Genius Wizard Breaking Limits - Chapter 558



Only Noblemtl

Episode 558: Greed (2)

My vision was blurry because I hadn’t fully regained consciousness. I looked around as if I was whipping my dazed mind.

It’s a place I don’t remember.

No matter how much I look, it’s the same.

As reality gradually returned to Luker’s face, confusion and anxiety set in. This is a natural reaction for a human being.

Who wouldn’t be surprised if they woke up and found themselves trapped in a dark space?

“What the heck… … Ugh?!”

I tried to stand up, but I collapsed due to a dull pain in my abdomen. The moment I exhaled, recent memories came to mind.

Invited lecture at the Magic City, Virente High District.

An uninvited guest arrived while I was resting in the VIP room after the speech.

And front kicks and knee kicks.

Luke was attacked.

“Fuck, so I was… …kidnapped?”

Now I see that all the magic items that were hanging all over my body have disappeared.

All he is wearing is shabby clothes, not the robe of the magic tower.

Your breathing becomes faster.

It began to feel real that my life was being held in trust by someone I didn’t know.

‘Oh, what should I do?’

As I was trying my best to find a way to escape, or rather to save my life, a crack appeared in the wall and a hidden door opened.

Swish.

A shadow of a person covered Lukerd.

“you…….”

Although it was my first time seeing that face, its overall shape was not unfamiliar.

The armor worn inside and the robe wrapped around the outside. The tall physique standing out from the outside was that of an attacker.

Adrian said.

“You just woke up.”

“Ugh!”

Bam.

Luked was dragged by the scruff of the neck like cattle to the slaughterhouse. He struggled with all his might, but of course he couldn’t move a single finger.

“Let go… … ! Let go of me! How dare you dare touch me───the third disciple of the Bohemian Tower?! If you ask for forgiveness even now, I will consider it… … ! If you do not release me right now, my master will make you pay the price… … .”

It was a desperate resistance, but it did not last long.

Because I saw it.

A creepy hallway illuminated by the soft glow of a stone lantern, with unique paintings on the flags decorating the walls.

“Black… … Hour?”

My blood ran cold.

The inverted triangle, which magically signifies instability, and the eerie eye at its center… … are certainly symbols of the dark moon.

‘It was Black Hour who kidnapped me?’

Luker never participated in the United Front.

Because it was specialized in research rather than combat from the beginning, and its official activities were mainly as the founder of the theory of multiple continuity.

But I’ve heard a lot of rumors about the Black Hour.

A group of death wizards.

If you become their target, you cannot survive.

‘Wait a minute. Then, could this be the Great Hall… ? ‘

Kuung───!

The main door of the Grand Hall, which was connected to the corridors of the Great Hall, opened. Luked, who was dragged inside like a prisoner, was soon beaten.

“Ugh… … .”

Luked, who had hit his chin, groaned and slowly fell to the floor, opening his eyes. It was instinct. His pupils were rolling busily.

The place was completely empty.

Although he learned that the force responsible for the kidnapping in the Magic City was Black Hour, Luked slowly raised his head, unable to grasp the situation he was facing.

And then I met the master of Black Hour.

A throne on the podium.

Verden is looking down at Lukerd, his chin resting on his left hand. After a few seconds of silence, he parted his lips.

“I used to hate it so much, but now that I look back, I don’t feel anything.”

“Yes, yes… … ?”

“I’m tired of introducing myself to people who don’t even recognize me.”

Luker shivered.

My thoughts stopped because I didn’t understand a single word.

At that moment, Verden activated [Einver]’s . His ash-colored hair and blue eyes turned into common brown and black, respectively.

The appearance before the reversal.

It was a sudden magical change, but the surprise was short-lived. Lukerd’s focus, which had been shaking ceaselessly, became fixed.

I opened my mouth blankly.

“……uh?”

“Since that day, you’ve been intentionally avoiding me. You were always talking nonsense at the Magical Institute, but it was really uncomfortable for you to claim to be the master of the theory of multiple continuities in front of me? Well, anyway.”

Verden has returned to his original form.

“It’s been almost five years since we’ve met this close, Luke Maniacs.”

* * *

The voice from the master of the Great Hall sank deep into the Grand Hall.

“Even if it’s just a superficial appearance, Baloch gave me this and that as a disciple. Of course, if I were to get assassinated for no reason, it would be natural that the reputation of the Magic Tower would be tarnished.”

Verden waved his hand away.

Several magical items in the form of accessories that Lukerd was wearing hit the floor and scattered in all directions.

Any magical functions that were inherent within it have already been completely destroyed.

Even the tracking spells that were judged to be part of the powerful protective magic circle and compulsory magic circle that are activated when life is in danger.

Luked Maniacs are outsiders who are not involved in the unofficial experiments, and thus are not subject to constant control of their actions.

Baloch only engraves the Call of Duty on worthy wizards or test subjects who meet his own standards.

The goal is to select human resources to achieve ideal efficiency.

In that sense, Luker was eliminated.

Although he may not know it.

“This, this… … .”

Luke’s eyes twitched.

“Is this a dream… …? Otherwise, you, Verden… … wouldn’t be alive? And in the Great Hall of Black Hour… … .”

“Does this seem like a dream?”

Adrian snarled and brought the lightsaber to Lukerd’s neck, the coolness of the metal felt against his skin.

This feeling.

It’s not a dream.

It can’t be a dream.

In addition to being captured by Black Hour, the fact that the person who died right before my eyes was alive and breathing was an undeniable reality.

Verden said.

“Seven years after the publication of the theory of multiple continuities, rumors spread that Lukerd Maniacs was almost finished with a new paper, and I heard that he had published a reversible approach to the origin of the elements at the end of last year, eight years later. So I went to check it out myself.”

“… … !”

“As expected, it was just a derivative work that filled up the volume. It was just a rag that reinterpreted the theory of the origin of elements, which is the root of the theory of multiple continuity, and systematically recorded dozens of related theories to supplement the basis.”

His eyes narrowed.

“That’s the culmination of ten years of work, including the present. It seems like you haven’t fully grasped the interpretation of the theory of multiple continuities that I’ve been teaching you for months.”

Despite the harsh criticism, Luker had no choice but to remain silent. He had to shut up even if the product of his hard work was denied.

My mind was too complicated to fight back with pride.

“Father, you clearly said on the Magic Tower that Verden, you were caught up in a power outage and died… … and your body was lost… …?”

“If you wanted to be certain, you should have seen the body yourself. You or Matap. And that’s not important right now, is it?”

“… … !!!”

Only then did Luke open his eyes, realizing the situation he was in.

“You must have kidnapped me.”

“10 years ago. Because of you, I became a lowly wizard of the first rank who claimed ownership of someone else’s theory, and was pointed at by everyone except Robelin. Well, it’s just a memory compared to the unofficial experiment. You, an outsider, don’t know.

Verden slowly raised his right arm, which he had placed on the throne. His index finger pointed directly at Lukerd.

“After all, you are the cause of everything.”

Phew.

The magical power concentrated at the fingertips became tangible and burned fiercely. An indescribable pressure pressed down on the space.

Even though he may not be fit to be a disciple of a transcendent being, Lukerd is a 4th-tier wizard with a certain level of talent.

I couldn’t help but know how much power was contained in that density of magic.

“Up… … Up, the hierarchy… … .”

Luked remembered that Verden’s limiting hierarchy was clearly the first tier, but he never questioned it out loud.

Because in a split second, many possibilities flashed through my mind.

Darkmoon caused the Bohemian Tower’s power source to go out of control, and is the main culprit behind the recent hierarchy breach.

Luke had that dream too.

‘And the fact that Verden, who went missing from the Magic Tower, was at Black Hour’s base… …!’

Perhaps it was the Dark Moon who took him in and made him her disciple. It is highly likely. Verden’s magical thinking is on a genius level.

In the modern magical world, the hierarchy of limitations is no longer an absolute standard.

Die.

“Wait… … Verden, wait! Listen to me, listen to my story! I didn’t mean to steal the theory either… … I couldn’t help it!”

“… … .”

“Think rationally… …! Who, who would want to share credit with a first-tier wizard who came from a working class background? It’s only natural to be greedy… …! Well, it’s only natural for a wizard… …! It wouldn’t have been the same even if it weren’t me. The result would have been the same even if it wasn’t me!”

Luker rambled on, justifying his actions as instinct. Perhaps he had learned some self-justification from Croden Olentia.

“And Verden, you didn’t die in the end and are still alive. Right? You’ve become so much more successful than when you were on the Magic Tower… …! What would you gain by killing someone like me! Think back to the old days. We used to be pretty good, didn’t we?”

───Berden, you’re a genius! How on earth did you come up with such a thought? No, that’s not what’s important right now. If this is it… … If this is it, it will definitely be recognized by all the magic towers. Even the magic tower lord will be impressed! Maybe I can become your disciple!

“You taught me the theory of magic and I admired you… … We stayed up day and night together to complete the proof of the theory of multiple continuities… … ! Oh, no. It was all my fault, so please, at least for old times’ sake… … !”

Lurkard’s position was filled with absurd excuses and apologies. Adrian felt the urge to kill at the almost bizarre plea for his life.

That was when.

A low sound resonates.

Verden, leaning back on his throne, couldn’t hide the laughter that was leaking out.

Luker was speechless at the indescribable eeriness.

“Yes, that’s right. Even if it hadn’t been for what you did, I would have been dragged in as an unofficial test subject and undergone the same process. There was no way to avoid it unless I left the Bohemian Tower.”

As Verden withdrew his magic, the pressure that had been controlling the Grand Hall disappeared. Immediately afterwards, Adrian also returned [Sylendar] to its scabbard and took a big step back from Lukerd.

The will to live is gone.

In the still silence, cold sweat dripped from the tip of his chin. Luked swallowed several times and asked carefully.

“Are you… going to save me…?”

“You won’t die here.”

A color came to Luke’s face, if only for a moment.

“Your ending will be decided by Baloch Besias himself.”

“What? What is that?”

The conversation is over.

Snap.

Adrian kicked Lukerd in the jaw in the blink of an eye. A blocking kick. The impact went straight to his head without sending his body flying.

Luke, who had lost consciousness, knelt down and lowered his head.

Adrian clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, your words and actions are just like any other noble who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. But would it be okay if you didn’t punish him yourself?”

“It might have been like that last year around this time, but not now. It’s just ridiculous to take revenge on a thief who had nothing to do with human experimentation.”

Verden whispered softly.

“Of course I don’t intend to keep you alive.”

If all he did was steal the theory of multiple continuities, I would have left him alone.

Luked Maniacs.

Even though he did not have the talent or effort to handle the heavy position of a disciple of the Transcendent One, he stole Verden’s achievements and joined Baloch’s command.

Of course, it is impossible to completely maintain the status, since it was not achieved solely through one’s own efforts.

To the leaders of the Magic Tower who knew the truth from the beginning, Lukerd was of no interest.

‘It was just a tool to raise the reputation of the Magic Tower by putting it forward as the founder of the theory of multiple continuities in the magical world.’

If Luked had secretly passed the theory on to Baloch instead of through the official route… … Luked would have been sidelined and a more promising wizard would have taken his place.

It was inevitable that Luke would become mentally unstable due to various factors.

So how can we relieve the mental stress that keeps building up?

The Society closely investigated Lukerd’s past actions.

There was no evidence as the traces had been completely erased, but the circumstances were captured, and Verden’s insight supported them.

Rape, murder, torture.

A covert and evil act carried out with unprecedented power behind it.

It’s the result of greed.

If Lukerd had lived with only moderate selfishness, he might have spent his life as a wizard of the Bohemian Tower.

Well, that’s a meaningless assumption.

Verden had no intention of cleaning up the worthless garbage with his own hands. That was Baloch’s responsibility after all.

“By the way, the news must have reached Baloch by now. He may have already confirmed the damage.”

Verden raised his body.

“We should move while the Bohemian Tower leadership assesses the situation.”

In the subspace, he summoned [Black Hour’s Compass] and a red shard of condensed life force taken from Gluttony’s transplanter.

For reference, the former is not the unfinished product that Black Hour used to track down Harkan, but the finished product that Dahit had in his possession.

“We’re going to hunt Gluttony now.”

Using the red shards and compass, we approach the forces of Gluttony who have blended in with society while hiding their identities.

As it was in the Principality of Riviant.

Of course, even with this completed compass, you can’t pinpoint the locations of multiple enemies. It only points to the closest target.

The solution is simple.

Just annihilate them until there are no more captured transplants within range.

* * *

A purple light flickered across the blue sky with puffy white clouds. A magic circle appeared with a slight ripple.

A presence loomed over it.

“… … .”

Just in case someone was tracking them, they went through several intermediate points to confuse the coordinates.

So when we arrived at our destination… … the rocky mountain that should have been completely intact was almost half gone, becoming one with nature.

Only the part where the unofficial laboratory was located was destroyed.

Not only above ground, but also all the way underground.

Thud.

A vein appeared on Baloch’s forehead.