The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years (Web Novel KR) Vol 2 Chapter 274

How have you been?

What exactly was the situation you were in right now?

Why had you become a part of the Seven Fanged Dragon God?

There were so many questions that he wanted to ask that even the word 'mountain' wouldn't be enough to describe it.

Nevertheless, Lukas didn't ask any of them. He knew that they didn't have the time for such a conversation.

Beniang seemed unable to easily control her surging emotions, but she managed to guess Lukas' intentions.

It was really… really unfortunate.

This wasn't a situation that would allow them to enjoy their reunion.

“That one attack depleted most of my power.”

Beniang spoke in a calm tone. Inwardly, she was glad that her voice didn't waver.

“It should have done some damage to Nodiesop, but it wasn't enough to kill him. At best, it would only be able to buy us some time.”

Nodiesop had fallen from the Heavenly Realm to the continent below, and even at that moment, he was being pushed into the depths of the ocean.

Of course, it was impossible to drown a Water Spirit King that had become an Absolute, but the power contained in the Breath of the Rainbow wasn't just light.

It was clear that it would take some time for him to disperse the force of the attack and return to the Heavenly Realm.

“Why did you do that?”

“I wanted to talk to you… As for another method…”

Beniang spoke with a serious expression on her face.

Her words were vague, but Lukas understood what she was asking.

She seemed to know exactly what he had planned.

“I don't have one.”

Lukas replied with a faint smile.

“And I think you know that too.”

He didn't know how Beniang had become the Seven Fanged Dragon God, but he was certain that it hadn't been for a short time.

It was even possible that the eons Lukas had experienced were nothing in comparison.

After such a passage of time, there was no way that this woman would lack inner maturity.

The current Beniang would understand. There was no choice but to make a sacrifice.

“It can only be one of two things. Either I die alone, or everyone dies together. There are no other options.”

“…there are other options.”

“You mean me being the only survivor?”

He recalled the proposal the Priestess had made to him the first time they had officially met in the garden.

“I became an Absolute for the sake of humans. I have no intentions of using their sacrifice to maintain or prolong my existence. Because that would be defeating the purpose… No.”

Lukas slowly shook his head.

“That might just be trying to rationalise my thoughts.”

He looked at Beniang.

At the face of the first disciple the Great Mage Lukas Trowman had ever accepted. (TL: Isn't her face the Priestess' face?)

It was strange.

With her in front of him, it felt like he was able to see his twisted inner self more clearly.

“Rationalise?”

“I promised the people of our homeworld that I would return. I told them that I would definitely return someday.”

“That was a statement made out of ignorance. After becoming an Absolute, I realised just how close to impossible it was.”

Lukas slowly shook his head.

“…in the end, I started to feel defeated. I lost interest in the topic that I was most proud of. And I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but my heart was broken.”

After entering the Great World, he had been given a human body. The body had become intimately connected to his soul, and he regained the ability to feel emotions like a mortal.

That was when he was able to look at his situation more objectively.

Lukas realised that he had already been incredibly exhausted for a long time. But he'd continued to suppress it. He deceived himself and acted like nothing happened.

This action had caused his exhaustion to gradually corrode his will from the inside. Very slowly, but surely, his mind was breaking down.

“It was around the time that Nodiesop attacked. My thoughts at that time filled me with disgust.”

Lukas hesitated for a moment, he didn't want to reveal such a disgraceful thing to his disciple. This was a common mindset of teachers.

Nevertheless, he opened his mouth a moment later.

“…I thought that I could finally rest…”

“A Master who sacrifices himself for his disciples. That's a good excuse, right? But what I was trying to do wasn't a noble sacrifice. It was nothing but a simple escape.”

It was utterly irresponsible.

Lukas couldn't even face Beniang. This showed just how much his willpower had deteriorated.

If one of the Rulers' goals was to completely destroy Lukas, then it was about to be accomplished brilliantly.

“That's not true.”

A clear voice sounded out.

Lukas slowly raised his head. Then he saw the bright eyes staring back at him.

“Anyone who knew even a fraction of what Master had been through all these years would never think of the word 'escape'.”

“I heard about 'Argento Spell'.”

A gentle smile spread across Beniang's lips.

“It really… made me happy. Because it showed that Master still hadn't forgotten about me even after all this time. You still remembered me. That was what I thought…”

She meant it.

She knew just how much time had passed.

Memories of their homeworld were something that Absolutes rarely paid attention to. Everything that they had experienced at that time was no longer bitter memories that made their hearts flutter, instead, they were simply processed as 'information' before being stored in some random corner of their mind.

But Lukas.

He didn't do that.

If that were the case then there was no way he'd name an organisation 'Argento Spell'.

She knew how hard it was.

“Master valued a past relationship that much. Even a disappointing disciple like me wasn't forgotten… Even after countless eons, you still hadn't abandoned humanity. I know that living such a life was worse than any form of punishment or torture.”

She knew the fundamental reason why Absolutes' emotions became diluted over time.

It was because they couldn't stand to have a soft hearted attitude and deal with every trivial thing.

If they did, then their minds would collapse or they would simply go insane after saving only a few universes.

But Lukas confronted that belief head on.

He never abandoned his identity as a human even after saving countless universes. Countless humans.

He endured mental fatigue and suffering while holding all of his guilt inside.

“…as a being who knows a bit about your life, as a being with half human blood, and above all, as a disciple who received your grace and care in the past, there is something that I've always wanted to say to you.”

Beniang bowed to him.

“Thank you.”

Lukas' eyes widened when he heard those words. His entire body shook as if he'd been struck by lightning.

-Somehow.

He was reminded of the time he'd comforted her in a dark desert night.

“It is something I've wanted to say for a long time. Thank you so much.”

This time, the roles were reversed.

This time, it was Lukas, not Beniang, who was breaking down from exhaustion. And it was Beniang, not Lukas, who was caring for the other's weak mind and body.

“…you.”

Lukas' voice seemed to have a bit of airiness mixed into it.0

“You're telling me the thing I wanted to hear most right now.”

Beniang smiled faintly.

“…I respect your choice, Master. I won't try to stop you. No, there is no human in the entire multiverse who has the right to stop you.”

The Absolute, who had fought for humans for an eternity, was now about to die for humans.

He intended to close his eyes and call the eternity that he would experience after his extinction a 'break'.

There was no human being in existence that had the right to block his sacred rest.(TL: Iris would disagree)

Beniang also conveyed her inner thoughts to Lukas.

He was thankful.

His first disciple, who used to cry about trivial things in the past, had grown up so beautifully. She'd grown to such an extent that she was even able to overlook her Master's pathetic greed.

“Can I ask you to watch over those children? They are not going to know what to do for a while. And it will certainly be a painful time. But I want you to be the one to guide them.”

“…if that is what Master wants.”

“Thank you.”

Lukas closed his eyes.

Tears mixed with blood flowed down from his closed eyes.

“I'm happy to be reunited with you. I feel like I managed to receive the best gift at the end of my life.”

Beniang kept smiling brightly.

She didn't want her face, which would be the last thing Lukas would remember, to be tearful, but she couldn't stop the two streams that started rolling down her cheeks.

Chapter end