Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Tower of Wisdom: Lua Polaris (5)
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The secret society of black magicians, the Veil of Truth—.
Even within that Veil of Truth, Parasite Permian was a black magician talented enough to rise to one of the Five Candles.
One thing that set him apart from other black magicians was that, despite being one of the Five Candles, he operated alone.
As someone who constantly switched bodies, Permian saw no need to keep subordinates beneath him.
The fact that he had climbed to an executive position relying solely on his own power, without any faction, was proof of just how formidable his black magic was.
He was a magician who handled particularly tricky and powerful taboos even within the Veil of Truth.
“…….”
And now, that Permian was staring at the unfamiliar scenery of a library.
A massive library filled with countless books.
Endlessly spiraling staircases.
A grand and ornate structure that didn’t seem like anything from this world surrounded him.
It was a sight Permian couldn’t comprehend.
That made sense, since just moments ago, he had been in the grand hall of the Blue Tower.
No matter how he thought about it, there was no reason for him to be in a library.
‘Could the taboo have failed?’
Permian scowled as he gazed at the library scenery.
The taboo he had used to seize the body of a genius magician.
The spell, disguised as black magic, should have worked perfectly.
By all rights, he should be viewing the world through Lua Polaris’s body right now.
But his current situation was anything but that.
Instead of taking over Lua Polaris’s body, he found himself pulled into this strange library.
‘It doesn’t feel like a place with physical substance. Probably something closer to a mental space.’
Permian reflected on the alien sensation at his fingertips.
It felt less like controlling someone else’s body and more like manipulating a spirit body.
In other words, the possession had failed, and for some reason, he had been dragged into this mental space.
“Things really aren’t going my way today.”
As Permian floundered in confusion, a weary voice drifted into his ears.
Swish—.
Permian raised his head at the clear voice.
And right after, he spotted someone with a familiar presence.
“Allandorf Petreus…!”
“…….”
Vice Chairman of the Arcane Research Society, Allandorf Petreus.
A magician who had reached a level rivaling Permian’s in soul manipulation magic.
The old man, who had lived an absurdly long time, was gazing at him with a complicated expression.
Meeting Allandorf’s eyes, Permian spoke to him with a tense face.
“So it was you after all. I figured as much.”
“…….”
“No one else but you could drag me to a place like this!”
Permian pointed to the Vice Chairman of the Arcane Research Society as the culprit who had trapped him in this unfamiliar library.
No matter how he looked at it, the situation screamed Allandorf’s doing.
Permian was a top-tier magician when it came to handling souls.
So he judged that no one short of Allandorf’s caliber could suppress him.
‘This is bad. No chance of winning in a head-on fight with him.’
Frankly, it was an incredibly burdensome situation for Permian.
No, burdensome didn’t even cover it—it was terrifying.
In the domain of prepared magic, even an opponent half one’s level couldn’t be taken lightly.
And objectively speaking, Allandorf’s skill edged out Permian’s just a bit.
He had no confidence in beating Allandorf in a direct confrontation.
‘I need some way to turn this around….’
Swish—.
Lost in thought, Permian’s eyes quietly shifted to the opposite side of Allandorf.
Directly across from where Allandorf stood, a young man with exotic features was sitting and reading a book.
Judging by his utter lack of presence, he was probably just a pawn Allandorf had used to construct this mental space.
Allandorf’s soulless ‘dolls’ alone wouldn’t have been enough to build a mental space of satisfactory strength.
‘Reading a book like an idiot even in a situation like this. What a fool.’
It was almost laughable watching the young man read on with two great archmages right in front of him.
He clearly had no idea how dangerous the magicians present were.
Snicker—.
After thoroughly mocking the young man, Permian turned to Allandorf, who was staring at him with a hardened face.
“I don’t know how you figured out I’d show up at the public demonstration, but it looks like you prepared a thorough trap this time.”
“…….”
“But, Allandorf… if you think this has me cornered, you’re mistaken. I’m not as soft a magician as you think.”
How could he escape this situation?
Permian’s mind raced.
Unlike his tense mind, confident threats poured from his mouth.
Showing weakness would get him devoured.
That was the instinctual defense mechanism that had guided him his whole life.
“You’ll regret facing me here today.”
The black magician’s gaze filled with dense killing intent.
Mana roiled in his clenched fists as he glared at Allandorf.
But contrary to his sharp tone, his mind swirled only with fear of the Arcane Research Society’s Vice Chairman.
‘I almost wish Allandorf would suddenly drop to his knees and beg. Of course, that won’t happen, damn it!’
His fear-soaked breath leaked out as his spirit drew up thick mana.
Thud, step—.
Allandorf gripped his staff and took a step forward.
Gulp—.
Permian’s tense eyes glared at Allandorf.
“Fine, let’s have a proper fight…!”
It was then, as Permian braced himself warily for battle against Allandorf.
“Kehahaha—.”
“……?”
Allandorf’s sudden burst of laughter.
Permian looked at him in bewilderment.
Had the magician in front of him lost his mind?
He kept laughing as if he’d gone mad.
“Kehahahaha—.”
“What’s this, Allandorf? Have you gone insane?”
“Kehahahaha—.”
“……Allandorf Petreus.”
“Kehah—. I was wrong. Please spare me.”
After laughing for a good while, Allandorf suddenly prostrated himself flat on the floor with a changed expression.
Permian’s jaw dropped at the absurd sight.
Had the Arcane Research Society’s magician suddenly lost his marbles?
For a moment, Permian couldn’t process Allandorf laughing hysterically then bowing his head.
Soon after, words continued to flow from the prostrated Allandorf’s mouth.
“This wasn’t my intention at all! So please… please show mercy……!”
“…….”
“I didn’t seek out Your Greatness on purpose! I apologize for this rudeness… please, at least spare my life……!”
Permian stared blankly at Allandorf flattened on the floor.
What had only existed in his imagination moments ago was now unfolding before his eyes.
The famed Vice Chairman of the Arcane Research Society, Allandorf Petreus, had suddenly thrown himself to the floor and begun begging.
A monstrous magician with absurd power was earnestly pleading for his life right in front of him.
Seeing Allandorf bow to him, Permian’s lips twitched, unable to suppress a grin.
“…….”
Ha—.
A sigh escaped Permian’s mouth.
Rather than figuring out what was happening, he chose to keep up the bluff to survive.
“Has this stubborn old coot finally realized this body’s greatness?”
“…….”
“But it’s too late for that. You’ll pay dearly for riling me up.”
Permian sneered at the prostrated Allandorf and continued his cold threats.
Endless lies flowed to mask his fear.
And in response to Permian’s words, the Arcane Research Society’s Vice Chairman kept begging.
“Mercy… please, just one more time, show mercy……!”
“Too late, you senile old fool—!”
“Please, mercy on this lowly magician……!”
For a moment, an inexplicable comical exchange continued between Permian and Allandorf.
Thud—.
From behind Permian, who was glaring at Allandorf, came the clear sound of a thick book closing.
The young man who had been reading in front of the two had suddenly shut the cover of his book.
“Allandorf Petreus—.”
The Arcane Research Society’s Vice Chairman—Allandorf’s name came from the young man’s mouth.
Swish—.
As Allandorf and Permian turned their gazes toward the voice.
The young man, with a cold smile on his lips, looked at the two and spoke.
“Amusing. Do you plan to keep this up?”
A short remark from the young man.
At that, Allandorf bowed his head even lower.
“Great One……!”
“You asked for mercy. I seem to recall having a similar conversation once before.”
Permian’s gaze turned to the young man.
Then to Allandorf, who was prostrated low.
Alternating between the two, Permian finally grasped the situation and lifted his head.
The overly bewildering scene had frozen his mind, but now the full picture came into sharp focus.
The Arcane Research Society’s Vice Chairman wasn’t bowing to Permian.
He was bowing not to Permian, but to the young man standing beyond him.
“The great Allandorf… bowing his head to some unknown punk……?”
Permian’s face hardened rigidly.
He couldn’t make sense of the situation at all.
Why was Allandorf begging for mercy from the young man standing behind him?
And to someone who didn’t even seem that impressive.
Of all people, it was the renowned Allandorf.
The magician among magicians, second-in-command of the massive secret society known as the Arcane Research Society.
He wasn’t the type who could just beg for his life like this.
Watching Allandorf’s incomprehensible actions, he shouted sharply at the bowing old man.
“A, Allandorf……!”
“…….”
“Who the hell are you begging so pathetically to……!”
Permian’s roar echoed thunderously through the library.
But Allandorf remained silent.
In his place, the young man’s voice rang in Permian’s ears.
“That’s enough. Seems we’ve both said what we needed to.”
“…….”
“Isn’t that right, black magician?”
Swish—.
Permian’s eyes glared at the young man.
The young man facing Allandorf’s prostration sat calmly, as if it were only natural.
It was an incomprehensible scene.
What on earth was this young man’s identity that Allandorf feared him so?
Staring at the exotic-looking young man, Permian erupted with ferocious mana as he spoke.
“……Reveal your identity.”
Shoooo—.
Dense waves of mana spread out from Permian.
The corrupted mana, honed through countless bodies, oozed thickly in all directions.
“My identity?”
But even amid those waves of mana, the young man regarded Permian calmly.
As if all his actions were laughable.
With an utterly arrogant and aloof gaze.
“You think knowing that changes anything?”
“What……?”
Even as Permian’s mana swept through the surroundings with full presence, the young man sat indifferently.
Grit—.
Permian ground his teeth facing the young man.
And soon, a chilling voice echoed in his ears.
“Did you think you could touch my pawn and walk away unscathed?”
“Guh……!”
Rumble—.
Sudden immense pressure crushed down on Permian.
Faced with pressure more vicious than anything he’d ever known, Permian’s eyes bulged as he dropped to his knees.
Thud—.
A rough groan burst from Permian’s lips as the pressure bore down on his entire body.
“Guh, kuh… guh……!”
Bloodshot veins stood out in Permian’s eyes as he endured the pressure.
He looked down at his body with those fully bloodshot eyes.
His lungs shriveled, blood surged backward through his veins, and his heart felt gripped in a vise—a bizarre sensation.
Hah, heave—.
Confronted with the unfamiliar feeling, Permian spat out ragged breaths.
It felt like his entire body would be crushed to death any moment.
“Knowledge not even worth keeping in this library.”
“Guh……!”
“Throwing some bait after so long isn’t a bad idea.”
Writhing in agony under the pressure, Permian thrashed.
But the anomaly that appeared before him wasn’t over yet.
Ssshhh—.
From beneath Permian, who knelt on the floor, shadows suddenly began to spread.
“Gah… th, this is……!”
Endlessly deep darkness overflowed from the floor.
Beyond incalculable blackness.
From there, writhing nightmares revealed themselves.
Vicious darkness.
A familiar aura emanated from somewhere within it.
An aura no black magician like Permian could fail to recognize.
“Th, the Outer World… aaaagh……!”
“Looks like you have some idea what that thing is.”
An ‘Outer World’ monster.
A fragment of a transcendent being living beyond comprehension.
That was now manifesting its true form beneath Permian’s legs.
Squiiiish—.
Countless tentacles extended from the floor, tightly binding Permian’s spirit body.
Mercy held no place for a monster of such alien form.
As the monster’s tentacles seized him, Permian screamed in terror.
“N, no……!”
His flailing body began sinking slowly into the darkness.
His terrified eyes darted around frantically.
The Outer World monster—‘Shadow of the Gods’—was dragging him somewhere.
As a black magician, Permian could easily guess the destination.
—The edge of the world.
Beyond the grand cycle of souls, into an unknowable realm of no return.
“Devour him as you please.”
“Aaaaaaagh……!”
Aaaaaah—.
A trembling voice leaked from Permian’s mouth.
His eyes, soaked in abject terror, fixed on the young man before him.
He didn’t know the young man’s identity.
He didn’t want to know anymore.
From the moment the Outer World monster obeyed the young man, his identity ceased to matter.
It was obvious that anyone commanding such a damned monster was a being unbound by the world’s laws.
“N, no… this can’t be……!”
“…….”
“Please… please, mercy……!”
Permian’s terrified voice echoed through the library.
Just like Allandorf moments ago, he begged desperately for someone’s mercy with a vein-popping face.
Mercy.
That was what he needed now.
Permian pleaded for mercy from an unknown existence.
“Mercy… show mercy……!”
He begged for his life from the magician who kept those heinous tentacles at his feet, identity unknown.
A being so far beyond reach, unbound by the world’s rules.
Even monsters roaming hell knelt before him.
Divine authority.
The opponent was unmistakably a monster.
An unfathomable monster cloaked in human skin.
That was why even the rigid Allandorf had bowed and begged for his life.
“Aaagh, aaaaaaagh……!”
But the young man before him seemed to have lost all interest in Permian.
Crunch, rip—!
Even as the monster’s tentacles mercilessly tore into him, the young man wore only a cold smile.
Echoing screams.
Amid the flesh-rending sounds assaulting his ears, blood-red eyes looked at the young man.
“Sp… spare…….”
“…….”
Crunch—!
Permian’s consciousness went black.