Chapter 189. A Red Flower Doesn’t Last Ten Days
After Myseolne finished telling everything.
It wasn’t long before Demian finished his breathing method.
“Demian, are you ready?”
Demian didn’t answer. He only lifted his eyes and stared at Chenbi.
After looking at those clear, deep eyes for a moment, Chenbi lightly patted Demian’s shoulder and turned away.
“…….”
Standing before the large hole, Chenbi let his eyes rest on the darkness for a moment.
The corridor beyond the hole was deep—endlessly deep. The darkness beyond the reach of the glowing stone’s light looked like a pitch-black abyss, and the rocks melted by heat made the space seem warped, like an illusion.
As Chenbi silently watched the darkness, Myseolne’s voice rang by his ear.
“Are you truly alright with this?”
Chenbi didn’t answer—instead, he smiled.
Seeing that smile, Myseolne realized how useless his question was.
‘……He’s become a mage.’
And it wasn’t only Chenbi.
Demian’s eyes, standing beside him, were deeper and clearer than before as well. Both of them had grown a step, mentally.
As Myseolne reached that thought, Chenbi stepped into the corridor.
Footsteps echoed into the dim passage. The darkness that covered the space retreated by the length of each step.
With each step—each time the corridor’s darkness withdrew by one pace—Chenbi felt his presence fading more and more.
A feeling of becoming endlessly small, smaller, until he was buried into the world.
It was an unfamiliar sensation he’d never felt in his life. Fear might have risen—but Chenbi walked. With eyes sunk low, he stared into the darkness.
- Hi. You’re Aster, right?
- Yeah. So?
- I’m Chenbi. You’re famous. They say you made Doranpe’s second son kneel?
It wasn’t a special meeting, and he didn’t think about it seriously.
He’d entered the academy at sixteen—somewhat late—so he felt awkward, and it was true he’d been intimidated among the so-called children from well-off families.
If anything, the vagrant from the Black and White Zone was easier to deal with, and if he got rejected, he could just find another group—nothing about the meeting was special enough to matter.
- Ah, it’s not much. I just wanted to sit together. I don’t have anyone I’m close to yet. It’s kind of…… hard to wedge into other places. You know how it is.
- Sure. Do what you want.
A connection that started without anything heavy to it.
- Damn it.
The curse he spat out like a habit was, no matter how kindly you looked at it, shallow. His attitude, lacking motivation in everything, was hard to understand.
How did a kid like that catch House Brando’s eye? If he said he felt no envy, it would be a bald-faced lie.
But it was fun.
So much that all envy flew away.
And he was grateful.
So much that the envy he couldn’t help feeling made him feel sorry.
- ……Ah, Aster?
- What kind of bullshit is this, seriously. Wait a little. Let’s say hello after I deal with this.
- N-no. Aster, it’s danger—!
Would there ever be a day he could repay it?
If Demian was a brilliantly shining star, Aster was an unrestrained wind. And he was a jagged, ugly rock spur sticking out. He couldn’t even imagine repaying it.
But.
He truly didn’t know.
The whirlwind he thought would become a storm finally became a gentle breeze and scattered away in vain. It left nothing behind.
He’d thought it would someday depart to a place he could never reach, but he never dreamed it would disappear like this.
So now, Chenbi was walking this dark abyss. Tracing the past, step by step.
To put a period to a farewell he could never properly finish.
How long did he walk like that?
When Chenbi had nearly forgotten himself completely and melted into the world, an old, weathered voice reached his ear.
“……It’s up ahead.”
Chenbi slowly closed his eyes, then opened them, and looked forward. Indeed, the long, long corridor was finally showing its end.
“Then, I’ll be back.”
“Just check and come back.”
Instead of answering, Chenbi accepted the glowing stone and cast a glance at Demian.
The moment they left the corridor, an open stone chamber revealed itself.
There, Chenbi didn’t have a hard time finding “it.”
Could spirits sleep too? A stone giant curled up in the center of the chamber, releasing only a faint flame.
The heat was dizzyingly hot, but Chenbi’s eyes—coolly holding that massive body—carefully swept through the chamber.
A chamber that, for some reason, looked like a complete mess.
But.
……There wasn’t anything.
The only presences in the chamber were the stone giant curled up, himself, and Demian.
Lastly, Chenbi’s eyes fell on Demian.
Even after Chenbi’s gaze reached him, Demian stared at the stone giant for a moment—then looked at Chenbi and nodded.
After confirming that, Chenbi turned his eyes to Myseolne, who had followed them before he’d realized.
“Sir Myseolne, are the spirits okay?”
“……As expected, they can’t come to their senses. They’re resting within me for now.”
“Then Sir Myseolne can’t do anything, can you?”
“That’s right. So hurry— no, wait.”
Sensing something off, Myseolne furrowed his brow. For a moment, Chenbi’s nuance felt ominous.
That was when—
Kwaddeuk, kwaddeuk!
“What—!”
Rock spikes suddenly shot up from the floor. In an instant, dozens of spikes sprang up and targeted Myseolne.
Myseolne could only stumble backward helplessly, when Chenbi’s voice rang sharply in his ear.
“Sir Myseolne, I’m sorry for lying.”
“You— what are you trying to— kkh!”
Chenbi didn’t answer. He only used magic to guide Myseolne deeper into the corridor.
And when Myseolne had retreated far enough, Chenbi didn’t hesitate—he collapsed the corridor they’d come through.
Kugugu, kugu……!
Between the falling rocks—
“This isn’t what we agreed on……!”
Leaving Myseolne’s shout behind, Chenbi looked again at the stone giant—Infernal.
Had it truly fallen asleep? Even with all this commotion, it stayed curled up without reacting.
Chenbi stared at it for a moment, then asked Demian.
“Do you really think it’ll work?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright. So it will.”
After receiving that final confirmation, Chenbi recalled part of what he’d heard from Myseolne about Infernal.
- Infernal— a fire spirit said to have existed in the mythic age. But though its essence is spirit, it’s closer to an evil spirit, and even its birth is said to have risen from the hellfire of hell.
The flames were so hot they were lethal even to material bodies, but in truth, they were even more lethal to spirits.
Flames that could annihilate spirits—who had no concept of death—was it?
In the past, it would’ve been an opponent he wouldn’t even dare to dream of resisting, but…… Chenbi heightened his focus, letting out a long, deep breath.
If Demian said it would work, then it would.
He didn’t doubt it in the slightest.
“Demian, then let’s get ready.”
“We only get one chance.”
“I know. I’ll hold out as much as I can.”
With those words, Chenbi stepped in front of Demian, blocking him.
Demian stared at Chenbi’s back for a moment, then closed his eyes and began casting. His lips moved, and a strange scale of sound flowed out.
The speed of the chant grew faster, until it reached the point where you couldn’t catch a single syllable.
Pajeujik, pajik……!
As if answering the chant, the Mana in the air churned. Like thick storm clouds swelling before lightning strikes.
Did it sense that ominous sign?
Ggeuk, geuk.
The curled stone giant gradually expanded its bulk. No—it wasn’t that it expanded. The flames burning more violently made it look as though it was swelling.
Chenbi raised a force field against that scorching fire, while fixing Infernal in his solid gaze.
Enormous, indeed.
Three meters…… no, it might even approach four meters.
‘……He said five minutes, right?’
Chenbi stepped forward once and closed his eyes.
And when about the time it takes to inhale and exhale once had passed, Chenbi slowly opened the eyes he’d shut.
Infernal’s massive body filling his vision. With Chenbi’s limp fingers, the glowing stone hung precariously.
Now—at this moment.
Chenbi was entering a new horizon.
Mang-a (忘我), by forgetting himself……
Ilche (一體), he blends with the world.
This was different in kind from a genius who embraces and dominates the world. He erased himself, becoming part of the world.
This was the only path allowed to Chenbi, a mere ordinary talent (凡才).
Tuk…….
At last, the glowing stone that had been hanging precariously fell into free fall. To Chenbi’s senses, melted into the world, the entire process was etched into his mind as clearly as if it were drawn in a picture.
And finally—
Jjaenggeurang!
The first to move was Chenbi.
“I…… hate golems.”
Kwaddeuk, kwaddeudeudeudeuk!
Dozens of lances surged up from the ground. Their cold, blue steel-like spear tips rushed in, aiming for Infernal.
In the world of focus raised to its extreme, that scene was reflected fleetingly in Chenbi’s eyes.
- They call it “Spear of the Earth.” The name’s kind of grand, right? ……Haha.
- It’s not that grand a name.
- Oh, really?
- But it’s not not-grand either.
- …….
What do you think, Aster.
- With magic like this, the caster has to prove whether it lives up to its name. Whether it’s grand or not depends on what you do.
Isn’t it a pretty fitting name?
With that thought, Chenbi melted completely into the world.
……The blood trickling down from his nose was redder and redder than any flower.
A strange cracking sound echoed through the wide stone chamber.
Myseolne, staring blankly at the collapsed corridor, could tell the battle had begun.
“How could…….”
He was a fool for not noticing.
If Chenbi truly only intended to “check” Infernal…… how could those eyes have been that transparent? It couldn’t have been.
If Demian truly wasn’t thinking of revenge…… why had Demian been sharpening himself so keenly? There would’ve been no reason.
Biting down hard on his lip at his bitter blunder, Myseolne felt dizzy.
But it wasn’t only his mistake that made him feel regret.
Ggeugeugeung…… kuung—!
Beyond the rock pile where cracking sounds rang continuously—though he couldn’t borrow the spirits’ power—Myseolne’s sensory perception felt it vividly.
One presence was flaring violently, as if burning. Like a candle at the brink of extinguishing, setting its own life on fire.
‘……No.’
For an ordinary talent, there is a domain allowed to an ordinary talent. A speed they must walk at. Also, a line they must not cross.
But Chenbi had crossed it.
‘How—how could you be so hasty…….’
If you walked your path slowly, at the speed you’re allowed, you might someday build a path that isn’t permitted to geniuses.
So why burn the possibility you were given so impatiently?
Myseolne clenched both fists tight and closed his eyes.
It was time to decide.
He’d delayed it because it might lead to an irreversible result, but…… now was the time to choose.
After a brief moment—
Myseolne opened his eyes and looked beyond the rock pile.
In truth, it wasn’t even a problem that needed 고민.
If someone had to burn their possibility……
‘……It should be the old man who burns it.’
The spirit summoner of Sakpung (朔風).
This old spirit summoner—once said to be on equal footing with the terminating mage Muspellun—hardened his resolve and closed his eyes again.
“It’s been so long…… I don’t know if it’ll go well.”
Soon, the power of the spirits dwelling within him transferred into his aged body.
For the young mage.
