The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 397

The eighth Infinity Circle began to settle within my body.

A different form of circle than the previous ones.

An intangible circle without a clear shape, befitting the name ‘Circle of Nothingness.’

It took my body as its foundation.

‘Because it doesn’t exist, it’s a circle not bound by anything.’

It felt as if my entire body had become a single circle.

It wasn’t that a circle was moving around my body.

It was the feeling that my body itself had become a circle.

It was as if my physical structure had transformed into the form of a giant circle.

‘Unrestrained freedom, not bound by anything. The eighth stage of the Vaitener style has a nature that somewhat aligns with the Mind’s Eye.’

The power of thought, the Mind’s Eye.

The Mind’s Eye is free.

Human imagination is limitless, so it can be unbound by anything.

‘The difference between the two circles is the range of action.’

The first Infinity Circle.

The Mind’s Eye circle uses my body as its base and acts upon my body.

The phenomena that can be caused through the Mind’s Eye must occur within my ‘body.’

But the eighth Infinity Circle, the Circle of Nothingness, is different.

‘The Mind’s Eye circle only works inside my body, but the Circle of Nothingness can exert its power outside my body.’

The Circle of Nothingness does not have my body as its base.

Unlike the Mind’s Eye circle, it doesn’t revolve around my body.

‘The Circle of Nothingness revolves around the world.’

The Circle of Nothingness doesn’t create a circle in my body, but has the power to make my body a circle.

Using my body as a circle.

Using this world as a body.

It can directly affect the world.

That is the ‘Circle of Nothingness.’

‘I can feel it.’

I thought, feeling the Circle of Nothingness.

‘The Circle of Nothingness is settling into my body at a rapid pace. At this rate, it will completely settle within my body in the next 20 minutes.’

Is it because my body is changing sensitively like a circle?

I can feel sensations that I couldn’t normally feel.

‘After settling, it will take about 5 minutes for the Circle of Nothingness to stabilize. And 2 minutes to harmonize with the other circles.’

The friction between circles.

The collision between my body and the circles.

The preferred speeds and disliked movements of each circle.

I could feel all of those things.

‘After processing all the other tasks…’

Because I can understand the relationship between circles.

Because I can understand everything about the circles 100%.

That’s why I could be certain.

‘The remaining time is 30 minutes.’

The remaining work time is 30 minutes.

After that time, I will be a full-fledged 8-circle mage.

I was certain of it.

* * *

The East Sea.

The Sokcho pier was a mess.

The magic fired by the dragon and Veil Stoll had turned the sea off Sokcho into a wasteland.

“What’s wrong? Are you already tired?”

Above the destroyed pier.

Veil Stoll looked at Sein and sneered.

“It’s only been 5 minutes.”

He was mocking Sein, who was breathing heavily.

“……”

Sein didn’t answer. Rather than responding to such taunts, it was better to catch his breath even a little.

“So, stamina is your weakness.”

Veil’s eyes gleamed.

He had wondered after seeing the previous battles. His prediction was correct.

Sein Vinosch, despite his overwhelming power, was somewhat lacking in stamina.

No, it wasn’t just lacking, it was a pathetic level.

“Is it a side effect of suddenly absorbing the power of a swordsman?”

When accepting great power, there are always risks involved.

Sein Vinosch’s lack of stamina was highly likely a side effect of recklessly accepting the power of a swordsman.

“At that point, it’s a bit pitiful. The powers he absorbed for evolution all had flaws.”

Veil laughed as if he was amused.

He absorbed black magic and gained a restriction.

He absorbed the power of a swordsman and lost stamina.

Even if he gained power equivalent to it, what he lost was too great.

“Thinking about it again, he made a truly foolish choice.”

How could he not laugh at this?

Veil laughed as if he was in a very good mood.

“By now, you must have realized it too.”

He looked at the clown in front of him and smiled leisurely.

“You can’t beat me. It was like that before, but it will be even more so in the future.”

The match was already decided.

Sein Vinosch cannot beat Veil Stoll.

“You can’t stop me.”

There was no way to stop Veil Stoll, who was moving with a dragon.

“…You’re talking big while acting as a meat shield.”

Even if several dragons came at him, he could stop them.

Even if the dragon had regained 100% of its power, it was just a lizard in front of Sein.

Since the dragon was born with a weakness to ‘swords,’ it was no threat to Sein.

“There’s a misnomer in the term ‘meat shield.’ A meat shield is literally a shield used as a discard. That’s only applicable when my body is cut by you. But your sword hasn’t even grazed my skin.”

Veil Stoll sneered.

“Where am I a meat shield?”

“……”

That was true.

Veil Stoll hadn’t suffered any injuries.

It was hard to see him as a meat shield.

“This is just a strategic choice. I don’t know why you’re belittling it.”

Veil had simply made the best choice.

Veil Stoll had no qualms about carrying out this plan.

“No, it’s not that I wanted to belittle you. Is it the cry of a loser?”

In a hopeless situation, he was just throwing insults at his opponent.

Was he in a state of practical self-abandonment?

“Why don’t you answer? Sein Vinosch. My main enemy.”

Veil raised his right hand and stroked the face of the dragon on his right.

“Hmm. So you have nothing more to say. Then there’s no choice.”

At that moment, the dragon’s mouth opened wide.

Mana was gathering inside its mouth.

It was preparing to fire a breath.

“I’ll also stop with the conversation and start using force.”

The breath was ready in an instant.

The red breath that was fired from the dragon’s mouth flew towards Seoul, beyond Sokcho.

“Now, I’m going to target the heart of this country. How are you going to stop it?”

Sein bit his lip.

Normally, he could stop such a breath.

But now, the situation was a bit different.

‘It’s checkmate. We have no means to stop that attack right now.’

‘……Black Magic King. I told you to be quiet.’

Stopping that breath itself was not a problem.

The problem was Veil Stoll.

The problem was that he was getting in the way.

‘If Veil Stoll gets in the way like before, your life is in danger.’

‘……I said be quiet.’

If Veil Stoll intervened, Sein’s Mind Sword would be neutralized.

Then it would be over.

He would be hit directly by the dragon’s breath and disappear along with Seoul.

‘Give up. He has already collected data on the Mind Sword that responds to the breath in two instances. The next strike will be 100% neutralized.’

After seeing the previous two Mind Swords, Veil Stoll must have gathered some data.

He would definitely intervene at a moment when this side couldn’t respond and interfere with this side’s attack.

‘The moment Shin Hayul doesn’t arrive on time, our defeat is as good as decided.’

Since Shin Hayul was late, everything was as good as over.

There was nothing more this side could do.

‘I’ll say it again. Sein Vinosch. Give up. What we need to do now is to abandon Seoul, to abandon Korea, and flee.’

The only remaining option was to flee.

‘If you die here now, that would mean the end of everything. Now, you have to live, even if it means abandoning everything and fleeing.’

Abandon everything else, survive alone, and prepare for the future.

That was the only remaining option.

‘……How many times do I have to say it?’

Sein Vinosch frowned.

‘Be quiet. I told you that.’

The Black Magic King’s nagging echoed in his ears. It echoed loudly with a very unpleasant sound.

‘A guy who only cares about his own life. Don’t talk about the greater good.’

He hated the nagging created by the sophistry filled with lies and deception.

‘You just need to watch.’

‘Sein Vinosch. Think normally. Now…’

Sein closed his ears.

No, his ears were closed.

‘There is nothing I cannot cut if I intend to cut it. That means…’

His concentration soared to the limit.

All his concentration was focused on the sword and the breath.

‘There’s no certainty. I’ve never done it before. But…’

Sein Vinosch’s sword moved slowly.

‘I should be able to do it.’

As befitting the name Mind Sword, the sword was swung without leaving any trajectory.

A special trajectory that could only be seen in the world of the mind flew to bisect the breath.

“How pathetic.”

At that moment, Veil Stoll began to move.

Using the data he had accumulated through the previous battle and the data on the Mind Sword that responded to the breath that he had accumulated through this battle, he 100% grasped the trajectory of the Mind Sword.

He moved his body into its path.

Veil Stoll smiled coldly.

It was a mocking smile towards Sein, who had made the foolish choice to fight instead of choosing to flee.

‘Being held back by recognition is the same as it was in the past.’

He recalled the mistakes of Ray Bell Vaitener in the past and stared at the approaching Mind Sword.

‘It’s over.’

Soon, that sword would stop.

And that would be the end of everything.

The dragon’s breath would burn Sein Vinosch and Seoul to the ground.

Veil was certain of it.

But.

“My sword does not stop.”

Then, something unexpected happened.

“Because I have decided to do so.”

The sword that should have stopped did not stop and continued to move.

In this state, the Mind Sword would cut through Veil’s body.

Veil’s eyes narrowed.

He was flustered by the Mind Sword that showed no signs of stopping.

‘Could it be. Was everything a setup?’

Wasn’t Sein Vinosch not bound by the restriction?

Was there no restriction from the beginning, and was he free?

‘He pretended to be bound by the restriction to lure out my carelessness…’

No. That couldn’t be.

In the first place, there was a difference as vast as the sky and the earth between Sein Vinosch’s current power and his own.

There was no reason to pretend to be bound by the restriction.

He had even confirmed the presence of black magic.

Sein Vinosch was definitely bound by the restriction.

‘But why…’

The Mind Sword was rapidly approaching.

There was no time to think.

The Mind Sword moved faster than Veil had thought, cutting through Veil.

The Mind Sword that had cut through Veil then cut through the breath that was behind Veil.

Kiiiiiiiiing-!

The Mind Sword bisected the breath, and the mana that had been composing the breath poured out into the world.

The mana that had been gathered scattered in all directions, and a resonance rang out.

“……”

Amidst the ear-splitting resonance.

Sein smiled mockingly.

Veil Stoll glared at Sein with a sharp expression.

“You didn’t cut me, but only the breath?”

He thought he had been cut, but he hadn’t been.

Veil Stoll’s body was fine.

Sein’s sword had passed through Veil’s body, but no wounds were left on Veil’s body.

That meant.

“…I see. So your sword can choose not to cut if you don’t want to.”

Sein Vinosch’s Mind Sword could choose the target it wanted to cut.

That’s what it meant.

“Why are you so surprised?”

After sheathing his sword again, Sein smiled leisurely.

“The Mind Sword is a sword of the mind. A sword where thoughts become power. Cutting or not cutting is up to my mind.”

Of course, the leisurely attitude was only on the surface.

He was quite surprised inside.

‘You’re taking a dangerous gamble. If you had failed, it would have been over.’

The Black Magic King said as if he was dumbfounded.

‘I thought it would work. There is nothing impossible for what I intend to do with my sword.’

Sein Vinosch’s sword was still evolving in real-time.