The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years

Book 2 Chapter 589

As mentioned several times before, if there's anything still intact in the current Residue, it would be his eye for judgment. Especially his insight in seeing through others' strength was the most outstanding, and because of that, he could tell.

The power Sedi displayed now was clearly beyond the level of a mere Void Lord.

The oppressive aura she exuded was on par with his past self and the Four Knights present here. In other words, it was Ruler-level.

'Did Pale fail to eliminate the Demon God's will?'

He assumed she would succeed since she had the Red Knight’s sword. He hadn’t noticed anything unusual with Sedi during the meeting either.

No, the reason for his confidence above all was Pale’s attitude. He knew how seriously she took Lukas’ requests.

That’s why he thought, with her usual lively demeanor, that Pale had fulfilled Lukas’ request.

But was that not the case?

Residue couldn’t continue his train of thought.

A curt voice sounded. It wasn’t the Demon God’s voice. Nor was it his way of speaking.

It was Sedi Trowman, descending slowly from the sky.

Lucid and El, who were watching her, spoke in turn.

“…The 0th Demon.”

“There’s another aura besides that.”

They had removed their helmets.

While their fighting spirit hadn’t been completely extinguished, the battle had paused. Sedi’s appearance alone had been enough to create a significant impact.

Pale had even put her sword away, grinning widely.

“What should I make of you? A Void Lord? Or…”

“A Ruler.”

Sedi was the first to speak that word.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I know you won’t believe me, but I’ll say it anyway. I’m not one of their lackeys.”

“……”

“And remember, this is the first and last time I’ll make this claim.”

“What do you mean?”

"It means I don't want to explain things over and over to people who won't understand."

El remained silent.

Yes. The point was simple.

If they didn’t believe her from the start, any arguments or evidence she provided would be pointless. Sedi had anticipated their response and drew a line in advance.

“Your goal.”

"To rescue the person you're guarding."

"Do you think you can succeed?"

“It feels like I’m already halfway there.”

Was that taken as provocation?

A red haze began to rise again from El’s armor.

“Stop it. I didn’t come here to fight with you.”

“You won’t achieve your goal without a fight.”

“How about showing a little flexibility? You don’t have any reason to obey the Half King’s orders.”

Then a cold sneer appeared on El’s face.

“And what exactly is this flexibility you speak of? Just ignoring the fact that a Void Lord has become a puppet of the Ruler?”

“……”

"Did you think we would simply let it pass because destruction is approaching? Did you think the position of 4 Knights was that light?"

“It’s funny hearing that from you. Weren’t you the first of the Four Knights to join hands with the Ruler?”

Even at those words, El showed no sign of surprise or emotion.

She simply lowered her gaze slightly and murmured.

“[Make quick judgments]. That was my father’s teaching.”

…Father?

Did the Four Knights have someone like that? Or was it just a metaphor?

As Residue pondered, Sedi also muttered in a low voice.

“Father, huh.”

Her crimson eyes turned this way.

For a brief moment, her gaze met Residue’s, but only briefly.

“Is that your motto? I quite like it. So, how does it look? This current situation, as judged by that quick decision of yours.”

“……”

"That woman and I are..."

Sedi glanced at Pale with a complicated expression, then spoke reluctantly.

“So-called… allies.”

As Pale's face brightened with a radiance like morning dew on fresh grass, Sedi’s expression, in contrast, seemed to wither like a weed exposed to poison.

“A Red Knight without even a weapon, and a Black Knight still struggling to adapt to his own power. Neither of them are opponents you can take lightly.”

"Just that much."

“What?”

"Just not easy opponents. I have no intention of backing down for merely that much."

“…I see.”

Sedi let out a sigh.

"The Blue Knight said you would say something like that."

At this rate, what was the point of making such a dramatic entrance?

Putting aside such complaints, she continued.

“That’s why we hurriedly called in one more reinforcement.”

“……”

Residue felt he already knew who this reinforcement was.

───Splash.

The sound of rushing water.

He was aware of the river flowing beneath this cliff, but suddenly the sound grew louder, echoing clearly in his ears.

SPLASH!

Unlike Sedi, who had broken through the ceiling upon her arrival,

this time, the source of the commotion emerged from the dark depths of the cliff. A dragon-shaped torrent of water surged upward from below, reaching for the sky.

The sight could only be described as a waterspout.

Atop the head of the water dragon stood a lone figure.

She, Beniang Argento, wore a far calmer expression than the two who had appeared before her.

“There is no need for any further unnecessary conflict.”

And in a voice as composed as her expression,

“Please, withdraw.”

She declared an end to the battle.

*

The Black Knight and Red Knight truly did withdraw.

In a word, it was an anticlimactic ending, but Residue felt a lingering unease from their demeanor. It was as if they had been waiting for the situation to unfold in this manner.

…What was clear was that their departure wasn’t necessarily a good thing for Residue. The knights had been his captors, his wardens, but they’d also served as a reliable buffer.

If he had known things would turn out like this, he might have taken the risk to attempt an escape earlier.

“At long last, the time has come.”

The Death Worm, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, trembled with excitement, taking a deep breath.

He then looked straight at Pale, who was walking towards him, and spoke with wide eyes.

“─Come here, my mate. We’ve been separated for a long time, but now the time has come for us to unite. Together, let us bring forth the greatest offspring in the history of the universe, one that even surpasses the Half King─”

“What are you talking about?”

Crack! The Death Worm’s body was crushed on the spot.

Good grief. Pale had swung her fist like a hammer, slamming it down on his head. His head sank down between his shoulders, and he couldn’t make another sound as he perished.

Well, not that he was actually dead.

Despite being one of the Twelve Void Lords, he was subdued without putting up any resistance. It seemed he no longer had any spare lives left, as he didn’t resurrect.

With that, Residue’s final line of defense vanished.

And in an instant, danger closed in around him.

“Master, are you alright?”

“Father.”

Beniang Argento and Sedi Trowman approached him simultaneously.

Cold sweat dripped down the back of Residue’s neck.

He couldn’t take these two at face value.

In other words, to the current Residue, the two people approaching him appeared not as Beniang and Sedi, but as the Black Horned Demon God and the Seven Fanged Dragon God.

“Lukas!”

And as if to assert her presence, yet another voice joined in.

“How have you been? Are you alright? Didn’t you miss me?”

“…….”

Residue realized. All the crises he had faced up to now had merely been a prelude.

The true danger began now, in this very moment.

*

The Three Thousand Worlds and the Void World.

When these two worlds, like opposites on either side of a mirror, merged, which side experienced more turmoil?

Without a doubt, it was the people of the Three Thousand Worlds.

Unlike the Void World, which was aware of the existence of the other world, they had no knowledge that the Void World even existed.

Only a select few among the Absolutes knew of the Void World, a place referred to as the 'universe's dumpsite'.

However, there was someone who knew of the Void World despite not being an Absolute, and who had even predicted that the two worlds might merge.

“Hmmm.”

In some ruins in the middle of a desert,

Snow, sitting on a broken pillar, scratched her cheek with a troubled expression as she looked at the woman before her.

“It seems things didn’t go well.”

Her tone wasn't accusatory.

But the fact that she had achieved no results was clear, and Iris Peacefinder lowered her head heavily.

“Hm…”

Snow quietly observed Iris.

─She’s a capable woman.

No, she wasn’t someone to be evaluated with such a condescending gaze.

Iris was a hero who had lived for over 4,000 years. She was a figure who could be called a living history itself, equipped with experiences and wisdom that matched the passage of time.

Over that long period, she had shown meticulousness and daring enough to deceive Demigod Lords, while also maintaining the composure to pursue her goals steadily.

Even if Snow held the noble title of Elf King, it would be ridiculous to describe such a legendary hero as merely 'a capable woman'.

In fact, Iris was the only one who remained unshaken by the 'World Fusion' and was the most clear-headed analyst of the situation.

─In the immediate aftermath of the fusion, there will be significant chaos, and it’s likely to take the form of war.

─However, we lack the deterrent power to end a war.

─There’s only one solution: find a representative of the other world and negotiate.

Thus, in the merged world, Iris set out on a search, using her abilities to track down someone she could negotiate with. Only now did she realize how reckless and grueling that mission had been.

Just how vast and wide this world had become.

Even her ability to manipulate space didn’t lessen the overwhelming task of searching.

Unknown forces, and mysterious enemies with unique abilities, constantly appeared to obstruct her path.

She survived close calls more than once. She even suffered injuries severe enough to bring her near death.

But Iris never took a moment to rest.

This wasn’t a mere metaphor.

“When was the last time you closed your eyes to rest?”

“……”

When she had once asked her that question, Iris hadn’t answered. She simply gave a faint smile and turned away.

…Perhaps her self-destructive search had finally paid off,

because Iris was able to locate the King’s Castle at last.

Throughout history, a castle has always been the place where an Absolute resides. Iris also sensed the unusual aura emanating from that castle.

That’s where he was.

The 'King of the Void World', whom Iris had searched so desperately for, would be there.

Her prediction was correct.

But.

─Get lost. You are not qualified to have an audience with the King.

A figure with a bizarre appearance and an even stranger right arm issued a cold dismissal. Though Iris couldn't accept it, it wasn't someone she could reason with.

And she couldn’t overcome him by force, either.

The opponent possessed monstrous strength along with peculiar special abilities, enough that he could effortlessly neutralize even Iris’s spatial powers.

“Relax your face. It’s not as if the world has ended.”

“…Are you trying to console me? How kind of you.”

For someone on the brink of collapse, her mouth was still working just fine.

“Since you’ve found the destination, take a rest for now. I and others will strategize the next move together.”

“Hm… In that case, I suppose I’ll leave it to you this time.”

She responded with a faint smile, though it was a thin lie.

This woman had no intention of resting. She was probably already thinking about second and third options even now.

Since it wasn’t something she could force, Snow almost let out a sigh.

“For now, let’s head back… hmm?”

Her white eyebrows twitched.

“What is it?”

“There’s someone here.”

With that, Snow leapt down from the pillar she was sitting on and strode off purposefully. Iris hesitated for a moment, then followed after her.

They ventured deeper into the ruins.

Although they were using this place as a temporary shelter, they’d already confirmed that no one lived here. It was essentially a half-buried relic in the middle of the desert.

In the heart of the ruins, a man was standing.

“Ah…”

Iris’s eyes widened in shock. Snow felt it was one of the rare times she’d seen her so visibly shaken.

Perhaps the man heard her voice.

The man, who had been staring blankly up at the sky, turned around to face them.

“You are…”

At the moment her gaze met his emotionless eyes, Iris flinched again.

“Hmm. People from the Three Thousand Worlds, I see. Recognizable faces from the intel—Snow De Predickwood and Iris Peacefinder.”

The man with gray hair,

Frey, nodded to himself, then spoke in a businesslike tone.

“You two will do. Would you mind having a brief conversation?"