C82
Feeling a presense, Ethella looked to her side. A shadow burst out of the empty darkness at incredible speed, striking her jaw.
'Fist?'
Dozens of shadow fists flew at her. Ethella crouched down and covered her vitals with both arms. Even in the midst of the dull sound of blows echoing through the mountains, she did not budge as if she had taken root.
'Hoo? She can still hold up like this?'
Any ordinary person would have had their bones shattered. However, Ethella's eyes, visible between her arms, were still clear.
“I admit your toughness, but let’s stop this.”
Shadow hands appeared from all sides and grabbed Ethella in a groggy state. As the power of the darkness gripping her wrists and ankles increased, her limbs were spread outwards. Her oversized glasses were cracked and tilted, and blood was dripping from her lips.
Arcane cast Poison Cutter. It was a triple-mix magic, much more difficult than fusion magic, which added poison to rotating darkness.
The razor-sharp magic cleaved through the air and rushed in. Sensing that it was an instant death spell, Etella used all her strength to break free from the shadows, took a deep breath, and let out a scream.
Aaaaaaa!
A high-frequency roar that knocked down the bushes shattered Arcane's darkness like smoke.
It was the Pama's Cry, a technique of the cleric.
Karsys Jung, the ancestor of the Karsys Holy Order, said early on that the awakening that awakens the human spirit comes with a roar. Pama's Cry was a chant that created a roaring sound to break evil magic. It was the same principle as a sinful human being frightened by thunder.
Buried in the roar, Arcane shuddered. His skin tingled and his hair stood on end. A woman in her mid-twenties could utter the Pama’s Cry, which he had only heard a few in his 130-year life.
'Hehe, this is why I can't leave this field.'
The greatest talent sharpens a single ability to the extreme, wielding a refined mind like a sword.
How fun it is.
Some will die, some will survive.
Wouldn't magic develop through countless destruction, creation, and regeneration?
'That's how it is. Whatever.'
Arcane recast Poison Cutter. Judging there would be no other chance, Ethella severed the darkness holding her ankles and cast spatial teleportation. As the flash flew by like a whirl, the Poison Cutter passed through the light's afterimage.
"Phew."
Arcane whistled. The stronger the human being, the greater the sense of humiliation when running away. However, the ability to retreat without hesitation was also important in battle.
Arcane headed to the place where Ethella was standing. There were drops of blood, meaning she hadn't escaped perfectly. If the poison had seeped in, she wouldn't have been able to run far.
"That tomboy young lady must have had a hard time."
Arcane, who had met a worthy strong enemy after 40 years, was happy. He saw a genius who had a triple combination: Joiner's spirit zone, martial arts that severed the power of darkness, and the high mental strngth of a monk.
'Was she a certified 6th-level mage?'
It's obvious that it's a high position for her age. However, they were geniuses because social standards didn't apply to them. If she hadn't been tied down by the mission of being a teacher or a cleric, Ethella's current rank would have been much higher.
"Mirhi Alpheas. Is that brat receiving respect?"
Arcane looked up with sad eyes. As the domination was lifted, the trees straightened their bent backs, revealing the darkened sky.
“Aren’t you ashamed, Alpheas? To be respected by people who are superior to you. What a cruel reality this is.”
Lamenting his disciple's incompetence, Arcane slowly moved his steps. The darkness laid upon the forest showed him the way he had to go.
----------------------
'Gosh! Where on earth are you?'
Thad became more and more anxious. Alpheas was not in the accommodation where he was certain he would be. If he hadn't been caught by the enemy either, there was only one place left.
“Master!”
He opened the door to the principal's office and entered. But even here, Alpheas was nowhere to be seen.
Thad did not give up and looked at the books displayed on the bookshelf. He had known for a long time that Alpheas had arranged a personal space here.
'There must be a secret mechanism. I can't go through all the books.'
A book was caught in his fast-moving gaze. The title of the book wedged between the dusty magic books was 'Seeing the Darkness'. Knowing his master's past, Thad was sure that this was a passage directly linked to Alpheas' memories..
When he pulled the top of the book, a heavy secret mechanism turned, and the bookshelf split to the sides. There was a tunnel through the wall, and stairs leading down were installed.
As Thad went down the stairs, the tilted book returned, and the bookshelf closed. When he opened the iron door, a small room with a crystal lamp appeared. There were numerous items displayed on the old shelves, which looked so antique that they could be mistaken for an antique shop.
There was a portrait of a woman hanging on the wall. She was not exceptionally beautiful, but she had a gentle and elegant impression.
'That's her...'
Thad stared at the portrait in a state of fascination. Alpheas' words were true. Her eyes seemed to have a magical power that sucked people in.
“Who are you?”
Thaad stunned and turned around. Alpheas was sitting in the corner, leaning on his knees. His face was contorted with anger and bewilderment, which was completely different from usual.
"Master! You're safe after all!"
"You... seem to know me."
Thad, who was approaching, stopped. Hearing Alpheas' words, he was able to guess the situation.
"You've lost your memory."
Like the other teachers, it was clear that Alpheas was under the spell of Arcane. However, he seemed to have taken action and sought refuge here before completely losing his memory, befitting a certified 4th-class mage.
Hearing Thad's words, Alpheas approached the bronze mirror. And he examined himself with a serious expression.
"Hmm. So I’ve lost my memory? I thought I had suddenly come to the future again. Anyway, the face of an 18-year-old me turned into an old man like this. It’s pretty annoying.”
Thad's eyes widened. If he was 18 now, it means that his 40 years memories have been blocked. If Alpheas hadn't been an extremely rational person, he might have already gone mad.
"Yes, I've lost my memory... It's rather a relief. At least my life hasn't been stolen. But where is this place? What happened that made me lose my memory?"
"A certain mage cast dark magic to harm you, Master. Master barely escaped.”
Even though talking to someone who lost their memory only intensifies their anxiety, Alpheus didn't seem to care.
"Really? How old am I now?"
"Ah, you're seventy-three."
"Seventy-three, huh. So, what have I become?"
"Yes?"
"I'm asking what magical achievements I've accomplished."
"Ah, as a person of excellent character, Master are currently serving as the principal of a magic school."
Alpheas made an absurd expression. It was unthinkable that the genius called the light of the Mirhi family would teach others. Considering his personality, it was an impossible situation.
"So, you're saying I've become a teacher?"
"Yes. Everyone follows and respects Master.”
“Puhahahaha! Hahahaha!”
Alpheas burst into mad laughter. At first, he was annoyed by his suddenly aged appearance, but after learning he had lost his memory, he didn't care. On the contrary, he was even excited to hear about his achievements from now on.
“Looks like I’ve matured quite a bit too. A principal, huh. So, is this place a royal palace? Did the prince inherit the throne?"
Thad became anxious. No matter how rational Alpheas was, the gap that had transcended 40 years of time was not something that could be ignored.
“This is a private school. This is the Alpheas Magic School founded by Master himself.”
“Private?”
Alpheas's expression crumpled. If it a genius at the level of Alpheas, he should at least be the teacher to the royal family. But private school? What the hell happened in 40 years of his life?
"…What rank am I?"
"Yes? Oh, that's...….”
Thad hesitated. Numerous records proved how amazing Alpheas had been in his youth. In such circumstances, Thad didn't have the courage to tell the truth.
“Tell me quickly! Which rank am I! I'm seventy-three, right? So, am I first rank? Or second rank?"
Thad bowed his head and spoke as if he had committed a grave sin.
"Master is fourth rank…"
Alpheas staggered. The shock was too much for his aged body to handle. But soon, he couldn't control his boiling anger and raged.
"What on earth have I done! You stupid fool! Pathetic child!"
Alpheas hit his head and blamed himsel. He has a god-given talent, and if he had given 40 years, he should have been at least second rank. But he's not even third rank, but fourth rank.
What on earth had happened? How did he end up in this situation after living such a foolish life?
He had to know his past. Everything from one to ten. With determination, Alpheas glared at Thad.
"You can undo dark magic, right? Since you're my disciple, you must have learned Photon Magic."
"Yes. I don't know how long it will take, but if Master help, it will be possible. However…"
Thad suddenly realized.
Could this be a blessing rather than a curse?
Due to a mistake in his youth, Alpheas had lived in guilt for a whopping 40 years. If losing his memory allowed him to clear his past, his lifelong regrets would disappear.
"Master, do you really need to regain your memory?"
"What? What are you talking about? Of course, I need to regain my memory. There must have been a problem. If I fix it, I can still reach higher levels even now."
"Master. You must not be able to accept the current situation. The light of the Mirhi family, called talent bestowed by God, is only staying at the position of principal and fourth-rank certified mage. But because of that, I want to discourage you even more. You made a big mistake, Master. And you lived with suffering for 40 years. Now it's time to be free. Perhaps this is a pardon given by God?"
Although Alpheas has returned to the age of 18, he knows how painful life can be from the wounds of the past. Also, if there really was such a thing, accepting and living as it is could have been one way.
While wandering around the room lost in thought, Alpheas suddenly noticed a portrait hanging on the wall and asked.
"Who is that woman? Is this not my room?"
"This is your room, Master."
"Really? Did I hang that painting? She's not even a beauty, and why are her eyes so cloudy? She looks like a woman who is missing something.”
Thad emotions surged. He couldn't control his sadness, knowing who she was to Alpheas.
'Master, you shouldn't say that. She is...'
Alpheas took his eyes off the painting with an annoyed face. There was nothing convincing about this or that.
"I will regain my memory. The future is too much out of line with my plans. I need to know what happened."
"Master, please reconsider. Life is..."
"Hey, you."
Alpheas raised his arrogant eyes and cut off Thad’s word. Thad realized that there was not an inch of falsehood in his master's words. That figure was the young Alpheas.
“Did you say you were my disciple?”
"That's right. It is an undeserved honor for me, and I am always grateful.”
"Then it's over from today."
"Yes?"
Alpheas was sincere. It was Alpheas, the world's best. He was the epitome of intelligence that didn't even blink an eye despite losing 40 years of memories.
"What's the big deal about getting back memories that have passed so far? I don't need a pathetic disciple like you."
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Tags:
Infinite Mage (Novel)
