Chapter 293 - Hatching (7)

Chapter 293 - Hatching (7)

“Aghhhhh!”

The bone-chilling screams made it seem like the Snow Spire was a kingdom’s underground torture chamber.

“Aaaaargh!”

It was like a symphony of agonizing pain sung in the deepest parts of hell, sending chills down anyone’s spine. Henry was the only one walking among the pained wizards; he was the demon strolling among the imprisoned sinners, observing their infernal torture.

The cycle of pain, destruction, recovery, and growth continued.

At some point, Henry stopped smiling. Instead, he would slap and splash water on anyone he saw was about to pass out.

He was especially relentless with those who were a mage or higher. The more of them there were, the more it benefited him.

Of course, Henry wasn’t worried about them dying. Given the presence of the priests, he had designed this awakening process so that the wizards wouldn’t die, even though they probably wanted to die because of the unbearable pain.

Henry’s eyes had adjusted to the light that filled the Snow Spire.

When some people finally fell to the floor here and there, he knew that their awakening was coming to an end. Henry walked over to the first young wizards that fell and checked up on them.

‘He’s made it.’

Henry didn’t remember his name, but he had been a 3rd-Circle wizard who had graduated from the academy in second place. But now, not only had he evolved to the 4th-Circle, but he was already showing signs that he was close to awakening the 5th-Circle.

It was a massive accomplishment.

Henry couldn’t help smiling as he watched the other wizards become stronger, one after another.

The awakening of the wizards continued for a long time, and after a while, Henry saw all the wizards lying on the ground. He and the priests were the only ones still standing.

‘Tsk, tsk, what a bunch of weaklings.’

From the lowest-ranked wizards with the lowest Circles, to Lore, the former head of the spire... Every single wizard of the Snow Spire had passed out after enduring the grueling process of awakening.

Henry couldn’t understand them, because when he had awakened the 7th-Circle, he hadn’t received any help from any priests; he had endured the pain on his own with only his poisonous blood he had obtained by eating the demon’s heart.

“W-we’re done!”

Thud.

Shortly after all the wizards passed out, the priests, who had been running back and forth, healing and keeping everyone alive, also collapsed. The strain of constantly using their divine powers had severely dehydrated them.

Of course, the Saint and Elagon were completely fine because they were the very best when it came to healing powers. Healing a few hundred wizards wasn't enough to exhaust them.

“Thank you,” Henry told the priests on the floor as he bowed.

The priests responded with a smile before passing out.

Leaving the exhausted high priests to sleep, the Saint turned to Henry and said, “No one’s dead or injured. It seems like they’ve all advanced successfully.”

“This is all thanks to the high priests, and especially you, Saint.”

- Khu khu khu!

Seeing that Henry only praised Irenae, Elagon puffed out his cheeks and complained about it.

“Thank you as well, Elagon.”

- Khu khu!

Only then was Elagon satisfied.

“Archmage, is this everything you needed help with?” asked Irenae.

“No, there’s still one more person left.”

“One more person?”

“Yes. All the wizards of the Snow Spire have advanced a Circle, but I have yet to make any progress, right?”

“...Ah!”

The one person who hadn’t advanced yet was Henry, the head of the Magical Spire.

‘It’s not every day that I get a chance like this.’

“...!”

“...!”

At Henry’s congratulation, reality finally dawned upon the seven wizards. They all got goosebumps all over their bodies. They then immediately got on one knee and bowed to Henry.

“Thank you, Archmage!”

“Yeah, yeah, okay. So now I’ll give you guys your first task as a way of commemorating your ascension to the 7th-Circle, so listen carefully.”

Henry’s plan to awaken the next Circle had just begun.

***

Henry went to his office at the top floor of the Snow Spire with the seven freshly awakened 7th-Circle wizards. They proceeded to clear away the furniture and draw a giant magic circle on the floor using complex and difficult formulas.

The seven school heads surrounded the magic circle, standing on the edge of it. Saint Irenae and Elagon were the only ones standing away from the magic circle.

Sitting in the center of the magic circle, Henry said, “I’ll explain one last time. The moment I drink the Black Tear and start meditating, each of you must act upon the roles I’ve assigned to you and give me as much mana as you can until you all pass out. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Archmage.”

“And, Saint...”

“Yes, Archmage?”

“Please take good care of me.”

“Don’t worry. Elagon and I will do everything in our power.”

The process of going from the 7th-Circle to the 8th-Circle wasn't a matter of simply having enough mana. The realm of the 8th-Circle, as discovered and achieved by Henry in his previous life, was almost transcendent.

Of course, one’s physical body also underwent changes during the process of awakening, but the most notable difference was that the 8th-Circle changed the way in which one interacted with mana from Nature itself.

‘Even if all the wizards are placed in the same environment, the amount of mana each of them can absorb is different. That’s what you call the difference in sensitivity.’

Up until the 7th-Circle, one could eventually use up all their mana if they really tried to. The mana pool of a 7th-Circle mage was like a river. However, reaching the 8th-Circle allowed the wizard to have an infinite ocean of mana, one that could never be exhausted.

The unlimited amount of mana of an 8th-Circle mage was great in itself, but what made it stand out was its constant synergy with Nature.

‘That’s why I was the one and only Archmage, but what’s the point of that, given that I died from a vial of poison?’

Henry frowned bitterly as he remembered the poison that had sealed his fate. He had been the one and only 8th-Circle Archmage, but he had still been human.

However, things were different now.

Unlike in his previous life, this version of Henry was a lot stronger and had the potential to become a more powerful 8th-Circle Archmage than his past self.

‘I have faith in myself and in my magic that has brought me to his point.’

Henry had never doubted his own strength, and he never would, not even in his final moments.

“Start,” said Henry.

“Yes, Archmage.”

At Henry’s command, the seven 7th-Circle wizards surrounding him activated the magic circle.

“Haaa.” Henry let out a sigh as the magic circle resonated with him. Then, after exchanging one last look with the Saint, he downed the bottle of the Black Tear in one go.

Smash!

As soon as Henry finished the Black Tear, he threw the glass bottle outside of the magic circle. The moment he heard the bottle shatter, Henry felt that something inside him shattered as well.

Pnggg-!

His ears were ringing and blood leaked from them, as well as from his eyes and nose.

“Aghhhhhh!”

That was the final scream from the Snow Spire, but the performance that signified the birth of the greatest Archmage in history was just starting.

Crack!

Just then, the pearl Henry had in his pocket cracked, just like the egg that had encompassed it.