Chapter 13: Annihilation Gimmick

Her memory was quite good.

That was partly how she had become an Archmage.

As soon as she realized the place she was in was Muzen, her surroundings began to look new.

“An apothecary… a bakery… even a bar…. Everything is just like my memories.”

The brief excitement of being in a nostalgic place from her memories faded.

Her heart grew cold realizing the grim reality of the place was different.

Streets no different from ruins. Alleyways teeming with writhing nightmares.

A city of living nightmares where letting go of tension for even a moment could mean becoming their prey.

“How did it end up like this….”

A sigh of regret escaped her lips automatically.

She quickly composed herself.

The city of her memories was gone.

Now was the time to find out why the changed Muzen had become this way.

‘To do that…’

Her gaze, scanning the surroundings, landed on the Magic Tower.

‘If I go to the Magic Tower, I should be able to find out everything.’

An ominous aura, visible only to Edelin’s eyes.

That aura flowed out from the Magic Tower, consuming Muzen.

Edelin’s footsteps moved towards the entrance of the Magic Tower.

Passing the half-collapsed building and shattered wooden door.

The lobby she entered was…

“It’s surprisingly clean inside.”

Thanks to the embedded Clean magic that maintained cleanliness, the interior was kept spotless, without a speck of dust.

It was merely an exclamation of admiration that the magic persisted even after such a long time, but…

[ – That magic phrase lolololol]

[ – She just raised a flag lolololol]

[ – lololololol]

[ – Something’s definitely gonna pop out now lolol]

Was it because she uttered a famous line from some horror game?

Sure enough, a sound began to come from the lobby’s reception desk.

[ – There it is? There it is?]

[ – So what? It’ll just get cut down by High School Girl-chan anyway lolol]

[ – Ah, true.]

Amidst the viewers’ anticipation, holding their breath to see what would emerge…

What popped out from behind the reception desk was…

– Mom?

A child, looking barely old enough to be in elementary school.

Perhaps due to the influence of the shadow nightmares.

Half-consumed by shadows, it was in an ambiguous state, neither human nor nightmare.

“This body is not your mother.”

– Then who?

The opponent was a young child.

Edelin considered various responses the child might easily understand and settled on one.

“The person who built this tower.”

– The person who built the tower? Aha! You’re my mom’s friend!

The child ran out excitedly, trotting along.

– Sis, then can you bring my mom?

“Your mother? Do you know where she is?”

– Uh-huh. My mom is waaaay up there at the top. We were supposed to play hide-and-seek. But I still haven’t found her.

The little child pointed a finger towards the ceiling.

Coincidentally, it was the same direction from which the ominous aura flowed.

At that moment, a quest notification appeared.

[Q. Hide-and-Seek with the Child]
[The child and their parent are playing hide-and-seek in the Magic Tower.]
[This time, you be the seeker and find the child’s parent.]

[<<Select an answer>>]
[1. Accept the child’s request (Liberation Chain Quest)]
[2. Refuse. (Increases contamination of Gate 1)]
[3. Attack. (Quest permanently unavailable)]

The viewers erupted at the sight of this never-before-seen Gate 1 quest.

Gate 1, which had merely been a passing tutorial gate.

To think there was a hidden quest concealed within it.

[ – Definitely #1 #1 #1!!]

[ – There was a Liberation quest????]

[ – Pick #1 right now, please pick #1!!!]

Edelin couldn’t see the chat window, but…

She also knew she had to choose option 1.

‘Choosing #2 increases contamination, so it’s highly likely this child and parent are related to the aura.’

Since she had come to investigate the Magic Tower anyway…

She patted the child’s head and selected option 1.

– Thanks, sis! Mom will be somewhere high up there!

[Connecting to Liberation Quest.]

Immediately after accepting the quest, the atmosphere of the Magic Tower changed drastically.

The ominous aura spewing from the upper floors intensified. The chill made it difficult even to breathe.

“A time limit…”

She knew instinctively.

If she continued to delay, she would eventually be consumed by the ever-strengthening aura.

If she couldn’t endure with her meager mana, it would be irreversible.

Tap, tap, tap.

Edelin ascended the stairs at high speed.

The higher she climbed, the more palpable the chill became.

It was so cold that frost began to form on the tip of her sword, even without mana infused into it.

– Have you come, human?

Climbing the cylindrical staircase, she saw the Tower Master’s room.

There, a grotesque nightmare, appearing to be the parent, awaited her.

“So you didn’t even intend to hide.”

– Is there any reason to hide from a lowly, weak human?

Edelin raised the tip of her sword at the nightmare’s condescending, arrogant tone.

That confident behavior was somewhat understandable if it had indeed taken over the Tower Master’s body.

In the past, the Magic Towers were places operated only by strong individuals of at least the 5th Circle.

‘As far as I remember, the Muzen Tower Master was also 5th Circle…’

There was only one difference from back then.

The Tower Master Edelin had appointed was definitely male.

It was clear that after time passed, the Tower Master’s disciple had inherited the position.

In a situation where she couldn’t determine the opponent’s exact Circle, her first action was…

Gagagagagaang!

A preemptive strike.

A bizarre sound echoed as the sword clashed with an formless protective barrier.

– Just like a foolish human.

The nightmare had already cast a protection spell.

‘I just need to shatter this pathetic protection magic.’

Edelin paid it no mind and struck again with her sword.

– It’s useless. Quietly accept my magic!

Do you know when mages are most likely to let their guard down?

When inside the hemispherical dome that protects them from all physical and magical attacks.

‘I too know well how reassuring it is to be inside one. However.’

The founding creator of the Prism Magic Tower was her.

The opposing nightmare had no idea.

That the fatal weakness of protection magic is that it is made of mana.

‘Now.’

The moment the sword and the protection magic touched. She infused her own mana into the point of contact, infiltrating the protection magic.

Not even a large amount of mana was needed.

Just a small amount. Enough to disrupt the protection magic.

The result was simple.

When two incompatible types of mana occupy the same space, the phenomenon that occurs is…

KWAAAANG!

An explosion.

Just as different human blood types cannot mix…

Mana is the same.

– Wh-what!

The protection magic shattered into pieces, instantly exposing the nightmare’s body.

Closing the distance to the nightmare in an instant, her sword moved without hesitation.

A clean strike, piercing it in a single thrust before the nightmare could even react.

Thwip–

Her sword accurately pierced the Circle where mana gathered.

– KIEEEEEEEEK!

No matter that it was a nightmare possessing someone else’s body, the impact of being attacked while casting a spell…

Rebounds onto the caster themselves.

The pain was undoubtedly immense.

“Where did that arrogant tone from before go?”

She pulled out her sword and kicked the nightmare away with her foot.

A mage whose Circle has been pierced cannot use magic.

They might be able to force it, but…

Using magic recklessly without healing first inevitably means burning one’s own life force.

‘It doesn’t seem the type to burn its life force to attack.’

If it showed signs of using high-circle magic now that the barrier was down, she would just cut it down.

Edelin made the judgment to calmly observe the situation with a cool head.

– Grrrrk… You inferior human scum!

The nightmare, which had simply been borrowing a body to freely cast magic, raged as it felt almost no mana left in the body.

– How dare an inferior creature like you damage this useful body I acquired!

A mage who cannot use magic is useless.

Knowing this, the nightmare instantly ejected itself from the body it had seized.

– Instead, I shall take your body!

Its appearance was similar to the other shadow nightmares, yet slightly different.

Its size and the pitch-black aura of the shadow were thicker and stronger.

The only peculiar feature was a small, yellow crown, seemingly fixed in place somehow, catching the eye.

Despite this, Edelin thought it was likely just another shadow nightmare.

[ – Isn’t that… the Gate 1 invincible boss…?]

[ – Why is the mob that appears during a party wipe here…?]

[ – Wow, so it was hiding here.]

[ – How do you even kill that?]

The monster that appears if you take too long in Gate 1.

Moreover, the boss responsible for the party wipe mechanic.

The King of Shadow Nightmares.

[ – They say no player has ever survived when that mechanic triggers…]

[ – Goodbye, my points…]

The true boss had descended before her.