spacious enough to easily fit a person.
If placing someone inside those pillars was the key...
Whether the altar opens or not, doesn't this just take them further away from getting the outing pass?
"This is absurd! There must be another way!"
Dukma erupted in anger.
As someone hailing from a knightly family, he couldn't accept a trap that would separate students who had diligently united their strength to overcome trials.
Surely there had to be another method!
'It seems unlikely.'
In contrast, Yi-Han remained composed.
Such a scenario was exactly the kind of thing the skull principal would relish, and it didn't surprise him in the least.
Even if many joined forces, in the end, only one would obtain what they desired! If they felt aggrieved, they should improve their skills...
'Such nonsense, no doubt.'
Yi-Han pondered.
Should he overpower Dukma first, or should he subdue Anglago first?
Yi-Han was at a disadvantage because three people arrived at the altar, where normally two people would have arrived.
Moreover, wasn't one of his arms injured?
To win, he needed to strike first before the White Tiger guys could attack.
"Wardanaz!"
Dukma shouted. Yi-Han flinched.
'Has he caught on?'
"Stop Anglago!"
At that, Yi-Han looked up to see Anglago rushing toward the stone pillar.
Yi-Han hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should stop him or feign weakness and leave him be.
