Since the current Dark Mage King reached the pinnacle of dark mages, no other dark mage who challenged his throne has survived.
In other words, every dark mage who dared to oppose him has faced utter defeat.
Intimidated by his infamous reputation, the strongest mages either retreated into the shadows of other factions or swore absolute loyalty to him. As a result, for several decades, no new challengers erged.
"It must not have been entertaining for you, Dark Mage King, having such a pathetic challenger."
Caw, caw!
The agonized cries of crows echoed, carried away by the wind.
The Dark Mage King trampled over what once was the body of Rangtal, the forr head of the Dark Mage Alliance, and raised his head.
The sound of footsteps crunching on the dusty ground grew closer, revealing a small figure, a boy with an unassuming build.
"Hui-Ryeon."
"Ah, I am now officially the Dark Mage Cult Leader. Please use my proper title. Oh, wasn’t it once your title as well?"
"A title, is it? You sound like a human. Do dark mages need honorifics? If you desire respect, then prove your strength, subdue , and impose your notions of courtesy upon dark mage society."
"Ha..."
The Dark Mage King’s confidence, derived not from arrogance but from sheer power, was palpable.
Hui-Ryeon’s face montarily stiffened in frustration, but he soon replaced it with a composed smile and began to speak.
"Subdue, you say... Still as barbaric as ever, I see. Do you honestly believe that the only path to kingship is by defeating you through brute force?"
"I know you’re full of sches. But today is not your day. Leave."
The Dark Mage King turned his gaze to the sky. Unnoticed until now, storm clouds had gathered above, harboring ominous flashes of lightning. They were a warning, signaling the approach of the Dark Knight.
"The Lightning Swordsman, Dark Knight... Yes, if he arrives, even I will find it troubleso. But, does it matter? Once a duel begins between you and , no one else can interfere."
"...It sounds like you’re challenging to a duel."
The Dark Mage King’s face was hidden beneath his helt, making it impossible to read his expression, but Hui-Ryeon felt as if he could see it.
He imagined the King looking at him with contempt, as if finding him utterly laughable.
And perhaps he was. Despite being a dark mage, Hui-Ryeon was virtually powerless in combat, the weakest among his kind.
However, contrary to Hui-Ryeon’s assumptions, the Dark Mage King did not consider him laughable at all.
In fact, he admired the courage of one who lacked strength yet dared to challenge the King.
He respected the wisdom of targeting him in a mont of vulnerability after countless battles.
For all these reasons, the Dark Mage King regarded Hui-Ryeon as a worthy and equal opponent.
"...Very well. I cannot refuse a duel. However, the price of defeat is death."
"I understand," Hui-Ryeon replied with a confident smile, drawing a dagger from his coat.
It was rare for Dark Mages to wield weapons, as they typically relied on their special abilities or physical prowess.
Even so, the Dark Mage King stood unperturbed, granting his opponent all the ti needed to prepare.
"Have you finished arming yourself?"
"Yes. Though I doubt a re dagger like this can pierce your armor."
Hui-Ryeon’s sarcastic remark poked fun at the King’s heavily armored form, but he knew such words were ultimately aningless.
After all, the only reason Hui-Ryeon made such comnts was to distract from his own weaknesses and justify the need for a weapon.
"Do you know why I built my fortress in a place like this?"
"No idea. Perhaps it just suits your vibe as the Dark Mage King."
Hui-Ryeon dismissed the significance of this vast canyon, its surface coated in a deep crimson-black hue.
This was a desolate land, abandoned by life long ago due to the overwhelming presence of dense black mana.
Below the surface, grotesque creatures that thrived on dark magic road in abundance, making this place impenetrable to humans.
Though it was undoubtedly one of the most perilous locations, it could also be considered a perfect refuge for a coward.
Thus, Hui-Ryeon had always considered the Dark Mage King a coward.
A coward, soone who possessed overwhelming power yet feared to wield it.
’My father told ... in another world, I defeated that Dark Mage King with sheer strength.’
Though his own power in this world was feeble, the fact that his alternate self could triumph over the Dark Mage King ant that even the King’s boundless power had its limits.
Because of this, Hui-Ryeon saw the Dark Mage King as laughable, just as he viewed his alternate selves with disdain.
’To have such power and yet fail to accomplish my father’s plan, how foolish.’
In Hui-Ryeon’s eyes, his father, Fawn Prevernal Moon’s plan, was to recreate the world entirely.
However, such an ambitious goal required more than raw power.
’Wisdom. What’s needed is wisdom.’
That’s why he believed that he, more than any other version of Hui-Ryeon, was best suited for his father’s ultimate plan. Despite his weak strength, he prided himself on being wiser than any alternate Hui-Ryeon.
’The Dark Mage King’s power must be nearly depleted by now.’
From Hui-Ryeon’s observations, the Dark Mage King was undoubtedly exhausted after battling the Earth Dragon and the Dark Mage Alliance leader.
To have cornered the King to this degree without expending his own power was proof, in his eyes, that his plan had shaken the very foundation of the world.
"You’re known to possess the ability to absorb all magical power."
The Dark Mage King remained silent.
A sly grin crept across Hui-Ryeon’s face as he continued, "With such invincible power, I can only imagine how you must have flaunted it. How enviable indeed."
"I fail to see your intent."
"Intent? There’s none," Hui-Ryeon replied with a mocking laugh.
"I rely know the truth, that you no longer have that power, Abeline Starberg!"
Hui-Ryeon shouted the Dark Mage King’s true na, pointing his dagger at him.
The once-legendary mage, Abeline Starberg, was renowned as a genius among geniuses at Stella Academy and a pupil of none other than Elthman Elwin.
Achieving the Class 9 at an extraordinarily young age, Abeline Starberg, like Elthman Elwin, accomplished countless legendary feats, becoming one of the greatest figures in magical history. Yet, he betrayed the magical world, assassinated three mbers of the Elder Council, maid the previous Full Moon Tower Master, and fled, eventually eting a tragic end.
But was it truly a tragic end? Who defines what is tragic?
To label his betrayal of the magical world as tragic is a perspective steeped in human-centric judgnt.
"So, Abeline, tell , how has life as a dark mage been? Was it enjoyable to live solely for power? Was the pursuit of strength alone satisfying?"
Indeed, the reason why the legendary archmage Abeline Starberg betrayed the magical world was simple: he yearned for a higher realm of power.
As a human, he could not see a way to transcend the limits of his physical form. He was drawn to the abilities of dark mages, who borrowed the power of the otherworld to create strength beyond mortal capacity.
Yet, in the end, the Dark Mage King was dissatisfied with his choice.
Even as the strongest Dark Mage in existence, he could see the boundaries of his own power.
It felt as though so divine force existed, one that placed a limit on the power of all living beings, as if declaring:
’Your limits end here.’
’Do not dare to go beyond.’
The Dark Mage King’s dream was to single-handedly conquer the world and establish an order where all could live equally. But with his current strength, it was impossible.
The limitations of Class 9 magic were stark. If three or more Class 9 mages united against him, even his imnse power would be insufficient to overco them.
A dream of single-handedly dominating the world was simply unattainable.
In his frustration, he began eliminating Class 9 mages, one by one.
Already, five such mages had fallen to his blade.
However, as if the heavens desired to maintain the balance of power, the mont a Class 9 mage disappeared, another Class 9 mage was born.
And that wasn’t all.
It was as if the world refused to run out of talents capable of becoming Class 9 mages. Children destined to reach that level of mastery were openly being born.
Prince Jeremy of the Scalven Imperial Family.
Princess Hong Bi-Yeon of the Adolevit Royal Family.
Grand Duchess Eisel of the Morph Ducal Family.
A generation blessed with gifted children was sprouting up like mushrooms after rain.
The Dark Mage King did not miss this opportunity and created a child of his own. That child was Ma Yu-Seong.
The child, who inherited the essence of his talent, displayed extraordinary gifts from birth.
Yes, it was the very talent Abeline had been seeking.
While Abeline possessed the aptitude of a mage, he lacked the talent of a dark being.
But Ma Yu-Seong’s talent was that of a dark being.
In the end, the Dark Mage King had no choice but to make a decision.
If he couldn’t surpass the limits of this generation himself, he resolved to ensure that his child would.
"Your great authority... it now resides in Ma Yu-Seong, doesn’t it? Am I correct?"
Indeed.
The invincible power once proudly possessed by the Dark Mage King no longer resided within him. This was a closely guarded secret, known to almost no one in the world.
However, Hui-ryeon, who had closely witnessed Ma Yu-Seong’s birth, knew this fact more clearly than anyone else.
"You are no longer the legendary Abeline Starberg. You have completely lost your magical power, and the invincible ability to nullify all attacks no longer exists. Now, you’re rely pretending to be the strongest with the scraps of power that remain."
"...So it seems."
Dark Mage King was unable to hide anything in front of Hui-ryeon, who knew everything about him, and nodded.
"And yet..."
Even if Hui-ryeon didn’t know all the details...
The Dark Mage King had no intention of hiding anything from the start.
"Why did you think I would hide such things?"
"...What?"
"For soone like you to know this much, it ans I’ve never hidden the fact that I’ve grown weaker."
"Now you’re just bluffing..."
"Do you know why, Hui-ryeon?"
As Hui-ryeon’s expression twisted in anger, the Dark Mage King fixed his gaze firmly on him and spoke.
"Even after abandoning half my power and becoming weaker, there hasn’t been a single dark being stronger than ."
Confidence born from power.
It was a towering self-assurance that Hui-ryeon, who had been born with weak abilities and lived his entire life as an underdog, could never possess. For a mont, it overwheld him.
"Stop spouting nonsense and get out of my way!"
Wounded pride left Hui-ryeon with only one course of action. He scread and charged at the one who had humiliated him, swinging his tiny dagger.
Though the dagger was small, it held the energy Hui-ryeon had been accumulating for the 18 years since the day he betrayed the Dark Mage King.
Swish!
With a single, seemingly light swing—
The black fortress standing atop the Wailing Cliffs—
A place known as the hell of all monsters, the paradise of dark beings, and the most horrifying location in the world—
Was split perfectly in half.
... Including all the surrounding space.
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