The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 109

I rode in Min Janghyun’s car towards the special prison within the Red Magic Tower where The Fist was being held.

“I’ll wait here.”

Leaving Min Janghyun behind, I entered the special prison alone.

“We need to verify your identity.”

As I entered the facility, people who appeared to be guards greeted me.

“Could you please raise your hands for a moment?”

“Yes.”

Then, they began to scan my body and mana with all sorts of special devices.

I could see devices that could detect the black mana of the Black Magic Tower, and devices that could dispel the magic on my body.

There were also many devices I had never seen before.

Especially the thermometer-like device the guard was holding in his hand, I had never seen anything like it.

“Could you please open your mouth?”

“Yes.”

The guard put the unidentified device in my mouth.

“Please close your mouth.”

I bit down on the thermometer.

About three seconds passed.

“Okay. Please wait for a moment.”

The guard entered the unidentified code from the thermometer into a computer.

Then, my face, fingerprints, and mana code were updated on the computer.

“Identity verification complete. I will guide you inside.”

The guard approached me again, bowed slightly, and approached a heavily secured door.

He unlocked the first security measure with a card key around his neck, followed by the second, third, and fourth security measures.

“Please follow me.”

After unlocking a total of six security measures, I was finally able to enter the facility.

“This is an incredible setup.”

As expected of a facility privately owned by the Red Magic Tower, the equipment was incredible.

“It has to be. It’s a prison where special criminals are held.”

This prison was a hellhole teeming with Class A wanted criminals.

It was only natural that the security was excellent.

‘Even so, is it really necessary to be this thorough…’

But this was too much, no matter how I thought about it.

How could a prison have better facilities than a state-of-the-art research lab?

‘There’s a reason it’s called the Iron Fortress.’

It was impossible to break out of this security. It was also impossible for anyone from the outside to infiltrate.

I could see why this prison was called the Iron Fortress.

“Here it is. Please wait for a moment.”

“Yes.”

As if he wasn’t tired of it, the guard began to unlock the security again.

He unlocked the security with a card key in front of the mechanical door, and then unlocked the second security with iris recognition.

“You may enter.”

At least this time it ended with two steps.

I was worried that I would have to go through another 10 minutes of security checks like before. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

“Then, I’ll see you when you leave.”

The guard bowed and stepped back a couple of paces.

“Yes. Thank you for the guidance.”

I also thanked the guard. Then, I stepped through the open door.

“Welcome.”

As I entered, Uncle Seokhyun greeted me.

However, The Fist was nowhere to be seen.

“He’s restrained in the next room.”

As if reading my thoughts through my expression and gaze, he said that and walked towards a terminal installed on one side of the room.

Then, he pressed two buttons in a row.

Then, one wall slowly began to become translucent.

Beyond the completely transparent wall, The Fist appeared, wearing restraints.

His arms, legs, and even his eyes and mouth were completely covered.

He was also wearing mana restraints on his limbs and neck.

The Fist was now in a state where he could do nothing but breathe.

“Has he still not said what kind of offer he wants to make?”

“Yes. He just keeps repeating that he’ll tell you when you come in person.”

“…I see.”

I quietly glared at the restrained The Fist.

“First, could you please remove the restraints from his mouth and eyes so we can talk?”

“Yes. I understand.”

Uncle Seokhyun operated the terminal again. The mechanical sound of buttons being pressed rang about three times, and the restraints that had been covering The Fist’s face began to be released.

—You came?

The Fist, having regained his sight, glared at me.

He shouldn’t be able to see this side yet, but it seems he instinctively sensed that I was in this direction.

“You can speak. What you say will be heard on the other side.”

At Kim Seokhyun’s words, I nodded slightly and looked at The Fist again.

“Yes, I’m here.”

At my voice, The Fist’s lips curled into a smirk.

—Good. Now we can talk.

Then, he laughed heartily and his eyes gleamed.

“What is it that you want to propose to me?”

—You’re in a hurry. Do you have something urgent?

He grinned slyly.

—First, can you give me a glass of water? My throat is sore, and I can’t speak well.

“…If you have nothing to say, I’ll go back.”

It was obvious that he was trying to take the lead by acting tough.

In this case, I had to respond just as strongly.

—Hmm. You came all this way and you’re going to leave without listening? I don’t care. The loss will be yours, not mine. If you’re going to leave, then leave.

The Fist chuckled mockingly. Then, he closed his eyes and mouth. His expression and gestures made it seem like he didn’t care at all if I left.

“Alright. A glass of water is no problem.”

—Ah, by the way, the condition is that you feed it to me yourself.

The Fist smiled meaningfully.

“More nonsense…”

At those words, Kim Seokhyun frowned. He seemed to think that the guy was playing with us.

That he had nothing to say and was just doing this to annoy me.

“Young Master. There’s no need to listen any further. Just…”

“No.”

But that’s not how it looked to me.

His mouth was sneering, but there was a strange desperation in his eyes.

“Alright. I’ll feed it to you myself.”

—Hehehe. Cool. Good. You won’t regret it.

“Young Master! It’s dangerous!”

It was dangerous to face such a criminal directly.

Kim Seokhyun blocked my path with an expression of strong opposition.

“It’s okay. He’s wearing so many restraints, what could possibly happen?”

“That’s…”

“Even if he tries something, Uncle Seokhyun will protect me, right?”

“…”

Kim Seokhyun shut his mouth tightly.

Then, he stared intently into my eyes for a long time.

“You’ve already made up your mind.”

“Yes. I’m going in.”

“…Alright. I’ll open it for you.”

Kim Seokhyun said with a sigh.

“But, if I see anything suspicious, I’ll step in immediately, so keep that in mind.”

“Yes. I’ll count on you then.”

—When are you coming? I’m dying of thirst.

At The Fist’s sly voice, Kim Seokhyun clicked his tongue.

Then, he returned to the terminal and began to manipulate it.

About a minute passed.

The transparent wall split open to the left and right, and I was directly facing The Fist.

The Fist’s eyes darted around quickly.

He wasn’t thinking something else. He was literally checking his surroundings quickly.

“…Good.”

The Fist muttered that and wiped the smile off his face.

Then, he spoke to me as I was pouring water.

“Forget the water. There’s no reason for me to drink water fed by a guy.”

The Fist changed his words.

“This bastard…”

Kim Seokhyun, as if finally losing it, clenched his fist and took a step forward.

“Stop.”

I stopped Kim Seokhyun.

“What’s your purpose?”

If he had intended to mess with me after I had caught him, he would have spat out the water or spit at me when I fed him the water.

There was no way he would suddenly say he didn’t need water now that the door was open.

There must be another reason for his sudden change of heart.

‘And that gaze from before. This guy. He was checking the surveillance cameras in this room.’

The moment the door to the visiting room opened, The Fist quickly scanned the cameras in his line of sight.

There was definitely a reason.

“You’re smart, as expected. And quick-witted.”

The Fist chuckled.

“Did you know? In this special prison, when the barrier between the visiting room and the detention cell is released, the camera feed to the control room is blocked.”

“…The camera feed to the control room is blocked?”

I turned my gaze to Uncle Seokhyun and asked with my eyes if that was true.

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

Uncle Seokhyun dismissed it as nonsense.

“Of course, it’s the first you’ve heard of it. It’s set up so you guys wouldn’t notice.”

“…Set up so we wouldn’t notice? What are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about?”

The Fist said with a face devoid of laughter.

“It means that there are black mages from the Black Magic Tower among the guards of this special prison.”

At those words, both mine and Kim Seokhyun’s pupils dilated simultaneously.

“It’s not just this Relphiten prison. There are special settings like this in other special prisons as well.”

“…Is this preparation to break out the inmates?”

“No. That’s not it. The Black Magic Tower doesn’t save black mages once they’re caught.”

The Fist’s expression turned cold.

“Those settings in each prison are for destroying evidence. To kill the captured members and prevent information leaks.”

“…”

It was something the Black Magic Tower would do, so I couldn’t say anything.

However, there was one thing I was curious about.

“I thought the Black Magic Tower killed its members through special magic.”

“Ah. The Black Seal? That’s a seal they put on the lower-ranking members. It doesn’t apply to quasi-executive class like me.”

“…The Black Seal.”

I got another new piece of information.

“Tell me more about the Black Seal…”

“Stop. I know you have a lot of questions, but there’s no time to answer them. The video feed to the control room is only cut off for about three minutes.”

Three minutes.

One minute and thirty seconds had already passed.

“If you understand, let’s get straight to the point.”

The point.

He was talking about the offer he wanted to make to me.

“The condition I’m proposing is all the information I know about the Black Magic Tower. In return, what I’m asking for is…”

The Fist stared directly into my eyes.

“My life. Protect me from the assassins the Black Magic Tower will send. I don’t want to die yet.”

He looked like a herbivore trembling in fear in front of a carnivore.

* * *

The next morning.

Day 20 of the Olympiad.

The eighth match, the 1:1 individual battle, began.

—It’s a big match right from the first game! Korea’s Adela Steart versus Germany’s Rosie Beighton!

—Both are promising players considered to be the best in this competition, so we can expect a spectacular match.

—The two players are entering the arena as we speak.

I watched Adela appear in the arena, and I replayed the words I had heard from The Fist last night.

‘I’m going to die during the transfer from this special prison to another prison. So, postpone the transfer for now. If I stay in this prison, I won’t die for now.’

‘And prepare at least three escorts composed of 8th Circle mages to transfer me to the Hwaellian Prison. Then, I’ll provide all the information I have about the Black Magic Tower.’

The Fist’s proposal was extremely reasonable.

It was a request that I could have granted even if he hadn’t said he would give information about the Black Magic Tower in the first place.

From our perspective, there was no way we could easily let a spy we had caught die.

He made such an obvious request as a condition, and on top of that, he would provide information about the Black Magic Tower if successful.

From our perspective, there was no reason not to accept the proposal.

So, I immediately accepted his proposal.

As proposed, I delayed his transfer and decided to gather a reliable escort to transfer him to Hwaellian Prison.

The transfer date was ten days later.

Right after the Olympiad ended.

‘I hope nothing happens until then…’

The Black Magic Tower guys are the type who would do anything to protect their information.

If the transfer is delayed by ten days, who knows what they might do.

They might even raid Relphiten Prison.

We need to be prepared for such unexpected attacks.

‘The Crest of the Summit and the Grace of God are still intact. If I were them…’

Just as I was falling deeper into the gaps of thought.

“Waaaaaaaah-!!”

The cheers filled my world.

The sound was so loud that it broke my concentration, which usually never wavered.

What happened?

I quickly raised my head.

—Oh my, a very special guest has graced us with their presence today!

In the main monitor, the commentator was staring at one side of the audience with an excited expression.

At the same time, the video on the main monitor changed.

—The world’s greatest mage! A living legend!

The moment I confirmed the face of the woman that appeared on the screen, my eyes widened.

—Ms. Sophia Anetscheff has joined us!

I took my eyes off the monitor and turned my gaze to where the camera was pointing.

To where Sophia Anetscheff was sitting.

And at that moment, my already wide eyes widened even further.

‘…Is she looking at me?’

Sophia Anetscheff was looking directly at me.