The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 165

The events centered around the Mado family were quickly brought to a close.

[Series of Terror Attacks! Are the Terrorists from the Black Magic Tower?]

[Is there a reason for targeting the hotel?]

[Public anxiety at an all-time high.]

The truth of the incident, that the Mado family was deeply involved, was completely concealed.

It was handled as if the Black Magic Tower had acted alone, rather than Shin Ji-han colluding with them to kill Shin Se-ah and me.

Covering up the incident was easier than expected.

It was a known fact that Shin Ji-han had caused some trouble, but no one knew he was connected to the Black Magic Tower.

Because of this, no one bothered to link Shin Ji-han and the Black Magic Tower.

Thanks to that, we were able to conceal the incident without any special maneuvering.

It was truly fortunate.

If the truth of this incident had spread, the Mado family would have been condemned by the entire world.

They would have lost the title of ‘Mado’ and the structure of the ‘family’ itself would have collapsed.

Not only the Mado family, but all the affiliates connected to them would have been destroyed.

Trading with the Black Magic Tower was that great of a sin.

This was also why my father had been so passive, even though he knew Shin Ji-han’s secret.

He was worried that if he moved too aggressively, internal information would leak, and the Mado family itself would be destroyed.

That’s why my father had chosen to lie low and observe Shin Ji-han.

‘…Should I have moved more decisively?’

My father, who had been standing quietly beside me, muttered those words with a complicated expression.

He was wearing a black suit, with a mourning armband on his left arm, staring blankly at my sister’s portrait.

‘If only I had been a little more decisive…’

Incense was burning below the photo, and flowers were placed all around it.

‘…No. In the end, it’s all hindsight.’

My sister was gone.

She was murdered by Shin Ji-han.

When I arrived, it was already too late. There was no way for me to save my sister.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t expect Shin Ji-han to be so forceful.’

This was clearly my fault.

Even though I knew Shin Ji-han had done something to Se-ah, my selfish decision to use her as bait led to her death.

‘…I’m sorry.’

‘You only made a suggestion. I was the one who ultimately approved the plan. It’s not your fault to feel guilty about.’

My father quietly placed his hand on my shoulder.

The hand that always seemed so big and powerful looked unusually small today.

I could feel the strength in my father’s hand over my shoulder.

‘…I always thought I was an emotionless machine.’

The smell of incense filled the air.

Beyond the smoke rising from the incense, my sister’s smiling photo came into view.

‘Seven years ago, I was indifferent to my parents’ death. Last year, I was detached even at my wife’s death. That’s why I thought I didn’t have the emotion of sadness.’

My father’s shoulders, which had always seemed like a mountain, looked small today.

I couldn’t feel his usual spirit at all.

‘But it seems I was wrong.’

My father quietly reached out to my sister’s portrait.

Then, he caressed the photo with a gentle expression I had never seen before.

‘Father…’

Shin In-hyuk, the head of the Mado family.

My father was called a ‘ghost’ outside.

All his actions were based on objective and cold calculations, and he was never swayed by the illusion of affection.

A businessman without blood or tears.

A cold-hearted mage.

That’s why he was called a ghost.

Anyone with roots in Korea held a sense of awe for my father.

That’s the kind of person he was.

‘…’

That kind of person was crying.

Of course, he wasn’t outwardly shedding tears or making a sad expression.

There was no change in his expression.

But it was only his expression that remained unchanged.

My father’s gestures, his aura, his attitude, everything except his expression was embodying sadness.

‘…Mana is crying.’

The mana surrounding my father was crying, so mournfully that I felt like crying myself.

‘When was it? A buyer I was doing an important deal with in the past once said he had to go back immediately because his daughter had died. It was a very important deal. But he said he was going to cancel everything and go back.’

My father lifted his head towards the ceiling.

‘I didn’t understand it. His daughter’s death was her death, and the deal was the deal. There was nothing that would change by going back now. Why would he abandon everything and go back…? I couldn’t understand it at all.’

I had heard that story once before.

It must have been when I was 13.

He said that everything should be handled objectively and coldly.

He told me not to be like that later.

‘I understand it now. Indeed, this is… an indescribable pain.’

My father grabbed his chest with his right hand.

‘Ha-yul.’

My father quietly called my name.

‘It might sound ridiculous to you that I’m saying this now… You might even laugh inside. But I’ll endure the ridicule and say it.’

He turned his gaze and looked at me.

‘You… don’t die before me.’

It was a look I had never seen before.

Mournful, yet warm.

Yes.

It was my father’s gaze.

‘It’s enough that Se-ah and Ji-han went to meet my wife before me.’

I met my father’s gaze for a long time.

‘That will never happen.’

‘…Okay.’

My father gently patted my back.

‘I feel a little relieved.’

It was the first time I had ever felt my father’s touch.

* * *

After that, I left the funeral hall, leaving my father behind.

‘The head of the family…’

Mr. Seok-hyun, who had been waiting in front of the funeral hall, approached me.

His black suit, different from his usual uniform, suited him quite well.

‘He said he wanted to be alone.’

‘…I see.’

Mr. Seok-hyun bit his lip with an expression full of worries and regrets.

He seemed to be thinking even more than my father.

‘Then, is it only you, Master Ha-yul, who will go to see Master Ji-han?’

‘Yes. My father said he would go separately later.’

‘…I understand.’

Shin Ji-han was still alive.

No, it was inaccurate to say he was alive.

It would be more accurate to say he was in a state that was neither dead nor alive.

‘Has the doctor’s opinion come out?’

‘Not yet. If there is no change in his brainwaves by tomorrow, he will be declared dead according to US medical law.’

Shin Ji-han was brain dead.

As a result of using the Black Magic Tower’s new illegal modified AI and illegal drugs, his brain was severely damaged.

His heart was beating, and his organs were functioning, but that was all.

His brain was already destroyed.

‘Have you heard what they will do when he is declared dead?’

‘They said they would decide after returning to Korea. I think there’s a high chance they’ll cremate him. They’ll probably follow the same procedure as other brain-dead people.’

‘…I see.’

In this era, brain death was a very common cause of death.

In an era where black magic that destroys the mind exists, it was only natural.

Even if that wasn’t the case, magic itself was a technology that put a considerable strain on the brain.

That’s why there was a somewhat standardized way to send off brain-dead people.

‘May I ask you a question, Master?’

‘What is it?’

While riding in the limousine towards the hospital where Shin Ji-han was lying, Mr. Seok-hyun cautiously opened the topic.

‘I heard that Master Ji-han fought while using the Black Magic Tower’s illegal modified AI and illegal drugs.’

‘Yes.’

‘If he used both, Master Ji-han’s power would have been at least that of a 7-circle master [a very high-level mage].’

‘Yes. He seemed to be at the level of a 7-circle master.’

‘…How did you manage to defeat such a Ji-han?’

‘Hmm.’

At that time, Shin Ji-han was definitely strong.

I couldn’t beat a 7-circle master no matter what I did now.

A 7-circle master was that powerful.

‘I’ll correct you first, as it seems you’ve misunderstood, but I didn’t exactly win with magic.’

‘If you didn’t win with magic…?’

But Shin Ji-han hadn’t reached the level of a 7-circle master with his own power.

His achievement was fake.

It was just a false achievement reached through shortcuts.

‘I used the instability of the illegal modified AI chip and illegal drugs to induce an overload, causing him to self-destruct.’

‘Induce an overload…’

In the rearview mirror, Mr. Seok-hyun’s eyes widened.

‘It’s true that both the illegal modified AI chip and illegal drugs are unstable, but to intentionally induce an overload. Such a skill is… Ah.’

Mr. Seok-hyun stopped talking and stared intently at me.

‘…I see. Is it the power of the Divine Eye?’

Before I could answer, he came to his own conclusion.

‘Yes.’

To be precise, it wasn’t just the power of the Divine Eye, but a complex interaction with the Bytener formula, but I didn’t think it was necessary to explain that far, so I just agreed.

‘I see. So that’s why…’

Mr. Seok-hyun nodded as if he understood.

Then, he suddenly smiled bitterly.

‘In short… Master Ji-han made a mistake himself. Is that what you’re saying?’

‘Yes. If my brother had fought fairly, it wouldn’t have been so easy to settle things.’

If Shin Ji-han hadn’t used the illegal modified AI chip or illegal drugs, things wouldn’t have been resolved so easily.

Whatever the case, Shin Ji-han was a mage who belonged to the category of a genius who had reached the level of a 6-circle master [a high-level mage].

Moreover, he wasn’t just an ordinary 6-circle master, but one armed with the world’s most fraudulent secret magic.

If he had fought head-on, it would have been impossible to settle things in 8 minutes.

And if I hadn’t settled things within 8 minutes, I wouldn’t have thought of the plan to prepare the permafrost in advance.

Capturing Tkish alive would have been absolutely impossible.

‘How is Tkish doing?’

Speaking of Tkish, I remembered.

‘He’s the same as ever.’

Tkish was currently imprisoned deep within the Hwaelian prison.

‘The interrogation… Hmm. I asked a pointless question. Of course, it would be impossible.’

‘…Yes.’

Tkish was still an ice statue.

Since he couldn’t speak, there was no way to interrogate him.

‘Has the US side asked for the permafrost to be released?’

‘The US government has already requested the release of the permafrost. Of course, I refused as you instructed.’

‘It hasn’t even been a day, and they’re already making such offers.’

‘Yes. Since he’s a high-ranking official, they seem to be getting impatient.’

‘Did you also tell them that if the permafrost is released, he will escape?’

‘I did, but…’

‘They asked what the basis for that was, right?’

‘Exactly.’

The reason why I wasn’t releasing the permafrost was simply because I shouldn’t.

‘The mana surrounding Tkish didn’t feel like it was in despair at all.’

All I felt was revenge, and a sticky murderous intent to kill me later.

‘I’m sure of it. He has a last resort left.’

Thinking about the future meant he had a way to escape.

That’s why I made the choice not to release the permafrost.

I didn’t know how he was planning to escape, but the fact that he was quietly captured now meant that he couldn’t escape while under the permafrost.

I had to leave him as an ice statue and find a way to completely neutralize him.

‘But Master, about how long does the permafrost last?’

‘About 3 or 4 days, I guess.’

Mr. Seok-hyun’s pupils widened slightly. He looked like he was thinking, ‘3 days…’

‘Is it possible to increase the duration by layering the permafrost?’

‘It is possible, but… it probably wouldn’t mean much.’

‘Why is that?’

‘If you layer magic, the momentarily strengthened magic will likely kill him. And if he dies, he will resurrect in perfect condition.’

‘Indeed. If he resurrects in perfect condition, he will use the unknown