Chapter 983: Celestial Spellcraft: Miniature Garden (6)
The first footage from the Gate, transmitted to Olivera’s private laboratory.
It wasn’t sent by the informant dispatched to the Gate, but by the Conjunction Spell Master who had captured him.
“Avesta Chapman…” Lennok murmured the Conjunction Spell Master’s name, staring intently at the face of the man in surgical scrubs visible in the video.
Had he not only detected the informant’s presence but also figured out who was backing him?
“That male you sent to the Gate. His skill was better than expected. It took me a while to find him too.” Regardless of Lennok’s reaction, the Conjunction Spell Master in the video spoke in a flat tone.
“After capturing and interrogating him, he didn’t even know he was an informant. I only got information after rummaging through his brain.”
Clink, clink.
The sound of metal clashing came from outside the screen, and the Conjunction Spell Master’s voice continued.
“Especially, this spellcraft that transmits images using the optic nerve is quite intriguing. I’ve been analyzing it for a long time, but I couldn’t figure out its lineage.”
“……”
“Only after pulling out his eyeball and dissecting the central nerve connected to the brain did I realize this was a type of suggestion from a mystic eye.”
So, the informant Olivera sent to the Gate had been imbued with the ability to record and transmit information from the Gate as video, using her own Mystic Eye?
It was astonishing that she could ‘bestow’ such spellcraft upon an informant and send them, but even more bizarre was the Conjunction Spell Master’s grotesque skill in dissecting the informant to uncover the spellcraft’s true nature.
“So, I decided to do my best with this experimental subject.”
Jii-ji-jik…!!
Jjeo-jeok, tu-duk!!
Each time the screen violently shook, the sounds of tearing and breaking echoed ceaselessly.
Each time, the Conjunction Spell Master frowned, straining his neck as if exerting force somewhere.
“Stay still. Good. It’s done.”
Jjeo-eop!!
At that moment, the camera screen flashed and spun around, following the Conjunction Spell Master’s hand.
The Conjunction Spell Master took a few steps back from the operating table and turned the camera he was holding around.
“If I put the head here, can you see it well?”
“……”
The camera, which had just been lying on the operating table, capturing the ceiling of the operating room, now moved forward and focused on the table.
And there, a human form, limbs restrained, trembling uncontrollably on the operating table.
“Keeping him alive with his head severed was quite a lot of work. If I killed him, the video wouldn’t record.”
“This can’t be……” Claris murmured blankly, realizing that the human on the operating table had no head.
Because she now understood that the camera feed itself was video from a human eye. And that the Conjunction Spell Master had just severed the head where that eye was located.
“After sealing the blood vessels at the severed surface, I connected different blood vessels together.”
The Conjunction Spell Master’s indifferent voice echoed from behind the camera.
“Metabolic functions break down and blood becomes contaminated when oxygen supply is cut, but by cleansing the blood vessels and supplying oxygen and nutrients, I could manage to keep him alive.”
“……”
“I had to practice this state many times. See over there?”
As the camera turned towards the operating room wall, hundreds of human heads were densely hung upon it.
Some were rotting corpses, others were still conscious, convulsing and staring in their direction.
The operating room, splattered with blood, had been entirely unseen when the camera was focused on the ceiling.
In that chamber of death, only one doctor in surgical scrubs remained spotless, without a single drop of blood.
“Do you understand why I created this video and sent it to you?” The Conjunction Spell Master, facing the human head he held as a camera, said.
“That’s right, it’s a warning. If you send another useless chunk of flesh like this, I won’t let it go easily.”
“……”
“If you have business at the Gate, come yourself. Ideally, the mystic eye wielder themselves would come, but if they possess an equally interesting spellcraft, either is fine.”
Beyond his mask, the Conjunction Spell Master’s two eyes seemed to gleam with intriguing light.
“Let’s talk about what you want. Understood?”
Ddu-duk!!
A sound like blood vessels snapping in a head echoed, and the video ended right there.
Did he just ramble on with what he wanted to say, then kill the experimental subject as soon as his point was made?
Lennok, who had been watching the video with an expressionless face, belatedly turned his gaze to Olivera.
“You already knew, didn’t you?”
Olivera hadn’t bothered to hide her discomfort even before opening the video with Lennok.
A reaction only possible if she had surmised that the informant had not only been captured by the Conjunction Spell Master but had also become his plaything.
“It’s not that I ‘knew’.” Olivera snorted.
“It’s more accurate to say it became a foregone conclusion the moment the video arrived.”
“……”
“He’s a madman with an uniquely twisted ability within the Alliance. Whatever he did, there’s no reason to simply accept that unpleasantness.” Olivera said, erasing the screen with a flick of her hand.
“Similarly, there’s no reason to readily accede to his demands.”
“I agree that meeting the Conjunction Spell Master is extremely dangerous.” Claris asked, “But if we don’t go through the First Gate, wouldn’t acquiring the Veil Shard be practically impossible?”
“I’ll go.” Lennok said with a calm expression. “As you said, we’ll switch roles if there’s no progress. Once I reach the Gate, I’ll assess the situation—”
“No. The situation has changed since then. The moment the Conjunction Spell Master became aware of our presence, it became impossible to infiltrate the Gate undetected.” Olivera’s mystic eye, observing Lennok from behind her veil, gleamed intensely.
“If you or I head to the Gate, we would inevitably have to prepare for a confrontation with the Conjunction Spell Master. That would, ultimately, deviate from our goal of heading to the Outer Tribulation City.”
“……” Lennok was about to say that perhaps they didn’t necessarily have to fight the Conjunction Spell Master, but he grimaced and fell silent.
Because it felt absurd to try and convince Olivera with an argument he himself didn’t believe.
Even though he had only encountered him briefly through the video, it was clear that the Conjunction Spell Master was a madman far beyond imagination.
Considering his origin as a specialty-type spellcaster, his skill must have reached an incredible level, matching his twisted mind.
If he desires combat, would it be possible to avoid him and safely retrieve the Veil Shard?
No, could he even return safely from the Gate without anticipating a fight in the first place?
“I’d like to go instead, but I’m afraid I…”
“The Conjunction Spell Master is a monster who enjoys dissecting and analyzing living humans.” Lennok cut her off curtly.
“It wouldn’t be strange for him to go wild with eyes rolling back, demanding to dissect a Long-lived Being if he saw one.”
“If you wish for suicide, why not directly donate your body to my research wing instead? That would be far more useful.”
“……” As Claris sighed and fell silent, Olivera fell into thought.
“But… his discovery of the informant was unexpected. I only leaked a simple suggestion with my mystic eye; he shouldn’t have been aware he was acting as a spy himself.”
“That means the Conjunction Spell Master’s insight and ability to detect anomalies have reached an exceptional level.”
“Someone skilled enough in stealth to infiltrate the Gate, and with the ability to escape the Conjunction Spell Master, would be needed.”
“Yes. At the very least, they must be able to avoid detection by the Conjunction Spell Master until the Veil Shard is acquired.”
“……”
“Difficult conditions. Honestly, even if I were to summon my subordinate directors, finding a suitable candidate might be hard.”
Hearing that, Lennok’s expression turned thoughtful.
A talent capable of approaching the Gate, acquiring the Veil Shard without arousing the Conjunction Spell Master’s suspicion, and then escaping him unscathed.
At least someone who appeared to have no connection to Olivera or Lennok outwardly.
“……I see.” Lennok looked up and spoke.
“Claris. I’ll take today’s class a few hours earlier, in the evening.”
“Did you think of something?”
“I’m not sure… but there’s something I’d like to try.” Lennok said, heading straight for the laboratory door.
“We’ll talk again tomorrow.”
Click!
Lennok left without waiting for a reply.
A quiet stillness filled the space left by the wizard, and a chilling light gleamed behind the veil.
In the laboratory, with the fluttering veil between them, only Olivera and Claris remained.
“Just now, you deliberately withheld a piece of information from Adamant Thunder,” Claris said, turning to Olivera.
“Why did you obstruct Adamant Thunder from heading to the Gate?”
“That man once incurred a deep grudge from the Blaiver Magic Tower Lord,” Olivera replied languidly.
“Since the First Gate’s capture originated from Adamant Thunder’s actions, it wouldn’t be strange for the Magic Tower Lord to act if he headed there.”
“No. I believe there’s another reason.” Despite Olivera’s utterly cynical words, Claris spoke calmly.
“There’s something you want Adamant Thunder’s help with, no matter what. Isn’t that right?”
“……”
“So, you don’t want to risk Adamant Thunder heading into a death trap at this moment?” Claris said, as if understanding.
“If his talent is noticeable even to a Long-lived Being like myself, I can only imagine how it appears to you.”
Even to Claris, who had witnessed countless monsters and geniuses, that wizard’s capabilities had reached an unrealistic level.
A boundless transcendence, as if he existed beyond hierarchy yet ascended to even greater heights.
When speaking to him face-to-face, he was clearly human, yet as time passed, he became increasingly incomprehensible.
Claris had already intuited the true nature of that incomprehensibility.
“Adamant Thunder probably already knows. And he’s asking you anyway.” Claris said to the silent Olivera.
“What you desire in Kundara is—”
“The idea was plausible, but the conclusion is entirely wrong.”
Rainbow-colored mystic eyes gleamed sharply.
“I don’t deny the talent for defying the flow of time. It’s not unlike you Long-lived Beings.”
“……”
“I am moving precisely to avoid clinging to such aptitudes.”
After Claris finished teaching the Celestial Spellcraft lesson and left with the Guardian Spirit Beast to tour the Magic Tower,
Lennok remained alone in the underground cavern, standing with his eyes closed.
“……I’ve mostly sorted it out.”
Claris Richellen wouldn’t accompany him to Kundara, so he would need to learn Celestial Spellcraft from her to twist the Veil and find a way into Kundara.
Strictly speaking, exiting Kundara would be as problematic as entering it.
At the very least, he must always have an escape method prepared himself to successfully conclude this journey.
That’s why Lennok hadn’t even considered other possibilities regarding directly learning Celestial Spellcraft from the outset.
He had learned the basics of Celestial Spellcraft from Claris, but the night was still long.
In the single day Olivera allowed, there were two more spellcrafts he needed to examine as quickly as possible.
Thinking that, Lennok pulled out two grimoires from his pocket, emitting intense magical power.
Wooooooong……!!!
Two tomes, scattering intense thoughts just by holding them.
The value of their contents was overwhelming, even compared to any grimoire Lennok had seen until now.
Two forbidden arts borrowed from the Archive of Darkness, Nox Biblio, with Naoise Penn’s permission.
The [Black God Demonic Art], which replaces the Miniature Universe by containing darkness throughout the body, and the [Hellfire Illusion Palace], which manipulates the flames of the negative dimension.
“The Black God Demonic Art would likely be helpful right away, but…”
A demonic art with training methods Lennok could realistically perform, and an ability that would be practically useful to Lennok.
Strictly speaking, it felt more like a physical training method than spellcraft, but analyzing and theorizing it wouldn’t be a difficult task for Lennok.
The important thing was whether the Black God Demonic Art’s abilities could genuinely and meaningfully assist Lennok’s body.
However, knowing that, Lennok put down the Black God Demonic Art and first opened the other grimoire.
Hellfire Illusion Palace.
It’s a spellcraft that literally transforms and manipulates the flames of the negative dimension, called hellfire, into specific forms.
The book cover had a unique appearance, flickering as if ablaze with black-green flames.
The grimoire’s pages also swayed as if flickering flames with each turn.
Lennok’s expression, as he quickly read through the grimoire’s contents, had become noticeably more cautious than before.
“Indeed……”
Hellfire is, in other words, the flame of the negative dimension.
That, in turn, means it’s a kind of [ember] rarely found in this world.
The power to materialize and manipulate flames that don’t exist in this world, wielding them as weapons.
Certainly, if he mastered and used this spellcraft, Lennok’s combat style could become much stronger in various ways compared to before.
But Lennok, knowing that, instead of learning the Hellfire Illusion Palace, simply closed the grimoire.
Because it wasn’t Adamant Thunder who needed to learn this spellcraft now, and it wasn’t meant to be used here.
He had thought it since seeing this spellcraft in the Archive of Darkness; the value of Hellfire Illusion Palace wasn’t simply power.
What was important was justification.
And it was a justification that could convince everyone else, not just Lennok.
“You seem to have come to a conclusion.”
The day after watching the Conjunction Spell Master’s video.
Lennok stood in the Cartel headquarters office with Claris.
Because Lennok himself had insisted on meeting Olivera in a place where his phone had signal.
“So, can we now hear the explanation for what method you had in mind?”
“If the Conjunction Spell Master is a strong individual with such a nature, the chances of acquiring the Veil Shard are low, even if we send another informant.” Lennok said, lifting his phone. “Even if we exchange real-time communications and adjust the plan, communicating through a mana storm would take considerable time. Either way, it’s a waste of time.”
“You. You had something in mind after all.” Olivera’s eyes, watching Lennok from behind her veil, gleamed with a strange light.
“What are you planning to do?”
“There’s a spellcaster I know who has the suitable capabilities for this task.” Lennok said, tapping his phone with one hand and scrutinizing his calendar. “We can entrust this job to that person.”
“So… you mean there’s a spellcaster powerful enough for you to trust with such an important matter?” Olivera sounded utterly incredulous.
“It’s hard enough to believe you would entrust a task to another spellcaster, but are you saying a spellcaster of that caliber is just idling away their time?”
The Van that Olivera knew was a mad wizard who wasn’t satisfied unless he handled everything himself.
Someone who respected others emotionally, but never relied on anyone else in critical matters.
For such a great wizard to not only entrust another spellcaster with such a crucial matter, but even guarantee their capabilities…
Even Olivera, who had little interest in Lennok’s relationships, showed a momentary flicker of interest.
“It’s not about trusting them. On the contrary, precisely because they’re not an ally, it’s easier to deal with them for this kind of task.” But Lennok, in response to Olivera’s question, instead flashed a strange smile and gestured with his phone.
“More importantly, the wizard I’m about to ask for help is someone you also know.”
“A spellcaster I know…”
“I’ve been thinking about something recently, ever since visiting Nox Biblio and the studio.” Lennok said, putting his phone back in his pocket. “Although I’m concerned that his traces remain in this city more than expected, that level should be enough to approach the Gate without arousing the Conjunction Spell Master’s suspicion.”
“Are you saying it’s a spellcaster known to both you and me, who won’t arouse the Conjunction Spell Master’s suspicion?” Olivera retorted with a chilling voice.
“How is that even possible?”
“It’s simple.” Lennok turned to face them and smiled.
“Because he wouldn’t suspect a wizard who has already fought against me, lost, and survived, of being on my side.”
“……”
“……”
A wizard who had once been defeated by Adamant Thunder yet managed to cling to their life.
Lennok’s accumulated achievements were immeasurable, but surprisingly few people met that condition.
No, strictly speaking, it was a description that practically singled someone out.
Olivera and Claris, silently pondering his words, had their expressions change simultaneously.
“You… surely not?”
“You’re insane. To think you’d come up with something so preposterous.”
The decisive battle between two great wizards that shook the entire megacity.
A spellcaster whose capabilities Lennok guaranteed, and whose face Olivera knew.
“I knew you were preparing something when you said you needed time, but……” Claris murmured, as if unable to believe it. “Surely you’re not planning to entrust this task to him?”
I open my eyes.
“I’ve arrived.”
As I sat up and rotated my shoulders, my neck and arms felt stiff.
With awkward gestures, I alternately touched my chin and the hem of my clothes as I stood.
“I never thought I’d be the first to arrive here, in this identity…”
It’s ironic.
Among Lennok’s three identities, the one once bound by the strictest mission has become free in this manner.
The name of the flame wizard, who had to manage his reputation while associated with the Eyes of Blue, is now released, free from any constraints.
Not everything Lennok planned and attempted proceeded according to his initial intentions.
Nevertheless, it’s also true that whenever such unexpected coincidences led to new opportunities, he felt a strange sense of emotion.
Hiss! Lennok pulled out a thick cigar from his pocket instead of a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and began to walk.
“Shall we go?”
An 8th-level flame wizard, and the successor who inherited Jindun’s barrier spellcraft.
Former Watcher of the Eyes of Blue. Apostle-Slayer who subdued the Cult’s 10th Apostle, Amrita Fraubel.
Cheonbeon (Trampling Flame) Evan Martinez.
Central Front, arrival.