Chapter 581 - Updraft (2)
The sinner of Kernadel inherited an ancient bloodline called 'Projection', but he never awakened the unique traits passed through that blood.
Like other ancient bloodlines swallowed by history, the flow of information was severed amidst long years and countless incidents, leading to extinction.
If even the possessor was unaware, how could the ancient bloodline awaken, and if it had not awakened, how could anyone from the outside possibly discover it?
This was how the lineage was cut off.
Even so, the reason Balrog Bessias was able to find this existence was thanks to the efforts of the previous tower master.
───If it is an ancient bloodline… yes, if it is an ancient bloodline, one could become mighty even without being a transcendent…!!
The master, ignorant of his place, devoted decades searching for talent. Unique traits, including ancient bloodlines, were no exception.
He strengthened the command authority given to the elders of the magic tower, dispersing and delegating the tower master's role.
Beginning with the history books of the magical world, he squandered the tower's finances to secretly investigate the magical talents of humans—whether in villages or cities—becoming obsessed with innate abilities.
───I found it, I found it! Hahaha…! At last, my prestige, Bohemirn Tower…!
In the end, he succeeded in tracking the whereabouts of an ancient bloodline, but of the two he discovered, he only managed to identify one.
Before he could determine the other, he ended his pitiful life.
'The ancient bloodline of Projection.'
Had it been anything else, he might have ignored it… but the unique magical ability recorded in history was far too enticing for Balrog.
Especially in relation to his ideals.
Thus, based on the information his master left behind, he used insiders to continue the suspended search.
It could take who knew how long, and might yield no results at all, but Bohemirn Tower, stabilized under Balrog's rule, had both funds and power in abundance.
And so, at last, he found it.
A wretch who, not knowing what flowed in his own veins, clumsily awakened his qi and resorted to theft, only to be caught and imprisoned in Kernadel.
It was Tilon's achievement that insiders were installed even in the underground prison to investigate him.
Later, when the time was ripe, they used the brainwashed test subjects to destroy Kernadel, and amidst the chaos secured the prisoner.
They bound him at the center of a massive magic circle in Balrog's private laboratory, drained away his qi until none remained, and forcibly awakened his bloodline. Not only that, they even altered the performance of his body.
His lifespan shrank rapidly due to the backlash, but that was of no concern.
'He is disposable anyway.'
Even if they had wanted long-term use, his vessel was too small to be worth nurturing.
At any rate.
'The Lepraegium Tower does not exist upon this continent.'
Thus, he devised various methods to recognize and infiltrate their domain, ultimately completing the only viable possibility.
'Still, I will not recklessly enter without any information.'
In other words, Balrog needed a means to infiltrate the Lepraegium Tower in place of his true body and uncover its hidden secrets.
That means, was the prisoner of Kernadel.
***
With preparations complete, there remained only two steps.
'First, I will wholly project my existence onto the prisoner whose ancient bloodline and magical ability have been forcibly elevated to their utmost by the magic circle.'
Two bodies, yet one consciousness shared in real time.
Ordinarily, the subject's mind would interfere, but his inner self had already been utterly torn apart, his consciousness erased, so there was no problem.
Projecting the existence of a transcendent was impossible for a mere test subject, but the magic circle was structured to compensate for what was lacking.
In theory, it could last for a maximum of ten days, after which the subject's body would dissipate without a trace. The price of experiencing transcendence.
That was why it was disposable.
'The last, second step is the formation of a new dimension.'
This world is a three-dimensional space composed of three variables, and to say space was divided meant that a wall had been set between one three-dimensional space and another.
With the path completely blocked, there was no way through.
Thus, if one wished to go, the only choice was to make a new path.
Balrog solved this imminent dilemma with the idea of creating a dimension with one more variable than three-dimensional space.
Momentarily, and only temporarily, he would add one variable to the existing three, thus stepping into a four-dimensional world.
'The separation of space applies only to the original three variables. The newly created fourth variable is unaffected.'
It was a hypothesis and theory he had verified many times. Now, having glimpsed the process and result one final time, he had no reason to hesitate.
A tremendous torrent of magic surged forth.
Ripples spread across the lake, the stalks of grass bent under the force.
Countless magic circles rose from Balrog's body, and at the same time, identical magic circles engraved upon the prisoner's flesh began to shine.
Lines connected them, the sensation that their thickness was gradually swelling.
"Hoo."
Standing firm, Balrog calmly closed his eyes and focused his mind.
The prisoner, reduced to nothing but physical instinct, let out a reflexive scream of pain at the terrible heat rising within his body.
───!
At last, a blue radiance flared blindingly, then silence fell.
While Balrog stood still… the prisoner, who had been slumped to the ground, placed a hand on his knee and rose.
Projection had succeeded.
"Not bad… not bad at all."
Though the appearance displeased him.
He confirmed that consciousness and transcendence were properly shared.
Then he adorned the body, which had been clad only in shabby rags, with the robe, accessories, and magical items he had prepared.
The next step was imminent.
Fwaaaarghhh!
Activating every mana circuit in his body, he spread both arms in opposite directions, one toward the ground, one toward the sky.
Mado
The sole path that made Balrog Bessias who he was, manifesting every magical formula he had constructed in his mind.
The writing process of a magic circle—fundamental and essential through the medium of mana—was unnecessary for a transcendent exerting his full might.
Fwoooong.
A completed magic circle materialized, rising into the sky and upon the ground, vast enough to encompass the entire crater where he stood.
Flickering eyes of light.
Flashes in his mind.
At the same time, his left hand moved upward, his right hand downward, then crossed.
A superlative spell.
The two magic circles rose and fell, collided, and overlapped.
The boundary of nothingness.
From the horizon formed by their crossing, cracks began to spread.
It was a fourth spatial coordinate, one that had never before existed.
A faint, mirage-like passage gaped wide before Balrog.
Projected into the prisoner, Balrog rose into the air and, without hesitation, entered the conceptual coordinate he himself had created.
"...!!"
An uncanny realm where the waves of space rippled endlessly, impossible to interpret by sensation.
An unprecedented pressure constricted and then crushed his entire body.
Since this was the first time Balrog had executed and directly experienced the fourth dimension, everything was utterly unfamiliar even to him.
After taking a moment to adapt, he slowly raised his gaze, focusing on the fact that the Lepraegium Tower now stood just before him.
But what lay there… was a sight entirely unlike the world of the Lepraegium Tower, which he had expected to be separated in space.
"What in the world, is this…?"
The translucent foundation did not hold a single world, but three in total, and from Balrog's perspective, two of them were closer.
A colossal demon's hand, severed from the wrist and fixed in the void, at the center of a lightless abyss.
A sky island of mystery, framed in a landscape where darkness and light coexisted.
Balrog Bessias had witnessed worlds that had not existed in his hypothesis.
***
At present, Balrog's heart was filled with shock and bewilderment.
That there were multiple divided realms, not just the domain of the Lepraegium Tower…? This strayed far beyond prediction.
'And that, is it a demon?'
Balrog fixed his gaze on the vast hand, suspended in the air, belonging to the world steeped in shadow.
He had no specialized knowledge of demons, but he had a guess at its identity.
A Great Demon.
Perhaps one of the two Great Demons said to have vanished somewhere on the continent after the First Grand Holy War.
Perhaps both.
'And that sky island…'
…He did not know.
He tried at least to hazard a guess, but even that he could not. There were fewer clues than for the Lepraegium Tower.
For an instant, he felt a powerful impulse to head toward either the demon's hand or the sky island.
For a mage, the thirst for knowledge was instinct.
But he forced it down.
To fulfill his ideal, he had to surpass the Lepraegium Tower, and to do that he needed to uncover the power and secrets they so thoroughly concealed.
'This is the one and only chance to attempt exploration without any risk. At least, for now.'
Ssshh.
Balrog moved his eyes past the two unfamiliar worlds, higher still. To the place situated highest of the three.
It was as if the middle to the peak of a mountain range had been cut away and set aside… and at the summit stood the Tower of White Night.
He had found it.
Focusing his consciousness, Balrog ascended higher, shifting his coordinates, entrusting himself to the current of four-dimensional space.
Then came the moment he struck the separated world.
A flash seared his vision.
The superlative spell unraveled, buoyancy engulfed his body, and at the same time his tactile sense felt the solid texture of the earth.
Thud.
Balrog, who had been kneeling on one knee, slowly rose.
On the continent, winter was fading and spring had begun, yet here the season seemed halted in a cool summer.
A bright and fresh forest.
Balrog lifted his head.
The Tower of White Night, at its soaring altitude, appeared a little closer.
──!
A wave of mana spread from the tower, covering the mountain range in an instant, then vanished.
"At last, I have arrived."
In the domain of the Lepraegium Tower.
***
Suppressing his presence as much as possible, Balrog concealed himself with every accessory specialized in magical stealth.
He ensured not even a trace of mana leaked beyond a radius of ten meters, then flew low with
He carefully moderated his speed, wary of detection.
The scenery of this world never changed, making it impossible to tell by sight how much time had passed.
Even ordinary clock hands—the hour, minute, second—absent of any magical effect, had all come to a halt.
By sensation alone, it felt as if days had passed.
'They said it was on the highest mountain range of the continent.'
Indeed, it was.
Even severed midway, its size was immense… had it been intact, it would have been colossal beyond measure.
'It truly overwhelms the Blue Mountains.'
Huff.
At last reaching the summit, Balrog suppressed his mana. The artificial structure he had glimpsed from afar now stood directly before him.
'Hm?'
But something was wrong.
A magic tower was never just a single tower. There were always auxiliary buildings, large and small.
In other words, the entire area was called a magic tower.
By that definition, this place was, simply put, very empty.
There were buildings, but not a shred of presence. No security to ward off intruders.
…And above all, not a single mage in a white robe, the members of the Lepraegium Tower, could be found.
After surveying about a tenth of the area, Balrog ceased his search.
'No need to look further here. Then it must be the tower itself.'
The Tower of White Night.
Its length stretched endlessly, its height soared beyond measure.
Undoubtedly, compared to any magic tower he had seen, its scale was extraordinary. Even when including Bohemirn Tower.
He formed a magic circle of Reverse Gravity upon his palm and extended his arm slowly.
Though his hand did not touch, repulsive force transmitted.
…Boom.
The gate of the tower opened with laughable ease. It was neither locked nor secured even by the most basic of wards.
He stepped inside.
Still, no sign of life.
Indeed.
Nowhere, in the stairway where he stood.
"Impossible… this makes no sense."
The Lepraegium Tower regularly published magical achievements to the world of magic.
Magical items, magical theories, new hierarchy spells—across all fields.
Not merely because they had an 8th-circle transcendent and a 7th-circle transcendent.
Not merely because they clung to severe mysticism, earning them lofty praise and the overall and military first rank.
And yet here, such silence, such emptiness…? At a time when the white mages should be bustling?
Was this truly the Lepraegium Tower?
For a moment, Balrog came close to denying his own hypothesis. An indescribable tension tightened his nerves.
At that moment.
──!
The air currents stirred.
It was the same wave of mana that had surged from the tower the moment he arrived in this world. A phenomenon beginning from the heart of the tower.
The change did not end there.
…Whooom.
"...!"
Suddenly, a mana lift activated, reaching the floor where Balrog stood.
The door opened.
Naturally, no one was inside.
To Balrog, it looked like nothing less than an invitation.