Episode 1200

‘No, actually… In this situation, I feel reassured.’

He realized that the madness of this magic criminal actually came in handy right now.

Usually, magic criminals didn’t want anything to do with dark-god worshippers. Who liked fighting with lunatics?

But from what Antagondals was saying, it didn’t seem like he’d just run if the dark-god worshippers showed up.

Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak!

Antagondals’ hamster squealed fiercely. Enster unconsciously frowned at the sight.

‘What a bizarre taste. What does he see in that hamster to keep it around?’

It didn’t even seem to be a rare magic animal capable of spells—just an ordinary hamster.

It was impossible to guess what archmages were truly thinking.

Lee Han, feeling awkward under Enster’s stare, changed the subject.

“Why did those Sanguiros bastards come here?”

“……”

It was an innocent question, since Lee Han already knew the answer, but it was a difficult one for Enster to answer.

“Did you do business with them, or something? No need to hide it. It’s not some big secret anyway.”

“Th-that’s right.”

With Lee Han opening the door, Enster leaped at the chance.

Of course, Antagondals wouldn’t know exactly how deep Enster’s connection to the Sanguiros cult ran.

But there was no need to reveal that. When your opponent misunderstood, a magic criminal would use that to advantage.

“We’d better prepare to fight back.”

Lee Han said aggressively, gesturing to Enster to ready his golems.

His real intention was different…

‘I’ll hang back and strike once they’re all tired.’

If the Sanguiros assassins and Enster ended up fighting, Lee Han would only be grateful.

Why interfere with mutual destruction? He’d planned to just attack whoever was left standing.

But Enster wasn’t stupid.

“No. I’m getting out of here first. There’s nothing good about getting mixed up with madmen.”

Whatever the Sanguiros remnants’ purpose, it was dangerous to stay.

For outsiders to enter a wizard’s workshop so boldly, they must have some leverage.

Plus, madmen like these were unpredictable.

Ordinary robbers might want loot, but these types might just blow themselves up out of spite.

‘Drat.’

Lee Han was disappointed.

He’d hoped to make them fight each other somehow…

-Hey. Hold up.

‘?’

-…Did your memory just blank? Did you forget what we were doing in the basement a minute ago?

“…!!”

Only then did Lee Han remember what he’d been up to down below.

Hadn’t he just finished his interference?

‘Do you think that really worked?’

The hamster’s suggestion had felt rather weak—a bit like pouring water into a cracked cauldron.

That meant the escape measures in the basement might not actually have been disabled.

-If we’d had a little more time, I’d be more certain, but now, I can’t guarantee.

‘Just as I thought. It seemed too weak.’

-You’re the brat who can’t even do a proper teleport, that’s why we did it like this. Don’t blame me. If we can just stall until the madmen show up…

Even if it wasn’t fully neutralized, partial damage would be enough to buy them time.

Lee Han and the hamster nervously watched for Enster’s reaction.

Clunk—

“…Aaaaaaaah!!!”

When Enster opened the basement door, he tossed all composure as a wizard and screamed.

There was no trace of a mage’s poise or calm. That’s how horrible it must have been down there.

Dozens of magic spells had backfired and malfunctioned, stacking destructive effects, leaving nothing intact.

The precious teleports scroll was nowhere to be seen, and the wall gate was now pouring some grotesque slime from who knows what dimension.

The most valuable items were now wrecked—the rest wasn’t worth asking about. The hamster squeaked softly,

-I don’t say this often, but wasn’t your method a bit much this time?

“……”

Lee Han nearly dropped the hamster from his shoulder in disbelief.

You told me to do it!

-You could’ve just sent enough to break the scroll. What, did you have a grudge against the basement?

‘How was I supposed to gauge it? I’ve never done this before!’

“You damned bastards! Are you so eager to die?!”

Enster’s eyes burned red with killing intent.

He assumed this disaster was due to a Sanguiros cultist’s sabotage.

Lee Han quickly agreed.

“Nasty work, isn’t it!”

“You think I’m afraid to face those scum? I’ll kill them! Maggots even wild dogs wouldn’t touch dare to…!”

“Show them what you can do!”

“All golems, ATTACK!”

Sick with a thirst for vengeance, Enster deployed all his operational golems. Lee Han encouraged him and egged him on.

The hamster regarded Lee Han with a tepid look.

‘This kid turns out to be truly scary when he drops the mask… He would make an astounding magic criminal.’

---

The Sanguiros worshippers hadn’t come for assassination after all.

Everyone knew the cult was already a fallen group, facing many enemies and an unfavorable situation.

This was a time to persuade and recruit old comrades, not to kill them.

“Enst—”

“Kill them!”

“!”

Startled by the sounds of golem activation, the worshippers quickly ducked.

Vrrrm—

The golems instantly unleashed focused mana beams from artifacts mounted to their arms. The intention was to murder everyone before they made it down.

“Enster, stand down! We come in the name of the Regent. The Regent expects your loyalty!”

Enster answered only by sending in more golems.

His melee-enhanced battle automatons released both poison gas from their faces and power-field blades from their limbs. Such golems had claimed the lives of many a swordsman and knight.

The worshippers became furious at the onrushing machines. Even fools could tell what this meant.

“How dare you?!”

One worshipper’s body turned to blood and vanished. Enster tensed up.

He’d once been with the Sanguiros cult and knew what that meant.

They’d sacrificed one of their own to bring in a new power!

“…KRAAGH!”

A previously ordinary worshipper exploded with monstrous energy, transforming into a hideous creature.

It tore through the golems in a single blow, unfazed by poison or blade.

Enster’s face darkened.

“Antagondals! Help me!”

But Antagondals made no move. Enster gritted his teeth.

Refusing to help even in this, it was the very spirit of a true magic criminal.

“Fine… Explode!”

A golem detonated, blasting the surroundings.

There would be repercussions for the noise and damage, but it couldn’t be helped. Survival came first.

The worshippers didn’t back down, only grew more frenzied.

Enster felt his blood run cold at the sight.

He’d expected those who wrecked his workshop’s core to try and run. Instead, they’d gone on a self-destructive rampage.

Normally he would have tried to flee, but now it was do-or-die. He kept throwing golems into the fight, blowing them up.

-Are they seriously fighting this recklessly??

The hamster was shocked.

The cultists, sure, were half-mad, but Enster was a magic criminal.

Using up all his golems like this, there’d be no cleaning up the aftermath.

‘That’s the price of worshiping a dark god. That’s what happens when you obsess over power whatever it takes.’

The hamster privately figured it was Wardanaz’s manipulation, but didn’t mention it aloud.

The unceasing war of attrition ended with Enster’s victory.

Fighting in a mage’s own workshop was simply too big an advantage.

The last worshipper, staggering, glared at them.

“Enster, don’t think you’ll survive rejecting the Regent’s glory! He’s watching you!”

“Tell Frahgal, Krsaksarigol, and Gonadaltes to eat dung from me.”

No affection left, Enster snapped icily.

As the worshipper crumpled, Enster gulped a potion. The losses were devastating, on top of the half-destroyed workshop and surely loud commotion outside—time to abandon everything and run for his life.

‘Should I make my move now?’

Lee Han prepared magic for a finishing blow.

Enster was strong, but at heart, a summoning specialist reliant on golems.

At this range, Lee Han had the upper hand. Plus, his foe was exhausted and off guard.

-In terms of level, he’s about an Einrogard fourth year. Maybe a half year less since he’s worn out.

‘Are you saying I might not win?’

Lee Han was baffled. The hamster snapped.

-No, I’m telling you to finish him NOW, you idiot!

Lee Han grumbled internally at the confusing advice.

Then it happened.

A huge red sigil formed above the worshippers’ corpses. Enster reacted even faster than Lee Han.

“Sang… Sanguiros!!!”

A mark he’d seen during his cult days.

Worse, the sigil appearing over the dead bodies was an ominous sign.

What in the world…

So this is how it ends.

A voice came from behind the sigil.

It was not vocalized through physical chords. It was a layered telepathy of hundreds or thousands of meanings passing through a dimension.

Even when in the cult, Enster had never contacted a dark god. He turned ashen.

Did the god really show up in person for killing a few worshippers?

“This can’t be! For these worms?!”

Lee Han was calmer than Enster.

He didn’t have as much magical experience, but he’d seen events of a very different scale, so he could make objective judgments.

‘…Is it possible for a dark god to have a self like that?’

-!

The hamster looked at Lee Han, shocked.

A sharp observation—one even an experienced mage might miss!

-You’re right. Strange. Dark gods aren’t… communicable entities.

As a great mage, the hamster himself believed that the source of faith was collective unconsciousness.

The gods were created by mortal will, not the other way around.

Thus, a god was a law, a rule, without self-awareness.

But how?

-There’s no such thing as impossible. The dark god might be corrupted or changed. Who knows how…

The hamster’s voice was weaker than usual.

Without certainty, he could only continue.

A mage of eccentric interests.

Sanguiros commented, regarding the hamster.

Why would such a mage abandon all magic to become a mere hamster?

-……

I have an offer for you mortals. Stop hunting my followers.

Both Lee Han and the hamster exchanged looks of disbelief.

A dark god making such a feeble proposal?

-Shows how desperate it is. Whatever you do, do NOT accept.

Wrong. I only mean that it makes no difference if you kill my followers. Wiping out the cult will not erase me. I already possess actuality. That pathetic group means nothing now.

“I wonder if you’ll say that after your cult’s bishops die,” Lee Han replied steadily.

It was possible for the dark god to persist even if the cult was uprooted.

But there was no way it wouldn’t take a hit in some way.

A bishop, you say? Ha ha ha… There are not even bishops among my followers! They’re all just worthless fragments now!

Lee Han and the hamster both faltered.

They’d always figured there was a powerful bishop-level figure masterminding the cult’s revival.

But there wasn’t, after all.

So all this was nothing but a band of mad leftover fanatics with no plan for the future?

If you want to chase and kill those maggots, be my guest. I’ve already got enough existence—it no longer matters to me.

Lee Han’s expression turned serious.

If that wasn’t just bluster, there was a major flaw in his plan.

Even destroying the cult, the dark god would remain as strong as ever.

And worst, that god now had self-awareness.

-Let it go. There’s no way to catch it right now, anyway.

‘Because even with another god’s power, it wouldn’t work?’

-It’s just a voice transmission, not something we can attack… Wait, did you just say…?