Chapter 1020: Landmark (7)
The reconstruction of the Gateway City’s outermost provisional fortress was almost complete.
The landscape, save for the city walls crumbled by the aftermath of the battle, remained unchanged from before.
The magnificent sight of the burning veil in the sky cast a different light upon all scenes.
Crackle, crackle!!
Harmless petals of flame, burning the veil, fell.
Sparks, falling like fireflies, scattered and glowed across the skies of the Gateway City.
A new spectacle at the first Gateway, where countless small meteors scattered, glowing.
“It’s beautiful.”
Eredis, walking ahead, marvelled at the sight almost unconsciously.
“I’ve met many spellcasters who can alter environments, but I’ve rarely seen anything on this scale.”
“…”
“Not just a part of a battlefield, but a power that reshapes the Gateway itself and transforms the environment… Indeed, there seems to be no limit to magical power.”
“Enough with the flattery.”
Lennok replied with an indifferent expression.
“Yet, it seems you’ve long surpassed the point of envying magic yourself.”
“…”
He hadn’t fully realized it in the reception room, but as soon as they stepped outside, Lennok felt it too.
A formidable fighting spirit erupted from Eredis’s entire body as she walked ahead.
An overwhelming presence, felt even though she wore no artifacts to meet Lennok.
Separate from innate abilities, she was a monster whose inherent combat prowess had reached a terrifying level.
Angel’s description of her possessing the Ability Awakening Warband’s most exceptional lethality was no lie.
It was hard to believe that someone with such a ferocious presence could possess such a refined demeanor.
Understanding Lennok’s words, Eredis smiled.
“My apologies if it bothered you. I used a somewhat crude method to ward off prying eyes.”
“Ward off eyes?”
“Although the situation was urgent and I couldn’t help but make time, I am fundamentally not supposed to be here right now.”
Eredis said nonchalantly.
“My mere presence here would break the Central Council’s unwritten rules and upset the balance of power between factions. We’ll need to handle things as quietly as possible.”
“…”
The mere fact that Eredis Zabelin was at the Gateway was enough to cause problems for the Ability Awakening Warband’s diplomatic relations.
Hearing that, Lennok was almost curious to know what kind of powerhouse this woman was, and how she was regarded by the Central Council.
“We’ve arrived. It seems the preparations are complete.”
Thud!!
An open space prepared behind the provisional fortress of Gateway City.
On a pyre made of stacked logs, lay the bodies of the deceased superhumans.
These were Rebid and the subordinate Annihilation Squad members who had tried to apprehend Lennok and take him to Zero Seat Ophelia.
Though outwardly intact, their internal organs had already been completely replaced by black magic, leaving only lifeless husks.
But it wasn’t the corpses that drew Lennok’s gaze.
“It hasn’t even been ten minutes since we decided how to dispose of the Annihilation Squad’s bodies, yet the pyre is already prepared.”
“…”
“Is someone else from the Warband here, besides you?”
Lennok and Eredis had decided to cremate the deceased ability users about ten minutes prior.
In that short time, someone had perfectly prepared this site and the cremation, then vanished.
Eredis nodded compliantly.
“Yes. My comrades assisted. I thought there was no need to prolong the preparations.”
“…Wait, don’t tell me the Annihilation Vanguard is here right now?”
Bernard muttered with a bewildered expression, and Lennok turned his gaze with an impassive face.
“What’s the Annihilation Vanguard?”
“It’s the Ability Awakening Warband’s elite vanguard, led by Zabelin.”
Angel explained.
“They’re a unit that takes the lead in the Warband’s offensives, but due to their immense power, they’re usually kept deep within the front lines and rarely deployed.”
“…”
“I thought the Annihilation Vanguard wouldn’t leave their posts, especially with the Calamity of the Four Heavenly Fiery Demonic Mirrors needing to be dealt with, but their presence here means…”
Angel’s expression, as he explained to Lennok, slowly changed.
He too must have belatedly realized the meaning of his own words.
“Regarding the information I’m about to share, I ask for your discretion for the time being.”
Eredis turned around.
“The assault on the Demonic Mirrors failed. The Warband’s main forces are currently retreating to headquarters.”
“…Did Ophelia fail?”
“No. However, inside the Calamity of the Four Heavenly Fiery Demonic Mirrors…”
Eredis, her expression composed, continued.
“There’s a creature living there that uses humans as a placenta.”
“…”
“That’s all I can tell you for now. My apologies.”
It was an absurd explanation, so much so that even Lennok couldn’t immediately grasp it.
But that alone was enough to understand how dangerous the Calamity of the Four Heavenly Fiery Demonic Mirrors was.
Was something beyond human ethics and morality establishing an ecosystem within it?
As Bernard and Angel remained silent, Eredis, having turned around, asked.
“How would you like to handle the cremation? I think it would be best if Sir Evan himself lit the fire.”
“Efficient work. Is it to prevent any lingering rumors?”
“No. My abilities are rather far removed from pyrogenesis.”
“…”
He had felt it earlier, but the Ability Awakening Warband’s second-in-command certainly seemed unusual in many respects.
Lennok sighed, stepped forward, and rolled up his sleeve.
Whoosh!!
Lennok, conjuring a flame at his fingertip, stood before the pyre and turned to Eredis.
“You mentioned the inheritance of the Ritual Weapon earlier. How does that work?”
“The Ritual Weapon is an independent spiritual auxiliary device created by ‘extracting’ the Collective Psychic Network established by Zero Seat Ophelia.”
Eredis replied.
“Its purpose lies in manifesting by consuming the user’s will-thought in a special form, thus explosively augmenting their innate ability-”
“Just the conclusion. Tell me how to inherit it.”
“…When a void occurs in the Collective Psychic Network, the Ritual Weapon’s current owner can transfer it to another.”
Eredis spoke with a slightly dejected tone.
“Once the bodies of the superhumans affiliated with the psychic network are cremated, the Zero Seat will perceive the void in the network.”
So this was what Mikal Zelih meant when he said the death of a Warband member was necessary for the Ritual Weapon’s inheritance.
Whoosh!!
Lennok dropped the flame from his hand onto the pyre and stepped back.
Simultaneously, flames ignited on the pyre where the bodies lay, swiftly consuming both wood and flesh.
Roar…!!
The raging inferno surged beyond the ruined fortress, scattering into handfuls of ash.
“Though harsh to non-ability users, these were individuals who dedicated themselves to their comrades in the Warband.”
As Angel’s expression grew complicated watching, Eredis placed a hand over her heart.
“Though their aims differed even under the Zero Seat, I hope these departed comrades find peace.”
“Hm.”
As Bernard coughed uncomfortably, Eredis lightly flicked her finger.
Thump!!
Simultaneously, a tank containing half a brain dropped at her feet.
Eredis spoke to Zelih’s left brain, contained within the tank.
“Mikal Zelih. It’s time to fulfill the promise you made to Sir Evan. Are you ready?”
[Zabelin…? Was that you?]
Zelih, belatedly regaining consciousness, emitted psychic waves with a rare hint of surprise.
[Unbelievable. If you’ve come all the way to the Gateway City, there’s bound to be trouble.]
“I hope you understand how serious this situation was.”
Eredis replied calmly.
“It seems the situation hasn’t been properly reported due to the chaos in the Gateway City, but Cheonbeon’s reputation is currently abnormally positive, even on the Central Front.”
[…]
“The headquarters concluded that they couldn’t immediately antagonize the wizard who killed the Conjunction Spell Master and stopped the Gabihaeng. I hope you’ll keep your promise to Sir Evan.”
Even knowing Lennok was right beside her, she didn’t hesitate to praise him.
Was she openly mentioning Cheonbeon’s fame and reputation to imply that there was ‘no need’ for immediate confrontation?
Should he call her overly honest, or did she simply not care much about Lennok, even now that he was here?
[Is that so. You, Bernard, and Angelio too…]
“…Sir Zelih.”
Zelih, detecting Angel’s psychic wave and Bernard’s stern gaze at the tank, let out a groan.
[Everyone, I’m sorry. Zero Seat Ophelia will never forgive me…]
“…”
[It’s not that I didn’t trust the Zero Seat. But-]
“Zelih, Third Seat.”
Eredis said.
“We’ll discuss the details once we return to headquarters.”
[…]
“We need to complete the inheritance while there’s a void in the Collective Psychic Network, so please cooperate for now.”
Even knowing that Zelih had betrayed the Warband and sided with the Alliance, Eredis’s voice remained calm.
It wasn’t forced composure; rather, it seemed she wasn’t particularly prone to anger in the first place.
Not a soulless machine, but simply one whose emotional range was not vast to begin with.
As Lennok watched Eredis’s increasingly peculiar reactions, Zelih’s psychic waves began to stream towards Lennok.
Crzzzt, crzztzzt…!!
Along with a static-like noise, Lennok felt ‘something’ transferring through the psychic waves.
“This is…”
An intangible power that existed despite having no form. Only through spiritual affinity could one perceive and possess it.
The Ritual Weapon: Fluorescent Star, existing as will-thought, inherited, and possessed through spiritual affinity.
The flame manifestation, feeding on Lennok’s will-thought, rapidly swelled and threatened to burst outwards.
“Step back.”
“…Step back?”
The moment Angel tilted his head in confusion, Bernard quickly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.
At the same time, the moment Lennok stretched out his hand and made a grasping motion in the air.
A colossal spear shaft made of burning flames erupted in Lennok’s hand and plunged downwards.
KWA-OOOM!!
“WAAAAAHHH!!”
Only then did Angel, terrified, transform his entire body into frost and flee hastily.
Whoooosh…!!
An immense size, easily exceeding ten meters in length.
It was even taller than Lennok, appearing too large to even transport.
Lennok narrowed his eyes, realizing that the flames wrapped around the end of the shaft were taking on a definite form.
“A spear…? No, a banner?”
The flames, coiling around the long shaft, fluttered like a banner and took shape.
Rather than being wielded, was it meant to be planted in the ground and used as a symbol?
Eredis spoke, observing the flame banner that appeared before Lennok’s eyes.
“The Ritual Weapon is a spiritual auxiliary device that manifests by consuming the user’s will-thought. It’s natural for it to materialize through will-thought once a certain level of mastery is achieved.”
“…”
“However, I’ve never seen the Ritual Weapon materialize on such a grand scale. Just how vast must one’s will-thought be for such a thing to be possible?”
Eredis, looking back at Lennok with interest, asked.
“To achieve this much, even with inexperienced control immediately after inheriting it… Like the flames that scorched the Gateway, everything about you, as a grandmaster of flame and heat, is on an immense scale.”
“…So, how exactly do I use this?”
Lennok grasped the banner with a bewildered expression.
The banner had no weight; despite being several meters long, Lennok could easily lift it with his strength.
“I haven’t seen or heard much about innate abilities, so this is difficult to operate. I heard it was an item that could forcibly awaken a Phase Domain.”
“Is that so?”
“What?”
As Lennok, bewildered by her irresponsible answer, turned his gaze, Eredis placed a hand on her chin.
“I merely fulfilled Third Seat Zelih’s promise on his behalf. I don’t know why he transferred the Fluorescent Star.”
“…”
“Originally, the Fluorescent Star is a divine artifact that aims to augment innate abilities by consuming the user’s will-thought. It’s difficult to understand why it transformed into such a shape in Sir Evan’s hands-”
Kiiiiiiing…!!!
A sharp, piercing sound assaulted their ears. A strange sense of discord, as if time was infinitely slowing down.
Simultaneously, both Lennok’s and Eredis’s expressions changed completely.
“…!!!”
Eredis twitched her hand, and Lennok, suppressing the Halo that threatened to burst forth, immediately let go of the banner.
The moment the massive burning banner was forcefully suppressed by Lennok’s formidable will-thought, its materialization dissolved.
With a slight shockwave, the surrounding sense of speed returned to normal, as if by magic.
Paaang!!
Eredis and Lennok turned to face each other almost simultaneously.
Will-thoughts vibrated tautly in the sharply risen air around them.
“…”
“Wh-what was that?”
Bernard, bewildered and unable to grasp the situation, and Eredis, gazing at Lennok with a stiff expression—their reactions were starkly contrasted.
But Lennok understood what had been about to happen in that very spot.
‘Anathema’s Eight Trigrams Formation was about to forcibly activate. Eredis sensed it and reacted.’
Lennok currently possessed and actively used two innate abilities.
The Eye of Possibilities, mimicking Olivera’s Mystic Eye, and the Eight Trigrams Formation inherited from Anathema.
Among the Eight Trigrams Formation, which dealt with the changes of all things, this was an innate ability that specifically handled the changes of time.
The innate ability, which he didn’t use under his Evan identity, had almost activated at an incredible speed, simultaneously with the materialization of the Ritual Weapon.
It hadn’t merely sought to extend Lennok’s own subjective perception of time, but to exert some influence on the surrounding area as well.
That was why Eredis, too, had not missed that subtle dissonance and had almost reacted.
If Lennok hadn’t forcibly suppressed the activation of the Eight Trigrams Formation right then and there, Eredis might have attacked him.
‘Could it be that the Ritual Weapon: Fluorescent Star’s ability… even influences the expansion of an innate ability’s range of application?’
If the Eight Trigrams Formation, which he could only use to increase his subjective perception of time, could now affect others, that would be beyond mere augmentation of an ability.
As Lennok pondered the unexpected ability, Eredis, belatedly dropping her guard, cleared her throat.
“Ahem, my apologies. I thought there might be something, but it seems I reacted too sensitively.”
“…”
The innate ability of the Eight Trigrams Formation had influenced the surroundings for less than an instant, a mere flicker.
Yet, Eredis had perceived that subtle shift in the timeline and almost reacted.
That could only be because Eredis herself possessed such transcendent senses.
“As an apology, I shall tell you about the herbs and catalysts that might aid in operating the Ritual Weapon.”
Was she herself flustered by the fact that they had almost engaged in combat right then and there?
Eredis nodded and began to walk, leading the way out of the cremation grounds.
“There’s probably something decent in the black market. Shall we go together?”
“Black market?”
The Gateway City had only just been half-recovered, and the black market was still fully intact?
“Oh, you didn’t know yet?”
Eredis smiled and shook her head at Lennok.
“It’s natural for reconstruction efforts to prioritize areas where the most money changes hands.”
Dazzling lanterns hung over the half-destroyed ore mine. People bustled about as usual.
Making a mockery of the battle Lennok, the Blaiver Magic Tower Lord, the Conjunction Spell Master, and Ballak O’Edon had fought in the black market.
The black market’s landscape was perfectly restored, no different from when Lennok had first visited.
“So, because so much money flowed through the black market’s entertainment district, it was one of the first areas to be restored…”
“It’s inconvenient, but it happens everywhere, as expected.”
Eredis smiled and pulled up the hood of her robe to conceal her face.
“I intend to procure some catalysts and herbs that might assist in operating the Ritual Weapon. Will you come along?”
“…No, I’ll just take what I need from you, and I plan to leave the Gateway City today.”
Lennok glanced at the time, then looked up at the sky and said.
“If I’m to leave the city today, I’ll need to acquire the necessary items beforehand.”
Eredis nodded compliantly at Lennok’s answer.
“Understood. I also had some business in this black market, as it happens.”
Lennok pondered, leaving Eredis to go ahead.
He had rested for two days, observing the Gateway City’s recovery and reconstruction. Now, there was nothing left for him to do here.
The timing would be right if he left as soon as Angel and Bernard, whom he had left in the infirmary, finished their preparations.
He would leave the Gateway City today and return to Vulcan.
As Lennok thought this, and was about to slowly step into the bustling black market street.
“Well, well, well, who do we have here.”
A sharp, raspy female voice echoed from behind Lennok.
On a lavishly decorated pub balcony, a middle-aged woman in military uniform looked down at Lennok.
“…”
She had a thick fur coat draped over her shoulders like a cloak, and a hefty cigar clenched between her lips.
The woman occupied a corner of the large pub balcony alone, savoring her cigar and drink alternately.
On the epaulet of her military uniform, three stars shone conspicuously.
“Isn’t it the Arch-mage who so thoroughly humiliated our legion?”
“…And you are.”
A Deadrise general. The same rank insignia as Roberaid, whom Lennok had faced before.
No, Lennok had seen this woman’s face once before.
Deadrise’s 4th Legion, which had rushed to Military Spirit City Yorta immediately after the events there concluded.
The commander who claimed to be the head of that legion and asserted Deadrise’s occupation of Yorta.
Deadrise 4th Legion Commander. Lieutenant General Mirva Neosoto.
After all anomalies had ended, a Deadrise Legion Commander was sitting in the reconstructed entertainment district of the Gateway City’s black market, drinking.
“What are you doing? Come up.”
Lieutenant General Mirva nodded towards Lennok, holding a glass in one hand.
“Since we’ve met like this, by fate, how about we have a drink together, in memory of Lieutenant General Roberaid?”
“…”
“There’s one schedule that’s been moved up quite quickly, due to the Nether King’s Gabihaeng and legion matters overlapping.”
Mirva’s smile, as she looked at the silent Lennok, turned cold.
“I can arrange a meeting with the Marshal. Aren’t you curious?”