episode_0007

As a proud citizen of the Republic of Korea, I did have a Korean name, but since being transmigrated into the novel, I’ve been using the name MacLeras. It didn’t hold any special meaning; it was simply the original owner’s name of the body I transmigrated into.

Despite my somewhat ridiculous name, I take pride in my magical abilities, which are nothing to scoff at. Among the thousands who have been transmigrated into novels, not a single one has become a grand mage. Just achieving the status of the sole archmage is quite an accomplishment, isn’t it?

Even though I was restricted in my use of mana and magic by warping into the novel “A Cruel City Drenched in Blood,” dispelling feeble spells like those was easily achievable.

“Cancel.”

The spell of the leader of the looters was quite simplistic. While he seemed to have woven various complex elements together to enhance its security, ironically, those efforts made it even easier to dispel. It was clear that he was trying to hide something.

After dispelling his magic, I approached him and spoke, “Speak again. Who sent you to kill whom?”

I coldly addressed the man.

“You? To kill me?”

It wasn’t a bluff. Having observed Choi Ye-bin’s combat prowess up to this point, I was more than confident in the abilities of the man before me, as well as the lackeys behind him who were unable to use magic.

I reached a conclusion. This was the end of the hidden forces. All variables under control, all that remained was one-sided humiliation.

“What can you possibly do with just one mage and one assassin? Even if you are more magically adept than me, there must be a casting time required for using magic.”

It was a valid point. If one were to advance step by step, using their comrades as a shield while casting a spell, it would be possible to approach and eliminate around ten people. The killer was beside me, but she was defenseless against magic.

This is why premeditation is crucial. It can turn a situation where victory is impossible into one where defeat is equally impossible.

A sealed cave. Natural gas permeated the area.

The opposing mage would likely be aware of this fact.

“That guy. He’s been using water-based magic since earlier.” A small amount of gas catches fire and burns intensely, while a large amount of gas ignites and causes an explosion. Even in an environment with plenty of diluted air, the combination of gas and flame triggers a powerful explosion. What would happen if such an explosion occurred in a place with limited oxygen, almost sealed off from the outside? I immediately deployed the magic formation. The dazzling magic circle flickered on my hand. In an instant, the leader of the looters recoiled in shock. “Y-You… you crazy bastard! Have you lost your mind? If you use fire magic here, we’ll all die! Are you trying to commit suicide by getting cornered?” “Why do you assume I’ll die with you?” In that moment, he seemed to realize something and started shouting frantically at his subordinates. “Stop that bastard! Stick to him so he can’t deploy the defense magic!” As I began casting fire magic with my right hand, I also started casting barrier magic with my left hand. Killer stared blankly at the scene. “Double casting…?” Double casting, a technique used by an extremely small number of people at the peak. It forms the basis for multi-casting, allowing the use of multiple spells at once. However, using a single barrier to block a massive fiery explosion in an enclosed space was incredibly reckless. My mana reserves were currently limited. At the very least, I needed to reduce the gas nearby. The solution was simple. I focused my mind, and a green magic circle began to form in the air. Without any prior preparation, it was immediately unleashed. Whoosh! A gust of wind swept over the enemies as if flinging them away. In an instant, the oxygen and gases behind them were drawn in as if being poured into one place. Finally, I cast the second barrier spell that I had prepared earlier. “I-I need to… escape…” Fear began to fill the eyes of the looter leader. The room was filled with a red light. It was the last sight he beheld in his life. — — —

The impact of the explosion was mitigated. The cave had almost reached the point of collapse, and indeed, there were some areas that had collapsed. The entrance was completely blocked, making it impossible to leave, but there was enough space to stretch out a body.

“You’re reckless. You could have ended up getting us both killed.”

Killer, Choi Ye-bin, said as she huddled next to me. I didn’t offer any response because I didn’t have the energy to speak.

“Elixir… and even saving my life, I don’t know how to repay the favor.”

I struggled to stand, then gulped down the remaining elixir I had brought with me. Only then did I regain enough strength to move properly.

“Triple casting under constrained conditions really takes a toll.”

I unleashed powerful winds, flames, and even barrier magic. Using three attribute magics belonging to high-level spells at once might be nothing special in the original world, but here, I feared it might fail. However, it succeeded.

“Couldn’t you have chosen a less risky method?”

I was about to give a vague answer to the girl’s question, but realizing that lying was pointless, I spoke honestly. It wouldn’t matter anyway.

“If I had abandoned you and hidden for about 23 hours, I could have returned without any risk. Of course, you would have died.”

“Were you planning to use that method? Why did you suddenly decide to help me?”

Killer looked extremely uneasy. She had every reason to be. A man who seemed infinitely stronger than her risking his life to help. This was undeniably strange, especially in this damn novel where bandits exist in numbers as large as the citizens.

The girl seemed genuinely curious, so I just answered honestly.

“I was just trying to leave you to die and run away, but I saw the post you made on the community. Reading the comments made me feel disgusted. I don’t know why.” It was a completely honest reason, without any falsehoods.

A girl’s tragedy being romanticized felt alien, and I suddenly felt nauseated. I’m no apostle of justice. It wasn’t for the sake of justice. What right did I have to do so, constantly engaging in provocative behavior?

But if I were to add a slight reason, it felt odd when killer’s posts, which appeared daily, stopped coming up. She was one of the few who received as much flak as I did. Perhaps there was a sense of camaraderie, at least in the forum of annihilation.

Given the opportune moment for intervention, I switched from an observer’s standpoint to taking a stance as a character in the drama and altered her fate.

“Putting that aside, everything around here is a mess. What should we do now?”

“I’ll figure out how to get out from here myself. I have a rough idea of the external location, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“That’s impossible. When I tried using detection magic, this place was completely sealed off. The only space left is this cramped area where we’re squeezed in, about a meter or so.”

A brief silence followed.

Truth be told, I wasn’t unaware that things would turn out like this. Frankly, I intentionally caused an excessive explosion. There was a chance that remnants of looters might be waiting elsewhere in the cave to launch a delayed attack. If that happened, we could easily end up dead by their blind blades.

Wherever those guys were in this vast cave, I exerted enough force to kill them all. Simultaneously, I formed a fortress that was physically impenetrable for 23 hours.

I didn’t confine her to this space without a plan, after making efforts to save her.

“According to the administrator privileges, each time you warp from another world, you can bring one desired life form or object. Of course, if the target has a significant impact on either world, it will be vetoed…”

After a momentary pause, I concluded my statement.

“In a world where even someone like Macderrath exists, it doesn’t seem unlikely that not a single assassin would make it through. How about it? Will you come with me to where I’ve possessed?”

“…Can I bring my weapons along?”

“That doesn’t seem possible. It looks like only a few clothes without any abilities might come along, but weapons definitely won’t warp with us.”

Even if warping doesn’t result in being stripped naked, it means we can’t bring additional loot by carrying something on our bodies. This isn’t a prediction, it’s a fact. In reality, I had magic scrolls and various items inside my robe, but they all disappeared when I warped, leaving only the robe behind.

“What’s there to worry about? We’re going to a world where the Archmage is backing us up.”

“…In that case, excuse me.”

After obtaining her consent, she smirked.

At Macdullas’s smile, killer Choi Yebin thought to herself,

Living a life hanging by a thread every day. Moreover, at the current point where escape is impossible, she wasn’t foolish enough to not realize that she should be begging to be taken away in this situation. Her hesitation was simply due to the thought that it might cause trouble for the man.

“This man is considerate.”

She had been mistaken. She had rashly judged the man based solely on his playful appearance in the online community. He was a man with dignity and abilities befitting an Archmage. Someone she should respect. At that moment, the girl was overwhelmed with emotion.

“I posted something, could you leave a comment? These guys keep attacking me.”

When killer, Choi Yebin logged into the online community, she saw one post.

ㅇㅇ[Administrator] – There are these guys who keep insulting me, calling me a retard and a loser.

You’re doing that because you don’t know me. I’m not just some guy who stirs up trouble, I’m the alpha male.

ㄴ ㅇㅇ – After getting attacked next time, he’ll change the rules right away.

ㄴ ㅇㅇ – He’s the one who bullies and oppresses the most while throwing tantrums

ㄴ ㅇㅇ – Retard

ㄴ love peace – Administrator, you’re an amazing person!

The frivolous behavior he displayed on the forum and his provocative actions made her doubt whether he was the same person who had just been planning a fight.

Choi Yebin gently brushed her tangled hair and quietly asked,

“What should I comment?”

MacDeras spoke hesitantly, and Choe Yebin took it in.

killer – The administrator is indeed an alpha male. I actually fell for him when I saw him.

Somehow, Choe Yebin began to think that the days spent together wouldn’t be smooth sailing.