Chapter 256: Noble Soul (10)

Chapter 256: Noble Soul (10)

Redtrix VI Black Thunderstorm No. 7.

This was the nickname for the airship frequently used by Aryumon Brushun, the head of the Mage Association.

The cost of a single airship was astronomical, and the maintenance expenses were incredibly high, making it seem impossible for an individual to own one.

However, this didn’t apply to the upper echelons.

Aryumon did not enjoy accumulating wealth, but he was quite serious about his airship collection.

Vrrrrrr...!!

The loud noise of the mana engine, which was heavily tuned and modified, echoed throughout the dock of the Third World Tree.

Psshhk!

Thanks to the elves who had already reported Aryumon’s arrival upon hearing the airship's signal, Elder Suhaksan could greet him in time.

"Haha, Aryumon. It’s been a while."

"Old man Suhaksan. You're still as vigorous as ever."

"While I'm glad to see you visiting so suddenly, honestly, I’m more bewildered."

"Ah! I see. I apologize for not giving you a heads-up."

Aryumon said this with a weary expression. He approached him to offer a handshake.

Suhaksan raised an eyebrow at this.

'Still the same insufferable guy.'

A handshake was a typical human gesture, a custom spread by humans.

It was customary for visitors to adapt to the culture of the elves, but Aryumon, as always, showed no respect for the culture of others.

Grand Mage Aryumon Brushun was a firm believer in human superiority.

Of course, there was a valid reason for his superiority complex.

Currently, humans had the highest proportion of Class 8 mages, and historically, over half of the mages who reached the divine realm of Class 9 were also human, and it was presumed that the ‘Progenitor Mage’ was human as well.

Moreover, Aryumon himself was one of fewer than ten Class 9 mages on the continent, so Suhaksan had no choice but to accept the handshake without a word.

"What brings you here?"

Regardless, if Aryumon had come after hearing about the corruption of the World Tree, there would be no intention to seek his cooperation.

Humans could not be involved in matters related to the sacred World Tree.

Fortunately, Aryumon seemed to have come for a different purpose.

He presented Suhaksan with a request for cooperation in the search for a dark mage.

"Hmm!"

Suhaksan paused after hearing the unexpected request for cooperation.

To show that document in such a public place was like openly saying, ‘It seems like there’s a dark mage around, so we’re going to search your area.’

If there was clear evidence, the Mage Association had absolute authority to search for dark mages, making it impossible to refuse.

Since this was a clause all races had agreed upon, even an elder of elves couldn't refuse... But it still had to be considered carefully.

Ransacking the sacred World Tree to catch a mere fly was something that could never be allowed.

"We’ll review this carefully."

Suhaksan took the document and slowly reviewed its contents.

... Not long after, he widened his eyes in shock.

“Is this... really true?”

“Yes. I am well aware that we are being quite rude. But please, I must ask for your cooperation. This is a very troublesome situation right now.”

The Dark Mage Chelven.

Before disappearing decades ago, he was the very dark mage from legend who caused tens of thousands of casualties, and now he had suddenly appeared here.

‘No, it’s not confirmed yet. It’s only circumstantial. But still...!’

If the contents of the document were true, Chelven likely headed towards the orchard of the Dream Tree.

By now, he was probably hiding somewhere around here.

‘This is...’

The danger level had become much higher than anticipated.

It was not something he could stubbornly refuse out of pride.

"... Could we move somewhere else to discuss this?"

Suhaksan spoke in a heavy voice, and Aryumon readily nodded.

Amidst the urgency, he was relieved that the conversation was going more smoothly than expected.

—

It was quiet.

The cool glass shards hovered in the air and constantly pricked his skin.

Baek Yu-Seol sat down cross-legged in front of Leafanel, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

To be precise, he was finely tuning the [Tae-Ryeong's Godly Technique].

He had long since taken off his gas mask.

‘This is... dangerous.’

If he went any deeper, he felt like he might never be able to return, so he hurriedly swam toward the surface.

‘I have to wake up.’

Driven by that single thought, he frantically moved toward the sky.

Suddenly, something grabbed his collar.

It wasn’t a strong grip.

It was a weak grasp, something he could easily shake off.

However, feeling a tug on his heart, Baek Yu-Seol looked down into the depths of the sea of consciousness.

‘... Leafanel?’

There, a spirit in the form of a young girl appeared. She parted her lips with an ambiguous expression that made it hard to discern her emotions, but her voice was barely audible.

But more than that, the first question that arose was.

‘Why is Leafanel here?’

‘Wasn’t this my subconscious world?’

Then, he realized that she and him were connected by their souls.

‘If she’s here...!’

He could ask Leafanel why she ended up this way.

He grabbed her shoulders and shouted with all his might.

“Leafanel! Hurry, answer me! Who did this to you?!”

But maybe she couldn’t hear his voice.

Leafanel tilted her head and silently moved her lips.

Baek Yu-Seol couldn’t hear her.

‘Damn. Do I need to go deeper?’

He quickly dismissed that thought.

It appeared Leafanel had emerged from somewhere deep in that ocean, and if he went down any further, he might completely lose his way back.

‘That...’

At the edge of the endless abyss, something small and violet, like a butterfly, flickered.

That must be... Leafanel’s subconscious world.

If he just swam toward that butterfly, he could enter her mind.

‘... I can’t do that.’

He slowly let go of Leafanel’s hand.

He wanted to take her out right away, but forcing her awake when she had been corrupted by dark mana was incredibly dangerous.

‘I’ll come to get you soon.’

He mouthed these words to Leafanel.

Perhaps she understood, she gave a faint smile, which was something rarely seen.

Then she floated away, diving into the deep ocean while gently waving her hand, like a child innocently saying goodbye, which tugged at his heart.

Bubbles popped up!

Baek Yu-Seol turned his back on Leafanel, forced himself out of the deep waters of the subconscious world and broke through to the surface.

The moment he did, his eyes snapped open as he regained consciousness.

“Phew...”

Baek Yu-Seol’s whole body felt refreshed.

Normally, his leg muscles would be numb from maintaining a seated position for so long, but he felt as refreshed as if he had just woken up from a good sleep.

[Analysis complete.]

[Reporting results.]

Just as he was about to slowly read the results from the Sentient Spec, another message caught his eye even more.

“What’s this?”

It wasn’t from the Sentient Spec but a pure system message.

Notifications were popping up in succession.

[The skill ‘Mana Leakage Delay’ level has increased!]

[All stats have significantly increased.]

[You can now control your strength more precisely. Your body has become more agile, and your mind clearer.]

[Your vision has cleared, allowing you to see objects more distinctly.]

[Your senses have sharpened, enabling you to perceive things you couldn’t before.]

Seeing those messages he had never encountered before left him feeling bewildered.

“What on earth is going on...?”

It appeared he hadn’t been utilizing even 1% of the blessing of the Twelve Divine Moons until now.