Chapter 631 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

The Blue Tower Lord smiled knowingly, while I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. "Lankart mentioned that the Blue Tower Lord is still superior to him. Seems like he was right." "Did you behave similarly in the military nation?" "It was much less over there. Back then, I was younger, and the military nation didn't accommodate my circumstances. In comparison, the Blue Tower Lord here is much more understanding." Caught as I was, I had no choice. The Blue Tower Lord must be confident to have spoken so. "I am indeed grateful to my senior, Avant-Garde. I’m trying to treat them as well as I can." "I wasn't trying to criticize. Thanks to you, Avant-Garde's level has risen significantly, so it's mutually beneficial. Moreover, your moving around has sparked active exchanges even with the Crystal Tower. Having you as a disciple makes me proud." Perhaps the mention was simply to satisfy her intellectual vanity. Instead of considering me a threat or criticizing, the Blue Tower Lord looked at me with an approving glance. That's a relief. Some could take offense at such things. 'A talent for handling people is rare, so I was slow to catch on. Lankart's hint was helpful, but I would have realized it eventually. He's undoubtedly remarkable. There's joy in discovering more about him.' That too must be because the Blue Tower Lord is an exceptionally talented and arrogant mage. It wasn't some grand secret, nor against the Blue Tower Lord, but still, I'd been found out. For now, I'll admit my defeat. Feigning a casual demeanor to ease the tension, I sipped my tea slightly and asked. "Are you perhaps displeased?" "What do you mean?" "Because I'm taking advantage of Avant-Garde senior's kindness." "Oh my, do you see me as so naive?" "The Blue Tower Lord with her cool intellect may not be, but I can't help being concerned." "You must have experienced many tumultuous situations. It's fine. You're undoubtedly a brilliant talent, and your presence positively impacts the tower. Even if you toy with a cute female mage's heart, what's the harm if both parties are happy?" It’s fortunate that the Blue Tower Lord has such a cool and open-minded personality. She seemed more likely to support me than hinder me. "That, of course, depends on passing the Dragon Gate." "Even if you don't solve the mana problem and fail the Dragon Gate, with your abilities, you could find a place in any tower of the lower realms." "The Crystal Tower would be best. I'll find a way, no matter what." "I'm counting on you." Having finished our discussion, I downed the rest of my tea and stood up. Using layered magic circles and bloodstone high crystal, it's still far from enough. I need to come up with another method. However, can I really discover a way even the master of the magic tower couldn't find? I am the King of Humans. I handle the realms humans have pioneered well, but I'm not one to venture into uncharted territories. As I was about to bid farewell and exit, the Blue Tower Lord called out to me with an additional piece. "Oh. Disciple. I almost forgot to mention there’s more good news." "The Blue Tower Lord almost forgot? That’s unlikely." "True. It’s not news that would truly delight you. Lankart has completed his investigation and returned. He should be in the Intelligence Bureau now." "...Hah. It's indeed lukewarm news." It's not bad, per se. But I'm not exactly thrilled either. I guess I should pay a visit. The Floating City is a city built with gravity magic, where everyone lives on the outer shell. There’s no horizon like in the lower realms. Instead, the opposite side of the city arches above. There’s no need to ascend any heights to get a better view. You simply raise your head higher to see further. Unlike the lofty sun that neglects as the altitude rises, the light emanating from the artificial sun of the Floating City equitably illuminates the ground. There is no shadow to cast one’s gaze. The Floating City, with its artificial sun overhead, is always at noon. I scrutinized the Floating City and found the Intelligence Bureau. Identifying its location was easy because all important facilities of the Floating City had high ceilings. By examining the structures closest to the artificial sun, it was quickly discerned. Unable to use gravity magic, I walked to the Intelligence Bureau. Though I hadn’t much business there before, showing the insignia given by the Blue Tower Lord should grant me entry. "Hughie." Before I could seek him out, Lankart came to find me first. Oh. That saves me the effort. "You’re here? It took quite a while..." "Are you... the King of Humans?" Huh? You know too? Oh, you said you gathered information from the Tree of Origin, right? Gosh. Fewer people in the world seem unaware now. I admitted it straightforwardly. "Yes." "Why?" Why, you ask. Because I am the King of Humans. However, it seemed Lankart was asking something else. Looking disappointed, he clutched his forehead. "It’s unbelievable. You, the one I lost to, are that trite right-hand wielder?" "What?" "Just a mere King of Beasts. An already defined notion, yet the most valueless among right-hand wielders..." "Why are you suddenly agitated? Are we fighting?" I spoke half-jokingly, but Lankart reacted exactly as I said. With a dismissive gesture, an enormous vortex engulfed me, tossing me about 10 meters away in an instant. "Tsk." Lankart’s condition has not been great lately. Why is he suddenly acting like this? As if his very world was denied. Is it because I am the King of Humans? Hah. If I truly were the King of Humans, I wouldn't even be offended. There's a higher existence openly termed as "Elder Sister," and I've lost all my power. Did I really lose it? It was originally hers. If you think about it, I was just borrowing it all along. "Lankart, how long did the investigation take? Who else knows this besides you?" "Damn it. Competing with a conceptual existence all this time..." "Did you meet 'Elder Sister'?" "Hughie, I have no business with you." So he met her. Did they have a conversation? Let's see... digging into memories. Lankart and the mages from the Intelligence Bureau investigated around the Tree of Origin. There were countless methods at their disposal. They were all mages, and Lankart was a seasoned mage. They magically analyzed the Tree of Origin, recreated the incidents that occurred there, and listened to testimony from the people who lived around it. The shakeup of the Tree of Origin caused numerous people to plummet to the ground. Following that, a massive blaze engulfed the Tree of Origin. Fatally wounded, the Tree of Origin grew silent and ceased to move. The people who lived in the shadow of the World Tree were engulfed in chaos and fear. Hundreds fell, their homelands burned, leaving their futures uncertain. What was once a fertile and blessed village among nations, the shade of the World Tree, had to endure pain and endure scattering their anger.... But that didn't happen. Though they paid a huge price and harbored deep resentment, they were filled with new hope. The King of Humans. Beautiful, gentle, resolute, and powerful. The true King of Humans born among nations would lead them. Once the mages grasped the situation to an extent, they approached the survivors to hear their eyewitness accounts—. "Do you know my brother? Will you share your story for a moment?" Lankart received a visit from 'Elder Sister.' They didn't have many discussions, but she must have gleaned much information. And almost instantly, upon seeing the person before him, Lankart realized that this was the King of Humans. And he realized. The opponent was akin to a phenomenon. Competing in terms of wins and losses was meaningless. To some extent, he was right. It wasn’t a fair game, after all. But did I deceive you? “You’re acting all high and mighty. Even though you only realized because someone told you.” “What?” “It’s your choice to expect things arbitrarily and then feel disappointed. That's your freedom. But feeling resentful for not being informed when you already looked at the answer key is just absurd.” While I also reference the answer key, unlike you, I don’t whine about it. If I misread, I just grumble internally. “You tested me thoroughly enough. If you didn’t realize, that was your limitation. Now, you’ve lost the chance to find the answer yourself." "Hughie...! Deceiver!" Then Lankart’s domain expanded. The vortex engulfed the Floating City. The world of the right-handed. A unique sorcery that deletes all left rotations within a certain space. This unique sorcery disregards the type or strength of force involved. In a matter of seconds, everything aligns to the right. Air currents, mana, even the rotation of the Floating City itself. Creak, creak. As Lankart's world clashes with the existing one, their surfaces wear down. To the right as Lankart defined it, all 'lefts' other than that right collide and vanish. “What’s happening?” “Our defensive magic isn’t working!” “Spatial anomaly? Only one person could pull this off!” They tried to deal with the anomaly using magic but failed repeatedly in the right-handed world, as the magic circles and mana they wielded were also within the influence of the right-handed world, causing the mana flow to disarray. “It can only be Lankart!” “Investigator Lankart! Stop, please!” Not experiencing this for the first time, mages from the Intelligence Bureau started rushing out, calling Lankart’s name. However, their footsteps soon shifted to approach Lankart from the right. “Investigator Lankart! Withdraw your power!” “A Grand Mage should not unfold power in the Floating City!” Of course, Lankart did not heed them. He merely extended his hand toward me as he unleashed his power. It was a small gesture, but Lankart was the center of the right-handed world. His hand motion, amplified by the swirling vortex, pressed upon me with tremendous force. "I respected you because you were a left-hander. An existence defying laws, showcasing a different perspective, finding ways." "Oh, did I not meet your expectations then?" "If you are merely a notion-bound subject to laws, even you are only something for me to analyze." Lankart’s power grew ever stronger. Enveloped in his unique sorcery, expanding its range, I stumbled slightly. Unique sorceries also come in various types. Like the cogwheels of Maximilien, focusing on laws related to particular objects is entity-related (대물對物). Although the range is limited, in that domain, it exerts the most dominant authority. Those of the Black Tower Lord and Green Tower Lord bear resemblance but slightly differ. Their unique sorcery is concept-related (대념對念). Implementing a single concept such as a one-way teleporter or vanishing point through unique sorcery. The conceptual entity is powerful, yet beyond its range, the world’s rules still apply. In contrast, the determinism of the Blue Tower Lord and the right-handed world of Lankart is world-related (대계對界). Imposing the rules they set over the entire space under their unique sorcery’s jurisdiction, it’s immensely potent and expansive. Among these, concept-related unique sorceries are considered the most practical, unrestricted by location or object, immensely powerful, and easy to apply. However, when asked what’s the most powerful— Most people, albeit reluctantly, choose unique sorcery related to the world. But I am different. “Analyze? You didn’t, though.” In the right-handed world, I managed to take a step forward. All creations spiral rightward. In the maelstrom, cutting straight toward the center is an exceptionally challenging feat. The rightward swirling force itself forms a barrier blocking my path. However, I possess the power to eliminate this barrier. “Still hesitating, still trying to test me. Disappointment, you say. It's all just an excuse, isn't it?" Unique sorcery. The world of the right-handed. Though much smaller and weaker than Lankart’s, a similar flow emerged centered around me. I unraveled the insight he reached and manifested it. Amid the swirling vortex, two cores exist: Lankart's vast flow and my own smaller flow. Both are manifestations of the same unique sorcery, with an undeniable difference in power. However, what rotates to the right for me... ...might very well rotate to the left for Lankart. "I'll give you a hint. Try to make sense of it." Between Lankart and me, what is a left rotation to him and a right rotation to me? Both cancel each other out. The vortex wall annihilates, dispersing into pure force. Conversely, the outside surrounding Lankart and me—what rotates to the right for both of us—intensifies. The augmented flow stronger than the original propels me forward. The magnitude of power doesn't matter. According to Lankart's rules, as long as I maintain my own right rotation centered around me, I can approach Lankart. Because that's the rule of the right-handed world. “You...!” Spinning, swirling, spinning, swirling. Caught between the two rotational axes, I spun in place like a bearing but stayed unaffected. As long as there’s an observer, I don’t feel dizziness. And when the rotation reached its peak. A diamond 1. Transforming a folded card between two fingers into a skewer, I lightly pricked Lankart with it—as if playing a harmless trick.