Chapter 1116
Of course, there was no way such a persistent spirit would give up easily just because its contact had been blocked.
Heat was felt on the back of Lee Han’s hand again. The Heavenly Fire General did not give up and kept sending contact again and again until he answered.
The baby basilisk inside his sleeve asked in confusion.
-Master. Do you not feel the spirit’s energy?
Even it, clinging close by, could feel it, so how could the mage himself not feel this...
“...Be quiet.”
-!
The baby basilisk felt very wronged.
What had it done wrong!
'Did I perhaps spill venom earlier?'
The basilisk wriggled to check whether there was a hole in the sleeve.
Meanwhile, Lee Han let out a sigh.
It was because the Heavenly Fire General had made him feel deep skepticism.
Why was it that only spirits like this gathered around him?
'Nillia had a kind and sincere spirit come find her on its own...'
Compared to that, only spirits that were insane, violent, or had a history of causing trouble in the past came to Lee Han.
He felt extremely gloomy, but Lee Han opened his mind for now and answered. If he stayed still, it did not seem like this spirit would stop.
-Heavenly Fire General. I know that you are a powerful spirit. But do not forget that right now, you are gravely wounded. I can cross over to the spirit world and subjugate you as much as I want.
Of course, a certain degree of bluff was mixed into this threat. Lee Han had not the slightest intention of crossing over to the spirit world and subjugating the Heavenly Fire General.
Starting with gathering forces, all the way to finding the place where the Heavenly Fire General was hiding.
He could not even guess how much time and money it would take.
Lee Han was not ruthless enough to endure all that just to completely cut off the breath of a spirit that had already exited the material world.
You say you will come to the spirit world? That sounds good!
Hearing the threat, the Heavenly Fire General brightened.
It had been pestering him like this because it wanted to fight again, and now the other side said he would come first.
By any chance, when do you plan to come?
“......”
Lee Han realized that he had thought wrong.
This spirit should not be thought of as an ordinary spirit.
Since it did not fear annihilation in the first place, ordinary threats did not work on it.
'I should simply ignore it.'
Please do not ignore me. Hm?
The Heavenly Fire General noticed Lee Han’s inner thoughts and spoke earnestly.
In truth, for a spirit to make contact like this from the spirit world was not an easy thing either.
Just as a mage had to prepare various magic and pay a price in order to cross over to the spirit world, a spirit also had to pay a price to make contact and communicate.
However, the Heavenly Fire General expressed its intention to continue making contact without caring about that kind of consumption.
There was no way a spirit that had charged in without caring about grave injuries would care about such minor costs...
-Go ahead and keep talking. You Professor Verdus-like bastard.
Of course, that was none of Lee Han’s concern.
Now he really had to ignore it!
Wait, wait! Are you not interested in a contract? Hm?
The Heavenly Fire General shouted urgently.
It did not know what Professor Verdus meant, but that was not important. First, it had to continue the conversation with this beloved one.
Contracts with spirits existed in many different forms, but fundamentally, being able to contract with a spirit on the level of the Heavenly Fire General was an enormous fortune for the contractor.
It was not a being one could contract with simply because a mage wanted to.
Moreover, the Heavenly Fire General intended to contract without receiving any difficult price or offering.
-No. Get lost.
Rarely, Lee Han refused.
Basically, he was weak toward spirits, and there was benefit too, so ordinarily he would have considered it at least once, but even taking that into account, this spirit was far too much of a troublemaker.
After dealing with a spirit like that once, gratitude toward Perkuntra welled up anew.
Even though it possessed the titles of Lightning Duke King and Thunderbolt General, if it had a personality to that extent, it was truly humble and generous.
***
...What is this?
Inside the punishment room, Perkuntra, crackling, released a displeased mental wave.
It had felt something strange.
“D-did something happen?”
I do not know. Did my contractor perhaps curse me?
“You made a contract? Who exactly is that lucky person...”
Do not try such pathetic tricks.
The lightning spirit clicked its tongue. When a great thunderclap rang out inside the punishment room, the student sitting in front of it was startled.
To think the ulterior motive would be seen through.
Hurry. Eat quickly.
“...You eat it, damn it!”
The third-year student picked up the bowl and threw it at Perkuntra. Perkuntra lightly transformed its form and dodged.
When the student took out a hidden staff and tried to cast magic, Perkuntra activated the punishment room’s magic. Chains rose up, bound one of the student’s arms, and took away the staff.
Do you not feel pathetic wasting time here with something like this?
“And what about you? You became a great spirit, and yet aren’t you ashamed of acting as a meal nanny here!”
......
The student’s words had been thrown out at random without much thought, but they struck Perkuntra’s sore spot exactly.
Ever since the newly arrived dragon had begun acting in place of the authority of Einroguard’s lord, Perkuntra’s role had changed a little.
It was still in charge of the punishment room, but what it did inside had changed.
Before, it had watched over students who were trying to escape...
...but now, it caught students who tried to eat greasy meals bad for their health and forced them to eat proper meals.
As a bonus, it also strongly compelled regular sleep instead of irregular sleep.
Perkuntra realized that it had liked acting as the old jailer more than it had thought.
When it had first taken the role, it had thought, what humiliation was this because of some insane great-mage bastard, but while it was shoving meals into students’ mouths here by force, it suddenly began to miss the past.
Can you not shut up? Hurry and eat!
“Keep talking all you want. I listened to Professor Verdus’s lectures for two whole semesters. No matter how much you threaten me, I won’t be shaken!”
***
Well, since you must be loved by all spirits, perhaps you have no interest in a contract with a spirit like me.
-......
Lee Han had to clench his fist tightly in order to suppress the urge to retort.
He really wanted to retort!
But there are things those spirits can do, and things only a spirit like me can do. You may someday feel regret.
-As if.
Lee Han snorted at the absurd words.
It did not seem like there was anything in particular the Heavenly Fire General could do.
It would be something like being hated by other spirits or burning everything nearby, and both of those were things Lee Han could do alone.
You do not believe me. Then how about this?
The Heavenly Fire General used its authority and raised fire.
This spirit, which had made countless enemies, possessed an excellent authority for sensing enemies who were targeting it.
Within the flame that sensed hostility, the Heavenly Fire General detected the shape of an enemy targeting Lee Han.
The Ghoul King! The Ghoul King... hates you!
-That would be true.
Lee Han was not particularly surprised.
After something like that had happened, it would be more surprising if the Ghoul King did not hate him.
In any case, the Ghoul King had been greatly damaged and it would not be easy for him to come out into reality, so there was no reason to fear him now.
When the other party showed a calm reaction, as if he already knew, the Heavenly Fire General was slightly flustered.
Then... Oh... This undead is... the Blasphemer! Do you also know that this powerful undead hates you?
-Yes.
......???
The Heavenly Fire General grew confused.
Normally, those loved by spirits had gentle and generous natures, so they did not have many enemies.
But the mortal before it had already made several enemies from other dimensions.
What is this?
'Were my eyes wrong?'
Do you also know Frahgal and Sanguros?
-Of course I know th... Wait, do you perhaps know anything about the Sanguros Order?
Lee Han asked just in case.
This evil-god order, which had once been destroyed and had recently appeared again, was the enemy Lee Han was currently most interested in.
Even more so because Professor Voladi might run out with a sword at any time.
Of course! Haha! It seems you do not know whom this spirit has fought. I have burned several of those fanatics as well.
The Heavenly Fire General’s words were true.
Flame did not distinguish between good and evil when it burned.
Moreover, evil-god worshippers were relatively easy to burn. They always approached first.
At first, it had been satisfied simply by gulping down the evil-god worshippers who entered the spirit world in order to use spirits like slaves.
However, from a certain point onward, the Heavenly Fire General began to feel that this was not enough.
As it burned them excitedly, the number of those coming in gradually decreased...
...and in the end, the Heavenly Fire General began to descend directly into the material world and attack evil-god worshippers. From the evil-god worshippers’ perspective, it was truly ridiculous damage.
A completely unrelated mad spirit kept chasing them because it was bored!
-You must have been trapped for a long time anyway. I wonder whether there is anything proper among what you know.
What! You underestimate me too much. This spirit never forgets an opponent it has fought once.
The Heavenly Fire General naturally said something chilling.
Of course, among those who fought me back then, there may be no enemies still alive now. But do you know this? What do evil-god worshippers and rabbits have in common?
-Uh... What is it? Their numbers increase well?
That is also a good answer. But the answer I thought of was, “they keep appearing in places they have gone before.”
Like rabbits that continue traveling along the paths they have used, evil-god worshippers were attached to certain locations.
Unlike external hideouts, which could be abandoned at any time, certain places could not be easily abandoned for religious reasons.
Special places where the power of an evil god had descended or where sacred images were engraved served as underground temples, and if one targeted that point, one could always meet fresh evil-god worshippers.
At one time, I used that and went around burning many of them.
-I see. So you know such locations.
You understand quickly!
-Tell me once.
Lee Han took out paper and a quill. Then he wrote down the conditions of the locations the Heavenly Fire General recited.
When he finished taking notes, Lee Han sent a paper bird to the Skull Principal. The Heavenly Fire General asked in a voice full of expectation.
Then, are we making a contract now?
-No. Get lost.
Having gotten what he wanted, Lee Han tried to truly block it.
The Heavenly Fire General was horrified and shouted.
Waitwaitwait! Wait! You seem very interested in the Sanguros Order, but do you plan to be satisfied only with the places they used in the past?
-...What do you mean?
This is a secret, but this Heavenly Fire General not only never forgets an opponent it has fought once, but can also seek out successors deeply connected to that person.
-......
Lee Han was disgusted. This was the first time he had seen a spirit where every single authority it possessed felt this unpleasant.
If you give me time, I may be able to find successors deeply connected to those I have burned before...
-Then find them and bring them.
But the wounds I suffered right now are not insignificant. Ah! There is one good method. It is a contract.
-I see.
If we form a contract, our souls will resonate with each other, and when spying on the material world like this, there will also be a passage, so it will become easier...
-I understand. Find another contractor and contract with them, then work hard to find them and bring them. Until then, do not call me needlessly.
The mortal truly no longer answered the spirit’s call. The Heavenly Fire General looked about to cry.