Chapter 66. Reappearance (3)
Exiting the village alley, Enoch was greeted by an empty plaza.
There was no one around. It seemed the Elsyde mages had successfully diverted Vendetta’s attention as initially planned.
The entrance to the abandoned underground residential area of the Beast-kin village.
Enoch lowered the cloth bag before it.
Descending the dark stairs, an unexpectedly vast tunnel came into view.
A passage lined with massive gray walls of the underground tunnel. Massive cement pillars reaching towards the high ceiling, reinforced with steel structures here and there, spread out.
‘Tantalus. Hid in a complex place.’
Underground residential area.
No matter how skilled detection-type magic users were, they couldn't exert their full power in such chaotic terrain. That must be why Vendetta hid here.
‘But that’s for ordinary mages.’
Enoch focused his mind, looking at the darkness blanketing the dark tunnel passage.
Naturally, he hadn't come without any countermeasures. Because there was at least one sure way to find the guy.
‘……I see it.’
Enoch’s eyes narrowed.
As expected, a line was visible beyond the passage.
─A viscous green line of mana.
It was the same color as the large-scale magic circle spread throughout the village. The glowing green line of mana stretched long somewhere into the passage.
‘Certain. This is Tantalus’s mana I saw before.’
This was precisely the way to find Tantalus.
Just follow the source of this mana flow. Naturally, the mana line would lead to the place where Tantalus was casting the large-scale magic.
Then he should be able to find the guy at its end.
But before that.
There was something that needed to be resolved first.
Enoch took a step into the tunnel interior.
Thump…….
His footsteps echoed in the tunnel.
Opposite the footsteps echoing underground.
Wooong.
Suddenly, from the dark passage, the light of over dozens of magic circles drove back the darkness, drawing geometric patterns.
Behind the light emitted by those numerous magic circles.
The silhouettes of the mages deploying them were reflected.
Vendetta’s defensive forces guarding the underground area.
Enoch’s eyes narrowed upon seeing them.
The next moment, the magic circles in the air rotated all at once. Blazing fireballs formed, emitting sharp sounds of burning air.
Immediately, fireballs cutting through the darkness at terrifying speed rushed towards Enoch.
Shwoooook!
Reacting to the sound of scorching heat cutting through the air.
Enoch instantly twisted his body. The fireball, grazing his hair barely, sparked with orange flames as it passed by a paper-thin margin.
Taat─
Enoch, using the momentum from dodging, planted his hands on the ground, kicked off his legs, and immediately started sprinting towards the enemies.
Evading fireballs consecutively flying through the narrow passage.
Simultaneously, pulls the knot of the cloth bag held down.
Srrng.
Drawing the sword, dark blue mana pushed back the darkness, projecting onto the long blade.
The expressions of the enemies watching the black-haired boy rapidly approaching turned to horror.
“……!”
Enoch quickly closed the distance right before the enemies.
One Vendetta mage, taking cover closest, hastily raised his magic gear to construct a magic circle.
However, the next moment.
A sharp sword strike, sliding coldly through the air, swiftly cut through the empty space several steps before the guy.
Chaang!
The magic the guy was chanting was instantly cancelled.
The mana attempting to form the magic circle shattered into pieces, crystallized, colored the dark underground space, and scattered into the sky.
The enemy, staggering greatly from the momentary internal mana backflow, was swiftly pierced by Enoch’s sword.
“Keoheok!”
Even at that moment, Enoch’s eyes gave no quarter, finding another enemy.
Right behind.
Other Vendetta soldiers aimed their staves at Enoch. The magic circles they constructed rotated. Instantly, mana bullets wrapped in light flew forth.
Enoch immediately grabbed the collar of the enemy just pierced by his sword with one hand and lifted him forward.
Then, holding the enemy’s body like a shield, broke through the pouring enemy magic head-on.
Just like that, takes cover behind a tunnel pillar.
Pababaak!
Mana bullets hit the pillar by a hair's breadth. Cement fragments exploded beside Enoch’s cheek, pressed against the pillar.
Meanwhile, the ambushing Vendetta forces exchanged brief hand signals in the darkness.
Immediately, several mages continuously projected magic towards the pillar Enoch hid behind and its surroundings.
Thus, temporarily blocking Enoch’s movements. The remaining soldiers also rose, aimed their magic gears, and approached Enoch.
However, the next moment.
Towards the advancing Vendetta mages─
Whoosh!
─The mage Enoch used as a shield flew towards them.
Beyond the gazes of the mages, momentarily startled seeing their comrade’s body flying in.
A fatal sword strike flew in from behind it.
“Krhoook!”
Immediately after throwing the mage used as a temporary shield. Simultaneously, Enoch pushed off the ground and dashed forward.
In the blink of an eye, the gap with the enemies entered the sword’s range. The enemies hastily tried to aim their magic gears.
However, too late.
The sword blade emitted a cold light in the darkness.
A trajectory of dark blue light raced as if rotating through the air. It successively cut down the mage’s body thrown into the air and the enemies behind it.
Immediately after Enoch slid past them.
Unable even to scream. Vendetta mages collapsed onto the floor with dull thuds like falling leaves.
Enoch, steadying his stance after flicking his sword once in the air, glanced around briefly.
Naturally, this wouldn't be all of them.
As if confirming that thought.
─Pzzzzzik!
Instantly, grazing Enoch’s cheek, something glowing plunged into the ground behind him. A chill ran down his spine.
Enoch glanced back.
A spear of pale electric thunder, stuck slanted in the ground, emitted blue sparks as it dissipated.
‘Lightning-type attack magic.’
Looking at the magic that barely grazed past him, Enoch slowly turned his head towards the tunnel beyond.
The light emitted by dozens of magic circles spread wide, taking cover throughout the tunnel, aiming this way.
Instantly, the hair on the back of Enoch’s neck stood on end.
Immediately throws his body sideways.
Subsequently fired lightning-type magics struck the ground where he was a beat later, shattering it.
Enoch, rolling up, took cover behind a nearby pillar and assessed the situation.
‘More enemies than expected.’
Already, from the darkness of the passage ahead, Vendetta members were revealing themselves one by one.
A thorough encirclement in the narrow tunnel, prepared by Vendetta for intruders coming here.
Even at this moment, they aimed their magic gears, closing in on him steadily.
‘Tougher than expected.’
Confirming the situation beyond the pillar, Enoch, kneeling on one knee, readjusted his grip on the sword once.
‘Breaking through that number alone is impossible.’
But it didn't matter anyway.
He expected it to some extent from the beginning.
‘Because actually, this side…’
Just then. The moment Enoch thought that far─
Swaeeek!
Suddenly, from the tunnel behind the darkness, a chilling sound of tearing air aimed at him echoed.
Enoch quickly turned his head back. Instantly, his eyes widened greatly.
Whoosh!
─A sharp ice spear tip flying through the air.
A decisive snipe fired by a Vendetta mage ambushing hidden in the opposite complex tunnel.
“……!”
Instantly, time flowed like slow motion.
Without even time to be surprised. The sharp tip of the ice spear plunged steadily towards Enoch’s eyes.
Already far too late to dodge.
But just before the sharp ice spear pierced his eye.
Beside his ear, a small but familiar sound was heard.
Piiing─
At that desperate moment.
Slender wires dyed with silver-white mana flew rapidly from beside Enoch’s vision.
Kagagak!
Wires exquisitely wrapping around the ice spear from all sides, stopping it.
The ice spear halted abruptly before Enoch’s eyes.
Immediately, the wires wrapped around the ice spear tightened with a sharp sound. Then, the ice spear shattered like an explosion right before Enoch.
Chaaaang!
Enoch smiled, watching the ice fragments shattering into pieces right before his eyes.
‘……Actually, this side isn’t alone.’
Click.
Beyond the ice crystals scattering in the darkness.
A silver-haired maid walked coldly through them.
Lien.
One hand deploying wires from her fingertips. Lien’s silver hair swayed lightly in the darkness as she walked towards him, click clack.
Eventually reaching his side, her gaze calmly met Enoch’s.
“…….”
However, she soon closed her eyes without a word and retrieved the wires with a concise motion.
Then she turned her gaze towards the enemies ahead.
Enoch too silently rose to his feet.
Holding his sword rotated once before Lien, he began sprinting forward.
“Damn it, there are two! Block them!”
Vendetta mages raised their magic gears in opposition. However, their eyes soon filled with horror.
The path the black-haired boy headed towards was pierced by silver wires flying through the air as if protecting him.
Swaeeeeek!
Silver-white wires wrapped around the Vendetta soldiers from all sides like spiderwebs, subduing them, followed by consecutive dark blue sword strikes drawing semicircles, cutting down the enemies.
Behind the black and white dash piercing the darkness, Vendetta mages collapsed like falling leaves, unable even to resist.
Thus descending deeper underground several times.
Tap.
Finally reaching the deep core of the underground area.
A staircase shrouded in darkness appeared before them.
Enoch stopped there.
Looking up at the wall beside the stairs, the floor number and markings indicating the deepest part of the underground area were engraved in white stencil paint on the massive gray wall.
The flow of mana continued down the stairs.
Lien, who had been clearing the path ahead for Enoch, also paused her steps briefly behind him, staring ahead.
“The enemy is ahead.”
Enoch spoke curtly.
Tantalus’s mana led down the stairs to the deepest part of the underground residential area.
Lien silently looked towards that place without a word.
Just then. Urgent shouts of Vendetta mages echoed from beyond the tunnel corner.
“Two intruders, over there!”
“Call for more reinforcements! Hurry!”
It was obvious they would swarm in soon.
Enoch spoke lowly to Lien.
“Vendetta reinforcements will arrive soon. Lure the enemies down another passage and tie them down.”
Lien looked this way for a moment, then spoke quietly.
“Tantalus is a Rank 10 mage. You should be well aware of the danger.”
“Yes.”
“Then you already know my answer.”
Lien, with her usual emotionless expression, took a step closer to Enoch and spoke in a soft voice.
“I cannot send you alone.”
Silver-blue eyes came close, right before Enoch’s eyes.
Lien remained consistent even in such situations.
……Well.
It was natural for her to react this way.
When they first encountered Tantalus before. Back then, Enoch was driven into a desperate situation in an instant.
‘And Lien herself was the one who saved him then.’
Therefore, not being able to send Enoch alone against Tantalus was likely a natural judgment from her standpoint of protecting the original Enoch’s body.
However, Enoch slowly shook his head.
“……No. This time it’s different.”
Enemy footsteps were drawing nearer. Enoch looked at Lien calmly and said.
“Anyway, if both of us face Tantalus in this state, more Vendetta mages will swarm in. That would actually be more dangerous.”
It was more certain for Lien to reliably tie down Vendetta’s feet, and for Enoch to infiltrate and stop Tantalus in the meantime.
“…….”
Lien, as always, simply stared this way with her silver-blue eyes.
Enoch added.
“And anyway, if I’m truly in danger, you’ll know too, right? If I face a critical situation while dealing with the enemies here, you can come immediately.”
He had sufficient reason to face Tantalus.
All that remained was her consent.
Swish.
Fortunately, Lien seemed convinced, turning her body behind Enoch without saying anything further.
But just before she took a step.
“……Remember.”
Whispering beside Enoch’s ear, Lien, passing him, spoke in a voice tinged with faint coldness.
“If you get hurt, I won’t forgive you.”
Lien’s silver-blue eyes glanced briefly at him. Enoch, watching her pass by from the corner of his eye, retorted.
“I’ll try.”
Their gazes briefly met in the faint darkness, then soon parted in opposite directions.
The deepest part of the underground residential area.
Descending the stairs where traces of the Beast-kin who once lived here had already completely vanished underground.
Massive cement pillars and complex steel pipes lay scattered chaotically.
The unique chill of the underground assaulted Enoch’s skin.
And amidst that cool air.
From somewhere, thick clouds of cigar smoke wafted.
Translucent grayish-green cigar smoke dyed the underground darkness like a thick fog.
‘As expected, inside here.’
The stairs had already ended.
Enoch slowly stopped his steps.
In the center of the underground cavern located at the end of the stairs.
There stood a man clad in a white coat.
Enoch’s eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing him.
‘Tantalus.’
Vendetta Annihilation Officer Rank 13.
In the original work, the dark mage called a ‘genius’.
The white-coated mage, wrapped in translucent green cigar smoke, stood with his back turned this way.
He seemed infinitely absorbed in something.
When Enoch realized what Tantalus was doing, his eyes widened in surprise.
‘That’s…….’
Tantalus moves the hand holding the cigar.
Smoke from the cigar tip etched his writing.
Like a lofty scholar writing with chalk on a blackboard.
Tantalus used the entire void as a massive blackboard, wielding the mana-infused cigar like chalk.
Wooong.
Over the magic formulas and geometric patterns he inscribed in the air, darkly glowing green mana settled.
The deepest part of the abandoned underground residential area was already filled entirely with the vast magic formulas and geometric structural diagrams he had written so far.
Enoch unknowingly held his breath.
A massive magic circle overwhelming just by looking at it.
Its complexity and intricacy were immense, guessable even without being a mage.
“……To interfere with my experiment.”
Just then, Tantalus’s voice echoed lowly.
“This makes it the second time. Enoch Elsyde.”
The cigar burning itself down into a small flame.
Smoke rising from its end swirled around Tantalus’s back like mist harboring reason (理智).
Magic circles formed by shapeless smoke.
Like intricate clockwork mechanisms with countless interlocking gears, numerous magic circles and operational formulas slowly rotated, filling the void entirely.
Enoch repeated coolly inwardly.
‘That’s it.’
That’s the ‘Magical Beastification magic circle’ that will destroy the Beast-kin village.
He had to stop the guy from completing and activating it.
Just then.
“I always prepare ‘spares’.”
With his back turned, he slowly opened his mouth.
“Be sure to remember this, young direct descendant of Elsyde.”
Tantalus murmured as if to himself.
“Spares are always essential for a researcher. Because they allow restarting from the point just before failure, even if an unforeseen accident causes failure.”
Twirling the cigar held between his fingers, the Vendetta Annihilation Officer spoke like a light joke.
“Happens often even at the elite-only Imperial Academia, right? Clueless freshmen starting assignments without preparing spares, accidentally wiping everything out, then pulling all-nighters to meet the deadline.”
He shrugged nonchalantly.
“How about it. Doesn't just imagining it give you chills?”
Tantalus’s swamp-deep green eyes glanced sideways at Enoch and said.
“Failure means the end, whatever it is. Experiments too. No matter how confident the experiment, if it fails midway, it’s all for naught. If there are no spares for emergencies.”
“Spares?”
“Yes. But fortunately, this great Magic Empire has usable ‘spares’ scattered everywhere.”
Tantalus shifted his gaze briefly.
Beast-kin trapped in the basement test tubes.
Unconscious, they slept like grotesque objets d'art in hideously transformed forms.
“Quite interesting, isn’t it? Enoch.”
Looking at that, Tantalus said.
“Even people considered thoroughly worthless by the Empire, like the Beast-kin, possess complete value as spares for experiments, don't they.”
He flicked the cigar held between his fingers once.
“It’s all about finding it. People’s value.”
With his back to the light emitted by his massive magic circle.
Tantalus slowly turned towards Enoch.
“Enoch. Let me ask just one thing.”
He asked lowly.
“Do you believe in God?”
Such an abrupt topic.
Enoch frowned slightly.
When there was no answer for a moment, Tantalus added, as if explaining generously.
“So-called. The 「Goddess」 who created everything in the beginning, worshipped so devotedly by the ‘Order’.”
Instantly, Enoch paused.
─ 「Goddess」.
The primordial being said to imbue nature with mana.
The object of faith devoutly worshipped by the Empire’s ‘Order’.
‘Bringing up the Goddess out of the blue?’
Tantalus certainly never said such things in the original work. Yet, why bring it up deliberately?
‘Might be able to find out some information.’
Thinking so, Enoch first replied noncommittally.
“What about you?”
“I believe in God, young direct descendant of Elsyde.”
He answered leisurely, as if in an academic debate.
“However, I merely acknowledge her existence as a mere researcher, not her devotee.”
Tantalus put his hands behind his back and raised his head. Then he looked around slowly at his magic circle filling the massive underground facility and said.
“Magic is a discipline researchable and inheritable through observation. Thus, magic has developed dazzlingly in each field over generations until now. However……”
Tantalus murmured in a sunken voice.
“……Such brilliant light of magic sometimes blinds even our eyes seeing the stars in the night sky.”
He raised his head.
As if trying to see stars invisible from underground. Tantalus quietly looked up at the underground ceiling.
“……Can you understand, Enoch?”
He asked, merely shifting his eyes sideways while keeping his head raised.
“The mana the Goddess imbued in nature. The Empire founded by mages who manifested magic with it, paradoxically became blinded by the omnipotence of magic.”
Tantalus spread his arms wide lowly.
“Thus we lost God.”
The Vendetta Annihilation Officer spoke in a mechanical tone.
“In the age of magic where observation and proof became the basis of belief, God, unobservable by humans, disappeared. Because everyone came to believe only in the omnipotence of magic.”
He lowered his head and looked straight at Enoch.
“Thus, in the modern Empire that lost God, instead of the universal love (博愛) the past Goddess taught, their own narrow-minded beliefs took root.”
“Beliefs?”
“Yes. Truths everyone wants to ignore.”
Tantalus turned his gaze towards the test tubes. Then, looking at the Beast-kin trapped there, he said.
“That because there was no God from the beginning, none of us are such special beings from birth, nor deserving of respect and love.”
Cigar smoke brushed past Tantalus’s eyes.
“That clear hierarchy exists in individual lives, determined by the value of reputation and talent defined by society, by efficiency.”
Tantalus spoke calmly.
“Ultimately, we are merely aggregates of naturally formed cells and hormones, and in itself cannot be acknowledged as having value beyond an organism……”
He lowered his head.
“……That dignity is not the default for humans.”
Beside his darkly smiling lips, cigar smoke flowed upwards towards the sky like a lament.
“The point is, what each of us ‘achieves’ in our respective lives with such worthless bodies.”
The light emitted by Tantalus’s magic circle flickered.
“Having lost God, we must become gods ourselves.”
Crackle.
He brought the cigar held between his fingers to his mouth.
The tobacco body burned itself, emitting smoke.
“So I grant dignity in my own way, creating unique value in their lives.”
Tantalus asked, his back to the backlight of the magic circle.
“Does this make some sense, Enoch?”
He let out a deep laugh, cigar in mouth.
“Being forcibly stripped of dignity by society. That, you yourself, born into the Empire's Main House as a non-mage, should know best.”
“Not interested.”
Enoch looked at the guy somewhat crookedly.
“Surely that’s not all you had to say?”
Naturally, this wasn't the information he expected. Somewhat disappointing, but perhaps it was a vain hope.
No need to waste more time.
But just as Enoch thought that.
“Think carefully.”
Point.
Tantalus raised his arm, extending a finger.
“The value of your talent too must have been arbitrarily defined over the past 17 years, Enoch Elsyde.”
He pointed towards the sword Enoch held and said.
“Isn’t that right?”
Instantly, Enoch paused.
Tantalus’s expression reflected on the silver sword blade held in his hand. That blurry figure smiled and opened its mouth.
“A value long forgotten by the Imperial citizens who became mages, a talent everyone came to ignore.”
Enoch’s eyes trembled slightly.
“Furthermore, a transcendent realm of supremacy reached only by those who constantly face and confront their ego, finally overcoming themselves.”
Tantalus stared at Enoch and smiled.
“Among the beings of this world, ‘Unique Mana’, which only humans are not born with, forged into the weapon called a sword by one's own will and projected……”
He added lowly.
“……The talent of the Sword Saint.”