Chapter 189: Confusion (6)
lQqjDagThe 6-star mages Dereck had encountered so far all shared one common trait—they seemed to have completely transcended the limits of the human.Snuea
SxwYDrest observed the future.4qMO0
FCVKalimford brought down meteors.lrzD
21IFina had demonstrated strength great enough to corner an entire prestigious family on her own.GtJu8u
LmDg5Facing beings like those was not merely a matter of winning or losing.J6Qae7
K58dIt awakened a primitive, visceral fear.RnZX
jB30ybIn this world, mages who reached 6 stars were treated as legendary figures, almost like the great sages of history, and opposing them was considered little short of suicide.06K0x
RJzHowever, Dereck deviated somewhat from that general perception.4Mf
aeGSJHe had met many 6-star mages.ZqyuQbV
gcYXQCqHe had observed them, analyzed them, one by one, and had reached a clear conclusion.gjbUy78
aDtYIPMEven if they possessed power capable of twisting the very laws of the world, they were still human.eblKI
TMBUXq0If they were stabbed, they bled.xnv
Sgl47OfIf their necks were cut, if their hearts were pierced, if they stopped breathing, they died.NphW
vOsFThere was only one existence that had truly transcended those laws of life and death.dpQbv
STxEven a confusion mage at the absolute peak could lose their life to a single slash.72sN
971TjwlThat was the human limit.Czo7
BBbP***lAPa
goYWSlash!ans04Nc
CucWhoosh!qGK
aIAjydgUnder the moonlight, in the northern clearing—the vast field reserved as a magical training area—Dereck advanced at full speed, wielding a dagger in a reverse grip.lq7AZb
t3PThe man covered by the robe leaped far backward and clenched his fist tightly.8p0F6A
7K1fBoom!u6kZa
3lRz3lbFor an instant, Dereck’s consciousness nearly went dark.2PZr0Sz
ZybThanks to his magical resistance and his mastery of detection magic, he managed to endure, forcing his eyes wide open, though it was clear the attack had taken effect.Vv8z
1GaIf“…”bM22Ae
jaLlyTThe open terrain stretched out before him.5dbtwY
gMVThe silhouette of the hooded man multiplied, splitting into hundreds of copies.xMyx
gi1QnIt was an illusion—something he had faced before—but the scale was completely different.4oQEpr
meHdCThud!zyufKtG
B4fUWith a single push against the ground, Dereck activated the 2-star combat magic “Freezing,” attempting to freeze all the illusions at once.qSlSH
OetMost of them dissipated instantly, turning into mist.CaCsN3
QkDOnly one figure remained trapped, its feet frozen, immobilized at the edge of his field of vision.v7FQ
2A5Whoosh!JiFi45d
hogGxDereck gathered mana in the hand gripping his longsword and unleashed a direct slash toward it.xocw
VqWThe 2-star combat magic “Sword Energy Manifestation,” combined with the 3-star transformation magic “Acceleration,” created an attack impossible to evade.MzFqx7
NAgCrash!GYX9P7
rZJcFwoom!hI6
Tge4KypBut where the strike landed, there was nothing.nmx
XSlIt too was an illusion.uvC
EpyZm0In that extremely brief instant, the enemy had created an illusion with frozen legs to deceive him.Qu8
5h8FJtG‘Confusion magic is definitely annoying. But it doesn’t seem to excel in direct combat.’ykL
3Oz5wDereck adjusted his grip on the sword and focused.3pjY
ws1aHe activated the mana detection technique he had learned directly from Drest, searching for traces of the enemy hidden within the darkness of the forest.kFDr9
CJL3C‘I can’t find him.’0jxUiT
DJZSUEven for Dereck, who had mastered detection magic, the enemy’s presence was nearly impossible to locate.TcnZ4d
F8GThe situation was not good.mNwd5
e8idpHe didn’t know when the next surprise attack would come, so he had to keep all his senses at maximum alert.sbWVq
Ler0egeAt this rate, he would be the one to tire out first.H2k
seKvWhen fighting an opponent of a higher rank, the battle had to be resolved quickly.aHd
i4rFHThat was something he had learned when facing the Grand Duke Beltus.vKPZs
WmWTlWithout technique or improvisation, there was no way for Dereck to defeat a 6-star mage.Vgl
kcwDTrying to surpass him in sheer magical power would be foolish.TC1QRd
S66VaIt was at that moment, as he was calculating his next move—axH
NPxWhoosh!wHUt2l
k09From a tree behind him, a hand suddenly emerged and directly launched a 3-star “Fire Pillar” at the nape of Dereck’s neck.gt4Yj
SkoQaBoom!1oTN
QvqvgWith almost supernatural reflexes, Dereck twisted his body, but he couldn’t avoid the attack striking his left arm head-on.BvjD5hn
bcD2a2rHe rolled across the ground, shaking the arm engulfed in flames, and let out a brief groan as searing pain coursed through him.Z6gNQ2f
KbtjHRKIt was confusion magic that couldn’t even be perceived.Ggxb9N
UipLS3It allowed transformation not only into people, but also into objects and parts of the environment.3yZrmyE
wAt3cdQMoreover, the Fire Pillar the enemy had used was identical to the one Dereck had cast moments earlier.UU75xp
hw9BwggTaking the residual mana trace of the opponent and reusing it to manifest the magic again.3EHl
8jdA technique Kalimford had personally taught him.v6MtDmx
xHer‘This bastard knows how to do it too.’kGSk
TF2X2Dereck rolled once more and got back to his feet.vOC
tg9MPain surged up from his charred arm, but he clenched his teeth and endured it.8TRX
7iKaNThe man flicked his hand casually, tilted his head, and retreated, vanishing once again into the darkness.vBpmEUR
02svsOnce more, his presence became undetectable, forcing Dereck into a situation where he could be attacked at any moment.JvkU
FmuauHc‘He’s not a combat-specialized mage.’uvL
kgDrAWhile catching his breath, Dereck continued to slowly track his traces.POlKtjj
FgQw70He wasn’t directly using high-level magic; he was reusing Dereck’s magic.vVW5
SIXNt9That made it clear.wACOwe
dK6JThat 6-star confusion mage did not possess particularly high mastery of combat magic.zF2
6IXbkHe was unparalleled at confusing, manipulating memories, and altering perception—but his direct firepower had limits.zcHhpH
kQg3HOEven so, handling 3 or even 4 stars was still far beyond what most people would achieve in their entire lives.clliMu
t6h1For that man, it was simply a field in which he didn’t feel completely confident.sGCa
ZT7jIA strange excitement ran up Dereck’s spine.IZyhe3
DXfLStFThat particular stimulation he felt when facing strong opponents always drove him further.9AUVC
l7HyQEven now, fighting that man hidden in the darkness, he felt an indescribable euphoria.ei7
d9ZeHHe was right on the verge of breaking into 5 stars.2ReIJ
Nrj4xrFor anyone else, facing a 6-star mage in this situation would be a terrifying catastrophe.LS5L4A
ozGyJFor Dereck, it was a blessing.dyi
8z4Someone had once said that Dereck and Kohella were the same type.RF9d
UnMBMycThat they differed only in direction, but that both were equally obsessed with magic.fcWbI
FdO5JV6He had found the idea unpleasant, but he couldn’t deny it.vAC
0ZuEven in front of an unknown enemy, without knowing his limits or true identity, the only thing on his mind was how to absorb that experience and make it his own.wpM3
NQljz9‘Don’t get carried away.’N0KXWW
hghcDereck steadied his breathing and, with his head slightly lowered, focused his mind on mana.nBy
L232hu5The enemy had reached such a level of mastery over confusion magic that he could evade all perception.or8b
Zpb0HtHe didn’t just manipulate memories at will—he even altered his appearance, becoming whatever person or environment he desired.HVqI3E
VbosTo capture someone like that, there was no choice but to resort to large-scale magic.S5FEq
cc0VvSJDereck released his mana.CJPH6g
lAhAfIt was time to unleash one of the most powerful spells he possessed, one with a wider range than anything he had used until now.llqjE2B
9OhAdThe earth began to tremble, and the ground around Dereck started to crack.xblUw
S4ARumble. Rumble.1q35LU
2hEDereck clenched his fist tightly.oYlX5y
GkGv1EJ4-star combat magic.kTuHyDw
nn9j3GX“Large-Scale Spatial Freezing.”LCD
OX9Rp75It was a spell primarily used in war scenarios, capable of freezing an entire area and subjugating everything within the field of vision.kEXvVAr
7WD8NxCrack! Crash!wounx4
v3wDdNWhoosh!LNB
hqqmSIn the training field, where there was nothing but vegetation and darkness, a glacial cold began to seep in.P4ujH5r
IzwpRrpThe moment Dereck opened his eyes wide, the entire area was completely frozen.x9KRh0
wXdEIt was not something that could be dodged with agility.X1EC
PnIdEverything within sight was ice.8pnr5I
5hEionhClang!5lS9
qjKAnd so, when everything was covered in frost, the figure of the man hidden in the darkness was revealed.eOO8
E8NoThe enemy was completely frozen by Dereck’s magic.tUi
7h53Dereck moved immediately and drove his sword into the man’s abdomen.1uK
uPMcNStab!jLY
loda2A critical hit.xgma
7NSoBlood burst forth violently and spread across the robe.ZFwBXPz
Jlt3The heavy sensation transmitted through the blade confirmed that it had pierced straight through the body.2cJ
5ss4igDereck was about to deliver the finishing blow when—LhmCd
bHHPuWhoosh!LsjSnMy
mTG9“…”eerP3
QW1“Did you daydream?”UgZgY
753P6OWhen he opened his eyes again, everything had returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.iG3YR
MYkcThe training field under the moonlight.5hGzCN
2ZOvBeyond the darkness, the man wrapped in the robe was standing there, completely unharmed.dSfq
yxu2“I knew it was too easy.”D4FqMf
9xeP“If you keep consuming mana like that, you won’t take long to reach your limit—”noKO
WQRtXgqStab!CGjg5nM
3kWilBefore he could finish the sentence, one of Dereck’s throwing daggers buried itself into his right shoulder.uZaCwNB
vGebeBlood splattered, and the man’s body jerked violently.7VrN3F
58nNsWhoosh!w6KzlDw
jsOaBut once again, the scenery darkened, and everything returned to how it had been, as if nothing had ever happened.i2Y
eEaKpjWhere did the illusion end?Rl2
Mu3WifnWhere did the confusion begin?GsCVOF
406YwAnd what was real?ad4myM
xg1The ability of that mage, capable of blurring all those boundaries, seemed impossible to counter.ywI
R8hsKHowever, Dereck didn’t care.EhSz4H
EUqSFIf the enemy wanted to wage a war of attrition, he had no intention of running.Yzh7
FcVo“You will never defeat me. You’ll exhaust yourself attacking shadows within that confusion, until your mana dries up completely.”YLZSv05
YUyK“Fine. Let’s see if that’s true.”odEgA4i
uq8E3igSlash!5EZT0nZ
N5zWhoosh!I36Yd0y
E0jrLBDereck’s slash once again cut through the enemy’s body.FCvQU
8Tn3HmThe accelerated leap, reinforced with acceleration magic, was so fast it seemed to cross space itself.hDszh
GHiIZPBut again and again, the figure vanished, as if it had never been there.8PuRtML
l1VD1Then Dereck understood.iwV3wO7
vAMF5QXThe essence of confusion magic that Katia had explained to him.LPU
KBic7WThe technique known as “Broad Daylight Dream,” a 5-star spell that traps the enemy in a dream and forces them to chase illusory targets.AfxQ
94JIZNmBut that mage was using that spell not just once, but dozens, hundreds of overlapping layers, trapping Dereck inside a landscape of hallucinations.jGfat6P
qwYIn that space, one ends up fighting and killing illusions over and over, until collapsing from exhaustion.huq
7nEZ16Dereck’s mana was not infinite either.ctBxQRh
qimAtWRepeating this endless duel would not lead him to victory.s7xtZG
3Kzr“I see. It seems persuasion won’t work. You’d rather trust that madwoman Kohella or the arrogant princess Roselin.”uy6
cjAtgThe robed man shook his arms and declared coldly.aM352T
d2M“If I can’t convince you, then I’ll have to kill you. Turn you into a sacrifice to pressure Kohella—”p5V0
0fu“Hey.”OYL
LrQCAWDereck suddenly interrupted him, his voice even colder.qfvs
fPyUp until then, he had shown no emotion, despite the provocations.dAI
HlCBut now, as if he had understood something, he lifted his gaze with absolute coldness.gLVDXF
R89“You’re fake.”S5y
Bs2eVr“…Correct. You’ll only fight me eternally within these illusions.”mquJ59Z
C3W“No. That’s not what I mean.”61EM3
3VM1FY1“…”wQwRCRH
Wb1Dereck ran a hand over his sweat-soaked face, brushed his bangs back, and let out a long sigh.h10
W9WPRThere was anger in his eyes.i8ex1
xWwAn unsettling pressure that made the other tense up.wb1d
mD9o“You’re not a 6-star confusion mage.”vOgL11k
PxrHe said it with a cutting voice.vGpPe1v
XQjcFuAThe anger he contained was not directed at the attack, but at the very fact that his opponent was not up to par.Wm8hnwF
UbtHe had thought he was facing a true battle against a 6-star mage, but upon evaluating the enemy’s level, he couldn’t help feeling disappointed.uSn
iqtIDxD“What are you saying…?”VaMn
VwL“You’re too weak. Yes, you are the bait.”qtbtD
LluStab!1MeJC2
Hi0uAt that very instant, Dereck’s dagger pierced the robed man’s chest once again.W1cTSQX
Nunj7KWThis time, unbearable pain surged through his body.P06yX
MTelNThe metallic stench of blood rose up his throat.7NR8aem
Dw8U7At last, the man realized that his true body had been pierced by Dereck’s blade.C6my
IuPgCNo matter how powerful a confusion mage might be, he could not trap an enemy in an illusion if that enemy was not even within his field of perception.EDdO
cvpgevBThe true body had to be hidden somewhere nearby, casting the magic from there.63X2
T1sHy6MDereck had found him with detection magic and, with an accelerated sword, pierced his chest without hesitation.50L0y
e12sHis persistent use of detection magic had paid off.In9sj
tx0“Cough… huff…”RMHcp
SvZNS“If you were a true 6-star mage, my level of detection wouldn’t have worked.”O7A3nj
rwE2The confusion energy surrounding him dissipated completely, and the smell of the pierced man’s blood tickled Dereck’s nose.K0I5
9WB5JRRDereck yanked his sword free and kicked him, sending him crashing to the ground.A2c
d8acTThe man fell heavily and let out a tearing scream.4mAKMj
HEyBZ“¡Aaagh!”8p2
itN“You have a respectable level. At least 3 stars. That’s not common.”z8Vt0
FQBKawl“D-damn you… I am… a 6-star confusion mage… I…”FTr
IQfMThere was conviction in those words.U9Y
9m0MCFRDereck understood immediately.MJtC
2hUThis man had been a victim of a true confusion mage.D04lR
fsnrHe genuinely believed that he was a 6-star mage.gPaVlI
zmdjgThe burning emotion in his eyes and the way he clawed at the ground, consumed by frustration, were not an act.OQN
KHNlpF0Dereck approached with slow steps and roughly tore away the robe covering him.N2Cn
qRas“…”ioGrh
8AFx9sHis eyes trembled.T6W7BH
q4Y“Cough… huff…”XZ3uJm
6BnGThe man hidden beneath the robe was someone familiar.Gw3evrQ
0DXnAn immaculate white shirt, a refined leather vest, and over it, the feather emblem symbolizing an imperial magic advisor.SCb0xTQ
H7Hv6The only magic advisor who had survived.3HhX
lx4oDalton.O68AO
iddRWiThe same pathetic man who had been trembling in fear in a corner of the main hall had been here, pretending to be a confusion mage and attacking Dereck.WP7p2A
E7TDereck shook the blood from his sword and silently observed Dalton, sprawled on the ground.IlX7F
VxQA mere pawn used by someone else.PGDs
HOXPAs he looked at him, a strange sense of déjà vu ran through his mind.uwXYb
tYNtDWas this really the first time?q8c1
Lb8The image of the other dead magic advisors overlapped in his memory.iQMfx
TgepePerhaps the one who had killed them was Dereck himself.ofHX
2gOrpAVIf that were the case, then all the advisors under Kohella’s command had been manipulated by confusion magic and used as substitutes until they died.JAg
9gfuzJIt was only a possibility.92mgQz
9CqBut that unsettling feeling would not stop haunting him.4YgfzBP
zs6fJ***2GN
FjvOr“Have you come to kill a confusion mage?”AAhwKp
XWRhThe emperor’s bedroom.k0JNmeo
6WsUtXLKohella, sitting alone, smiled with ancient elegance as she looked at Linus.xXIJ
yrW2hmmIn the darkness enveloping the Ravenclaw Academy, the woman obsessed with magic smiled with refinement.EL5
uhfH“You speak as if I were using confusion magic.”BKDf
t15gThat smile, laden with meaning, made Linus slowly close his eyes.qpiHBBZ
FeYKs2U“Lady Kohella, would you like to gamble a round with me?”i4qnFa
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Ahmad Dzaky
Mortalthen if the magical advisor is here which is supposed to be protected by kohella, we could assume she orchestrated a part of this arc
Ahmad Dzaky
Mortalmy dissapointment prob just as much as derreck had…