Chapter 312: The Path of Denial (1)

Words : 1467 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 312: The Path of Denial (1) On the ground, evacuations were in full swing. The most elite members of the organization were headed down the waterways to hunt down the liberators, but that didn’t mean they could be complacent. Furthermore, the periodic vibrations coming from underground were alarming. A fight that should have been a one-sided affair was instead fiercely fought causing the evacuated citizens to tremble in fear. The same could be said for the students of Theon who were evacuating the palace. [Boom! Boom!] “Doesn’t the sound seem to be getting louder?” “What the hell is going on down there.......?” “Everyone, don’t stop moving!” Some of the knights and guards leading the students also sensed the seriousness of the situation and sped up their steps. “Everyone’s getting restless.” The air around them was filled with stifling negativity and what should have been a fun field trip had turned into hell in less than half a day. ‘God, let’s hope this ends well.’ As she started to walk away, Rene slumped down. The pain, like a needle piercing her temple, was overwhelming. She grabbed her head with her hands. “Ouch!” “Rene!” Erendir, who had been walking beside her, came to her aid. “Are you okay? What happened? You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?” “Oh, no, it’s just that all of a sudden my head...... ouch!” “Rene!” Rene couldn’t answer Erendir’s call for her easily. In addition to the headache that felt like it was splitting her skull, her eyes burned like they were on fire. ‘My eyes, my eyes hurt so much.’ The pain was so intense that I felt like she was going to cry, but the tears dried up and evaporated in the heat. The pain that had been there for a while disappeared as though it had been swept away. It was only a few tens of seconds, but the pain was so intense that it felt so long. Rene could barely catch her breath. “Rene, you’re really going to be okay, aren’t you?” “Yes, yes. I’m fine for now.” “Come on, let’s move. We’ll be in trouble if we stay behind.” Erendir started to help Rene to her feet, but then stopped. There was something strange about the way Erendir stared at her. “Senior?” “Rene. Your eyes.......” Erendir muttered as he looked into Rene’s eyes. Lights like a cluster of sparkling stars floated in her pupils. Had her eyes always been like this? It couldn’t be. Erendir’s senses and time watching her so closely told her. Surely Rene’s eyes had changed, and in a very different way. Just as Erendir was about to ask what had happened, Rene’s expression hardened in an instant. Her eyes stared in a single direction before she spoke in a firm voice. “Senior, you need to move first.” “Eh, eh? Yes, I should. More than that, you, your eyes are.......” “Now is not the time to talk about that, let’s go.” “Uh, okay.” Erendir moved with her touch, puzzled by her suddenly determined demeanor. “Still, I’m the senior one.......” Erendir’s bewilderment and grumbling didn’t deter Rene. The others might not see it, but she saw a vast evil presence, bubbling up from the depths of the capital city. It looked like it could burst through the ground at any moment, like a volcano. But it didn’t, because someone was desperately holding it back. ‘Who is it?’ All Rene could see for the moment was power in color. The color of a great evil, the color of darkness and its opponent that was a brilliant golden color casting a dazzling radiance and dispelling the darkness as if he stood in direct opposition to the evil entity. It was almost nostalgic but she couldn’t let it go. Her instincts warned her for some time that it would be dangerous to stay here. * * * Huge golden palms filled his vision. Basara realized it was too late to dodge and raised his four hands to meet it. Willing himself to put up as much resistance as he could. His regenerated body surged with terrifying power and was engulfed in black energy, burning like a flame. It had summoned all its strength. Resistance? No. It was going to pierce through those golden palms like a bolt from the blue. “Come!” Let’s see who’s stronger. Basara’s confidence slowly dwindled as the palm slowly approached. Four arms blazing with black flames met the palm of the Buddha’s hand but with a crackling sound, the fingertips crumbled to dust and scattered. -Here! Andrei Semov is here! -Arrest him! If he resists, kill him! Andrei’s tear-filled eyes turned to the agents. They stared at him with contempt, labeling him as evil and Andrei’s anger boiled like lava at the sight. Today I have developed a cure for an incurable disease. A great advance in medicine. But why? Why did my daughter have to die? Why do you look at me like that? Why are you bound by such petty morals that you let someone who could be saved die? It’s wrong. This world is as wrong as it gets. -Yes. The words slipped from Andrei’s lips. His voice was hoarse from crying, but still dripping with hate and filth. -Then let me show you that you were foolish and I was not wrong. -Stop it! Intelligence agents and even knights rushed in, but they were no match for Andrei, a Lexer wizard. That day, the promising sixth-rank wizard Andrei Semov died. In his place, Andrei Semov, a warlock of the Biotech School, was born. ‘So that’s what happened.’ Andrei lowered his head again, reflecting on his past. A shadowy man stood in his path, Rudger Chelici, a teacher at the Academy. Rudger stared at Andrei and Andrei stared back. Rudger didn’t ask why he was helping. He just stared at the wizard, who was now on the verge of collapse from exhaustion. It was then that Andrei muttered in disbelief. “Are you going to kill me?” “I don’t intend to.” “Huh.” Andrei didn’t know if it was the confidence of his own power, or the last bit of sympathy he could muster. But he felt strangely familiar with this man. “Have you ever failed to protect something you were supposed to protect?” “.......” “Have you ever hated the world, and yet, as if sustained by evil, you did everything in your power to prove yourself wrong?” “.......” When Rudger didn’t answer, Andrei smirked. “I see you have.” “.......” “I didn’t realize it at first, but I could see it in your eyes, you’re like me.” Andrei muttered like a man who had already given up on everything. “So you’re not an ordinary teacher after all.” As Andrei muttered that, he squeezed the last of his mana into his right hand and materialized a spell. It was the same framework that Rudger unfolded as he taught his students the source code. “This is the formula for my knowledge. Take it. It will help you in some way, or you can make it public. Then you’ll have a place in the Arcane Chamber’s Hall of Fame.” “Why are you giving me this?” Rudger realized that Andrei’s knowledge was unusual. After all, it was the culmination of a lifetime of study by a Lexer-rank wizard turned warlock. It carried no small weight. “With that, you might be able to regain your former reputation, or at least, given your help in the last fight, you might be able to avoid the worst punishment.” Andrei shook his head. “I didn’t do it for anything in return, it’s just that I couldn’t bear it.” “Couldn’t’ bear’ what?” “What I failed to protect, and what the world failed to protect. I was tormented by it all.” Andrei coughed, and black blood gurgled. His body was dying. Andrei laughed bitterly. “It wasn’t praise I needed, or great achievements to make a name for myself in the world. I just wanted to protect what I held in my hands.” “.......” “It must sound ridiculous to commit such an evil deed for such a thing. It doesn’t make sense to others. Of course, I don’t want it to make sense. I was sincere the whole time, that’s all that matters to me.” I didn’t care if I had to be an enemy to the world for that. I didn’t care who cursed and pointed fingers. No matter the filth, no matter the thorns. I was willing to endure it all. “You are, too, aren’t you?” Andrei’s clear eyes pierced Rudger’s.

Chapter 312: The Path of Denial (1)

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