The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 273

Thud. Thud.

The sound of shoes hitting the marble floor echoed clearly.

Ray Bell Vaitener.

With each step he took, the flamboyant red robe he wore fluttered.

His long golden hair scattered like silk over the red robe.

“First of all…”

A brilliant gaze, as if the sun had been condensed.

Just as the sun illuminates everything in the world, his gaze also illuminated everything.

“You’ll have to step back from there.”

He took a large step forward.

And in an instant, he was standing between Veil and Shin Ha-yul.

Veil immediately gathered his mana and stepped back.

Given that his opponent was Ray Bell Vaitener, he couldn’t move rashly.

That’s why he created some distance.

“Master…nim?” [A respectful honorific in Korean, similar to ‘Master’ or ‘Teacher’]

Ray met Shin Ha-yul’s eyes.

A warm gaze, like basking in the sun on a beautiful spring day.

Looking into those eyes, my heart felt at ease.

The body that had been suppressed by Veil Stoll’s mana began to return to normal in an instant.

“We’ll talk later. Just watch.”

Ray immediately turned his gaze.

His gaze was directed at Veil Stoll. This wasn’t the time for a leisurely conversation.

Right now, he needed to focus on fighting that man.

“Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

To leave as much as possible for the successor.

To convey as much information as possible.

“…My lord.”

As Veil withdrew his mana, Aslan, now free, approached Ray with a gloomy expression.

“Ray.”

Like Aslan, Elena, freed from Veil’s pressure, slowly rose and called his name.

Her expression looked as if she was about to burst into tears.

“Aslan. Elena.”

Just as Ray was about to speak to the two with a subtle expression.

Suddenly, a huge ball of fur wedged itself between them.

The Nine-Tailed Fox.

A divine beast who loved Ray more than anyone and grieved his death more than anyone.

The Nine-Tailed Fox buried its face in Ray and wept.

“…Nine-Tailed Fox.”

Ray stroked the Nine-Tailed Fox with an indescribable expression.

Although he didn’t share memories with the Nine-Tailed Fox from when he possessed Shin Ha-yul’s body.

The reaction was not much different from before.

That reaction from the Nine-Tailed Fox pained Ray’s heart.

Thinking about the Nine-Tailed Fox’s sadness at being left alone, his chest felt heavy.

Ray couldn’t say anything.

Because he was sorry. Sorry and grateful.

All he could do now was gently stroke the Nine-Tailed Fox’s head.

“…Mimir.”

While stroking the Nine-Tailed Fox like that.

Ray casually called out to Mimir.

Mimir’s shoulders flinched, who had been quietly bowing her head behind him.

“Do you not even want to look at my face anymore?”

“…No, that’s not it.”

Mimir’s shoulders trembled slightly. Her tightly closed mouth and deeply bowed head clearly showed her complex feelings.

“I… that is… to Father…”

Mimir didn’t know how to speak to Ray Bell Vaitener, her own father.

Ray glanced at Mimir and smiled kindly.

“It’s alright.”

And then, he gently stroked Mimir’s head.

“You don’t have to say more. I know what you want to say, what you’re trying to say. I know it all.”

“Fath, Father…”

Mimir’s shoulders trembled even more violently.

Tears dripped from her deeply bowed head.

Ray looked at Mimir with a sad smile.

“It would have been better if you had come here a little sooner.”

“Fath, Father…”

Mimir just closed her mouth and sobbed.

She had vowed never to cry again. She had resolved countless times never to cry again.

This was unfair.

Suddenly appearing like this, suddenly shaking her heart like this.

“I want to talk more…”

Ray slowly removed his hand from Mimir’s head.

“Let’s postpone that for later.”

He gently moved the Nine-Tailed Fox back and turned his gaze towards Veil Stoll, who was watching the situation from afar.

“Watch closely. Along with the future successor.”

Thud, thud.

One step. One step.

He slowly approached Veil Stoll.

Six steps in total.

At the same time as he distanced himself from his group.

“My battle.”

A barrier was formed, blocking Ray and his group.

“And Veil Stoll’s battle.”

The barrier that was formed quickly expanded, becoming a colosseum that confined Veil Stoll and Ray Bell Vaitener.

“For the future.”

Inside the translucent barrier.

Ray Bell Vaitener focused his gaze on Veil Stoll without looking back.

“A multi-dimensional barrier. You’re pushing yourself. Certainly, this will prevent any harm to the successor…”

Veil Stoll’s eyes gleamed.

“But your combat power will inevitably decrease.”

A multi-dimensional barrier.

As the name suggests, it’s a magic that creates another dimension and confines the target within it.

“Are you planning to fight me in that state?”

Veil twisted his lips as if he found it ridiculous.

“What. I just thought that you wouldn’t go all out unless there was a handicap like this.”

Ray smiled leisurely.

“Certainly, I used you. I felt your will embedded in my abyss, and even after confirming that you had entered the sixth trial page, I just left you alone.”

“…”

Veil frowned.

He was displeased by the fact that his entire plan had been exposed.

“The purpose is to convey your information to the future. To show the future successor your fighting style directly.”

Although Ray Bell Vaitener’s power was said to be comparable to a god, it was impossible to reproduce Veil Stoll, who was on the same level.

But if Veil Stoll himself put his existence into the trial page, it would be a different story.

Veil Stoll could be kept within the trial page.

He could show the future successor directly how dangerous Veil Stoll was.

That’s why Ray didn’t stop Veil’s machinations.

He only put a very small restraint device to prevent him from harming the successor, and didn’t touch anything else.

“To go out of your way to explain all that. You’re still kind.”

“If it were you, you would have already grasped the entire situation even if I hadn’t said anything. You would have understood and chosen to surrender. To prevent my purpose, to prevent your information from being conveyed to the future successor.”

“…”

That was the correct answer.

Even if Ray hadn’t said those words, Veil would have noticed everything and would have quietly accepted defeat without resisting.

After all, the one here was not the real one, but a fake.

It was better to quietly accept defeat than to give information to the opponent.

It was somewhat annoying that he had been outwitted by Ray, but he had to admit what he had to admit.

This match was clearly Veil’s defeat.

“That’s why I used a multi-dimensional barrier. I put shackles on myself to create an environment that was advantageous to you. To give you the motivation to act.”

Veil narrowed his eyes.

He had a look that showed he completely understood what Ray was trying to say.

“You deliberately weakened your own power to make me fight with all my might?”

“That’s right.”

Ray said, rotating the mana within his body faster and faster.

“If you defeat me now, you can defeat the successor waiting outside the multi-dimensional barrier.”

The mana flowing through Ray’s body flowed out according to Ray’s will, creating a Möbius pattern.

“If you defeat the successor, the future will disappear. For eternity, this world will be yours.”

A complete battle stance.

A perfect battle stance that could respond no matter when or where Veil moved.

“Don’t you think it’s worth fighting with all your might?”

“Nonsense.”

Veil scoffed.

“This world is under your control. No matter how weakened you are, it’s impossible for me to defeat you now. There’s no value in considering it.”

“No. I’m not controlling this world. You should know that too.”

If this world was in its original form.

If it was in the form before Veil Stoll intervened, he could have controlled it.

But now that an anomaly like Veil Stoll has intervened, it’s impossible to control this world.

This world has already left Ray’s hands.

“So fight with all your might, Veil.”

Ray’s mana shone like light.

“Even if you lose, all you lose is the leakage of trivial information. What you gain from victory is eternal victory.”

Ray smiled confidently.

“Low risk, high return. It’s a completely losing proposition for me. I think it’s worth trying.”

“…It’s not convincing when you say it with a smile.”

That confident smile.

Ray was certain that he wouldn’t lose, regardless of the handicap.

It wasn’t confidence based on evidence.

It was baseless confidence.

Ray was sure he would win even though he had no countermeasures.

“Really… he’s a natural at getting on my nerves, as much as he is at magic.”

His head was heating up.

He was completely ignoring him.

“It would be nice if you added a subject. My sarcasm is only for you.”

Veil scoffed.

He was truly a ridiculous guy no matter how many times he looked at him.

“So what are you going to do? Even after saying all this, you still don’t feel like fighting?”

Veil’s lips slowly curled upwards.

“No. There’s no way.”

At the same time, Veil’s mana became even denser.

Jet-black mana that seemed to form a symmetrical point with Ray.

Veil also entered a complete battle stance.

“Ray Bell Vaitener. You will regret giving me this opportunity.”

Light and darkness began to clash with each other.

Ray Bell Vaitener and Veil Stoll.

The clash of the two founders of magic.

“Disappear with the future successor. You ghost.”

Darkness surged to engulf the world.

“Well.”

As if responding to that darkness, light moved.

“I don’t think that will happen.”

The final battle of the myth was about to unfold again in this place.

* * *

Outside the barrier.

I was blankly staring at the battle inside the barrier.

“…”

I couldn’t even let out a hollow laugh.

Was that really a battle between people?

I don’t know.

I don’t know at all.

What were those two doing right now?

I even doubted if what they were using was the magic I knew.

I felt like my common sense was being destroyed.

I felt like I was about to experience cognitive dissonance [A state of mental discomfort caused by holding conflicting beliefs or values].

“…Watch carefully. That is your future. The future you must reach.”

Elena-nim put her hand on my back and said.

“And watch carefully. Veil Stoll. The appearance of the enemy you will have to defeat in the future.”

She seemed to be saying that I shouldn’t miss a single moment of that scene and imprint it in my eyes.

“The value of this battle is immeasurable. Today’s battle will change your future.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Master’s battle was like a lighthouse that showed me the direction I should go.

Whether I watched this battle or not would have a significant impact on my future growth.

Being able to see Master’s battle right in front of me was an immeasurable stroke of luck.

The same was true for Veil Stoll’s battle.

The worst enemy I would have to defeat in the future.

Seeing such a powerful enemy’s battle in advance was a huge advantage.

I had only heard that he was strong, but I had never experienced it directly.

This made it much easier to prepare for the future.

“…That guy is something else.”

Aslan suddenly let out a hollow laugh.

Judging by the way he was looking at me, he was probably talking to me.

“Suddenly?”

I asked back without turning my gaze to Aslan.

I couldn’t miss a single detail of this battle.

I couldn’t turn my gaze away now.

“He’s something else, but all he’s done is get beaten up.”

“That’s only natural. What can a chick who has just started walking do against a phoenix?”

A chick and a phoenix.

It was a perfect analogy.

“What surprised me was your calm attitude.”

“Calm? Me?”

There’s no way.

“I’m shaking like a leaf right now.”

I had almost died twice.

My heart was still pounding.

“Hmph. You’re calm enough right now. A normal person wouldn’t even be able to think straight.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Aslan scoffed as if he was dumbfounded.

“It’s not just because you almost died. Normally, you should be despairing after seeing that battle. It’s normal to feel a huge, unreachable wall and be frustrated.”

“Hmm… I certainly can’t imagine myself reaching that level…”

I don’t know.

A high wall that I can’t reach.

“Is that something to be frustrated about? It’s something to be happy about. It means there’s a level that I might barely reach even if I try my whole life, right? How exciting is that?”

“…”

My heart was pounding.

At the fact that such a world existed.

At the fact that I could reach such a world if I tried.

My heart was beating so fast that I couldn’t control it.

“And… Mimir said so.”

“Me, me?”

Mimir, who had been blankly watching the battle, answered in surprise.

“Wh, what did I say?”

“The Vaitener style is a power for the future.”

That day.

I couldn’t forget what Mimir had said.

“So the successor will definitely become strong enough to surpass Father. …She said.”

“…Ah.”

“Hoo.”

Mimir let out a small exclamation, and Aslan laughed as if he found it interesting.

“Mimir said that? Hmmm?”

Elena-nim laughed in a tone that was full of joy.

Although I couldn’t turn my gaze to confirm, she was probably glaring at Mimir with a rather playful expression.

“So. What’s the point of Mimir-nim saying that?”

“Aren’t you excited?”

“About what?”

I slowly raised my hand and pointed to the place beyond the barrier where the absolute beings were clashing.

“That I might be able to surpass those two.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

The three of them simultaneously lost their words.

I wanted to check why they were so quiet, but I couldn’t turn my gaze away, so I couldn’t check.

“D, did I say something wrong?”

I asked cautiously while focusing my gaze on the battle.

To surpass Ray Bell Vaitener. Did that sound a bit arrogant?

“…Hahahaha!”

Then, Aslan suddenly burst into laughter.

After that, Elena-nim and Mimir also burst into laughter.

“I’m curious about what’s inside that head of yours. How can you think like that?”

“Isn’t it normal?”

“Beyond the heavens, beyond the heavens. Normally, you would despair in the face of overwhelming power. But you… Kehahaha!”

Among them, Aslan’s laughter was particularly loud.

“It’s really a shame. It’s a shame!”

“Yes. I’m also sad.”

Elena-nim smiled demurely and took the words.

“It’s a shame that I can’t watch this child’s future to the end. It’s such a shame that I can’t see the scene of him surpassing Ray with my own eyes.”

Elena-nim paused and continued.

“Mimir. I envy you. You’ll be able to watch this child’s future to the end.”

Her voice was full of genuine envy.

“To the end…”

Mimir murmured in a voice that was barely audible to me.

“Mimir?”

Elena-nim called Mimir again, as if she sensed something strange about Mimir’s lack of reaction.

“It’s nothing. I just have something to think about.”

Mimir smiled brightly.

“So, what? You’re looking forward to the successor’s future?”

A very playful smile.

“Yeah. I’m the only one who’s going to see it. Elena and Aslan can’t see it. Aren’t you jealous? Hehehe.”

Why was it?

Mimir’s laughter sounded somewhat sad.