The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years

Book 2 Chapter 628

Residue pointed at the holographic screen displaying the destination and spoke.

“Good. Then now tell me the exact coordinates of this place.”

“Even if I tell you, would you understand? I don't think you're familiar with the Galactic Alliance’s coordinate format.”

“If you just show me the framework, I can figure out some of it. I’m a genius, after all.”

“The terrain of the world completely changed after the Great World. Because of that, they created an entirely new format. Are you saying you can still understand it?”

“……”

Residue remained silent.

Coordinates newly created to match a chaotic world. That meant the probability of standardization was low, in other words, it would be difficult to understand without knowing the rules.

Naturally, even with Residue’s knowledge, there could be parts that were hard to fully grasp. He could interpret it if he really tried, but he didn’t want to waste precious time on something like that.

After a brief thought, he spoke.

“If there’s a guideline or something like that, could I receive it along with the data? Just a moment is enough. I can memorize it quickly.”

“There’s a better way. I think you already know, but Amdal is fully capable of operating within a planet’s atmosphere.”

The underlying meaning of those words was easy to understand.

“You’re going to take me there yourself.”

“Is that too generous of an offer?”

“Hmm. Not particularly.”

It was a moment that made one think a little deeper.

It was for the same reason as before.

Since Kiel is more rational than anyone, it’s better not to expect any kind of free favor. That meant this was a calculated move to create a debt, and incurring a debt with someone like Kiel was something to absolutely avoid.

“There’s no need to overthink it. I just feel like I need to have a longer conversation with you.”

Subtly, Kiel’s form of address had changed. This too carried no small meaning.

Residue stared at Kiel, but soon grew tired of thinking and casually nodded.

“Fine. It’ll be a short journey together.”

If any trouble arises, he’ll deal with it then.

“Well. We’ll see about that.”

─Thus, contrary to Residue’s initial plan, the negotiation with Kiel Marlgol took on an unexpectedly peaceful form.

***

Kiel said that the journey to the Underground City could take at least two days, or up to a week.

“Two days to a week? That’s a bit too vague.”

“That’s only natural.”

“Is the mobility of this ship originally that unstable?”

“You really know nothing, do you? Do you know what the most dangerous act in this world is now? It’s moving to a different region. The longer it takes, the more exponentially the danger increases.” Ꞧ𝐚ǒᛒËṢ

Kiel continued, lightly tapping the back of his hand.

“In the current world, travel is no different from ‘exploration’ or ‘adventure.’ Of course, there’s no romanticism in it. Every moment, it’s like wandering a perilous and unknown continent. Even if you launch dozens of satellites into space, there are limits to what you can grasp. It’s become a truly inconvenient world.”

“No wonder people living in the cities endured unfair treatment.”

“That’s right.”

“Then compared to a planet, is space actually safer?”

Kiel looked into the pitch-black void and muttered quietly.

“I used to think so. Until a week ago.”

Residue agreed inwardly and thought he had made the right decision by forming a link with the PeaceFinder Armlet.

The reason the PeaceFinder Armlet could exert such overwhelming influence in the current world was undoubtedly due to Iris PeaceFinder’s abilities. In such a chaotic world, rapid, reliable, and wide-reaching mobility was a capability that could not be traded for anything.

“Hmm.”

Residue glanced around the interior.

Amdal’s control room, a place where at least dozens of crew members should be stationed, was now occupied only by Residue and Kiel. Luca was exploring the interior of the ship. Since it was a confined space, there was no fear of losing her, so she was left to do as she pleased.

Anyway.

Kiel was piloting this ship, which normally required dozens to operate, leisurely sipping coffee as he did so. He was skilled in many ways.

“Are you going to keep using that body?”

Pointing to Bardrog’s physical body, Residue asked, and Kiel nodded.

“I intend to use it for the time being while I’m moving with you. Why? You don’t like the face?”

“Well, if I had a choice, a beauty would be better.”

“……”

“It’s a joke, so relax your expression.”

Residue chuckled as he plopped down next to Kiel.

When Kiel looked at him curiously, he shrugged and said.

“I’ve got time to spare, so I thought I’d listen to your personal opinions.”

“About what?”

“Life in this world.”

“……”

Residue wiped the smile from his face and spoke.

“You know how to divide your consciousness.”

“……”

“The ‘Kiel Marlgol’ I’m speaking with right now is one of those divided consciousnesses. You know how to split your mind into at least thousands of strands, and you also know how to apply that. For a mortal, that’s truly an extraordinary skill.”

Kiel began to wonder again what this man was going on about now by talking about him. Very few people knew he could divide his consciousness, but it wasn’t a completely hidden fact. So it wasn’t something to be overly surprised about if it suddenly came up in conversation.

“Of course, since it’s something you can do, then the Ruler, Thunderous Lightning God, could easily do it as well.”

Residue’s voice dropped a little lower.

“As you well know, those separated consciousnesses cannot be treated merely as avatars or artificial creations. Though the units of power they can exercise may be small, their identity is unmistakably still the Thunderous Lightning God himself.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“Let’s assume something. After dividing his consciousness, some incident severs the connection between the main body and the remnant consciousness. Then what happens to that remnant?”

“……”

“Does it disappear instantly? Or slowly? Or does it become a fully independent existence? And if so, should that being be regarded as different from the main body?”

Kiel’s eyebrow twitched.

He already knew enough about this man’s understanding. Even when he suddenly brought up things without order or context, Residue possessed a mind that could grasp the essence right away.

“Are you saying that is what you are?”

"For that reason, I'm calling myself Residue for now."

“…Haa.”

Kiel let out a voice that was halfway between a sigh and a sneer.

Residue was no longer bothered by such a reaction and grinned slyly.

“That must be one of the important secrets you were hiding.”

“I didn’t particularly intend to hide it, but not many know of it.”

“And the reason you revealed it to me?”

“They say, if you want to know someone’s inner thoughts, you should open up first.”

“Who said that?”

“A friend of mine.”

Kiel’s expression became complex.

It was a hard-to-believe story, but if Residue’s claim was to be taken seriously, many things could be explained. That oddly familiar tone reminiscent of the Lightning God, the faint sense of thunder energy, and even the knowledge he had about Kiel.

However, if everything he said were true, then that would mean the self that had once been aloof and arrogant like the Thunderous Lightning God himself had now changed into the figure before him.

And since Kiel knew the Ruler better than anyone, it was difficult to accept such a transformation easily.

“They say one needs a purpose to live, but in reality, the order is reversed. It’s better to live in order to fulfill a purpose. Let’s consider another assumption. Say you succeeded in creating a being like the Half King.”

Residue spoke while recalling the image of the Half King from his memory.

“She is an incredible being. Without a doubt, even looking back through history, no other single entity could match her. That’s why I dare to call her the strongest. Since you created such a being with your own hands, you must feel a sense of accomplishment. But after that?”

Kiel laughed.

But contrary to Residue’s expectations, it was more cynical than mocking.

“You’d suffer from deep emptiness? Because you’ve achieved your goal?”

There was a hint of weariness in his voice.

As if he were predicting the kind of nagging he had heard over and over again.

However, Residue shook his head with a smile.

“That depends on the person. I’m saying it’s better if you plan for what comes after. Because in your lifelong wish, there is no ‘next.’”

“What do you mean?”

“For instance, the reason I, who was once the Lightning God, wanted to create strong beings was because I had no one left to fight. Those who created the Half King needed someone to oppose Destruction. But you? Your goal lies solely in the act of creation itself. You can’t ignore that difference.”

“……”

Kiel remained silent.

“I know the time and effort you’ve invested in realizing your dream. Your obsession is impressive. That’s why the recoil will be all the greater. I’ve talked too much, but the main point I want to tell you is just this. From now on, you should plan ahead. After creating such a powerful being, what are you going to do with it?”

“……”

“And while we’re at it, let me clarify my goal, which is none other than world peace."

At the sudden declaration, Kiel sent him a bewildered look.

“World peace?”

“Yes. World peace. That is the only thing I live for. I have a few secondary goals, but nothing is more important than that.”

“……”

“But it’s not an easy task. The reality is that it’s impossible to do alone. That’s why I’m continually seeking allies. I form connections wherever I find potentially helpful individuals and keep those who seem useful stored away in a corner of my mind. Of course, that includes you too, Kiel.”

Impossible alone. Allies. Useful individuals.

As phrases one would never expect to hear from the Ruler poured out one after another, Kiel’s thoughts grew increasingly tangled.

“Are you suggesting I cooperate with your objective?”

“There’s no need. You’ll end up doing it anyway.”

“Why’s that?”

“If you succeed in creating the strongest being, won’t you need to test whether it truly is the strongest? And there’s no better opponent for that than Destruction.”

Residue said with a chuckle.

“So whether you like it or not, you’ll inevitably end up cooperating with my plan.”

“What if I choose to have it fight the Half King instead of Destruction?”

“Hmm.”

Residue let out a low hum.

“That would be a bit…”

Kiel shook his head.

After listening to such a logic full of holes, even he began to feel confused.

“I was just saying. Besides, I might never meet the Half King again.”

“On what grounds?”

“You don’t know this yet, I see. About two weeks ago, the Half King fought hundreds of Destruction creatures in space.”

Kiel began operating his pad.

With the devices in the control room, he should only be able to operate the ship, so what was he doing? Soon, a video began to play.

The video quality was poor and filled with noise, but even so, one could see the Half King standing proudly among the floating remains of Destruction creatures.

“How does it look?”

“Looks like she lost a lot of blood.”

“Correct. It’s hard to see because of her red, wide clothes, but the Half King suffered a fatal wound at that point and disappeared afterward.”

"She looks like she has almost no strength left to move…. Did Twelve Void Lords recover her?"

"Probably so. There are few who can avoid the sensors I've scattered."

“Hmm.”

Residue stroked his chin and furrowed his brow.

Although he was antagonistic toward the Half King, she was still an essential existence. That she was already broken at this point was completely unexpected.

“So she lost to Destruction?”

“I know the Half King’s combat capabilities better than anyone. She’s not someone who would be beaten by a few hundred Destruction creatures.”

“Then?”

“Well… I can only assume some unexpected variable interfered.”

Only then did Residue reach one possible conclusion.

“The Twelve Void Lords.”

“The Twelve Void Lords? Aren’t they the Half King’s most loyal subjects?”

“Not all of them. And that’s not what I meant.”

“What do you mean?”

“Among the Twelve Void Lords, Destruction, Hide, is hiding. At least three. I haven’t identified who yet.”

“Three.”

Kiel murmured in a surprised voice.

“I see. If the Half King didn’t know that, she would’ve been ambushed unexpectedly. Then it’s not impossible that she sustained that level of damage.”

Residue glanced briefly at the cracked necklace.

Identifying Hide among the Twelve Void Lords was one of the tasks that had to be done first. But there was no need to rush.

Finding Hide alone wasn’t enough. After that, he would have to assume the possibility of fighting Hide in the guise of a Void Lord. And Residue, in his current state, was unprepared for that.

Therefore, heading to the Underground City wasn’t a detour. In the long run, it was the most direct route.

“You know a lot about me, but surprisingly, you don’t seem to know much about the current state of the world.”

"I did live as an unemployed person for about a month. I already miss those days."

“Then do you know about this?”

Kiel manipulated his pad again, and another video appeared.

The quality was much clearer than the one before.

And Residue realized that he recognized the location in the footage.

It was Meltown, the city he had left just a week ago.

“Destructions fighting each other? I already know about that. In fact, I saw it from quite up close.”

It was even a video that Kiel had once unintentionally shown him.

“I’ve already figured that much out. You stayed in that city for a while, didn’t you? But that’s not what I want to show you.”

The screen rotated and showed another scene.

“……”

It looked like the aftermath of a wildfire that had just been extinguished by heavy rain. But upon closer look, that scenery was simply the corpse of a massive being.

It resembled coal that had stopped burning, or ashes barely maintaining form before the wind blew.

Some embers still remained, but it was clear they would die out completely before long.

Kiel’s voice came through.

“The Ruler, the Sun God, is dead.”

*****

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