Chapter 103: Nano (4)

Barbosa stared blankly at the Tower Master and asked, “What do you mean by that?” He couldn’t understand what the Tower Master was saying. Like the Tower Master, Barbosa had intended to gather information about the enemy first and then think of the best way to respond against Nano. Never did he imagine that everything would be resolved in just a single day. Yet, the strange force of the Demon Realm, which had completely replaced all creation in the Lutein Kingdom, was apparently taken care of in mere hours. That was something Barbosa had never expected. He wore a baffled expression, and the Tower Master wiggled his fingers as if he understood Barbosa’s confusion. “It’s easier if I just show you,” the Tower Master said. All at once, the space around them warped. Ketal, Barbosa, Elene, and Aron instantly found themselves at the site where Lutein’s royal palace had once stood. Barbosa looked around and was startled by the changed landscape. “What is this place?” Barbosa asked. Everything was in ruins, crumbling and broken. The ground was fractured into jagged pieces, as though it could collapse any second. “Why did you bring us to such a wasteland?” “You still can’t see it at a glance, can you?” the Tower Master remarked with a quiet laugh. “This is where the royal palace of Lutein stood.” “What?” Elene asked, her voice trembling. “H-here?” No matter how hard she looked, she could only see rubble and fractured earth on the verge of crumbling. The Tower Master explained further, “Those creatures had replaced the palace entirely. When Nano was defeated, the palace vanished along with it. The damage to the land is just the aftermath of the battle.” “So this really was the palace...,” Barbosa murmured, struggling to believe it. The Tower Master nodded. “It’s over. There is no longer any trace of Demon Realm’s Anomaly in this world.” Then, as if remembering something, the Tower Master muttered, “Ah, perhaps not entirely. A little remains.” All eyes turned to Elene. She was wandering around the place, looking dazed at the scene of destruction. “Tower Master,” Barbosa said, gazing at him with respect and awe. Barbosa was utterly convinced that the Tower Master had dealt with Nano—he believed that only a mage of such a high caliber could have accomplished this feat. However, the Tower Master slowly shook his head. “It wasn’t me.” Barbosa blinked. “What do you mean?” “It wasn’t my doing,” the Tower Master clarified. “It was his.” He turned toward Ketal. Barbosa’s eyes widened, and Elene, still walking aimlessly over the shattered land, murmured, “Everything... is gone. My birthplace, the people I knew... all of them.” Ketal offered a subdued apology. “I’m sorry.” Elene shook her head. “No, it’s fine. This just means I can start over with a new resolve. In a way, I’m grateful.” Ketal glanced at the Tower Master. “But what do we do now? Dawn is almost here. Your sleeping magic over the people can’t last forever. Once everyone wakes up, they will realize the palace is gone.” “We will do whatever can be done,” the Tower Master said, waving his fingers. He commanded, “Arise.” This was an order with power woven into the very words—a spell that commanded nature itself. “Restore and return to your original form,” the Tower Master continued. A rumble spread through the quiet air. With a low roar, the fractured land began to rise and mend. The shattered pieces of earth fused back into place, and deep crevices sealed themselves. Ketal watched in amazement as the ground rapidly reverted to how it had been before the battle. “Wow,” he whispered, impressed. In the blink of an eye, the land was back to normal. Anyone who came here with no prior knowledge would never guess that a fierce battle had torn it apart. Ketal marveled at how restoration magic was far more complicated than destruction, yet the Tower Master had pulled it off perfectly. “Is it really possible to do this with magic?” Ketal asked him. “This is truly incredible.” The Tower Master shook his head, almost as though he were exasperated. “Hearing that from you makes me feel like you’re teasing me. Restoring the earth isn’t hard because it has no will of its own. But it’s only the land that can be brought back.” By morning, the people of Lutein would awaken to discover that their royal palace had vanished overnight. The Tower Master turned to Elene. “From here on, it’s your responsibility. You’re the only remaining member of Lutein’s royal family... and one of the last two children of the Anomaly in this world.” “Yes,” Elene replied quietly, nodding with resolve. “I’m prepared for that.” She looked at Ketal and bowed. “Ketal, I want to thank you again. You avenged me by doing what I couldn’t. If you ever need my help in the future, I, Elene Mavroch, will repay this debt in full.” Elene, one of the last two children of the Anomaly, declared her gratitude to her benefactor. Ketal gave her a gentle smile. “I’ll be counting on that.” *** After confirming everything in the Lutein Kingdom, Ketal returned to the Denian Kingdom. While he was resting in the guest room, the door opened, and the Tower Master walked in. “Ah, here you are. Take this,” the Tower Master said, handing Ketal a small pouch. It felt rather heavy in Ketal’s hand. “This is the remnant of those creatures you wanted, “ the Tower Master explained. “They scattered everywhere, and it took some effort to gather them all.” Ketal’s eyes lit up. He opened the pouch and found it filled with iridescent particles. They were precisely what he had been after all along, and judging by the quantity, it was more than enough. “Thank you,” Ketal said, grinning. “I’m not sure what you plan to do with them,” the Tower Master replied, “but I hope they prove useful.” He had briefly hesitated before giving the pouch to Ketal. The iridescent particles that appeared when the Anomaly from the Demon Realm died could potentially have countless uses, including research on the Anomalies themselves. They were invaluable, but the Tower Master decided that maintaining a good relationship with Ketal was far more important. Satisfied with his newly acquired particles, Ketal asked, “What are Barbosa and Elene doing now?” Only Ketal and the Tower Master had returned to the Denian royal palace. Barbosa and Elene were still back where Lutein’s palace once stood. The Tower Master explained, “The Lutein royal palace has been obliterated. With the royal family’s bloodline reduced to Elene alone, what do you think will happen next?” “She will become queen,” Ketal answered casually with a shrug. “But to the people of Lutein, she is still just a foolish princess who ran away from home. And the Denian Kingdom might be seen as the villain for not sending the princess back. I can’t see how the two of them staying there will fix anything.” When it came to gaining real power, one needed public support and a solid justification, just like how Milayna traveled around to earn her right to lead her family. Unfortunately, Elene didn’t have that sort of legitimacy. Ketal continued, “In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if the nobles blamed her for destroying the palace and murdering the king. She could be labeled as a traitor. Once they get their bearings, they will all scramble to become the new ruler themselves. Doesn’t sound like a pretty picture.” The Tower Master momentarily fell silent. He hadn’t expected Ketal to lay out the situation so clearly. This barbarian was not only strong but also keenly aware of the consequences of his actions. He’s even more complicated than I thought, the Tower Master thought, secretly hoping not every barbarian from the White Snowfield was like this. Finally, the Tower Master spoke up. “You’re right that it won’t be easy for her. That’s why I plan to intervene personally.” “You think that’s enough?” Ketal asked him. “It should at least quell the immediate unrest,” the Tower Master replied. As the Tower Master, he carried enough authority to settle some of the chaos. Even then, it was still outside intervention. People would undoubtedly have things to say about that. Therefore, the Tower Master had already made a decision. “I plan to let the world know about the Anomaly that swallowed the Lutein Kingdom,” the Tower Master continued. “They need to understand that the Demon Realm is breaking into our world. This threat is no longer just a distant rumor—it’s real.” “Then chaos is inevitable,” Ketal remarked. “It was going to happen eventually. Now is just the time for everyone to face it,” the Tower Master said. Ketal acknowledged his point with a small nod. After a quiet pause, the Tower Master spoke again, watching Ketal carefully. “You’re strong.” “I’m not weak,” Ketal replied. “And you looked like you’d handled a foe of that caliber before.” “I’ve seen worse,” Ketal replied calmly. He recalled Nano’s trait: it replaced anything it came into contact with. That was the real threat, not its sheer power. By itself, Nano’s strength was comparable to many formidable creatures in the White Snowfield. Hearing Ketal’s answer, the Tower Master felt a surge of curiosity and worry. So that level of Anomaly might be common in the White Snowfield? the Tower Master wondered silently. Ever since the legendary emperor’s conquest of the White Snowfield long ago, almost no information had emerged from that barren land. It was arguably the most mysterious place in this world regarding the Demon Realms. Is there something up there that replaces all creation, just like Nano did? the Tower Master pondered. Without any real information, that was the only conclusion he could draw. While he was lost in thought, Ketal spoke. “Would you say that something like Nano is hard to handle?” “Not exactly,” the Tower Master replied. “Its power alone wasn’t outside our scope. Its ability to replace things was the bigger danger. If you had a Hero, they could defeat it without much trouble.” “Oh?” Ketal leaned forward, his interest piqued. Heroes were the strongest individuals in the world. The Tower Master was counted among them. Ketal had witnessed glimpses of the man’s power, feats that far exceeded ordinary imagination. Yet, since he had never actually seen the Tower Master fight, he had no tangible measure of that strength. As Ketal’s gaze rested on him, the Tower Master instinctively took a step back and began weaving defensive spells. “I’m sorry,” the Tower Master said quietly, “but I have no intention of fighting you. There’s no reason for me to do so.” “That’s fine by me,” Ketal replied. He considered himself a civilized man; he wouldn’t force someone into a fight if they didn’t want it. Even so, the Tower Master did not release his defensive spells. Instead, he changed the subject. “Now that this is over, what do you plan to do next?” “I should ask the same of you,” Ketal replied. “I’ll have to settle things in the Lutein Kingdom first,” the Tower Master answered with a sigh. “Then I need to keep moving. Unfortunately, it’s not only Lutein that’s in turmoil.” “It sounds like the entire world is in chaos,” Ketal remarked. “This incident was merely a precursor,” the Tower Master muttered, rubbing his temple as if he had a headache. “It’s the first time the threat has really shown itself in the open, but in truth, it’s happening everywhere across the continent. This isn’t good for anyone.” “I see.” Ketal remembered Elene mentioning that the world was being shaken at its foundations, but hearing it from the Tower Master made him realize it was more dire than he had thought. “In the near future,” the Tower Master went on, “the entire world will be in even greater turmoil.” He looked directly at Ketal. “When that happens, what do you plan to do?” “My purpose in this world never changes,” Ketal replied with a slight shrug. He was here to enjoy a fantasy world, nothing more. The Tower Master gave him a probing look. “And if someone tries to stand in your way?” “Stand in my way?” Ketal repeated. He paused, and his expression turned strangely unreadable. In that instant, the Tower Master tensed and began preparing another spell. He felt as though a wild predator was closing its jaw around his neck. “It would be a real nuisance for me,” Ketal said in a low voice.