Raided The God’S Warehouse [EN]: Chapter 483

483. The Blue Great Sage

The Great Sages each had a color associated with them, and the Blue Great Sage was renowned as the most exceptional magician in El Avrr.

Seun had never met him in person, but he had heard many stories about him.

He was known to be the most interested in the theses coming out of El Avrr among all the Great Sages, and he was himself famous for writing them.

“This way, please.”

Was this an assistant from the Blue Great Sage’s lab?

A man wearing clothes dyed blue, a stark contrast to the standard-issue clothing of El Avrr, led Seun.

It was Seun’s first time visiting a Great Sage’s lab, so he quietly followed behind the man.

“I’ve read the Sage’s thesis thoroughly. ‘A New Approach to the Expansion of Mana Circuits’ was truly fascinating.”

“Ah, yes.”

“To increase mana capacity through mana circuits rather than circles, and simultaneously enhance the power of magic… it’s a very innovative concept, but…”

The man paused, stroking his chin as if deep in thought while maintaining his pace. Then, he shook his head and said.

“It’s far too dangerous an idea. Unless the circles and physical training are developed above a certain threshold, mana runaway [a dangerous uncontrolled surge of magical energy] will occur immediately.”

“That’s why I included information about physical training in the appendix.”

“I saw it. The numbers are quite impressive, but it’s rare for magicians to dedicate themselves to physical training.”

“That’s true.”

“In my case, I’m terrible at physical activity. Perhaps, to train my body to that extent, I would have to focus solely on physical training for several years. Haha.”

The man was treating Seun with a rather friendly demeanor, quite a contrast to his stiff appearance upon their initial meeting.

Seeing this, Seun decided to speak first.

“I assume the surveillance is over.”

Pause.

At those words, the man stopped walking.

He was ahead of Seun, so his expression was hidden, but Seun could see his shoulders slightly trembling beneath the blue fabric.

“What do you mean?”

“Haven’t you been watching me since I entered El Avrr? The 24-hour surveillance was maintained even while I slept. I wonder if you had enough people to rotate shifts.”

“I…”

“To bypass the lab’s security and conduct surveillance… you must have used mana crystals. And quite close by. I’m guessing it was the basement directly below us.”

In truth, Seun hadn’t detected the surveillance from day one.

From the start, he understood his position as an uninvited guest, so he anticipated that his guide would be monitoring him and remained vigilant, which is how he discovered it.

The subtle flow of mana was perceptible through the spirit energy permeating the lab.

It felt as if someone was watching, a flow of mana causing a prickling sensation on his skin.

He could discern that someone was observing him using magical elements.

“I wasn’t particularly bothered, so you don’t need to worry. I expected some level of surveillance. However, I didn’t realize it was orchestrated by the Great Sage.”

“Haa… Amazing. I thought I would never be caught. I wonder what will happen if I report this…”

“You don’t have to report it.”

“I can’t do that. Magicians must view the world objectively. If you taint yourself with lies, objectivity becomes distorted, and you will eventually stray from the path.”

The man sighed and resumed walking.

He seemed greatly shaken by the discovery of the surveillance, but afterward, he treated Seun with a sense of relief.

He began asking Seun questions that had been on his mind while observing him.

“The research on spirits was very interesting. I’ve always wanted to study spirit magic, but I have no talent for it…”

“Where did you collect so many monster specimens? They were all from unusual monsters. If you have any phantom beast specimens left…”

“I was surprised that you use magic and martial arts simultaneously. Generally, magic swordsmen enhance their bodies with magic, but they don’t circulate internal energy [cultivation energy] at the same time.”

Various questions poured out as if he had been waiting for the opportunity, reminding Seun of Baekhyun.

He had seemed so reserved at first, but he must have accumulated a lot of questions while watching Seun.

They weren’t difficult questions, so Seun diligently answered them as they continued toward the Great Sage.

The man’s exclamations continued, and time passed quickly.

As they walked, the surrounding scenery gradually changed.

“It’s probably different from other places. The locations where the Great Sages reside, including our lab, can only be accessed through special means.”

“Is that ahead…?”

“I understand how you sensed the surveillance through the flow of mana. You’re right.”

The barrier around the entrance to El Avrr that Seun had initially broken through.

A similar, unsettling flow of mana was palpable in front of him.

To the naked eye, it appeared to be a simple wall made of El Avrr’s unique fiber, but when the man approached and chanted something, the barrier shimmered and dissipated.

And inside, a platform appeared, large enough to comfortably accommodate about five people.

Of course, countless complex magic circles were engraved on the platform, so intricate that even Seun couldn’t decipher them at a glance.

“This is a teleporter that connects to our lab.”

Seun stepped onto the platform without hesitation.

The mana stone embedded in the center of the platform emitted light, which spread across the entire magic circle.

His vision was filled with bright light, and he felt the unique resistance associated with moving through space.

Still, it was a level that players who had reached the eighth shelter could easily withstand.

When the light subsided, he finally arrived at the lab of El Avrr’s Great Sage, the Blue Great Sage.

‘This is the Blue Lab…’

As expected of the lab of a great magician, Seun felt a rich aura of mana in the air as soon as he arrived.

In the old man’s lab, Seun could barely perceive the spirit energy due to his lack of talent as a spiritist, but this place was different.

Seun’s sensitive senses as a 7-circle magician quickly absorbed and recognized the mana in the air.

‘There are more people than I anticipated?’

There were about ten people visible at the moment.

Thanks to the abundant mana, he could sense their levels as if they were connected, without needing to use search magic. They were roughly 4th to 5th circle magicians.

Two of them were 6th circle magicians.

Even in Elheim, where magic had begun to develop in earnest, 6th circle was a very high level for a magician.

“It seems the Great Sage’s experiment is slightly delayed. Would you mind waiting here for a moment?”

“I will.”

Kwaaaang-!!

“…It will probably be over soon.”

The lab shook as if an earthquake had struck, accompanied by a strange impact sound.

The impact didn’t seem to originate from within the lab or the experiment room, but from somewhere outside connected to this place.

‘Magic.’

Its power was truly immense.

From the outset, the walls of this lab were lined with magic circles designed for experiments, including those for shock absorption and soundproofing.

The impact from outside had affected this place through those numerous magic circles.

It was distant and heavily shielded, so he couldn’t determine the exact nature of the magic.

‘At least 7 circles. No, is it really 8 circles?’

There was a high probability that the Great Sage was using 8th circle magic in the name of experimentation outside.

Frankly, that level of power was too great to remain in Elheim.

Even as a Great Sage, an 8th circle magician could play a significant role in the ninth shelter, or even the tenth shelter.

‘What they’re doing in the lab… is it an attribute collision experiment?’

Inside the lab, separated by a glass wall, two magicians were colliding different types of magic with each other.

Fire and water. Wind and lightning. Earth and ice, etc.

They seemed to be analyzing various scenarios, such as the effects of colliding magics of different attributes at the same level, and which magic held the advantage.

But…

“They’re not accounting for the variables.”

“What?”

In Seun’s opinion, it wasn’t a proper experiment.

It was just a mumble to himself, but because the lab was so well soundproofed, Seun’s voice carried clearly throughout the quiet space.

At this, one of the magicians in charge of managing and supervising the experiment in the lab turned his head.

“What? Who are you to suddenly appear and criticize our work?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. This is Sage Jung Seun, whom the Great Sage invited.”

“Jung Seun? Ah, is that the guy who arrived recently? They say he rose to Sage in record time, but he doesn’t seem to respect his seniors?”

Seeing the person who guided Seun looking flustered, it seemed that this magician held the highest position in this lab, aside from the Great Sage.

His level was roughly 6th circle master.

Certainly, he was the highest-level magician currently visible.

However, the person who guided Seun seemed to have developed a sense of camaraderie with Seun during their short time together and was now defending him.

“You’ve read Sage Jung Seun’s thesis, haven’t you? Perhaps we can collaborate and create a mutually beneficial situation…”

“What, are you taking his side now? Have you developed some kind of affection from spying on him all day with the crystal ball?”

“Selde, that’s confidential information ordered by the Great Sage. If you call that spying…”

“Now that he’s been brought here, confidentiality is no longer an issue. Get lost, you haven’t even managed to break out of the 4th circle after coming to El Avrr.”

Selde, the chief of the Blue Lab.

As soon as he rose from his seat and shouted, the lab fell silent, and the other magicians lowered their heads.

The two magicians who were sweating and manifesting magic inside the lab also stood frozen, unsure of what to do, with their hands clasped.

Observing the scene, Seun understood how this lab was run.

However, there was a contradiction in Selde’s words.

“Then, did you advance in circles after arriving here at 6th circle?”

“What? You?”

“It seems like it’s been at least 15 years since you reached 6th circle. The person you’re scolding is on the verge of reaching the next circle within 3 years of reaching 4th circle. So, who should be the one to ‘get lost’?”

“Berden, you bastard…!”

“Ah, no! I didn’t say anything! Circle or timing, I would never!”

“Looking at you, you’re an idiot who can’t even assess my level. Well, if you knew, you wouldn’t have spoken to me like that.”

“What?”

To discuss circles or anything else with another assistant while Seun was present… would he have dared to say such a thing if he knew Seun was a 7th circle magician?

There’s no way.

Whether he hadn’t checked or simply didn’t care.

That guy named Selde hadn’t even properly assessed his own level.

Perhaps, he was overestimating his abilities because he was the top subordinate of the great magician, the Blue Great Sage?

The situation was understandable, but to be so complacent with an 8th circle magician potentially nearby…

What an absurd individual.

“Right, 4th circle magician. It seems like it’s been about five years, and the one on the right is a 5th circle magician. It seems like he just reached 5th circle. The two in the lab are 4th circle magicians who advanced at the same time.”

“H, how do you know that…!”

A circle is not merely a simple accumulation of mana.

Just as rings form as a tree grows, circles also create something similar to rings as a magician progresses.

These rings are not necessarily proportional to growth, but there is a difference in the refinement of mana manipulation.

Of course, a sensitive mana detection ability is required to confirm this, but it’s not difficult to confirm if one’s level is higher than the opponent’s.

In other words, the guy named Selde, who doesn’t even know this, is not a proper magician.

That was Seun’s overall assessment.

“No way, are you a 6th circle magician too!”

“Haa…”

Seun sighed as he looked at Selde, who was pointing his finger and raising his voice. He still couldn’t grasp Seun’s level even after being told so much.

When Seun didn’t answer, Selde chanted something and scanned Seun once again.

Mana Scan.

It was a magic that checked mana concentration, etc., and could be used to assess an opponent’s level when used on a magician.

And…

“I, it can’t be.”

Only after completing the mana scan could Selde finally grasp Seun’s level.

“A, a 7th circle magician?”

All the magicians in the lab looked at Seun with wide eyes.