Chapter 425 – Homecoming
For a moment, the world was dyed in gray.
At the same time, an oppressive wave burst forth and came crashing down like a tidal surge.
Isabella, who was standing by a nearby cliff, reflexively pulled Alpha into her arms and turned her head away from the light of ruin.
──────!
"Ugh…!"
A beat later, a thunderous roar erupted.
The sound was so deafening that her ears went numb, and then ringing followed. From the aftershock of the impact, the very air seemed to sink heavily.
How much time passed like that?
Isabella slowly opened her tightly shut eyes. With only her right golden eye, she gazed at half of the world.
Alpha, nestled in her arms, tilted his body and gleamed with his single eye.
What filled their vision was the remnant of destruction.
The massive mountain that had formed part of the range and had been standing there just a moment ago had vanished.
To be more precise, only a half-moon-shaped curve remained on the ground. In the place where the mountain had disappeared, a vast canyon had been carved out.
Isabella muttered blankly.
"The terrain… has completely changed."
The scene was quite different from the 7th-tier
An indescribable sense of gravity pressed down.
She instinctively realized, if she had taken that dark crimson beam head-on, even her abnormal regenerative ability would not have been enough to survive.
'So this is a Transcendent.'
A being who reigns above the world… she had heard only rumors a few times, but this was the first time seeing such power with her own eyes.
A surge of intense emotion rose within her, far surpassing even the overwhelming awe she had once felt in the Blue Mountains. It was a kind of exaltation.
"Ah, this isn't the time for that."
Snapping back to her senses, Isabella quickly cast
The test was over.
***
The dark crimson magic power subsided, and once again, clear magic power filled the air.
The deactivated mana circuits.
Verdan quietly exhaled and gathered in the power that had been unleashed.
'As I thought, it is tricky to handle.'
The possibilities contained in the infinite Mado were complex yet free, manifesting solely by the caster's will.
By contrast, the Mado of Ruin, the manifestation of destructive magic power, was utterly simple, being nothing but the concept of destruction itself──yet, the more magic power one concentrated into it, the greater the destructive force, and thus the more painstaking the effort required to control it.
'If I hadn't mastered
Otherwise, unable to suppress the Mado, he would have blown away the entire area, including himself.
Power that could not be contained.
Even having become a Transcendent, he could see no dead end. If he wished to continue forward, the path would never end.
Through this trial, he had confirmed two types of Mado as a Transcendent.
Now he could judge more precisely where he stood, how much stronger he had grown compared to before.
And.
'What direction I should take in conceiving a Superlative Magic… I've got a rough idea.'
Superlative Magic, or Transcendent Technique.
The exclusive domain of beings capable of interfering with the world itself.
Though Verden, who had only just stepped beyond the wall of awakening, could not yet manifest it, it was only a matter of time.
The general blueprint had already been drafted.
Whether through time, or by other means, once the essential details were perfected, it could be completed immediately.
Verdan was certain of it.
While he was lost in thought, Isabella descended onto the ground.
"Up close, it's like the forest has turned into a desert. It'll take decades for nature to recover on its own."
Isabella clicked her tongue as she looked around the desolate clearing.
"Still, I'm glad the test ended well. Both of you safe, ah, no, Adrian, are you alright?"
"No problem."
Adrian was sitting down, resting.
Though clearly exhausted from unleashing martial arts and techniques one after another, he bore no injuries that seemed life-threatening.
"Hmm, so it seems."
After briefly checking his condition, Isabella walked over toward Verden.
Alpha, who had been perched on her shoulder, hopped lightly and settled onto [Ainber].
[Your Majesty Verden, victory.]
Clap clap clap clap.
The mini golem, Alpha, clapped its tiny arms together. Not flesh but frame, the sound was firm.
It was his own little praise for Verden.
At that moment, Isabella asked.
"But, Head, that spell you showed at the end, was that the so-called Superlative Magic?"
"It was nothing more than one of the unique methods of magic power operation using Mado. If I had to classify it, it wouldn't really be different from a technique."
Of course, calling it simple would be misleading.
According to the circles of magic, there had never once been a case where a single being pioneered two different Mados, as Verden had.
"A technique, not magic… even if you've gone through awakening, the gap between 6th-tier and 7th-tier is far greater than I imagined. I can't even begin to picture myself as a Transcendent."
Currently, Isabella's level was upper 6th-tier.
Moreover, according to Alpha's scan, her limit tier could not be measured.
Unlike Verden, she had become an abnormal species through partial Defying the Heavens, so human standards did not apply to her.
Which meant, Isabella too might hold the possibility of transcendence.
"Well, rationally, the odds are almost nonexistent… but becoming a Transcendent could never be a bad thing."
"Reason is irrelevant. If you truly desire to become a Transcendent, then one day you'll reach it. Just as I did."
There was no reason to dismiss it as a futile dream.
Dreams were the starting point.
"By the way…"
Verdan turned his gaze toward Adrian.
"How do I compare with him?"
The test was over, now it was time to see the result.
No one here failed to understand what Verden was asking.
Recalling the horrific past, Adrian answered softly.
"Then as now, I fell short of the strength of both the Bohemirn tower master and my lord, so I cannot rank the might of two Transcendents above or below one another───"
Adrian twisted his lips.
"I dare say, it seems worth trying."
It was purely instinct.
***
The journey that spanned continents.
Normally, just reaching the destination would have taken months, but now it felt as close as a nearby village.
Indeed, there was no need to prepare much of anything.
"Given the nature of the Ownerless Land where the strong gather, the power of other forces will not be trivial. Among them, the Sovereign of the West is said to be quite cunning, so in many ways he will be a difficult opponent."
It was not a battle between individuals, but a war waged over territory.
A stage different from anything until now.
Not only unfamiliar, but also the opponent's familiar battlefield, so there was a need to adapt calmly.
"Cast aside impatience and make active use of time. There is nothing more fragile than achievements piled like a sandcastle."
"I will keep that in mind, my lord."
"I'll be careful."
Adrian and Isabella, standing side by side, responded without delay.
That would be enough advice.
To keep meddling with orders disguised as guidance could only prove a hindrance.
[By order of His Majesty Verden, the human Adrian and the abnormal species Isabella are entrusted with command on-site.]
As if waiting for the moment, Alpha issued the directive in his stead.
Had he grasped his intent?
Ever since stepping into the outside world, Alpha's comprehension had grown sharper by the day.
Unintentionally robbed of his words, Verden turned his back.
"May fortune favor you."
Fwaaaah!
Magic power flowed out from Ainber, tearing open a rift in space. Beyond it lay the coordinates of the Western Continent.
Verden stepped into the entrance without hesitation, Alpha alongside him.
As the violet radiance faded and the space closed, the Transcendent and the golem vanished from the central continent.
"A Transcendent who can roam the entire continent unnoticed… it's fortunate he's the Head, but objectively speaking, it's terrifying."
"Which is why ensuring my lord's presence never surfaces is the top priority."
"Of course I know. But isn't it the same for you? You must conceal yourself as well."
Adrian's survival was still a secret.
Unless every witness was silenced, he had to hide his distinctive aura beneath a metal mask.
"That's true."
"Then it's decided. At official occasions, I will be the one to guard Liam."
Isabella stretched lightly.
"It's about time I made myself useful too."
Self-study of elemental magic, research on the fruit of Lysandro, a show of force with Liam in tow.
With so much to do, Isabella brimmed with resolve.
***
The imperial capital of the Arnak Empire, Mirendor.
In a small building tucked into a corner of that vast city, two figures, the Empire's chancellor and a grand duke, sat facing each other.
Droplets gathered on the cooled teacups.
From outside drifted the bustling sound befitting the Empire's center.
After a long silence, the chancellor broke it by tapping the table thrice with his fingertips, then spoke.
"As you've surely heard, the Second Prince was attacked in the Red Volcano, one of the dwarven settlements. The assailant was 'the Hammer of Integrity, Gharun', a figure regarded as legendary among the clan. Fortunately, aside from the carriage being shattered, the Second Prince escaped unharmed, but…"
The chancellor narrowed his eyes.
"The Empire's prestige has been tarnished."
The Arnak Empire had been secretly building relations with the self-serving dwarves, particularly the Red Volcano clan, through trade.
The effort, time, and money invested were considerable, yet obstacles remained.
The orthodox dwarves.
As Imperial manpower and culture seeped deeper into the clan, some dwarves, feeling alarmed, rose in defiance.
Their booming voices and near-fanatical stubbornness erupted into protests that were nothing short of troublesome.
'If only we could crush them with force, but even that is difficult.'
To touch the Hammer of Integrity, spiritual pillar and leader of the protests, would mean ruin.
Even the Red Volcano clan chief, a dwarf himself but pro-Empire, who considered the Hammer a thorn in his side, was reluctant to move against him.
For this reason, the Empire had long sought to coax Gharun through every means, yet the results were clear.
"Of course, we have no intention of using this incident as an excuse to eliminate Gharun. Instead, we will settle for gaining leverage in future negotiations with the Red Volcano clan."
"..."
"However, from the outside, it will appear as though a rift has opened between the Empire and the dwarves. Attempts to exploit that gap are inevitable. And, we must prevent the humiliated Second Prince from seeking private vengeance against Gharun."
The chancellor wet his throat.
"Particularly for the former… given the gravity of the matter, even His Majesty the Emperor is concerned."
The Emperor's name had been spoken.
The grand duke, who had been listening in silence──a Transcendent, finally spoke.
"Send the Sword Saint."
Thus, right here and now, the dispatch of one of the Empire's Lords was decided.
***
A butterfly fluttered low.
Alpha, emitting the light of magic power as he scanned the terrain, toddled after it, fascinated by its yellow wings.
It seemed to be a species he had never seen before.
Just then, the butterfly struck the heart of a dew-drenched web.
The reaction was immediate.
A massive spider pounced, wrapped the prey tight in silk, then sank its grotesque fangs to suck its fluids dry.
Alpha froze.
Behind him, Verden cast his gaze down the towering cliff.
A wide expanse of green meadow stretched afar.
The scenery of early summer, after spring had passed, filled his vision.
A land that, when he escaped the Bohemirn magic tower, he had thought might take decades to return to, if he could ever return at all.
"…I have come back sooner than expected."
Verden had arrived in the Western Continent.
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