Chapter 557 – The Contemporary Archmage

Two days hence.

[Lee Ji-ah: I have retrieved everything.]

The dungeon’s location was secured sooner than anticipated.

On the morning of the contact, I promptly visited the violet magical tower to collect the information. Dark circles hung heavily under Lee Ji-ah’s eyes, as if she had sacrificed sleep for the sake of this day.

“Entry will be considerably challenging. The security is rather stringent… Penetrating the cherry blossom-laden mountains of Japan will be particularly daunting.”
“Japan? Now that I recall, it was renowned for its spiritualists.”
“Correct.”

Japan is the homeland of spirits, with the renowned spiritualist Gukmok also hailing from there. I had connections with Gukmok.

“Yoshino Saku.”
“Are you referring to Gukmok? Indeed. This place is a dungeon managed by the Yoshino clan, the family of Saku.”
“So, there’s a high probability that my father is here, isn’t it?”
“If you’re referring to the spiritualists of yesteryears, then yes, the likelihood is the highest.”

The probability is high, which implies that there isn’t any certainty. This is because these S-class dungeons are under government control. Each nation’s government strategically leaves high-ranking dungeons uncleared, mining them for high-quality magical stones instead.

Hence, the deeper layers of the dungeon remained shrouded in mystery.

“No tomb raider has been able to clear this dungeon. It is significantly more challenging than the typical S-class dungeon.”
“Is that so?”

Tomb raiding refers to the act of unlawfully infiltrating a dungeon and clearing it. While bypassing government surveillance to enter the dungeon is problematic, the act of clearing it brings enormous benefits and thus, is a crime that occurs frequently.

‘I too indulged in it.’

The dungeon ‘Inferno’, a challenge undertaken at the risk of my master’s life. Even now, I occasionally dream of the potential consequences had I failed to clear it.

“If you’re to undertake it, it would be better to act swiftly.”
“I intend to. But why?”
“Of late, there’s a trend to dismantle these S-class dungeons one by one, courtesy of the need for talent.”
“Is that so?”

Clearing an S-class dungeon can endow a hunter with great power. Even those dungeons typically reserved for mining magical stones are better off being opened to create a hero of reversal during times of conflict.

It is said that scientific advancement accelerates during wartime. Similarly, in this world, the fastest scholarly progress occurs during conflicts.

Forgotten magical practices and secrets about the spirit world could be discovered while navigating through dungeons. These discoveries could form the basis for national growth.

Perhaps even the crown of King Mokryeong, which I currently possess, may have its truth hidden within a dungeon.

“…Actually.”

Lee Ji-ah cautiously divulged the truth.

“Recently, the Gukmok forces have been focusing their attention on the dungeons of each country.”
“Are they intending to enhance Gukmok?”
“Yes.”

Hence, it is none other than Yoshino Saku who sets her course towards the Cherry Blossom Mountain. It must be she.

“I should hasten my pace.”

Saku’s character is indeed praiseworthy, but unlike during the Forest Keeper Selection, she is now an adversary. It might not conclude with mere pleasantries upon our meeting.

‘A prodigy in spirit magic.’

Regrettably, I lack substantial talent in the art of spirit magic.

If it is to amplify my power,
perhaps, paradoxically, seeking an audience with Saku might be more beneficial.

“Thank you. I will contact you later.”
“Ah, yes!”

Ji-ah, as if a weight had been lifted, exhaled a sigh of relief and nodded.

“In a short while, I will bring a few. They are still younglings.”
“You mean to nurture them?”
“Yes.”
“I will carry out your orders!”

She understands me well.
Once her fear of me had somewhat dissipated, her prior timidity was nowhere to be found. In a way, her dynamism was pleasing to observe. Granted, there were moments when she would tremble at the recollection of my actions, but it was also true that she had reaped the benefits thereof.

Tower Lord. After parting with Lee Ji-ah, I disembarked from the purple magic tower and began preparations to depart.

The dungeon strategy is to commence today.
It would be wise to expedite, as Lee Ji-ah suggested, not knowing what absurdity the deranged King of Trees might commit.

‘The Knights have been stirring up quite a commotion.’

The King of Trees had indeed meddled significantly with the World Tree’s core.
Through the spy I had planted under my control, I had gained some insight into the situation. It appears there’s a surge in the number of believers who have lost their deity.

What sort of monstrosity he would become if he evolves further is a chilling thought.
At this moment, the King of Trees posed the most significant threat.
To counter someone who had devoured multiple World Trees to augment his power required meticulous preparation on our end.

-Clang.

I reactivated the artifact that clouds perception.
As I stepped out of the main gate, I observed vehicles with their fog lights on traversing the road.
The faces of people fleetingly seen through the misty view.

During these times when dungeons are rampant, afternoon fog is no oddity.
At the very least, many were still savoring their everyday lives.

I relocated to a secluded alley to employ space magic.

-Clang.

Between two brick edifices. A place filled with crude obscenities sprayed with paint.
A girl stood observing me near a puddle of stagnant water, beneath the wires cascading from a telephone pole.

“Is it you?”
“Hmm?”
“There was a king behind this tower. I’m uncertain because your face is covered in iron.”

I couldn’t decipher her internal state.
Difficulty in discerning her dantian signifies her adeptness at managing mana.
It’s rare for a mage of such caliber to emerge from nowhere.

The girl removed her hat, looking at me. Neither the color of her hair nor her expression was discernible. However, I could tell she had the guise of a girl.
A grand sorceress. A father.
She must be the one Lee Ji-ah had recommended.

I ceased the magic I was conjuring and stared at my father.

“Is it the chairman?”

“Hmm… There are more than one or two chairmen. What does it appear to you?”

My father, having entirely discarded his hat, revealed his face.
It was a countenance I was intimately familiar with.

“How is it?”

Emerald hair, emerald eyes. Branches sprouting from her head.
It was the visage of my daughter, Shiva.

“By the way, I cannot perceive the form you see. It’s an artifact designed that way.”
“…”
“The image of your most cherished person. Well… I would appreciate if you perceived it as a form of protective magic. Surely, you are capable of handling this aged matter. It is none other than King Mokryeong.”
“What is your purpose in coming here?”
“I came here to converse.”

I tilted my head, indicating that if he had something to say, he should speak his mind.

“First and foremost, I am your father. Though the world may call me a grand sorcerer… I am no more than a wizard past his prime.”
“Speak only of the crux of the matter. I am without the luxury of time.”
“Drat.”

My father gave an awkward chuckle, then thumped his staff—a staff as tall as himself—against the ground.

-Jiing!

In an instant, magic enveloped all around us. It was too swift for my senses to follow.

Blue, red, yellow. The magic of the three primary colors intertwined like a spider’s web, filling the vicinity with minuscule rune letters that crawled up the building walls.
Following the Silence, a series of spells to conceal traces.

“It’s possible the World Tree is observing. I must be thorough.”

Father smirked, making an overtly sinister gesture.
He folded his five fingers and extended them towards me, akin to a dinosaur.

‘Three types of magic?’

Even using two types of magic is considered a talent that emerges once in centuries. But three…

I emitted a subtle magic, wary of her, and father stepped back from me.

“Why did you approach the child?”

Chuck- The tip of father’s staff aimed for the center of my forehead.

Could ‘this child’ refer to Lee Ji-ah? I swiftly scanned my father’s complexion and twisted my wrist.

“Approached? You were the one who expressed the desire to repay a favor.”
“Favor…?”

It was he who saved Lee Ji-ah’s life in the tower and proclaimed himself her benefactor.
Of course, if asked whether I was interested in the Tower of Magic, irrespective of him, I would have nodded in agreement.

“There is no time to elaborate on every detail.”
“Um, oh? So, the man who saved her in the tower…”

The girl seemed to be aware of what Lee Ji-ah had undergone. She pointed her chin and gave a cute nod.

“So it was. Fate can be peculiar too.”
“What’s your relationship with the tower’s master?”
“It’s not a close relationship. But the king meddling with the Magic Tower… I couldn’t just sit idle. And, she was a child I had originally noticed.”
“A mage without a single spell, only half-trained?”
“Ha, you, the one who took in the mage, are saying this?”

The anticipated response returned, and with it, weariness etched across my face.

Unfurling my fist, magic surged forth. As I collected the artifacts and fully unveiled myself as the king, the girl, too, shed her disguise.

“So, you’re older than you appear, I’ve heard. Is this your true form?” I asked.

“…Surprisingly, it is. I’ve had an accident. Grown old, but forever in this form. Isn’t there someone similar on your side? That… Cistus, isn’t it?”

Cistus Cistus,

A high-ranking official of Flower, possessing the form of an infant. The mention of the name was enough to set my nerves on edge.

“We are not allies.”

“To us, we are the same enemy. Both aiming for the Magic Tower, both seeking to shatter the Church.”

Enemy.

Indeed, what else could one call a force that grips and shakes the Magic Tower from the outside?

Father and I exchanged a long, silent gaze, each harbouring an undercurrent of hostility. Our magic pulsed, as if on the verge of clashing, but we both retracted our aggressiveness almost simultaneously.

“Combat here would be more than a mere nuisance… Let’s continue our conversation another time.”

“I’m not particularly inclined to.”

“If you’re targeting the Magic Tower, we’re bound to cross paths again soon. Count yourself fortunate that I’ve overlooked your recent transgressions.”

“…”

What he referred to was my act of pilfering information about the dungeon through Lee Ji-ah. Father donned his hat once more. I held his gaze intently.

“Thinking I’ve got a nerve to talk like this, are you?” he asked.

The girl, her eyes narrowed in a smile, offered a retort. I maintained my impassive facade as I responded.

“I was thinking, what audacity for an old man, nearing the end of his days and clearly senile, to put on such airs.”

“…That’s harsh.”

A shadow of hurt crossed Father’s face.

“Come to think of it, your name is the same as the one I’ve been searching for.”

“Hmm?”

“Father. I was seeking a spirit mage.”

“Father, well, the name is common. My name is indeed borrowed from that legendary wizard. But the full name is different.”

“Is it so?”

“Umm… So, you’re searching for a spirit mage.”

Father’s eyes swept over me, a flicker of interest within them.

“I don’t possess much talent.”

Would he understand if he saw? But there are only a few who truly can. In terms of martial arts, I can gauge a person’s quality just by observing them swing a sword a few times.

“Well, being the king, you must have some means… I believe you’re a good person. There must’ve been a reason for you to save that child.”

– Ugh!

The magical circle enveloping us began to fade gradually. Seeing this, I collected the last vestiges of my magic.

Before invoking my spatial magic, I posed a question to her.

“Ah, by the way, may I ask something?”

“What do you wish to know?”

“What species is it?”

The girl blinked and responded with childlike innocence.

“It’s a lacquer tree.”

Lacquer tree.

Scouring the mental catalogue I held, I locked eyes with her—a girl in body alone.

“For the next encounter, I ought to take better care of myself.”

Space magic comes into play instantly. Abbie vanishes from my field of vision.

“Wait a moment. What does this signify—?”

The final glimpse I had of the baffled girl’s face was nothing short of magnificent.

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