Chapter 98
Chapter 98
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Thousand Gold Hall's Guardian Posts
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The professor is a good man.
In every route, he maintained his identity as a force for good, and though it might not be the reason... his endings were never good.
Out of pointless defiance, I rejected his request.
"My duty is to escort you safely back, Professor."
"The dead have narrow vision. Seeing the state you're in, they've probably even forgotten why they tried to enter Thousand Gold Hall in the first place."
I scratched at my mask for a moment.
Well, this situation wasn't going to resolve itself easily.
Wasting time just watching a fight that could drag on forever wasn't my style either.
In the end, I let out a sigh and said,
"Understood. But any extra tasks beyond this might require hazard pay."
"If possible, please handle it without too much violence."
No, not a request—I'm talking about hazard pay here?
I didn't voice the latter part and extended my hand toward the guardian posts.
They were quite a distance away, but my mana control and dominance were now entirely different from before.
In an instant, I expanded my influence and made contact with the flesh draped over their bodies.
- What is this!? Who the hell are you!?
- Which bastard's touching us!?
The guardian posts detected my mana and jerked their heads, reacting sensitively. I could feel their mana resistance skyrocketing.
But it was already too late. My mana had taken root in their bodies.
'Let's see... this is dirt, and...'
I slammed my right fist into my open left palm, activating the spell.
[Stone Shatter]
Crunch!!
The rock and stone parts of their bodies shattered all at once.
- Arghhh!! H-How!?
- Which bastard are yooouuu!!
Off-balance from the shock, the guardian posts began to collapse.
Boom!!
A deafening roar like a mountain crumbling, kicking up clouds of dust that obscured vision.
Even so, they'd just reform their bodies and stand right back up.
I cast the next spell in quick succession.
[Falling Water]
[Spell Enhancement: Maximized]
Roooosh!!!
A hole seemed to rip open in the empty air as an enormous volume of water came pouring down.
Ignore it thinking it's just a waterfall or shower, and you'd suffer irreparable damage.
- My body! My boooddy!!
- Stop, stooop!!!
It was water, sure—but crashing down with the weight and speed to topple buildings and shave mountains.
The guardian posts, already toppled and off-balance, were swept away by the immense pressure and eroded in seconds.
That pile-of-dirt flesh was like armor scraped together with mana anyway.
Even smashed, it'd just annoy them a bit—no real pain.
In the meantime, I turned my magic on the wraiths.
[Wraithfire]
Seven violet flames bloomed in the air. A spell that lured impure beings and drew in wraiths.
The flames cast an eerie glow in all directions, beginning to entice the confused wraiths.
The wraiths, already bereft of ego, easily changed course, following the flames.
"Now I'll scatter the wraiths."
I sent the drifting flames off in various directions.
The wraiths, having forgotten what they were even doing, scattered after the flying flames.
Of course, a few strong ones unaffected by the spell remained, but their numbers were few. The mob was gone.
"Unbelievable... Wizard, I asked for your help, but I didn't expect this level. I've seen plenty of spells that smash and explode... but this is a first!"
"It's nothing special."
They were spells I'd deciphered and mastered from the Taiyin Water Secret Codex, stolen from Heo Joo.
There might be higher-ranking wizards than me out there, but few knew as many spells as I did.
As we advanced further, a few wraiths untouched by the Wraithfire snickered and called out.
- Impressive skill for a mountain rat.
- You've pissed off Thousand Gold Hall's guardian posts. How do you plan to handle that now?
These were high-grade wraiths that hadn't lost their egos amid the chaos. Engaging in chit-chat or eye contact would just invite endless hassle.
So I ignored the ones trying to approach and meet my gaze, pressing forward.
"Hey, guardian sirs. We're just here to sell some goods quick and leave—mind opening the gate for a sec?"
- Ha! You dare mock us!?
- Think a few petty tricks mean you can beat us!?
Crrunch!!
I heard stone crumbling from the guardian posts' bodies, but they rose again.
The rocks were shattered, sand and pebbles swept away by water, dirt turned to mud.
Not as imposing as when they were smacking down wraiths, but still plenty dangerous.
- But thanks to you, we've found it! The abyssal mana coiling around your whole body!
- Sent by abyssal beings to harm Thousand Gold Hall, no doubt!
Sent by abyssal beings?
Wait, the ones out to harm Thousand Gold Hall... that was about me?
I'd had a bad feeling this plot twist was coming, but actually hearing it left me a bit flustered.
"Hm... Wizard. Could it be that mask?"
The professor looked just as perplexed.
"...I can't remove the mask. And it's not just the mask that's the issue."
This is tricky. Too many suspicious things.
For starters, the [Feast's Offering] trait that's been tormenting me nonstop.
I have way too many ties to the abyssal beings Thousand Gold Hall hates.
The mask belongs to the [King in Yellow], my body holds a fragment of the [One Who Comes from the Dark], and I'm wearing a ring of the [Living Flame]. Among my summons, there's a flesh monster born from the power of the [Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young], which I'm maturing by feeding it mana from the [Blind and Stupid One]...
Maybe... if I say it's a misunderstanding, they'll buy it...?
No, doesn't look like it. The guardian posts were now spouting hot-blooded lines like, "Even if it costs my life here!", "I'll burn my soul to protect Thousand Gold Hall!"
"Professor, I could knock them all out... but that wouldn't be right, would it?"
"Honestly, I don't care if it's now or later. We can come back when they've forgotten. But you?"
Fair point.
I'd said I'd just do escort duty earlier, but I hadn't come here solely for that.
Even if I couldn't get a pass for future visits, I wanted to offload the stuff I'd brought.
- What're you two whispering about!?
- Take this!
The guardian posts corrected their stances and charged recklessly. Still undecided on a plan, I hesitated a moment before casting.
[Earthquake Strike]
Rumbleeee!!!
- Uwaaak!!
- The ground's collapsing!!
With a roar, the earth in front of Thousand Gold Hall split open, trapping the flailing guardian posts in the chasm.
Looking back, shadows gathered atop the walls—residents drawn by the commotion.
- Graaaah!!
The guardian posts gathered power. Scooping up dirt and rock from the cracked ground, they began swelling to enormous size.
No quiet resolution now.
Then the professor approached from behind.
"I asked you to step in, so I should take responsibility. Let me handle the talking."
Before I could respond, he casually pulled something from his robes.
"That's... Understood."
"Oh, you know what this is? You're quite knowledgeable."
"I've picked up a lot here and there."
"If this fails, it's all yours afterward."
With that, his wheelchair rolled forward on its own.
"Grand Commander of All Under Heaven, and Grand Commander of the Subterranean Realms."
The professor called their names calmly, but they were beyond reason.
- Shut up!
The Grand Commander of All Under Heaven bellowed.
The Grand Commander of the Subterranean Realms didn't even reply, just swung an arm of mud and gravel.
Whooosh!!
[Protection Circle]
[Spell Enhancement: Multiple Cast]
Crack, crunch! Boom!!
If the professor hadn't erected five layers of protection circles in front of his head, his wise brain matter would've splattered everywhere.
But undaunted, he winked at me.
He'd anticipated this and taken the lead. Fine by me—escort duty.
I hurried behind him and stuck close.
"H-Hey. Let's hear the story before swinging."
- That... perfectly matched bastard...!
- Don't get cocky!
"Generals."
The professor spoke again.
The guardian posts glared, teeth grinding. Their faces said, *Fine, let's hear it.*
The professor's next words were a bit out there.
"I'll apologize on behalf of my disciple for his rudeness."
- Disciple?
- Apologize?
The absurd remark left Grand Commander of All Under Heaven and Grand Commander of the Subterranean Realms gaping.
- That's your disciple? Don't bullshit us!
- Might as well say you're Tripitaka! How could a monster like that be your student!?
The tense mood veered into nonsense.
"No bullshit—it's all because of that mask."
The professor pointed at my face.
- Yeah, that mask! No sane human could wear it!
- Right, that mask! He's definitely the one sent by abyssal beings!
"No, no. My disciple was tricked by abyssal beings into wearing it. It's been over three years and three months since he could remove it himself."
The professor spun an outlandish tale to the guardian posts, like I was some fable's protagonist. I couldn't see his face from behind, but he seemed to be enjoying it.
The conversation that followed was truly bizarre.
He went on about how miserable life must be for someone wearing a mask for three years and three months.
The guardian posts pushed back, but the talk flowed as he intended.
- Aha, got it!
Suddenly, Grand Commander of All Under Heaven declared enlightenment.
- It was a lie after all! How could a human eat with a mask on!?
- Oh, right! It was a lie!
"Dear me, no. Cursed by abyssal beings, my disciple hasn't eaten or drunk a thing. A truly horrific curse. Don't you pity my disciple?"
- Hoo... really?
- No wonder he's so scrawny.
The guardian posts started looking at me with pity.
'That landed better than expected.'
It wasn't their intelligence dropping.
It was the artifact in the professor's hand.
[Flag of the Open Mind (A-rank magic tool): A flag embroidered with magical runes.
Targets in its area of effect will engage in conversation with you.
However, it has no effect on anyone you've ever harbored hostility toward.]
The professor had deliberately spouted nonsense unfit for the situation.
Before activation, they could've shut him up and beaten him, but once it triggered, no more.
They could only refute or agree with him—and with his mismatched words, the talk veered absurdly.
'The guardian posts have high magic resistance... lucky it worked.'
I'd been ready to grab his wheelchair and bolt if it failed, but success spared me that.