The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 58

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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 58
‘They’ve arrived.’
I opened my eyes, sensing the presence of those approaching from 350 meters away.
‘Exactly eleven of them. Though there may be reinforcements coming.’
It seemed the one who had been watching earlier had called his friends.
‘He didn’t summon this many people just for a conversation.’
Even a fool could tell their intentions were malicious.
‘Most likely a Bandit Group operating in the area. They’re after my staff.’
I couldn’t simply lie here and do nothing.
“Mary.”
“Huh? You weren’t sleeping?”
“Don’t come closer and listen quietly. It seems a Bandit Group has come targeting us.”
At my words, Mary, who had been about to pretend she understood, froze mid-movement.
“They’re approaching us now, so don’t look at them even if you’re suspicious.”
“Ah….”
“For now, we’ll pretend we don’t notice and let them get close. Just in case there’s an attack, prepare some defensive magic. I’ll handle them myself.”
“Yes, understood, Young Master.”
Having received the warning, Mary turned her body with a more tense expression than before.
Soon after, as she began to pretend to stand watch, the group suspected to be the Bandit Group moved once more.
I pretended to sleep while preparing to meet them.
【Sudden Quest: Eliminate the Bandit Group and Uncover the Mastermind】
└A nearby Bandit Group that commits plunder and murder is targeting you and your companions.
└Kill all the bandits and capture the mage alive to reveal the mastermind.
【Conditions】
└Bandits Eliminated 0/10
└Mage Captured 0/1
└Reveal the Mage’s Mastermind
【Rewards】
└5th-Tier Skill Proficiency +3,000
An unexpected Quest had appeared without warning.
‘Interesting. There’s a mage among the Bandit Group?’
I had predicted that those attempting to ambush me were bandits, but I hadn’t expected a mage to be among them.
This was valuable information.
‘The heavens truly favor me. Or rather, the system favors me? Well, it amounts to the same thing.’
The Quest wanted me to capture the mage alive and uncover the mastermind.
That meant there might be more mage allies involved.
I smiled and waited, sensing the group drawing ever closer.
Mary, having been given the warning beforehand, stood watch with an expression of complete ignorance.
As the distance shortened, the sound of footsteps crushing fallen leaves reached my ears.
Crackle—
By this point, Mary could no longer pretend ignorance.
“What are you talking about?”
She turned her head in alarm.
“Ugh!”
Paralysis struck true, and Mary’s body went rigid.
Thump.
Watching Mary collapse like a mannequin, the approaching group cackled with glee.
“Got her, got her!”
“Just as expected from a mage.”
“Wow, Ellen was right—she’s seriously gorgeous?”
“This’ll be fun to torment, won’t it? Hehehehe.”
Leaving the drooling bandits behind, the mage Dave gathered his mana once more.
He’d subdued the woman with Paralysis, but the man remained.
‘I must kill him before he wakes.’
Just then, hearing the commotion, Zeke rubbed his eyes and sat up.
Of course, it was an act—but Dave didn’t know that.
“Lightning Spear.”
Crackling electricity erupted from the tip of his staff, a bolt of lightning that shot out and struck Zeke’s head directly.
From Zeke’s perspective, he’d woken at the sound of footsteps only to be struck by lightning and killed.
There was no time to react, so charring to ash would have been the natural outcome.
And yet.
‘What… what is this?’
The target was unharmed, contrary to Dave’s expectations.
He stretched leisurely and rose to his feet as though nothing had happened.
“Ugh, what’s all this noise? I can’t get any sleep.”
Everyone stared at Zeke in shock as he feigned ignorance.
They had all witnessed him take a direct hit from lightning magic.
Yet here he was, walking about completely unscathed?
Watching their reactions, I laughed inwardly.
‘As expected, playing dumb is the best way to lower their guard.’
Realizing something was amiss, the bandits grew wary of Zeke.
“Everyone, draw your weapons!”
Shing—shing—
“Attack!”
At Dave’s command, the bandits rushed forward silently.
Regardless of what happened, they needed to buy time.
To prepare the next incantation.
“Good judgment.”
I praised the mage’s decision and stepped in front of Mary.
“You stay back. I’ll handle these bastards.”
“Yes, of course.”
Ten bandits rushed toward me, each wielding crude and menacing weapons, yet I remained utterly composed—unafraid, even amused.
I had my reasons for such confidence.
‘Barrier.’
Thud!
The charging bandits crashed headlong into a translucent wall, their bodies crumpling to the ground in unison.
Then.
“Ugh, what is this?”
“A barrier?”
“Smash the damn thing!”
Clang! Clang!
Crash!
They scrambled to their feet and began hammering away with their crude weapons.
But a barrier infused with my mana was harder than any iron wall.
It would never yield to the pathetic blows of commoners.
“So this is magic? Quite useful, actually.”
I withdrew my staff from the subspace with leisurely grace.
Then, with deliberate flair, I transformed it into a sword while muttering under my breath.
“Vermin who dabble in banditry aren’t worth the effort of real magic.”
The moment I dissolved the barrier.
Thrust!
My feathered blade pierced through the foremost bandit’s throat.
“…!!!”
His companions froze in shock, but this was merely the beginning.
Thrust! Slash! Thrust thrust!
Gruesome sounds echoed across the landscape.
“Ahhhhh!”
“Argh!”
“Gahhh!”
The bandits fell like scarecrows in a windstorm.
Each sweep of my feathered blade left trails of blood in its wake.
[Bandits Eliminated: 3/10]
[Bandits Eliminated: 4/10]
[Bandits Eliminated: 5/10]
…
…
In mere moments, half their number lay dead.
Some bandits stumbled backward in terror, while others stood frozen, unable to comprehend what was unfolding.
Regardless, their fate remained unchanged—all would perish.
Thrust thrust! Thrust!
Shing—!
My feathered blade severed limbs and pierced through to the heart.
A clean, decisive strike devoid of hesitation or mercy.
It was a movement worthy of admiration, but Dave had no leisure for such thoughts.
‘Damn it, what the—!’
He was too busy panicking.
The bandits he’d positioned to buy time collapsed like bamboo shoots after rain without so much as grazing my clothing.
How could he not panic in such circumstances?
Above all, my movements were far too swift to believe I was a mage.
From the moment I conjured a staff from thin air and it transformed into a blade, he should have sensed something was amiss.
‘This is bad. No, I don’t even have time for these thoughts.’
Dave resolved to unleash a completed incantation directly at me.
“Chain Lightning!”
His most powerful 5-Circle lightning magic shot forth like a serpent toward me.
The cascading chains of electricity would incinerate everything indiscriminately, friend and foe alike, but that was acceptable.
For now, neutralizing this crisis took priority.
But.
“Wh—?”
The man who had just finished eliminating all the bandits absorbed the spell right before his eyes.
Or rather, it was more accurate to say he had absorbed it.
“H-how is this possible—?”
“So this is all you prepared by sacrificing your allies? Chain Lightning?”
As I transformed my blade back into a staff, electricity crackled from its tip.
It was the very Chain Lightning Dave had just unleashed.
“You were planning to kill everyone, allies included, with this? Hmm?”
“Th-that was—guaaahhh!”
The moment I brought the staff’s end close, Dave’s body convulsed violently.
Just as his breath was about to cease.
A warm light gently enveloped Dave’s entire body.
As the pain subsided and his charred skin rapidly regenerated, Dave found himself lost in a confusion between dream and reality.
Snap—!
“Hey, snap out of it. You’re not dead yet, are you?”
“Ah—”
“You shouldn’t die so easily after attacking an innocent person.”
Dave felt terror grip his heart.
He had belatedly come to understand.
That his meager strength could never contend with the man before him.
“P-please spare me! I’ll do whatever you command!”
“Quite the quick shift in attitude. Then tell me—what is your group’s identity? What was your purpose in attacking us?”
“W-we’re just a nameless Bandit Group operating in this region. We attacked only because we coveted your staff; there was no other reason. P-please, show mercy just this once!”
“You’re part of a Bandit Group?”
“Y-yes….”
[The target you are currently observing is speaking a ‘lie’.]
Crack—!
Zeke slapped Dave across the face without hesitation.
“You dare lie in front of me? Does some nameless Bandit Group even know magic? Are you really part of a Bandit Group? Huh?”
“I-I’m sorry. The truth is, only these men are part of the Bandit Group. I belong to a different organization.”
“What’s the name of your organization?”
“It’s called the Kelbrige Combination….”
This time, Zeke didn’t raise his hand to strike again.
Because the man was telling the truth.
“What were Combination members doing with a Bandit Group?”
“O-our objective is the same as theirs. We raid merchant caravans to steal goods and take women…. We simply thought using the Bandit Group would make our operations easier and more profitable, so we….”
Intimidated by the murderous glint in Zeke’s eyes, Dave continued speaking only the truth.
“What’s the purpose and composition of the Kelbrige Combination?”
“There’s no particular purpose. It’s simply a gathering of mages from the Kelbrige Region who formed a Combination, and each member pursues different activities.”
“A Combination made up of mages. How many members are there?”
“Including me, there are 12.”
“Don’t tell me you modeled yourselves after the 12 Pioneers?”
“….”
“These guys are ridiculous.”
The moment Zeke let out a scoff.
[Bandits Eliminated 10/10 Complete!]
[Mage Captured 1/1 Complete!]
[Revealed the Mage’s Backing Complete!]
[Sudden Quest Cleared!]
[You gain 3,000 proficiency for 5th-tier skills as a reward.]
[The skill ‘Magic Replication’ has reached 5-Star achievement.]
[The number of learnable spells has increased from 4 to 5.]
[Remaining proficiency until 6-Star: 730/10,000]
My scoff transformed into genuine laughter.
Because the rewards had arrived.
But I didn’t know yet.
【Main Quest: Eliminate Kelbrige Combination Members】
└You have obtained information that the Kelbrige Combination has 12 mages.
└Kill some of these notorious individuals and obtain Combination member badges.
【Conditions】
└Kelbrige Combination Members Eliminated 0/3
└Obtain Combination Member Badge
【Rewards】
└Skill ‘Soul Slash’ acquired
I hadn’t expected a new Quest to appear.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“You’re in contact with those guild members, right?”
“Well, yes, but….”
“Contact them right now.”
Dave’s expression turned vacant for a moment before he snapped back to attention.
“W-what should I tell them?”
“That I’m bringing two new guild members.”
A meaningful smile played across Zeke’s face.

* * *
The Kelbrige Region, situated beneath the Decan Kingdom.
This place, known for producing an unusually talented crop of mages, held a certain notoriety even among the provinces.
Yet that reputation carried far more sinister implications than virtue.
Thwack! Thwack!
“Ugh, p-please, spare me. I can get the money somehow….”
“String that bastard up.”
“Yes.”
Derol, ranked first in the Kelbrige Combination, commanded absolute obedience.
This was why Aaron, ranked sixth, attended to his every whim.
Creak.
Aaron secured the man with rope, then turned his gaze toward Derol.
“It’s ready.”
Derol fixed the bloodied man with a terrifying stare.
“You borrowed money from our Kelbrige Combination and refuse to repay it? You understand what that means, don’t you?”
“Y-yes! How could I not know the reputation of the famous Kelbrige Combination? So please, just give me one more chance. Once this month passes, I’ll definitely… Gaaah!”
A blade suddenly pierced the man’s ribs.
Watching the blood spill as Derol withdrew the knife, a sinister grin spread across his face.
“Blades are truly entertaining.”
Slash!
“The sensation of piercing and cutting is so delightfully direct.”
Thud!
“Magic, on the other hand… is utterly tedious.”
Scrape!
“If only I lacked talent for magic, I’d have become an Aura user instead.”
Derol’s blade moved without hesitation.
Like one savoring the slaughter of livestock, he selected only the points that would inflict maximum agony, stabbing and slashing with methodical precision.
“P-please… s-save….”
“I’ll forgive your debt. With your life.”
Squelch—!
“Guh… ugh…”
The moment the blade pierced his heart, the man’s eyes bulged wide before his body went limp.
Derol’s face, meanwhile, was radiant with delight.
“How much did this bastard borrow?”
“200 gold, sir.”
“What, 200 gold for this much pleasure? That’s practically a steal, isn’t it? Khehe.”
Derol wiped the blood from his hands with a satisfied grin and stepped back.
“Clean it up.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Aaron methodically handled the aftermath, light suddenly flickered in the communication crystal.
It was the communication crystal used by the members of the 12 Pioneers.
Aaron answered the call instead of Derol.
“Who is it?”
-Aaron? It’s me. Dave. Is Derol nearby?
“Derol is occupied at the moment. Call back later.”
-It’s rather urgent, actually.
“Urgent?”
Hearing this, Derol turned his head.
“Hand it over.”
He took the crystal and spoke with evident curiosity.
“Dave. It’s Derol.”
-Ah, hello. It’s been a while since we—
“Skip the pleasantries. What’s this urgent matter?”
The crystal fell silent for a moment before a desperate voice burst through.
-Please, please help me! Derol!

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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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