Chapter 45
[KHAHAHAHA!!! Master!!! Your power is perfect!!! Even that bastard's successor can't kill me. Ahh! To bestow such an incredible blessing upon me!!!]
The monster reappeared in midair, twisting its body and letting out a scream-like cheer. Its waist bent like a bow, on the verge of snapping, but it felt no pain. It was already dead, after all.
"Are you like that too?"
"......As if. What do you take the Black Tower Lord for?!"
"You're his descendant. Same name and all. Just checking."
"From what I see, that's no human. It had dark magic until just now, but not anymore."
"If not dark magic, then what?"
"Its magic changed after it escaped the rift. Similar to darkness, but not quite. If I had to compare......"
Darkness magic unleashed tremendous destructive power, but the essence of dark magic itself was pure and transparent. Yet the monster's version only evoked terror and fear.
"Darker than darkness. We can call it the magic of the abyss."
"Lame naming sense."
"Here for a picnic, brats? If you're not coming, I'll take you first!"
Not darkness, but the abyss spread in all directions, engulfing the two tower lords. Tens of thousands of tentacles filled every gap in space, devouring everything.
The tentacles touched the dimensional barrier Aurelie had created. It melted away in an instant, absorbed into the tentacles.
"This is dangerous."
There was no escape. The Black Tower Lord briefly considered teleportation but shook his head. Teleportation relied on mana for movement. Even in sealed spaces, as long as mana could flow, it worked. But these tentacles melted dimensional barriers and absorbed their mana. Attempting teleportation would just feed all that mana to the tentacles—no way out.
"Clean absorption. If it were only Black Oriharcon level, I'd have teleported without hesitation."
A swamp of tentacles that completely blocked mana. But the two tower lords knew each other too well.
"Let's dodge together."
"Ugh! Aren't you sticking a bit too close?"
"Hehey! Save myself alone? That's cold."
The Black Tower Lord quickly clung to Aurelie. Abandoning his sticky grip, Aurelie enveloped them in life force magic. Dimensional barriers wouldn't hold. So they just needed to slip away. No exit? Space meant nothing to her.
"Quit dawdling. Hurry up!"
"Passengers shouldn't talk so much."
Soft mana melted space, drawing the two tower lords into the dimensional crevice. Not teleportation. It seeped into the fabric of space, exited the world, then returned to reality—a miracle unique to White Tower magic.
The monster had already demonstrated it once, so Aurelie recalled the moment, furrowing her brow at her bruised pride.
"Dodged for now, good. But how do we kill it?"
"It doesn't die. How do you kill what's already dead?"
"Then what is it? An immortal?"
"There must be a medium. My guess: a lingering thought bearing the first Black Tower Lord's memories. Doesn't look like a living being."
"What lingering thought is that free? The ones I know haunt specific spots like ghosts."
"That's why there's a medium. Think beyond one dimension, Tower Lord."
"Hmm. So it's hidden somewhere. How do we find it?"
Then, the monster withdrew its tentacles and revealed itself. It pulled a book from its bosom. A brown tome coated in thick dust, its cover grotesquely bound in what looked like human skin. Not just any skin—a face.
"Ahh. I understand, Master. Dispose of these small fry quickly, right? Then I shall borrow more of your power for our goal."
"......Is that it?"
"......Yeah."
The two gathered their mana. No telling what it planned, but they couldn't let it happen. A book that revived the dead from over a millennium ago into immortality just by possession—who knew what opening it would unleash? A catastrophe killing every mage in the city?
"But it survived the full blast earlier."
"That shoved it into a dimensional rift—doesn't count. We didn't destroy the book directly. Who'd guess it'd escape that rift......"
"Got an idea. That monster's based on the first Tower Lord's memories. Memory, soul, resurrection—who knows. But no modern memories. Get it now? Multidimensional thinking from the White Tower Lord."
"Understood. Fine. Simple and petty Black Tower Lord."
Friendly yet not. The two raised their mana together.
"No time. It's opening the book."
"Let's start."
Black Tower Lord and White Tower Lord. Yuglatsil's true rivals shared a harmonious air only once in history. After the first vanished, their second-generation successors reached out in reconciliation. Not just shaking hands—the sole moment of peace when each married the other's counterpart.
"Dark magic and life force magic. Combining them after centuries."
Exchanges led to research on each other's mana. The result: fusion of the two.
Pure white life force. Darkness itself. An act defying nature's laws, never meant to merge. The chaos birthed destruction that defied reality itself—impossible with ordinary magic.
"Done. Fused."
"Step back just in case. I'll seal the monster in a dimensional barrier before it explodes."
A soccer-ball-sized orb of mana formed before the two tower lords. White and black swirled, sucked toward the center. Staring induced hypnosis. The vortex accelerated; colors blurred into gray.
"Here goes. Careful."
"......Not even empty words of help."
"Only you can cross dimensional barriers."
"That's why it's empty."
"Behold! This is Master's power!"
"No time. Hurry."
Aurelie vanished. Before the monster opening the book, her white hand appeared, handing over the fully gray mana orb.
"A gift."
She fled like delivering a bomb. Simultaneously, she sealed the monster and orb in a dimensional barrier. Layers upon layers, unlike before. As it exceeded ten layers......
"......!"
The world stopped.
A violent quake shook the entire city through the barrier. Intense light from within flooded it. If Sung-tae were there, he'd call it a supernova. That level of explosion.
"Ugh. Ten layers weren't enough!"
The vibration rattled the air, crumbling nearby buildings. The blinding light forced eyes shut, dyeing the world white.
"Heard of it from records, but impressive."
Without the barrier, it'd swallow the city and pulverize the surrounding land. Huwiger's eyes gleamed at the massive blast. Aurelie's did too.
"Ahh! The, the White Tower!"
The White Tower, closest to the battlefield, shuddered from the quake. It toppled sideways like a felled tree, groaning.
"No!"
"Save your mana. Restoring the tower's fine, but prepare for anything."
With Aurelie hesitating to rush over, Huwiger eyed the fading light at the explosion's center. This attack should have erased the monster and book. But unease lingered.
Did it die? Unconsciously, he voiced the doubt.
"Dead?"
"......Hey, Black Tower Lord? Know about flags in novels? If you've read any."
"So?"
"That's a classic one. Say it, and......"
A bizarre beastly howl shattered the last surviving dimensional barrier. Remaining light vanished instantly.
The explosion's heart revealed: no monster, but a floating, quivering book.
"......The enemy revives."
The book's cover bore a human face. Its eyes opened—black voids revealing nothing.
"Gruk."
The face opened its mouth, spewing abyss. Inky black liquid rippled, forming a human shape.
"Won't die...... I won't die...... Who...... who am I?"
Power spent? No trace of the first Black Tower Lord remained. Only a shadowy human form, like gained substance.
Strange noises poured from the darkness's mouth.
"Ahh! White Tower Lord! Why are you so strong!? Are you truly human!? Gruk!? Give me that book?! What is it!? Does it make me strong? If so, gladly!"
"Mad."
"When wasn't it?"
The two tower lords raised mana. It barely held human shape, unable to revert—perfect time to strike.
"White Tower Lord!"
Did it sense their actions? Barely maintaining its melting form, visions of the past flooded the man's sight.
"What are you......"
Back when he was still human. That sweltering summer day he sought the man.
'So you want to grow strong? Then take it. Perhaps that book will guide you.'
Arrogant smile as he handed over the book. Cover of human skin. The face skin on it creeped him out just to hold. Devil-made, yet touching it mesmerized like possession.
'Go. Open it. Win, and claim its power. Lose, and your soul binds.'
He fled the White Tower. Regretted it. Hadn't opened it, but baseless faith rooted: this would make him strong. Hated it. Hated relying on him, hated not discarding it.
To escape reality, he lied. Told all he'd stolen from the White Tower. Left the tower.
Not afraid. Felt refreshed.
'With this, I too......'
Yearning to surpass. Genius who built the Black Tower, yet couldn't top him. Efforts paling like child's play. Believed the book granted such power.
Alone, he opened it. Saw the madness within.
"Aaaah!!! I want to grow strong. Strong......"
Last death cry, consciousness faded. Unconscious body puppeted, raising the book skyward.
"Whatever you're planning."
"We're watching."
The two cast spells. Just before hitting, an eerie voice unlike before emerged from the man. A voice from the unimaginable abyss depths.
"Fear. From your soul's depths, wring out your final death throes."
⟨ ABYSSAL CURSE ⟩
And......
"All shall fall to madness."
⟨ LION'S BOOK PROPHECY ⟩
"Ooh!"
A wriggling golden thread on his palm. Sung-tae cheered triumphantly.
How long had he stayed here? The moment his efforts shone.
"Yes! I did it! I have talent too! Hidden power I didn't know!"
"Phew. Sung-tae! Connected! But barely a thread?"
Mukkebi popped out from his inner world. Her check: a water spout from the golden sea just grazed the sky.
"This is fine. Plenty of time. Practice magic slowly outside. But this feels just like that."
A spiderweb-thin thread fluttered on his palm. Sung-tae posed his fingers oddly, thrusting forward.
"Spider-Man, right?"
"But, my lord. Do you know how to use magic?"
"Hmm. Not really."
He could wield life force now, but magic was separate. How?
"Garba, magic...... tough?"
"Well, as a warrior, not my forte. But Gepelt said it's the fruit of wind."
"Fruit of wind?"
"Yes. One who masters mana perfectly releases it, firms will and desire, and manifests."
"Hard to follow. Release mana while thinking of the spell?"
"Theoretically, yes. But then warriors could too. Must link will to released mana and express simultaneously."
"......Tough."
Sung-tae, who'd jumped up joyfully, sat back. Training unfinished.
"Alright. Master one simple spell before leaving!"
"Um, my lord......"
"What?"
Garba blushed. Wanted to stay and watch, but couldn't hold out.
"That is......"
Grrrrowl.
Garba's stomach rumbled. Mukkebi quipped,
"Whale call."
Her face flushed crimson.
"Sorry......"
"Right. You need food."
Unlike mana-free Sung-tae or life-force-eating Mukkebi, she required meals. Enduring hunger and sleep beside him was only possible for her as warrior with flesh.
"Guess magic practice outside. Alright then......"
Sung-tae stood, lively after so long.
"Shall we head out?"