The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years

Book 2 Chapter 592

Strange beings of peculiar appearance began to emerge one after another.

Their unfamiliar and unprecedented forms bore a resemblance to the monsters of the 'Void World', but the feeling they evoked was entirely different.

If the monsters wandering the Void World could be considered merely 'forgotten beings', these creatures exuded the unmistakable aura of 'entities that should not exist'.

Feelings of disgust or repulsion are sensations one can only afford to feel when there is enough composure to fully take in the opponent’s appearance and engage in minimal observation. When confronted with beings one cannot properly face, humans are left with no choice but to feel terror.

The humans of the two worlds, who had been wielding swords in blind hatred toward each other, froze in place when faced with this sudden intrusion, what could only be described from their perspective as the embodiment of Destruction.

They couldn’t even think of uniting. Two dandelions leaning on each other couldn’t hope to withstand the storm.

Some sought God. Some crawled on the ground. Some fled in tears.

If they had forgotten the word 'enemy', all that remained was a massacre. The gruesome sight was enough to stir a pang of melancholy even in the heart of Residue, who had once encouraged war.

The three-way battle he had hoped for,

…There was something else that he could not understand.

"Why aren't they finishing them off completely?"

Eleven forms of Destruction had revealed themselves.

Even just one of them could annihilate tens of thousands of humans in an instant. The disparity in power was so stark, and yet, the creatures were moving their limbs sluggishly.

“I have observed them in this world longer than anyone else. This child was even created specifically to study them.”

The 'child' he spoke of referred to the dragon carrying the mansion on its back.

“Recently, their behavior has changed significantly.”

“Changed? In what way?”

“Their behavior used to be entirely chaotic and unpredictable, but at some point, they began exhibiting coordinated movements as if guided by some purpose. Look at them now. Eleven Destruction entities revealing themselves simultaneously? That’s unprecedented.”

“…Since when?”

“Approximately a week ago.”

…A week.

Something came to mind.

Residue recalled the image of the man who must be controlling the Destruction from outside the world.

But there was no time to dwell on him. The Destruction entities, though slow, were steadily and methodically exterminating the humans.

What happened next was the most astonishing sight of all.

“Those things…”

They began to absorb the corpses scattered around them. The scene, which looked more like cleaning than feeding, might not have been surprising if that were all.

But then, the next moment.

Gurgle.

Their forms began to change.

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle…

Flesh, blood, entrails, and bones were crushed and kneaded as though handled by an invisible, massive hand. They started blending with one another.

Waves of flesh. Waves of blood. Waves of entrails.

It was undoubtedly the most repulsive wave Residue had ever seen. The mixing didn't take long to end.

The battlefield, which until moments ago had been a scene of scattered blood and flesh, was now marked only by scars upon the earth. Standing there were eleven human-like figures.

“……”

They were both the victims slaughtered by Destruction and Destruction itself.

Their faces shifted rapidly, forming a myriad of expressions.

Joy, sorrow, anger, delight… and many others. Expressions appeared and disappeared in quick succession.

But could anyone call those faces expressions? It was as if they were alternating between masks made from flayed human skin.

Yet, the grotesqueness of their faces was nothing compared to the movements of their bodies.

As their faces continuously morphed, they began to move their entire bodies as if dancing.

Crack.

From time to time, they would move their joints beyond the limits of their anatomy, causing bones to fracture or muscles to tear. It was as if they were testing the range of motion of a newly acquired doll.

“……”

“……”

As even the sound of rain grew faint, BOOM! Thunder roared violently. The sudden flash of lightning illuminated the grotesque theater performed by the eleven, pushing the eerie performance to its climax.

Residue and the dragon remained silent.

In the meantime, those creatures finished examining their own bodies and adopted an eerily blank expression. Without saying a word to each other, they began walking in different directions.

And then it happened.

Flash.

The dragon stretched her hand downward.

Her pupils sank coldly, and her clothes and hair began to whip violently in the air.

Kwoooooooosh-

From behind her, a dark green mist exploded forth and swiftly formed the shapes of dozens of dragons. The moment Residue narrowed his eyes, the dragons plunged toward the ground with ferocious momentum.

BOOM!

What followed was a series of brutal impacts. The earth heaved, and an ear-shattering roar spread in all directions. The chaos was so overwhelming that it seemed even the torrential rain and the black clouds might retreat.

Swoooooosh-

As the rising dust began to settle, the sound of the rain returned.

Not a single living thing remained on the exposed ground.

The entities of Destruction had been annihilated.

‘…Even if they were weaker than the ones the Half King fought.’

The destructive power was still astonishing.

How many fangs has the Dragon recovered now?

Residue turned his attention to the remains of the monsters.

Were they imitating humans in that way only to reveal their true form at a decisive moment and ambush their surroundings?

The act itself was no different from predatory hunting techniques. Even beasts were capable of using camouflage during a hunt.

What sent a genuine chill down Residue’s spine, however, was the fact that these mindless creatures were capable of such acts.

“There is almost no way to discern them,”

Dragon said, breaking the silence.

“It’s not just about stealing appearances or mimicking actions. They can replicate everything about the beings they absorb. Until they decide to stop imitating, they can essentially become that very existence.”

“……”

“Do you know what’s most terrifying? It’s that we cannot discern any principle behind their behavior.”

Residue, understanding the weight of her words, remained silent.

“Until they reveal themselves, they never stop mimicking under any circumstances or conditions. Threats to their life? Intimidation? Danger? Haha. Such concepts mean nothing to them. Not even death serves as a reliable method of identification.”

It wasn't wrong.

The Destruction entities that had transformed into nearby humans still retained their human forms even at the moment of death.

In other words,

“…Killing a human-shaped Destruction would leave one feeling awful.”

What if the one killed wasn’t a Destruction entity but an actual human? That faint seed of doubt would grow sharper with each Destruction slain, and even those with the most impenetrable minds would eventually succumb to its influence.

“Exactly. And the most critical point is this: I still haven’t been able to figure out the ‘condition’ that makes them stop mimicking.”

Residue closed his eyes and recalled the creatures that had been imitating humans moments ago.

…Indeed, it wasn’t just their outward appearance. Their presence, their minor habits, even their gestures, everything had changed.

If everything the Dragon said was true, they would have absorbed memories too, so even interrogation couldn't determine the truth.

"...You said there's almost no way to identify them."

Residue spoke again.

“Does that mean there is a way?”

“It’s not a definitive method, but yes, there is one.”

The dragon reached into her belongings and pulled something out.

What she revealed was a necklace.

However, it gave off an unsettling, ominous aura that made one’s skin crawl.

The crimson, round gemstone set in the necklace bore an uncanny resemblance to an eyeball—no, to an actual eye.

"It's an item made by processing a fragment of a God's eyeball."

“God…”

“Yes. While the exact reason is unknown, as far as I know, this is the only tool capable of identifying Destruction.”

…The exact reason, huh.

Residue’s knowledge led him to form two hypotheses.

The first was that the Primordial God, who had created both the Three Thousand Worlds and the Void World, had the ability to detect impurities from the 'outside'.

The second was that the Primordial God might have been one of the 'outside' beings themselves, causing the artifact to resonate with Destruction due to their shared origin.

“However, its effectiveness is extremely limited. It only works once per day, and its range is just 5 meters. If a Destruction entity is within that range, the necklace emits a faint vibration.”

Based on the artifact’s reaction, the latter hypothesis seemed more likely.

The dragon spoke in a heavy voice.

“…After obtaining this necklace through an accidental encounter, I began using it as efficiently as possible. I started by identifying and verifying the authenticity of those who ‘must never become Destruction.’”

The dragon closed her eyes.

“But every one of them was someone in a position that was nearly impossible to meet. Naturally, that’s to be expected, they were the strongest beings in this world.”

Each of them ruled a territory, and countless followers surrounded them.

The 5-meter range of the necklace meant that she had to meet them one-on-one, a condition that was extremely difficult to fulfill.

“But recently, all of them gathered in one place. Seizing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I went there, even at some personal risk, and without hesitation, used the necklace.”

“……”

Once per day,

A range of 5 meters,

The strongest individuals in this world,

All gathered in one place.

As these different words connected, a certain scene flashed through Residue’s mind—the meeting.

“You might say it would’ve been better not to use it. After all, there are truths in this world that are better left unknown.”

The dragon said this with a faint, bitter laugh.

The phrase 'truths better left unknown'. How laughable such a saying would have been to those who were once rulers. In the past, they mocked every proverb in existence. They were beings who rightfully deserved to do so.

Now, that's no longer the case.

And so, the self-deprecation in her voice was something only Residue could perceive.

"—The Twelve Void Lords' meeting."

At Residue’s words, the dragon nodded.

“Three.”

She held up three fingers.

“From what I could ascertain, at least three of the Void Lords present were Destruction in disguise.”

*

After providing a few additional explanations, the dragon returned to her mansion.

Residue, however, remained where he was, standing still.

Ssshhhh-

Rain poured down, drenching his face as he thought.

─The necklace’s functionality was far from precise.

For example, if ten people gathered in one place and only one of them was Destruction, the frequency displayed by the necklace would be the same as if all ten were Destruction. In other words, it couldn’t make detailed distinctions.

And yet, the dragon had been able to state with relative confidence that at least three Void Lords were Destruction.

The reason was simple.

Before the meeting took place, the dragon had personally visited each of the Void Lords’ domains. However, she also mentioned that there wasn’t a single one among them she could be entirely certain was Destruction.

...The situation is far worse than expected. Even calling it the worst case scenario seems insufficient.

Where should he even begin? How should he untangle this mess?

Direct threats, indirect threats, and even threats he hadn’t yet identified.

Could it be possible to account for all of them?

What about solutions?

…It wasn’t shocking that Destruction had already taken root on this land. After all, they were beings that existed outside the concept of time. If one considered that the result preceded the cause rather than the other way around, it made sense.

If it was destined for Lukas Trowman to become Destruction and command them, then it wouldn’t have been surprising if smaller instances of Destruction had already descended upon the world long ago.

The problem was from now on.

─Lukas Trowman.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

He had always been the embodiment of rationality, but he was never a man who could become completely cold-blooded.

After all, he was human, and he couldn’t entirely let go of human emotions.

But even setting that aside, his narrative had always been heroic.

Efficient combat, utilization of available cards, flexible strategies depending on the opponent, number games, boldness, patience...

Even possessing just a few of these traits would earn someone the title of a great general in war. Lukas was a man who possessed all of them, not just adequately, but beyond perfection.

Such a man,

A man who couldn't be deterred by failure or death, now had 'Destruction' - cards that were nearly unlimited in potential.

And, as if he had been waiting all this time, he began his conquest of this unified world with the most effective methods possible.

At this moment, Residue finally grasped the true weight of what it meant to have Lukas Trowman as an enemy.

...He had no intention of exaggerating.

Yet, deep within his heart, there had been a part of him that underestimated Destruction.

A sudden question surged forth.

Can humanity truly stop Destruction?

Rumble-

Just then, thunder roared once more.

Standing amidst the torrential downpour, Residue looked up at the sky.

“…This will be interesting.”

The unusually loud sound of the rain,

he hoped, might at least drown out his own pitiful bravado.