The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 65

Five minutes passed.

Everyone arrived at the designated location.

“We’ll start the operation in one minute. Everyone, get ready.”

After giving everyone time to compose themselves, the operation began on schedule.

“Each team, please take your elixirs now and begin mana circulation.”

Each person sat at their ley line, drank the pre-distributed mana blessing, and began mana circulation.

As the mana flowing into the ley core increased with the four people circulating mana, the mana held within the ley core gradually began to decrease.

—Ley line 1 has no issues. There are no signs of a mana surge at all.

—Ley line 2 is the same. It’s going very smoothly.

Adela, in charge of ley line 1, and Kang Shin-woo, in charge of ley line 2, were continuing their mana circulation smoothly as expected.

—Ley line 3 is still okay. I can’t say it’s completely stable, but it’s well within the safe zone.

Senior Ma Jin-seok of ley line 3 was also still within the safe zone.

—Ley line 4 is also going smoothly so far, but we’ll have to see what happens later.

Finally, ley line 4.

Soon-chan was also somehow holding on well.

So far, it was a great success.

‘I hope they can hold out well until the mana flood occurs.’

The ley core continued to scatter unstable mana.

I watched it and prayed inwardly.

“……”

“……”

The sound of the seniors behind me swallowing dryly was unusually loud.

It must have been a small sound, but it felt loud.

That’s probably because my nerves were on edge.

One minute.

Two minutes.

As time passed, my nerves became even more on edge.

Doing nothing but waiting was more agonizing than I had imagined.

Time, embracing the wait, flowed very slowly.

—Ley line 1. Mana flood occurring!

After ten minutes that felt like ten hours, the news I had been waiting for finally arrived.

A mana flood had occurred at the ley line Adela was in charge of.

‘Good!’

The mana held within the ley core was clearly decreasing significantly.

“Immediately pull Adela out of the ley line.”

—We already pulled her out!

“How is her condition?”

—You don’t have to worry! Student Adela is safe!

I let out a sigh of relief.

—However, as expected, there are some signs of mana backflow. We’ll start emergency treatment right away.

“Yes, please do.”

The key to this operation was to cause a ‘mana flood,’ not to circulate mana on a ley line where a mana flood was occurring.

If we had to continue mana circulation on a ley line where a mana flood was occurring, this operation wouldn’t have even been possible.

I almost died, so who could continue mana circulation on that?

“Other ley lines. Please report your current situation.”

—Ley line 2 doesn’t have much left either. It’s about to… Ah! A mana flood just occurred!

The instructor in charge of covering Kang Shin-woo at ley line 2 seemed to have dropped the radio in a hurry. The sound of the radio falling and rolling on the floor was loud.

The ley core’s mana decreased significantly again.

—S, Student Kang Shin-woo is safe too!

The instructor seemed to have succeeded in pulling Kang Shin-woo out.

—We’ll also start emergency treatment to prevent mana backflow here!

“Yes, please do.”

—Student Kang Shin-woo! Stay focused! Right now……

With that, the radio communication with ley line 2 was cut off.

‘That leaves two ley lines now…’

Two more ley lines needed to have a mana flood occur.

“Jin-seok, Soon-chan. Hang in there…”

I heard Jin Hee-yoon praying desperately from behind.

Was she biting her lip?

Her speech was a little slurred.

—Signs of a mana flood at ley line 3!

Perhaps Jin Hee-yoon’s prayers had reached them. Good news came from Ma Jin-seok’s side as well.

—Student Jin-seok! Hang in there! There’s not much left! Just a little more…!

The instructor’s desperation was clearly felt through the radio.

Ma Jin-seok’s small groan could also be heard.

—Kuh! Ugh!

A sound that was hard to tell if it was a battle cry or a groan was heard. A desperate will filled the radio.

Everyone clenched their fists and waited. Hoping it would go well. While wishing for it.

—It, it’s done! It’s done!

The instructor’s cheer was heard.

The ley core’s mana decreased significantly again.

Ley line 3 had successfully caused a mana flood.

—Student Ma Jin-seok! Damn it…! Just hold on a little longer! You can’t lose consciousness now! You there! Come here and hold this! Hurry!

—Yes!

With that, the radio communication with ley line 3 was also cut off.

Judging by the instructor’s voice, Ma Jin-seok’s condition didn’t seem good.

Jin Hee-yoon’s face turned pale.

“J, Jin-seok…”

She looked like she was worried sick about Ma Jin-seok.

“You don’t have to worry too much. Everything will be fine.”

“…R, really?”

I reassured Jin Hee-yoon, whose face had turned pale.

“Yes. Trust the instructors.”

The three instructors who accompanied us as the supervising teachers for this Baekryeong Island training camp were all experts in such emergency treatments. They would surely do something. The shadows were also attached. Ma Jin-seok would be fine.

‘More importantly, the problem is…’

Ley line 4.

It was Soon-chan’s side.

“Mr. Min Jang-hyun, please report the situation.”

—…It’s not a good situation, even if I’m being polite.

Min Jang-hyun’s voice trembled slightly. He seemed anxious.

—Kuh, ugh, uhhh!

Soon-chan’s groans could be heard through the radio.

They were far more desperate than Ma Jin-seok’s groans from a moment ago.

—He hasn’t been able to circulate mana properly since earlier. I don’t think he’ll be able to hold out much longer.

“……”

The situation I had worried about had occurred.

Soon-chan’s mana control was better than the second-years and Jin Hee-yoon.

However, it was not comparable to Adela, Kang Shin-woo, or Ma Jin-seok.

I had vaguely predicted that if there was a problem, it would be on Soon-chan’s side. The key to this operation was whether Soon-chan would succeed.

—Kuaaaaaaak!

Soon-chan’s scream was heard through the radio.

It was an indescribable cry of agony, writhing in pain.

—Young Master! This is too much! He’ll die if this continues!

Min Jang-hyun’s voice became even more urgent. It must be that terrible.

—Young Master! Please make a decision…!

“Ha, Ha-yul!”

Jin Hee-yoon called me with a worried voice.

“Shhh.”

I knew what she wanted to say, but I wished she would be quiet right now.

“Soon-chan, listen carefully.”

I spoke to Soon-chan through the radio.

At the same time, I approached the ley core and placed my hand around it.

The structure of the ley core could be felt directly. There were a total of 62 ley lines that released the ley core’s mana to the outside.

Among them, three ley lines were currently in full surge.

Those must be ley lines 1 to 3.

And one ley line where mana was fluctuating.

That was ley line 4, the one connected to Soon-chan’s side.

“I’m going to cut off the mana going that way for now. Catch your breath first.”

I approached ley line 4 and placed my hand on its path.

A tremendous torrent of mana flowed into my body.

“…Kuh!”

I had intercepted the mana that was heading towards Soon-chan.

This reduced the amount of mana flowing into ley line 4 to less than 1/3.

—Huk, huk, huk!

Soon-chan’s rough breathing could be heard through the radio.

“Don’t let your guard down. I’ve only temporarily cut off the mana. It’s not over yet.”

—Ha, Ha-yul…a.

His voice was faint.

A weak voice that wouldn’t be strange if he died right now.

Soon-chan called me with that voice.

“Get a grip, Ji Soon-chan. If you can’t do it, everyone will die.”

—Huk, huk….

Only rough breathing could be heard through the radio.

“You have to do it.”

My body was also trembling.

I was directly absorbing mana from the ley line. It was natural that my body was being strained.

—Huuuuh. Huu, huuuuuh!

I heard Soon-chan taking breaths through the radio. He was desperately trying to regulate his breathing somehow.

“There’s no time left. If we delay any longer, the ley line will stabilize again.”

—…Do it.

Do it. That one syllable contained many meanings.

“I’m counting on you.”

I took my hand off the ley line.

The mana that had been circulating outside through my body flowed back into the ley line towards Soon-chan.

—Kuh!

A short groan.

A sharp cry, covered in pain.

—Kuaaaaaak!

Soon-chan was desperately holding on.

Enduring the pain, strengthening his will, and desperately circulating mana.

“…Please.”

I heard the seniors praying from behind.

Everyone was praying desperately.

Adela, Kang Shin-woo, and Ma Jin-seok, who were elsewhere, would also be praying sincerely.

I also prayed desperately.

Three seconds. Five seconds. Ten seconds.

Twenty seconds that felt like twenty hours passed.

—L, ley line 4…!

Along with Min Jang-hyun’s trembling voice, the ley core’s pulse weakened.

The ley core’s mana began to decrease rapidly.

—M, mana has begun to flood! The operation is a success!

Min Jang-hyun’s cheer announced Soon-chan’s success.

“Kyaaak!”

“Shit!”

The seniors’ cheers were also heard from behind.

—We’ll start emergency treatment for Student Ji Soon-chan first! Please take care of the rest!

“Yes. Thank you for your hard work. Soon-chan, you did well.”

With those words, I put down the radio. I put down the radio and quietly placed my hand on the center of the ley core.

“Shhh!”

“……!”

The seniors’ voices stopped.

Not even a breath could be heard.

They were even holding their breath, as if they couldn’t allow even the slightest distraction to my concentration.

“Hoo.”

Now it was my turn.

My mind was on edge.

With a short breath, my sharp mind calmed down in an instant.

Divine Eye.

The structure of the ley core could be seen.

The flow of the ley lines could be seen.

The tremor of the ley core, which had become more stable, could be felt. It was a pulse like my own heartbeat.

I matched my pulse to that pulse.

Resonance.

The Infinity Circle resonated.

It vibrated violently, matching the ley core in front of me.

And.

Finally.

I accurately sensed the ley core’s power, which had decreased to below 40%.

And I poured my mana into the ley core.

Now, with the ley core’s mana drastically reduced, I could control it sufficiently with my current level.

Destruction.

My mana penetrated the gaps in the ley core.

The central axis that made up the ley core.

I shattered that structure.

Ching, clatter!

The ley core lost its structure and slowly began to crumble.

“Kyaaak!”

“Wh, what is it!”

The mana that had lost its center point, the ley core, spread out in all directions, rising from the ground to the sky.

* * *

“Huk, huk, huk…”

Ji Soon-chan was looking up at the sky, breathing roughly.

His vision was blurry.

He couldn’t see the sky properly.

“Get a grip! You’ll die if you lose consciousness now!”

Min Jang-hyun shouted.

He definitely seemed to have shouted, but it sounded very small.

Was there something wrong with his ears?

Swoooosh-!

The sensation of raindrops hitting his body also felt dull.

All his senses were dulled.

‘Ah. Am I perhaps dying?’

He even had this thought.

“Guide the mana from that side!”

“Yes! Understood!”

Min Jang-hyun and another shadow member were guiding Ji Soon-chan’s mana, dealing with the mana backflow.

The more they did, the clearer his senses became.

“Huk, huk…”

It seemed he wasn’t going to die.

That was a relief.

There were many things he wanted to argue with Shin Ha-yul about. How unfair would it have been if he had died without arguing?

‘…He’s really a devil. He should give a reasonable amount of pressure. Ugh.’

Ji Soon-chan laughed absurdly.

Recalling Shin Ha-yul’s words made him laugh involuntarily.

Ji Soon-chan looked up at the sky with his slightly clearer vision.

‘Ah.’

A sky that was all black.

A sky surrounded by dark clouds.

A ray of light shone through the sky like a black canvas.

‘Light.’

The dark clouds were disappearing.

The mana currents rising from the earth were chasing away the dark clouds.

Drop, drop, drop…

At the same time, the rain was gradually stopping.

The storm was disappearing.

“What is this mana…”

Min Jang-hyun muttered in admiration as he continued to guide Ji Soon-chan’s mana.

“How did he do it? To release all the mana from the ley core into the sky…”

“I don’t know. I can’t even imagine it.”

A member replied to Min Jang-hyun’s mutterings.

The wind soared into the sky.

Mana was rising from various places on the ground of Baekryeong Island, erasing the dark clouds that filled the sky.

‘It’s beautiful.’

As the dark clouds disappeared, the light gradually expanded its power.

Holes were being punched in the black sky.

As if light was purifying evil. As if it was driving out evil. Light was defeating darkness.

—Situation is over.

Shin Ha-yul’s voice was heard from the radio.

—All the mana from the ley core has been sent into the sky through the ground.

After that, cheers were heard.

The cheers of the seniors.

Jin Hee-yoon’s voice was particularly loud.

—Everyone, you’ve all worked hard.

It was a situation that should have been overwhelming, but his voice was very dry.

Listening to Shin Ha-yul’s voice like that made him laugh absurdly again. How could he be so calm in this situation?

“…You’re so you.”

The sun appeared through the dark clouds. The sunlight was pouring down.

Feeling the sunlight all over his body, Ji Soon-chan smiled.