-Allies
Where the dark-red lava had erupted, a massive hole gaped open. It looked like the spot left behind after a giant man-eating plant had been uprooted.
Though the core was still flowing out with lava, there was nothing left at the bottom.
When I peered through with my golden sight, what lay below was a massive void.
I fixed my gaze through that void once more.
Then, beyond the void, something began to come into view. Just as I thought I saw deep darkness flicker, a dazzling, iridescent world suddenly unfolded before my eyes.
That was the dimensional boundary.
It was the color of every possibility shown by a dimensional door capable of opening to anywhere.
As expected, Yasin was unmistakably borrowing the mana of black magic from another dimension through spatial magic.
‘I have to block that boundary. No... since it has already overflowed into this side, I must send it back to its original dimension.’
To end this terror, spatial magic was the only answer.
I had to send back beyond the dimension the other-dimensional beings Yasin had brought here by tearing open space, along with the mana of black magic.
Power wrought by spatial magic had to be taken away by spatial magic. Then only the raw Yasin would remain.
Then I would be able to fight him one-on-one and overcome him.
I could see the path forward.
‘So where is Yasin now?’
I pulled my gaze from the black hole and looked around the entire airport.
Yasin wasn't showing any movement right now. He wasn't making a sound either.
He was lying low after the eruption.
He might have succeeded in putting on a flashy show to his heart’s content, but he hadn't actually accomplished anything particularly special with that tremendous eruption.
Of course, he had destroyed the airport, but he had failed to harm our mages.
Or perhaps the lava flowing out now wasn't even the completed show Yasin had wanted to show me.
He had failed to carry it out properly.
The dark-red lava might simply be the blood of the man-eating plant’s core, wounded by the meteor I had dropped.
‘Over there? Yes. So that's where you were, Yasin.’
Casting my gaze far into the distance, I saw the control tower brightly lit.
I could feel an ashen aura.
A current of ashen aura extended from the control tower to the black hole where the lava was flowing out.
What was he doing now?
Perhaps Yasin was searching for us too.
“He was in the control tower. Yasin, I mean.”
When I spoke, Toreu nodded and replied.
“Yeah, probably. When we arrived here earlier, I saw an ashen aura pouring out from the top of the control tower like dark clouds.”
“Good. Then I need someone to go to the control tower and face Yasin.”
“What? Face Yasin directly?”
Toreu asked back, his eyes wide.
It seemed the idea of fighting Yasin face-to-face wasn't something easily conceived.
But to end this fight, someone had to stop Yasin.
While I focused on spatial magic, my allies had to do that.
Moreover, the spatial magic I was attempting required an enormous amount of mana. For that too, my allies’ help was necessary.
It was a moment that demanded proper deployment of our forces.
“Yeah. While I block that hole where the lava is flowing out, someone needs to hold off Yasin. I don't mean kill him completely. Just block him and buy time.”
Finishing Yasin off completely was my job.
Even if I used spatial magic to block the dimensional boundary and sent the other-dimensional beings and the mana of black magic back beyond the dimension, the operation wouldn't count as a success unless I finished off the black mage who had orchestrated everything.
I would be the one to finish things.
But there was an order to things, and time was needed.
“Got it. I'll go.”
Toreu answered. In that short time, his expression had become resolute, as if he had steeled himself.
“I'll go too. I'll make sure to cast stealth magic and barriers so Yasin won't even realize we're approaching.”
“Then I'm obviously coming too. Might as well try inflicting some mental magic on the black mage while we're at it.”
Baldeureu and Heimdal stepped up in turn.
It was just as I had hoped.
I had wanted the three of them to take on the task of going to the control tower and stopping Yasin.
“Good. Then I'm counting on you.”
Just as I was about to entrust it to the three of them, Han Do-su stepped forward.
“I shall go as well.”
“No. Instructor, please go to the rear immediately and gather any mages who can still fight, then bring them here.”
It wasn't something urgently necessary.
More than anything, my bigger purpose was to pull Han Do-su out of combat.
He was exhausted. I wanted to let him rest, even for a moment.
And it might be necessary to bring mages.
I had to prepare for the possibility that the spatial magic might not proceed as smoothly as I anticipated.
If I couldn't send all the man-eating plants and tentacle monsters beyond the dimension, more people would be needed to deal with them.
Because I would have to fight Yasin.
Anyway, that was plan B for now.
“Very well. Then I shall go and return immediately.”
Han Do-su left without delay.
Those remaining now were Gil and Cheon Dan-bi.
Those two were staring at me intently. They were telling me to hurry up and assign them their roles.
“Gil, keep sending me mana as you were doing. And Cheon Dan-bi….”
There was nothing for Cheon Dan-bi to do right now. This wasn't a situation that could be resolved with purification.
I could have her treat the injured, but the injured mages had already been evacuated to the rear.
Right now, I just needed Cheon Dan-bi to survive safely, but I continued speaking because I felt I should give her some role, no matter how small.
“Infuse me with vitality.”
“Okay. Got it. The two of us will stick right by your side and become one with you, adding vitality and mana.”
They didn't seem to be worried at all that staying by my side would be dangerous.
Furthermore, none of them had even asked specifically how I was going to block the black hole.
They simply trusted and followed me, only trying to take on whatever roles they could.
I realized that this was what allies—what comrades—were: such reliable beings.
“But why is Yasin so quiet? What is he doing now?”
“Maybe he's resting because he's tired? Earlier, while he was casting his spell, Oudin dropped a meteor first and interfered. The backlash was tremendous. I bet Yasin took quite a bit of damage too?”
Toreu and Heimdal exchanged words.
I hoped Yasin had taken at least some damage, just as Heimdal said. That way, it would be easier for my allies to stop him.
At the very least, he must have consumed quite a lot of mana during that eruption earlier.
But the erupted lava was still flowing down, and the tentacle monsters that had been frozen by the lava's intense heat had now completely thawed and were moving.
“Shh! Be careful. Tentacles are reaching this way.”
Hundreds of tentacles were writhing and stretching out in every direction.
They seemed to be searching for us.
Right after Toreu warned us, one long tentacle came snaking straight toward us.
We quickly moved away from that spot with flight magic.
“Their senses are incredible. Even if you hide your body with stealth magic, they track you down easily.”
“We need to watch out for the man-eating plants too. Some very bizarre flowers have bloomed this time. Don't look directly at them.”
“There are pouches dangling all over the vines too.”
“Let's hurry with the operation. The lava will flow here soon.”
Where the lava had flowed, new man-eating plants were growing.
They were far more grotesque in appearance than the original ones.
Vines that had sprouted piercing through the intense heat were as red as blood, the very color of the lava, and their roots were shaped like claws, like the fingers of a demon.
Dark purple flowers were blooming too; rather than plants, they looked almost like animals.
The centers of the flowers, which turned their heads this way and that to look around, held eyes of mental magic.
“Then let's begin the operation immediately. Everyone, be careful.”
“Okay. Baldeureu, Heimdal, we're flying to the control tower with flight magic first.”
Just as Toreu's group was about to set off, casting their gazes toward the control tower—
An unexpected situation occurred.
* * *
Yasin was looking out the window from the control tower, steadying his ragged breathing.
He had ruined the climax he had prepared with such care.
“Damn bastard….”
It could have been perfect.
He could have shown a scene where the airport was completely covered with the demon realm's water of life, and a majestic forest of giant man-eating plants grew forth.
He had intended to form a forest splendid enough to rival the World Tree, laying the foundation for the roots of the demon realm to devour the world.
Moreover, that forest would have served as a bridge for beings from the demon realm and other dimensions to cross over into this world.
But that bastard Oudin had ruined it.
“How on earth did he guess my plan and attack the core?”
As expected, Oudin was worthy of being Yasin's nemesis.
While the other mages had all been frantically fighting the man-eating plants and tentacle monsters—which were merely superficial phenomena—Oudin had quietly bided his time before finally striking the core directly.
He was a ghost-like bastard.
Another question was the white light that had appeared when Oudin cast his spell.
‘Don't tell me Oudin…?’
The white light was identical in nature to what Yasin had seen in Neo Forest and Danyang.
Could it all have been Oudin's doing?
Oudin had appeared at Neo Forest and Danyang every time.
No, no. The first time in Neo Forest, when Yasin had been mercilessly struck by pure white light, he hadn't seen Oudin.
It couldn't be. There was no way Oudin was that formidable.
From their very first meeting, Yasin had accurately gauged Oudin's magical abilities.
He was far better than the ordinary mages of the Hall, but not formidable enough to properly threaten Yasin.
Of course, his skills had mysteriously improved every time they met.
But to reach the level of an Archmage in such a short time?
“No. That's absurd. An Archmage, my ass….”
Yasin shook his head. He didn't want to believe it.
He didn't want to believe it, but it was true that Yasin had been damaged by Oudin's core attack moments ago.
His insides were burning. It felt like rough flames were surging up through his throat.
Because he had been interfered with while using black magic to erupt the demon realm's water of life, Yasin had ended up damaged as well.
Moreover, his mana had run out.
Not only had he ruined the climax, but in this state, it would be difficult to proceed to the next step.
‘I need to devour whatever I can and regain some strength.’
Yasin looked around the airport beyond the window.
But then, a red shimmer caught his eye at the opposite end of the runway.
That was unmistakably the red portal of Nasan Haegyeong.
It was an unexpected visit.