Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Unexpected Awakening
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After the man affiliated with the Seekers fled, Dennis followed Paruzan underground.
"People. Increased. Not enemies."
The interior had already been cleared by some bald-headed giant.
"What in the world is..."
Dennis was stunned by the sheer number of magic devices lined up inside. Even within the Magic Tower, few mages could handle an operation of this scale.
"These are connected to Enrikasil?"
"Yeah. Damian said to stop them."
"What did Sir Damian say to do next?"
"There was nothing after that."
"Can you tell me who Sir Damian is targeting?"
"Elgan or something. The empire's worst criminal..."
"E-Elgan?!"
Dennis grabbed Paruzan's shoulders and asked.
"C-Calm down."
His facial muscles twisted in a bizarre way. She thought he was serious, but she never imagined he'd make such an amusing expression.
"Is there a problem? He's strong, sure, but Damian must be confident he can win, or he wouldn't have planned this."
"Elgan died years ago. Killed by Sir Damian's master, the eccentric Ezekiel."
"Yeah. But he didn't die. He even cast some weird spell on this northern guy here."
Shakiya unwound his bandages and thrust his massive forearm toward Dennis.
"It's magic imprinted in the form of a tattoo?"
Even Dennis, a guardian, was seeing this spell for the first time. It was the first time he'd felt an unsettling vibe from its structure.
Moreover, unless it was someone with exceptional skill, analyzing exactly what kind of magic it was would be impossible.
"That old monster is really alive...?"
If it was true, this went beyond mere interference as Damian's friend. It was a matter for the Magic Tower and the empire as a whole.
'I'll have to hear the details from Sir Damian himself.'
Rustle. At that moment, a sound came from beyond the device.
Were there still some of Elgan's subordinates left? Everyone tensed up.
"That bastard! Damn him! I wouldn't be satisfied even tearing him limb from limb!"
"I understand Your Highness's fury a hundred times over, but please calm down for now. And choose your words carefully. Even if I'm the only one listening, the imperial family must set an example."
"Is this the time for that nonsense? More importantly, where are we? Where's Damian—my Damian?!"
An enraged voice and a frustrated response came together.
"Duke Karlag?"
"Isn't that Guardian Duke Dennis? I never imagined I'd see you outside the Magic Tower."
After exchanging greetings with Dennis, Duke Karlag's gaze immediately turned to Paruzan and Shakiya.
"Ah, so you're Sir Damian's companions. I figured there was some other plan in motion, but it seems this side's issue has been resolved well enough."
Karlag said as he examined the magic devices in the basement.
As Enrikasil's chairman and a skilled mage himself, he instantly grasped that Elgan had been extracting Enrikasil's power through that device.
The device had now stopped operating.
Beyond just losing support, there would be considerable backlash. The tide of battle seemed better than expected.
"Since everyone here seems to share the same goal anyway, let's head to Enrikasil together to support Sir Damian. Right now..."
Fizzle! Everyone's eyes locked onto Shakiya's arm. The bizarre tattoo was gradually fading.
"Dead. Damian. Won."
Dennis and Karlag's faces stiffened at Shakiya's calm words.
They couldn't open their mouths, merely swallowing hard.
"Who died?"
"Elgan. Our damn master."
"Bullshit. You think that monster goes down easy?"
Elgan's slaves couldn't accept it easily. To them, Elgan was a higher existence than even the emperor.
"Of course. It's Damian."
"Ah~. Damian, Damian, Damian. You're avenging all the humiliation this big sis endured."
In contrast, Paruzan and Erewin nodded as if it was only natural.
This was possible precisely because they didn't fully grasp Elgan's strength.
"So where's Damian now, Duke Karlag? He might be injured, you know."
"Don't worry. I'll head to Enrikasil and get Sir Damian..."
Karlag couldn't finish his sentence. The wrinkles on his forehead deepened.
"We can't access Enrikasil."
As chairman, Karlag could enter Enrikasil from anywhere in the empire. But right now, that authority wasn't working.
"Th-Th-Then what do we do? What about Damian—Damian?!"
Erewin screamed like she was having a fit. The others' expressions weren't bright either.
"It seems to be because of those devices. Let me take a look first..."
"No need for that. Just report the situation to the Tower Lord now. She'll surely lend her aid since it's about Sir Damian."
"Damian..."
"Damian. Strong. Will solve. Problem."
"Damian, Damian, Damian!"
"Um..."
Amid the chaos, a boy with sky-blue hair poked his head out from a hole in the ceiling.
"Saliba?"
Paruzan recognized him and waved.
"Why are you here?"
Damian had completely excluded Saliba from this incident.
Not only to let him focus on his studies, but also considering Ariella might notice.
Yet here he was, boldly tailing them.
Had he stayed within a certain distance, Paruzan would have noticed for sure.
Since she hadn't, he must have used some kind of device.
"Ah."
Shakiya rummaged through his pocket as if realizing something. He opened his large fist to reveal a small trinket.
"Shakiya. Item. Not owner's. Didn't know. Left it."
"I left it there. I figured you three, including Big Bro Damian, were up to something without me."
"You idiot uncle!"
Paruzan scolded him, but now wasn't the time to quibble.
The battle was over, but Damian was still trapped in Enrikasil.
"You're Saliba, right? Good timing."
"D-D-D-Duke, you're Guardian Dennis?!"
"Greetings later. I-Is, no, is the Tower Lord in the annex?"
"No. Teacher said she was going out today. Didn't say where."
"Of all times... Duke Karlag, I'll go look for the Tower Lord, so you figure something out here..."
"These magic devices are the issue, right?"
Saliba asked, placing his hand on Elgan's device.
Whoooosh. Blue light poured from his hand.
It was magic that analyzed the internal structure and principles without destroying the device.
'He already mastered that?'
It was one of Ariella's spells. Even though it had been published in a paper, it was so profound that hardly anyone used it properly.
Dennis couldn't wield it perfectly himself.
"Hmm... I see, I see. So that's how it is."
But Saliba handled it with effortless mastery. It hadn't even been a month since Ariella started teaching him.
Damian writing that letter made a bit more sense now. Honestly, a raw gem like that was beyond what Dennis could teach.
"What do you think you've figured out?"
Even Karlag was astonished. Saliba being a traitor's descendant didn't register right now.
"These devices... they're not fully stopped yet. That's why something feels off."
At those words, Paruzan turned to Elgan's slaves. Flames seemed to spark in her eyes.
"No, no! It's definitely stopped."
"Exactly. What reason would we have to deceive you?!"
The slaves shook their heads desperately, like mice about to be devoured by a rattlesnake.
"No wonder you wouldn't know. It's not a magic device that stops with ordinary methods."
"Th-Then can you do it? Can you rescue Damian—Damian?!"
Everyone, including Erewin, fixed their gazes on Saliba. Their expectations weighed heavily.
Honestly, it was burdensome. He wasn't used to situations like this yet. And Damian's safety was at stake.
'Stay calm, stay calm.'
He recalled what Ariella, his teacher, had told him.
Always maintain rational judgment, but listen to your instincts too.
So, there was only one thing Saliba needed to say now.
"I can do it. No, I will."
Thump thump. His heart raced a bit faster. But it didn't feel bad.
Today, he would prove his worth to Damian.
* * *
The Hellfire that Damian fused with the bone shard incinerates the opponent's mana. Elgan must have figured that out long ago.
So he set a trap. In his current state, Damian couldn't use fusion with his sword. He sensed it instinctively.
It was likely related to the purity that Derek and Shakiya mentioned. With the bone shard mixed in, it wasn't pure enough.
So he pretended to release the fusion while concentrating the Hellfire at his sword tip. Eliminating excess and focusing all firepower on one point.
For this strategy to succeed, Elgan's choice was crucial. He needed to use all his mana at full power.
Damian won that game of wits. The overwhelming firepower turned Elgan to ash without even showing the flames.
"Kyaa! Kyaa!"
The bone shard, separated from Damian, frolicked on his palm.
"You did well."
"Kyaa! Kyaa!"
Its voice brimmed with vitality, but the flame's movements looked somehow weary.
Damian felt the fatigue too.
Fusing with the bone shard not only consumed the Book of Hell but also drained a considerable amount of stamina.
Maintaining it long-term was still tough.
'Still, I've got a reliable weapon against the Seekers now.'
That was the greatest gain from this battle.
Thud. Elgan's head bumped against his foot. Everything else had turned to ash. Since he was already dead, Absorption couldn't extract memories.
Honestly, it was a shame. Beyond just learning his goals, it could have yielded info on the Seekers.
'No. There's still a chance.'
He still had uses left for black magic—Necromancy.
All he needed was strong residual thoughts anyway. Since he died recently, it was plenty usable.
Even if contact with black magic reawakened him, it was fine. He had more Book of Hell pages left, so he could fuse with the bone shard like before.
Necromantic bodies have no ego. But they can utilize accumulated knowledge, including memories.
In fact, he'd glimpsed parts of Imur and Xenon's memories through their necromantic bodies. Though they weren't particularly useful.
But Elgan was different. If any of his memories contained info on the Seekers, it would be a huge haul.
Whoooosh. Damian grabbed Elgan's severed head and cast black magic—Necromancy.
Black smoke flowed from Damian's hand into the cut head, harvesting the residual thoughts inside.
Soon, the smoke emerged again, taking form. It was the shape of Elgan he'd just fought.
Fortunately, it resembled a human. The demonic power hadn't lingered in the residual thoughts.
"Oh my."
Suddenly, Damian felt like he couldn't breathe. He'd seen too many impossible things today.
"This feels utterly novel."
The necromantic body's mouth moved. A voice riddled with static emanated from within.
'Damn it, seriously.'
Necromantic body—Elgan. He had retained his ego.