Chapter 60

TL – NaturalRice

RW – Wynn

KOR Check – Naturalrice

At the center of magic studies, Althea stood in all of its glory . The small territory seemed small in comparison to its significant breakthroughs in spellcraft and its military might . Its renown worldwide in magical studies stemmed from the Magic Tower, whose main branch lured magicians of all shapes and sizes to Althea .

The Magic Tower’s innovative magical techniques cornered the market on anything magic from military application to everyday objects, spanning across multiple nations . The Western Kingdom Alliance and Hebrion Kingdom both paled in comparison to the Magic Tower’s market share in producing objects with Magic Crystals .

Like its namesake, Althea’s Magic Tower dwarfed its neighbors . On every floor of this cylindrical tower, divisions of magicians expressed their talents through innovation . Magicians whose names were widely recognized within the Magic Tower were given their personal labs to test their conjectures, outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment . These rooms were forbidden to all others; any magician worth their salt would be awed by the state-of-the-art equipment lining the walls from end to end .

There was one room within the tower that was endlessly churning out noises . Many rumors spread about what lurked in the laboratory— in reality, it was the private lab of Zod Exarion . Zod was in the middle of an experiment with a Magic Crystal on the table when an elegant voice rang out through the Pad beside him .

“Old man, I didn’t think I would see you in a lab again . ”

Zod’s hands moved delicately across the Magic Crystal as he studied the surface of the stone . Zod clicked his tongue as he carefully carved the surface and brushed off the residual dust .

“I’ve come across an interesting technique as of late,” explained Zod .

“Mmm… I don’t see how you find techniques so interesting . ”

“Complex mechanisms . Logic that moves through countless magical circuits . The fundamental laws from which creation is based . Once a new technique is discovered, the world advances one step forward in the face of true progress . Isn’t it scintillating?”

“To somebody normal like myself, it sounds absolutely dreary . ”

A buzzing sound whizzed, and a spark flew out of the Magic Crystal . Zod shook his head in disappointment . “Is three the max for a 5th-grade Magic Crystal?”

“Old man, could you focus? It’s been many months since we last spoke . In a conversation with the Saintess, only someone like you can speak to me like this . ”

“You can meet me anytime you want . This technique is a priority for me . ”

The elegant woman shook her head and gave up trying to convince Zod . She was Saintess Priscilla, the woman leading the Church of Artemis, whose influence reached every corner of the planet . Her fame led many to refer to her as the 6th sovereign of the Alliance of the Western Kingdoms; a power putting her status on par with the head of the Magic Tower .

“Just like last time, I suppose I won’t be expecting you at the Grand Council meeting?” asked Priscilla . The Grand Council was a meeting of the most influential members in the Alliance of the Western Kingdoms . In truth, the lady’s call was primarily just to check on Zod’s attendance .

“You know I’m not going to—what’s the point in asking?” Zod turned back around to tinker with his Magic Crystal before pausing and murmuring to his peer . “Ah, right . Actually, I’ll be coming along this time . There was a new Magical Technique expert who wanted to sit in . ”

Priscilla’s ears perked up at Zod’s words . “Oh . A new expert? Who was it— Hephatos, head of the northern branch? Elianos, the wise man of the West? I wonder who could drag Zod’s himself out of seclusion . I’m not familiar with any other Archmages . ”

“Desir Arman . 1st Circle Mage . ”

Priscilla couldn’t hold back her laughter, and a guffaw came streaming out of the Pad . “1st Circle? Zod, are you losing it already? I’d have thought it would take a few more years before you start going senile . ”

“This kid has the qualification . ”

“Alright . I don’t have the right say speak for your corporation . ” Priscilla shook her head in disbelief . “…say . I feel like I’ve heard that name before . ”

“You’ve probably head of him . He’s the Single Ranker of Hebrion Academy . ”

Priscilla’s eyes squinted as she heard his words . “Old man, you’re not really saying you’re going to invite a member of Hebrion Academy to attend our meeting, are you?”

“I can’t see why this is an issue . We’re all allied nations now . In any case, he will be attending not as a member of Hebrion Academy, but as a member of the Magic Tower . ”

“You know that whilst we’re allied, the other nations will not take kindly to someone of his pedigree at the meeting . ”

Historically, Hebrion Kingdom and the Alliance of Western Kingdoms were on bad terms . It was only after the Holy Kingdom fell that they had no choice but to form an uneasy partnership to bring humanity back from the brink of extinction, but there was a lingering animosity between the two nations . The two main organizations subjugating the Shadow World were Hebrion Academy and the Alliance of the Western Kingdoms, supported by their requisite nations . These organizations competed for every single scrap of Magic Crystal dropped by the Shadow World, and each completed Shadow World dug into the profits of the other . Each successful Shadow World yielded Magic Crystals that led to military growth for each nation .

In the past, the two nations devolved into a bitter war before the Shadow Worlds started appearing . Rivers of blood flowed and many compared it to the mythical War of Good and Evil . By the time the Shadow Worlds began, the grudge was deep-seated and small skirmishes erupted whenever a Shadow World was being subjugated .

“You know that a Shadow World recently popped up, right?”

“Of course . It was very welcome; we were in need of supplies . ”

“Desir’s party had entered a Shadow World and discovered documents pertaining to the Fall of Holy Kingdom during its subjugation . I imagine you’ve been looking for this for a while now . ”

“What? How?” Priscilla let out an uncharacteristic yelp in shock .

“Didn’t they tell you? I suppose it’s not surprising, what with the uneasy relationship between Hebrion and the Church . You’ll find out anyways, but it may be worth hearing what he has to say first hand . What do you think?”

The Saintess looked helpless in front of Zod as he had gotten one over on her . “It looks like I’ll have to meet him just this once . ”

–

The world was on the cusp of being destroyed . Everything was gone . Explosions crashed and tore at his eardrums . The violent sound of war that was so characteristic of his past . Screams bellowed out as the world was covered in soot and ash . Shouts yelled out for loved ones who were at death’s door . Weapons of war emerged to combat the incoming threat . He could faintly hear the waves crashing on the shore as the distant sea glittered in an ashen gray .

The metallic scent of the sea briefly tickled his nose before fading away only to be replaced by a burning heat that seemed to consume the world around him . It was an ordeal that drained him of all his energy . He could only watch exhausted as everything underneath the ashen sky was dyed in red .

The world was in chaos . Thousands of bodies littered the battlefield and more appeared by the minute . With each explosion, the body count increased by one or two dozen . Within the catastrophe, a girl’s torso was squirming sporadically . Desir’s eyes met her own as she opened her mouth to speak . Blood spilled out of her mouth, but no sound came out .

To this day, he could never forget the final words that she mouthed to him .

“I don’t want to die, Desir . ”

Her eyes soon lost focus; it was at this moment that Desir lost himself . The name written on the girl’s dog tag buried within the debris was…

Romantica Eru .

There were no tears in his eyes . His heart was in complete anguish .

A surviving soldier was looking at “something” gigantic beyond some great distance as he muttered something straight from Desir’s heart . “How do you expect us to stop that thing?”At the end of their gaze stood a nightmare from legends past; a cruel butcher with runic words carved into his molars . Flames of hell writhed around his neck and he stood solemnly in front of his opponents . Desir looked at him with disbelief as he pulled the name of the monster from the depths of his memory .

“The Devil of Ruin, Dadaneuph . ”

Hundreds of spells blotted out the sun in the pursuit of the devil . Following the muffled sounds of explosions, there was no damage done to him . In response, he let out a monstrous roar and began his counterattack . Humans wrapped themselves in defensive magic, but it was to no avail . Even the most accomplished magicians bled from their eyes and ears as they cried out in pain and agony . There was no better word to describe him than a ‘calamity’ .

The earth groaned at his footstep and dark clouds shot out, akin to a volcanic eruption . Tremors quaked beneath their feet as an earthquake tore the ground apart, and the skies burned up at the sight of a massive meteor . Desir screamed . He screamed with all his might, but only a hoarse sound of air came out as tears began to blind him .

He was awake . Desir stood up in a panic with his arms flailing in the air only to find walls painted in a creamy white color surrounding him and the faint sound of a grandfather clock ticking somewhere in his room .

Desir woke in a panic as he looked around to see his creamy white walls and the faint ticking of a grandfather clock lingered in his room . The bloody war, the falling fortresses, and the devil of ruin were nowhere to be seen .

“W-was… was it all a dream?”

Desir wrapped his head in his trembling hands and shuddered . As he wrapped his hands around himself for comfort, his pale fingers sapped away the unsettling heat radiating from his face . His entire body was soaked in cold sweat . Whatever he did, he couldn’t stop shaking . Cruel memories haunted him haunted him everywhere he went—a scar that would never fade .