Lee Han looked at the burning dog with a resentful expression.
But the burning dog had already run far away.
The students of the White Tiger Tower were whispering among themselves with expressions that said, "I knew it would turn out like this."
Lee Han felt annoyed for no reason.
"Cheer up, Wodanaz! Just because the dog is scared of you doesn't mean your character is determined by that!"
"That's right, Lee Han of the Wodanaz family!"
Friends from other towers cheered him on, but his mood didn't improve.
'If it's not either a vicious creature that wants to kill me or an undead, I should expect them all to run away.'
With a sad realization, Lee Han reached into his coat pocket and rustled around.
The burning dog barked loudly.
"?"
Professor Lightning Step wondered what Lee Han was up to.
Surprisingly, what Lee Han pulled out was a sweet potato.
Gainando unconsciously tried to step forward but was held back by his friends.
"Come here."
Lee Han wiggled his fingers and shook the sweet potato.
The burning dog stopped barking and, sniffing the sweet potato, slowly began to approach.
'Not bad.'
Professor Lightning Step smiled.
Although the lesson was about enduring the temper of the vicious burning dog, not about luring it with a sweet potato... the idea was good.
Instead of forcing or stubbornly dealing with the monster's reactions, flexibly figuring out what the monster wanted.
That was the first step in taming a monster.
The boy from the Wodanaz family seemed to know that without being taught.
Seeing him act like that...
Thud!
Lee Han, taking advantage of the burning dog's distraction by the sweet potato, quickly rushed in and hugged it.
Then he lay down to prevent it from escaping.
"Got it."
"......"
Professor Lightning Step was dumbfounded.
Yap!- Grrr! Yap! Yap yap! Whimper... whimper whimper.
At first, the dog barked in surprise, but within seconds, it succumbed to fear.
In an instant, it became as docile as a lamb and looked up at Lee Han.
Lee Han, lying on the ground, scratched the dog's belly.
The dog panted and wagged its tail.
It was a bit different from the intimate taming Professor Lightning Step had in mind, but it was still taming... even if it involved fear and deception.
"Professor. Look. We've become friends."
"Right. Well done. Keep hugging it for a while."
Raphael from the White Tiger Tower looked at Lee Han, who was still lying on the ground hugging the burning dog, with a disgusted expression.
He was truly a ruthless guy.
Even though he wasn't from a knight family but from a great noble family!
Could someone with such ruthlessness possess dark magic abilities?
"Yawn."
How much time had passed?
Someone yawned.
A few students followed suit with yawns.
Only then did Professor Lightning Step realize something was off.
'Has it been too long?'
In fact, the flame resistance potions Professor Lightning Step had prepared each had different durations.
This was to prevent students from predicting them in advance.
But even so, it shouldn't have been this long.
'What...'
Professor Lightning Step looked closely at Lee Han.
And then he realized.
Surprisingly, the potion's effect had already worn off.
There was no trace of flame resistance energy left in his body.
Lee Han was simply... emitting mana from his entire body, pushing away the flames of the burning dog.
Even as the dog whimpered and spat out flames, they couldn't reach Lee Han and were pushed to the ground, extinguishing.
It wasn't a defensive barrier or any other magic, just pure mana emission blocking the flames.
That wasn't a mage's technique but a swordsman's.
'What a brute!'
Lee Han misunderstood Professor Lightning Step's gaze.
'Professor.
I have to survive too, don't I?'
Lee Han had his reasons.
Relying on a single potion to risk his life hugging a burning dog was dangerous.
With his instincts, Lee Han had no choice but to protect himself in his own way.
Of course, his method was something no one else could replicate...
Lee Han still hadn't realized the potion's effect had worn off.
He thought that even with mana protecting his body, he should feel the heat if the potion's effect had ended.
'But I feel strange petting this dog.'
A kind of delusional feeling.
As if he could use flame elemental magic a bit better now.
Similar to the confidence he felt after nearly dying at Professor Voladi's hands, thinking he could handle the orb better.
The latter had some basis, but the former didn't.
'...
Is this a trap?'
Lee Han stared at the dog.
The burning dog wagged its tail and panted.
Lee Han seriously wondered if the dog was deceiving him to get revenge for being tricked by the sweet potato.
"The potion wore off a while ago."
"Huh? Really?"
At Professor Lightning Step's words, Lee Han snapped out of it and was surprised.
Seeing this, Professor Lightning Step thought to himself.
'Next time, I'll bring something that can't be blocked by mana.'
Unaware that he had dug his own grave, Lee Han asked Professor Lightning Step.
"Professor. Can the burning dog hypnotize people?"
"... Did you drink alcohol instead of the flame resistance potion?"
After hearing Lee Han's explanation, Professor Lightning Step spoke as if it were no big deal.
"That's not hypnosis or deception. You've genuinely gained a deeper understanding of the flame element."
"Haha. Is that so?"
Lee Han answered in a tone that clearly showed he didn't believe it.
Professor Lightning Step almost hit him but held back.
"It's true. You're learning basic elemental magic now, right? What's important when using basic elemental magic? Familiarity with the element."
The key to using basic elemental magic was how vividly and strongly one could visualize the element.
Students who grew up in hot places were familiar with the flame element.
Students who grew up by the sea were familiar with the water element.
Depending on how they lived, such differences were inevitable.
Thinking inversely, continuous exposure to a specific element increases one's understanding of it.
"Theory is important, but as a mage, don't overlook intuition. Wodanaz. Your understanding of the flame element has likely increased."
Professor Lightning Step spoke seriously.
Though Lee Han listened with half-belief, it wasn't a bad story.
Just by hugging and enduring the burning dog, his understanding of the flame element had increased.
"But seeing it rise like that, it seems you have a talent for the flame element?"
"Huh? I have a talent for the water element."
Lee Han answered, puzzled.
It was rare to have talents in opposing elements.
Professor Lightning Step replied as if to say, "What are you talking about?"
"If you didn't have a talent for the flame element, you wouldn't have gained such understanding just by petting a burning dog for a few minutes."
"!"
Thinking about it, Lee Han hadn't had many opportunities to test his talent for the flame element.
Professor Garcia had warned him it was dangerous, and he had almost died a few times using it outside...
Wait?
'Could I actually have a talent for the flame element?'
The experience of burning with anger towards the professor might have turned into a talent for the flame element.
As for the water element, maybe he just got used to it because Professor Voladi kept bothering him...
"Wodanaz. Don't set limits on yourself. It's good to try things yourself and gain enlightenment."
"Thank you."
"You'll learn how to use the flame resistance potion next time. I'll prepare a monster suitable for you."
"Thank you... Wait. Professor! Professor!"
Lee Han desperately called out to Professor Lightning Step, but the professor coldly walked past the students being beaten by the burning dogs.
Evening.
Lee Han was diligently sewing with Nillia.
Other friends were also sitting around, working with needles.
Everyone had burn holes here and there on their clothes or coats.
Scars left by the burning dog.
Nillia looked at the fabrics Lee Han had bought outside with a moved expression.
Like an old craftsman looking at his apprentice.
"You have a good eye, Wodanaz. You bought well...!"
"It's all thanks to your teaching."
"Strong and durable, and it doesn't let water in. Right. This is how a coat's fabric should be."
"Speaking of which, we should prepare for camping."
To complete the task assigned by the Skull Headmaster, they had to cross the lake.
If unlucky, they might have to spend the night there.
"Me! I know camping well!"
At Lee Han's words, Nillia excitedly raised her hand.
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower all exclaimed in admiration and looked at Nillia.
Seeing Nillia's long ears perk up, Lee Han suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
'The Black Turtle Tower guys are too stingy with compliments.'
Such a good friend...
"What should we prepare, Nillia? A camping tent?"
"It's fine. Just one coat is enough."
"Ah. Then what about a camping blanket for the ground?"
"It's fine. Just one coat is enough."
"... Don't we at least need a sleeping bag?"
"It's fine. Just one coat is enough."
Nillia was excited to share the wisdom of the Shadow Patrol with her friends.
The wisdom of sleeping in a cold valley with just one coat was something her friends definitely needed.
But the faces of the Blue Dragon Tower students darkened.
Unable to bear it, Lee Han intervened.
"Don't misunderstand. Nillia was just joking."
"Ha... haha! It was a joke! Hahaha!"
"I thought it was 100% a joke!"
Nillia looked at Lee Han as if to say, "What are you talking about?"
"It's not a joke? I only need one coat... ugh."
Yonnel quickly covered Nillia's mouth.
Though there were minor issues, the friends finished mending and preparing their clothes.
The new cloaks and masks made of dark fabric would protect them in case of emergencies.
Rathford spoke with a pleased expression.
"You all look like excellent thieves."
"Haha. Not that much."
"How embarrassing."
The Blue Dragon Tower students were flustered by Rathford's praise.
Was it really that impressive?
"It's time. Let's go."
Lee Han and his friends stood up.
Tonight, they would raid Professor Thunder Step's laboratory!
The students were divided into two groups.
Those who had been out at night several times before, and those who had never been out at night.
Lee Han, of course, was in the former.
Now, walking around the school at night felt natural, like taking a stroll.
"Lee Han of the Wodanaz family. Do you know how to open the lock on the main gate?"
Lee Han nodded.
Physical locks were Rathford's job.
Magical locks were Lee Han's.
'We've already checked.'
Since they frequently went in and out of the main gate for classes, checking the lock on the first floor was easy.
Rathford had already made a fake key.
"Follow quietly."
Lee Han said this to his friends and approached the main gate with Rathford.
The friends cautiously followed behind.
"!"
Surprisingly, there was a large hole in the main gate.
It looked like something big had charged through and broken it.
The students exclaimed in admiration.
"You prepared in advance! Amazing!"
"... What is this?"
"???"
At Lee Han's bewildered voice, the students present were startled.