The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 284

Umbra, the god of shadows.

A god classified as evil.

She licked her lips, a seductive smile on her face, as she looked at me.

“Answer me. What will you offer as a price?”

A devil’s temptation.

That was the only way to describe her smile.

“Senses. Lifespan. Memories. Body. Anything is fine. As long as it’s important to you.”

Her voice was like a caress to the ear.

“The more precious it is to you, the more powerful the strength you will gain.”

It was a captivating voice that charmed people.

It was so alluring that I almost nodded without thinking.

Perhaps her innate charisma had mutated into the ability of ‘allurement’.

If my mental defenses had been even slightly weak, she would have exploited that gap and dominated my mind.

“Unfortunately.”

But that didn’t happen.

My mental defenses cannot be breached by anyone.

Even if the opponent was not Umbra, but the greatest evil god in the world, it would be impossible to interfere with my mind.

“I have no intention of giving you anything.”

“……”

The smile disappeared from Umbra’s face.

“Hmm.”

She looked as if she was both amused and offended. Conflicting emotions were felt simultaneously.

“Too bad, but that won’t do. Since you’ve come here. If you had no intention of making a deal, you shouldn’t have come here in the first place.”

Umbra slowly rose from her seat.

As Umbra stood, the throne turned back into shadows and was absorbed into her.

As she absorbed the remaining shadows, her power seemed to grow stronger, and the monotone world became a little darker.

“I warned you, didn’t I? You ignored that warning. You have to pay the price.”

Click. Click.

The unique sound of high heels echoed rhythmically.

Umbra slowly approached.

She stood right in front of me, raised her hand, and grabbed my chin.

“If you can’t choose, I’ll choose for you. Is that okay?”

With her other hand, she slowly stroked my body.

“It’s okay if I tear off your limbs.”

Starting from my shoulder line, she stroked my arm.

With her leg, she gently stroked my thigh.

She was trying to heighten my fear by deliberately touching my limbs.

“It would be fine to pluck out your heart.”

Next, she circled her hand around my chest.

“Or… it would be good to just take away your senses.”

She briefly took her hand away from me and used shadows to block my eyes and ears.

Sight and hearing were instantly cut off.

It was a means to stimulate my fear.

“What do you prefer? Personally, I recommend choosing the five senses. It’s surprisingly bearable. And the power you can gain isn’t too small either.”

Umbra ran her index finger along my jawline one last time, smiled seductively, and then completely took her hand away from me.

“I told you.”

I looked directly into Umbra’s eyes and answered firmly.

“I have nothing to give you.”

A second refusal.

This time, Umbra’s expression turned vicious.

Now, beyond the level of hurt pride, her expression showed that she couldn’t control her anger.

“I. I hate repeating myself twice.”

It wasn’t a matter of whether you didn’t want to give it.

That’s what her eyes were saying.

“I also hate repeating myself. So don’t make me say it three times.”

As I said, I have no intention of giving you even a fingernail.

With that will, I glared at Umbra.

“…You impudent brat. You don’t even know your place.”

Umbra’s expression turned cold.

“Fine. If that’s how you want to play it, I have no choice but to handle things my way.”

Among the black and white colors that surrounded the sanctuary, only the black began to violently fluctuate.

The black trembled as if there was an earthquake. The black soon began to gather around Umbra.

“If you were a little older, I might have considered it, but I don’t like impudent brats.”

The monotone world instantly turned into a pure white world.

The black that Umbra had scattered disappeared, and the shadow sanctuary regained its original white color.

“I’ll have to take all of your lifespan. That’s the only way I’ll feel better.”

The shadow sanctuary trembled as if responding to Umbra’s anger.

In conjunction with that, Umbra’s shadow was slowly increasing in power.

It was hard to imagine that this was the power of a half-being, a wraith-like existence whose main body had died long ago and only its thoughts remained.

That power glared at me, baring its ferocious fangs.

“I didn’t think I’d really have to say this three times. I’ll say it one last time.”

Just as the shadow began to envelop my entire body.

“You cannot take anything from me.”

Whoosh!

Suddenly, flames soared.

The primordial flame that burns everything in the world.

The supreme flame that was the first to be born when the world was created.

“I, Ignis?”

Ignis.

It embraced me as if protecting my body.

“How can Ignis be in my world…?”

This world is Umbra’s world, existing solely for Umbra.

No being that Umbra does not allow can intrude.

It shouldn’t be normal for something like Ignis to exist in this world.

“My partner was a bit too active. She found a way.”

Observing and analyzing Umbra’s and Ignis’s reactions.

Formulating a reasonable hypothesis, and based on that hypothesis, presenting a conclusion that was infinitely close to the correct answer.

Mimir Bell Weitner.

It was all thanks to her that I was able to stand here with Ignis like this.

“You impudent brat…”

Umbra bit her lip with a vicious expression.

She had realized what I was trying to do.

“So… now I see what you’re thinking. You’re going to burn a part of me with Ignis and take some control over my sacred relic?”

“Yes.”

With my current skills, I can only burn about 10%.

Therefore, the control I can gain is also limited to 10%.

“I don’t expect much. I’ll take 10% of you.”

“…Impudent. You’re really too impudent.”

Umbra’s eyes darkened even further.

“Not only are you trying to steal something from me, but you’ve also brought that hateful Ignis with you.”

A murderous gaze.

Her expression was filled with a firm will to kill me right away.

“Fine. Take it. It’s frustrating, but what can’t be done can’t be done.”

Umbra cannot defeat Ignis. No matter what.

“But you’d better be prepared. It won’t be like this next time.”

This is the last time I can enter Umbra’s sacred relic with Ignis.

Just as a security breach cannot be exploited twice for the same reason.

Umbra’s sacred relic will perfectly secure the gap that was breached, preventing Ignis from approaching it again.

“I promise you. The next time you come here again.”

Umbra licked her lips.

It was as if she was licking blood.

“I will definitely kill you.”

“Do you think I’ll come back after hearing such a warning?”

“Yes. You will.”

Umbra smiled confidently.

“You’ll want more of my power. You can’t be satisfied with just 10%. You’ll definitely come back here. And…”

The flames slowly began to engulf the monotone world.

6%, 7%.

Red light sources were scattered throughout the pure white sanctuary.

“You’ll die by my hand. Just like you always have.”

The world was slowly fading.

Umbra’s body also slowly began to turn gray.

The connection between this world and me was gradually weakening.

“I’ll be looking forward to that day. See you again. You impudent brat.”

Exactly 10%.

At the point where Ignis had consumed this world.

“Yes. Well, I guess we’ll see each other again.”

My body also faded.

Now, I had really reached the end.

“Although, it might be a slightly different meeting than you expect.”

With my last words, the world completely lost its light.

And when I opened my eyes next.

“…Done.”

I was back in the deepest part of the Terror Response Team leader’s room.

I slowly poured mana into Umbra’s sacred relic, which I held in my right hand.

At the same time, shadows began to crawl out.

Shadows that were on a different level from the ones used by the previous Shadow, weak and low in density.

They moved and changed shape according to my will.

“…Good.”

Success.

Umbra had safely become my power as a mythical magic.

“With this, all conditions are cleared.”

I gathered the shadows and went outside.

Now, there was 1 hour and 24 minutes left until the time requested by Anti-Magia.

All preparations were complete.

“Mister.”

I headed straight to the main control room and called out to the man who was waiting for me.

“Please contact the others. Tell them we’ll start the operation right away.”

* * *

A restroom at the edge of the airport.

“Miss. It seems like it’s Anti-Magia after all.”

Adela and Adela’s butler, who had luckily managed to escape from the terrorists, were focusing on assessing the situation.

“Communication cut off. Mana blocked. Even though 1 hour and 30 minutes have passed, the proper response team hasn’t moved yet… If it’s not Anti-Magia, this is impossible.”

The last one was the biggest reason.

Korea’s inadequate response.

Unless it was Anti-Magia, there was no way they could be so helpless.

“Isn’t it still hard to say for sure?”

“No. I’m sure of it. There were gunshots in the lobby too…”

Among the groups that could carry out such a large-scale terrorist attack, Anti-Magia was the only group that used old-fashioned weapons like gunpowder guns.

There was no reason to use gunpowder guns when they had good magic engineering guns, unless they were crazy Anti-Magia bastards who always carried bombs.

“Gunpowder guns… I see.”

Adela bit her lip with a cold expression.

Anti-Magia.

She had hoped it wasn’t them.

“Why does it have to be Anti-Magia? This is the worst.”

Since the opponent was Anti-Magia, the chances of survival were very slim.

They would probably die here with a high probability.

“No. It’s not the worst. Fortunately, we haven’t been captured by them.”

If they weren’t captured by them, they could try to find a chance to escape.

…Although that was also an incredibly difficult task.

Still, it was somewhat fortunate.

“I’ll try to plan an escape route. No matter how great their encirclement is, they won’t be able to cover the entire Incheon Airport. There will definitely be a gap…”

The butler, who was talking like that, suddenly stopped talking.

“…Miss.”

His expression suddenly became serious.

“Yes. I sensed it too.”

Adela’s expression was no different from her butler’s.

“Three. No, is it four?”

“Yes. It’s four.”

Someone was approaching this way.

The only people who could move like that in this situation were the terrorists.

“It seems like the second reconnaissance team.”

They were looking for citizens that the terrorists might have missed.

“Stay close to me. I’ll use stealth magic to get past them like before.”

“Yes.”

Adela clung to the butler as if she was hugging him.

The butler immediately used stealth magic to hide their presence and mana, as well as everything else.

It was a rather crude stealth, but the opponents were just amateur terrorists who didn’t know anything about magic.

This level of stealth was enough.

In fact, they had safely passed through like this before.

Thud, thud.

The sound of military boots hitting the restroom tiles was particularly loud.

‘One person.’

There was only one set of footsteps.

The others were waiting outside, and only one person had entered the restroom.

Now, he would open each restroom stall one by one, just like before.

After confirming that no one was there, he would turn around again.

That’s how it was before, so it would definitely be the same this time.

That’s what the two of them were sure of.

However.

“If you’re hiding here, come out.”

Their certainty was shattered.

“I’ll warn you in advance. Don’t even think about hiding with stealth magic.”

The man said with a very calm expression.

“I’m carrying Anti-Magia right now.”

“… !”

The eyes of the butler and Adela widened.

“I’m going to open the restroom doors one by one while carrying this. If you’re using stealth magic at that time…”

The man deliberately trailed off.

There was no need to say what would happen at that moment.

‘The Anti-Magia will react to the mana of the stealth magic and explode.’

And starting with that explosion, other Anti-Magia would also be affected and cause a chain reaction.

‘This is the worst.’

Cold sweat dripped from the butler’s forehead. If what the man said was true, they couldn’t stay hidden using stealth magic.

‘Considering the mana emission range of stealth magic, the moment he opens this stall door…’

It would explode.

Then it would be the end.

They would leave this world without even a shred of their bodies left.

‘But if I release the stealth magic here…’

The butler looked down at Adela in his arms.

A precious young lady.

There was no way that Anti-Magia bastards wouldn’t know Adela’s face.

‘I can’t hand the young lady over to them.’

When Anti-Magia executes famous magicians whose faces are known, it is accompanied by terrible torture.

They would torture them horribly until the time of the self-destruction, and then, boom.

That was the end of a magician caught by Anti-Magia.

They could never let that happen.

‘In this case…’

The butler whispered into Adela’s ear.

‘Miss. Stealth magic. Please.’

‘Yes…? What are you going to do…’

‘There’s no time to explain. Please.’

‘…Yes. I understand.’

Adela used stealth magic.

‘Excellent. Please stay still.’

With this, even if the butler released his stealth, Adela’s stealth would not be canceled.

‘Could it be…’

Adela’s eyes widened.

She had realized what the butler was trying to do.

The butler smiled kindly.

And then, he let go of Adela.

Bang!

He stepped outside.

“What? I was just wondering, but you’re really here?”

The man smiled menacingly.

“I guess you shouldn’t ignore the advice of your seniors. Hehehe.”

He had found a magician.

He was thrilled by that fact.

“Then, I wonder if this advice is also correct?”

The man turned his gaze away from the butler and glared at the restroom stall that the butler had just come out of.

“There. Is someone else hiding there?”

Adela’s heart sank.

“What are you talking about?”

The butler replied with a calm expression. He was not so clumsy as to show his panic on his face.

“No. My senior told me. Magicians usually travel in groups of at least two…”

The man pointed his rifle at the restroom stall.

“If one person quickly jumps out at the first warning, there’s a high probability that there are others…”

Ratatatatatata!

Before the butler could do anything, the man started firing indiscriminately.

‘Should I block it? No, I can’t. If I use defensive magic here…!’

It would explode with the Anti-Magia.

Magic could not be used.

“Miss…!”

There was nothing the butler, who couldn’t use magic, could do.

The restroom partitions were instantly turned into rags.

“Hehehe. Miss. Miss, huh? So there was someone after all?”

Looking at that, the man clutched his stomach and laughed.

He looked very happy.

“To think that the noble magicians can’t even react properly to this old-fashioned weapon. Hehehe.”

The man, with a very happy expression, reloaded his magazine.

Then, without saying anything more, he started firing at the partitions again.

“I feel so good!?!”

“No…!”

“Hehehehehe!”

Thus began another round of indiscriminate firing.

“Die, die! Die! Hahaha!”

The partitions, which were already in tatters, were completely shattered and fell to the floor.

The man’s smile deepened.

Now, an elite covered in blood would appear from inside.

How beautiful would that sight be?

His mind was filled with such thoughts.

However.

“…Huh?”

The man’s expectations were shattered.

In the place where the restroom partitions had disappeared, a black partition had taken its place.

“Darkness… no, is it a shadow?”

Something strange that looked like a shadow. It was probably magic.

“Puhah! You idiot! It’s all over now!”

The man threw his rifle on the floor and shouted.

“You killed them! All the hostages inside! You killed them! Hehehehehe!”

He was laughing maniacally, anticipating the Anti-Magia that would explode soon.

“Heh… he?”

However.

“It’s not exploding.”

The Anti-Magia showed no signs of exploding.

“This thing doesn’t emit mana, but rather, it has the property of absorbing all the mana.”

The shadow slowly disappeared.

A man appeared from within, hugging a surprised blonde woman.

The man, whose face was half-covered by shadows, was a familiar face.

“You…”

The man also knew the famous face well.

“Shin Hayul?”

Shin Hayul had appeared in the airport.