The Wizard Who Endured the World of Murim - Chapter 43

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

Surviving in the Martial Realm as a Mage: Episode 43
As Ilhyang’s spiritual form pushed through the hazy mist, a small pond appeared before him.
And reflected in its still surface was a face that had grown unfamiliar to him.
A young man with coarse golden hair and youthful features came into view.
“Master, you’re at it again with these pointless endeavors. What do you intend to accomplish by creating a secret dungeon here in the desert? There’s no benefit to be gained from it.”
“But it’s fun, isn’t it?”
“….”
A great archmage and seeker of the world’s truths.
Fabius Tvalier.
Lian, his foremost disciple and successor.
Lian splashed water on his face with both hands while regarding his master.
“How much are you spending on this dungeon? It’s nearly enough to construct an entire new Magic Tower.”
“I thought I’d create a natural ecosystem within the dungeon. I’m going to establish a food chain for the monsters, you see. When humans invade, they’ll serve as triggers to stimulate the dungeon’s core. And when the monsters inside die, their energy gets absorbed by the dungeon’s core. By introducing unpredictable variables, the dungeon will continuously grow on its own. It’s a type of growth-oriented dungeon—something that’s never existed before.”
Watching Trevallion with an expression that seemed to say, ‘Isn’t this brilliant?’
Lian let out a heavy sigh and spoke.
“If that’s your intention, why not simply construct another Magic Tower instead? The Southern Empire’s emperor has been desperately wanting one of your towers. Why not build one there? Our influence would expand, and it would be beneficial.”
“Why should I build a Magic Tower for that arrogant provincial emperor?”
“Because that provincial emperor offers enormous sums of money. You’d be earning rather than spending—truly remarkable, isn’t it? With the money the Southern Empire’s emperor would provide, you could even acquire Chloe’s entire pastry shop outright. This disciple is prepared to undertake acquisition negotiations in earnest.”
“No.”
Despite his master Trevallion’s firm refusal, Lian showed no particular disappointment.
He hadn’t harbored any expectations to begin with.
He was simply curious.
“What exactly do you intend to accomplish by cultivating this dungeon?”
“Think about it carefully. If we simply leave it alone, the dungeon will eventually produce high-tier monsters on its own. Isn’t that extraordinary? It solves our material supply issues, and we can use it to train the weak disciples at the Magic Tower or those ignorant mercenaries. We can also obtain magical stones and….”
“That could present ethical problems, Master. From what I’m hearing about the system, it sounds as though the dungeon grows by consuming humans. Am I mistaken?”
“Humans are merely stimulants. The dungeon’s core essence is absorbing surrounding magical power….”
As Trevallion continued his explanation, he noticed his disciple’s expression of disapproval and awkwardly cleared his throat several times.
But he quickly reverted to his shameless demeanor and spoke confidently.
“That’s easily remedied with compensation! We’ll provide rewards each time someone clears a floor of the dungeon! I’ve crafted several artifacts with meticulous care that I’ll place inside. Surely that counts as adequate compensation? Well, if incompetent fools die after entering, that’s just their greed catching up with them.”
Lian regarded his childish master with an expression that seemed to ask, ‘Have you truly lost your humanity?’
“But Master, you’re the one tempting them with greed in the first place.”
“Nonsense! If someone lacks the ability, they simply shouldn’t covet the treasure!”
“Master, your artifacts bear your name. Is there anyone across the Seven Continents who wouldn’t covet them?”
“Ha, I suppose I am rather magnificent.”
“Then why not sell some of these magnificent items? We could use the proceeds for our Magic Tower’s research budget. The Southern Emperor would collect even useless glass bottles if you claimed you made them. I’ve already sold several, in fact.”
“What?! You want me to sell my carefully crafted collection to that provincial fool? Are you trying to insult my very soul? The soul of the great archmage Trevallion?”
“…Very well, Master. Build your dungeon here. We’ll manage the Magic Tower’s budget for next year somehow.”
“Excellent! I knew my disciple would understand my grand vision! Truly the genuine successor we found for our Magic Tower! The real mastermind!”
As Trevallion spoke with unbridled enthusiasm while gazing at his cynical disciple,
Lian subtly raised one corner of his mouth and spoke.
“Instead, the moment the dungeon is completed, I shall be the first to enter and clear it entirely. Then there’s no problem, yes? The Master’s Numbered Artifact as a dungeon reward—I should scout out some wealthy fool to sell it to in advance. Just thinking about becoming rich sends shivers down my spine.”
“…I-I’ll layer it with security magic and rank-restriction spells. Even if the Dragon Lord himself came, he couldn’t break through it.”
“That’s quite an intriguing prospect. I’m rather looking forward to seeing how quickly I can breach it. Oh! If I release this information to the news with real-time broadcast rights included, it might actually sell. I’ll make sure to fetch a premium price for my services as a disciple.”
Trevallion’s eyes darted back and forth as he sank into deep contemplation.
Finally, he squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them wide as he spoke.
“No! You absolutely cannot enter. Absolutely not! Why would an adult try to join children’s games in the first place?”
“Because it makes money! Enormous amounts of it! Budget! More budget!”
“Penny-pincher! Money-grubber!”
“How flattering. It seems the Master is finally coming to the negotiation table, and this humble disciple is absolutely delighted.”
“Demon….”
“High praise indeed. Please, continue.”
Ilhyang gazed quietly at the water’s surface of the pond and let out a soft chuckle.
My disciple and heir to the Magic Tower.
Lian.
At that time, he was already a 7-Circle Grand Mage.
‘I wonder how he’s doing?’
The World Within Sleep.
That place was a world constructed from my distant memories.
It could be called a sort of deep realm.
‘Still, it’s a bit disappointing.’
To reach the 4th Circle, one must confront the greatest trauma one possesses in the Mental World—the inner demon, so to speak.
I had already overcome that stage long ago.
So truthfully, I was quietly anticipating what might emerge this time.
But no trauma appeared at all.
‘I prepared a spirit guide just in case.’
A contract with a spirit was necessary precisely for this reason.
When confronting the greatest inner demon one possesses in the Mental World.
In the worst case, one could be consumed by it.
A spirit, being a pure entity of consciousness, could intervene in the Mental World and guide the contractor along the correct path within their own Mental World—making it an indispensable existence.
“How are you faring, Lian?”
I gazed at Lian, who was being shaken about like a paper doll, his collar seized by my past self, and smiled softly.
Then, at some point.
Lian’s eyes focused on something in the void.
“…What?”
As I stared at the water’s surface, I suddenly felt my gaze meet that of my star disciple.
At first, I thought it was a mistake.
But his eyes were now moving precisely in sync with my line of sight.
“This isn’t a mistake?”
As if hearing my murmur, Lian smiled.
Was this a distortion of memory?
Or was this scene originally part of my memory?
‘Could this really be my trauma?’
As admiration bloomed across Ilhyang’s face.
Lian, existing within the World Within Sleep, gazed into the void and moved his lips slightly.
And.
It was a sentence that Ilhyang already knew.
[God is already dead.]
“…!”
Not even once.
A sentence never revealed to anyone.
Not even spoken to my Disciple Lian.
How could this bastard possibly know?
“Ha! If this is my trauma, then it’s genuinely entertaining as hell?”
The moment those words left my lips.
Mist thickened above the water surface, and bright light soon seeped through.
Whoooosh—
“Huh? No, wait! Hold on!”
Ilhyang frantically reached his hand toward the water surface.
But already, light filled his vision.
And immediately, a new scene appeared before his eyes.
“Damn.”
Ilhyang muttered quietly, gazing at the Red Fox looking down at him.
[You’re awake?]
“Yeah.”
I had been trying to confront the trauma within the Mental World.
But suddenly, I found myself doubting a memory from the past.
‘Why did Lian speak words that the Demon King had said?’
Was it simply a memory error?
Or was there truly something more?
Then soft fur brushed against my chin.
[I don’t think I was much help?]
The Red Fox, her expression somewhat withdrawn.
Ilhyang turned his gaze and looked at Geumok, letting out a soft laugh.
“No, you were a tremendous help.”
With the ability to use the Mental World, my mental strength had surged dramatically.
And along with it, the grade of my soul had risen.
Moreover, this wasn’t merely an elevation of soul grade.
Spirit, mana, and physical form.
These three elements moved in mutual complementarity.
As my spirit rose this time, my mana reserves increased accordingly.
My physical abilities had undergone dramatic growth, particularly my mana circuits.
The spirit had briefly dwelled within my body, vastly expanding the mana pathways coursing through me.
Thanks to this, casting Fourth Circle magic now imposed almost no burden whatsoever.
‘Though it still falls far short of what I once possessed.’
In truth, when I crossed over into this world,
without even properly realizing it myself,
I had collided with the dimensional barrier and plummeted as vast portions of my soul’s essence were torn away.
‘I’ve only managed to recover an infinitesimal fraction of what I lost.’
The gaps in my memory felt starkly apparent.
This too had gone unnoticed until now.
Only when I broke through the Fourth Circle barrier,
and examined my inner Mental World did I begin to perceive my soul as a pale, tattered thing, ravaged and torn in countless directions.
‘How… I’ve been in this state all this time without realizing it?’
Clearly, the Fourth Circle exerted a profound influence upon the soul.
At least I was aware of it now—a fortunate discovery.
Of course, I had no intention of stopping here.
[Well, I’m glad it proved helpful.]
The Red Fox.
Geum-ok swayed her four tails playfully, laughing.
Watching her, I rose from the stretching I’d been doing in the Underground Training Hall.
“I’ll need to quietly consolidate my foundation for a while.”
I really did need to construct the Magic Tower as soon as possible.
Once it was complete, reaching the Sixth Circle would be swift.
I would gather resources and elevate my realm,
and at that elevated level, I intended to uncover the meaning of the memory scene I’d just witnessed.
‘Hmm, could that Demon King have been scheming something?’
The scene I’d observed in my Mental World lingered uncomfortably in my thoughts,
but I suppressed the unease, cradled Geum-ok in my arms, and departed from the Jiao Long Faction’s Underground Training Hall.
Then I approached the construction site visible in the distance.
Thud—boom—crash—!
The construction site was in the midst of excavation work.
I surveyed the sight of the ground dug nearly ten meters deep,
then approached Gong Jeol-gang, who sat cross-legged on a platform at the edge of the site.
Gong Jeol-gang sprang to his feet and bowed respectfully,
while Seo Jang-gwe beside him, who had been writing something on a bamboo slip, hastily rose and offered a salute.
“Master, you’ve arrived.”
“Indeed. You’re working hard. Seo Jang-gwe, I appreciate your efforts as well.”
I had them return to their seats and settled myself beside them in a relaxed posture.
“The Water Bandits look rather displeased overall.”
“We’re providing them with minimal meals.”
“You’re just making sure they’re fed, aren’t you?”
“That alone is more than generous treatment, Master.”
Gong Jeol-gang fundamentally did not regard the Water Bandits as fellow human beings.
He viewed them merely as useful materials or consumables.
‘Well, that’s not entirely wrong.’
Had they been ordinary commoners,
he would not have treated them so harshly.
But these were Water Bandits who had tasted blood in earnest.
Over two thousand of such men.
Moreover, they were constantly watching for any opportunity to flee.
It was then.
“Leader. We have a visitor.”
Soon Hong-dan, the former Gyolyong Chaejoo’s son, who had proven rather cooperative and was thus assigned to guard the Dock rather than the construction site, came running with a formal stance to deliver his report.
Ilhyang turned his head and asked.
“A visitor?”
Soon Hong-dan maintained his at-attention posture and continued his report swiftly.
“Yes. Hyeol Pung Chang, who traveled with you not long ago, has arrived with other guests.”
“Ah! That fellow.”
He said he was coming to find his master.
It seems he truly came.
“Then I should meet him.”
Ilhyang nodded and immediately rose from his seat to go greet them at the Dock.

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