The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years (Web Novel KR) Vol 1 Chapter 186

At first, the goal was to buy time until Frey came.

However, the fact that he sent the two reinforcements, Nix and Isaka, over meant that he would not be able to join them immediately. It was possible that he wouldn't be able to come at all.

Nevertheless, she failed to overcome her weak thoughts. She had tried to simply hold him back and leave everything to Frey, but she shouldn't have.

This opponent wasn't one who could be faced with a weak will.

She would destroy him here. She would definitely kill. Even if it meant losing her life.

…If she had fought with this determination from the start, then the results might have been different.

Maybe she was the one who caused it to end up like this.

'The result.'

Beniang closed her eyes.

It felt like she could see the end of this battle.

“Beniang.”

Nora was looking at Beniang in disbelief.

Beniang instead looked at her missing arm.

This was a natural result as she'd touched Agni's body with her bare hand.

“Your right arm…. I'm sorry. I was too late.”

“That's fine. That's not important…. Were you the one who saved me? How?”

“I used Dragontongue.”

“…isn't that something you can only use twice a day? Did you manage to increase the number of times you can use it?”

“No.”

Beniang shook her head calmly.

It was at that moment.

“Urk…”

Her expression became one of pain as she coughed up a mouthful of blood into her hand.

“Beniang?”

Nora moved to help her with a shocked expression. But Beniang shook her head to signal she was fine, despite the fact that her other hand was tightly clasping her robe.

'This is a warning.'

Her body was warning her directly. It was strongly urging her not to use Dragontongue again.

Beniang also knew. She could feel it instinctively.

Just what would happen if she tried to use Dragontongue any more.

Hector's words were accurate.

She could only use Dragontongue twice per day.

She had only used it one more time, but it already felt like a knife was being stirred around in her intestines.

But it was fine.

She could still talk. She could move. She might have been able to use magic as well.

She was still alive.

The terrible feeling inside her body was the best proof of that fact.

“Beniang…?”

“I'm fine.”

Beniang spoke calmly as she looked at Nora with a pale expression.

“This subjugation has failed.”

“…”

Everyone knew this, but it wasn't something anyone wanted to hear. And she didn't expect to hear it from Beniang of all people.

Nora remained silent and listened to what Beniang had to say.

“It appears that Agni is incapable of moving right now. He probably couldn't resist the full effects of Ivan's punch.”

She agreed.

It was clear that he was recuperating from his injuries at that moment. However, he was still using the last bit of power that he had left to protect his body.

It was a wise move.

After all, there was no longer anyone who could threaten Agni among those present.

Isaka was constantly using his ice to slow down Agni's recovery, but he was unable to deal a truly fatal blow.

'Even if we tried to use this chance to escape.'

It would be meaningless.

Agni was a Demigod who had mastered space-time movement. Even if they were to scatter and run in different directions, it would not take him very long to kill all of them.

“He can't move right now!”

“Now is our chance!”

“Let's go! Warriors of Silkid!”

The surviving Warriors all raised their weapons and charged at Agni. They were no better than moths flying into a flame.

Their weapons failed to reach Agni. Instead, Agni's flames spread and consumed them one after the other.

Beniang looked at this scene and opened her mouth again.

“…I see two paths that we can take right now.”

“Paths?”

“Perhaps this is the crossroads… it's probably the scene my father, Osel Argento, saw back then.”

Beniang murmured confidently.

She had witnessed it in person. Just why these beings, who were a rank higher than the other Demigods, were called Apocalypses.

They were truly beings who could destroy the world. Or, at least, they were able to directly cause catastrophes with their power.

It was the same in the battle against Nozdog back then.

Nozdog, who had the power of death, was a Demigod on the same level as Agni. And it was generally impossible to escape from such existences.

If so, then how did so many people survive in the battle against Nozdog?

'Father.'

Osel Argento.

Her father had defended everyone. He took himself as the sacrifice and defended the rear.

Beniang wasn't there, and she didn't know the details, but she was certain about what Osel would do.

'That's why he was able to laugh.'

It wasn't that he wasn't afraid of death. Anyone with intelligence would be.

However, it was different when it was a path you choose for yourself. As long as it was a choice they made by themselves, humans could laugh in the face of anything.

The consequences of these actions no longer mattered at that time.

“…”

Nora, who was looking at her from the side, couldn't help but be speechless for a moment.

Beniang was smiling.

She had a smile on her lips that greatly resembled that of her father, Osel.

“It's better for one person to die than for everyone to die.”

Nora's expression became strange when she heard her mutter this strange phrase.

“What are you talking about?”

“I'm saying that I will hold down the fort.”

Krrr.

They heard a magnificent sound. Then everyone watched on as the fire around them gradually gathered to Agni's body.

He had finished recovering. He would make his move soon.

As if to respond to Beniang's thoughts, Agni's body gradually swelled.

Boom!

With a huge explosion, Agni returned to his true form.

Three Warriors who were closest to him were incinerated instantly.

“U-, uaah!”

“Kuk…! He's a monster!”

[…]

Agni spread his arms without saying anything.

He didn't want to talk to these annoying insects any longer. He wanted to end this quickly.

“g-ni-!”

Nora flinched, her body subconsciously trembling.

She wasn't the only one. The bodies of everyone in the surroundings stiffened. Even Agni was no exception.

“Be-, Beniang…?”

Nora shuddered even more when she realised that Beniang had overpowered him with just her voice.

Beniang herself hadn't realised it. The fact that she had initiated Dragon Fear even though she was just a Half-Dragon.

It was their enemy, Agni, who had the best grasp of the situation.

[That's too much power for a Half-Dragon.]

He murmured but was still not able to move at that moment.

He frowned.

His body had recovered, but his divine power had still been exhausted. Because of this, he could not resist the effects of this Half-Dragon's Dragon Fear.

Beniang turned to Nora and said.

“Please tell Frey. 'Thank you, and I leave it to you.'”

It was only then that Nora understood Beniang's intention.

She hurriedly spoke up with a stiff expression.

“Stop. You don't have to sacrifice yourself. Are you listening to me, Beniang? You-”

The survivors of the desert battle disappeared. One by one, they were sent out of the Amakan Desert.

When they opened their eyes, they would be in the safest place.

“Wait, Beni-.”

The last one to disappear was Nora. She urgently called out to Beniang, but she wasn't able to finish her words.

Soon, Beniang and Agni were the only ones left in the desolate desert.

Agni was surprised as well. He hadn't expected that even Nix, who he had captured, would be taken from his hands.

However.

[It's meaningless.]

Although Agni said this, Beniang smiled and asked.

“What do you mean?”

[Everything you just did. You sent them somewhere with your Dragontongue. It might be more troublesome than magic, but do you think I can't track them down?]

Agni shook his head.

[It changes nothing. I will kill you. Then I will kill the rest.]

“You can't.”

[Hoh. Why's that?]

The faint traces left began disappearing.

Agni's flame body shook slightly.

She used Dragontongue again?

“Gurk…!”

Beniang vomited violently.

The amount of blood she coughed up was enough to soak her robes.

She sat on the ground and looked up at Agni. A smile was still present on her lips.

“Now. All the traces have disappeared. How are you going to track them?”

[…it's not too late. No matter how powerful Dragontongue is, it won't be able to completely erase all of the traces. As long as I leave immediately…]

“Don't you understand by now? I stayed here to prevent that from happening.”

Beniang let out a laugh that sounded like a quiet breeze.

Now that she thought about it, she didn't have a deep relationship with any of those people. There was only Nora, who she'd seen a few times when she was younger.

That's why she was curious. Why did she choose to give her life for those people?

'You've done well. And you will do even better in the future. I trust you, Beniang Argento.'

He'd said he believed in her. And Beniang wanted to live up to that belief.

She wanted to prove that his trust was not misplaced. If they were to be reunited someday, she wanted to be able to open her heart and confidently ask.

'I wasn't too bad, was I?'

“Haha.”

Beniang raised her head.

She couldn't feel anything but pain, but for some reason, her heart was relieved. She could finally understand her dead father.

That person who was still able to laugh before his death.

'You've changed me. Great Mage.'

Thanking her, patting her head with pride, and comforting her with all his heart.

That was why she could stand here.

[You can be proud, Half-Dragon. You are more persistent than any Dragon I've ever faced. But you should already know, don't you? Dragontongue is something that even real Dragons cannot take lightly.]

Agni looked at Beniang's body.

[Your fragile body has already surpassed its limit. However… your vitality is surprising. If you were a pureblooded Dragon, I'm certain you would have died by now. Because they have a faint obsession towards life. How interesting. You can survive so long because of your inferior human blood.]

She'd crossed the limit.

Agni's words made Beniang laugh.

“Do you think I don't know that?”

It was her body. Naturally, she knew her condition best.

It didn't matter though.

She could still hold on. She could still laugh.

“Being a Half-Dragon is only part of my identity.”

[…]

“My name is Beniang Argento. Circle Master of the Trowman Rings and the Great Mage Lukas Trowman's…”

Beniang paused at the end of her words.

Could she call herself that?

Perhaps she was just being greedy.

However…. Right. Since these were her last moments anyway, she was allowed to be this greedy.

“I am his disciple.”

She laughed lightly.

“That's what I'm proud of.”

[…]

It was impossible to talk to her. This woman would tie him down till the end.

Agni was certain of this.

He couldn't delay any further.

Agni lifted his arms. His giant arms of fire caused a hot breeze to blow across the desert.

Seeing this scene, Beniang spoke.

The last Dragontongue word she'd say in her life.

Agni's body stopped at the command.

For the first time, he simply looked at Beniang without impatience.

Was she trying to stall until the end?

It was a futile struggle.

One second.

Two seconds

…Then three seconds.

Urk.

Blood flowed from Beniang's eyes, nose, and mouth at the same time. It didn't take long for her face to be covered in blood.

There was no need for him to use his own hands.

Agni lowered his arms.

[Your heart just exploded. Even if you drink an elixir right now, you wouldn't be able to recover. Right. You managed to earn three seconds with your death. Are you satisfied?]

His indifferent words continued.

[It was only three seconds. It changes nothing. Right. I'll admit that I can't kill them right now, but how long will they be able to survive? I swear on my name. No matter where on the continent it is, as soon as I receive any clues about them… they will receive the death that you postponed.]

Agni laughed.

[Your death is just a dog's death.]

A dog's death.

That wasn't true.

Beniang wanted to say that, but her lips didn't move.

Her body slowly collapsed. Even the pain felt faint. Instead, a feeling of coldness seemed to replace it.

It was a severe cold that she had never experienced before, and her body shuddered uncontrollably.

'…it's too bad.'

She couldn't help but think this.

She'd finally gained the confidence to lead the circle better. She'd even started liking herself, who she hated more than anything. She felt she'd finally managed to achieve something.

That's why she couldn't help but feel that it was a pity.

Then she realised.

Death was always filled with regrets.

'…I hate it.'

She didn't want to die.

Tuk.

She collapsed, but it wasn't onto the sandy ground.

It was soft.

As though someone had caught her broken body.

'Ah…'

She felt warmth.

Beniang thought she was hallucinating.

Since it was the thing she wanted the most right before she died, her brain allowed her to experience it.

But it didn't matter.

Even if it was just a hallucination, she was happy that she could see his face right before she closed her eyes for the last time.

It was too bad.

She really didn't want to die.

* * *

Beniang closed her eyes.

Frey looked down at her.

He'd taught many people. However, he'd never accepted many disciples.

There were many times when people claimed to be his disciples, but Frey… had never thought of them as his disciples.

What he wanted from a disciple wasn't the best talent or an excellent brain. Instead, he wanted someone who understood his teaching and empathised with his thoughts and beliefs.

In other words, someone who had the potential to be a better person.

…Beniang Argento was Frey's-

No. She was Lukas Trowman's first disciple.

Frey had realised this fact too late.

Deep sadness filled his heart.

And as soon as he gently put down her body and stood up, this sadness became intense anger.

“Because she only managed to obtain three seconds, you called it a dog's death. Then your death will be even less than a dog's death.”

[…!]

Agni stepped back.

Emotions that he didn't realise he could feel swept through him like a storm.

It was a very unfamiliar feeling. And it was a feeling that he never expected an Apocalypse to feel.

“Because you won't even be able to get three seconds from me.”

Agni felt fear.

Chapter end