The moment he saw The Beginning Wizard, Lucas's mind turned cold.
Lukas realized two facts at once, and Residue spoke the first one.
[It's a fake.]
It's not about revealing his identity. In a definitive sense, it was The Beginning Wizard, but this wasn't his real body.
The right expression would be an avatar, similar to the puppet method often used by the Ruler in the Void World.
In this case, it seemed he had infused his consciousness into an inanimate object like a doll or statue. In other words, the power he could exert in this state was nothing compared to his real body.
‘Is this why Sedi easily defeated him in Demonsio?’
If it's a clone that can't exert its full power, it makes sense that The Beginning Wizard, known as the strongest of the Twelve Void Lords, lost.
“You came to greet me?”
Lukas repeated the words The Beginning Wizard had said.“That's right.”
“Do you mean to take me to the Magic Planet?”
“Isn't that your goal?”
There was a pleasant light mixed in his voice. Of course, that was the plan, but having one's intentions unilaterally read is always an unpleasant thing. After all, Lukas hadn't yet figured out his opponent's identity.
More importantly, how does The Beginning Wizard know about his goal? Currently, the only person who knows that Lukas's destination is Magic Planet is Pale.
[Could the Blue Knight have told him?]
‘No. The Pale now wouldn’t take actions that could disadvantage her.’
[Maybe she didn't think so. She might have thought it was okay to reveal the destination.]
‘You still don’t know her well. Pale has a naive side, but she’s not foolish. Rather, her instincts are quite sharp, and she’s exceptionally intelligent. Above all, she is very wary of The Beginning Wizard. It’s safe to say she didn’t blabber about my goal.’
[Hmm.]
Residue seemed to nod in agreement.
Lukas thought briefly and then spoke again.
‘Perhaps The Beginning Wizard has some means unknown to me.’
[Means?]
‘I don’t know what it is, but it’s something unimaginable at this moment.’
[Hooh. There’s almost nothing you haven’t uncovered…]
‘That’s true for the three thousand worlds. But in the Void World, I’m still a novice foreigner. Isn’t it the same for you?’
Void records or regressions.
If someone were to ask Lukas about the source of the information he obtained through these, he would be quite perplexed before explaining, as it was ‘information obtained through phenomena beyond the understanding of ordinary people.'
[Indeed.]
Interest finally flickered in Residue’s voice.
[So, The Beginning Wizard has an ‘information acquisition method’ that even we can't imagine, huh.]
‘…….’
[Even if it’s just a puppet, don’t be careless. Lukas, something ominous about him.]
There was no need to nod to this.
Right now, Lucas was gauging the timing to use omniscience authority. He hoped to gain at least a clue about The Beginning Wizard’s identity by using it.
‘I can’t use it rashly.’
This power is conspicuous.
If he uses it in a situation like this where they are in close proximity and fully aware of each other, his intentions will be read directly.
“This doesn’t seem to be the right place for me.”
Yang In-hyun said this as he was about to leave. Lukas felt a bit puzzled. Knowing that Cloud Pavilion was a special place permitted only to the head of Flower Mountain Sect, and Yang In-hyun held this place in high regard.
It was odd that he would leave the place to Lukas and The Beginning Wizard alone.
It then occurred to him that this man was acquainted with The Beginning Wizard. He didn't seem to know much about him in detail, but at least he once called him ‘a much superior wizard to Lukas’ when they fought in the past.
“If it’s just a matter of talking, I am willing to provide a place anytime, but please do not cause any trouble. The wounds of Flower Mountain have not yet healed.”
“You worry too much. My purpose is conversation. There is no reason for a conflict to occur.”
With that, The Beginning Wizard laughed softly again.
“─Of course, that's if the other party also has no malice.”
“…I’ll wait outside.”
Yang In-hyun, with a dubious look, shook his head and left the room.
Outside.
The moment he heard that word, he understood Yang In-hyun’s intention.
Wherever you put him, he is a dangerous being. It is best to anchor him in a secluded place that at least his influence can reach. Cloud Pavilion was ideal for that.
After Yang In-hyun had left the room,
Only the two of them were left in the place, exchanging glances again.
The Beginning Wizard was wearing a mask, but his eyes were visible. His eyes were a slightly dark blue color.
Exactly, as if he resembled himself─
“Are you ‘me’?”
When he came to his senses, Lucas was uttering those words.
He was surprised that he had made such a direct statement, but even after thinking about it late, it wasn’t a bad move.
Depending on the reaction The Beginning Wizard shows here, he could at least gather minimal information. Of course, The Beginning Wizard wouldn’t easily show his true intentions, but he could read a slight dissonance.
At the very least, the answer to this question,
Whether this entity was ‘Lukas’ or not.
“I am not.”
However, The Beginning Wizard denied it lightly enough to be refreshing. In other words, he answered Lukas's question reliably.
“Then what are you?”
“The Beginning Wizard. The owner of Magic Planet and the first seeker.”
He didn’t just want to know that damn title.
Lukas frowned and said.
“…Take off the mask. I'm curious about the face underneath.”
Even if he's not the real Beginning Wizard, he might be able to get a hint. But he merely chuckled and said.
“I refuse. You don’t have the right to demand that now.”
“……”
“If you don’t like the identity I’ve kindly revealed, I'll tell you something more. I am also a fan of yours.”
“What?”
When he questioned back in absurdity, the Beginning Wizard said nothing. But he could tell that the eyes beyond the mask were curved like a crescent moon.
…A fan?
What kind of bullshit is that?
Is there another meaning to that word that he don't know?
[Stay calm. He is enjoying your reaction.]
‘I know.’
The Beginning Wizard spoke again.
“Did the Blue Knight go to Demonsio? To kill the ‘0th Demon’ that became a puppet, no. To save it, Right. After all, the new 0th Demon has quite a special connection with you, doesn’t she?”
“Is that why you showed yourself in front of me because Pale isn't here?”
“That could be one of the reasons too.”
“How boring. What's the point of that? Regardless of Pale's presence, in your current state, you can't even put a scratch on me.”
“Hoh.”
The Beginning Wizard let out a rather surprised voice.
“Have you noticed this decoy? Impressive. Among the Twelve Void Lords, less than three have discerned this…”
Among the Twelve Void Lords, only three, a small number, but it’s not surprising. They each have their areas of expertise after all. Analysis was one of the areas where Lukas excelled the most.
“Yang In-hyun included, you all seem to be under some misconception. I’ve said it multiple times. I didn’t come here to start a war.”
“You want a conversation?”
“Correct. And the Blue Knight is definitely a hindrance to having a smooth conversation. You may not know, but she… is somewhat wary of me.”
After saying this, he added with a chuckle,
“To be more precise, all knights are wary of me. Ah, of course, I have yet to meet the Black Knight, though.”
“What kind of conversation do you want to have with me?”
“This kind of conversation is fine. Killing time with trivial talks… Hehe. It’s quite delightful.”
[His words are sincere. That’s what makes him even more irritating.]
‘Is there anything you can pinpoint about this guy?’
[Well, having seen him with my own eyes only deepens the mystery.]
After a moment of silence, Residue spoke.
[One thing is clear. Do not use the ‘Omniscience’. If I'm right, even if you gather all the remaining Thunder, you won’t be able to discern his identity.]
‘What do you mean?’
[The mask he is using. It's made from a material even I can't identify.]
‘…So the body is fake, but this mask is real?’
[It might not just be a replica, it could also be exerting some significant power.]
‘……’
[In addition to hiding his identity, it seems to have a few more effects, but I can't say more than that.]
A material unknown even to Residue, who possesses the knowledge of the Lightning God.
Where did The Beginning Wizard get such a material?
“By the way, what is your goal now?”
Suddenly, The Beginning Wizard asked.
“My goal?”
“You’ve managed to make the Blue Knight, Pale, a devoted subordinate, haven’t you? The most violent and barbaric knight who no one could tame, I'm curious about your moves after earning her loyalty. Ah, this is just pure curiosity as one of the Twelve Void Lords.”
“……”
“What are you planning to do by going to Magic Planet? Are you curious about my identity? What if I take off the mask right here? What will you do after you see my true face?”
He was at a loss for words.
The Beginning Wizard knew it too, and continued with a voice mixed with laughter.
“You’re not particularly hostile towards me. As long as the face behind this mask isn’t your sworn enemy, there's no reason for you to attack me. I'd like to state upfront that there’s no chance of that happening. You and I are meeting for the first time today, at this moment.”
“……”
“Let me ask you again. What is your goal now?”
Goal.
The Beginning Wizard’s question echoed quietly in Lukas’s mind.
Whenever he had similar thoughts before, he pushed them back. Deciding that now was not the time to think about it, solving the problems in front of him was the priority.
But now the major issues have been resolved. Even the matter with Sedi, since he had sent Pale, so there’s no need to worry about that anymore.
The Beginning Wizard’s words were correct.
After knowing his identity, what he would do?
‘Apocalypse ?’
To prevent the impending apocalypse that would engulf this world? To struggle for that purpose?
Is that the final task assigned to him, handed over by the world?
If that's the case.
‘…It's boring.'
And tiring.
Two thoughts occurred to Lukas simultaneously.
─The predetermined apocalypse.
Everyone shook their heads that couldn't be stopped, but maybe it could be stopped.
Perhaps there’s a way somewhere.
Even gods couldn’t prevent it, the Ruler didn't find a clear solution, and even the Void King or the Four Knights remained silent, but maybe, just maybe, Lukas could stop it.
‘It’s always been like that, after all’.
The things everyone said were impossible, always seemed possible to him. …But what about the pain he will have to endure to achieve that?
‘No.’
At this point, pain like that doesn’t scare him.
What really scares Lukas is what comes after.
“Sometimes, I just can't stand the people around me because they're so revolting.”
That’s when The Beginning Wizard spoke.
His voice cut through my thoughts like a knife, naturally drawing Lukas's consciousness back.
“…What?”
“It seems like they don’t try, they don’t think. Just lying down on the floor, crying their eyes out like babies, and don't think to stand up on their own.”
For a moment, he almost lost his breath.
“Why is that? If you fall and get hurt, you just need to get up, clean the wound, and bandage it up so it doesn't hurt.”
“……”
“You scold and pay attention to a child eating dirt and vomiting it out once or twice. But when you see such scenes tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, billions of times…”
…This thought,
This ideology,
No one should know it.
He wouldn't have told anyone or expressed it.
“At some point, they start to look like slightly smarter monkeys. Then you feel an unbearable nausea. ‘Really? Is that really the best you can do?’, every time I see potential in them, the frustration in my heart grows because I─”
“The answers seem all too clear to me. I know what should be done in such crises, in such difficulties.”
“But they don’t know. Not until I tell them first. How naive they appear to me. Sometimes─”
“How foolish they appear.”
Before they knew it, they were speaking as one person.
[…Lukas Trowman. You.]
Residue said something, but I ignored it.
Lukas's consciousness and gaze were entirely focused on The Beginning Wizard.
“Still, I don't turn away from the duties given to me. Isn't that natural?”
“I’ve lived like that for too long to change now.”
“And when I approach them, when I offer my hand, when I utter words of advice, they grasp my hand with smiles as bright as can be. It's quite an addictive sight.”
His voice was serious, devoid of any mirth. It felt more appropriate than his usual frivolous demeanor.
Maybe this was his true nature.
“……”
I'm curious about the face behind the mask.
The reason was slightly different from before.
The existence known as The Beginning Wizard bothered me, having achieved a higher realm than myself, that thought had vanished.
Lukas felt a simpler and more intuitive emotion.
He have to know this person.
“Lukas Trowman.”
Towards such Lukas, The Beginning Wizard slowly extended his hand.
“You need to come with me to Magic Planet.”
“……”
His words felt more like a compulsion than a suggestion.
And Lukas did not refuse.
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