The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 438

Inside the labyrinth.

A situation where the party expected an overwhelming advantage.

Suddenly, light emanated from Mora’s relic.

Mora’s divine power was flowing outwards.

‘This mana…’

Adela’s eyes twitched.

Familiar mana was detected within the light flowing from the relic.

‘Hayul’s mana?’

Amidst Mora’s divine power, Shin Hayul’s mana was detected.

It was very faint, but it was definitely Shin Hayul’s mana.

‘Did those two notice?’

Adela glanced at Hoderiam and Jenarin.

“Jenarin, why is it like that? Wasn’t it supposed to be sealed?”

“…Don’t ask me. I don’t know either.”

Her face was contorted.

They didn’t seem to have noticed anything in particular.

They even stepped back as if trying to assess the situation.

No matter how she looked at it, they didn’t seem to have sensed anything unusual.

‘That’s a relief.’

Adela breathed a sigh of relief internally, then turned her gaze to Stella and Jisun Chan.

‘Stella and Aslan didn’t notice either.’

Looking at their expressions, it didn’t seem like they had succeeded in detecting Shin Hayul’s mana either.

‘Elena must have noticed, right?’

Adela turned her gaze again towards Elena, who was floating beside her.

“Of course.”

Currently, Elena was sharing senses with Adela.

What Adela was feeling, Elena could also feel.

“This mana. It seems like it was designed to be visible only to your ‘Mind’s Eye’.”

‘Yes. I think that’s probably it.’

The mana was released in a way that could only be detected by Adela’s Mind’s Eye [a unique sensory ability].

It was a method that only Shin Hayul could do.

Knowing what kind of characteristics Adela’s Mind’s Eye had, he adjusted the mana to a suitable level and scattered it outwards.

“What does it mean?”

The problem was, what was the intention behind scattering that mana?

“He wouldn’t be trying to do something with that mana…”

With such weak mana, nothing could be done.

That mana wasn’t released to be used.

“It seems like the purpose is in the act of scattering the mana itself… What could it be?”

Elena was lost in thought.

What was Shin Hayul trying to do with that mana?

‘What could it be?’

Adela was also lost in the same thought as Elena.

And then, a fleeting moment passed.

Suddenly, Adela’s eyes widened.

‘Elena, didn’t the mana’s wave fluctuate strangely just now?’

“Wave… you mean?”

Elena asked back with a look that said, ‘What are you talking about?’

“Well, I didn’t feel anything like that…”

She didn’t feel anything particularly unusual about the mana’s wave.

‘Am I mistaken?’

Adela and Elena were sharing senses.

Of course, it wasn’t 100% sense sharing, but about 90%, so they didn’t have exactly the same senses, but still, they were more than 90% in sync.

If Elena hadn’t noticed, it was highly likely that Adela was mistaken.

‘I guess I was mistaken.’

Nothing unusual was being detected now either.

It seemed she had made a mistake.

Just as Adela finished thinking that.

Buzz, buzz!

‘Just now again…!’

The mana fluctuated greatly again.

Just like before, the wave fluctuated up and down.

‘I definitely saw it this time. The wave fluctuated.’

This time, she could be sure.

It wasn’t a mistake.

The mana that Shin Hayul had released just now fluctuated greatly.

‘You didn’t see it this time either?’

“Yes. I didn’t feel anything in particular…”

This time too, Elena didn’t detect anything unusual.

“Since I’ve detected it twice, it can’t be a mistake. It seems like it’s a subtle change that I can’t detect.”

A change that couldn’t be felt with 90% sense synchronization.

It seemed to be a subtle change that only Adela, with her full 100% sense, could feel.

‘It’s happening again…’

The wave fluctuated again just now.

This was the third time.

The first time was uncertain, but the change in the second and third waves was so consistent that it could be said to be identical.

‘Is there some meaning in the change of that wave?’

Adela was lost in thought again.

Buzz, buzz!

Then, the fourth wave fluctuation began.

‘I’m sure. He’s sending the same wave in the same way.’

After seeing four waves, Adela was certain.

This wave fluctuation was Shin Hayul’s message.

‘He’s trying to tell us something.’

Shin Hayul was conveying something through mana.

Using mana as a code, he was conveying some intention.

‘But…’

She didn’t know what it meant.

What message could be contained in the mana’s wave fluctuating rapidly up and down?

Nothing came to mind at all.

‘The only unusual thing is that the wave moves up and down so rapidly…’

Then, a jolt of electricity flashed through Adela’s mind.

‘…Wait a minute. A wave that changes so rapidly?’

The mana’s wave.

And the change in its height.

‘This is definitely…’

Suddenly, she remembered something she had said to Shin Hayul before.

‘The mana’s wave has a constant value regardless of the mage’s achievement. Like musical notes.’

Shin Hayul defined the mana’s wave as a musical note.

‘It’ll be easier to understand if you look at them in order. This is 1. This is 2. This is 3…’

He defined it that way, and showed Adela the fixed values of the waves one by one.

Saying that she would surely understand, and that it would be helpful someday if she kept it in mind.

He made a face like a child showing off a toy, and kept changing the mana.

‘That’s right. That’s it.’

Then, the fifth wave fluctuation began.

Adela immediately sensed the wave and recited numbers in her mind.

‘3.’

The first thing she sensed was the wave of 3.

After the wave of 3 started, a flat wave

‘Next is -1’

Then it plunged deeply downwards.

‘Next is 1.’

Then it rose gently again.

‘And then -1 again. Next, it rises sharply to 8.’

She concentrated to not miss the continuous changes in the wave.

‘Next, it plummets sharply to -5. Finally, it rises gently to -1.’

In order, 3, -1, 1, -1, 8, -5, -1.

The waves that Shin Hayul had put into the mana each represented those numbers.

‘What are these numbers?’

The problem was the meaning of these numbers.

What could these numbers possibly mean?

A meaningless sequence of numbers that didn’t seem to have any rules or anything.

What on earth did this mean?

‘…Ah.’

The answer came sooner than expected.

‘This. When Hayul and I used to play code-breaking games…’

Before she had even entered the Obelisk Academy.

Among the games they used to play, there was a code-breaking game.

One person would create a code, and the other would solve it.

Among the problems that Shin Hayul had given in that game, there was a problem with a similar feel.

’14 consonants and 10 vowels.’

This was a simple code that changed consonants and vowels into numbers.

In the problem that Shin Hayul had given back then, 1 to 14 meant consonants, and -1 to -10 meant vowels.

Then the message contained in this wave is…

‘Come closer.’

Come closer to that relic.

That’s what Shin Hayul was saying.

‘I have to approach the relic.’

As soon as she finished decoding, Adela moved immediately.

The others weren’t moving either, as they were trying to figure out the situation.

If she took advantage of this moment, she could somehow approach it.

“Adela!”

Elena shouted in alarm.

She was shocked to see Adela suddenly start running towards the relic.

“Stop! Their goal is Mora’s relic! If you approach now…!”

It would only provoke Hoderiam and Jenarin.

It was dangerous.

Just as Elena was about to shout that.

“Where do you think you’re going…!”

Jenarin moved before her.

A red spike that appeared in front of Adela flew towards her forehead.

“That belongs to Veil.”

Hoderiam moved half a beat later than Jenarin.

With a stern expression, he extended his right hand towards Adela.

Then, Hoderiam’s hand began to lengthen.

His right hand, which had turned into a snake, flew through the air, aiming for Adela’s heart.

“Adela!”

Elena called out Adela’s name loudly, filled with the meaning of ‘Block it!’

Since the attacks of those two were mainly for checking, if she stopped here and focused on defense, she could block them sufficiently.

She had to stop where she was and prepare a defensive spell.

‘I can block that red spike with the Thornwood Lantern.’

The red spike had been blocked by the Thornwood Lantern before.

If she used the Thornwood Lantern, she could block both attacks at the same time.

Having made that judgment, Elena prepared the Thornwood Lantern.

She was preparing in advance to assist the Thornwood Lantern in accordance with Adela’s movements.

“Adela?”

But that was a meaningless act.

Adela didn’t stop.

She just focused mana on her legs and ran towards the relic.

She didn’t seem to have any intention of using the Thornwood Lantern to block the attacks.

“Why…!”

Why was she doing such a reckless thing?

Elena cried out inwardly.

‘If I stop now, there won’t be another chance to approach.’

Adela said.

‘The only time I can approach the relic is now. Now that those two have stepped back to assess the situation. If I miss this opportunity, there won’t be another chance.’

It wasn’t that Adela had given up on defense without thinking.

It was because she couldn’t defend.

She had given up on defense because she shouldn’t defend.

‘This is the only way right now.’

To approach the relic as Shin Hayul’s message said, this was the only way.

Adela ran without looking back.

Towards the relic, towards the approaching spike, she ran at full speed.

“Please!”

She shouted as she ran.

To her companions in this place.

She shouted, begging them to somehow block it.

And immediately after that, the red spike filled Adela’s vision.

The red spike was about to pierce Adela’s forehead.

“Adela!”

At that moment.

“Hey, you idiot!”

Jisun Chan appeared, breaking through the air.

And immediately used the Octagonal Gate [a powerful defensive artifact] to block the red spike.

“You made me lose a card because of you!”

The Octagonal Gate was a joker card that he had saved for a contingency.

It wasn’t a card that he should have used here.

Jisun Chan glared at Adela with resentful eyes.

“…Thank you.”

Adela thanked Jisun Chan and ran again.

Leaving Jisun Chan, who was blocking the red spike, behind, she ran straight towards the relic.

Behind Adela’s back, Hoderiam’s right hand flew.

It was about to reach Adela’s back.

Swish-!

Then, Hoderiam’s hand was cut off.

It was cut off as if a snake had been cut in half.

“Hehe. You can’t stop me with that!”

A new hand sprouted from Hoderiam’s severed hand.

Hoderiam was a black mage who had reached the extreme of body transformation.

He could recover from such an injury quickly.

Whoosh!

His arm quickly returned to its original state and flew.

Just as Hoderiam’s hand reached Adela’s back.

“What Vinochu’s sword can’t cut…”

A flash of light emanated from Stella’s sword.

And.

“…doesn’t exist.”

Shwaaaaaa-!

Hoderiam’s arm was cut into dozens, hundreds of pieces.

Thud thud thud-!

Hundreds, thousands of pieces of flesh that had been cut off fell to the floor at the same time.

Clack!

Stella put her sword back into its sheath.

“You…”

Hoderiam narrowed his eyes and glared at Stella.

“You were saving your strength?”

Until now, she had been constantly running away, just buying time, so he thought that they didn’t have any means to damage them.

It seemed that he had been mistaken.

“So, you were saving such a finishing move.”

Hoderiam cut off his arm below his right shoulder with his left hand.

A new arm sprouted from below the severed shoulder.

“It’s not regenerating. What did you do?”

“I swung my sword and cut it.”

“I know that much.”

Hoderiam chuckled.

“Interesting. Very interesting.”

He had a look that said it had become very interesting.

“Hoderiam! Stop messing around and block that woman!”

Jenarin pointed at Adela and shouted to block her.

However.

“How can I block her? It’s already too late.”

It was already too late.

Adela had already reached the very front of the relic.

There was no way to stop her now, no matter what they did.

“Don’t give up! With your ability, you can block it…!”

Thud-!

At that moment, Adela placed her hand on the relic.

Flash!

The light emanating from the relic became even more intense.

‘It worked!’

As expected.

That wave was indeed Shin Hayul’s message to come to the relic.

‘With this…!’

Just as Adela was cheering inwardly.

“You…”

A familiar voice was heard.

“Idiot…!”

It was a voice that seemed to be filled with anger, like spewing lava.

“You moronnnn!!”

And then, in an instant, the light stopped.

Seeing the woman who appeared in the place where the light had disappeared, Elena’s eyes widened.

“…Mimir?”

Mimir was there.

With a face full of anger.

She was grinding her teeth and frowning.

“Why are you alone…”

“I don’t know!”

Without Shin Hayul. Alone.

“Bad successor! You just say you trust me and dump everything on me! Really… reallyyyy!!”

Mimir shouted in anger.