Published at 31st of March 2026 9:25 pm

Chapter 834

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

I was being too complacent. Trying normal methods against a crazy forest.

What kind of forest gives you a branch just for giving up?

Whats more, from what he heard, Gainando had sat down to rest near the forest right after starting, and a branch just fell from above.

What are you doing?

Im going to try challenging it with evil magic.

Hehe. I told you, just keep walking.

You call that advice right now

Even Lee Han, who was good at brushing things off, felt slightly irritated after listening continuously.

How could he keep walking when he didnt know when the forest would give him a gift?

However, Ragesa was quite serious. Separate from tormenting students, she didnt lie about magic.

Really, theres no answer other than to keep walking. I told you, didnt I? The forest judges your capacity. So how would it measure capacity? The forest isnt omniscient. In the end, it watches for when you truly give up. When you give up for real without a trace of lingering attachment, thats when it sends you the tree.

The Gwangmok Kings Forest judged a mages capacity by their endurance.

When they gave up without leaving a single point of persistence in their heart.

That moment was precisely the mages true capacity.

!

Lee Han shuddered after hearing the explanation.

And he looked at Gainando.

Wait, then this guy truly gave up right from the start??

To be precise, it was about an hour after starting, but it was essentially the same thing.

How could he give up so cleanly without leaving a single point of persistence in his heart?

When you said I have to keep walking, you mean even if I declare that Im giving up, the forest wont believe it.

Exactly! Do you understand now?

Even if Lee Han declared I give up! if there was lingering attachment in his heart, the forest wouldnt accept it.

To truly give up for real, he had to walk and walk through the forest, pushing himself to the extreme.

When he was exhausted and felt like collapsing, when he truly wanted to give up.

That was precisely when the branch would appear.

Um. Master? Master?

Lee Han immediately gave up and called the Insane Doppelganger.

This kind of giving up was really easy!

***

Indeed.

The Insane Doppelganger surprisingly didnt get angry and listened seriously to Lee Hans words.

The opportunity to visit the Spirit Kings Forest and receive that branch wasnt common.

As a mage, he should rightfully receive the best branch and craft it into a staff.

Could we perhaps threaten the forest?

How do you threaten a forest?

With powerful and great ancient magic?

At his disciples unbelievably pathetic question, the Insane Doppelganger spoke with contemptuous eyes.

What do you think magic is? You wretch.

Hes hitting where it hurts.

Lee Han reflected.

After constantly learning at Einroguard that magic isnt omnipotent, to make such an irresponsible request.

But there is a method. This royalty will advise you.

!

At the reliable advice, Lee Han brightened up.

As expected, an ancient archmage was extraordinary.

Keep walking. Until youre exhausted.

Dont eat, dont drink, dont rest, dont sleep. It will be good experience.

Hes talking nonsense just because his main body became undead.

Since the main body had become a lich and the projection itself had become more of a thought-form than a living being, it probably had no appetite or need for sleep.

However, since Lee Han was still vibrantly alive, it would be difficult for him to do that.

How long would he have to walk to truly collapse from exhaustion?

Yes. I understand.

Lee Han thought he should brush off the Insane Doppelgangers words like Ragesas.

However, the Insane Doppelganger was indeed a master, one step above his disciple.

Wretch. Report to me when you obtain the branch. I will personally examine it.

Is it really necessary to go that far?

Lee Han was flustered when the Insane Doppelganger came out more seriously than expected.

It wasnt even a midterm exam, so why would he inspect this?

Its worth doing. Its about making a new staff. If you collapse lazily and early, I wont forgive you.

The Insane Doppelganger spoke with pressure several times stronger than usual.

Knowing that the other party had listened to many of his demands and been patient despite various complaints, Lee Han tensed up.

If his patience exploded and he went on a rampage, there was no telling what this Insane Doppelganger might do.

Of course. Who am I? Am I not your disciple, Master? If I cant receive the best branch here, Id rather refuse altogether.

Thats wrong. You wretch. What nonsense are you spouting?

No. For royalty, why are you so petty?

He had tried speaking like royalty to match the mood, but when corrected, Lee Han grumbled inwardly.

But wretch. I also understand your concern. The higher your level, the harder it becomes to be exhausted. Like how the more knowledge you have, the harder enlightenment becomes.

Thats right. What should I do?

Inflict pain upon yourself. Its asceticism.

When only unexpected advice came out, Lee Han regretted calling him today.

He should have cut him off right away earlier

Regardless, the Insane Doppelganger began explaining various spells.

Making Lee Hans limbs heavy, hunger and thirst, fatigue, drowsiness

But Master. I have a lot of mana, so these curses dont work well on me.

I understand. Its the suffering of the naturally gifted.

Thank y

Ill teach you how to send curses into your bones and flow curses into your soul.

Ancient magic might not be able to persuade the Gwangmok Kings Forest, but it did know how to make Lee Han send curses deep into his own soul.

Why on earth were such spells developed?

You should have learned this before? Your memory isnt very good.

Huh? Ah

Lee Han, who wondered what he was talking about, finally realized.

If it was magic learned before, it was Gonadaltes Downfall.

It was magic that started from a transcendent-scale idea of absorbing the worlds pain, curses, and decay.

I see. If you can absorb other peoples wounds or curses, you could also send curses into your own bones or soul.

Since it was originally magic that absorbed and controlled pain, curses, decay, and so on, it was natural for various derivatives to emerge as applications.

He didnt know why among those derivatives, one for putting curses deep into the mages own soul had emerged

He could even understand using it for attacks, but wasnt this just pure self-harm?

Concentrate.

Apply the downfall. Im cursing myself. Not on the surface, but absorbing uncreated curses and putting them deep into my bones

Following the Insane Doppelgangers instructins, Lee Han repeated his attempts.

It was a truly bizarre sensation.

This entire process of exploiting the gaps in a mage called himself to somehow cast a curse.

And Lee Han felt anew that he himself was an annoying opponent.

What kind of mana is this

An impregnable fortress that showed not even the slightest gap.

Throwing curses from the outside only resulted in them crumbling like eggs thrown against castle walls.

He had to create and absorb the curse inside the walls, not against them.

Skin and muscle, flesh and blood and mana, and bones, with the soul within

What he had simply thought of as himself was actually a collection of various elements that could be fragmented more than expected.

At that moment, Lee Han realized he could cast a curse directly on his own bones.

Directly, avoiding the interference of his own mana.

Become heavy!

Lee Han was startled by the unpleasant sensation of a curse he felt for the first time.

After the curse was cast, before his mana could extract and deal with the unpleasant foreign substance, Gonadaltes Downfall had hidden it deep within his bones.

His arms and legs definitely became heavier. Lee Han shouted with joy.

Did you see that?!

Youre noisy. Next is the soul.

Though a mere 2nd-year mage was contemplating himself and casting magic by dividing each element, the Insane Doppelganger didnt praise him at all. He was truly terribly cold.

Originally, a mages separate awareness of their own soul was important work in all schools.

Especially for schools that dealt with spirits and astral bodies like the Illusion Magic school, this kind of soul awareness was very essential.

But distinguishing each organ, flesh, blood, mana, and bones of oneself was never an easy task for a mage. The concept of oneself was surprisingly difficult to view unfamiliarly.

Having accomplished this, he could now distinguish and cast magic on the components and souls of others as well.

Wait. Master. This could be applied when using magic on other people too.

Lee Han also threw out a question as if he had realized it belatedly.

He thought it was just a self-harm spell, but looking at it, the applications were broader than expected.

This perspective seemed like it could be applied to other people as well.

Dont act like an idiot who discovered the sun rising for the first time today.

Thats too harsh.

Lee Han grumbled inwardly.

Of course it would feel natural to him since he had learned everything in ancient times, but from Lee Hans perspective, each thing was bound to be fascinating.

He could feel how a single ancient magic was influencing current Empire magic.

Master. I have one more thing to ask.

Cast a curse on your soul.

Despite the Insane Doppelgangers warning, Lee Han continued what he wanted to say.

Having dealt with the Insane Doppelganger for a long time, he had become able to distinguish between real anger and fake anger.

Of course, fake anger didnt mean he wasnt angry. It could be said to be anger to the extent that he wouldnt come to kill Lee Han.

Wouldnt it originally be easier to practice this by grabbing another person?

Lee Hans question hit an unexpectedly sharp spot.

In fact, it was originally easier to grasp the components and soul of others.

Usually magic was easier to cast on oneself, but this kind of soul awareness and recognition was more difficult to grasp about oneself.

So masters of the Illusion Magic school usually made their disciples identify the masters components and soul.

Even if the disciple made a mistake, the master could respond adequately.

Cast a curse on your soul. Dont make me say it twice.

However, the Insane Doppelganger had no interest in what was easier or harder.

He just wanted to quickly make him cast a curse deep in his soul and then remove it.

Yes. I understand.

Lee Han also prepared again, thinking he could no longer hold out.

It was similar to what he had just done, but somewhat more difficult.

Beyond the bones located in the deepest place, cast a curse somewhere in the even deeper soul, then use Gonadaltes Downfall to bind it firmly.

It seemed excessive to go this far just to cast one curse on himself, but it couldnt be helped.

Become heavy!

He felt a much stronger effect than before.

Indeed, curses engraved on the soul were more powerful than curses engraved on bones.

Following the Insane Doppelgangers advice, Lee Han added curses in sequence. His limbs became heavy and fatigue and drowsiness rushed over him.

Now walk. Think while walking.

Think about what?

About the worlds pain and curses. What must be done to eliminate this detestable pain and curses. Think about your pathetic weakness too. It would be good to be indignant about your weakness that can do nothing. Draw out those thoughts and emotions by turning them into power.

Even with his mind becoming hazy, he could hear the Insane Doppelgangers voice very clearly.

Lee Han suddenly remembered a story he had heard about the Skeleton Principals disciples before.

Burn yourself, or burn the Skeleton Principal, or burn the continent.

He was sure thats what was said

I think I strangely understand the reason

He didnt yet understand what power the Insane Doppelganger meant to draw out, but perhaps that power might end up flying toward the Insane Doppelganger himself.

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