Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 263

Episode 263: The VIP (1)

Rock fragments engulfed in electricity pierced skin, muscle, and bone.

The pain was only felt for a moment. Everything that made up and sustained human consciousness began to crumble like a sand castle.

As brain activity ceased, even his remaining right eye lost focus.

The light of life that had been lingering in his eyes completely fades away.

Immediately after, the lips that had been moving absentmindedly stopped.

The wizard's power source, his heart, was completely destroyed.

The magical power flowing within the body quickly disperses into the air.

At the same time, the magical circuit attached to his right arm, which had been emitting a blue light, dried up and twisted, like a tree root that had not been supplied with water.

“…….”

Clouds obscure the sunlight.

I was completely out of breath in the cold shadows.

Leonil Bertanas, Master of the Court Wizards.

The cruel magician who was known as the strongest in the Kingdom of Estyria and who dreamed of becoming a transcendent being and achieved it, ended his life at this moment.

One of the giants of the magical world has passed away. No one mourns his death.

Swish.

The tattered body loses its function.

The fingers, unable to support the weight of the staff, slowly opened, and soon the right hand that had been clenching a fist loosened limply.

───Thud.

A metal bar rolled down with a small sound and landed at Verden's feet.

He quietly reached out with his left hand and picked up Leonil's staff.

He naturally grabbed a part that wasn't covered in blood and looked at the tip. Along with the blue crystal, there was a device that held him in place.

<Telekinesis>

The dagger on his waist rises into the air.

He inserted the tip of the knife between the devices and twisted it strongly to the side.

Suddenly, the crystal and staff were separated from each other normally. I roughly threw away the now useless stick and examined the blue crystal closely.

'This is the witch's heart… … .'

A crystal that Leonil perfected over several decades.

A faint blue light reflected off the walls of Verden. A regular beating sound was transmitted through the tips of my fingers.

An object that allowed us to transcend human limitations and reach a state of transcendence was right before our eyes.

Verden narrowed his eyes.

'If I use this, will I be able to reach the next level?'

If it has the effect of amplifying its own hierarchy, then it certainly would be so.

And that level will be on a different level from Leonil.

Because Verden was a semi-transcendent being and had long since broken the framework of the marginal hierarchy.

A body that has transcended its limits is more than capable of handling powers of a higher realm, and it is proud to say that its capabilities can also handle the realm of a transcendent being.

There will be no such thing as ultimate self-destruction like Leonel.

'Transcendent.'

Mental enlightenment is indefinite.

If we omit him and achieve transcendence… … we will be a few steps closer to revenge.

Especially if you can use 7th tier magic and super tier magic, you may be able to fight an all-out war on equal terms with Balok Vesias, the lord of the Bohemirn Tower.

Of course, this is just an assumption.

There was never an option to use the Witch's Heart from the beginning.

Thud, thud.

Verden, who had just seen Leonil's corpse, took a step forward.

To the center of the royal Esnoren, to the woman who dreamed of avenging her mother.

* * *

Silis, sitting on the floor, looked up at the sky.

A wide expanse of sky, not the light of twilight, spread out before my eyes. The familiar, cool air of royalty and nature brushed my nose.

The texture of the bricks touching the bridge is also vivid. The spirit energy that used to occupy one side of the senses has disappeared without a trace.

The mental world has collapsed.

Wherever she was, it was reality.

"……under."

Silis let out a small sigh.

I kept my trembling lips tightly shut. My knees were aching from the weight of my body, but I had no time to care. All I could think about was the magic battle just before.

Leonil is overwhelmed. A huge sun and a gray star. Darkness and flashes. And a world falling apart.

I couldn't touch anything.

Even with the power of the Witch's Crown of Thorns, it was not enough.

I remember the helplessness I felt when I was a child, when I had to become a doll myself. I had dreamed of it for a long time and prepared for it, but in the end, I was led by someone else.

It's so indescribably disappointing.

What on earth have I been enduring and living so tenaciously for?

“……!”

At that moment, I felt a presence.

As I turned my head forward, a man with gray hair was walking towards me.

It looked like he had been in a fierce battle, but he didn't seem to have any serious injuries. He was holding the witch's heart in his hand.

Leonil, who had been consumed by madness, was nowhere to be found.

'I guess that guy won.'

He single-handedly annihilated the high-ranking court magicians and even defeated Leonil, who had reached the realm of transcendence.

It is a power too strong to be attributed to a single individual. What on earth is the identity of that person that allows him to possess such magical power at that age?

For Silis, who could not even get revenge on her own, let alone win back her mother's heart, he was a strong opponent who she could not dare to face.

Before we knew it, Verden was within reach.

A shadow fell over Silis' head.

Did he come to see me for some reason, or did he want to ask a question that he had never heard the answer to before?

It was at that moment that I thought that.

“I looked into it and there was no other damage.”

Verden gave the witch's heart to Silis.

There was silence for a moment.

Silis blinked blankly.

“Why are you doing this to me…….”

“Even if the circumstances are different, it is still the parents’ heirloom. So isn’t it natural for it to go to the child?”

That's not wrong.

Somehow, the processed heart ended up in Silis' hands.

An unforgettable, yearning heartbeat was beating. It was lukewarm, but I felt a warmth that I couldn't describe.

Silis, who had been staring at the piercing blue light, shrugged his shoulders.

He held his heart carefully with both hands. Then he slowly lifted his chin and carefully moved his lips.

“……You were the one who killed Leonil, Asher. If it weren’t for you, I would never have been able to take it from Leonil, so I…… have no right to claim ownership of this heart.”

Silis chewed his lips.

Yet the witch's heart was held tightly in her hands.

She asks Verden with contradictory behavior.

The heart of a witch who amplifies hierarchy beyond limits.

It is unknown whether this power applies to those who have reached the 7th or 8th rank, but regardless, it is something that anyone who walks the path of magic would want to obtain.

And Verden is not a transcendent being. He has reached a level close to that.

If you have a witch's heart, it would be possible to instantly become a transcendent being like Leonil. Silis also roughly understood that fact.

'But why───'

How can you give up a witch's heart so readily?

Are you easily giving up ownership with a blank expression on your face, as if you don't care at all?

It was a pure question from Silis, who could not easily accept the situation.

“Ownership. Then let me ask you the opposite. Why do you think I should have this heart, the product of human experimentation?”

“Ha, but you can rise up the hierarchy…….”

“The premise was wrong from the start.”

A firm attitude that makes you feel cool.

Verden spoke softly to the speechless Silis.

“Not all wizards are like Leonil, Princess Silis.”

“……!”

“Everyone has their own line.”

Verden recalled the past.

Having only recently become an unofficial test subject, he came to hate the entire Magic Tower.

Regardless of whether they were workers or wizards, he wanted to tear everyone inside the tower apart and make them suffer the same pain he had suffered.

Maybe even Robelyn, his only friend.

But that was only a moment.

Reason, which was gradually returning, made me reconsider my feelings.

Taking out your anger on those who have nothing to do with Verden's grudge is meaningless, and it will only lead to you becoming like Leonil.

So I waited for the right time.

After Lobelin left the Magic Tower, those who were not involved in the unofficial experiment decided to use the Magic Festival as the starting point of the reversal.

I tried to maintain a more sensible judgment towards the other people and a stronger hatred towards the people who were involved in revenge. I did not want the innocent people to be caught up in a cruel revenge drama.

I don't know what others might have done, but at least Verden did.

So Verden drew his own line.

Among them, human experimentation for magic is not tolerated. If it weren't for Silis, the witch's heart would have already been destroyed and turned to dust.

“A line…….”

Strength entered Silis' hands.

“So you’re saying that because of that line, you’re giving up the opportunity to become a transcendent being right now?”

“I don’t expect any understanding. This is natural to me.”

Silis's face stiffened.

She hung her head down, speechless.

The crystal, which had been processed as it could be, could no longer be considered a heart, its light caressed the skin.

Suddenly, old memories came to mind. And I thought.

Judgments blinded by revenge, hesitation on the eve of the coronation, and even the line that should not be crossed as a human being. Looking back, I am filled with regret.

“Asher, I…….”

Silis paused and continued speaking.

“Could my method be wrong?”

“Well, I don’t know because I haven’t gotten my revenge yet.”

Verden turned his gaze towards the royal capital.

Still, only a quiet current was flowing.

“Well, you know better.”

Silis laughed weakly.

It's a foolish question and a wise answer.

As he said, she knew the answer better than anyone else.

The crown of thorns on her head tilted along with her platinum eyes. The witch's artifact fell to the ground, rolled, and stopped spinning.

The dream is over.

* * *

The witch power that Silis possesses is to manipulate dreams.

Among them, there are not only nightmares but also visions, and it is also possible to cover the dream situation with consciousness and plant false memories.

No one was mentally strong enough to resist the thorn-crowned Silis. Even Leonil was unable to resist the magic.

After that, people came to their senses.

There was a bit of a commotion, but it was passed over as nothing serious. After all, the coronation, which they might only see once in their lifetime, was more important than anything else.

The first to regain consciousness was Marquis Esperenza, who placed a crown adorned with gold and jewels on the head of Prince Valgna, who had a dazed expression.

“Long live His Majesty, or rather His Highness Valgna!”

“Long live the Kingdom of Estiria!”

“Long live the royal family!”

All kinds of cheers filled the royal capital.

As Valgna waved his hands mechanically, the applause and cheers grew louder and more lively.

In that situation, several people, including Leonil, disappeared.

Although some people collapsed from inexplicable mental confusion, the coronation ceremony went on without a hitch.

As a result, no one other than those involved was aware of Silis' magic.

“The coronation ceremony has concluded. In a few months at the shortest, or two years at the longest, the King of Estyria will pass away. In name only, at least.”

The balcony of the royal Esnoren.

Marquis Esperensa summarized the situation to Verden, who was sitting across from him.

It could have been done by the black marketeer or Lorian, but the Marquis took on the role. It was because he wanted to do it.

Verden said.

“Silis… what happened to your Majesty?”

“You are enduring the recoil from using the Witch’s Crown of Thorns. It seems it will take you longer to move your body normally.”

… … I wonder if my mind will recover as well.

The Marquis let out a small breath and quenched his thirst with tea.

Then, I flinched at the pain I felt for a moment. The contents of the teacup surged and some of them spilled out.

“Are you okay?”

“……It’s okay. Leonil’s flames are indeed fierce. Even though Her Highness the Princess has done her best to minimize the damage to the spirit body, the shock still remains.”

“Still, it’s better than the other two, so that’s fortunate.”

The Marquis of Esperance chuckled.

Melzard and Edmon were still lying in bed, sweating profusely and suffering. Compared to those two, I was certainly fine.

“By the way.”

The Marquis rubbed his forehead.

The agitation finally subsided when tactile stimulation was applied.

“How does it feel to become the strongest in the kingdom?”

Verden turned his head when asked the question.

Below the balcony, the view of the royal capital, Letia, greeted him.

“The scenery is nice.”

On the wrist of Verden, who spoke like that, was a mithril bracelet engraved with the royal symbol.

It was a simple accessory with no special magical effects, but it represented a status in this kingdom.

Treatment equivalent to that of a duke in another country.

Verden became the highest guest of the Estrian royal family.