Chapter 157
Orb of Souls (1)
As the match progressed into its later stages, each battle that unfolded became increasingly fascinating.
Many strong contenders had been eliminated, but the rising new stars were displaying outstanding performances.
“Ah~ Edelia is out! That bold decision to abandon cover and charge at the last moment was good, but luck wasn’t on her side. There just happened to be a venomous trap there!”
One by one.
Every time a contestant was eliminated, regretful sighs echoed from all around, while some cheered in excitement.
The commentator quickly scanned all the battles occurring on the stage, adeptly narrating multiple scenes simultaneously.
Switching from narrating one location to another, and broadcasting different scenes as well.
However, on rare occasions, even the commentator would focus on a single battle.
Such was the case for matches involving special contestants who attracted the most attention from the majority of spectators.
“Powerful contender, Zeliel! She’s begun fighting against Berankal!”
Few people knew the name Berankal. However, Zeliel was globally renowned, so many people were naturally interested, prompting the commentator to focus attention there.
Though it was unfortunate that other battles were being neglected, as a commentator, he had to cater to the spectators’ interests.
“The battle has begun immediately! Although Berankal isn’t well-known, judging by the overwhelming atmosphere, Zeliel should not take him lightly!”
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Despite the commentator trying to elevate the tension by hyping Berankal, most expected Zeliel to win.
Even knowing the outcome, the audience was eager to see the skills of Zeliel, who became a High Elf at a young age.
What dazzling magic would she display to crush this unknown opponent?
With such anticipation.
The battle began.
“Ah… wait, it seems there is a bit of a problem during the match…”
“What? What’s that?”
“Is that really burning?”
“Something seems off…”
“Is there a malfunction in the Stella Dome?”
As the crimson-black flames used by Berankal began burning everything in sight, the audience murmured.
When they saw Zeliel’s skin actually get charred by the magic, the anxiety among the spectators escalated.
The Magic Survival stage was a virtual space. It should not be a place where one could get hurt by magic, so why was this mysterious phenomenon occurring?
“What? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t quite understand…”
Of course, ordinary people who didn’t understand magic couldn’t detect what was wrong.
“On the stage, there are objects that cannot be destroyed by the contestants’ magic. Like the falling rain or fixed building debris.”
“Yeah, so what?”
“That contestant, Berankal, is burning everything down while attacking Zeliel. It’s subtle, but… it looks like she’s really getting injured.”
“Right. And also… those black flames, they seem to contain Dark Mana.”
“No way… seriously?”
T h is w as co pi ed f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g
However, among the spectators were many mages with professional knowledge.
They realized something was wrong with the match and spread the word, causing the notion that a Dark Mage might have infiltrated the survival event to spread rapidly.
“Ah, audience members, please remain calm. There seems to be a minor accident, but the Stella team will handle everything…”
The commentator received a signal to switch the monitor, but he refused. With decades of experience as a commentator, he knew that switching the screen during such controversies would only backfire.
“For now, let’s watch the situation unfold…”
As the commentator hurried to manage the atmosphere.
Finally, Zeliel was consumed by Berankal’s magic and collapsed, her entire body aflame.
“Ah…”
The situation was spiraling out of control.
* * *
Meanwhile, in Flame’s hospital room.
Observing the same situation, Hong Bi-yeon spoke suddenly.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g mtl . o r g
“The Root of Iskaram.”
“Uh…”
Anella, taken aback by the unexpected statement, made a puzzled face, prompting Flame to explain from behind.
“It’s the source of that magic. It’s a Dark Mage lineage that allows one to use special magic.”
“Oh, right…”
T h i s was c o p ie d f r o m k ing m tl. o r g
As a Dark Mage herself, Anella couldn’t be unaware. ‘Iskaram’ was one of the most powerful and notorious Dark Mages.
‘Amazing…’
A Dark Mage presumed to be much younger than her could wield such overwhelming power.
Anella, unable to achieve such feats, felt a twinge of envy but quickly composed herself.
‘I’m no longer envious of the power of Dark Mages.’
T h i s w as co pi e d from k i ng m t l. org
While Anella shook her head, Flame watched the monitor with a serious expression.
Berankal, using Iskaram’s magic, must have realized that he was being exposed to tens of thousands of spectators.
But… he would likely enjoy it.
Finding pleasure in tormenting and killing someone who was practically a deity among mages in front of everyone’s eyes.
He probably didn’t care if he died immediately afterward if he could leave a significant scar on the world of magic.
The commentator fell silent.
On the screen, Zeliel struggled out of the body of her summoned spirit, Elpion, but her body was already severely burned, rendering her unable to fight, while Berankal remained unscathed.
Thoughts swirled in Flame’s head.
In the original novel, Zeliel was undoubtedly an antagonist.
Hong Bi-yeon and Zeliel, both from entirely opposite spectrums to Aiselle, tormented the protagonist in various ways, but Zeliel’s methods were especially vicious, making her unforgettable.
So, there was a dilemma.
‘Is it okay for Zeliel to die?’
She was a significant figure who greatly impacted this world. Whether as an antagonist or not, she had the power to overturn an entire city with just a word.
If such a being suddenly disappeared due to an unexpected variable…
Wouldn’t that mean a step closer to the ‘world’s end’ in the future?
Amidst the chaos of various thoughts.
Rumble…!!
A massive bolt of lightning struck within the screen door, and Baek Yu-seol appeared.
He had chosen to save Zeliel.
“Ah, um… Zeliel has been eliminated…”
Baek Yu-seol safely eliminated her, and as a battle ensued, Flame watched intently.
In such a critical situation, the Dark Mage had to be dealt with directly.
…Despite the severity of the situation.
“Yeah! Baek Yu-seol! Kill him!”
“Good job! Show them what you got!”
Cheers erupted from the audience. It seemed only natural, given Baek Yu-seol’s dramatic rescue of Zeliel and his overwhelming combat prowess.
‘What will happen next…’
In the original novel, there was an incident where a Dark Mage infiltrated Stella, causing chaos. This happened in the story after the school competition when Professor Maizen Tiren turned into a Dark Mage.
However, Maizen Tiren had long been eliminated by Baek Yu-seol, and it seemed like things would calm down…
“Ah…”
In the midst of this.
Something strange emanated from Baek Yu-seol.
Familiar, yet impossible to sense in humans.
‘Is that… divine beast’s mana?’
“Why? Is there a problem?”
Only someone with extremely sensitive senses like Flame could notice, so Hong Bi-yeon asked cluelessly.
“…Nothing. Never mind.”
Flame shook her head.
She was only slightly surprised that Baek Yu-seol could handle divine beast’s mana, but as a regressor, nothing he did would be too unusual.
‘…But why do I feel so uneasy?’
In the Stella Dome stage, VIX.
Flowerseorin, watching the match in a completely isolated space, frowned at the revealed Dark Mage.
Was she upset because a Dark Mage had suddenly infiltrated Magic Survival?
Of course, that was part of it.
She particularly hated the Dark Mages.
But beyond that, she was also disappointed that the Dark Mage wasn’t who she expected.
“…Ah?”
Then.
Seeing the boy facing Berankal, Flowerseorin’s expression turned blank.
A familiar face.
How could she not recognize him? That student… wasn’t he the mysterious boy who saved Spirit Leafanel’s life?
“Why, what’s the matter?”
Oranha asked, but Flowerseorin didn’t answer, intently examining Baek Yu-seol’s face.
No doubt.
It was the same boy she encountered in Leafanel’s Garden.
‘He’s a student of Stella…’
Although they were so close, she hadn’t met him, which felt somewhat disappointing but also relieving. She could meet him after the match.
Maybe… she could ask him about Leafanel, who had fallen into a deep sleep to recover her energy.
But on another note, the Spirit Slayer didn’t seem to be present, causing her unease.
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‘She’s anxious.’
Oranha smiled slightly.
Still, the Spirit Slayer hadn’t shown up, and Flowerseorin bit her lips.
Not realizing her habit due to the mask, it meant she was quite anxious.
Peeking at Oranha, she seemed to want to ask something, but decided to wait a bit longer and turned her attention back to the screen.
Flowerseorin trusted Oranha a lot. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have entrusted him with most of the king’s duties.
T hi s w a s c o pied f r o m k i n g m tl . o r g
Since Oranha had personally mentioned the Spirit Slayer, she decided to trust him and wait patiently.
“Your Majesty. The Stella mages are moving busily. It seems to be a real situation.”
“That Dark Mana isn’t fake.”
Some ordinary spectators, even seeing the Dark Mage in Magic Survival, believed it might be an event.
Not being able to feel that dreadful, disgusting Dark Mana, how blessed were they. Flowerseorin felt so tormented she could cut off her nose right now.
“But seeing that they can’t intervene immediately, the rumor about Stella’s principal not being able to control his magic seems true.”
Flowerseorin didn’t respond but thought it made sense.
The essence of Eltemon Eltrine’s spatial magic came from someone else.
He had severed ties with the mentor who taught him magic, so even if he found issues with his magic, he couldn’t fix them.
Spatial equations were incomprehensible to the human brain, and Eltemon Eltrine’s magic was forever stuck in place.
Flowerseorin silently watched the stage screens.
While aware that Berankal was a Dark Mage, who could say if there were others?
Unless another Dark Mage used special concealment magic to hide their Dark Mana, even Flowerseorin couldn’t detect them. But the moment any mana leaked, she would notice immediately.
Despite that, her attention was naturally drawn to Baek Yu-seol and Berankal’s battle.
Berankal’s peculiar magic wasn’t special since she had seen the original version, but Baek Yu-seol was unique.
“Isn’t it fascinating? This student, Baek Yu-seol.”
“…Yes. Truly unique and extraordinary.”
She knew his name well. Even at seventeen, he had already created two significant magical feats that could go down in history.
Moreover, he controlled Blink. For Flowerseorin, who believed Blink couldn’t be controlled with ordinary magic, it was astonishing.
“…But, Your Majesty, haven’t you thought of this?”
T his w a s c o p ie d f rom k in gm t l . o rg
“Yes…?”
“What if Baek Yu-seol isn’t an ordinary teenager… doesn’t all his accomplishments seem plausible?”
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f ro m k i n gm t l . o r g
“What… do you mean?”
“At least, that’s what I think. There have been many mages in history who created such great magic.”
Pirendat created pure magic at thirty-nine, Arazest developed the Reverse Casting at fifty-four, ensuring 100% stability, and Quintum perfected the crystallization of mana elements at forty.
Baek Yu-seol’s accomplishments are similar to theirs. They just stood out because of his exceptionally young age.
“It’s his age that’s the problem. Baek Yu-seol… is disguising his age.”
“What… are you talking about?”
Flowerseorin found it absurd. But Oranha continued with conviction.
“Your Majesty knows why I’m saying this.”
“That’s…”
What do you mean?
She was about to ask.
At that moment.
Suddenly, from somewhere.
A very intense… divine beast’s energy was felt.
Jolt!
Realizing it, Flowerseorin had already stood up.
That familiar and dearly missed energy… it was none other than her old friend, Spirit Leafanel.
And that divine beast’s mana emanated from the student named Baek Yu-seol.
‘How…?’
She knew he saved Leafanel. But… it made no sense for him to possess Leafanel’s energy.
For an ordinary human to hold that much energy, it would be impossible unless they ‘killed the spirit and consumed its heart.’
But Leafanel had said it herself. That boy undoubtedly saved her.
‘Ah…’
Seeing Flowerseorin increasingly troubled, Oranha stood up and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Your Majesty. I’m not saying this without reason. I have… solid evidence.”
“…Evidence?”
“Yes. I apologize for keeping it secret, but… I had Baek Yu-seol carry an ‘Orb of Souls.’ Today marks exactly one month.”
“Ah…”
So, the Orb of Souls would reveal whether Baek Yu-seol’s soul had been corrupted.
If he had indeed killed a spirit, a pitch-black pearl would appear in the world.
Though she didn’t want to believe it, Flowerseorin had no choice but to hear Oranha out.
T h i s w as c o p ie d f r o m k in g mtl . o r g
Closing her eyes tightly, Flowerseorin nodded.
“…Alright. Quietly summon Baek Yu-seol.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Truly, a benevolent queen.
Even in this situation, she planned to quietly verify the truth.
Though he thought so, Oranha didn’t intend to follow her orders.
Regrettably, Oranha intended to expose Baek Yu-seol’s identity to the world.
End of Chapter