Return of the Back Alley Wizard Chapter 189

Episode 189. Red Flowers Don't Last Ten Days

After all of Myseln's stories are over.

It wasn't long before Damian finished his breathing exercises.

“Damian, are you ready?”

Damian didn't respond. He simply raised his eyes and stared at Chenbi.

Chenbi, who had been looking into those clear, deep eyes for a moment, lightly patted Damian on the shoulder and turned around.

“…….”

Chenbi, who was standing in front of the large hole, took in the darkness for a moment.

The passage beyond the hole was deep and profound. The darkness, untouched by the glowstone's light, resembled a pitch-black abyss. The heat, melting the rock, created an optical illusion of distorted space.

As Chenbi stared into the darkness, Maiseln's voice rang in his ears.

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

Chenbi didn't respond, but instead smiled brightly.

Seeing that smile, Myselin realized how useless her question had been.

‘… … You became a wizard.’

It wasn't just Silk or Chenbi.

Damian, standing next to me, also had deeper, clearer eyes than before. Both of them had grown mentally.

As Myselin thought about that, Chenbi stepped into the passage.

Footsteps echoed through the dark passage. The darkness that enveloped the space retreated with each step forward.

With each step he took, with each step the darkness of the passage receded, Chenbi felt his own presence gradually fading away.

The feeling of becoming infinitely smaller, smaller, and being buried in the world.

Despite the unfamiliar sensation, something he'd never experienced before, Chenbi walked on. He stared into the darkness with sunken eyes.

– Hello. Are you Aster?

– however?

"I'm Chenbi. You're famous. I heard Dolanfe forced the second son to his knees?"

It was an ordinary meeting and I didn't take it seriously.

It was awkward to enter the academy at the age of sixteen, a bit late, and it was true that I felt intimidated among the so-called children of wealthy families.

Rather, it was an ordinary encounter, easy enough for a black-and-white vagrant to deal with, and if rejected, easy enough to find another group.

– Oh, it's nothing else. I just wanted to sit down with someone. I haven't made any friends yet. I'm a bit hesitant to join other people… You know that.

– Well, that's it.

A relationship that started without much of a burden.

– Yempyeong.

His habitual swearing was frivolous, no matter how I tried to view it favorably. His unenthusiastic attitude towards everything was incomprehensible.

How could a child like that have caught the eye of the Brando family? To say there was no jealousy would be a blatant lie.

But, it was fun.

So much so that all jealousy flies away.

Also, thank you.

I feel so sorry for the inevitable jealousy.

– … … Ah, Aster?

– What the hell is this, seriously? Just wait a minute. Let's talk about greetings after I take care of this.

– Ah, no. Aster, it's dangerous…!

Will there ever be a day when I can repay you?

If Damian was a brilliant star, Aster was a relentless wind. And he himself was a clumsy, protruding rock. He couldn't even bring himself to repay the debt.

but.

I really didn't know.

The whirlwind, which I had expected to become a typhoon, eventually dissipated into a breeze, leaving nothing behind.

I always thought that one day I would go somewhere unreachable, but I never dreamed that it would disappear like this.

So, Chenbi is now walking through this dark abyss, tracing his past, taking each step forward.

To put an end to a breakup that couldn't end properly.

How long did it take to walk like that?

When Chenbi had completely forgotten himself and melted into the world, an old, worn voice came into his ear.

“……It’s over there.”

Chenbi slowly closed his eyes, then opened them and looked ahead. Sure enough, the long passageway was finally coming to an end.

“Okay, I’ll be off.”

“Just check and come back.”

Instead of answering, Chenbi handed over the glowstone and turned his gaze to Damian.

As we left the passage, an open stone chamber soon came into view.

There, Chenbi was able to find the 'guy' without difficulty.

Do spirits sleep? A stone giant crouched in the center of a stone chamber, emitting only a faint flame.

The heat was so intense that it was almost suffocating, and Chenbi's eyes, which had been absentmindedly taking in the giant body, carefully examined the stone chamber.

The stone chamber is in disarray for some reason.

but.

……does not exist.

The only beings in the stone chamber were a crouching stone giant, himself, and Damian.

Finally, the person Chenbi's eyes reflected was Damian.

Damian stared at the stone giant for a moment after Chenvi's gaze met his, then nodded at Chenvi.

After confirming that, Chenbi turned his gaze to Maiseln, who had followed him.

“Sir Mycelin, are the spirits alright?”

“……As expected, you haven’t come to your senses. Right now, you’re resting in my presence.”

“Then, Sir Mycelin can’t do anything?”

“Right. So hurry up… no, wait.”

Myselin frowned, noticing something strange. For a moment, Chenbi's tone seemed ominous.

That was when.

Crunch, crunch!

"what……!"

Suddenly, a rock awl bursts out from the ground. In an instant, several awls burst out, aiming for Myseln.

Myselin could only step back helplessly, but soon Chenbi's voice rang in her ears.

“Sir Mycelin, I’m sorry I lied to you.”

“What are you trying to do now… Ugh!”

Chenbi didn't respond. Instead, she used magic to guide Mycelin deeper into the passage.

So, when Myseln had retreated far enough, Chenbi, without hesitation, destroyed the passage through which he had escaped.

Kugugu, kuku… … !

Among the collapsing rocks.

“Isn’t this a different promise……!”

Chenbi turned away from Mycelin's screams and looked back at the stone giant… Infernal.

Was he really asleep? He was curled up and didn't respond to the commotion.

Chenbi stared at the sight for a moment, then asked Damian a question.

“Really, do you think it will work?”

"huh."

“Yeah, that’s right.”

After receiving the final confirmation, Chenvi recalled some of the information about Infernal he had heard from Myseln.

Infernal, a fire spirit known to have existed in the mythical age. However, while it is essentially a spirit, it is closer to an evil spirit, and its birth is known to have blossomed from the ravages of hell.

The flames are so hot that they are lethal to physical beings, but in fact, they are even more lethal to spirits.

Was it a flame that annihilated spirits that had no concept of death?

If it were me, I wouldn't have dared to confront him… But Chenbi took a deep, long breath and focused on his concentration.

Since you said you would become Damian, you can become one.

There was not the slightest doubt.

“Damian, let’s get ready then.”

“You only get one chance.”

“I know. I’ll try my best to hold on.”

With those words, Chenbi blocked Damian's path.

Damian stared at Chenvi's back for a moment, then closed his eyes and began casting. His lips twitched, and a strange melody flowed out.

The speed at which you memorize the spell gradually increases, to the point where you can no longer recognize a single syllable.

Pazujeok, Pazujeok… …!

As if in response, the mana in the air rippled, like the swirling dark clouds before a thunderbolt.

Did you sense that ominous feeling?

That extreme, that extreme.

The crouching stone giant gradually expanded. No, it didn't expand. It only appeared to expand due to the increasingly intense flames.

Chenbi raised his power field against the hot flames, while his hard eyes fixed on Infernal.

Indeed, it is huge.

3 meters… … no, maybe closer to 4 meters.

‘… … You said 5 minutes?’

Chenbi took a step forward and closed his eyes.

And after enough time had passed to take a deep breath, Chenbi slowly opened his closed eyes.

The Infernal's massive form filled his field of vision. Chenbi's limp fingers hung limply, precariously holding the glowstone.

Right now, at this moment.

Chenbi was entering a new horizon.

Forgetting oneself, by forgetting oneself… … .

Oneness, mixed with the world.

It's not like a genius rules the world. He erases himself and becomes part of the world.

This is the only path allowed to Chenbi, who is an ordinary person.

Bam… … .

Finally, the precariously hanging luminous stone fell freely. Chenbi, immersed in the world, vividly remembered the entire process, as if it were a painting.

And finally―

Clang!

Chenbi was the first to move.

“I… hate golems.”

Crunch, crunch!

Dozens of lances shot up from the ground. Their frosty spearheads rushed toward Infernal.

A world of extremely heightened concentration, the sight fleetingly captured in Chenbi's eyes.

– It's called 'The Window of the Earth'. Isn't that a bit of a grand name? … … Haha.

– It's not a very grand name.

– Oh, really?

– It's not like it's not grand at all.

– … … .

How is it, Aster?

– If it's this kind of magic, the name itself is something the caster must prove. Whether it's grand or not depends on your actions.

Isn't that a pretty fitting name?

With that thought, Chenbi completely melted into the world.

… … The blood flowing down his nose was redder than any flower.

* * *

A strange cracking sound echoed through the large stone chamber.

Myseln, who was staring blankly at the collapsed passage, could tell that a battle had begun.

“How…….”

I felt like an idiot for not noticing.

Really, if Chenbi was only trying to confirm Infernal… … how could his eyes have been so transparent? It couldn't have been.

Really, if Damian hadn't been thinking about revenge… …why would he have been sharpening himself so sharply? There wouldn't have been any reason for him to do so.

Myselin bit her lip in pain at her painful mistake.

But, it wasn't just the mistakes that made him feel sorry.

Grrrrr… …Kuung―!

Across the pile of stones, where the sound of explosions echoed, although the spirit's power could not be borrowed, Maiseln could clearly feel the energy.

A single presence blazes fiercely, like a dying candle burning its life.

‘… … No.’

Every ordinary person has a certain area of permission. There is a certain pace at which they must walk. There is also a line they must not cross.

But Chenbi has now gone beyond that.

‘How, how could it be so urgent… … .’

If I walk my own path slowly and at the permitted speed, I may one day forge a path not permitted to geniuses.

Why do we burn out the potential given to us so hastily?

Myselin clenched her fists and closed her eyes.

It was time to make a decision.

Perhaps, I postponed it because it might have irreversible consequences… … but now is the time to make a decision.

Okay, for a moment.

Myselin opened her closed eyes and looked beyond the pile of stones.

In fact, it was a problem that didn't even need to be worried about.

If someone needs to ignite possibility… … .

‘… … It would be right for the old man to burn it.’

The spirit of the new wind.

Once known to be the equal of the wizard Muspelun, the old spirit master closed his eyes again, steeling his resolve.

‘It’s been so long… I don’t know if things will go well.’

Soon, the power of the spirits within his arms was transferred to the old man.

For the young wizard.