Chapter 321 – Side Story One. Collapse (Five)

“…….”

He silently raised his gaze upward.

Distortion Magic Circle.

Perception Impairment Magic Circle.

Intensity Enhancement Magic Circle.

And countless other Magic Circles, too many to even estimate, were indiscriminately layered upon the old, faded gray Wall.

The lines of Mana lit up in various colors.

The sight resembled graffiti haphazardly carved onto an alley wall.

It also looked like the wrinkles of time left by an unimaginably long period.

He stepped forward toward the Wall itself.

In demolition work, the first task was dismantling the Magic Circles.

If they simply collapsed the Wall, an accident could occur due to the reactive Mana forming the Magic Circles.

Vroooom—!

Just then, a group of vehicles arrived with a clamorous engine sound.

“You! There’s still quite some time until the promised hour, yet you’re already here!”

Those who got out were the collaborators, including Gustak.

And a large number of Wizards with unfamiliar faces.

Gustak made introductions.

“These are the Magic Circle dismantling technicians I mentioned before. We decided to start the work from today.”

“I’m Roman. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“I’m also honored to meet the famous School Master Ray. I look forward to working with you.”

The technicians sent looks of admiration toward Ray along with polite greetings.

Afterward, they quickly focused on examining the Wall, behaving like the experts they were.

“As I felt during the last survey, it’s truly a vast number of Magic Circles.”

“To dismantle all of these, several years won’t be enough. It might take several years, over a decade, perhaps even longer…”

The Magic Circles accumulated over a long period for maintenance and repairs were tangled together, making it impossible to distinguish their boundaries.

To use a metaphor, it was a situation akin to untangling tens of thousands of intertwined threads.

It wasn’t impossible.

There was clearly a starting point.

“According to records, there exists a pivotal point that serves as the core of all Magic Circles engraved on the Wall.”

“If we find that point and unravel the connecting link, the future Magic Circle dismantling work will become much easier.”

Just as serious discussions were continuing.

Another group of vehicles arrived.

“School Master Ray, you’ve already arrived. As summoned, I’ve brought all the personnel we can mobilize right now!”

It was Villen, the head of the construction office, and his employees.

His construction office, which had been on the verge of closure due to the saturation of Mage Towers in the city, had been revived starting with the Imaginarius School’s expansion request.

Afterward, they entered into an exclusive contract and had now transformed into the leading construction company in the city.

“Thank you. It must not have been easy to gather personnel on such short notice.”

“Not at all. School Master Ray is like a benefactor to our office. Shouldn’t we rush to carry out any order you give without hesitation?”

Villen replied with a laugh.

Afterward, he and his employees unloaded containers nearby and set up tents.

It was the central camp where the involved parties would be stationed and proceed with the Wall demolition project.

After quickly inspecting the completed camp, Ray approached the dismantling technicians in front of the Wall and asked.

“How is it? Will there be any problems dismantling the Magic Circles?”

“Ah, School Master. Before proceeding with the work, it seems we need to find the point where the lines of the Magic Circles converge.”

An explanation followed.

Only then would the bonds of the elements forming the Magic Circles weaken, making future work easier to proceed with.

“I understand. Then, how long will it take to find the connecting point?”

“It’s an apology to say this, but we estimate it might take several weeks. The Magic Circles on the city Wall weren’t systematically managed; they were indiscriminately layered as needed each time.”

Several weeks.

To Ray, who aimed to collapse the Wall within a month at most, it felt excessive.

“May I try finding it?”

“Ah, it’s possible, but…”

Understanding the structure and form of Magic Circles was a high-difficulty task requiring long-term professional training.

Although he was a person creating a new wave in the city, given his young age, it would be difficult for him to possess the capabilities related to Magic Circle dismantling.

‘He’ll likely be unable to withstand the Mana wavelengths emitted by the Magic Circles and step back.’

‘In severe cases, some people even feel dizzy and collapse.’

Thinking so, the technicians stepped back and waited politely.

And then.

“Here it is.”

“Huh?”

There was no time to maintain their doubt.

With a massive surge of blue Mana, the power of the thousands of Magic Circles engraved on the Wall was simultaneously weakening.

“Wh-what is this…”

“Huh.”

The busy movement of Mana was to a degree that everyone in the vicinity could feel.

Not only the nearby collaborators but even the workers turned to look this way.

“…….”

Ray focused silently.

The countless lines of Mana embroidered upon the Wall.

Reflected in his white pupils, enhanced with insight, was a single point where all those lines intersected and were bound together.

It was the connecting link where the Magic Circles were bound, each reinforcing the other’s structure.

Oooooom──!

Under Ray’s control, the threads of Mana began to unravel one by one.

After an uncontrollably accelerating momentum, the connecting link was completely dismantled.

Everyone was at a loss for words.

A thick silence flowed.

What originally would have required over a dozen technicians clinging to it for weeks had been resolved in less than 5 minutes.

And by the hands of a single person.

Clap clap clap clap!

Just then, applause rang out.

Turning his head, Ray could see Pyoel getting out of a car and walking toward them.

“Truly amazing. I too have some expertise in Magic Circle dismantling, but this is a sight I’m seeing for the first time.”

“You really came.”

Pyoel, who had deeply sympathized with Ray’s belief that all humans are equal and said he would lend his strength to the Wall demolition work.

He seemed to have truly rushed here, even putting aside School affairs.

“It’s work that will be long recorded in the city’s history; of course I should come, shouldn’t I?”

Pyoel gave a friendly smile.

Afterward, he joined the ranks of the dismantling technicians.

‘So far, it’s going smoothly.’

Ray looked around.

The technicians, who had dazed expressions, then came to their senses and began working.

Once they dismantled all the Magic Circles in their weakened state, the construction workers would then use equipment to collapse the Wall.

Generously estimating, it would probably take about a week.

Gustak approached with a surprised face.

“How on earth did you find the connecting link so quickly? Did you come here for a survey beforehand…”

───!

It was then that Ray sensed a Mana signal from the direction of the city center.

It was the alarm from the Ring he had given Joshua.

“…Is that it? The secret…”

Zzzt!

Before Gustak could even finish speaking, Ray opened a Spatial Rift and moved.

The place he arrived at was a deserted alley.

Joshua, collapsed and bleeding.

He also sensed the presences of Mana rapidly scattering in all directions.

‘Fast. I came as soon as I felt the signal.’

They must be the assailants who attacked Joshua.

They were estimated to be practitioners of at least 4th Circle or higher.

Since Joshua’s condition looked serious, he gave up pursuit and hurriedly approached.

“Are you okay? Can you speak?”

“Ray…? I noticed I was being tailed midway, but the opponents were too strong… My head is spinning…”

Joshua’s chest was torn lengthwise by something sharp.

The external wound quickly healed under the Healing Magic he immediately used, but the skin color that had turned bluish-black did not return.

‘Poison was used.’

More powerful Healing Magic was needed.

Someone who could evoke a much stronger feeling of worry than I can.

“Poison was used. Wait a moment. I’ll go capture Veronica.”

Thump!

As Ray tried to open a Spatial Rift and move, Joshua grabbed his arm.

“It’s okay, if it’s poison… no need to go through the trouble.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just… wait…”

Was his mind affected by the poison?

He considered taking out a dictionary and hitting his head once, but since Joshua’s emotions were so firm, he waited quietly.

And not long after, he could see Joshua’s skin gradually losing its bluish-black tint and returning completely to normal.

A mysterious phenomenon.

Ray expressed his doubt.

“Just now, I didn’t sense any movement of Mana at all.”

“It’s not Magic or anything. It’s because my blood is a little, no, quite special.”

Joshua, whose complexion had returned.

He regulated his breathing and explained the situation.

“I told you I was sold as a slave to this city, right? It was because of my blood. The Wizard who captured me said I have an extremely peculiar type of blood. Type 8, I think he called it?”

A type born with a probability of one in millions, an extremely rare blood type.

Its characteristics were a powerful detoxifying effect against all known poisons and a compatibility that could fuse with any blood type.

“This is the first time I’m hearing such a story.”

“It’s natural you wouldn’t know. The study of blood itself is a non-mainstream field. But they said those who are knowledgeable in this field all know about it. They said it’s blood that appears maybe once every few hundred years.”

Joshua said with a bitter smile.

That’s why, until he was rescued by the School Master of his current School, he was locked in a basement, injected with poisons, and subjected to all sorts of experiments.

His self-deprecating gaze turned toward the bloodstains scattered on the ground.

“Purists… I suppose?”

“If I had come faster, I could have stopped it.”

Joshua shook his head.

“No. It’s largely my fault for wandering the streets carelessly. I guess my sense of being from Beyond the Wall had grown too dull. Ray, if you hadn’t come…”

After a brief silence.

“…I would have been helplessly dead. A corpse here, growing cold.”

Joshua trembled.

Seeing that, Ray intuited.

Perhaps this incident would become the start of hate crimes that would occur in the city going forward.

And that Purists might be more widespread in this city than thought.

‘Catching the assailants won’t be that difficult. I just need to follow the remaining Mana presences.’

But even if they are caught, will the incident truly be resolved?

If the leadership, the heads of the organization, aren’t caught, ultimately, those with the same beliefs will continue to be mass-produced.

“…….”

Ray recalled.

The roughly 10 School Masters he saw at the conference, harboring deep malice.

And after a moment, he opened his mouth.

“Joshua, how about dying?”

“Huh? What? Huh? Huh?”

Joshua’s face turned pale.

Ray realized his communication was mistaken and revised his sentence.

“So, what I meant was, how about announcing that you died here today? You go into hiding and return after the city’s atmosphere calms down.”

The meaning being that if it’s known he’s alive, he could be attacked again.

A sufficiently plausible opinion.

Although convinced, Joshua hesitated for another reason.

“But I have nowhere to go if I leave this city…”

“Don’t worry about that. There’s a safe place in this city that no one will find.”

“There’s such a place?”

Ray showed him with action instead of an answer.

He opened a Spatial Rift before Joshua’s eyes.

What unfolded beyond was the interior of a Cabin.

Curiosa, who had been sitting down about to enjoy tea and cookies, flinched in surprise upon seeing the two boys.

“Wh-what is this?”

The facial features on the violently shaking mask from bewilderment returned to their place.

A fierce growl followed.

“Kid, I clearly told you not to enter my house without permission…”

Thump!

Ray pushed Joshua’s back toward the Cabin and quickly closed the Spatial Rift.

Zzzt—! Pah!

The visitor, who had been pushed in bewildered, and the homeowner’s eyes met.

“…….”

“…….”

After a long silence, Joshua finally opened his mouth.

“Uh… Ah, hello?”