Chapter 333
Chapter 333
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 333
Chapter Title: The Beast's Revival
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Mercian's lips twisted.
He shook his head at Hailz's command to open the door.
"Impossible."
"Why?"
"That's a door that can't be opened from the outside."
It was wrapped in chains and secured with a padlock. The idea of having to open it from the inside was hard to accept at face value.
But Hailz understood immediately.
"You have to enter the magic circle to dispel it."
"As expected from a grand archmage—quick on the uptake."
Hailz frowned. She turned her body and pointed her staff at the sealed stone door.
Ziiing, ziiing, ziiiing—
The magic circle's runes emitted a dark glow. At the same time, the underground shook as if struck by an earthquake.
Ebony Wing rose high, and Hailz's mana filled the chamber. Several mages couldn't withstand the pressure and collapsed to the floor.
But it was only for a moment.
Tzztzt—
Hailz withdrew her mana. The stone door, which had been glowing black, fell silent once more.
"It's real."
Just now, Hailz had confirmed that Mercian's words weren't a lie.
"It would take days to dispel that thing."
Mercian's eyes wavered slightly.
Days?
It was a magic circle designed to be impossible to dispel from the outside in the first place. It wasn't a matter of skill level—it was a fundamental principle of magic.
Yet she claimed she could do it in days.
Mercian gazed at Hailz's back, admiring her once again.
It wasn't bravado. She didn't seem the type, and she held a position where she had no need for it.
Nor was it a misjudgment.
Someone incapable of that level of assessment wouldn't deserve the title of grand archmage.
That meant she truly could dispel this magic circle from the outside in mere days. She was a mage capable of overturning the principles of magic itself.
Hailz pondered the stone door for a moment, then her staff floated up gently.
She sat on it like a chair, crossed her arms, and gazed leisurely at the door.
"Then let's wait."
Even though things weren't going as planned, Hailz looked almost delighted.
"Until the people inside do something."
Suhyuk and Yeryeong walked through the cave.
The demonic energy they'd felt earlier was gone. It had blazed intensely for a brief moment before vanishing quickly.
The cave was silent.
Every sound—from dripping water somewhere to the scuttle of insects—was audible.
Which made Yeryeong's sudden voice stand out even more clearly.
"It felt like screaming."
She recalled the demonic energy from moments ago.
"It seemed really angry. Maybe because it's been sealed for so long?"
"Who knows."
Suhyuk shook his head.
"Could be the opposite."
"Opposite?"
She was about to ask what he meant when—
Thud—
Something caught Yeryeong's foot.
She thought it was a rock, but it wasn't.
"...A skull?"
It was a skull snagged on her foot.
Flesh long turned to dust—an ancient skull.
But it wasn't just one.
A few more steps, and another appeared.
The intervals between skulls grew shorter until several came into view at once.
Eventually...
"...How many are there?"
What started as scattered bones now lined the path like a road.
Just the ones they'd seen numbered over a hundred.
The deeper they went, the more skulls piled up, forming heaps like small hills.
Skulls stacked as high as a person.
They reached the cave's end by walking that path.
Clank—
A heavy chain rattled and clashed, echoing through the cave.
At the end stood iron bars. Thick chains wrapped around them tightly, secured with padlocks—just like the stone door where the two had entered.
It looked like something sealed away.
And sure enough, a pair of crimson eyes gleamed from within.
A growling voice echoed through the cave.
It was impossible to tell if it belonged to a human, demon, or beast.
Even the eyes peeking from the darkness were enormous. The vertically slit pupils alone seemed at least two meters long.
How massive must its body be?
"That's what we want to ask."
Suhyuk could tell the source of the earlier demonic energy was the being behind those bars.
"Why is something like you in here?"
Several padlocks lay on the ground. They must have been the ones he and Yeryeong had undone.
The explosive burst of demonic energy was likely because these had been released.
Judging by its aura or size, no one would dare speak so boldly to it.
Was that why?
Rather than anger, the eyes beyond the bars showed curiosity.
"Hailz?"
At the unexpected name, Yeryeong asked in surprise.
"How do you know Hailz?"
"Answer the question, you tanuki-eyed freak."
The dazed eyes curved, then burst into laughter. With the laughter, demonic energy poured out through the loosened padlocks.
The eyes, laughing as if to shake the cave, fixed on Yeryeong.
There was no need to ask who it had promised. The one who wanted Hailz dead most in this world was obvious.
'So this is who Naila believes in.'
That meant Naila trusted this being behind the bars to kill Hailz.
Then Suhyuk's gaze shifted to the chains and padlocks binding the bars.
Skull fragments glimpsed in the dark bars. The chains around them. The padlocks. The even more numerous skulls outside.
The moment he met the eyes inside again, Suhyuk drew his sword.
Shuuaak—
Craaang—!
Lightning-wrapped Kamui struck a padlock. It was so sturdy it didn't break cleanly.
But unlike the outer stone door, no magic protected this place. Cracks spiderwebbed across the tough padlock, a clear sword mark etched in.
Suhyuk struck again. With a clang, the severed padlock flew backward.
"Hey!"
Surprisingly, Yeryeong and the monster behind the bars shouted at the same time.
"What are you doing all of a sudden?"
"Huh?"
Seeing the monster react just like her, Yeryeong looked puzzled.
She'd assumed it would be happy to have its seal broken.
Suhyuk swung his sword again as he spoke.
"This isn't a seal."
Quite the opposite.
Craaang—!
"It's a revival ritual."
Kugugugu—
Another padlock broke free, and the cave trembled.
Demonic energy leaked from the bars. The thicker it grew with each padlock undone.
Now it prickled the skin, not just the soul. At the chilling sensation, Yeryeong asked,
"Revival?"
"They've been feeding it nonstop in here. To revive this thing."
Only then did Yeryeong look back at the skulls they'd passed.
"The bars and padlocks aren't to keep it in. They're to keep others out—to stop anyone from interfering with the revival. Even better if it's mistaken for a seal."
With that explanation, Yeryeong understood why the monster had refused to break the padlocks.
This might even be the magic circle's final trial.
Turn back upon seeing the bars and padlocks—fail. Undo the chains knowing it would release the monster—succeed.
If it truly wasn't a seal but a revival rite, they needed to break these chains as fast as possible.
Bam—!
An impact from inside reverberated outward. The cave shook as if collapsing, but Suhyuk didn't stop swinging.
Clang—!
Another padlock hit the ground.
"Yeah, keep at it."
Suhyuk ignored the threats, raising his sword to the final padlock.
"Time to come out."
Clang—!
Ding—
Another padlock severed and clattered to the floor. It rolled several times before stopping, the heavy sound echoing.
Watching the padlocks break on their own, the underground mages held their breath.
"What's... inside there?"
The padlocks severing spontaneously was odd, but not the real issue.
With each one undone, demonic energy poured out, sending chills through the mages' bodies.
Its density thickened per padlock. If it was this intense now, what would it be like fully released?
Chief Mage Kuian glanced at Hailz.
Her expression, sitting on her staff and staring at the door, even seemed amused.
As if she knew something.
Naila felt the strangeness too.
Until moments ago, she'd eagerly awaited whatever was breaking free inside. But now she noticed the padlocks coming undone unnaturally.
Unable to hold back, Naila asked,
"Who's inside there right now?"
Her question was directed at Mercian.
This was the Black Tower's basement—he should know.
"Who knows. Not really sure myself."
"You really don't know? You?"
"Do I have to?"
"You're the master here?"
"Hardly. I'm just stuck with a bunch of tedious duties."
Naila's eyes narrowed. She sensed something off in Mercian's reply.
She didn't think he was always truthful with her. He'd hidden things, lied at times.
But never so blatantly advertised a lie like now.
An obvious fib.
Not even packaged as sincere.
Naila sent him a mental message.
-What are you scheming?
No reply. Pure silence—ignored.
Fuming, her eyes blazing, Naila whipped her head away.
Fine. It didn't matter.
As long as that door opened.
As long as the one inside fulfilled their contract, she'd finally earn the title of grand archmage before her name.
And then.
Clunk—
Thud—
The final padlock broke and fell.
Naila rejoiced inwardly. With a rusty, ancient grind, the stone door began to open.
At that moment, the leaking demonic energy vanished abruptly. As if the prior surge had been an illusion.
And right then.
"Run!"
A voice from the open door.
'Run?'
A question mark floated over Naila's head. It wasn't the voice she'd expected, nor the face.
Bursting out was a young black-haired man.