Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: The Wizard's Battle (3)
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Sensing the killing intent, Etella glanced to the side. A shadow shot out from the darkness of the empty air at incredible speed, striking her jaw.
‘A fist?’
A barrage of dozens of shadow fists followed. Etella curled into a ball, shielding her vital points with both arms. Amidst the dull thuds of impact echoing through the mountains, she stood her ground as if rooted to the spot.
‘Hoh? You can still take this?’
Any ordinary person would have had every bone in their body broken. But through the gaps in her guard, Etella’s eyes were still sharp.
“I’ll give you credit for your toughness, but let’s end this.”
Shadow hands appeared from all directions and seized the groggy Etella. As the power of darkness gripping her wrists and ankles applied force, her limbs were splayed outwards. Her large glasses were cracked and askew, and blood trickled from her lips.
Arcane cast Poison Cutter. It was a Triple Mix magic—far more difficult than Fusion magic—that imbued the rotating darkness with venom.
The blade-like magic tore through the air as it surged forward. Sensing it was a spell of instant death, Etella used all her strength to break free from the shadows, then took a deep breath and let out a scream.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
The high-frequency roar rushed forward, knocking down bushes and shattering Arcane’s darkness like smoke.
It was the Exorcist’s Roar, a monk’s technique.
Karsis Yung, the ancestor of the Order of Karsis, once said that the awakening that roused the human spirit arrived with a great roar. The Exorcist’s Roar was an orthodox technique that generated a thunderous sound to break evil magic. It was the same principle as a sinner being startled by the sound of thunder.
Engulfed by the roar, Arcane trembled. His skin tingled, and the hair on his head stood on end. To think that a woman in her mid-twenties could use the Exorcist’s Roar, a technique he had only encountered a few times in his 130 years of life.
‘Hehehe, this is why I can’t leave this world behind.’
The greatest talents hone a single ability to its absolute limit, wielding a spirit as refined as a legendary sword.
How entertaining was that?
Someone would die, and someone would survive.
Wasn’t this how magic advanced, through endless cycles of destruction, creation, and regeneration?
‘Yes, that’s how it is. Of course.’
Arcane cast Poison Cutter again. Judging that it was now or never, Etella broke the power of darkness holding her ankle and cast Spatial Leap. Just as a flash of light bent and flew away, the Poison Cutter pierced through its afterimage.
“Whew.”
Arcane whistled. The greater the person, the greater the humiliation of escape. But the decisiveness to retreat without hesitation was also crucial in battle.
Arcane walked over to where Etella had been standing. A pool of blood lay there, indicating she hadn’t dodged perfectly. If the poison had seeped in, she wouldn’t have been able to get far.
“That tomboy is in for a rough time.”
Arcane was delighted to have met a formidable opponent for the first time in 40 years. He had just witnessed a genius who possessed a trinity of talents: a Zoner’s Spirit Zone, the physical skill to sever the power of darkness, and the sublime spirit of a monk.
‘She was a certified Grade 6 wizard, was she?’
It was certainly a high rank for her age. But geniuses were those for whom societal standards did not apply. Had Etella not been bound by a sense of duty as a teacher or a seeker of truth, her current rank would have been much higher.
“Mirich Alpheas. That brat is respected?”
Arcane looked up with sorrowful eyes. As his mind control faded, the trees straightened their bent backs, revealing the darkened sky.
“Have you no shame, Alpheas? To be respected by someone far superior to you. What a tragic reality.”
Lamenting his disciple’s incompetence, Arcane began to walk slowly. The darkness that blanketed the forest showed him the way.
* * *
‘Damn it! Where in the world is he?’
Thadd grew increasingly anxious. Alpheas wasn't in his quarters, where he had been certain he would be. If he hadn't been captured by the enemy either, there was only one place left.
“Master!”
He burst through the door to the headmaster’s office. But Alpheas was not here either.
Thadd didn’t give up and began examining the books on the shelves. He had long known that Alpheas had created a personal space here.
‘There should be a mechanism. But I can’t check every book.’
His rapidly scanning eyes caught sight of one particular volume. Tucked among the stuffy magic tomes was a book titled ‘To See the Darkness.’ Knowing his master’s past, Thadd was certain this was the gateway directly connected to Alpheas’s memories.
When he pulled the top of the book, a heavy mechanism turned, and the bookshelf split to the left and right. A tunnel was revealed beyond the wall, with a set of stairs leading down.
As Thadd descended the stairs, the tilted book returned to its place, and the bookshelf closed. He opened an iron door to find a small room lit by a crystal lamp. Numerous items were displayed on old shelves, so antiquated it could have passed for an antique shop.
A portrait of a woman hung on the wall. She wasn’t strikingly beautiful, but her impression was gentle and graceful.
‘That must be…’
Thadd stared at the portrait, captivated. What Alpheas had said was true. Her eyes seemed to possess a magical power that drew people in.
“Who are you?”
Thadd flinched and spun around. In a corner chair sat Alpheas, leaning on his knees. His face was contorted with anger and bewilderment, a completely different sight from his usual self.
“Master! You’re safe!”
“You… you seem to know me.”
Thadd stopped in his tracks. From Alpheas’s words, he could guess the situation.
“You’ve lost your memory.”
Like the other teachers, Alpheas had clearly fallen under Arcane’s spell. But, befitting a certified Grade 4 wizard, he must have taken measures and fled here before his memory was completely erased.
Hearing Thadd’s words, Alpheas walked over to a bronze mirror. He then examined his reflection with a grave expression.
“Hmph. Lost my memory, you say? I thought I’d suddenly time-traveled to the future. In any case, for my 18-year-old face to turn into this old man’s… it’s quite irritating.”
Thadd’s eyes widened. Eighteen years old meant that roughly forty years of his life had been cut off. Had Alpheas not been an extremely rational person, he might have already gone mad.
“Right, lost my memory… That’s a relief, in a way. At least my life wasn’t stolen. Anyway, where is this? What happened to make me lose my memory?”
“A wizard cast dark magic to harm you, Master. You barely managed to escape.”
Telling a person with amnesia would only heighten their anxiety, but Alpheas seemed unconcerned.
“Is that so? How old am I now?”
“Ah, sixty-three.”
“Sixty-three, is it? Then what have I become?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking what magical achievements I’ve made.”
“Ah, you are a man of excellent character and integrity, currently serving as the headmaster of a magic academy.”
Alpheas wore a dumbfounded expression. The genius known as the light of the Mirich family, teaching others? Considering his own personality, it was something he could never imagine happening.
“So, what, you’re saying I became a teacher?”
“Yes. Everyone follows you, Master, and respects you.”
“Puhahaha! Puhahahaha!”
Alpheas burst into bombastic laughter. At first, he had been annoyed by his suddenly aged appearance, but ever since learning he had lost his memory, he hadn’t cared. In fact, he was now excited to hear about his own achievements.
“I suppose I’ve matured quite a bit. Headmaster, you say. Then is this the royal palace? Has the prince ascended to the throne?”
Thadd grew uneasy. No matter how rational Alpheas was, the gap of forty years was not something that could be ignored.
“This is a private academy. It’s the Alpheas Magic Academy, which you founded yourself, Master.”
“Private?”
Alpheas’s expression soured. A genius like Alpheas should have been teaching royalty, at the very least. But a private academy? What on earth had happened during those forty years of his life?
“…What grade am I?”
“Pardon? Ah, well, that is…”
Thadd hesitated. Countless records testified to how incredible Alpheas had been in his youth. In light of that, he couldn’t find the courage to honestly tell him the reality.
“Speak up! What grade am I? You said I’m sixty-three, right? Then am I Grade 1? Or maybe Grade 2?”
Thadd bowed his head as if he had committed a mortal sin.
“You’re Grade 4…”
Alpheas staggered. The shock was too much for his aged body to handle. But soon, unable to control his surging anger, he began to rage.
“What have you been doing! You idiot! You pathetic fool!”
Alpheas struck his own head, reproaching himself. With the talent God had given him, forty years of dedication should have made him at least a Grade 2. But not even Grade 3, but Grade 4?
How could this have happened? What kind of witless thoughts had he been living with to end up in this state?
He had to know the past. Everything, from one to ten. Having made his decision, Alpheas glared at Thadd and spoke.
“You, you can undo dark magic, can’t you? You said you’re my disciple, so you must have learned Photon Magic, right?”
“Yes. I don’t know how long it will take, but if you assist me, Master, it should be possible. However…”
A realization dawned on Thadd.
Perhaps this wasn’t a curse, but a blessing?
Due to a mistake in his youth, Alpheas had lived with guilt for a staggering forty years. If he could settle his past by losing his memory, a lifetime of regret would disappear.
“Master, must you truly regain your memory?”
“What? What are you talking about? They’re my memories, so of course I must regain them. Something must have gone wrong. If I can just correct that, I can still reach a much higher state even now.”
“Master, I understand you can’t accept the current situation. The light of the Mirich family, once called a heaven-sent talent, is now merely a Grade 4 headmaster. But that is all the more reason I wish to stop you. You made a great mistake, Master. And for forty years, you lived in agony. It’s time for you to be free. Perhaps this is an indulgence granted by God?”
Though he had regressed to his eighteen-year-old self, Alpheas knew well enough how much the wounds of the past could torment a person’s life. And if such a thing had truly happened, accepting it and living on was one way to go.
Pacing the room, lost in thought, Alpheas suddenly noticed the portrait on the wall and asked.
“Who is that woman? Is this not my room?”
“This is your room, Master.”
“Is that so? I hung that painting? She’s not even a beauty, and why are her eyes so vacant? Like she’s a bit simple-minded.”
Emotion welled up inside Thadd. Knowing who she was to Alpheas, he couldn’t contain his sorrow.
‘Master, you shouldn’t say such things. That woman is…’
Alpheas tore his gaze from the painting with an annoyed look. Nothing, absolutely nothing, made sense to him.
“I will regain my memory. This future deviates too much from my plans. I need to know what happened.”
“Master, please reconsider. Life is…”
“Hey, you.”
Alpheas cut Thadd off, his arrogant eyes looking up. Thadd realized there had been no falsehood in his master’s words. This was exactly what the young Alpheas had been like.
“You said you are my disciple, correct?”
“Yes. It is an honor I do not deserve, and I am always grateful.”
“Then as of today, you are disowned.”
“Pardon?”
Alpheas was serious. This was the great Alpheas. The very embodiment of intellect, who didn’t even bat an eye after losing forty years of memories.
“What’s the big deal about recovering some bygone memories? I have no need for a pathetic disciple like you.”