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Chapter 33: Turning Point

In front of the entrance to the Demon Dungeon at Zerion Academy, a nobleman with long, silver hair tied up stood silently.

His name was Nia Cynthia, an active mage-knight and one of the Empire’s most promising talents, even designated as the heir to the Yellow Magic Tower.

As Nia approached the entrance of the Demon Dungeon, the dungeon guards, who had been informed of his arrival, saluted him.

“You’ve done well.”

Accepting their salute, Nia stepped forward towards the entrance.

He extended his hand toward the inside of the gate.

Crackle—

At that moment, sparks erupted from the tips of Nia’s fingers, forcing him to stagger backward.

Just as he suspected.

Though he had frequently entered the Demon Dungeon during his days at Zerion Academy, the dungeon no longer permitted him entry.

If he tried to force his way in, he’d likely be incinerated instantly, his body reduced to ash.

Clicking his tongue, Nia lightly rubbed his slightly burnt fingertips.

He had grown significantly in magical ability compared to his academy days, yet he still could not overcome the barrier laid by Demon Sovereign, the ruler of the dungeon.

“What a persistent bastard,”

Nia muttered, his voice tinged with annoyance.

The barrier not only prevented him from entering but also summoned mere children to confront the Apostles in his place.

It was a cowardly and disgraceful tactic.

This time, however, Nia had come to test his own magic.

He no longer wished to leave everything in the hands of the younger generation.

Thus, he stood before the Demon Dungeon once more.

One of the primary reasons Nia sided with the First Prince was precisely this.

The First Prince was a reformist, a visionary leader dedicated to correcting flawed systems and actively investing in testing innovative methods.

This was starkly different from the path taken by the Third Princess.

She often remarked of the First Prince’s policies:

“Reform is far harder than revolution.”

Ironically, this distinction led the First Prince to focus on rallying the existing elite rather than amassing a new wave of talent.

“Gathering only new talent to advocate for reform is meaningless.

The elites always fear losing their privileges.

So, when new talent calls for reform, the first thing the elites do is block them.”

Despite his seemingly reckless demeanor, the First Prince was a deeply thoughtful individual.

“That’s why the first step isn’t persuading new talent but winning over the elite.

Ignoring the existing elite while pushing reforms won’t solve problems; it will create more.

To build a brilliant future, we must prioritize laying a solid foundation in the present.”

The First Prince sought to shape the Empire into his ideal vision, starting with controlling the present to reach for the future.

Nia found himself deeply moved by the First Prince’s vision.

If anyone could create an ideal Empire, it was him.

“Nia Cynthia, I want you to be my future.”

The First Prince’s words resonated profoundly.

For a vassal, there was no greater honor than such trust.

Without hesitation, Nia accepted the First Prince’s proposal.

He vowed to make the First Prince the Emperor.

‘Today, I take one step closer toward his future.’

Nia began sprinkling a reagent onto the ground, then used his staff to draw a magic circle with the mixture.

After laboring for a while to complete the intricate design, he firmly struck the center of the circle with his staff.

The mana within him began to surge violently.

Magic is the art of defying the rules of the world, deceiving its gaze to rewrite its laws.

A mage’s skill is measured by their ability to avoid detection.

Nia possessed an extraordinary talent for eluding the world’s eyes.

As the magic circle beneath him started glowing, an incantation to deceive the world spilled from his lips.

The circle radiated blinding light, enveloping Nia completely.

Step...

Moments later, out of the light stepped a young boy.

The boy, appearing in his mid-teens, was dressed in the mage-knight uniform Nia had been wearing.

It was the image of Nia’s younger self.

Nia clenched and unclenched his hands, feeling the smaller frame.

His face and skin had reverted to a youthful appearance.

‘Adjusting the exact age is still difficult.'

He had aimed for his late teens but ended up in his mid-teens.

The magic was still incomplete.

Additionally, his mana reserves were significantly reduced in this form compared to his original state.

As previously mentioned, magic involves deceiving the world.

To succeed, Nia had to suppress his inherent mana drastically.

Though he could recover his strength by returning to his original form, his current mana was limited.

‘This explains why age-reducing magic hasn’t become widespread.’

It might have gained popularity if it allowed one to maintain their full power while becoming younger.

But in its current state, it left mages too weakened.

Moreover, few could attempt such a spell.

Only a mage-knight of Nia’s caliber could dare to risk it.

The process of deceiving the world was fraught with dangers, including the possibility of irreversible physical transformation.

‘On top of that, this magic can only be cast on myself. I can’t apply it to others.’

Though the spell still had many flaws, Nia was determined to perfect it.

If he could master it, he’d stand a chance against Demon Sovereign in direct combat.

‘Well, let’s see.’

It was time to test whether he could meet the conditions to pass through the dungeon entrance.

Nia extended his hand toward the gate again.

This time, there was no spark.

His hand moved forward effortlessly.

Nia’s eyes widened in amazement.

It worked.

He could finally enter the Demon Dungeon.

“Nia Cynthia, you’ve done it!”

Exclaimed one of the dungeon guards, unable to hide his astonishment.

This breakthrough meant the conquest of the Demon Dungeon had taken a significant step forward.

“Indeed. I’ll head inside briefly.”

“Isn’t it too dangerous?”

“I’ve been through the dungeon countless times over three years. If I can’t survive even the first floor, I’ll never set foot here again.”

Reassuring the guards, Nia stepped into the dungeon.

As he ventured further, the interior began to reveal itself.

Above him, an artificial sun created by the dungeon shone down.

The gray forest surrounding him was silent, untouched since the Apostles were last subdued.

There was no sign of the Apostles—they hadn’t yet begun to manifest.

Nia exhaled quietly.

Though his mana reserves had diminished, his skill as a mage remained undiminished.

From the depths of the dungeon, he could faintly sense Demon Sovereign’s presence.

His breath caught in his throat.

Even from this distance, the monstrous aura instilled terror.

‘This is far from enough.’

Nia clicked his tongue.

He realized they still had a long way to go in his research on the magic of rejuvenation.

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‘Let’s retreat.’

He knew he could enter.

That alone was a significant achievement, Nia thought as he turned to leave.

Chill—

A sudden eerie sensation crept up his body.

The moment Nia’s head slowly turned.

Crrrk—

Something pitch-black and vaguely human-shaped began emerging from the wall of the demon dungeon.

Black liquid dripped to the floor as it pulled itself free from the wall.

At the same time, a long cord connected to the creature’s torso snapped and fell away.

Nia’s eyes widened as he instantly realized.

An Apostle.

An Apostle had just been born.

‘At this timing?’

The reason was unknown.

The demon dungeon was a place where no amount of investigation could bring certainty.

Nothing was surprising here.

It simply felt as though the demon dungeon had sensed Nia’s unnatural presence.

An existence that had defied the world’s rules to enter.

In response, the demon dungeon had sent something.

Nia drew his staff.

Having identified the opponent as an Apostle, he didn’t hesitate.

Though his magic was lacking, the Apostle had only just been born.

Before the Apostle could fully manifest, Nia gathered his power to strike.

Fizz!

At that moment, the energy gathering at the tip of the staff suddenly fizzled out.

“What?”

And that wasn’t all.

The magic within Nia’s body began to flow uncontrollably into the staff.

An unfamiliar crimson-black glow spread across its surface.

“Argh?!”

Nia cried out in alarm and tried to release the staff.

But the magic extending from it greedily wrapped around his hand, refusing to let go.

And in that instant, Nia realized.

‘This power… could it be a unicorn horn?’

The mystical unicorn.

A bizarre creature that devours the magic of the young, often eluding detection by even the most skilled mages.

This staff was made by melting down such a unicorn’s horn.

Unicorns are peculiar entities.

Even the most capable mage cannot perceive them, as they excel at hiding until they’ve devoured youthful magic.

Thus, there is a saying:

Unicorns are mysteries unseen by adults.

Even Nia, who had been named the heir to the Magic Tower, had not sensed the unicorn horn within the staff.

But now, in Nia’s rejuvenated state, the horn was finally revealing its true power.

A look of dismay spread across Nia’s face.

This staff had been crafted by an artisan recommended by a trusted acquaintance.

The fact that a unicorn horn was hidden in it meant—

‘A trap.’

Nia realized that his acquaintance had betrayed him.

And the mastermind behind it was obvious without much thought.

The faction of the Third Princess.

It was undoubtedly their doing.

‘Damn it!’

Nia swallowed his curse, desperately trying to release the staff.

But the unicorn horn only greedily devoured more of Nia’s mana, showing no intention of letting go.

Drip, crack!

Meanwhile, the Apostle had fully taken shape.

A monstrous figure, clad in armor-like exoskeletons with massive swords in both hands, rolled its bizarre, four eyes before locking its gaze on Nia.

Its four pupils spun grotesquely in a full circle.

“―――――!”

The Apostle let out a deafening roar.

It launched itself toward Nia with a powerful leap.

Boom, boom, boom!

Without magic, a mage is utterly vulnerable.

Especially in Nia’s case, where his younger body hadn’t yet fully adapted to his abilities.

Nia tried to dodge, throwing himself aside.

But the Apostle had already closed the distance.

Am I going to die?

Like this?

Without fulfilling the First Prince’s will.

Without securing the family so that Nikita could live freely, without concern for their lineage.

Without keeping his promise to his late mother.

As these regrets flashed through his mind like a fleeting dream,

“No!”

Nia desperately pushed his magic into overdrive, attempting one last effort to defend themselves.

Screech!

A boy stepped in front of him.

A boy shorter than Nia’s rejuvenated form, with black hair.

As soon as Nia saw him, his eyes widened in shock.

“You—”

Hanon Irey.

The same boy who, alongside Nikita, served as a student council member.

He exhaled in relief as he looked at Nia.

“I’m not too late.”

Then his crimson eyes shifted to the Apostle.

Hanon raised a hand, a sly smirk playing on his lips.

“You’ve prepared quite the welcome for a guest.”

“Well then, I’ll make sure to savor it thoroughly.”

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