Chapter 720: War? (7)
The Flesh Chef incited chaos.
The Eternal Child Pan awakened a sea monster.
The Pied Piper invaded Landa.
And thus, holy magic disappeared from the world.
As a result, strange rumors spread, and black magicians began to run rampant.
In those chaotic yet otherwise ordinary days...
A story that was nearly impossible to believe spread across the entire United Kingdom through the radio.
"...In the end, I took Puppet’s outstretched hand."
This story claimed that the ruling class—wizards, druids, nobles, and politicians of the kingdom—had allied themselves with Puppet, one of the Black Hand's fingers.
The announcement immediately captured the attention of every listener tuned into the broadcast.
The wealthy, spending leisurely hours in their luxurious mansions.
The laborer, sweating over his workbench.
The homemaker, preparing a meal for her family.
The loafers killing time at the tavern.
Even the street kids selling newspapers.
Regardless of age, gender, wealth, or status, everyone listened.
That’s how shocking this news was.
After all, the idea that the ruling class of the mighty United Kingdom would join hands with a Black Hand figure like Puppet was almost impossible to accept.
That didn’t mean everyone believed the story, however.
It wasn’t easy to deny everything you knew about the world just because of some random conversation that suddenly aired on the radio.
Most didn’t believe it at first. They dismissed it as a prank, a scheme by a rebellious faction like the Kel Liberation Army, or simply the leaked script of a new radio drama.
The truth, if unbelievable enough, can be harder to accept than a lie.
However, there were those who took the story very seriously.
One such person was a civil servant residing in Zone I, known as Mr. F.
After bidding farewell to an unexpected visitor one day, Mr. F began listening to the radio constantly, as if he were waiting for something. And indeed, he was waiting—for something that soon arrived.
"We’ve just received breaking news… The culprit known as Woodcutter Dave has reportedly summoned a massive creature in Zone A, causing immense damage. In response…"
It was an emergency report.
"...Currently, the creature summoned by Woodcutter Dave has inflicted severe damage in Zone A, with numerous casualties."
The news portrayed this as the actions of a mad black magician attacking Landa, laced with an undeniably biased and malicious tone.
"—Some even suggest that the zombie army assaulting Landa was also part of Woodcutter Dave’s long-prepared scheme. It's also rumored he seized the contaminated area in Zone F to amass a large number of corpses—"
No matter which station was tuned in, the broadcasts all repeated the same story in different ways.
It was tiresome. And then, something strange happened.
Fzzzt—
The radio’s broadcast sound abruptly vanished, replaced by a conversation between two men.
"If you have any questions, ask. I’ll cooperate to the best of my ability."
"It seems you're not listening properly."
Both voices sounded familiar.
One was the living legend of Landa, Woodcutter Dave, and the other was (self-proclaimed) hero of Landa, Major Billy Crowley.
Though the details were unclear, the two men were conversing for some unknown reason, and this conversation took over every channel.
In that moment, Mr. F, the civil servant of Landa, came to a certain realization. With a brief, silent farewell to the so-called hero of Landa, he stood up and went to his wardrobe.
He took out an 8-million-won luxury suit he’d stashed away, ironed it, and began putting it on.
“Are you joking! Do you really think the battle mages controlling the Tower of Magic, the druids, the kingdom’s nobles, the Central Council politicians, and even the Crown Prince are just ordinary people?!”
As Mr. F changed, a new story flowed from the radio.
It was a story powerful enough to shake the entire kingdom.
“The die has been cast.”
Mr. F spoke to himself with determination, then opened the door and stepped outside.
Naturally, royal soldiers stationed nearby appeared to detain him under “protective surveillance.”
It was their duty, and in the past, they’d blocked him with authority even when he’d tried to exercise his basic right to take a stroll.
But this time, their demeanor was different.
Though they were not black magicians, Mr. F, as a civil servant, could sense their inner turmoil. Confusion, doubt, fear, suspicion...
This made it clear.
They, too, had heard the broadcasted conversation on the radio just now.
"…Damn it all!!!"
A loud curse erupted from the radio inside the house. Taking this as a sign, Mr. F seized his chance.
“You’re all here at the perfect time. I need your help.”
“Excuse me? What do you mean…?”
“As you can see, we’re in a state of emergency. The City Council needs to convene immediately. Please assist me in gathering the council members.”
“But that’s not part of our mission—”
“Yes, I know. That’s why I’m asking for your help. You all understand that this is no ordinary situation—not for Landa, nor for the Kingdom’s Army.”
“…”
The soldiers couldn’t respond.
They, too, had heard the confession from Major Billy about his involvement with Puppet through their communication devices, and now the question was whether they would be complicit in this.
“Of course, I don’t doubt the honor of the Kingdom’s Army. Just because one apple rots, it doesn’t mean the whole basket has gone bad. I know this, which is why I’m asking.”
“…”
“Besides, it's only a matter of time before the City Council is convened. Even I, a mere civil servant, am making moves. The council members won’t stay idle either.”
He meant it. The council members, though subdued and powerless in recent events, would not take this lying down.
They still had their lives, and the opportunity to act had come.
“Landa’s City Council has 24 members. Three or four of them could likely persuade the soldiers guarding them and slip out, which would make your efforts here meaningless. I’m only trying to save us a few extra seconds.”
“So, what you’re saying is that there’s no choice but to follow?”
“No, I’m suggesting we do something meaningful. If you help us restore order from this chaos, Landa will never forget your assistance. This city may be difficult, but it never forgets its debts… What do you say?”
Mr. F asked, and the soldiers exchanged glances.
After a moment, Carver moved, and the Kingdom’s soldiers followed him.
...
The sudden conversation that aired on the radio shook the entire region of Celland, including the colonies.
With the content being what it was, whether they believed it or not, people reacted strongly.
However, the place where it had the biggest impact was none other than Landa.
This was not only the site where the story had originated, but it was also a time when discontent was reaching a boiling point with the recent zombie army invasion and the occupation by the Kingdom’s forces.
The proof of this was already evident. City council members and high-ranking civil servants, detained for their protection, were sweet-talking the soldiers to roam about freely. Journalists, businessmen, and various other social groups reacted as if they’d always suspected something fishy.
Even the Tower of Magic was affected.
In fact, it felt the impact most strongly.
“Master… Master Tilda…”
After all, the Military Mages implicated in the radio broadcast for colluding with Puppet were now among the high-ranking figures in the Tower of Magic.
And Tilda, the one who brought these Military Mages to the Tower, was now locked in a fierce battle with Kevin, the new Archive, in front of everyone.
A large crowd of wizards and students in the Tower Plaza who had heard the broadcast now turned their attention to Tilda Ice-eye and the Military Mages she had summoned.
Their gaze bore a silent demand for an explanation.
Kevin couldn’t help but feel the irony.
Until a moment ago, those very eyes had been directed at him, but now they scrutinized Tilda and her Military Mages instead. Truly, the world was unpredictable.
It was proof of how serious the matter was. After all, the very idea of wizards colluding with black magicians, especially one of the Black Hand's fingers like Puppet, was outrageous.
“Well, at least I survived thanks to this.”
In the heart of the Tower’s grand plaza, Kevin, who had been cornered, took a deep breath, relieved.
He’d managed to escape the immediate threat, as the silent stares of the crowd had stalled the assault from Tilda and the Military Mages.
Even with the spirits' help, it was no easy feat to withstand an onslaught from wizards of Master and Grandmaster ranks.
"No… actually, it’s Grandmasters, isn’t it? The Skadi School was forcibly merged due to the Master, so they’re effectively Grandmasters. And the other Military Mages are of similar stature, hailing from traditional schools."
To fend off an attack from multiple Grandmasters...
Having fought hard just to survive, Kevin realized the magnitude of what he was accomplishing.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely due to his skill.
About seventy percent of the attacks had been blocked by the spirits he summoned.
Without the spirits, he would have been overpowered long ago, or forced to use the Archive’s power at the cost of damage to his body.
“But I can’t keep this up.”
Kevin gazed at the wizards surrounding him.
With the spirits’ help, he was holding his own, but to be frank, he was only holding on.
Just moments ago, he’d narrowly escaped disaster, saved only by the shocking news from the radio that distracted everyone in the Tower.
If things continued like this, it was only a matter of time before he lost.
So, he decided to use the chaos to his advantage.
“I'm curious as well.”
Addressing Tilda, who was distracted by the murmuring crowd, Kevin spoke up.
The sound of his voice drew everyone’s attention to him, including the simmering anger in their gazes.
It made sense—they’d just learned of her secret dealings with Puppet, after all, so they had every reason to be furious.
Knowing this, Kevin continued without hesitation.
“Master Tilda. Did you bring these Military Mages to the Tower because you truly needed them? Or was it because you struck a deal with Puppet? Or perhaps…”
Kevin paused mid-sentence.
Tilda’s eyes flared with fury, as if she could skewer him on the spot with her glare.
“...Are you acting on Puppet’s orders?”
Kwoooooom!
In response to Kevin’s taunt, Tilda unleashed an explosion of ice, blanketing the entire plaza in a blizzard.
From the storm, beastly forms crafted from ice lunged at Kevin, embodying Tilda’s rage.
However, her actions were not purely emotional; they carried the calculation of a seasoned mage.
She knew that whatever she said wouldn’t sway public opinion right now, so she decided that subduing Kevin was the most effective course of action.
It wasn’t a bad decision.
By overpowering Kevin and seizing the Archive’s power, she could suppress any unwanted revelations.
As if reflecting her resolve, the blizzard Tilda conjured filled the plaza, freezing not only human flesh but even magic.
It felt like poison.
Impressively, she manipulated the blizzard with such precision that it spared the allied Military Mages while targeting Kevin. Backed by the icy storm, the Military Mages and ice beasts rushed at him, and Kevin, with the assistance of a mermaid-shaped ice spirit, managed to deflect the storm’s force, exchanging fierce blows with the Military Mages and ice beasts closing in on him.
Mana surged, casting multicolored lights as spells clashed—Kevin’s magic against the Military Mages’ spells, spirit fangs against the icy teeth of summoned beasts.
Then, from a distance, one of the Military Mages from the Agni Sub-School slashed at an ice spirit with a strike made of pure fire, aiming to eliminate Kevin’s ally.
Boom!
In response, a massive earth spirit in the shape of a bear shattered the frozen ground, sending rock pillars up to shield the ice spirit.
Using these pillars as footing, other Military Mages closed in, bombarding Kevin with an array of spells.
Arrows of pure mana, a chain net charged with electric energy, waves of molten lava formed from fire and earth, bursts of manipulated air…
Each spell was deadly, crafted with precision befitting of experienced mages.
Kevin, aided by his natural agility and the spirits, barely managed to dodge or parry the relentless assault. In the process, however, his spirits began to sustain injuries.
The situation resembled what it had been before the radio broadcast interrupted them.
Gradually, Kevin found himself cornered, as the Military Mages’ attacks grew fiercer and more coordinated.
Just as the spirits were beginning to falter under the unyielding barrage, the pillar Kevin was standing on cracked and crumbled from the force of repeated impacts.
Below him, a sea of lava, freshly conjured, awaited him.
In a split second, Kevin enveloped one of his legs with the ice spirit’s power and plunged it into the molten lava.
Ordinarily, lava charged with mana would have incinerated his foot, but the spirit’s protective ice allowed him to withstand it. Using this brief window, he caused the lava to freeze, creating a towering wall of solid rock.
Although this move forced the ice spirit to withdraw due to excessive strain, it gave Kevin a momentary reprieve from the encroaching attackers.
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Kevin encased himself in the fiery aura of the salamander spirit, melting the frozen lava and sending a massive wave of molten rock crashing toward the Military Mages...
Crack!
As he charged with the wave of lava, his form wreathed in flame, the molten rock around him and his own body suddenly froze solid.
Tilda had activated the Ice-eye family’s signature magic, an inherited ability that infused her gaze with the power of ice.
Upon release, this magic froze not only Kevin’s surroundings but his entire body.
Kevin tried to break free, but it was already too late. His body had frozen to the point where he could no longer control it.
Only then did he realize that Tilda had been waiting for this precise moment, patiently preparing to ensnare him.
With a final crack, Kevin’s body became entirely encased in ice, and his spirits vanished as their connection was severed.
Confirming this, Tilda and the Military Mages approached him, eager to revel in their triumph.
Advancing slowly, Tilda asked, “Did you really think you could win?”
Kevin struggled to melt the ice imprisoning his body. It was nearly impossible.
"That last attack… You really thought you could take us all down, didn’t you? How arrogant."
Tilda came so close, she could see the faint hint of breath escaping Kevin’s lips.
“Just because you were lucky enough to become an Archive, you thought you were Merlin himself?”
As she spoke, Tilda’s vision momentarily blurred, merging Kevin with her memory of a young Merlin, who had once held back five Grandmasters single-handedly.
“I never thought of myself as my master,” Kevin replied, his voice muffled by the encasing ice. “I’m better than he is.”
“What did you say?”
“But clearly, you don’t think so,” he continued. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be asking such a question. It’s truly a shame.”
His words hit a nerve, directly striking her insecurities.
Kevin had never attempted to emulate Merlin; it was Tilda who had imposed that comparison upon him.
Agitated, Tilda summoned her mana, forming an ice blade sharper than any razor, and swung it across Kevin’s neck.
Kevin’s head fell to the ground with a thud.
In that instant, Tilda sensed something was wrong.
The decapitated figure of Kevin was not real—it was a replica crafted from ice.
It was an exquisitely crafted decoy, mirroring his emotional aura perfectly. Her own agitation had clouded her judgment, making her fall for the trick.
Realizing she’d been duped, Tilda reflexively looked up.
High above, Kevin was gathering lightning, aided by a thunderbird spirit, shaping the sky’s wrath into silent, focused bolts.
After distracting his opponent with the decoy, he had prepared a final strike, an old technique favored by wizards to deceive foes with a substitute before delivering a powerful blow.
Tilda thought back to her memories of Merlin in his youth, outwitting multiple Grandmasters with similar cunning.
A shiver ran down her spine.
The difference was that Kevin was using spirits and manipulating his own emotions to amplify his magic.
“Thunderbird!”
From his aerial position, Kevin called upon the spirit, and the thunderbird complied, channeling its gathered energy into him. Kevin infused his emotions into the lightning, creating a unique, darkened spell that was neither magic nor black magic.
The pure white lightning, once mixed with his emotion, turned a deep black, splitting into multiple spears.
Each spear targeted Tilda and every Military Mage present.
There was no escape.
They knew they’d have to confront it head-on.
A weight of fear settled in as they realized the dark lightning’s intensity held them in place, making any attempt to evade impossible.
In unison, Kevin summoned the spears, aiming one at Tilda, while the rest locked onto the other Military Mages.
[천철징창 (Heavenly Punishing Spear)]
The moment Tilda and the others completed their calculations, Kevin uttered the incantation and cast the blackened lightning spears downward.
Kraaaak-booooom!
The air erupted with a sharp, bird-like cry, filling the sky with ominous black light. In the midst of that darkened glow, lightning spears rained down.
Tilda and the Military Mages activated their defensive spells, but a portion of them instinctively knew half of them would sustain severe damage.
What would happen next in the battle was uncertain. Although Tilda’s side held the upper hand in terms of raw power, the unpredictability of Kevin’s sudden maneuver and the morale shift could tilt the balance...
But such a turn of events was preempted.
“Nothing ever goes smoothly, does it?”
Out of nowhere, Puppet appeared in midair, descending like he existed in a different time and place altogether. Calmly, he opened a book and, with ease, grasped the lightning spears falling from the sky.
Crackle-crackle-CRACK!
The violent, crackling bolts fell silent in his grasp as Puppet absorbed their energy.
Kevin stared, stunned. And he was not alone; Tilda, the Military Mages, and even the secret allies among them shared his shock.
As Puppet appeared in plain view before the entire Tower, all of them had the same realization.
Yet, Puppet seemed unaffected by the gazes of the many onlookers, extending his hand toward Kevin, who hovered in the air.
“Since it’s come to this—”
“—you’ll take the Archive with you?”
A voice called out from behind Puppet.
It was Oliver.