42 – [God of Machinery]
A fierce wind blew.
The heavy atmosphere that had settled down rose again.
Seeing her hair fluttering in the wind, Lucian could sense that something was coming.
The black rabbit sniffed and then opened its eyes wide.
It was because of the familiar smell.
The scent of the auxiliary potion, which enhances the vigorous movements of machinery, was thickly carried by the wind.
The black rabbit pricked up its ears and prepared for an attack.
How many times has it been hit by the iron mace of the falling staff without any warning?
No matter how much it was a whip of love, getting hit on the head with a staff was quite painful.
The only thing the black rabbit could do was to hunch its body to protect its dying brain cells.
This reaction was also familiar to Lucian.
When asked why it was so scared, Kanon had answered, “Damn inspiration. Just ignore it!”
Lucian raised her head.
To see the person called ‘damn inspiration’ that the rabbit was talking about. A rather hard-to-find person had appeared.
“But… I can’t see them clearly.”
She frowned.
In the sky, there was only one wizard who looked nothing like a wizard, with his cloak fluttering in the strong wind.
A peculiar circus hat adorned his head.
Due to the backlight from the moon, his figure wasn’t entirely visible, but even with just the silhouette, one could deduce who the wizard was.
Master of the Black Tower.
Darahn de Myus,
A massive gem adorned his staff, held in his hand.
A Baekgang Stone, said to alter the terrain of the world with each emanation of light, enveloped the gem itself.
Around Darahn’s body floated spherical entities.
Golems that intercepted enemies and sometimes engaged in direct combat.
From Noble mtl dot com
【Autonomous Battle Golem】
When the user bestows mana, what were mere stones transform into artifacts, flying in the air with a will of their own, assisting their master in tasks.
As Lucion knew, within the Oceland Kingdom, only two individuals could handle the 【Autonomous Battle Golem】.
“Consumable golems are astronomically expensive.”
Even if one had the money, they refrained from buying.
“Because they are consumables.”
Who would spend the cost of building a mansion just to buy a small golem? If it breaks, a mansion is lost.
That’s how powerful these golems were.
A single one had the capability to demolish a mansion.
Using an autonomous battle golem was a testament to having considerable wealth.
A sorcerer who could afford to wear such expensive equipment, and the owner of the dark tower, the pioneer of artifact magic—Darahann de Myus.
A living legend had descended upon this place.
“…Darahann, greetings.”
Ozland was originally a peripheral kingdom.
It was safe to say that the fate of the nation had changed with Darahann’s birth.
A genius magician who independently developed almost all advanced magic techniques used in the kingdom.
His influence extended not only to Ozland but also throughout the world.
To the extent that even the Demon King might have heard his name in suspicion.
Of course, people simply called him Darahann, the reclusive owner of the dark tower.
Although there were dozens of titles, the most commonly used ones were ‘World’s Number One Archmage,’ ‘God of Machinery,’ and ‘Owner of the Dark Tower.’
In Velvete, where Lusion lived, he was known as the God of Armaments, Darahann.
Thanks to creating all sorts of weapons for warfare.
“More peculiar than I heard.”
Due to the abundance of artifacts he possessed, he seemed more like a race of beings than a person. After all, even Darahann’s eyes were not his own.
The artifact eye for magic detection emitted a red light.
After scrutinizing Lusion for a while, the artifact seemed to be satisfied and extinguished its light.
Although his entrance was quite flashy, in reality, it was nothing compared to Lusion.
Didn’t Lusion create stars crafted from the sky in his mansion?
—
If Lucion made the air tremble, Darahan remained calm.
However, the situation quickly took a turn.
Darahan, the owner of the mansion and the current ruler of the kingdom.
The servants who were watching bowed their heads as Darahan appeared, and the members of the Black Claw stopped their work and saluted the ruler of the kingdom.
Darahan was a rare sight.
Because he kept to himself.
#
A recluse mage who spent more time in the tower than in the mansion, Darahan descended straight to where Lucion was.
Thanks to that, the Black Rabbit retrieved the staff that was heading towards Lucion. Instead, he raised his hands in a defensive posture to protect his head at any moment.
Darahan seemed indifferent to the Black Rabbit’s reaction.
After landing on the ground, he headed straight for Lucion.
Even his walking style was unique.
He walked like an unsteady mechanical device, making a clanking sound with each step, as if his balance was not quite right.
Even if he was called the “God of Machinery,” his body was human. Of course, it was only a matter of time before his entire body became a machine.
Lucion, who spent most of his time at the forefront, had heard the news that the black mage, Darahan, had synthesized a human body. In fact, he had received a letter from Darahan. It said he would create auxiliary magical devices to replace the bodies of knights who had lost their limbs.
However, the cost was too high, so Lucion couldn’t afford it.
“He’s quite tall.”
It wasn’t because the Black Rabbit was standing next to him, but Darahan’s figure was truly outstanding in the region.
Lucion was not small either, but he had to look up at Darahan.
At least, wouldn’t he be around 2 meters tall?
The elderly man in the robe scanned Lucion with his bright red eyes. Red eyes were not uncommon, but what caught his attention was the distinct color that was not like human eyes.
“Moreover, an odd eye.”
Darahan had two different eyes. One was the inherited green eye, known as the “Eye of the Sage,” and the other was a self-made red artifact called the “Mana Particle Observer.”
Both were altered out of necessity.
Darahan was born as the legitimate successor of the Maious family.
Thanks to the inherited Eye of the Sage, he was able to design magic in great detail.
However, the Eye of the Sage alone was not enough, so he created an artifact that could thoroughly examine the amount and form of mana.
That was Darahan’s first creation, the “Mana Particle Observer.”
Through the dispersing light of the observer, he could see how mana was distributed in the world.
When dealing with people, he could even predict what kind of magic they would use.
Thanks to this, when Darahan attended the Academy, he was called a genius of counter magic.
A genius magician with numerous mathematical formulas.
He said to Lucion.
“You are not a magician.”
Through Darahan’s observer, Lucion showed no signs of any magic. He wasn’t even protecting himself with a protective spell.
He couldn’t be called a magician.
Lucion didn’t respond.
Instead, he raised his two arms.
He was still bound by the rope tied by the black rabbit.
Lucion asked Darahan.
To converse or to interrogate.
Darahane slightly closed and opened his eyes as if understanding.
Lifting his staff slightly, Lucion undid the knot that bound Lusion’s wrist.
Lusion shook his freed hand and examined it.
No wounds.
Lusion raised his hand to the sword at his waist. The clinking sound was something anyone familiar with handling a sword could produce.
“As you can see, I am an inspector.”
“Yeah. It does seem that way.”
Darahane fell into thought.
Of course, it didn’t last long. With the invention he devised in a minute, enough for ten people to live, he had to do more in the time he had for thinking.
“I’ve seen people like you. Living not in a straight line, but wandering through the world as if they came to roam.”
It was unclear whether it was praise or admonition.
He didn’t think deeply.
The experiences gained through two lifetimes had taught Lucion to overlook things unknown for now.
‘Let’s pass what cannot be known now—’ he thought.
It was Lucion’s behavioral pattern.
Living, someday you suddenly realize. What that person said back then was said with that meaning.
Lucion didn’t seem to have a lifespan much shorter than Darahane’s. He judged that he couldn’t read Darahane’s thoughts.
In fact, Darahane felt the same way.
Lucion was burdensome. The atmosphere he emitted was heavier than it appeared.
Not quite a young man… more like a warrior who has traversed numerous battlefields.
Even just by observing his stance, one could tell. The great generals are different from the way they stand. Dara Han had felt their dignity through their posture countless times.
“Well, they are already old men who have passed away.”
Lucion was no less.
“Hmm.”
Dara Han maintained a composed expression.
It could have been intimidating to Lucion if handled carelessly.
A keen gaze, as if trying to extract as much as possible. A gravitational pull, as if absorbing everything, emanated from Lucion.
‘It’s not a misconception.’
Those who seek to learn often have such eyes.
But Lucion was special.
Dara Han could see the opponent’s mana through the observation device. It was an objective assessment, not just a feeling.
Although Lucion didn’t possess a vast amount of mana, the mana around him was neatly organized.
Mana, arranged by color layers. As if organized to absorb and use mana of the desired attribute when needed.
A mana management method Dara Han had never seen before.
Thus, even Dara Han, the owner of the tower, couldn’t relax in front of Lucion.
Other tower mages waited for months to meet Dara Han. Despite encountering numerous wizards, none managed mana like this.
‘Fascinating.’
Initially cautious, Dara Han now felt the opposite.
Darahann observed Luscion with curious eyes.
Of course, Luscion had no way of knowing that Darahann harbored curiosity.
#
Darahann anchored his staff to the ground and commented on Luscion.
“Young one.”
Having remarkable skill for his age.
It wasn’t just a remark about his age; it was a question of how someone so young could possess such high skill.
However, Luscion took the words directly.
The intricate banter of magicians didn’t align with Luscion’s taste. Having dedicated his life to vanquishing demons, he preferred straightforward language.
“Yes. I am young. But who are you?”
He deliberately asked.
Well, the grand sorcerer hadn’t revealed his identity.
Not very courteous, is it?