Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 438

Episode 438 Black Volcano (1)

Verden, who could see through the darkness, looked around the pitch-black crater with just his gaze.

Its diameter alone is estimated to be over 3km.

It was almost twice as large in diameter as the crater of the Red Volcano.

Linus, who was able to see ahead thanks to Verden's <Suggestion>, gaped blankly.

“This is a crater…….”

An elasticity bordering on astonishment.

Even though he had blended in with dwarven society, he had never seen a volcano of this size.

[Record name: Black Volcano.]

As soon as Alpha realized that the scale of the situation was too large to scan, he took out his memory golem and recorded the surroundings vividly.

The boundary line corresponding to the entrance of the crater was rough and irregular, but the width itself was quite wide.

Beyond just lying down, there was no shortage of places to set up camp for dozens of people. There were more than one or two such places.

Just enough to accommodate the population close to the village, but only on the edge of the perimeter.

Thump, thump, thump.

Gharun, who had climbed right up to the edge, looked around.

“It seems like there’s no way down except through this crater… Why is there nothing?”

There is no sign of anyone having stayed there, nor any sign of a descent device having been installed.

The first and second search parties should have left no traces.

It was cleaner here than outside.

As if no one had ever set foot there.

Verden compared the external terrain and crater using his magic sensing.

“The subtle difference in the texture makes it likely that there was a perceptual change. That could have caused the traces to disappear… or the search party could have used a completely different route.”

“Hmm.”

“Anyway, you’ll find out when you go down there.”

If you go down the empty crater, you will definitely be able to enter the Black Volcano Fortress.

As it was in the red volcano.

So now it would be a waste of time to look for another route.

“Yeah, that’s right. Eventually, we’ll have to go down there to find the answer.”

Gharun held Markuab in one hand and placed it on his shoulder.

The muscles twitched.

I kicked a small piece of rock with my foot as an experiment and dropped it down… …but there was no sound of it hitting the ground.

Linus' eyes twitched.

“How deep is it?”

“At least it’s certain that it’s beyond my magical detection range.”

Verden opened the Infinite Magical Road.

Kkwudduk.

He delicately separated a piece of the black rock and floated it into the air, then placed Gharun and Linus on it and applied gravity to completely secure the two.

Although it looks simple on the surface, it contains complex and difficult magical techniques that are difficult for the criminal to understand.

“Let’s go straight down without any hesitation. There won’t be any other problems, right?”

“Okay, wait a minute……!”

Linus waved his hand urgently.

I glanced down and saw a hole that was higher than I had ever seen before.

My legs start shaking on their own.

My right hand was sweaty.

He took a deep breath and nodded his head vigorously as if he had made up his mind.

“It’s okay now.”

“Tsk tsk, how weak.”

Gharun scolded him.

Alpha, on the other hand, gave encouragement.

[No need to be afraid. By His Majesty's side. Safety first.]

Alpha's body was half hidden in [Einver].

The guy was holding the memory golem tightly in his large arms.

'I guess it's a hobby of sorts.'

Whatever it is, it's fine.

The more proactive you are, the more happy you are, as Alpha hopes to become even more free.

Verden's body, which had been propelled into the air, slowly tilted, then suddenly descended completely vertically into the darkness.

At the same time, the float that Gharun and Linus were riding also fell at the same speed.

“Wow, this is fun!”

“What’s so funny, aaa …

Footage captured Gharoon laughing and Linus screaming.

* * *

The meeting place of Medillon, the ownerless land.

A muffled scream filled the place where those representing each force had gathered.

“Who dares to mention you?”

Isabella, whose thick neck was pressed against hers, waved her arms lightly.

“……!! Ugh, ugh……! Kkeuk……!!

That alone made Cheolph's body shake violently as if an earthquake had occurred.

Crackle, crackle.

A very unpleasant sound began to come from near my throat.

'Ah, somehow… … take it off, it's me… … !'

Cheolph instinctively sensed danger and raised the energy within his body.

He was a great lord and a warrior.

Young Ceolph, who came from a wealthy family, spent a lot of money to hire a wandering knight to educate him and learn swordsmanship.

A force that spreads throughout the body.

He strengthened his entire body and pushed the table with both arms with all his might.

Currently, Cheolph's strength is enough to decapitate the wandering knight who was his teacher.

But it was too much.

"what……?!'

Kkwuddudduk!

Instead of getting up, he was pressed down even harder. Some cracks appeared in the table where Cheolph's head was touching.

As the jade-like grip began to dig into his muscles, Cheolph, whose physical strength had also been lost, opened his mouth wide.

“Ugh, aaaahh …

The great lord struggled.

I barely managed to grab Isabella's wrist, but she didn't budge.

It was a grotesque sight.

The wizard is holding Count Ceolf's windpipe in his hands with just his brute strength.

While not only the host but also other forces were looking at him with astonishment, only Liam was watching the situation indifferently.

Do you really dare to murder one of the great lords of the East in this place?

Rationally speaking, this could not have been the case, but Cheolph had no time to think calmly.

Both of his eyes were bloodshot and red.

If I kept going like this, I felt like my neck was going to break and I was going to die.

“Great……Warrior……! Knock, knock! Great, great……!!!”

I desperately squeezed out my voice.

If it's that monster outside, even a small sound won't be missed.

Fortunately, that prediction turned out to be correct.

Thump… … Thump… … Thump… … .

A few vibrations echoed outside.

A muscular man burst through the collapsed wall of the conference room where Cheolph's escort had disappeared with a small noise.

A great warrior from the far north of the central continent.

Isabella's beastly, bright yellow eyes caught Ceolf's attention.

It laughed ferociously and leaped forward, swinging the huge double-edged sword it held in its right hand without hesitation.

“I think it’s becoming too much.”

As Gideon of the South pointed out, his escort Ewick intervened between the northern warrior and Isabella.

He thrust the rapier deep, the sharp tip of the blade clashing with the double-edged sword.

Accuracy bordering on astonishing.

“Ugh……?!”

However, the power gap is greater than expected.

My wrist feels tingly.

The rapier that was pushed out tilted sharply. If I was not careful, it could have been split in two.

Just as Ewick, who had been thrown back, was about to regain his bearings, the Northern Great Warrior raised his sword high again and struck down with all his might.

The forecast is for a slender neck.

It was a fierce sword strike, but Isabella did not dodge. Instead, a vast amount of magical power boiled in her magical circuits.

Oh my god!

“Haha, it’s okay to get seriously injured while fighting between hot-blooded young people… but killing someone is crossing the line.”

The mercenary king has stepped forward.

The silent sword firmly blocked the frosty double-edged sword. The tips of their swords trembled slightly in the struggle.

“Hmm…! You’re stronger than I heard. If I do something wrong, I’ll die.”

The mercenary king groaned as if he was exhausted, but he never lost his signature, relaxed smile.

The mercenary king glanced over his shoulder.

“Unknown Miss, it doesn’t seem like this will end unless you let go. It looks like you’ve let out all your anger, so how about we stop here?”

“…….”

Isabella tilted her head.

If I had just applied a little more force, I could have just snapped his neck, but I had no intention of doing that. In the first place, I had no plans to kill anyone at the conference.

The goal has already been achieved.

When Isabella asked Liam silently, Liam nodded.

This was ostensibly intended to show respect as a lord.

“Okay, fine.”

Cheolph, who barely escaped her grasp, coughed. He sat down on the chair as if he was collapsing, and instinctively rubbed the back of his neck.

My neck was so sore that it still felt like it was being held… … A red, handprint-shaped bruise was clearly visible on my thick neck.

The mercenary king examined Count Ceolf's injuries with his eyes.

“The pain will subside a bit, but it doesn’t seem to be life-threatening. So, would you please put away your sword? As I get older, it’s getting harder to hold on.”

The Northern Grand Master raised one eyebrow. He glanced around as if licking his surroundings, then released his strength and plunged his double-edged sword into the ground.

Likewise, Ewick also took up his rapier… … but he did not let down his guard against the savage warrior.

And so the conflict ended.

And as if he had been waiting, Liam stood up from his seat. He pushed the signed consent form for the competition forward toward the host.

“The South made a proposal, the East, the West, and our North agreed. There is no reason to stay here any longer, so let’s go.”

Liam takes a step forward after confirming that the host is nodding his head hesitantly. The emotional reaction from earlier has disappeared without a trace.

As Isabella was about to accompany him as his escort to the North, a low voice brushed past her ears.

“You’re not afraid of death.”

The Northern Grand Master bared his fangs.

“It would be quite refreshing to take a bath in the blood of four years.”

It was a vicious atmosphere.

It was not for nothing that the great lords of the East treated it as a secret weapon.

Isabella twisted her lips.

For your information, her blood itself is toxic and also contains magic.

“There are many ways to commit suicide. I hope that day comes.”

The two people left the conference room.

“Oh, shit, bitches, those guys……!!”

In the quiet atmosphere, only Cheolph's painful anger was felt.

“…….”

Gideon of the South.

His eyes followed the North.

* * *

A convoy of carriages leaves Medillon and heads north through the conflict zone.

“Haaaaaah…….”

Liam sighed deeply inside the carriage, escorted by the mercenaries he had hired during the previous bandit suppression mission.

As my breathing became more relaxed, my tension also disappeared.

He sat up belatedly and rested his forehead on the windowsill.

“We only had a conversation, but it’s still not easy.”

Liam was focused on maintaining his dignity as the ruler of the North, but the pressure was more than he could have imagined.

Even controlling facial expressions wasn't easy.

Isabella crossed her arms.

“It’s fortunate that you didn’t tremble in the face of those who were acting as rulers in a land without owners. That was good enough.”

“Is that so……?”

Liam scratched the ball.

“Actually, the Mercenary King, Lord Gideon, Count Cheolph… they were all great people whose names I had only heard from afar. I was nervous, but I wasn’t that scared or anything.”

It was my honest truth.

Even if all the people who attended the meeting were added together, it was nothing compared to the presence of the single person Liam knew.

“Of course. Who is behind us?”

Isabella smiled.

“Anyway, as expected, there was someone who looked down on you, and through him, the show of force was successful. Since the rising power gave such a great humiliation to the great lord of the East, word will soon spread.”

The power in the North is currently unbalanced.

Compared to other forces, their number of troops is extremely small, but they have many high-ranking military personnel.

Cain, Junia, Adrian, Isabella… … There are only three 6th-rank magicians, and one swordsman recognized by Verden.

I am confident that I will not be pushed back by any force in a small-scale engagement, especially with the communication device and memory golem.

However, the disadvantage of being a minority cannot be overcome.

In such cases, there was also a method of conscripting citizens and using them as troops.

Long ago, when the concept of territory was more primitive, wars were fought between dozens or a little over a hundred people, and such practices remained in the lands without owners.

'Of course I don't intend to do that.'

That was something Liam didn't want to do as a lord, and ultimately, it wasn't what Verden wanted either.

The army will be filled with mercenaries.

We need people who will enter the battlefield voluntarily, without being forced by anyone.

The war of nerves that took place at the conference would be a great propaganda piece, and if done well, it could win over a number of donors who would invest in the North.

'It's a war.'

The three-way battle over a large mine was unexpected, but not bad.

Rather, it is good.

For those who are lacking in force, a melee would be the best and most effective battlefield. We will plan carefully for this.

“By the way, what are you doing at our house? You said you’d contact me when you had time.”

Isabella looked out the window, her chin resting on her hand.

The summer scenery passing by quickly as we pass the mid-mountain.

Soon, autumn will come.

A different life than last year.

Isabella even enjoyed waiting.

* * *

As you go down underground, the temperature gradually drops proportionally. The environment of the abyss is no different from that of midwinter.

Yet the air was not cloudy. Oddly enough, it was clear.

Even though the time spent in the air was long, darkness still spread out. This pitch-black space made me forget time and lose my sense of space.

Linus shut his mouth, perhaps because it was so ominous and uncomfortable, and Gharun stared down with his face slightly wrinkled.

The end finally came.

Whoa whoa.

Berden, who had momentarily applied the brakes, lightly stepped onto the bottom of the crater. So did the float the blacksmiths were riding on.

This is the tip of a black volcano.

The source of the heat that the volcano once held was simply emptiness.

[Scanning… …unknown entrance discovered.]

As Alpha investigated the light on one side, a remote passage leading somewhere was revealed.

Verden narrowed his eyes.

“Magic detection doesn’t seem to work properly here.”

“Is it because of the device that blocks magic?”

“I don’t think so. It’s very different from the Red Volcano Fortress.”

“Well, it doesn’t make sense that the devices have been working without any management.”

“Then…… is this a characteristic of the underground environment?”

“Well, maybe something is getting in the way.”

There is only one way.

Verden and his party entered the passage.

Traces of artifacts are scattered or embedded here and there. There was a part of a fortress there, with countless pieces of debris scattered around.

It was the remains of a destroyed fortress.

“If the structure isn’t much different from the fortress I know… the facility is probably nearby.”

Dwarf Facility───The huge forge is located close to the bottom of the crater as it requires a lot of power.

A quiet stillness.

Only the sound of footsteps can be heard.

Following Gharun's guidance, I passed a total of four forks in the road… … but there were no facilities or anything in the places I left the passage.

A collapsed residential area.

There was a middle level of a fortress that was only half-built. The area where the citadel with the clan leader was located was completely non-existent.

“Fuck, why is the structure like this?”

Split fault.

Twisted terrain.

The collapsed land.

The fortress, which was originally one unit, was now broken into many pieces.

“Still, the facility is the strongest section of the fortress, so it won’t completely collapse… but it’ll probably take some time to find it.”

“Then I guess we can just ask the residents.”

“Sure, that’s convenient… Huh? What? Resident?”

The two blacksmiths turned around, responding one after another.

Verden and Alpha were staring at the collapsed house… …the second floor window.

That moment.

Dododododododo!

Something was making small footsteps and running away in a hurry.