Magic Academy's Genius Blinker Chapter 544: Green Core (9)

A settlement of dark mages existed. While not a common occurrence, sometimes well-organized dark mages would congregate and establish communities. However, their numbers typically did not exceed a few hundred, or perhaps a few thousand at most, falling far short of the scale of a human village. Therefore, upon discovering a dark mage city with tens of thousands of inhabitants, Baek Yu-Seol found himself genuinely questioning how such a place had managed to remain concealed. The hidden city was situated deep within the forest, far beyond the established territories of monsters and beasts. These remote areas, existing outside the surveillance of the Central Continent’s Mage Association, occasionally revealed evidence of cities that dark mages had successfully 'colonized.' This was Baek Yu-Seol's inaugural experience witnessing such a place firsthand, leading him to discreetly mask his identity as he navigated the city's shadowy alleyways. Despite his inclination to sow discord, he was uncertain of the total number of dark mages present. Moreover, unlike the fortress he had previously encountered, the surveillance systems here appeared considerably more sophisticated. Dark mages could be observed lounging on rooftops, engaging in smoking or drinking, yet their postures clearly indicated they were maintaining vigilance over the city's native population. The canine beastfolk displayed a vast array of variations, including poodle, bulldog, and numerous other types. The Narang tribe, in particular, was a wolf-like beastfolk race renowned for their superior physical prowess. Their leadership was characterized by wisdom, and they rarely faced defeat in conflicts. When organized into tribes, their numbers would swell considerably. The fact that such a formidable Narang tribe had been completely subjugated indicated that the dark mages controlling this city were far from ordinary. If an individual as powerful as the Dark Knight were present, an escape would undoubtedly be manageable. However, facing a large, coordinated enemy force systematically advancing upon him, his survival was uncertain. A city of this magnitude possessed a significant advantage: the unimpeded exchange of information. It was highly probable that information pertaining to the Green Core could be unearthed within this very city. Thus, what course of action should Baek Yu-Seol pursue next? If he were to carelessly impersonate a beastfolk and subsequently be compelled to reveal his hood, he would be unable to produce wolf ears as proof, inevitably marking him as a fugitive. There appeared to be no alternative. Since open movement was impossible, he would have to embrace a degree of calculated risk, adopting a covert strategy akin to that employed in espionage thrillers. Baek Yu-Seol remained concealed within the alleys until the descent of sunset. As the moon finally ascended, he commenced his clandestine operations. "Ah, disgusting. Why are those beastfolk sneaking around so much these days? If they’re dogs, they should act like dogs and obey their masters." "Tsk. My body feels filthy now." Two dark mages ambled casually into the alley, emitting disgruntled sounds. Their demeanor suggested they were mere local ruffians, but Baek Yu-Seol possessed the discernment to recognize this was not the case. They were stained with blood. It appeared they had been subjugating the village's beastfolk as slaves, and when resistance finally arose, they had extinguished the lives of the defiant without the slightest hesitation. And it was likely they had not ceased their abominable acts there. Lesser dark mages frequently resorted to consuming the remains of humans or beastfolk due to their limited methods for replenishing their dark Qi. With this grim realization, Baek Yu-Seol acted with swift precision. Shk! Employing a simple, unadorned blade instead of his usual magic sword, he covered the distance instantaneously, plunging the weapon into the neck of one of the dark mages. "Guh..." The dark mage met its end instantly, deprived of the ability to even utter a cry. Baek Yu-Seol expertly twisted his blade, decapitating the first foe with a clean stroke. In a single, fluid movement, he then severed the arms of the second dark mage. "Agh, gahh!" Gripped by sudden and incomprehensible agony, the dark mage attempted to scream, but Baek Yu-Seol seized its throat, completely stifling any sound. No matter how desperately the dark mage desired to grip Baek Yu-Seol's arm and resist, it was an impossibility without its limbs. The void left by its missing appendages and the suffocating pain overwhelmed its senses, leaving the creature disoriented as its eyes rolled back. Before it could succumb to unconsciousness, Baek Yu-Seol tossed it to the ground and drove his sword into the earth beside its head. "H-hiiick..." The dark mage became certain that any utterance deviating from the required response would result in the blade twisting and slicing its throat. Paralyzed by terror, it remained utterly silent, trembling on the ground like a mere insect. "Answer only what I ask." "Y-yes..." "Among the dark mages ruling this village, who’s the one in charge?" "In charge...?" "The leader, idiot." Smack! Baek Yu-Seol lightly grazed the dark mage's face with the flat of his blade, simultaneously pressing his foot against its neck to prevent any outcry. "Ack, gack...!" "Answer. Who is it?" "Th-the tallest tower..." Shk! Baek Yu-Seol offered no further opportunity for the sentence to be completed, cleanly slitting the dark mage's throat, thereby ending its existence.

"Seriously, whether it’s mages or dark mages, they all love the tallest buildings."

He recalled seeing beastfolk slaves constructing a tall structure in the village earlier that day. A tower already standing over fifteen stories high had struck him as peculiar then, but now it made perfect sense; it must have been erected by the dark mages.

Finding no further use for insignificant individuals like this, Baek Yu-Seol swiftly relocated.

A dark mage of that particular caliber could not be subdued by a mere ambush. Baek Yu-Seol, after all, was not a formally trained assassin.

Vaulting onto a nearby wall, he focused his gaze on the village's tallest tower, his eyes widening in astonishment.

The security measures were far more stringent than he had anticipated. The area surrounding the tower was enclosed by multiple layers of walls and fences, with dark mages patrolling in pairs between them.

The sight of dark mages—typically selfish and acting on impulse—cooperating in such an organized, systematic fashion was a profound shock to Baek Yu-Seol.

Even within the game, such coordinated dark mages were nonexistent.

In Aether World Online, the gameplay was primarily hack-and-slash, allowing the protagonist to effortlessly overcome all challenges solo.

This implied that even within a small settlement like this, a player controlling the protagonist could obliterate everything single-handedly.

In reality, the majority of players relished the game precisely that way, leveling up and acquiring top-tier equipment to dominate their foes.

Why was this possible?

That was their core design concept.

Dark mages were programmed not to cooperate, regardless of the unfolding events or the individuals involved.

Even when confronted by an adversary, they would never unite; instead, they would charge in one by one, only to be individually vanquished, fulfilling the role of stereotypical villains.

However, with dark mages as organized as these, it would be impossible to triumph single-handedly, even within a game environment.

Should he have interrogated the dark mage earlier for more intelligence?

No. That would have entailed too much risk.

The alley where he had been was frequently traversed by numerous dark mages, meaning that lingering there for an extended period would have significantly amplified the possibility of detection by others.

This was the precise reason why Baek Yu-Seol had immediately decapitated the dark mage after obtaining an answer.

To cross-verify their accounts and secure dependable information, he would need to interrogate and eliminate at least ten individuals.

As the thought materialized, Baek Yu-Seol immediately set his plan into motion.

Given that the central tower was the only location with organized guards, he elected to patrol the village outskirts instead.

While beastfolk slaves were commonly observed during the day, they were confined to their prison-like dwellings at night. The streets, however, teemed with dark mages.

They moved about with impunity, vandalizing parts of the village, forcing entry into locked residences, dragging out beastfolk, and brutally assaulting them while reveling in their torment. Their conduct stood in stark contrast to the disciplined dark mages maintaining guard at the central tower.

They were utterly unrestrained, indulging their every whim. If provoked, they would kill without the slightest hesitation, demonstrating a complete absence of humanity or moral compunction.

Consequently, Baek Yu-Seol did not falter for even a moment before dispatching them.

"Ugh...! Who... what are you...?"

After incapacitating five out of six dark mages who were in the process of beating a beastfolk in a secluded village corner, Baek Yu-Seol left one alive.

The surviving dark mage, clenching its jaw, looked up at him.

Although dark mages were reputed to be fearless, in the face of impending death, they were no different from any other being. The primal urge to survive consumed their minds entirely.

"You need not know my identity. Simply provide answers to my inquiries."

"Ha! I'm well aware of what a mage like you would question. Are you curious as to our motivations? It's quite straightforward—we do it for the amusement—"

Wham!

Baek Yu-Seol delivered a forceful kick directly to the dark mage's face, sending it sprawling and contorting its body unnaturally.

Crunch!

He maintained pressure over its mouth, ensuring no sound could escape during the ensuing actions.

"Who suggested I had any interest in that? Just tell me who commands the central tower in this village."

The moment Baek Yu-Seol removed his hand from the dark mage's mouth after posing his question, the creature began to speak.

"S-spare me...!"

That was the extent of its utterance.

Exhibiting incredibly swift reflexes, Baek Yu-Seol detected the ploy to stall for time and promptly covered its mouth once more before driving his blade into its thigh.

"I read in a tome that even dark mages experience agony when subjected to a stab wound in this particular area."

The creature's eyes rolled back as its body convulsed violently.

Not wishing for it to lose the capacity for speech, Baek Yu-Seol withdrew his hand, enabling it to finally furnish a coherent response.

"The... the High Priest of the Dark Mage Cult! The High Priest presides over the bell tower!"

"High Priest?"

So, the central tower was known as the "bell tower."

"And where is the actual bell?"

"Th-the slaves are still in the process of constructing it..."

"I see."

Baek Yu-Seol brought his foot down heavily on the creature's head, pinning it firmly to the ground.

The dark mage writhed and shuddered, struggling to draw breath, but it was utterly powerless against Baek Yu-Seol's immense strength.

Based on the terminology used, it sounded very much like a full-fledged church organization.

The intention was clear: to erect a colossal structure at the heart of their domain, a symbol of their dominance and a tool for imposing their beliefs.

In such an isolated locale, it could potentially require as long as five years, or perhaps as little as three, to systematically indoctrinate the beastfolk through brutal torture and violence.

"If you refuse to embrace our god, dire fates will befall your parents, your children, and all your friends."

Newly born or very young beastfolk, having known no other reality, would inevitably grow up within the oppressive embrace of the Dark Mage Cult, enduring constant suffering until they eventually accepted it as their sole way of existence.

This level of meticulous and far-reaching expansion was almost astonishing for mere dark mages.

"This must undoubtedly be the masterful work of their Dark Mage Cult Master, Hui-Ryeon."

With that thought solidifying in his mind, Baek Yu-Seol drew his sword and raised his foot once more.

Sensing the absolute finality of his impending death, the dark mage cried out in utter desperation.

"Wait! There's one more crucial piece of information I possess! It's something that would undoubtedly pique the interest of a battle-hardened Magic Warrior!"

"And what might that be?"

"If I reveal it to you... will you grant me my life?"

"That depends entirely on the nature of the information."

Baek Yu-Seol tilted his head slightly, granting the dark mage a silent cue to proceed. The desperate creature quickly stammered out its revelation,

"In just two short days, the Dark Mage Cult Master themself will be making an appearance in this very village..."

"Oh, is that so? Truly?"

This intelligence was, without question, exceptionally valuable.

"Are you, by chance, a member of this Dark Mage Cult?"

"Y-yes, I am indeed."

"And yet, you would so readily betray the leader of the very faith you claim to uphold? What a truly despicable little being you are. This, then, is fitting divine retribution."

Shk!

Swiftly, Baek Yu-Seol drove his blade deep into the dark mage’s heart, bringing its wretched existence to an abrupt end. After unceremoniously discarding the corpse in a secluded corner, his attention shifted to the young beastfolk girl who remained huddled fearfully in the shadows.

Her small body was a canvas of burgeoning bruises, obscured by a thick layer of dried blood and grime. She could barely force her swollen eyelids open enough to meet his gaze.

Her reaction was entirely understandable. Having just witnessed the brutal execution of several dark mages, it was only natural for her to be overwhelmed with sheer terror.

"Return to your home now and rest without a sound. Whatever you do, do not speak of me to anyone."

He then offered her a piece of bread. The beastfolk girl nodded her head with fervent intensity, clutching the bread tightly to her chest as she quickly scurried away into the darkness.

Observing her hasty retreat, Baek Yu-Seol's gaze then settled upon the imposing tower that dominated the village center.

Now that such a convenient opportunity had presented itself, it wouldn't hurt to at least catch a glimpse of their faces.