Prohibitive Edict (23)
The underground cavern churned as violet and black mana rotated and boiled.
A black hole that devoured even light and warped space itself caused the entire underground to convulse as if being dragged inward.
The time that phenomenon manifested at Victor’s fingertips existed only for an instant too fleeting for the five senses to perceive.
Yet the miracle wrought through the forbidden armament erased every trace left behind by Anathema simply by existing.
A dark ruin buried beneath the earth, where not even a sliver of light could enter.
Thud, thud!!
“Puuuh!!”
Felix’s face burst up through the dirt as he struggled, his beak flailing through the soil.
Like one desperately searching for oxygen, the bird-headed figure inhaled rapidly while shaking his head, still half-buried.
“Van? Ghost Princess?”
“Felix. Over here.”
Bwak!!
At that moment, a door suddenly opened above Felix’s head, and Lennok extended his hand.
“The mansion was protected by spells, so the damage isn’t severe. Come up.”
“…Feels like something similar happened once before.”
Felix, in a complete mess, regained consciousness, recalling the incident in the restricted zone as Lennok, already awake, handled the situation.
With a bitter smile, Felix grabbed Lennok’s hand and pulled hard—
Thud!!
Lennok’s body fell straight out of the door.
“…Van?!”
Felix hurriedly caught Lennok’s head in shock, but Lennok stood up as if nothing had happened.
“My apologies. I forgot to apply anti-gravity manipulation.”
“…Are you alright?”
Felix asked with concern.
“You don’t look to be in good condition.”
“No. I just have something to think about.”
Yet Lennok’s own expression looked distracted, as if focused elsewhere.
While Felix eyed him suspiciously, Lennok restored the crumpled shield and pulled Felix up with chains of gravity.
Kugung!!
With a thunderous rumble, Felix’s massive body was dragged onto the ground.
Brushing off the dirt, Felix finally let out a sigh and stepped into the mansion.
“The reception room…”
The mansion, once clean when first discovered, was now covered in soil from the backflow of earth.
Though the structure remained intact, it couldn’t prevent dirt from flooding inside.
“You’re late, bird-brain.”
“……”
Feysha, sprawled on the sofa, snapped at Felix.
“If you can’t even dodge a bit of dirt and end up buried, you might as well suffocate to death.”
“…I have no excuse. My body is unnecessarily large and heavy.”
“Sit down. Let’s talk.”
Lennok patted Felix’s drooping shoulders and gestured to a chair.
The half-tilted mansion. Dirt piled beneath their feet.
Though the surroundings had changed greatly, they gathered as before entering the temple.
Yet silence flowed among them.
“……”
Felix and Feysha quietly glanced at Lennok, as if gauging his mood.
“…Hmm?”
Noticing at last, Lennok smirked.
“Sit comfortably. Why are you acting like you’ve done something wrong?”
“Well, that is…”
“You think I’m pissed about losing the Forbidden Armament.”
As Felix coughed awkwardly, Feysha grinned crookedly.
“Of course you’d be furious. Some thieves snatched it right in front of you. If it were me, I’d have smashed this mansion already.”
“Ah, so that’s what you meant…”
Lennok trailed off with a bitter smile.
“That creepy masked bastard. I’ve never seen such a bizarre technique.”
“……”
“I’ve met manipulators before, but none like him. What’s his deal?”
“He’s a newly recruited special-attribute caster in Pandemonium.”
Felix answered heavily.
“Arrogant and irritable, but unmatched in manipulation talent.”
“A caster like that, and no identity known?”
“Even within Pandemonium, information is scarce. Some say no one even knows his face.”
“……”
“Still, that black hole at the end—does that make any sense? Just by grabbing a weapon, he extracts gravity?”
“It’s more accurate to say a dangerous weapon fell into the hands of a dangerous caster.”
Felix’s expression darkened.
“That was a miracle of conceptual manipulation.”
“…The continent really is vast.”
“So, mage. What now?”
Feysha asked.
“You must have something planned.”
“…For now, don’t worry about it.”
“Don’t worry?”
“A few failures aren’t surprising. Consider today trial and error.”
“….”
“We’ll settle the score with Pandemonium later.”
Feysha stared at Lennok strangely.
“…That’s not the patience I know.”
“….”
“I’m not going.”
“What nonsense?”
“If you suddenly go crazy and try to wipe out Pandemonium, don’t drag me along.”
“….”
“Whatever you’re plotting—”
“We’ll discuss Pandemonium later.”
Lennok cut her off.
“For now, focus on today’s gains.”
“Gains? We got nothing.”
Without responding, Lennok reached into his coat.
Woooong!!
A grotesque toad and a frost-emitting ring appeared on the table.
“…Huh?”
“No way.”
“They’re the relics Pandemonium took… when did you…?”
The frost sigil and curse toad—originally from Anathema’s temple, taken by Soryu and Ermong.
Lennok had stolen them back.
“Just before escaping, they were distracted.”
[Guueeek]
Placing a hand on the toad, Lennok said,
“We failed to retrieve the Forbidden Armament, but secured these.”
He had never intended to give them up.
While helping Pandemonium until the last moment—he stole them, equipped the gauntlet, created the black hole, and passed the relics to himself.
“……”
“So instead of what we lost, I’ve been thinking about how to use these.”
“Use? Who can use them besides you?”
Feysha scoffed, grabbing the toad.
[Kwaeek]
“It’s not alive. It’s a construct of grudges.”
“……”
“Ancient shamans made these. Modern ones can’t replicate them.”
“…Impressive knowledge.”
“I know a shaman. A lunatic who keeps trying to teach me.”
“….”
“For people like us, it’s just a creepy ornament.”
She stretched the toad’s mouth.
“That ring too. Unless you’re Kabahim royalty, it’s a curse.”
“….”
“They’re useless.”
“…Hmm…”
Felix lowered his head.
“Sorry, Van…”
“You did enough.”
Lennok lifted the toad.
“And ignore her nonsense. This is very useful.”
“What?!”
“It devours curses and grudges.”
“……”
“Feed it anything—it extracts only the curse.”
Ermong hadn’t gained power—he purified his mana through it.
“It can be applied in many ways.”
Lennok’s eyes gleamed.
“Purification of mana and will.”
“…Ah!”
Felix trembled.
“…Daolai’s magic?”
“Exactly.”
Lennok tossed the toad.
“It can purify the madness within it.”
“….”
“You can train without side effects.”
Felix’s power had always been unstable.
“Test it.”
“…Understood.”
“If successful, we may all use it.”
“Where are you going?”
“To test the frost sigil.”
“…Suit yourself.”
“If I fail, you’re next.”
“….”
Leaving Feysha behind, Lennok exited.
The mansion was tilted but intact.
Enough space remained.
“…Then.”
But instead, he sat down.
Closed his eyes.
Focused.
“Hu…”
Cold sweat ran down.
His consciousness scattered—and sank.
***
Vulcan, District 21. Hairea’s Cathedral.
An old organ echoed softly.
Pandemonium members surrounded a masked caster.
Tense air. Hostile gazes.
Yet Lennok ignored them, staring at the gauntlet on his left hand.
The metal shimmered.
He seemed entranced.
“So.”
Hairea spoke, rubbing her temples.
“I think you owe us an explanation, Victor, from beginning to end.”