Chapter 184
3rd Floating Island.
Excluding the 1st floating island where the autonomous government building is located, this place is well-known as the largest floating island. Among the floating islands of the Philenom Autonomous Region, it has the most developed commercial district.
This place is bustling with various artifacts, magical formulas, and unique items for sale and production. It is the most visited by many wizards from outside and, at the same time, the region with the most plants cultivating medicinal herbs.
There are plenty of open farms, and the development of commercial areas makes it not a favorable environment for residents to hide.
Therefore, the residents of the 3rd floating island had long taken refuge on other islands.
Lennok was the only one to step back into the desolate market streets.
Shooooo-
Booom!!
Explosions from intense battles on other floating islands can be heard even here.
It doesn’t just end with catching and killing the mutants.
Unless the source of the drug mixed into the water supply is identified and the source is purified, mutants will continue to appear.
Lennok walked the empty streets alone.
Goods on display were scattered, presumably because the merchants had fled in a hurry. The decision of the lighthouse to evacuate the people was entirely right, considering the mutants that appeared while Lennok was searching the drug lord’s warehouse. But the human and material damage would be significant.
However, now was not the time to calculate such losses.
Davi peeked out from Lennok’s embrace.
[Are you sure?]
“What do you mean?”
[If you go with that plan, you will definitely attract the attention of the Demon King.]
It seemed that it had listened to the entire plan Lennok explained to Grisha while clinging to the Compassion of Archangel.
Lennok thought it wasn’t interested in what’s happening around, but Davi’s behavior was unexpected.
He was about to share his thoughts with Davi, but he refrained.
Davi isn’t just a simple spirit; it’s a brain spirit born from necromancy and algorithm data.
This interaction might be a necessary process for its growth beyond just being a spirit.
“That’s why I’ve been waiting for the right time to use this face.”
Instead, Lennok playfully tapped his cheek.
“There was a reason I removed everyone else from my surroundings. To perfectly shift the risk in case of failure, I shouldn’t raise suspicions.”
Realizing something, Davi exclaimed in astonishment.
[…Ah, I see. I’m sorry. You change your face so often that I just don’t remember them.]
“Of all the things I’ve heard, that’s the most shocking confession.”
[Does it matter if I remember your soul?]
“Soul?”
Lennok chuckled.
Only Davi, who is directly connected to him, could say such things. Even in this world where magic is advanced, the existence of the soul isn’t confirmed.
However, before this world began, in the World 1.0 Lennok remembers, someone already answered that question.
From the moment he realized the keyword ‘alchemy’, memories from the past began to resurface.
Maybe he could recall those memories because he never forgot the nostalgia of those days.
Lennok decided not to ponder for too long.
The important thing was that the memories of that time, which completely filled his head, were the only thing that would determine the outcome of this matter.
Walking past the haunting streets and his troubling thoughts, Lennok’s footsteps halted.
“We’re here.”
It’s been a full three days since the last visit.
The evening sunset as the sun begins to set.
The twilight, which dyes the entire sky in bright red, seems as if it’s about to disappear, barely skimming the surface of the water.
The boundary between day and night. Only the shadows of the approaching enemy flicker at this moment.
Isn’t this the perfect time for both sides to hide their identities?
Lennok thought so as he gazed at the vast plant, devoid of people.
Up until three days ago, dozens of wizards were busily moving around the plant’s farm. Now, only the traces of dried-up Night Moon Trees remained.
Walking among the withered saplings, Lennok suddenly noticed signs of his own intervention and bent over to inspect. While it still seemed lively compared to the other plants, it appeared on the verge of wilting.
Was this rapid draining of vitality in just three days a characteristic of the Night Moon Tree, or was it…
“A familiar face.”
A gruff voice sounded from behind him.
An old man with a hunched back stood, observing Lennok’s face with a craggy expression.
“I told you I have nothing for you. Couldn’t you resist coming back?”
“…”
“Well, whatever. It’s meaningless now.”
Lennok slowly straightened up and rose.
The old man chuckled at his reaction, then abruptly turned and began to walk away. His demeanor now was completely different from when he was friendly towards Lennok before.
But it wasn’t surprising.
Lennok’s face was now seamlessly disguised as Byzen’s.
He didn’t just observe Byzen overnight simply to steal his magic. After confirming the movement of the magic pattern Byzen had, Lennok had successfully disguised himself perfectly as Byzen.
This was his first time impersonating an existing person, but judging by the old man’s reaction, it seemed to have worked perfectly.
And this new identity would greatly assist Lennok in addressing the upcoming events.
Following the old man, Lennok spoke up.
“Everyone else has left the floating island. What are you doing here?”
“Hmph… What’s happening in the autonomous region isn’t my concern.”
The old man replied with a snort.
“Those flying around in the sky will handle it. I’m here to protect my farm.”
By his words, he seemed to be a grumpy old man solely focused on his tasks.
However, Lennok chuckled and shook his head.
“That’s not it.”
“What?”
“You can’t leave because this place is the starting point of everything, right?”
“…”
“I’ve learned the truth from the Eye of the Blue. Now, come to your senses.”
Lennok added his final speculation.
“Executioner.”
The old man remained silent.
His hunched posture and faltering steps had disappeared. In a flash, the old man, now of similar height to Lennok, turned around.
“Don’t address me like that.”
Thud!!
The old man’s face melted away, revealing a familiar face underneath.
The walls of the government building.
The redhead youth he met late at night, who had inquired about Byzen’s whereabouts, stood before Lennok.
“I don’t want to be called ‘Executioner’ by the likes of you.”
“That’s not the important issue right now, is it?”
Lennok shrugged in response.
“What’s important is to find out what’s happening underground in this plant.”
From the moment he verified that the name of the plant’s manager in the warehouse ledger was different from the officially known old man, he already had a hunch.
The very person who had infiltrated the government building in search of Byzen, simply backed down upon hearing a single statement about spotting Byzen at the plant.
Still, the reason the young man was convinced by Lennok’s words and turned away was likely because he wasn’t genuinely concerned about who the real culprit was.
The young man was merely creating alibis by meeting various people everywhere.
“…”
“If you don’t want to answer, let me guess.”
Lennok continued, unfazed by the young man’s stoic gaze.
“Weren’t you producing drugs? Specifically, powerful and lethal drugs capable of altering an entire living human body? Without that explanation, the existence of mutants causing chaos in the autonomous region doesn’t make sense.”
Though Lennok’s time in the autonomous region was short, the events during that period were certainly not coincidental.
His initial suspicion began the moment Lapis verified the plant. He dismissed the Basilisk mushroom’s arrival as a mere coincidence at that time, but upon reflection, there were multiple concerning factors.
“You’ve made too many slip-ups. It’s time to face the consequences.”
Lennok still remembered the words of the elder who had recognized his talents at the plant.
He had expressed his fondness for talented individuals, indicating his desire to assign them some tasks. He also mentioned a generous sponsor supporting the plant.
It seemed trivial at the time, but connecting that with the drug lord’s situation, everything falls into place.
Talented sorcerers were needed because ‘ingredients’ for alchemy were required.
The reason he sponsored this plant was to set up a place for the rite of fusion.
“When I raided your warehouse, something was off. A warehouse that should be filled with drug-making paraphernalia… was full of very ordinary medicinal herbs. Why store such harmless herbs separately? Then it hit me.”
Simple.
The drug lord possessed a formula to produce drugs by combining such ordinary herbs.
And this formula involved using alchemy from World 1.0, combining ingredients in an entirely different method from this world.
The way his drugs functioned differently from regular drugs made sense under this assumption.
The twisted power of alchemy, spanning two worlds, has long surpassed human boundaries.
The most convenient place to store and handle such herbs, without arousing suspicion from other sorcerers, was right under the autonomous region’s largest plant.
Boldly, the drug lord operated one of the largest drug factories under this plant.
Lennok chuckled, borrowing Byzen’s face. A hefty, mocking laugh that suited the face emanated without restraint.
“The one operating a drug factory under the autonomous region’s plant turned out to be the chief mage of Blaiver Magic Tower… A passing dog would laugh at this. I never expected the lord to become a dog in my absence. I had respected the Executioner in my own way.”
“You respected me?”
For the first time, the young man responded to his words.
“There’s a limit to lying. You, who suffered from inferiority under me all your life, think something will change now by mocking me?”
“…”
“But this is undoubtedly my mistake. I never expected to be exposed by a half-baked wizard like you. I should have found and silenced you for good back then.”
As he turned around and took a step towards Lennok, flames arose.
A powerful magic, heavy enough even for Lennok to reckon with, quickly resonated around.
Whooosh!!
The flames wrapping around his legs spread out in an instant, creating a massive wave of fire.
The withered wild trees burned to ashes in a split second.
The young man, who turned the ground into a sea of flames in a moment, glared at Lennok and said,
“You, intoxicated by your shallow talent, wouldn’t understand. The despair of a pivotal inspiration running dry. Do you know the moments of awakening that never come, no matter how hard you try?”
“…”
“I’ve been wandering for a very long time, searching for a resonance that would answer me. I finally realized it wasn’t inside the tower and ventured out. And then I realized.”
The young man said, pulling out a sachet of powdered drugs.
“That great inspiration doesn’t always come from pure or clean methods…”
He skillfully tore the sachet and snorted its contents.
His once emotionless expression slowly distorted, and he leaned his head back.
“Haah…”
A vile ecstasy appeared on his face.
Only then did Lennok realize why the young man had done all this.
“So you’re saying you started using drugs for your own achievements? Quite an unconventional approach.”
“…Isn’t it… surprising?”
The young man responded with a noticeably slower tone.
“You too… were searching for the flame herb to enhance your meager mana…”
“…”
“Come to think of it… things went awry from there. Ever since you insisted on coming to my assignment… things started to go weird. He suddenly ordered the cessation of drug production and demanded something new. Hehehe… thanks to that, I’m in this state… all thanks to you. It’s all your doing.”
His tongue contorted, and the magic emanating from his body began to warp drastically.
The drug’s influence was distorting his consciousness and imagery.
The flames, a manifestation of the wizard’s will, also changed color drastically.
The young man’s deep crimson flames began to emit a bizarre fluorescent light and a foul odor.
Seeing the once neatly refined magic pattern now distorted, Lennok sighed.
Perhaps by turning his brain inside out like that, he changed his magic pattern and deceived his true identity.
The staggering young man unbelievably regained his balance.
A completely different, overtly murderous intent filled the eyes of the refocused young man.
“I’ll personally put an end to that pathetic life of yours.”