Chapter 107
Chapter 107
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: The Gray Bead
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Roll...
Jeon carefully picked up the bead rolling along the ground.
The gray-tinted bead looked ordinary at first glance, yet it carried a strange allure that made it impossible to look away.
But Jeon soon tore his gaze from it and shoved the bead carelessly into his pocket.
'Ugh... dizzy.'
He was already exhausted.
On top of that, examining the rune letters had left his mind even more muddled.
'Still, I deciphered it faster than expected.'
Perhaps it was thanks to the recent mystery he'd acquired, boosting his overall capabilities.
Normally, seeing a rune would send his mind spinning wildly to grasp its meaning, but this time, he only felt a bit fatigued—no frantic whirling.
'The Rune of Diffusion...'
The rune embedded in Kan's body was the Rune of Diffusion.
But in his current state, Jeon wasn't up to delving into its exact meaning and usage.
"For now... I just want to rest."
Muttering to himself, he slowly turned around.
There stood the Silvermont mages, looking dazed—either from released tension or shock at Jeon defeating Kan.
"...Good work."
"What... you all worked hard too."
Mirna, standing at the forefront, patted Jeon's shoulder with a gentle smile.
He returned the smile.
"I was planning to head back tomorrow, but it looks like I'll have to stay a few more days."
"Hohoho, things turned out that way. You're welcome to stay."
Despite the life-or-death battle they'd just fought,
the two exchanged lighthearted banter.
"I've got a ton of questions from today's experience."
"Ask away while you're here."
"Won't that inconvenience you, Lady Mirna?"
"Hohoho, I can handle that much."
After bantering briefly to ease the lingering tension, Jeon turned to the others.
"Were the casualties... bad?"
"It'd be a lie to say there were none... but thanks to you, we minimized them."
Jeon had risked his life,
and so had the others, fighting desperately.
The battle was fierce, with many injuries.
But if Jeon hadn't taken down Kan, they might have been wiped out.
"On behalf of everyone, thank you."
Bow.
Mirna, dropping her smile, bowed deeply to Jeon.
"Ah, no need. Without you all, I couldn't have done it either."
Jeon waved his hands frantically at her sudden gesture.
He wasn't just being humble.
He'd played a key role in defeating Kan, but without Mirna and the other Silvermont mages, it would've been impossible.
As Jeon and Mirna exchanged thanks,
one of the dazed onlookers gazed toward the distant mountain ridge and muttered.
"Ah, the sun's rising."
The most grueling night they'd ever known was over, and morning had arrived.
Hm?
In pitch-black darkness where not even an inch ahead was visible,
a man sitting motionless frowned.
He should have been in a state of utmost focus, fully merged with the darkness.
Not even if someone passed by or screamed right next to him should he stir.
"What happened?"
One of the people nearby asked cautiously at his movement.
"...One Apostle is dead."
"Pardon? What do you...?"
The man's words were so shocking that the questioner jumped to their feet in alarm.
But the shocking revelations didn't stop.
"And... the rune isn't being recovered."
"The rune can't be recovered? How is that possible?"
"It's not. Normally, it's impossible."
The Apostles were the Order's top forces.
They were powerful to begin with, but their completion came from the runes this man bestowed upon them.
Those runes amplified their abilities, and upon their death, were designed to return to him.
"Someone tampered with the rune."
Which meant the one who killed the Apostle knew about runes.
"In this era... someone who knows runes remains?"
"There might be a few who know a rune or two—not its power, just the script."
Though the lineage of runes was effectively severed,
a few eccentrics studied them via ancient artifacts.
But even they couldn't instantly recognize or grasp a rune's true power; runes were practically the Order's monopoly.
"At such a critical time... a major variable has emerged."
He wanted to investigate personally, but he couldn't.
Until moments ago, he'd been fully focused, merging with the darkness.
It was part of undoing the restraints on the being they'd long awaited.
"Einna."
"Yes."
"Recruit the Apostles in my stead. And thoroughly investigate this incident."
"Understood."
"Also, confirm directly that the Apostles' preparations are on track."
He delegated authority to the woman who'd spoken.
"Dare I take on such a heavy responsibility?"
"It's my order. Bring any refusers to me."
"Yes, understood."
With that, the man refocused on merging with the darkness.
Einna, fearing disturbance, slipped out of the darkness-filled space with utmost care.
Silence once more enveloped the space, filled only with darkness.
Three days had passed since Kan's raid on the village.
Not much time, so the atmosphere was still tense, damages unrepaired—but things were somewhat under control.
Thus, Jeon could finally sit down with Mirna.
"You're relocating the village?"
"Yes. It's basically been exposed now."
Her words were quite shocking.
Abandoning a long-established base.
Seeing Jeon's worried look, Mirna continued reassuringly.
"No need to fret. The ruins that kept us here—the main reason— you've cleared them, so we can leave without regrets."
"Still, moving a whole village isn't easy..."
"That's why I'm planning to discuss it with the White Tower. We've shared goals but operated separately before; this time, closer ties."
"So, joining the Tower?"
"Hohoho, not quite. But we can choose a more convenient location."
Mirna seemed disillusioned with the Silvermont mages operating apart from the Tower amid recent events.
"We were obsessed with completely evading the Luine Order's eyes. But after being found once—from Kairon to here, twice now—no need for such paranoia."
The Silvermont mages had built the White Tower but left separately.
Partly due to the Tower's growing Imperial standing, but mainly to dodge the Order.
Yet those efforts crumbled twice recently.
Time for a new path.
"Wise decision."
"Hoho, I hope so."
Jeon had gleaned their future direction.
Staying longer due to Kan, and with Tasha out delivering news to the Tower, she'd bring back updates on this too.
"So, what did you want to ask?"
Now it was Jeon's turn.
He'd requested this meeting.
"Do you know anything about the energy from this?"
He pulled a small bead from his pocket and placed it on the table.
Hmm.
Mirna stared at the mysteriously gray bead, chin in hand, then suddenly looked up.
"What a bead with such an odd power."
Even as a grand archmage,
she couldn't easily escape its gaze-fixing charm.
One careless glance nearly left her entranced.
Its power was formidable.
"Where'd you get it?"
"From the Apostle who attacked the village. After I took him down."
"From an Apostle?"
Jeon explained briefly how he'd obtained it.
Mirna already knew runes roughly, so it was straightforward.
"Heh... remarkable."
She glanced at the bead again, then away.
"I'm not certain, but it's definitely not ordinary mana."
"As I thought."
As Jeon suspected, the bead's power differed starkly from regular mana.
"Jeon, you know warriors refine natural mana into aura?"
"Yes? Ah, yes, I do."
Natural mana exists raw.
Mages and warriors refine it differently.
Mages use mana cultivation to minimally refine it for spells; warriors use aura cultivation for its raw, fierce essence.
"But there are other refinement methods too."
Mirna gave a relatable example.
"The black magic that Apostle used differed from standard mages' mana."
Black mages use unique cultivation, enabling necromancy and such.
"This seems refined differently too."
"Any guesses?"
"Hm, something from my childhood..."
Mirna trailed off uncertainly.
"I heard of expelled Tower mages who lost status for forbidden acts."
"Expelled?"
"Yes. They experimented on extracting human emotions to refine into mana—banned by the Empire."
"Extract emotions into mana? Is that... possible?"
It was hard to grasp.
Mirna nodded understandingly.
"Required human experimentation. Victims weren't human anymore."
Lives as collateral.
"Not certain. But shaking emotions just by looking... it fits."
She seemed unsure while explaining.
The energy was that peculiar.
"Sorry I couldn't help more."
"No, thank you. You pointed out something I hadn't considered."
Mirna smiled bitterly at Jeon.
Regret for not helping more, but he waved it off.
"Speaking of, any progress on that heart you found?"
"Ah, that? No, nothing new."
Jeon pulled the dragon heart from his bag.
Still purpose unknown, it looked like a stone.
Hum.
"Hm?"
Just showing it to Mirna, it suddenly vibrated.
Vrrr.
The bead on the table vibrated in response.
Resonating, they fiercely drew toward each other.
"Wha—?"
Fwosh!
Before Jeon could react, the heart sucked in the bead whole.