Chapter 10.
Boom—!!
“Kyaaa!!”
Despite my desperate prayers, the tremors only grew more violent, and finally, with a loud crash, the door began to shatter.
Behind the crumbling door, a human figure appeared.
‘Even if you saw him speeding past on a KTX, you’d still know he’s a dark mage!’
A dark mage—also known as an Apostle. A magician rumored to have made a pact with a demon. Even with my blurry vision, I could feel the sinister energy seeping into the room.
Soon, a figure with his face covered by a black hood emerged through the dust.
He had just cast a powerful spell to destroy the barrier, and the traces of dark magic still lingered around him like smoke.
Even someone as clueless as me could sense that his magical power was quite formidable.
“Well, well… I didn’t expect anyone to be here. A sentry, huh?”
The Apostle’s eerie voice echoed.
Ugh, seriously? Does being in-character mean you have to sound so disgusting?
It was a hundred times worse than Benjamin’s annoying voice—just listening to it made my skin crawl.
I had imagined Apostles in various ways while reading the novel, but I never expected them to be this viscerally repulsive.
From the chilling cold that seeped into my skin, to the thick, gloomy voice, to the oppressive, suffocating energy that made it feel like getting any closer would crush me—
“Blech.”
I couldn’t help but stick out my tongue. My stomach churned, and goosebumps ran down my back.
But more important than that was the fact that I didn’t know when Lady Meliz would arrive.
Teleportation took longer the farther the distance. If she was still at the mine, it would take at least ten minutes for her to get to the tower.
You’d think someone would come running with all this noise, but maybe he had cast a spatial barrier over the top floor. No other mages from the tower were showing up despite the commotion.
‘I have to stall for time somehow.’
“If you knew someone was here, you should’ve knocked! What happened to basic manners?”
I shouted bravely, though in truth, my limbs were trembling under the pressure of his magic.
Still, what could I do? I looked him straight in the eyes, putting on the boldest face I could manage.
The Apostle pulled down his hood in response to my words. His face was grotesque, riddled with scars.
Judging by his appearance, he wasn’t the final villain Deus. There was no mention of scars on Deus’s face. Besides, the dark mage attacking the prince now was just one of the Apostles who followed Deus.
‘If I’d known he’d show up earlier than in the novel, I would’ve called Lady Meliz!’
My mind spun with panic. I had to come up with something—anything—to buy time.
“A mage, huh?”
Disturbingly, he actually seemed pleased that someone was here.
‘Crap. He’s unhinged.’
“Yes! I am none other than Lady Meliz’s prized disciple, Edel!”
I had to say something to stall!
“Oh? The Tower Master’s disciple?”
“Yes, and you dare to lay a hand on the Prince in front of me?! You’ve got a death wish!”
Well… I wasn’t exactly her top disciple. Just one she liked a bit. But if he mistook me for someone hiding tremendous power, that would be great.
Lady Meliz had taught many disciples in the tower, but there had never been a widely acknowledged ‘top’ student. So it wasn’t a total lie.
It’s all about who bluffs better!
I folded my arms and lifted my chin, trying to look dignified and confident. I just hoped he wouldn’t notice my trembling pupils.
“Do you even know what barrier you just broke?! That was cast by the great Archmage Meliz herself!”
“Really?”
The Apostle tilted his head in mock curiosity. He had to know that destroying the barrier would send a signal to Lady Meliz.
Sadly, I wasn’t the kind of mage who could just stand still and radiate powerful energy, so he was probably just enjoying my pitiful bluff.
Classic Apostle behavior. Sadistic.
‘Ugh. So gross.’
“She’ll be here any second through teleportation!”
“Then I don’t have much time.”
Wait. No. That’s not the takeaway here.
“Magical life energy has such a unique flavor. I’ll gladly take it.”
After Deus cast the curse on the Prince and went into hiding to recover his magic, the Apostles had fewer chances to harvest life energy.
Deus had built his reserves by attacking entire villages. But after he vanished, his followers were left waiting.
They were probably still stealing energy here and there, hidden from the public eye.
Black magic began to gather at the Apostle’s hand.
“W-Wait! Just give me a second!”
He wasn’t listening anymore. He was already done with me?!
“Ahh!”
Panicking, I pressed my body against the glass chamber behind me.
There was only one thing I could do.
Fighting to maintain focus, I began to cast the defensive spell I had drilled into memory—over and over again—from Edel’s memories.
“කට වහපන්!” (Protect me!)
I didn’t know how long the barrier would hold, but this was all I had. I had to try everything.
A pale white light flowed from my fingertips and slowly enveloped me, forming a protective shield.
The Apostle watched me calmly and let out a snort of laughter.
“Looks like the Tower Master is more tolerant than I thought. To call someone this weak her prized disciple?”
…I had nothing to say to that. My magic was weak! But did he have to say it so bluntly?!
Still, there was nothing more I could do. I clenched my teeth and glared at him as hard as I could.
‘Please, Lady Meliz, hurry up—uwaaah!!’
If the Prince died here, the novel ends—and so does my life!
Meanwhile…
‘Damn…!’
With a thunderous crash, the barrier shattered. Licht could feel the Apostle’s magic spreading through the room. It was an attack.
‘Duke Meliz isn’t here right now either.’
A scream rang out from the nearby mage. He couldn’t gauge her strength, but she didn’t seem powerful enough to withstand the Apostle’s assault.
If no one came, both the mage and Licht were doomed.
Tension prickled through his body. He had fought countless battles for the Empire, but never faced danger like this.
And he had never once failed to protect someone under his watch.
The unfamiliar helplessness felt unbearable.
Bits of conversation between the Apostle and the mage filtered through. With the spatial barrier shattered, the sounds were starting to distort.
‘She’s in danger.’
He kept muttering a spell under his breath, trying to activate his magic. But his mouth refused to move. He wondered if biting his tongue until it bled would help.
‘Damn it. I’m going crazy here.’
“Ahh!”
The mage’s scream reached his ears.
‘Please, please…!’
Licht focused all his strength into his numb hand. Just then, he heard the mage casting a defensive spell.
Then, like feathers cascading down, a gentle energy began to flow into him. It felt eerily familiar—like the mysterious magic he’d sensed earlier.
‘This power…?’
And then—
“Huff—!”
A sound escaped Licht’s throat.
At the same time, the glass wall came into view. He blinked, registering what he was seeing.
It was the glass chamber—his own.
His motionless body was finally moving.
Startled for only a moment, Licht felt the energy that had entered him sweep through his body—from his fingertips to his shoulders, thighs, and legs.
The body that had stubbornly refused to move now felt light as air.
‘I can move!’
The moment he realized that, Licht kicked the glass chamber aside and stood up swiftly.
His eyes narrowed instinctively. The room was thick with smoke and the vile energy of the Apostle.
Even with his vision blurred, he knew someone was standing guard in front of him.
After blinking a few times, he saw her—the mage’s silver hair shimmering in front of him.
“!!!”
Licht quickly pulled her backward into his arms. Her petite body easily fell into his grasp.
“Are you all right, Mage?”
As he felt her warmth, his racing heart finally began to slow down.
Thank goodness. Relief flooded him. He felt her eyes on him, but there was still work to do.
“I’ll take it from here.”
Licht swallowed hard and extended a hand toward the Apostle.
It had been so long.
His suppressed power now erupted—glowing crimson as it burst forth in a blaze.
“The curse…!!”
The Apostle panicked at the sight of Licht suddenly awakened, scrambling to cast a defensive spell—but it was too late.
Licht’s flame magic engulfed him instantly.
Walls of fire closed in around the Apostle as he tried in vain to escape.
No matter what spell he attempted, it crumbled under Licht’s overwhelming power.
“Aaaaagh!!!”
Licht’s flames roared, swallowing the Apostle whole in a blazing inferno.
Those who lived off death magic met death in turn—reduced to dust upon their demise.
That was the fate of those who had abandoned their humanity.
It didn’t take long for the shrill screams to die out.
With a cold gaze, Licht watched the flames crumble to ash.
