The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 101

The Magic Quiz Battle concluded with Korea as the victor.

It was an expected outcome, devoid of any surprises.

“Well, if we secure just one more win out of the remaining four matches, victory is practically ours,” Kim Kangin remarked.

We were on our way back to the accommodation.

Kim Kangin, who was driving, glanced at me through the rearview mirror, a bright smile illuminating his face.

“If I hadn’t invested in this year’s Olympiad, I would have deeply regretted it. Haha.” He alternated his gaze between Adela and me in the back seat, his smile unwavering. He seemed to be in exceptionally high spirits.

“…….”

On the other hand, Adela, seated beside me, was visibly restless, as if she were sitting on pins and needles. She appeared to feel immensely apologetic that the Blue Magic Tower Lord himself was driving us back to the accommodation.

“Adela, you don’t need to feel so burdened. I offered to do this because I wanted to,” Kim Kangin reassured her. It was he who had initially suggested driving us back.

“I enjoy conversing with promising juniors like Hayul and Adela.”

“…Thank you for your kind words,” Adela replied, her expression still somewhat stiff. It was an unusual reaction for her.

I wondered just how much she perceived Kim Kangin as an intimidating figure.

“Neither of you will be participating in the Battle Survival tomorrow, correct?”

“Yes, we’re both taking a break.”

“Given that we only need one more victory, it’s a wise strategy to avoid the match that will likely be the most exhausting.”

“You understand perfectly.”

“Of course.”

I continued the conversation, providing appropriate responses to Kim Kangin’s questions. Adela, meanwhile, was engrossed in her phone, listening to our exchange.

“Ah, and Gyeon-noona [a term of endearment for an older sister or female friend] mentioned she’d join us later…”

“…Found it.”

Suddenly, Adela exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

“Found it?”

“Yes.”

Adela held out her phone to me, her expression animated.

“Obsidian of Grief? Is this the Keystone of Zenith?”

“Yes. If you look, the details match perfectly. The external characteristics as well.”

I quickly scanned the information.

“It’s correct.”

Despite the different name, this was undoubtedly the Keystone of Zenith.

“Are you already investigating the Keystone of Zenith because you’re so confident you’ll receive the MVP?” Kim Kangin’s face, radiating amusement, appeared in the rearview mirror.

“No, I’m not investigating for that reason.”

“Haha. It’s alright. No one can deny that Hayul will be this year’s MVP.”

“…Yes.”

It wasn’t that I was investigating because I was certain of receiving the MVP; rather, I was trying to uncover the Black Magic Tower’s intentions. However, there was no need to reveal that just yet.

I offered an appropriate response.

“By the way, the Keystone of Zenith was the Obsidian of Grief,” Kim Kangin said, his smile widening as if he had learned something new.

“Do you know anything about the Obsidian of Grief?”

Last night, after concluding my conversation with Mimir, I had immediately contacted Kim Kangin.

The purpose, of course, was to gather information about the Keystone of Zenith.

Given the Blue Magic Tower’s expertise in processing magic stones and producing artifacts, I believed there was a high probability they would have some knowledge of it.

But to my surprise, Kim Kangin had also stated that he was unfamiliar with the Keystone of Zenith, adding that it was the first time he had ever heard of it.

That’s why I had asked Adela to investigate…

“Yes, I don’t know about the Keystone of Zenith, but I do know about the Obsidian of Grief.”

It was all connected.

“The Obsidian of Grief is a magic stone that was first discovered in the 1300s. It’s characterized by emitting an immense amount of high-density mana. Its appearance is a black ore, just as its name suggests.”

“Why did it come to be called the Keystone of Zenith?”

“It was discovered once in the 1300s, and there have been no records of it since. They must have assumed it was a new type of magic stone and given it a new name.”

Kim Kangin added, “This kind of thing actually happens quite often.”

“Even the Obsidian of Grief was a newly created name in the 1300s.”

Newly created?

“Does that mean the Obsidian of Grief was called something different in the past?”

“Yes. I learned this separately while studying magic stones, but the Obsidian of Grief wasn’t first discovered in the 1300s. It’s a magic stone that was first discovered much earlier, in the 300s.”

“…300s.”

1700 years ago. It was a distant past.

“Do you happen to remember what it was called back then?” He must have seen it briefly, so he might not remember it clearly.

“Yes, I remember it. It’s a name that left quite an impression.”

“A name that left an impression?”

“Yes.”

Kim Kangin stared directly into my eyes through the rearview mirror.

“The Obsidian of Grief was called this in the 300s.”

Kim Kangin slowly opened his mouth.

“Grace of God.”

“Grace of God… you say?”

* * *

After returning to the accommodation, I briefly greeted my teammates and headed straight to Mimir’s Well.

I then relayed all the information about the Keystone of Zenith that I had obtained that day to Mimir.

And the moment I mentioned the name ‘Grace of God’ at the end…

“It’s certain. The Black Magic Tower is targeting the Keystone of Zenith,” Mimir declared, as if there was nothing more to discuss.

“Why are they after that? From what I can see, it’s just a special magic stone with a high mana density. There’s no known practical use for it yet.”

A seemingly impressive but ultimately useless object. That was the impression the Keystone of Zenith gave.

“First of all, let me correct your misunderstanding. The Grace of God is not an ordinary magic stone. Why do you think it’s called the Grace of God?”

“That’s…”

I did find it strange. Grace of God. The name was too grand.

“The Grace of God is a precious mana crystal that is created only once every thousand years.”

“Once every thousand years?”

“Yes. It’s the supreme magic stone born from absorbing mana for a long time in the center of the earth and sea, the center of the world, in that era.”

Just the explanation made it sound extraordinary. A mana crystal created after a thousand years.

“And while it appears to be just a magic stone, the Grace of God is like a kind of elixir for a magician.”

“Elixir? You eat it?”

“Yes. You simply put it in your mouth and swallow it.”

“…You eat a stone?”

“It’s not a stone. It’s a mana crystal.”

“But it looks like a black stone.”

A black obsidian the size of a baseball. How was I supposed to swallow that? No, could I even swallow it in the first place?

“It will be absorbed on its own when you put it in your mouth, so you don’t have to worry.”

“…Is that possible?”

“It is. That’s the correct way to use it.”

“I see.”

The world is vast, and there are many things I don’t know. I realized that once again.

“What are the effects? What happens if you consume it?”

“It’s simple. The one who consumes the Grace of God becomes the best magician of that era.”

“…What?”

Mimir said with a serious expression.

“To be precise, they develop a physical structure that allows them to become the best magician of that era.”

“Does that mean that their physical structure, mana circle, and blood vessels change to be more suitable for a magician?”

“That’s right. All the structures of the body change to be more compatible with mana. It’s like the blossoming of talent. And it’s the blossoming of talent at a level that only appears once every thousand years.”

“How much talent is that?”

“Hmm. To explain it simply, if a newborn baby absorbs the Grace of God, that child will become a 7-circle mage before the age of 20. That’s the level of talent.”

“…7-circle at 20?”

It was literally a monstrous talent.

“With that kind of effect, it’s understandable why the Black Magic Tower would aim for it…”

If it was an elixir with that kind of effect, it was understandable.

“I’m not finished yet. The effects of the Grace of God don’t end there.”

“There’s another effect?”

“Yes. The talent I just mentioned is a secondary effect. The main one is separate.”

“Secondary…?”

It was shocking. The effect of granting the talent to become a 7-circle mage at the age of 20 was secondary.

“The one who consumes the Grace of God can break through the limits of a magician.”

“The limits of a magician… Surely it’s not what I’m thinking, right?”

“It might be?”

Mimir paused for a moment and then said,

“10-circle. The one who consumes the Grace of God can surpass the limits of 9-circle and reach 10-circle.”

“10-circle, you say…”

The limit of a magician was 9-circle. In the long history of magic, there had never been a single magician who had reached 10-circle.

“Of course, it’s not like you can break through the limits immediately just by consuming it. It simply means you have the potential to break through the limits.”

“That alone is amazing enough.”

His limit was different from others. With this alone, its value was beyond words.

“But the Lord of the Black Magic Tower, the Black Magic King, if that guy consumes the Grace of God, he will probably reach 10-circle with a high probability.”

“Because he’s already a 9-circle?”

“Yes.”

There was no known information about the Black Magic King. Age, nationality, name, gender, etc. Everything was unknown.

The only thing that had been revealed was that the Black Magic King’s level was 9-circle, and that he had reached 9-circle 20 years ago.

It was information that Sophia Anescheffri had obtained 20 years ago while fighting directly with the Black Magic King.

“If he absorbs the Grace of God and becomes a 10-circle, I don’t need to explain what will happen, right?”

The emergence of an absolute being that even Sophia Anescheffri could not stop. If he became a 10-circle, hell would likely unfold. Everyone would live in torment in a world ruled by evil.

“…We have to stop it somehow.”

The Keystone of Zenith. The Grace of God must not fall into the hands of the Black Magic Tower.

“Then, let’s share this information and come up with countermeasures…”

“That’s not possible.”

Mimir cut me off with a firm expression.

“You must not tell anyone about the information regarding the Grace of God.”

“…Why?”

“In the 1300s, why do you think the Grace of God was called the Obsidian of Grief?”

“That’s…”

I didn’t know. The database of the Mystic Society only had the name, appearance, and characteristics, but not the origin of the name.

“It’s probably because a war broke out over that magic stone.”

“…War?”

“Didn’t a war break out in the 1300s? It must have.”

“…There was. The Magic City War.”

The incident in which the seven magic cities, which had the same role as the current magic towers, waged war. That had happened in the 1300s.

“The cause of that war was the Grace of God, the Obsidian of Grief. If there is a once-in-a-lifetime elixir that can give you unprecedented talent in front of you, anyone’s reason will be paralyzed.”

“…”

It was an undeniable statement.

“If information about the Grace of God is leaked anywhere, a war will surely break out in this era as well.”

I couldn’t disagree. I could see the results of human desire just by looking at history books.

“You must not tell anyone about the Grace of God. Not even Shin Inhyuk or Kim Kangin. Not even anyone you trust. It’s that dangerous of an object.”

“…I understand.”

It seemed that sharing information about the Grace of God was definitely not a good idea.

“But can’t we at least reveal that their goal is the Keystone of Zenith?”

“What if they ask why they’re aiming for that? Are you going to say you don’t know and try to avoid the question? What if they start a focused analysis, thinking that there might be something special about the Keystone of Zenith?”

“…”

I was speechless. There was a very high probability that it would happen as Mimir said.

“…I guess I have to hide the information about the Keystone of Zenith as well.”

“That’s the right choice.”

“If you think about it, it seems like it would be okay to just say that their goal is to raid the 3rd magic stone warehouse.”

“Right.”

Since I knew that their goal was the Keystone of Zenith, I could also deduce their plan.

The 3rd magic stone warehouse currently stored the Keystone of Zenith. They were planning to raid that place.

They were planning to focus all attention on the Olympiad, reduce the security of the 3rd magic stone warehouse, and steal the Keystone of Zenith by taking advantage of the gap.

“I can see a rough way to stop them… Then, the remaining thing is how to deal with the Keystone of Zenith.”

The supreme elixir that could cause a war just by existing. I couldn’t just leave it as it was. The Black Magic Tower might try to aim for it again sometime. I had to deal with it somehow.

“Should I just eat it?”

The best thing to do was to consume it as soon as I received it. I was also supposed to receive it as an MVP prize. It would be better to just consume it. There was no harm in eating it either.

“Why would the Successor eat that?” Mimir asked back, as if she was dumbfounded.

“Why? It’s an elixir that blossoms talent and breaks the limits of 10-circle, right? Isn’t it good to eat it?”

“Successor, have you forgotten who the Successor is the successor of?”

“Huh?”

“Ray Bell Bytenner. The beginning of all magic. The God of Magic. The Successor has the same constitution and talent as Ray.”

Mimir said with a proud expression.

“Ray’s talent exists above the Grace of God. How can the grace given by God be superior to God? The Successor will only experience side effects if they consume the Grace of God.”

The Grace of God and God. There was no need to say who was superior.