Back at the Academy

"...These are the materials you brought back?"

Inside the academy, in the head of the Potion Department's office, the old man stared at the boxes of bone fragments spread across the long table. He was speechless for a moment before saying with a stony face.

Across from his desk sat Benjamin and the mages, all wearing helpless expressions.

Using a hastily devised "smokescreen," they had successfully escaped the Undead World and returned to the Magic Academy. Naturally, they had brought back the various undead materials gathered along the way and handed them over to the old man.

However, the remains of the three most valuable intelligent undead had been completely used up. Even that bone staff had suddenly crumbled into a heap of powder after its energy was exhausted. Thus, all they could bring back to the academy were some "precious" powder and the remains of ordinary undead.

Clearly, the old man was not particularly satisfied with this result.

"Where are the lich's remains? You spent all that time and only brought me this pile of rotten flesh and broken bones?"

Benjamin sighed. "During this exploration of the Undead World, we encountered tremendous resistance. Forget these things—we nearly failed to make it back ourselves."

After that, they began recounting everything that had happened with the lich, the bone dragon, and the rest, especially emphasizing the dangers they had faced along the way. Once he had finished listening, the old man's dissatisfaction finally faded, replaced by keen interest.

"A bone dragon as large as a castle... You didn't take anything from it?"

Benjamin and the other mages shook their heads like rattles.

Seeing that, the old man said with some disappointment, "Forget it... At least what you witnessed confirms some of my theories. If my research is correct, the unknown energy