It was not important whether an undead summon had a rebellious spirit or not. The fact was that Sharakan was currently showing such defiance. "Sharakan, come here," Yi-Han commanded, his voice deepening, causing even the mouse to tremble in fear. He wondered, defying the principal like this, would this undead summon be destroyed?
However, Yi-Han, instead of smashing Sharakan, tried to coax and appease him. "Why are you doing this, Sharakan?" But Sharakan began to dig the ground as if he hadn't heard Yi-Han's words, leaving Yi-Han baffled. Until now, his summons had been obedient. Professor Mortum had mentioned it before – an undead summon does not always absolutely obey its master's commands. In fact, they are more likely to disobey. The stronger an undead summon becomes, the less likely it is to obey, partly due to the inherent opposition between the living and the dead. Sharakan, being a strong summon, was not acting out of character.
Thump-thump. Nillia pointed with her claw to the front pocket of Yi-Han's coat and then mimed throwing something to Sharakan. "Are you suggesting I tempt him with food?" Yi-Han asked. Nillia nodded her head. "Gainando?" Yi-Han inquired further. Nillia shook her head in panic.
Suddenly, Gainando, peeking out of the coat pocket, squeaked in shock and betrayal, looking at Nillia. 'Not that! The beer candy!'
“Ah, you mean the beer candy.” Yi-Han realized belatedly what Nillia meant. Since Gainando had gone back into the pocket, he had moved the beer candy to another pocket.
When Yi-Han finally took out the beer candy, Sharakan suddenly perked up. Yi-Han instinctively threw the beer candy in the opposite direction, and Sharakan, lying down, excitedly leaped into the air and gobbled up the candy. "Feeling better now?" Yi-Han asked. However, after eating the beer candy, Sharakan lay down again. The watching mouse, growing anxious, ran up to Sharakan and squeaked frantically, Chikchikchik!! It seemed to be pleading, 'You're really going to get yourself killed doing this,' but Sharakan turned its head away with a sulky expression.
Yi-Han and Nillia fell deep in thought. "Surely... he must want something," Yi-Han mused. Nillia meowed softly and nodded her head. Even a rebellious summon would show such behavior for a reason. It was clear the summon wanted something. Yi-Han joked, "Really want to eat Gainando... just kidding. Gainando." Filled with sorrow, Gainando tried to hide inside the coat, squeaking.
"You should have done your homework when I told you to, then this wouldn't have happened," Yi-Han remarked, somewhat unrelatedly. Yonaire admired Yi-Han's use of the Polymorph Forest as an opportunity to correct bad habits, thinking he'd make a great dormitory supervisor.
"Sharakan. Sharakan? You need to tell me what you want so I can help. If there's something you want, try to express it," Yi-Han urged. Sharakan, pretending not to hear, lay still before slowly turning its body. It then pointed at itself. Though complete, its body was just bones and gave off an unsightly and eerie vibe. Yi-Han asked in realization, "...Oh? Do you need a body too?" Sharakan wagged his tailbone excitedly, affirming Yi-Han's guess. Yi-Han was relieved to see the summon happy, but even more bewildered.
'What should I make its body out of?' Yi-Han pondered. Yonaire, skilled in alchemy, pointed to the mud beside the forest. It was soft and sticky, ideal for making golems or other summons. "How about that?" he suggested.
Sharakan approached the mud and rolled its body in it. As it did so, a flesh made of mud began to cover its bones. "Wow...!" Yi-Han and his friends marveled at the sight. Though the color was lackluster, it was certainly a more majestic form than just bones wandering around.
However, Sharakan seemed displeased with it. It glanced over its body for a moment and then began to vigorously shake off the mud. Yi-Han quickly conjured a water shield to block it. A speck of mud flew through and splattered on Gainando's face. Squeak, squeak, squeak! "Didn't like the mud, it seems," Yi-Han observed. The red fox looked downhearted. Yi-Han reassured her that it was alright. "At least we found a way. There's no real loss."
Gainando shook the mud off with his forepaws, sending a very displeased look. There is a loss!
The mice, growing anxious as the principal and the group did not leave the forest, interjected into the conversation. Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak- "Follow you?" Yi-Han asked. The mouse nodded and guided Yi-Han and his friends to a spring they had passed earlier.
It was the water of the Cold Iron Water spring, known for creating spring slimes. The spring water, mixed with special magic, was likely to satisfy even the finicky undead familiar. Yi-Han, realizing the specialty of the spring water, looked at it with a mix of anticipation and hope. 'Maybe this will work.'
Splash! Sharakan jumped into the spring and emerged, forming its body from the water. The dark and blue hue of its watery flesh made Sharakan look more mystical. Yi-Han and his friends were even more amazed than before. This must be it... But Sharakan coldly shook off all the water. Once again, Gainando was hit in the face with water droplets. Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak!
'Hmm. Seems like he's telling me to let it go.' Yi-Han, not understanding mouse speech, but could comprehend what Gainando was saying. "Sharakan, I'm sorry, but I can't create your flesh anymore." Yi-Han decided to use his last resort. Sharakan, just stay in that pond! It wasn't a bluff or a threat. What else could he do if Sharakan wouldn't listen? Yi-Han slowly turned away.
Then Sharakan groaned pitifully, scratching the ground desperately. It even tried to bite Yi-Han's staff. "No, Sharakan." But Sharakan did not give up and kept pointing at Yi-Han's staff, as if it wanted something from it. "...You want me to make it?" Sharakan wagged its tailbone excitedly. Although Yi-Han figured out what it wanted, he was still puzzled. 'I don't have the ability for that.' The elemental magic he could use was limited, and none suited to satisfy a demanding summon like Sharakan. The only possible element might be...?
"Alright, let's try." As Yi-Han raised his staff, Sharakan sat expectantly, watching him.
"Strike down, Ferkuntra's Thunderbolt!" Yi-Han commanded. As the fierce lightning tore through the air, Sharakan dodged in fright. Then, with a very angry expression, it furiously pounded the ground. "...Wasn't this it?" Yi-Han, who had expected Sharakan to want a body of lightning, was baffled by the reaction. Isn't lightning impressive?
Sharakan, grumbling, pointed at the spring water. 'Did it want water made?' Yi-Han thought, while preparing the <Water Creation> spell. He worried a bit; the guy didn't like the special water from the spring, would he be satisfied with the water Yi-Han conjured?
Contrary to his worries, as a mass of water appeared in the air, Sharakan joyfully embraced it. The water changed its form and transformed into Sharakan's body. "Are you alright?" Yi-Han asked. Sharakan, now shimmering like water, growled and pointed at the staff. "Do you want more?" Yi-Han inquired. Sharakan nodded vigorously. Yi-Han summoned more water. The summoned water flowed into Sharakan's body and continued without stopping...
Squeak, squeak? The forest mouse, observing the scene, was flustered. The massive amount of water being compressed into the undead summon's muscles was startling, but even more so was the principal's relentless summoning of more water. How immense must his mana be to allow such extravagance?
"It was indeed a strange experience," Yi-Han reflected.
“...”
“...”
Silence filled the air as Yi-Han and his friends, looking utterly drained, returned to the tower at midnight. Gainando seemed to be rubbing his face, as if he still felt mouse whiskers on it. 'We didn't reach the stable, only completed Sharakan.' Due to wandering too much in the Polymorph Forest, Yi-Han had no choice but to return after breaking through the forest. The lack of progress was disappointing, but with a test looming the next day, pushing further seemed unwise...
Growl! "What?" Sharakan lunged at Gainando. As the large, blue summon rushed at him, Gainando dodged in fright. "Why, why are you doing this?! Is it because I teased you with food!? I'll give it to you!" Yi-Han wondered, 'Did you tease it in the meantime?'
As Sharakan toppled Gainando and climbed on top of him, other students from the Blue Dragon Tower in the lounge looked on in fascination. "Is that the bone-made summon?" "How did it complete it?" "It looks much better than before. Want to try this?" His friends tossed food to Sharakan, who sat atop Gainando. Delighted, Sharakan snapped up the food and wagged its tail.
"Let... let me go..." Gainando pleaded. Growl! "Ah, no, you don’t have to let me go." As Sharakan showed anger, Gainando quickly backed down. However, Sharakan was not actually angry with Gainando.
Bark! Bark! "What?" When Sharakan barked towards the outside, Yi-Han instinctively grabbed his staff. Being in the lounge made no difference. In the magic academy, relaxing in the lounge could lead to masked students from other towers bursting in to steal flags. Click! The lounge door opened, and skeleton warriors, summoned from somewhere, suddenly appeared.
The students were shocked by the unexpected entrance. "Has the academy fallen?!" one exclaimed.
"That's impossible! Flash forth!" Yi-Han was the first to react. Swinging his staff, lightning flew, raising the hair on the students' heads and striking the skeleton warrior, turning it into dust. "Wake the sleeping ones! The principal is attacking us!" someone cried out. "Why... Why?!" another asked in confusion. "I don't know..." Yi-Han began to respond, then hesitated. Could it be that this was to prevent them from studying for tomorrow's test? Surprisingly, his instincts whispered that this might be the case.
"Anyway, everyone gather! Block the lounge door!" Yi-Han commanded. "Alright, got it!" the students responded. Yi-Han launched water beads in succession, pushing back the skeleton warriors. Meanwhile, other friends quickly started barricading the lounge door with sofas and chairs. Asan, checking the windows, cried out in alarm. "The undead are surrounding the tower with torches!" 'This is madness,' Yi-Han thought.
Bark! Bark! Yi-Han stroked Sharakan. If it weren't for Sharakan, he would have been attacked before he could even grab his staff. "Sharakan, wait and if anyone comes in, chase them out. Everyone, help with the barricade!" The princess, with her disheveled hair, swung her staff. Mud began to layer over the barricade, binding it firmly. Yonaire handed out the potions she had prepared to her friends. Gainando quickly cleared away any snacks that fell to the floor.
Thud, thud, thud - Other friends who had been sleeping came down, and the barricade in front of the lounge was finally completed, but the sounds from outside did not stop. The rhythmic knocking sent shivers down the students' spines. "What in the world...?" someone muttered. “Open the door, you ironheads…” a voice from outside demanded. Silence fell. The students of the Blue Dragon Tower, hearing the voice from outside, grimly piled up the barricade even higher.
