The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 112

“Thank you.”

I rechecked the Pinnacle Shard one last time and closed the box.

“But, why is Head Charl delivering this?”

The Black Magic Tower’s dedicated task force.

Commonly known as the Hounds.

Another alias is the Noble Wolves.

A noble hound that is not leashed to anyone.

That’s why they are called wolves.

And Charl is the king of those wolves.

I couldn’t understand this situation where such a being was delivering the Pinnacle Shard.

“What? Didn’t you hear?”

Charl’s eyes widened slightly, as if my question was very unexpected.

“When they asked me to deliver it directly, I thought you knew about my relationship with Sophia-nim.”

“This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

“…Really?”

Charl stroked her head with a ‘that’s unexpected’ expression.

She twisted her short bob with her index finger. She seemed to be deep in thought.

“Did they send me to explain it directly…?”

She muttered, staring intently at me.

Her gaze was so intense, as if she was trying to see through my eyes into my thoughts.

“You really haven’t heard anything about me?”

“Yes. I haven’t.”

I hadn’t heard even a ‘sh’ sound about Charl or the Hounds.

Charl’s eyes narrowed even more at my firm answer.

She seemed to be even more confused.

“…Oh well. Never mind. I guess it’s okay to explain.”

Charl’s eyes lit up as if she had made up her mind.

“Although it’s not widely known, the Black Magic Tower’s dedicated task force, which I lead, is Sophia-nim’s direct unit.”

“What?”

My eyes widened.

The Hounds are Sophia Anetcheff’s direct unit?

“The unit’s official name is ‘Longinus’…… I’d appreciate it if you just knew it and didn’t say the name out loud.”

I heard the official name for the first time.

No, more than that, there was an official name.

“Yes. I know it’s confidential.”

If they’re hiding even the name, it must be a secret beyond what I imagined.

“No. Don’t misunderstand. The name Longinus isn’t exactly confidential.”

“Then why not say it out loud…?”

Why would they issue a gag order if it wasn’t a secret?

“It’s, uh, embarrassing.”

“Embarrassing?”

“How should I put it? You know, that thing.”

Charl’s face turned slightly red.

“It’s not like I’m some middle schooler with chuunibyou [a Japanese term for someone with delusional, grandiose behavior]… Longinus, what’s with Longinus?”

“……”

Longinus.

The name must have been taken from the ‘Spear of Longinus,’ the spear that killed God.

It’s definitely an embarrassing name.

“Ah, this is a secret from Sophia-nim, okay? Sophia-nim really likes the name.”

Charl put her index finger to her lips and made a ‘shush’ gesture.

“…Ah, yes.”

The reason why the official name of the Black Magic Tower’s task force, which everyone had wondered about, was unknown was simply because the name was embarrassing.

My mind went blank.

“Apart from the name, my relationship with Sophia-nim is a real secret. Don’t ever tell anyone.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Charl smiled slightly at my serious answer.

“Okay. Then I’ll be going.”

Then she turned around, and waved her hand loosely with her back to me.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Why? Are you going to offer me tea? No thanks. I’m a busy person.”

Charl put her hand on the doorknob and opened the door.

“Then, see you next time.”

Charl’s red eyes shone brightly through the slowly closing door.

“I’ll get tea next time. I think we’ll see each other soon, so please treat me to some good snacks then. Goodbye~”

Charl left after saying those last words.

* * *

Meanwhile, at that time.

The Black Tower, the headquarters of the Black Magic Tower.

Tukish, who had returned a little earlier, headed to the top floor to report his return to the Black Magic King.

The elevator that goes up endlessly.

Even though the numbers were rising rapidly, there was no sign of stopping.

It wasn’t until it passed 100 floors, then 120 floors, and reached 200 floors that the elevator stopped.

The elevator doors opened.

Tukish walked forward with a dignified movement.

He walked exactly 10 steps.

And then knelt down on one knee.

“Reporting. Code name Tukish. I have returned.”

A head bowed halfway.

A view where only the bottom can be seen.

The lower body of the Black Magic King sitting on the throne can be seen.

No, is it even right to call that the lower body?

Darkness.

It would be more accurate to say that the lower part of something shrouded in pitch-black darkness can be seen.

“Raise your head.”

A heavy voice that made his whole body tremble. In front of that voice, he couldn’t even think of resisting.

It was a voice that possessed such a bold and terrifying aura.

“Yes.”

Tukish raised his head.

The darkness could be seen as it was.

As if he couldn’t even allow his humble form to be seen by lowly creatures.

A man who covered everything with darkness.

The Black Magic King.

Only the glow of his two eyes shone clearly through the darkness.

Empty eyes that didn’t feel any emotion.

That gaze gave Tukish an even greater fear.

“I’m sorry.”

Tukish lowered his head again.

As the commander-in-chief of this mission, the responsibility for the failure lies with Tukish himself.

“I failed to obtain the Pinnacle Shard.”

Moreover, it wasn’t an ordinary mission, but a great undertaking that had been prepared for a year.

He had failed such a big mission.

“I will atone for this with my blood.”

Tukish moved his mana.

A huge darkness worthy of a cadre [a small group of people specially trained for a particular purpose].

It took the form of a dagger.

“Until the day darkness swallows the light. I will pray even in hell.”

He held the dagger with both hands and stabbed it straight into his neck.

“Glory to the darkness.”

But then.

Kugung-!

The Black Magic King’s darkness expanded.

“I have not yet granted you death.”

At the same time, Tukish’s body stopped.

Not only the movement of his body, but also his breathing and the beating of his heart.

Everything, down to the movement of each cell, had stopped.

And soon. All the mana inside Tukish’s body disappeared.

The dagger that Tukish was holding became the Black Magic King’s hands and feet, as if it had never followed Tukish’s will.

Kugung-!

When the expanded darkness returned to the Black Magic King.

Tukish had become an ordinary body that couldn’t even move mana.

All the mana within the mana circle had disappeared, and the mana circle had stopped all actions.

“You are the fourth child of darkness. There is no need to blame yourself too much.”

The darkness surrounded Tukish. It was like a mother’s touch.

“But… I failed to steal the Pinnacle Shard, the Grace of God, which was so important.”

Tukish also knew that the Pinnacle Shard was called the Grace of God in the past.

He had heard it directly from the Black Magic King.

He said it was the one and only elixir that could break the limits of the circle.

“How dare I, a mere being, block the path of the Black Magic King. I must take responsibility for this.”

The supreme elixir that could reach the 10th circle.

Not obtaining it meant that he had blocked the path of the Black Magic King.

The responsibility for this was enormous.

So much so that he couldn’t atone for it even with death.

“You are the fourth child of darkness. Your heart is commendable, but…”

The Black Magic King’s voice held a very small amount of anger.

“You are very arrogant.”

“Kuhuk!”

At that moment, the darkness that had been surrounding Tukish reversed.

An intangible darkness that pressed down on Tukish’s entire body.

Tukish’s complexion turned blue every moment.

“No one can block my path.”

More easily than a person crushing an ant to death.

The Black Magic King twisted Tukish’s body.

“How dare you claim that you blocked my path.”

And at that moment, Tukish’s body was twisted.

His head and limbs were bent dozens of times.

His heart was twisted thousands of times.

His organs were torn apart tens of thousands of times.

Tukish, who had lost all his mana, lost his life at that moment.

He couldn’t even let out a death cry.

It was so instantaneous.

“But I will forgive you.”

Only a lump of flesh remained where Tukish had been kneeling.

Fragments of flesh that could not even be called a human form.

The darkness covered that flesh again.

“For darkness is merciful to darkness.”

And at that moment, a miracle happened. As if time was going backwards, Tukish’s body was restored to its original form.

The twisted body was twisted back in the opposite direction.

The torn organs slowly healed.

After about a second.

Tukish had returned to his original body.

Everything that had just happened felt like a dream.

However.

“Huk… Huk…”

Tukish’s mind clearly remembered his death just now.

He remembered everything about dying without a problem and then being resurrected without a problem.

“L, Lord Black Magic King…”

Tukish was trembling.

The divine power that the Black Magic King had shown just now.

He trembled in fear at the sight of freely killing and resurrecting people.

“Could it be that he has already surpassed the limits of the circle…”

As if answering that question, the darkness laughed.

“Ah!”

Tukish bowed his head in awe.

“Oh great King of Darkness. I was arrogant.”

To utter such nonsense about blocking the path of someone who was already one step ahead.

If he could go back to the past, he would want to cut out his own mouth.

Even if it meant cutting off his head, he wanted to retract that nonsense.

“I will forgive you. You have already received enough punishment.”

The Black Magic King’s darkness moved.

As if an emperor was forgiving a guilty vassal.

It was a very merciful undulation.

* * *

Immediately after Charl left.

I took the Pinnacle Shard and headed straight to Mimir’s Well.

“It’s good that I got the Pinnacle Shard. But the problem is how to handle it.”

I can’t keep this dangerous thing with me.

What should I do?

“Just give it to that woman, Adela Steirt.”

“To Adela?”

“Yeah. If you have to give it to someone anyway, it’s right to give it to the person who will be most helpful to the successor, right? Or you can give it to Ji Sunchan.”

“…Hmm.”

Giving it to Adela or Sunchan.

It’s the best way.

If I had to pick two people who are clearly good and would never betray me, it would be Adela and Sunchan.

Later, when I fight against the Black Magic Tower, those two would definitely help me.

“But considering that Sophia-nim’s lifespan is only 3-5 years, wouldn’t it be better to give the Grace of God to Father? Or the Blue Magic Tower Lord.”

Sophia-nim said that her lifespan would not exceed 5 years at most.

That means that a new 9th circle mage must be born within 5 years to oppose the Black Magic King.

Considering that, wouldn’t it be better to feed the Grace of God to my father or Kim Kangin and have them reach the 9th circle, rather than feeding the Grace of God to Adela or Sunchan here?

“No. I think it’s better to feed it to Adela.”

“Why?”

What’s the reason?

“Since the Grace of God is an elixir that has the effect of changing the body structure, the younger the person who takes it, the greater the effect. Conversely, the older they are, the weaker the effect.”

“Does that mean that even if Father or Kim Kangin take the Grace of God, there’s a high probability that they won’t reach the 9th circle within 5 years?”

“Yeah. That’s what I think. Instead of feeding it to those two, wouldn’t it be better to feed it to Sophia Anetcheff and take a gamble?”

“I see.”

I hadn’t thought of that.

“Personally, I recommend Adela Steirt. The Grace of God is originally more effective for people with outstanding talent.”

“If those conditions are attached, Adela is definitely the best.”

Young, talented, good, and the probability of her betraying me is infinitely close to 0%.

“Ah, and one more thing. There’s another reason why I’m telling you to feed the Grace of God to Adela Steirt. In a way, this is the most important reason. If you give the Grace of God to Adela, you can be by her side during the elixir adaptation period.”

“…What do you mean?”

Unlike my father or Kim Kangin, if I were to give the Grace of God to Adela, I would be able to be Adela’s protector.

But why is that so important?

“The Grace of God is said to be the supreme elixir that condenses the essence of a thousand years, right? That’s a really enormous amount of mana, right?”

“I guess so.”

I can’t even imagine it, but it’s a stone that has absorbed mana for a thousand years.

It’s enough to change the body structure of a mage, so it’s a given.

“Is the mana so huge that the person who consumes it can’t fully digest it?”

“If you can’t digest it, does that mean the mana leaks out?”

“That’s right. The remaining mana leaks out to the surroundings. The amount of mana lost to the outside is about 30% to 40%.”

Then, by simple calculation, 300 to 400 years’ worth of mana is leaked.

“If I’ve said this much, you know what I mean, right?”

“Ah.”

Looking at Mimir, who was grinning, I also raised the corners of my mouth.

“You can use that residual mana to weave the Ring of Truth. Is that it?”

“Bingo.”

Because it is a sibling to the Ring of Expansion, the last large circle of the Ring of Truth, which requires an enormous amount of mana to weave.

If you use the Grace of God, the amount of mana needed to weave that circle will be solved in an instant.

That’s what he meant.