The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 176

Kwaaaaaaaang!

The sound of explosions echoed every second from all directions.

“It feels like I’m in a daydream.”

Who would believe that those sounds were just from people clashing fists and feet?

Moreover, this battle is happening without using any mana at all.

At least, the Red Tower Master himself wouldn’t believe it.

If someone said that, he’d confidently tell them to stop talking nonsense and even curse at them.

“It reminds me of Liu Wei from China.”

Shin In-hyuk muttered quietly.

Liu Wei.

One of the five 8-circle mages in China,

A magic fighter who combines ancient Chinese martial arts and magic. A magic combatant.

He is also a mage renowned as the best in the world when it comes to hand-to-hand combat.

“I’ve been on missions with Liu Wei before, but he was never this level.”

The Blue Tower Master clicked his tongue.

Hand-to-hand combat at a level that can’t even be compared to an 8-circle magic combatant.

Just like the Red Tower Master said, it feels like they’re in a daydream.

“The power to manipulate souls… If I train in that, can I gain that kind of power too?”

Charles pondered seriously.

“Don’t even think about it. I didn’t even know if the concept of souls was real. What training are you talking about?”

The Red Tower Master shook his head.

“Well, even if you could train your soul, it would be useless if you couldn’t use this barrier.”

Charles quickly understood and nodded.

“You’re right. No matter what happens, you shouldn’t be interested in black magic.”

The Blue Tower Master advised with a serious expression.

“I know. Who do you think I am to give me such obvious advice?”

Such basic advice to the leader of the Hunting Dogs, who are even called the Black Tower’s dedicated task force.

It’s laughable.

“Hah. Whatever, it looks like it’ll be over soon.”

Charles put his hands behind his head and relaxed.

Kwaaaaaang! Thump!

In that state, he followed the source of the loud noises with his eyes.

Especially Shin Ha-yul, the main source.

“Yes. It’ll be settled within three minutes at the latest.”

The situation is clearly in Shin Ha-yul’s favor. It’s absolutely overwhelming.

How overwhelming? Shin Ha-yul hasn’t even tried to defend once so far.

He’s just unilaterally beating up Triksh.

“…My eyes are tired.”

The Blue Tower Master pressed between his eyes with his index finger and thumb.

His eyes had become fatigued from following Shin Ha-yul’s movements.

“…Yeah. How can he be so fast? It’s hard to follow with my eyes.”

Charles closed his eyes and shook his head a few times. His eyes were tired.

“…”

Out of the four, only one person, Shin In-hyuk, didn’t take his eyes off the fight.

“You have a truly good successor, don’t you?”

Charles casually said.

“…You have a surprisingly good eye.”

Shin In-hyuk replied with a small sneer.

“If you can’t recognize someone at that level, you must be blind.”

The Red Tower Master clicked his tongue. Thinking of Dahlia, he couldn’t just openly praise him.

He felt sympathy for his disciple, who was born in the wrong era.

“Whatever… There’s a lot to talk about after this incident is over.”

Starting from this situation, there are a mountain of things he’s curious about.

If there’s enough time and Shin Ha-yul isn’t annoyed, he could bombard him with questions all day long.

“James. Don’t relax yet. It’s not over.”

The Blue Tower Master glared at the Red Tower Master with a sharp gaze.

“Why? It’s clearly over.”

“Don’t you remember what Ha-yul said?”

“That we’d need our power after the spiritual world is released? That was just to save our pride. He’s so overwhelming.”

The Red Tower Master was still nonchalant.

“And frankly, even if the spiritual world is released, would the four of us lose to that one guy?”

That was the truth.

Without the special barrier of the spiritual world, they would never lose.

They have a good chance of winning even in a 1-on-1 fight.

“So, don’t be too tense, just relax. Okay?”

The Red Tower Master laughed heartily and patted the Blue Tower Master’s shoulder.

“…I don’t know.”

However, the Blue Tower Master’s fierce aura didn’t lessen at all.

It only became sharper.

“Ha-yul isn’t the type to make empty promises in this kind of situation.”

To be considerate and protect the pride of the four of them?

No way.

The Blue Tower Master prides himself on knowing Shin Ha-yul’s personality better than anyone else.

He’s not the type to say such unnecessary things in this kind of emergency.

“Something’s up. There’s definitely something…”

The Blue Tower Master’s eyes narrowed even further.

Shin In-hyuk was the same.

Like the Blue Tower Master, Shin In-hyuk also knew what kind of person Shin Ha-yul was, so his tension was natural.

“…You guys are worrying too much.”

The Red Tower Master shook his head, looking at the two of them.

“You… you bug bastard!”

It was then that Triksh screamed.

* * *

Triksh shouted fiercely like a wounded beast.

“Just because you were born with a slightly higher soul grade, don’t get cocky… you bug!!”

The light disappeared from Triksh’s pupils.

His eyes were eerie, as if looking into the abyss.

“Okay. I admit it. You won in the battle of souls.”

It wasn’t just a figurative expression.

In reality, Triksh’s pupils were darkening from the center.

The already dark pupils became an even darker black. The whites of his eyes also began to darken immediately.

As if black ink was spreading on Korean paper, his pupils instantly turned pitch black.

“But that’s it. The only thing you can beat me in is soul grade. Only that!”

And soon, the black spread began to encroach on the space.

The world began to be painted black in an instant.

‘…He really was a high-ranking spirit user?’

Even in the past Vaitener Empire era, there were only ten high-ranking spirit users.

Triksh was a spirit user who belonged to that small number of top-tier forces.

‘If that’s the case, then Operation A is scrapped at this point. We’re moving on to Operation B.’

I immediately flew towards the four who were waiting.

“Kid! What kind of strange magic is this!?”

Before I could say anything, the Red Tower Master shouted first.

“It’s an evolved form of the spiritual world. A reverse form! This barrier is…”

Just as I was about to briefly explain this barrier to the four of them.

“Kuhahahaha!”

Triksh’s loud laughter cut off my words.

“Now, the control of this world is back in my hands!”

Triksh’s translucent spirit body also turned black.

Black mud that repeated expansion and contraction. It was as if dozens of black snakes were flicking their tongues.

“The laws of this world have changed. Soul grade no longer determines the hierarchy of this world. Your advantage is gone.”

Triksh smiled brightly, looking only at me.

“…Black mud?”

Looking at Triksh, my father muttered.

Before, the translucent spirit body could only be seen by those who were qualified, but now that the spirit body is painted black, anyone can see it.

The hierarchy based on the soul grade of the spiritual world disappeared, and they were able to see Triksh’s spirit body directly.

“That’s Triksh’s spirit body. The form of his magic.”

“That’s a soul…?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Everyone’s expressions became serious.

They had experienced the power of Triksh’s soul a little while ago, so they seemed even more tense.

“Don’t whisper, you bug bastards!”

The black mud behind Triksh contracted in an instant, forming a sphere.

And then immediately expanded again.

It turned into the shape of an arrow and flew towards us.

“Blue Tower Master! I’m counting on you!”

“But his attack is…”

They can’t block it with magic.

That was the expression on his face.

“You can block it now! Hurry!”

“…!”

At my shout, the Blue Tower Master began to act.

Water droplets that had rapidly increased in size, comparable to the black mud, formed a huge barrier.

Chiiiiing!

A sight as if a lake had been tilted sideways and stood up.

Triksh’s black mud fell onto that huge stream.

A rain of dark weapons that could be called a myriad of arrows.

It collided with the Blue Tower Master’s water barrier.

Clang, clang, claaang!

Thousands of dark weapons and the water barrier collided, creating countless sounds of impact.

“…You can actually block it.”

The Blue Tower Master muttered in surprise.

Before, in the world before it was reversed to black, they wouldn’t have been able to block it no matter what magic they used.

Just being able to respond like this is surprising.

But the surprise was short-lived.

The Blue Tower Master’s expression quickly became urgent.

Crack, crack, crack!

“What kind of magic power is this…!”

The water barrier began to break in places due to Triksh’s attack.

“James!”

“I have eyes too!”

The Red Tower Master used magic to support him.

This time, a fire barrier.

A barrier of flames made of blue flames was deployed right behind the water barrier.

Whoosh, whoosh!

The black mud that broke through the water barrier collided with the wall of flames and melted instantly.

“Match your mana to mine.”

“I won’t if it’s an order.”

Behind the two of them, Charles and my father matched their mana.

“I’m suggesting it.”

“Then okay.”

The two’s mana quickly became unified and fused.

It’s not 8-circle level mana.

No matter how great the two archmages are, they can’t just use fusion magic at full power right away.

The two 7-circle level mana became one and formed a magic.

Kuuuuuuuuuung-!

The sky fell.

It didn’t actually fall, but the impact was so great that it felt like it did, crashing down from above.

My father’s All Elements and Charles’s telekinesis worked together to create a magic that exerted immense physical force.

“Kuh!”

The power was so strong that Triksh was slammed straight into the ground.

“Cough!”

As Triksh was slammed into the ground, the rain of black mud that was flying towards us stopped.

“If magic works, he’s nothing more than this…”

The Red Tower Master scoffed.

It seems he was quite annoyed that a guy who couldn’t do anything without the strange magic of the spiritual world was acting so cocky.

“Indeed… It seems it was too much to fight four 8-circle mages at the same time.”

Triksh chuckled as he stood up.

“I think I could have fought two of you.”

He stood on the ground and stared at us.

“Unfortunately, it can’t be helped. I’ll have to postpone killing the four of you.”

He was only looking at me out of the five of us.

“Right now, I’ll put everything into killing you alone.”

“Do you think I’ll let you?”

“…You’re really underestimating us.”

The Red Tower Master scoffed, and my father sneered.

“Ah, don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying I’ll break through you guys to deal with him.”

Triksh’s lips slowly curled up.

“I’m saying I’ll completely exclude you four and then slowly cook that guy.”

“Exclude?”

“Yes. Exclude. Banish.”

Triksh raised his right hand, pointed at the four of them, and softly chanted.

“You are banished. Leave my world.”

“What?”

“This… !”

The four’s figures disappeared in an instant.

They probably left this barrier and returned to their original place, the lowest level of the Hwaelian prison.

Triksh sneered at me.

“I guess you didn’t know this. This is my world. It’s my will to bring someone in or kick them out.”

Only Triksh and I were left in the reversed world.

“Now, there’s no one to protect you.”

Triksh’s body slowly rose up. He was approaching me.

“From now on, I’ll play with you slowly and then kill you.”

He rose to the same height as me and made eye contact with me.

“Regret insulting me and die slowly, Shin Ha-yul.”

The black mud directed its killing intent at me.

It felt like hundreds, thousands of black snakes were flicking their tongues at me.

“First, I’ll start with your fingers, one by one…”

“The spiritual world. And its reverse form.”

I smiled, making eye contact with Triksh.

“A barrier that nullifies all the laws that bind with the soul, but allows you to use the soul itself as a weapon.”

Triksh’s pupils trembled.

“A simple ability amplification barrier that increases your combat power using your spirit body.”

“…You.”

“I knew everything about the laws of the spiritual world and how to invade it. Did you think I wouldn’t know this?”

Since the four of them were gone, there was no reason to be polite anymore. I scoffed with a rougher expression.

“I knew everything. That if you were overwhelmed by me in the spiritual world, you’d use the reverse form. And that you’d banish the four of them afterwards.”

“…You knew everything?”

“Yeah.”

Everything went according to Mimir’s words.

“Shall I tell you something interesting? Do you know why the spiritual world evolved into a reverse form?”

As expected of the greatest strategist of the Vaitener Empire.

It was a truly amazing calculation.

“It’s because the enemy’s king was someone who could never be defeated by the spiritual world alone.”

“What nonsense are you spouting now…”

“Since he was a great being that no one could approach with soul grade, the spiritual world was bound to be a self-defeating move.”

I continued to speak slowly and softly.

“So, what they created was the spiritual formula, the reverse form. An enhancement barrier that isn’t determined by soul grade.”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

Triksh’s black mud flew towards me.

A fatal and sharp attack that I could never block with my skills.

But I wasn’t particularly afraid.

“Miho!”

Because I have Miho.

Clang!

A divine beast, the nine-tailed fox, suddenly appeared, tearing through the air and roared.

At the same time, the black mud that was flying towards me disappeared all at once.

“That monster is…”

“But this reverse form was unexpectedly powerful, so they had a lot of concerns.”

Just by roaring softly.

Just that. Triksh’s ultimate attack was instantly nullified.

“So, they found a trump card that could devour that reverse form and made it their partner.”

Miho jumped into my arms.

She buried her face in my arms with a disgusted look, as if the mud filling the surroundings was dirty.

“From that point on, the tide turned again. How was it? A pretty fun story, right?”

I gently stroked Miho and smiled softly.

“Wasn’t it fun?”

Triksh, maintaining silence with a serious expression.

I looked at Triksh and chuckled again.

“If it wasn’t fun, then never mind. Well, I wasn’t saying it to get a reaction anyway. I just wanted to say it. I didn’t think anyone would sympathize.”

I stroked Miho again.

“That’s just how it was.”

“Shin Ha-yul!!”

Triksh shouted loudly and rushed towards me.

“You’re noisy.”

And.

“Miho.”

Miho lifted her face from my arms and opened her eyes.

“Devour it.”

A divine beast that manipulates souls, the nine-tailed fox.

Miho’s eyes glowed with an even redder light.