Chapter 450: The End of Paradise (4)

There was no need to ponder long about the identity of the initial discomfort.

The fact that only three people were mobilized for such a urgent and significant operation, and Myeong’s behavior of abandoning him suddenly in the jungle.

Even the chilling sense of déjà vu he felt from The Clown, whom he’d never seen before. All were perfectly explained under a single hypothesis.

An incredibly powerful illusion. A transcendent ability incomparable even to Rick the illusionist, who accompanied them during the theft of the Archangel’s Tear.

The Clown must have cast an illusion that completely rattled his five senses while Lennok was unconscious, gauging when he would realize it.

The reason he couldn’t properly feel sensations like heat or humidity was probably because, even while unconscious and vulnerable, Lennok’s powerful spell designation resistance prevented the illusion from fully taking hold.

But after quickly deducing this series of circumstances, Lennok drastically raised his guard against The Clown.

‘I’ve never heard of an illusionist of this caliber. There’s a high probability he’s already insane.’

Although it must have been cast while Lennok was unconscious and vulnerable, even utilizing the Besponir’s abilities.

What did it mean that The Clown managed to cast an illusion on Lennok, even if only for a moment?

The Clown was undoubtedly a transcendent-level, incredibly powerful illusionist of the trait-based magic system.

Considering the trait-based curse that causes madness the more one masters and acquires high-level illusions, The Clown must already be insane.

His attitude of casting an illusion on Lennok out of nowhere and waiting for him to wake up was too dangerous a notion to call him an ally.

There was clearly a reason why Soryu and Ermont called him a madman and were wary of him.

But The Clown merely smiled cheerfully, finding Lennok’s attitude amusing, and watched him.

Instead, red laser pointers aiming at Lennok’s robe glowed even more coldly.

“Hey, what are you guys doing?”

At the sudden tension swirling around them, Reiya frowned sharply and raised her hand.

Simultaneously, crimson dots vanished instantly from the air.

“He’s someone Myeong recommended to join. Don’t interfere. This is something for us to resolve.”

“…It’s dangerous.”

A somber voice came from inside the bulkhead.

Was it the commanding officer responsible for the dozens of combat troops gathered here?

“Trait-based. Against a space-type wizard, we’d almost certainly have to give up the first strike. Escorting might be impossible…”

“Fuck, do you think I don’t know that’s why I’m asking?”

Reiya exploded in frustration.

“Of course he’s here because he has that much ability. I want to see more, so just stay put. Don’t unnecessarily step up like during the performance. Got it?”

“…”

There was no answer.

Instead, the dozens of people hiding in various parts of the bulkhead, watching Lennok, and the laser pointers illuminating the dark cargo hold, simply vanished.

Reiya glared around for a moment, then strode forward and extended a hand to Lennok.

“Freya. And you?”

“Victor.”

There was no need to refuse the introduction at this point.

She lightly shook his hand, then naturally widened the distance between them and spoke.

“You seem more reasonable than that lunatic, so I don’t care. If you’re a trait-based spellcaster, you won’t hold us back, right?”

The Clown, who had been quietly watching, giggled and said, “I’m not as amused as I’d hoped.”

“It’s been a while since I rolled such good dice and got a decent spell out of it, I didn’t expect to be found out so quickly.”

“Does that even matter?”

“It does… Reiya isn’t wrong. How long you can last through my tricks will be a rather important part of this operation.”

“…”

“I didn’t think Myeong would bring a space-type trait-based spellcaster, though. Hehehe… well, never mind. The game’s over, shall we get down to business?”

Saying that, The Clown abruptly grabbed the lever next to the bulkhead and pulled it all the way down.

“Pshhhhhhh!!”

With a harsh noise like air pressure escaping, one side of the bulkhead door sank completely downwards, revealing the ground thousands of meters below.

Lennok, who had inadvertently glanced downwards, paused.

As the airship slightly lowered its altitude, it broke through the dense clouds, revealing the magnificent jungle landscape spread out below.

The sight of a lush jungle densely covering the horizon.

Even though the sun had already set and night had fallen, the residual heat from the ground rose through the air, spreading hotly and creating a shimmering haze.

If night fell on the scenery of the Nambando Haegyeong, which was Grisha the Eyes of Blue sorcerer’s Domain, would it look like this?

But what captured Lennok’s eyes wasn’t just the magnificent panorama of the Southern Continent’s jungle, overwhelming to behold.

There were also dazzling light sources and acrid smoke spreading from all corners of the jungle, and the sight of dark figures rushing through them.

Other factions had already entered this jungle and were rushing towards the Well of the Codex.

“Click!!”

The Clown, who had walked unhesitatingly to the end of the downward-tilted bulkhead, stood almost vertically on it with both feet, pointing a finger downwards.

“The Headro Warlords, Blood Spirit Tribe, The Vanguard, and the Guido Cult must have already arrived… Ah, that’s Maengrok’s Curse. There were rumors that Southern sorcerers would unite to establish a massive dictatorship.”

“…”

The Clown glanced at the time, chuckling. “Calculating the return time, Kebaek will arrive shortly after dawn. We also have work to do before the path to the Well opens, don’t we?”

“Work to do?”

“Why do you even need to ask that? Obviously…”

“Shhhhk!!”

The Clown, gently stroking a blade that emerged from his sleeve, said, “We have to deal with annoying interlopers.”

His face, which had been smiling incessantly, was no longer smiling.

Lights flashed throughout the jungle, and simultaneously, factions encountering each other clashed in various locations.

The Pandemonium airship Lennok was on leisurely passed over them as if mocking them, instantly speeding towards the jungle’s center.

“It’s an item made with Old World technology,” The Clown said, squatting on one side of the bulkhead. His posture, taking out dozens of blades from his pockets and meticulously stroking and sharpening each one, looked extremely dedicated.

As if he would never deal with the upcoming task half-heartedly.

“Flight is almost impossible over the Southern Jungle due to intense convection currents caused by heat rising from the ground. Unless you have a special personal vehicle like ours, you’d have no choice but to crawl into the jungle like a bug down there. Khahahaha!!”

At The Clown’s creepy laughter, Reiya, who had been sprawled carelessly on the cargo, sharply frowned.

“Hey, I told you not to laugh like that. It’s really fucking creepy.”

“…Ahem, anyway, once we reach the ruins where the Well is located, we’ll start immediately.”

The Clown, subtly avoiding Reiya’s sharp gaze, said, “Victor and I will each take one of the entrances leading into the ruins, and Glen will monitor the area around the landing zone. Reiya, you’ll stay on the airship for rear support.”

“Hmph.”

“Understood…”

Reiya’s snort and a somber voice from the darkness.

Lennok nodded in response, instead of answering.

From the unfolding situation, it was clear that The Clown was the leader and commander of this operation.

Unlike his flippant attitude that gets him beaten up by Reiya, it meant that The Clown’s standing and abilities were undoubtedly exceptional among them.

“We’ll buy enough time to secure the area until dawn and then head to the altar where the Well is located.”

The Clown, collecting all the blades he had laid out on the floor with a single gesture, said, “When we signal after opening the Well and Kebaek appears, launch the airship. Either Reiya or Victor, anyone just needs to drop that near the Well.”

A sharp blade quickly pointed at the countless cargo bundles stacked inside the bulkhead.

Dozens of cargo bundles, each seemingly tightly wrapped around something thick and long. Each one was as large as a car and exuded a heavy presence.

“These are the key items for this operation. The Director apparently prepared them a long time ago.”

“…The Director? He prepared something and gave it to us?”

Lennok’s gaze also deepened.

If The Director, who was undoubtedly the most unusual being he had ever seen, had prepared it long ago, it certainly wouldn’t be an ordinary item.

The Clown ignored Reiya’s words and continued. “If we insert these into Kebaek’s body in order and bring him to the Well, the hidden final Geas will activate.”

“…”

At The Clown’s words, silence fell all around.

The final Geas that constitutes Kebaek.

Everyone knew what it meant that not only was it hidden, but The Director also knew about its existence.

Perhaps the core and key that would penetrate this entire operation lay precisely there.

Only then did Lennok realize the complex magic circle drawn on the bulkhead floor and the strange statues surrounding the area were arranged around the cargo, and he nodded.

He had wondered why such an unusually bizarre scene was depicted inside the airship; it was all for this cargo.

If they were items prepared for a rampaging Ascendant, it was not strange that they were kept with such strict security and preparation.

“Well, I said it simply, but I plan to handle most of the difficult parts, so don’t worry too much.”

A remarkably reassuring request coming from The Clown, who had just been casting illusions on Lennok to test him.

Far from being reassured or relaxing their expressions at his words, The Clown chuckled and stood up as the atmosphere grew harsher.

“As always, just do what you know how to do. Don’t act recklessly and get yourselves killed. Got it?”

The Clown, nodding with a smiling face, walked to the edge of the bulkhead and raised his hand.

In his hand were the two green dice he had seen earlier.

“Then, shall we test today’s fortune?”

“Clatter!!”

The dice dropped from The Clown’s hand and rolled across the airship’s cargo hold floor.

[4] [2]

“Hmm…”

“It’s alright.”

Unlike The Clown, who grumbled as if displeased, Reiya, who had been carefully watching the dice, nodded.

“I don’t really like it… Did I use up too much luck earlier?”

“It was an excessive number for playing tricks on a new recruit, wasn’t it?”

“Well, a total of 6 is still enough…!!”

“KABOOM!!”

At that moment, a flash erupted from the labyrinth visible below the wide-open bulkhead, and the airship violently shook with an immense impact.

Along with a flashing hallucination before his eyes, the cargo inside the bulkhead lifted into the air and overturned.

“Kyaaak!!”

Unlike Lennok and The Clown, who naturally maintained their balance, Reiya, who fell from the cargo, rolled out of the airship.

“Thwack!!”

Before The Clown could even move, Lennok extended a magic thread, grabbed Reiya, and pulled her back up.

She had a dazed expression, as if she hadn’t realized she was falling, then belatedly grasped the situation and her face paled slightly.

“F-F-fuck…!! Almost had a heart attack.”

“Looks like you’re not a physical combatant, as it appears.”

“…I’m not clumsy?! I can dance, you know!!”

Reiya, who had been gasping for breath at Lennok’s words, glared back at him with an indignant expression.

The Clown shrugged with a slightly surprised expression.

“Did you know how to handle magic threads so skillfully? You seem to have a knack for trait-based manipulation.”

“…”

“Indeed, you’d need that level of ability for the difficult Myeong to take notice and try to recruit you…”

Lennok openly ignored The Clown’s words instead of bothering to reply.

Because of that very statement, he had a clear idea of what kind of spellcaster he would pretend to be within Pandemonium.

A spellcaster specialized in manipulation and space-type trait-based abilities.

If he acted arrogant and rough, befitting a spellcaster who had acquired rare lineage spells, he likely wouldn’t be suspected of his true identity for a while.

“Enough idle talk, let’s begin.”

Lennok, tilting his mask downwards, muttered, “It seems there are guys who want to check us now.”

The impact that just hit the airship couldn’t have been pure coincidence.

It would be impossible unless someone had detected Pandemonium’s airship speeding through the jungle’s night sky and attempted an interception.

As if to support Lennok’s conjecture, flashes of light continued to erupt from various spots in the dark jungle below, aimed at them.

“Kih-hee-heet, shall we?”

The Clown, rattling the dice in his hand, and Lennok stepped out of the bulkhead almost simultaneously.

“I’m going first!”

“Go alone.”

“Whoosh!!”

Unlike The Clown, who plummeted towards the jungle below, Lennok extended a magic thread during his descent, pulling himself back onto the airship.

“Huh?”

The Clown’s dazed voice rapidly faded away below.

Lennok immediately felt for the end of his sleeve and pulled out pre-prepared equipment from within.

“Clunk!!”

“Crumble!!!”

Long iron objects, simultaneously expanding in size and weight from his sleeve, began to align neatly at the end of the airship’s fuselage.

Inside the solid steel pillars, bright blue magical light spun relentlessly.

Lennok, having set up over a dozen iron objects on top of the airship’s body, twisted and pulled the lever on the case at the very front.

“Woooooooooong!!!”

At that moment, a majestic noise erupted, loud enough to drown out the airship’s flight, and the case instantly became scorching hot.

As he took his hand off the long case, which was shaking and roaring as if it would explode any moment, Lennok kicked it away.

“Clang!!”

The case, struck by his boot, fell out of the airship and was instantly enveloped by a magic thread.

With a flick of his finger, the magic thread spun and hurled the gripped case with full force. It accurately landed at the ground impact point Lennok desired.

That location was the riverbank where the flash that had just attacked the airship had erupted.

The magical light contained within the case descended rapidly, becoming too faint for Lennok’s eyes to see.

“KABOOOOOOOM!!!”

With an immense roar, it exploded in the middle of the river, creating a bluish hemisphere.

“Holy fuck, this is intense from the start!!”

Just as Lennok was about to open and activate the second case he had set up, a steel door on the airship’s roof opened, and Reiya stumbled out.

“The radar below is going crazy. What kind of dog-shit are you throwing?”

“Bombs.”

Lennok replied in a flat voice. “There’s no need to give up our positional advantage at this point.”

The Clown seemed to have understood Lennok’s words as a suggestion to quickly descend and move, but Lennok had no intention of going down immediately.

Why waste magic already when there were plenty of ways to project firepower without necessarily going down to the ground?

Even without using his main body magic, there were abundant ways to artificially inflate his firepower.

The advanced weapon blueprints from the Gearside database.

The case he had just thrown towards the ground was a type of bomb created by Palmer based on those blueprints.

The precise name on the blueprints was Mana Resonance Area Control Resonant Incendiary Bomb (MAPHI). Commonly known as ‘Mafia’.

An item that causes an explosion with the flammable material inside the shell, then amplifies the power with the magic contained within the case, inflating the firepower and range beyond its natural resources.

It’s a bomb that’s almost a symbol, used in the Machine City Machina as a strategic bombardment missile for war preparedness, and a product whose power and range are continuously being developed.

Lennok had asked Palmer to prepare it, but its firepower and range were so extraordinary that it was a weapon he’d never had occasion to use in one-on-one combat.

He was only now getting to use the explosives he had stockpiled just in case during his battle with Madrich Onnion.

Since the case and the flammable materials completely evaporate after one explosion, there’s no worry of leaving traces.

It was an unparalleled item for unleashing unilateral bombardment from such a distance above the ground.

“Just dropping them in the direction where they detected the airship and tried to intercept will be enough. I’ll make sure they don’t even think about looking this way.”

Saying that, Lennok activated three cases at once and kicked them out of the airship.

“Boom-boom-boom!!!”

Bluish hemispherical orbs exploded and vanished throughout the dark jungle, illuminating the surroundings brightly.

Faint screams and shouts drifted up from below. At the same time, the flashes of light aimed at the sky, as if on cue, began to dramatically decrease.

“Satisfying.”

As Lennok dusted off his hands and adjusted his mask, Reiya nodded.

“You wouldn’t carry bombs of that power around casually, would you? Were you storing them in a subspace?”

“What?”

“That’s amazing. It’s my first time seeing a space-type wizard in person too.”

He had merely carried them after embedding them with weight reduction and volume reduction magic circles, but Reiya seemed to have a firm misconception about Lennok.

“I heard rumors that space-type spellcasters strictly maintain an outsider tradition, but I never imagined the lineage would truly still be alive.”

“…”

“I’ve also received an artifact with a subspace, but its capacity is tiny. How convenient would it be if one could create such a thing directly… What’s it actually like?”

While Reiya chattered, the airship suddenly began to rapidly descend in altitude.

The deepest part of the jungle, where the terrain couldn’t even be properly discerned in the darkness.

The dense trees and bushes vanished, and a plateau-like terrain with countless piles of stones on a wide plain appeared.

Lennok narrowed his eyes, realizing that the stone piles scattered across the plateau were the remnants of something.

‘Structures, a city, an altar… An ancient civilization?’

The remnants of an ancient civilization in the Southern Jungle, now forgotten.

They had arrived at one of the Southern Continent’s worst demonic lands, the Well of the Codex, a place even those who live in this jungle cannot carelessly approach.