Chapter 370: The Awakener (4)

Crumble crumble rumble!!!

Immediately after, water surged up to their feet, splashing in all directions, and the ground began to shake violently.

Lennok’s expression hardened at the dense magic that instantly covered the surroundings, and he took a step back.

“He’s insane… This is the closest place to Jindun’s Mind Imprint. It wouldn’t be strange if something went wrong by deploying a Domain incorrectly here.”

There was a reason Lennok and Jawoon hadn’t used their Domains even while clashing.

Outside the third gate, it might not matter, but this white space was one of the closest places to The Cradle of Jindun.

It was the most dense and core part of this labyrinth, created from an Ascendant’s Mind Imprint.

Even if Jindun had no such intention, the act of projecting one’s Mind Imprint onto this space was akin to exposing one’s Domain to him.

Since both Lennok and Jawoon somewhat anticipated this, they had fought with all their might without deploying their Domains in this place.

But the man who had newly taken over Jawoon’s body calmly deployed his Domain right before Lennok’s eyes, as if such concerns meant nothing to him.

Thump-thump-thump!!!

The man, standing calmly on the shaking ground, laughed.

“Well, if my partner hadn’t uselessly wasted gems and magic fighting you, there would have been no need for this.”

“……”

“It’s true that nothing in the world goes as planned, but if I even have to use the Worldly Stone that I prepared to replace the Changyoseok, what else can I do?”

Beneath their feet, dozens of gemstone pillars began to rise from all sides.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!!

“This is…!!”

The manifestation of gemstone pillars, radiating dazzling light in all directions. At a glance, they were clearly treasures that had undergone considerable processing.

Only then did Lennok’s face completely stiffen as he realized this was a type of Domain the man was using.

It wasn’t a typical Domain deployment that Lennok knew.

Instead of projecting and overlaying his Mind Imprint onto the nearby scenery, it was a method of bringing out only a part of the landscape contained within his Mind Imprint into reality.

It was a method Lennok had never seen among any of the wizards he had encountered.

Lennok quickly looked around, grasped the deployment method of the Domain the man used, and nodded.

“Instead of overlaying the Mind Imprint onto reality, it’s a method of eroding reality. With this method, I can certainly use a Domain without being affected by Jindun’s power.”

“You’re too quick to notice.”

The man smiled and nodded.

“In my era, this was a recognized technique as one of the methods of projecting Mind Imprints, but it seems to have been lost in this era.”

“……”

“It’s probably not that the transmission of the spell formula was forgotten, but rather that it was deemed impractical. In other words, it’s quite an old-fashioned deployment method.”

Indeed, the erosion-type Domain deployment method the man used was fresh and surprising, but its practicality was questionable.

When a spellcaster deploys a Domain, it’s virtually a declaration that they will crush their opponent with their full power.

The amount of magic and mental energy consumed in deploying a Domain is considerable.

The very act of bringing one’s Mind Imprint out, regardless of scale or scope, consumes immense mental power.

But why would one pay such a cost and, instead of deploying a Domain to create an environment favorable to the spellcaster, only draw out a part of the Domain for use?

“Is it a method from a time when Domain usage wasn’t standardized? Saying that itself is proof that you’re an ancient figure.”

“I was an old acquaintance of Jaigys, and before I died, I handed over several works I created to him.” The man said.

“Many things have happened, but in any case, I want those items back. That is all I desire.”

“……”

“I have no intention of fighting or competing with you. So, why don’t we forget the recent grudge and cooperate for our respective goals?”

The man, subtly observing Lennok, placed his hand on a gemstone pillar.

With that simple motion, cracks appeared on the surface of the gemstone pillar, and holes began to form.

The scene was strikingly similar to the Changyoseok region stretched out behind the two of them.

Instead of answering the man’s words, Lennok realized why the man had chosen Jawoon and decided to enter this labyrinth, and he nodded.

“I see… Changyoseok is also a type of gem, after all. So, he had a way to open The Cradle in a different manner than before, using his gem sorcery?”

“You’re too quick-witted. Well, what’s the point of hiding it now?”

The man gave a bitter smile.

“Originally, to awaken Jindun, one had to find the buoy at the boundary of this space and change the direction of the Changyoseok. That’s because the song flowing through the Changyoseok is a lullaby that puts the Ascendant to sleep.”

Perhaps that’s why this space was called The Ascendant’s Cradle.

Without waiting for Lennok’s reply, the man continued.

“But if I use my knowledge and my partner’s gem sorcery, I can artificially replace the Changyoseok and alter the melody of the lullaby. The fastest way to awaken Jindun is in my hands, as it were.”

“……”

The man glanced at the contemplating Lennok and continued to speak.

“We weren’t the only two who entered this space together. Wouldn’t it be better to enter The Cradle as quickly as possible before Maiya Lenslet makes her move?”

At the soft persuasion, Lennok couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“If you wanted to say that, you should have explained the situation the moment you first contacted me in the labyrinth. What’s the point of saying it now, after coming all this way?”

“It’s not a lie. Until now, I’ve been respecting my partner’s will…”

“No. I think I know why you want to send me to Jindun first.”

Lennok cut off the man and said,

“Jawoon said your resentment was trapped in a giant gem. You weren’t dead; you were just temporarily delaying death. You came back to the labyrinth to gain a new body by making whoever discovered you your collaborator, didn’t you?”

“……”

“If you think about what you, who is parasitic on Jawoon, needs most, the answer is simple.”

Lennok smiled, looking at the silent man.

“If you are truly the originator of the Consciousness Transfer Spell, it would also explain why you say you’ll open the path to The Cradle even if you don’t meet Jindun first.”

Lennok spoke, trying not to miss even the slightest change in the man’s expression.

“You’re not waiting for Jindun himself, but for the moment after Jindun dies… Are you planning to take over the Ascendant’s body?”

Either way was fine. The moment Jindun was alive and focused on dialogue with Lennok, or the situation where he was already dead and only his physical body remained.

He must have judged that taking over the Ascendant’s body would be no problem in either case.

Considering the risks of the Consciousness Transfer Spell that Lennok knew, it also explained why he had been parasitic on Jawoon’s body until now, for a slim chance.

“……”

There was no answer.

The man, with his head bowed deeply, slowly raised his gaze after a long moment.

The gentle smile that had been on his lips had turned chilling at some point.

“Hehe… It seems I talked too much trying to buy time. You deduced all that from just a few words of conversation?”

The man briefly glared at Lennok, then immediately infused magic into the gemstone pillar and muttered,

“Youngsters these days are far too perceptive.”

CRASH!!!

There was no further answer.

Because the electric flashes Lennok tossed into the air exploded dozens of times, raining down lightning consecutively on the man’s head.

Thump-thump-thump!!

His whole body and eyes burned hot as if consumed by immense heat and flashes of light.

Lightning bolts, pouring out as naturally as breathing, relentlessly struck the man’s body once more, lashing at his mind and body that had not yet recovered from the aftermath of the previous battle.

Each time a pillar of brilliant blue light poured down, it twisted and bent dozens of times, piercing through the gemstone pillars and erupting.

Lennok had entertained the conversation to recover magic after the previous battle with Jawoon, but there was no more time to hesitate.

Before the man could use this erosion-type Domain to escape a predicament, Lennok needed to crush his buds here and proceed to The Cradle.

But the man also began to absorb all the lightning Lennok poured out, rotating magic around the gemstone pillars.

Tat-tat-tat-tang!!

The spell was activated just by the magic rotating around the gemstone pillars. Powerful barriers and shields rose around the man, protecting his body amidst the lightning’s firepower.

His skillful use of gem sorcery was so proficient it was hard to believe he was originally a black wizard.

But instead of being surprised by the sight, Lennok immediately began preparing his next attack.

An ancient monster, revived after hundreds of years.

If he was a black wizard who had reached a high level, he would have some proficiency in completely different spell systems.

Moreover, the man had been parasitic on Jawoon’s body, watching him use gem sorcery for a long time.

It wouldn’t be strange if he now, having taken over the gem sorcerer’s body, could exhibit spell abilities comparable to Jawoon’s.

‘But there’s no counterattack.’

Even so, Lennok had no intention of leaving the man, who was merely hunkered down and enduring among the gemstone pillars, alone.

Lennok, with his exhausted body, couldn’t do the crazy thing of entering that gemstone pillar zone, but he also couldn’t just let the man prepare something.

‘Is he waiting for a single, game-changing move… If so.’

Thinking that, the moment he slowly began to form hand seals within the shadow veiled by the flashes of light.

“Do you know why a gem sorcerer’s Domain is composed of such a landscape?”

The man, surrounded by dozens of brilliant gemstone pillars, asked.

He continued, absently stroking a pillar next to him.

“These gemstone pillars are not something that simply rise up whenever the spellcaster wishes, without any resources or cost. A gem sorcery Mind Imprint, which transcends systems by using gems as consumables, couldn’t possibly be that convenient.”

Lennok no longer answered him.

He merely lightly stepped on the undulating water beneath his feet, creating a giant wave.

Whoosh!!!

The wave swept through the gemstone pillars, crashing down on the man’s head, but the real target was within the shadows created by the wave.

Manipulating the shadows that changed in real-time, he aimed directly at the man’s vital points, instantly severing the life from his body.

Clack-clack-clack!!

The shadow, hidden within the wave, twisted into a sharp blade at the man’s feet, rotating in an instant.

“A gem sorcerer’s Domain, these beautiful gemstone pillars… they are the materialization of the spellcaster’s own emotions and thoughts.”

The man clenched the gemstone pillar he was stroking, as if to crush it.

“If one were to materialize emotions that humans are born with – joy and sorrow, hatred and obsession, regret and lingering attachment – and use them as catalysts for spells…”

Flash!!!

The gemstone pillar shone brightly, and at the same time, the man’s lips stretched into a long, eerie smile.

“Would you truly call that a human?”

At that moment, the large wave crashed down among the gemstone pillars, and immediately after, the shadow blade pierced the spot where the man had been.

CRASH!!!

The landscape of the Domain, swept away by the wave, vanished without a trace.

But that wasn’t due to destruction caused by Lennok’s water-based magic.

The Domain, which should not have moved from its deployed position, had moved dozens of meters along with the man’s body, avoiding all of Lennok’s attacks.

“Domain transfer… No, did he just push it with sheer force? He used an entire gemstone pillar to press down on the ground with output…!”

“As I said before, my statement about not wanting to fight you was not a lie.”

According to the man, it was a spell activated by consuming an entire emotion present within Jawoon’s Mind Imprint.

Instead of launching a counterattack, he had used it simply to evade Lennok’s recent attack, at the cost of sacrificing one of humanity’s crucial emotional centers.

Regardless of what one said, he was still a black wizard who stopped at nothing for his goals.

“There’s no need to quarrel here. My old friend will meet everyone who reaches this far, even if he doesn’t have to.”

The man, who had moved the erosion-type Domain dozens of meters, turned to look at Lennok.

The place where he newly appeared was the center of a pillar zone where stone pillars made of Changyoseok were erected.

It was an alien space created by the chaotic mixture of stone pillars and gemstone pillars.

But as soon as Lennok saw the scene, he realized that the man had planned this from the beginning.

The reason he had only summoned a part of the gemstone pillars in an erosion-type form instead of projecting his Mind Imprint with full power.

It was to move the entire Domain landscape and shift it into the very center of the Changyoseok pillar zone.

Woosh-woosh-woosh!!!

As the gemstone pillars vibrated, the Changyoseok pillars standing between them also began to vibrate.

The continuously echoing melody slowly changed, resounding overhead.

As if it were a key, the space filled with mist gradually cleared, revealing the scenery beyond.

Shhhhhhh…!!

A massive white palace floating on a pristine white lake.

Lennok’s mouth slightly parted at the sight of the grand residential structure, impressive with its antique design and extraordinarily thick wooden pillars.

Truly a magnificent palace scene. The magic flowing from within was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

A Conceptual Realm created by a dreamer who transcended the limits of species, of life and death, truly worthy of challenging ascension.

The deepest part of the Hanghasa Labyrinth, The Ascendant’s Cradle, had finally appeared before Lennok’s eyes.