Episode 803 The Fire of Calamity (2)
[Your Majesty Verden. Are you safe?]
Verden’s hand twitched briefly, as if he had heard Alpha’s voice. Only his hand had come out so far, but it didn’t look like any accident had occurred.
A sigh of relief wafted from the surroundings.
“Phew, that’s a relief. Still, aren’t you scaring me a bit too suddenly?”“You do need to restrain yourself a little, Shinseong.”“Well, since you are my senior.”“Ooo… to think such a wondrous Black Flame. You truly are a new star…!”
Leaving behind the sight of Aldevan worshipping with a moved expression, Aldanis asked Verden, who was shrouded in darkness.
“It seems you are unable to move freely. Do you need help?”“Head of the House, shall I grab your hand and pull you? It seems the Disappearance doesn’t reach beyond the door.”
Whoosh.
Verden extended only his index finger and gently shook it from side to side. It meant that everything was fine and that we should wait just a moment.It was clear that there were no major issues.The atmosphere, which had been taut with tension, relaxed smoothly as if nothing had happened.
Then, Isabella spoke softly.
“But isn’t it kind of cute that the head of the family is just holding his hands like that?”“……?”
Yunia, who was standing next to me, looked at me with a “What did you say?” expression.A pure and innocent woman was there.
Crack.
Verden, clad in pitch-black gloves, once again exerted great force in his fingers.The walls of the Great Hall, which had been so resilient, were damaged once more. The debris that fell from the broken section vanished without leaving even a shred of ashes.
Wrist, and elbow.
Verden slowly stepped out of the darkness and took a step forward. He clutched [Interis] tightly in his left hand.Soon, the moment the First Demon King’s robe was fully revealed, the darkness that had filled the room vanished without a trace.
“……Phew.”
Verden wiped the beads of sweat from the edge of his chin with the back of his hand. There were no external injuries, but soon magic glowed from Beta’s single eye.
[Scan complete. Minor internal injuries were found on His Majesty Verden, but they are at a level where taking a potion is not an issue.]
[Your Majesty Verden. Detecting a powerful wave of force pulsating from the body itself.]
Physical access had been prohibited to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, so there were no officials here other than those with at least national-level military power.Even these high-ranking mages were now sensing, through their own senses, the magnitude of the terrifying power that Adrian had long ago discerned.
Melad looked down at my arm.
“Something… tingles. Did you develop a new magic connected to annihilation? Is this situation the aftermath of that?”“I didn’t exactly create magic. It is an application of a realm I came up with while pondering a way to draw out maximum power in the shortest possible time, anytime and anywhere.”
To summarize the background of the situation that just occurred, as explained by Verden, it was as follows.
He burnedhimself out.
Silence fell as the atmosphere turned strange due to the unimaginable cause. So, he cast Annihilation on the magical power within his own heart?
“Wow, Senior. That’s a really crazy idea.”
Yunia clapped.
He’s crazy.
* * *
While not as devastating as the destruction Verden realized, the fundamental destructive power of annihilation pioneered by Dahit is also an extremely dangerous magical concept.How many beings has that pitch-black flame wiped out of the world?
The first members of Black Hour died or suffered aftereffects. Without the golem body fixed to his spine, Melad cannot walk even a little.
The capital fortress of Ailon, Dahit’s homeland, vanished into the annals of history along with its king and nobles, and most of the forces that had clashed with Dahit’s Black Hour could not escape extinction either.
It is shocking enough that such a dangerous concept was directed at himself of all people, but to think he used the magical power contained in his heart as kindling.In effect, he threw his heart directly into a blazing fire.
Verden said.
“The calculations showed that even the worst-case scenario wouldn’t cause significant damage. That’s why I made that decision. I didn’t just blindly jumpinto it.” “So that phenomenon just now was anticipated, too?” “That was an exception.”“You’re a crazy wizard. Ah, is that why you’re a genius? Then I… …”“Please don’t emulate that part of you, Junia.”
Melad dissuaded Junia in a serious tone, as she was about to deviate from common sense.They were already precariously keeping their distance with the emergence of the means to break through the hierarchy of magic, and it was clear that crossing one step further would have negative long-term consequences.
“There is still a long way to go. I respect your independent judgment, but as a Sage, I cannot stand by and watch you overwork yourself to the point of being unable to handle it.”“Yes, Sage…”“Raising your fundamental capabilities is the priority. Relying on breaking through the hierarchy of the Demonic Path is no different from biting into your own flesh.”“Y-yes…”
While Junia was receiving a scolding that wasn’t quite a scolding, Isabella activated her keen eyesight and examined Verden closely.Then, going further, she even caressed his neck without hesitation.
“How should I put it? It feels like the inside of your body is completely filled without any voids. It also feels like the dark flames are actually alive and moving. So, what exactly happened?”“The sequence of events is a bit complicated, but.”
Verden stroked his chin and looked back on the past four days.
“Simply put, I overlooked the fact that my heart is composed of a concept beyond my magical power. Especially from the perspective of the Black Flame.”
It was easy to extinguish magical power by limiting the range of the
Now, all that remained was to devise a magic circle to forcibly maintain the
The problem was what came next.
The flame is extinguished by cutting off oxygen, removing fuel, or lowering the temperature.
Since Manghwa is a demonic path and follows the fundamental principles of fire, it will die out if even one of the three elements mentioned above is satisfied.
If magical power is defined as a temperature containing warmth, then opening
In other words, the moment the Demonic Path is closed, the Fallen Flames must disappear according to will.Just as they have done until now.
“Perhaps it is because my heart is both the source of magical power and the origin of the demonic path. Even though I closed the demonic path, the
A heart harboring infinite magical power.Infinite magic.Therefore, the heart itself is also the concept of infinity.
Such a case, where a specific body part is conceptually closely connected to the Way of Magic, was very unusual even for Verden himself.
So I couldn’t include it in the calculation.
There is no precedent for absorbing the power source of a magic tower through reverse flow, nor is there any precedent for a mage who has consequently pioneered two magic paths.
Without information, one cannot formulate a theory.Information is based on at least a minimum of reality.
“While the demonic path was temporarily closed, the flames within my heart grew to a point where they could no longer be extinguished immediately, and their spread accelerated exponentially. The phenomenon you just witnessed occurred during the process of controlling it. Had I not released the power outward, it would have taken much longer to bring the Annihilation under control.”“From what I’ve heard, it sounds like a very serious situation.”“It was more hectic than serious. I nearly lost all the documents I had personally crafted. Still, the results were immense.”
Apart from the recovery, I discovered that the flame attached to the heart was burning ‘naturally’.
It was an unexpected discovery.
By utilizing this, there is no reason to consider the physical and mental burden of prolonged magical release. It sustains itself even without magic.Furthermore, since the flames of the
It was more than worth investing all our limited time and effort into.
As you can see, I have achieved a minimal balance between annihilation and magical power, but it is still precarious. This is the state even while I am struggling to suppress my strength. I intend to remain cautious until the distribution of my power becomes somewhat freer.
The moment this balance is disrupted, Verden does not immediately enter a state of maximum power, but naturally tires out faster than before.It is the same principle as sprinting.
Since readjusting balance requires concentration akin to meditation, it was more efficient to wield the magic within limits that do not disrupt the equilibrium, unless an inevitable engagement occurred.
Adrian nodded.
Leave the escort to me.
[My younger sibling. Specializing in escort. Beta. Self-introduction.]
[I am Beta. If you specify an escort range, I will annihilate all entities within the area.]
“I will kill every squire who approaches my lord without permission.”“Do not compete over such things. In any case, I leave that matter to you.”
Verden shifted his gaze.
“Have you finished handling the tasks I assigned you?”“Of course. I sent the golem bodies created by Alpha and Beta to Tuhar along with the researchers, entrusted the absorption of the Blood Alliance to a broker, have wagons and airships on standby, and have prepared a gift for the host of the World Conference. I can leave right now without any problems.”“Right, well done.”
Now all that remains is to head to Gargant.
I could have left today, but I planned to spend some time in Gargant. Rest is important, after all. Though the most important thing is the appointment.
“for a moment!”
Yunia suddenly raised her hand.
“So, what exactly has changed for you, Senior? It doesn’t seem like your level itself has changed. Can you explain it in more detail?”
A curious gaze comes toward me.
Come to think of it, with the exception of a few people, the last time I witnessed Verden at his full strength was the decisive battle against Dahit. Things have changed a lot since then.
“Naturally, curiosity is bound to arise. It is a hassle to readjust the balance, but it would be wise to refresh my perspective from time to time. It is also important to have a rough idea of our forces’ strength.”
However, it would be better to show it directly rather than just saying it.
closely.
Verden clenched his fist.
As its presence reached its peak, pitch-black flames erupted from its entire body. The fire of karma. It was an extremely intense fire, as if intending to burn the world.The blue-tinged Orb of [Interis] was also stained black.
Manager of the Golem Research Facility.Leonil Bertanas.Dahit Wesroel.Balok Besias.Grand Duke of Rivandale.Old Man Fanatic.Telor Krandros.Ishur.
Past formidable enemies with whom he had once shared a sincere battle, including those who had reached incomplete transcendence, flashed through his mind.His past experiences, built upon blood, had brought him to a single conclusion.
At the same level.
Eon’s peak asserted.
I have no equal.
It was a reckless declaration, yet there was no trace of arrogance in it. For the ultimate strength Verden was looking toward was ‘you’ and the First Demon King.
* * *
Meia, the agent who had been watching the ownerless land from a very long distance, crossed the third dimension and reached a region spatially separated from the continent.
Lefragium Magic Tower.
Ignoring the silent air, Meia rode past and went up in the magic elevator. Her destination, then as now, was the power room.
“Verden has currently headed to Gargant. Since returning from the Desert of Silence, his level of cultivation has risen by another detailed step.”“To intervene between the Desert God and Kirondar, who were originally destined for mutual destruction, and survive alone, he certainly deserves to reach that level of cultivation.”
The Provider, who until recently had personally monitored the Red Dragon, Sarkandra, and the Parasitic Archdemon, Ifeakarn, to prevent them from leaving the Demon Realm, answered.He was sitting with his back to a power source emitting a blue light.
“He is already in the upper ranks of the 7th. His growth rate has exceeded all expectations. He must have obtained everything the First Magic Tower possessed. Before long, he might master the concepts of magic and rise to the 8th.”“Telor must have been satisfied before he died. Deep down, he had long desired to be enlightened by a being superior to himself.”“Please tell me your plan.”“Waiting for the right time is the plan.”
The Provider glowed with a green light.
“Verden killed the ‘Apostle of Destiny’ who was supposed to be born in the Desert of Silence. Now, the possibility of joining hands with ‘you’ has become even slimmer.”“I even personally dealt with Kirondar, whom the Last Resistor arranged. I…”“Are you afraid?”
Meia fell silent.She did not answer.However, Meia is also one who has endured a long wait in her own way. The Provider knows what kind of anxiety she harbors.
“Fate is but an illusion, and the future is unseen. This is the true nature of the world, Meia. Even the information about the virtual future created by the Wheel of Fortune is ultimately an illusion. Do not obsess over future information and desperately try to create the best possible reality. It is impossible from the start.”“……Then what are we supposed to do?”“We are not the decision-makers.”
Waiting.A longer wait.An even longer wait.
Meia’s patience was remarkable, but with the world changing so rapidly, she couldn’t help but feel a bit impatient.After all, so much information about the future is disappearing without being properly utilized. She is afraid that in the end, she will end up accomplishing nothing.
“…….”
Meia let out a small sigh and stared blankly down at the floor. Silence settled in. Unlike the rapidly changing world, time seemed to stand still here.
Then—it was then.
Whoosh.
A faint sound was heard from the power source.
Meia suddenly raised her gaze. The Provider was glaring. It was a bewildered reaction she hadn’t seen in a very long time.
“no way…….”
The Provider slowly turned his head.
The eyelids of the being asleep inside the Lefragium power source moved.
The last resistor opened his eyes halfway.
