Chapter 1231: Adamant Thunder Annihilation Campaign (22)
“Tatiana.”
KWWOOMMM!!!!
A vast cavern, filled with scattering flames.
Within the storm of heat, two flame wizards, wielding different fires, stood still.
Tatiana, with burning red hair, her pale face holding a lit cigar.
And the elder flame wizard, with streaks of white in his hair, standing expressionless with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Elder Torm.”
“So you’re alive.”
At the man’s words, Tatiana, who had been standing before the gate, gave a wry smile.
“You must have known I wasn’t dead.”
“I had my suspicions when the Phoenix Hall was completely lost in the Solar System. But I didn’t expect you to betray Blaiver and side with Adamant Thunder.”
“……”
“Your comrades, who were sacrificed by the Tower Lord’s command… Did their deaths pain you so much?”
“What meaning do such words hold now?”
Tatiana closed her eyes.
“Even before losing my disciples, leaving the Magic Tower was predetermined. I wanted to escape a life where I was led by my master, exploited in wars, and died…”
Tatiana Chiglet’s life, spent on battlefields since she learned flame magic.
The final bargain she made with the Tower Lord to leave the Blaiver Magic Tower with her fellow wizards.
After losing her disciples in an impossible final operation and surviving alone, what was it that she truly desired?
Neither revenge, nor peace, nor regret, nor lingering attachments—everything was now for herself, not for the comrades who had already departed.
“Adamant Thunder granted peace to the disciples who died in my stead. Though I, who survived so wretchedly, may no longer deserve to dream…”
WHOOSH!!
Tatiana, standing with scattering flames at her back, slowly gathered her magic.
“Watching his pursuit of enlightenment and following his path… it holds its own meaning.”
“……”
“For his sake, even if I throw myself into the flames of the battlefield once more… I don’t think I’ll have any regrets.”
“The Blaiver Magic Tower lost its Tower Lord to Adamant Thunder and suffered immense damage on the Central Front.”
Torm said in a stern voice.
“It cannot be denied that the injuries he inflicted upon the Tower Lord had a profound impact. As a wizard of the Tower, I cannot idly stand by and watch this outcome.”
WOOOOSH!!!!
As Torm took a step forward, his body became engulfed in flames, turning crimson.
He was one of the ‘Elders’ within the Blaiver Magic Tower, possessing strength comparable to the Tower Lord.
Unlike the Flame Pillars who were directly involved in frontline operations, he rarely left the Tower, yet his mastery of flame magic was that of a mighty Transcendent.
“Tatiana. The fate you and your disciples met is regrettable… yet even that is merely a handful of scattering sparks.”
Torm, half his face transformed into flames, declared with a grim expression.
“Sparks that have spread to the wrong place must be smothered with ash before they grow too large.”
“Sparks… So that’s it.”
Tatiana closed her eyes and slowly extended her hand forward.
Contrary to Torm, flames with a distinct form surged up, engulfing Tatiana.
A streamlined barrel equipped with intensely red exhaust ports and combustion devices.
WOOSHWOOSHWOOSH!!!!
As a Golden Halo unfurled behind Tatiana, she gripped her new Spell-armament.
Within the storm of burning flames, a volcano erupted, beginning to incinerate everything.
“Now, I too feel I can burn away, without regret, what I left behind in Blaiver.”
At the same time. The labyrinth’s complex, diverging paths.
A muscular giant, having shattered the sturdy corridor walls, accelerated, enveloped in explosive mana.
KWAAAAA!!!
Erupting mana like rocket propulsion, he flew low, skimming the floor.
A free trajectory and speed, seemingly unconstrained by the gravity that pressed down throughout the labyrinth.
CRUNCH!!
He raised the heavy gauntlets on both arms to steady himself, then rapidly spun his body in place.
Grabbing Dylan, who rushed him from behind, by the collar, he spotted Dylan’s short spear falling from above.
Clapping his hands together as if praying, he caught the spear’s blade in mid-air and pushed it away, altering its trajectory.
KWAAANG!!!
“Agh!!”
“Your timing’s off. Your timing.”
Atiya, the muscular woman who had effortlessly flung Dylan away with one hand, spoke. She was the 6th Legion Commander.
Atiya looked at the mercenary, who was getting back into position with a bored expression, and pointed at her forearm.
“You can’t just burst out mana. You have to gather it at the precise moment, then boom, blast it out.”
“……”
“I know you want to steal my mana burst, but give up. This isn’t a trick just anyone can learn without a special constitution.”
“You. I don’t think you have time to be so relaxed.”
CLICK!!
Dylan, who had picked up his short spear and sword in both hands, adjusted his mask and spoke.
“Right now, your soldiers are probably dying somewhere in this labyrinth. Are you really okay with that?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. They’re not my subordinates anyway.”
“What?”
Atiya shrugged, leaving Dylan to retort with a bewildered expression.
“My 6th Legion completed a major operation in the Southern Continent, so we’re not participating in this Subjugation Operation. It’s just me here.”
“……”
“I’m not really interested in killing Adamant Thunder anymore. I’m not even sure if this war is necessary for the Legion.”
Atiya, calmly crossing her arms, still clad in her gauntlets, said.
“So, all I have to do is stay here until the Subjugation Operation ends, then slip away. Isn’t that simple?”
“……Why are you a Legion Commander?”
“We are loyal to the Legion, but we don’t obey blindly.”
Atiya’s eyes deepened slightly.
“The Sacred Kin from Vulcan who lead the Legion, with the Marshal at the forefront… they are respectable people. Even more so in that they still dream, despite possessing such power.”
“……”
“But I’m not from Vulcan, nor am I involved with the Project. I only joined the Legion because I lost in a struggle against them.”
Atiya shrugged and said.
“Regardless of that, I think the Marshal is someone worth dedicating loyalty to, but I don’t particularly want to participate in this war.”
“……”
“Well, even saying all this, the chances of me surviving alone here are low. Once I’ve joined, I figure it’s fine even if I die.”
“……That is.”
“I plan to just kill time, rescue any survivors, and escape as much as possible. So, stop chattering and attack.”
Atiya grinned, looking at Dylan.
“You have good instincts. If you do well, you might even be able to steal my technique. I’ll give you advice from the side, so try your best. It’ll be just enough to pass the time.”
“You… you’re more interesting than I thought.”
Dylan, adjusting his wrestler mask, chuckled.
“It might be a bit of a waste for you to die in a place like this.”
“What, you can talk as if I’m already dead?”
“It’s not my place to decide your life or death.”
Dylan said, his tone slightly heavier.
“Van will decide that himself. Perhaps it was already decided from the beginning.”
“……”
“Of course, I’ll always follow Van’s decision… but it’s a pity.”
“If there’s not much time left, I should hurry. Come on. Kid.”
Atiya laughed fiercely, gathering her magic.
“You seem to have just reached Level 7. If you don’t do it properly, I might just kill you, you know?”
“Don’t worry, I intended to do that without you telling me.”
Dylan said that, grabbed his mask, and threw it off.
“I’ll show you the Miniature Universe I gained when I reached Level 7 first.”
He walked silently and alone through the endless golden corridor.
Deadrise soldiers and ability users lay dead everywhere.
Statues mimicking the forms of Long-lived Beings glowed with eerie eyes, roaring chillingly from various spots.
SLITHER…!
Transparent, silvery liquid flowed through the stiflingly silent corridor. His footsteps made no sound as he walked upon it.
After walking for a long time, his vision opened up to reveal a giant cavern.
KWWOOOOOONG!!!
A bitter scent, reminiscent of an apothecary. Scrolls and shelved books lined the walls.
At the center stood an ancient, weathered pavilion with a large, old signboard.
Beneath it, a man in a pristine white martial robe sat cross-legged, eyes closed.
His hands rested on a white spear laid horizontally across his wide-spread knees.
Only after seeing him meditating, seemingly undisturbed by the labyrinth’s commotion, did Esteban stop.
“A distinguished guest has arrived.”
The white Spear Master opened his eyes, which were still closed.
Without looking down at the silver-haired nobleman standing before him, he spoke.
“I heard you are a seasoned warrior, beloved by the Zero Seat of the Ability Awakening Warband.”
“……”
“Welcome to the Cradle of Lightning, created by the Tower Lord.”
The 5th Seat of the Ability Awakening Warband, Esteban Aisen, raised his eyes with an expressionless face.
“This place is different from other gates. Is it a power that alters spacetime itself, adjusting it as desired, rather than merely decorating the surroundings?”
“It was a small consideration bestowed by the Tower Lord upon those who guard each gate.”
The Spear Master affirmed.
“While entrusted with a gate, one can artificially manifest and display any desired landscape here.”
“……”
“This pavilion’s signboard was erected by Turyeonmun’s first Guardian… a symbol of accepting all martial artists who train their bodies and minds in the pursuit of martial arts.”
Esteban did not answer, instead looking up at the Spear Master with closed eyes.
The nobleman, casting an emotionless gaze, spoke to the Spear Master.
“I heard the hero of the civil war went mad long ago, but you don’t seem so.”
“That’s not quite right. Like this signboard you see, I merely present a good facade on the outside.”
With those words, the Spear Master gripped his spear and slowly rose from his seat.
His white martial robe fluttered like a banner, and beyond it, an unsettling aura of power emanated.
An intensely sharp, yet dangerously fragile, and explosively trembling, mad killing intent.
The lingering obsession of a madman who, having made struggle his profession, eventually lost his mind and could no longer distinguish friend from foe.
WHOOSH…!!!
“In the end, essence cannot be hidden or deceived, no matter how much you try. The more you ignore it, the more its ugliness multiplies, only to be exposed someday.”
“……”
“The Tower Lord granted me the opportunity to face that truth and, though late, atone.”
The Spear Master confessed.
“So, I must repay that debt until the moment my body perishes.”
“A futile struggle.”
Esteban said that and raised his hand.
“The human mind is fragile and weak, merely a sheet of paper that could break at any moment.”
CHWAAAK……!!!
Simultaneously, the silvery liquid flowing at his feet rose up from all directions and began to swirl.
The 5th Seat of the Warband. Esteban Aisen possessed the innate ability, 8-level Mercury Manipulation.
As the ability of the nobleman, who had single-handedly conquered the most sectors in this labyrinth, rotated, their wills intertwined.
“If the Zero Seat had blessed you, such worries… would be meaningless. The fate of the incompetent is always pitiful.”
“Is that so.”
The Spear Master chuckled.
“If we serve different masters, what must be done is clear.”
PAAT!!
As a Golden Halo appeared behind the Spear Master, the dangerously trembling aura stabilized.
His combat aura, now calm and deeply refined, was like that of a Seeker who had spent decades in ascetic practice.
The Guardian of Turyeonmun. The 8-level Spear Master. The hero of the civil war, praised as Purity.
Purity, with half-opened eyes, looked down at Esteban and raised his spear.
“I, Krod Azlan, will defeat you for the Tower Lord.”
CHWAAAK!!!
He flipped his body to avoid the howling Black Lion’s teeth.
Blood-red twin swords spun, severing its torso, and its hide split open, spilling its contents.
[ROOAAARRRR……!!!]
“How curious.”
Sarin, the vampire, watching the fallen Black Lion convulsing with red eyes, muttered.
“It’s not even a real living creature, just a mere statue, yet it’s so strong. What exactly is this?”
As the Black Lion’s hide split, what spilled out was not organs or fragments of blood vessels.
Instead, there were solid, catalyst-like objects carved from rock. Clear evidence that the lion Sarin fought was not alive.
Retrieving her blood-forged twin swords, she turned and poked the fallen lion with her foot, speaking.
“It seems to mimic Kundara’s Long-lived Beings, but no matter what, a statue shouldn’t be this strong. Don’t you agree?”
“This is Adamant Thunder’s Domain, created from his experiences and memories.”
A massive golden gate floated in the center of the cavern.
A black-haired girl with eyes as red as blood, like Sarin’s, sat atop the gate, looking down at her.
“It is a palace of memories, where the miracles and pains, trials and hardships he experienced in Kundara are laid out exactly as they were.”
“Oh my, quite a grand expression.”
“The statues you speak of are merely mediums to perfectly reproduce Adamant Thunder’s experiences. To put it extremely, their contents don’t matter.”
The girl looked down at Sarin, her face expressionless.
“Adamant Thunder will perfectly remember everything he experienced in the Ninth Tribulation, almost as if it were reality.”
“Seeing you say that, I’d really like to meet this wizard called Adamant Thunder someday.”
Sarin, twirling her twin swords with a smile, asked.
“Noble True Bloodline. Would you grant a humble vampire like me the honor of meeting your summoner?”
“No. I’m sorry, but I can’t. I don’t trust the Crimson Star Clan at all.”
Racy, the Fearsome Blood King, smiled at Sarin.
“I appreciate your attempts to preserve ‘pure blood,’ but as a fellow vampire, I also know how futile that is.”
“……”
“So, I roughly understand what you want from Adamant Thunder. And I understand why you chose Pandemonium….”
The Fearsome Blood King’s gaze at Sarin turned cold.
“At least as long as the Blood King is alive, no. Go back.”
Not all vampires, even if they are of the same kind, are bound by a single faction or interest.
Racy, the True Bloodline of Kundara, and Sarin, the True Ancestor Vampire of the Crimson Star Clan, were beings different in origin, values, and mindset.
Knowing what blood meant to vampires, they understood each other, yet rejected and hated each other.
Precisely because they were both vampires, they understood each other even less, hated each other, sought to kill each other, and despised and discriminated against each other.
The fate of monsters who must ponder throughout their lives which side they stand on: wild instinct or reason.
“Haa… This is why I didn’t really want to meet other vampires.”
Sarin sighed softly, her voice cold and self-deprecating.
Twirling her twin swords, Sarin tilted her head and grumbled.
“After living a long time, you realize that humans treat vampires with less discrimination, actually.”
“I deeply sympathize with that.”
“Right?”
SWISH!!
POW!!
Sarin’s hand disappeared with a whoosh, as she smiled at the agreeing Fearsome Blood King, and the head of a rushing lizard exploded and flew off.
Sarin, covered in fragments of the shattered statue, grumbled.
“Ah~ Even if I diligently cut and kill, not a drop of blood comes out, so it’s no fun to work… it’s boring and just bothersome.”
“……”
“If a living opponent stepped forward, seeing their blood would motivate me.”
CLICK!!
Sarin re-gripped her twin swords and looked up at the Fearsome Blood King with eerie eyes.
“So, kid. How long are you going to just watch?”
“I was just about to start anyway.”
The girl, who had been perched on the edge of the gate, slowly stood up and extended her hand.
Immediately after, a red veil surged up from the shadows beneath the Fearsome Blood King’s feet, covering the cavern.
Racy looked down at Sarin, who was licking her lips and gathering her magic, and gave a cold smile.
“I just needed a little time to turn this place into my ‘Domain’.”
“……Heh. Is that so?”
“True Ancestor Vampire of the Crimson Star Clan. Time for tantrums is over.”
“Tantrums, you say.”
Sarin laughed coldly and tilted her twin swords.
“I haven’t thrown a tantrum since my sister became the cult’s puppet.”
“Welcome.”
Seeing the approaching figure in the distance, Jutiya set down the teacup she was holding on the table.
She calmly adjusted her collar as the young man stopped.
“It’s been a long time since I greeted you.”
“……”
Jutiya’s tone was completely different from her usual demeanor.
But the young man, his face covered with cloth, did not find Jutiya’s attitude awkward.
Instead, he simply stood, looking down at her, as if such an attitude was perfectly natural.
“The gate is behind me. They say it’s a direct passage to the center.”
Jutiya lightly gestured behind her, without looking at Ezekiel.
Behind her, a splendid golden arch unfurled.
“If you wish, I could hold off your opponent for a moment, but…”
Jutiya spoke calmly to the silent Ezekiel.
“Rather than that, perhaps we could talk for a moment? Fighting isn’t our way.”
“……”
“A discussion about the conclusion of this war.”
The Scribe’s eyes, gazing at the royal, shimmered opaquely behind her glasses.
“I intend to speak a little about the world to come.”
A deep blue nebula overflowing in District 49.
Within it, a vast labyrinth, infinitely rotating, changing, and shifting its location.
Scores of superhumans, encountered throughout the labyrinth, clashed simultaneously in diverse environments and battlefields.
The abilities and Mental Images they unleashed upon confrontation exploded, ceaselessly radiating infinite inspiration through the deep blue nebula.
“Marvelous.”
WHOOSH…!!!
The Doctor bowed his head, observing the endless battles unfolding across the labyrinth.
Beyond the golden mirror, he observed the labyrinth, piercing through the spacetime veiled by the deep blue nebula.
This was possible because, as the Designer of the Ascension Gate, he fully understood one of the principles constituting this space.
In the Doctor’s eyes, which moved the gate like a mirror, illuminating all directions, intense interest and inspiration surged moment by moment.
“Each one’s answer. Each one’s causality. Each one’s possibility… all of them coexist within this labyrinth.”
“……”
“Do all variables and causalities, existing inside and outside the Domain, endlessly rotate, chasing their own tails?”
The Doctor murmured.
“This cycle… it’s beautiful. Like a world unto itself.”
“……”
“Because of this, I think I can finally understand what Adamant Thunder yearned for and what path of enlightenment he dreamed of.”
After a long time, eyes closed, savoring what he had seen, the Doctor slowly shifted his gaze.
He raised his head, straightened his clothes, and leisurely stepped forward, asking.
“My apologies. Have I kept you waiting long?”
“No.”
A vast lake unfolded in the middle of the cavern.
Aris, standing alone and quietly on its surface, replied softly.
“I empathize with your sentiments. I understand what kind of ideal world he presented to those who know the end.”
“Indeed. I’m glad to meet someone who understands.”
The Doctor, with a slightly excited expression, nodded.
“This is… magnificent. Ineffably wondrous. That’s all there is to it.”
“……”
“Balance, harmony, even chaos and contradiction are all just fragments that constitute this space… This, in itself, is no different from a world. Isn’t it?”
“……”
“Adamant Thunder isn’t choosing a single answer to make it his path of enlightenment. What he desires is undoubtedly–”
The Doctor’s voice, which had been rising, abruptly cut off.
He slowly lowered his gaze and said.
“Then, it seems Adamant Thunder himself isn’t controlling this labyrinth right now.”
“……”
“There must be an administrator somewhere, observing and manipulating the labyrinth’s environment. Isn’t that right?”
“Doctor Artemeyer.”
As Aris raised her hand, the lake water rose, coiling around her hand.
Aris, having chanted Water Stream Magic, faced the Doctor with an expressionless face.
“I’m here to stop exactly that.”
“Labyrinth 455 half-destroyed. Estimated to be due to the aftermath of three superhuman forces clashing simultaneously.”
“Labyrinth 2213 connection rejoined. Redesigning the Domain by connecting it to Gate 73.”
Adamant Thunder’s Domain, located in District 49.
Somewhere deep within the vast labyrinth shrouded in deep blue nebula.
Jenny, surrounded by a blue halo, closed her eyes and concentrated intensely for a long time.
WOOOOSHSHSHSH!!!!!
Each time she closed her eyes and tapped the air, the blue halo rippled outwards, elegantly swirling.
With each swirl, the scenery within the halo changed, mirroring the battles occurring throughout the labyrinth in real time.
Staff members busily moved beside Jenny, recording and reporting the battle situation and clashes reflected in the halo.
“Gate 12 completely destroyed. Commander-level force appeared. Encountered the Thorben Magic Tower Lord.”
“The 3rd Legion Commander and 6th Legion Commander appeared simultaneously in different sectors…!!!”
“The Annihilation Squad and the Ghost Squadron are moving towards the gate. Joining Felix Magart, who is currently engaging the 2nd Legion Commander…!!”
Even at this moment, enemy forces ceaselessly poured into the labyrinth.
Mighty superhumans and brilliant ability users breached the gates from all directions, approaching the center.
But Jenny, despite the continuous reports from her staff, remained unperturbed and slowly opened her eyes.
“Everyone, focus.”
Jenny looked back at her staff, who watched her with calm eyes, and said quietly.
“From now on, Van will begin preparing to return.”