Chapter 1148: Showdown (19)
The Backdoor Lennok encountered at the old castle outside the Royal Capital, following Kabahim’s monarch, Aronbaiger.
It was an unconventional method: opening the otherworldly Sanctuary beyond The Gate in reverse to glimpse its innermost depths.
However, the Sanctuary he faced within was different from what Lennok had expected.
Kwooooooosh!!!
A gigantic black circle spun beneath a shattered sky, black tears endlessly overflowing below it.
The black liquid, falling like tears, stained, defiled, and polluted the broken Sanctuary.
A colossal knight figure leaned back against a black throne surging from the center. Even the black sphere rotating within its armor, replacing its heart, was new.
“That is…”
He knew.
That colossal knight was the remnant of the Dead God Lennok had encountered in his consciousness when he acquired the Ice Seal.
But back then, the knight had stood steadfast on a frozen, snow-capped mountain, guarding a colossal stele.
The black halo unfurling before his eyes, and the throne-like shape plunged into its center, was a sight Lennok had never witnessed before.
For a moment, Lennok was speechless at the Sanctuary’s appearance—unexpected, yet filled with an intense sense of déjà vu.
“Mandala, the Prestige Domain.”
Aron, stepping beside him, drew upon his mana and spoke.
“A false Sanctuary symbolizing eternal circulation and untainted change. A miracle that contains a single, unchanging essence, even as it endlessly transforms.”
“……”
“It might be proof that he, who harbored a more destructive origin than any Transcendent, endeavored to create and produce something.”
His dual pupils stared, mesmerized, at the slowly rotating black halo.
“The remnants of a great failure exist there—a testament to his attempt to forge something new, even changing his own origin.”
The unmistakable awe in Aron’s low voice.
This single statement made it clear how highly he regarded the Ascendant Ban-gung.
But Lennok remained silent, unable to immediately respond to Aron, who seemed captivated by Ban-gung’s Prestige Domain.
It wasn’t that he failed to understand the meaning upon hearing the explanation of Mandala.
It was because he immediately grasped what it implied.
A single essence, unchanging amidst untainted transformations.
Was it a misconception that the power Ban-gung tried to actualize through the false Sanctuary seemed astonishingly similar to Lennok’s Kaleidoscope?
If the Ascendant who used a failed future as his Root Mindscape ultimately strove to ‘create’ something instead of destroying it…
Lennok—
“The Gate located beneath the Royal Capital is a miracle built by human hands, one of less than ten Gates remaining in the world. Therefore, the Mandala is tantamount to a power that allows one to glimpse its origin.”
Aron’s expression, as he gazed at the shattered Sanctuary, turned chilling.
“Even the death of an Outer God contained within is merely one such miracle. Therefore, I—”
Aron took a step forward, towards the Prestige Domain beyond The Gate.
“Will seize the arrangement left by the great Ascendant, and overturn even predestined fate and outcome.”
“……No,”
Lennok muttered blankly.
“That’s not an arrangement, it’s…”
Confronting the sight of the Prestige Domain and hearing Aron’s explanation, Lennok understood.
The remains of the Dead God preserved in the center of the Mandala. The black sphere, replacing its heart.
That, which rotated like a black hole, sucking in all gaze, light, and will, was the core component of Mandala, the Prestige Domain.
It was Ban-gung’s will itself, left behind to fully preserve the Dead God’s remains in this world.
A failed work by a Manipulation Spellcaster who, despite different forms, abilities, and directions, ultimately pursued the same thing as Lennok.
Even without explanation, he understood.
That was the essence of Manipulation Spellcraft left by Ban-gung. A ‘Domain’ left in reality by a Transcendent who reached the pinnacle of Trait-type Spellcraft, bending his own spellcraft to do so.
Proof of his attempt to achieve with his Manipulation Spellcraft what Lennok sought to achieve with his Kaleidoscope.
If Lennok could acquire the Mandala and understand its construction principles, he might be able to use its Prestige Domain and Manipulation Spellcraft.
More a vague intuition than a certainty. More an ambiguous hunch than a belief. But—
Kugugugugu…!!!
As Lennok looked at it, ‘it’ looked back at Lennok.
Looking beyond The Gate meant The Gate looked back at Lennok.
He knew.
Just like when he drank the Elixir of Ascension in Kundara and acquired the Branching Point of Corruption.
Just like when he opened The Gate to send Seonjong’s soul to the failed future, it was close.
If he turned around, it had always been watching Lennok, within arm’s reach.
As if, if he reached out, it would come right to Lennok and be grasped—
Woowoong!!!!
The moment Lennok unconsciously reached out, the darkness at the center of the Mandala began to stir and resonate with tremors.
The sphere, rotating as if replacing the Dead God’s heart, explosively expanded its inner darkness, engulfing the Domain.
The expansion of darkness, starting from the center of the Mandala, surged back fiercely, threatening to overflow beyond The Gate.
Kwaaaagagagaga!!!
“……!!”
A colossal wave of darkness explosively overflowing from beyond The Gate.
The Mandala’s Prestige Domain seemed to be unnaturally surging back through The Gate to ‘return’ to Lennok.
As Lennok’s face hardened at the intense flood of darkness, and the watching knights clutched their swords in surprise.
Aron calmly grabbed the violently shaking Gate with one hand.
Kwaaaang!!!!
The moment he gripped the spatial rift of The Gate with his bare hand, a powerful shockwave erupted, shaking the old castle’s lobby.
The recoil fiercely struck Aron’s entire body, instantly scratching and flinging him backward.
The impact made the old castle’s ancient walls and floor rumble, roaring as if they would collapse at any moment.
“Your Majesty!!”
“It’s dangerous, please—!!”
“No. Everyone, stand back.”
The knights, drawing upon their mana, immediately stepped forward, but Aron calmly raised a hand to stop them.
“I will handle this myself.”
Kwaajik!!
As he applied force, the shape of The Gate in Aron’s hand warped as if it would shatter.
But Aron ignored it, gripping the fiercely flickering Gate and pressing it downwards.
The moment mana explosively flowed from Aron’s entire body, engulfing the surroundings and suppressing space.
The spatial rift of The Gate forcibly closed before Lennok’s eyes, and a violent explosion erupted.
Kwaaaagagagaga!!!!
“Kugh…!!”
An intense flash of light, strong enough to bleach his vision white.
The recoil swept through the lobby, forcing even the anxious knights to draw on their mana and brace themselves.
As the explosion erupted from the center of the old castle, onlookers ducked or dug their weapons into the ground, holding their positions.
Debris crashed down from the collapsed old castle ceiling, and the inner walls of the corridor swayed, collapsing like dominoes.
“This is as far as we go.”
But Aron stood calmly in the eye of the storm, his face expressionless, staring at the spot where The Gate had been.
Massaging his neck with one hand, Aron nonchalantly turned to look at the knights who had been flung back from all directions, and spoke.
“Using the unconventional method to open the Backdoor and glimpse the Sanctuary without waking the Dead God was successful, but entering it is not yet possible.”
“……”
“Perhaps we must continue to repeat trials and errors like this to find out what the problem is.”
“An exceedingly aggressive mana manipulation, indeed.”
Lennok finally realized what Aron had done and muttered, dumbfounded.
“Did he forcibly crush and close The Gate’s rift? Just how much innate mana capacity does he possess…?”
What Aron had just demonstrated was the art of overlaying will onto mana, converting it into actual physical force.
Through it, Aron had grasped the rampant space of the Backdoor and forcibly crushed it, stabilizing it by sheer force.
How much mana would it take to perform such a feat, imbuing mana with Will-thought without using spellcraft or a Mind Imprint?
“Well, it may not be as irrational as you think.”
But Aron merely turned with a subtle smile, even after hearing Lennok’s words.
“All the power and fuel of the nation are nothing less than the royal family’s property. As the monarch of Kabahim, I am simply enjoying what I am rightfully entitled to.”
“……What?”
The moment he heard that, Lennok understood the meaning of Aron’s words and his face hardened.
Aron’s destructive mana manipulation, impressively felt even from outside the old castle. The faint afterimage of a strange impurity mixed within it.
Through Aron’s explanation, he could immediately grasp what he was implying.
‘No way, he’s not purely using his own mana or Will-thought. Is he drawing power from all of Kabahim?’
If Aron, as the monarch of Kabahim, was drawing upon the nation’s mana and fuel, his limits would far exceed what would be permitted to a single superhuman.
An 8-level superhuman, moreover, one with the Talent for Duality. If his mana capacity was limitless, then Aron’s power within the kingdom would effectively be on par with a Demigod.
Kugugugugu!!!
Aron’s mana density was so strong that the air felt heavy, making it difficult to breathe just standing next to him.
It was clear he was drawing an immense amount of mana and Will-thought, yet Aron’s inner depths seemed bottomless.
But Aron casually shook his head, even with the endless storm of mana and Will-thought flowing from his body.
“I thought drawing on the Royal Capital’s fuel would be enough, but it’s consuming far more mana than I expected. If we keep repeating trials and errors like this, we’ll certainly run out of mana.”
Clink!!
As Aron spoke and snapped his fingers, the waiting knights began to move.
The knights guarding all sides changed positions, adjusting their formation to surround the entire old castle.
Dozens of knights stood on either side of Aron, stopping their steps as if clearing a path.
Aron, who had turned away without a trace of regret, nodded, looking at Lennok.
“I’ll adjust the output and return to draw more mana. You should also get some rest.”
“A contingency plan was already prepared in case the main plan failed.”
Lennok asked, watching the busy knights.
“Did you not expect it to succeed from the very beginning?”
“Merely glimpsing the Sanctuary on the first attempt is nothing short of a miracle.”
Aron spoke slowly, looking at Lennok.
“Even if I guided you, I had already anticipated the possibility of you not perceiving the Backdoor or struggling to control it.”
“……”
“But instead of struggling, you immediately grasped the concept and even accessed the Mandala… The bloodline of Ban-gung truly produces monstrous talents.”
Aron, having ascended the stairs, looked down at Lennok with gentle eyes.
“Indeed, choosing you for this task was by no means a wrong decision. I ask that you continue to perform well, as you have.”
Even after explaining the plan to Lennok, Aron himself hadn’t assumed it would succeed on the first try.
Rather, merely glimpsing the Sanctuary on the first attempt seemed a satisfactory outcome for Aron.
“Oh, great bloodline.”
As Aron disappeared up the stairs to the upper levels of the old castle, the knights who approached Lennok spoke carefully.
“We have cleaned a room within the old castle that was not destroyed. Please rest there for the day.”
“……”
“While you rest, the 6th Knight Division will attend to you.”
The knight, having removed his helmet, respectfully bowed to Lennok.
Was it because they had witnessed what Lennok was preparing inside the old castle with Aron?
The knights guiding Lennok to a room within the old castle were exceedingly courteous.
Click!!
A dark room with old carpets. A bed and a simple meal laid out on a table within.
But as soon as Lennok entered the room, he felt his sensitivity react and let out a chuckle.
‘Davi.’
[As expected, they’re watching, right?]
From a distance too far for his five senses to perceive, someone was detecting Lennok’s presence.
It wasn’t mixed with malice, but neither was it the kind of gaze that sought to protect or escort Lennok.
Thinking that far, Lennok took something from his pocket and dropped it onto the bed.
Thump!!
It was Chebien’s puppet, with the physique of an adult male. A substitute he had received before starting the operation.
He pushed the puppet onto the bed, adorned its face with magic, and imbued it with mana.
Anyone detecting Lennok’s presence from outside would likely find nothing amiss.
Lennok took Davi from his pocket, laid her on the bed, and whispered quietly.
‘If they call from outside, respond. You can do that, right?’
[We’ve done it before. No problem.]
To be precise, that was why he was worried, but Lennok showed no sign of it and stood up.
The moment he brought a hand to his face, watching the fox spirit lying sprawled on the bed, waving her front paws.
Hwoosh!!
The Camouflage Magic covering his entire body was dispelled, revealing an obsidian mask and a shadow robe.
Lennok’s presence completely vanished within the thick robe, and his mana itself became infinitely chilling.
‘About half my mana remains. There should be almost no problem using Manipulation Spellcraft.’
He pulled the black robe deeper, adjusted his mask, and quickly checked his condition.
Drawing out Mana Thread and wrapping it around his wrist, checking the Sockets at his waist, Lennok’s expression remained coldly solemn.
‘This is a suitable time to investigate the secret Aron is hiding.’
Despite successfully opening The Gate and glimpsing the Dead God’s remains, Aron was neither surprised nor angered by his inability to enter the Sanctuary.
As if Lennok’s entry into the Sanctuary was destined to fail.
As if it was ‘predetermined’ that he couldn’t enter the Sanctuary right now.
Lennok hadn’t missed that subtle, yet unignorable, sense of incongruity.
‘Something more is needed to enter the Sanctuary. Aron knows it but is hiding it from me.’
As The Clown mentioned, it was clear that Aron was hiding something and pushing this plan forward.
Therefore, Lennok needed to find out what Aron was hiding about The Gate here.
Lennok thought so, quickly organizing the situation.
‘At this point, there are three objectives.’
First. To investigate The Gate to understand its principles and find a way to control Lennok’s rampant lightning magic.
Second. To confirm whether Ban-gung’s Prestige Domain, Mandala, existing beyond The Gate, can be recovered.
Third. To succeed in Pandemonium’s Gate infiltration operation and steal the Dead God’s remains.
‘The patrol change for the knights inside the old castle is roughly every 25 minutes.’
Thud!!
He braced his foot inside the narrow window frame, injected stimulants and painkillers, and stretched his body.
‘My goal is to explore the old castle and find the secret Aron is hiding within that time.’
Ever since the Apostle of the Guido Cult intervened from Torquepaz, he had been prepared for things not to go smoothly.
Ultimately, there were facts Lennok could only discover by investigating and unearthing them himself.
Flash!!
As he leaned forward, he used Flicker to leap through space.
He hooked a Mana Thread to the castle wall and rotated his body to spring off, accelerating along the shadows inside the castle’s keep.
Lennok, having instantly scaled the wall, turned his gaze towards a knight standing guard in the pouring rain.
Swish!!
Before the knight, sensing a presence, could turn his head, Lennok used Flicker.
He perfectly bypassed the keen spiritual sense of the physical superhuman and headed towards a spire near the outer perimeter of the castle.
Swaaaaaah!!!
Hooking a Mana Thread to the sharp ornament at the spire’s tip, he leaned against it and looked down at the desolate scenery of the old castle in the darkness.
Rainwater streamed down his robe, obstructing his view, but Lennok didn’t care, drawing forth his golden eyes.
Click.
The Eye of the Wellspring, an artifact Lapis had given him as a gift when he withdrew from the Eyes of Blue.
The moment he held up the artifact, which functioned as the thirteenth Lighthouse by its very existence, and slowly raised it.
The Eye of the Wellspring spun in Lennok’s hand, turning towards the wide courtyard inside the old castle.
“……”
The muddy courtyard showed nothing but discarded trash and rotting wood debris. If so, the eye was pointing not to the visible ground, but to what lay beneath.
The underground of the old castle, whose existence Aron had never once mentioned to Lennok.
Flash!!
Lennok’s form, hanging from the spire, vanished as if erased in mid-air.
Lennok, having teleported inside the castle, hung upside down from the ceiling, flying along a Mana Thread.
Activating his mana sense, he confirmed the presence of stairs leading underground and changed direction.
Kagak…!!
Each time he repeatedly used Flicker, a faint ripping sound erupted in the air, leaping through space.
He timed his spellcraft to strike at the exquisite moment when he wouldn’t be caught by the spiritual senses of the knights patrolling inside the castle.
Immediately after, he completely erased his presence and suppressed the lingering mana, leaving no trace.
Penetrating the increasingly stringent security as he moved deeper into the old castle, and reaching the underground staircase without even touching a step.
Kwoooung!!!
Lennok stopped dead, facing rusted iron bars blocking and sealing off the path in all directions.
“……”
A corridor, heavily rusted and drenched with damp humidity, like a colossal sewer.
Iron bars were densely packed into every passage, blocking the way.
‘A prison?’
It felt less like an old castle or a fortress, and more like a gloomy, ominous prison for confining criminals.
Inside the bars, there were scattered bone fragments, presumed to be human, and rotting flesh.
Leaving behind the weeping sounds echoing from the darkened corridor, Lennok moved forward.
“……This is.”
Beyond the iron bars interspersed along the corridor, there were still living humans.
People covered in blood, like they had been whipped all over, collapsed and seeping waste.
Only then did Lennok realize with certainty that the old castle was being used as a prison for captives.
Was it because such a prison was hidden in the underground facility that no human presence was felt outside the old castle?
“Uuuggghhh….”
“Aaaargh…!!”
“It hurts, it hurts…!!”
The prisoners screamed, unaware of Lennok’s presence. The stench of blood and foul odors stung his nose.
The moment Lennok quietly suppressed his mana and tried to go deeper into the darkness of the corridor.
“……Mask.”
A faint voice, as if about to break, echoed from the adjacent cell.
“Pandemonium’s… thief…”
A hoarse voice, as if his vocal cords were parched. But it was a familiar, irritating tone he had heard before.
A man with disheveled hair, wearing a blood-soaked shirt and trousers, sprawled out.
“Why are you… here?”
“……You are.”
Only then did Lennok remember the voice and face, turning his gaze.
The person who could call Victor, hidden by an obsidian mask and wearing a robe, a ‘thief’.
The owner of the giant’s fortress he had visited to steal the Guide’s Ring before departing for Yorta, the Military Spirit City.
A Watcher of the Eyes of Blue and a survivor of the Titan Legion.
An 8-level physical superhuman, and also the younger brother of Kabahim’s current king—
Gillian, the Grand Duke of Kabahim, was staring at Lennok, covered in blood, from inside the prison.
“Gillian?”
“Ah, I see… The fact that you’re here underground means…”
Gillian coughed weakly and chuckled grimly.
“You’re one of the fools who came here because of my brother, Aron.”
“……”
“Well, that’s good… Don’t just stand there staring, come closer and undo these.”
Kwoooung!!!
The chain binding his right arm, as colossal as Gillian himself, clattered heavily as it fell.
Gillian gestured towards the chain with his chin, shrugging weakly, and looked at Lennok, saying.
“If you help me escape, in return, I’ll show you what Aron has hidden in this basement… What do you say?”