The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years Book 2 Chapter 596

Book 2 Chapter 596

We know the impact confinement has on living beings.

A being deprived of freedom inevitably grows weaker over time. Even for a trained human, no, especially for a trained human, this is more true.

When one’s entire body is restrained, without even the slightest freedom of movement allowed, no matter how rigorously one’s body has been trained, its strength will crumble. It’s akin to a dam with a cracked foundation, destined to collapse.

Of course, Lukas Trowman’s body didn’t possess the same properties as that of a trained martial artist.

‘For him, this doesn’t even qualify as confinement.’

For Lukas Trowman, every moment was the same.

Even if he were in a state not merely bound by chains but with all his limbs severed or his entire body paralyzed.

Lukas wouldn’t feel any sense of restriction. For him, only the power of thought was most important.

…Residue.

He was well aware that the time he had been physically confined wasn’t particularly long. Up until today, it had only been about a week.

However, in that short span of time, his mind had noticeably weakened, even by his own perception.

Was his mind influenced by the weakening of his body? Or was it because he was inherently such an insignificant being?

He didn’t know.

During the period of his confinement, the only person who had visited this place was Sedi Trowman. But no conversations had been exchanged between them.

…It was an unpleasant treatment.

The only thing Sedi cared about was this body.

It was like cleaning the house while her father was away, ensuring it would always be ready for him to rest when he returned.

Her devotion was directed solely at this body.

That drained Residue more than simple neglect, mockery, or hatred ever could. At the same time, in this moment, he couldn’t help but admit the truth.

His emotions were no longer those of an absolute being.

'If [Lightning G.o.d] saw my current state, it would be quite a sight.'

In the end, wasn’t everything going exactly as he had predicted?

Residue wanted to laugh, feigning nonchalance. His body had been recovering to the point that laughing was no issue, but he didn’t. He could sense, even without touching his face, that his expression had frozen stiff.

‘…What’s happening outside?’

The a.s.sault of Destruction had already begun, yet the world still seemed to maintain its form.

Why?

Was it truly because the Half King and the Twelve Void Lords had succeeded in perfectly defending the world with the supreme creature they had created? ŔἈ?Ȱ?Ěs

Was it because the advance of Destruction that Lukas, who was 'outside', had let flow was weaker than expected?

Or perhaps the world was already being turned into a wasteland, even as he pondered these thoughts.

…He didn’t know.

In this bound state, he couldn’t observe, nor could he be certain.

The inability to move, things going against his will, irrational grievances, and the stress that arose from it all.

It felt strange, having always existed at the center of all events.

He had always grasped every major and minor occurrence across the Three Thousand Worlds and had the power to intervene.

What about now?

He knew nothing, nor could he influence anything.

Ignorant and powerless. It felt as if he alone was living in a different time.

'...I see.'

Had the majority of those who were not chosen been living with this powerlessness all along?

He closed his eyes.

Though his body was confined, his mind was free, allowing him to reflect on the experiences he had lived through.

That became a rather pleasant journey.

Though it wasn’t his first journey, memories that had been unremarkable and thus unremembered began to take on vivid colors.

The world within Lightning G.o.d’s memories, and the lives of the weak who resided there.

‘What kind of eyes did this body use to look upon those things?’

It had been purely out of interest. And for their utility.

If something or someone piqued his interest and seemed somewhat useful, he would bring them under his control. But once that happened… his interest would vanish. The world would revert to being monochrome.

He felt as if he might drown in the monotony.

On the other hand, the lives of the weak were always absurdly intense. In his memories, they were always struggling.

Against others, against the world, or even against themselves.

Certainly, it must be because the world is inherently unfair. It’s a statement anyone could say, but how many have truly grasped its essence?

Those who come to know the truth generally react in one of two ways.

They either compromise with reality or fight until the end.

…Then, as someone who had now become weak, must Residue also adhere to their rules?

For Lukas Trowman, his dear friend, the life he desired would undoubtedly have been the latter.

Then what kind of life did Residue desire?

‘I…’

He could not bring himself to accept the fact that he was nothing but residue.

Because arrogance still lingered within him. Yet even that was not truly his. This humiliation, too, was nothing more than something copied from Lightning G.o.d.

Ultimately, every element that const.i.tuted Residue was a mere copy.

Perhaps… that was why he had accepted Lukas’s request.

To inherit from him,

To live like him,

Thinking that perhaps some part that could be called 'me' might emerge.

‘Did it turn out that way?’

Residue cautiously reflected on himself.

The memories, brief but more intense than anything, replayed in his mind.

……

……

There, within that,

……

……

If only he could find even a single speck of 'me'.

……

……

…And finally, it felt as though he had come to understand what kind of existence he was.

Empty.

So perfectly, so utterly empty that he couldn’t even deny it.

A copied personality, an imitated ideal, and inherited burdens.

None of them could truly be called Residue’s own.

“Keuk keuk…”

It was the first sound of his voice in about a week.

A laugh, a laugh that wouldn’t come even when he wanted to laugh, spilled out from the depths of his being the instant he reconfirmed his pitiful state.

“Kahaha…”

How could he not laugh?

It was the same mocking laughter he had let out in the past, back when he was Lightning G.o.d, as he observed the wretched and pitiful weaklings.

The laughter in the damp attic continued for a very long time.

*

The coldness of the chains dug into his very bones.

From that day onward, Residue stopped keeping track of the pa.s.sage of time. In the pitch-dark attic, a part of his consciousness had always been dedicated to counting time. But he had given up on that.

That didn’t mean there were no ways to estimate time.

Twice a day,

Sedi would visit the attic.

Mechanically, he would accept the food she gave him, move in a way that made it easier for her to clean his body, and never once met her gaze until she left.

“……”

Sedi seemed to sense something in Residue’s changed demeanor, but she still didn’t speak a word.

…Time pa.s.sed.

As The Beginning Wizard, during the meetings of the Twelve Void Lords, Residue had regarded time as his most precious resource. He couldn’t waste even a single second, always moving and thinking without pause.

Now, the exact opposite was true.

He wasted it as though he were throwing away something valuable.

And his emotions had died to the point where that fact didn’t even make him flinch.

It didn’t matter anymore.

The world still hadn’t been destroyed.

Yes. If so much time had pa.s.sed and yet it remained intact, wasn’t it now obvious?

-The Half King was truly standing alone against Destruction.

Had he not known of her existence, perhaps he wouldn’t have fallen into such a stupor.

The Half King’s existence was both salvation and despair to Residue.

She was the thief who had stolen the duty he thought only he could fulfill, and the n.o.ble saint who endured that agony all on her own.

A being who was a perfect superior version of Residue had appeared, and so his role had vanished. And a doll that had lost its purpose was always thrown into storage. Wasn’t it perfectly in line with his current state, trapped in an attic?

Creaaak-

At that moment, the door opened.

Residue lifted his head slightly.

Was it Sedi? But she had just left moments ago. Could she have forgotten something?

Step, step. Without giving him time to think, the figure that had opened the door slowly walked toward him.

It wasn’t Sedi. The physique and gait were entirely different.

Beniang Argento.

Or perhaps, the Seven Fanged Dragon G.o.d.

“…….”

Judging by her light green hair, it seemed she was currently closer to being Beniang. If that was the case, then Residue could also guess the reason for her visit.

Surely, by now, this woman must have realized it too, that he was not Lukas Trowman.

She stood still, looking down at him.

Residue could sense hesitation in her demeanor.

“Reproach me.”

So he said.

It was a voice coa.r.s.e and cracked, like bark from an old tree.

It had been a truly long time since Residue had spoken.

“You may hate me. You may even resort to violence… though I doubt Sedi Trowman would welcome that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m saying that you have the right to do so.”

Residue had unilaterally deceived Beniang. No matter what circ.u.mstances or grand purpose might exist, the fact remained unchanged.

It wasn’t particularly unreasonable, so he felt no great emotion about it.

“The Blue Knight has awakened.”

“…….”

"After about a month."

Residue suddenly felt a sense of incongruity and raised his head. The moment he locked eyes with Beniang, he was startled. There wasn’t a trace of discomfort or negative emotion in her gaze.

Rather, her eyes were as calm and serene as a still lake, without even the slightest ripple.

“…Awakened, you say? Does that mean the Blue Knight had been unconscious all this time?”

Finding it strangely difficult to hold her gaze for long, Residue averted his eyes as he asked.

“That differs a bit from Sedi Trowman’s testimony.”

“Strictly speaking, it’s not wrong. For several days after fighting you, she remained conscious before collapsing.”

'I see. So it was at that point that Sedi relayed information to Residue.'

Anything that happened afterward, he couldn’t have known. After all, not a single word had been exchanged between the two since.

“She seems to have done a lot of thinking while she was unconscious and come to a conclusion. …This is just my prediction, but there’s about a 90% chance it will come true.”

Beniang whispered in a low voice.

“Before the day ends, she will come here to kill you.”

“…….”

It wasn’t particularly shocking news.

It was one of the scenarios Residue had already antic.i.p.ated.

“…Even if she doesn’t kill you, it’s clear the situation will deteriorate further.”

Step. Beniang closed the distance between them even more. Her blue hair cascaded down like a curtain, momentarily obstructing Residue’s view. For a fleeting moment, a few thoughts crossed his mind.

Perhaps she had come to finish him off before the Blue Knight could. Or maybe she intended to kill him herself…

Clink-

It was none of those things.

“…What are you doing?”

“Sympathizing.”

Beniang was holding the chains that bound Residue’s body.

For a brief moment, Residue was stunned, but then he let out a faint chuckle.

“Kukuk… You mean sympathizing with this body?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, her gaze lowered, focused intently.

Her slender hands worked to dismantle the chains.

─It's irritating.

A faint spark flickered within the cold embers of Residue’s deadened heart.

“You must know by now what kind of existence I am.”

“A fallen Ruler, a remnant of the Lightning G.o.d. And probably…”

Beniang trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

But her previous words had already made it clear how much she understood.

“Yes. You know far more than the Blue Knight or Sedi Trowman.”

Once, Lukas had told him.

In the world where only thought was permitted, where he had spent 4,000 years,

the most effective way to avoid losing oneself was to let rage explode.

In other words, rage was the most vivid and intense emotion, one that carried the most unmistakable color.

“Then you must also know this. You, of all people, must understand what your pity means to me. Even if no one else does.”

“……”

Clink. Her voice mixed with the sound of the chains.

“We are the same.”

“Perhaps so. Both of us fell from great heights to crash into the dirt. But there is one fundamental difference.”

Beniang’s transparent eyes turned toward him.

“Your failure was something you intended. But my failure is different. This body… no, I…”

Residue spoke his true feelings in a voice crushed with bitterness.

“I never wanted this kind of situation, not even a little.”

“…….”

Clink.

The twisted chains were now almost fully undone.

Drip.

At that moment, something wet fell onto his cheek.

Was it rain leaking through again? No, that couldn’t be. The rain had stopped long ago.

What wetted his cheek was far thicker than rainwater, carrying an intense, metallic scent.

“…You.”

Residue’s eyes widened in shock. Only now did he realize that Beniang’s hands were covered in blood.

Why hadn’t he noticed it sooner?

The chains weren’t something that could be easily undone, not even by him, nor by the Death Worm. There was no way they could be dismantled without leaving a mark…

“Why… would you go this far?”

“I don’t know.”

Beniang replied calmly.

“If I had to put it into words, I’d call it a whim. Right now, I’m just doing what I feel like doing. I’ve given myself over to impulse. What do you think? Doesn’t that seem quite human?”

“…Didn’t you hate me?”

“I do. But that’s just an emotion dictated by the situation. If someone, anyone, had taken over my master’s body, even if they were the hero who saved the world, I wouldn’t be able to help but hate them. But putting that factor aside…”

After a brief silence, Beniang spoke again.

“I don’t dislike you. Someone like you.”

Clatter. The chains fell powerlessly to the floor. Residue was now free, but he couldn’t move easily.

“……!”

At that moment, both of their gazes shifted toward the door.

A powerful presence was approaching.

It was the Blue Knight, Pale. She was on her way.

“That was close. You should leave now.”

“And you?”

“I’ll try to buy some time. If you flee like this, you’ll be caught in an instant.”

"...I no longer have any reason to live."

“Is that so? I don’t care.”

Beniang’s tone was indifferent, almost cold.

“This is all the help I’m offering. From now on, no matter what happens, I won’t interfere with you. Like I said, this was just a whim.”

“…….”

But Residue still couldn’t move.

Was it because he had been confined for so long? Or perhaps,

Thud.

At that moment, Beniang placed her hand on Residue’s shoulder and gave a gentle push.

Despite the softness of her motion, Residue’s body was struck with tremendous force and was sent flying. He crashed through the mansion walls, past the dragon’s back, and finally into the open sky.

“Ah…”

At that moment, he caught a glimpse of Beniang smiling faintly.

Almost instinctively, Residue reached out toward her with his hand.

Why… Why would she go this far…?

Amid the unresolved questions swirling in his mind, Residue’s body slowly began to fall.