Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Warning

 

Iscalia slowly descended from the sky and landed. She seemed confused.

 

‘Wasn’t . . . . . . I dead?’

 

Iscalia looked at Russell, who was sitting up in bed with his revived body. The room was dark. Not a single lamp was lit. The only source of light was the blue moonlight pouring in through the window.

 

The light source was to Russell’s left, bathing half of his body in blue light and shrouding the other half in shadow. Nevertheless, Iscalia could see all of Russell’s body clearly.

 

He looked almost the same as when she last saw him. He seemed to have lost some weight. His cheeks were sunken, and his skin was pale. Without realizing it, Iscalia reached out and touched Russell’s cheek.

 

“Do you recognize me?”

 

With that question, Iscalia realized what she was doing. She gasped, as if she had touched a hot iron, and pulled her hand back.

 

“Am I alive. . . again?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“How? I was definitely dead. I remember your. . . . . . . . darkness consuming me.”

 

At that time, she felt a complete death. An irreversible death. Beyond that, she sensed a profound absorption into something vast. It was akin to a drop of rain falling into the ocean, absorbing its saltiness. Eventually, she felt like she had become one with the ocean.

 

Iscalia continued to think.

 

“And, in that darkness. . . . . . . . I met something.”

 

This was something that even Russell did not know. Russell asked.

 

“Met? Who?”

 

“I. . . . don’t know. I just felt something very large and dark. I don’t know anything else.”

 

Perhaps it was the same being that Russell had encountered. Russell had also been unable to grasp its true form. Iscalia had only felt it was something huge.

 

After witnessing that immense presence, she began to sense a part of it within Russell, who stood before her. It was a deep abyss, an empty space devoid of even a single star—an abyss that made her dizzy simply by gazing upon it.

 

However, Iscalia felt more comfort than fear, anxiety, or disgust in that abyss. Why was that? She soon found out why.

 

“This. . .isn’t my old body.”

 

It was not her original body. Of course, the darkness that had appeared behind Russell at that time had completely devoured her body.

 

Iscalia came to the realization that the urge that had previously filled her chest was no longer present. She no longer felt the same urge as when she had recently regained consciousness. The order to eat the living and raise the undead no longer came to mind.

 

She closed her eyes quietly and felt her heart beating strongly.

 

“I can feel your blood. Abundant vitality, magic power. . . . . . . .”

 

At that moment, Iscalia’s body staggered and collapsed forward. Russell hurriedly grabbed her body.

 

“Why?”

 

“. . .My spirit doesn’t seem to have fully settled in my flesh yet.”

 

It was understandable given that she had undergone a complete transformation. Moreover, Iscalia had lost her physical body, leaving only her soul within the red bead.

 

Although the unidentified being had helped her recover her body using Russell’s blood and magic power, adapting to it was a separate problem.

 

“I guess I need to rest for a bit. I wanted to talk to you a little more. For a while, I’ll rest within you.”

 

As she said this, Iscalia’s body slowly seeped into Russell’s. No, it was absorbing itself into the shadows enveloping Russell’s body.

 

Russell understood that Iscalia frequently employed a spatial ability associated with shadows. She has the ability to pierce her whip-like sword, her saber, into the shadows and attack him from countless directions. Those were fearsome attacks that even he found chilling.

 

This was why Russell was able to leave Jirach behind. He couldn’t leave Iscalia in the territory.

 

She was the main culprit who had almost razed the Errandis territory to the ground, and the number of casualties caused by her exceeded several hundred. Of course, he could not tell the Lord.

 

Nevertheless, the reason he had saved Iscalia was simple. He was interested in her abilities, magic, and spells. The reason why he had been able to set up such a magic field was because of what he had learned from fighting her.

 

She was still unstable, and he couldn’t get a good grasp on what she could do, but if she helped him, he would be able to acquire or develop various skills in the future.

 

Since that was an area where Jirach could not help him, Russell had made the choice to leave him in the territory. The fact that the Lord seemed worried about the future also played a role.

 

Russell removed the magic field and laid back down on the bed. The night air was blocked, and sounds came rushing in. It was cool and hazy, with the cries of insects.

 

Aellasis’ arm suddenly landed on his stomach. Her mouth was twitching.

 

Russell quietly patted Aella’s head. He could see a white mouth with a faint smile in the dark night sky outside the window.

 

Was it because he had drawn too much blood at once? Uncontrollable drowsiness came over him. Russell closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

“Oh, my. It really is Final Frost.”

 

Luke, the dwarf at the Black Barley Inn, gazed at the single-bladed white axe on the counter with admiration.

 

Russell was drinking a stout in front of him. It was morning, and Aellasis had not yet woken up. The same went for the other elves.

 

Only Russell, who had woken up early, had come down to the hall, finished a simple breakfast at the counter, and was drinking a stout. Luke looked at him with longing eyes, and Russell thought for a moment before remembering the reason.

 

He removed the axe from its storage in his coat and presented it to the old dwarf. The admiration in the eyes of the old dwarf was instantaneous.

 

Laura, who was wiping the glasses, came over and asked with a curious face.

 

“What is that, Grandfather?”

 

“. . . . . .The last weapon made by the legendary dwarven blacksmith, Calpdir. Look here.”

 

Luke pointed at the axe with his wrinkled finger. Laura and Russell’s gaze went towards it. It looked like nothing special.

 

“What?”

 

“The seam. There’s no seam.”

 

As Luke had pointed out, it was indeed true. All weapons made in a forge have a seam. However, there was no such thing in Final Frost. The Final Frost appeared as though it had always been that way.

 

“. . . . . .Once, Calpdir was asked to make a weapon at the twilight of his life. It was a very strange request. A frost giant had come to him to ask him to make a weapon out of his own body.”

 

“With his own body?”

 

Laura’s eyes widened. Russell also stopped drinking his beer and looked at Luke. The dwarf said,

 

“Yes. Similar to dragons, giants are a mysterious race with flesh. Calpdir was bewildered by this difficult request, but he did not back down. He had been hammering steel and metal all his life, but he did not want to refuse such an interesting request.”

 

“So?”

 

Laura asked with an excited face. Luke grinned and said,

 

“The result is already before our eyes. After exactly a month, Calpdir emerged from the forge with a large axe in his hand. At first, it was huge enough for a giant to hold, but eventually it shrank in size to the point where even a dwarf could hold it. And Calpdir never picked up a hammer again after this weapon. Then he disappeared somewhere.”

 

Luke looked at Russell.

 

“This weapon’s name, Final Frost, serves a purpose. It has a double meaning. It means a weapon made by the last remaining Frost Giant who sacrificed himself, and a weapon that was the last made by Calpdir.”

 

Hm. Unlike Laura, Russell was expressionless as he downed his dark beer. It was strange that the weapon of a story from a thousand years ago was now his weapon.

 

But it was still just a tool for killing people and monsters. Just because it had such a backstory did not make it any more noble.

 

Russell raised his hand and called for the axe. However, the axe only trembled and did not return to him.

 

Russell clicked his tongue, then simply grabbed it with his hand and put it in his coat. Luke looked at it with regretful eyes.

 

The Final Frost’s return spell was malfunctioning after his battle with Iscalia. Even though Russell sent his will and magic power, it only trembled, and unlike before, it did not disappear into light, reappear in his hand, or return to spinning.

 

“Why don’t you go there once?”

 

“You mean the Magic Tower?”

 

“Yes. Isn’t there that wizard girl among your friends? Wasn’t that girl part of the Magic Tower?”

 

Russell rested his chin on his hand. He didn’t expect the Magic Tower to fix his axe. Rather, he would be fortunate if they did not covet Final Frost. Even if they did, they wouldn’t have any control over it.

 

‘If it came down to it, It would be better to go to a dwarven blacksmith.’ However, the last incident had left the territory’s forges largely unrepaired.

 

Even so, he had to go to the Magic Tower. To say goodbye to Evelyn. And to meet the old man named Runebas.

 

Russell usually respected old people. Especially in this world, it was not easy to live long. Without something extraordinary, one could not survive for so long.

 

However, that extraordinariness also had its own uniqueness. Russell could put an axe to the old man’s head if that extraordinariness became an obstacle or hindrance to him.

 

Of course, since he was a wizard with the title of Master, it would not be easy. But it seemed like he would make some progress once he went there.

 

At that moment, the door of the inn opened, and someone entered.

 

“Welcome. . . . . . . . . . Kai?”

 

When Russell turned around, Kai was there. Russell raised his beer mug.

 

“I thought you would come yesterday.”

 

“. . . . . .Speak like a human.”

 

Kai muttered, still rubbing his sore jaw. Thanks to the divine power of Vulcan, it was not a fatal blow, thanks to Vulcan’s divine power.

 

“Brother!”

 

Tom and Jerry, who had been cleaning in the corner, approached Kai. While the former members of the Arcule Guild reminisced, Aellasis came down the stairs, yawning.

 

She still had the beautiful earrings in her ears.

 

“Hwaam. . . . . .”

 

Aellasis, who was still stumbling with sleep hanging from her eyelashes, noticed Kai. And Russell realized that he had not yet told Aellasis that Kai was the new addition.

 

Kai also realized this. Kai walked over straight away. The huge orc, larger than Russell, stood in front of the small, white-haired girl. It was like a beauty and a beast.

 

Aellasis’s face was calm as everyone watched with tense faces. Her face was filled with the belief that she would be safe in any situation. Of course, Russell was the source of that belief, glaring at her from behind.

 

Kai spoke first.

 

“Hello.”

 

“Oh, hello?”

 

“My name is Kai. I will be joining you on this journey. Please take care of me.”

 

“Together?”

 

Aellasis looked back. Russell nodded slightly. He was a little worried because he had not told her beforehand.

 

However, Aellasis nodded her head.

 

“Okay. Can you cook?”

 

The unexpected question surprised Kai.

 

“Well, I’m pretty good. Tom and Jerry didn’t say it was bad. . . .”

 

Surprisingly, Tom and Jerry nodded their heads.

 

“Brother’s stew was amazing.”

 

“The soup and stew are too. It’s different from how it looks.”

 

“Shut up, you guys. . . . . .”

 

Russell breathed a small sigh of relief when the situation turned out unexpectedly well. Perhaps Aellasis was happy that she had one more useful servant.

 

Russell put down his finished beer mug and got up from his seat.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“I have somewhere to go. We’ll leave today at the latest, so get ready too.”

 

“I understand.”

 

“Aella, you wait here. Eat with Remeron and Phel when they come down.”

 

“Can’t I go with you?”

 

“It’s okay. Stay here and drink beer.”

 

“Beer!” Aellasis’s eyes sparkled, and she went around the counter. Luke smiled wryly.

 

“It’s not that late, but is it okay?”

 

“It’s okay!”

 

Aellasis answered first. She was fully prepared to drink again, even after drinking so much yesterday. Her breath was hot.

 

Just then, they heard the sound of Remeron and Phel coming out. Russell swiftly moved his legs, fearing a repeat of his previous actions.

 

“I’ll be back.”

 

“Come back soon!”

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

Runebas realized Aellasis’s specialness from their first meeting.

 

Deborah only saw the purity of the magic circuit in Aellasis’s body; Runebas saw something else. Runebas recorded a figure in an ancient manuscript.

 

All magicians use the heart as their primary body. This is because magic is a discipline that originates from dragons.

 

The amount of blood flow required for a dragon to move its huge body must have been enormous. In that case, the heart that supported it must have also had an incredible performance.

 

Nowadays, there are more and more schools that use their heads or other parts of their bodies, but conservative schools that value orthodoxy still stick to the heart.

 

The heart of a dragon had a different outcome form than any other intelligent being or magical race, and Runebas had some fragmentary knowledge of it.

 

Aellasis had a very ideal mana flow and a heart that matched that fragmentary knowledge. That was why he intended to keep the girl by his side and teach her spells while finding out the secret.

 

However, the events that unfolded in the territory after that were unexpected, even for him as a veteran wizard. Vampires began to run wild, monsters killed people, and blood flowed somewhere.

 

In addition, there was an unidentified red sphere that rose from the outskirts. Somewhere, a white beam of light flew in. Then the red sphere became a black cocoon, and inside it was a man named Russell, the protector of Aellasis.

 

Runebas, a wizard, wanted to investigate and study the black cocoon.

 

He had been constantly thinking about ways to improve his magic powers and spells.

 

He was not able to do so due to the favor of Lord Ramon Errandis and the obstruction of Russell’s colleagues. Moreover, Runebas, who led the wizards of the Magic Tower, had no choice but to comply with the formal request to restore the territory. He tried to contact the girl, named Aellasis, in some way.

 

However, when he stood in front of Russell, he realized that it would be very difficult. No, it wasn’t just very difficult.

 

“. . . Huh.”

 

Runebas, who had spent his whole life kneading mana and accumulating magic power in his body to the point of becoming an elder and master of the Magic Tower, However, Russell’s momentum ahead of him exceeded his expectations.

 

The amount of magic power alone does not determine victory. If that were the case, Russell should have already died in his fight with the dragon, in his battle with the devil, and in Iscalia’s space.

 

The use of magic power is important. How much can you accomplish with a handful of magic powers? That depends on the caster’s abilities.

 

That was why Runebas’s powerful magic power, which he had accumulated over his lifetime, could not reach the skillful handling of momentum that Russell emitted very lightly.

 

Russell said.

 

“I usually respect old people. Runebas. I believe that there is some wisdom in surviving so long in this world.”

 

“. . . . . .”

 

“Master Runebas. I believe that you also have such wisdom.”

 

This was a threat. Do not touch Aellasis. Runebas could not kill him. He had not taken any action yet.

 

Moreover, this was Errandis territory, and if such a murder occurred within the territory, the Lord would be in a very difficult position. Russell did not want that. He did not want to put the man who had treated him like a son in a difficult position.

 

That’s why he stopped at a warning. The warning indicated that he was a master of the Magic Tower. Some might say that it was unimaginable, or even presumptuous, for them.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about by coming here all of a sudden.”

 

“Do you really not know?”

 

“What?”

 

While saying this, Runebas guessed why Russell had come to him first. It was most likely about Aellasis, a white-haired girl. Indeed, Russell said.

 

“Do not approach Aella.”

 

“That girl? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why would I be interested in that girl named Aella?”

 

He was stalling. Russell’s eyes began to take on a desolate light. Runebas’s skin crawled at the sight of the ominous eyes.

 

He felt like a mouse in front of a cat.

 

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