◈ Chapter 79. A Senior’s Dignity (3)
[Broken Dimensional Rift].
It’s always been a rift with a strange landscape.
This one was beyond bizarre.
“It’s kind of like when the graphics were broken.”
Reality and Arcana.
I couldn’t clearly see the landscape of either world.
I don’t know if that’s the right word.
It was like a rift had been forced open……..
“Wait.”
A sudden realization dawned on me.
Today wasn’t Thursday.
A new update.
It wasn’t a day for new cracks to appear.
So the [Broken Dimensional Rift] was not a planned rift.
My impression that it was a forced rift must not be true.
“Do all rifts look like this?”
“No. Anomaly’s space isn’t this bad.”
“Then I’m glad to hear it.”
Sure enough, it was Marcelo.
This must be the first time he’s ever entered a rift.
And he recognized something fishy right away.
Marcelo continued.
“As you say. It wouldn’t do to let the outside world know what’s going on.”
It wasn’t just anyone, it was the chief of the tower.
It was bad enough that a senior mage had gone missing, but to have his disappearance linked to the chief of the tower? The implications would be far-reaching.
“We’ll make this quick.”
Marcelo declares.
I say it again.
I couldn’t be more confident. I mean it.
And then the magic in Marcelo’s body flared.
I recognized the search as soon as I saw it.
It was tracking magic.
Soon, Marcelo’s eyes lit up.
“I’ve picked up Vanguard’s magic. I’ll open the portal.”
The portal appeared instantly.
…… would have lost a third of his mana in just two manifestations.
For Marcelo, it didn’t seem to take any energy at all.
I’m back on track.
I still have a long, long way to go.
But I have made my presence felt.
I’ve never left anyone behind.
And again-
“……Who is it!”
It must be the sound of his shoes.
It’s impossible to kill a favorite with Grandfell’s personality.
His stride is always full of power.
“Ma, Marcelo, your co-researcher Ho-Yeol Lee?”
I turned to see a white-faced Vanguard. His brown curly hair disheveled. I swallowed a sigh of relief at his seemingly flustered reaction.
“You don’t look hostile.
It was Marcelo who spoke before me.
“Vanguard. I have an idea what the story is.”
“…… Chief Marcelo. I, uh, I.”
“We’re not here to question you.”
“……!”
Vanguard shook his head.
Thank goodness, he thought again.
I mean, look at me, coming into this rift all by myself.
I’d have been spitting venom right from the start.
Well, I recognized you from the moment you tried to bribe me.
You ruined a conference I organized.
I realize this too.
‘They say a word is worth a thousand debts, right?
Well, I guess it’s impossible to convince you with words.
Vanguard’s magic pulses through his body.
“……I already know you’re not the one to do that, Chief Marcelo. But I’m sorry. I can’t let this opportunity pass me by!”
Pure magic.
There is no such thing as an inefficient search.
Magic that utilizes only pure magic as a weapon, and as such, is second to none in terms of destructive power. The pinnacle of such pure magic, the Vanguard Tom.
Boom!
He manifested his magic.
“Please forgive my behavior.”
Ssshhhhhhhhh!
I recognized it as soon as I saw it.
A beam of condensed magic power.
The structure of the magic was simple and straightforward, with nothing to analyze.
The only thing to search for was vast amounts of magic power.
An interference that maximized only destructive power.
And a swift manifestation.
“!”
Quack, quack, quack, quack─!
The destructive power was beyond imagination.
Crunch, crunch, crunch─!
The earth was crushed and the atmosphere shook.
Even the rising dust evaporated without a trace.
……Is this a real?
What was even more terrifying was that Vanguard’s magic contained no murderous intent. Vanguard was merely trying to keep us away. The deflected trajectory of his magic was proof of that.
But the destructive power of a deflected spell.
This much power.
So this is the senior mage of Magic Tower?
The Magic Tower was not called the most powerful military organization on the continent of Arcana for nothing……! Marcelo manifested a shield to offset the aftermath.
Truly, a self-defense technique for someone with so much mana.
‘I’m insanely envious.
Naturally, I’m in a position where I need to maximize my mana supply.
As usual, I’m being a dick.
I have no choice but to use what I have and what I don’t.
The object of my search is the pure magic that pervades this space.
The power of the Vanguard, to be exact.
I searched for the aftermath of the rushing magic.
I interfered and manifested magic.
Naturally, complex interference is impossible.
As I said, the power was no joke.
To avoid getting caught, I would have to simplify the interference process.
Of course, it wasn’t necessary.
What I was looking for was pure magic.
I needed to know how to interfere and manifest this pure magic.
I would learn through experience.
Dudongsil─
Hundreds of spheres of magic power floated in the air.
Yes, it was light.
The basic magic light of pure magic.
“……!!”
For a moment, I felt the piercing stares.
Marcelo and Vanguard looked at each other as if they could not see.
In a place where all sorts of high-level magic was rampant.
I’m sure they never expected to see such lowly basic magic.
But this is my best, my way.
With the lowly level of 296.
Just trying to survive in a level 900 rift.
I can’t help it if you look at me like that.
I said shamelessly.
“That’s not much of a welcome. Vanguard Tom, Senior Mage.”
My mouth dropped open at the lame retort.
Vanguard shouted.
“Damn it, please leave me alone!”
At this point, I was convinced.
……I think I’m helping by shutting up and staying still.
SOOOOOOO-!
Vanguard made me do it again.
But this time, Marcelo wasn’t watching.
It manifested just as quickly.
Quack, quack, quack!
Vast amounts of magic power collided.
The victor seemed clear.
Marcelo opened his mouth.
“I don’t want any part of this senselessness. Vanguard.”
That’s why Marcelo was in charge.
Yes, this was the same Marcelo who had theorized most of the magic in existence.
Which meant that no other mage was more familiar with the properties of binding magic than Marcelo.
“Damn it!”
In the end, it was Vanguard who stepped back.
A short teleport.
Vanguard ducked for cover.
……Thank goodness the battlefield is in a rift.
Imagine if we were in the real world.
Dozens of buildings had already been blown up and mountains would have collapsed, but the end of this battle seemed obvious.
Chief vs. Senior.
The difference was obvious.
Had Vanguard realized that, too?
He didn’t unleash his magic quickly enough.
Vanguard gritted his teeth and spoke.
“Do you know ……?”
“What do you mean?”
“It was the reason. Why I came here.”
Vanguard glared at Marcelo.
“You will never understand my feelings, Chief Marcelo, born of the prestigious Mado family of the Empire, born with great talent.”
Marcelo, you come from a very good family.
But why am I suddenly staring at you?
“The same goes for you, Mr. Lee.”
I winced, my feet tingling like a burglar.
……Has he noticed my black history?
Heir to the great House of Claudie,
and the possessor of an unfathomable amount of talent?!
But.
Naturally, the setting is a secret only I can reveal.
“A fleeting moment, enough time to counter my magic with pure magic science. If only I had the same talent as you… … ! There would have been no reason to come here.”
As you can see.
It was a simple comment about my talent.
But unfair, nonetheless.
Vanguard needed to look beneath the surface.
He needed to see how much I was struggling.
I can’t make that full sound.
Marcelo seemed to sympathize with my snarky thoughts.
“Vanguard. You have a big misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding……?”
“My life isn’t great enough to warrant your envy.”
“What do you mean ……, Chief Marcelo?”
“You’ll understand soon enough.”
He was simply trying to be comforting.
It didn’t reach Vanguard’s ears.
Vanguard gritted his teeth again and shouted.
“No, before you ask for understanding, why don’t you understand me, Chief Marcelo? I have no bloodlines, no talent. Doesn’t the chief know it well? The position of pure magic science, which is collapsing because of a guy like me… … !”
Suddenly, I remembered what Marcelo had said.
He’d said I had a terrible self-esteem for my skills.
I can’t think of a better way to describe Vanguard.
I could imagine the look on the faces of the other mages in the tower when they heard that.
I don’t know much about Vanguard’s poor family history, but if what he says is true, then…….
‘You mean you entered the Mage Tower without such a previlage?’
As if that weren’t bad enough, he became a senior mage.
In the end, he’s just bragging.
So there was no reason to listen anymore.
No, there was no point in listening in the first place.
I opened my mouth.
“Enough with the whining. Vanguard Tom.”
” ……Did you say whining?”
“I don’t care about your blood or your talent.”
Judging someone by their blood and natural talent?
I don’t think the pride of the Grandfell would tolerate such behavior.
Of course, it wasn’t the kind of pride that would be changed by hearing specific stories.
Yes, this moment.
There’s only one thing the damn pride wants.
“To keep in mind that the conference is not over yet.”
The last speaker of the regular conference.
It was to set up Vanguard Tom in Crystal Hall.
“All I want to ask you about is your research.”
“……!”
“Not your family name, not your bloodline, not your talent.”
Vanguard muttered to himself at my words.
“Ha, Society, I did my best to prepare, and you forgot.”
He seems to have come to his senses.
Marcelo let out a sigh.
But it’s not over yet.
My pride was not yet satisfied.
“But first.”
“?”
“I will hold you accountable for what has happened.”
Yes, I’d better be sure of something.
How the Rift came to me in such a hurry that I forgot all about the conference I had prepared for.
How I came to the Rift and cried about the difference between blood and talent.
And the last conversation you had with the chief of the Magic Tower.
You will have to submit a reason that the pride judges reasonable.
Only then will you be able to present your research at the regular meeting.
Vanguard ruffled his hair.
” ……I was summoned by the Elder Mage in the middle of a regular conference.”
Marcelo nodded.
“I had guessed that. What exactly did you talk about?”
“It was about this rift.”
“I see.”
So far, so expected.
I asked.
“There must be a reason you think this rift is more important than the conference.”
“Well, that’s. I’m not sure, now that I think about it.”
“What do you mean?”
Vanguard looked genuinely confused.
“The Elder apparently said that there is truth in this rift.”
“There is truth in the rift? You mean the elder said that?”
“Yes. He said that within the rift is the truth you seek, and that once you have it, no one will look down on you…….”
Marcelo’s expression grew serious.
The reason was simple.
“You know that, don’t you, Vanguard? Truth is not so easily won, because it is not so easily won. Even what is called truth.”
“I know that! That’s why I’m confused. Why, I don’t know if I’m letting those words blur my judgment…….”
“I understand it well enough. There’s no need to force yourself to think about it; we’ll talk about it when we get back, if you don’t mind?”
I nodded at Marcelo’s request for understanding.
I wasn’t convinced by pride.
It was simply recognition.
“To have such a suspicious conversation.”
That the elder mage had no intention of letting Vanguard live.
Thinking about it, the question grew.
Why?
Why would the Elder Mage, the head of the tower, want to harm Vanguard Tom, the senior mage?
And why would he lure Vanguard into the Rift with the promise of truth?
It’s complicated.
I can’t even begin to tell you how complicated his inner workings are.
It makes my head hurt just thinking about it.
But the tangle of questions.
It didn’t take me long to unravel it.
Kwajik-!
“!!!”
A boom echoes through the cracks.
The landscape crumbled like a broken graphic.
A gigantic hand shot out of the rift.
Kwazizik─!
A black, vicious grip snatched at space.
Kwajijijijik─!
It began to tear the space apart.
“What the hell is that……?”
Neither Vanguard nor Marcelo could speak at the sight.
But I got it.
How Vanguard had fallen for such an obvious lie.
Why they’d lured him into this crack.
And the identity of that giant hand.
All thanks to a message that flashed before his eyes.
[Skill, ‘Natural Enemy’ is activated].
The demon hunter’s senses sharpened.
My sense of smell has also developed.
Somehow I knew this place stank from the start, I thought.
“Foolishly.”
I pulled the offering from my inventory and held it up.
[The pentagram of impure knowledge]
[Rating: Epic]
[Limitations: None]
[Effect: Sealed]
[Description: Sealed with a demonic curse, its effects are sealed. It must be purified to know its full effect].
“You are impatient, you inferior.”
[The pentagram of impure knowledge has been chosen as the sacrifice].
[Skill, ‘Exorcism Ritual’ is triggered].
[??? is invited to the ‘ritual’].
I guess it hasn’t fully revealed itself yet.
Question mark, the demon’s name was unknown.
But even if it is an unnamed demon, so be it.
Grandfell cannot hesitate in the face of a demon.
Neither can I, Lee Ho-yeol.
‘Normally, I wouldn’t know.
On either side of me now are the Chief and Senior of Magic Tower.
Marcelo and Vanguard.
So whoever it was, he was caught.
Even if he became the Demon King. whether it is evil
It was because this moment was just an experience.
i decide to change translation from crack to rift