Chapter 492: Eastern Sea (1)
In the northwestern region of the Aether World, the Kzan Mountain Range.
Due to its treacherous terrain and the abundance of monsters, it was a place rarely visited by humans. Yet, amidst this dangerous region, a gray-haired boy strolled casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The boy wore an black robe that was far too big for his small frame, and he appeared like a child wearing his father’s clothes. It looked awkward, but if the dark mages - especially members of the Dark Mage Cult - had seen him, they wouldn’t have dared to call it awkward.
This boy was Hui-Ryeon, the Cult Leader of Dark Mage Cult.
The Dark Mage Cult had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. With overwhelming expertise in dark magic, the cult had absorbed more than half of the dark mage factions, growing into a massive religion. And at the center of it all was this young boy.
However, only a handful of people knew his true identity. Most who encountered him would likely question whether such a boy could truly be the infamous cult leader.
"... This spot will do."
Hui-Ryeon’s lips curled into a faint, melancholic smile.
His lips and nose were obscured by a mask resembling a respirator, but it didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest.
Buzzzzz...
With a wave of his hand, the air around him began to ripple and distort.
He didn’t appear to use any specific spell or technique, which meant that if a nearby magic tower had been nearby, its sirens would have gone off instantly, summoning mages to the scene. But no sane mage would build a tower in such a desolate place in this day and age.
The distortion in the air slowly expanded, forming a massive spherical hole.
Persona Gate.
The hole wasn’t a simple circle but rather a spherical form. Passing through it would lead to... another hidden world.
Until now, no mage had been able to determine what kind of alternate world a Persona Gate led to, but Hui-Ryeon was different.
He could precisely summon the hidden world he desired, and the completed Persona Gate was nothing short of perfection.
What Hui-Ryeon intended to do next was simple: infuse the Persona Gate with vast amounts of mana, causing it to go berserk and synchronize with this reality.
The mages of the Aether Continent were oblivious to it, but over several decades, this process had been repeated countless times. By doing so, fragments of alternate worlds had been merged into the desolate and uninhabited danger zones of the continent.
In fact, over 10% of the Aether Continent was already infused with fragments of other worlds.
"Heheh, those foolish mages..."
A dark mage follower accompanying Hui-Ryeon chuckled darkly. Despite being a high-ranking member of the cult, his lack of intelligence made him one of the less capable individuals in Hui-Ryeon’s eyes. However, his unwavering loyalty earned him a place by the cult leader’s side.
"They go on about protecting the world, yet they can’t even be bothered to look at what’s happening in places they can’t see. How pitifully naïve they are."
"Indeed. Mages have always been hypocritical by nature."
"But thanks to their stupidity, it won’t be long before our master conquers the Aether Continent!"
"..."
Indeed.
The followers of the Dark Mage Cult fervently believed in Hui-Ryeon because they were convinced he would conquer the world.
And why wouldn’t they? Hui-Ryeon had mastered the Persona Gate, a feat no other dark mage had achieved. Using this unparalleled power, he was steadily reshaping the Aether World in ways even the most powerful dark mage kings had never dared to attempt.
Hui-Ryeon had declared that the moment over 50% of the world was consumed by the Persona Gate, everything would truly begin.
"That’s right. World domination... it’s the grand mission entrusted to me."
Hui-Ryeon murmured in a flat, emotionless tone.
World domination.
In truth, it was of little importance to him.
What Hui-Ryeon needed was power, and the dark mages, who were strong but not particularly bright, had been the perfect tools for his plans. Convincing them with the grand promise of world domination was simply the easiest way to manipulate them.
"Return now. Synchronization will begin soon, and you won’t be able to withstand it."
"We will obey your command!"
After dismissing the dark mages, Hui-Ryeon turned his attention to the unfolding synchronization process.
The surrounding area was momentarily shrouded in gray, only to regain a burst of vivid, vibrant colors moments later.
What had once been barren rocky mountains had transformed into a breathtaking landscape. The scene, painted in hues of crimson autumn leaves, seemed out of place in the late summer season... but it didn’t matter.
This was the ’perfect fragment of the alternate world’ that Hui-Ryeon had sought so relentlessly.
"...At least it’s a livable, breathable space. That’s a relief."
He removed his mask and inhaled deeply, savoring the air of the otherworld.
It was fresher and cooler than the air of Aether.
Perhaps, in this alternate world... No mages existed.
...Since every world was supposed to have mages, it was highly likely they had destroyed themselves in wars long ago.
Either way, a world without mages would be an ideal and beautiful place.
At least, that’s what Hui-Ryeon believed.
After confirming the synchronization had completed, Hui-Ryeon turned and began walking away. The mages would only notice the changes in this area months later. By then, all traces of the Persona would have vanished, and it would be too late to determine the cause.
The mages wouldn’t even realize that Persona Synchronization had occurred. After all, no one had noticed it for decades.
’Foolish mages. You don’t deserve to save this world.’
Hui-Ryeon lowered his gaze and gestured into the air. The space around him distorted and devoured him whole.
What remained after the departure of the Dark Mage Cult’s leader was the breathtakingly transformed Kzan Mountain Range, a masterpiece of Persona Synchronization.
***
Meanwhile, after Baek Yu-Seol departed for the Waning Moon Plains to assist Jeliel in her battle with the dark mages, three girls disregarded his instructions to return home and instead made their way to the sea.
Levian Coast, the Port City of Lisbonde.
Once frozen entirely due to a curse cast by the Pirate King a thousand years ago, Lisbond had served merely as a summer retreat for the Adolevit family. However, with the ice finally melting just a year ago, the city was regaining its former glory as a bustling port.
Dozens of warp hole gates had already been installed, and the cliffs at the city’s uppermost levels were being repurposed as an airship docking station. Over the sea, tracks for marine trains stretched into the horizon, while dozens of cargo ships anchored at the harbor.
Economic forecasts suggested that once this port city started generating consistent profits, Adolevit’s GDP might surpass that of the Skalven Empire.
But none of that mattered to the girls at this moment.
"Oh. Is this your family’s villa?"
Flame referred to the Adolevit royal family as ’your family’ in an overly casual manner, but by now, Hong Biyeon didn’t bother to correct her.
"It is, but I don’t come here often."
The blue castle perched atop the city’s uppermost level, Celestial Ice Flower Palace, was widely known as the Adolevit family’s villa.
Of course, that was not true.
This place was originally a research facility designed to unravel the curse of the Levian Coast. The hope was that uncovering the secrets of this eternal frost could also lead to resolving the curse of the Adolevit family.
That hope, however, had long since been rendered futile.
But that didn’t mean the Celestial Ice Flower Palace was reduced to function solely as a villa.
"Welcome, Your Highness."
As they stepped inside the castle, dozens of magic knights in uniform lined up on both sides of the hall. Walking gracefully between them was a man who bowed deeply.
The lord of the castle, Black Matale.
A descendant of the Pirate King, Matale was more renowned for his expertise in economics than for his time spent at the helm of a ship. Within just one year, he elevated the port city to the stature its name deserved.
For someone of his caliber to align himself closely with Hong Bi-Yeon’s faction was undoubtedly one of the greatest fortunes in her life.
Hong Bi-Yeon accepted his greeting with a warm smile.
"Yes. I’d like to stay here briefly with my friends."
"Of course, Your Highness. Allow me to guide you."
Looking around, it became apparent that item technology was prominently integrated throughout the castle... one of the key reasons the port city had grown so rapidly.
A year ago, when item distribution was still scarce, Hong Bi-Yeon had been quicker than anyone to secure trade rights, offering Lisbonde her unwavering support.
Now, they were even building cargo ships powered entirely by item technology. Matale’s swift progress had been so remarkable that even Queen Hong Se-Ryu had been left speechless.
"Oh wow...! Hey, Eisel! Come here! The view from here is amazing!"
While Hong Bi-Yeon and Matale exchanged formal pleasantries, Flame had already dashed up the stairs and was peering excitedly out the window.
The view of the sea from the elevated vantage point was indeed breathtakingly beautiful. The long bridge stretching across the ocean evoked memories of the Diamond Bridge in Haeundae, Gwangalli.
’...How nostalgic.’
The bridge would likely glow softly at night, enchanting everyone who laid eyes on it.
One of the reasons Lisbonde had managed to retain its appeal as a tourist destination was its ability to construct such stunning structures, preserving its value and charm.
’He’s an impressive man...’
Even without any noble title to his name, Matale seemed far more useful than Duke Atalek. Was it just her imagination?
If Hong Bi-Yeon were to ascend to the throne officially, Matale might very well receive a noble title in recognition of his contributions.
"It’s so beautiful... Are we staying here tonight?"
"Yes."
"It’d be nice if we could actually rest quietly."
"Why? We’ll relax quietly, don’t worry."
"Hmm..."
Eisel twirled her light blue hair around her fingers and glanced at Matale from the corner of her eye. His expression was filled with worry.
There was undoubtedly some kind of problem.
Hong Bi-Yeon, knowing about the issue, had probably used the suggestion of visiting the sea as an excuse to come here.
And if there really was a problem, Hong Bi-Yeon would likely say:
’This is my problem, so just stay out of it and enjoy yourselves.’
Hong Bi-Yeon now understood well that involving them in anything while they were here to rest would be an imposition. She might genuinely hope they wouldn’t get involved.
But how could that possibly happen?
They were already deeply entangled in everything concerning her.
"You’re thinking the same thing, aren’t you?"
"...Probably, yeah."
Eisel let out a silly laugh, and Flame shrugged her shoulders in response.
"Yeah, honestly, just resting isn’t that fun. I’d rather something go boom or something..."
The moment she said that, screams suddenly erupted from the direction of the harbor.
Cargo ships were flipping over, explosions echoed, and amidst the chaos, a massive brown octopus-like monster revealed itself.
Flame clicked her tongue and gripped her staff.
"I didn’t mean for something to pop up this fast..."
"They say your words can come back to haunt you."
Grasping her own staff, she stepped onto the windowsill. Watching her, Hong Bi-Yeon shook her head.
"Your Highness! A risk level 6 sea monster has appeared!"
"It’s fine. I’ll take care of it. Just wait here for a moment."
In the end, Hong Bi-Yeon also grabbed her staff and turned to leave before the conversation could continue.
Unlike Eisel and Flame, who recklessly leapt out the window, she exited gracefully through the front door, maintaining her composure.
’Not even a moment to rest, seriously.’