Chapter 317

Chapter 317

…I bestowed a ring upon the elder Musphelrun.

To tell the truth, this was a notion I had been quietly pondering ever since the moment I formed my second and third rings.

The reason I hadn’t gathered the courage to propose it earlier…

‘The primary ring.’

It was simply because I lacked a definitive blueprint on how to construct it.

I mean, even for Lucifer—whom I had designated as the heir to the tower—all I had managed to do was establish the groundwork for a ring that wasn’t precisely a ring.

Yet now, there was absolutely no cause for hesitation.

Because the very instant I grasped the concepts within the Divine Celestial Origin Art, everything clicked.

I understood how to shape the primary ring.

And the process was straightforward.

“It was merely a matter of shifting one’s perspective.”

The reason I had never managed to master the primary ring until this point was quite simple.

Unlike the secondary and tertiary rings, which are brought forth by cleaving the core, the primary ring is forged by condensing natural mana.

And I possessed no method to convey to others exactly how to condense that “natural mana.”

But.

Forming the primary ring wasn’t so fundamentally distinct from fashioning the second or the third.

Of course, a primary ring forged through that method wouldn’t be identical to my own…

I had reached that particular point in my reflections when I shifted my gaze toward the sound of an opening door.

The man entering the room was none other than the senior Musphelrun.

“You’ve arrived.”

“……Indeed.”

The elder Musphelrun, who had dealt with—no, banished—the Decullan retainers left behind by Pahren, observed me with a complicated gaze.

“Is it truly possible?”

He seemed to be questioning whether a shattered core could genuinely be mended…

To be perfectly honest, even I couldn’t provide a guarantee on this front.

Because.

‘The prospects are favorable, but…’

No soul could predict with absolute certainty what would truly unfold.

Therefore.

“We shall discover the truth once we attempt it, though the likelihood of success is considerable.”

“In that case… I place myself in your hands.”

I offered a nod in response to his words.

Truthfully, there wasn’t an immense amount for me to execute.

Given the constraints of time, drilling him on ring theory was far too convoluted, so I intended to simply manifest the primary ring on his behalf.

‘His core is already fractured, after all.’

In a manner of speaking, he had already overcome the most daunting hurdle.

It wasn’t a complex task.

…..The underlying theory, at the very least.

At any rate.

I stepped behind the seated senior and lowered myself to the floor.

“Should I initiate the respiration technique?”

“Yes.”

“Then……”

The elder Musphelrun closed his eyes and began the breathing technique.

I expanded my mana perception to scan our surroundings, just to be prudent.

A grand residence situated in the center of the second black-and-white slum.

No foreign presence could be detected, save for the Sakwol sorcerers patrolling the perimeter like an unyielding wall of iron.

‘Very well, then.’

“Let us begin.”

I pressed my palm against the elder Musphelrun’s back.

The exact moment the Archmage of Completion was brought back to life.

Meanwhile, during those precise moments.

On an expansive plain far removed from the second black-and-white slum.

Hollen sat beside a small campfire amidst the snow-laden landscape, seeking warmth.

He was binding his wounds with practiced, expert movements when, shortly after, a figure materialized at his back.

“You have traveled quite a distance.”

“……Patriarch.”

“Dispense with the formalities.”

Pahren von Decullan checked Hollen before he could bow, taking a seat adjacent to the blaze.

“How did it fare..?”

“I failed to acquire the enhanced Celestial Origin Art.”

“Was it because of the Grand Duke?”

“Indeed, he proved far more resilient than anticipated.”

Pahren recalled his confrontation with Grand Duke Musphelrun.

“What is your next move? If you but utter the word…”

Pahren gathered his thoughts and quietly observed Hollen.

Hollen was poised as though he could strike at the Tower Lord at any given moment, needing only a single command.

“Are you capable of handling it?”

“I cannot say for certain.”

Prior to encountering the Tower Lord, he would have readily given an affirmative nod.

Yet now, Hollen felt uncertain about facing the master of the tower.

And that uncertainty stemmed from…

‘That azure blaze.’

It was entirely due to that bizarre sorcery.

As agonizing as it was to concede, it was a magic saturated with conceptual imagery that hovered leagues above the Crimson Flame.

“That lack of confidence does not suit you.”

“Forgive me.”

“There is no need. Had you been overflowing with hubris, that would have been its own disappointment.”

Pahren spoke calmly, taking a moment to arrange his thoughts.

“For the time being, step away from this enterprise.”

“But how……”

Hollen began to object, but quickly checked himself as a wave of understanding washed over his features.

Even so, Pahren harbored no ill will. On the contrary, he appeared to comprehend.

Nevertheless, Pahren remained resolute.

“Did you not perceive it? The Crimson Flame is simply inadequate.”

“…It is due to my own shortcomings.”

“No, the Crimson Flame is a magnificent secret art in its own right, but strictly speaking, it is merely an offshoot of the Azure Flame. Though, naturally…”

……If one were to evolve the imagery of the Crimson Flame, the outcome would alter drastically. Precisely as the Tower Lord had demonstrated.

“No, it matters little. Regardless, the Crimson Flame falls short.”

“Then what shall we do?”

Hollen narrowed his eyes, peering intensely at Pahren.

Pahren carried the demeanor of someone harboring a secret, and after a brief silence, he spoke.

“I shall bestow upon you the secret art of the Azure Flame.”

Hollen’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

It was staggering.

The Azure Flame was a supreme secret art reserved strictly for those of the Decullan bloodline.

Throughout their history, certain retainers had been granted ancestral secret arts, but such a gift had not been bestowed in nearly a century.

“Why would you grant me such a treasure…?”

“Consider it a token of appreciation.”

Hollen’s gaze trembled slightly with intense emotion, and he bowed his head low in deep reverence.

“M-my deepest gratitude, Patriarch.”

Pahren silently watched Hollen’s display of devotion.

……To speak plainly, there was nothing truly extraordinary about the Azure Flame itself.

Until now, it had been closely guarded as a hereditary art, but Pahren had caught a glimpse of a fresh horizon.

A horizon that would render not just the Azure Flame, but every single secret art of the Decullan family “nothing extraordinary.”

And that prospective path was, of course…

The enhanced Heavenly Origin Art.

The era of Grand Duke Musphelrun would reach its conclusion in three decades.

Pahren possessed the endurance to bide his time for that long.

No, perhaps three decades wouldn’t even be required.

Because even outside the boundaries of the second black-and-white slum, the Blandoga clan, Professor Parun of the Jenion Academy, and Lortel remained.

‘The true challenge lies in the timing…’

Pahren stroked his chin, lost in thought for a brief spell.

After a momentary lull, he spoke again.

“How long do you intend to remain prostrate? Raise your head.”

“……Yes.”

Pahren assisted Hollen to his feet, posing a query.

“I shall grant you five years—a generous window. Five years alongside the Azure Flame. Will you be able to endure it then?”

“Yes.”

“Splendid. That is precisely what I wished to hear.”

Five years.

A span that could be deemed brief or extensive depending on one’s view.

‘……By that juncture, matters will have clarified.’

Had the enhanced Heavenly Origin Art been his sole target, Pahren wouldn’t have allocated such an extensive duration.

But the Reverse Heavenly Art.

Its exact location remained shrouded in mystery.

After assessing the Tower Lord, he felt a certain degree of certainty, yet prudence remained the best course of action.

Five years was intended for precisely that.

A period to mend from the strife with Lortel and to ascertain whether the Tower Lord truly held the Reverse Heaven.

……And.

Immediately following that thought, vibrant fire danced across Pahren’s fingertips.

‘I myself have received an unanticipated boon.’

Pahren stared down at the deep blue flames flickering upon his skin, a rare smile gracing his lips.

Deeply content with the offering provided by the Tower Lord.

……And in this manner, the winter season drifted by.

After imparting the ring to the elder Musphelrun.

I resolved to remain within the second black-and-white slum until the conclusion of the recess, instructing the elder. Musphelrun senior had enacted a strict ban on entering the second black-and-white slum, yet he permitted at least this much. However, while navigating the path to locate Lucifer, I crossed paths with a familiar countenance.

“Where are you heading at such an hour?”

Ah, perfect timing. I understand that an incident occurred last night?”

“Yes, more or less.”

“I was actually on my way to seek you out. How are you faring?”

“I am perfectly fine, but…”

When I directed a narrowed gaze toward him, the senior Myselrun knitted his brows in annoyance.

“What is the meaning behind that expression?”

“What expression? What about it?”

“It looks as though you are demanding to know, ‘What were you up to last night?'”

“No, I wasn’t…”

There are boundaries to hurling baseless accusations.

To be fair, the thought had crossed my mind.

Meaning, during the skirmish with Hollen, I did think, “If only the senior Myselrun were here,” but I certainly hadn’t voiced it aloud, had I?

“So what exactly were you doing?”

“What else? Keeping watch over the orphanage.”

“Ah.”

My mistake.

The senior Myselrun had been overseeing a crucial matter in his own fashion.

“But where is the Grand Duke?”

“Ah, the elder Musphelrun is…”

I scratched the back of my head, preparing to recount the events of the previous evening, but recalling his explicit request, I held my tongue.

Ultimately, the ring formation had been a resounding success.

‘He managed to forge two of them.’

Yet, the elder Musphelrun had spoken strictly:

• Keep this to yourself for the time being.

• It will grant them greater freedom of movement.

I hadn’t anticipated such calculation from him; he was far more clever than I had credited him for.

“The Grand Duke did what?”

“Ah, well… He is likely resting. He exhausted far too much vitality, so his health is somewhat fragile at the moment.”

“Hmm, I figured as much.”

No, that wasn’t the case at all.

Right about now, he was probably soaring, completely bursting with vitality.

‘He hasn’t fully reclaimed the entirety of his former strength, but…’

The moment a core undergoes restoration, a person’s eyes are the absolute first thing to alter.

It wasn’t a sharpening of their presence, but rather a fierce luminescence, as if they couldn’t contain the cascading power within—much like staring down a lion.

Now, if he could simply integrate the ring theory I had detailed for him…

‘I might have birthed a terrifying entity.’

“In any case, what brings you to this area?”

“Ah, well… The Grand Duke informed me that I shouldn’t venture into the second black-and-white slums any longer. Because of that, I intended to offer Lucifer one final lesson.”

“Are you not bringing him along with you?”

I shook my head from side to side in response to the senior Myselrun’s inquiry.

“Why on earth would I do that?”

“Is he not your student?”

“Not in the truest sense.”

Strictly speaking, Lucifer was a seed planted for the future.

A safeguard for what lies ahead, destined to carry forward my legacy whenever my tower inevitably collapses.

To drag someone like Lucifer along with me… would introduce far too many vulnerabilities.

“I was under the impression he was your disciple.”

“And what of your own disciple, sir?”

“My disciple?”

I flashed a mocking smirk at the senior Myselrun, who simply tilted his head in confusion.

“Hmm……”

A somber expression washed over the senior Myselrun’s features.

It was entirely understandable: it appeared as though he had abruptly recalled some long-forgotten mishap or blunder.

Had Damian not agreed to remain behind and continue his education even after finishing his time at the academy?

That implied he possessed a single year remaining of his reprieve…

“Endure it.”

“……My thanks.”

“But you are pleased with this outcome, are you not?”

Pleased? Absolutely not.

You certainly ought to be. It is a predicament of your own creation.

Regardless, leaving the senior Myselrun behind, I ventured deeper into the heart of the orphanage.

Now came the task of properly guiding Lucifer…… figuring out how to instruct him thoroughly so that his reputation would spread far and wide, ensuring I taught him effectively during this brief window.

Lost in these precise reflections as I walked along.

“Um, excuse me… Are you perhaps the Tower Lord?”

A ragged urchin… no, a young boy stood directly in my path, halting my progress.

A recognizable face.

‘The scout?’

Why would this fellow suddenly appear out of nowhere…?

As I peered down at him with narrowed eyes, the scout instantly dropped to his knees right then and there.

And the words he uttered, kneeling low while pressing his forehead toward the ground…

“Please, allow me to become your disciple!”

I fell completely silent.

The scout maintained his silence as well.

What in the world is happening here? Just as that bewildered thought crossed my mind, the senior Myselrun, who had trailed behind me, leaned in to whisper.

“Don’t you wish to be happy?”