The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years Book 2: Chapter 520

Book 2: Chapter 520

The White Knight didn’t move.

As if affixed to the ground, he stood there just holding his sword and s.h.i.+eld.

This was the basic stance for defending and attacking only when the minimum conditions to counterattack were met.

‘Moreover.’

The White Knight lacked the will to kill his opponent.

It was unclear if this was originally one of the White Knight’s characteristics, or if it was a rule that only applied in special situations.

The thing that Lukas paid the most attention to was the fact that even if he were to fight with all of his might, the risk of death would not be too high.

In other words, he would be able to engage in a mock battle that was infinitely close to an actual fight.

—The moment he entered the minimal timezone.

They both realised that the other’s consciousness was hyper accelerating at the same time.

[…]

The White Knight’s aura changed.

His stance remained the same, his iron wall-like aura flowing from his armor intensified.

Was he at least considered an adversary? Lukas chuckled.

Even though he was just maintaining his defensive stance, Lukas still felt pressured. Without a doubt, something about the White Knight’s defence felt fundamentally different.

Because no one should feel threatened by a s.h.i.+eld instead of a sword.

When extreme tension reached its limit, it led to limb stiffness and shortness of breath.

And this was exactly what Lukas was hoping for.

Some experience could only be gained in real life threatening and b.l.o.o.d.y battles filled with all kinds of threats. Whenever a living being felt that their life was in danger, they were usually able to take measures that they never would have thought of. Sometimes it was possible to think of things that you had never thought of before, as if you were using a part of your brain that you had never utilised before.

That was what he had come for.

As a result, although this fight was the situation Lukas intended, the tension was still real.

And with these conditions in place, it was possible for him to fight as if this were a real battle.

‘Full condition.’

Just like he’d thought before the fight, what he wanted the White Knight to evaluate was a ‘Full Condition’ Lukas Trowman.

And now,

Lukas’ honed concentration brought his condition to the peak.

Buzz-

As soon as he took a step forward, an electric current wriggled in his hand. Soon, the pale, crackling electric current wound around his entire body.

Of course, it wasn’t the Lightning G.o.d’s ‘Thunder’.

[What are you trying to do?]

The Lightning G.o.d spoke in an absurd voice. Did that guy have a slight idea of what Lukas was going to do?

Either way, after his regression, it was quite rare for the Lightning G.o.d to talk to him first, but he couldn’t afford to talk to him right now.

Lukas poured his sharpened concentration into his ‘task’ without losing a single strand.

Because the being in front of him was the White Knight, it was possible to concentrate on other things in a defenceless state even while narrowing the distance like this.

‘The Lightning G.o.d’s [Thunder] still remains inside me.’ (TL: Umm…)

Lukas had learned about the source or root of that power. And he had come to understand it to a certain extent.

It was after that that he started having an absurd thought.

If that was the case, wouldn’t it then be possible for him to create Thunder as well?

‘─no.’

That was such an arrogant idea.

‘I don’t know how to create it, but it might be possible to imitate it.’

Therefore, even if the imitated power is a lower ranked form of Thunder, that would be okay.

The important thing was whether Lukas could realise it or not.

After all, it was a power based on electromagnetism. Lukas had dealt with similar powers in the past.

Starting with that power, he gradually a.n.a.lysed the structure and drew on the specks of Thunder that were left. It would be good if this strong power ate all of the lightning that Lukas created and increased in size.

Combining the ‘Lukas’ Thunder’ created by him, his understanding of the atoms and phenomena in this s.p.a.ce—

Crackle!

“…”

He couldn’t do it.

Lukas’ challenge failed before he could even try.

A spark suddenly erupted in his mind, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

No, had he actually fallen unconscious for just a moment?

[Crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d.]

The Lightning G.o.d’s cold voice awakened his chilled mind.

[That was enough time for you to lose your head hundreds of times over. Do you not know how long a moment is in this state?]

‘Of course I know. I wouldn’t have done something this crazy if it wasn’t the White Knight.’

[You don’t know anything. Do you really think the White Knight has a peaceful temperament?]

‘…judging from what I’ve seen so far, it’s peaceful enough.’

[I should have told you before, right? What race that guy is.]

‘You said he was a ‘Perfect One’.’

Of course, he remembered.

A race who had a high potential to give birth to beings comparable to Rulers,

According to the Lightning G.o.d, they had innate talent, near infinite lifespans, and highly developed intelligence.

They had also perfectly conquered and ruled over a universe with only a few hundred individuals.

[Do not be fooled by his outward appearance. A Perfect One’s ambition and l.u.s.t for conquest is not something that can be suppressed or eliminated.]

‘What does that mean?’

[That means that they could be the most underhanded beings in the entire multiverse if they had the desire to do so. Just now, even if he had chopped your head off, it wouldn’t be that strange.]

‘…’

Lukas couldn’t fully understand what the Lightning G.o.d was saying.

Was that really possible for the Perfect One’s racial instincts?

Being able to suppress the duties of one of the ‘Four Knights’?

…Without a doubt, the White Knight’s upright personality was very unrealistic when compared to the power he possessed. Lukas had experienced it personally. The stronger the being, the more twisted they tended to be. Otherwise, it might not be possible for them to maintain their ego.

‘Is it self-righteousness?’

He suddenly remembered what the Beginning Wizard said to him.

—Don’t be understood by anyone, don’t share with anyone.

—Be disgusting self-righteous. No one should understand your world…

Of course, this was the righteousness, or concept, of a Wizard that the Beginning Wizard was advocating. There should be no reason to think about that at that moment.

…In any case, the word ‘underhanded’ was in no way appropriate to describe the being called White Knight. When he’d seen the handsome face of the White Knight, Agolet, it even felt like a personification of the word righteousness.

‘However.’

Lukas had already experienced the being called Pale.

He had already experienced how different the hidden natures of the beings called the Four Knights were from the first impression one had of them. And how vast the number of secrets they held was.

That was why he couldn’t blindly deny the Lightning G.o.d’s words.

‘…can you tell me what happened just now?’

Lukas obediently asked the Lightning G.o.d for advice.

A moment ago, he had tried to use void to embody the properties of lightning and transform it into ‘Thunder’, before using it to imitate the authority of omniscience.

He didn’t expect it to easily succeed, but he thought that he could at least gain something even if he failed.

He hadn’t.

The result had been disastrous, and nothing was achieved. He didn’t even get the slightest clue.

Worse than that, he didn’t even know why he failed.

[Did you really think it would be that easy? If it was possible to copy it in such a clumsy way, I would not have given it a grand name like ‘Thunder’…]

‘…’

[Your clumsy lightning would never reach the level of my Thunder even after millions of years had pa.s.sed. If you want to copy it…]

Having said that, the Lightning G.o.d paused for a moment for some reason.

[…hmph. I quit. Even if I teach you, nothing will change.]

‘Don’t be so sure, just say it. I’m listening.’

[Noisy. I’m going to sleep, so don’t bother me.]

He didn’t seem to have any intention of talking anymore.

H was bothered by the ‘sleep’ that guy said, but Lukas could no longer pay any attention to the Lightning G.o.d. Even if his opponent was someone who was exceptionally defensive, it was rude to make him wait any longer.

Stopping about ten steps away, he spoke.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

At that, he received a short answer.

[Prove it.]

‘Prove’ he said.

He intended to do so even if he didn’t say it.

Nodding, Lukas spoke again.

“There’s not much time, so let’s get this over with.”

This time, he didn’t receive an answer.

Regardless, Lukas stretched out his hands.

In an instant, hundreds of millions of spells unfolded behind him before launching towards the White Knight.

* * *

Lukas really didn’t have time.

Even though everything that happened in the minimal time zone happened within the blink of an eye in the real world.

Pale was by no means slow. By that time, she might have already noticed Lukas’ absence. While she wouldn’t turn the Underground City upside down, that…

‘No. That isn’t something I can be sure about.’

If it was Pale, that was still a possibility.

Such a possibility didn’t make Lukas impatient. Instead, it made his brain, which had been immersed in the fight, cool down and begin exploring the possibility of victory.

But that conclusion was reached much sooner than he expected.

[Enough.]

To be precise, it was stopped instead of concluded.

“…”

Lukas, who was about to cast another spell, stopped moving.

The World of Void.

In this world, where there is no limit to the supply and demand of void, Lukas’ power was inexhaustible, but the countless spells that he unleashed unceasingly failed to even pierce the White Knight’s s.h.i.+eld.

Nevertheless, there were still many things he wanted to try.

In terms of percentage, what Lukas had revealed so far was only about 30%. In other words, Lukas still wanted to fight more.

Nevertheless, the reason he stopped moving wasn’t because he was listening to the White Knight’s words or because he had judged that fighting further was meaningless.

It was because the White Knight had expressed that he had no intention of fighting anymore.

That is to say, he removed his helmet.

The handsome appearance that he’d seen before was once again revealed. It was an appearance that was still unreal.

“Who are you?”

He heard a somewhat contradictory voice, which sounded both gentle and dry.

The eyes of the White Knight, Agolet, carried a mixture of curiosity and vigilance.

“I came here to find out.”

“What does that mean?”

“What do you think? What being do I look like?”

At that, Agolet’s eyes swept over Lukas as if observing him.

After a while, he spoke briefly.

“…you, are the Blue Crown Prince.”

“…”

Lukas’ expression became strange at those unexpected words, but he was able to grasp the meaning of that unfamiliar t.i.tle to some extent.

—The Blue Crown Prince.

That meant that he was the King Candidate named by Pale.

“That is not all. If it is as I expect, you…”

Agolet, who was about to say something, closed his mouth.

Then, he lowered his head and seemed to ponder deeply over something.

Lukas didn’t disturb him, and fortunately, Agolet’s ponderance didn’t last a long time.

“Have you ever been to the Snow Field?”

By Snow Field, he was probably referring to the southern part of the World of Void.

“No.”

Lukas shook his head.

He’d been to the East, West, and North, but he had never been to the South.

“Then you haven’t been to the ‘Magic Planet’, or ‘Habitat’ either.”

“Does it matter?”

“It matters.”

Then Agolet made a sudden proposal.

“Do you want to go to the Snow Field?”

“…”

Of course, Lukas intended to go there at some point. He needed to go to the Magic Planet to figure out what was going on with the Beginning Wizard.

However, there was no way that Agolet knew such an inside story.

“Why?”

In response to what was, in Lukas’ opinion, a natural counter question, Agolet replied.

“Because I want you to meet the Red Knight.”