Chapter 254
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 254.
The Magic Tower was quiet.
Perhaps because it was composed of mages, there was always a calm and serene atmosphere, a stillness in the air.
But today was different.
“When did they say the expedition would return? Was it morning or afternoon?”
“We just received word—they’ll arrive at 3 PM.”
“We don’t have much time.”
The expedition that had gone with Jin Baek-cheon to conquer the gate was returning.
From the morning, the mages had been bustling about, preparing a welcoming ceremony.
“Ugh, a welcoming ceremony? What a bother…”
“Can’t we just focus on magic research instead?”
Naturally, many mages disliked preparing for such ceremonies.
They were inefficient and, above all, annoying.
Most mages were strongly individualistic, making such situations particularly unpleasant for them.
“If not for occasions like this, when would these reclusive loners ever gather?”
“Well, when the time comes…”
“‘When the time comes’ my foot. The last time I saw you was at your graduation—today’s the first time since then. Don’t lie.”
“……”
The reason they stubbornly maintained such bothersome ceremonies was precisely this.
To bring individualistic mages together and foster camaraderie.
Because there were many benefits to be gained from exchanging conversations.
“Hey, I heard you’re researching something related to spirits?”
“Yeah, well…”
As the long-separated mages caught up with one another, the preparations for the ceremony quickly neared completion.
Time passed, and soon, it was time for Jin Baek-cheon and the expedition to return.
“Is everyone ready?”
“Yes.”
Like a triumphal parade celebrating the victory of a general and his army in war,
The Magic Tower had prepared a grand welcome.
“Yes, yes. Understood. Then…”
Just as the final preparations were completed, the long-awaited message arrived.
“They’re here.”
“Prepare your magic. Let’s make this clean.”
“Ugh, what a pain…”
The mages each readied their spells.
Kiiing!
The magic circle glowed.
The sound of magic stones activating and magic swirling filled the air.
And then, moments later—
Paaaat!
A brilliant light erupted from the magic circle, flooding the surroundings.
Everyone’s vision was momentarily blinded, and when it cleared—
“…Huh?”
A luminous haze gathered atop the magic circle, forming the silhouettes of people.
Figures stood upon the magic circle.
But—
“Who… are you?”
“What the—? Who are these people?”
They were not Jin Baek-cheon and the expedition the mages had been waiting for.
Instead, countless figures draped in tattered robes, accompanied by golems of a familiar form.
“We are—”
The man at the forefront of the magic circle removed his hood and raised his head.
“—the outcasts you abandoned.”
Clad in rags, his body covered in tattoos, his face, too, marred by grotesque markings—Valmir grinned.
“We’ll kill you rotten mages and liberate this tower!”
“Wha—? Aaah!”
Valmir let out a mad laugh as he unleashed the spell he had pre-chanted.
Following his lead, the mages of Staggler each cast their own spells.
A barrage of magic targeted the mages.
“Ah, no…”
Their faces twisted in despair.
Staggler unleashed their spells without hesitation, and a deafening roar erupted.
A blinding light engulfed the surroundings.
“Heh…”
Harun watched the scene unfold from his laboratory.
He touched his ear, and the earring emitted a faint blue glow.
“Now, let the plan begin.”
Harun smiled as he gave the order.
* * *
―Let the plan begin.
Harun’s words were transmitted to his allies scattered throughout the Magic Tower.
The mages who heard the command through their earrings moved as if they had been waiting for this moment.
First, the magic stone facility deep within the tower, heavily guarded by elite mages.
“…….”
“…….”
The mages stood watch over the facility in silence.
Among them, a few fiddled with their earrings before exchanging glances.
And then—
“Hey.”
“Huh? Wha— Gurk!”
“Aaaah!”
A flash of light.
Countless blades of ice sliced through the mages’ necks, tearing their bodies apart.
An attack from nowhere.
The mages guarding the magic stone facility fell helplessly, unable to react.
“Guh, urk…! Why… why…!”
“…….”
A surviving mage clutched his throat as he questioned his former comrade.
The traitor, wearing an earring, looked down at him with icy eyes.
“For a greater cause.”
“Wha— Gah!”
The earring swayed.
A symbol of loyalty to Harun, and a tool for communication.
The traitors raised their heads.
“Confirm the survivors and kill them all. Make sure none escape.”
Squelch!
Thud!
Blood splattered everywhere.
In an instant, the mages were dead, and the traitors stood before the massive magic stone.
“Now, it begins.”
Booom!
A volley of spells struck the magic stone, and the traitors retreated.
Moments later—
Kwaaaaang!
A deafening explosion obliterated the magic stone facility.
Along with all the corpses inside.
―Magic stone facility in Area A destroyed. Moving to Area C.
―Area B facility also destroyed.
―Area D…
What had just happened in the magic stone facility repeated across the tower.
One after another, the magic stone facilities were destroyed, and then the traitors turned their attention to the tower’s internal defense systems.
“Why—why are you doing this?!”
“For a greater cause!”
The traitors slaughtered the mages managing the tower’s defense systems.
They sabotaged the control mechanisms, rendering the defenses inoperable.
―Defense systems deactivated.
―Good! All units, commence the operation!
As if waiting for this signal, traitors across the tower began to move.
“Guh, aah!”
“Why…!”
Classrooms where peaceful lessons had been held.
Professors’ labs where students had been meeting.
Hallways, cafeterias, libraries, training rooms—
Kwaaaang!
“Gyaaah!”
Traitors who had been lying in wait ambushed the mages around them.
Explosions echoed throughout the tower, and screams filled the air.
“You fools pledging loyalty to Jin Baek-cheon! Die here, every last one of you!”
“Don’t let a single one escape!”
The traitors inside the tower rallied. They mercilessly attacked the tower’s mages, who were slow to resist.
“Kuh, urk!”
“Dammit! I can’t even tell who’s an enemy! What the hell are we supposed to do?!”
An impossible situation where friend and foe were indistinguishable.
In such chaos, the mages had no choice but to fight back against the traitors.
Amidst the confusion, any organized response was impossible.
The traitors seized the opportunity to advance their goals.
Kwaang!
Boom!
They relentlessly destroyed the magic stone facilities, disrupting the tower’s magic supply.
And the consequences soon became apparent.
“No!”
“The barrier—!”
Craaack!
With a sound like shattering glass, the protective barrier surrounding the tower began to collapse.
And then, a new sound reached their ears.
―Kyaaaaah!
―Grrrr…!
The roar of beasts.
But unlike ordinary beasts, these roars were saturated with magic.
The mages guarding the tower’s perimeter turned toward the source of the noise.
What they saw was—
“Dammit!”
“Monsters! A horde of monsters is coming!”
Countless flying monsters.
Wyverns, drakes, harpies—all manner of winged creatures were soaring toward the tower.
The mages were horrified.
“Where the hell did that many monsters come from?!”
“Th-this is…”
Kang Seong-hyeok, the officer in charge of external defense, trembled violently.
He turned his head numbly to look behind him.
“The tower…”
The tower, which had always stood firm.
Explosions continued to ravage its structure, collapsing entire sections.
Falling debris rained down upon the ground below.
“This isn’t a coincidence.”
The battle raging inside the tower.
The monsters appearing the moment the barrier was breached.
“Someone… some faction is targeting the Magic Tower.”
Kang Seong-hyeok stared blankly as monsters poured through the barrier’s gaps.
The tower was crumbling.
His body shook as he realized it.
* * *
“…….”
Jin Seo-yeon, in her office, had also been briefed on the unfolding situation.
Her eyes burned with fury.
“How dare they?!.”
She draped the cloak given to her by Yoo Baek-jun and stepped out of the room.
Outside, mages assigned to guard her office stood ready.
“You’ve all heard? There are traitors inside. We’re going to stop them.”
“Yes, Jin Seo-yeon.”
Jin Seo-yeon strode forward, the mages following behind her.
“Report the situation quickly.”
―Y-yes! The traitors are destroying the magic stone facilities! The outer barrier has been breached, and monsters are—!
―If the core collapses, the barrier will fail completely!
“…Then we must stop that.”
Jin Seo-yeon glanced out the window.
Countless flying monsters were swarming the barrier.
Some had already slipped through the cracks and were making their way inside.
“J-Jin Seo-yeon!”
“What now?”
“Reports of enemies infiltrating through the underwater passage!”
“The underwater passage?”
Jin Seo-yeon frowned at the subordinate’s report.
“How did they—?”
“With the power source down, the underwater passage’s defenses must have weakened. I don’t know how they found out, though…”
“If there are traitors inside, it’s not that surprising they’d know.”
But the real problem was—
“If they know about the passage, they also know it leads directly to the tower’s core.”
Jin Seo-yeon bit her lip.
There was much to do. The traitors inside had to be dealt with, and the monsters outside had to be slain.
But more urgent than anything was sealing the underwater passage.
“The core must be protected. We’re heading underground. We have to stop them.”
“Yes!”
Jin Seo-yeon led her mages as they hurried down the corridor.
“Gyaaah!”
“Why are you doing this?!”
In the hallways, battles between Starglider and the tower’s mages raged.
Comrades who had been laughing and talking just moments ago now fought to the death—a gruesome sight.
Jin Seo-yeon shut her eyes tightly.
“Jin Seo-yeon, once we seal the underwater passage, we can assist the other mages. Don’t blame yourself—”
“I know.”
Jin Seo-yeon reached the underground level.
At the tower’s lowest point, near the island’s depths, was the door leading to the underwater passage.
“Enemies are in the passage.”
Surveillance magic detected their presence.
Figures clad in black gear—the Black Shadow.
“What should we do?”
“Seal the entrance. We need to buy time. And deploy the golems—”
Jin Seo-yeon immediately reinforced the door with magic.
She was about to issue further orders when—
“I’m afraid that won’t do.”
“……!”
A voice.
From the darkness behind them, a cheerful tone utterly out of place.
A figure emerged from the shadows like a ghost.
“You…”
It was Harun.
He smiled brightly.
“Jin Seo-yeon, I knew you’d come here.”
“What?”
“That’s why I prepared this.”
Harun snapped his fingers.
In response, the mages beside Jin Seo-yeon drew their wands—
And aimed them at her.
“……!”
“We’ve been waiting for you.”
Jin Seo-yeon’s expression froze.
“You…”
“Heh. You’ve always been terrible at forming bonds with people. With no one you can truly trust…”
Harun spread his arms wide.
“This is the result. Alone, betrayed by your fellow mages, powerless to do anything.”
Jin Seo-yeon scoffed softly.
“You think you can stop me? You’re underestimating me.”
“No, I hold you in higher regard than anyone else in this tower. That’s why I prepared this.”
Thud. Thud.
The sound of something heavy approaching. From behind Harun, a massive number of golems appeared.
Their numbers were staggering.
“These.”
Golems specially modified to have drastically increased magic resistance.
Even for Jin Seo-yeon, facing these golems and the mages alone would be nearly impossible.
Harun grinned.
“…Since when? This couldn’t have been prepared recently.”
“Since long before you could imagine. Since I first decided this tower needed to change.”
“Change?”
Harun nodded.
“Those who twist the laws of the world to create miracles… Mages are the greatest beings in this world.”
“…….”
“And yet, you and Jin Baek-cheon, leading such beings, have been pathetically weak.” Harun clicked his tongue. “Taking requests from other nations to conquer gates—what a pitiful waste! With this power, we could create a new world!”
Jin Seo-yeon listened in silence.
“I’ll make the world bow before mages. Unlike you, I’ll lead this force with an iron grip.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Yes! More than anyone!”
Despite his words, Harun’s eyes burned with madness.
“I’ll make mages truly great. And for that, I need you, Jin Seo-yeon.”
“Me?”
“Yes. The genetic legacy Jin Baek-cheon so carefully crafted in you is exceptional. I need it.” Harun reached out to her. “I’ll make you mine. With your genes, I’ll create the perfect mage.”
“You’re insane.”
Jin Seo-yeon recoiled.
The idea of being used to breed superior mages was revolting.
Harun chuckled.
“You have no choice.”
“…….”
Jin Seo-yeon stepped back warily, her back pressing against the underwater passage’s door.
“Trying to run? But you know what’s in the passage…”
The door creaked open.
With a groan, the entrance to the underwater passage slowly parted.
Jin Seo-yeon’s face darkened, while Harun’s brightened.
“The Black Shadow are waiting.”
The door opened fully.
Beyond it lay only darkness.
From within, a man’s face emerged like a specter.
A member of the Black Shadow.
“Welcome, Black Shadow! As promised, help us capture Jin Seo-yeon and—”
Harun called out with a grin.
But then—
Swiish!
A flash of light cut through the darkness. A sharp slicing sound echoed, and moments later—
Splurt!
“……!”
The Black Shadow members’ throat gushed blood.
He staggered forward before collapsing.
The sudden bloodshed silenced everyone.
“What the hell kind of nonsense am I hearing?”
A voice.
All eyes turned toward the underwater passage’s entrance.
A gleaming white blade flashed in the darkness as a man stepped forward.
“You done talking?”
A man drenched in blood.
Yoo Baek-jun had arrived.