Chapter 397

Words : 2435 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

One of the ley lines burst. They had reached the brink of the predetermined deadline – two out of five ley lines. “Did you see that correctly?” “I wish that blue pillar shooting high into the sky was something else.” Derek’s expression darkened at Varenchina’s words. Finally, the situation they had been worried about occurred. “We can’t just stand here. If that place gets breached, then there really will be no hope.” If there was any consolation, it was that the Kasar Basin was still intact even though two ley lines had been destroyed. Of course, that too was just a matter of time. The mana contained in the atmosphere was becoming unstable – they could feel it on their skin. It meant the energy contained within was reaching a critical point. Perhaps if a little more time passed, the ley lines flowing underground would tangle with each other and cause a great eruption. ‘Which direction did it burst? New Magic Tower? Or the School Association?’ They couldn’t give up now. While praying for the safety of those who went there, they had to keep moving forward. Derek knew this fact and shouted with a stern face. “Everyone move! We still have a chance!” That cry awakened the magicians who had already fallen into despair. However, their numbers were only a fraction of the total. “It’s wrong. It’s already too late.” “Two ley lines are already destroyed, how could we possibly...” Fear of death, despair, and frustration consumed them. Derek bit his lip at the sight. Just as he was thinking to at least take those who could still move properly, the Old Magic Tower magicians showed suspicious movement. “We’re going back!” The voice of Gregorium Solute, the field commander of the Old Magic Tower, rang out clearly. Varenchina approached Gregorium with wide eyes. “Magician Gregorium. What are you doing!” “What do you mean? Can’t you see we’re retreating?” “What did you say?” “Don’t you understand the situation? A ley line burst. The second one at that! You know what that means, right? This expedition has essentially failed. There’s no hope!” “No hope? If we block that place now, won’t it be fine?” “Would anything change if we block it? What about the other places?” Gregorium thought. Now that one ley line on the other side had burst, it would only be a matter of moments before the other side collapsed. In that case, it would be better to devise another plan right now. “We shouldn’t have trusted those New Magic Tower and School Association bastards in the first place! This happened because they couldn’t handle things properly! Why should we have to fight in this situation?” “We have to fight to survive!” “Ha! To survive? We won’t survive if we fight those madmen, will we?” “But if the Kasar Basin collapses...” “We can use the ley line of the forward base. That place has the largest core among the five ley lines. Even if other ley lines collapse, that place will be fine. If we draw power from that ley line and spread magic circles and barriers, at least we can survive.” Varenchina’s eyes widened at those words. “‘We,’ you say? Then what about the people outside the Kasar Basin...!” “Why should we care about that?” Varenchina was momentarily speechless. As if she couldn’t believe she would hear such brazen words right in front of her, she asked with trembling lips. “Do you have no honor?” “Honor? That’s something only rough fighters like you care about, Sir Knight. Why should we risk our lives for people whose faces we don’t even know?” Gregorium was at least quick-witted when it came to preserving his own life. He had devised a way to protect their forces even if the Kasar Basin collapsed. He chose the certainty of saving himself over the uncertainty of trying to save everyone. Naturally, the Old Magic Tower magicians agreed with Gregorium’s opinion. They didn’t want to die here either. “This...this is...” Out of 100 people, the Old Magic Tower’s proportion was enormous. Originally, the Old Magic Tower was meant to be the main force, with free magicians and knights attached as support. If the core Old Magic Tower withdrew, it would be like losing more than half their fighting force. Even if 50 people remained, considering they were all independent individuals, the actual drop in combat power would exceed 70 percent. Varenchina bit her lip. There was no time to argue with Gregorium and the Old Magic Tower here. Gregorium knew this and was being forceful because of it. To Varenchina, who had fought with her sword for justice, Gregorium’s choice was an unbearable outrage. She wanted to draw her sword and swing it right away. “Stop.” Rudger stepped forward and restrained Varenchina. With just one word, Varenchina realized she had almost made an irreversible choice. She felt embarrassed but also hopeful. After all, Rudger Chelici was, at least in her eyes, the most outstanding magician present. Perhaps there might be a way to persuade the Old Magic Tower and others. With such hope as she watched. Rudger looked at Gregorium and said coldly. “If you’re going to leave, then just go. Don’t muddy the waters unnecessarily. We will continue the mission.” “...Hmph. Looks like you want to play the righteous hero. Too bad. Going there now is no different from going to die.” “We’ll see about that.” “You think you can stop it without us?” “What, are you suggesting we should run away together? It seems you’re at least aware that you’re acting selfishly, even if you pretend otherwise. I can tell by how you want to share even the minimum guilt with others.” “You’re refusing the chance we’re giving you?” “The chance isn’t yours to give. It’s ours to give. And it’s the Old Magic Tower – you – who kicked that chance away.” Gregorium bristled at Rudger’s provocative tone. In truth, they could have just withdrawn immediately, yet continuing to exchange words while maintaining a pessimistic attitude was nothing more than emotional behavior. They were irritated by Rudger and Derek who were performing better than them. And the fact that they were still willing to stay made them feel even more pathetic in comparison. Gregorium’s current sneering was ultimately nothing more than a base attempt to recover his wounded pride. Rudger saw through this, which is why he didn’t get angry at Gregorium’s behavior. “Get out. Go huddle and hide in the base. I won’t stop you. But when everything ends safely later, you’ll have to bear that responsibility fully.” “...” Rudger’s words weren’t a simple threat, but seemed to convey certainty about something that would definitely happen in the future. Even though that shouldn’t be possible, his confident tone made it seem that way. “...You’ll regret this.” Gregorium twisted his face and turned his back. The Old Magic Tower magicians followed him as he walked quickly back the way they came. Some of them seemed troubled about running away, their eyes wavering, but no one had the courage to say they would stay. Rudger watched them and quietly sighed inside. In the past, the Truth Faction had done the same thing, and because of that, Limrei had lost his daughter. Human selfishness had created unnecessary problems. Rudger had no intention of sympathizing with Limrei’s actions but experiencing the current situation made him understand those feelings a little. “But do you really have a way?” Varenchina asked Rudger after glaring at the departing Old Magic Tower magicians. Perhaps she had felt some hope from his confident tone. Rudger shook his head. “What way would there be? We just have to do our best to stop them, that’s all.” “What? Then why did you say...” “Speaking like that was the only way to make them feel as uncomfortable as possible.” Varenchina became blank-faced for a moment at Rudger’s sincere words, then let out a small laugh. “I see. Ah, I’m late with introductions. I’m Varenchina.” “I’m Rudger Chelici.” “Though we’ve met by fate, we don’t have time for long conversations.” “Yes.” Rudger and Varenchina simultaneously looked toward where the explosion was occurring. They both opened their mouths at the same time. “Let’s go.” * * * The remaining people were confused, but no one said they would run away. They knew deep down that there was no guarantee they would survive even if they ran. Therefore, they had no choice but to fight until the end, clinging to that slim possibility. The remaining 50 people squeezed out their remaining strength and headed toward where the explosion was occurring, the presumed core of the ley line. Soon the tree-covered environment opened up to reveal a sheer cliff. Beyond the cliff, the beautiful scenery of the Kasar Basin could be seen at a glance. There were people busy moving on top of that cliff. It was the Black Dawn Society, focused on destroying the ley lines. “They’ve arrived!” “Stop them!” Though the Black Dawn Society shouted this, it was Rudger’s group that fired magic first. Since they had prepared their magic in advance, they could continue their attack as soon as they spotted the Black Dawn Society. The magic spells woven with prepared mana were fired at high speed. At that moment, light arose in front of the Black Dawn Society and a mana barrier was created. They too had prepared defensive magic circles in anticipation of such a situation but this side had more attacks. The magic barrier only blocked a few spells before it could no longer hold and collapsed. The magic that broke through the barrier swept through the enemies. Screams rang out, and Black Dawn Society magicians fell one by one. “Knights! Forward! Sweep away all these vicious lot!” Varenchina and the knights shot forward like arrows. Charging in where there was no cover would normally be suicide, but right now the enemies’ formation had collapsed from the sudden ambush. The knights approached within reach of the Black Dawn Society in an instant, supported by backup from the rear. Though the Black Dawn Society had prepared defenses, the magic they fired was easily blocked by the magicians supporting the knights from behind. “Fall back!” A Second Order stepped forward. As he swung his staff and raised mana, a huge earthen wall was created in front of the knights. The wall of earth mixed with stones and gravel was quite high to jump over. “Hmph! This thing!” When Senior Knight Varenchina swung her sword once, part of the wall collapsed. The Second Order’s face turned pale. The knights dove through the gap and cut down the Black Dawn Society magicians. A knight approaching within close range of a magician essentially meant their victory. As Varenchina was cutting down all the enemies, she felt a massive flow of mana directed at her. It was high-level magic that even a Senior Knight would find difficult to face. ‘Too late...!’ Just as she was trying to raise her aura to maximum since it was too late to dodge, Derek Olson stepped forward. 4th Circle Defense Magic [Magic Protect] The most effective defensive magic for blocking spells was deployed. However, Magic Protect was basically good at blocking lower-level magic, not powerful enough to swallow high-powered magic, especially if there was a large gap in power between the casters. -Clang! Magic Protect shattered before the massive magical force but that brief collision gave Varenchina enough time to respond. Varenchina concentrated her aura as thinly as possible on her sword and swung vertically. The incoming magical force split left and right and exploded. Varenchina’s expression hardened. Even though she had cut through the weakened magic, the impact on her sword-holding hand was considerable. Her trained knight’s body trembled. This meant that the enemy who fired this attack was no ordinary opponent. At that moment, someone slowly descended from the sky and revealed themselves. “So, you’ve come this far after all.” It was a middle-aged man with a distinctive short gray beard covering his entire chin and his grayish-white hair neatly swept back. His cold gaze, like frozen iron, stared at the uninvited guests including Varenchina. Derek’s eyes widened as he recognized him. “Belkart Benmark? You were alive?” Belkart Benmark, a military magician of the Delica Kingdom, and one of those who had headed to the Secret Manor, and a casualty who hadn’t escaped from the manor. Derek was shocked by the truth that Belkart, whom he thought was dead, was alive and was a mastermind involved in perpetrating all this. The same was true for Rudger, who had joined the scene. “I definitely saw him dead.” It was Rudger’s group that had confirmed Belkart’s corpse. Hearing that muttering, Belkart turned to Rudger and answered. “Why do you think that? You didn’t actually see me die, you just saw a corpse. Was that corpse really me?” “...” Rudger suddenly recalled the moment they had discovered Belkart’s corpse. The corpse’s face was damaged beyond recognition. Naturally, they could only infer the person’s identity from their clothing and items the corpse possessed. Come to think of it, who was it that said that corpse was Belkart at the time? ‘Limrei.’ At this moment, Rudger realized that the corpse had been a fake disguised as Belkart. It had been a setup from the beginning. “...You planned it all. You did that to remove yourself from the list of suspects from the start.” “There’s nothing more convenient for activities than pretending to be dead.” It wasn’t that someone named Leslie had impersonated Belkart. Leslie, Isabella’s fiancé, wasn’t even here in the first place. It had been Belkart from the beginning. “Let me introduce myself again. I am Belkart Benmark. I was formerly a magician belonging to the Truth Faction, and also a military magician of the Delica Kingdom.” He raised a powerful magical power. His publicly known circle was 5th Circle but the power he was currently displaying was not like that at all. Even at the lowest estimate, it was 6th Circle. In other words, he was a Lexer-grade magician, of which there were only a few even in a single country. “And now I am an executive of a secret society, code name [Leslie].”

Chapter 397

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