Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 072
Chapter Title: The Mage of Beginnings
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[But are you sure about this?]
The new chief aide, reporting the situation to Austin en route in the luxury sedan, posed the question.
[You know full well that if the Butcher is Luther, the power of demons won't work on him.]
"That much is true."
But that statement was only half right and half wrong.
"Just because he's Luther doesn't mean demonic power is completely ineffective against him."
Their anti-magic constitution was, at best, resistance to external mystical forces rooted in 'mana.'
"As long as it's not spiritual power derived from mana, even a Luther would still be vulnerable."
And right now, the Magic Tower was likely crawling with demonic minions boasting immense physical might or corrupted tower knights.
"Especially considering that the Butcher's main arsenal, magic, would barely faze those rooted in Hell..."
Austin's eyes narrowed.
"Four hours. More than enough time to hold out."
Yet it was also true that Luther could stand against demonic power.
"To minimize variables, the optimal move would be to keep the Butcher out of the tower entirely."
And that's why he'd secured the council's approval to blockade the tower.
Austin curled his lips into a smirk.
"Now we've got the justification to deploy forces on a massive scale."
[...!]
He addressed the aide, who swallowed hard.
"Relay to the Investigation Bureau Chief: Deploy not just the available special forces units we prepared for, but every tactical team the bureau can muster right now."
His eyes narrowed again.
"After this moment, seal the tower tight—no one gets in or out."
[Understood. I'll pass it along.]
Austin ended the call and gazed out the window.
'No matter how much of a Butcher he is.'
He scoffed.
'This time, he'll just have to sit back and watch with his hands tied.'
"That's Malphas's barrier."
"Malphas?"
Kyle echoed, and Lumia nodded.
"A second-tier upper demon. Rather than showing itself openly, it prefers slinking into the shadows of human society, scheming and lurking in the dark."
She adjusted the telescope's magnification, scrutinizing Sapientia closely.
"Step inside that barrier, and you'll fall under Malphas's Nightmare curse. It devours mana, making it especially deadly for mages."
And at some point, without realizing it, you'd succumb to bizarre hallucinations before plunging into eternal nightmares.
"Those nightmares come in various forms..."
Lumia shrugged.
"Anyone who can't endure and submits becomes a demonic minion on the spot. Usually, weak souls like that end up as the lowest rung—'slaves' among minions."
Kyle stared in disbelief at the information flowing so freely.
"Doesn't the demon cult know all this from the start?"
Thrilled that Kyle was showing interest in the cult, Lumia fixed him with sparkling eyes and unleashed a torrent of words.
"No? Knowledge about Hell and demons is shared only among the elite few who sit at the Round Table within the cult! Of course, as the proxy, Mr. Clark, you'd have access to even the priests' deepest secrets oooof!"
Kyle grabbed Lumia's runaway mouth roughly and shoved it away, issuing a warning.
"Don't spill what I didn't ask for. Got it? Or I'll ship you straight back to the detention block."
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
She shook her head frantically, her face flushed as she thought.
'Ah...! Even the proxy mad with anger is so dignified...!'
A sudden chill prickled Kyle's skin. He quickly wiped his hand on Lumia's clothes.
"Shall I take it off so it's easier to wipe?"
"You're insane."
His head throbbed. Kyle waved her off.
"So, can we just waltz in or what?"
"Well... no."
Lumia examined the barrier before continuing.
"The curse won't affect you, proxy... but it looks like the only entry is through the village gate."
"Only via the village entrance."
Just then, several transport helicopters roared overhead.
Thududududu...!
Glancing over, the area around Sapientia—especially the entrance—was swarming with Investigation Bureau armed forces.
It was a deployment speed that could only be described as blindingly fast.
'It's like they were prepared for this exact scenario.'
Probably included those annoyingly tough special forces too.
"This doesn't look easy."
Breaking through outright might be doable instead of annihilation, but...
The issue was time.
He'd already gotten the rundown from the support team about the council incident.
'That leaves about three and a half hours.'
With the tower's internals unknown, he didn't want to waste time in needless skirmishes.
"Any other way?"
"We could punch straight through the barrier."
"Punch through..."
Even that would draw the bureau's aggro if it took too long.
She added,
"Malphas's barrier curses those who 'set foot on the ground.' So its mana density is concentrated on the earth... below."
In other words, the higher up, the weaker the barrier's density—or defense.
"Target the very top of the barrier."
Activating [Hyper Sense], Kyle smirked.
"...Yeah, that could work."
Mere magic might not cut it, but with [Montena's Holy Flame], it was different.
Lumia asked,
"But how do we reach that height...? Take a chopper?"
"No. We'd get spotted before we even got close."
Everything had to happen in an instant—the moment they blinked.
Right then, Joseph’s voice crackled over his comms.
[Kyle. You there?]
"...? Captain Joseph?"
[It's about the girl you rescued. We're transferring her to medical now...]
[...Mr. Clark.]
Kyle looked up at the frail voice.
"...! She's conscious?"
[Sorry, so sorry. But I have one message... to pass on.]
"A message?"
[Yes.]
She steadied her labored breaths, squeezing out her last strength.
[In the Fleetwood main house vault, cough! There's an angelic relic stored there.]
"Relic?"
[Cough, yes. So if anyone's still resisting in the tower..., it must be, must be there. No, it has to be.]
"...!"
Definite good news.
Encountering a survivor familiar with the tower's layout would help immensely.
[So please, I beg you...]
Mary pleaded desperately, her voice laced with metallic rasps.
[Mr. Clark. Please... save those people... you... you can...]
"......"
As her words trailed off, Joseph chimed in.
[Any more and it'd be risky. So I put her under.]
"Take good care of her."
[Will do. Things are getting messy..., but leave this to me.]
"Right."
Kyle sighed softly after the line cut.
'...Survivors still holding out.'
He switched comms to the support team's Cassie.
"Yes, this is she. Yes. Got the gist. Oh, and..."
Kyle eyed the barrier's peak.
"Can you pinpoint the Fleetwood estate's location?"
[Fleetwood?]
"Yeah."
Might as well drop in all at once.
"Planning to hit it in one go."
[????]
Cassie blinked at the cryptic remark.
"Move it! Keep moving!"
Armed troops poured from halted armored vehicles, swiftly forming a blockade around Sapientia.
The defensive line reinforced at breakneck speed.
Special Forces Captain Yakov Schnell, emerging from the barracks, bellowed.
"Remember! Not even an ant gets through from now on!"
His troops snapped to attention, rifles aligned.
He barked again.
"The tower is fully sealed as of this moment. Anyone attempting to enter the lower village without clearance is deemed a demon worshiper or affiliate! Execute on suspicion! This is Luther's will! For Dun City's security!"
"Sir! Yes sir!"
A special forces admin rushed up.
"Captain. Special Teams 2 and 4 have arrived."
"Sniper coverage?"
"Smart rounds distributed as ordered, positioned throughout the forest."
"Good."
He swallowed a shallow breath.
"The enemy took out Team 3's Immortal."
Yakov's face hardened gravely.
"No complacency! Absolute vigilance!"
"Sir!!"
Then—
"...! Captain!"
Yakov frowned at the shout, looking up.
"What the...?"
A pristine white flash had suddenly risen into the sky.
The bizarre sight left the troops dumbfounded momentarily—until Yakov roared.
"Fuck! Enemy attack!"
A curved lightning spear hurtled down like it had been waiting.
A massive implant soldier leaped forward, deploying a plasma shield ahead.
Ku, quaaaaaang—!!
Blinding radiance scattered, nearly blinding them, swallowing their curses.
Then bullets from somewhere pierced the troops behind the line.
Taaaaang!!
"Gahk?!"
"Sniper!"
"Take cover!!"
Yakov ducked behind an armored vehicle, yelling into comms.
"Enemy position!"
[Searching!]
Drones parted to reveal a black silhouette dashing across screens.
[Giant sighted! Sending coordinates!]
"Deploy Special Teams 2 and 4! Don't let it near the tower!"
[Roger! Teams 2 and 4 deploying!]
"Rest of you, hunt that sniper!"
Simultaneously, the admin's voice buzzed in the massive implant's ear, shield still up.
[Mother broadcasts: Teams 4 and 2, pursue and eliminate enemy immediately. Receiving real-time coordinates. Wind anomaly.]
"Copy, Mother."
The middle-aged man with a cigar spat it out and spoke.
"Team 4, all members, track target with Team 2 at received coordinates."
[Roger.]
"Move."
As he relit his cigar, a whiiiing! preceded a thunderous launch of his hulking frame.
Special forces fanned out around him, barreling through ancient trees at insane speed.
[Drones tracking. Unknown enemy veering toward village entrance.]
"Pin it down."
Dozens of missiles launched in sequence.
Quaquaquaquaquang—!
Flames blocked the entrance path instantly.
The black silhouette swerved sharply in surprise—
"Hahaha! Where do you think you're...!"
Something mammoth erupted from the dirt below.
"...going...!!"
Half his face mechanical, robot-like, he stomped the ground fiercely.
Anti-gravity controls activated.
Quaaang—!! A crushing gravity field slammed the black figure. Team 2's leader grinned.
"Die!!"
His fist pulverized the silhouette—
"......!?"
His eyes widened.
The body dissolved into mud instantly.
Team 2's leader stammered in shock.
"Wh-what the hell...!?"
Nearby, Lumia activating her curse shouted.
"Mr. Clark! Now!"
Then, a bone-chilling cold descended on the blockaders.
"Wh-what is it?"
"Temperature just plummeted..."
As they shuddered involuntarily—
Kyle, who had amassed infinite dragon aura, stomped the ground with full force.
Monumental ice crystals erupted from beneath his feet like they awaited the cue.
Quadudududuk!!
Quaaaaaang—!!
"?!"
The bureau agents gaped at the sudden upheaval—even Captain Yakov Schnell.
"Fuck..."
He yelled.
"What the hell is that?!"
A massive leg-shaped ice formation had sprouted, spanning Sapientia's sky.
As panic spread—
Kyle, at its tip with his mask pulled up to his nose, spoke.
"Let's go."
He kicked off with all his might.
Quaaaaaang—!!
Lightning-fast, he traversed the iceberg.
Dragon aura kept the ice unmelting, enabling the feat. Urgent chatter exploded.
[E-enemy on the ice bridge! Unbelievable speed!]
[What?!]
Yakov muttered unconsciously upon the report.
"It's him."
His pupils quivered.
The one who annihilated Special Team 3.
"That's the bastard...!!"
Yakov realized he'd been played completely.
'He anticipated I'd hesitate to deploy specials after losing Team 3...!'
While distracted—
[Smart rounds loaded!]
[Fuck, what are you waiting for...!!]
Someone shouted.
[Fire!!]
Paaaaang—!!
Salvos targeted Kyle's head—
[...!!]
Ancient winds swirled protectively, ensnaring the smart rounds.
[What the fu—!]
They reversed trajectory, slamming back at the snipers.
Paaaaang—!!
[Aaaagh!!]
[Damn it, grazed my eye...!]
[Equipment damaged! Sniper impossible! Repeat, impossible!]
Amid screams, Yakov roared.
"Block them! Stop that bastard somehow!!"
Anti-tank missiles and bullets flew wildly.
But Kyle was too far, too fast to catch now.
[Destroy that ice bridge! The bridge!]
[Target acquired.]
[Armored vehicles, fire!!]
[Fire at will!]
Main guns pounded the ice crystals indiscriminately.
Kwajijik! The glacier cracked and crumbled bit by bit.
"I don't know what you're planning...!"
Team 2's leader burst from the forest, blocking Kyle like teleportation.
"But it ends here...!"
Anti-gravity maxed out.
Gravity field about to engulf Kyle—
"Sorry."
Kyle smirked.
"Too late."
"What?!"
[Holy Sword Summon]
Summons the holy sword anytime needed. Distance and location irrelevant.
Black-and-white holy flames exploded around him.
Quaaaaaang—!!
"Grk...!"
Team 2's leader reeled from the blaze.
Meteor-like, Kyle hurtled toward the barrier's apex.
The holy sword clashed with the barrier's mana.
Flash!
A streak of light rent the dark night sky before their eyes.
"Th-the relic's barrier!"
"Everyone, hold on...!!"
Meanwhile, deep in the Fleetwood estate.
Mages still intact desperately reinforced the barrier against the onslaught of minions.
"Gaaahk...!"
But limits loomed.
Even weakened by the relic, the curse wasn't fully nullified.
Injecting mana into the crumbling barrier drained them relentlessly.
The red-haired woman gritted her teeth.
'Mary...!'
Rebecca Kempton, direct heir of Kemp ton—one of the magic noble houses—called desperately for her best friend.
Before chaos erupted, the only one absent and certainly returning today was Mary Fleetwood, as far as she knew.
With all external comms severed, their sole hope for alerting the outside and calling rescue rested on the sage's granddaughter.
'Please...! Mary, you're our only hope now...!'
Then, an elder buttressing the relic's barrier hardest collapsed.
"El-Elder...!!"
"Cough, cough, gaaahk...!"
Black blood spewed from his mouth.
Rebecca screamed.
"Grandfather!!"
Yet she couldn't budge.
Quaaang—!!
[■■■■■■■-!!]
Moving would let minions swarm in instantly.
A mage wailed in terror.
"Even Elder...!"
Many mages had already fallen despite the relic's power.
Now the last pillar crumbled.
Terror spread like plague among them.
"I-it's over...!"
"We'll all end up as sacrifices... or minions...!"
"Someone, please save us!!"
[Indeed.]
"!?"
[That is your end.]
Quaaang—!
Black mana rained down.
A grotesque shadow with dozens of arms emerged.
[The pathetic demise of your worthless hope.]
"Ah, aaaah...!"
One by one, they broke before the colossal monster.
Someone trembled, muttering.
"M-Mage of Beginnings... it's all over now...!"
Rebecca cried out.
"No! Everyone! Please...!"
[Soul of burning passion.]
"!!"
The monster loomed before her; her face paled in its eyes.
[Give up.]
No light dwells here.
Mana surged; the relic barrier cracked with a jeejeejeok!
Rebecca squeezed her eyes shut.
Someone invoked a hero from centuries past.
"Mage of Beginnings, please...!"
Rebecca had never believed the legends.
Fairy tales for children, fabricated myths.
But the prophecy...
When crisis befell this tower seeking forbidden wishes, the Mage of Beginnings... his descendant would return to save it.
Clutching at straws, Rebecca prayed.
'If that's true, please...'
Mage of Beginnings, grant us.
'Your aid...!'
[Still craving meaningless salvation?]
The monster's eye mocked them.
[How utterly foolish.]
As the flung magic shattered the relic barrier—
[...?!]
Something crashed through the collapsing ceiling, smashing the monster mercilessly.
Ku, quaaaaaang—!!!
[Aaaaaagh!!]
Dozens of arms burned away on the spot.
[You bastard...! What...! What the fuuuuuck...!!]
The minion shrieked in vain.
Quaaang! The final thunderbolt stake reduced the dreaded beast to dust.
"What... is this...?"
The oppressive mana vanished.
Mages gawked at the impossible scene.
Standing alone amid it: a man wreathed in holy mana.
Demonic minions screamed and fled.
Rebecca's eyes trembled at the miracle unfolding before her.
He resembled the hero from childhood magic tomes.
As he raised his head, dozens of mages swallowed, overwhelmed.
"......!"
In the awed silence, none spoke easily.
One mage murmured blankly.
"The... Mage of Beginnings?"