Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 233

Episode 233 Victory

Verden opened his eyes.

Only pitch-black darkness filled my vision. I instinctively stretched out my hand and raised my body, and hard pieces of stone rolled down from the pile of rubble.

He took a sharp breath and shook his upper body.

'What happened?'

I don't remember.

The last scene I saw was him losing consciousness after squeezing out his magical power too much. Judging from the fact that his sense of touch was functioning properly, he didn't seem to be dead.

As I was struggling to come to my senses, I heard a voice from in front of me.

'manager.'

My hands were shaking and my legs were shaking.

As I was sure, there were no side effects from the reverse flow, but I felt a sense of weakness engulfing my entire body. My magical power was also completely consumed, and I was experiencing magical depletion.

The heart that had expressed omnipotence was silent.

But you must not fall down.

Phew.

I held the flying Orient in my hand.

Using it as a cane, he barely managed to get up. The manager shook his head as if he was impressed by Verden's fighting spirit and bloodlust despite his exhaustion.

“Are you still going to fight even with that body?”

“The winner has not been decided yet.”

“Wow, what kind of life did you live at such a young age to have such strong willpower? Now it’s not just surprising, it’s tiresome.”

The staff disappeared from the hands of the manager.

The magical power was recovered and the form was erased. The hostility that had been seen before disappeared without a trace.

The manager monologued.

“……I am a magical being derived from the main body called the Demon King. No matter how hard I try, I cannot reject the main body’s personality. I am a fake who only follows orders and will eventually disappear.”

Managers are expendable.

To him, everything outside of duty was meaningless.

But not now.

Only after my magical power was depleted to the point where I could no longer cast the spell, was I finally able to make a choice.

He was released from his mission as a clone because he no longer had the strength to protect the facility.

First, the manager wanted to know:

“Young wizard, I want to hear your name.”

Verden introduced himself as Asher.

Naturally, the administrator did not ask for such a pseudonym. It was not easy for the owner or the administrator to hide their names.

So, that must mean he is transcendent.

Berden, out of breath, spoke his real name for the first time in a long time.

“This is Verden.”

“Verden…… Verden…….”

The manager repeated the name, as if trying not to forget it.

He nodded and turned his gaze forward. His very faint presence shone.

“As you can see, I currently do not have the power to protect the facility. At best, I can only maintain a form. If I try to use even a low-level magic, it will disappear before it is even completed.”

The administrator declared.

“Verden, I hereby affirm that you have triumphed over me.”

“…….”

“This facility is now yours. I swear to the entity that I will not harm it in any way from now on.”

The outcome has been decided.

The winner was Berden, as the facility manager admitted defeat. The tense muscles relaxed as I realized that it was sincere and real.

I felt the string of consciousness I had been forcibly holding onto gradually loosening.

The manager closed his eyes.

“So it’s okay if I just collapse now.”

Kuung.

Verden's body leaned forward and fell down helplessly. Orient, free from his hand, rolled on the floor and came to a sudden stop.

Of course, he was just unconscious as if he was dead, but his vitality was not completely gone. When I listened closely, I could hear a small breathing sound.

“Phew.”

The manager was relieved.

Even though it was a clone and had no physiological function, I sighed without realizing it. That must mean that today was an eventful day.

But in the end, a settlement was reached.

For some reason, I felt relieved.

It was at that time.

Ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki!

The door to the manager's office was opened.

Without my permission, the inquiry function was severely damaged, perhaps because it was opened by force. Golems appeared beyond it.

The manager blinked.

“……Alpha?”

[His Majesty the Demon King's survival confirmed. Prepare for rescue. I will take charge as administrator.]

Alpha stood guard over Verden.

Other golems collected the fallen Verden.

A situation I never thought of.

The manager looked at Alpha. Or, more precisely, at what Alpha was holding up with one hand.

“You…what are you holding now?”

[It's a small power source.]

Power source in the secondary power room.

It was mounted on Alpha's hand.

“Did you force the door open by overheating the output with that? Why on earth….”

[Stop. Stop. The Administrator recommends that you do not move. Detonating the power source would be fatal to the Administrator, who is a magical entity.]

The manager was dumbfounded.

You're going to blow up the power source? Given the circumstances… … Are you doing this to save Verden?

“Alpha, if that happens, you will die.”

[No problem. The safety of His Majesty the Demon King is the top priority. Administrator suspension. There will be no respite if even the slightest bit of magical power is detected.]

Alpha was resolute.

He shook the power source as if there was no compromise.

The manager stroked his short beard.

It was beyond surprising, it was downright strange. Threatening suicide. Alpha had never shown such strange behavior in over 500 years.

'Well, Alpha also received memories from the main body.'

Of course, it is only a memory that is responsible for the accident.

Still, change is change. The cause must be, of course, Verden. The manager said, thinking about this.

“There’s no need to act so harshly. I don’t have any more magic left to do anything.”

[Scanning… … Checking horsepower. The administrator’s words are true.]

“That’s right. And I have already sworn not to harm Verden… no, His Majesty the Demon King any further. So move His Majesty quickly. Even if it’s not to the point of death, it would be wrong to leave him like this.”

Alpha was worried.

He looked at the power source and the manager, then his one eye flashed. The manager, who judged it to be positive, smiled and said.

“Alpha, don’t worry anymore. You can rest assured.”

[… … .]

“Your Majesty is safe, so please put down the power source.”

[… … .]

“Let go. If that thing explodes, we’ll all die.”

The standoff continued a little longer.

* * *

The long-established Perpert tavern has completely disappeared.

But instead of being depressed, Perne was full of energy. Thanks to the wizard she served, she was able to build bigger and more magnificent buildings than before.

How should I design it? How should I decorate the interior?

No, I think it would be a good idea to separate it from the information center and make it the best tavern in Aserun.

You just have to find a new place to stay.

Every day was a happy day.

Information officer Ferné was flustered like a child who had been given a new toy.

… …until recently.

Deep Forest of Sloan.

Fernet asked cautiously, hiding inside the makeshift hut.

“Mr. Karans, how are you doing today?”

“It’s the same as yesterday. No outsiders are detected.”

Karans, lying on the roof, hummed and answered.

Although it was a forest inhabited by high-risk races, it was like home to the Guardian Elves. In fact, they seemed happier there than when they were in the city.

Although it's hard to expect delicious food.

Is that so? Well then, that’s fortunate… … .”

Ferné sighed and rested his chin on his hand.

The unique smell of grass tickled the tip of my nose. A strange, ominous howling sound could be heard from afar. I shrugged my shoulders in the unfamiliar environment.

He waved his hands and ruffled his hair.

'Haa, what the heck is going on?'

A civil war broke out in the kingdom.

The bloody battle between the 2nd and 3rd prince alliance and the 1st prince. When I first heard the news that a physical fight for the throne had broken out, my mouth dropped open.

The cause of such a civil war was extremely absurd.

But the excitement didn't last long.

Aserne is relatively unaffected by the civil war, and the Marquis of Esperenza, whom she has joined hands with, is a representative neutral noble.

Naturally, there were no requests to gather information on the opposing faction or to request assassinations while involved in a civil war.

In this way, the civil war itself did not have much of a direct impact on Pernet.

The problem was Roafra.

Wintert, who rules the underworld, and his assassins are chasing Fernet.

The captured informant was able to detect this because he sent regular reports saying that nothing had happened, and warned of tracking using hidden code words.

Thanks to Karans' help, I was able to escape to the forest long ago.

What happened to that informant? He's probably already dead.

Although I don't go to church, I secretly pray for Luas and express my condolences.

'But why is Bintert chasing Asher?'

Even if I think about it, I still don't know the reason.

Still, it is clear that the intention is impure. Right now, dealing with it is more important than identifying the cause.

'I sent an informant to the Marquis of Esperance, but… … it'll take some time.'

Wintert will be the first to watch the route to Lines. It will take a lot of time and effort to make a detour without being detected.

That's the only helping hand.

'Or Asher will come back.'

Of course, the probability of that happening is slim.

I can't even guarantee that I'll be able to return safely after going to the tomb of the Demon King that I've only heard of in words. I might fall into a trap and my life might be in danger.

Maybe he's fighting the ghost of the Demon King.

'I can't imagine that person dying, no matter what.'

Anyway, for now, we have no choice but to avoid being tracked and live in nature. Fortunately, the elves who live in the forest are guarding Ferné's side.

I told the other informants to disperse, so they'll be well hidden. Just in case, I planted an informant near the eastern swamp.

“Blue, I hope Asher returns safely?”

The blue next to him sparkled.

It was a light filled with firm positivity.

“Don’t talk nonsense, human. Your brother will return safely.”

The same opinion was heard from the ceiling.

Ferné nodded silently and turned his gaze.

Beyond the cabin window, a gloomy forest was visible. The darkness lurking within was as dark as an unreadable future.

* * *

Life at the orphanage was ordinary.

At that time, Verden was also a very innocent child. He was a bit more stubborn than other children, but anyway.

Then one day, I witnessed magic.

A small spark that bloomed in the hands of a neighboring grandfather who was a former military wizard. It was meant to be nothing more than a show for orphans, but it struck a different note for Verden.

I want to have it.

Verden was fascinated by magic.

But no matter how much I complained, my grandfather wouldn't teach me.

Even though I was young, I shook my head firmly. The answer was always the same.

Why didn't you tell me about magic?

It may not be simply because it is bothersome or because it must be passed on only to disciples. There was a look of pity on the expression on Verden's face.

Now that I think about it, maybe the neighboring grandfather knew about Berden's mediocre talent, which was that the marginal hierarchy was the first tier.

Well then, I'd like to ask again now.

Do you still think the same way?

* * *

Verden's consciousness awakened.

An unfamiliar ceiling was reflected in the clean walls.

“Ugh…….”

When I tried to move my arm, a sharp pain shot through my entire body.

I pulled my chin up with difficulty and looked down. I saw that the rolled up bandages were pressing against my entire body. Looking closely, I could also see traces of the potion.

I don't know who did it, but honestly, it was a poor treatment to call it treatment…

'But is this still good enough?'

The broken bones did not misalign and the wounds did not fester.

Some of my physical strength has returned, and my magic power that was at its lowest has also recovered. Well, just a little bit. Judging by my senses, my tired body was recovering properly.

It would have been easier if I had a recovery bracelet, but my wrist feels empty. It seems to have been broken in the aftermath of the magic war.

It's accessory-level durability, so that's to be expected.

Verden sighed and relaxed his muscles.

'More than that.'

He turned his eyes to the side.

“What are you doing next to me?”

“I was waiting for you to wake up.”

The manager was munching on the finest jerky.

And in one hand he was holding a bottle of wine. It looked quite familiar.

Well, that can't be helped.

Because both of them originated from Verden's space bag.

The manager shook the wine bottle under Verden's gaze.

“Would you like a drink too?”

“…….”

Verden closed his eyes.

He licked his lips as he sorted out his complicated thoughts.

“Drinking alcohol is prohibited for seriously injured people.”