Chapter 81
When Lexion returned to Elena’s lab, Jeremy was waiting.
“Let’s go.”
Jeremy immediately guided Lexion.
The two went down the stairs until they reached the basement of the West Tower.
In addition to the training center, there was another room in the basement.
A small door at the end of the hallway led to a spacious common room.
Numerous portals were leading to various places.
Lexion was a bit surprised to see there were dozens of them.
“Come this way.”
Jeremy led him inside.
They stopped in front of a portal, and Lexion stood in front of it.
“If you go through this portal, you will arrive near the village of Kurte, the village is close to the Kurte Mountain.”
“Thank you.”
Lexion bowed to Jeremy, then turned to face the portal, preparing to walk through.
He then held out his hand to Jeremy.
In order to receive the necessary magical power to travel through the portal.
Jeremy bestowed some of his magic power into his hand, opened his mouth, and grabbed him.
“Before you go, there is something you need to know.”
“What…”
Lexion stopped at his words and looked at Jeremy.
Jeremy stared at him with serious eyes.
“It’s about the Snow Mountain Beast, particularly, their weaknesses and strengths.”
“What is it?”
“The Snow Mountain Beast is blind. The ancient race has lost its light because it has lived in the snowy mountains for a very long time. Although it has lost its sight, its other senses have become more sensitive.”
“Usually, such creatures have a sensitive sense of smell. Is that correct?”
“Yes. That’s right. So please be careful.”
“All right.”
Lexion took Jeremy’s words to heart and turned away from him.
Just before he crossed the portal, Jeremy’s voice continued.
“… Take care, then.”
Lexion nodded his head once, then crossed the portal.
Jeremy did not leave even though Lexion had completely disappeared from the portal.
He also believed in Lexion, as much as the Archmage believed in him.
But for some reason, he was feeling uneasy.
‘He’ll be okay…… He’s not a wizard.’
He aggressively ruffled his hair.
‘If not him, it was either the Archmage or me who would go there.’
Without realizing it, Jeremy recalled a story he had only heard a long time ago.
The reason the wizards and the beasts of the snowy mountain were at odds with each other.
A very long time ago.
It was around the time the Archmage, the current head, had just entered the Magic Tower.
At that time, the wizards needed the blood of the Snow Mountain Beast.
It was such an old story that Jeremy didn’t even know why they needed the monster’s blood.
He just knew they needed it.
Anyway, the wizards at that time headed to the Kurte Mountain to get the blood of the monster.
They could easily find the monster of the snowy mountain by using magic.
However, most of the wizards who went to negotiate with the beast were selfish.
They arrogantly demanded blood from that monster.
The beast, of course, refused their demand.
Then one of the wizards, with a particularly bad temper, killed one of the monster’s children and stole its blood.
The monster, who recognized it with its sharp sense of smell, was furious. Unfortunately, the wizards had already run away.
This made the beast of the snowy mountain resent the wizards.
And the wizard who killed the monster’s child and stole the blood left the Magic Tower a few years later.
‘Then, he…’
Jeremy recalled a vague memory.
The person who left after damaging the Magic Tower had also touched black magic.
*****
“Ah…”
Elena let out a soft groan.
She fainted in front of the main gate of Halos manor, but she was actually barely conscious.
Hence, despite being barely conscious, she was still aware of how things were going.
Because of the curse she had been subjected to, the Archmage, Jeremy, and Lexion had a dialogue, and eventually learned that Lexion was heading to the Kurte Mountains.
While suffering from a headache, Elena had to force herself to open her eyes.
‘The Snow Mountain Beast will be difficult for Lexion to defeat alone…’
If she didn’t help him, he might lose his life.
That was how terrifying the monster was.
Even if the Archmage and Jeremy believed in him and allowed him to go, Elena could not help but worry.
‘Even though wizards can’t even get close to the monster…’
Although she was a magician, Elena was also a Spirit Master, so she could approach it.
The monster of the Snow Mountain, who despised wizards, built an enormous cover around its hiding place.
No wizard could pass through it.
If a mage forcefully intruded on it, their body would be shattered and destroyed.
It was similar to when the wizards erected a barrier to keep monsters from encroaching.
Elena bit her lip and raised her upper body.
Then, with difficulty, opened her eyes, and scanned her surroundings.
‘I must be in the tower…’
The location she was currently situated in was a place Elena had never seen before in the tower.
It was a very spacious room, but there was only one big bed in it.
Right where she was on now.
‘Who’s room is this…?’
Elena was a bit embarrassed, but calmly checked her condition.
Around her body, she could feel the remnants of Archmage’s magic.
‘Is this the bedroom of the Archmage which was only rumored to exist?’
Perhaps her guess was correct.
No wizard had ever entered the Archmage’s bedroom.
So strange rumors circulated in the tower.
All kinds of rare materials and beasts were stored in the Archmage’s bedroom.
But now that she was there, there was nothing.
It looked like it was just for sleeping.
Elena subconsciously revealed a soft smile and then moaned in pain as if her whole body was being incessantly stabbed.
“Ugh.”
Fortunately, the pain was soon gone.
Elena got up from the bed.
‘The mark of the curse that I saw only in old books.’
Before she blacked out, she had expected Killian’s reaction and the pain she would suffer.
Nevertheless, with her patchy consciousness, she heard the voice of the Archmage and was convinced.
‘So Lexion must have gone to get the blood of that beast.’
Elena involuntarily frowned.
Then, she carefully summoned her spirit.
“Gor.”
Until now, she had received a lot of help from the spirits.
They had helped her with the Rose, and they then helped her with the Black Grass.
With all the other help she’d gotten from the spirits, she wondered if they might know something this time, too.
If that happened, Lexion may no longer be in danger.
At her call, Gor appeared.
His size was enough to fit in Elena’s palm.
[Master.]
“Gor. How are you?”
[Yes. I’m fine….]
Gor’s expression when he stared at Elena wasn’t very good.
It was a face filled with worry and concern.
[Your condition is grave right now.]
“Yes… I am now marked with a curse. That’s why, Gor. Do you know how to remove this curse mark?”
Elena hoped for a positive answer from Gor.
Not the way the Archmage suggested, but in a slightly safer way.
[Yes. I know a way.]
In an instant, Elena’s face turned bright.
[It is a method using the blood of a beast in Snow Mountain.]
But Gor’s answer was the same as the Archmage’s answer.
“Is there any other way?”
[… Unfortunately, no. The master’s body is cursed with black magic, so we must use the blood of the monster.]
It was because the blood of the monster in Snow Mountain has a purifying effect, so it could eliminate the dark energy.
“It can’t be helped.”
[Yes. I’m sorry I can’t find a better way.]
Gor bowed his head and apologized.
“It’s okay. It’s not Gor’s fault.”
After stroking Gor’s head, Elena sent the spirit back.
If there was no other way, there was only one option.
Elena opened the bedroom door and walked out with resolute eyes.
The Archmage’s bedroom was on the same floor as the Archmage’s office, but there was no door.
In reality, part of the wall moved like a door, so no one could find it.
But right now, she didn’t need to know the location of the Archmage’s bedroom.
‘I don’t have much time left.’
Elena then moved quickly.
‘I can’t put Lexion in danger.’
It hadn’t been long since he left.
He couldn’t have gone far, and she had to be diligent about catching up.
‘Once my body is fine, I have to close the distance.’
Just because she was marked by the curse did not mean that she would let herself be defeated until the end of her life.
It would be excruciatingly painful, and then it would alleviate. Her life force was being sucked out repeatedly.
‘My death will be imminent as time goes by, but…’
She couldn’t afford to think about that right now.
Elena hurriedly headed to the West Tower’s basement.
*****
At the same time. The Archmage’s Office.
Karen, who was reading a document, raised her head.
She quickly noticed the change in her bedroom.
‘Elena has left the bedroom.’
But if that was Elena’s choice, she couldn’t stop her.
Moreover, she wasn’t the kind of child who would stop just because someone stopped her.
Because Elena Respell was as kind as Lexion Halos.
So Karen had no choice but to hope that the two children would come back alive.
Perhaps the boy would be alright. He would be able to break through the concealment of the monster. So from now on, what she had to do was…
When the child returned.
All she had to do was create a cure for Elena.
