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Chapter 59




Chapter 59. If Not a Scoundrel?
The area around the abandoned warehouse was instantly filled with dust.
The space became so hazy that one couldn't see a foot in front of them, and at that moment, a gust of wind swept through.
Whoooooosh...
“What... What! You're planning to destroy the hideout we worked so hard to build!”
The senior shouted with a perplexed expression.
By now, a vast barrier had spread around, and here I could glimpse the true capabilities of the old war mage.
The barrier was spread in three layers.
One surrounding the hideout, one protecting the senior, and another to prevent the shock from spreading outward.
While it wasn't particularly difficult to spread multiple barriers, making them both solid and quick was another matter.
Anyway.
'Hmm, the power is still lacking.'
I looked at the senior's barrier, which remained solid.
The barrier boasted a smooth surface without a single crack.
Even though it wasn't detonated at maximum output, it was a disappointing result.
However, the senior seemed to think differently.
“Phew, by the way. Be honest. Where did you come from? Did you learn some ancient secrets somewhere?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, how did you acquire such a technique? To produce such an explosive force with this much mana. I can't understand it with my knowledge.”
Of course, that would be the case.
Whether it's magic or a technique using mana, the factors determining its power are two.
One is the absolute quantity, and the other is the quality.
However, the mana contained in the red orb just now was woefully insufficient in quantity.
'In the end, the answer lies in the quality.'
Even considering this, it would still be incomprehensible.
“I knew your mana was pure for your age, or rather, compared to anyone else. But even so, this is beyond comprehension.”
Increasing only the quality doesn't infinitely boost the power, and the same goes for increasing only the quantity.
That's why.
I looked at the senior, who was eyeing me with suspicion, and gave a straightforward answer.
“Colliding the particles of mana is a simple matter.”
“Particles of mana?”
“Don’t you know?”
The senior tilted his head as if hearing it for the first time.
However, I was even more surprised.
“How do you make the Magic Prison?”
“Who said I made it? I learned it from an old comrade. It was quite a struggle.”
“By an old comrade, you mean... someone in the Great Forest?”
At my question, the senior smiled wistfully.
“He went even further away.”
Though not explicitly stated, his expression and tone made it clear.
The old war.
In that tumultuous era, how many died?
The strong and the weak, the good and the evil, men and women, the young and the old, even children.
The monster called war devoured everything.
“Whatever. Forget about the particles of mana. I wouldn’t understand even if you explained it.”
“Ah, yes.”
Indeed, it's like trying to explain the existence of light to someone who can't see.
There's no way to explain the particles of mana to someone who can't sense them.
I, too, can only grasp their existence through intuition.
“Anyway, about the technique. Where did those red orbs go?”
“Oh, those?”
The senior looked at me with a pained expression, apparently considering the red orbs as artifacts.
Given their considerable number, he probably intended to ask for one.
However, there was no need to worry.
I smiled and raised my finger.
“Stop? Do you want to die?”
“Ah, sorry.”
I didn’t expect the senior to know the kind of profanity used in the gray zone.
I quickly changed to my index finger and, as before, extracted a drop of blood, or rather, a red orb.
However, why was it that...
The senior's face turned as red as the red orb.
“Y-You... You tricked me?!”
“Senior, it’s a misunderstanding. I only said I would tell you the source. I didn’t say anything else.”
At such times, an innocent expression is best.
Of course, it can backfire, but...
“You! You!”
Bang! Bang!
“Ouch!”
The senior lunged and pounded my head.
Gururur! Gururur!
The first breakfast of the day, which had flown in from somewhere, circled above my head, mocking me.
That damn thing.
It would have to be taught a lesson someday.
* * *
The commotion was brief.
Despite making several lumps on my head, the senior was a rather kind man.
He generously accepted the use of the red orbs, allowing me to test them without worry, and I found a few areas for improvement.
‘The incantation for proliferation is still lacking.’
A single drop can be multiplied to 1,024, but as the size increases, the number of divisions decreases.
When the size doubles, the number of divisions is halved.
“The output is ultimately limited to that.”
“So far, that’s correct.”
However, this is a problem that can be solved as the incantation for proliferation improves.
There were many other areas for improvement, but none were particularly problematic.
Or, if they were...
‘The immediate utility is quite impressive.’
I recalled the various ways to use the red orbs, which I had tested thanks to the senior's consideration.
Besides the artificial detonation, the applications were endless.
Anyway, as I delved into the new technique, time passed until midnight.
The first breakfast of the day was already dozing on the sofa inside the abandoned warehouse.
“By the way, Senior.”
“Why do you ask?”
I leaned into the sofa and looked at the senior.
Physically, I wasn’t tired, but the mental fatigue from using unfamiliar incantations one after another was considerable.
“Why did you call me today?”
After the previous incident, where I extracted various things as compensation, there had been no contact with the senior for a while.
After some time, I was busy with <Demos>, and the senior was busy with his own affairs.
I didn’t think he would stay idle, but I couldn’t help but be curious.
However, why was it that...
The senior opened his mouth with a stern expression.
“Hmm, well, I called you because I have something to say about the Great Forest.”
His expression was unusually serious.
“I don’t know what you’re going to say, but feel free to speak. Listening isn’t difficult.”
“...Right. Speaking isn’t difficult either.”
The senior said this and took out a cigarette, which was quite a surprising sight for me.
Did he usually smoke?
It was a side of him I hadn’t seen before.
The senior took a deep drag and exhaled the smoke, then spoke.
“This morning, I received a letter from a friend.”
“What does it say?”
“It seems something is going wrong. He asked if I could come as soon as possible.”
“Hmm.”
I crossed my arms and looked at the senior.
“Going wrong?”
What I heard wasn’t very detailed.
The friend needed help to settle his affairs before leaving the Great Forest.
That was about it.
Of course, I had a strong sense of trouble, which is why I extracted a lot of compensation, but I didn’t know much.
In response to my question, the senior handed me a crystal ball.
“This is...”
“It’s a video recording crystal ball sent with the letter. He said to review it before coming. Let’s talk after you’ve seen it.”
“...”
I took the crystal ball from the senior.
What could have happened?
Even an old war mage like the senior, who would remain calm even if the dead came back to life, wouldn’t react so seriously.
“Hmm.”
My curiosity ended there.
I turned my gaze from the senior and placed my hand on the crystal ball.
These kinds of questions would be answered once I saw the recording inside.
Thus.
Zzzz...
The crystal ball shimmered as it accepted the mana.
Pfft!
The image formed in the air.
‘The Great Forest.’
The first thing I saw was the dense trees that blocked the sky and the lush undergrowth surrounding them.
The undergrowth in the video proudly displayed its presence, as if saying, “This is the Great Forest.” The main point was right behind it.
[Screech...!]
A sharp scream echoed through the forest.
The scene in the video then shook and moved forward, pushing through the undergrowth.
And there...
“What...”
“...Did you see it?”
It was a scene of hell.
* * *
A cold silence fell over the abandoned warehouse.
The video was only about five minutes long, but the silence between us lasted longer.
“What... is that?”
The image that came to mind.
Mercenaries were screaming and fighting something, their faces filled with fear.
Fear among the mercenaries of the Great Forest?!
Those who could operate in the Great Forest were elite veterans.
While they could still feel fear, their threshold for fear far exceeded that of ordinary people.
‘No, perhaps it’s natural.’
Yes, it’s natural.
Even I, who saw the video, momentarily doubted my eyes.
[Screech...!]
[Screech...!]
The creatures in the video, which were not living beings, but rather a type of monster commonly seen in the Great Forest, were clearly...
“Undead.”
“I think you realize they are not ordinary undead.”
I nodded at the senior’s words.
Ordinary undead?
What’s the big deal?
I had seen them many times in my previous life.
But.
‘These are different.’
Yes, different.
The undead in the video were a variant of goblins.
However, they were different from ordinary undead, as evident from their eyes.
The eerie aura in their pupils.
[Crunch.]
[Screech...!]
When their necks were severed, a pale, mist-like afterimage rose into the air.
While ordinary undead move based on the memories lingering in their bodies, these...
‘Souls. Clear, distinct souls.’
What does that mean?
“Naturally occurring undead.”
“Right. Naturally occurring undead. So, you know what’s in the Great Forest, right?”
I nodded.
“There’s an ancient ruin, right? And... a sealed abomination.”
The senior nodded at my words.
“So...”
“Yes. So, I couldn’t believe it.”
At this point, it’s understandable.
Ancient ruins.
What are they?
To archaeologists, they are the only clue to glimpse the lost traces of ancient times.
To mages, they are a treasure trove of knowledge to obtain lost ancient magic.
However.
Destrue
Destrue, the abomination. The most corrupt of all corrupt beings. The ancient ruins where they are sealed are nothing.
All that exists there is death, despair, and inexplicable phenomena.
“I didn’t know. Perhaps he didn’t know either. If he did, he wouldn’t be waiting for me in the Great Forest...”
“It would be better to pull out. To inform the royal family. Or, since it’s the Great Forest, there’s no one to inform.”
“Yes, the Great Forest remains a free zone.”
The royal family wouldn’t interfere, whether a monster emerged or a legendary dragon appeared.
As long as it didn’t leave the Great Forest and head towards the empire.
I slowly stroked my chin, thinking.
“So, what do you want to say?”
“The situation is urgent. However, my disciples can’t move immediately.”
That’s probably the case.
The senior’s disciples are in their prime, actively working.
Regardless of their affiliations, they are not in a position to move freely.
“Choose.”
Squeak.
The senior, who had taken out a cigarette at some point, extinguished it in the ashtray.
“You must leave within two days at the latest. However, I won’t force you. Will you go? Or not?”
I looked at the senior intently.
“Even if I don’t go, you won’t take back the compensation. Just consider it a gift to a young junior. Conversely, if you go...”
“There’s nothing to give,