Descent of the Legendary Archmage

The blood thirst emitting from the drake suffocated my entire body.

I was being crushed by its indescribable pressure.

Even if I tried to run away, my legs wouldn't move.

Even breathing was difficult.

It felt like this wasn't my body.

Snarl...

The drake lightly snorted the breath from its nose.

And with that light breath, the mana in the air swirled like it was caught in a vortex.

The drake's breath passed through my body.

"Ugh!"

Only its breath passed through me, but my entire body twisted.

Unbearable pain as if my mana was flowing backwards.

At that moment, I was once again convinced.

'This guy is a drake.'

A monster that can create a mana storm just from exhaling from its nose.

No monster is capable of this other than the drake.

"Huff, huff."

I desperately tried to fix my circle that had become a mess from the pressure of the drake's mana, as I gasped heavily for air.

'...Can I escape?'

The option to fight didn't even exist.

A species of disaster that isn't recorded in the ranking index: the drake.

He's not a monster I can face right now.

My only choice is to escape.

'No, it's impossible to escape as well.'

But I soon realized that there was no point in fleeing.

Since even if I tried to run away, my legs wouldn't move.

The drake's bloodthirst prevented me from moving even a single finger.

Even if I could move my legs, escaping from it would be impossible.

'With my speed, I won't be able to get away from it.'

The moment that guy runs at me, it's over.

'...Hold on a second.'

At that moment, I felt a strange feeling that something was out of place.

'That drake. Why doesn't it move any further?'

The drake doesn't even think of coming any closer to me.

Despite smacking its lips and drooling as if I were the finest meal, it doesn't come any closer.

'As if there's an invisible barrier right in front of him...'

Although it wanted to come closer, it couldn't.

That's what it seemed like.

"...Is there any reason why you can't come closer?"

As I mumbled that.

"Excellent work."

"!"

A voice came from behind me.

''Your iron will not despairing until the end, even when such a monster was standing before you. Despite being in a situation where you could fall into panic, you didn't and kept your head cool."

A clear, pearl-like voice.

Although I wanted to know who it was, I had no way of knowing.

My body continued to not listen to me.

"You passed."

A hand touched my shoulder.

And at that moment.

“You should be able to move now.”

My body has regained its freedom.

It was still a little shaky, but it was working fine.

I turned my head to the unidentified woman who was speaking to me.

And at that moment, my eyes widened.

"Hello."

Pure green hair that seemed to symbolize nature.

A firm gaze that seemed to see through everything.

An elegant smile that evoked all of the above.

Ears that were about one and a half times longer than an average person’s and a dreamy atmosphere.

"...A fairy?"

She looked like the very definition of a fairy.

The unidentified woman, who wore freedom like she wore clothes, smiled brightly.

“We'll talk in more detail after we get rid of that.”

As she said that, she walked until she was in front of me and looked straight at the drake, which was baring its teeth at me.

"I commend you for not being blinded by your desires and not stepping into my territory."

She said this monotonously.

But at that one phrase, all the hairs on my body stood up.

“I appreciate your patience, and so just this once I shall forgive you for making a mess of my garden. So..."

The forest roared.

The forest shook in anger as if sympathizing with her every word.

“Quietly go back to where you came from. You vestige of the fallen aristocracy. Otherwise..."

A gale blew.

A gust of mana with a green hue swirled around the drake.

“Your prayer today will return to nothing.”

And in the next moment.

The drake's entire body was being torn to shreds.

'...What did she do?'

There wasn't even a sound.

Only an afterimage remained as if something had passed through the drake.

I then noticed that the drake's entire body was in tatters like a torn-up rag.

''There won't be a second warning. Leave.”

Blood dripped from the drake's skin.

Despite this, the drake didn't make a sound.

It had no will to fight either.

I could sense that it was just glad that it had been let off lightly.

Thump, Thump.

The drake turned away and rapidly faded off into the distance.

The drake's skin, which was getting further away, regenerated in an instant.

'It really is a monster out of the ordinary.'

Even though the wound would have been fatal had it been inflicted on a normal monster, the drake recovered from the wound as if it had been nothing.

It truly did behave like a monster that wasn't recorded in the ranking index.

'But more importantly, who is that woman who effortlessly toyed with such a monster?'

I slowly turned my gaze and looked at the woman.

As if feeling my gaze, the woman smiled softly.

Then she slowly looked me up and down.

"You genuinely do look like Ray's successor."

Then, after staring into my eyes for about 10 seconds, she smiled again.

She smiled as if she was satisfied with something.

"...And you are?"

“Oh, come to think of it, I haven’t even introduced myself properly yet.”

The woman curtsied and greeted me elegantly.

"My name is Elena Roe Greenwood."

She continued to talk as she smiled.

“I'm an archmage who was called the guardian of the forest and a long-time grateful friend of Ray's."

Her smile felt like the refreshing breeze of the forest.

"Nice to meet you. Successor."

* * *

After that, I was guided by Elena to the small log cabin where she lived.

''Please help yourself. It’s the herbal tea that Ray liked.”

"Thank you."

I took a sip of the tea that Elena had passed to me.

"...!"

At that moment, my eyes suddenly became clear.

My thoughts that were shaking my mind instantly calmed down.

I drank the tea again.

With each sip of tea, my thoughts became increasingly clear.

Just like how a turbulent sea that was made violent by a typhoon calms down over the passage of time, my mind soon became relaxed.

"Thank you for the tea."

By the time I had drank all of the herbal tea, my mind was in an impossibly calm state.

"Did it suit your tastes?"

"Yes. It was the most delicious tea I've ever had."

Drinking it made me realize that herb tea could taste like this.

It's like I had just opened the door to a whole new horizon.

''I'm glad you liked it. Would you like another cup?"

''Am I allowed another one?"

"Of course."

Elena put down the teacup she was holding and picked up the teapot.

The teacup was full, and the fresh scent of herbal tea tickled my nose.

''Thank you.''

I sipped my tea again.

Even though it was my second time drinking it, the emotion I felt was the same as the first time I had drunk it.

''Whew."

My head had become even clearer.

I put the half-empty mug on the table.

“Have you calmed down now?”

"Yes. I'm embarrassed because I seem to have shown an unattractive side of myself."

''Don't be. It was impressive enough to not fall in despair at seeing the drake. Weak people can even die when engulfed in fear.”

Elena followed suit and placed her teacup on the table.

"That truly was a drake."

"Yes. The king that rules this forest. The tyrant drake."

It was a drake, just as I had thought it was.

"Although it's the king of the forest, it doesn't even usually approach my territory. It seems like it couldn't help itself this time."

"It couldn't help itself?"

“The highly dense, highly pure mana that you have is the finest food for a drake. Its appetite must have made it forget its fears for a moment.”

"...Its appetite. I see."

It was drooling.

I think Elena is right.

I sipped the tea again.

My mind, which had got slightly anxious at the thought of the drake, instantly calmed down.

"Is there anything else you're curious about?"

Elena grinned.

It felt like her expression was asking, 'surely the drake's not all your curious about, right?'

"Can I ask more questions?"

"Of course.

“Where on earth am I?”

Could this be a virtual space that existed in Eadred's grimoire?

That's what I was most curious about.

“We're in a virtual world created with a large-scale magic circle that occupies pages 214 to 232 of Eadred's grimoire. The page of the third test.”

“Then this place is genuinely in the insides of a book?”

"Yes."

''But, it feels like we've walked for 15 minutes after you got rid of the drake?"

"And?"

"..."

Could a space this vast really exist inside of a book?

Can that make sense?

“Then are you saying that the drake's also a fake that's made out of magic?”

You're telling me that it was a mana doll?

It can't be.

The bloodlust emitted by that thing couldn't have come from a mere doll.

''Well. Strictly speaking, it's not a fake. But that doesn't mean it was real either."

"...What do you mean?"

Neither fake nor real.

It was an explanation that was hard to understand.

“This space is another world, made based on the records of the past. It's not real, but it's not fake either."

“Records of the past? Another world?"

Her explanation was difficult to understand.

"Mm... Another world created by copying the entirety of the Greenwood forest that existed in the past. It might be easier for you to understand if you think of it as a cloned world.”

''A cloned world...”

I processed her explanation for a moment.

I think I might've somewhat understood it.

"So basically, a world was created entirely based on the records of the past and then put into Eadred's grimoire. Is that what you're saying?”

''Yes. That's right."

"...That's absurd.”

Creating a world is amazing in itself, but to even copy the records of the past as well.

It's not like the world is a bunch of data in a game.

So saying that the world was copy pasted is ridiculous.

“How is that possible?”

Just what kind of magic was used and how was such magic used to allow something so absurd to be possible?

“Even I don’t know the details. Because I did not inherit the Bytenor style."

Elena laughed bitterly.

"The only person who can understand this magic is Ray himself. And also you, the only successor to this magic."

"...But, I can't even make sense of it, let alone understand it."

Elena covered her mouth and softly laughed.

"Obviously you wouldn't understand it now. I was just saying that later when you get to the level that Ray was at, you'll understand.”

“I don't think I'll understand it even if I reach the 9th circle..."

I wonder if the day when I'm able to comprehend this absurd magic will come.

I honestly can't imagine it happening.

"You'll definitely be able to understand it."

Elena smiled tenderly.

"You're Ray's successor. The second legitimate heir to the Bytenor style of magic.”

"...Hm."

I don't know about that, especially since I can't make any sense of it whatsoever.

Seeing my lukewarm reaction, Elena smiled broadly again.

“Then why did my master create this world?”

I understand that this world's a copy world made by perfectly reproducing the records of the past.

So, why would he make such a world?

“It’s for me to teach you some magic.”

“What kind of magic?”

At that moment, Elena's aura changed completely.

Her friendly atmosphere disappeared without a trace, and an aura of intimidation took its place.

''It's a magic that's necessary in order to become a 3rd circle master and to master the stage of destruction."

Elena's eyes lit up.

Elena's eyes, which were a green that was reminiscent of the forest, were now shining gold. Those eyes seemed to see through everything in me.

''The Bytenor style's very own eye that penetrates the essence of mana. God's eye.”

Eyes that see snippets of the structure of magic as well as the color of mana.

The Bytenor style seems to call this the God's eye.

Elena's eyes shone in a brighter golden light.

“I was asked by Ray to awaken these eyes in you and that's how I came to exist like this.”