Chapter 1006: Conjunction Spell Master (7)
The Veil draped over the Gateway entrance.
As soon as Lennok saw the Conjunction Spell Master appear from behind it, he turned back.
Fwoosh!!
Flames erupted behind Lennok, rapidly spinning and compressing.
An invisible crimson flash pierced the Spell Master’s form.
[Crimson Dagger of Brilliance]
Paaaang!!
Crimson light exploded and scattered between the giant beast’s skull.
But the Spell Master merely raised one hand, crushing the magic that had been fired at him.
With just a single gesture, he miraculously erased Lennok’s magic as if it had never been there.
“Excellent.”
The Spell Master gazed at the lingering scent of the flames that had dissipated from his fingertips, then spoke.
His eyes nonchalantly looked down at his half-scorched palm.
“I sense something different from a Magic Tower Lord in your flames.”
“…….”
“A versatility not limited to pyrokinesis… a boundlessness encompassing all magic and spellcraft… I see.”
The Spell Master, his eyes half-closed, lifted his head and murmured, toying with his badly burned right hand.
“I understand what my clone saw. Did you trap that talent within the prison of fire?”
“…….”
“Given that you’ve mastered Jindun’s Barrier Spellcraft, you probably weren’t unaware of it yourself….”
The Spell Master glanced back at Lennok, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
“Something very dangerous is hidden within you. Is that why you prevented your examination results from being shared with me?”
“It seems you’re still curious about such things, even after coming all this way.”
What the Conjunction Spell Master’s Chimera clone had said before its death wasn’t wrong.
Although it hadn’t been thoroughly confirmed through qualitative analysis, as the Chimera clone had done.
Nevertheless, the Spell Master had vaguely guessed the extent of Lennok’s talent that the clone had encountered, in just a single moment.
A transcendent empathic sensitivity that could gauge his potential by merely receiving and experiencing Lennok’s magic once.
It was proof that the Conjunction Spell Master standing there was none other than Avesta Chapman himself.
“Don’t rush, Evan Martinez.”
The Spell Master, who had regenerated his tattered palm by merely clenching and unclenching his fist, spoke.
“Fighting for your life is something you can always do. I can’t sacrifice this time for such a wasteful act.”
“…….”
“The situation has unfolded so rapidly that we’ve both missed a lot. Don’t you think?”
The Spell Master asked leisurely.
“Before we finish this, there must be something you need to confirm.”
The Conjunction Spell Master’s sudden appearance right after Lennok obtained the Veil fragment at the Gateway entrance.
And even the reaction of the Immortal, Mikal Zelih, who, as if on cue, betrayed Lennok and sided with the Spell Master.
Even though the situation had instantly flipped, Lennok remained calm.
He took out a cigar, lit it slowly, and turned around.
With the Spell Master making no move to stop him, Lennok exhaled a puff of smoke and opened his mouth.
“From the beginning… you were waiting for me.”
“Did you think I’d just leave a wizard who walked into my Domain of his own accord?”
The Spell Master shrugged.
“At first, I wasn’t certain. I couldn’t figure out what you intended to gain by risking capture by my spellcraft.”
“…….”
“I deliberately gave you a 48-hour grace period, but instead of fleeing, you stayed in Gateway City. Even after entering my Operating Theater, you refused to escape and instead roamed my Domain….”
The Conjunction Spell Master tilted his head and spoke.
“I investigated you through my clone, but ultimately failed to get any information. On the contrary, the moment its identity was exposed, I made it self-destruct so it couldn’t be caught by my empathic sensitivity.”
“…….”
“I admit it. Your patience was remarkable. No matter how calm and composed a spellcaster, they usually show a weakness when subjected to such repeated tightening and loosening in a short period.”
The Spell Master, slowly approaching Lennok, smiled.
“Allowing your escape from the Operating Theater, harming the Magic Tower Lord, stealing the medicine, and observing you meet Zelih – these were all part of it… I finally stumbled upon one thing at the very end.”
Through his mask, the Spell Master’s nonchalant gaze drifted toward the scattering stardust.
“Your true objective was the fragments of the Veil itself, falling after it shattered, wasn’t it?”
The Spell Master, even knowing Lennok had escaped, didn’t immediately pursue him.
Instead, he feigned pressure during Lennok’s examination, and even after his clone died and information was cut off, he focused on operating on the Magic Tower Lord.
He endlessly pressured Lennok, and then, conversely, gave him leeway, all to figure out his objective.
‘So, there were clues…’
It wasn’t that he couldn’t guess why Zelih was on the Conjunction Spell Master’s side.
Bernard had asked him to retrieve Zelih’s remains, but hadn’t asked him to save Zelih.
He must have considered the possibility that Zelih wasn’t on the Demon Warband’s side, but thought there was no need to explain it to Lennok and create unnecessary confusion.
That’s why Lennok hadn’t anticipated the possibility that Zelih might betray the Demon Warband and side with the Spell Master.
Could that small difference have ultimately separated Lennok’s and the Spell Master’s judgments?
“If you knew the situation through Zelih, you would have been aware of me obtaining the Veil fragments much earlier.”
Lennok asked.
“Why didn’t you interfere while I was collecting the fragments?”
“Because how you collected the fragments would allow me to guess your purpose.”
The Spell Master smiled.
“You used Barrier Spellcraft to collect and store the fragments as catalysts. It seemed to consume a considerable amount of magic power.”
“…….”
“While I wasn’t entirely against wearing you down before our conversation, you kept your distance from Zelih the entire time you were collecting the fragments.”
[….]
“Mikal Zelih questioned your intentions repeatedly, but you never answered him until the very last moment. Excellent. Or perhaps, cautious? But….”
The Spell Master slowly clapped his hands, looking at Lennok with a nonchalant gaze.
“A week ago, there was an infiltrator who tried to take the Veil fragments after breaking into my Domain. It was the work of a Cartel mystic eye sorcerer.”
“…….”
“Would it be a misconception to think that you are now doing the exact same thing that woman tried to do, right before my eyes?”
Indeed, the Spell Master had immediately noticed that sense of déjà vu the moment Lennok approached the Gateway entrance.
The suspicion he had dismissed simply because Cheonbeon had been defeated by Adamant Thunder and survived.
The Conjunction Spell Master, too, had realized that Evan Martinez had been working with Adamant Thunder from the very beginning.
“I was surprised. I said I didn’t care who it was, as long as they had interesting talents or spellcraft, but I never imagined you’d send such a formidable figure.”
The Conjunction Spell Master’s eyes curved into a long arc.
“Evan Martinez. To think that a great wizard, defeated by Adamant Thunder, would leave the Eyes of Blue and bow his head to him.”
“Call it submission, or subjugation, as you wish.”
Lennok said, slowly turning towards the Spell Master.
“Such words hold no meaning for me.”
“Hmm….”
A fleeting flicker of interest appeared in the Spell Master’s eyes as he stared at Lennok with an indifferent gaze.
“Yes… it truly seems so. Not merely bluff, but genuinely what you think and how you act.”
“…….”
“Even for that reason, I can’t say I’m not curious about what happened in Vulcan, but….”
The Spell Master, pulling off a glove with one hand, said.
“I don’t think I can condone what you’ve done here. Especially if you intend to take the Veil fragments.”
“Is that… a statement from the administrator of the First Gateway?”
“Do you know about the [Gates] that exist on the continent?”
He pulled down his mask, removed the other glove, and stepped closer to Lennok.
Indifferent eyes showing no emotion. A powerful sense of alienation, devoid of presence or will-thought.
Before Lennok could even process the meaning of that question, the Spell Master spoke.
“Those things, they’re made from the corpses of dead Ascendants.”
“…….”
The Conjunction Spell Master, who unhesitatingly revealed the secret of the [Gates] he had learned through Heavenly Sight – why paths connected to the Outer Sea could function as [Gates] – looked at Lennok and nodded.
“This Gateway is the same. The corpse of a dead Long-lived Being functions as the gate’s Veil. Do you know why?”
The Spell Master didn’t wait long for an answer.
As if there was no need for a back-and-forth, he simply continued his explanation in a flat, emotionless tone.
“A very long time ago, for us, death was not the end.”
“…….”
“Within the cycle of Eternal Reincarnation, life and death were not an end but a continuous blessing… a passage to other worlds.”
The Spell Master spoke, slowly moving forward.
“The final stage of this life, and the beginning of the next. Thus, the lingering traces of a life that had died were treated as a gate connecting two worlds.”
Clack. The Conjunction Spell Master stopped, his voice sinking low.
“Now, it’s a meaningless story that doesn’t matter anymore. But that, precisely… is the origin of the ‘Great Connection’ pursued by this Alliance.”
“…….”
A very long time ago. Before the end of this world was decided.
Before the causality of this world closed and its destruction was confirmed.
In a world where infinite possibilities unfolded, was death not simply an end?
Why did the Conjunction Spell Master know this, and why could he explain such secret history and background to Lennok?
But there was no longer time to ask such questions.
Rummmble…!!
Behind the slowly moving Spell Master, the Chimeras roaming the lobby glared at Lennok as if to kill him.
Hundreds of Chimeras trembled, panting roughly and oozing sticky malice.
[Hoo… hoo… Intruder…!!]
[Kill, kill, kill…!!]
Drooling and weeping, they twitched violently, as if desperate to rush at Lennok immediately.
The Spell Master glanced at the Chimeras and opened his mouth.
“I could explain much more about why I’m doing this, why I’m staying at the Gateway.”
“…….”
“But I don’t expect any further understanding or respect from you. That would, in many ways, conflict with the meaning of the Great Connection championed by the Alliance.”
Chimeras densely packed around the Gateway entrance.
Lennok and the Conjunction Spell Master stood facing each other amidst the horde of monsters.
“So, for the first and last time, I will ask just once.”
The Spell Master asked.
“Evan Martinez. Do you intend to become a pillar of the Great Connection championed by the Order Alliance?”
“…….”
“I don’t know how interested the Alliance Leader might be in you, but I see potential in you. A pure potential unconstrained by any single lineage… perhaps your entire life itself was a miracle that embodied such a talent.”
The Spell Master’s gaze, fixed on the silent Lennok, gleamed coldly.
“Under the Great Connection, you will realize how grand and yet how meaningless such implications are. And you will also understand that you can be both a part and a subject of this immense flow. This is what the Alliance proclaims as the answer it seeks in this war.”
The Conjunction Spell Master declared that merely by bowing to the Order Alliance and becoming one of its spell masters, Lennok’s talent would blossom, and all the Alliance’s objectives would be revealed.
He mentioned nothing of worldly rewards or compensation – what honors and benefits would be offered if he joined the Alliance, or how high Lennok could rise.
Instead, he merely saw through the curiosity and investigative spirit deep within Lennok’s being.
That there were still things Lennok, who had delved into the world’s secrets for so long, didn’t know.
And that he still eagerly craved to know them.
“All your actions on the Central Front will become the responsibility of this Alliance. Furthermore, your potential and secrets, your origin and vessel – all of it will be protected under the Alliance’s name.”
“…….”
“A talent not recognized or tolerated anywhere else. The Order Alliance can cherish and cultivate the flower that blooms from twisted soil as something noble and special.”
That was probably because the Conjunction Spell Master, too, was once like Lennok.
There was a shared sense of understanding that could only be comprehended by someone who had held a twisted talent in a different way and chased an unattainable answer.
Lennok also knew that the Spell Master had explained a little about the [Gates] and [Death] to him because he understood, empathized, and tried to persuade him.
“I’ll ask you in return.”
But Lennok, understanding the Spell Master’s implications and consideration, replied.
“On the premise that you take responsibility for and atone for all the Chimeras you’ve created, would you consider joining me?”
“…….”
Instead of answering, the Spell Master stared intently at Lennok.
Even he hadn’t expected Lennok to make such an offer.
“I told your clone as well. It’s the same for both of us.”
Lennok smiled indifferently, receiving the Conjunction Spell Master’s impassive gaze.
“Don’t you think we’ve come too far to abandon everything we’ve built and turn back?”
Just by reversing the question, how worthless an unfeasible offer was to both of them.
But Lennok hadn’t merely made this offer to the Spell Master as empty words.
The Conjunction Spell Master’s talent and intellect he had encountered in Gateway City today were among the most formidable Lennok had ever faced.
Therefore, Lennok knew that he wouldn’t be able to answer.
“I see. So, it was ultimately a difference in the values that sustain our lives….”
The Spell Master nodded in understanding.
A clear gesture, as if he wasn’t at all concerned that Lennok had refused his offer.
“I knew you were an individual with a profound divine nature, rare even among high-level spellcasters, but you are still difficult to understand.”
Kugugugu…!!!
At that moment, flesh began to surge up from beneath Lennok’s and the Spell Master’s feet.
As the two spellcasters moved towards each other, the flesh rose, creating a stage in the middle of the cavernous space.
Ascending the increasingly colossal hill of flesh, Lennok and the Spell Master simultaneously drew forth their magic.
Crackle…!!
The Spell Master, extending a hand towards the Chimeras howling on the ground, asked.
“Or should I consider even that empathy, the one that cares for mere Chimeras, as part of your innate talent?”
“Well, I don’t know.”
Lennok shrugged.
“However, all the Chimeras you created… were saying ‘kill me’.”
“…….”
“I didn’t quite like that.”
“How typical of a Watcher.”
The Spell Master smiled.
“Even now, you’re still walking hand-in-hand with the future the Lighthouse Keeper dreams of.”
“No. It’s the opposite.”
Lennok, gathering flames in one hand, clenched them and said.
“I hope that the answer I envision encompasses even their dreams.”
Fwip!!
On the surging hill of flesh, Lennok and the Spell Master simultaneously thrust their hands forward.
Fwoosh!!
The flames coiling in Lennok’s hand spun circularly, transforming into a sphere of azure fire.
A Miniature Sun Sphere, gathering all the flames from heaven and earth, spun wildly in Lennok’s hand.
The Spell Master, seeing this, also grasped and compressed the surrounding Chimeras.
The grotesque flesh repeatedly conjoined and compressed, fueled by trait-type magic power.
The compressed flesh of the Chimeras, unable to withstand the repulsion, exploded before Lennok’s eyes.
Pyrokinesis-type unique magic
[Supernova]
Conjunction Spellcraft activated
[Human Effulgence]
The Miniature Sun Sphere held in Lennok’s hand and the compressed sphere of Chimeras in the Spell Master’s hand collided.
Boommm!!!
Amidst the scorching inferno that vertically split the vast Life Domain, the two spellcasters simultaneously began to move towards each other.