Chapter 343: The Standard of Power (2)
For a daring act, the pressure wasn’t particularly strong.
However, the complexions of a few who perceived the faint flow contained within instantly changed.
“Wait, this magic…!!”
They were all Archmage-level wizards who had reached level 7. They possessed the sensitivity to clearly distinguish the presence of magic patterns and their flow.
The magic pressing down on the conference room from above bore an uncanny resemblance in pattern to the magic filling the snowy field outside.
Lennok was imitating the Ascendant’s magic pattern and scattering it throughout the conference room.
More precisely, the magic pattern of the barrier that was protecting the rift in the world from the fortress.
Even if it differed from the actual Jindun’s magic, who had already attained the position of an Ascendant, the similarity was a feat not easily replicable by others.
At the very least, it was sufficient to prove that Lennok had some connection with the Ascendant in this very place.
“These Watchers seem to lack trust in the Lighthouse keeper.”
Lennok asked, calmly receiving the gazes pouring in from all directions.
“Do you still not understand why Lapis specifically summoned me at this point?”
“…”
The dog-headed giant who had just been sparring with Evelyn, the vampire sitting across from Lennok.
And the faces of the other Watchers looking at him with shocked expressions all came into view.
Lennok slowly rose, approached Lapis, and placed his hand on her shoulder.
“…Evan?”
Lennok ignored Lapis’s words and continued speaking.
“The reason the Lighthouse keeper called me to the summons. It’s because I… can imitate Ascendant Jindun’s magic to some extent.”
“…That’s impossible.”
“How is that possible?”
Jiel’s momentum, as she muttered in disbelief, was visibly broken at a glance.
Lennok’s magic pressing down on her shoulder was the most powerful evidence.
Lennok, who had just lied so nonchalantly, met Lapis’s eyes and replied.
“It wouldn’t be hard to imagine how much this ability will help in future operations, would it?”
“…”
In truth, Lennok himself wasn’t sure how he could utilize this power.
He had simply come up with this answer on the fly, inspired by the fact that he could imitate the Ascendant’s magic pattern somewhat when he killed Elderbine’s assassin.
But at least, it was undoubtedly an impeccably appropriate reason to resolve such a chaotic situation.
If Lapis had summoned Lennok not merely out of goodwill or dependence, but because he possessed a specific ability clearly beneficial to the operation.
If she had recognized that early on and intended to summon Lennok, wouldn’t it, conversely, be enough to highlight her keen insight?
Not only would it shift the focus from Lennok directly to Lapis, but it would also, in turn, make her qualities and abilities stand out.
If such a reason were presented in a situation where the Watchers had already voiced their opinions, it would make them more cautious about opposing Lapis’s views in the future.
Subtly reminding those powerful superhumans that the Lighthouse keeper’s actions surely had their own reasons.
That alone was enough to empower Lapis in this meeting.
Lapis, too, was not foolish enough to kick away the meal Lennok had prepared for her.
“If you’ve fully understood, could everyone please take a seat now?”
Understanding Lennok’s intention instantly, she looked around at the Watchers with somewhat subdued eyes and spoke.
“Before time runs out, I think we should explain the situation to Evan and proceed with the meeting.”
“…”
The Watchers silently closed their mouths and took their seats.
In the center, Lapis lightly clapped, then drew up her magic and tapped the table.
Whirrr!!
Immediately after, a dazzling hologram rising from the center of the table began to form a concrete shape.
“I’ve already explained it several times to the others, so let’s proceed by summarizing only the essential parts.”
An anatomical diagram of a vast, colossal labyrinth with no discernible end.
At that moment, as everyone was momentarily speechless due to the intense oppressive feeling emanating even from the hologram.
“Ascendant Jindun’s ‘Hanghasa Labyrinth’. The transcendent’s ‘Ideological Domain’ occupying the deepest canyon of the snowy field.”
Lapis quietly opened her mouth.
“We must break through that labyrinth, which has swallowed over thousands of explorers, and make contact with Jindun Zaygiss Eterno.”
The resolute determination in her eyes directly reflected upon the Watchers.
“If it’s confirmed that Jindun failed his ascension, then recovering his remains and preventing his legacy from falling into the wrong hands… that is the sole objective of this summons.”
Finally, the presence of Lennok, who had joined this operation.
It was the beginning of the full-scale operation, with the final puzzle piece she had envisioned now complete.
Hanghasa (恒河沙).
One of the terms referring to numbers, it roughly indicates a number around 10^52.
Unraveling the scale of that number, it reaches a staggering 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
What could it mean to use a number, whose scale is virtually impossible for human cognition to grasp, as the name of a labyrinth?
Considering that the labyrinth’s master is one of the world’s foremost barrier mages and a Transcendent, the answer was obvious.
“They say thousands of people have ventured into this snowy field to meet Jindun and never returned.”
At the edge of the Floating Island, where cold winds blew.
Lennok, with a cigarette between his lips, and Evelyn, perched on a rock behind him, stood side-by-side, looking down tens of meters to the ground below.
Evelyn glanced at Lennok’s back, still facing away, then continued.
“But some of them managed to return alive from the labyrinth and leave behind information. That’s why we’ve been struggling in this snowy field for a month.”
“I see.”
“The Hanghasa Labyrinth is normally perfectly sealed, preventing anyone from entering, but it completely overturns its structure once every time the season changes. The fissures that appear during that time are essentially the entrances to the labyrinth.”
“So that’s why you’ve been gathered here for a month, gauging the location to enter the Ideological Domain?”
Lennok, his gaze fixed on the grand snow-capped mountains stretching beyond the horizon, muttered absently.
“A Level 9 Ascendant’s power truly surpasses imagination. If a barrier mage reaches the pinnacle, can they create something so absurd…?”
Jindun’s Ideological Domain, the Hanghasa Labyrinth.
Though he hadn’t directly witnessed its prestige yet, he could tell from the magic emanating from those distant snowy mountains and the occasional bits of information he heard.
Not only the impossibly vast structure within the labyrinth, but also a different dimension where time flows differently.
That, completed by diverging in a completely different way from a Domain [자성영역], was practically a miracle, no different from another world.
That labyrinth was probably the culmination and very essence of the barrier magic Jindun had built.
In essence, the Watchers gathered here were venturing into the Ascendant’s maw, putting their lives on the line to enter.
Despite thousands having never returned, the reason why not only Eyes of Blue but also others were now moving to enter was singular.
“The aurora floating above the Northern Continent was a natural phenomenon symbolizing Jindun’s ego perfectly dissolving into the Ideological Domain. The very fact that it disappeared means there’s a high possibility something has happened to Jindun.”
The disappearance of the aurora, a symbol that his very consciousness had been sublimated into a part of the barrier and floated.
That meant, in other words, that Jindun’s ego had returned to a human form.
There was much meaning embedded in the movements of a Transcendent challenging ascension.
If he had begun to move at this point, when the conclusion was near, wouldn’t it undoubtedly be because something had changed with him?
If Jindun truly failed his ascension and died, whose would his immensely valuable artifacts and possessions be?
“There are many people gathered here not because they can meet an Ascendant like Lennok, but purely to covet those artifacts.”
Lapis and Evelyn had said so.
“I was wondering where you two hid, and here you are, whispering to each other in a place like this?”
From behind Lennok, lost in thought, and Evelyn, looking at him, a dark-skinned woman suddenly emerged.
Clutching an exotic-looking coat and trembling slightly, her face was etched with an unknown tattoo.
A Level 7 Archmage, and a shaman who had cooperated with Lennok in the Pilenom Autonomous Region.
She was also the one who first showed Lennok the scenery of her Domain [자성영역], the [남만도해경].
“Grisha… I told you it’s not like that.”
Evelyn sighed softly, denying the statement, but Grisha instead widened her eyes and asked back.
“No, then if it’s not like that, why were you asking about Evan’s arrival for a whole month…?”
Thwack!!
Grisha’s words didn’t last long.
A black arrow shaft, which appeared from who-knew-where, directly pierced the ground at Grisha’s feet, silencing her.
“We’re from the same city, and I just contacted him because I had entrusted him with some work before I came out on this assignment.”
“…”
Evelyn replied with a smiling face.
“I believe I told you several times that I was handling some Agent-related matters.”
“Alright…”
Lennok also roughly understood what Evelyn was saying, so he simply nodded.
Since an unusual atmosphere had been lingering within the city, including among the Agents, right before she took her leave and headed for the Northern Continent, she must have been worried about what was happening in the interim.
Indeed, a coup led by the Defense Force general had even occurred, just as Evelyn had feared, so it wasn’t strange that she had been waiting for news of Lennok, who could be helpful in that process.
Evelyn subtly glanced at Lennok, then opened her mouth with a slightly relieved expression.
“So, what is it? I thought there was still some time left before we finalize the personnel to enter the labyrinth.”
“Goodness, are kids these days always so impatient?”
Grisha, muttering as if she couldn’t adapt, subtly opened the inside of her coat.
“Let me talk for a bit. If our boss kicks the bucket like this, none of us will hear good things.”
Inside the coat, Lapis’s face, slightly curled up and hidden, was visible.
Perhaps because of the arrow shaft stuck at her feet, her complexion, still showing traces of youth, was slightly pale.
“Oh, hello…”
“…So you were there. Are you alright?”
Only then did Evelyn realize her mistake and offered an apology to Lapis, a hint of embarrassment on her face.
“…Of course.”
Lapis forced a smile, but her legs were faintly trembling.
Lennok chuckled at her reaction, then asked.
“You could have just come to find us, why hide in Grisha’s arms? It couldn’t have been inconspicuous.”
Although Lapis is quite young, she is now in her mid-teens.
Naturally, her height had grown considerably compared to before, making it precarious to hide behind Grisha’s tall stature and thick coat.
At Lennok’s words, Lapis subtly looked around, then raised a finger with a playful expression.
“I wanted to secretly deliver something to the other Watchers.”
“Something you want to deliver?”
“Yes. Please take this in advance.”
Saying that, she pulled out a small monocular from within her coat.
Lennok, somewhat bewildered, accepted it.
“It’s an item recovered from the belongings of an adventurer who died during the outpost recapture fifteen days ago. It had a lock, making it difficult to figure out its purpose, so I kept it, but I found a hint just before we moved our base.”
“Purpose, you say…”
Lennok muttered that, brought the monocular to one eye, and slowly drew up his magic.
Though there was no change in the scenery seen through the lens, Lennok soon noticed the secret held within this monocular.
The outer surface of the lens, which at first glance appeared somewhat old.
The finely scratched marks, like scars, were drawing out extremely subtle spell formulas.
“…”
With a subdued expression, Lennok immediately altered his magic pattern slightly and injected it into the monocular.
Immediately after, the monocular’s lens began to rotate precisely, and then started to display a completely different landscape.
Whirr-click!!
“This is…”
“Do you understand?”
Lennok replied softly to Lapis’s words.
“I see… So it’s an item that shows locations and paths depending on the magic source injected.”
“Yes. Originally, it’s a monocular used to pinpoint the hidden locations of artifacts or relics. And this one is powerful and durable enough to have been used in the Hanghasa Labyrinth itself.”
Lapis said that, looking at Lennok with an expectant expression.
“I’ve been holding back on mentioning this to others because I don’t think they could use this item properly, but if it’s Evan-nim…”
“…”
Only then did Lennok grasp the meaning of Lapis’s words.
If it was Lennok, who, unlike anyone else, could imitate Ascendant Jindun’s magic pattern to some extent,
she must have thought he could find Jindun’s location and the correct path even within the unpredictable labyrinth.
In a vast snowy field where magic detection barely worked, the existence of this monocular would serve as a quite useful compass.
Lennok, who had unexpectedly come into possession of a high-performance artifact, nodded.
“I’ll keep it a secret from the other Watchers.”
“Hehe, I’d appreciate it. I don’t think anyone else besides Evan-nim could use it properly, but for the sake of fairness…”
Lapis’s feelings were understandable.
Since she couldn’t fairly distribute the monocular to everyone, she must have wanted to place her hopes on the wizard with the most trustworthy and promising ability for this operation.
Lennok gazed at Lapis, then brought up something he hadn’t had a chance to ask earlier.
“Do you truly believe Jindun is dead?”
“…Pardon?”
“No one knows if Jindun, who has lived as a Transcendent for hundreds of years, truly died after failing ascension. Perhaps he’s still alive, observing every moment right now.”
“…”
“And if he’s alive, it might be possible to enter the labyrinth, meet him, and hear the answers you desire.”
Lapis fell silent.
Grisha’s expression, standing beside her, faintly hardened, but she didn’t step forward to stop Lennok.
Lennok, undeterred by their reactions, continued speaking.
He wanted to hear Lapis’s honest feelings right now, about why she was here.
“When I met Cheongyeon, she seemed to have already determined her own fate.”
To do so, he would have to tolerate saying some impolite things.
“What was on her mind when she left her only granddaughter behind and left a message for me? Why did she leave without telling me everything?”
“…”
“A Transcendent challenging ascension would probably know the answer to that.”
Silence fell.
Lapis bowed her head slightly, then looked up with a strained smile.
“Now that I think about it, Evan-nim, this is the first time you’ve brought up my grandmother.”
She took a breath and met Lennok’s eyes.
“It would be a lie to say I’m not curious. But there are many people more suitable than me for breaking through the labyrinth.”
“…”
“And if Jindun truly isn’t dead and is alive, observing every moment… that might actually be even more dangerous.”
“Why?”
“If Jindun is alive, it means he regained his human ego and embodied himself by his own will… In that case, we absolutely need to confirm it and decide our future course of action. If a Transcendent who had distanced himself from the world and focused solely on his own ascension starts to act differently, there’s a possibility that ascension itself has a problem.”
Lapis continued speaking without waiting for Lennok’s reply.
“If there’s a problem with the process of ascension itself, breaking free from the Hierarchy, other Ascendants might start to move as well. In the face of something that could overturn the balance of the world, we don’t have the luxury to satisfy personal curiosities.”
“Lapis…”
Grisha quietly placed her hand on Lapis’s shoulder.
Evelyn’s gaze, watching Lapis from beside Lennok, held faint pity.
Lapis offered a faint smile to both of them.
“It’s alright. Now, I can understand that my grandmother must have had her reasons. That sometimes, there are secrets one must carry alone…”
Grisha, standing beside her, quietly hugged Lapis.
Evelyn playfully nudged Lennok’s shoulder and chided him.
“Let’s not jinx it before we even enter the labyrinth, okay?”
“No, that wasn’t my intention, but…”
Lennok, muttering defensively, composed himself and spoke to Lapis.
“But I think differently. If Jindun is still alive and willing to answer something, I believe there are things we absolutely must ask.”
He didn’t think a Transcendent challenging ascension would hold all the answers to everything in the world.
But even so, he had to ask. Even if he received no answers, it didn’t matter.
Because knowing what Jindun knew and what he didn’t would undoubtedly be a great help on their future journey.
Standing before a Transcendent indifferent to the mundane world was daunting, but he also had a conviction.
Because Cheongyeon had said that unless an Ascendant specialized in ‘seeing’ like her, they wouldn’t notice Lennok’s secret.
“So, at that time, I’ll ask about Cheongyeon on your behalf.”
“…What?”
Lennok smiled faintly, looking at Lapis who had raised her head with a surprised expression.
“What she hoped for and desired when she failed her ascension… I want to know that too. Much more than you think.”
Thud!
No sooner had he finished speaking than a violent tremor suddenly reverberated from the other side of the Floating Island.
An area not far from the frozen forest.
Several other Watchers, centered around the dog-headed giant, were approaching them.
A spearman, who appeared from somewhere, blocked the path of the giant striding forward, leaking jet-black eye-glow.
It was Seon-myeong, the calm-looking young man. He seemed to have been guarding Lapis from an unseen location until now.
“What’s going on? If you’re looking for Lapis-nim, I’d appreciate it if you waited a moment.”
“I’m not interested in the Lighthouse keeper. My business is with that wizard.”
At the dog-headed giant’s words, the atmosphere in the area instantly stiffened with tension.
Seon-myeong also adjusted his grip on his spear and slowly retreated.
“…In that case, I need to hear your reason even more. What business do you have with Evan-nim now?”
“Heh heh, I don’t think it’s a topic suitable for discussion in a place like this.”
The dog-headed giant said that, burning with eye-glow towards Lennok, who was sitting far away.
“If you prefer, we can discuss it here…”
“I’ll go.”
Lennok readily heard the words and stood up.
Standing before the dog-headed giant, Lennok cast a simple silencing spell and looked up at the giant before him.
While he didn’t exude an overwhelming presence or physique like Croken, his skill and muscle density weren’t far inferior even when compared to Felix.
If he could recognize Evelyn’s skill and still assert an opposing opinion directly to her, it must be because he was confident in his own abilities.
Lennok, too, was somewhat curious about the circumstances that led such a giant race to join the Eyes of Blue and accept the Watcher’s duty.
“Your name?”
“Rapperd.”
“Hmm, that’s…”
The words ‘that name suits you quite well’ almost escaped his throat, but Lennok barely swallowed the faux pas and asked.
“So. What’s your business? The meeting ended over two hours ago, is there anything you still want to ask separately?”
The explanation of the outpost and routes for entering Jindun’s Ideological Domain had already roughly concluded.
All that remained was selecting the personnel to enter the labyrinth and setting individual entry paths.
If Rapperd wasn’t planning to enter by the same route as Lennok, he shouldn’t normally have any business with Lennok.
But the dog-headed giant looked down at Lennok and flashed a bloodthirsty grin.
“You. You’ve met Croken Asylus, haven’t you?”