Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: The Five Pillars (7)
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The intruder's eyes clouded over. He let out an idiotic groan and collapsed to the floor in a heap. Just as his mind, overwhelmed by the shock, began sinking into the depths of unconsciousness...
Kadim personally dragged that spirit back into harsh reality.
"Aaagh!! Kyaaaaagh!!"
Clutching his head and clenching his fists, the intruder flailed his arms in panic. Kadim pressed lightly on the man's skull with a sinister smile.
"You're making a fuss. If you came here to burn people alive, you should've been prepared for your own heads to explode."
"Aaagh, aaaagh!!"
"But that's strange. Weren't you here to retrieve the documents? Why summon flames of all things?"
"Agh, aaagh!! Kyaaaaagh!!"
Kadim had assumed these were mages from the Magic Tower sent to recover lost documents after noticing they were missing. But one foolhardy idiot had unleashed fire magic, incinerating all the books and scrolls.
Yet that wasn't their true goal.
"Guh... Documents...? W-what are you talking about? We... we came for the 'pillars'... the 'pillars'..."
"..."
Ah, so that's what it was.
Rumors about him must have already spread through the Magic Tower. Or perhaps the elder he'd met yesterday had betrayed him at lightning speed. As Kadim slightly loosened his grip, the mage recovered just enough to spit out his words with venomous resentment.
"D-damn it, let me go! The 'pillars' are the ultimate keys forged by the first Lord of the Magic Tower, leading to profound mysteries... Not something for a savage like you, who dabbles in cunning sorcery! Hand over the 'pillars' now and release me, and I won't hold you accountable for harming my comrades..."
"..."
The man clearly hadn't grasped the situation. Kadim tightened his grip on the skull again—just enough to instill proper terror without killing him.
Krrrk...
"Who sent you? That elder Coltran? Stay still if yes. Blink if no."
"Kyaaaaagh!!! Kyaaaaaaaagh!!!"
Finger marks sank deep into his temple. The mage blinked furiously, as if his eyelids might wear out. After several rounds of such interrogation, Kadim learned the culprit was Oklamud—the very elder who held two other 'pillars'.
"Kyaaaaagh!! S-stop... now... My head's gonna burst... P-please... spare me... spaaare meee..."
Only when he was on the brink of death did Kadim release his grip. Tears streaming down his face, the mage caressed the crushed spot. Duncan, who had been huddled in the corner, cautiously approached Kadim.
"M-my lord... Shouldn't we relocate first? They've pinpointed our position now. Even if we repelled this bunch, others might come..."
"..."
The merchant's suggestion was perfectly reasonable. Having your hideout exposed to the enemy was a dire crisis. Let his guard down, and he might lose the two hard-won pillars.
But the savage thought differently.
"Hey, where's your base?"
"Guh, guh... W-what?"
"Guide me to the elder who sent you."
Kadim saw this not as a crisis, but an opportunity.
No matter how meticulous, no one would expect the victims to strike back immediately. Success meant eliminating future threats—and possibly seizing more pillars in the process.
To the mage, it was an absurd notion.
"Y-you'd better stop... Do you know who Elder Oklamud is? He's a mage who once single-handedly subdued three greater demons..."
"Oh, really? That's not that many."
"...?"
The mage couldn't believe his ears. What nonsense? Subduing even one greater demon alone was a feat worthy of eternal record. He stared at the stoic savage, his face twisting in bewilderment.
"A-anyway, I absolutely can't guide you there. If they find out I betrayed them, the elder won't let me live. J-just kill me here. I'll share my comrades' fate..."
Kadim gazed down at the resolute mage for a moment. Then, with genuine respect, he raised his axe.
"I see. Very well. Impressive loyalty. I salute you."
"...?"
"Even if I cut off your ears, sever your tongue, gouge your eyes, flay your skin, and crush your skull—you won't betray them... A mage with such astonishing endurance. I can't help but admire it."
"W-wait, what do you...? I-I didn't say it was that extreme..."
"Then we'll start by slicing off an ear. I pray you maintain that loyalty to the end, mage."
"Uh, uhhh...?"
Riiip—
The moment the axe blade tore into his earlobe, the mage thought to himself.
He never imagined he'd envy his comrades who had their skulls instantly crushed.
*
The Magic Tower's 68th floor—a secret chamber concealed by stealth magic.
Dozens of mages had gathered, encircling and guarding an ornate display case at the rear.
Among them were 'Conjurer-rank' mages in red robes. A Conjurer was a high-ranking mage treated as a departmental head in any organization. It was utterly bizarre that such elites were mere sentries.
But no one here questioned it. The items in the case were worth it.
The 'Pillar of Light' and the 'Pillar of Fire'.
Keys to a secret passage leading to the Magic Tower's deepest level.
Of course, they couldn't function as keys yet. Three slots in the display remained empty. But those guarding it harbored no doubts.
Soon, those slots would be filled. They would be the first to gather all 'Five Pillars' and open the passage. They would gain ancient grand magic knowledge from the first Lord's tomb.
And Elder 'Inferno of Black Rock' Oklamud would become the new Lord of the Magic Tower.
The high-ranking mages chatted excitedly.
"Never thought things would go this smoothly. Who'd have guessed some nobody would show up with two pillars out of nowhere?"
"Yeah, and one was the 'Pillar of Steel' we thought impossible to find..."
"Lucky it was some clueless savage who had them. Imagine if they'd fallen into Elder Coltran's hands. Half of us would've frozen solid like idiots."
"Hahaha, true enough. Maybe we should visit that savage's grave later and leave some flowers. Hahaha!"
Thanks to a spy in Elder Coltran's camp, they'd easily learned of the savage. Oklamud had immediately dispatched an elite battlemage strike team to his hideout. Killing him and seizing the pillars was only a matter of time.
Moreover, the last one—the 'Pillar of Water'—had already been located. Just an hour ago, Oklamud had personally left the tower to negotiate with its owner.
They might even gather all 'Five Pillars' by day's end.
A new era and ultimate mysteries were at hand. Ecstatic anticipation filled not just the elites, but the lesser mages too. As time passed, vigilance slackened, and the secret chamber buzzed like a festival.
Then came the sign of trouble.
Whoosh—!
"...Hm?"
One black torch on the wall went out. Someone had forcibly dispelled the stealth magic cloaking the space.
It was odd. The normal entry was to send a telepathic request to drop the internal stealth. But with minds relaxed, the mages interpreted it positively.
"Isn't the elder back? Maybe he finished negotiations already..."
"Seems like it. Probably rushing because he thinks the strike team returned too."
"Yeah, dropping the spell this quick means it's no outsider. Definitely one of ours."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
But as torches extinguished in rapid succession, unease flickered among some.
"Sh-should we send a telepathic check outside? Just in case it's an intruder..."
"An intruder? Come on, be serious. How could an outsider breach our spell so fast?"
"What if it's not an outsider, but an internal traitor? What if someone's sided with Elder Coltran and guided them through the stealth...?"
"...!"
The mages' faces paled. A high-rank mage urgently sent a telepathic message toward the passage. No reply came.
The mood flipped instantly.
"Intruders! Protect the 'pillars'! Invokers, raise barriers and curtains! Everyone else, prepare attack spells!"
The mages scrambled into defensive formation. They arrayed ranks, chanted spells, and layered flame curtains and barriers.
They especially focused defenses against ice magic. Everyone knew Elder Coltran's 'Frozen Heart' ice spells were devastating. Even the elites were visibly tense.
Thud, thud, thud...
Footsteps approached. The mages gripped their heart-gems desperately, pooling mana like arrows nocked taut on bowstrings to empower their spells.
Roooar—!!
And finally, the figure stepping through the main door revealed himself...
"Uh?"
"Huh?"
...A hulking savage holding a lantern.
Contrary to expectations, the intruder wasn't the ice-master elder.
In his other hand, the savage gripped a man's head. A familiar face—one of the strike team's elite battlemages. Without shame, he flailed and clung to the savage's clothes, pleading.
"Guheeeek... Th-this is the base... Guheeeek, n-now let me go... let go... I did everything you asked... please just spare meee..."
"Good work. Rest now."
A burst of blood exploded from the savage's grip.
Splat—crunch!
The battlemage crumpled. Crushed skull oozing tomato-paste brains and mangled eyeballs.
"..."
"..."
It felt unreal.
Exploding a man's head barehanded—with one hand, no less. Even mages accustomed to miracles doubted their eyes at the surreal brutality.
The air grew frigid. Overwhelmed by the horror, the mages blanked out momentarily. Lesser ones panicked, teeth chattering.
The savage calmly wiped his bloody palm on the wall and asked,
"Which one's Oklamud?"
"..."
"He's next."
That blasphemous declaration snapped the high-ranks back to reality.
"A-attack! Everyone, attack! Burn him to ash, not a single bone shard left!"
Roooar!
Dark flames ignited simultaneously on cue, ominous heat filling the chamber. Fire arrows, fireballs, fire pillars, flame waves... Black flames of varied forms merged like wildfire into an overwhelming torrent surging at the foe.
―――――― Roooar, roooar—!
Fierce enough to vaporize an iceberg in one breath, yet...
The savage remained unfazed.
He swiftly drew a dagger from his belt. Whoosh, he thrust the blade—ablaze with hellfire—into the lantern. As sulfurous flames caught the wick, casting a pale glow, he hoisted the lantern high.
Then miracle descended.
Hummm, hummm, hummm—!!
The inferno's power weakened sharply. The flame tidal wave, fading nearer the lantern, vanished cleanly upon hitting the radiant beams—like an illusion dispelled.
Roooar...
Black flames crumbled; shock rose like smoke.
"Wha...?"
"What happened...?"
The mages couldn't hide their stunned faces.
That had been their most powerful combined assault—one even 'Frozen Heart' Coltran couldn't guarantee surviving. How could it vanish so futilely? How block it, dispel it—what trick was this...?
"W-what are you idiots doing?! Prepare spells again, now!"
The high-rank's shout rallied them.
"...Ke, [Keruna, Grun, Mol, Bagdus...]"
"...[Keruna, Grun, En, Shamalacto, Torment...]"
But the second barrage yielded the same result.
Roooar! Roooar...
Fierce flames licking like angry wolves wilted like sick dogs near the lantern. No matter the power, none escaped. Spells poured by desperate mages scorched not a single hair before fizzling out.
And it didn't end there.
As the savage advanced with the lantern, a deeper issue arose.
"...Illek, Ersio! ...Huh?"
"Why isn't the spell casting...? Huhh?"
"Hm? Why's mana from my heart...?"
"Mana... I can't feel any mana..."
"The heart-gem's mana is depleted! What now, Serban?!"
A hollow void, like a hole pierced their hearts.
The mages' faces twisted in ruin. They'd fired plenty, but not enough to drain their gems dry. If it was gone completely, one cause remained.
That radiant lantern bathing their hearts in light.
Mana incinerated by its glow never returned. Lifelong knowledge rendered void. Despairing, powerless, the mages slumped one by one.
A lead high-rank mage, eyes twitching, asked the savage.
"What... what is that lantern? How can it so mercilessly erase the mysteries we've devoted our souls to...?"
Gazing at the mages staggering like gelded goblins, Kadim replied with a hint of amusement.
"A gift from the Arch Paladin."