Chapter 1354: Designed Transcendence (32)
“……I don’t even know what I’m looking at right now.”
Dadam, standing before a pillar of overflowing light at the center of the Ascension Ritual that had begun on the outskirts of Vulcan, muttered. His green eyes, now empty and void of inner emotion, showed bewilderment for the first time. The transcendent’s lofty gaze, which had been discussing the transcendence of the world, was now fixed on the baby dragon sprawled at his feet.
KWAARAAAHHHHH!!!!!
The storm of light overflowing from all directions coiled around Lennok’s fingertips, tilting diagonally. The essence of light, flowing from his fingertips, was swallowed by the wide-open maw of the baby dragon.
It was a bizarre sight, as if a gigantic funnel had been stuck into the dragon’s throat, pouring all the world’s light into its belly.
But what truly bewildered Dadam was that this chubby baby dragon was somehow managing to swallow the residual power of the Ascension Ritual.
Though the sheer magnitude of the power meant it couldn’t be devoured all at once, if it was somehow shoved into its belly, it would go in. Even if it couldn’t digest it immediately, what went in did not seem to be thrown back out.
“Watching it quietly, it seems to be a type of Guardian Spirit Beast residing within your Domain……”
Dadam shook his head, watching the baby dragon, which was mumbling in its sleep for a long time.
“Its appetite alone surpasses any divine beast I’ve ever seen. Did a starved ghost possess its belly?”
“A plausible deduction, I suppose.”
[Nom nom nom nom]
The Guardian Spirit Beast was fast asleep, embracing a dark blue lightning bolt, yet it swallowed the poured-in power with ease. In the midst of it, as if feeling good from its full belly, it let out an incomprehensible chuckle.
Each time it swallowed light, the Guardian Spirit Beast’s belly, with its folded rolls of fat, swelled up, becoming as massive as a mountain.
The Ascendant, who had been silently watching from behind Lennok, muttered in disbelief.
“How absurd. To think he would try to solve the ritual’s side effects in such a way…”
“I never intended for the Ascension Ritual to proceed entirely as you wished from the start.” Lennok replied.
“But on the other hand, I also couldn’t be sure if the ritual would end as I wished. Whether he would be there was, in the end, an uncertain matter.”
“……”
“I did consider that the ritual itself might explode in the worst-case scenario. I merely prepared some countermeasures, just in case.”
“Is that so……”
Knowing that Dadam was hiding something, Lennok had no intention of letting her use him. However, he also hadn’t ignored the possibility of an unforeseen anomaly occurring during the Ascension Ritual.
Therefore, Lennok had prepared several ways to handle the overflowing power, just in case everything went wrong.
The Guardian Spirit Beast of the Magic Tower, born from Lennok’s Ouroboros magic system. It not only possessed an inherently strong appetite but also the ability to arbitrarily dismantle and absorb any power or substance.
Only Lennok’s Guardian Spirit Beast could absorb and contain the power gathered through the Ascension Ritual without any side effects.
“Truly… a countermeasure I could never have imagined.”
Dadam seemed to share a similar sentiment. The Ascendant narrowed her eyes and lifted her gaze.
“It is strange. I, too, have prepared for this day for a long time. Yet, I ultimately failed to achieve the desired outcome…”
“……”
“Standing before this moment, I find that it no longer matters. However—”
Dadam’s expression became slightly awkward as she looked at the spirit beast swelling like a balloon.
“Why does that thing only grow fatter and not grow?”
“……”
“If it ate such powerful energy, it would normally evolve or grow as a spirit beast, but it’s just getting fat and sleeping, as if it’s natural.”
The Ascendant’s expressionless face, as she gazed at the baby dragon, changed as if she were looking at a lazy cat.
“Unlike its master, it seems to have been born with a truly lazy nature. There was a reason you didn’t show your face while attempting the Ascension Ritual.”
“Let’s just say it has an inherently large capacity. Thanks to that, we could safely conclude the ritual even at this point, couldn’t we?”
Lennok forced a bitter smile and walked towards the Guardian Spirit Beast.
“And you’re mistaken about something. It’s not just getting fat from eating power. Look here.”
“All I see are five folds of belly fat……”
“……Well, my spirit beast probably doesn’t just sleep because it wants to. It’s more related to my magic.”
Lennok’s Guardian Spirit Beast was a being born from the Blaiver Magic Tower’s Phoenix Scroll and the Ouroboros magic system. It was a spirit beast naturally fated to devour, analyze, and absorb everything.
“The power of the Ascension Ritual gathered through The Mirror was, so to speak, close to my root Mind Imprint.”
Lennok bent slightly and muttered, looking down at the spirit beast.
“It’s been sleeping for a long time since the Subjugation War, but now there’s truly not much left.”
The power of Ouroboros, which inherently existed within the Guardian Spirit Beast, and the Kaleidoscope, which was connected through The Mirror. These two powers, having reached the pinnacle of convergence and divergence, were contained within the spirit beast’s body, to be digested within a single vessel.
The baby dragon, containing Extreme Lightning, had been in hibernation for a long time to absorb energy while asleep. At this moment, the energy poured into the spirit beast’s belly felt like it had almost reached its upper limit.
This stroke of fortune dramatically accelerated the growth of the Guardian Spirit Beast, which would normally take decades to complete. Lennok couldn’t even guess what kind of being the Guardian Spirit Beast would become when it awoke, but—
WHOOSH!!
As the power gathered through the Ascension Ritual disappeared into the spirit beast’s belly, the pillar of light piercing the sky above Vulcan dimmed. The atmospheric pressure dropped, the wind speed weakened, and clouds gathered, revealing the scenery of the colossal city below.
The two Ascendants looked down at the city, treading on clouds from an immeasurably high heaven.
“I sought to ascend to the highest heavens as an arrow, but I have returned to the mortal realm.” Dadam closed her eyes.
“Yet, it was by no means meaningless. What will you do from now on?”
“I must deal with the aftermath of this incident and settle the results of the ritual.” Lennok glanced away.
“As promised, I destroyed The Mirror. Now it’s your turn to keep your promise.”
“……Indeed.”
Dadam’s offer to Lennok was to teach him the Thought World in exchange for destroying The Mirror. Although Dadam had not achieved her objective, she seemed to have no intention of going back on her word now. However—
“Understood. However, to fulfill our promise, I will need a few days’ grace first.”
Dadam, stepping off the clouds, turned to Lennok with an indifferent gaze.
“You too will need time to manage this situation. Come to me once matters on the ground have been settled.”
“Do you think it will take a long time to pay the price you offered?”
“Well… I don’t know.”
The Ascendant trailed off, slowly turning her body. “Time is a relative concept before transcendence. Ultimately, it will be a matter that depends on you.”
“……”
“In any case, it might be best to prepare for the worst.”
Without waiting for a reply, the Ascendant’s form crossed the clouds and mounted the Silver Mystic Moon floating in the sky.
While watching the Silver Mystic Moon disappear into the distance, Davi’s voice was heard from Lennok’s embrace.
[I thought we were really in big trouble this time. Is it okay to let her go?]
“……It’ll probably be fine.”
Lennok crossed his arms and tilted his head back.
“Dadam is not an Ascendant who is friendly to humans, but she’s not evil either. It would be mutually beneficial to use her when appropriate.”
[…….]
“Most importantly, her archery has undoubtedly reached a divine level. If I can ever receive her help, it means I can truly borrow her skills, disregarding the constraints of space and time.”
[Master is……]
Davi hesitated, then asked, [You think there will be a dangerous situation someday where you’ll need an Ascendant’s help, don’t you?]
“No one can guarantee that something like today won’t happen again.” Lennok began to walk.
“This only ended this way because Dadam didn’t intend to fight. What if an Ascendant came with the explicit purpose of destroying Vulcan?”
[…….]
“Even if there’s no reason for it now, it wouldn’t be strange if things like this keep happening every time we try to conquer the Central Front. We must prepare for the worst.”
WHHHIIOOOOSH!!!
He looked down at the colossal city beyond the dispersing clouds. The expanse of Vulcan, stretching to the horizon, was so vast that even Lennok’s senses couldn’t fully grasp it, feeling distant even to an Ascendant’s Mind Imprint.
Only after confirming that the gazes previously concentrated on this place from below had dispersed, and the faith directed at Lennok had faded, did he take a step.
From the unexpected visit of an Ascendant, the existence of ruins appearing with the collapse of the Demonic Realm, to the fated encounter at the end of the Ascension Ritual that brought everything to a close.
Many things had happened, but as a result, Lennok had obtained some of what he desired.
“It’s time. Let’s go down.”
Lennok said, opening his eyes after closing them. “First, I need to wrap up everything regarding the Ascension Ritual, and then I’ll have to think about the next plan.”
The colossal city of Vulcan. An old, unnamed museum located in District 5.
Several shadows sat around a dusty, dark table. Giants and dwarves, old men and children, warriors and keymasters. Shadows of various physiques and presences, flickering without substance.
The founders of Vulcan, a city where tens of millions resided. The members of the Elder Council, who shared ancient authority, were gathered in one place at this moment.
In a silence that felt almost languid, someone spoke first.
“The Ascension Ritual… concluded safely.”
“A large-scale ritual watched by tens of millions ended without a hitch. This in itself is quite remarkable.”
“It was a very complex ritual, even with Dadam’s request. We can’t help but acknowledge Adamant Thunder’s ability to complete this entire process without any problems.”
“That’s hardly new. Are you saying, Councilman, that you still doubted that wizard’s talent or capability?”
“It is true that I couldn’t be sure if he truly had the makings of a Level 9. Aren’t Ascendants originally such beings?”
Among the shadows, voices flowed in silence.
“Level 9 is different. There’s something that cannot be reached by innate talent or fate alone. Even among historical geniuses, only a very few reach it.”
“Ultimately, the most important single fact to confirm about the result of this ritual is this.”
The shadows slowly turned their gazes.
“Tell me, Senate Chairman Yasir. Has Adamant Thunder become an Ascendant?”
“……”
No answer came.
Instead, the shadow of a robust figure leaning back at one end of the table merely bowed his head.
The other shadows, unfazed by this reaction, spoke.
“We have confirmed that the ritual concluded safely, but the success or failure of the ritual itself has not been announced externally.”
“The citizens, and even the City Council, are confused by this situation. Don’t you think an explanation is needed?”
“Due to Rutchmon’s deviance, the Elder Council finds it difficult to approach Adamant Thunder.”
“Shouldn’t you, who granted him the right to establish a Magic Tower, be the one to speak with him?”
Whispering, leisurely pressing messages from the shadows all around. Only then did the Senate Chairman’s shadow flicker, and he slowly replied.
“I don’t know.”
“……Hmm?”
“What does that mean?”
“Adamant Thunder intentionally concealed the results of the Ascension Ritual. We have no way of knowing its success or failure.”
The Senate Chairman’s deep voice resonated in the dark room.
“It seems there was a fact at the end of the ritual that should not have been revealed externally. In that process, he seems to have decided to hide the success or failure of the ritual itself.”
“……I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Adamant Thunder intentionally hid the results of the Ascension Ritual? Is that even possible?”
Such a subtle answer that even the shadows gathered here were confused. What was surprising was that even the long-lived elders could not guess the success or failure of the ritual.
Had Adamant Thunder, with his unique genius, perfectly hidden the results despite failing the ritual? Or had he already succeeded and become an Ascendant, allowing him to conceal even the ritual’s outcome?
Given Adamant Thunder’s past actions, both possibilities seemed plausible, making it impossible to guess. The Senate Chairman knew this, which was why he honestly told them what he knew.
“Heh heh, ha ha ha! So that’s it. You, Yasir, can’t even discern it, meaning that wizard has become a monster.”
Among the shadows, a particularly large one burst into laughter.
“It feels like only yesterday he came to me asking to enter the restricted zone, and now he’s already an absurd transcendent. It was only natural that he easily dealt with a fool like Rutchmon.”
“Lucinder. You should choose your words carefully.”
“If you bear the name of the Keymaster, shouldn’t you show a little more respect to the other elders?”
“Ha! Why should I care about an old man who didn’t know his place, acted recklessly, and committed suicide? Besides, if that wizard hadn’t resolved the situation, some of us might not even be here, might we?”
The giant snorted at the others’ dissuasion and sharply turned his gaze.
“Secretary-General Phillion. You’ve met that wizard, haven’t you? Tell us your impressions.”
“I merely encountered Adamant Thunder while he was investigating a project. I don’t know much about him, but…”
The shadow of the old man seemed to wear a bitter smile.
“It was as if he was loved by beings beyond humanity. Any authority or knowledge, including the Blood Witch Records, felt inherently his own.”
“……”
“Only after he dropped the Outer Sea City on the Western Front did I realize that all of it was preparation to head for Kundara.”
“So he had already planned such atrocities even before arriving in Kundara…”
The Elder Council members who were listening to the Secretary-General’s words muttered, sounding disgusted.
“He’s certainly a monstrous individual, difficult to even imagine…”
“Well, I wonder? I heard his personality itself is surprisingly ordinary.”
“Ordinary? An unprecedented lawbreaker who shattered Machina and caused Kundara’s downfall is ordinary?”
“He’s a schemer who can even hide his own transcendence. His outward personality isn’t everything.”
“Enough! Don’t you realize that this discussion is meaningless now?”
Sharp whispers passed among the shadows, and the atmosphere instantly became subdued.
“It was all over the moment he killed Kaiser Vajour.”
“He must not be made an enemy. Facing him directly is virtually impossible.”
“We’ll need to negotiate to utilize the remaining scenarios.”
“The conversation keeps going in circles. Don’t we need to find out what kind of being Adamant Thunder has become?”
“It seems there’s one way to confirm that.”
The Senate Chairman slowly lowered his gaze.
“While I was away tidying up the remaining [scenarios], an interesting letter arrived in my office.”
“A letter?”
No sooner had the other shadows finished their questions than a letter appeared on the table. It was an ornate letter, sealed with a stamp depicting a lightning magic circle. The Chairman’s shadow spoke calmly.
“The Magic Tower said they would host a gathering to organize this Ascension Ritual. They sent an invitation.”
“……An invitation?”
At that moment, the atmosphere among the shadows subtly stirred.
“He hid the success or failure of the transcendence, yet he’s holding a gathering to organize the ritual itself…”
“It’s too difficult to guess what that wizard is hiding. What is he thinking?”
“……In any case, we’ll have to go there and confirm his intentions directly.”
“……”
Each time he reached for something on the table, he felt countless gazes following him. With every step he took, he sensed people watching him from all directions.
It was a strange feeling, as if literally hundreds of people were observing and scrutinizing Lennok’s every move. If he listened closely to the conversations around him, it was even more absurd.
“Ohh, so that’s the one who underwent the Ascension Ritual…”
“Indeed. Is that how one carries oneself after reaching transcendence?”
“I sense a nobility rarely found in the mortal realm. Is that the dignity of one who has attained qualification?”
“……”
The vast hall sparkled with flamboyant chandeliers and lights everywhere. Tables were piled high with refreshments and drinks, and decorations and statues were placed throughout. People in suits and dresses, formally attired, strolled around the hall, conversing.
Lennok stood alone at the center of this grand hall, holding a glass.
“……”
If he picked up a glass, a strange gasp would be heard, and a crowd would rush to find a bottle with the same label. If he ate a refreshment, people would whisper and exchange glances as if they were looking at a curious animal.
So many gazes were fixed on him that it was difficult to even speak, let alone move properly.
At the entrance of the seemingly endless grand hall, the names of entering VIPs were announced continuously.
[Senate Chairman Yasir Audinson of the Central Council is entering.]
[Chairman Bridges of the Technology Advisory Committee extends his congratulations…]
[Gifts from Systema Aurum and the Royal Capital Twelve Palaces have arrived at the banquet hall entrance…]
[Delegations from the Designers and Alpha Balancer have prepared a special gift to commemorate this day…]
It felt as if hundreds of people, from both the bright and dark sides of society, had gathered in this enormous banquet hall. Banners, infused with mana, floated above beautiful glass sculptures.
[Celebration Banquet Commemorating the Successful Conclusion of the Ascension Ritual]
Countless people, holding glasses and conversing in a cheerful atmosphere, were all around. Even at this moment, congratulatory flower arrangements and gifts continued to stream into the banquet hall.
Lennok, holding a glass blankly and looking at the splendid banquet hall, tilted his head.
“Did… I plan a party like this?”