Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1439: The Grand Magus Summons

Londo wasted no time. The moment they were in range, he stepped forward and pressed a scroll into Raze’s hands, a scroll that contained everything he had asked for, every piece of information he would need. Right after, Kelly approached and slipped several crystals into his palm, each one gleaming faintly with stored magic.

Raze recognized them instantly. One was a storing crystal, capable of holding vast amounts of energy or information. The other was a projectile crystal, designed to unleash destructive force when needed. Exactly the kind of tools he would require to ensure that everyone would see, without question, everything he intended to display during the upcoming event.

“You two did an excellent job,” Raze said, his voice calm but tinged with genuine appreciation. “I wish I could reward you properly right now. If I can find the time, I’ll craft and enchant the strongest weapons I’m capable of making, for the both of you.”

To most, the promise of a crafted item might have been a pleasant gesture, but for those who knew the legends, a creation from the Dark Magus himself was the kind of thing that could change destinies. Still, here on this world, Raze’s reputation as a craftsman didn’t carry the same infamous weight it did back on Pagna. The two didn’t react with the shocked awe Pagna natives might have shown, but excitement still flickered in their eyes.

“An item from the Dark Magus himself…” Londo’s voice almost trembled as he spoke, his words spilling out loudly enough that nearly everyone nearby could probably hear his heartbeat. “I swear I’ll treasure it forever, I’ll never let it out of my sight!”

Kelly, as usual, was quieter. She didn’t speak, but the faint satisfaction in her expression made her feelings clear. The thought of owning something personal, something hand-crafted by him, was enough to make even her heart stir.

After that, the group made the practical decision to split up. They all knew it was wiser not to linger together for too long, not here, not now, and they understood that perfectly. Safa slipped her mask back into place, vanishing into the role she wore in public, and headed off with Londo to rejoin the others.

As for Raze, he had a different destination. He planned to return straight to the dorms, to tell Redrick he was free to move around again, and then keep himself indoors until the event began. There was something else on his mind, something that couldn’t wait. He wanted to spend the remaining time studying the magic formation.

When he reached the corridor, he stopped at Redrick’s door and knocked, not a normal knock, but one with a deliberate rhythm. It was their signal, a silent code that meant everything’s done rather than I need to speak with you.

When Redrick opened the door, he found no one waiting outside. All he heard was the distant sound of another door closing further down the hallway.

“I guess that means I can finally get out of this place,” Redrick muttered, stretching his arms until his shoulders popped. A small grin tugged at his lips. “Well then… I suppose I should try to enjoy myself while I’m here.”

Meanwhile, Raze entered his own room and immediately turned back toward the door. His fingers traced a precise pattern in the air, placing a magic seal upon it. Then, with another quick motion, he layered a silence spell over the entire room, ensuring that nothing, no sound, no whisper, could escape its boundaries.

Finally, he crossed the space to his desk and lowered himself into the chair. From his coat, he drew the scroll Londo had given him and placed it carefully on the table. The parchment shimmered faintly with magical light. It wasn’t just any scroll, this was a crafted magical document, designed so that when unfurled completely, it would remain open on its own, allowing the user to study every line, every diagram, without interruption.

And now, alone in the warded quiet of his room, Raze leaned forward, ready to unravel its secrets.

The moment Raze unfurled the scroll completely, the intricate web of lines and symbols revealed itself, and for a second, even he could do nothing but stare. The magical formation laid out before him was breathtaking, a tapestry of precision and power woven into every curve of the ink. He could follow some of it, enough to understand the general shape of its function, but then his eyes fell on certain runes, symbols so foreign that even he, with all his years of study, could not decipher them.

Raze and Ibarin were equals in rank, both Nine Star mages, but there was a sharp divide between them. Raze had always been relentless in his pursuit of knowledge, the kind of mage who valued research above titles. His mastery wasn’t built purely on raw magical strength; it came from the foundation he had painstakingly built through the study of countless disciplines, including the complex craft of magic circles.

And yet, here it was. Something that defied his understanding.

This… doesn’t make sense. His mind immediately began racing. Even among the Grand Magus, I can’t think of a single one who could create something like this. The only person who might come close would be Idore, but even then… I doubt it. This isn’t Ibarin’s work. It can’t be.

His eyes narrowed, tracing the formation’s structure again. The others only managed to find this single copy. No other versions, no scattered duplicates… so is this even the Grand Magus’s creation at all? What if it was found rather than made?

The thought sent a chill of familiarity through him. He had felt this before, that disquieting awareness that somewhere out there was a mage whose knowledge outstripped his own, someone capable of casting spells that made even him pause in confusion.

That someone had a name: Bofan Klikola, the founder of the Dark Faction, who had originally come from Alterian.

Raze’s gaze sharpened. I never found any trace of him in Pagna. Most likely he’s in Alterian, or at least, he was. If he managed to reach the Divine Stage, then he could still be alive even now.

But another possibility crept into his thoughts, one far less hopeful. If Alter ever hunted him, and if he discovered a link between them and the Grand Magus… wouldn’t that mean there was another powerful mage out there who stood against them? What if he tried… and failed?

He exhaled slowly, a shadow passing over his features. If he lost, maybe that’s why items like this have ended up in the wrong hands.

Elsewhere, Redrick had just stepped out of the dormitories, stretching his arms as he prepared to finally enjoy some freedom. But before he could take more than a few steps, a figure in the Central Academy’s event staff uniform hurried up to him.

“Ah, you’re just the person I was looking for,” the staff member said with a polite smile. “The Grand Magus has called a meeting, one teacher from each academy is to attend, to discuss certain matters about the event. It shouldn’t take long, and since you’re already here, would you mind coming along?”

Redrick didn’t particularly want to go, but he’d been feeling somewhat useless lately, with little to actually do. At the very least, he could handle this much.

“Sure,” he said after a brief pause. “Let’s meet the Grand Magus.”

****

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