The moment Marvolo tasted fear, he flinched and lifted his head. With his remaining trembling hand, he carefully wiped the corner of his mouth. As he struggled to stand, leaning on the floor for support, lukewarm blood dripped steadily from his wounds.
Marvolo de Ailight. Around 300 years ago, in a time when a hint of purity still lingered in the world, he was the greatest wizard of his era. Revered by all, he stood at the pinnacle of all wizards, the archmage of the magical city of Magia, and a pioneer in the salvation of the whole plane.
Of course, his journey was far from smooth. He had countless brushes with death but miraculously survived each time, crushing his enemies and claiming victory. That was until he kidnapped his dear companions, the hero Lloyd and the fairy queen Margarita, earning the title of “traitor.”
He was once hailed as a hero, admired by all. Such was the life of Marvolo de Ailight, a grand wizard with experiences befitting his title.
Even when the saint Grazia discovered the truth and led a punitive force against him, he repelled them with his power. Despite the hardships and adversities, Marvolo’s life was undeniably marked by victory.
Perhaps that’s why he couldn’t accept it.
“Cough!”
Once more, a fountain of blood erupted from Marvolo’s mouth. Numerous healing magic circles gathered around him, only to dissolve upon contact. The blazing swords embedded in his body burned fiercely, threatening to tear him apart from the inside.
Writhing in agony as the flames consumed him, Marvolo struggled to take another step, desperate to regain his staff. It was then that he heard a sharp sound slicing through the air, aimed precisely at his head. He twisted his body just in time.
Swish. Thud.
“You dodged that? Persistent, aren’t you… Well, you are an archmage, after all…”
“Ugh.”
Kim Su-hyeon muttered in a disappointed tone. But in truth, Marvolo hadn’t truly dodged. He had merely avoided having his head split in two, losing his remaining right arm in the process.
Marvolo tried to scream, but only a bubbling froth of blood emerged from his throat. His mind was in chaos. His reason refused to accept defeat and death, yet the primal fear he felt when facing Kim Su-hyeon was chilling.
“Cough, cough! Wait, just a moment…”
Thud!
As he struggled to speak through the blood, his vision suddenly blurred. Stars danced before his eyes, and his memory went blank for a moment. When he managed to piece his thoughts back together, he realized his head was pressed against the cold floor.
Instinctively, he tried to rise, but without arms, his body squirmed helplessly like a worm. Even attempting to lift his head was futile, as a heavy pressure pinned him down.
The moment he sensed the cold, murderous intent at his nape, the last shred of reason within Marvolo vanished.
“Spare me!”
“Hmm?”
“You… you said you were interested in the ruins, right? If you spare me, I can… Ack!”
“Not interested.”
Without hesitation, Kim Su-hyeon drove his sword into Marvolo’s neck. He had never intended to spare Marvolo. The outcome was already decided. Entertaining the defeated wizard’s pleas would only invite trouble. It was better to end things cleanly, a philosophy Kim Su-hyeon firmly believed in.
With that, he channeled the power of fire into the sword lodged in Marvolo’s neck, intending it to be the final blow.
As the flames engulfed Marvolo’s body, I finally felt a sense of relief. I had worried that he might use his remaining strength to manipulate my companions’ minds. Though I had disrupted his internal magic, one could never be too cautious.
Marvolo’s screams were almost comical, his body writhing like a caterpillar. Despite being a renowned archmage, his end was no different from any other foe. I watched as his body burned to ashes.
Eventually, his screams ceased. The runes etched into his skin turned black and decayed, his entire form crumbling to dust. I withdrew the power of fire, feeling a gentle breeze stir the air. In the stillness of the city, the wind carried the ashes away, scattering them like dancing shadows.
Thus, I witnessed the end of Marvolo de Ailight, the leader of the ancient magical city of Magia.
“Sigh…”
I let out a soft sigh. My body ached, but I felt surprisingly light. Despite being a resident, I had defeated a wizard with a magic power level of 100 on my own. It was a successful expedition, one I had failed in my first attempt at Istantel Low.
“Su-hyeon!”
“Hyung!”
Suddenly, I heard the voices of my clan members. Turning towards the sound, I was relieved to see them all safe. The ancient wizard’s buffs had been stronger than expected, and they seemed to have endured quite an ordeal. More than half were sprawled on the ground, but the rest still held their weapons. Yet, they no longer moved.
Marvolo had deemed them failures, meaning his mind control had failed. When Marvolo fell, the magic animating them must have ceased, leaving them like puppets with cut strings. They would soon meet their end if left alone.
“Su-hyeon, are you okay?!”
“I’m fine. The others… huh?”
I was about to respond calmly and turn to walk away when suddenly, the ground seemed to give way beneath me. I quickly realized one knee had buckled, touching the floor. At the same time, a dizzying sensation filled my head.
‘Damn, is this a side effect?’
I cursed inwardly. Seeing me collapse, my clan members rushed over with alarmed expressions. I tried to regain control, but my body continued to tilt against my will.
As my cheek touched the cold floor, my entire body felt unbearably heavy, and darkness slowly crept into my mind.
Having experienced this situation more than once, I was relatively calm when I regained consciousness. My body felt as heavy as soaked cotton. After the ruin’s research lab, I had been meticulously conserving and restoring my strength, only to deplete it all in this one battle. The thought made me sigh.
“Sigh…”
“Ugh…”
“Huh?”
I was fully conscious. As my senses gradually returned, I realized my face was warm, and my neck felt unusually comfortable. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me. The moment I recognized the familiar sensation, I opened my eyes wide. And then…
”…”
‘Stay calm, Kim Su-hyeon. You’ve been in this situation before. Just remember what happened last time.’
In front of me was a blue robe. The soft air against the back of my neck suggested that, unlike last time, I wasn’t being smothered. The soft sensation at my neck indicated I was resting on someone’s thigh. In other words, I was receiving a lap pillow, my face buried in someone’s abdomen.
“Oppa? Are you awake? Oppa!”
“Yeah, uh, yeah.”
The owner of the lap pillow was none other than Kim Han-byeol. She looked down at me with a slightly flushed face. I quickly tried to sit up, responding as casually as possible. But my attempt backfired, and my arm gave out, causing me to fall back into an awkward position.
“Eek!”
At the same time, I felt the curious gazes of others. Kim Han-byeol supported me with a flustered expression. With her help, I managed to sit up and finally take in my surroundings. Around me were An Sol, her eyes swollen, and Baek Han-gyeol, nervously biting his lip.
“Oppa, are you okay?”
“Hyung-nim, I mean, Clan Lord! Are you alright…?”
“Ugh…”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Sol, don’t cry. Oppa’s not dead.”
“Ugh… It’s not that…”
With a soothing voice, I tried to calm Ansol, but she shook her head, tears streaming down her face. Her expression seemed to say, “I’m really upset right now,” as she spoke.
“Ugh… I helped you heal… but when I offer you a lap pillow, you frown and pull away like you hate it… But when Hanbyeol does it, you bury your face and cling to her… Ugh…”
I looked at Ansol, bewildered, then turned to Kim Hanbyeol for confirmation. Her face turned crimson, and she quickly looked away. I decided it was best to change the subject.
“I see. But how long have I been out?”
“About 30 minutes…”
“30 minutes. What about Goyeonju, Ahn Hyun, and Lee Yujeong?”
“They checked on you and then went to scout the area. The city changed suddenly after the wizard collapsed… They said they’d just take a quick look around, so they should be back soon.”
“Stop trailing off like that. It’s making things weirder.”
The ancient magical city of Magia looked entirely different from when we first arrived. It had its shabby parts, but overall, it was a clean and majestic place. Now, it seemed as if a stopped clock had suddenly started ticking again, leaving behind only a mess. Parts of the city were blackened and decayed, and the cracked buildings gave off a desolate vibe.
“Were you very surprised, brother?”
“Huh? Not really.”
While the clan members might have been shocked, I knew the city’s true nature from the start. Ever since I broke the path barrier and activated my third eye, I wasn’t particularly surprised.
My strength was gradually returning. According to my memory, there wouldn’t be any more battles here. But just in case, I decided to rest quietly until Goyeonju and the others returned. While waiting, I planned to listen to the clan members recount the battle.
Despite the chaos of battle, Kim Hanbyeol recounted the events in detail. As expected, the users empowered by ancient magic weren’t as easy to deal with as before. Their physical and magical defenses were significantly enhanced, causing quite a struggle.
“At first, we didn’t know what the buff was, so we were mostly on the receiving end. Even when we managed to attack, they seemed to feel no pain and kept coming… But the Shadow Queen was amazing. Even without her shadows, she darted around, controlling the battlefield.”
“Wow…”
“But as time went on, things improved. There were a few dangerous moments, but Baek Hangyeol used his reflection skill at just the right times…”
“Wow…”
As Kim Hanbyeol spoke, she glanced down. Ansol was nestled in my arms, letting out little groans. She had cried so much that I ended up comforting her. I patted her back gently, nodding for Hanbyeol to continue.
Hanbyeol tilted her head, then seemed to remember something.
“Oh, right. Brother, I have something to show you.”
“What is it?”
“Just a moment. Baek Hangyeol, could you bring it out?”
“Yes, yes!”
Baek Hangyeol, who had been quietly listening, responded with a start. He set down his bag and began rummaging through it with careful hands.
“Ah, found it.”
He quickly located what he was looking for and, with a bright smile, extended his hand to me. From between his fingers, a white light shimmered softly.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Royujin.
Yes, it seems many readers have been patting my head unexpectedly. Hehe. Well, I have no choice but to continue writing today. Honestly, it’s not because of the head pats. Now that only enjoyable times remain in Magia, I just want to write that part quickly. Indeed, that’s the case. Ahem!
PS. I’ve decided to keep the content as it is.
PS2. Thank you so much to everyone who gave coupons. I was really surprised. (__)
『 Reader Comments 』
Miwolya + Danyeonwol: Oh, one of you is a regular first-place commenter, and the other is new. Congratulations on being first. I was surprised to see a comment right after posting at 5 AM. :) Enjoy this chapter!
1st Place: Thank you for the coupon. I’ll finish writing this comment and get right back to writing the next chapter. Hehe.
Yeookanolja: Long time no see! Hahaha, are you referring to the staff as Ordo? I wonder who the staff’s owner will be~? :D
Gwaindi: Thank you for your hard work. ㅜ.ㅠ I’m on break, so I have a bit more time. But e-book editing is OTL. Study hard and get good grades on your exams~.
Kkokkoim: What, dandruff? I’ve been washing my hair at least twice a day, on average three times, and up to five times since I was 12. I don’t have dandruff. Really. Real.
hohokoya1: I’m glad to hear your day is happier. Thank you for the kind words. :) I’ll work even harder!
Baekintimoshi + [DeepBLue]: Thank you both for the coupons. I appreciate your advice even more. Hehe. Just say the word. How should I torment Vivian? (?!)
Euteosion: The moment Ordo appeared, bam! Cut off with style! Snip snip snip~. Snip snip snip~. I’m sorry. (__) I’ll post another chapter before lunch, so please forgive me.
fcheonryun: I’m so sorry, but I love you! (Oops.) Correction complete. Thank you~.
Fantajinia2: Let’s all get hooked on the charm of daily serialization!
Flute: I like Yujeong. Hahaha. Yujeong will grow soon. Goyeonju was an antagonist in the first round but wasn’t a subordinate of Yuhyeonah. :)
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I hope you always read with a relaxed mind.
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