The Archmage’s Destruction Strategy - Chapter 8

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#008. Last Words

When Teacher taught me about mid-range teleportation magic, there was something she thoroughly warned me about.

‘Never, under any circumstances, change the teleportation coordinates in the middle of casting.’

If I had been a resident of the world where Teacher lived, if I had been in a position to practice magic in actual combat, I would have immediately understood why Teacher gave such a warning.

The moment I changed the teleportation coordinates for practice, the precisely calibrated spells would distort in an instant and all that burden would overwhelm my mind at once.

However, unfortunately, Sung-jun was an ordinary human from the planet Earth where magic couldn’t be used, so he broke the taboo that Teacher had so earnestly warned against and forcibly modified the teleportation coordinates to match Teacher’s falling direction.

And…

“Kraaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!”

Sung-jun had no choice but to scream at the unfamiliar pain he was experiencing for the first time in his life.

However, even in the pain that seemed to tear his very soul apart, he desperately reached out his arm toward his falling Teacher.

“Sung… jun…”

“Teacher…”

“You damn disobedient disciple! What did I tell you! Didn’t I warn you to never change coordinates during a teleportation spell!”

“Do you think it’s appropriate to point that out first in this situation?”

He couldn’t help but smile helplessly at Teacher’s scolding, worrying about her disciple’s body first even when facing death.

Then Teacher looked at Sung-jun with a voice that seemed to gather her last strength and said.

“In the end, my seal…”

“I broke it. Just as you wished, Teacher.”

“I never wished for such a thing.”

“Then you wouldn’t have hidden hints throughout the magic circle. Honestly, I wanted to give up many times. I even wondered if it was actually possible to break this. But since I was able to catch you like this, it was worth the trouble of breaking it.”

Slowly releasing the levitation magic on his body, Sung-jun gently landed on the collapsed debris while holding Teacher.

It was the middle of ruins that looked devastated as if a nuclear missile had fallen.

“The people…”

“As soon as that thing appeared, I moved everyone to safety zones with wide-range evacuation magic.”

“I expected you would do that.”

When Sung-jun gently held Teacher’s hands that had become rough like old tree bark, a hot lump that rose from his chest flowed down his cheeks through his eyes.

Then Teacher smiled weakly and said.

“Don’t cry.”

“Do you think that’s a reasonable request in this situation?”

“You’re the one who broke a seal that no one could break and ran here. So you should be able to accomplish even impossible things like your teacher’s last request.”

“I’d rather you ask me to break that seal ten times.”

The more he spoke, the more his chest felt tight and he began to feel suffocated, so Sung-jun couldn’t continue speaking and closed his mouth.

Then Teacher wiped away the tears on his cheek with her weakly trembling hand.

“Sung-jun. My role ends here.”

“No… No. You can hold on. Didn’t you always say so? That the ability to deceive fate and even mock death is the true power of a great mage! There must be a way! Yes! A spell that takes my lifespan instead, or, or…!”

Was it because of his frustrated heart? Seeing her disciple who had started shouting at himself, Teacher shook her head.

As if saying ‘You already know, don’t you.’

“My path ends here. All debts in the world must be repaid someday, and deceptions will eventually be discovered. At that final moment, taking responsibility for everything with dignity is also a quality of a great mage.”

“…”

“And I am satisfied with my decision.”

As Teacher’s emotions began to connect again and flow in, Sung-jun could feel that Teacher was truly happy.

“Teacher…”

“You’re clever, so you’ll understand.”

Teacher said.

“My disciple. My most beloved disciple in the world. This teacher is leaving now. But never be sad or suffer. Even though I lived my whole life raised for one purpose, swayed by others’ will, in my final moment I could achieve what I wanted according to my own will…”

Even though it must be extremely painful to utter each word, Teacher was burning her last life like a candle about to go out, delivering her final voice to Sung-jun.

And at the same time, massive information too difficult to convey in words was pouring into Sung-jun’s consciousness.

‘Retrieve my legacy held by the six guides who visited Earth with me. Those are things I lent to them, and you, my rightful and complete successor, have the right to them.’

‘Silermantis is only temporarily sealed and will soon show itself on this planet again. But if it’s you that I know, you’ll surely be able to create magic to eliminate that creature. Until then, never stop getting stronger.’

‘While it’s true that Silermantis is the most powerful of the Seven Calamities, the other calamities are also beings too strong for the current you to handle. Wisely decide the order to eliminate them, and don’t follow the path of failure that I experienced.’

‘I believe you can do it, but if by any chance you’re not sufficiently prepared when Silermantis is released, escape to another world through dimensional leap. There, find a disciple to inherit your legacy and pass on everything you have. If not you, then your disciple, if not your disciple, then that disciple’s disciple must surely save this universe.’

‘Trust no one other than yourself. With your current strength, everyone in the world will try to seduce you with sweet words to borrow even a fragment of the power you possess. I was the same way. But the moment your power falls short of their expectations, they will betray you as if nothing happened.’

This was both Teacher’s final will left to her disciple and a kind of imprint with the nature of brainwashing that imposed mental restraint.

A spell that would cause massive resistance to surge in the caster’s consciousness the moment they tried to disobey her commands and attempt reckless actions.

Immediately recognizing the identity of that spell, Sung-jun burst into laughter toward Teacher with his tear-stained face.

“Wait, you say you trust me but you’re even casting a brainwashing spell?”

“Because you’re like a contrary frog. If it’s you that I know, you’d step forward without hesitation to sacrifice yourself for others even in life-threatening moments. This spell is to prevent you from doing that.”

“I even broke the seal you personally cast, Teacher. A brainwashing spell would be easy to break.”

“I trust that you really won’t do that. Because this is the last gift I’m giving you in this world.”

Having said that, Teacher slowly closed her eyes as if tired.

Then she slowly began to release the strength from the arm that was holding Sung-jun’s hand.

“I’m tired. I should sleep now.”

“…Stay just a little longer.”

“…I’m sorry. For leaving you with such a difficult burden.”

“Then please help carry it with me…”

“…I’m sorry…”

Watching Sung-jun sobbing with a voice filled with sorrow, Teacher took her last breath.

Then she squeezed out all her strength and spoke with a fading voice.

“I was glad I could meet you at the end…”

“…Teacher…?”

He knew.

That no matter how loudly he called, no matter how roughly he shook her body, Teacher had already crossed the river of no return.

Drip… drop drop… drip drip drip drip…

Whether it was scheduled to rain at this time originally, or whether it was a trace left by the aftermath of the magical battle Teacher had fought.

He felt an inexplicable downpour painfully hitting his back.

And through that downpour, the sound of noisy sirens approaching from afar began to be heard.

“It’s noisy here. And it’s raining too. Teacher. I’ll take you to a warm place for now.”

Sung-jun held Teacher’s limp corpse and glared at the siren lights visible in the distance.

Then he cast mid-range teleportation magic toward the mountain slope visible in the distance.

***

Weeeeeeee~! Weeeeeeee~!

With loudly flashing siren lights, several special vehicles appeared at the scene, cutting through the heavy rain.

In the middle of a city that was smashed beyond recognition of its original form, as if it had received large-scale bombing.

And from those vehicles, a woman wearing a black raincoat with large white letters “D.D.A” on the back walked out.

Division of the Dimensional Agency special agent.

She, a member of the Government-affiliated Awakened Beings Association commonly called DDA, was looking around with a serious expression along with other agents even in the pouring rain.

“It seems that giant erosion entity really disappeared.”

“It appears so. Based on witness testimonies and battle traces, it definitely appeared here, but…”

“An erosion entity that suddenly appeared in the city causing havoc instantly evaporated? Is that even possible? Someone definitely eliminated that thing.”

She bent down to look at the concrete debris that was emitting pure white steam.

The melted stone chunks that were emitting heat even while being rained on were definitely proof that an unimaginably fierce battle had taken place here.

“Ice, fire, explosions, corpses of creatures clearly not from Earth organisms… Just counting the traces visible to the naked eye, at least 20 or more Awakened definitely fought the giant erosion entity here.”

Surprisingly, her analysis was about half true.

Although there was only one Awakened who fought Silermantis – Minastrias, Sung-jun’s teacher – the number of previous demon lords she summoned was exactly 20.

However, another guard who heard her words spoke to her with an expression of disbelief.

“20 people? Captain, that’s impossible. Look at the battle traces here. This level of combat ability could only be produced by at least Pioneer-class or equivalent Awakened. And as far as we know, all six current Pioneers are staying in their respective activity areas.”

“Then that means more than 20 Pioneer-class Awakened that neither we nor the global Awakened network were aware of were staying in Korea.”

“That’s exactly why it doesn’t make sense…”

“Traces don’t lie.”

With a voice that felt cold, she said.

“No weapon possessed by humanity could leave this level of battle traces in such a short time. Of course, a nuclear weapon would be possible, but if someone had used a nuke, this area should have been filled with radiation. So the only remaining possibility is an Awakened.”

“Are you really planning to report that to headquarters? They’ll just scoff at it as nonsense the moment they see the report anyway.”

“That doesn’t mean I can disguise the truth as lies. And whether the higher-ups scoff or throw the report away isn’t really a big problem either.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’ll be the one submitting the report, not me.”

“What?! Me?”

“Of course, it’s not because I don’t want to write the report and am pushing it onto you. While you’re reporting to headquarters, I need to handle something more urgent.”

Feeling the man’s gaze upon her, she spoke.

“The man in the costume who defeated the giant Erosion Entity that appeared at Lotte World and the over twenty Awakened who fought the super-giant Erosion Entity that appeared in Central Seoul. These two are definitely the same person or individuals connected by some relationship. Report this to headquarters. From now on, I’m going to mobilize all DDA agents to track down the man in the costume.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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