While Oknodie was pondering who his true best friend was, a colossal mana explosion erupted from the research facility as area magic struck.
As magic debris exploded, thousands of monsters perished in an instant, but when a massive smokewhale cried out from beyond the smoke, the mages’ mana surged uncontrollably.
“Cough!!”
“Mana… mana surge…!!”
The mages, now pale with fright, quickly retreated.
Those with deep enlightenment managed to stabilize their mana, but those focused solely on destructive power and rapid growth found themselves overwhelmed as their mana hearts erupted without exception.
Chaotic magic surged through the mana circuits, consuming the bodies of mages and proving the intense impact of destructive magic through their very forms.
Thunderstorm
Earthquake
Core Meltdown
The brainy magic of the White Magic Tower.
The earth magic of the Yellow Magic Tower.
The fire magic of the Red Magic Tower.
Uncontrollable grand magic exploded at the frontline, smashing through the ranks of the mages who had cast it.
“The Yellow Magic Tower is on the brink of collapse. It’s ironic that the tower’s master has self-destructed.”
“Haha. It’s my daughter who’s created chaos at the academy.”
This doting father wished to boast about his daughter even after one of his beloved’s factions from the Wahyhiemhai Foundation had been utterly obliterated.
The Isajang, oblivious to the incredulous gaze of the Secretary Office Head, chuckled with glee.
To them, it was merely someone else’s problem.
The ones currently fighting on the battlefield were the mages from the Multicolor Magic Tower.
The Wahyhiemhai Foundation, which had mobilized them, simply observed the events unfold from their non-fair flight in the sky.
“However, one can’t overlook the losses to the Red Magic Tower. The top faction of the Red Magic Tower, the Jangryeol School, valued impact. Many of their numbers have fallen.”
“That too was my daughter’s doing, as she had cornered both the Red Flame School and the Minor League Union. Isn’t it quite serendipitous? Hahaha.”
“You seem more delighted about your daughter’s growth than the loss of your cherished faction members.”
“When humanity is in decline, it’s normal for children to feel despair and settle for reality. Isn’t it admirable for a child to defy expectations and show off their talent?”
“…Isajang, your jokes go too far. This definitely isn’t enough to be considered the true worth of the Foundation.”
“Haha. True, it isn’t. But the involvement of the Empire’s Nineteen Strong is just beginning.”
Once, they had cornered Oknodie in the capital, and now most of the strong, including the master of the Multicolor Magic Tower, had astonishingly shown up right here.
During his youth, members who had taken the revered internal elixir with the Foundation’s support.
Those with masters from the Foundation.
Those whose families had overcome illness thanks to the Foundation’s assistance.
All those who had either benefitted the Foundation or had weaknesses had no choice but to heed its call.
Even if it hadn’t been the Foundation’s summons, confronting the terrifying legion of the Underworld to protect the ground and the Empire was a duty that had to be fulfilled.
“The energy consumption is substantial.”
“Base resistance is incredibly high.”
“Why on earth is there a magical artifact unleashed below that allows even the lowest creature such strong magical resistance?”
The late-comers quickly sensed the abnormalities of the Underworld monsters.
Ultimately, they deduced some facts based on their behavior.
– In the Underground World, there exists a sealing orb that can stop all magic in this world.
– If we hunt the upper-class monsters of Gehenna and use their bodies to create magical tools, we can fabricate artifacts that protect the spellcasters from magical backlash.
– Magic defensive gear safe from mana surges permits magical barrage above 1st place level. This is a hit, isn’t it?
With many high-ranking mages downed, the lower-level mages rained down their spells, bombarding the Underworld and pushing the frontlines underground from the Multicolor Magic Tower.
Taking advantage of that chaos, the strong manipulated by the Foundation began hunting named entities and set foot underground.
Some took advantage of the confusion, like the revolutionary leaders and Eungchilgeom.
*
From the ceiling, dirt tumbled down dustily.
Things were pretty raucous up top!
These new players surely dive into the war route excitingly, huh?
The hero of the war generation, Astarot, has appeared and the NPCs have grown more aggressive?
Then I should hurry and make my way to the Ancient Book Museum!
“This is troublesome.”
The Emperor stopped in his tracks upon seeing the museum.
“What are you doing there?”
“There’s history unfolding here. Just like the barrier of the Sanctuary of the Species, access is not allowed for any sage-level being whose combined value exceeds a certain point.”
Hoo hoo hoo. “For me, this beyond is also an unknown space. Quite unfortunate indeed.”
Both the Emperor and the Okashii-ne simultaneously ceased their steps.
“Indeed, you are the master of Dreamland, which has conquered all land beneath the sun.”
“A true sage can rival the divine beings of the sanctuary, so it’s natural they cannot invade the god’s domain.”
Klein and Lester recognized this as if it were obvious, but it sounded utterly wrong for the Okashii-ne to join in on this.
If someone with sage-level combined value cannot enter, that implies the Okashii-ne possesses just as impressive a plethora of functions as the Emperor, doesn’t it?
What in the world would cause someone with such functions to settle for being the Emperor’s retainer?
The more I think about it, the more strange it gets.
“What a fortunate turn!”
As the situation began favorably shifting, Jiang confidently stepped into the Ancient Book Museum. The superiority in Jiang’s eyes was distinctly clear as he glanced at the Emperor and Okashii-ne.
“Let’s hurry, Vampinodie.”
“Zing. I’m not a vamp!”
“Alright, Vampy.”
As I lunged after Jiang with a raised fist, I stepped on a trap.
From above, a control grate made of material like control handcuffs descended.
What an extraordinary trap that even my trap detection skills—I’m seasoned in it—couldn’t see through. This is no ordinary trap.
It seems passing through here is impossible.
Because of that, I ended up separating from Jiang.
“Oknodie. Are you okay?”
“Jiang, you be careful! If you can’t find the exit, just stay put. I’ll come to rescue you!”
With a pang of remorse for having had too much fun in dangerous places, I began exploring the map, searching for a shortcut to rescue Jiang.
Vampires roamed the Ancient Book Museum, patrolling the place with elemental mosquitoes, blood-sucking leeches, and bloody golems, but since I was treated like a vamp, no one attacked.
I revealed myself, leisurely traversing the shortest route through the map, when suddenly shadows grabbed my ankles.
Thud, thud.
“Ugh! Who grabbed my ankle?!”
“It’s me.”
“Gah! Professor Bronze?!”
The young Bronze professor, who I thought had vanished to meet Professor Destroyer, emerged from my shadow, dusty as he walked out.
In that moment, I felt an inexplicable sense of dread coursing through me and shuddered.
“Prof, why are you here? Are you here to recommend me for graduate school because you wanted to assess my exploration skills in dismantling the Underworld?”
“Is there really a need for that?”
“Really?”
“Stealing the nation’s ruler, Oknodie the First Year, has already earned you the title of a member of the Top Ten Thieves of the Continent. You’ve achieved results worthy of becoming a professor; why would I keep you as a graduate student?”
“Gah! Am I becoming a professor?”
“Of course it won’t be immediate. But when you return to the academy, a rather tempting offer will be waiting for you.”
“Then why are you really here? Gah, got it. You sensed the world’s crisis and came to stop the end route, right?”
“After seeing the powerful monsters from the Underworld, the world seems to be in danger, but unfortunately, the reason I mobilized the main building isn’t that.”
“Then what is it?”
Professor Bronze smiled with an adult-like grin.
“I received a special request from Professor Destroyer.”
“Gah. Are you saying the professor’s last wishes?!”
The professor’s condition seemed really dire.
Could it be that he couldn’t withstand the injuries received in battle against the revolutionary and returned to the void?
“Do you want to hear it?”
“I want to!”
No matter how severe the story, I braced myself, but my resolution only partially hit its mark.
The serious discussion was indeed a reality.
However, what the professor had to say was entirely different from what I had assumed.
*
Professor Bronze is the third-ranked Justice Thief among the Top Ten Thieves of the Continent.
As a rogue, she has stolen many beneficial items from numerous villains.
Once, she stole the Emperor’s pardon decree, enabling the greatest heavyweights to escape from the Imperial Brain Crystals and become professors at the Gift Academy.
On another occasion, she stole an artificial sun that arose in a city devoid of night, calming the anger of the one and only divine deity, Sofemia, and bestowing the peace of night upon the city.
However, the treasure Professor Bronze truly coveted was entirely different.
“Why didn’t the previous heroes have children?”
The heroes who could bring the greatest benefit to the world did not pass down their will to offspring.
No matter how much she thought about it, this didn’t seem right.
And so, she had been planning one thing for a long time.
To steal the seed of a hero.
Her target was Destroyer, the previous hero, who was clearly identifiable while hiding in the Gift Academy.
