Chapter 2454 Final Push <TOC> Chapter 2456 Choice
Translator: SumTLMan
Number 01 said, successfully diverting Magnificus De Pawel’s attention.
Should there actually be other wizards who can’t hold on, it would be possible for those wizards to fill the gaps needed by the Mysterious Fruit. And Number 01 could wait until the Mysterious Fruit really goes out of control, then use him for experiments.
Magnificus De Pawel, following Number 01’s gaze, turned back and saw.
But behind the Enforcer, not far away, there was a figure in a state of being half-illusory and half-real, like a light flickering on and off, appearing as if it could extinguish at any moment.
“Interesting, using a half-finished product to segregate space, then addressing the attraction with an Illusory Body,” Magnificus De Pawel saw the person’s state at a glance: “However, good the idea, it lacks the matching mental computation power. The gap between illusion and reality is not so easily endured.”
From the other’s constantly flickering state of light and shadow, Magnificus De Pawel could basically confirm that what Number 01 said was correct, he couldn’t hold on for too long.
At most a minute.
Magnificus De Pawel, with eyes like sapphire gems, gave Number 01 a sidelong glance and said with a soft and tender voice, “I’ll let you go this time, but don’t be happy too early… You think you made a good choice, but actually, offering yourself now might be the best solution.”
Tossing Number 01 aside, Magnificus De Pawel couldn’t be bothered with this dying person, its gaze fixed on the wizard using the Illusory Body in the distance, silently counting down his life timer.
The conversation between Magnificus De Pawel and Number 01 wasn’t concealed, anyone still sane and present could hear it.
Even Magnusson himself heard it, but at this moment, Magnusson was desperately maintaining his mental computation power and really didn’t want to be distracted by Magnificus De Pawel’s words.
“Wizard Magnusson, he can’t hold on any longer, right?” Rivetta whispered softly.
Dietrich and the Pursuit of Light Chairman both didn’t reply, but they sighed simultaneously.
They weren’t optimistic about Magnusson, just as Magnificus De Pawel said, the Illusory Body is a very powerful “invisibility” ability. Once entering the illusory state, almost any power can’t harm you. But, the more powerful the ability, the more it’s constrained by various conditions. The price for using the Illusory Body is the near maximum consumption of mental computation power.
No wizard could use the Illusory Body for long, not even if it were the Pursuit of Light Chairman, he couldn’t maintain it for too long. Let alone Magnusson, whose realm is far less than his.
Their sighs were not only for Magnusson’s situation but also lamenting the catastrophe of this event.
No one expected that the emergence of a Mysterious Object would cause so many wizards to fall, even Wizard Magnusson, famous in the Southern Region, was on the brink of death.
Even if they didn’t have too deep a relationship with Magnusson, it was a case of shared empathy. They couldn’t bear to see such a figure silently die here.
But unwilling as they were, there was no way to change reality.
They were just projections, with limited actions they could take.
In the critical moment, the only ones capable of rescuing Magnusson from his dire straits were the formidable Magnificus De Pawel from afar and the Enforcer nearby. The former, awaiting Magnusson’s demise, would not intervene; while the latter, despite seemingly acting in the interests of the Southern Region, had never extended a helping hand to anyone, indicating a slim chance of assistance for Magnusson.
The outcome appeared to be predetermined.
The Pursuit of Light Chairman held little hope for Magnusson, and Magnusson himself shared this pessimism.
He was acutely aware of his predicament. Understanding that his endurance was waning and that he could sustain himself for only a half minute longer.
After that half-minute, his death was inevitable.
Did he harbor regrets? To a degree, yes. But his regret was not about coming here; rather, it was about not having paid enough attention to enhancing his mental computational power earlier. Had he improved it slightly, Magnificus De Pawel might have chosen to eliminate Number 01 instead of him.
If Number 01 were to perish first, perhaps Magnusson would witness the “choice of destiny” that guided him here, hopeful for the vision he sought.
Although unaware that he was witnessing the birth of disorder, he knew that observing this process would significantly benefit his alchemical advancement.
Even facing certain death, he yearned to witness that moment, to discover the alchemical dilemma that had constrained him for hundreds of years.
But now, everything has concluded.
His long-standing puzzles remained unsolved, and his life was about to reach its end.
Time ticked away second by second, with everyone silently awaiting Magnusson’s demise, and Magnusson himself counting down his final moments.
In the last ten seconds, his vision began to blur, and his thoughts, like ink diffusing in water, gradually slipped beyond his control.
He faintly perceived, in the distant void, his own life’s hourglass dimming.
A tall figure sighed softly for his passing, then erased the increasingly cracked hourglass before turning and walking into the depths of darkness.
“Time Thief…” Magnusson recognized the figure, having once been marked by the Time Thief… Had the Time Thief given up on him as well?
Countdown to the last five seconds.
The final five seconds of life are brief yet seemingly elongated, as if time’s measure generously expanded in this moment.
Amidst the emerging chaos of his thoughts, clarity surprisingly returned.
This was the final flash of life’s panorama, the so-called “light at the end.” It granted Magnusson a moment to summarize his life.
He was not a sentimental man, nor did he sigh over the transience of life or find any peace in the face of death.
In his final moments, all he felt was a deep sense of regret.
Regret that he hadn’t persevered a little longer, regret that his death was so meaningless.
He wanted to live; he wanted to continue his journey on the path of alchemy.
But what use were his mournful cries now? In his mental space where no one could see, Magnusson sighed bitterly, preparing to face the ultimate disaster of his life.
However, in the last three seconds, when Magnusson was filled with despair and helplessness, a soft whisper suddenly reached his ears.
In the last two seconds, as everyone counted down in silence, Magnusson suddenly moved.
He began to walk forward, drawn by a power he could not resist.
“Is this giving up early? Or is it that he can’t hold on any longer?” Rivetta wondered.
No one answered. The question wasn’t important. Whether one died a moment earlier or a moment later made no difference. The end was predetermined. There was no chance of turning the tables… Huh?
Just when everyone thought Magnusson had completely given up, they noticed something unexpected happening.
Magnusson moved quickly, dashing forward. His destination was indeed the direction of the Mysterious Fruit, but importantly, there was another being in this direction.
A being whose presence was unknown to the public, but known to all.
It was the extraordinary being known as the Enforcer, referred to by Magnificus De Pawel as the Enforcer.
Pursuit of Light Chairman: “Magnusson is flying towards the Enforcer’s location. Is he hoping the Enforcer will help him?”
He seemed to be heading in that direction, but was it really so? Would the Enforcer show leniency to Magnusson?
Everyone silently watched Magnusson’s movements. As he was about to pass the Enforcer’s location, everyone’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
Because a faint green light suddenly extended from that space, swirling around Magnusson.
And with the emergence of the green light, the previously invisible Enforcer finally faintly revealed his form.
But what surprised everyone was that the figure that appeared was not “one” person, but two.
One was an old man with white hair, and the other was a young man with red hair and golden eyes.
Among them, the white-haired old man was the most noteworthy. There was something strange about his aura. It was as if, despite no efforts in concealment or surrounding mist, his face remained unclear… or rather, one could see it clearly, but as soon as one blinked, everything previously remembered seemed to automatically erase itself.
He was a being whose very aura exuded a sense of terror.
The other was a young man with red hair and golden eyes, surrounded by an aura too terrifying, it was evident from the energy dynamics around him that his power is not particularly formidable, or at least, he doesn’t appear to be a strong figure at first glance.
According to the assessment of the Pursuit of Light Chairman, based solely on the external manifestation of power, he would be rated at the level of a formal wizard.
However, it is he who releases the strange green light that swirls around Magnusson.
“Which of the two is the Enforcer? Who is it? The white-haired old man, or the red-haired youth?” The Pursuit of Light Chairman silently muses.
He leans towards the belief that the white-haired old man is the Enforcer, as, from what is visible in terms of power, the old man’s capabilities seem to far exceed the councilor’s expectations, reaching beyond legendary realms.
As for the red-haired youth… the Pursuit of Light Chairman had never seen him before, speculating perhaps he is a descendant of the Enforcer?
The descendant suddenly releasing a strange green light around Magnusson, what is he doing?
Is he saving him, or killing him?
At this moment, it’s impossible for the onlookers to discern the current situation. They can only direct their gaze towards Magnusson, eager to see if any changes occur under the shroud of green light.
“It seems like there are no changes?” Rivetta whispers softly.
In Rivetta’s view, there was a brief pause when Magnusson was enveloped in green light, but he quickly resumed his previous speed, rushing towards the location of the Mysterious Fruit.
There seems to be no visible change; the green light appears to be merely a mocking beam?
“That’s not right, there is a change.” Dietrich quietly contradicts, but he doesn’t specify what the change is, falling into deep thought instead.
“Lord Editor in Chief, what change? I didn’t notice anything?”
“You didn’t notice because you are foolish.” Adelaya scoffs coldly, her icy gaze shifting towards the distant red-haired youth, vaguely sensing that there is… a familiar aura about him.
“The change Dietrich refers to is… a double image, I suppose.” The Pursuit of Light Chairman speaks up.
Rivetta: “A double image? What double image?”
“When Magnusson was just enveloped in green light, there was a pause. During that pause, there seemed to be a faint double image of him, but it quickly vanished.” Dietrich explains to Rivetta, then turns to the Pursuit of Light Chairman: “Lord Pursuit of Light, could that double image be… that?”
Which is that? Rivetta is utterly confused.
The Pursuit of Light Chairman nods: “It should be.”
Rivetta: …What is it?
“Is that so?” Dietrich breathes out softly: “It makes sense, with the Qwest World currently enveloping the Southern Region, choosing this method is the most prudent. At least, it won’t result in total annihilation of the soul.”
“What do you mean?” Rivetta catches onto something, but it feels as if there’s a veil she can’t see through.
“The double image is the soul of Magnusson, or rather, a dead soul,” Dietrich stated this time without any ambiguity, directly expressing the situation he inferred.
“The green light swirling around Magnusson’s body should be able to weaken or resist the attraction. When the green light swirls around him, Magnusson regains a trace of sanity in that moment.”
“Taking advantage of this brief moment of sanity, Magnusson made a decisive and resolute choice.”
“The soul leaves the body, transforming from a living soul into a dead soul.”
“It is also a coincidence that the Southern Region is now covered by the Qwest World, and the dead soul can clearly feel the call of the Qwest World. As long as you respond to the call, you can enter the Qwest World in an instant.”
Thus, everything is explained. The momentary double image that appeared earlier is actually an external sign of Magnusson’s soul leaving his body.
The moment his soul left the body, Magnusson did not hesitate to choose to return to the homeland of souls——the Qwest World.
So, the double image disappeared as soon as it appeared because the soul had already drifted into another realm.
As for the body, it is still alive at this moment and continues to move towards the Mysterious Fruit under the lure of attraction.
However, Magnusson’s true consciousness has already escaped.
“Escaping in this way shows that Magnusson is very decisive,” Rivetta admired. Although only the dead soul escaped, there is still a trace of consciousness that might continue to accumulate strength in the Qwest World in another form of existence. This is obviously much better than completely vanishing.
“Decisive? No, I think it might be that person’s mercy,” Dietrich said, looking towards the distant red-haired youth.
Obviously, all of this was calculated by the red-haired youth.
Because for Magnusson to make an immediate judgment at that moment and for the soul to leave the body, two prerequisites are needed: preparation in advance and someone to help him temporarily escape the attraction of the Mysterious Fruit.
Only the red-haired youth could do that.
That is to say, everything was a help given by the red-haired youth, including allowing Magnusson to choose to escape by sending his soul to the homeland of souls. The Only Way was through his help.
However, what is the identity of the red-haired youth? Why would he help Magnusson?
This was their question.
Soon, this question was answered. Because Magnificus De Pawel spoke at that moment.
“Enforcer, you’ve intervened too… Shiuro?” Magnificus De Pawel’s soft voice, eerily resonated in everyone’s ears.
The white-haired old man said lightly: “He is him, I am me. The Enforcer does not get involved in the Southern Region beyond disorderly objects, I’ve done that.”
“And he, being a person from the Southern Region himself, what he wants to do is his freedom.”
Magnificus De Pawel squinted at the Enforcer and then glanced at Angel next to him: “As long as the shell that lost its soul can fill this last gap, I accept this reason. But if it doesn’t work, shiuro shiuro, then I’ll have to take action against them, and you better not stop me then.”
The Enforcer did not respond, because at this time, the body of Magnusson that lost its soul had already arrived near the Mysterious Fruit.