Chapter 1123: Afterimage (11)
“What in the…?”
[A-woong!]
As Lennok staggered, unable to hide his shock, the Guardian Spirit Beast subtly extended its tail to support him.
Swoosh!
A comfortable, cushion-like sensation enveloped Lennok’s body in an instant.
The ample fat, steamed right to the tip of its tail, supported Lennok with unparalleled comfort.
“…”
Speechless, Lennok stared blankly up at the Guardian Spirit Beast, which was munching away in front of him.
From passing through the Inner Circle, breaking through the Western Front, crossing beyond the Veil, and returning from Kundara to Vulcan.
It had been a journey to the Outer Tribulation City, short if considered short, long if considered long.
But in that time, Lennok’s Guardian Spirit Beast had literally become a Pig-Dragon.
[Oink.]
Sensing Lennok’s feelings, the Guardian Spirit Beast let out a remarkably similar cry.
As a Spiritual Beast born in a Domain, it could, however vaguely, read its master’s emotions.
But even that couldn’t compare to Lennok’s current shock over this Guardian Spirit Beast.
“How could this happen?”
“Ah.”
Dylan, who had followed Lennok belatedly, let out a sigh.
Even amidst this, he clutched the short spear he’d received as a gift.
“So you finally saw it, huh?”
“…What exactly happened?”
Lennok turned his gaze.
What on earth had it eaten and grown on in just a month to become so plump?
Even if it had guzzled tuna or meat concentrate, it wouldn’t have gotten this fat.
This wasn’t an issue of whether the mercenaries caring for the Guardian Spirit Beast had overfed it.
“Well, you see…”
Just as Dylan, with a reluctant expression, was about to explain the situation to Lennok.
A gruff voice echoed from within the Guardian Spirit Beast’s belly fat.
“Why has it been so noisy around here since a moment ago?”
Bulge!
As the Guardian Spirit Beast’s folded belly fat twitched, something rolled out from inside.
A youth of imposing physique, dressed in a pristine white robe, stood up abruptly with a frown.
“I, the Master, clearly said not to wake me until my disciple-nephew returned. If you bother me, I, the Master, won’t teach you lightning magic—”
The youth, whose gaze met Lennok’s, then widened his eyes and exclaimed.
“Disciple-nephew! When did you return to the Tower!!”
“…Disciple-nephew?”
Lennok frowned, looking at the youth standing before him.
Because he remembered a familiar appellation, one used by only a single person.
“Surely, you’re Akendrias himself?”
“Who else but I, the Master, shares the same lightning destiny with you, my comrade?!!”
The blue-haired youth, puffing out his chest, exclaimed in a booming voice.
“Today, I have regained the companion who will join me on my great journey, so there is nothing more to fear!!!”
“…”
Seeing him suddenly babbling about lightning and spouting nonsense, it seemed he was indeed the Thorben Magic Tower Lord Lennok knew.
But what was the reason Akendrias, who had been an old man just a month ago, had suddenly become young again?
“First, I think I’ll need to hear what’s happened since then before I can make a judgment.”
Feeling an instant headache coming on, Lennok massaged his temples.
“What on earth happened in the Magic Tower?”
“You must have many questions, but this fellow’s transformation isn’t all that recent.”
Mega-city Vulcan, District 49. The underground cavity of the Adamant Tower.
Standing in the underground cavity, Lennok listened to Akendrias, who was slumped across from him.
“A week at most? In the time of non-lightning mages, it would be roughly that.”
“…”
Instead of answering, Lennok stared intently at the Thorben Magic Tower Lord.
A sturdy physique. Vitality overflowing from his entire body. His rugged features and even his distinctive angry-looking eyebrows.
The Tower Lord’s impression and aura largely matched what Lennok remembered.
This is what Akendrias El Thorben would look like if his time were turned back several decades, transforming him into a youth.
But Thorben seemed to have no interest whatsoever in his rejuvenated youthful appearance.
“This fellow’s appetite suddenly changed drastically; he started refusing his favorite tuna and eating strange things.”
“Eating strange things?”
“Bricks from the tower’s inner walls, pillars, materials and ores being transported, even cheap artifacts. He munched on a variety of things.”
“…”
“I gave him my lightning instead, so he wouldn’t get sick from eating strange things, and he guzzled it right down.”
Thorben scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“Seeing this young one enjoy it, I, the Master, also got excited and gave him whatever he asked for, and in the meantime…”
“…”
Speechless, Lennok ran a hand down his face.
“Is that also why your appearance changed like this?”
“Didn’t I, the Master, and this fellow, form a type of Shikigami relationship?”
Thorben said, pulling at his face, which had transformed into that of a youth.
“It seems a bit of a problem arose because I let him consume more of my lightning than usual.”
“Your internal mana was absorbed by the Spiritual Beast, yet your physical age reversed?”
“If you trace my origins, I, the Master, was also a noble of the Central Nobles.”
Akendrias stroked his chin with a nonchalant expression.
“Nobles of Ars Nova do not concern themselves with the flow of time. Appearance means nothing to me, the Master.”
He said, awkwardly stroking the chin where a beard should have been.
“Furthermore, my Immortal Lightning Body [선뢰지체] is a power cultivated by the immortals of the 1st World. The lightning contained within my body is my age.”
“…”
“This form is merely the aftereffect of my lightning energy being absorbed by your Spiritual Beast, twisting the balance. I’ll soon return to normal once my mana recovers.”
So this current appearance was unintentional, and Thorben himself actually preferred his older form.
Having said that, Thorben subtly cleared his throat, glancing at Lennok.
“Ahem, so, this fellow getting so fat isn’t solely my, the Master’s, responsibility.”
“I wonder.”
Lennok’s gaze turned cold.
“I’m suspicious of just how much lightning you fed it for it to become so immobile.”
“No, this Pig-Dragon’s [돈룡] belly fat became so plush that I, the Master, did indeed make good use of it as a pillow, but—”
“Enough. No need for excuses.”
Lennok replied.
“Because I think I know why this happened.”
“Oh, quite befitting the master of a Spiritual Beast. You’ve already figured out the cause?”
“Hearing about when the Guardian Spirit Beast started acting strangely gives me a rough idea.”
Lennok closed his eyes.
“It was due to the corruption of my magic system.”
The point when the Guardian Spirit Beast’s appetite changed strangely roughly coincided with when Lennok drank the Elixir of Ascension.
As Lennok wielded his corrupted magic system, the Guardian Spirit Beast, born from Ouroboros as its origin, was affected.
That would also be why it ignored its usual favorite tuna, picking up mana or lightning instead, and ended up gaining so much weight.
It makes sense if the Guardian Spirit Beast’s diet temporarily changed as the nature of his Ouroboros differed from its original form.
Thorben, too, finally nodded with a slightly relieved expression.
“That’s a relief. There shouldn’t be any problems while I, the Master, am in the form of a Shikigami, should there?”
[Bow-woo~]
The Guardian Spirit Beast, having belatedly sensed the atmosphere and cowered, shuffled closer.
It rubbed its plump body against Lennok, embracing him with its tail and nuzzling vigorously.
“…No.”
But Lennok, while gently stroking the Guardian Spirit Beast’s tail, replied calmly.
“Even if its appetite changed, getting this fat is also its own fault for not controlling itself.”
“What?”
“Since it’s the Guardian Spirit Beast of my Domain, shouldn’t I take responsibility and restore it?”
In the instant the Pig-Dragon instinctively flinched at Lennok’s chilling gaze.
Lennok, grasping its heavily fatted tail, declared.
“It’s a diet. We’ll start right now, so get ready.”
[Pant. Pant. Pant.]
Thump! Thump! Thump!
A dragon with a rotund belly was waddling on two feet, running around the training ground’s courtyard.
The Guardian Spirit Beast, tongue lolling out, eyes dizzily rolling, swaying, and dripping with sweat.
“Two more laps.”
Lennok, standing on the platform of the training ground, stared intently at the Guardian Spirit Beast’s movements.
“Five minutes rest, then rehydrate and five more laps. I’ll check its exercise volume before adjusting its diet.”
[Pant. Pant.]
Thump! Thump!
The Spiritual Beast, unable to reply, waddled while gasping for breath.
With every ragged breath it exhaled, the training ground violently vibrated, echoing with successive roars.
“Wow, when Van says it, it really moves differently.”
“I’ve never seen that guy exercise like that before.”
Beside Lennok, mercenaries who had returned to the Tower upon hearing the news gathered to watch.
The Guardian Spirit Beast was, in fact, one of the Magic Tower’s famous attractions, having almost no outdoor activity since its birth.
The sight of the Guardian Spirit Beast, which typically ate and slept in the underground cavity, running laps seemed quite unfamiliar to the others.
“Look at its eyes spinning. It looks a little pitiful…”
“Pitiful? That fatty, who just ate and slept all day while Van was gone?”
“It might have to fight to protect the Tower at any moment; that much exercise is basic.”
“If anything, it was too lax until now.”
Mila, who had firmly taken the seat beside them and was chewing gum, asked with a bewildered expression.
“Van. I don’t really know, but do reptiles normally sweat like that?”
[Of course not, you fool.]
Manson, beside her, sneered, his robot head glinting.
[Reptiles are cold-blooded, so they don’t sweat. You worked with Felix and still know nothing.]
“No, damn it. What does Felix being a beastman have to do with knowing about reptiles?”
Mila, who had instinctively cursed, tilted her head.
“Then why is he sweating profusely while running?”
[I don’t know.]
“…Do you really want to die?”
Just as Mila reached for her shotgun, Manson scoffed.
[The Guardian Spirit Beast isn’t a species from reality to begin with. Its origin is closer to that of a Phantom Beast species.]
“So, what’s the conclusion?”
[There may be no sweating reptiles, but a sweating Spiritual Beast can exist.]
“…”
Mila, pondering for a moment, stood up with her shotgun.
Click-clack!!
“It’s just wordplay, you bastard. You just want to call me stupid, don’t you?”
[It seems you’ve already forgotten who won our last spar. With that goldfish memory of yours, it’s unavoidable.]
The moment Mila raised her shotgun and Manson gripped his sword, simultaneously turning towards each other.
A brilliant short spear, blazing with silver light, blocked the space between them.
“Hold on.”
Dylan said, his head held stiffly high.
An extremely low voice emanated from beneath his wrestler mask.
“This is in front of Van. Everyone, compose yourselves.”
Mila and Manson simultaneously shot him displeased glares.
“…Why is this bastard suddenly putting on airs?”
[He was lucky enough to gain enlightenment and his arrogance has grown day by day… Wait a minute.]
Manson’s mechanical eyes flashed intensely as he looked at Dylan’s short spear.
[What is this? You shouldn’t have any high-grade weapons of this caliber among your polearms.]
As a freelancer who uses various weapons, Manson always had a keen interest in equipment.
He even remembered all the equipment his other comrades usually used, so he recognized the caliber of Dylan’s short spear at a glance.
“Hmm, you noticed?”
At Manson’s unusual reaction, Dylan’s shoulders instantly rose to his chin.
Dylan, not even bothering to hide his smugness, said with a disgustingly low voice.
“Oh, it’s nothing much… I just received a gift from Van. Nothing unusual about it, right?”
“You received a gift from Van?!!”
Mila shrieked, making even the others watching the waddling Spiritual Beast turn their heads.
At the center of their gazes, Dylan lifted his chin to the sky.
“Well, it’s about giving reliable equipment to a trustworthy person. It’s not that unusual, is it?”
“This bastard, he suddenly started talking like a complete asshole.”
“Can’t he speak without adding those boastful interjections?”
“Van, is that bastard telling the truth?”
Mila, quickly taking a seat next to Lennok, asked.
“Don’t get it twisted. If you give that bastard good equipment, he’ll just lose it somewhere and come back alive by himself. Regenerators are all like that!!”
“…”
“Well, if thinking that makes you feel better, then I suppose it can’t be helped.”
While Lennok chuckled silently, Dylan, in a relaxed voice, flaunted his composure.
“Now, a superior should generously accept the petty complaints of a Level 6 with a small capacity.”
“Ugh…!! Damn it!!”
“Oh, so you’ve already heard about Dylan’s achievement?”
Jenny, who had been watching the Spiritual Beast’s exercise with curiosity among the mages, approached the platform railing and asked.
“He was making such a fuss about wanting to tell you directly, but then he just ran straight over to get a gift?”
“That’s not entirely wrong, but…”
Lennok said, staring intently at Jenny’s face.
Whether she had sorted out her feelings to some extent, or simply decided to focus on what needed to be done immediately.
Either way, once Lennok started dealing with the piled-up work at the Magic Tower, Jenny couldn’t avoid it.
“Completing a Hierarchy has great significance. I merely gave a gift befitting that.”
“Oh, that’s rather enviable.”
Tatiana, who had been listening while leisurely smoking a cigar, grinned and turned her head.
“I’ve been a Saint Wizard since joining the Tower, so can’t I get a gift now?”
“Chiglet. Van isn’t some gift-giver for mages.”
“If you wish for it, there’s nothing I can’t grant.”
The moment Jenny sighed and shook her head, Lennok cupped his chin.
“If there’s a type of artifact you need, tell me. I’ll consider it.”
“…Really?”
Tatiana’s eyes widened slightly, as if she hadn’t expected it even as she spoke.
Seeing her reaction, Lennok turned his gaze to his comrades gathered around him.
“It’s the same for everyone else. Anyone who achieves a significant accomplishment will receive a piece of equipment befitting it as a gift.”
Equipment acquired from the Conjunction Spell Master’s Domain of Life. A few relics taken from the Ninth Tribulation’s treasury.
There was still equipment and armaments that Lennok currently had no use for.
If others, like Dylan, reach Level 7 in the future, it would be fine to gift them as a token of celebration.
Mila and Weian, hearing that, had their eyes sparkle and snorted.
“R-really?! You can’t take it back!”
“M-me too… the tonfa I’m using lately is too old…”
They likely knew that if it was equipment precious enough for Lennok to personally gift, it would probably be contraband difficult to obtain even in Vulcan.
“Kyah. If Van himself gifts the equipment, the price would be…”
“…Belber. Wake up. Even if a miracle happened, I’d never let you sell it.”
Belber, already lost in happy fantasies, and Belita and Stella, looking at him with disdain.
Soo-ryun and Manson also heard the words and fell into serious thought.
[Pant. Pant. Pant.]
Meanwhile, the Guardian Spirit Beast, having finished its running, was slumped in the training ground, tongue lolling out.
A round shape, with its head stretched forward, lying prostrate, its plump belly overflowing at the sides.
Hired attendants moved busily all around, diligently splashing water onto its profusely sweating body.
“I always thought it had an easy life, but watching this is quite a sight.”
The Thorben Magic Tower Lord, watching with his hands clasped behind his back, clucked his tongue.
“Even if it’s gained so much weight, for it to struggle so much with even running; if it gets any fatter, it’ll just roll around in place.”
“That’s hardly something you, who contributed to fattening the Spiritual Beast, should say.”
Lennok looked at the Tower Lord with a cold gaze.
“Besides, Tower Lord, weren’t you just lying on the Guardian Spirit Beast’s belly fat, using it as a pillow, just now?”
“Ahem, didn’t I say it wasn’t my will? I’m being unfairly accused.”
Thorben cleared his throat awkwardly, casting a sidelong glance.
“Disciple-nephew, when do you plan to tell me why you came to find me, the Master?”
“…”
“If you sought me, the Master, immediately upon returning to the Tower, it couldn’t have been for a problem like the Spiritual Beast’s belly fat.”
He wasn’t wrong.
The reason Lennok sought Thorben immediately after finishing his conversation with Jutiya was to discuss matters beyond mere trifles.
The master of the Thorben War-Mage Tower, and a Grand Mage who had mastered the same lightning-attribute unique magic.
If there was something he needed to seek advice on from a Grand Sorcerer who had practiced magic for far longer than Lennok.
“It’s about lightning magic. There are some changes that have happened to me that I’d like to discuss.”
“Hmm. Matters concerning the changes in your lightning, then.”
Akendrias’s eyes flashed with intense interest.
“That must be the part you mentioned when discussing the Guardian Spirit Beast’s changes. May I hear the details?”
Lennok’s promise to gift armaments upon reaching Level 7 seemed to have greatly stimulated the mercenaries, as those who had been making noise around them one by one headed to the training grounds.
On the now quieter platform, Lennok briefly explained what had happened to him to Thorben.
That he had tampered with spellcraft while handling matters in Kundara, and the aftereffects were continuing.
Even the fact that he was having difficulty controlling the output of his lightning magic because of it.
“I see. A shock strong enough to twist a magic system also affected that Pig-Dragon fellow…”
Akendrias, having heard the explanation, tilted his head with a serious expression.
“Listening to this, something seems to be coming to mind. I feel as though I’ve definitely seen a similar case before.”
“Do you have any idea what it might be?”
“Hmm, well, you see…”
He cupped his chin with one hand, his brow furrowed, appearing lost in deep thought.
After a long while, he came to a conclusion.
“I, the Master, don’t know either.”
“…”
A strange silence fell between the two.
Lennok looked at the Tower Lord with an incredulous expression and asked.
“Then wasn’t there any need to speak as if you knew something from the beginning?”
“No, wait. ‘I don’t know’ didn’t mean that.”
Saying that, the Tower Lord took a step forward in front of Lennok.
Crackle!!
With a sharp flash of lightning, Thorben’s form instantly appeared in the middle of the training ground.
A lightning-fast maneuver, still nearly instantaneous to Lennok’s senses, truly akin to divine speed.
Thorben brushed off his clothes, rotated his shoulders, and nodded towards Lennok.
“Come down. And have this Spiritual Beast removed beforehand.”
“What are you going to do?”
“To know how far the lightning within you has reached, I’ll need to confirm how dangerous a savagery your lightning holds.”
Crackle…!!
As he casually turned his head, blue lightning flared up all over Thorben’s body.
Akendrias El Thorben, igniting a vivid blue current and looking up at Lennok, grinned.
“Let’s have a bout for old times’ sake.”