Chapter 1125: Residual Scent (13)
Lennok’s lightning-element unique magic was attempting to reach Level 9 before Lennok himself.
Seeing Lennok stop dead in his tracks the moment he heard those words, Thorben spoke.
“A caster and their spellcraft are inherently one, but that rule isn’t always upheld in every moment.”
“……”
“There are cases where the hierarchy of the caster and the spellcraft differs due to innate talent, a curse, or a later catalyst.”
Akendrias gestured towards Peshia, who was glaring at Lennok from a distance.
“Though not a perfect example, that spear wielder is a similar case. Her understanding of spearmanship has surpassed the pinnacle, yet her own state remains far below, doesn’t it?”
“……That’s.”
It was because Peshia had boosted her power by sacrificing her hierarchy during their fight, but Lennok didn’t explain that far.
He simply felt that this lightning-crazed old man, who seemed indifferent to everything around him, knew more than he let on.
“It’s the same. Your magic has gained some catalyst and reached ascension first, and that’s why it’s trying to run wild against your will.”
Thorben shrugged.
“No, ‘running wild’ might not even be the right word. Any other caster would have long since failed to control their spellcraft and burst to death. It would be more accurate to say that with your talent and senses, you’re somehow wielding a higher-level spellcraft.”
“……”
“The problem is that it can’t distinguish friend from foe? On the contrary, the fact that your magic isn’t harming you is nothing short of a miracle. This is the first time even I have seen such a case, so my judgment was delayed.”
Thorben’s expression, as he looked at Lennok, turned utterly serious.
“What exactly happened in Kundara?”
“I learned a lot about myself.”
Lennok gave a bitter smile.
“Even the fact that I never originally wanted to.”
“……”
“But, yes… hearing that makes it clear.”
Leaving the Tower Lord with his stern expression, Lennok raised his gaze.
Before his showdown with Seonjong, Lennok had consumed an elixir and attained the status effect of an Ascendant.
With the senses of an Ascendant he’d acquired, he had twisted and corrupted Ouroboros, wielding Black Lightning.
Through Pyeonram’s Dark Scale and the Life Vessel, Nives’s antidote, and the Fearsome Blood King’s help, Lennok had shed that corruption and returned. However, the lightning magic Lennok had used then remained exactly as it was.
Twisted and corrupted, forcibly grown by the senses of an Ascendant, and now teetering on the boundary of Level 9, stopping just short of crossing it.
“Thank you for your cooperation. Thanks to you, I’ve made a clear decision.”
Lennok nodded faintly.
“I will definitely repay you for today.”
“No need. What repayment could there be between comrades who walk the same path of lightning?”
Thorben chuckled, stroking his chin.
“Just as I, this old man, remember the hope I had forgotten by watching you, you are free to take whatever you can gain from me.”
“……Gain, you say.”
Lennok echoed, slowly turning his steps.
The lightning magic running wild, unable to even control its peak and trough, was the backlash of growth.
But this ‘growth’ was not the way Lennok desired.
Lennok’s answer was not the power of The Gate, but the mental image of possibilities based on Kaleidoscope.
If his lightning magic were to reach Level 9 based on Black Lightning, it would become the possibility of ‘someone else,’ not Lennok.
The moment he realized that, Lennok understood that his task had become clear.
‘Adjust my magic by experimenting against The Gate located beneath Kabahim Royal Palace.’
It was clear that Pandemonium wanted something within The Gate.
So, Lennok’s task was to accompany them to the capital and adjust his magic against The Gate.
If that was the only way to control the lightning that sought to ascend to Level 9 first.
Crackle, crackle……!!!
Lennok’s gaze, fixed on the dark blue lightning slowly scattering across the sky, deepened.
Half a day after his sparring session with Thorben. In the Tower’s uppermost office, bathed in the evening sun.
Lennok opened the door and entered, stopping upon spotting a familiar back.
Black bobbed hair falling past her shoulders. A faint presence, even when visible.
And the refreshing, cool mana that naturally flowed out with every breath.
“Evelyn.”
Evelyn, crouched on the sofa, was idly nibbling on something while watching TV.
“Sorry I’m late. Have you been waiting long?”
“Are you done with your work?”
“Not yet.”
Lennok said, taking a seat on the sofa opposite her.
While he had caused a stir in District 49 fighting Thorben, that wasn’t all Lennok had to do.
Immediately, there were business plans, proposals requiring the Tower Lord’s approval, signatures for various administrative tasks, and securing minimum alibis for Lennok’s other identities.
“I just finished the most urgent matters. I couldn’t keep you waiting any longer.”
“I’m fine.”
Evelyn replied without taking her eyes off the TV.
“Time passes surprisingly quickly when I sit here.”
“What are you watching so intently?”
“Your news.”
Evelyn picked at a vegetable stick she was holding, pointing at the screen.
On a screen split into dozens of smaller ones, several anchors busily reported the news.
[The return of Adamant Thunder, who was reported to have departed for the Central Front, has been fully confirmed.]
[Witness testimonies are pouring in, stating that upon arrival, he indiscriminately unleashed large-scale destructive magic in District 49……]
[The thunder near the Magic Tower still lingers in the sky, obstructing weather observations……]
[There are concerns about significant temperature changes due to the discharge of lightning that exploded in the sky.]
[Concerns are being voiced from all sectors regarding the main culprit behind the Kundara collapse incident already resuming his activities……]
“……”
As Lennok stared at the screen, Evelyn offered him a vegetable stick.
“Want some?”
“……Sure.”
Sticks of carrot, cucumber, and paprika, cut to hand size.
Lennok calmly took one into his mouth without batting an eye.
[Ew.]
Davi made a disgusted sound, but Lennok paid no mind.
A fearless vegetarianism only possible with the superhuman patience of a wizard.
Evelyn, watching him, offered more sticks.
“Have more.”
“Alright, alright.”
He had called Evelyn after a long time to ask for help with sparring, after all.
He could certainly accept a request mixed with a bit of mischief like this.
After all, he could always eat cucumbers or paprika for his health.
Only after pushing five more paprika sticks into his mouth did Evelyn show a satisfied expression.
“You eat well.”
“……”
“If you could do this, why did you act like that in Kundara?”
“What does that have to do with now?”
“You ate some poison-like thing and got sick, didn’t you?”
Evelyn said languidly, leaning back on the sofa.
“Are you feeling better?”
“……”
At the piercing question, Lennok momentarily fell silent.
After finishing all the remaining vegetable sticks in silence, Lennok spoke.
“It was the Eyes of Blue.”
“Lapis. She’s been keeping an eye on you ever since you arrived at the Central Front.”
Evelyn nodded.
“I got internal information from Kundara relatively quickly. I also heard roughly what happened there.”
“……”
Information about Maleon was one thing, but had they also obtained information that Lennok had ingested some kind of poison?
If they borrowed the Lighthouse’s power, it might be possible to spy inside the still unstable Kundara, but—
“Are you planning to fully commit to the Watchers now?”
“……I’m not sure. I don’t know.”
Evelyn shook her head with a vague expression.
“I sympathize with the postponement of the end that the Eyes of Blue pursue. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lent them my power.”
“……”
“But the place I want to protect in my life is this city. Not the Central, where greedy monsters run wild.”
“You have no interest in Ars Nova at all?”
“Van. Do you have to keep asking when you already know?”
Evelyn scoffed.
“I’m from a race that originated from outside the continent. How the Central City fell has nothing to do with me.”
“……”
“The people living in this city are more important than the Central’s power struggles. That’s why I started working for the Agents.”
Evelyn said quietly, looking at the news on the TV screen.
“It doesn’t have to be in the form of working for a special agency. But the reason I haven’t returned to my post yet is……”
“Because of the Magic Tower, right?”
“……”
“I think we’ve talked about something similar before. I’ll make it clear this time.”
Lennok said, meeting Evelyn’s gaze.
“If you want to join the Tower, you’re always welcome. You can tell me, Jenny, or Felix.”
“That……”
“If you want to focus on the security of the outer districts beyond District 49, I’ll help you with that too.”
Lennok’s face turned serious.
Evelyn, looking at him, wore a speechless expression.
“You’re free to use any available resources or supplies within the Tower. Jenny won’t mind either.”
“……Why are you doing so much for me?”
“Why, you ask?”
Lennok tilted his head, looking at Evelyn, who had quietly retorted.
“Because you’re someone I can entrust my life to. Do you need a reason beyond that?”
“……”
Evelyn Marcia was an associate Lennok met in the early days of his freelance work.
Their acquaintance was long, with more time spent knowing her than not.
Having crossed countless lines of danger together as a freelancer and a Watcher, it would be stranger now to say he didn’t trust her.
But Lennok had never forgotten how rare Evelyn Marcia’s inherent goodness and talent were.
She was a rare individual who, even after reaching Level 8, had barely lost her own humanity.
Her talent, her unique goodness, and her sense of duty were qualities and values rarely seen on this continent.
Until now, he had respected her desire to return to the Agents and had never suggested it, but if Evelyn’s mind had changed over time, there was no reason to hesitate.
This was a direct recruitment by Lennok himself, something he had rarely done since establishing the Magic Tower.
“Ha, you’re right.”
Evelyn leaned her head back, letting out a soft sigh.
Leaning diagonally on the leather sofa, she smiled bitterly.
“It wasn’t the answer I expected…… but it’s nice to hear it all the same.”
“……”
“At least all the time we spent working together wasn’t meaningless, was it?”
“It has been since the moment you saved my life from Croken Asylus.”
Lennok replied calmly.
“I consider myself indebted. I don’t want to forget that fact.”
“No, that’s……”
Evelyn shook her head with a bewildered expression.
“We weren’t even really fighting. I don’t think I put you in debt.”
“You think so?”
“Asylus was already at the time……”
Evelyn, about to say something, shook her head and stood up.
“Never mind. It was uncertain information anyway. No need to say it.”
“……”
Evelyn, who had confronted Croken at the scene, had known something about him back then?
But Evelyn herself didn’t seem to want to explain that fact.
Come to think of it, since they met then, Evelyn had rarely directly mentioned the incident.
“Anyway, I understand your thoughts well. And I appreciate your consideration.”
While Lennok was lost in thought, Evelyn turned towards the office door.
“Thank you. I’ll think about it calmly after this current job is over.”
“This current job?”
“The Agents contacted me about working on something together.”
Evelyn said, shaking the phone in her hand.
“I’m going to help them one last time before deciding where to get employed. Actually, I’ve already half-decided.”
“……The Agents need your help for something that important?”
The Agents were a special agency directly under the City Council, managing the security of Vulcan’s underworld.
After Director Greta Witherhild returned, its scale had grown even larger, and even the underworld paid attention to its movements.
Regardless of Greta’s strange personality, Lennok admitted her competence to some extent.
Recently, there was news that they had fought a fierce battle with a criminal organization called Ten Counts over a fusion power plant in District 53.
For the Agents, who hadn’t asked for external assistance even in such matters, to need Evelyn’s help now…
“It’s an escort. And it’s quite simple.”
Evelyn said nonchalantly.
“It seems they contacted me because the escort target is an acquaintance of mine.”
“……An acquaintance, you say?”
“A high-ranking wizard from the Sinclair Magic Tower is preparing to return to Vulcan.”
While Lennok was speechless, Evelyn shrugged.
“They’re also bringing a large quantity of elixirs produced at the Tower. It will be a very special operation among the recent ones the Agents have participated in.”
Sunlight, more hot than warm. Birdsong echoing outside the window.
A strangely refreshing feeling, as if time had slowed down.
But instead of rushing up like someone who had overslept, Lennok buried his face in the bed.
It was past noon, late afternoon, almost midday.
“……”
Lennok reached out, fumbling for the bedside table, and grasped a water bottle.
Only after taking a few sips of lukewarm water did he let out a languid sigh.
“Hoo…”
Beep – beep –
An alarm sounded from the metallic bracelet on his wrist.
[Mana synchronization 55%. Blood circulation normalized. Metabolism recovery rate increased by 11%.]
Davi, curled up by Lennok’s head and rubbing against him, spoke.
[System All Green. If it stays like this, recovery should be smooth.]
“That’s fortunate.”
[If you recuperate like this for about 30 years, you might feel a little better!]
“……”
It was the tenth day since he returned to Vulcan after the Kundara incident.
Two days passed after returning, visiting the Magic Tower, finishing his sparring with Thorben, and handling Tower duties.
After that, Lennok spent over a week solely at home, dedicated to rest.
The poison in the elixir had been suppressed to a minimum through Dark Scale and the Life Vessel, but even that small after-effect was a fatal risk factor for Lennok.
As the Fearsome Blood King, who had treated his body, had warned, he needed time to rest and recover his condition.
He had spent most of his time moving between his bed and his laboratory, resting and checking his spellcraft.
But he couldn’t keep resting like this forever.
“Even if it were three days instead of thirty years, there wouldn’t be enough time.”
[Actually, considering Master’s health, even 30 years isn’t enough……]
“Are you going to say something unlucky?”
[Ebebebebe.]
Lennok pulled both of Davi’s cheeks, then stood up.
Staggering with dizziness the moment he rose, Lennok went to the kitchen and grabbed a remote control.
“The delivery… should have arrived by now.”
Whirr–
As he pressed the remote, the refrigerator on the wall opened, revealing fresh vegetables.
The vegetables he had ordered for 새벽 had automatically entered the kitchen refrigerator from outside the mansion.
It had been a long time since he used the automatic transport system installed in the mansion he bought for a considerable sum.
Swoosh!!!
Lennok washed and ate a stalk of celery under running water, then nodded.
“Not bad.”
[Ew……]
Davi shook his head in disgust.
[Master, you’ve been influenced by that vegetarian organism.]
“What are you talking about? I’ve eaten like this often before.”
Lennok said, taking salad dressing from the shelf and beginning to chop vegetables into it.
“In Kundara, I could only eat local food or preserved goods. I need to replenish nutrients somehow.”
[Isn’t that enough with the concentrated nutrient supplement set that Master takes regularly?]
Lennok ignored Davi’s words, sat on the living room sofa, and turned on the TV.
The latest news immediately poured out as the screen lit up.
[We bring you news that Professor Evan Vylun of Rebatenon Magic University is about to announce his fourth paper.]
[Professor Vylun, who was appointed to the Elemental Department at the youngest age, is attracting the most attention in academia for his power-to-mana conversion and anti-gravity engine development—]
[The Common Magic Learning Device is a groundbreaking item that has enabled all citizens of Vulcan to use simple magic……]
[Due to the new magic announced quarterly by the Vylun Research Institute, it hasn’t dropped from search rankings for a single day……]
Evan Vylun’s fourth paper.
But Lennok, watching the news, remained expressionless as he changed the channel.
Davi, curled up on Lennok’s lap, wagged his tail.
[Is it alright to drop hints like this already?]
“The fourth paper is also to create an alibi for Evan Vylun.”
Lennok replied.
“I’ve already decided on the theme. As long as the timing is right, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
He needed to create an alibi before heading to Torquepaz, but there was no need to force himself to act as Evan Vylun immediately. It was relatively common for researchers to disappear for years, absorbed in specific studies, so occasional updates on his whereabouts were sufficient. The remaining tasks could wait until after Pandemonium’s operation, and after Evelyn returned to Vulcan with the Sinclair Magic Tower.
If he had to move again as Evan Vylun, he hoped it would be after Aris Richellen returned to Rebatenon University.
“After leaving the Eyes of Blue, Cheonbeon has found it easier to move. I won’t have to worry about Vulcan for a while……”
Lennok organized the traces he had imprinted on the city in various ways, one by one, and thought about what was next.
The remaining schedule was fixed.
“It’s time to visit District 21. Has Hylaea’s reply arrived?”
[Master sent a message, and a reply came a few days later.]
Davi scratched his head with his tail.
[She sent an encrypted link. Should we check it now?]
“An encrypted link?”
[I confirmed it’s not a virus or ransomware, but I haven’t opened the content yet.]
“Send me the link. Let’s check it right now.”
If it was an operation plan or schedule sent in advance, it would be good to check it before heading to District 21.
Davi immediately transmitted the encrypted link onto the holographic window.
Beep.
With a strange connection sound, a site with a familiar design unfolded before his eyes.
Lennok immediately recognized the site and frowned.
“……Deepweb?”
[Oh, this.]
Davi tilted his head.
[It was one of the posts I was going to show Master before.]
“……”
A link that Davi mentioned as interesting, and that Hylaea sent instead of a reply to Lennok.
Lennok immediately scrolled down and checked the post’s title, rendering him speechless.
[Title: Rules of Engagement. Pandemonium’s Method for Dealing with Adamant Thunder. (Includes analysis of Adamant Thunder’s behavioral patterns based on the Kundara incident)] + 35017