Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Magic Genius with Korean Patch
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"So it really was a dungeon entrance?"
"Definitely. We've verified it multiple times."
Who would have thought they'd built a dungeon in the basement of a villa.
And if it was one created by a 7th Circle grand mage, it was unlikely to be an ordinary dungeon.
"And from our verification, it seems to have been made with some clear intent."
In this world, dungeons were generally spaces where retired mages or those unaffiliated with any group conducted magical experiments. These places, abandoned by human hands but lingering with mana traces, warped over time.
But that was only for accidentally created dungeons.
Some mages deliberately created dungeons for experiments or specific purposes. It seemed the one Khalid and Rector had found fell into that category.
"Could that intent be related to this mass disappearance?"
"I can't say for sure... but it's the most likely suspect among everything we've investigated so far."
A mage affiliated with the Silvermont mages secretly building a dungeon under a villa.
No matter how you looked at it, it didn't seem like it was made with good intentions.
"If my guess is right, this disappearance might have been planned long ago."
Khalid's offhand remark drew a nod of agreement from Rector.
If the two who'd seen it firsthand assessed it this way, the chances were high that the missing Silvermont mages were inside that dungeon.
"When do you plan to attempt the raid?"
Attempting the raid was already a given.
So Jeon skipped asking if they would and went straight to the schedule.
"The sooner, the better."
"We were actually on our way here discussing that we should raid it as soon as you arrived. Of course, we didn't expect you'd get here this fast."
"Then it worked out perfectly."
Considerable time had passed since the Silvermont mages went missing.
Jeon had confirmed no one was dead yet, but that also meant anything could happen before death did.
"Exactly. I'd like to move as quickly as possible. What do you all think?"
It hadn't taken long, but Jeon, Ralph, and Tasha had just arrived after a long journey.
So Khalid asked for their input.
Jeon, now the de facto representative, glanced at Ralph and Tasha in turn. They met his eyes and nodded that it was fine.
Confirming their agreement, Jeon nodded back and turned to Khalid.
"We think we should move quickly too."
"Good. Then after we finish eating, everyone rests and prepares, and we head out at dawn tomorrow."
With their agreement, the schedule was set.
Once the timeline was decided, there was nothing left to discuss before the meal.
"Alright, now that we're done talking, let's eat. The food's getting cold."
Rector, seeing the conversation wrap up, laughed heartily and urged them to eat.
Thanks to his jovial demeanor, the heavy topic didn't sour the table's mood.
And so, after finishing the meal, as everyone prepared to head to their rooms...
"Um, but... don't we need to make a plan or something?"
Tasha spoke up hesitantly, looking anxious.
Khalid placed a hand on her shoulder and replied.
"The dungeon inside is unknown to us. Meaning, even if we wanted a plan, we'd have to go in and assess the situation first."
"Ah, r-right."
"So the best plan we can make now is to go in, rest well, and prepare thoroughly. Don't worry too much—focus on getting your condition right."
"Y-Yes! Thank you!"
With even the trembling Tasha calmed, the five at the table retired to their rooms for rest.
Jeon and the other three shook off the fatigue from their long trip, while Khalid and Rector relieved the exhaustion from their early preparations.
Dawn arrived.
While most were still asleep, the five, fully prepared, gathered in front of the lodging.
"Everyone here?"
"Yes."
Preparations done, time on schedule.
"Good. Let's head out."
The group of five made straight for the grand mage's villa.
The transport to the villa was the mana carrier Jeon's group had arrived in.
"Thanks to you bringing something nice, we're traveling in comfort."
The grand mage Kairon's secret villa was perched midway up a mountain on the city's outskirts.
Normally, they'd have to rent a carriage or horses, but the spacious carrier could fit five easily, so no need.
Thanks to it, the five, including Jeon, arrived faster and more comfortably than expected.
"Hm, just as I thought... no signs of outsiders entering or anyone leaving the villa."
Rector checked the magic he'd set up beforehand upon arrival.
It was designed to leave traces if humans or animals passed. But there were none—not even animals.
Rector nodded to Khalid after confirming. Khalid turned to the group.
"Once we're inside, anything could happen. Stay alert, everyone."
They'd already decided Khalid would lead during the raid.
All nodded and followed him into the villa.
'Is this really a villa?'
The interior felt quite eerie.
The decor went beyond minimalist to downright barren.
Just the bare basics for short stays—nothing else.
'They never intended it as a villa from the start.'
Which meant the villa's sole purpose was the dungeon below.
"The rest of the villa isn't much different from what we're seeing."
So the group, guided by Khalid, headed straight to the basement attached to the villa.
The first basement level looked ordinary—empty, with nothing notable except its bareness.
"...What's that?"
But on closer look, opposite the stairs down was a sturdy black iron door, firmly shut.
It radiated thick magical energy.
"I'll open the door. But once it does, anything might happen—get ready."
The aura from the door was ominous.
Khalid, the highest circle among them, stepped forward.
No proper handle, so he placed his palm flat on the door's surface.
Detecting an outsider's touch?
Black mana burst from the door the moment Khalid touched it.
"Not so fast."
But the black mana failed its purpose.
White mana flowed from Khalid, devouring the black mana and even crumpling the iron door itself.
"Whoa."
The mana from the door had been fiercely powerful.
Yet Khalid crushed it effortlessly, overwhelmingly.
The mana control on display was awe-inspiring.
The sturdy black iron door finally turned into a lump of scrap.
"...Doesn't look like a very welcoming place."
The dungeon beyond revealed itself.
Black bedrock cave walls hit first.
Then the damp, musty, ominous air brushed their skin.
The source of that foreboding was near the scrapped door.
Red eyes gleamed from the distant darkness, accompanied by a beast's growl.
Not an ordinary beast.
Nor a standard magic beast.
A humanoid torso with a wolf's head and four arms. The lower body was a spider's abdomen.
"A chimera... unforgivable."
Ralph shook his head, clicking his tongue.
Creating chimeras was taboo among mages.
Ralph merely tsked, but Khalid, Rector, and Tasha froze in shock.
"...This can't be."
Ralph wasn't Silvermont, so he might not know.
But they'd worked with Silvermont long enough to know Kairon well.
One of the two pillars leading Silvermont's mages. A great 7th Circle mage.
Yet his dungeon housed a forbidden chimera.
But while they hesitated, the chimera moved first.
Spotting the group, the chimera roared and charged.
Multiple legs let it kick off walls everywhere, accelerating rapidly toward the frontmost Khalid.
But it failed.
Ralph had dashed forward, crossing his two rings.
The completed distortion field deflected the chimera's wild swing.
As the chimera faltered from the futile attack...
A boy leaped from beyond the field.
"Let's see how tough you are."
The leaping blond boy—Jeon—swung Lunareik, now in staff form.
Chain Lightning (3rd Circle)
Lightning storm amplified by mana flow
At Lunareik's tip dwelled 3rd Circle lightning magic, Chain Lightning.
Normally chaining between targets, but fused with fierce mana flow, it amplified itself.
The result?
A storm of lightning bolts, not mere sparks, by the time it hit the chimera.
The thunderous blast hurled the chimera back.
But it didn't end there.
Silver Flame
Three claws piercing down
Silver flames followed at Lunareik's tip.
Normally three-pronged tails, now three claws stabbing the chimera.
First lightning, then fire.
The chimera couldn't recover.
Yet its forbidden flesh endured the impacts somehow.
"Pretty tough, huh?"
Jeon didn't seem surprised—instead, he nodded approvingly.
"Perfect test subject."
Chain Lightning (3rd Circle) + Silver Flame
Dual attributes fused and amplified
Silver flames rose at Lunareik's tip, mixed with Jeon's separate Chain Lightning cast.
The two magics blended with fierce mana flow, harmonizing fire and lightning to build power.
Normally impossible for opposing attributes, but Jeon's rune magic of will minimized clashes, directing mana to boost both.
"I needed a target to test this spell's power."
The fully charged silver flames and lightning struck the chimera.
Even after leaving Lunareik, the flames and lightning raged on.
Their fury lingered long after the chimera's screams faded.
Where the magic finally subsided...
Only scattered bits of what was once the chimera remained.