Genius Warlock

"Um…"

Oliver sighed silently as he gazed upon the trio before him.

Interestingly, all three countenances were recognizable, with two of them being exceptionally familiar.

‘The faces I saw at Mattel… the one in the middle is Mr. Carl, and the one on the right is Mr. Fin Russo, right?'

Oliver meticulously recollected.

In the pivotal moment when a confrontation was about to unfold within Mattel's covert underground laboratory, Merlin made a timely entrance. Standing before them was the same individual who had participated in the prior conversation on Carl's behalf, as well as the one who had withdrawn with him during their earlier altercation.

This sight was oddly reassuring, considering that Carl was among the individuals Oliver desired to confront, just as Carl did with him.

‘And then…'

"…Is that man Grand Master Theodore of the Life School?”

Drawing from the footage shown by Eve, Oliver discreetly whispered to Kevin, who stood beside him.

However, it wasn't Kevin who replied.

"Yes. I am Grand Master Theodore Brant of the School of Life Magic.”

Kevin displayed a hint of surprise. Understandably so, since Theodore was not known for readily responding to inquiries from a mere faculty member or a warlock. Only those who had demonstrated their expertise, typically at the master level, were granted the privilege of engaging in discourse with him.

This signified that Theodore recognized Oliver, which was both intriguing and foreboding.

‘Could it be… Is this related to what’s happening now?’

Kevin's mind instinctively began to piece together the puzzle, guided by intuition, even though it was just a hunch.

‘Even so, doing something like this… No, it’s entirely possible. Dave's talent isn’t common at all.’

Gradually, Kevin's certainty about the situation increased as he observed Oliver. If Theodore had orchestrated this event to enlist Oliver for enhancing his own power, it wasn't entirely implausible. Merlin had previously mentioned that the Life School had targeted Oliver.

While it might seem illogical for an entire school, let alone the Magic Tower, to stake their existence on a single individual, reality occasionally defied logic and rationale. However, in Oliver's case, it was a risk worth taking. Kevin had once stated that Oliver had the potential to establish a Magic Tower on his own in a short time.

‘An endless tank of mana, the ability to steal and adapt any technique, a talent even elemental spirits fear, and abilities that go beyond teaching to endowing talent… It would be even more ridiculous to give up.'

In an instant, Kevin was the sole individual capable of deciphering the true nature of the situation. The Life School's objective was not merely to secure exceptional wizards to bolster their ranks; their target was specifically Oliver.

This realization indicated a fundamental flaw in their operation from the outset. They had unwittingly delivered their intended target right into their hands.

Having grasped the situation, Kevin placed his hand on Oliver's shoulder. Given the circumstances and the formidable adversary in Theodore, he believed it prudent to retreat for now.

‘Damn it!'

Kevin began to speak.

"Pro-"

"Da-"

“-fessor."

Oliver preempted Kevin by half a beat.

"Those people over there… aren't they Derick and Felix?”

Oliver pointed towards one of the walls. The dimly lit room made it challenging to discern details in the shadowy corners, but upon closer inspection in the direction Oliver indicated, a chilling discovery emerged.

"Uh… uh…"

"Grrr…"

"Help…."

Adorning the walls of the chamber were not only intricate machinery, pipes, and wires, but also wizards who were bound and gagged like captives, their desperate pleas muffled. Their number exceeded a hundred, and the majority appeared emaciated, their forms contorted like mummies. It was a heart-wrenching tableau.

"Derick…? Felix…?"

Amidst the assembly of wizards whose hair had withered away, whose flesh and bones clung tenaciously to each other, and whose teeth had succumbed to decay, Kevin located the two students he had been in search of, securely bound.

Fortunately, their condition seemed marginally better than that of their unfortunate peers, likely owing to their positioning.

Although they had experienced the loss of muscle and flesh, and one side of their heads had turned completely white, it was apparent that with proper rest and care, they could recover.

‘Even so, their Life-force and mana have decreased considerably…'

Just as Oliver was poised to assess Derick and Felix's condition, Kevin acted with swiftness guided by his emotions rather than reason. He approached Derick and Felix calmly, proceeding to release their restraints.

Oliver, wary of a potential surprise attack, cast a fleeting glance in Theodore's direction, but there appeared to be no immediate intent to strike, at least for the moment.

Kevin unfastened Derick with a demeanor as cold and unyielding as stone, while Oliver lent his assistance in freeing Felix.

Silently, Kevin extended his hand, and without the need for questions, Oliver retrieved a vial from his pocket, passing it to Kevin, who then administered drops to Derick and Felix.

While this treatment wouldn't complete their recovery, it served as crucial emergency aid.

"A rather amusing sight," Theodore, who had been observing in silence, suddenly remarked to Kevin.

This was no idle chatter; Theodore's words bore a genuine sense of incredulity and mockery.

Kevin responded with silence, prompting Theodore to continue.

"Test Subject 162, don't you think so? You look ridiculous… almost comedic."

"…."

"Isn't it true? You first stepped onto this land as a lab rat. You watched as your father, mother, and siblings were subjected to biological experiments, and then you became the disciple of Merlin who conducted these experiments."

"…..!"

Oliver stared at Kevin in astonishment. This was a narrative he had never heard before, one that hadn't even crossed his mind. He had assumed that Kevin's occasional friction with Merlin was merely a facet of his personality.

What proved shocking was that this wasn't the entirety of the tale. Merlin had not only conducted biological experiments but had also included Kevin's family in those experiments.

Images of the usual Merlin flitted through Oliver's thoughts, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of incongruity.

‘…No, it's possible,' Oliver pondered, recalling Kent's words and reluctantly accepting the idea. People could indeed embody extreme dualities.

Theodore pressed on.

"But in a way, I understand. You had no choice but to become Merlin’s disciple. If you had refused, you would have ended your life as a lab rat… But that’s not the whole story, is it?"

Theodore inquired as though he were already aware of the answer.

This time, Kevin responded.

"Yes, that's not the whole story. I became his disciple to seek revenge. To become the greatest wizard in the Magic Tower and seek revenge against all, including my master Merlin, who were involved in the experiments back then. Also against their wives, families, parents, and everyone in the Magic Tower."

His words were sincere, revealing the deep-seated, seething anger and hatred he had harbored.

The intensity of his emotions seemed to cause even his mana to fluctuate.

"You’ve set quite a big goal for an inferior being… I commend you. You were pretty impressive for an inferior being," Theodore remarked, recalling their earlier encounter.

Indeed, it had been an impressive display.

"But at the same time, it’s a disappointment that you helped those two."

Oliver shifted his gaze to Derick and Felix.

"……Well, they are my students and associate researchers."

"And also your targets for revenge. They are also Magic Tower students, and their families and those around them are likely involved in biological experiments as well."

"Well… biological experiments were trendy in the previous generation."

Upon hearing Kevin's response, Oliver comprehended the discomfort and dissatisfaction that Kevin had often displayed towards the Magic Tower and its students. What Oliver had initially attributed to Kevin's personality was something far more profound.

Kevin had endured the entirety of the Magic Tower's existence with remarkable patience. Furthermore, he had diligently fulfilled his role as a professor at the Magic Tower, even going beyond to attain the rank of Tower Master, while genuinely striving to aid the students now.

Anger and hatred intertwined with a sense of duty and responsibility.

Two conflicting emotions coexisted intricately within Kevin's heart, shining brilliantly.

"But why are you trying to save them? Just leave them be. Have you grown attached? Is that why you're failing… If you have a clear goal, you shouldn't be swayed by trivial emotions."

Intentionally disregarding Theodore's words, Kevin focused his gaze unwaveringly on the fallen figures of Derick and Felix. Then, he turned to Oliver, his thoughts delving into profound contemplation.

Oliver remained in the dark about Kevin's inner turmoil, unable to discern his thoughts.

"Professor… he's provoking you."

Observing Kevin caught in the struggle between reason and emotion, Oliver elucidated Theodore's intentions.

Though the details were hazy, it was clear that Theodore aimed to incite a reaction from Kevin.

Kevin replied, "I know… he's not the kind of person to have such a sincere conversation with me in the first place, so…"

"…?"

"Take the kids and move away. It's an order."

Issuing this directive, Kevin channeled his mana, summoning a salamander before charging forward.

Events transpired so rapidly that Oliver had no time to protest; he chose to comply with Kevin's command, given the gravity of his emotions.

However, things did not proceed as planned.

"Huh?!"

Kevin came to an abrupt halt, taken aback. Just as he closed in on Theodore and his group with the summoned salamander, it vanished.

The potent aura characteristic of spirits was so pronounced that even Oliver could sense it.

A spirit retreating was a highly unusual occurrence.

Baffled by the sudden disappearance of the spirit, Kevin seemed to arrive at some realization, though Oliver couldn't fathom what it might be.

"Zenon…!"

In a state of panic, Kevin called out to Oliver, but his words were abruptly cut short as a sword wielding black flames infused with anger surged forth, aimed at Kevin.

[Greed Fire (탐화)]

Kevin was startled by the black flames, which fundamentally differed from conventional magic. However, being a seasoned wizard, he swiftly retaliated with his own fire magic.

It was a standard yet effective response. After all, fire magic was the most fitting counter to fire magic.

"Such flames are just fodder…!"

Carl, the creator of Greed Fire (탐화), declared confidently.

To a certain extent, he was correct.

Depending on the craftsmanship of Greed Fire (탐화), its properties could vary, but generally, ordinary fire magic served as nothing more than sustenance for it.

Or so it seemed.

"What…?"

Carl exclaimed in disbelief as he witnessed Greed Fire (탐화) struggling to absorb the flames.

There was a valid reason for this: the flames employed by Kevin were not his usual fire but rather Willes Flames. Unlike standard fire, which passively relied on the wizard's mana, these flames were designed to actively draw in mana from their surroundings.

While risky, they possessed tremendous potency as fire magic.

In certain aspects, their characteristics resembled those of Greed Fire (탐화), which might explain why they resisted consumption and held their ground.

Of course, the emotional aspect of Greed Fire (탐화) enhanced its firepower, so the battle was more about endurance than overpowering. Yet, for Kevin, that was sufficient.

His strategy involved countering Carl by crafting stone spears and rock projectiles through the Gaia School of Earth Magic.

However, Finn Russo, who had been silently observing, suddenly unleashed blood magic to tear apart both Carl's Greed Fire (탐화) and Willrs Flames.

———Whoosh!!!

With a sound that seemed to rend the very air, both the black and red flames dissipated.

The caliber of his blood magic rivaled that of Bathory, as evidenced by his swift creation of blood wings and the sharp blood gauntlets with which he lunged at Kevin.

Kevin responded by encasing his arm with stones from the ground, but Russo, wielding the power of blood magic, embedded his nails into Kevin's stony armor, forcibly propelling him out of the building.

In an instant, Oliver found himself alone.

Observing Kevin's expulsion, he turned to Theodore and inquired,

"Was I your target from the beginning?"

"Of course."