Chapter 1179: Awakening (10)

=Despite the accuracy of the information stated in the power ranking, there are many questions regarding the method and criteria for selecting the ranks.

=The Strategy Office judges these results to be intentional on the part of the ranking’s author. It is presumed that the purpose is to deliberately create controversy and heighten interest.

=The ranking’s author is presumed to be an individual knowledgeable in recording media, and appears to have intentionally published the power ranking in Vulcan with a specific agenda.

=Following the Eastern Continent Power Ranking, which became a hot topic in Vulcan, similar results are emerging in other continents…

“…”

The power ranking risk assessment report, apparently created by the Cartel’s Strategic Planning Office.

The analysis concluded that the ranking’s author deliberately made the selection criteria ambiguous with a specific purpose.

This conclusion concretely articulated the sense of incongruity Lennok had felt while looking at the power ranking.

However, the words didn’t quite register in Lennok’s mind as he read the report.

Lennok flipped through the remaining pages, silently put away his phone, and raised his gaze.

[…]

Grooooowl!

A black giant, with massive chains wrapped around its forearms, floated silently in the air, watching Lennok.

The existence of a summoned beast with a menacing, demonic appearance, exuding a chilling presence.

The Demon Giant, which the Nether King always commanded as his signature spell.

Lennok opened his mouth, looking at the giant standing amidst the swirling darkness.

“Since you were Myeong’s summoned beast, you must know what happened.”

[…]

The Demon Giant nodded silently.

“From now on, I will recover and control your custody. You probably won’t return to Myeong.”

[…]

“In the future, I plan to recover Myeong’s remaining spellcraft and abilities one by one. I would appreciate your help in that process.”

Thump!

The presence of the Demon Giant, which bent its muscular arm and bowed its head, seemed to sink gloomily.

The giant’s emotions, though it had no discernible expression, faintly conveyed themselves.

Evidence that the link connected to Myeong was gradually transferring to Lennok.

“I knew what I had to do.”

Lennok, feeling this, quietly raised his gaze.

“No, maybe from the beginning, I…”

The clash between the Nether King and Jinwa that unfolded in Paradise Lost.

The great war of Transcendants that dyed the entire Central Front in an unending night.

But perhaps, the outcome was known even before it began.

Perhaps the reason he didn’t want to hear the result of the fight was that he knew who would win.

Myeong, though a black wizard more transcendent than anyone Lennok knew, was slowly breaking down, swayed by his own power.

Compared to Jinwa, who had existed as an Ascendant for a long time, Myeong was bound to be somewhat lacking.

Perhaps he couldn’t measure up to the Transcendant worshipped in Ars Nova under the esteemed name of the Great General of Word and Reason.

From the moment Myeong changed the direction of his Gabihaeng at the First Gate, Lennok had vaguely thought this.

“…”

It was unlikely Myeong didn’t know what Lennok knew.

The moment he veered the Gabihaeng towards Jinwa’s Paradise Lost. He might have already been contemplating his end.

The reason Lennok couldn’t stop him, even knowing this, was because he understood that Myeong intended to end the Gabihaeng in this way.

He understood that the Nether King sought to conclude the deaths he had collected across the continent like this.

Whoosh!

A dry wind grazed his cheek and passed by.

Lennok, with an expressionless face, recalled the moment he had once faced Myeong on this street.

The memory of that day when Myeong had noticed him even before Lennok had completed his hierarchy, recommending him to join Pandemonium.

“I…”

Myeong was not a good person.

He was a Transcendant who had trampled and destroyed countless civilizations and cities for his own goals.

An arrogant wizard who didn’t even care about opponents he deemed unworthy, and one who felt no compunction about it.

But, even so.

Lennok was not so cold as to feel nothing after hearing the outcome of the battle.

In the days when Lennok knew nothing, when he had learned nothing.

Myeong was the one who remembered Lennok from then, wishing for Lennok to become ‘something’ more.

“…Yes.”

After gazing down at the street for a long time, Lennok gripped the railing and stood up.

Why Myeong had to collect so many deaths through the Gabihaeng.

Why he changed the direction of the Gabihaeng and sought to stop his journey in Paradise Lost.

What was his wish, which he pursued even as he broke down and went mad?

Lennok had asked nothing even as Myeong dyed the entire continent’s sky in night.

But from now on, he could belatedly learn what Myeong tried to do, and what he wished for.

Like the Demon Giant standing before him, as he recovered the things Myeong left behind one by one, he would someday understand.

Myeong must have set the destination of the Gabihaeng believing that Lennok would be able to do so.

That single fact was enough.

“It’s time.”

Quite some time had passed since returning to Vulcan after finishing the work in Kabahim.

Everything continued to change even as Lennok remained busy with preparations.

The Legion Parade was now close enough to be felt.

There were still things he needed to prepare before leaving Vulcan.

Clang!

As Lennok pulled the Demon Giant’s chain, a muscular arm unfolded, shielding him.

The area around the rooftop was dyed black, following the giant’s shadowy, blackened form.

And the moment the darkness disappeared again, Lennok was nowhere to be found.

“Chairman.”

Virgil said, looking at the swaying shadow beyond the transparent veil.

“I have information obtained through Adamant Thunder that I need to tell you.”

[So, the battle on the Central Front seems to have concluded.]

“…”

Olivera laughed, leaving Virgil in silence.

[Indeed, did that black wizard achieve the end he desired?]

“The specific results have not yet been conveyed… but at least it seems certain that the battle ended in the Nether King’s defeat.”

Virgil gave a wry smile and raised his gaze.

“I’ve felt this before, but it seems there’s a cybernetic ability user of unimaginable skill by Adamant Thunder’s side.”

[…]

“They effortlessly obtain information that Cartel hackers and even Mirror Diver’s divers couldn’t grasp. Of course, we still need to verify the authenticity of the information Adamant Thunder provided, but—”

[No, leave it.]

Olivera sneered.

[He was acquainted with the Nether King. If he conveyed the information directly at this point, it’s undoubtedly true. It would only be a waste of time.]

“…Understood.”

Virgil wasn’t unaware of why Lennok informed the Cartel of Myeong’s defeat.

While it was partly a repayment for the courtesy of showing the risk assessment report and suggesting they look at the ranking,

It was also likely an instruction to find ways to profit by hearing the results of the Transcendants’ great war that had overturned the entire Central Front.

If they had such dangerous and crucial information even a few days earlier, there were endless ways to utilize it.

[It’s always been this way, but whenever you deal with Adamant Thunder, you tend to handle every task with more thoroughness than necessary.]

Olivera’s Mystic Eye glow coldly through the veil, fixing on Virgil.

[That’s because you yourself hold Adamant Thunder in high regard, but there’s no need to be so perfect against him. He’s not the type to demand the same standards from others.]

“I apologize for causing you concern.”

[The one who used to impose his own standards on others… indeed, it was more that black wizard than Adamant Thunder.]

Olivera turned her gaze away from Virgil, who was deeply bowed.

[As the last head of the Black Edict, his arrogance, which sought to bring even the deaths of others under his own standard, was his true nature. Perhaps he had already determined where to stop the Gabihaeng from the moment he began it.]

“…”

[I don’t wish to pity that foolishness, but being able to choose one’s own end is nothing short of a blessing in this world.]

Olivera murmured.

[I only hope that such an opportunity will come to me someday.]

“Chairman.”

Virgil knelt.

“Please, don’t say such things…”

[Indeed. I spoke needlessly.]

Olivera stood up from beyond the veil and let out a small laugh.

[If it’s time, let’s move. I’ve been recovering my health outside for this very day.]

“…”

The transparent veil swayed, and Olivera emerged, cloaked in a splendid robe.

Her presence, with her face obscured, was honed to an extreme sharpness.

[Let us go meet the city’s mayor in person.]

[Particle fission experiment in Research Lab 6 failed. Barrier Spellcraft activated.]

[Confirmation of uncontrollable toxic variables in Experiment Lab 13. Passage sealed, isolated, then purged.]

[Simulation running in Calculation Room 10 collapsed. Server room overload, 30 seconds until shutdown!]

KWA-ANG!

Woo-woo-woong…!

Jjeo-jeo-jeok!

Davi’s clear voice echoed from all sides of the laboratory, which was made of white corridors and ceilings.

At the same time, grotesque ruptures, vibrations, strange odors, and roars exploded from various parts of the lab.

Multicolor light flashed from dozens of monitors, and a shimmering haze, twisting space, was captured by the cameras.

Lennok moved busily amidst it, making decisions and taking actions according to Davi’s reports.

“The Barrier Spellcraft installed in the lab has been reinforced. Activating backup power source to begin barrier repair.”

“Activating the pre-prepared air purification system. If the filters in other labs get contaminated, replace them immediately.”

“Another variable popped up in the simulation calculations. Let’s try again, reducing the power control range to 45%.”

Davi was a Cybernetic Spirit capable of immense efficiency in most tasks, but in magic and spellcraft research, Lennok’s judgment had to take precedence.

Although she autonomously handled the necessary intermediate processes, the final decision always followed Lennok’s will.

Thus, when conducting multiple research projects simultaneously, Lennok too was inevitably frantic.

Thud!

Lennok, holding a half-empty coffee cup and leaning against the wall, raised his gaze with a haggard expression.

“Even after minimizing manual processes, there’s still too much to do. It takes so long to define research directions.”

For Lennok, research into magic and spellcraft was not a one-off event, but a lifelong routine.

Even after researching and understanding how to use Mandara, he had continued his research diligently while handling the tower’s affairs.

Yet, the more he researched, the more themes and problems requiring further study kept increasing.

“It’s a relief that we’ve achieved significant results in existing research… otherwise, the work might have multiplied several times over.”

Perhaps due to his consistent research, progress began to show in the areas of mass spellcraft and the Five Apex Laws.

Efforts to apply them in more diverse fields, beyond just the level Lennok used in practice.

However, the problem wasn’t the existing research that had started to yield results, but the spellcraft and artifacts obtained from Kabahim.

The new abilities of the cerulean gauntlet, imbued with the soul of a dead Outer God and a cold comet.

The World’s Ten Laws, a Transcendent Unique Magic contained within the Prestige Domain, Mandara.

Even the core of the bio-battleship ‘Megiddo’, received from the Director in the Demonic Realm.

Each was an extraterrestrial treasure, difficult to handle, making even research seem daunting.

Especially the World’s Ten Laws, which Lennok still couldn’t understand, forcing him to halt its interpretation.

“I know it’s a power completely different from existing spellcraft, but aside from taking an external form, virtually nothing is understood. Perhaps it’s better to use it in practice and get a feel for it…”

What Lennok understood after grasping the World’s Ten Laws was that it was a spellcraft that existed and operated on its own, without needing the caster to master it.

He still hadn’t properly grasped its abilities or concepts beyond that.

He also didn’t know how Ban-gung, an Ascendant of the Third World, possessed the World’s Ten Laws, an Old World spellcraft.

“I’ve somewhat confirmed Mandara’s abilities, so I can set a direction… but it’s a difficult problem.”

Beep.

Lost in thought, a message popped up on his phone screen.

A somewhat familiar name, sent through the secret channel set up for his Victor identity.

[So-ryu: Victor. The data investigation you requested earlier regarding the Gate to Heaven (入天門) is complete.]

“…”

Information Lennok had requested from So-ryu in exchange for Aron’s treasured sword after the operation ended and they disbanded.

It seemed So-ryu had succeeded in obtaining information about the Gate to Heaven, an artifact shield stored in the royal treasury.

[I found relevant documents among the ancient texts circulating on the Central Front. Its peculiar name made it easy to find.]

[According to the records in the ancient texts and literature I secured, Gate to Heaven was a term used in ancient ascension rituals.]

[It was a word referring to the state of standing before the gate of ascension, or the moment one reaches such a realm… but I don’t know why such a name was attached to a shield.]

[Although it was a shield from the royal treasury, I don’t think my father would have preferred such an old-fashioned naming.]

[I will continue to search for related documents whenever I have time. The artifact you lent me is quite useful, so working on the Central Front shouldn’t be difficult.]

“…How fast. Has she already entered the Central Front?”

Not only had she entered the Central Front immediately after the conquest operation, but was she also wielding bloodline abilities using the artifact Lennok lent her?

Considering So-ryu’s ungenerous nature with praise, it was certain that the artifact was helping her more than expected.

He felt like he would have to collect twice the debt he had incurred from So-ryu later.

“Gate to Heaven was a term used in ancient ascension rituals…”

[Should I search for related documents separately?]

“I don’t know how many documents on ascension rituals are left. It might be better to ask Jutiya and borrow her search device.”

Even Ars Nova’s Archive couldn’t contain all the data and knowledge of the world.

All databases existing on the continent were meticulously categorized according to their environment, specificity, and purpose.

If information about the Gate to Heaven was a keyword only obtainable on the Central Front, Lennok would also have to seek information there, following So-ryu.

“For now, let’s focus on experiments to test the shield’s durability and manipulation capabilities, rather than the origin of the Gate to Heaven. This part is relatively simpler.”

[Didn’t we just happen to have a perfectly good electric shocker in the lab?]

Bzzzzzzzzzzzt…!

At Davi’s words, the Incarnation Body, isolated in the deepest experimental chamber of the lab, turned its gaze.

The special insulation surrounding the lab burned away and vanished, quickly replacing the outer wall.

Lennok murmured, watching the Incarnation Body, its entire form dyed in dark blue lightning, flickering irregularly.

“I can temporarily suppress it using Mandara’s power, but the Incarnation Body’s rampage hasn’t ended…”

Buuuaaaang!

Lennok tilted his head, watching the Incarnation Body pour its lightning power towards the Gate to Heaven shield, which had been placed inside the experimental chamber.

“Its power has weakened compared to before, but that’s because I haven’t used magic through the Incarnation Body. Fundamentally, the problem hasn’t been solved.”

[Even if the concept of the Incarnation Body is infinitely close to Master, it ultimately can’t be Master.]

Davi said, wagging her tail.

[Even if it’s fine when Master handles it directly, wouldn’t it be natural for the Incarnation Body to be swept into a rampage if lightning magic is used through it?]

“Perhaps. But…”

Jjeo-jeo-jeok!

Lennok narrowed his eyes, looking at the Incarnation Body, engulfed in dark blue lightning.

“Somehow, it doesn’t feel like the Incarnation Body is completely consumed by lightning magic.”

[Huh?]

“It tries to destroy anything it sees, without self-awareness, but there’s a consistency in its actions.”

The shield swayed violently, engulfed by the lightning pouring from the Incarnation Body.

Lennok gazed at it thoughtfully and murmured.

“Consistency means there’s a purpose. Is there a direction in the Incarnation Body or the lightning magic that I didn’t intend?”

[…]

“I don’t know. But if I play this right, I might be able to use this phenomenon to my advantage…”

Ding-dong.

At that moment, the sound of a doorbell through the speaker made Lennok stop speaking.

Davi immediately pulled up the intercom screen and projected it into the air.

The main entrance to the research lab, located right next to Lennok’s private residence.

Aris stood there, looking subtly nervous.

“…”

[Wait.]

Davi, perched on his head, stared intently at Lennok’s face.

[No way, Master invited that organic being into my nest?]

“Since when did my lab get such a strange name?”

Bickering with Davi on his head, he quickly tidied up the lab.

Wielding Common Magic everywhere to straighten up and erase traces, Lennok immediately left the lab.

Aris, who had spotted Lennok walking along the road laid out for vehicles, bowed her head.

“Lennok.”

“Professor. Good to see you.”

“So, this is… Lennok’s private research lab that you used while I was away.”

Aris muttered, awkwardly fiddling with the envelope in her hand.

“It’s… much bigger than I expected. If I had known, I would have brought a better housewarming gift.”

“You don’t need to worry about it. In fact, I’m already thinking of moving, rather than a housewarming…”

“There are always formalities, aren’t there? So, can I hear what I need to help with now?”

Aris said with a cheerful expression, walking inside the main entrance of the lab, guided by Lennok.

“I’ll do my best no matter what, but I’d like to start after I’ve had a look around the lab, if possible. You can show me, right?”

“There’s nothing particularly spectacular to show. Rather, we’re in the position of having to create things from now on.”

“Having to create things from now on?”

After taking office at Rebatenon University with Aris’s help, he had worked tirelessly to live up to expectations.

To ensure that the “sunlit” identity he gained through her goodwill wouldn’t fade or lose its meaning.

He continued to strive, both before Aris left and after she returned.

One of the most meaningful things Lennok had ever accomplished in this world.

“My fourth thesis to be published under the name of Evan Vylun.”

“…What?”

Lennok, opening the lab door, turned to Aris, who had stopped walking.

“I requested your help because I thought I would need the Professor’s assistance this time.”

The last task to complete before the Legion Parade began.

Lennok intended to leave after finishing preparations for his fourth thesis.