Chapter 57
<hr>
The Dome of the Chairman’s Base
Year 2851 | Month 3 | Day 23
The Chairman has always been an arrogant man. He has always won every one on one battle he has ever entered, has always succeeded at everything he has done, and was born with one of the most powerful affinities.
It’s made him believe he’s close to being a perfect magician.
Which made it incredibly difficult for him to believe his own family when they tried to force him to work for the benefit of the Republic. Because his power should be used for himself and not the Republic.
And while a part of him believed he should just ignore them and do as he pleased – meaning killing them and moving on – another part decided that the best revenge he could get on them was to twist their logic around on them. To become the absolute ruler of the Republic and make what’s best for the Republic into what’s best for him.
Artorius genuinely thought it would be easy for him to achieve his goals. Because that’s just how things always go for him.
But then the doctor got in his way. And after him it was the other nations, and the other Class S magicians.
One after another, everything began to go wrong.
And now? As another blade from the blasted immortal pierces straight through his back and out his front? Just barely missing his heart in the process.
This brat…
The boy has been infuriating him ever since he appeared within the base. In nearly every way imaginable.
The apathetic look on the boy’s face, the indifference towards the Chairman himself, and the way the others sent him into the base seemingly confident he could beat the Chairman. Then the way the boy managed to actually wound him. And how he wouldn’t stop attacking no matter how many times Artorius sent him flying or destroyed his weapons.
And even though the Chairman knows why he is upset with him, he refuses to accept it.
Because the Chairman is absolute. And he will not let himself be defeated by a little boy barely over half his age.
So without hesitation, he finishes his spell and creates thousands of missiles made of pure anti-magic mana that slam into the ice in a massive bombardment. Shattering the ice into pieces and letting the rift once again begin drawing everything nearby into it.
And the two closest things to the rift are Artorius himself along with the boy.
Artorius feels glee as he gets sucked into the anti-magic mana plane along with the so-called Undying Magician. Because he feels absolutely certain that the boy’s immortality will be stopped by the sheer amount of anti-magic mana inside of the plane.
After all, no magic can be used inside of the plane unless it’s anti-magic.
And even if the boy somehow manages to still not die in it, there isn’t a way for him to get out. So he’ll be stuck living forever inside of the anti-magic plane.
But Artorius’s glee is short-lived when he feels something piercing into his neck. And out of the corner of his eye, he sees the boy with his fangs digging straight through his shoulder using a gap in his armor made by the boy’s swords earlier in the battle.
That’s not all though as the boy grabs onto Artorius with both of his arms and his sword still stabbing straight through Artorius’s center. Not giving Artorius the chance to take the blade out and coat the wound in mana.
“Get off of me, boy!” Artorius roars, his voice echoing through the endless expanse of anti-magic mana.
To his surprise though, the boy actually does jump off of him. And he still doesn’t look like he’s showing any signs of pain or discomfort. Even though Artorius hurt the boy by trapping him in the plane and hurting him inside of it.
Even the wounds he had are still closing. Clearing showing that his immortality works perfectly fine even in the anti-magic plane somehow.
But more importantly, for some reason Artorius finds the boy cutting off his own head with a knife he got from some storage device and throwing his head straight through the rift. Right after Artorius begins to close the rift.
Letting the head fly through the rift on its own before the rift closes.
Artorius feels more confused than ever even as his vision begins to fade from all the many wounds he’s collected in the battle. Wounds he is sure at this point must be fatal.
Did he just… kill himself? Or… what?
The Chairman isn’t sure what the boy just did. Especially since he sees the head on his body not growing back.
That is, until the boy’s corpse begins to vibrate along with the space around it. Following which the corpse turns into a blur and moves straight through the plane and slams into an invisible wall. Shattering the wall like glass and revealing the mortal world outside of the plane.
Artorius’s jaw drops as he watches the body reattach to a head that he can see just rolling on the ground outside of the rift.
Returning the immortal boy to perfect health again even as the rift stays open.
And Artorius’s vision continues to go dark.
Are you… kidding… me…
His thoughts come to a halt when his heart finally gives out, and he takes his last breath.
<hr>
The Dome of the Chairman’s Base
Year 2851 | Month 3 | Day 23
Right after the two entered the rift
Archibald Winters feels shocked after seeing the two enter the rift into the anti-magic mana plane. And a part of him wonders if the battle is now hopeless. Because the Chairman should be able to escape if his wounds don’t kill him.
But that fear goes away when he sees the Undying Magician latching onto the Chairman and digging his fangs into the Class S magician’s shoulder. Following which the man roars out his anger and the rift begins to show signs of closing on its own.
Now Archibald only feels a minor anxiety at the thought of their ally being stuck in the anti-mana plane forever. Since he is certain there isn’t another anti-magic magician within the entire world.
And that worry grows even stronger the closer the rift gets to closing.
Only to turn into confusion when he sees a head suddenly flying out of the rift to slam into the ground right before the rift fully closes.
Huh?
Archibald blinks in confusion before sharing a glance with an equally confused Katherine. But when he turns back to the head again, he sees the thing trembling along with the space around it.
Then something shocking happens in the form of another rift suddenly breaking open right in front of them before the Undying Magician’s body flies through it and meets with the head. Following which he watches the body and head reattach like nothing happened.
Archibald feels his jaw dropping in both shock and awe. And he notices the expressions of several of the people nearby turning grim as they realize just how immortal the Undying Magician truly is.
So immortal that not even the anti-magic mana flooding the anti-magic mana plane can stop his regeneration. Not even a barrier between planes in fact.
After a few seconds of staring, Archibald and the others turn back towards the rift to find two new things to note.
The first being good news in the form of the Chairman’s eyes closing and his heart beat stopping, signifying his death.
And the second?
The fact that the rift isn’t closing, leading to a flood of anti-magic mana entering the mortal plane.
Shit…
He and the other magicians nearby immediately begin to worry again.
How are we going to deal with this?!
Chapter 58
<hr>
Nathan
Year 2851 | Month 3 | Day 23
Whew. I’m glad that worked.
After I ended up in the other plane, I honestly wasn’t sure how things would turn out. What with me never actually being exposed to so much anti-magic mana before.
For all I knew, it could actually kill me.
But nope. I guess not.
Natural mana from a reality warp really is powerful. It just refuses to budge to anything. At all.
My next worry was about getting stuck in said plane forever. Because the Chairman could easily manage that.
Fortunately for me, I thought of a rather unusual plan to get out. And it actually worked.
At the very least, I knew my body would grow back if it were to be completely destroyed. But I didn’t think my body would just break its way out of the anti-magic mana plane to return to my head.
That’s certainly… something.
It was probably a rather odd sight to behold for everyone here.
There’s a more pressing matter at hand right now though than that. What with the anti-magic mana plane still being wide open with a large, broken rift in front of us.
Except this one is different from the rift the Chairman tried opening up before. Specifically in that this rift is expelling anti-magic mana out into the natural plane rather than drawing things into it.
Well, shit. I have no idea what to do right now.
Has a mana plane ever actually had its walls completely broken before? And is it even possible to fix it?
“Don’t worry, the problem will be dealt with in a moment,” Incendia states while flying down and landing on my shoulder, having been knocked out of the way by an angry Chairman before the Chairman and I ended up in the mana plane.
Really? How?
“Just watch,” she says while looking up at the sky.
So I look where she’s currently looking, only to surprisingly find a man wearing purple robes appearing in the sky. One with glowing bluish orange eyes. Eyes that look similar to the time mana in my body but different. With shades of orange mixed into the blue and purple.
As for the mana itself that he’s letting off? It gives off the same feeling as the time mana in my body. Just stronger and somehow different.
But that can’t be possible. Not unless…
My eyes widen as the realization comes to me.
The realization that this man in front of me – one who looks no older than me despite his incredible well of mana that I can sense flooding out of him – must be a time affinity magician. Which shouldn’t even be possible.
Unless he’s from another continent?
The man looks around at the other magicians here before disregarding them entirely and looking at me. At which point he surprisingly nods his head with a faint smile on his face. Then he turns to focus on the rift as he raises one hand towards it.
Without even the slightest hint of a spell circle, confirming along with his well of mana that he is indeed a Class S magician, time mana begins to spew out of his hand in the form of a spell. One that somehow begins to freeze time itself around the rift.
Absolutely everything in it just freezes. The wind around the rift, the anti-magic mana leaving it, and even the rift itself.
Nothing is spared.
As for the man himself? He just looks at me one more time before nodding and vanishing from sight without a word.
The… fuck?
Goosebumps suddenly run down my back, making me jump up high into the air above the base before I look around for the source of the terrifying gaze I sensed on me for a brief second. Only to not find a single thing.
“Do not worry for that is the Guardian,” Incendia states while yawning and closing her eyes despite still being on my shoulder. “He protects this world and would never harm you.”
Do you mean the one who just left or the gaze I just felt? Or are they both from the same person?
“The one who just left was the current Chrono, while the gaze was from the Guardian,” Incendia answers. “All I will say for now is that they protect the world from damage like what your escape from the anti-magic mana plane caused. To learn more you must speak with them yourself.”
I stare at Incendia for several seconds before eventually turning to look at the rift again. Then I lower myself down to the ground. Just to find a bunch of magicians staring at me like I’m a ghost or something.
Did I do something wrong?
I watch them all for a moment, only to turn my attention towards the frozen rift. Along with the man still visible from here who looks dead inside of the rift.
The Chairman.
Good to see that he actually died. That means the Republic is now out of the war as well.
Which just leaves the Collective Kingdoms and the doctor still remaining.
Then this war will be over for good, and the Kingdom of the Fallen will be the new rulers of the abandoned continents.
My thoughts halt when I see Archibald approaching me out of the corner of my eye. So I turn to him just as he says, “Congratulations, Nathan Fox, for slaying a Class S magician.”
And immediately after his words, the other magicians all begin to repeat his words in various ways.
Or at least, the ones who are still conscious. Seeing as quite a few of the magicians who were helping with this battle fell unconscious. Whether due to mana deficiency or just being knocked out.
What shocks me even more is that some of the magicians begin to kneel down to me and refer to me as ‘Your Highness’.
I look over them all before feeling the corner of my lips twitching upwards.
Interesting.
Chapter 59
<hr>
Nathan
Year 2851 | Month 3 | Day 23
After dealing with the Chairman and the aftermath of the battle, I quickly make my way back to the Undying Caverns with the two Class S magicians traveling alongside me. Meanwhile the other Class A magicians still at the base deal with everything back there. Including but not limited to collecting all of the documents and other stuff inside of said base and sealing the place off.
Especially after one of the Class A magicians decided to try poking at the spot that’s frozen in time, only to be frozen along with it. Likely forever. Seeing as no one has time magic to dispel that or alter it to free them. Except that one magician. The Chrono as Incendia described him.
There’s one thing that’s bothering me though as I fly back towards the Kingdom of the Fallen. That being the time magic in my own body.
It reacted to the Chrono’s time magic, and the area with time frozen.
Then again, I guess that makes sense. After all, it reacted to the doctor’s space magic. My own space magic I mean. So why wouldn’t my time magic react to someone else’s time magic?
It would be stranger if it didn’t.
Unfortunately, it didn’t react enough for me to do anything with it. So my time and space mana still remain unusable for me.
Which is a pity. But I at least know it’s possible to awaken both of them.
As long as the space and time magicians are still alive, that is.
Anyways, we continue flying all the way to the Undying Caverns even after entering the Kingdom of the Fallen. Only for us to be greeted by the sight of thousands of soldiers all arrayed outside of my Undying Caverns while kneeling towards us. Or towards me to be more specific.
I raise a brow while looking down at them from atop the platform of ice one of the Class S magicians made.
Looks like they already know of our victory against the Chairman. Which makes me wonder who spilled the beans.
My curiosity doesn’t last long though before I find Lilith already standing at the back of the army with a faint smile on her face and her daughter standing next to her. The woman no doubt having arrived long before us with her dark affinity to warn everyone of our arrival.
Then again, she could always just have called.
Regardless, all of the people down there begin to shout as one, “Welcome back, Your Highness! And congratulations on your successful hunt!”
The corner of my lips quirk upwards as the Class S magicians and I just float here on platforms made of ice. And after a brief pause, I go ahead and raise a single fist into the air without saying a word. Which immediately sets off cheers all throughout the soldiers.
Cheers at the sight of the war drawing closer and closer to a close. And at the loss of another powerful enemy.
My next enemy is also already set in stone in my mind. With that being the doctor.
Because there is no way I’m letting him die by someone else’s hands. Not to mention that I need him to unseal even the smallest sliver of my space mana. All to convert one of my mana arcs to space mana.
So at this point there’s nothing left standing in my way from targeting him.
While there is still the Collective Kingdoms left to fight with, it’s only a matter of time before they fall. What with it being them against the Kingdom of the Fallen, Natra, Hardlight, and the Republic at this point. With the other nations having already been completely eliminated.
Although normally the Republic would have been eliminated from the war as well and wouldn’t be able to help us. But they get a pass according to the skeleton because they pretty much turned the nation over to us before the Chairman even died.
And with all of those nations along with several Class S magicians targeting the Collective Kingdoms, it’s only a matter of time before the kingdoms fall. Leaving nothing but the Kingdom of the Fallen remaining.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Well, us and the allies we’ve made. But Natra made an agreement that they’ll join the Kingdom of the Fallen as an independently governing nation. Meaning they have full rights to govern themselves and the Kingdom of the Fallen can’t do anything to change their laws, but they are technically a part of the Kingdom of the Fallen.
As for Hardlight? They are now a part of the Kingdom of the Fallen. So they don’t really even exist anymore. They’re just part of our forces and territory.
And the same goes for the Republic.
Which technically includes all of the Class S magicians of the Republic. But only on paper. Seeing as none of them actually have to listen to our commands.
They’ll help us if they want.
It’s just that the Class S water magician here with me seems to be helping. Even after the battle ended.
I’m not entirely sure why.
Actually, the way all of the Republic magicians have been treating me ever since seeing that battle has been a little strange in general. Almost like they’re both revering me and afraid of me.
Was my little stunt about cutting off my own head and throwing it through the rift really that frightening to them?
Or maybe it was how my body broke through the boundary between the planes?
That might have been it.
Then again, it doesn’t really matter all that much why they’re treating me this way. I feel a little weird about the treatment since it’s drastically different from what I’m used to, but I’m not upset with it.
In fact, it feels good compared to the usual ‘experimental subject’ treatment I have always gotten from people after they’ve seen my powers at work.
I wonder if they’ve finally been frightened enough to stop messing with me?
That would be great.
Intermission 5
<hr>
Somewhere within the Barren Pass
Year 2851 | Month 3 | Day 24
Leodmir Archeron feels something snap in his head the moment he gets the news about the Chairman’s death. Because he knows it means that the other Class S magicians will likely finish off the Collective Kingdoms before turning their attention towards him.
But that’s not the only reason he feels upset about the news.
He’s even more upset by the news about who killed the Chairman rather than the fact that the Chairman – a convenient decoy for him – is now dead.
That test subject killed a Class S magician? If I didn’t already know my source was reliable I would’ve questioned the news’s legitimacy. But he actually killed a Class S magician? And the Chairman at that?
A large part of him wants to deny the possibility of that. Simply because of his time experimenting on the test subject to figure out a way to use his immortality for himself. And how, throughout that process, the subject was always so weak and unable to do anything to stop him.
The idea of that same subject being able to kill the Chairman just won’t click in Leodmir’s mind. Even as he’s still teleporting from one cavern to another, fleeing from the two Class S magicians chasing him. With the third from before having fled thanks to the Collective Kingdom’s own trouble with the Republic.
But the one that fled was one of the two poison magicians. Meaning he is still fleeing from the light magician with the two of them using as little mana as they can possibly use during the chase.
So little mana that they’re regenerating it just as quickly as they’re using it up.
Leodmir grits his teeth as he continues fleeing, teleporting away every time Afvalder catches up with him. Both at the humiliation he’s feeling now and at the absolute waste of time this is causing.
One thing Leodmir hates more than anything in the world is wasting time. Especially since he has so little of it left at his age of sixty-six.
It’s the main reason he is so dead set on trying to figure out the test subject’s immortality. Even if he doesn’t genuinely believe he’ll be able to crack it.
After all, he’s the one who has seen the most about the subject’s body over the years. So he would know.
But Leodmir’s mind just won’t accept that fact.
It just can’t.
Because if that’s true then he’ll die of old age in the end, wasting everything he has managed to accomplish his entire life.
And that can’t happen.
Leodmir continues teleporting, only to suddenly see another message from his spy in the Republic. One about the Republic, along with a few other nations such as Hardlight and Natra, officially announcing that they have been annexed by the Kingdom of the Fallen. Albeit with Natra being self-governing still even after joining under the Kingdom’s banner.
The announcement makes Leodmir scoff, showing genuine emotion for the first time in a while outwardly. Even if there’s no one here to see it.
All because the one nation everyone believed to be absolutely screwed during this war is somehow coming out on top. With everything falling into their lap.
And what’s worse is that a small part of Leodmir realizes that the catalyst for all of this was the test subject.
His test subject.
It all started when the test subject entered the Kingdom of the Fallen and met and freed the Dead King. Making the skeleton reenter the politics of the abandoned continents around the same time as Leodmir’s rebellion from the Republic. All of which eventually led to the war for total control of the abandoned continents.
Yet it doesn’t stop there as the test subject then proceeded to win over the Fire Overlord and therefore Natra, becoming the man’s student and gaining a second Class S magician for the Kingdom of the Fallen. And thanks to the test subject’s rampage throughout Hardlight territory within the Kingdom of the Fallen, even Hardlight ended up surrendering to the Kingdom.
Then the last straw was the Republic, which surrendered after the test subject slayed the Chairman at their own request.
Leodmir grits his teeth harder and harder the more he thinks about it. The more he thinks about just how much his own test subject has done to cause him trouble.
To ruin everything Leodmir had planned.
And the worst thing about this is that Leodmir can’t do a single thing to him. Because now he has even more Class S magicians protecting him, and Leodmir is still stuck fleeing from the two Class S magicians chasing him.
On top of that, even if Leodmir could escape, it’s not like he can kill the test subject even if he didn’t want to use him as a test subject.
Everything couldn’t be worse for Leodmir.
Or at least, that’s what he believes until he sees a brief description of how the test subject killed the Chairman. Specifically, how he managed to return to full health even with his head and body in different planes of reality, and how he wasn’t affected even in the anti-magic mana plane.
At this rate the only thing Leodmir can realistically do to harm him is to send him into another plane and leave him there until he somehow manages to find a way out. Or break his own way out, since that will entirely become possible when the boy reaches Class S and manages to make strong enough spells.
For the first time in Leodmir’s life, he genuinely begins to regret his actions.
And to make matters worse, the light magician reappears within the cavern he’s in as he finishes looking at the message. Making Leodmir instantly teleport away once more.
A vein protrudes on the man’s forehead as he feels his irritation reach all-time highs.
So high he feels like his last sense of sanity may snap at any moment.
Chapter 60
<hr>
Nathan
Year 2851 | Month 3 | Day 25
The next two days pass by in a blur, mostly with a lot of discussion between the Class S magicians. All with us sitting around in one of the meeting rooms at the Undying Caverns. And the room itself feels rather stuffy even on the second day of being in this room.
Which makes sense, considering that there are over half a dozen Class S magicians in this one room. Sorta.
There’s the Class S magician of the nation formerly known as Hardlight, Katherine, there’s Juan, the skeleton, Archibald and two screens showing two more Class S magicians from the Republic as they chase after the doctor. Albeit with the two of them not adding much to the discussions, what with them chasing after the doctor.
Those two magicians being Afvalder von Schr?der and Dorothy Umbra.
Then there are two other Class S magicians in the room, both of whom are rather surprising.
The first of the two is a newly advanced Class S magician who advanced just in the last few days. And he is a Class S magician belonging to Natra, surprisingly enough.
Which, of course, means he is a fire affinity magician. Because Natra magicians love their fire. Just like Juan.
Oh, and he is Juan’s son. Because yeah.
The man has a similar aesthetic to his father in his red business suit and white dress shirt, with red eyes that don’t glow anywhere near as brightly as Juan’s do. But his build is a little bit taller than Juan’s, and he has vibrant red hair. Unlike his father whose hair is all gray.
And the other Class S magician is just as surprising as he is the neutral Class S magician who often wanders the continent healing people. One of precious few nearly pacifistic magicians on the abandoned continents.
Leith Allen. A nature affinity Class S neutral magician.
This one has semi-long gray hair with glowing green eyes and is wearing a green robe. Which is an unusual fashion sense on the abandoned continents.
Putting aside his fashion sense though, the man looks rather peaceful as he sits there amidst the discussions without saying a word.
Why he came here is beyond me when he isn’t going to say anything.
Then again, I’m barely saying anything myself. The one representing the Kingdom of the Fallen and doing most of the negotiations for us is the skeleton.
He is still the king of the nation after all. Even if he has left a lot to me during the war.
At this point we have discussed most of the important details that need discussing. Like the exact layout of things after the war is over. With Natra going under our banner as self-governing, Hardlight just being diffused into us, albeit with some individuality and say even if they don’t have the final say over things, and the Republic just being diffused entirely into us. Without a single shred of their original nation left.
Not that it’s very surprising, considering that the Republic has never had all that much unity beyond it being the strongest nation in the abandoned continents. Especially with so many Class S magicians within it.
And when you think about it, two of those Class S magicians ended up going rogue. So…
The Chairman and the doctor.
It’s a large reason behind the entire war in the first place.
Other than that discussion, the Class S magicians also discuss how the ruling of the nation will end up along with the name of the nation that we’ll all be forming. And while they end up deciding on a monarchy, simply because that’s what the Kingdom of the Fallen is, they take out the nobility entirely. Removing those pesky nobles that have been pecking at my feet for so long from the picture.
So it’ll be an absolute monarchy for now until we can set up a voted council like what the Republic had. And even after the council is set up, the monarch will have most of the power.
The only way the council would be able to veto some of the monarch’s decisions is if the council gets a vote with every last person on the council deciding against a decision.
And at the end of the day, they can only vote on certain subjects. Not everything.
As for the name of the new nation? Everyone just decided to table that discussion until after the war is over.
We do still have to deal with the Collective Kingdoms and the doctor after all. Said doctor who I keep seeing appear on Afvalder’s screen before disappearing again every once in a while. Which I find amusing.
Just the sight of the doctor fleeing for his life.
The slightest hint of a smile spreads across my face at that.
“To end this discussion, let us decide on an attack plan for the enemies,” the skeleton states before glancing at Afvalder and saying, “Radiation magician, please make sure Leodmir can’t hear you through the call.” And after Afvalder nods his head at that, the skeleton focuses on everyone as a whole and continues, “We need to designate which magicians will go after the Collective Kingdoms and which will go after the doctor.”
I immediately chime in upon mention of this subject, drawing attention to myself as I say, “I will be going after the doctor.”
The skeleton stares at me for a second before stating, “I was already expecting that. But keep up with your mana manipulation training while you’re at it.” Then he turns to the others and says, “Everyone can have a say in which target they would like to go after. I personally don’t care who attacks who so long as the plan works in the end.”
And just like that, all of the Class S magicians immediately begin chiming in, saying which targets they want to go after.
All while I sit here with the thought of tearing the doctor to shreds after using his magic to free even the smallest sliver of an arc of space mana from my bones.
Because that thought is a beautiful one to me.
Chapter 61
<hr>
Nathan
Year 2851 | Month 3 | Day 26
After the discussions with the Class S magicians come to an end, which takes longer than I thought it would, I find myself with a good chunk of free time until the plan begins. Specifically a few days to myself.
And during those days several other things happen. Some of which I am very happy about.
First off, the skeleton finally decides to free my parents. Something about the war being so close to an end that he doesn’t see the need to keep them locked up anymore.
Which makes sense. After all, even if I don’t fight in the war at this point it will still end with our victory. And I’m very determined to fight the doctor. So whether they’re locked up or not won’t change my plans.
I think this might be one of the first times I’ve felt even the slightest shred of gratitude towards him.
Other than that, the Undying Caverns ends up playing host to a few more guests. Including but not limited to the parents of some of my friends.
The reason we didn’t bring all of their parents here was because of the war and all, so there’s no reason for them not to at least visit now that we’re on the same side of the war. And the team is very happy about this new set of events.
And with all of this going on, I end up spending the next few days just relaxing with my family and friends. Taking the time off from experimenting and fighting to do so. To play games with them. Talk with them. Catch up with them.
To introduce my family to my friends. And to make up for lost time with them all.
As for the other Class S magicians during this time? Most of them have gone off to their own nations to deal with matters at home. Seeing as time isn’t just stopping simply because they’re not home or anything.
Even Juan heads back to Natra to handle a few things there. Although he won’t say what things.
But I don’t really care what he’s doing. At this point I trust him more than I trust the skeleton.
Juan hasn’t ever done anything to hurt me after all. Unlike the skeleton who turned me into a vampire and locked away my parents. All without a single say from me.
After the rest period – during which I hear the doctor has just been fleeing everywhere, especially since one of the Class S magicians actually did head straight to him to back up the others instead of taking this little break – all of the Class S magicians return. With each one of them ready for their own little assignments for the war.
Most of them will be heading to the Collective Kingdom’s territory, whether within the Kingdom of the Fallen or on the mainland continent itself. But a couple will be going to the doctor with me.
Amongst them all, the skeleton will be fighting against the Collective Kingdoms within the Kingdom of the Fallen, Juan will be following me to the doctor in the Barren Pass, and Archibald has already headed over towards the doctor before any of us took our break. Where he plans to freeze those little ice caverns the doctor has been hiding in solid to block his safe places.
Next up are Katherine and the newly advanced Class S magician, both of whom are heading towards the Collective Kingdoms territory on the mainland.
Leaving just one Class S magician who won’t be participating in the war. However, the man will be staying behind in the Kingdom of the Fallen to heal our people.
Leith. Which is a bit surprising, but that’s apparently why he came here.
To heal the injured here since he knew we were absolutely going to win at this point.
Although another reason for him coming was apparently to see me for some reason. One I’m not absolutely certain about.
He says it is just curiosity to see an immortal, but I’m not really sure what’s going on in his head.
Either way, he can’t actually harm me. And he wouldn’t dare do anything with the skeleton watching over the Kingdom of the Fallen. So it should be fine to let him heal people.
As for the people themselves? The soldiers and lower Class magicians amongst the many nations on our side? They are all assigned to different Class S magicians to join in their separate missions.
Albeit without any of them being assigned to the Class S magicians or me going to fight the doctor. Seeing as the doctor would just slaughter them all.
Plus the doctor doesn’t actually have any soldiers of his own. So there isn’t all that much reason for them to join.
And his teleportation spells would cause a major problem with bringing an army anyways. Specifically how he could just teleport in and destroy the army’s supplies or kill the leading officers.
All he has to do is manage to give the Class S magicians chasing him the slip for even a brief moment after all.
But before anyone heads anywhere – except Archibald who is already long gone – we have one last meeting within the Undying Caverns. One that even the three Class S magicians chasing the doctor attend through video call.
A meeting where we share intel with each other one last time before what hopefully is the last mission of the war begins.
Although not all that much actually happens at the meeting, what with everyone keeping up to date with their own sources of intel. So it mostly ends up being a last chance to make sure everyone is on the same page before the mission begins.
And after the meeting ends, we all begin to make our last minute preparations to leave.
Which for me means heading over to see my friends and family one last time before going to the Barren Pass.
Chapter 62
<hr>
Nathan
Year 2851 | Month 3 | Day 26
To my surprise, when I head back to the main lobby area for the suite in which my family and friends are staying, I find everyone already gathered together there. And they all stop talking the moment I come in before shouting, “Good luck, Nathan!” All at once.
The faintest hint of a smile spreads across my face as I see everyone.
My parents, Aidan, Amelia, Rebecca, Cyria, Sofia, and even Leo and Anabel from my time at the academy. Every single one of the people I care about is here.
Even the top officers of the Undying Caverns are here, with Claire, Ryan, and Benjamin all sitting in a corner with drinks in hand.
I can’t help but chuckle a little at that sight.
They’ve certainly come to know my friends and family at this point.
Actually, the entire reputation I’ve kind of built here has pretty much crumbled by now. With everyone in the caverns previously thinking I was cold and friendless. But now everyone knows better.
Although I may actually be pretty cold. Both literally and figuratively, seeing as I’m a vampire.
I end up joining everyone as drinks and food are all brought into the suite for a bit of a party. And for the first time in ages, I actually drink and eat with them despite not needing to.
Which feels really strange as I haven’t had anything to drink or eat in a long time. Other than blood.
But then something unexpected happens.
Everyone suddenly turns to look at my parents as they turn to me with a smile.
I blink for a moment before tilting my head a little.
Are they going to say farewell prior to the mission or something?
I glance out of the corner of my eye to find Incendia being fed by a couple random soldiers on a table closer to the wall. Then I turn back to my parents as they begin speaking.
“Nathan, I would like to thank you for everything you’ve done these years,” Dad says, surprising me that it’s not just a farewell. But he keeps going regardless of my surprise, “You’ve protected us with everything you can, and your mother and I can’t thank you enough for that.”
I feel a slight twinge in my chest as his words get to me.
“You have always been protecting us, even back in the Republic,” Mom says with a warm smile on her face. “Even when we haven’t been able to do anything to protect you in return. We even got in your way by being used as hostages against you.”
I begin to shake my head to deny their words, but Dad just shakes his head and continues, “No, Nathan, you can’t refute the truth. I didn’t raise you to deny what’s right in front of you.”
That makes me shut my mouth again.
“Before you go, there’s something we wanted to tell you,” Dad continues with a faint smile spreading across his face as he puts his drink down. With Mom doing the same right after him. “Something we all have to tell you.”
I feel more and more confused the more he speaks. But then he slowly begins to approach me.
“You’ve been alone for too long,” Dad says, with mom soon following him towards me. “But you aren’t alone anymore.”
When he reaches me he wraps his arms around me in a hug, with Mom doing the same thing immediately afterwards.
Both of them then say the exact same thing at the same time.
“I don’t care what you are or how twisted you think you might become. I will always love you, Nathan, and nothing will change that.”
In the middle of their warmth, I feel tears beginning to come from my eyes. And to make matters worse, the other people in the room all begin to shout their own agreements with my parents’ words.
“Yeah! You’ll always be Nathan and nothing more!” “Three cheers for the King!” “Save the crying for after the war is over, Nathan!” “Nothing will ever change the fact that we’re best friends!”
Their words, all of them, make the tears flow ever faster. And for the first time in years, I find myself sobbing in the middle of all of them.
Then, once I finally manage to recover, we all go back to drinking again. For an entire three hours before I have to head out.
And so, with Incendia jumping onto my shoulder, I head back to my lab to change into more suitable attire for battle, grab my newly created Arcadian Metal weapons courtesy of the Republic, and begin marching through the Undying Caverns. Where I’m greeted by my own people, all of whom are kneeling to me.
“May good tidings follow you, Your Majesty!”
I feel the corner of my lips quirking upwards at their continues stubborn use of the term ‘Your Majesty’ despite my title technically being a prince. With ‘Your Highness’ being the correct term.
But none of them ever budge. To the point that they’ll even refer to me as king even when the skeleton is right next to me.
Although it doesn’t help that the skeleton welcomes it as well and finds it amusing.
And just like this I continue marching through the Undying Caverns while wearing a set of pitch black military armor with both of my blades sheathed at my waist and my boots echoing off the floor of the caverns amidst their shouts. All the way until I make it out of the Undying Caverns, just to find the entire military force of the Undying Caverns waiting outside while kneeling on the ground.
“We greet His Majesty, the King of the Kingdom of the Fallen and Immortal Ruler!” all of the soldiers and officers shout at once. With Ryan, Claire, and Benjamin being front and center amongst them all, despite them having been at the party. “And we wish him good tidings in his mission!”
Then again, I did notice that they snuck out at one point.
I look around at everyone before floating up into the air a little using my fire magic. And without hesitation, I draw one of my swords and raise it into the air while coating it in death flames in a display of power.
“I will come back with the doctor’s head! Of that I swear!” I shout at the top of my lungs for the first time in as long as I can remember.
And the moment I do, the entire army bursts into disciplined cheers in one loud roar.
Then, with a proud grin on my face, I take off flying in the direction of where the doctor is. Which is on the opposite end of the continents from where we are.
The time of my revenge is finally nigh.
And I’m going to savor this with everything I have.
Epilogue
<hr>
Somewhere on Chrono Island
Year 2851 | Month 3 | Day 26
The Chrono of the current era watches with intrigue as the Undying Magician – as everyone calls the candidate – makes a grand exit from his base. With all of his soldiers seeing him off like a king.
Every single thing that candidate does has surprised Chrono in some manner. Whether it’s his immortality, his attitude towards things and enemies, or even how he managed to poke a hole through the boundary between a mana plane and the mortal plane.
And it seems the candidate won’t stop surprising him any time soon.
At the rate things are going, his immortality isn’t the only thing the other continents will want to ally with him for.
He is the one at the center of the unifying of the abandoned continents. That alone will get him influence with the other continents just barely beneath the Tower Masters.
Adding his immortality on top of that makes him a force to be reckoned with.
But for now he is still just a Class A magician. Which does not qualify for the position of a Tower Master.
And yet…
Chrono narrows his eyes a little as he watches the candidate fly through the sky. And more specifically, as he watches him practice his mana manipulation during the journey over towards the Barren Pass on the abandoned continents.
It may not take him long to master mana manipulation.
This discovery has the Chrono feeling the faintest hint of excitement. Something he rarely ever feels nowadays.
Let’s see what changes you can bring to this ever stagnant world, young immortal.
<hr>
At the Peak of the First Magician’s Tower
Year 2851 | Month 3 | Day 26
The Tower Master of the First Tower watches in silence as the recording of the Undying Magician’s final battle with the anti-magic magician comes to an end. With it showing Chrono as he appears and fixes the hole in the boundary. And not a single Tower Master within the First Tower says a word for several minutes.
But that silence is eventually broken when the Tower Master of the First Tower declares without any hesitation, “The moment their war ends, we will be handing out an invitation to the Undying Magician to compete for the position of Tower Master. Are there any objections to this decision?”
Not a single Tower Master raises their voice in objection.
“This proposal passes,” the Tower Master of the First Tower states, his voice echoing throughout the vast expanse of the First Tower. “Should the Undying Magician pass the exam, he will be granted the status of a Tower Master, and a new Magic Tower will be constructed within the abandoned continents. Officially welcoming the abandoned continents back into the world once again.”
After he finishes speaking, the Tower Master of the First Tower snaps his fingers, making the sound of a bell ring out through the tower. Following which the other Tower Masters all leave without another word.
The Tower Master of the First Tower turns his gaze in the direction of the abandoned continents with more than a little worry on his face. Because the coming of a new era will arrive soon.
And it’s not just his assumption but a vision of the future one of the other Tower Masters had.
With this new era will come the rise of a dead kingdom, the prosperity of a continent long since forgotten, and the upturning of the political society as the continents and major nations know it.
As the very first Class S magician with four affinities rises and shakes everything everyone knows to their core.
It’s a frightening prospect, even to the Tower Master of the main tower. The very First Tower and the heart of the Magicians Towers organization.
But at the same time, he finds it invigorating.
Because while many fear change, some welcome it.
And he finds himself feeling excited to see all of the many changes the Undying Magician will bring to the world.
The Tower Master of the First Tower walks over to the edge of the Tower, where he sees the grand cities beneath the Tower and the clouds around it. Then he spreads both of his arms out to his sides with a wide grin on his face as he shouts, “Come, Undying Magician! Show the world what the lone immortal is capable of! Show us how little we know and turn our views inside out as many times as you can!”
His grin grows wider.
“Because I’m looking forward to it.”