◈ Episode 341. The World Line Without You (4)
licking.
“It was burned moderately. Just enough to complain.”
Tower Master licked his burnt fur.
‘I’ve probably just lost a half of my life.’
More than any other mage in the Magic Tower, Tower Master was able to assess his condition calmly. Of course. In order to manifest the forbidden magic of separating the body and soul, you must accurately understand your vessel.
‘Not a bad deal.’
Soul-Splitting Magic.
The moment Tower Master came into contact with the Dragon Breath.
He separated his soul from his body, minimizing the damage. As you can see, the damage was done to his body, but his soul and the magic that comes from it were able to escape the aftermath.
If it had been any other magic, he would have been unharmed. Even the highest level of magic, Meteor Strike, is no exception, but it was Dragon Breath that struck.
Tower Master, considering that his physical condition is not intact…….
It wouldn’t be surprising if he failed to flush it out and died.
But as you can see.
licking.
A few scorched fur and that was it.
A late magical accomplishment when it was time to die? That’s ridiculous. Didn’t I just say that I’m a mage with a rare ability to grasp subjects?
Thanks to you, I know.
“Oh, so you’re the one with the raggedy body. A dragon~?”
You’re just as out of sorts as I am, dragon.
“Tower Master!”
“Did you see that, that’s the Tower Master of our Magic Tower!”
“Uh, how did you let him get away with that?”
The faces of the senior mages flushed with color.
Tower Master smiled.
It wasn’t a warm smile, but a cold one.
“Ha.”
With eyes like that, I’m deeply concerned about the future of Magic Tower, especially when I see Senior Bensch William’s shoulders shaking, I sigh beyond ridicule.
But on the other hand, if I think about it…….
‘At least he’s better than I was back then.’
Soon, the dragon’s wings glow again.
Or, more accurately, a replacement for wings.
The white outer wings of the Magic Tower.
The past flashed through the Tower Master’s mind like a beacon. From his days as a adept mage. The dozens of times he’d been called to the official agenda of the Tower Roundtable to study forbidden magic.
‘Perhaps I was born at the right time.’
The Magic Tower back then was not the same as it is now.
Even if you say you value discipline.
Because they had no sincere interest in others, the punishment was extremely light.
‘Chief, to think that there was someone like you…….’
Perhaps he himself was kicked out of the Magic Tower early on.
Perhaps he would have become an imperial mage or a nobleman and lived in the world.
Tower Master’s tail flicked.
“Well, that wouldn’t be a bad ending.”
Kuwahhhhhhhhhhhh!
The pressure was overwhelming.
How can he shoot out such a breath without giving me a chance to catch my breath?
A dragon was a dragon, even if its body wasn’t intact.
Tower Master raised his magic power.
One might ask.
Shouldn’t he just dodge it?
If it’s a short-range teleport, it’s easy enough to avoid.
Sure, it’s easy to dodge.
But if I avoid it, who will face that breath?
The real world, the world of adventurers.
‘They’ve already caused enough trouble.’
It wouldn’t be surprising if a single Breath could cost millions of lives and destroy several cities. In order to deal with such a breath, Tower Master manifested two kinds of magic at the same time.
Kwaaaaaaahhhhhhh─!
He twisted the Breath’s trajectory slightly and focused on himself.
Kwakwakwakwakkwa-!
Upon impact, Tower Master unleashed a soul-splitting magic.
Separated my body from my mind.
Of course, I can’t waste too much time.
Separation of the soul and body is quite consuming lot of magic power.
Successful this time.
However, the damage to my body begins to accumulate.
This time, several strands of his mustache burned off.
‘I can’t believe I ended up like this just from the residual damage.’
I realize with a start.
It’s not for nothing that the proud Magic Tower declared complete defeat in the Dragon Magic War. Of course, Tower Master was happy about winning and losing in the Second Dragon Magic War. If I could end it by surrendering, I could declare unconditional surrender to that dragon right now.
But alas.
“You don’t seem to have any intention of listening to me, Elder Dragon.”
More than just his physical condition, the Elder Dragon’s mental state was not good. According to the adventurers’ reports, its exact name was Eunaxus, the Elder Dragon that swallowed the evil fruit.
‘I don’t know exactly what it is, but it’s something called a Evil Fruit.’
Even without that information, it was enough to give me a strange feeling. Eunaxus, who had been pouring out his breath as if it would kill him at any moment, suddenly began to twist his body.
Krrrrrrr-!
At that moment, an unfamiliar voice was heard.
“It’s a pattern! He unleashed two large attacks in succession. We were also given dealing time. I don’t know how long that will take.”
Flap flutter!
Is it because I just faced a dragon?
The wyvern’s wings are relatively cute.
Where Tower Master’s gaze was directed, there was an adventurer.
Knight’s armor.
Tanned skin.
By all appearances, he was not a member of the Magic Tower.
Fortunately, it seemed like things were spherical with Marcelo.
“What brings you here, Sir Skal?”
“I apologize if I’m intruding, Chief Marcelo. But in Commander-in-Chief Lee’s absence, and now that the dragon has appeared, I have no choice but to act.”
“What a distraction. Thank you for your courage.”
Hmm…….
My past self would have scoffed.
What does a mere adventurer think they know?
Why don’t you show off your resurrection powers?
I might even have shot a little magic at the adventurer.
‘You were a narrow-minded little man, old me.’
But that self is no more.
Wasn’t there someone who broke that prejudice?
As expected, it was him.
‘I have a lot to be thankful for.’
Once again, it was Chief Lee.
He had seen in Hoyeol something different from the Arcanians.
Because he was a Tower Master who witnessed the potential that only adventurers have.
The Tower Master asked Skal.
“So this is your chance, adventurer?”
……The cat has just gotten the Dragon Breath, and now he’s talking to him. Skal looks confused, and Marcelo explains succinctly.
“It’s the Tower Master.”
“What, a cat was a Master of Magic Tower……!”
“It’s the Tower Master who changed his appearance due to circumstances.”
“Ahh.”
Apparently convinced, Skal continued.
“That’s right! It’s not going to be easy to land a hit on a rampaging dragon, but……. As you know, boss raids are supposed to be long battles, right?”
Boss raids.
I couldn’t fully understand it due to the communication problems between the two worlds, but it must mean a long battle. Tower Master nodded.
Skal nodded in return.
“So, if you can tank Dragon Breath like you are now……. If you can do that, it will give your allies a chance to attack, and if the battle is repeated and the dragon’s health drops to the right level…….”
Skal’s pupils flared.
“I will mount the dragon!”
“……?”
Tower Master gave him a catlike look.
Oh, no, he’s going to misunderstand.
Marcelo diligently explains.
“Sir Skal is a Dragon Knight.”
“Aha. You have faith in him, so you’re confident.”
Softly─
The tail wags.
Not bad.
At least he has a plan, so it’s worth risking my life for.
Tower Master concluded.
Chief Lee Hoyeol, now that he doesn’t exist.
the adventurer named Skal’s plan is the best.
‘It will be impossible to defeat that creature.’
An adventurer who has achieved the fate of a dragon knight.
From this man, please, Chief Lee.
I can only hope to witness a light of similar brightness as yours.
The Tower Lord then gave his orders.
“Listen up, all senior mages, I’m about to authorize the use of the Decisive Magic Tools. The subject of this authorization is the enemy of the Dragon Magic War, the dragon currently flying over our heads.”
At the same time as the permission was granted.
Grip, grip, grip!
Numerous magic spells fill the air.
Freezing, flame, lightning…….
Attribute spells of destructive power are unleashed.
From illusions to healing magic.
Non-combat magic compensates for the weaknesses of attribute magic.
“Shall we move?”
The elder mage, Yugweed, did not stand still.
The golem’s magic heart emitted an intense light.
Urrrr-!
It crouches down as if in a ready stance.
It leaps towards the sky.
“What is that!”
“Rocks. It’s Thousand Islands……. Did you build a real merger robot or something? What’s that thing rising out of the sea? Did you hide it in the Pacific Ocean? So those movies were based on a true story after all?”
“……What are you talking about?”
The heavy leap was enough to startle the Zero Mountains player.
Of course, all the while, Harkon was keeping an eye on the situation.
This allowed him to shout.
“Prepare for an all-out attack!”
Sreung—!
Harkon drew his sword.
I didn’t immediately understand what he meant by preparing to attack from this distance, but an order is an order. Including Nam Taemin and Skal, who were talking to each other. The entire Holy War Alliance raised their weapons.
Harkon’s eyes narrowed.
“Come!”
The golem soared into the sky.
cheog─!
A giant grasp grabbed the dragon by the ankles.
ssaeaeaeaeaeaeg─!
It was using all its weight to pull the Elder Dragon Eunaxus down to the Zero Mountains. Camilla stuttered as she watched from the vastness of the archer’s vision.
“So that’s how our Jesse got to be an Adept Mage, huh? That’s great, Jesse. Yeah, it’s all good, but……! I wonder if we’ll be okay if that thing falls down here?”
“……!!!”
The weight of the golem added to the dragon.
The impact would be comparable to a nuclear missile.
To the vast Zero Mountains, it would be nothing more than a scratch.
The problem was the players who sprawled across the Zero Mountains.
Like Camilla, a member of the Shining’s executive.
Dmitri stood beside her, fussing.
“What do you think the Magic Tower mages here can do about it? Maybe if we pool our powers and manifest some magic, we can stop it! It doesn’t look like it’s going to fall squarely on our heads…….”
A noise that cut off his sentence.
kwakakakakwang!
The golem grabbed his ankles, blocking his movement.
The magic from the senior mages had hit Eunaxus.
Watching the scene, Jibril, an adept mage, spoke up.
“……You can’t stop something like that.”
Jibril, the mage of the Magic Tower, knows.
The rumors surrounding the twenty senior mages of Magic Tower.
All but one descended from the most prestigious families on the continent. Even the lone commoner, Senior Vangrit Tom, possesses an innate affinity for magic that rivals that of the most prestigious.
The power of such a senior mage is usually…….
“At least ten times the power of our adept mages.”
And if you include the decisive magic tools.
Fifty times, if not more.
And yet, even the combined efforts of such adept mages were doing little damage to the dragon. They were merely scratching at its scales. Even with their own strength, they could not…….
“We will never…….”
“No, Jibril.”
“……?”
“You don’t go out there because you think you can, do you?”
Jibril lifted her trembling head, and there was Klee. The normally soft, glazed Klee. She had an arm around her trembling shoulders, a rather serene expression on her face.
“I’m doing it because I have to, because I have to.”
Jibril spat out an honest sentiment.
” ……Have you been affected by being around Chief Lee, Klee?”
“What? All of a sudden? What are you talking about?”
“No, I’m saying it turned ugly.”
Jibril pulled herself together.
Klee was right, even if it wasn’t under his teaching.
It was time for the mages of the Magic Tower to stand up for themselves.
A mage must prove their worth in magic to live. There would be no better opponent to demonstrate their abilities than the King of All.
seuwaaaaag─!
Crash is imminent.
The forms of the Golem and Eunaxus are rapidly growing in size.
The mages of the Magic Tower summoned their magic power and created a magic barrier.
Hisagi muttered to himself.
“…… That’s no joke.”
“What, are you muttering to yourself?”
“I had a guess, but it’s on a different level.”
A class, a magic spearman.
Hisagi was half mage and often traveled to the Magic Tower. Because of this, Hisagi had encountered mages and felt their level of magic indirectly.
It was far beyond his expectations.
“Even with the difference between skill and magic, this…….”
Manifesting a barrier with magic was one of the least efficient forms of magic, but to be able to create a barrier of this magnitude, let alone maintain it.
Hisagi adds to Leonie.
“Honestly, I wonder if I can keep up.”
Leonie sheathed her twin swords and grimly replied.
“We’ll have to catch up, at least then we can do something.”
I could only shrug.
Ineffective magic?
I was worried about something far more ineffective than that, Hoyeol, our commander-in-chief, and I was going into battle with that on my mind.
“Isn’t everyone trying to do their best?”
“…… What did he say all of a sudden?”
“Don’t ask me that on a friendly basis, Mr. Nam.”
“Come on. Just in pairs.”
A moment of conversation to break the tension.
kwakwakwakwakwang─!
With a loud crash, Eunaxus and the golem crashed into the Zero Mountains.
The result.
The magic barrier created by the mages of the Magic Tower did not collapse.
kwadeug!
kwadeudeug!
kwadeug!
Countless shards of rock bounced from the impact.
It was a perfect defense against the missile-like shards.
But the problem was something that was overlooked.
Dragons.
Even if it’s not intact.
The creature still called the King of All.
kwajikkeun─!
“?!!”
The noise was not coming from the magic barrier, but from the ground where everyone was stepping. The Zero Mountains, which were supposed to be so vast, had begun to shake with the fall of the Eunaxus and the Golem.
A message flashed in the players’ vision.
[The Elder Dragon, Eunaxus, who devoured the evil fruit, transforms the field].
[The Zero Mountains worship the King of All].
[The Zero Mountains build a citadel for the King].
……The Zero Mountains build a citadel?
The question was fleeting.
For the next moment, the once flat land began to rise like a really tall wall, scattering and isolating the Holy War Alliance.
“Can you hear?”
“Yes, I can hear you! I think the rock wall has separated us.”
“Shit, what the hell happened……?”
But before they could regain their composure.
Another realization hits them.
Yes, they’re not alone in the vast Zero Mountains.
As they slowly turn around, they see a looming shadow.
“!”
[Moon Glaive Bear: Lv.800]
“What the fuck……?!”
A hellish scene unfolded in the Zero Mountains.
“Oh my.”
Tower Master’s body began to glow as he stared at Eunaxus. It wasn’t magic, it was the power of a man who knew his subject well, a power that even he couldn’t understand.
Tower Master licked his forepaws and muttered.
“Is this a helium reflection? It’s not that bad.”
.
.
.
However, there is no such thing as a dramatic halo in the real world. Especially in the Arcana worldview, when something happens, it’s usually followed by some sort of cause.
-“Hey, Dragon, your opponent is me.”
Of course.
This moment.
There was a reason for the strange phenomenon that had occurred to Tower Master.
A tiny animal that received the dragon’s breath.
A cat that dared to challenge the King of All, the Dragon, and call him Dragon~.
Lee Hoyeol, who was absent under such circumstances.
Another illusion spreads through the world.
-……That cat is related to Lee Hoyeol no matter how many times you look at it.
-Netubers say that’s the cat that resides in the Magic Tower?!
-Lol? But does Homen have a pet or something?
-Wait, there’s also an Akshan wolf!
-And it’s not like he only has one pet……?
An illusion that spreads like wildfire.
It’s repeated tens of billions of times by billions of people.
It becomes a legend.
The power of such a legend has nothing to do with its authenticity.
-If that cat is Lee Hoyeol’s pet…….
-Isn’t it really worth a try?
-It’s the pet of a Dark Dragon that all dragons revere!
Dragon and Tiger Fighting (龍虎相搏).
The cat covered in foam becomes a tiger.
It was the moment when he exposed his claws to the king of all things.