Episode 979 The Gate of Death (3)
“What am I doing? I’ve come to meet my disciple as the King of Estiria’s mentor. You know just how vast mental magic is, right? There’s a mountain of things to teach.”
Ignisia stretched out conspicuously and slumped onto the throne.As she said, the Kingdom of Estiria is part of Verden’s domain, but it is also the country of Silis, the only disciple from outside the realm.
Did only the spirit get projected here through Silis? The body is in Gargant.
With insight more refined than before, Verden saw through the flow of Ignacia’s magic connected to the deep parts of the royal castle Esnoren.
Deep blue eyes and pupils resembling a purple Milky Way met head-on.The two realized each other’s presence anew.
… … ?!!
Ignacia flinched, then shrugged his shoulders and let out a stiff laugh.
“Oh my, look at this?”
Ignacia suddenly vanished like a mirage, as always.
Thump.
Verden extended his arm to the side. Fingers clad in gray gauntlets touched the forehead of Ignacia, who had appeared from the immediate left.She blinked her brilliant eyes, having been seen through
“When I heard that an island of that size was wiped out without a trace, I had a hunch… but as expected, it wasn’t the power of the 7th Rank, was it? The crimson lightning that destroyed the island, followed by the unconsciousness. Was it all part of the process of crossing the Wall of Transcendence once again?”“Yes.”“But it doesn’t seem like that’s all there is to it.”
Ignacia, having lost the smile, stared intently into the blue eyes.
It’s not the transcendental realm.
Is this the result of rising to the 8th rank?Absolutely not.While Deus Widen and Reindel Nexreon had at least some commonalities, Verden seemed to have become something separate, with absolutely no points of intersection.
Ignacia slowly leans in close enough to touch her breath.She displayed extreme insight.
“……Wait, is he really a transcendent being……? He’s just not a pure transcendent being…… Something is mixed in, or added? What is this? How can a mental realm like this exist…….”
Did you sense the divine power that has become one with the transcendent being through the mind? Indeed, this is the level of perception that can be called the pinnacle of current mental mages.
The quiet monologue culminated in a question.
“You’re not going to tell me what it is, are you? Even if we’re friends.”
Verden tapped her smooth forehead as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Not yet.”“Ahaha, even though things have changed in many ways, it seems your essence hasn’t. Well, fine. There’s more than a few things you’re hiding. I’m looking forward to seeing when that tangled mess will unravel. Don’t you?”
[Alpha. You don’t know anything.]
Alpha averted his gaze and immediately disappeared inside [Einber]. Ignacia, having taken on the form of a saint, took a step back.
Verden asked for the third time.
“So, what are you doing here? It can’t be solely to teach magic.”“Have we gotten too close? You notice right away. I came here to do some magic research as well. It just didn’t seem like I could do it alone.”
She gestured with her chin in the audience chamber, where no one was there except them.
Shall we move seats?
* * *
Whoooosh.Whoooooosh.
Silis is sitting on the floor with her eyes closed in Esnoren’s quarters.
Atop her white hair sat the [Witch’s Crown of Thorns], and on her jade-like neck rested a necklace adorned with a blue crystal. The latter was the Witch’s Heart, crafted from her mother’s heart.
Thorns growing from the crown of thorns touched her temples, and drops of blood formed. Unprecedented power took firm root in the magic circuit.The magic spreading from her traced a small vortex.
Ancient lineage of witches.A magical being specialized in a unique mental realm.
Gluttony unleashed with all his might the talent he had inherited from his mother, who had died after undergoing human experimentation by his father’s royal command.Silis’s heart and Remien’s heart—the hearts of mother and daughter—resonated together.
Drip… … drip… … .
Drops of blood clinging to the thorns mixed with sweat and trickled down his cheek. His eyelids tightened. Inside, his eyes continued to move.Whenever the magical power fluctuated violently intermittently, groans of agony echoed through the room.
Silis was absorbed in his own inner world, so deeply that he wouldn’t even notice if someone were talking to him right beside him.
Verden said.
“Are you embodying your mental realm?”“Because if I don’t, it will take an eternity to reach a usable level.”
Ignacia sat on the soft bed.
“While a witch’s bloodline is certainly an amazing lineage specialized in the mental realm, the speed of growth and its limits ultimately depend on the individual, don’t they? In that sense, Silis’s Five Stars aren’t bad. In fact, they are quite good. However, it’s a bit ambiguous to call them outstanding. Furthermore, Silis started her proper initiation into magic far too late. If she had been alone, no matter how hard she struggled, she wouldn’t have been able to reach a certain level.”
She stroked Silis’s head.
Unlike me.
Ignacia was neither of ancient bloodline nor of noble lineage. She was special only because she was born into a family with some wealth.The mentor her parents had painstakingly invited was jealous and fearful of her, and tried to kill her before her talent could fully blossom, but his mental state collapsed.
The potential of a transcendent being.Among them, a being born with overwhelming talent who has achieved transcendence.
No matter how great one’s ancient lineage may be, one cannot see the scenery viewed by a transcendent being. Unless one possesses ancient lineage in addition to being born with the potential for transcendence.
“So, as a master, shouldn’t you guide your precious disciple? Since you have already adapted somewhat to the illusion through my super-level magic residing in the Darkmoon Dream, eventually you will be able to wield magic alongside me.”
[magic?]
Alpha hit the nail on the head.
[Promoting Silis’s growth. A certain kind of joint magic. Is that the purpose of coming to the kingdom?]
“Correct answer! There is no prize. But I can tell you why you suddenly started researching new magic. Now, now, what is the reason? What do you think?”
Ignacia revealed her true intentions.
“I saw something when we created the fourth dimension together last time.”
She whispered.
“I mean, the giant devil’s hand.”
Before the situation where the old king was resurrected occurred… … .
Verden missed Grommel Gromfar, the dwarf who destroyed the city of Zantra, and activated
I saw it then.
There are three worlds observable from the fourth coordinate, excluding the continents.
The Magic Tower of Lefragium, situated in the world’s highest mountain range.The Sky Island, Ark.The Refuge of the Great Demon, Rivereas.
Ignacia must have witnessed among these a dark space inhabited by countless demons, created by the hands of the Archdemon Noxias.
The rift to the fourth dimension closed immediately after I entered, so there wouldn’t have been any room to maneuver. Could it be that I stuck my head in during that time?
She could have been beheaded.
Even against the formidable resistance of a transcendent being, the power to cleave space is threatening. This is all the more true if it originates from the boundaries that divide dimensions.
Well, anyway.
Seeing that you didn’t mention the Lefragium Magic Tower or the Sky Island, it looks like you only saw Rivereas.
Verden now understood what Ignacia’s purpose was.
“Are you planning to go to the devil’s hands?”“Verden, since you are tight-lipped, you won’t willingly open the Fourth Dimension for me, will you? You won’t even properly explain what it is. So I have no choice but to find my own way. Thanks to that, I have understood the fundamental principles of
Her eyes formed an arc.
“I’m so curious about what that Demon’s Hand is.”“The continent is currently facing chaos. You could satisfy your curiosity later.”“It may be chaotic, but it isn’t dangerous. At best, it is merely a prelude. The real unfolding will only occur when the seal on the Old King is broken again.”
Having grasped the overall situation across the Western, Central, and Eastern continents, Ignacia did not view the appearance of large-scale undead itself as a threat.
Because the forces are holding firm.Because the cries of wailing are less heard.Because there are still few tormented by nightmares.
Although there is a faction of traitors whose identity is unknown, they cannot approach the central leadership of each continent due to the oath-takers’ contract.
“A beginning for the sake of a beginning. Given the situation, why should I be on edge when I can’t even do what I want? Huh? Even if I don’t step forward, half the continent won’t burst into flames right now. My Gargant won’t be destroyed, either. So there is no reason to suppress my curiosity.”
Madness leading to obsession.
What is in the devil’s hand?
Ignacia pointed at Verden’s heart with an excited smile.
“What could your secret be?”“…….”“I’m going to unravel them all, one by one, with my own hands. I can’t even imagine how much fun that will be. Surely, as a result, the world will become even more enjoyable. Ah—as expected.”
Ignacia’s eyes gleamed.
“Verden, you really are different.”
At Ignacia’s scales, where a dragon’s rib was offered as a prize, and in the labyrinth of ants constructed with super-level magic, she had said this.
───… … But maybe you might be different. Really, maybe. For some reason, I get the feeling that you could make this world interesting.
The expectation from that time had already turned into certainty and provoked Ignacia. It gave rise to a reality where a hardcore hedonist acted boldly.
At this, Verden was inwardly confident.
It cannot be stopped.
Even if Ignacia is subdued, her curiosity toward Rivereas cannot be suppressed. She will surely cross dimensions and reach the Great Demon’s refuge.
But there is no need to stop it.
Going to Libereas does not violate any taboo, nor does it invite immense danger to an unprepared continent.
This is a choice.An outcome that is not predetermined…
Verden willingly respected Ignacia’s free choice. Instead of restraining her, he offered advice as a friend.
“The demons will try to kill you.”“Of course, since they are demons—”“If you fall into the hands of a demon, state my name.”
The devil’s hand observed at the fourth coordinate… and the tone implying a direct connection to the devil, Ignacia’s eyes widened.A clue was cast onto the lake of curiosity, creating ripples.
“……Ahaha.”
Ignacia’s pleasure center exploded.
* * *
I sought cooperation from Ignacia in advance. Upon arriving at Gargant, I will be able to join forces with her main body and activate
The path through the space, which had been blocked by some element, began to open little by little.
An airship presumed to belong to the Kingdom of Ronia crash-landed in the south, and Kalia set out to investigate personally… … With Blue, Karans, and Aldevan here, there shouldn’t be any problems.
After an unexpected reunion with Ignacia, Verden, having obtained information about the kingdom through Levana and Perne, swiftly cut through the air.
Restore the communication device first as planned.
You must meet Beta by activating the teleportation tunnel connected to the Golem Research Facility at the Tomb of the First Demon King in the Eastern Swamps.
[Magic Circle. Activating.]
As the two entered deep into the ruins, they were enveloped in the light of the spatial teleportation device. As expected, since it was in the form of an architectural structure, the spatial coordinates were not unstable.
[To Home.]
Pow!
Verden and Alpha returned to the Golem Research Facility after several tens of days.
‘also.’
I can sense a presence.
Heavy footsteps were heard from the opposite side of the path Verden and Alpha were taking. Then, Beta appeared, walking on all fours in the form of a gorilla.
[Beta, my little brother.]
“It’s been a while, Beta.”
[Congratulations on the return of His Majesty Verden and Alpha.]
Beta answered mechanically as usual, but the emotion of joy was clearly palpable. While others might not have felt it, Verden and Alpha certainly did.
[Wow.]
[Wow, it is.]
After the artificial golem brothers briefly savored the moment of their reunion… … Verden asked Beta, who was carrying Alpha on his head.
“I don’t have time right now, so I’ll give you the details later. I heard you are currently modifying the central signaling system; is it progressing smoothly?”
[That is correct. We have identified the factors interfering with the communication device’s horsepower wavelength. We have also completed the design for the modification of the central signaling unit.]
“……! Already? Well done.”
[As expected of my little brother.]
[thank you.]
Beta was happy to be praised.
“But what interfered with the central signaling device?”
[that.]
Beta paused for a moment, then immediately led the two into the laboratory.
[I will show you now.]
* * *
A central signal device with its internal structure half-exposed is placed in the center of the laboratory.
It was a different wavelength that interfered with the horsepower wavelength of the central signal device.
“A different wavelength?”
The magical energy waves connecting the communication device and the central signal device utilize a special magical energy that allows only the Demon King’s golems to receive and communicate with each other, making external intervention impossible.
In the first place, such a thing should not have happened.
[It was an unidentified wavelength severe enough to infringe upon the central signal generator’s intrinsic wavelength range. Therefore, we modified the central signal generator to block the frequency of that specific wavelength. In the process, we succeeded in capturing the problematic wavelength.]
Creak, squeak.
Beta manipulated the central signal generator to reproduce the wavelength.
───Ah… … here… … .
A voice was heard from the central signaling device.
───Where am I… …?
