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Barbarian | Interlude.1 - Signs of Change
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Upon her arrival at the Fountain of Magic, Deflyn found herself brimming with anticipation. The entrance to Zone 2 revealed shadow-shaped monsters pouring in, known as demonic beasts. Their emergence signaled the opening of the abyssal rift, and Deflyn's curiosity surged.
What kind of demonic beast would appear?
With the hope that an Abyss attendant might manifest, Deflyn hastened her steps.
However, the moment she reached the entrance to Zone 2, she stopped dead in her tracks.
What is this? The mana.......
Deflyn couldn't perceive the flow of mana visually. However, as an Archmage, she could perceive that the flow of mana had solidified. In other words, magic could not be used beyond this point.
It's going to be difficult to go any further.
Her eyes narrowed.
No mage in the world would willingly step into a zone where magic could not be used.
Instead of entering Zone 2, she stood in place and cast a spell and a moment later, two orbs emitting light floated beside her.
Eyes of the Watcher
A magical vision allowing her to see distant landscapes. After a moment, the inner scenes of Zone 2 unfolded before Deflyn's eyes.
That...that is...!
Her vibrant purple eyes widened; and for good reason.
What she saw through the Eyes of the Watcher was a sight of demonic beasts she had never seen before, filling the sky.
As she stared at them in amazement, she saw a figure fighting the demonic beasts.
It was Marquis Seoric al-Ghorfant, one of the Five Masters of the Empire.
I wondered where he had gone..........
She couldn't believe he was fighting here.
She watched the battle with interest.
However, a moment later, her violet eyes widened again at what she saw beyond Seoric.
"......!"
A dragon as massive as a mountain.
A nine-eyed monster whose mere presence exuded an aura of intimidation.
Immediately after setting eyes on it, Deflyn shuddered.
Could it be the Ruler of the Abyss......?
The thought wasn't far-fetched. The overwhelming aura that even momentarily daunted an Archmage suggested a power beyond any known entity.
Then, amidst the awe, another figure seized Deflyn's attentiona man wielding an axe, clad only in an upper garment.
Wait, that's.......
As far as she knew, there was only one other person in the Academy dressed like that.
Ulan Bator.
A monster who had become a master at a young age.
He also possessed two mana vessels, making him a very unique individual.
But the moment she spotted Ulan, Deflyn's eyes filled with pity.
Why did he do such a reckless thing?
If that dragon was truly a Ruler of the Abyss, Ulan's actions were nothing short of suicide.
According to the worshippers of the abyss, the Rulers were powerful enough to destroy the empire with their mere existence.
I haven't even studied him properly yet.
Deflyn sighed with a wistful look; she was certain of Ulans defeat.
However, after a while, the situation changed.
What?
The dragon suddenly fled from Ulan.
Then, a pack of wolves appeared out of nowhere, blocking the dragon's path, and Ulan took advantage of this opportunity to quickly approach the dragon's nose.
Simultaneously, a fierce onslaught erupteda final blow ending a prolonged battle. The dragon, its body cracking open, exploded in all directions.
And the result
a cloud of ash covered the battlefield.
The dragon was nowhere to be found, and in its place was a bloodied Ulan.
Deflyn wore a bewildered expression; the outcome was unexpected. However, in a brief moment, she seemed to grasp something, nodding with realization.
So it wasn't a Ruler of the Abyss.
If the dragon was indeed the Ruler of the Abyss, then Ulan would have faced inevitable defeat.
Even if he was a master, it would be impossible for him to defeat a Ruler of the Abyss, that too alone.
So what was the identity of the dragon?
'It must have been an Abyss attendant.
In the service of the Rulers of the Abyss.
Deflyn judged that the identity of the Frost Dragon that Ulan had defeated was a simple servant.
After a while, the previously frozen flow of mana in Zone 2 returned to normal.
Sensing this, Deflyn withdrew the Eyes of the Watcher and issued an order.
"Special forces, proceed to Zone 2."
"Yes! Understood."
The special forces rushed into the zone, and Deflyn followed suit.
However, after a while, when the rescue operation concluded, she remained alone in Zone 2.
Her pretext was to investigate the situation, though her true purpose was quite different. Walking across the ash-covered ground, Deflyn carefully observed the area where the abyssal rift had opened, and when no one was looking, she collected the ashes of the Frost Dragon in a pouch.
It's a bit different from the original purpose.......
Deflyn's purpose was twofold: to measure the length of time the Abyssal Rift would remain open, and to secure an Abyssal monster.
Though she didn't accomplish either of these, Deflyn was satisfied, for she had achieved something even more significant.
The fact that powerful servants of the abyss can come out even from the rift, not from the gates.
This was a significant achievement.
If servants could come out of a rift, there was no need to wait for the gates to open, just keep opening the abyssal rift.
I also got the ashes of the Abyss attendant.
Though the power had faded, the ashes emanated a potent aura. With proper utilization, intriguing experiments could be conducted.
With this unexpected income, Deflyn left the Fountain of Magic.
After returning to the Dean's office, she headed to the laboratory beyond the wall; to find a box to store the ashes of the Frost Dragon.
But at that moment,
"Huh?"
there was a strange sense of disquiet; as if someone had entered the lab. Of course, it was just a feeling, and there was no sign of an intruder.
Was it just my mood?
Just as she was about to dismiss the thought.
"Huh?"
.suddenly, something caught her eye; the safe in the corner of the lab, wide open when it should have been closed.
The moment she saw it
"......!?"
she felt a sinking feeling in her heart and quickly checked the contents of the safe; inside were more than twenty top-grade mana stones. Fortunately, the number of mana stones remained unchanged, but her complexion turned pale.
That's because every single one of them hadn't even a handful of mana left in them.
The moment she confirmed this,
"...................!"
Ending in a tearing scream,
Deflyn lost consciousness on the spot.
End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . .
Translator's Notes:-
Translating while listening to some heat bhojpuri bangers is a different vibe ~
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