Chapter 383: Echoes of Shadow (2)

A black wizard who is part of Pandemonium, known as the Dark King.

What does it mean that such a monster, not only having reached level 8 but also hunting strong individuals of similar caliber across the continent, has appeared inside this train?

‘Damn it…’

He thought he had grown accustomed to encountering monsters beyond conventional limits, but precisely because of that, he could more clearly perceive the gap between himself and this man.

A frigid magical power, incomparable to other Archmages he had met in the labyrinth.

Yet, a faint presence, so ethereal that he couldn’t even be sure of its current existence in this very spot.

What level has this black wizard, who makes two contradictions coexist in a single space, truly reached?

However, Lennok realized that Myeong’s words were as impossible to dismiss as his sudden appearance.

Currently, Lennok was not only maintaining his identity as Evan, but he had also used disguise magic to avoid unnecessary rumors at the train station.

Despite this, Myeong appeared precisely before Lennok and spoke of the Cartel’s affairs.

Surely, this couldn’t have happened without Myeong being certain of Evan’s and Van’s identities.

Myeong, paying no mind to Lennok’s reaction, looked down at his newspaper in silence and spoke.

“Honestly, I never particularly liked Jaigys Ethernor.”

“…”

“Like all Ascendants, he was a foolish man, caught in his own stubbornness despite possessing the power to overturn heaven and earth. Or perhaps, was it precisely because of that stubbornness that he earned the right to challenge Ascension?”

Myeong stroked his chin with a calm expression and muttered.

“The reason for the Transcendent’s existence has always been an unanswered question, but now, I feel like I understand it a little. If both the previous Lighthouse Keeper and Jindun, who were relatively moderate Ascendants, chose death of their own free will… what would others think?”

The black wizard slowly turned his gaze to Lennok and smirked.

“Do the other Ascendants truly wish to connect the world’s timeline?”

“…I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

Lennok opened his mouth, his expression rigid.

“Do you wish to debate the meaning and concept of Ascension with me?”

It wasn’t that Lennok knew so little that he couldn’t understand Myeong’s words now.

It was simply difficult to easily guess Myeong’s true intentions for suddenly appearing before Lennok and delivering such information.

If he wasn’t planning to fight or deal with Lennok here, what exactly did Myeong want to say?

Myeong looked at Lennok’s expression, then grinned and said.

“Time flows so quickly. Seeing you makes me think that even more.”

“…”

“Perhaps that’s why I feel pleased whenever such an opportunity arises. I don’t have many chances to chat with talented juniors anymore.”

His characteristic prickly way of speaking remained unchanged.

“What did you do to Evelyn?”

Lennok asked, quietly raising his magical power.

“I need to know what you mean by ‘twisting the path.’”

Although Evelyn herself didn’t show it, Lennok knew she might have already reached a state beyond Hierarchy.

Completing the seven stages of Self-transformation and moving beyond them was a revolutionary completion, understood in different meanings and ways by everyone.

That’s why he understood that even if she had truly reached level 8, she could still show no outward signs.

For Myeong to walk into this train without Evelyn even noticing, and to obstruct her return, was astounding.

No matter how powerful a black wizard Myeong was, this situation defied common sense.

But Myeong chuckled, fidgeting with the newspaper he was holding.

“Don’t worry. I don’t have enough time to pick a fight with Divine Bow now.”

“…”

“But if it’s just a prank, not a fight, a little preliminary work is enough.”

As Myeong drew his finger across the table, an elongated shadow, following that motion, began to reflect the scenery outside the train car.

Evelyn, wandering between train cars looking for the conductor, and the train car itself, strangely distorted behind her back.

“I’m not stretching Divine Bow herself, but rather extending the surrounding space and timeline as a whole. Unlike spatial distortion, changes in the timeline are harder for superhumans, who rely on their perception of time, to notice.”

“…!!”

Myeong said, watching Lennok, whose mouth twitched.

“It’s a tricky technique that’s hard to use in real combat, but it’s useful for buying a little time like this. I only managed to master it after struggling a few times myself.”

“Manipulating the surrounding timeline… is merely a tricky technique?”

“You’ll understand once you can handle it yourself.”

Myeong shrugged.

“Interfering with time as a result is tricky, so you have to set the stage carefully. Stretching the timeline little by little like this is fine, but if you go beyond that, you’ll have to walk a tightrope between the balance of cause and effect.”

“…”

“It’s only working because Divine Bow has no will to fight; if she sharpened her senses even slightly, she’d immediately notice something amiss. Such a gap in perception is also an important factor from the perspective of manipulating time, because time is ultimately a relative concept.”

Myeong, who had nonchalantly explained what he had done, continued.

“Honestly, it’s not very efficient, but it’s a necessary process for everyone. To ultimately reach the end of this non-circular space-time, corresponding knowledge and understanding will be required.”

Myeong’s words spoke of the end in a calm tone. Was he also aware of the Ascendant’s prophecy that there might be no next cycle?

Lennok, realizing that the magical power emanating from Myeong’s body had become even more indistinct, smiled bitterly.

He knew that Myeong’s power had not weakened; rather, it had melted even deeper into an inscrutable chaos.

“The monsters of Pandemonium truly defy common sense… How can they continue to grow stronger without rest, even after reaching such heights?”

“The very fact that you clearly perceive that is proof that you are qualified.”

Myeong replied.

“The world’s balance, order, end. Not a few people know that the end is near. But among them, we need someone who can pursue a ‘next’ that does not yet exist.”

“…”

“That’s also why we don’t pursue organizational strength or useless unity.”

Myeong leaned back comfortably in the train car and turned his gaze out the window.

“If you agree that as the end draws near, only one meaning will remain, then even conflicting wills will ultimately be nothing more than processes for a single purpose.”

“…You sound similar to your leader. Do you intend to continue with Zen-like riddles even at the end of the world?”

Ultimately, Myeong’s position within Pandemonium was only possible because he at least somewhat agreed with his leader’s thoughts.

In that sense, the series of conclusions he muttered casually resonated to some extent with his leader’s words, which had felt somewhat nihilistic.

Myeong chuckled at Lennok’s words.

“Come to think of it, you mentioned meeting the leader. It wasn’t a very pleasant encounter, was it?”

“…”

Myeong, seeing Lennok’s crumpled expression instead of a reply, nodded as if he understood.

“It’s not surprising. Sometimes I wonder what the leader is thinking too… But I never imagined you’d be allied with the Eyes of Blue.”

Myeong lowered his newspaper and asked.

“I didn’t think the Lighthouse Keeper’s answer would satisfy you.”

“Well… I’m still not entirely convinced.”

Lennok replied, maintaining a calm expression.

“It’s just that for this particular matter, I judged that cooperating with the Watchers was the best course of action.”

“Even at the risk of your secrets being exposed?”

“…”

At Lennok’s suddenly sharp expression, Myeong waved a hand.

“Don’t overreact like that. I didn’t hear it from the leader. I was just trying to confirm suspicions I’ve had.”

“Suspicions?”

Myeong interlaced his fingers and grinned.

“I’ve been thinking about it ever since the drug lord fell in Pilenom. You might not know, but the Consciousness Transfer Spell used by Dominic Cavaro is deeply connected to me… That’s also why I specifically made a brief stop in the Northern Continent after everything was over.”

So he arrived at his own answer, in a different way than the leader?

Myeong seemed to want to say that the leader wasn’t someone who spoke so freely, but he didn’t seem to realize that his words only made Myeong himself seem more chilling.

“It’s remarkable that you’ve hidden your identity for so long with such a flimsy cover. You’ve changed the patterns of all the magic you use and even fabricated alibis to maintain your dual identity, haven’t you?”

He idly muttered, fidgeting with the worn newspaper with his fingertips.

“But you know, no matter how hard you try, you can’t hide that uniqueness. Did you know?”

“…What do you mean?”

“The creativity, willpower, and mental fortitude that are most necessary for sorcerers like us… A unique individuality that emerges when those talents reach their peak and combine.”

Myeong looked directly into Lennok’s eyes and said.

“Because the singularity created by a combination of talents like yours will ultimately make people wonder about its origin, no matter how it manifests.”

“…”

“When I first saw you, were you level 5, or 6? A talent that completes Hierarchy and is now trying to surpass it in less than five years…”

Myeong nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.

“My judgment was indeed correct. That’s why the leader specifically singled you out and left you a message.”

“What do you want?”

Lennok realized that denying it further would be meaningless.

If his similarity had been exposed to the leader’s eyes during the process of expending his remaining energy at the end of the labyrinth, then it was inevitable.

It was a price he had to pay if his dual identity was exposed to Pandemonium’s leader as a result of his discussion with Jindun.

However, if they realized that Lennok was ambiguously involved with both the Eyes of Blue and Vulcan, there would be no shortage of people to trouble him in the process.

He wanted to ask what Pandemonium was thinking about that, but Myeong subtly drew back and shook his head.

“Nothing.”

“What?”

“Whether you join the Eyes of Blue and become a Watcher, or move with the Lighthouse Keeper, it makes no difference. My decision won’t change.”

He said that, then reached into his pocket and placed something next to the newspaper.

A jet-black, transparent mask that glowed.

It was an object that gleamed subtly, as if crafted from obsidian.

“This is my final offer, Van.”

Myeong said, propping his chin on the table as he looked at the mask.

“Join Pandemonium.”

“…”

“It doesn’t matter what you want or what you wish for. We have work to do, and we need your talent.”

Myeong continued, looking at the silent Lennok.

“As the end draws closer, there’s more and more to do. I want to entrust some of the things that are hard for me to manage alone to you. To be honest, I’m already starting to get a little tired.”

“Come to think of it, that magical power…”

Myeong’s magical power, as he wearily rubbed his temples, was far more indistinct than when Lennok had last met him.

Lennok sensed that this wasn’t simply because his power had weakened, but rather because he had achieved a much higher level of mastery than before.

Just as rumors had spread among the Watchers that the Dark King had destroyed an entire city,

He must have further elevated his level and achievements by hunting down the rulers of cities.

It was an obvious truth that even among Archmages of the same level 8, there existed an immeasurable, vast difference in their actual level and combat capabilities.

And this black wizard, propping his chin before Lennok’s eyes, was one of the monsters known as the Dark King even among such Archmages.

Myeong, seemingly realizing the thoughts in Lennok’s gaze, let out a hollow laugh and waved his hand.

“Don’t look at me like that. It wasn’t something I achieved purely with my own power. Even before reaching level 8, I already… Well, let’s leave it at that.”

Myeong, who had casually started talking about various things then cut himself off, turned his head.

“It seems Divine Bow is finally finding her way. Let’s make this one thing clear.”

Beyond the train car window, the familiar shadow of a doll was reflected.

Evelyn was returning faster than expected, having broken through the path Myeong had twisted in some way.

“We don’t care if you hide your identity or conceal your reputation. If necessary, protecting your secrets won’t be difficult. All we want is your talent and abilities.”

Myeong lightly stroked the mask, then stood up and walked down the quiet train car corridor.

“If, after hearing what I’ve said so far, your thoughts have changed even slightly… go to the cathedral in Development Zone 21.”

As he took a step, Myeong’s body dispersed and vanished like smoke.

Amidst the traces that scattered and disappeared outside the rapidly moving train, only Myeong’s last words lingered in the air.

“Someone will be there to greet you.”