Chapter 161: Remnants of the Dark Magic Association (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 161: Remnants of the Dark Magic Association (2)
Deep, dark, and vast.
That was the first impression that hit the Academy mages and cadets the moment they stepped inside the cave. Enya, seemingly struck anew by the wonders of earth-type magic, craned her neck this way and that to inspect the cavern's expanse.
“They’ve built this place quite large for a bunch of lowly criminals.”
“Are there really only fifty people in here? It looks more like five hundred. Did they want to build a fortress or something?”
While some cadets idly shared their impressions, Jin was harboring a different thought.
There is no way fifty 3-star or 4-star mages could have created a cave like this.
Earth-type magic was used in all sorts of architecture and construction due to its overwhelming utility. Excavating caves was one of the most common applications of the discipline. It wasn't unusual to find small caves created to avoid rain during travels, or even elaborate research caverns meticulously crafted by eccentric mages over many years.
However, creating a cave of this scale was a matter on an entirely different level. Unlike small caves, a structure this size required the mage to use immense mana to bind stone and soil together, ensuring the ceiling and foundation did not collapse.
The entrance alone is wider than the central hall of the Lord of Hawson’s castle. If it were a simple matter of digging into a cliff, dozens of low-level mages working together could manage it, but…
Jin sharpened his vision, carefully examining the floor, ceiling, and walls.
The grain is too consistent. This is clearly the work of a single person. Moreover, there was a lot of soft, crumbly stone near the entrance. This is a cave that no one would even attempt to build unless they were a master of earth magic.
Jin stared at the back of Orton Melson’s head. He wanted to see how the commanding mage would react.
The cadets and the vice-commander might not notice, but if Orton Melson is a true 7-star mage, he should feel the discrepancy.
If he ordered them to advance again without a second thought… then Orton was either a spy for the Dark Magic Association or was intentionally leading the cadets into danger.
A moment later, Orton chanted a short incantation and raised his staff. The spell that spread out from his staff was Ground Sensing.
It was the same magic Jin had used during his first mission to track the Kinzelo members who had kidnapped Mesa. Back then, Jin had increased the efficiency by simultaneously casting Wind Tracking, but Orton was not a user of simultaneous casting.
Rumble…
The mana from the Ground Sensing spell rippled forward, checking the condition of the cave floor for a long while.
“Seeing how the Ground Sensing extends straight ahead, this might be a tunnel rather than a cave. The depth seems to be at least five hundred meters.”
“What would you like us to do, Sir Orton?”
A 6-star mage acting as the vice-commander asked Orton.
“All cadets will advance while prepared to deploy shields at any moment. And you, stay here with Units 4 and 5. Join us once Arts returns.”
“Understood.”
“Don’t slack off too much. I’m only having you wait in case he gets lost.”
Previously, Orton had feigned being swayed by an obvious distraction to remove Arts and Units 1, 2, and 3 from the formation. Now, he had removed Units 4 and 5 along with the 6-star mage for no good reason.
The combat force, which had numbered nearly thirty, was now reduced to fifteen cadets and Orton alone.
It’s certain now. He’s either a spy or he’s sabotaging the operation for some reason.
The likelihood of him being a spy was higher. Splitting the forces was likely intended to make it easier for the remnants of the Dark Magic Association to defeat the cadets individually.
Besides, a strict vegetarian suddenly eating meat…?
If that were the case, Jin had to consider the possibility that Orton Melson was not the ‘real Orton Melson.’ Bubar Gaston and his transformation crimes came to mind.
Jin possessed information about Bubar, and in this life, he had been attacked by fanatical Zipple followers disguised as Guardian Knights the moment he left Storm Castle. Naturally, the thought of a transformation crime occurred to him immediately.
Let’s keep watching for now.
Though he judged the probability of Orton being a spy to be very high, Jin felt no need to raise an issue yet. If the Academy cadets were his comrades or innocent civilians, it might be different, but their falling into danger because of Orton didn't particularly concern him.
Furthermore, the Viment Empire was closer to the Zipple than to the Runcandel. In other words, these cadets were essentially potential enemies to Jin.
Above all, even if Orton revealed his true colors or a battle with the Dark Magic Association began, Jin could simply fight and win, or take Enya and escape.
If it’s just fifty remnants of the Dark Magic Association plus Orton, I can handle them alone easily enough.
They walked for a long time. The cave was filled only with the eerie sound of the wind whistling through; otherwise, it was boringly uneventful.
“Oh.”
So, when a cadet at the front of the line let out that sound and came to a dead stop—
When the cadet’s body crumbled like a sandcastle and a small pool of blood began to rapidly form on the floor, revealing that what had pierced the cadet’s chest was an arrow fired by an Orc hiding in the darkness beyond—
The cadets failed to immediately grasp the gravity of the situation.
It’s started.
“It’s an ambush!”
Someone screamed frantically upon spotting the Orcs emerging from the shadows.
Some rushed to the fallen cadet to cast healing magic, while others deployed shields to protect them. The rest raised their staves and scanned their surroundings.
And then, Orton thrust his staff into the body of the cadet who had first screamed, mana surging from its tip.
“Gah! Gurgle!”
He had induced a mana backflow.
Whether Orton was the real Orton Melson or a spy transformed by Bubar, the fact remained that he was a mage with 7-star mana.
“Sir Orton?!”
“What are you doing?!”
The cadets standing near Orton scrambled backward. They had clearly seen Orton’s sudden betrayal, but the reality was difficult to accept.
“Sir Orton…!”
“Th-there, the Orcs… just how many are there?”
Orcs were marching out from the darkness behind Orton. To make matters worse, they were accompanied by a group of humans dressed in black robes.
They were the remnants of the Dark Magic Association. Just as the Seven-Colored Bird had reported, there were about fifty of them.
“You all worked hard to get this far,” Orton said in a low voice. The eyes of the cadets staring at him were filled with terror and confusion.
“S-Sir Orton! What is the meaning of this…! Don’t tell me you were a spy for the Dark Magic Association all along!”
“Regrettably, yes. Monopolizing the credit? Haha… whether in the past or now, you Academy brats truly have no shame.”
“You crazy bastard!”
“You all will become test subjects for the Dark Magic Association.”
The cadets couldn't help but feel the approach of death.
Their opponents were fifty mages from the Dark Magic Association, twenty Orcs, and a 7-star mage. In contrast, there were only fifteen cadets left in the cave. With two already fallen to the arrow and the backflow, only thirteen remained.
“Aaaah!”
“Dammit!”
Some of the cadets’ servants abandoned their luggage and began to flee frantically. Only Jin and Enya, disguised as servants, remained.
The Orcs tamed by the Dark Magic Association didn't even bother to fire arrows at their backs. They knew that running was futile.
“Yes, yes. That person likes prey that runs. Run to your heart’s content, you lowly servants. We can’t use you as test subjects anyway.”
The path the cadets had come from was still open, but the monster that had been ‘playing’ with the two 6-star mages and the other cadets at the entrance would soon return.
I didn’t expect things to turn this hopeless. Hmm, that Orton fellow. Hearing him say the Academy brats have no shame, it seems he really is a fake transformed by Bubar.
Jin let out a low sigh. He could feel Enya, who was pressed close to his side, trembling.
However, she wasn't just shaking; she had also released her mana, ready to fight at any moment. It was a stark contrast to the other cadets, who were merely looking around in despair.
Maura, Orel, and Chip were looking only at Jin. Since they believed Jin was a member of the Special Task Force Magic Division 1, they wanted to believe he had a plan.
In truth, a single member of the Special Task Force Magic Division 1 wouldn't be able to handle this group alone. It was actually fortunate for them that Jin wasn't a real member of the task force.
“Brother, what do we do…? The cadets are all going to die.”
“It’s okay, don’t worry. Why are you worried about the people who bullied you?”
“Not all of them were like that. Most were, but… surely there’s one or two good people among them?”
“Stay right next to me from now on. Don’t move even a single step away.”
Because of the distance, the cadets and the Dark Magic Association couldn't hear the two of them whispering.
Jin smiled as he adjusted Enya’s hood. Jin himself had been keeping his face hidden under his hood the entire time.
There were more enemies than expected, but it was still manageable.
The mage who made this cave. As long as I’m careful of that one, I can easily deal with the rest. It’s likely not Orton; it must be one of them.
The culprit was bound to be mixed in with the fifty or so mages of the Dark Magic Association. Since they were all wearing identical black robes, it was impossible to identify them immediately.
But it would be revealed soon. Jin had already completed the formula for a certain spell to suppress them.
“D-do you think you’ll get away with this…! Orton!”
“What a cliché line. Then shall I try one too? If you surrender quietly, I will show you a minimum of mercy. But those who resist pointlessly will meet a gruesome end.”
Caught between a rock and a hard place, the cadets looked back and forth between each other and their enemies. The servants who had fled were already out of sight.
Just as some of the cadets were about to follow the path the servants had taken—
“You’d better not run, just like that guy said, cadets. I don’t think those fleeing servants are going to keep their lives. You’ve already come too deep, and it seems there’s something waiting outside as well.”
Jin took a step forward.
At that, the remnants of the Dark Magic Association, the Orcs, and all the cadets turned their gaze toward him.
“Oho, the only servant who didn't run. Have you lost your mind in desperation? How dare a mere servant call me ‘that guy’—”
Thump!
Jin struck the floor with his staff.
Immediately, the pre-completed formula drew a magic circle on the ground, and the mana hidden within the rune characters engraved on Jin’s back began to flow out.
Whirrrr, Clang…!
Kiiiiing—!
Soon, the brilliant white mana transformed into a massive sphere that filled the ceiling of the cave.
The cadets stared at the sphere for a moment before collapsing, foaming at the mouth.
Most of the Dark Magic Association mages fell into a similar state. No, unlike the cadets, they immediately began vomiting blood and convulsing. It was because Jin had concentrated the sphere’s mana toward them.
And Orton, who had momentarily lost his wits at the unexpected ‘Great Magic,’ could only speak in a trembling voice.
“Th-this. Could it be Kidad Hall’s…?!”
Heaven Reversal.
The ultimate technique of the Reverse Flow System.
From the moment he mastered it, facing mages was no longer a matter of numbers for Jin.