The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 174

Semi-transparent, formless energy radiated outward from Triksh.

“Hayul, get behind me… !”

The Blue Magic Tower Lord stepped in front of me, erecting a water barrier.

A shimmering wall of water quickly formed, covering the space before us.

The formless energy that Triksh emitted crashed against it.

And then, in that instant.

“…Blue Magic Tower Lord?”

The Blue Magic Tower Lord’s body vanished.

‘What is going on?’

It wasn’t just the Blue Magic Tower Lord.

The Red Magic Tower Lord, Charles, and even my father.

Everyone disappeared without a trace, as if they had been sucked into the barrier that Triksh had created.

‘What happened?’

My mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. There was too little information to understand.

“…What are you?”

The only ones left here were me, Miho, and Shadow.

“How did you get into the spiritual world…”

“Spiritual world?”

Shadow clamped his mouth shut.

He seemed to realize his slip of the tongue.

‘Spiritual world…’

I couldn’t be certain, but considering the keyword ‘world,’ it seemed likely that he had used a barrier-type magic.

And with the addition of ‘spiritual,’ it must be a special barrier that only Triksh could use.

“…I can’t understand it.”

Shadow knelt on one knee and slumped to the floor.

Blood trickled down from his body, which was hidden by shadows.

It seemed he had overexerted himself trying to rescue Triksh earlier.

“That monster too… what are you… cough!”

Shadow coughed.

The shadows surrounding his body became limp.

He had definitely overexerted himself.

‘If he’s in such a weakened state… I might be able to handle him now.’

I gently placed Miho on the floor and immediately adopted a battle stance.

“How laughable. Do you really think a mere mage like you can defeat me?”

“Whatever it takes, I have to try, don’t I?”

A suffocating tension filled the air.

In the quiet atmosphere, only Shadow’s rough breathing echoed loudly.

“I’ll show you your place.”

Shadow’s shadow took the form of a monstrous creature.

As if defense didn’t matter, it adopted an aggressive, attacking posture.

“Die.”

The shadow monster flew towards me.

It rushed in, opening its huge maw as if to swallow me whole.

‘Too fast!’

I couldn’t dodge it.

My body couldn’t react to that speed.

The only countermeasure I could take was to use magic.

‘Resonance Ring Enhancement!’

‘Octagonal Gate Maximum Output!’

The Octagonal Gate unfolded in front of me.

A full-power barrier blocked my path.

‘With this…!’

I might be able to block it somehow.

Even if I couldn’t, I might be able to buy some time to escape.

Thinking that, I considered my next escape route.

However.

“Didn’t you hear? Shadows are not bound by anything.”

Contrary to my expectations, my Octagonal Gate couldn’t stop the shadow monster’s charge.

“Die.”

The shield vanished instantly upon impact.

My vision was filled with the inside of the shadow monster’s mouth.

A moment of absolute crisis.

At that moment.

Clang!

The little fox, Miho, who had been standing proudly at my feet, roared.

A small but clear roar.

Something warm burst out from Miho.

Whoooosh-!

And the next moment, the shadow monster burst like a balloon.

It happened in an instant.

“The shadow… erased…?”

Shadow’s voice trembled with bewilderment.

“Blocking it is one thing, but erasing it… there’s no way that’s possible…”

Shadow’s shadow writhed.

His injuries must have worsened from the previous attack.

“If that’s possible…”

The shadow that had been covering Shadow’s face flowed down like mud.

A youthful face that looked no older than 13 years old was revealed.

His equally youthful eyes, as if denying his age, gleamed with a strange delight.

“I see. You’re… so that’s it.”

At that moment.

“Then that changes things.”

The shadow expanded again.

As if filling the entire space, the shadow spread out.

And soon, it became a temple.

‘That temple-shaped magic they said was used in the Third Magic Stone Warehouse…’

They said that right after using this magic, all three of them disappeared.

That meant that this magic was likely a type of escape magic.

“I’ll stop here for today.”

Shadow’s figure sank into the shadow temple as if being swallowed.

The eyes that were slowly sinking into the ground shone brightly.

“See you again, Shin Hayul. Don’t be too sad. We’ll meet again soon.”

His eyes were like those of a lamb who had found new hope.

Swoosh…

And with that, Shadow disappeared along with the shadow temple.

Only Miho and I remained in the place.

“Miho, what did you just do?”

I asked Miho, still on guard.

Of course, Miho didn’t answer.

She just whined softly, as if it was nothing, and jumped into my arms.

I hugged Miho and stroked her head.

‘…I can ask Mimir for details later.’

I took out ‘Aeth’ and put it on.

Then, I took out ‘Mimir’s Book’ from the subspace.

It was time to enter Mimir’s Book.

‘Spiritual world. I need Mimir’s wisdom to deal with Triksh’s special barrier that the four of them were sucked into.’

I opened Mimir’s Book and headed inside.

Thud!

My body was sucked into the book, and the now free Mimir’s Book fell freely, colliding with the ground.

* * *

The spiritual world.

A secret technique of black magic that Triksh uses, employing ‘souls’ as a medium.

A secret technique that can only be unleashed by offering up all the prepared sanctuaries and sacrifices. [Sanctuary: A place of refuge or safety, often associated with religious or spiritual significance.]

It’s a high-risk magic that can’t be used often because it requires sacrificing everything and, due to the strength of the subordinates, it’s impossible to create a sanctuary for a while after using it, but the return is enormous.

“It’s useless, you vermin. Your achievements in this world mean nothing.”

The spiritual world.

Also known as the world where souls are discussed.

Strength in this world is not determined by magic or power.

“The only thing that matters in this world is the caliber of the soul.”

In this world, the person with the highest caliber of soul becomes the strongest.

“The souls of vermin like you don’t even reach the tip of my soul.”

Therefore, Triksh is bound to be the strongest in this world.

It’s only natural.

Mages are researchers who train magic, not practitioners who cultivate the caliber of their souls.

No matter how great a mage is, the caliber of their soul is bound to be ordinary.

On the other hand, what about Triksh?

A mage who manipulates souls.

As someone who has practiced with souls, his soul’s caliber is inevitably high.

That’s why Triksh is invincible in this spiritual world.

‘The only being who can defeat me in this world is the Black Magic King.’

Unless one is born with a great soul like the Black Magic King, he will never lose.

“Don’t spout nonsense, you trash.”

Shin Inhyuk glared at Triksh with a ghostly expression befitting his title.

“There is no such thing as a soul in this world.”

The concept of a soul does not exist in this world.

It has not been scientifically verified, nor has it been magically verified.

People do not have souls, and there is no afterlife.

“Since souls don’t exist, there is obviously no such thing as the caliber of a soul. It’s useless to try to package the effects of a special barrier with such nonsense.”

No mage in this world believes in the existence of ghosts.

“All the mages who have stepped into this world say that.”

Triksh twisted his lips as if amused.

“They are truly ignorant. They can’t even recognize the existence of a clearly existing concept… the soul.”

Overwhelming superiority.

The catharsis that came from being the only one to enjoy what others could not feel thrilled Triksh.

Kwaaaaaaang!

On top of that, the magic of the Red Tower Lord, the Blue Tower Lord, Shin Inhyuk, and Charles fell.

The simultaneous explosion of four 8th-circle spells. [8th-circle spells: A high level of magic in this world.]

The power was so great that it looked like a nuclear bomb had gone off.

There was no sign that he had cast a defensive spell or moved from his spot.

No, mana wasn’t moving at all.

The four mages’ magic definitely hit Triksh.

“If someone gives you advice, listen to it, you vermin.”

But Triksh was unharmed.

Not a scratch, not even a trace of soot on his clothes.

“No, it was wrong to think that I could communicate with ants in the first place. Then it’s my mistake.”

Triksh chuckled and raised his right hand.

And he lightly moved his hand horizontally.

There was no sign of mana movement. It was just a trivial act of waving in the air.

But that was all it took.

“Cough!”

“Eek!”

Suddenly, the bodies of the Red Magic Tower Lord, the Blue Magic Tower Lord, Shin Inhyuk, and Charles flew away like bullets.

It was as if an invisible, formless hammer had struck the four of them hard.

“Bugs don’t die from being crushed once or twice.”

Triksh brought his right hand down.

Kwaaaaaaang!

At the same time, the four figures plummeted to the ground.

“Some pests even survive being burned alive or cut in half.”

He raised his hand up.

The four figures rose vertically again.

“Just like you.”

Then he slammed his hand down again.

The hand came down much faster than before.

The speed at which the four figures fell was incomparable to before.

Kwaaaaaaang-!

The four of them crashed into the ground.

Four craters were formed in each location.

“What… what did you do… !”

Charles, who was stuck in one of the craters, glared at Triksh, grinding his teeth.

“Without using mana, how…”

“Do I have to say it again? In this world, the caliber of the soul determines everything… I think I already said that once.”

Triksh pointed at Charles with his right hand.

Charles’s body flew towards Triksh.

Squeeze!

‘What kind of power…!’

He tried to resist with telekinesis, but it was useless.

Even with all his telekinetic power, he couldn’t resist Triksh’s power.

“…Hound!”

The Red Magic Tower Lord quickly escaped from the crater and moved to help Charles, but.

“Stop.”

“… !”

Likewise, he couldn’t resist Triksh’s power.

“You too. Just stop and watch quietly.”

Shin Inhyuk and Kim Kangin were the same.

As if bound by Triksh’s words, they couldn’t move their bodies at all.

Since they were told to be quiet, they couldn’t even move their mouths.

“I am the king in this world.”

Thud!

Triksh grabbed Charles’s neck.

“I owe you quite a bit. This is my repayment.”

With his right hand gripping his neck, he grabbed Charles’s right arm with his left hand.

“I hope you don’t die of shock all at once.”

“You, you bastard…”

Squeeze!

Triksh’s left hand tightened, and his veins bulged.

“The pain of a soul being torn apart… will be very special.”

Chwaaaaaak-!

Triksh tore off Charles’s right arm.

The right arm and torso were separated in an instant.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaak!”

A sharp scream indicated the magnitude of the pain.

“Now. You fools who said you couldn’t believe in the existence of souls. I’ll show you proof from now on.”

He held up Charles’s completely separated right arm and showed the severed part to everyone.

“Unlike the body, the soul doesn’t bleed when it’s torn apart.”

There was no blood, flesh, or bone visible on the severed part.

All that was visible was a semi-transparent mirage.

“And one more thing. In this world, it’s not over just because a part of the body is torn off.”

Triksh threw Charles’s right arm up.

Then, he struck the falling arm with the edge of his hand.

Swoosh!

Charles’s right arm was cut in half.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaak!”

Charles’s scream echoed again, more desperately.

Even though the pain shouldn’t be felt because it was the right arm that had been separated from the body, the pain was still felt.

“Like this. The fragments of the severed soul still have sensation.”

Triksh stretched out his left hand and pulled the two halves of Charles’s arm.

Charles’s right arm was back in Triksh’s hand.

“And it’s also free to reattach it like this.”

Triksh stroked the severed part of the arm with his index finger.

Then, as if it had never been cut off, it was restored to its original form.

“How is it? Do you believe in the existence of souls now?”

“You… bastard…”

Charles glared at Triksh with a venomous look.

Saliva was dripping from his mouth. It was a sign of pain.

“That expression. Good. Very good. That’s how I enjoy torturing you more.”

Triksh was delighted.

He was worried that his spirit might break here. But he didn’t have to worry about that.

“Now. From now on, I’m going to slowly carve this arm, starting from the fingers, millimeter by millimeter.”

Triksh floated Charles’s right arm in the air.

Then, he placed his index finger on the arm. It was as if a doctor was placing a scalpel on a patient’s body.

“Beg me. Then I might show you some mercy.”

Thoo!

Charles spat.

“…Go screw yourself.”

“Ho ho.”

Charles mustered all his strength and unleashed magic.

An 8th-circle telekinetic force bound Triksh’s entire body.

The powerful physical force, enough to turn an ordinary apartment into ashes, struck Triksh’s body.

However.

“I’ll see how long that spirit lasts. Let’s start with the fingers.”

Triksh showed no reaction.

In this place, the spiritual world, magic does not inflict any damage on him.

“Don’t worry about time. Unlike the body, the soul is not bound by time and space. Time in this space is infinite.”

Triksh’s index finger slowly. Very slowly, it moved towards Charles’s finger.

“This torture will not end until you cry and beg.”

Swoosh, swoosh.

Perhaps to maximize the fear.

He slowly shaved off the fingernail as if gnawing at it.

“No. I won’t end it even if you cry and beg.”

Triksh’s eyes burned with disgust and anger.

“Taste the pain of eternity and regret it.”

Triksh’s index finger slowly approached the flesh.

“You, you bastard…”

“It’s a bit of a shame. I wanted to make that damn Shin Hayul, that bastard, into a body that could neither live nor die.”

Swoosh, swoosh.

The fingernail was slowly being cut off.

The sound was like the whisper of a grim reaper.

‘But… I don’t understand. How did he escape my spiritual world?’

Triksh’s eyes narrowed.

How did Shin Hayul escape the spiritual world?

It was very concerning.

‘…Well, it doesn’t matter right now. Shadow must have caught him. I can torture him slowly and ask him.’

Just as Triksh finished thinking and his index finger was about to cut into Charles’s flesh.

“I’ve kept you waiting long enough. Now, let’s begin the long-awaited torture…”

“That’s enough.”

Someone grabbed Triksh’s hand. Triksh’s heart trembled violently in that grip.

A presence that held such immense power that he couldn’t even think of resisting.

A being filled with awe that made even Triksh’s soul, which possessed considerable caliber, tremble in fear, stood behind Triksh and coldly recited.

‘Th, the Black Magic King?’

This aura.

He had felt it once before.

The Black Magic King.

The ruler of the great Black Magic Tower.

His great soul had arrived here.

“Black Magic King. What brings you to this humble place…”

He released Charles’s neck, turned around, and greeted the Black Magic King with a respectful posture.

However.

“You… !”

The one standing behind Triksh was not the Black Magic King.

“Shin Hayul!”

Shin Hayul.

He was looking down at Triksh with a cold expression.