Chapter 27: Absolute Proposition (8)

“Not done yet?”

“No! I’m redrawing the magic circle from scratch because of someone!”

Min Jaeyoon was frantically rewriting the circle with white chalk in the middle of the library.

Because Lude had wrecked the wards with his spirit energy, the magical flow needed to be realigned. On top of that, the circle itself had to be corrected to match the plan.

“Man, mages really have it rough. You’ve got to memorize every single circle…”

“Are you picking a fight with my class right now? Don’t you know how much pride the mage branch has? Illusionists like you can’t even manifest illusions into reality!”

“I could, though.”

Lude spun in a circle, gesturing at himself. Min Jaeyoon, fuming, ducked his head back down over the chalk lines.

‘Right, that guy’s an outlier. He’s a whole different league, even among the Celestials!’

He’d always thought of himself as the best, but after that battle, Jaeyoon had learned that there was a wall he couldn’t possibly cross. Muttering that as self-consolation, he went on with his chalk corrections.

Tack, tack-tack. Other than the two of them, the library was dead silent except for the scrape of chalk on the floor. Then Lude’s voice drifted into Jaeyoon’s ears.

“You know, if you hate the idea of teachers or classmates dying this much, why not just register as an Awakener? Honestly, stuff like this happens once every three months.”

Lude’s gaze went back to the circle Jaeyoon was working on.

‘That’s a pretty refined circle. Sure, it’s just set up in a public institution, but its wards are solid, and even a corruption-type gate wouldn’t be able to breach this level.’

A mage with plenty of mana was one thing, but a perfectionist mage was far scarier. And this student had both. With this level of talent and obsession, he’d have no problem landing a position at one of the Four Great Guilds.

“You’d probably rank in the top five in the country if you joined a place like the White Night and got proper training.”

Jaeyoon didn’t say anything for a long while as he finished adjusting the circle.

‘Did I say the wrong thing? I was kind of… trying to imitate Kang Ihyun there.’

It didn’t seem to work on this kid. Just as Lude was about to apologize, Jaeyoon spoke again.

“My grandfather. He lost my mom and dad to demons. They were ripped apart right in front of him. Mom was torn vertically, Dad horizontally. He couldn’t do anything.”

Lude froze, eyes widening. The boy was recounting something horrific as if it were nothing.

“I was only three, so I don’t remember much, but Grandpa must have been traumatized. Do you know how badly he shakes just hearing the ‘de’ in the word demon? So if his grandson turned out to be a mage who handles demons, imagine how shocked he’d be.”

[Everyone thinks mages are driven by academic zeal, but the truth is they’re driven by the urge to dominate, the Lord of Chaos suddenly remarks.]

‘Dominate?’

[Yes. They study relentlessly, not just to learn, but to one day put what they study under their control, to rule it however they please. That kind of obsessive drive is what makes someone into a mage, the Lord of Chaos kindly explains to you.]

Lude stroked his chin, looking at the boy with a bit more understanding.

‘So he started getting interested in that direction after watching his grandfather.’

[Exactly, the Lord of Chaos snaps his fingers as if to say “bingo.”]

“Ah, finally done! Man, that was brutal!”

Jaeyoon stood up, dusting the chalk powder off his hands. Lude, still lost in thought, pulled out his phone. It was time to actually destroy the gate.

* * *

[Kang Ihyun, we’re ready. It’s your turn now.]

“Okay.”

Kang Ihyun stood on the athletic field, staring at the school with an uneasy expression. His head seemed full of doubts.

“U-Um Lude, is it really that bad? Do we really need to bring the whole place down? I mean, on the surface it looks like everything’s back to normal now. Even the readings are stable.”

[What do you know? Just do it. I’ll take responsibility, so get ready to tear it down.]

“I’m just worried if we botch this, we’ll get stuck with the repair bill.”

Practical concerns filled his head. Lude’s voice came again from the phone.

[Hey. I’ll handle it. Just unleash the strongest attack you’ve got. If I like it—]

“If you like it?”

[I might even take you out for a meal.]

“…I’ll do my absolute best!”

Ihyun’s mood flipped in an instant. In his mind he was already planning the course. Eat at a good restaurant, catch a movie, then stop by a café. With renewed energy, he pulled a sword from his inventory and raised it high.

The cross that dangled from his shirt gleamed under the light. When he lifted the blade straight up, golden holy energy swirled to him.

His expression went deadly serious. He shut his eyes, then opened them, blue irises flashing toward the golden halo that surrounded him.

“Accessing the Tree of Sephirot.”

[Incarnation Exclusive Skill :: Sacred Medicine of God]

[Constellation, Authority of the Staff of Purification, is being used.]

The heavens slowly parted, pouring radiant gold light down onto him like a spotlight on a stage.

[Connecting to the Tree of Sephirot.]

[Guardian of the Tree of Life confirmed. Please wait.]

[Permission granted to Raphael’s incarnation, Tiphereth.]

The skill that had earned him the title “Golden Sacred Flame” more than anything else—Tree of Sephirot. Through it, Kang Ihyun could borrow the Authorities of other angels.

He needed their consent, of course. But he had been chosen by none other than Raphael.

As Raphael’s avatar, now granted Tiphereth’s authority, divine power spilled from his body like light. Gold flooded the schoolyard. Behind him, a colossal golden hexagon flared into being, wrapping around his form.

“Mercy of God below, strength of God above.”

[Tiphereth’s scales are moving.]

[Awaiting permission from Hesed and Gebura. Please wait.]

[Archangel Zadkiel consents to Tiphereth’s request.]

[Archangel Kamael consents to Tiphereth’s request.]

Blue and red energies flared at his sword, fusing into golden fire. The two colors fought for dominance until finally red prevailed.

His white armor shifted, tightening around his arms, legs, and waist, built to withstand raw power.

The red-tinged power of God, Gebura. Nothing was better for obliterating everything in the way. Of course, if mishandled, it could snap a limb or two without question, so care was essential.

The entire school was bathed in divine radiance. Ihyun opened his eyes and drew his sword back with one hand, as if ready to cut the heavens themselves.

Then Archangel Kamael’s voice rang out.

[Roll your eyes in the flames and, with the sword in your right hand, deliver cold judgment.]

“And remove everything unnecessary…!”

[Divine Authority :: Gebura is now active!]

Craaaash-!! A colossal strike of light shot straight into the school. The full power of an archangel ripped it to pieces.

The blood-vessel-like growths that had covered the walls turned to dust, the writhing innards incinerated. The building itself crumbled into ash.

And amidst the golden destruction, only the library remained, shielded by a black sphere. Lude’s spirit energy.

With a grunt, Lude drove his half-scissor of gold into the trembling library floor, invoking his Constellation’s power.

[Incarnation Exclusive Trait :: Fragment of the First Dream]

[Constellation ◼◼◼◼’s Authority is being used.]

[Borrowing the skill of the Sub-King.]

[Sub-King ◼◼◼◼’s exclusive skill :: I am everywhere. I exist here.]

Lude’s spirit energy exploded outward, pulling the shattered fragments of the school back together. The broken outer walls began to cling back into place, the building just barely holding form.

The golden divine force and the black spirit energy were balanced on a knife’s edge. If Nari pressed a little harder, Ihyun’s holy power would collapse. If Ihyun’s grew any stronger, Nari’s spirit power would be erased.

The school was being destroyed and rebuilt simultaneously. That fragile balance could only be broken by a third party’s intervention.

“Min Jaeyoon!”

“Yes!”

Behind Lude, Jaeyoon opened the grimoire Lemegeton. Using the freshly modified circle, he had to follow proper procedure to summon demons.

While holy and spirit powers clashed, the red pages of the book fluttered.

[Incarnation Exclusive Trait :: Master of the Seventy-Two Demons of Wisdom is now active!]

[Constellation, Authority of the King of Wisdom and Demons, is being used.]

“Demons of the Twelve Houses, six seats!”

He cried out, and the circle glowed red, warping into a giant pit.

“I am the King of Wisdom, your master, guardian of Babylon’s Pit! I permit the body sealed in the Abyss to manifest through me!”

The mana stones at the four directions resonated with his power, stabilizing the improvised ward.

Chains from the Lemegeton multiplied, plunging into the pit.

“You are my servant. I am the faithful hand of the Almighty Yahweh. In His name, I command evil!”

Something began to drag its way up from the pit. Jaeyoon chanted harder. Amidst the mingling of red mana, golden holy power, and black spirit energy, crimson magic blossomed faintly.

“Demon of War and Consecration, answer my call!”

Before him, a figure began to take form. Two women on horseback appeared and knelt. A demonic intonation echoed.

[We greet our great master.]

Red mana surged, reattaching the school’s walls that Nari had barely kept standing. The foundation rose, floors stacked back one after another.

The demon of consecration followed its master’s guide, giving solidity to the illusionary reconstruction.

The school that had been destroyed by holy power, held together by spirit power, was now cemented in place by magic.

It was a collaboration of three Constellations, archangel, outer being, and great demon. They restored the students’ school to its original form.

Brilliant light enveloped the campus, then faded. Jaeyoon, having poured out nearly all his mana in an instant, collapsed to the floor.

“Ugh… haah…!”

As the mana faded, so too did the holy power and the spirit power. Jaeyoon, face pressed to the ground and eyes screwed shut, finally blinked them open. The school was dark and silent.

Black spirit energy tinged with red mana drifted upward like smoke. From within it, Lude approached and set his hand on Jaeyoon’s head.

“Mr. Lude…?”

Lude’s gaze was chilling. Meeting his eyes, Jaeyoon felt gooseflesh creep over him.

He knew full well if Lude pressed even a little here, his skull would crush like a sponge. Even Jaeyoon’s Constellation was tense.

Lude lingered, seeming to wrestle with some thought. Then he let his hand fall and exhaled.

“I guess I was raised too well. I can’t bring myself to kill a kid in a school uniform. But if you spill my secret, I won’t forgive you. Got that?”

“Huh…?”

Lude shoved his hands into his trench coat pockets, turned, and walked slowly away.

“I’m leaving. People will be coming up soon, so you figure out your own escape. Oh, and…”

He glanced back at Jaeyoon, with his expression blank.

“You did well. Enjoy the rest of your school life.”

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.