The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years (Web Novel KR)
chapter-384

Lee Jong-hak still remembered that world.

Where the prelude to the Great Game took place.

That place, which he’d arbitrarily thought of as a ‘field’, had turned out to be many times larger than Earth, the planet he was from.

And one of the most important regions in that world was the ‘Sky Continent’, a place where a race called the Dragonmen created a society and lived. The breadth of that region was so great that it wouldn’t be strange to call it a world.

Lee Jong-hak had found himself on Combat Island, one of the seven islands that made up the Sky Continent.

Championship.

The largest martial arts competition that was held once every 10 years.

And the most honourable title, Grand Champion, that only its winner could obtain.

Many famous fighters from across the world had applied. Likewise, Lee Jong-hak also applied, but he did not do so for honour. Lee Jong-hak had a goal… Of course, the important thing now was not his reason for participating.

What was important was the end he met.

Lee Jong-hak had died. He’d died after losing in the Championship.

The strength of his opponent, the involvement of a third party. Those could not even count as excuses.

He’d made a promise that he wouldn’t die, and he’d failed to keep it. His declaration that he would give up if the situation became too dangerous also ended up becoming a lie.

That was why Lee Jong-hak could not accept his death.

But so what?

What did it matter if he accepted his death or not?

Similarly, Lee Jong-hak had also killed many people. Even if most of them were the Demons he hated, the fact that he had personally ended countless lives would not change.

How many of them could calmly accept their deaths?

Death, and acceptance. It was difficult for those words to mix.

So his denial of reality made no difference.

Lee Jong-hak had lost and died.

Or at least, he should have.

* * *

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lee Jong-hak denied again. It was at this moment that Pale’s expression changed.

She was still smiling, it was just that it felt like her aura had changed.

Of course, Lee Jong-hak had never been one to judge others by their appearance.

Even if they were a small and thin woman like her, there could be an immeasurable monster hiding within.

It was at this moment, when he was looking directly into her eyes, that those thoughts became stronger.

Pale’s blue eyes were so dark that he couldn’t look at them for too long. This had nothing to do with Lee Jong-hak’s current weakened state. He probably wouldn’t have been able to look at her for a long time even if he was in perfect condition.

“…”

Pale’s gaze remained locked onto Lee Jong-hak’s face for a while longer. This didn’t seem like it was because she wanted to force an answer. Instead, it was more like she was carefully observing and analysing him.

A short while later, a subtle glimmer flashed across Pale’s face.

“How strange.”

The voice that came out wasn’t as cold as a moment before, as if it was a brief chill down the spine.

Pale seemed to be lost in her thoughts for a moment before letting out a breath as if she finally understood something.

“Ahhh… Right.”

“What are you talking about?”

When Lee Jong-hak couldn’t bear it any more and asked back, Pale’s gaze had already turned away from him.

“Ay. I’ve completely lost interest.”

After she turned her head away, she didn’t look at Lee Jong-hak again. Just like she said, it was as if all the previous interest she’d shown had disappeared.

‘…who the hell is this woman?’

On the other hand, Lee Jong-hak’s thoughts grew louder and louder, but he couldn’t continue his thoughts for long.

Krr…

The screaming of the cave grew louder.

Lee Jong-hak’s gaze naturally shifted towards the battlefield. To Lukas, who was fighting against the two elders.

* * *

—Fighting was the best way to refresh your mind.

That was one of Kasajin’s favourite sayings, but Lukas had never been able to understand it.

For Lukas, fighting was like slowly solving a very difficult problem over a long period of time. The fatigue that inevitably came afterward was nothing to scoff at.

Naturally, battles he considered ‘fights’ were never easy. Firstly, the opponent needed to be at least equal to or stronger than him. Of course, there were times when he would have confrontations with weaker opponents, but Lukas never thought of those trivial conflicts as fights.

In a fight, magical formulas weren’t the only things that he needed to think about. He also had to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy, predict the flow of battle, and keep in mind the surrounding topography, among other things. Then, after considering all of the necessary factors, he would have to carefully think and devise so many plans that steam could pour out of his ears.

In the past, right after his fights ended, he would always be left with a throbbing headache. And even when he didn’t get it, he would feel extremely tired. It was a so-called natural aftereffect, the price he had to pay when he used his concentration past the allowed range.

That’s why it was weird.

Kasajin was a natural fighter. But even people like that did not fight without thinking. While at first glance it might seem like they were swinging their fists according to instinct, their actions were always backed by thorough calculations. In some cases, even if they might not realise it, they instinctively took advantage of their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, and psychology, as well as the terrain and the skills their opponent had trouble dealing with.

In other words, even though the directions might be different, Kasajin thought just as much as Lukas did in a fight.

Nevertheless, Kasajin looked happy before a fight, happy during the fight, and refreshed after the fight.

‘Am I jealous of him?’

Lukas asked himself, but he wasn’t able to get an answer immediately.

Shuk.

The hem of his robe was cut.

If he had been a bit slower to dodge, it might have been his heart that was cut instead. Cold wind seemed to lick the nape of his neck.

This was not the time to shiver with chills. The attack had begun.

Waves of petals that seemed to be made from blades fluttered around him. Huk, as the breeze stirred, the petals suddenly changed appearance.

Fwoosh!

Dozens, Hundreds. Perhaps more.

An uncountable number of blade petals rushed forward like a flood.

In truth, there were no ‘blade petals’ rushing in.

In truth, it was just a fleeting illusion created by a quick stab that could not be followed with the naked eye. However, this technique was fundamentally different from the phantom sword used by the blue robed elder.

It was not an illusory sword to deceive the opponent, but a sword technique that had been polished to the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

‘A quick sword, and heavy sword were put into one sword.’

It was so skillful that he couldn’t help but feel admiration.

How many years had he trained in order to display a sword strike like that?

But the elder’s sword technique did not end there.

Swoosh!

In an instant, he took a slightly twisting step. The tip of his sword seemed to shake slightly.

Before long, the tip began to vibrate like crazy.

Woowoong-

Following the strange swordsmanship, the afterimages began to take shape. The hundreds of blades surrounding Lukas were no longer illusions, but had instead become real threats.

The hem of his robe fluttered violently like the clothes of a scarecrow in a typhoon.

The blade petals, which seemed to shoot forth at the same time, quickly narrowed the distance with violent force. And before long, Lukas’ body would be torn apart by the blades.

Boom!

A huge explosion erupted from Lukas. Although it had been condensed and the range and power were much less than usual, the fact that Explosion was a 7 star spell could not be changed.

The wreath of blades collapsed futilely in the face of the explosion.

“…”

The red robed elder shuddered.

The fact that his attack didn’t work was surprising. But there was something that confused him more than that.

‘He responded with an explosion?’

It was a seemingly ignorant response that didn’t take the current situation into account.

Nevertheless, Lukas’ attack didn’t stop there.

Crackle, five rays of light shot out of his outstretched fingers. The red robed elder pulled his sword to his chest and used the Falling Plum’s Return technique to redirect the beams of light.

Crack crack!

His sword cried out.

It was only then that the red robed elder realised that Lukas’ five beams of light each had a different colour.

Cold and heat, crackling lightning, sharp wind, firm earth could be felt at the same. Such a complex attack could not be deflected perfectly with a single sword.

0

‘My judgement was wrong.’

Dodging instead of blocking or deflecting would have been the right response. Because of that, the durability of his sword had been drastically reduced. His muscles were also strained quite heavily. Part of the attack, that he was unable to deflect, slipped through and scratched his body.

Paak!

“…!?”

For a moment, his face went pale. But it wasn’t because of the dizzying pain in his jaw.

Ignoring the pain in his jaw and teeth, the red robed elder forced his eyes open to glare in front of him.

‘He narrowed the distance…?’

He could see Lukas, who was within arms reach now, with his palm raised. He couldn’t believe that a Wizard had voluntarily come within reach of a Swordsman.

The expression of the red robed elder, which had been bordering on despair for some time, was soon replaced with rage.

“Insolent!”

Along with his loud shout, the Plum Blossom’s Nine Changes unfolded. His twirling sword seemed to change shape multiple times in a fleeting moment, creating a sword strike where the point of attack could not be easily predicted.

And yet, Lukas predicted it.

He was able to perfectly read the Plum Blossom’s Nine Changes, the anomalous sword strikes, and the complex sword path that it created. It was a prediction based purely on his eyesight, experience and senses.

Shuk-

Nevertheless, that didn’t mean he could avoid every attack. The mastery of the red robed elder was not for show.

Soon, dozens of scars covered his body. The wounds themselves were not very deep, each one only slightly cutting into his skin and muscles. But he couldn’t prevent the bleeding.

‘Certainly…’

It was difficult to keep attacking from this distance. (TL:…but why did he get close? To slap him?)

Lukas took a step back and released a bombardment of spells. This time, the red robed elder made sure to dodge them instead of blocking or deflecting.

Boom boom boom!

The untargeted spells pounded against the walls of the cave.

‘The collapse of the cave is accelerating.’

The expression on the blue robed elder’s face changed.

This was because the cave wall, which was already having difficulty maintaining its shape, could not withstand the shock and started to crack. It would not be much longer before it completely collapsed.

The two elders realised this at the same time and quietly distanced themselves from Lukas. Then, with their swords hanging by their sides, they opened their mouths.

“You’ve basically dug your own grave.”

“Due to your explosions, the prison is about to collapse.”

The blue robed elder pointed behind him.

“And the only way out is behind us. Do you think it’s possible? To escape before this cave is completely destroyed?”

“Of course, we would never let that happen.”

“…”

“You walked in here on your own so you should know that the passage behind us is by no means short…”

The elders’ expressions were completely relaxed. They seemed indifferent to the fact that they would die soon. Instead, they seemed to be filled with pride at the fact that their plan had worked.

Krrr, as the cave around them rumbled loudly, Lukas nodded.

“It would be difficult like this.”

The ‘like this’ he was referring to was his insistence to only use 7 stars spells.

The elders might not have realised his meaning, but it was strange for someone who was about to die to be so calm.

“You’re quite relaxed. What is it? Do you think you could survive the collapse?”

“Well. I don’t think I need to tell you that.”

“…”

“You said so much to me to buy time. It’s quite the dirty trick.”

At Lukas’ words, the red robed elder’s eyes sank.

“You followed our conversation despite knowing that?”

“There’s nothing wrong with me taking my time.”

“What?”

Sss-

Lukas began to draw upon his mana. In that state, he was close to defenceless.

The expressions of the elders grew even more bizarre, but he simply turned his back on them in an unhurried manner. As he walked over to Pale and Lee Jong-hak, he spoke.

“That was a pretty interesting fight. It’s a pity we didn’t have more time.”

“What?”

“I’m leaving.”

“…”

At that moment, the blue robed elder had an amused expression.

He had figured out what Lukas was thinking.

“…ha. I was wondering what you were thinking.”

“Spatial Movement.”

The red robed elder had also figured it out. A similar smirk spread across his lips.

“Right. The Wizards are also adept at such tricks. However, it seems you are ignorant of this world.”

“The Flower Mountain is the Sect Leader’s territory… That means that regardless of how fast you run, how high you jump, or even if you use spatial movement, it would be impossible for you to leave.”

“…”

The elder’s voice didn’t seem to carry a bluff. That statement was probably the truth.

That was why it was weird.

Lukas didn’t feel like he couldn’t use Warp. He knew what it felt like when he was unable to use a spell or if his mana was being restricted.

‘If I can’t use Warp…’

He would just think of a different method. It might be a rougher and dirtier escape, but it wasn’t like they couldn’t escape at all.

Nevertheless, Lukas still had his doubts.

‘Can I really not use it?’

He’d have to try.

Lukas grabbed Pale and Lee Jong-hak’s hands before muttering.

“Warp.”

Shuk-

A moment later, the three figures completely disappeared from the underground prison.

“Huh?”

“What…!”

The two elders couldn’t help but mutter with blank expressions.

Boom…

The sound of the ceiling collapsing echoed through the cave, but it didn’t seem to reach the ears of the two elders. They were still looking around while having trouble accepting reality.

“That’s impossible! How could he use spatial movement…!”

“He must have just gone invisible! How dare he use such a cheap trick-”

Crack-

The broken fragments of the cave fell upon them, swallowing the elders’ cries.