The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 43

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

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The Natural Enemy of Mages Has Been Reincarnated – Episode 43
‘So Baluduk was connected to the Black Moon….’
Zeke had already experienced what the Black Moon could do.
The assassination squad that his half-brother Alex had hired to kill both him and Peter was none other than the Black Moon.
But Baluduk was behind it all?
‘If that’s the case, then there’s nowhere in the Decan Kingdom that Baluduk’s influence doesn’t reach….’
What could his true objective possibly be?
And why did he plant spies throughout the Decan Kingdom?
Zeke felt a surge of frustration.
Not only could he not resolve these questions, but there was nothing he could do about it right now.
‘I need to find something, anything.’
Zeke rummaged through the bodies of the Tavern Owner and the man.
Besides a purse containing gold coins, there was practically nothing else.
No documents or items proving their identity surfaced.
All he discovered was that they wore black robes identical to those of the Black Moon, and their Circle rankings.
‘The man posing as the Tavern Owner was 6th Circle, while the man who took his own life was 7th Circle.’
Judging from the way he issued commands, the man appeared to be the superior.
There would have been plenty of information to extract, but now he was just a cold corpse—utterly useless.
‘I should search the kitchen.’
Zeke entered the kitchen and examined every corner.
Apart from the two dead outside, there were no traces of other organization members.
It was nothing more than an ordinary kitchen.
Or so he thought.
‘Wait… what’s this?’
The cabinet beneath the sink was slightly ajar.
He approached and opened the door, revealing an endless darkness beyond.
It was a secret passage leading somewhere.
An excellent clue indeed.
Then, an unexpected message appeared.
【Main Quest: Subdue the Leader of the Black Moon】
└You have discovered that the Black Moon is behind the rebellion and found what appears to be a secret passage they use.
└Find and subdue the leader of the organization commanding the Black Moon.
【Conditions】
└Subdue the Leader of the Black Moon
【Rewards】
└Acquire Skill ‘Blessing of Light’
‘A Main Quest!’
The only advantage Main Quests have over random quests is one thing.
The rewards are generous.
As expected, this time too a skill was offered as a reward.
‘Blessing of Light? Wait, Blessing of Liiiiight?’
Zeke’s eyes widened as he recognized the skill.
It was a skill he’d heard of countless times in his previous life—one wielded by a healer known by the epithet “God’s Hand.”
‘They’re giving me something like that as a mere Quest reward?’
A grin spread across Zeke’s face from ear to ear.
There was no turning back now. I had to press forward.
To capture the leader of Black Moon, I would have to venture into the serpent’s maw.
Even if I didn’t know where the Corridor led, I had to find clues.
‘I should disguise myself in case I encounter anyone.’
Zeke retrieved a long box from his subspace.
Inside lay several magical scrolls.
Shape-shifting scrolls.
‘Carbollearos, do you know how to use these?’
-It’s simple. Envision whose face you wish to assume, then tear the scroll with both hands. The magic embedded within the scroll itself will activate the spell.
Zeke pictured a face in his mind, then tore one of the scrolls.
Riiiiip—
Light from the scroll enveloped Zeke’s face, transforming him into an entirely different person.
The face of the robed man Zeke had killed moments before.
‘How is it? Do I look identical to the one lying here?’
-Perfectly. You could pass for twins.
Zeke smirked, stripped the corpse of its clothes, and carefully donned the black robe.
He looked every bit a member of Black Moon.
‘Shall I enter then?’
Zeke crouched low and squeezed his body into the Corridor ahead.

* * *
Three figures clad in black robes stood in the already dim Underground Passage.
“He said he’d be back soon, so why is he taking so long?”
“Who knows. Let’s wait a bit longer.”
“Does he think he’s the only one with things to do? We’re drowning in assignments too.”
The Black Moon organization had four action commanders.
The 1st Commander, 2nd Commander, and 4th Commander gathered here were precisely those individuals.
Each oversaw different territories and received distinct orders, yet today they had assembled in one place.
It was for the weekly mission briefing they conducted every seven days.
However, the 3rd Commander, who was supposed to return shortly, was nowhere to be found.
“Did something happen? We’ve been waiting for an hour already.”
“It is strange. He’s never been this late before….”
The 3rd Commander, who had gone to deliver something to the Contact Agent, had not appeared at the meeting location for an hour.
They couldn’t conclude the briefing until they heard whether the delivery had been successful, so how frustrating his absence must be.
“Could he have gotten lost? The corridors down here are rather complicated.”
“That makes no sense. No matter what, how could he get lost in the Underground Passage when he moves through it like his own home?”
“Then why hasn’t he arrived?”
“How should I know?”
Irritation crept into their voices, and patience was beginning to wear thin.
“Sorry I’m late, am I?”
A figure emerged from one of the branching corridors.
It was the 3rd Commander they had been waiting for.
“Why are you so late? We’ve been waiting for an hour!”
“My apologies. The Contact Agent didn’t show up on time.”
The 3rd Commander spoke with apparent composure, but his inner thoughts were entirely different.
‘Damn it. Why did these bastards create so many intersections down here? Is this a maze?’
The 3rd Commander was actually Zeke McLafflin with an altered face.
The reason for his lateness was that he had gotten lost wandering through the labyrinthine Underground Passage.
Which was why this moment felt rather abrupt.
He hadn’t expected to encounter organization members as he emerged from the corridor.
‘Fortunately, my identity hasn’t been exposed. They don’t seem surprised to see me.’
From what he could gather, these were the ones calling him the 3rd Commander.
Though he was suddenly forced into an improvisation, for now he needed to maintain his disguise as the 3rd Commander and extract information.
However, the way they looked at him was not entirely favorable.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“3rd Commander. Your voice sounds a bit different. Did something happen?”
“Something? I’ve just caught a slight cold, *cough*, that’s all. Ahem!”
“….”
Though Zeke attempted his best performance, his act was somewhat clumsy against the keen eyes of perceptive individuals.
“Who are you? Why are you impersonating the 3rd Commander?”
“Caught? Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter.”
Zeke let out an embarrassed laugh, having not expected to be discovered so quickly.
“If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have bothered with the disguise at all. I’ve just wasted a scroll for nothing.”
The three figures stared at Zeke with expressions of disbelief as he pouted about his wasted resources.
He showed absolutely no sign of tension.
“I asked who you are.”
“Dispel your magic while I’m being polite.”
The hems of the three robes fluttered dramatically.
The Corridor filled entirely with magical power.
Their eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
An ordinary person would have been intimidated by that gaze, and a mage would have trembled under the weight of such power, but Zeke was neither an ordinary person nor a mage.
“I suppose there’s no choice then. I’ll have to go with the direct approach.”
I was an Awakened One blessed by the System.
Tssssss—
Pure white light materialized in my grip.
The light extended outward, taking the form of a blade.
“That… that can’t be…”
“An Aura Blade…?”
Aura users who reach a certain level of mastery can infuse their weapons with aura.
However, coating a blade’s edge with aura and creating a pure blade made entirely of aura are completely different matters.
The difficulty was on an entirely different level.
Because of this, aura users bestow the title of Aura Master upon those capable of creating Aura Blades.
“You… were an Aura Master?”
“So that’s why our magical power had no effect on you.”
The assassins’ expressions shifted from shock to bewilderment.
Now, mockery played at the corners of their mouths.
Mages had a tendency to look down upon aura users, after all.
True to form, they showed no restraint in their ridicule toward Zeke.
“So a worthless blade-swinger without talent for magic was lurking here.”
“An aura user daring to challenge a mage—how presumptuous.”
“Ignorance breeds courage, it seems. You’ve clearly never faced a mage before.”
“Then we’ll have to teach you how magnificent a 7th Circle mage truly is.”
They revealed their Circle rank to intimidate me, but I already knew.
I could see the seven mana rings glowing within the chests of all three.
‘Not even forty yet, and already 7th Circle. They’re certainly worthy of leading a strike team.’
I offered them a small measure of respect, but nothing more.
I felt no fear at their threats, no sense of being overwhelmed.
Since they were mages, they were simply my prey.
“Come on then, great mages. Show me everything you’ve got.”

* * *
The organizational structure of the Black Moon is simpler than one might expect.
At the apex stands the leader, beneath whom four Commanders receive their orders.
Each Commander issues individual directives to the operatives, who are organized in a cellular network.
That is the entirety of it.
Even among fellow members, information is dispensed only on a need-to-know basis.
Thus, the Black Moon’s operatives know far less about their own organization than one might suppose.
They simply kill when ordered to kill, move when ordered to move.
Only the Commanders possess information of any real value.
The Commanders are formidable 7th Circle mages, so they are certainly qualified for the role.
And yet.
‘The 3rd Commander was defeated by a mere Aura Master?’
The remaining Commanders watched the figure crafting an Aura Blade with undisguised bewilderment.
The 1st Commander, John Wheeler, shared their astonishment.
‘Even an Aura Master shouldn’t easily overcome a 7th Circle mage. How is this possible?’
Of course, a high-tier Aura Master would be a different matter entirely.
A Grand Aura Master—one of the Five Stars of Aura—would be beyond question.
But surely this one is not among the Five Stars?
‘There’s no way a Five Star would be in such an insignificant kingdom.’
Decan is the weakest of the Five Great Kingdoms.
Encountering a Five Star by mere chance would be like plucking a star from the heavens.
Moreover, given that this kingdom favors magic over aura techniques, finding even a competent Aura Master is difficult.
‘At best, this must be a low or mid-tier Aura Master.’
For such a one to slay the 3rd Commander and assume his guise was audacious.
Identity unknown or not, he cannot be allowed to live.
But the opponent still seems to lack full situational awareness.
“Come at me with all your might, you esteemed mages.”
‘A crude provocation. Likely an attempt to lower our guard.’
Three 7th Circle mages on this side, one presumed mid-tier Aura Master on that side.
By any measure, the advantage lay with us.
In such circumstances, even a crude taunt served a purpose.
Without action, survival would be impossible.
‘But you will die here.’
I intend first to bind him with paralysis magic, rendering his limbs useless, then torture him with flame magic.
I must recover the object the 3rd Commander carried away.
John Wheeler, the 1st Commander, exchanged a subtle glance with the 2nd and 4th Commanders.
-Don’t kill him. Torture him.
-I was thinking the same thing.
-Let’s just sever his limbs.
As the three reached a silent, implicit accord and simultaneously drew upon their mana.
‘Huh…?’
‘What…?’
‘What is this?!’
All three of them couldn’t help but be taken aback.
The mana gathered in the staff had evaporated into an unprecedented force.
“Your expressions are quite entertaining. I wish I had popcorn.”
“You bastard, what have you done…!”
“What did I do? I’ve just been standing here quietly.”
…
His feigned innocence was infuriating, but I could read between the lines.
He had somehow prevented the mana from gathering.
“Anyway, I’m short on time, so let me get to the point. Where is your leader?”
“Are you insane? Even if you beat me to death, I won’t say…! Gack!”
A blade forged from aura pierced the 4th Commander’s heart.
Before his body even hit the ground with a thud, a chilling voice echoed.
“Anyone want to follow your friend?”
…
“If you don’t talk, I’ll kill you both?”
The 1st Commander and 2nd Commander exchanged glances.
As if resolving that no matter what, they would never reveal the leader’s location.
Reading that determination in their eyes, the opponent’s expression turned troubled.
“High loyalty for executive-level members. What should I do?”
The opponent snapped his fingers with a sudden realization.
“Then let’s do this. Whoever tells me the leader’s location first gets to live. How about it?”
…
…
If he kept his word, it was actually a decent offer.
Perhaps that’s why.
John Wheeler’s lips trembled.

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

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