Without a moment's hesitation or change of direction, the ferry sailed directly onto the soft sands of the island.
Unaware of their situation, Anglago and Dukma kept their heads down, continuing to row on the sandy beach.
They were terrified of an attack from the enraged water spirits.
Yi-Han began to regret sharing a boat with these men from the White Tiger.
He thought even Moradi would be smarter than these two, let alone Dolgyu...
"We're stranded, you fools."
"!"
Only then did Anglago realize that his oar was swimming on the soft sands.
Blushing with embarrassment, Anglago spoke.
"Khm. Still... we managed to escape."
"Right, Wardanaz. Look at the positive side. We've evaded the angry water spirits on the lake."
Instead of replying, Yi-Han simply flicked his staff.
It was a signal to get off and push the boat.
The two students thought it better to push the boat than to keep resisting.
...And they thought it was thanks to Wardanaz that they had managed to evade the water spirits...
"Wardanaz."
Carefully, Anglago spoke as he got out of the boat.
"Speak. I'm listening."
"Can we rest a bit on the island? I'm not tired, but my arms are a bit sore from rowing for so long..."
"I'm not tired either, but Wardanaz, you must have used a lot of mana... and the spirits might still be around..."
So, let's rest!
Yi-Han inwardly scoffed. These guys had a knack for beating around the bush.
"Do as you like."
"Th... thank you!"
Anglago was strangely grateful.
'Did he think I wouldn't allow it?'
Yi-Han was nonplussed by his reaction.
After all they did to save his life...
"?"
Yi-Han frowned at the dwarf student, Dukma, sensing something was off.
"Hey."
"What? Why? Are we leaving already?"
“I think you’ve gotten a little shorter.”
Dukma exploded in anger, his face reddening and trembling.
"How dare you?! Are you insulting me because no one is watching?! Do you think no one will stop you from attacking me?!"
'Should I just hit him?'
Yi-Han felt his grip tighten on the staff.
They should have been more cautious knowing there was no one around to intervene...
"No, Dukma! You've gotten shorter!"
"??!!"
Only after Anglago shouted did Dukma realize something was wrong.
It wasn't that he had gotten shorter.
Dukma was sinking into the sandy shoal.
"!"
Yi-Han's expression hardened. He hadn't noticed, busy surveying the island, but the rowboat was also sinking.
'Dangerous!'
Yi-Han realized his booted feet were sinking into the soft sand. Anglago tried to run in panic.
"Everyone, run to the front! We need to get off the sandbar!"
Before anyone could stop him, Anglago stepped forward hastily and sank even faster.
Submerged up to his waist in an instant, Anglago floundered as if trapped in a swamp.
'Too late.'
Yi-Han quickly gave up on Anglago and Dukma.
The only telekinesis magic Yi-Han could use was <Lesser Control>.
This magic was only strong enough to manipulate objects as small as a marble; it couldn't be applied to someone as big and heavy as Yi-Han.
The structure of the magic spell itself would break apart under the strain.
However...
"Move!"
Yi-Han firmly anchored an iron marble in the air. Grasping it with his other hand, he hoisted himself up.
His body rose above the sandbar, as if performing a one-handed pull-up.
Professor Boladi would have been pleased with this spectacle.
Originally, <Lesser Control>, a spell designed to control small objects like feathers or marbles, was not intended for combat.
There were more potent spells for telekinetic combat, though they took longer to cast.
No one, except for Professor Boladi, insisted on using a foundational spell like <Lesser Control> for combat.
Professor Boladi focused on the rapid casting time of such low-circle spells.
Whether a low or high-circle spell, a hit to a vital spot could be deadly. Why obsess over high-circle spells?
Efficiency was key.
With enough training, <Lesser Control> could be quite powerful!
Yi-Han was proving that, his body supported in mid-air by the steadfastly hovering iron marble.
He flew slowly above the sandbar, teeth clenched, maintaining the marble, while using his arms and back muscles. It was challenging in every aspect.
Thud!
Finally escaping the sandbar and landing on solid rock, Yi-Han turned around.
The rowboat had disappeared beneath the sandbar.
"Oh..."
Yi-Han muttered regretfully.
Then it dawned on him, Anglago and Dukma were gone too. Another regrettable matter.
'It must be the principal's trap.'
-There's no such thing as coincidence; everything is inevitable.-
If Yi-Han could inscribe a motto at the academy's main gate, it would be that, to warn the new students.
This island was the one skull principal had sent them to, where he had thrown the outing permit.
So, this inescapable sandbar must also be one of the skull principal's traps.
“Ssshh…”
“The freshman managed to escape, after all.”
As expected, a summoned beast appeared from the sandy beach with a low voice.
The negative energy radiating from its entire body revealed it to be an undead.
"Pleased to meet you."
“...You’re not shocked or unsettled?”
The undead summon, resembling a large walking turtle, was taken aback by Yi-Han's calm reaction.
Typically, freshmen would scream, wail, or even faint upon encountering an undead summon...
But this freshman was remarkably composed.
"I am surprised. What brings you here? What am I supposed to do?"
The undead summon was flustered by Yi-Han's direct questioning, having expected to explain first.
After regaining its composure, the summon spoke.
“Normally, you too should have sunk beneath the sandbar.”
"..."
Yi-Han had no intention of doing so, but he decided to listen.
The undead summon continued as the expressionless freshman nodded.
“Once sunk beneath the sandbar, the trial requiring the cooperation of the new students would begin.”
"Is that so..."
Yi-Han gripped his staff.
He felt no gratitude towards skull principal for creating such a 'friendly' space for students to bond.
After all, the principal was the very cause of this predicament.
As Yi-Han contemplated, the undead summon spoke again.
“As you escaped from the sandbar, I have explained directly to you.”
The undead summon, shaped like a turtle, spoke as if granting a favor.
And it was sincere.
Normally, Yi-Han would have been dragged back into the challenge, but this was an exception made in recognition of his cleverness.
"Now, go back in. You must pass the trial."
"What happens if I don't go in?" Yi-Han asked.
The undead summon retorted as if Yi-Han's question was absurd.
“Do you want to be dragged in forcibly? Just go back in.”
"Understood."
Yi-Han obediently rose from the rock. The undead summon nodded as if approving his decision.
At that moment, Yi-Han swung his staff.
"Move!"
With a flash, the iron marble shot out, striking the undead summon's skull precisely.
Yi-Han's surprise attack on the undead summon was not solely due to its arrogant and presumptuous speech.
'It's hard to trust those two.'
If it had been Dolgyu, Yi-Han might have chosen to go under the sandbar.
But with those two?
It seemed insane to comply readily.
It appeared more viable to seriously ambush and overpower the undead summon.
Thump!
A dull sound accompanied the shattering of bones.
However, naturally, the undead summon, being not alive, didn't fall from a mere skull fracture. It shouted in anger.
“Freshman, how dare you do this?”
"I'm sorry. It was my mistake. An accident."
As Yi-Han apologized earnestly, the undead summon momentarily thought it was a genuine mistake.
But then came another attack. The iron marble charged in like a cannonball.
The undead summon hastily summoned sand to form a wall.
But the marble circled swiftly without hesitation.
And struck the undead summon's skull once more.
Thump!!
The undead summon staggered and grew extremely angry.
“How dare a freshman mock me?!”
"I hide in the night!"
Yi-Han cast an invisibility spell and ran to the side, simultaneously casting another spell.
"Feet, grasp the earth!!"
As the principal's magic was cast, the summon, called forth by the principal, recognized its energy and was shocked.
“How could someone like you use the master's magic? Did you steal it!? Such insolence!”
'A summon that overly admires its master.'
Yi-Han ran swiftly.
His physical abilities, enhanced by <Gonadaltes' Agile Steps>, brought vigor.
Staying still while invisible was as good as asking to be caught.
"Go!"
Yi-Han summoned the leopard bone summon. Much larger than before, the leopard bone summon barked robustly and dashed across the sandbar.
“A summon that hasn't even found a body dares to challenge me!”
The undead summon, with an angry voice, swung its front paw. The leopard bone creature was flung away along with the sand.
The undead summon began scattering sand toward where Yi-Han had been.
“Freshman, I acknowledge your cunning. But that's as far as you go!”
Scattering sand in all directions, the undead summon headed toward Yi-Han's last known location.
It was determined to capture him, even if he had fled to the interior of the island.
“Here? Or... here? No, not here. Here!”
The undead summon made noisy sounds, pressuring Yi-Han.
It wasn't really finding him, but trying to scare him into revealing himself.
The undead summon continued making noise, scattering sand at likely hiding places.
However, the summon was unaware.
Yi-Han had never intended to flee into the interior of the island.
What could he possibly expect to find inside that would warrant escape?
Swoosh!
Yi-Han, who had been hiding nearby, suddenly burst out.
His sword, made of black purplestone, called Morning Star, swung and sliced through the supporting legs of the heavy-bodied summon.
As Dawnstar absorbed the negative energy, the undead summon's legs, weakened and devoid of power, were reverse-summoned away.
Losing its balance, the undead summon fell to the side with a loud crash.
“This... this freshman...!”
The undead summon, stunned by the ambush, cried out in disbelief.
“A mage using an anti-magic weapon, have you lost your mind! Are you even a mage, freshman!”
'...'
Yi-Han decided to ignore it.
Not because he had no response, but because he had resolved to disregard it from the start.
And he truly did.
