The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 41

The killing intent emanating from the Drake constricted my entire body. An indescribable pressure crushed my whole being. Even trying to escape, my legs wouldn’t move. Even breathing was difficult. It was as if my body wasn’t my own.

Krrr….

The Drake snorted lightly. With just that light breath, the mana in the air swirled. The Drake’s breath brushed past my body.

“Cough!”

It was just that, but my whole body twisted. An immense pain, as if mana had backfired. In that moment, I was certain once again.

‘That thing is a Drake.’

A monster that creates a storm of mana with just a light snort. There’s no monster like that other than a Drake.

“Hah, hah.”

Crushed by the Drake’s mana, I desperately soothed my ruined circuits, breathing roughly.

‘…Can I escape?’

The option of fighting didn’t even exist in the first place. A disaster-class, unranked Drake. That thing is not a monster I can handle right now. The only option I have is to flee.

‘No, even fleeing is impossible.’

But I soon realized that even fleeing was meaningless. Even if I tried to run, my legs wouldn’t move. The killing intent the Drake was emitting wouldn’t allow me to move even a finger. Even if my legs could move, I couldn’t escape from that thing.

‘At my current speed, I can’t get away from the Drake.’

The moment that thing rushes at me, it’s over.

‘…Wait a minute.’

At that moment, I was seized by a strange sense of incongruity.

‘That Drake. Why isn’t it moving any further?’

The Drake wasn’t thinking of coming any closer from that position. As if it thought of me as the ultimate meal. Even though it was drooling and smacking its lips, it wasn’t coming closer to me.

‘It’s as if there’s an invisible barrier right in front of it…’

It was as if it wanted to come closer but couldn’t. That was the feeling.

“…Is there a reason it can’t come closer?”

It was when I muttered that.

“Excellent.”

“!”

At that moment, a voice came from behind me.

“An iron will that doesn’t give up hope even when facing a monster beyond the norm. A cool-headedness that doesn’t lose composure even in a situation where one could panic.”

A clear, high-pitched tone. Is this what they mean by a voice like rolling jade beads? I wanted to see who it was, but there was no way to check. My body still wouldn’t listen.

“You pass.”

A hand touched my shoulder. And at that moment.

“You can move now.”

My body regained its freedom. It was still a little shaky, but it moved properly. In that state, I turned my head towards the unidentified woman who had spoken to me. And at that moment, my eyes widened.

“Hello.”

Clear green hair, as if symbolizing nature. A firm gaze that seemed to see through everything. An elegant smile that seemed to create all of that. And ears that were about half a hand longer than a normal person’s, and a dreamy atmosphere.

“…An elf?”

She was an elf, through and through. The unidentified woman, wearing composure like clothing, smiled gently.

“Let’s talk in detail after we chase that thing away.”

Saying that, she walked in front of me and glared straight at the Drake, which was baring its teeth at me.

“I’ll commend you for not entering my territory, blinded by your desires.”

A single, monotonous sentence. With that one sentence, the hair on my whole body stood on end.

“I appreciate that patience, so I’ll forgive you for messing up my garden. So…”

The forest was roaring. With each of her words, it vibrated and raged in agreement.

“Quietly return to where you were. Remnant of a fallen noble. Otherwise…”

The wind blew. A wind of mana tinged with green. It swirled around the Drake.

“Today, your wish will return to nothing.”

And the next moment. The Drake’s entire body was torn to shreds.

‘…What did she do?’

There was no sound. I just saw an afterimage of something brushing past the Drake. And when I noticed, the Drake’s entire body was in tatters, like a worn-out rag.

“This is your only warning. Leave.”

Blood dripped from the Drake’s skin. Even so, the Drake didn’t scream once. It didn’t even show any will to fight. It just felt relieved that it ended at this level.

Thump, thump.

The Drake turned its body and quickly moved away. The Drake’s skin was regenerating rapidly as it moved away.

‘It really is a monster beyond the norm.’

It was a fatal wound that would have instantly killed a normal monster, but the Drake was repairing the wound as if it was nothing. Truly worthy of being an unranked monster.

‘More than that, what is this woman who played with that monster beyond the norm so casually?’

I slowly turned my gaze and looked at the woman. As if sensing my gaze, the woman smiled gently. Then, she slowly scanned my whole body.

“You’re good, as expected. You’re worthy of being Ray’s successor.”

Then, after staring intently into my eyes for about 10 seconds, she smiled again. It was a smile as if she was satisfied with something.

“…Who are you?”

“Ah, now that I think about it, I haven’t properly introduced myself yet.”

The woman gracefully lifted the hem of her skirt slightly and greeted me.

“My name is Elena Lo Greenwood.”

In that state, she smiled gently and said,

“I am a great mage who was called the guardian of the forest, and a long-time friend of Ray’s.”

It was a smile like a refreshing breeze blowing through the forest.

“Nice to meet you. Successor.”

* * *

After that, I was guided by Elena to a small cabin where she lived.

“Please, have some. It’s a herbal tea that Ray liked.”

“Thank you.”

I took the tea that Elena offered and brought it straight to my lips.

“…!”

At that moment, my eyes cleared up. The shaking mind calmed down in an instant. I drank the tea again. One sip, one sip. Every time I sipped the tea, my head kept getting clearer. Just as the sea, which had been raging with a typhoon, calmed down with the passage of time, my mind also calmed down quickly.

“I enjoyed it.”

By the time I had finished all the herbal tea, my mind was as calm as it could possibly be.

“Did it suit your taste?”

“Yes. It was the most delicious tea I’ve ever had.”

I realized that herbal tea could taste like this. It felt like I had opened a new horizon.

“I’m glad you liked it. Would you like another cup?”

“May I?”

“Of course.”

Elena put down the teacup she was holding and picked up the teapot. The teacup filled up, and the fresh scent of herbal tea tickled the tip of my nose.

“Thank you.”

I took another sip of the tea. Even though it was the second time, the emotion was no different from the first time.

“Hoo.”

A mind that had become even calmer. I put the half-empty teacup on the table.

“Are you a little calmer now?”

“Yes. I’m embarrassed that I showed you such a pathetic side of myself.”

“Embarrassed? It’s amazing that you didn’t give up in front of the Drake. Weak people can even stop breathing just from being exposed to its fear.”

Elena also put her teacup on the table, following my lead.

“So that was a Drake, as I thought.”

“Yes. The tyrant Drake, the ruler of this forest.”

As I expected, that thing was a Drake.

“Even though he’s the king of the forest, he doesn’t usually even approach my territory. But I guess he couldn’t stand it this time.”

“Couldn’t stand it?”

“The high-density, high-purity mana you possess is like the ultimate meal for the Drake. I guess his appetite made him forget his fear of me for a moment.”

“…Appetite. I see.”

It was drooling, after all. Elena’s words seemed to be correct. I sipped the tea again. The mind that had been slightly disturbed by thinking about the Drake calmed down in an instant.

“Is that all you’re curious about?”

Elena smiled gently. It was as if she was saying, ‘You’re not just curious about the Drake, are you?’

“May I ask more questions?”

“Of course.”

“Where exactly is this place?”

Is this really a virtual space within Idred’s Book? That was what I was most curious about.

“A virtual world created by a large-scale magic circle spanning pages 214 to 232 of Idred’s Book. It’s the page for the third test.”

“So this is really inside the book?”

“Yes.”

“We seem to have walked for at least 15 minutes after dealing with the Drake?”

“So?”

“….”

Can such a vast space exist inside a book? Does that even make sense?

“Then does that mean that the Drake was also a fake made by magic?”

Was it a mana doll? That couldn’t be. The killing intent it emitted was not something that could be compared to a mana doll.

“Well. Strictly speaking, it’s not a fake. Ah, but of course, it’s not real either.”

“…What do you mean?”

It’s neither fake nor real. It was a very difficult explanation.

“This space is a separate world created based on past records. It’s not real, but it’s not fake either.”

“Past records? A separate world?”

It was a somewhat difficult explanation to understand.

“Hmm… It’s another world created by copying the entire Greenwood Forest that existed in the past. Would it be easier to understand if I said it was a replicated world?”

“A replicated world…”

I pondered the explanation for a moment. I felt like I understood something.

“So, you’re saying that you created a world that perfectly recreates past records and put it inside Idred’s Book? Is that what you mean?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“…That’s absurd.”

Creating a world was already amazing, but replicating past records as they were? What kind of world is this, that it’s like data in a game? Is copying and pasting even a plausible thing to say?

“How is that even possible?”

What kind of magic did they use, and how, to do such a ridiculous thing?

“I don’t know the details either. I didn’t inherit the Bytener style.”

Elena smiled wryly.

“The only one who can understand this magic is Ray himself, or the one and only successor who inherited Ray’s magic. That’s you.”

“…I don’t even have a clue, let alone understand it?”

Elena covered her mouth and chuckled.

“Of course, it would be impossible right now. I meant that you would be able to understand it when you reach Ray’s level later.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to understand it even if I become a 9th circle mage…”

Will the day ever come when I can understand such absurd magic? Honestly, I can’t imagine it.

“You will definitely be able to understand it.”

Elena smiled benevolently.

“You are Ray’s successor. The second legitimate successor of the Bytener style.”

“…Hmm.”

Even so, I can’t imagine it at all. Seeing my lukewarm reaction, Elena smiled brightly again.

“Then, what is the reason why your teacher created this world?”

I understand that this world is a copy world that 100% recreates past records. Then, what is the reason for creating this world?

“It’s so that I can pass on a certain magic to you.”

“A certain magic?”

“Yes.”

At that moment, Elena’s atmosphere changed drastically. The gentle atmosphere disappeared without a trace, and an oppressive feeling took its place.

“The magic that is essential to master the 3rd circle master-level destruction of Bytener-style magic.”

Elena’s eyes shone. Elena’s eyes, which should have been green, reminiscent of the forest, were now shining gold. Those eyes seemed to see through everything about me.

“The eyes that pierce the essence of mana, which the Bytener style is proud of. The Divine Eye.”

The eyes that see the color of mana and the fragmentary structure of magic. In the Bytener style, it seems that they call it the Divine Eye.

Elena’s eyes shone with a brighter golden light.

“I was asked by Ray to awaken those eyes, and so I exist here, even if only as a record.”