Chapter 228. Turning Point (1)
Verden's thoughts came to a sudden halt.
The oppressive force of the old man seated on the throne pressed down upon his flesh, beyond his skin. The voice that pierced his ears stirred the soul hidden deep within.
It was the same sensation as when he had faced the tower master of DarkWarton not long ago.
'A transcendent.'
That white Mage who had introduced himself as the Demon King.
There was no room for denial, he had certainly surpassed the wall of a Magus. The unprecedented flow of magic power that spread subtly overwhelmed the very space itself.
Then could it really mean he was the Demon King himself?
A strong suspicion rose within him, but after a fleeting moment of thought, Verden inwardly shook his head.
'No, it can't be the Demon King.'
Because the situation up to now had already proven otherwise.
If he were truly the Demon King, he would have already restored the damaged laboratory completely. There was no way he would be trapped in an administrator's chamber just because of an issue with the power source.
There was credibility to what Alpha had mentioned about the Demon King's absence for over 400 years.
Circumstances pointed to the white Mage being the administrator of the facility.
His outward form was identical to that of the Demon King, and his presence was immense. Yet, to call him the pinnacle of magic in history—something was lacking.
It was an instinctive intuition, impossible to express in words.
'Then the administrator's true identity is....'
A certainty formed.
Verden immediately bowed his head.
"War Mage Asher greets the incarnation of the Demon King."
His voice echoed like a reverberation.
When silence returned, the administrator smiled.
"To pierce through my identity at once, your discernment is impressive. Yet, knowing that I am but a false image, do you still offer courtesy?"
"Of course."
Verden was sincere.
The Demon King's achievements were the epitome of legend. They had become the very foundation that allowed the present era of magic to arrive.
Unlike the few Mages who worshiped him as a god,
he merely held deep respect as one who devoted himself to the way of magic. Even if this was only the incarnation of the Demon King, it was no exception.
That was Verden's personal belief.
"Interesting. The two intruders who came into this administrator's chamber changed their attitude as soon as they realized I was an incarnation. Does that mean there is something different about you, enough for Alpha to mistake you as the Demon King? Well, since you helped restore this place... perhaps, for a short while, it would be acceptable."
The administrator's right hand kept twitching as he muttered.
As if suppressing the tremors, he clenched his fist tightly. It was then, as Verden wondered about it, that magic power stirred and a small throne rose up.
"Sit, young Mage, if you wish to have a conversation with me."
***
Each throne welcomed its occupant.
The distance and height between them were such that they could clearly see one another. When Verden lifted his head, his eyes met those of the administrator.
"Those blue eyes... I sense a volume of magic power unfit for your stage. It seems like talent, but it is odd to say it is innate. Normally, your vessel should have shattered long ago. Then, is it perhaps a change acquired later in life?"
Sharp insight.
Even without knowing the truth of Defying the Heavens, he had seen through the process at a glance. If this was the level of the incarnation, it was unimaginable what the true body would be like.
"It is difficult to speak of, Your Majesty the Demon King."
"Call me administrator. And I was not demanding an answer. After all, I am only a false being created to protect this place. Listening to another's story holds no meaning, so your questions must be your own."
Verden's lips parted slightly.
"Then you mean...."
"The time I can spare is not much, but, as thanks for restoring this place, I shall answer your questions. Surely, as you came this far to the administrator's chamber, you must have harbored various doubts."
However.
"I advise you not to ask about the true body. I inherited only fragments of its memories, so there is little I know. In the end, it is your choice, but I hope you choose wisely."
So he could only answer regarding the facility.
'Limited, then.'
But there was no time to lament.
Just being able to receive answers directly from the incarnation of the Demon King was an opportunity of immeasurable magical value.
"I thank you for your kindness, administrator."
He swiftly set his mind to work.
Various doubts intermingled, then compressed into two.
When his thoughts were finished, Verden's focus grew clear.
"If you have chosen your questions, ask."
"Yes, then... regarding the blue sapphire, the key to this facility. I wish to know its exact purpose."
At first, he thought it was simply a relic related to the Demon King.
But once it was revealed this was not a tomb, and that there were at least four or more of the same thing, one doubt arose.
'Why did he create multiple keys and scatter them across the world?'
Surely, he would have anticipated the risk of this hidden laboratory being discovered. In fact, until today, many intruders had indeed appeared.
For Verden, it was difficult to guess the intention.
"If you consider it a key, it is only natural to question it. In that sense, you are mistaken."
"Mistaken...?"
"It was never a key to begin with. It was, rather, a kind of signal to find my true body."
A signal?
"This laboratory, strictly speaking, is a research facility operated only by Golems. And when the overall progress of the research exceeded 50%, it was arranged to send word to the true body. Alpha and I followed the manual, and we sent the signal to the designated place."
So that sapphire was the means of communication.
"That was 150 years ago. But as time passed, there was no sign of the true body coming. Even after risking it and trying several more times, the result was the same as you see now. The only ones who came to this facility were outsiders like yourself."
"There had been no prior responses at all?"
"The last confirmation was about 468 years ago. Perhaps something happened to the true body... or maybe it was simply forgotten. As I already said, I cannot know the circumstances of the true body───"
Twitch.
The administrator suddenly jerked his arm violently.
Again, as if suppressing something, but this time it looked even more difficult.
"Are you alright?"
"...No problem, at least for now. You had best finish your questions quickly."
Was it related to the fact that time was short?
Following the administrator's advice, Verden pressed on with the conversation. It was a question that condensed the unknown experiences and countless thoughts he had carried.
"What is the purpose of this facility's creation?"
Artificial Golems.
Magic techniques related to memory.
The small power source in the secondary chamber and the magic circle inscribed in the primary chamber.
He wanted to know the Demon King's thoughts.
What exactly did he aim to achieve through these things?
To Verden's question, the administrator replied.
"To save the world."
***
'To... save the world?'
Verden momentarily lost his words.
It was on a completely different level from the answer he had expected. Salvation? Out of nowhere? Was the world about to collapse, just like that?
At his bewildered reaction, the administrator nodded.
"It seems you were surprised by an answer you could not anticipate. Well, naturally so. Even I, who was created to mimic the true body's character, cannot understand nor imagine it fully."
"...You mean you do not know the reason?"
"Without the memory, I cannot. However───"
The administrator placed his hand over his heart.
"When the true body created me, his heart was overflowing with a sublime sense of duty. That sacredness, even now, I can feel flowing through the magic power within me."
The incarnation projected the Demon King of that time.
"Why the true body hid himself, whether his heart remains the same as then, I cannot know... but I can assert this much: this facility was never created to fulfill a personal desire."
The answer was vague to resolve his questions.
But it was by no means something to be taken lightly. For the first time, faint emotion appeared on the administrator's face, which had remained parched until now.
It was the bearing of a great transcendent, not a mere incarnation.
"This is the best I can tell you. I am sorry I cannot give a clear answer. It is the limitation of an incarnation, so I ask for your understanding."
"No, it is I who should be honored, to have shared a conversation with the incarnation of the Demon King."
"How commendable, young Mage. Now that I think about it, this is the first time I have sat face to face in conversation with an outsider. Certainly, it is a peculiar feeling. If possible, I would like to continue a little longer, but..."
He loosened the strength in his hand.
The expression vanished from the administrator's face.
"It is time."
"...!"
Fwaaah!
A sudden wave of magic power swept through the chamber. It was more than a threat, it was a hostile oppression.
Rising from his throne, overwhelming magic power flowed from the administrator's entire body.
The atmosphere shifted in an instant.
"I am the incarnation of the Demon King, and the administrator of this facility. The mission bestowed upon me by the true body, is the annihilation of unauthorized intruders. And since the facility was built, there have been four intruders in total."
Staffs and wands rolled from behind the pillars onto the floor.
'The weapons carried by the Mages of the Ark?'
What a pitiful fate.
There was no need to ask what had become of their masters.
"One intruder was trapped in the primary power chamber and perished on his own, two were slain by my own hands. And the remaining one, stands before my eyes right now. Yet, because you restored the facility together with Alpha, and because you have not revealed hostility, I have postponed my judgment."
Kuung!
The door to the administrator's chamber opened wide.
"But, as administrator, I can no longer refuse my mission. Therefore, leave this facility at once. This is the opportunity I give you."
If you do not leave, you will die.
The administrator's voice and magic power were soaked in murderous intent, and the white staff in his hand began to tremble slowly.
It was as though he was restraining himself from casting Verden out immediately.
"..."
Verden rose silently from his seat.
Then, without hesitation, he walked toward the secondary power chamber. Watching his back, the administrator chuckled faintly.
"...Since Alpha recognizes you as the Demon King, it will guide you to the way out. And if you noticed something on your way out of the facility, take it with you. Even as administrator, I have no means to pursue one who has left this place."
A final act of grace.
The reason why, even the administrator himself did not know.
Though an incarnation was a being immutable, formed of the Demon King's magic power...
'Has something changed, across the centuries?'
Perhaps even the magic of the true body was not perfect. The administrator mocked himself. It was nothing but a meaningless thought.
At that moment, Verden stopped.
One step before leaving the administrator's chamber.
"Administrator, may I ask, one final question?"
"...Speak quickly."
"If the administrator fails to eliminate the intruder, then what happens?"
What?
The administrator faltered.
For a moment, he was so startled he forgot his mission.
Only after several seconds of silence did he finally speak.
"Then it would follow the truth of the world. The law of the strong. The victor takes all. The facility, and the 'thing' left behind by the true body, all of it."
His voice was resolute.
"But no one who challenged me has ever returned alive. Not even those whose stage surpassed yours. Young Mage, I acknowledge that you are special, but your end would be far more tragic than those who came before. At the very least, you were given a chance to escape."
The administrator was right.
The opponent was a transcendent.
In contrast, Verden had not yet reached the 6th tier, nor had he pioneered the way of magic. The outcome of who would die was plain to see.
At least, if the situation were normal.
'The administrator is an incomplete transcendent.'
The Demon King's magic surpassed common sense.
Yet, even so, the incarnation could not overcome its fundamental weaknesses.
'First, a diminished stage compared to the true body.'
From Verden's estimation, the administrator remained at the 7th tier, the boundary of transcendence.
The presence alone, flowing from the Demon King's magic power, was beyond comparison. Yet the actual strength, did not even reach the level of DarkWarton's tower master.
'Second, inability to recover magic power.'
The administrator had existed for centuries.
And had already fought the two Mages from the Ark. They too would have come fully prepared, so it could not have ended in a single strike.
There must have been considerable consumption of magic power until now.
'And third, the gap in equipment.'
Though the administrator wore the arms of the Demon King, they were mere forms.
An incarnation could wear no magical item. The fact that nothing could be felt from the noble staff in his hand, was proof enough.
At least in equipment, Verden was overwhelming.
'And beyond that, I possess knowledge of the Demon King's power.'
The Demon King's magic, the way of magic, those memories were still vivid even now.
Back in the days when he lived as a worker in the magic tower, Rovellin had first brought him the books. He had read them until the pages wore away to nothing.
'...Even so, my chances of victory are slim.'
Yes, he knew.
He knew that what he was about to attempt was reckless.
He knew that accepting the administrator's grace, leaving now, and slowly raising his stage would be the wise choice...
But his mana circuits, the magic power flowing through his body, his pounding heart, the magic circle of Defying the Heavens, all of it together, the existence called Verden, was telling him.
That not betraying oneself, was the path to the way of magic.
The answer had already been decided.
Kwaaang!
A burst of magic engulfed the small power source in the secondary chamber.
As the flow of magic spread across the facility and became disturbed, the door to the administrator's chamber closed once again.
Without hesitation, he turned his back.
Verden's blue eyes blazed fiercely as they locked onto the administrator. The magic power erupting explosively from his whole body opposed the transcendent.
And he declared,
"I dare, to challenge you."
At this very moment.
Verden reached the turning point, of his life.