Book 2: Chapter 542
Magic Planet is vast. Lukas was aware of this fact, but there was a significant difference between understanding it through knowledge and walking through it and seeing with his own two eyes.
Of course.
People can look at a map and understand the expanse of the world, but they can"t feel it.
The same was true for Lukas.
Only now could he truly comprehend how vast this territory was.
“Nature.”
Lucas hesitated for a moment.
Every plant and animal in Magic Planet was created by The Beginning Wizard, probably from zero. He pondered momentarily if the word ‘nature" could suit such a landscape.
“…Nature is almost preserved here.”
But failing to think of a better phrase, he continued his thought.
“Hmm?”
The Beginning Wizard turned around. His mask was moist, which was to be expected. In front of him was a vast and beautiful waterfall. The sound of the rushing water hit his ears violently, but it was not enough to drown out his voice.
“If they were people from the Void World, and with your knowledge, you could have advanced science further, couldn’t you?”
“Science is a word unfit for a wizard.”
“I’m not talking about the advanced science that harms nature and shortens the lifespan of stars. I’ve seen the lifestyle of the people here. It’s as if they are living in an old-fashioned inefficiency.”
“……”
Through the mask, The Beginning Wizard seemed to smile.
…It seemed he knew everything about Lukas as ‘Mark Trowman." On the other hand, Lukas could not fathom his intentions, but now it was different. The more they conversed, the more Lukas was beginning to understand The Beginning Wizard.
“From experience, this level is just right. If science develops further… it always brings that about.”
“…That?”
“Greed, that is.”
He let out a blatant laugh.
“The people living here, thankfully, all understand that fact and respect the Magic Planet that I"ve cultivated. That’s why they are satisfied with their current lives.”
“……”
“I call this waterfall ‘Thunderfall.’ If you listen to the sound of the water falling for a long time, it feels like electricity is sparking near your ears.”
[It"s nothing alike, ask if your ears are still fine.]
The former master of Thunder, Residue, expressed his annoyance in a grumpy voice. It seemed like he especially disliked The Beginning Wizard, naturally, since he heard him talk about his annihilation face to face.
“Hehe, don"t be too shocked. There are still thirty-six more places I consider picturesque. In other words, Thunderfall is just the beginning.”
With a seemingly joyful voice, The Beginning Wizard spoke.
“Shall we move to the next location?”
* * *
There were more than thirty-six places.
As The Beginning Wizard headed towards the ‘picturesque" locations he had cla.s.sified, whenever he saw a place that seemed even slightly wonderful, he would change his path towards it.
Thus, the destinations they headed to sometimes appeared as landscapes naturally formed by nature, at times as the bustling life of a village, or even the interior of a small shop.
“The sunset is beautiful here, isn’t it?”
“It’s a pity about the timing. This place shows its true value when the leaves are falling……”
“How about this place?”
The Beginning Wizard, seemingly amused, kept asking Lukas for his thoughts.
[What the h.e.l.l is this b.a.s.t.a.r.d thinking?]
Residue spoke in a voice that seemed sick of it all.
‘He must be trying to send me some kind of signal."
[A signal?]
‘Yes. He"s hoping I"ll catch on to something he can"t say directly. It"s a typical development."
[Something he can"t say directly…]
As Residue trailed off, he asked,
[What is it?]
‘……"
He didn"t knew.
To be more precise, he don"t even have a clue.
At the location guided by The Beginning Wizard, Lukas tried not to miss a single gesture, glance, or subtle movement. Moreover, he busily racked his brain to find commonalities between clues that seemed independent at first glance.
Yet, nothing concrete came to mind.
“Originally, I wanted to differentiate each area. Literally, I wanted to create this Magic Planet as a world unto itself. And a world should encompa.s.s a variety of cultures blending together.”
…I don’t understand.
What this conversation means,
Or what The Beginning Wizard wants to convey to me.
“But it was difficult. The beings that exist in Magic Planet, hmm, were a bit boring. Of course, I am aware. It’s not their fault. After all, this territory only permits entry to those who share certain traits.”
‘Thanks to such tendencies, they also don’t covet unnecessary things,’ he listened intently even to his casually flowing voice.
I can"t find the meaning, but there must be some hidden message.
The opponent is The Beginning Wizard, a monster that not even the Four Knights can guarantee victory against in Magic Planet.
‘Mark Trowman" is just one of the many ident.i.ties he holds.
“Still, it seems that preferences vary from person to person, so when I have some free time, I roam around Magic Planet looking for decent shops. What do you think? Isn’t the flavor of this tea quite rich?”
At those words, Lukas bowed his head and looked down at the red-tinted tea.
Click.
The moment he held the teacup, a rich aroma penetrated his nose. As he tilted the teacup and let it down his throat, the fragrance amplified several times over. It"s a cliché expression, but it felt like a small flower garden blooming in his mouth.
…That’s all.
“I don’t really get it.”
Setting down the teacup, Lukas said that.
“Is that so?”
The Beginning Wizard chuckled lightly.
From his att.i.tude, it seemed he was under some misunderstanding.
Lukas shook his head and said,
“I’m not talking about my impression of this d.a.m.n tea.”
He had no intention of speaking with emotion. Indeed, his tone was calm. However, his choice of words could not be decoratively phrased.
“I mean, I don’t understand what you’re thinking.”
“…….”
“Do you not get it? Right now, I"m giving up. I can"t make heads or tails of what you"re up to. So… .”
He needed a moment before he could continue.
“…I"m asking you to tell me directly.”
A heavy silence fell for a while.
Lukas was feeling self-loathing. Honestly, he hadn’t expected to be so clueless. He thought his insight, a.n.a.lytical skills, and deductive reasoning were sufficient to gather clues and derive answers.
“…….”
The Beginning Wizard remained silent for a long time.
His eyes behind the mask seemed to sink deeply.
As the lingering taste of the tea faded in his mouth, a voice finally came through.
“There’s no such intention.”
“What?”
“Didn’t I say? There are many splendid places in Magic Planet. It may sound silly coming from my mouth, but I’m the one who cultivated this territory. Each time I tour around, I feel a certain pride. I wanted to introduce those places to you……”
“What’s the reason?”
Again, the flow was interrupted.
At this att.i.tude, Lukas felt frustration and a rising annoyance.
“I asked what meaning it holds. Does this have any relation to why you would want to kill me?”
“…No.”
“The ident.i.ty of the Void King, or a hint to prevent the Apocalypse, was it hidden here?”
“No, not at all.”
“Then what exactly are you trying to do?”
Finally, anger was evident in Lukas’s voice.
“Do I look like I have time to spare? Knowing the situation I"m in, yet you’re doing this to me.”
“…….”
“Is my death necessary? Could that possibly be the foundation to prevent the Apocalypse? If so, I would gladly accept that fate.”
[…….]
Lukas mentioned his own death again, but this time Residue just remained silent. Of course, Lukas hadn"t forgotten about their promise, or rather – their pact.
“…But if this trivial sightseeing, which isn"t even worth killing time, was done out of pity for me as I"m about to die…”
His previously calm tone crumbled. In contrast, his expression became even more frozen. Lukas wasn"t an amateur overwhelmed by his emotions, but now, he couldn"t maintain his complete composure.
An icy mist seemed to rise from Lukas"s body.
“You don"t know anything about me as a person.”
“……”
Whoosh,
The rising mist quickly dissipated the moment Lukas finished speaking.
And time, which had frozen, began to flow once again.
Once more, the sound of teacups clinking and the soft aroma of black tea filled the shop.
In the flow where everything returned to normalcy, only The Beginning Wizard still seemed to be frozen.
He said nothing.
He occasionally stopped speaking and maintained his silence, but this time it was unusually long.
“…Right. Perhaps, I misjudged.”
A distinctive chuckle was heard, but it felt a bit different from usual.
The moment Lukas sensed this incongruity, the voice continued.
“It’s natural for you not to have leisure. My thoughts were short-sighted. I apologize.”
With a creak, The Beginning Wizard stood up as he spoke.
“Then, shall we head straight to the ‘Tower 77"?”
“…Tower 77?”
“It’s also a place where I reside. To put it in more cliché terms.”
The Beginning Wizard’s gaze drifted upwards.
“The Magic Tower.”
* * *
Where does The Beginning Wizard usually stay?
Following him, Lukas recalled the residence of Yang In-hyun, a fellow Twelve Void Lords.
Cloud Pavilion.
The humble annex located just beneath the peak of the mountain was quite to Lukas’s liking. The harmonious location and the surrounding scenic beauty were also appealing.
─And the residence of The Beginning Wizard, called Tower 77 or otherwise known as Magic Tower, was located much higher than the Cloud Pavilion.
It was not an exaggeration but really much higher.
Far above the ground, far beyond the sky,
That’s where Tower 77 existed.
“This star is called Soma Star. What do you think?”
“…Tacky.”
Lukas muttered his brief impression as he looked around.
Soma Star, also known as the Little Magic Star, was indeed small. In terms of area, it was about the size of a rather small island. The surrounding scenery was also unusual. It was dark and spa.r.s.e, with constellations spread out here and there.
It seemed like a tiny island placed in the vast ocean of s.p.a.ce.
Hence, the sight of the elongated tower stretching above the island felt even more alien. Given that the backdrop was the universe, the setting felt almost dreamlike.
The Beginning Wizard"s body gently lifted off.
Floating soon turned into flying, and he began to ascend towards the top of the tower, his robes fluttering.
Lukas followed behind.
The tower, likely hundreds of meters tall, posed no issue.
The tower had a grotesque structure.
The circ.u.mference of the ground floor, that is, the first floor, was as large as a decent-sized castle, but as it went higher, it tapered significantly.
By the time it reached the top, the tower was no wider than an ordinary watchtower.
But Lukas saw something odd there.
There was a door on the wall at the top.
Naturally, there was no place to step on. The surface was rugged, and a door was attached out of nowhere, as if it had been carved into a mural.
“Hmm.”
The Beginning Wizard opened the door with a familiar movement.
Just as Lukas was about to follow,
“Stop.”
Along with a cold voice, a chilling sensation touched the nape of his neck.
Before he knew it, icicles seemed to wrap around Lukas’s neck, poised to pierce through it instantly.
Feeling the murderous intent that seemed to p.r.i.c.k his skin, Lukas glanced back.
*****