Magic Is Learned For Nothing [EN]: Chapter 152

Magic is Useless – Episode 153

Revealed Identity 1

As the black-haired man opened the portal, five figures of varying sizes, both men and women, emerged. They were cloaked in black hoods, pulled low to obscure their faces, and each emanated an unsettling aura.

It was an unfamiliar energy, deep and dark.

They possessed a presence akin to staring into a moonless, black ocean.

They knelt before the black-haired man and proclaimed,

“We greet Your Eminence, the Archbishop.”

“I instructed you to remain, yet you couldn’t resist seeking me out.”

The black-haired man commanded the very air around him. Despite his imposing presence, capable of crushing anything with brute force, a surprisingly gentle and calm voice emanated from his lips.

“You, who are tasked with protecting Your Eminence the Archbishop, must not act so recklessly. Have I not made this clear before?”

The one offering counsel to the black-haired man—

Seemed to speak without emotion. Yet, his voice wasn’t cold or icy, but strangely grating.

“Hmph, I merely desired a breath of fresh air.”

“Your Eminence the Archbishop’s well-being is paramount. You must not move without caution.”

“No one can touch me.”

“Indeed, that is true. However… the continent is vast. One can never predict when or where danger may arise. Recent events serve as proof.”

“Recent events?”

The black-haired man tilted his head, a gesture of curiosity.

“Yes, recent events…”

“What do you mean by that, Bishop Sunday?”

Bishop Sunday proceeded to recount the events that had transpired.

The central portal magic device of the Stone Head Church was capable of opening up to three portals simultaneously.

To open three portals concurrently demanded an immense amount of magical power, a feat few wizards would even contemplate.

Using a portal stone, all believers could be summoned to this location.

Due to its critical importance, the device was under the constant supervision of a 5th circle mage and twenty devout followers.

“Red alert, Father Fry will return in 10 seconds.”

A believer announced.

Simultaneously, a portal materialized above the device, which was embedded with numerous magic stones on the floor.

“Kuaaaaak!”

The figure that stumbled out was Fry, utterly ravaged. His eyes were half-rolled back in his head. The Fry Guard, consisting of ten black mages and ten black knights who were always at his side, were nowhere to be seen.

“W-What is this?”

The shocked believers leaped from their seats. They instinctively sensed that something was terribly wrong.

The Stone Head Church had been dormant for an age. They had endured oppression, biding their time for the revival of the Black Dragon.

And they had acquired the key to resurrect the Black Dragon.

Their plan was to unite the five divided factions of the Stone Church and convert all the humans on the continent.

Having meticulously prepared for this moment, everything had been progressing like clockwork.

Fry was one of the most significant contributors to their cause.

Hadn’t Bishop Fry defeated the Blood Knight Jujimon and recovered the Black Dragon’s claw?

That accomplishment alone had made him a hero within the Stone Head Church. But he remained unsatisfied.

Leaving behind the words, “I am not yet satisfied. I am the Stone Head Church’s most devoted believer,” he immediately ventured to the location where the Black Dragon’s heart was said to have appeared.

And the figure that returned some time later was utterly broken.

The believers rushed to support Fry’s staggering form. His body was ice cold, and it was impossible to fathom the amount of blood he had lost. Even after drenching him in dark potions, there was little sign of recovery.

Three of the seven remaining bishops of the Order arrived in quick succession.

“What in the world happened? I will immediately dispatch the Order’s dark forces,” Bishop Wednesday declared to Bishop Fry, who was breathing raggedly, his eyes burning with a fierce light.

“Everyone, get out! I’ll handle this. I will!”

“It seems we cannot simply ignore this.”

“I will!”

Fry glared at Bishop Wednesday, grinding his teeth.

“I will take care of it. I’ll stake my bishop’s seat, my very life on it.”

With such a declaration, Wednesday and Sunday could no longer argue.

However—

One thing was certain.

Bishop Fry and his guard had been defeated by a single individual. The wounds Bishop Fry sustained were clearly not from a group battle.

Bishop Fry and twenty guards defeated by one person?

It was almost beyond belief.

They found it hard to remain idle. They decided to leave Bishop Fry to his own devices and move separately for the benefit of the Order.

“Hmm, that prideful Fry was defeated by a single person?”

“That is correct.”

“Confirmed?”

“Two believers with detection abilities and escort believers disguised as ordinary people were deployed to the location. The confirmed result is that it was indeed a single individual. It is said that magic power resembling that of an ancient monster, a Gigantes [a giant of immense power], crushing with force was detected.”

“Gigantes… Surely a Gigantes hasn’t truly appeared, has it?”

“No, it has only been confirmed that something with magic power equivalent to that was present.”

The eyes of the black-haired man, Archbishop Pest, flickered. Even upon hearing that one of his subordinates, Fry, had been defeated, he remained composed. His expression was one of amusement, as if he had stumbled upon something intriguing.

“Understood. Exercise caution. Let us return. Sir Signal, approach.”

Sir Signal, his legs trembling, forced himself to approach the Archbishop. The Archbishop’s assassination squad, which he had only heard rumors about, was now directly before him. He knew that one wrong word could result in his head being separated from his torso without him even realizing it.

He was acutely aware that he had escaped the wolf’s jaws only to find himself in the tiger’s den.

“Who is this?”

Bishop Sunday inquired, glancing at Mizset.

“She is my new concubine.”

“Ah, congratulations.”

Bishop Sunday bowed deeply towards Mizset.

“I am Sunday, a faithful servant of the Stone Head Church. Please, use me as your tongue, your hands, and your feet.”

Mizset remained silent.

She now understood who these individuals were.

The remnants of the Stone Church, which had vanished long ago—

Defeated in the war against the main god and scattered to the winds.

She had never imagined that these individuals would be roaming the world so openly. Perhaps most people were unaware.

The atrocities of the Stone Church, which had stained the world with blood 500 years prior, remained one of the darkest chapters in the continent’s history.

Mizset hoped that her master and colleagues would widely publicize this fact to raise awareness.

The Stone Church had been resurrected.

This revelation alone would send shockwaves through many kingdoms.

“Let us return.”

Archbishop Pest, with Mizset in tow, stepped into the portal. Sir Signal and Bishop Sunday followed. Before entering, Bishop Sunday cast a glance at the black warrior Atopy.

Atopy offered a subtle nod. *Do not worry. This matter will remain a secret.*

Whoosh!

The portal vanished.

All that remained was the towering figure of Atopy, standing over 2 meters tall. He removed his hood, revealing jet-black armor, the symbol of the Stone Church, covering his entire body.

“I hold no personal grudge against you… but I must ask you to leave this place.”

Atopy’s immense magic power began to surge.

“Damn it… You kidnap our colleague like this?”

Hymo, his teeth grinding, rose to his feet. His colleagues mirrored his anger. Their bodies were in no condition to fight. Having been defeated by a monstrously strong opponent, whether he was an archbishop or not, their combat effectiveness was severely diminished.

He was consumed by fury.

Since vowing to live by the sword, he had never felt such rage.

Right before his eyes—

Mizset had willingly followed the Archbishop to save them. Whether she lived there for a thousand years or ten thousand years, it was irrelevant. What mattered was that she had risked her life for their sake.

How long had they shared laughter and tears?

Beyond the simple distinction between men and women, they were comrades.

They were individuals who trusted each other implicitly. They had often spent entire nights drinking with the money left over after completing a request. They had supported each other, patting backs when someone vomited. They had carried the drunken Mizset on their backs, singing and walking down the road under the moonlight.

What right do you have to forcibly tear apart our lives!

“I’ll kill you!”

Hymo and Buffalo charged towards Atopy.

Atopy frowned, observing the employees.

“Insects.”

Atopy’s left gauntlet emitted a black light, the magic of darkness, which was particularly dangerous to Hymo and Buffalo, who possessed divine power.

The magic of darkness and divine power inflict grievous wounds upon each other.

Unfortunately, Hymo and Buffalo’s divine power was no match for Atopy’s magic power.

Their armor, already battered, shattered and fell away, exposing their chests. The magic of darkness lunged towards their hearts.

“Holy Power Defense!”

Saibi Man, who had been lying prone, extended one hand and cast a spell. The hideous magic of darkness collided with the magic that Saibi Man had projected into the air.

A light so intense it was blinding erupted—

But it could not completely negate Atopy’s attack.

Saibi Man’s barrier shattered, and the magic of darkness struck Hymo and Buffalo’s chests.

“Kuaaaaaak!”

They collapsed to the floor, powerless. A torrent of blood gushed from their mouths.

“Can you guys move?”

Saibi Man looked at Hailer and Steel. They also appeared to be in dire condition, but seemed to be in slightly better shape than Hymo and Buffalo, who were incapacitated.

“A little…”

“Then take your colleagues and flee.”

“Abandon a colleague… and run?”

Steel’s eyes hardened. His gaze conveyed that he could never do such a thing.

“I’ll offer some advice out of concern. If you die now, you forfeit any chance of revenge. Survive. Hone your skills while you live. The opportunity will inevitably arise.”

“But…”

“Everything ends if you die.”

Everything Saibi Man said was true. It was the rational course of action. This was not a situation for reckless heroics.

For now, retreat was the only viable option. Although Hymo and Buffalo would undoubtedly protest… that was only if they survived.

“What about you, old man?”

“Don’t worry about me.”

*He intends to die. He’s seeking death.* It wasn’t for their sake, but likely for Mizset’s.

“I hope you survive.”

“You too. It won’t be easy for you to escape either. But let’s do our best.”

Steel and Hailer nodded, then hoisted Hymo and Buffalo, who were foaming at the mouth, onto their shoulders. Whether it was due to the weight or their depleted magic power, Steel and Hailer’s knees buckled.

However—

Even risking their lives, escaping the clutches of the man named Atopy would not be easy.

“Scatter! Poison Mist! Strike down! Poison Rain! No one escapes me, who commands a thousand years of poison!”

Atopy saturated the open space with poisonous energy. Instantly, the area shimmered with a sickly green hue. The poison lingered, defying the wind’s attempts to disperse it.

The poisonous energy enveloped Saibi Man and the employees as if it were alive.

“Damn it… Is the difference in power so vast that we can’t even escape?”

Steel, carrying Hymo on his back, collapsed to his knees.

Trickle, trickle, trickle—

Blood trickled from his mouth. Deprived of magic power, he had no defense against the poison. His consciousness began to fade rapidly.

Ah ah ah!

It’s infuriating.

So infuriating.

A tear escaped Steel’s blurred vision.

Boom boom boom!

What he witnessed next was an unbelievable sight.

Lightning bolts raged.

The lightning, striking in a straight line like divine retribution, crashed down upon the head of the man named Atopy. An explosion erupted, and the poison mist was forced back.

He’s here! He’s here!

He’s here.

Steel clenched his fist, unconsciously.

The boss has arrived.