The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 308

The Rebirth of the Mythical Archmage-309

Tens of thousands of monsters were slowly approaching.

The mana emanating from the monsters beyond the coastline was gradually becoming visible.

Assuming they maintained their speed, the monsters would reach Jeju Island in about 15 minutes.

‘There’s plenty of time.’

Time wasn’t the issue.

It was even rather generous.

‘The problem is whether I can use that time well or not…’

The problem wasn’t time, but me.

Whether I could successfully carry out the given mission within the given time was the key.

Normally, I would confidently declare that I could do it.

Well, this time, I didn’t have that level of certainty.

‘It has to go well.’

Since the core of this operation was in the newly learned technique, I couldn’t be sure.

I had succeeded well in practice, but practice and real combat were different.

There was no guarantee that it would go well in real combat.

‘Just do it as practiced.’

I was steeling my mind with that thought when it happened.

“It’s not too late now. Think about it again.”

Terun, who had been wearing a serious expression next to me, said with the most earnest look on his face.

“It’s impossible to stop that great army alone. Even if Sophia Anetscheffri were in your place, it wouldn’t change anything.”

Terun’s voice was trembling greatly.

“No one can stop that scale of monsters… a mana disaster.”

Terun was currently synchronized with Behemoth, who was waiting in the sea.

Terun would be feeling what Behemoth was feeling.

Having received the full force of the nearly ten thousand monsters, it was understandable that his voice was trembling with fear.

“So…”

“It’s okay.”

I cut off Terun’s words.

My gaze was still fixed beyond the coastline.

In a very gentle voice.

“I’m not an idiot. Do you think I’m planning to fight that great army head-on?”

It’s not for me to say, but.

I don’t think there’s a mage as self-aware as I am.

I know my limits.

I know my limitations better than anyone else in this world.

I can’t beat that force with my current abilities.

Numbers are power.

I don’t have the ability to stop that level of violence with my current strength.

“I have my own plan, so you don’t have to worry too much. If it seems impossible, I’ll retreat immediately.”

“What’s that plan?”

“Unfortunately, there’s no time to explain. See it for yourself. If it’s you, Terun, you’ll notice it right away.”

Anyone else might not, but.

Terun Sitrea would understand.

He was more knowledgeable about magical phenomena than anyone else in this world.

“……”

Terun looked up at me with a strange expression, his lips tightly shut.

A look that was half suspicion.

It was an expression that showed he was grasping the truth of my words.

He didn’t know if I really had a plan, or if I was just pretending to have one to get by.

“Trust me. Do you think I’m the kind of person who would act recklessly in this serious situation?”

“That’s definitely not the case, but…”

Terun withdrew his suspicious gaze and sighed deeply.

“…Okay. I’ll trust you.”

When he looked up again, Terun’s eyes were sparkling.

A gaze full of unwavering faith.

It was the gaze of someone who completely trusted me.

“I don’t think it’s likely, but if someone tries to step in…”

“Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone interfere.”

Terun lowered his gaze and stared intently into the sea.

As if sensing Terun’s gaze, Behemoth slowly emerged above the surface of the water.

If anyone tried to rashly intervene, he would use Behemoth to stop them.

That was the meaning behind his actions.

“There’s no mage in Jeju with the ability to do that anyway.”

Currently, there were no mages in Jeju who would bravely step forward in this national disaster.

No. Even if there were mages who would bravely step forward, it would be more accurate to say that there were no mages with the skills to back up that courage.

Currently, there was not a single high-ranking mage above the 6th Circle in Jeju.

There were only a dozen or so mages between the 4th and 5th Circles.

“You never know. There might be someone who rushes in, thinking it’s a do-or-die situation.”

“Even if there is, they’ll run away as soon as they feel that mana, right?”

Objectively speaking, the mages currently remaining in Jeju were a liability rather than an asset.

That’s why I was thinking of moving alone.

Objectively, it was most likely to succeed if I did it alone.

“Anyway, leave the rest to me. I’ll make sure no one interferes with you, even if it costs me my life.”

“Don’t risk your life. It’ll be troublesome in many ways if you die.”

“True. If I die now, I’ll regret it even in death. I’ve finally gotten things on track. I should at least finish my research before I die.”

Terun chuckled.

“Okay. I take back the ‘even if it costs me my life’ part. I’ll do my best to stop them without dying.”

“Yes. That’s enough.”

I smiled faintly, just like Terun.

And then I turned my gaze back beyond the coastline.

“Miho.”

Miho, who was standing next to my leg, focused her gaze on me at my call.

“Let’s go.”

Miho nodded.

At the same time, a brilliant light began to emanate from Miho’s body.

“W-what’s going on?”

Terun shouted, seemingly flustered by the sudden burst of light.

The light stopped in an instant.

“…Did she get bigger?”

Terun, who had regained his sight after the light disappeared, widened his eyes in shock.

“She wasn’t a baby monster?”

“She’s still a baby.”

Miho, who had transformed into her adult form, gracefully wagged her tail.

“Look, she doesn’t have nine tails yet, right? She hasn’t fully grown yet.”

“Ah…! I was wondering why she was a nine-tailed fox even though she didn’t have nine tails. So that’s why.”

Terun nodded as if he understood.

“It’s amazing. A monster whose number of tails is an indicator of growth.”

“Ah, you can’t touch her. She’s sensitive about that.”

“I’m a tamer, too? I know that much. I’ll just look.”

Terun looked Miho up and down.

His eyes were full of curiosity.

“How many tails does she have exactly? One, two, three, four…”

Terun began to count the number of tails one by one.

“Seven?”

“Yes. Seven.”

Miho spread her tails, which had been swaying gently, in all directions.

“She recently grew one more.”

The sight of a total of seven tails spread out in all directions was quite beautiful.

* * *

“What kind of fox flies in the sky?”

Right after Shin Hayul flew towards the army of monsters on Miho.

Terun, who was left alone, was staring blankly at the backs of Shin Hayul and Miho as they moved away.

A look of worry was evident on his face.

He said he had a plan, but realistically, it wasn’t a very high-probability plan.

Maybe about 10%?

No, considering the scale of the disaster, it might be less than 5%.

‘I don’t know what plan he has in mind…’

In the end, a plan is just a plan.

It’s useless in the face of an overwhelming force.

Therefore, judging coldly, the probability of success was less than 5%.

In other words, Shin Hayul’s chances of survival were less than 5%.

Unless a miracle happened, his safe return was unlikely.

“If there is a god…”

Terun put his hands together and prayed.

Having lived his entire life, both in this life and his previous one, believing only in science, he had never sought out anything supernatural like a god.

This was the first time he had ever prayed.

“Please, a miracle…”

In the past 14 days, while living with Shin Hayul, he had seen with his own eyes that the concept of a soul was real.

The soul, which he thought could never exist, actually existed.

That meant that there was a possibility that a god also existed somewhere.

That’s why he was praying.

To a god who might be somewhere.

He was begging for a miracle.

Terun prayed earnestly.

And at the same time as his prayer ended.

Kugugugugung-!

A storm raged in the distance.

Shin Hayul and Miho were standing proudly in front of the army of monsters that had begun to slowly appear beyond the coastline.

Despite the terrifying situation, there was no trace of anxiety or impatience in their backs.

Rather than impatience, they even seemed relaxed.

Kugung!

Lightning struck again.

In between, a giant sea serpent appeared.

“Sea Dragon!”

A monster known to grow infinitely as it ages.

At that size, it was at least an S-rank.

No, probably even higher.

And there were not just one, but three of them.

Was it because they were sea dragons that had grown by constantly consuming abundant mana in the mana-rich Abyssal Sea?

Not only were they huge, but the density of mana they possessed was extraordinary.

‘That’s impossible. There’s no way he can fight those three alone!’

Terun’s face turned pale.

It would be one thing if it was just those three.

But there were probably countless monsters like that under the sea.

This was not good.

He had to run away now.

“Shin Hayul!!”

Terun shouted at the top of his lungs.

Because of the distance, it was impossible for his voice to reach.

But he shouted loudly, grasping at straws.

“Run away!!”

At that moment, Shin Hayul slowly turned his head.

His two golden eyes stared directly into Terun’s eyes.

A strong gaze that was reassuring just by looking at it.

‘It’s okay, don’t worry.’

That’s what his eyes seemed to be saying.

Kieeeeeeeeeeeek-!

At that moment, one of the sea dragons opened its jaws and flew towards Shin Hayul.

It was so fast that the sea dragon’s movements appeared as afterimages in Terun’s eyes.

“No…!”

No way!

Before he could even finish shouting, the sea dragon had finished its action.

Miho and Shin Hayul had entered the sea dragon’s jaws in an instant.

Now, if the sea dragon closed its mouth, the two of them would be minced meat.

However.

Whoosh!

The sea dragon didn’t close its mouth.

A semi-transparent flame that suddenly rose up burned the sea dragon’s jaws.

‘That’s…’

A bizarre flame unlike any other flame that existed.

Looking at that flame, a word suddenly came to mind.

“Soul… fire?”

A flame that gave off a very similar feeling to the existence of the soul that Shin Hayul had previously demonstrated.

It swirled around Miho and Shin Hayul.

And.

‘……!’

The next moment.

The sea dragon’s huge body instantly burned and scattered like dust.

Terun couldn’t even see the prelude to the burning.

The semi-transparent flame swirled, and the next moment, the sea dragon’s body was gone.

‘It’s like the soul is burning.’

It felt like the body had disappeared along with the soul.

The swirling semi-transparent flame stopped, and a moment of silence descended.

The sea dragons’ wariness could be felt even from here.

‘A rampaging sea dragon is scared.’

Those ferocious sea dragons were afraid of Shin Hayul.

They were feeling uneasy about the unknown enemy who had killed their comrade in an incomprehensible way.

And Shin Hayul was smiling brightly as he looked at those sea dragons.

With a very happy expression.

Like a child who had received an unexpected gift.

He patted Miho’s back, smiling innocently.

And at the same time.

Whoooooooosh-!

Mana erupted from Shin Hayul’s body.

A knot symbolizing infinity.

The Mobius pattern.

It was positioned as if it was enveloping Shin Hayul and Miho.

And.

Ziiing-!

It fused with Shin Hayul and Miho’s bodies.

‘Neutral Ring.’

‘Reverse Heaven.’

Mana began to flow in reverse.