Offer a Tribute and Become an Archmage - Chapter 190



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Offering Tribute to the Archmage Chapter 190

The Mirror of Rodin [3]

Episode 190.

Humans are animals that tend to rely more on visual information than other creatures. This is because vision evolved to develop through group interaction and emotional exchanges, rather than smell and hearing.

So when a combat situation occurs, not being able to see is fatal.

In that respect, it is Kael’s secret weapon.

The magic called Light’s Thread created an effect that was more than just a flashbang.

“Ahhh! My eyes!”

Ronobe was startled.

Because I never dreamed that even though I covered my eyes with my forearm, it would penetrate my teeth and damage my eyesight.

I can’t see anything.

Kael’s light was so strong that it caused temporary vision impairment.

Trying to force yourself to see what you can’t see is useless.

In the first place, Ronobe had an excellent sense of smell and hearing due to his bear nose and ears, so he didn’t need to grope around like a blind person because he couldn’t see.

Sometimes, the senses of smell and hearing can observe the enemy’s movements more precisely than the eyes.

As a hunter, Ronovei knew this well and was able to use it to his advantage.

bang-!

I knew it the moment I heard it.

‘Gunshots.’

As soon as the trigger was fired, the sound of gunpowder or something exploding was vivid in my ears.

There was no way that such a sound could have come out of nowhere with magic. As soon as he went blind, Ronobe relied on his hearing and at the same time as Beatrice’s magic, he smelled a heavy and solid noise that had been pulled out of her arms. And then he smelled the smell of iron.

‘It’s a gun.’

She had a gun.

I was surprised that there were guns in this day and age, but it’s possible that there are guns that aren’t commercialized yet.

The Bright Kingdom is a small and weak nation.

The development of civilization in the great nations that are competing with empires or empires may be developing at a level that is completely different from that here.

‘Let’s think about it.’

Even if your eyesight is damaged, you can still see the situation. However, it is clear that you are not familiar enough with the situation to fight in a situation where your vision has not been restored.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t use magic.

‘Defense first.’

Kael didn’t explain it properly, but he did say that he could incapacitate anyone for a moment.

Although they didn’t say it was related to eyesight, the situation is currently turning in our favor as we have relatively more numbers.

‘Beatrice shot the gun.’

It means that the binding spell has been properly applied.

I was wondering how the combat would be after being bound, but having a gun definitely makes up for the shortcomings of your magic.

The Bane in the mirror was probably dead, or at least seriously injured.

A surprise attack in a situation where no one can see.

It’s strange that he’s ok when he’s being shot while tied up.

“Kael. How’s the situation?”

“He was shot by Lady Beatrice. It was a small musket. I didn’t know you were carrying something like that. Something from the Republic, not the Empire… Knock knock.”

I can hear the sound of spitting blood.

Kael also seemed to be in a very difficult situation.

Well, that’s true.

‘You said Trinita.’

A magic that greatly increases the efficiency of magic by simultaneously manifesting water, runes, and spells.

The recoil from using Trinita would clearly make Kael more immobile.

“Sir Hopper, I won’t be able to use my magic for a while. If Beatrice’s attack knocked him down, that would be fortunate…”

“I guess I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

Kael nodded.

“He was shot and fell, but he still doesn’t know it. That’s understandable, since he’s a monster who’s been guarding this place for sixty years.”

“I will tell that to the Marquis exactly as he said.”

“Have you seen the Marquis?”

“Because the Marquis brought me here.”

“That’s… a little frustrating.”

I know without seeing it.

A little jealous. But I don’t feel relaxed because I don’t know what will happen. It seems like he thinks Bane is not dead at all. Ronobe also agrees with that part.

‘The bastard can handle mercury to the point where it could easily block Kael’s magic.’

It didn’t seem like he would have died from being shot, and even if he couldn’t see, he would have been able to prevent it.

“If he hasn’t fallen, fight to protect Beatrice. He won’t pay any attention to me.”

“Why are you acting like you’re going to die soon?”

“It’s as good as dead already.”

Kael took something out of his bosom.

It was an escape mirror I received before coming in.

The mirror was already broken.

“you…”

“I was hit by the first attack. So I had to push myself quite hard. Even if I couldn’t knock it down, I had to do my best to get a high score.”

Kael’s body, which was smiling faintly, began to crack like a broken mirror.

“I wish you good luck. I don’t care if you die.”

“Oh my.”

It seemed like it was my honest feelings that I had always kept hidden in a dark way.

Maybe because he had vomited a lot of blood, he wasn’t in his right mind. But judging by his refreshed face, he seemed much more at ease, perhaps because he had poured out all his strength.

‘But he’s a guy I don’t like.’

The bastard’s magic was clearly worthy of respect as a fellow wizard.

I can see the snow slowly.

Ronobe, who was watching Kael shatter and disappear like a piece of mirror, got up from his seat.

“So far, everything is going according to plan… but why are these wizard cubs so secretive? Please speak frankly.”

Although everyone kept their mouths shut, the main idea was carried out.

Ronove and Kael drew the aggro of the bastard, and Beatrice finished him off with a decisive blow. Thanks to this, Kael retired, but the Overseer is probably watching the whole situation.

Before disappearing, you will probably get a high score like Kael’s expression. You will get at least white. Or you may get a perfect score of black.

“I don’t mind if this is the end.”

Should I call it a hunter’s intuition?

Somehow I felt like it would never end.

-Ha, hahahaha!

Bane fell to the ground and screamed.

Judging from the fact that he laughed heartily even after falling from the spire and crashing to the ground, it seems that the damage wasn’t as severe as expected.

In the pierced hole, instead of skin, mercury was visible. It seems that the vital parts were protected with mercury at the moment of losing sight.

Beatrice looked quite surprised, but she didn’t stop her magic.

‘A pure white pistol.’

It was a pure white musket pistol made of ivory. The bolt and barrel were made of iron, but the grip and rest were made of high-quality ivory and gold.

That alone seemed to indicate how great her origins were.

‘How strange.’

It was amazing that there were guns in this day and age, but what was even more amazing was the eyes behind Beatrice’s blindfold.

‘The eyes are a grimoire.’

The scarred left eyeball seemed to have lost its sight, but it was a special case in itself, a grimoire. The faded gray pupil continuously emitted magic, binding Bane, and took out a set of identical guns and aimed at him.

– Excellent! That was a great connection!

Even after being shot, the guy still had a lot to say.

-I want to know his name. He will probably become a great wizard who will lead the kingdom in the future. It is amazing that he can use Trinitas at that age.

He laughed bitterly.

-I, too, wanted to be a noble and contribute to the kingdom.

Beatrice fired another shot at the muttering Bane.

Bang-! But this time it was different.

Ting! Bane, who had blocked it so blandly, spread the mercury widely and completely covered my body.

“Tch.”

Ronobe could tell.

‘Beatrice’s magic has been broken.’

Her magic had to be fully within sight to maintain the binding.

If she covers her body with magic like that, her magic won’t last. She might be able to stop the mercury itself, but she knows that it won’t mean much.

“damage!”

At the same time, Bane’s attacks continued.

Mercury began to trickle down beneath Beatrice’s feet, and at that moment it reached out to her like tentacles.

As if she had known, Beatrice expertly dodged the mercury by flying away.

The structure where she had been had been reduced to a grotesque sludge, soaked up by mercury.

At the same time.

puck-!

“Ugh!”

A mercury ball fired from the opposite direction hit her in the abdomen.

Crunch.

Her body began to crack with a cracking sound.

“Damn.”

Beatrice, who was swearing, looked at Ronnobe.

“Show me…”

Kwachang.

Beatrice, who had turned into a broken mirror just like Kael, disappeared.

The battlefield was quiet.

Ronobe stood up from his seat without saying a word.

Vision was fully restored.

-Finally, we can enjoy it together, just the two of us.

Bane looked quite pleased.

Before I knew it, I was back on top of the half-collapsed spire. I must have thought that was a special seat, because I had climbed up there even though I was on the ground.

“That’s too bad. I like women. I like hairless, smooth women.”

Despite Ronobe’s nonsense, Bane didn’t lose his smile.

-I left it here on purpose. So that you can appreciate it. I wanted to talk to you about various things.

“Why?”

-Because you’re strong.

I didn’t bother asking again.

It was true.

Beatrice and Kael each had their own strengths, but they each had one flaw that prevented them from being considered truly strong. That’s why Bane is still alive.

If not, the test would have been over before Ronobe could even do anything.

‘It’s not a very good situation for me.’

This is a virtual mirror space.

Because of this, oil cannot be extracted from the ground. Since there is no oil, Karanqal’s magic can only use the small amount of portable oil that he usually carries.

I had to use it sparingly as much as possible.

‘This time, Anna’s magic is what I can use.’

Of course, this is not all.

Because Ronobe has one more magic that will allow him to use oil effectively even in small amounts.

-You and I both know that. In the end, even if they do well, they can only reach the level of red or white. If we consider the possibility of future growth, it is not something to be said lightly, but that does not raise the current level. It was a moderate game.

There was confidence in Bane’s words.

-I’ve been here for sixty years. How many idiots have I met in that time? You came here as a group of three. You must have confidence in your abilities, but sometimes dozens of wizards would come and try to kill me. It’s a very happy memory.

However, this also means that Bane could not be killed.

Bane would have killed them all or forced them to retire like he did today.

‘The escape mirror was made not long ago, so they might all be dead.’

Of course, it’s not important.

-But you’re not. I have a feeling. You have a lot of combat experience as a wizard and still have a lot of hidden skills. You act like a fool, but you’re more knowledgeable about the battlefield than those guys before. You know how to neutralize your opponent and win.

“What evidence?”

– When people are nervous or excited, it all shows. It shows in their complexion, pupils, sweat, breathing, etc. But you don’t seem nervous even though all your colleagues are gone. None of the conditions I mentioned above apply to you.

That’s right.

Ronobe wasn’t nervous at all.

His complexion was dull, his eyes showed no signs of anxiety, and he was not sweating or breathing heavily.

It was a surprisingly calm state.

-Your eyes are like… yeah. I guess you could say they’re like eyes observing prey.

That’s why I knew.

-It means you have free time.

No matter how skilled you are, it’s difficult to be relaxed even in a situation like this.

Unless you have some confidence in your own abilities.

-A young guy like you. I wonder what kind of life you’ve lived.

“I’m not the type of person to tell others about my life in detail.”

-I see.

“If you’re still curious, I’ll tell you.”

-?

“I came to my senses when I was seven. I helped with the farm work while being beaten like a dog by my father. Even now, when I think about that time, my teeth chatter. Whenever I think about that time, I want to kill my father. But I didn’t kill him and treated him well, so I think I’m a filial son.”

-… That’s not what I’m curious about.

Ronobe scratched the back of his neck and smelled his fingernails.

It had been a while since I washed my hair, and I could smell something disgusting and addictive.

“I’ve fought Imperial Wizards. Twice. Compared to them, you’re not that strong.”

-Hoo…

It looks like his pride has been shattered.

He didn’t lose his smile, but his eyes weren’t smiling at all.

It actually got colder.

“You’ve been here for sixty years? No one has killed you in that time? Of course not. All the people who come here are rookies. Grown-up and experienced wizards don’t take magic tests. Tests are for testing your potential, not your strength.”

Entering the examination room, Ronobe saw various magicians.

Some were quite old, but most were taking the test to see what their potential was – their qualities and potential as wizards.

First of all, Ronobe saw Bane directly.

He had an overwhelming feeling that could be felt just by looking at him. Along with the experience of the years that had passed, there was a certain aura that he secretly gave off, making me confident that he was strong.

But it’s not Bane in the mirror.

He is a frog in a well who has stopped along with this world.

There is no reason for Ronobe to be afraid.

-That means, try saying it after I show you even one scratch on my body!

He fell for Ronobe’s provocation.

The mercury that had been swirling around the bastard was shot out in an instant.

A small piece of mercury, like the gun Beatrice was holding, hardened and flew like a bullet.

“oil painting.”

bang-!

Oil flowing out of Ronobe’s oil drum blew away all the mercury ahead.

Startled by the powerful explosion, Bane prepared for his next attack.

Make a vow and recite the spell.

-Swallowing gold…

That was when.

Wheeing. The moment you hear the sound of an insect tickling your ear.

In that moment, Bane’s side exploded.

-Ugh!!

A small explosion. But for Bane, who had a human body, it was fatal. His ears were ringing and his vision was dizzy. His ribs punctured his lungs along with severe burns.

I fell to the ground, unable to breathe or use any magic.

Thud. He barely managed to spread the mercury just before the impact and caught himself, but he groaned and couldn’t even get up.

Ronobe, who had walked out of the explosion, looked down at him.

“A wizard only shows his true worth when he hides himself. Why are you sitting there acting like you know everything?”

Ronobe, who spoke as if he was speechless, froze Bane’s hand that was trying to make a seal.

“The window at your feet.”

Kwajik!

Bane’s hand was impaled on a spear of ice created from the ground, and he was slammed into the wall.

-Eww!

But he’s still a guy.

I used magic even in pain, so that my experience over the years had not been in vain.

Silver swallowing gold.

Mercury swallowed the ice and swallowed the ice spear, forcing it to form a water seal.

“Words of desire!!”

The bastard’s hands scanned the surroundings.

The tiny mercury moved around Bane in an instant, engulfing everything.

All the buildings and broken debris that the mercury touched were sucked in, gradually increasing the size of the mercury.

The words of desire, which turned into a strange silver sludge, gathered and devoured the debris and approached Ronobe. Seeing the mercury swelling up as if it would swallow up even the world, an inexplicable fear came over me.

-Haha, hahaha!! This is it! I wanted an exciting battle like this!!

Mercury swallows everything.

Like mercury that collects gold, it swallows up the atmosphere, buildings, and people, turning them into mere metal sludge.

This is Bane’s Arcan.

It was a word of desire.

Ronobe looked at this silently.

– Have you lost your will to fight? I understand. If the enemy shows this kind of Akan, I will lose my will to fight in an instant! But don’t worry. Even if the world forgets, I will not forget you!

The mercury was gradually increasing in volume, as if protecting all of its directions like a planet’s rings. The mercury rings were rotating at high speed, and as they were filled with impurities, their volume was expanding.

The reason it was made that way was probably to prepare for Ronobe’s magic.

It must be to prepare for a situation where an explosion occurs without any known reason.

Kwaaaaang-!!

I tried sending the remaining mosquitoes made of the plague parasite and exploding them with oil paint, but their mercury absorbed even the explosion.

‘Mosquitoes are useless now.’

There’s no point in making more.

His Akan is definitely a threat.

-I’ll swallow you and this damn mirror! It wouldn’t be bad to become a lump of mercury and live with me for the rest of your life. You’re the first one to push me this far!

He is a man who talks a lot until the end.

Ronobe found that regrettable in a way.

How lonely must he be, trapped here, to be so talkative?

People cannot live alone.

Ronobe knew that fact well.

“Sound-eating ice rink.”

Oil and ice combined with the water-absorbing thread from the fingers. The sound-eating feet only eat up all the sounds and other signs that Ronobe emits. It cannot be applied to other magic, but if it is a thread connected to the body, it is a different story. I couldn’t use it well before, but now that my level has improved considerably, it is different.

The sound-eating ice shard extended from the hand of Ronobe, who was carrying a load on his back, and secretly crawled on the floor. It moved like a living snake, but Bane was completely unaware of it. It was nothing more than a single thread soaked in oil and ice. It was so small and thin, and there was no sound or sign of magic.

-Oh, how exciting! Inspiration is coming at me like a blast. It’s all thanks to you, you cheeky brat!

It maintains its suction power by forming mercury into a ring shape, but it does not suck up all the way to the invisible feet. It needs to have ground to stand on.

That’s his downfall.

Ssuk.

-uh?

Before he knew it, a single thread had snaked its way under his feet and was rising up to his thigh. The moment he realized it, it was too late. The ice froze him, and the spread ice and remaining oil began to boil in an instant.

-Now, wait a minute!

I can’t do either.

No matter how much the words of desire sucked in, there was no way I could be okay if they sucked in my body as well. Of course, Ronobe had no intention of waiting either.

bang.

His thigh burst.

The words of desire gradually lost their strength and fell to the ground as circular sludge.

-Ah… I lost.

Bane, half of his body blown off and only his upper body remaining, laughed bitterly while spitting out blood.

Ronobe looked down at him quietly.

-I will die, and you will become the new… master of this place. I have lasted sixty years, but your clone will last hundreds. You will encounter hundreds, thousands of wizards and kill them all. I am sure of it. A wizard your age who can defeat you will not appear for another thousand years…

The voice of the man spitting out blood was a blood-soaked, turbid voice.

Ronobe looked at him quietly and answered.

“I guess so.”

I knew it from the moment I came here.

If you defeat the master, you become the master.

It was clear that the mirror would automatically create a being with the same fighting ability and mindset as Ronobe and make him the mirror’s new master.

‘If it had ended according to Beatrice’s plan, I wouldn’t have cared much.’

Because Beatrice’s clone would have become the new owner of this place.

But in the end, it ended up being Ronobe.

I didn’t like that.

-What are you… doing…?

In Ronobe’s hands, a maple tree made of ice was already created.

“I’m going to break the mirror.”

The autumn leaves fell gently.