The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years (Web Novel KR) Vol 1 Chapter 235

“Kuk…”

It felt like her consciousness was slowly fading. Anastasia wanted to get up, but because of the pressure on her back, such a task was impossible.

The force of this pressure was beyond imagination.

If it weren't for the fact that she was a Golem, her body would definitely have been crushed by now.

'Shit!'

She couldn't help but shed some tears because of her helplessness.

Anastasia forcibly raised her head.

She knew that it was pointless. Nonetheless, she couldn't help but take a look.

Then she saw an illusion. In her blurry vision that seemed as though it would fade at any time, she thought she saw Lukas.

'H, hahaha.'

Right. It was definitely an illusion.

Anastasia was certain that somewhere in her heart, she was desperately hoping for Lukas' help. She was hoping that he'd suddenly appear and overcome this helpless situation.

But she was simply escaping her responsibility. No. She was doing nothing more than denying the reality.

Anastasia felt so disgusted in herself that she wanted to vomit.

Lukas wasn't a god. In other words, he wasn't someone whom she could just conveniently cry out to whenever she was in trouble.

Besides, looking at this illusion.

It wasn't 'Frey Blake'; it was 'Lukas Trowman'. What was the probability that he, who Lord said was already dead, would suddenly appear with his appearance from 4,000 years ago?

At this critical moment.

'It's so childish that it wouldn't even be written in the story of a great hero.'

That's why she was certain that this was an illusion.

Anastasia's vision faded.

And even if it wasn't.

If what she had just seen was not an illusion.

If that person was really Lukas.

And if he'd come to save them…

'It's a little… late.'

With that thought, Anastasia lost consciousness.

Lord felt his Endtongue slowly dissipate.

This wasn't because he stopped it. Instead, it was because Lukas had negated his pressure.

This wasn't surprising. Especially if this man was truly Lukas.

Before long, the pressure that had been pressing Anastasia and Jekid to the floor completely disappeared. Nevertheless, neither of them got to their feet. The two of them had already lost consciousness.

Of course, Lord had completely lost interest in them.

[Right. So that's what happened.]

His attention was only focused on Lukas.

This man, who should have died after he took most of his divine power, was now standing in front of him once again.

This wasn't a condition that could've been cured.

It was different from an injury to his body. The scars that had been dealt to his soul itself should have taken a very long time to heal. Furthermore, the wounds that he'd dealt to Lukas' soul should have been fatal.

Time should have done nothing more than accelerate his death.

But he was still alive. More importantly, he reappeared in front of him in perfect condition.

With the balance's core. The power that he'd given everything to obtain.

Lord's distorted expression slowly softened. He regained his composure.

This situation was actually much better than he expected. If that Witch, Iris, had been determined to hide the core, then even Lord would have spent a very long time looking for it.

However, the core had now appeared in front of him without requiring any effort.

The reason for his rage and impatience had completely disappeared.

But now that he had more time to think, his suspicion increased.

Lord tilted his head to the side and said.

[But why did you appear before me again?]

He was genuinely curious.

He continued as he looked at Lukas who was silently looking back at him.

[I figured where Iris took you… It was the broken Celestial World. It is a world that had already been destroyed and was filled with space debris. Had you not left, you might have been able to enjoy some false happiness for a moment.]

[Isn't that what Iris wanted?]

“I'm sure it was.”

[Then why? Why did you come here just to die a dog's death?]

“What's the point of living in a fake illusion?”

Lukas paused for a moment before shaking his head.

“…no. I might make sense to you. But I don't want that. Reality is much more important to me, and I can't ignore the suffering of those who are close to me.”

[Hoh…]

“That's why I can't just sit at the side and watch you do as you please.”

After saying this, Lukas seemed to remember something.

“And it will be you, not me, who will die.”

[Ku-, kuhuhu…]

Lord burst into laughter.

Right. He thought this would be the case.

For some reason, he felt that this situation was very familiar. Similar to when the humans here had driven him into a corner.

Lord had been unable to completely hide his irritation at the time. But he'd never thought he was going to die.

This was because something important had been missing. He wasn't sure what it was.

However, Lord believed that there was only one being in the entire world who had the chance to kill him. In the end, he believed that there was only one person who could block the path to his goal.

He thought he'd killed him, but maybe he was still hoping he was alive.

He finally understood why.

The others weren't good enough. They were still missing something.

And he wasn't just talking about strength.

[In the end, you are my final enemy. Lukas Trowman.]

There was a hint of joy in Lord's voice as he said those words.

On the other hand, Lukas was looking down at the ground. He was looking at the vomit that Lord spat out.

“…did you spit them out yourself?”

[And if I did?]

“To throw away your own duty. You've done something pathetic and foolish. More importantly, you haven't even realised what you've done.”

[What are you talking about?]

“Right… I see.”

Lukas muttered indifferently before looking up.

“Let's go somewhere else.”

Paht.

With just those words, their surroundings changed. It was as though all of the colors in the world had been reversed. Or like the world had been flipped upside down.

Lord felt dizzy for a moment, and by the time the feeling faded, he realised that he was in an entirely new place.

His expression stiffened.

This was because he couldn't understand what Lukas had just done.

Was this the power of 10 stars?

Did he just use the power of Endtongue?

'It's similar.'

Right. It was similar. But it was not the same power.

Lord looked at Lukas.

His figure, which was still standing there indifferently, suddenly appeared extremely large. And it felt like he was releasing an unknown pressure.

It was as if darkness was covering Lukas' body. And this darkness was looking at him hungrily with its drooling mouth wide open.

'What's going on? This feeling…'

He wanted to turn his head. He didn't want to face this gaze. If possible, he even wanted to leave this place.

Lord immediately understood his feelings.

'Am I afraid?'

He immediately denied it.

That was impossible.

There was no reason for him to feel an emotion that he'd never felt once since birth. Especially after he'd reached his most perfect form.

[Where is this place?]

“An unnamed island in the western part of the continent.”

[Why did you bring me here?]

“There is no life in this area.”

[I see. But this place is a bit too lackluster to be the stage for our final fight.]

His lips curled up as he continued. (TL: At this point, just assume that Lord's face is clearly visible)

[This will be my final trial. Lukas Trowman, I will kill you here.]

“…you still haven't realised.”

Lukas sighed.

Lord furrowed his eyebrows at his attitude.

[What is with your attitude? Are you looking down on me?]

“What would you do if that was the case?”

[…the scars on your soul are definitely still there. Don't tell me that you already forgot who was the one that drove your existence to the brink of extinction.]

Lukas looked at Lord and said,

“At least it's not you.”

[Bullshit!]

It was only then when Lord finally realised what the strange sense that he'd been getting since Lukas had reappeared had come from.

Lukas' attitude towards him had changed. It had changed as though he was dealing with an opponent who was clearly beneath him instead of one that he'd have to give his all to defeat.

Lukas' cold, indifferent expression proved that.

Without even caring about Lord's harsh tone, he continued to murmur calmly.

“I thought a lot before I came here. I thought that this would be my final battle with you, that whoever won would be gravely wounded. However… that's not the case. The greatest struggle is already over.”

Right.

He thought that it would be just like his fight with Lord in Hell.

“I came here prepared to lose.”

[That's natural. At the very least, all of the islands in this area will sink.]

The two fiercest fights that Lord had ever fought were against the Dragon Lord and Lukas. This battle would be no less bloody than those two.

Or at least, that is what he thought, and he believed that Lukas thought so as well.

“But I realised the moment I saw you. As soon as I saw your vomit. The current you cannot defeat me.”

[What?]

“But this doesn't make me feel good. Rather, I feel empty.”

Lord couldn't bear to listen to any more of his nonsense.

He called out in a harsh voice.

[That's enough of your bullshit. I already know how to use your power… Get lost.] (TL: I like this so much more than 'go away' idk why I didn't think of this sooner… T~T )

The power of Endtongue was clearly activated.

And Lord was convinced that this power would be able to break Lukas' composure.

But nothing happened.

[Get lost!]

He said it again.

Nevertheless, Lukas didn't even budge. Rather, he even began walking towards Lord.

[What is…]

“As long as you have those wings on your back, you will never be able to defeat me. Your essence has already changed.”

[What…?]

Lord looked back at his wings with a blank expression.

Lukas sighed again.

“You are no longer a Demigod. You still haven't realised that.”

[Of course I know that! But what does that have to do with anything?]

Lord shouted with bloodshot eyes.

[The fact that I'm no longer a Demigod has nothing to do with killing you! They just became a burden anyway! Why should I carry around that trash that made me go crazy when combined with my broken psyche?]

Clear disappointment appeared on Lukas' face. This expression enraged Lord even more.

“…is that something that the leader of a species would say? Furthermore, you don't even seem to realise that you've become a different being.”

[Of course I have! I have evolved!]

“You haven't. Instead, it can be said that you degenerated. At least here in the Mortal World…. Think about the demons.”

[The demons?]

He couldn't understand.

However, when he heard what Lukas said next, Lord's expression hardened considerably.

“Are they able to use their full power here on the Continent? Even Lucifer only managed to circumvent this law after fusing with the Dragon Lord. After he obtained the core of the balance. What about you? You're the balance of the celestial world, who killed Lucifer and absorbed Satan's core. Do you really think you could exert your full strength here in the Mortal World?”

“It had been possible a while ago. You could have used all the power you wanted. And there's only one reason why it was possible… the Demigods. The presence of those you treated like burdens was what supported you.”

The Demigods.

Even if they thought that they were fragments of the will of the world, no one could deny that they were beings born in the Mortal World.

Because he had consumed dozens of these transcendent beings, he had been able to use unlimited power in the Mortal World. Until then, the laws of this world still considered Lord as a Demigod.

But that was no more.

[U-, uhh…]

Lord stumbled backwards.

He recalled the vomit he'd just spat out.

The race he'd abandoned had been calling his name.

'Lo… rd…'

'Spare us…'

'Ku-, kuuk… juk…'

Lukas got closer to Lord, who had collapsed on the ground, and delivered the final truth.

“And now, you are no longer Lord.”

[What do you…]

“'Lord' is there.”

While saying this, Lukas pointed to the puddle of black liquid. It was only then when Lord realised that Lukas had also brought his vomit to the island, but he couldn't concentrate on that fact.

Among the faces that appeared like bubbles in the black liquid, he suddenly saw 'that' face. The face of 'Lord'. The round, egg-like face without any features. (TL: well that explains the sudden facial features)

[, ahhh-?!]

“…you should have kept carrying your people. Even if the path was painful, you never should have given up on carrying them.”

Lukas and Lord had something in common.

They were different in many ways, but both of them had successfully brought their souls to a new level.

But there was also a difference.

Lukas abandoned his humanity, but he didn't forget that he was human. But Lord abandoned the Demigods and forgot that he was Demigod.

He'd forgotten his essence. He'd given up the responsibility that he should have held till death.

Just to be comfortable, Lord had chosen to run away.

And this was the price.

“You gained the powers of an Angel. You must have wanted to showcase your absolute power to the humans. It wouldn't be impossible for them to wallow in hopelessness and despair after witnessing the power of my Endtongue.”

However.

Lukas looked down at Lord as he continued.

“But such power means nothing to a being who is your equal.”

[Sh-, shut up!]

Lord screamed and rushed wildly towards Lukas.

Looking at him, Lukas simply muttered.

“…we won't have a fight. You have already thrown away that possibility.”

[Th-, then. What am I?]

Was he saying that wasn't the trash?

If that was the real Lord…

Then who was he?

Was 'he', the one who was currently controlling the body, the trash?

[, ahhh! Aaaak! Lu-, Lukas-!]

Lord screamed madly as he rushed towards Lukas.

And on this small, unnamed island, what happened next, as Lukas said, was not a fight.

Chapter end